Chapter 94

Have you ever taken care of me?

Yang Junshan really wanted to ask himself this question. As for the alchemist he had found to help him, it was probably to scheme for the cultivation resources in his father's hands, or even for the resources he himself had accumulated.

Yang Junshan was very clear about his uncle's character. In his heart, there was no Yang family, no siblings. These things were only used to enhance his cultivation and status.

Back then, to become an outer disciple of the Heaven-Shaking Sect in Greenstone Town, he could unite with his siblings to oppose the Wang family; but when it came to the succession of the clan leader, he stood by and watched as the Yang Tian family split off, without ever offering any support.

To become an inner disciple of the Heaven-Shaking Sect, he could abandon the position of town guardian that the old Yang family had held for decades, and have his wife return to the old Yang family residence to appease the Wang family and ease the relationship, to gain the support of Wang Zhenren. To advance to the fourth level of the Martial Realm, he immediately began to scheme for the resources that Yang Tian had accumulated over five years.

Even after several months in Greenstone Town, even if Yang Tianchen was too busy to see him, he could at least send someone to greet him, right? But in fact, apart from that one time when he met Guo Shurong at the old Yang family residence, Yang Tianchen completely ignored Yang Junshan's arrival. Even when he met Guo Shurong, it was only out of desperation that he invited Yang Junshan, with a tone that was nothing but polite and distant.

Seven days later, under the lead of Yang Junlu and Yang Junkai, Yang Junshan and the two brothers arrived at Chenyu County. On the way, the two brothers did their best to show off, one saying, "Fourth Brother, you've never seen these things, right?" and the other saying, "Fourth Brother, this kind of prosperity is something you can't see in Tuoqiu Village," treating Yang Junshan like a country bumpkin who had never seen anything.

What they didn't know was that Yang Junshan was even more familiar with Chenyu County than the two brothers, and he was even familiar with the ruins of the county in the future.

The Heaven-Shaking Sect had a branch in every county of Yu Prefecture. The head of the branch was usually the county magistrate, who was also a cultivator. The branch was a place where inner and outer disciples of the Heaven-Shaking Sect in the county gathered. Each branch was located in the place with the most abundant spiritual energy in the county, and it was more accurate to say that the county was formed around the branch.

As for the main sect of the Heaven-Shaking Sect, it was also established near the prefectural city. However, the main sect of the Heaven-Shaking Sect was usually only accessible to the sect's true cultivators, elders, true disciples, and outstanding inner disciples. Someone like Yang Tianchen only had the opportunity to enter the main sect of the prefectural city for identity verification and to meet the sect leader after advancing to an inner disciple. On a regular basis, he could only cultivate at the branch of the Heaven-Shaking Sect in Chenyu County.

After showing Yang Tianchen's token and leading Yang Junshan into the inner courtyard, the two brothers, who had been so lively, immediately reined in their arrogance and led Yang Junshan to the southwest corner of the branch, repeatedly reminding him to be careful and not to make any mistakes.

The branch was vast, with abundant spiritual energy, far more than in Yang Junshan's spirit spring cave. However, there were very few cultivators coming and going, as most of the branch cultivators held important positions in the county and were often busy with secular affairs.

However, whenever someone passed by, the two brothers immediately bowed respectfully, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent. The passersby often just glanced at the two and continued on their way without stopping.

"In this branch, there are few people coming and going, but those who can enter here are all disciples of the Heaven-Shaking Sect. Fourth Brother, you have been hiding in a remote place, so your manners may be lacking, but you must bow to everyone you meet, no matter who they are, and must not offend these seniors due to a lack of manners!"

Seeing Yang Junshan looking around with interest after entering the branch, Yang Junlu was slightly displeased, thinking that his fourth brother had become even more uncouth after living in the remote Tuoqiu Village. If he offended the cultivators in the branch, it would be blamed on his father, so he reminded him.

"Oh, I understand!"

Yang Junshan's response seemed absent-minded to Yang Junlu, who couldn't help but shake his head.

"Fourth Brother, I'm not saying this to criticize you, but the branch of the Heaven-Shaking Sect is not like Tuoqiu Village. In Tuoqiu Village, you are the village chief's son, and everyone respects you, but here, anyone is our senior. If you act so casually and offend anyone, it might not only affect Master Fei's decision, but also damage my father's reputation, which would not be good."

Yang Junkai, seeing that Yang Junshan wasn't paying attention to his brother's words, spoke with a heavier tone, "Moreover, there is a genius cultivator from the Heaven-Shaking Sect who is currently training in the branch. He is a prodigy, currently an inner disciple, but becoming a true disciple is a sure thing. If you accidentally disturb him, even my father might not be able to help you!"

Yang Junshan smiled and nodded his head toward the two, saying, "Are you talking about him?"

The two suddenly turned around and saw a teenager in deep blue clothes standing not far behind them, looking at Yang Junshan and the others.

"Uncle Zhang? Greetings, Uncle Zhang!"

The two were initially stunned, but quickly bowed deeply. At the same time, Yang Junlu urgently whispered to Yang Junshan, "Quick, this is the prodigy of the Heaven-Shaking Sect that Third Brother mentioned, who will surely become a true disciple. Hurry up and greet him."

Yang Junshan, however, seemed to ignore them, smiling and looking at the teenager.

"It's you!"

The teenager suddenly spoke, and Yang Junlu and Yang Junkai, not understanding, followed his gaze and realized he was talking to Yang Junshan: "I recognize you, in Baique Mountain."

Yang Junshan still smiled, "I recognize you too, Zhang Yueming from the Wasteland Town, a genius cultivator of Mengyu County. I didn't expect to meet you here!"

Zhang Yueming asked, "Are you also a disciple of our sect?"

Yang Junshan shook his head, "No, I was introduced by someone to ask Master Fei to refine a magical artifact for me."

"Master Fei?"

Zhang Yueming frowned, seemingly puzzled by the title.

Yang Junlu quickly explained, "Reporting to Uncle, it's the alchemist Master Fei Ziqing. Uncle has promised my cousin that once he prepares the spiritual materials, he will refine a magical artifact for him. Today, he is here to meet Master Fei and determine what kind of magical artifact he wants to refine."

Zhang Yueming did not comment on Yang Junlu's words, only staring at Yang Junshan, "You are quite good, but it's a pity you are not a disciple of our sect. If we meet again in the future, I might recommend you to my master to join our sect."

Yang Junlu and Yang Junkai's faces showed envy, but then they heard Yang Junshan say, "Thank you for your consideration, Brother Zhang. We'll see what happens in the future."

Zhang Yueming nodded, "May I ask for your name?"

Yang Junshan replied, "I am surnamed Yang, Yang Junshan!"

Zhang Yueming nodded at Yang Junshan and then turned and left.

Watching Zhang Yueming's back, Yang Junlu and Yang Junkai looked at each other with strange expressions. The two brothers turned to Yang Junshan and asked, "Fourth Brother, do you know Uncle Zhang, um, him?"

Zhang Yueming and Yang Junshan were clearly speaking as equals, and Yang Junlu did not want to be a generation lower than Yang Junshan.

Yang Junshan smiled, "I know him, but not very well."

Yang Junkai asked, "How did you meet?"

Yang Junshan smiled, "During the hunt in Baique Mountain, I took three bear paws from him. He tried to surround and capture me, but I escaped."

Yang Junlu and Yang Junkai looked at each other again.

Fei Ziqing was an alchemist among the inner disciples of the Heaven-Shaking Sect. When they met him, Yang Junlu and Yang Junkai were very respectful. Fei Ziqing only lifted his chin and said, "So, you want me to refine a magical artifact for this kid. Can he even use it?"

Yang Junlu hurriedly smiled, "Uncle, just refine it. The spiritual materials for refining the magical artifact will be fully provided by my cousin."

"Hmm," Fei Ziqing seemed to remember something, "Right, fully provided. Kid, do you understand what fully provided means?"

Without waiting for Yang Junshan to answer, Fei Ziqing explained, "It means you need to prepare at least three sets of spiritual materials sufficient for refining a magical artifact. Refining a magical artifact is difficult. If you can refine one with three sets, it's already a stroke of luck. Of course, if you have bad luck and all three sets are destroyed during the process, it's just the will of heaven. I need to make this clear to you beforehand."

Yang Junshan seriously said, "So, Senior, you mean I need to prepare three sets of spiritual materials, and there's no guarantee of success?"

"Of course, this is a common rule among alchemists. Oh, don't forget my fee. Refining a low-grade magical artifact from start to finish takes about a month, and the fee is thirty jade coins. For three sets of spiritual materials, that's ninety jade coins, which must be paid in full before I start refining."

Yang Junshan curiously asked, "If Senior's skills are excellent and you can refine it successfully on the first try, will the remaining two sets of spiritual materials be returned to me, and the additional sixty jade coins not required?"

Fei Ziqing immediately became angry, turning to Yang Junlu and Yang Junkai, "Do you know the rules? Where have you heard such a question? If you don't trust me, you can ask someone else to refine it!"

Yang Junlu quickly said, "Master, please calm down. My cousin is from a remote village and doesn't know the rules. Please don't be angry. I will explain it to him."

After calming Fei Ziqing, Yang Junlu turned to Yang Junshan and loudly scolded him, "Fourth Brother, you really don't know what's good for you. You should be grateful that Master Fei is willing to refine the magical artifact for you. How can you haggle over the spiritual materials and jade coins? These things are naturally for Master Fei to practice with. Three sets of spiritual materials and ninety jade coins, not a single one can be missing!"

He then gave a look to Yang Junkai, who immediately echoed, "Exactly. My father spent a lot of effort to get Master Fei to refine it. If you were as ungrateful as you are, why would my father do such a thankless task?"

Yang Junshan nodded and did not argue further, instead asking, "So, what kind of magical artifact does Master plan to refine for me?"

Fei Ziqing coldly snorted, "I heard you have Tianhuang mud? Let's refine a Thousand Gold Brick. It's perfect for smashing people. Once it's activated, it will shine with golden light, and one hit will make even someone with a higher cultivation level suffer."

The Thousand Gold Brick is one of the most common low-grade magical artifacts, simple to refine and requiring fewer types of spiritual materials. It is a choice for cultivators with limited resources, with ordinary power and a single function.

Yang Junshan's expression became more playful, and he asked, "I've heard that the Thousand Gold Brick can be used by both earth and metal cultivators, and it leans more towards metal cultivators. Since it can be used by both earth and metal cultivators, does it really require much Tianhuang mud?"

"Nonsense!"

Fei Ziqing jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on, "Don't believe what others say. If these people really understood, they would be alchemists themselves! It's true that the Thousand Gold Brick can be used by both earth and metal cultivators, but it depends on how it's refined. If you increase the amount of Tianhuang mud, the artifact will naturally lean towards earth!"

Yang Junshan did not argue further but asked, "So, how many types of spiritual materials do I need to prepare for refining the Thousand Gold Brick?"

"Oh," Fei Ziqing's face finally showed a hint of pleasure, "A total of twelve types of low-grade spiritual materials: Tianhuang mud, red flame iron, soft earth powder, crack powder, …"

Yang Junshan listened without showing any emotion. The quality and variety of the spiritual materials used in refining a magical artifact are naturally the higher the better. Twelve types of low-grade spiritual materials are the limit for refining a low-grade magical artifact, and the Thousand Gold Brick, being a very common low-grade magical artifact, clearly does not require so many types of materials. Yang Junshan also knew that only five types of materials were enough to refine a Thousand Gold Brick.

Yang Junshan nodded, "Alright, I've noted it down. However, I don't have all twelve types of materials yet. Please wait for a while. I will collect them and then hand them over to you for refining."

"Be quick!" Fei Ziqing drawled, "I don't have the time to wait for you. If someone else asks me to refine something during this period, your magical artifact will be delayed."

Yang Junshan bowed and took his leave, and Yang Junlu and Yang Junkai also smiled and bid farewell to Fei Ziqing.

After the three left the branch of the Heaven-Shaking Sect, Yang Junkai tugged at his brother's sleeve, and Yang Junlu slapped his head, "Ah!" and said, "Fourth Brother, I forgot something my father asked me to do. You can wander around the county and enjoy the prosperity. I and your third brother will be back soon. We'll meet outside the city in the evening and return to Greenstone Town together."

Yang Junshan seemed to have anticipated this, smiled, and said, "No need. You two go ahead. I'll wander around the county and then return to Greenstone Town. I need to collect the spiritual materials as soon as possible, or I won't know when I can get the magical artifact. Don't worry, I know the way home!"

Yang Junlu smiled, "Alright, be careful!"

Watching the two brothers quickly re-enter the branch, Yang Junshan smiled with a hint of disdain and then walked alone into the county.

In the branch, the Yang brothers were walking to Fei Ziqing's alchemy room, laughing, "I didn't expect the old fourth to be so hard to fool. He asked so many questions, I was afraid he would get discouraged and give up."

Yang Junlu coldly snorted, "It's just a country bumpkin's habit, always haggling over every detail. But he's not stupid. He knows that his aunt can't help him now, and his only way to find an alchemist is through his father, so he finally agreed."

Yang Junkai excitedly asked, "Brother, how much of the spiritual materials do you think we can get this time?"

Yang Junlu also smiled, "At least it will save us a lot of effort. Father is now fully focused on advancing to the fourth level of the Martial Realm and can't take care of us. Our magical artifacts are still not settled, and this time, it looks like we'll get a lot of good things through the old fourth."

Yang Junkai said with a hint of envy, "Yes, it must be said that Uncle has put a lot of effort into the old fourth. But if he finds out, it won't look good for Father!"

Yang Junlu sneered, "Master Fei is confident in refining the Thousand Gold Brick. Three sets of materials should be enough for the old fourth. Once he has the magical artifact, no matter what, Uncle will owe Father a favor. What's a little spiritual material? Besides, if he has any doubts, he will suspect Master Fei. Unless he can enter the branch and confront Master Fei, how could Uncle, who is so straightforward, suspect his nephews?"

The two brothers laughed and discussed the possible gains from this, while Yang Junshan had already arrived in the slums of southern Chenyu County.

——————————

I have some news to share. After repeated discussions with the editor, the attempt to delay the release date has failed. The book will officially go on sale next Monday, the 18th of this month. I am very anxious and would like to ask for your support in advance. Thank you all.

Previous page AD starts

Previous page AD ends