Chapter 52: Insect Feces Spirit Stone
The Dojo Master sipped her tea, her chicken claw-like fingers reaching into her sleeve, shaking it lightly.
About ten glittering, gold sand-like small stone pellets fell onto the table, immediately attracting Fang Shu’s attention.
“In that Mine Owner Cao’s mine tunnel, there are indeed traces of Gold Seeking Insects. These are the feces produced by Gold Seeking Insects, colored like gold sand, with a rusty iron smell. Taking them as Precious Medicine can dispel lung swelling and throat ailments.”
The old woman spoke slowly and deliberately, making the anticipation in Fang Shu’s eyes intensify.
But after a pause, she suddenly changed the subject and sneered:
“However, this old woman is not easily fooled. Upon seeing this item, I knew someone had obtained these Gold Seeking Insect feces from somewhere and deliberately placed them in the mine tunnel as a smokescreen to deceive the shortsighted.
Those people only know this is Gold Seeking Insect feces, but they don’t know that Gold Seeking Insects produce feces hanging on the rock wall, shaped like a mine vein, and not like rat droppings falling on the rocks.”
Fang Shu listened, his expression changing slightly as he exhaled and spoke:
“Master, do you mean that Mine Owner Cao truly wanted to lure this disciple into the mine tunnel to do something nefarious, and there is no Precious Medicine at all?”
Hearing this, the Dojo Master pondered and said:
“There definitely is no Precious Medicine. As for having nefarious intentions, perhaps yes, perhaps not; it might just be that fellow’s subordinates showing off deliberately to claim credit.
After all, although Gold Seeking Insects are rare and valuable, their feces occasionally appear on the market where people sell them as gold sand. With good luck, one can buy them without spending much money.”
But the next moment.
A mocking smile reappeared on the Dojo Master’s face. She shook her sleeve again, and with a clink, three Spirit Stones fell onto the table, shimmering with spiritual light.
The old woman chuckled lightly:
“But why care about the truth? Since the Gold Seeking Insect matter is fabricated, that means Mine Owner Cao doesn’t know the rules.”
She gestured with her eyes at the Spirit Stones on the table: “Take them.
That fellow is quite clever; knowing the traces were fake, he immediately took out three Spirit Stones as an apology, saying it was for not entertaining you and your uncle properly last time.
This old woman, considering it was his first offense and you ultimately didn’t fall into the trap, accepted this apology on your behalf.”
Realization dawned in Fang Shu’s eyes.
These three Spirit Stones were equivalent to Mine Owner Cao returning double the redemption Spirit Stones for his second uncle Yu Le.
However, he had no intention of reaching out to take the Spirit Stones and immediately made a bow:
“Thank you for your trouble, Master. For Master to heed this disciple’s words and make a trip outside is already this disciple’s good fortune; how could I accept this as well.”
The Dojo Master directly snapped:
“Why so wishy-washy! Once this old woman takes something out, there is no taking it back.
The items are right here. If you don’t take them and someone else picks them up, that’s on you.”
Seeing this, Fang Shu showed a trace of guilt on his face and said, “One dare not refuse what an elder bestows.”
Only then did he step forward, pocketing the three Spirit Stones from the table. After hesitating a moment, he also wrapped the Gold Seeking Insect feces in a piece of talisman paper and put it into his sleeve pocket.
With the three Spirit Stones in his bag, it could exactly alleviate Fang Shu’s recent financial embarrassment.
Perhaps the Dojo Master had done this intentionally, finding a way to help him out in life.
Seeing Fang Shu accept the Spirit Stones, the Dojo Master showed satisfaction on her face.
She said indifferently:
“That’s more like it. They’re just three Spirit Stones; don’t be so narrow-minded, no need to care too much.
As for this matter, for Master to let it go lightly without making excessive demands is because I await the day you pass the Second Tribulation. Then you can go personally to find trouble with that Mine Owner Cao and extort him.”
These words made Fang Shu’s expression peculiar, but he keenly caught the hidden meaning in her words.
After inquiring further, Fang Shu immediately understood that Mine Owner Cao’s cultivation was only at Second Tribulation Refining Essence.
And as the Dojo Master said, he was clearly someone who had advanced by consuming pills; his aura was unstable, and at most he had some vicious moves, but they were all unorthodox.
Therefore, the Dojo Master said that if Fang Shu passed the Second Tribulation, he could go find trouble with him himself.
Additionally, in her words, the Dojo Master briefly introduced the situation inside the Qian Shan Mine.
“The Qian Shan Mine has been excavated for a full cycle of sixty years, with intertwining and crisscrossing underground mine veins and densely packed mine tunnels.
But as long as you pay attention to the few points this old woman just told you, there won’t be any major issues when you go to extort him later.”
Fang Shu nodded and said gladly: “Yes, Master.”
The Dojo Master casually took a sip of tea and nodded.
But she did not know that Fang Shu was even happier about the intelligence she had shared than about obtaining the three Spirit Stones that resolved his urgent needs.
Of course, this joy Fang Shu could only hide deep in his heart.
Because what delighted him was the location of the Precious Medicine on Cheng Guanzi’s treasure map:
“Master is not an outsider; she wouldn’t deceive me.
It seems that even if it’s just me alone, with proper preparation, I can go to the mine to investigate. I just don’t know how much of that ‘Purple Lead Mica Milk’ has accumulated…”
Immediately after, master and disciple talked for a while.
Seeing the Dojo Master tap her teacup lid, Fang Shu realized he could withdraw.
So he respectfully made a bow and prepared to leave.
But at that moment, the Dojo Master suddenly took out an item from her sleeve.
This item was very familiar to Fang Shu; square and proper, it was the Dojo Master’s calling card.
She handed over the calling card and instructed:
“Hey, after three or four months of practice, this old woman sees you’ve learned the Marrow Refining Chapter of the Insect Skill; your comprehension is indeed not bad. Since you have spare energy, go ahead and also cultivate Shao Wei Guan’s Lead Skill. One primary and one auxiliary, complementing each other perfectly.
This is this old woman’s calling card. Take it and go once more; have Shao Wei Guan show you the Marrow Refining Chapter of their Lead Skill.”
The Dojo Master pondered and added:
“Right, if this old woman remembers correctly, the Lead and Mercury Blood Treasure Seed Artifact Secret Technique also involves the cultivation of a Natal Artifact Embryo, though I don’t know if it’s in the Marrow Refining Chapter or the Fat Refining Chapter.
You boy, remember to cross-reference the sacrifice and refine method for that Natal Artifact Embryo with the booklet Fang Lu gave you.
Both are for sacrificing and refining natal items, and a Gu Master’s Gu Worm is equivalent to an ordinary Immortal Cultivator’s Magic Tool; the principles are interconnected. Study them deeply; it will only benefit you without harm.”
“Yes, thank you Master for your guidance!” Fang Shu made a bow in thanks.
After the Dojo Master finished speaking, she didn’t even lift her eyelids and just waved her finger toward the outside of the Assembly Hall.
Fang Shu did not disturb her further; after bowing several times, he respectfully took his leave.
Just as he exited the Assembly Hall.
Fang Shu looked up in surprise.
Swish swish; more than ten gazes from outside the hall fell on him all at once, making him think there was a flower on his face.
Upon seeing the fiery and fawning looks in the eyes of some disciples outside the hall, as well as Li Hou Er who was being surrounded in the middle by several people.
Fang Shu then understood that he himself had become a “valuable commodity” and “worth attaching to.”
But now he had newly obtained a Gu Book and still needed to borrow the Lead Skill; he had no time to engage in empty pleasantries with these people.
Fang Shu merely greeted Li Hou Er before hurrying with quick steps toward his own residence.
Watching Fang Shu’s dashing departing figure, the disciples’ expressions varied, but most were full of admiration:
“What a diligent arduous cultivator.”
Qin Min left, and Fang Shu also left.
Moreover, the Dojo Master in the Assembly Hall called no one else in.
After sighing, the disciples outside the hall gradually dispersed.
But though the people dispersed, the discussions in the Inner Courtyard about Qin Min and Fang Shu remained very heated.
