The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  These clients had undergone the test of time and they could be trusted. However, toward new clients, they were exceptionally careful and wary.

  Even in the span of dozens of years, they might not even accept a single new client.

  It was precisely because of this wariness and strict selection that the secret alchemist organization was able to remain hidden from the eyes of the royal palace and the kings.

  Wang Chong’s greatest priority at this moment was to squeeze into their group and secure himself a steady source of valuable pills. Giving away fifty thousand gold taels and whatever wasn’t important for him.

  Six-fingered Zhang was still guarded against him, so it was too early to bring up the matter of joining the secret alchemist organization yet. What Wang Chong needed to do now was to send him a steady supply of gold.

  Through this method, he could raise the other party’s impression of him.

  One day, when Six-fingered Zhang was no longer guarded toward him, Wang Chong believed that he would come knocking on his own accord.

  After settling this matter, Wang Chong continued to practice the Dragon Bone Art.

  Days passed and Wang Chong’s martial arts progressed. Even though his root bone didn’t seem to be nearing a breakthrough yet, he could feel it getting more and more compact.

  Before long, three days had already flown by.

  Wang Chong’s Dragon Bone Art still didn’t meet with much progress, but there seemed to be an unexpected development on Shen Hai and Meng Long’s side.

  “Young master, Six-fingered Zhang requests for an audience! This time, he came to us straight and explicitly requested to meet with you!”

  Just as Wang Chong was cultivating in the courtyard, Shen Hai and Meng Long suddenly walked over.

  “Oh?”

  Wang Chong’s eyes lit up. This matter came as a huge surprise to him. Six-fingered Zhang seemed to be more anxious than he thought.

  “Invite him in!”

  …

  Wang Chong met Six-fingered Zhang in the study. Compared to how he was a few days ago, Six-fingered Zhang didn’t seem as distant, arrogant, and unapproachable.

  However, Wang Chong sensed bewilderment and unease from him.

  “Zhang Zhongshu pays respect to gongzi.”

  Six-fingered Zhang bowed stiffly.

  Alchemists were respected regardless of where they went, resulting in most of the alchemists acting arrogantly.

  However, Zhang Zhongshu couldn’t have expected that the person who ‘harassed’ him at Falling Jade Pavilion would have such a huge background.

  Alchemists possessed high standing in society, but they weren’t comparable to the Wang Clan.

  “Hehe, master, we meet again.”

  Wang Chong smiled. His glance fell on Six-fingered Zhang’s left hand and he saw a deep blade wound extending from his sleeves. Glaring, it seemed to be a wound inflicted on him by the Goguryeons not too long ago.

  “Gongzi, you shouldn’t tease me with master or what. If I knew that you were Duke Jiu’s grandson, I wouldn’t have dared to act so rudely back then.”

  Six-fingered Zhang said uneasily.

  “Hehe, master is being too polite. May I know what matter it is that you wish to ask of me?”

  Smiling, Wang Chong looked at Six-fingered Zhang as he waited for him to speak.

  “Gongzi is being too polite. I am here to thank gongzi for saving my life and repaying my fifty thousand debt. You have my utmost gratitude.”

  “However, if gongzi wishes to obtain a few pills from me, I apologize but I truly can’t do so. Even though repaying you on the spot is beyond me at the moment, if gongzi demands for it, I will find a way to give it all back.”

  Lowering his head, Six-fingered Zhang said tensely.

  “Hehehe, who said that I want to obtain a few pills from you?”

  Wang Chong smiled.

  “Is that not the case?”

  Six-fingered Zhang abruptly lifted his head in astonishment.

  He always thought that the reason why Wang Chong helped him was because he wanted him to forge pills for him. This was also the reason why he felt uneasy. He was an alchemist of the royal palace, and if it were to be known that he forged pills for others outside, he would face harsh punishment.

  Thus, he didn’t feel comfortable accepting Wang Chong’s help.

  However, it wasn’t easy for him to meet with someone as generous as Wang Chong, who gave fifty thousand gold taels out without saying a single word.

  He couldn’t bear to part with this ‘sponsor’, and as such, he came to Wang Clan to meet him!

  But it seemed like the truth was far from what he expected.

  “Master, ‘thousand generations of pills heritage, ten thousand autumns of blazing cauldron’. I would like to take a look. Can master help me on this matter?”

  Wang Chong smiled.

  Hua!

  The calm Six-fingered Zhang’s face abruptly changed.

  “How-how… did you know?”

  Six-fingered Zhang stared at Wang Chong in shock. He felt as though the latter had peered into the deepest secret he had locked locked deep within his heart.

  ‘Thousand generations of pills heritage, ten thousand autumns of blazing cauldron’, this was a couplet in the royal palace where the organization was founded, as well as the code word used among alchemists to identify one another.

  The secret alchemist organization was Six-fingered Zhang’s greatest secret.

  Never had he expected Wang Chong to know of it.

  All along, he had been interacting with Wang Chong with the identity of an ordinary alchemist, and he thought that was what Wang Chong thought of him as well. He couldn’t have imagined that the other party was already aware his other identity.

  This made Six-fingered Zhang terrified!

  “Master, there is no need to be so frightened. If I wish to divulge this matter, I would have long done so. Why would I wait until now?”

  Wang Chong smiled. He lifted the teapot on the study table, poured a cup of fragrant tea, and passed it over to the other party.

  No matter how Wang Chong phrased the matter, it was impossible to avoid the backlash from mentioning the secret alchemist organization. Honestly speaking, he thought that Six-fingered Zhang would immediately rush out upon hearing his words, so the situation was already better than he expected

  “Since gongzi knows of ‘thousand generations of pills heritage, ten thousand autumns of blazing cauldron’, you should know how dangerous the matter is. Aren’t you afraid of bringing trouble to your clan?”

  Taking a deep breath, Six-fingered Zhang lifted his head.

  When he first entered, he had an extremely stiff and uneasy expression. However, when Wang Chong mentioned ‘thousand generations of pills heritage, ten thousand autumns of blazing cauldron’, he seemed to have turned into an entirely different person. The unease, stiffness, and fear vanished, and it seemed as though the current him was the real him.

  Six-fingered Zhang words left Wang Chong silent.

  It had always been a taboo to lay one’s hands on the pills forged by the royal court and the kings’ residences. Forging a connection with these smuggling alchemists definitely wasn’t a good thing.

  It might potentially bring the wrath of the royal family and the various kings onto the clan, putting the Wang Clan in dire straits. The risk was too great for just a few pills.

  Under normal circumstances, even if he knew of the existence of this secret alchemist organization, he would never have dared to do so. However, Wang Chong knew that a catastrophe was impending.

  Everything would be destroyed in this catastrophe. The royal palace, the kings’ residences, his clan… Everything, including those that he cherished, would be reduced to dust.

  Before this catastrophe, what Wang Chong had to do was to strengthen his influence so that he could protect his loved ones. At the very least, Wang Chong thought that this weighed much heavier than the risk of his invo
lvement with the secret alchemist organization being exposed.

  “I have my own thoughts on this matter so there’s no need for master to worry about it. Master, I ask of you to bring me in.”

  Lifting his head, Wang Chong smiled.

  It was Six-fingered Zhang’s turn to fall silent.

  He wanted to scare Wang Chong off, but the other party was much more determined to join the organization than he expected.

  If it was any other occasion, Six-fingered Zhang would never agree to it. In fact, he wouldn’t even consider the matter. However, Wang Chong had helped him before, and on top of that, he knew of their existence as well.

  Six-fingered Zhang couldn’t feign ignorance.

  However, the rules in the secret alchemist organization were extremely strict, and they didn’t accept outsiders easily. Even if Six-fingered Zhang wanted to bring him in, this wasn’t a matter that he had an absolute say on.

  Chapter 116: Change in the Royal Court!

  “I truly don’t understand why gongzi is so persistent on this matter. Given the Wang Clan’s standing, aren’t you taking too big of a risk?”

  Six-fingered Zhang took a deep breath. For a person like Wang Chong who knew of their secret, it wasn’t an option to simply let him go, and killing him was out of the question. The only solution was to bring him into the organization.

  Even though the secret alchemist organization wasn’t open to strangers, and outsiders were rarely inducted, the situation wasn’t completely hopeless.

  “Wang Chong, I don’t have any way for you to join the organization. However, if you only wish to obtain a few pills, there’s an opportunity for you. However, the price will be slightly expensive, so the choice is up to you.”

  Six-fingered Zhang sighed.

  “What opportunity is it?”

  Wang Chong’s eyes lit up, and he spoke almost instantaneously.

  At the very least, he didn’t waste so much time and money for nothing, having earned himself a shot at this matter.

  “The alchemist organization always has some slots reserved for outsiders. However, these slots aren’t for true collaborators so the holders of these slots won’t be considered as members of our organization, and at the very most, they can only be thought of as external partners.”

  “We call these slots ‘Shadows’. The number of Shadows is always fixed but a vacancy has appeared recently. I can find a way to put you in, but the price for the slot of a Shadow is expensive, and very possibly, the price may be beyond your expectations. Are you sure that you want it?”

  Six-fingered Zhang asked doubtfully.

  “How much does it cost?”

  Wang Chong asked.

  “Two hundred thousand taels! Gold taels!”

  Six-fingered Zhang answered seriously.

  At this moment, Wang Chong’s face slightly darkened. He knew that there was a steep threshold to enter the organization but he didn’t expect for it to be that high.

  Two hundred thousand gold taels was a huge sum for most powers. Even for some of the prestigious clans, it was a price they were unable to bear.

  Even if an alchemist was willing to induct them, most people wouldn’t be able to afford the entrance fee of two hundred thousand gold taels.

  If not for Wang Chong earning a huge sum of money off the Hyderabad ores, he would have never been able to utilize the organization.

  This was something way beyond the reach of ordinary people.

  The threshold of this organization consisting of alchemists from the royal palace and the kings’ residences was so high that most could only look at it from afar.

  “… Furthermore, this two hundred thousand gold taels only grants you the right to purchase pills. It won’t make you a member, and if you wish to purchase pills, you will have to fork out more money.”

  Six-fingered Zhang said.

  “Furthermore, if you were to buy pills as a Shadow, the price will be significantly higher than the market price. Even so, do you wish to go ahead with it?”

  The secret alchemist organization had much stricter rules than anyone could have expected. Just like the royal palace, every single pill forged had an initial number, and as such, even Six-fingered Zhang wasn’t able to circumvent the system.

  If he was caught trying to play the system, what would await him was a plight worse than death. The powerful influence that these alchemists were connected to was more than sufficient to make him die a thousand times over.

  Thus, Six-fingered Zhang didn’t recommend Wang Chong to do so.

  “Alright!”

  A determined voice sounded in the room.

  “What?”

  Six-fingered Zhang trembled violently as he stared at Wang Chong in shock.

  “I said that I’m fine with it!”

  Wang Chong smiled. There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in his expression.

  “It’s two hundred thousand! Furthermore, if they find something wrong with your identity, they can strip you of your qualifications anytime they wish. Even so, you wish to go ahead with it?”

  Six-fingered Zhang was shocked.

  “Of course! Why should I reject the slot?”

  Wang Chong smiled.

  If it was his previous self, he would have never agreed to paying two hundred thousand gold taels. This was almost like a scam. He was spending an astronomical sum to buy himself an outer seat which could be taken away from him any moment.

  However, knowing about the impending catastrophe, Wang Chong knew that no matter how much money he had, it would just become a pile of useless metal that couldn’t even be eaten in the future.

  How he could best utilize this ‘metal’ to maximize his profit was what he should be thinking of.

  “I will hand you two hundred thousand gold taels tomorrow. Also, Shen Hai and Meng Long will pass you thirty thousand gold taels later for your effort.”

  Wang Chong smiled.

  Six-fingered Zhang couldn’t say a single word more. Wang Chong’s reaction completely differed from his expectations. He realized that he might have severely underestimated this youngster from the very start.

  “Since gongzi has already made up your mind, I won’t say anymore. Give me a few days, I will settle this matter for you. Also, upon becoming a Shadow, you can request for a pill of your choosing. As long as it isn’t too much or too valuable, we will try our best to satisfy you.”

  “Have you already thought of what pill you want?”

  Six-fingered Zhang asked.

  “Tiger Bone Divine Pill!”

  “I see. I understand.”

  Six-fingered Zhang was stunned for a moment before nodding his head:

  “I will inform gongzi once I receive any news on the matter.”

  Six-fingered Zhang swiftly left, bringing away two hundred and thirty thousand gold taels along with him.

  …

  Six-fingered Zhang was much more efficient than Wang Chong had expected. On the night of the second day, Six-fingered Zhang sent a servant to deliver him news:

  The two hundred thousand gold taels has been accepted, and Wang Chong is officially acknowledged to be a Shadow!

  As a Shadow, he couldn’t contact any alchemist; only the alchemists could contact him. Also, Shadows could only buy a maximum of three pills every month, but they had to meet a quota of purchasing six pills every year or else their qualification as a Shadow would be revoked.

  The purpose of this was to limit the pills a Shadow could buy while testing their financial ability. If a Shadow couldn’t even buy six pills in a year, he wouldn’t be a collaborator worth working with.

  “I’ve finally succeeded! To think that I spent nearly three hundred thousand gold taels just for this small card!”

  Wang Chong stared at the purplish-gold card before him. It was around two fingers wide, and it was exquisitely made. On one side, there was a picture of purple flames accompanied with black shadows.

  This was the mark of a ‘Shadow’.

 
Wang Chong had heard of this mysterious organization in his previous life, but this was his first time coming into contact with it.

  Despite paying so much money, he only became an outer member whose qualification could be stripped at any moment.

  The threshold and security of the organization were truly frightening!

  “At least it wasn’t for nothing!”

  Sitting in his study, Wang Chong glanced at a wooden box on the table. A concentrated aroma of a pill drifted from the box.

  Different from the Body Tempering Pill and Bone Forging Pill, this pill was extremely fragrant. If one were to take a closer look, one could even see faint purple mist coming out from the box.

  Instead of scattering into the surroundings, the mist lingered around the pill.

  Even in his previous life, the Tiger Bone Divine Pill was an extremely famous pill. It would be impossible to find it anywhere else other than the royal palace and the kings’ residences.

  Peng!

  Opening the box, Wang Chong took out a round pill cloaked with a purple aura. Gudong, he swallowed it. In an instant, a strong gale blew in the study, and vaguely, the roar of a tiger could be heard. Then, everything fell silent.

  After an unknown period of time, pilipala, the sound of bone creaking could be heard from Wang Chong’s body.

  “I’ve finally succeeded!”

  Wang Chong abruptly stood up and opened his eyes. A fearsome light emanated from his eyes, and a significantly stronger aura could be felt from his body.

  This aura was savage, majestic, and proud, as though a ferocious tiger prowling for its prey.

  When one’s root bone reached Tiger Bone, one’s strength and endurance would increase immensely. One wouldn’t run out of strength quickly after a swift burst movement, unlike with Panther Bone.

  The chase of a tiger would never stop at just hundred meters. It would continue pursuing its prey ceaselessly.

  Even though a Tiger Bone cultivator couldn’t match up with a true ferocious tiger, and there was a huge difference between the resilience of the bones as well, it was still an immense improvement from the Panther Bone.

  Wang Chong could feel strength filling his entire body, and without a doubt, it had increased by a substantial amount.