Chapter 39: Scheming
Seeing Su Yan’s demeanor, Xu Zhongdao explained a couple of sentences: “Your body absorbs stronger than ordinary Skin Refining Great Accomplishment martial artists, and you can endure the pain, so I’ll adjust some medicine for you slowly based on your body condition and give you a push.”
Su Yan’s gaze shifted slightly: “Specific problems require specific analysis?”
Xu Zhongdao’s eyes lit up: “Well said, that’s exactly the meaning. A thousand kinds of people have a thousand kinds of bodies, and even the martial arts of each school must be adjusted by the learner themselves to achieve Minor Accomplishment or even Great Accomplishment, tinkering out something suitable for oneself.”
“And medicine is the same. Pills on the market can be used by most people, and they naturally have medicinal effects, but they also make some compromises in certain places. You wouldn’t think that so-called pharmacists and pill masters are just tools for making medicine, would you?”
Su Yan immediately shook his head: “Of course not, I just didn’t expect it to be customized to this extent.”
“Not quite to that extent. Even wealthy families can at most get occasional adjustments, assisted by physicians and pharmacists in cultivation, but they can’t sustain it.”
This wasn’t hard to understand. Wanting a pharmacist to constantly adjust cultivation resource inputs based on one’s body condition.
It not only required massive manpower and resources, but also sufficient trust in the pharmacist.
Otherwise, like this time, starting with several kinds of poisons—who would dare to really try them?
Su Yan was unafraid, instead respectfully giving Xu Zhongdao a salute: “Thank you, Old Xu.”
——
In Yun Cang Town, in another large courtyard.
Gu Hong stood with his head bowed before an old man, his expression respectful: “Dad, if we don’t think of something, that old thing Song Qi will heal his injury.”
“If he heals, so be it.”
Gu Changfeng wore a black robe with golden thread cloud patterns and a python-patterned protective belt, his figure like a sturdy fierce wolf, performing stance training in this large courtyard.
One could see a half-wolf shadow appearing above his body, his breathing rising and falling as if swallowing and spitting vital energy, merging into his body.
Clearly in his fifties or sixties, yet full of spirit, with some of a young man’s vitality.
His eyes were cold and indifferent as he said flatly: “Wasted so many years of cultivation, even if healed, it’s only Spirit Nurturing Realm at best. Wanting to enter True Intent Realm is wishful thinking.”
“But he…”
“Hong’er, distinguish priorities.”
Gu Changfeng interrupted him: “The desolate mountains will open soon. Miasma Valley, Ancient Forest Mountain, and Nine Revolutions Peak have been sealed for six or seven years. There are probably many treasures of feral beasts and treasure plants. Second-order feral beasts aside, second-order treasure plants and mountain goods are all priceless.”
He finished stance training, exhaling a long breath, with faint white mist swirling around his body.
“Each family will probably fight fiercely. Without preparation, we’ll suffer. The families in the city, scattered mountain households, and troublemakers like Pang Tianfeng are all hard to deal with. What is that Song Qi?”
Gu Changfeng sneered: “The gang leader told me that shortly after this land reclamation, the upper sect will send people to collect tribute—that’s the big one.”
“Dad, you mean Beast King Sect.”
Gu Hong’s expression shifted, with a hint of delight.
Lingnan Prefecture is dominated by Beast King Sect. Even the Dali Dynasty’s demon-slaying town guard is suppressed by them. Numerous prefectures, counties, and towns, especially the hundred thousand Lingnan desolate mountains under Lingnan Prefecture, are completely under Beast King Sect’s control.
Beast King Sect came first, followed by sects like Nine Peaks Sect, Li Huo Sacred Gate, and Dan Xuan Sect, each carving up famous rivers, great mountains, prefectures, and counties.
The Dali Dynasty controls cities of the masses, while various sects control famous rivers and spirit mountains—each with strengths and weaknesses, mutually checking each other.
However, Beast King Sect is the sole exception.
Beast King Sect’s sect alliances span horizontally and vertically, driving feral beasts with strong strength, and many disciples descend mountains to establish themselves in the secular world. Their influence in various prefectures and counties is deeply rooted.
The entire Bailu County is within Beast King Sect’s control, and Yun Cang Town naturally is as well.
Each family and household has more or less ties with Beast King Sect—that is, paying tribute.
There are tributes of treasures, as well as trades, seeking protection and opportunities to advance.
For the Gu family father and son, this was also an opportunity.
Gu Changfeng said: “The gang leader inquired about some Beast King Sect disciple situations. For this visit from Beast King Sect, ordinary tribute aside, competing for disciple entry slots is customary, but it has little to do with us.”
Gu Hong’s gaze turned cold, but he nodded: “The upper sect has extremely high requirements. Even the most powerful martial artists under twenty-five in Yun Cang Town can hardly be accepted.”
Gu Changfeng’s tone was serious: “So we need to compete for a secular registered disciple slot. If we offer enough treasures and establish merit, getting a Beast King Sect cultivation manual would be immense wealth. Even if you can’t enter this generation, your next generation can have a chance.”
Gu Hong was swayed by his father’s words. If true, not only Spirit Nurturing Realm, but even True Intent Realm breakthrough might be possible, becoming a top figure.
“Dad, there are also the gang leader, second gang leader, and their families’ experts, True Intent Realm suppressing from above—how can it be our turn?”
“Establish merit for Little Mountain Association, and the gang leader won’t favor one over another. Moreover, Beast King Sect tames beasts and practices martial arts, observing beast true intent, emphasizing the ‘beast’ character. If during mountain splitting you find more young beasts, how can we fail?”
The father and son whispered their plot, Gu Hong’s eyes growing brighter, knowing how to act.
In the end, Gu Hong hastily prepared to act, planning to go out and scheme.
But Gu Changfeng suddenly stopped him: “Wait, that old guy Song Qi has his eye on a kid from a rundown household?”
Gu Hong was stunned, recalling Su Yan, annoyance rising as he snorted coldly: “A mountain hunter lowborn kid who gave the blood tendon flower to that old thing.”
“Some guts.”
Gu Changfeng’s gaze was sinister, his tone indifferent: “Golden Ape Martial Arts School Inner Sect exam is imminent, can’t see blood, so give a small lesson—keep him out of the inner sect.”
Both father and son were vengeful types. Since Su Yan joined Song Qi, they naturally bore grudges.
Gu Hong nodded: “Son understands.”
——
Following Xu Zhongdao’s instructions, Su Yan separately found those medicinal herbs in the city apothecaries. Yin Red Root was somewhat hard to find, but Hundred Herbs Hall had it, and it had undergone preliminary processing.
Though treasure plants are hard to find, expanding the scope to over a hundred mountain peaks, thousands of mountain villages, and tens of thousands of mountain hunters, someone would eventually find treasure plants.
Su Yan bought all the medicinal herbs and also found an opportunity to delay, pretending to return to Yun Qian Village to fetch the bronze fox ape and wolf king’s flesh and blood, carrying large and small packages into Xu Zhongdao’s residence.
As Xu Zhongdao said, he wasn’t very proficient in refining this Muscle Strengthening and Meridian Connecting Pill.
According to him, this Muscle Strengthening and Meridian Connecting Pill was barely second-order low-grade pills, and even he didn’t dare to handle it casually.
Understand the medicinal properties, get a feel, then proceed slowly.
“Kid, come with me, watch how I refine Red Skin Powder.”
Su Yan had just handed the materials to Xu Zhongdao when he was suddenly called.
Not sure what Song Qi told Xu Zhongdao, making him increasingly interested in Su Yan.
“Old Xu, Red Skin Powder is Hundred Herbs Hall’s prescription.”
Su Yan’s gaze turned to Xu Zhongdao, only to hear him shake his head: “Such a prescription can be figured out by any expert in using and refining medicine—it’s not Hundred Herbs Hall’s foundation. Old Song said you also learned herbology and herb identification techniques. I want to see how well you’ve learned.”
“Then thank you for the guidance, Old Xu.”
Su Yan’s gaze flickered, an idea stirring in his mind. He’d found so many poisonous creatures and treasure plants himself, yet only fed two to the insect tamers raw.
Though effective, it was somewhat wasteful. If he could refine poison pills himself, what would the effect be?
