Chapter 7

"Yang Junshan, that Cold Light Dagger is a birthday gift from my father. Give it back to me quickly!"

Zhang Huzi, seeing the situation, became extremely anxious and rushed forward to try to snatch the dagger from Yang Junshan's hand.

Unexpectedly, Yang Junshan skillfully wielded the Cold Light Dagger, flashing several chilling glints that frightened Zhang Huzi into retreating hastily. No one knew better than him the sharpness of this Cold Light Dagger, which his father had carefully forged for him from refined steel. It was a treasure, second only to a magical artifact.

The moment Yang Junshan saw the Cold Light Dagger, he had made up his mind to take it. He had originally planned to find some suitable weapons on his trip to Bai Que Mountain, and this Cold Light Dagger appeared at just the right time. With the tiny bit of spiritual energy he currently had for refining his spirit acupoints, he could not use even the lowest-grade magical artifacts. However, with this Cold Light Dagger in hand, he could pierce the bodies of most low-grade fierce beasts.

Yang Junshan chuckled and said, "I already said, you didn't fight by the rules, so everything on you is my spoils of war. If you want this dagger back, wait until you beat me next time, let's go!"

As he spoke, he took the two Yellow Jade Fruits and fifty stone coins from Xu Lei, whose expression was strange. Yang Junshan flattered the boy in an adult tone, and being just a half-grown child, he was immediately pleased and his vanity was greatly satisfied.

Yang Junshan had been out for a while and was now in a hurry to get home. He didn't want his father to question him about where he had been.

However, he first needed to deal with the three brothers who were looking at him expectantly.

"Divide the spoils, divide the spoils!"

Turning a corner, Yang Junshan shook the five money bags in his hand. Yang Junping, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately cheered. Yang Qianhai and Yang Baoliang also chuckled, their faces showing their eagerness.

Zhang Tiesmith, the richest man in the village, was indeed worthy of his title. His son, Zhang Huzi, had not only two Yellow Jade Fruits and fifty stone coins but also about twenty more stone coins on him. Carrying so much money when going out was something Yang Junshan greatly envied. It seemed he would have to think of more ways to target Zhang Huzi in the future.

The other four companions also had a few dozen stone coins on them, and after a thorough search, they collected another fifty or so stone coins.

In total, they had taken 160 stone coins and two Yellow Jade Fruits from Zhang Huzi and his four companions. To these four half-grown children, this was already a considerable fortune.

Yang Junshan directly counted out sixty stone coins and divided them among the three, saying, "Each of you gets twenty. I need to go to Bai Que Mountain the day after tomorrow, and I have urgent use for this money."

Hearing this, Yang Qianhai was about to return the stone coins in his hand, saying, "Brother Shan, if you need it urgently, don't divide it."

Yang Junshan smiled, shook the money bag and the Cold Light Dagger in his hand, and said, "It's enough. I have a plan. Besides, this Cold Light Dagger is worth at least one jade coin, if not more. I've made a big profit this time."

Yang Junping, drooling, looked at the Yellow Jade Fruits in Yang Junshan's hand and said, "Brother, I don't want stone coins. Can you give me a piece of Yellow Jade Fruit to taste?"

Yang Junshan laughed and scolded, "You little glutton, you haven't tested your spirit acupoints yet, and you can't channel spiritual energy. This Yellow Jade Fruit won't taste as good as a regular apple or pear. Wait until you test your aptitude next year, and I'll find you even better spiritual fruits."

Yang Junping's eyes lit up, "Really?"

Yang Junshan affirmed, "Of course, do you think I would lie to you?"

Yang Qianhai, being older, knew that these spiritual fruits were not easy to obtain, especially the Yellow Jade Fruit, which was a mid-grade spiritual fruit. Otherwise, why would Zhang Tiesmith, a martial artist, treasure a Yellow Jade Fruit tree so much?

The two brothers sneaked back home, and Yang Tiangang had already prepared for the trip to the market. He was smoking a pipe in the courtyard.

As soon as they entered the door, they saw Yang Tiangang smoking. Yang Junping was startled and instinctively hid behind Yang Junshan. Yang Junshan chuckled and asked, "Father, are the pack beasts ready?"

Yang Tiangang glanced at the two brothers and, as expected, did not ask where they had been. Instead, he said to Yang Junshan, "Go to the market early and return early. Get ready quickly. This time, you'll ride the young pack beast."

"Really?" Yang Junshan's eyes lit up. He had long been eyeing the young pack beast, but Yang Tiangang had never allowed it. The young pack beast had been raised for three years and was as precious as a son. Now, he had finally agreed to let him ride it.

When Yang Tiangang was young, he had spent a lot of effort taming a female pack beast. Now, the female pack beast was in her prime, with the strength of a Fourth Rank Mortal Realm cultivator. Three years ago, shortly after Yang Tiangang became the village chief of Tuqiu Village, the young pack beast was born.

The pack beast had played a significant role in Yang Tiangang's establishment in Tuqiu Village. Its Fourth Rank Mortal Realm cultivation was a great help to him. Moreover, the pack beast was gentle and strong, making it an excellent choice for plowing spirit fields.

There were no more than five such spirit beasts in the entire Tuqiu Village, and among these five, the young pack beast was still immature and could not yet plow the fields.

It was because of this pack beast and the family's inherited "Earth Spirit Technique" that Yang Tiangang could cultivate about three acres of low-grade spirit fields in Tuqiu Village, the most in the village.

This was because the young pack beast's cultivation was only at the Second Rank Spirit Awakening stage. Only when it reached the Third Rank Spirit Acupoint stage, capable of channeling heaven and earth's spiritual energy, could it plow the spirit fields where spiritual energy was condensed in the soil.

Once the young pack beast matured, the Yang family, with two spirit beasts, could not only cultivate their three acres of spirit fields but also help other villagers during the busy farming season, earning stone coins and spirit grains. The family's financial situation would undoubtedly improve.

The market in Huangtu Town was held every ten days. On market days, villagers from the five surrounding villages would flood into the town to buy necessities, making it the busiest day in Huangtu Town.

Yang Junshan rode the young pack beast, following behind Yang Tiangang's larger pack beast, trotting towards the market in Huangtu Town. After about half an hour, Huangtu Town was already in sight.

On the back of Yang Tiangang's pack beast were two large bamboo baskets filled with about two hundred catties of spirit grains. At the price of two catties of spirit grains for one jade coin, these two hundred catties of spirit grains were worth ten jade coins, equivalent to Yang Tiangang's annual salary as the village chief.

Although the Yang family was well-off, they did not have as many loose coins as Zhang Tiesmith. The family's main asset was spirit grains, which they would only take to the market to exchange for jade coins when needed. This time, Yang Tiangang was clearly preparing for Yang Junshan's trip to Bai Que Mountain.

The three acres of spirit fields in Tuqiu Village, cultivated by the Yang family, yielded about six hundred catties of spirit grains annually, thanks to the family's inherited spirit farming techniques and the spirit-infused water from the spirit well. However, they had to pay one-fifth of their annual harvest as a grain tax to the town.

By now, there were already many spirit farmers from the surrounding villages heading to the market. Many of them greeted Yang Tiangang with a hint of respect.

As an outsider, Yang Tiangang had faced resistance not only from the villagers of Tuqiu Village but also from the other four village chiefs in Huangtu Town and the town's garrison, who did not welcome him.

After the spirit well incident in Tuqiu Village, although no one in the village dared to challenge Yang Tiangang, he still faced hostility and discrimination from the other village chiefs and martial artists in Huangtu Town.

However, after a series of open and covert struggles, Yang Tiangang defeated many martial artists who challenged him. Even those with similar cultivation could at most maintain a draw against him. In the end, it was the garrison commander who personally stepped in to suppress him.

The result of this battle quickly spread throughout Huangtu Town. Although Yang Tiangang's cultivation was not the second highest in the town, his strength was clearly second only to the garrison commander, and no one in the town dared to underestimate this outsider village chief.

The market in Huangtu Town was bustling, not only with the town's shops and spirit farmers from the surrounding villages but also with many traveling merchants selling various items needed by spirit farmers.

After entering the market, Yang Tiangang let Yang Junshan wander around the town on his own while he led the pack beast to the garrison's office.

Yang Junshan knew that the garrison's office was where the martial artists of Huangtu Town gathered. On market days, they would exchange items needed for cultivation, share useful information, and discuss cultivation techniques.

Without Yang Tiangang by his side, Yang Junshan felt more free. He had two hundred stone coins and one jade coin, enough to buy some items for his trip to Bai Que Mountain.

Although young, Yang Junshan had the experience of a martial artist from his previous life and the presence of a half-grown pack beast made him look like a child from a prominent family. The shopkeepers in the town, wary of the adults behind him, did not try to take advantage of him, but the traveling merchants were different.

However, Yang Junshan was also thinking about these traveling merchants because, due to their travels, they often had a variety of odd and rare items. Yang Junshan hoped to find some useful items from them based on his previous life's knowledge.