novelapdf Chapter 64 Adventure
Chapter 64 Adventure
Ji Xiuyuan only followed his father's advice and befriended Zhou Qiuyuan because of Wei Jin, the Thunder Blade.
Although Zhou Qiuyuan was Wei Jin's disciple, the Ji family still wanted to find out his background to prevent him from being a thankless wretch.
After discovering Zhou Qiuyuan's background, Ji Xiuyuan was completely dumbfounded.
The boy in the crowded alleyway had only been an apprentice for less than two months.
The minimum requirement for someone to be affiliated with a faction is to achieve minor mastery of external cultivation; this has been an unspoken rule in Black Swamp City for many years.
It's unlikely that Wei and Jin would break the rules of the underworld just to let their apprentices earn a living.
This means that Zhou Qiuyuan achieved minor success in external cultivation in less than two months, a speed of cultivation that is truly astonishing.
As long as this person does not perish, his future prospects are limitless.
If Zhou Qiuyuan were to inherit the Thunder Blade one day, he might even have a chance to obtain a Daoist soldier's quota from the woman of Wei and Jin, greatly increasing his chances of gaining immortality.
If the Ji family wants to remain in power in Black Swamp City, it would be best to find a cultivator to be their backer.
Supporting someone in their infancy will earn them the favor of a cultivator or allow them to gain influence in the future; there is no better deal in the world.
The Ji family is willing to invest a lot of resources to make this a gamble.
"My lord!" Liu Mei, who was leaning against Ji Xiuyuan, froze on the spot upon hearing his words, staring at her lord in disbelief.
She truly couldn't understand why her husband would say such heartless words.
Zhou Qiuyuan's family couldn't afford the 30,000 coins needed to awaken his spiritual power. He only became a body refiner by sheer luck. What merit did he have to receive such preferential treatment from his husband?
What Liu Mei found even more unbelievable was that her husband wanted to give her to Zhou Qiuyuan, an act that seemed to have a sycophantic or obsequious connotation.
Wasn't he a peasant?
Zhou Qiuyuan felt like his brain had shut down. It was one thing for Ji Xiuyuan to increase his monthly allowance from six thousand to sixty thousand coins, but this was a reward given because he valued Zhou Qiuyuan's talent.
What happened when Ji Xiuyuan gave his mistress to him?
What do you mean by taking away someone else's favorite thing?
Who is tarnishing their own reputation!
Zhou Qiuyuan felt it was necessary to clear his name to prevent outsiders from making things worse, so he replied, "Brother Ji, you misunderstand. Liu Mei and I grew up together, and I have no improper thoughts about her."
"I thank you for the monthly allowance and the secret medicine."
The Ji family generously increased the monthly allowance tenfold, and 60,000 coins a month was a considerable sum for Zhou Qiuyuan.
What attracted him most was the Ji family's secret medicine.
The Ji family started out as pharmacists, and the variety and quantity of secret medicines they possessed were beyond imagination, with a value exceeding 60,000 coins per month.
With the Ji family's financial support, Zhou Qiuyuan had a legitimate income and could also use secret medicine to accelerate his cultivation and improve his strength.
This is indeed a timely help.
Seeing Zhou Qiuyuan's behavior, Ji Xiuyuan understood that he appreciated the favor. The two paid no attention to Liu Mei and began to talk about cultivation and strange tales, chatting happily.
The banquet was a joyful occasion for both hosts and guests.
After seeing Zhou Qiuyuan off, Ji Xiuyuan's smile vanished. He looked at Liu Mei, who was all smiles and flattery, and said in an icy voice, "In consideration of our past kindness, ten taels of gold are your leave money. Take care of yourself in the future."
Zhou Qiuyuan said he didn't care about Liu Mei, perhaps because he disliked women who had been with other men and considered them dirty. Ji Xiuyuan didn't dare to actually take Liu Mei as a concubine.
Since the Ji family has decided to fully support Zhou Qiuyuan, they must cut off anything that might offend him, lest this become a grudge in the future.
Since Zhou Qiuyuan did not accept Liu Mei, the best solution would be for the Ji family to dismiss her.
"My lord, Xiaomei only wants to follow you!" Liu Mei clung tightly to Ji Xiuyuan's leg, refusing to let go, and didn't even glance at the ten taels of gold.
Ji Xiuyuan coldly snorted, "Get out of the way!"
"You are merely a substitute for the woman I could not have. Do you really think you can win my heart?"
"While I'm in a good mood, we can still part amicably; otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite."
He shook off Liu Mei's hand and left without looking back, taking his servant with him.
……
Although two hours of cultivation time were wasted, the gains today were quite substantial.
Zhou Qiuyuan didn't look through the two booklets on identifying medicinal herbs. He could look them through in his future dream, and it wouldn't waste his time in reality.
He returned home and took out the Deadly Sword to begin practicing.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. If you want to advance your cultivation faster, you can't afford to miss any opportunity to improve your strength.
If he hadn't diligently cultivated himself, the Ji family wouldn't have given him special consideration and gone to such lengths to acquire his talent.
This is the reward for diligent practice.
……
A dream of the future.
Zhou Qiuyuan read through the "Comprehensive Knowledge of Herbs" and the "Illustrated Compendium of Spiritual Herbs" and practiced his secret techniques until dawn before heading towards the government office.
During this time, they observed the surroundings but found no trace of Gu Lin. They even used the Wind Listening Technique but still found no one following them.
Even if Lu Chengping were to switch to another follower, he would eventually slip up in the dream.
Zhou Qiuyuan arrived at the yamen, found the document, and casually tossed out two taels of gold.
He described the appearance of two inner-city men in the teahouse and had the clerk draw them by hand, creating twenty-eight portraits of each.
Although clerical work is respectable, it doesn't actually offer much in the way of personal gain, but it doesn't miss out on big business opportunities that come its way.
Zhou Qiuyuan blew the ink dry, put the portrait in his pocket with satisfaction, went to Tianxiang Tower to find Gong Lei, and asked him to distribute all the portraits to the secret agents.
Dark Night had only one order: secretly monitor the movements and residences of these two people, and if they were to follow someone, a hefty reward would be given for revealing the identity of the person being followed.
This matter is closely related to the magical artifacts used by cultivators, and Zhou Qiuyuan wants to try his luck by finding a bargain through his future dreams.
The operation failed, and the people of Dark Night only made a little less money, which was not a loss for Zhou Qiuyuan, whose pockets were getting fatter and fatter.
Obtaining a magical artifact from a cultivator would be incredibly lucrative, a treasure that couldn't be bought for tens of millions of coins.
After explaining the matter, Zhou Qiuyuan decided to head to the South Gate, intending to explore the other two areas outside the city before finally heading to the East Gate.
There are more strange beasts outside the South City than in the West City. Zhou Qiuyuan encountered more than ten strange beasts along the way, as well as body cultivators who traveled with him.
Both sides were very wary of strangers, keeping a distance of about three zhang (approximately 10 meters) from each other, and rarely exposed their backs to strangers.
Once you leave Black Swamp City, the most dangerous thing is actually people.
A spirit tool for a body refiner costs at least two or three hundred thousand coins. The money earned from a single murder and robbery far exceeds that from hunting ten strange beasts.
……
"That was close!"
Zhou Qiuyuan opened his eyes, stood up from the bed, and still felt a lingering sense of unease in his eyes.
This time, outside the South City, we encountered a strange beast called the Crimson Serpent. Unlike the tumoured bull that coexists with evil spirits, this beast was not difficult to deal with, but it took a little more effort.
Just as he was locked in combat with the Crimson Serpent, he was attacked from behind by a cold arrow. Two Body Tempering Realm cultivators and the Crimson Serpent attacked him from three sides, and he was severely injured and almost lost his life on the spot.
Fortunately, his speed after using the Lightning Strike Secret Technique was astonishing, allowing him to shake off his powerful enemy; otherwise, he would have faced his first death in the future dream.