“Hahahaha, after ten plus years of delay, I finally broke through,” Mo Gao said a bit ruefully.
“I believe that, with Teacher Mo’s intent focus on the art of the sword, you will be able to easily break through the obstacles on your path of martial arts and enter into an even higher cultivation level,” Ling Han said, smiling. This was not an exaggeration on his part. With a Sword Heart that was almost formed, Mo Gao’s path of cultivation would definitely be smooth and easy from this point onwards. As the saying goes, a great talent matures slowly, and Mo Gao would definitely experience a huge burst.
Mo Gao smiled faintly. As a martial artist, how could he not desire to ascend to a higher cultivation level? It was just that when compared with advancement in cultivation level, he was more passionate about the art of the sword. Now that his Sword Heart was forming, and his cultivation level was also raised, he had nothing to be displeased about.
“You, your cultivation!” Mo Gao’s expression suddenly changed and he pointed at Ling Han, shock filling his features.
Ninth layer of Element Gathering Tier!
He suddenly had a feeling like he was about to faint. When Ling Han had just come here, he was only in the fifth layer of Element Gathering, and just how much time had passed? Just barely a month, and this guy was already in the ninth layer of Element Gathering now. Most likely, it would not be too long before Ling Han would be able to catch up to and even surpass him.
What a monster.
Ling Han nodded, and said, “The advancement in cultivation level is indeed a bit slow.” He sighed.
‘Poser!’
Even with his training in Sword Heart, Mo Gao could not help but want to curse. This brat was really too much of a poser.
“Get lost!” he said irritatedly.
Ling Han laughed loudly and left—Mo Gao had just broken through, so he needed some time to stabilize his position in the cultivation level.
The bad news, meanwhile, was brought by Liu Yu Tong.
Actually, this piece of news was expected, though it had come a bit later than he had predicted.
Those clothing shops that Ling Han had opened had all been robbed or damaged the night before. Now, the doors were broken open, the clothes were either robbed or torn to pieces. Not one of them was in a state to re-open.
Obviously, this was the beginning of the counterattack by Chen Yun Xiang, or perhaps Sun Zi Yan.
Since the peaceful resolution had failed the day before, they had immediately started to act the night before. Most probably, they had used the power of the Earth and Water Faction. After all, it was very easy for those hooligans to do this kind of job.
“Now what do we do?” Liu Yu Tong asked Ling Han.
“Since the opponent is not willing to follow the rules, then we can also only resort to force.” Ling Han smiled faintly.
Liu Yu Tong was stunned, and said, “You want to charge to the Chen Clan? You can’t! Sun Zi Yan must have guessed that you would do so. The Chen Clan would definitely be heavily guarded today, and there may even be imperial guards present. If you actually come to blows with the imperial guards, no one would be able to save you!”
The imperial guards represented the Imperial Family, so there was no difference between coming to blows with the imperial guards and committing treason.
Ling Han grinned, then said, “Since that grandson wants to play, then let’s just join him in his game. Anyways, I’m quite free right now! Let’s go to the Earth and Water Faction first, and first deal with this group of lackeys.”
Liu Yu Tong was even dizzier at this, and said, “The Faction Leader of the Earth and Water Faction, Yang Tian Du, is in the Spiritual Ocean Tier!”
“En, so we have to go to the Heaven Military Hall first,” Ling Han said with a smile.
Chapter 190
Translator: _Dark_Angel_ Editor: Kurisu
There were many lone cultivators in Rain Country, and they did not have any party behind them to support them. However, cultivation was a very expensive venture, so then, where did they get their money from?
Naturally, through working for others.
For example, they may choose to serve as guards for travelling merchants or collect bounties after killing some villainous characters or gather ingredients that their employer required. As time passed, there was a place and organization that was specifically formed for lone cultivators to get missions, and that was the Heaven Military Hall.
Anyone could enter the Heaven Military Hall. One only had to register his personal information, and would be then able to obtain missions and begin his way to earn money. Of course, the Heaven Military Hall was even more welcoming of the wealthy to post missions here. It was a bit like the auctioneer’s house. After a mission had been completed, the Heaven Military Hall would collect a portion of the rewards as fee for their service.
Lone cultivators, as their name suggested, usually moved alone and were thus like a sheet of loose sand. However, if they actually managed to cooperate with each other, they would become a party that should not be taken lightly. Thus, in the process of the formation of the Heaven Military Hall, there was also involvement of the Imperial Family. They were not only able to take a share of the profits, they also sent out a large amount of manpower as surveillance to avoid someone secretly gathering these lone cultivators together to become a force that could threaten the authority of the Imperial Family over the country.
Thus, the Heaven Military Hall has become more and more official, and there was an increasing government-approved quality about the place.
However, there were still some things that were not appropriate to be registered on the records. There were some who would be receiving their mission requests in the underground, but that would mean there was no security provided. It was possible that the employer may not pay for the completed mission, or it could also be possible that even after completing the mission, there was no money received. One could only bear the risks on his own.
There was only one rule in Heaven Military Hall: everything could be done if there was enough money.
Ling Han went to the bank first to cash in his monetary notes, then headed towards the Eastern part of the Imperial City. That was where the Heaven Military Hall was located.
Liu Yu Tong followed at Ling Han’s heels, a worried frown over her face. Though the Earth and Water Faction had a bad name, as if they were detested gutter rats, the Faction Leader was an authentic Spiritual Ocean Tier elite. If one wanted to oppose this kind of powerful character, there was definitely a need to at least get the help of one elite of Spiritual Ocean Tier, or perhaps even a few.
Once one managed to reach the high level of Spiritual Ocean Tier, would a martial artist still need to be a mercenary? He could simply join a powerful party and take the position of an Elder and would only need to cultivate every day. It was even fine if he decided to laze around and not cultivate; he only needed to step out and take action occasionally whenever he was needed.
And what was the point of hiring a few hundred Gushing Spring Tier martial artists? Against an opponent in a high layer of Spiritual Ocean Tier, they would only be mowed over in a single move.
Hu Niu, meanwhile, was completely carefree, running all over the place, playing and laughing.
“Damn girl, where’s your guardian!” An angered voice was heard, attracting Ling Han’s attention. The voice belonged to a sturdy man who had a streetside stall, and who was currently shouting angrily at Hu Niu.
Apparently, Hu Niu had bumped into some of his merchandise, but that was also because he himself had taken up too much space, and had placed his merchandise all the way onto the street, making it unavoidable for those who wanted to pass to actually have to circle around his stall. The little girl, due to a moment of inattention, bumped into a few of his items.
Hu Niu was naturally not easily bullied. She bared her teeth and glared back at the sturdy man, her ferocious nature on full display.
Ling Han walked over, rubbed H
u Niu’s head, and asked, “What is it?”
“Your little girl made my things fall over, so you must pay the compensation!” the sturdy man said, his stare fixed on Ling Han. While he spoke, four similarly tough-looking men stepped out behind him. They all crossed their arms in front of their chests, smirking coldly.
Ling Han understood now. That man must have deliberately arranged his merchandise in such a way that they would cover a large part of the street. Once anyone accidentally bumped into his merchandise, he would take advantage of the opportunity and jump out immediately to ask for compensation. The other four men were naturally his accomplices, and were there to add pressure to his threats.
Ling Han’s eyes swept over the merchandise that the man had laid out. They were all counterfeit items. Some of what looked to be ginseng was actually mere carrots that had been joined with the top of a ginseng root. Some gold items were worthless, as their insides were filled with brass, and the joint was very obvious, so how could they possibly deceive his eyes?
He was just about to give these five people a little lesson when his eyes were attracted by a strangely shaped rock, and he could not help but ask, “What is the price of this rock?”
The stall keeper was about to fly into a rage, but when he saw that Ling Han seemed interested in buying one of his merchandise, he could not help but smile, and answered, “I’ll give you a cheaper price, 1000 silver coins.”
“1000 silver coins? He’s gone crazy from wanting money, hasn’t he?”
“That’s right. That’s just a piece of worthless scrap. Even if it was an excellent Rain Flower Stone, or a Heaven Song Stone, that kind of size would only be worth about a hundred plus silver coins.”
“Hush, they’re from the Earth and Water Faction. You mustn’t enrage them!”
“They’re always here bullying the locals, and no one will actually step out to handle them!”
There were some passersby who could no longer stand by and watch and immediately spoke out in rebuke, but there were others who revealed the identities of the five hooligans and advised them to watch what they said.
“F*****, if you guys dare speak any more nonsense, I’ll chop you all to death!” The stall keeper glared and showed off a fierce expression. The four men behind him all smirked coldly. Those who had spoken up in rebuke shivered, and indeed, they did not dare to speak any longer.
“Brother, this is an Exquisite Spirit Stone. Just look at how bizarrely shaped it is. It is an odd item that has been naturally formed in this way!” the stall keeper boasted.
“I don’t like it!” Ling Han shook his head. After he found out that these people were from the Earth and Water Faction, he had the impulse to play a terrible joke on them.
“Don’t like it?” The stall keeper laughed coldly. “If you don’t like it, then why had you asked about it? Are you trying to play around with me? It’s too late now. Whether you like it or not, you’ll have to buy it now!”
“What a bully!”
“How can he force a sale like this!”
“Who asked them to be from the Earth and Water Faction? In the past, someone had previously reported the crime, but when the imperial guards came, it was completely useless. Instead, the imperial guards chatted and joked around with them.”
At the side, there were some who had began exclaiming in rebuke about the injustice, but there were some “experienced” locals who revealed the truth of the matter helplessly. These local ruffians were completely secure, knowing that they had backing.
Ling Han pretended to be scared, and asked, “I’m not buying, are you going to beat me up then?”
“Heng, this little girl pushed over a few of my items, and you wasted my time. If you buy this rock, then we’ll forget all about the matter. Otherwise… hehe!” The stallkeeper gave a signal, and the four men behind him simultaneously pulled out a dagger each and began to play with it. The threat was more than obvious.
“Don’t be hasty!” Ling Han waved his hands hurriedly and said, “I’ll buy it, then.”
“Good!” The stallkeeper smiled coldly. When he saw Ling Han behaving so weakly and so easily bullied, his greed could not help but swell, and he said, “The price has risen now, it’s 2000 silver coins!” He glared fiercely at Ling Han, and asked, “What is it? You don’t want to pay?”
“Here,” Ling Han said as he handed over two monetary notes, each worth 1000 silver coins.
“Hahahaha!” The stall keeper laughed pompously. This brat had to be a fool from some rich family; he actually handed over the money so obediently.
“Is this rock mine, now?” Ling Han asked, smiling.
“It’s yours! It’s yours!” the stall keeper waved him off. He had discovered this rock in his backyard a few days ago. Because it was very weirdly shaped, and had a bit of ornamental value, he had taken it out to sell it. His initial motive was naturally to deceive some fool into buying it off him, but he never thought that he would actually be able to sell it off for 2000 silver coins.
Liu Yu Tong watched the entire scene and could not help but feel secretly confused. With Ling Han’s ability, handling these five local ruffians was naturally as easy as a piece of cake, but why had he deliberately allowed himself to be fooled?
Ling Han laughed and gave a light tap on the rock. With the force of his Origin Power, pa , there instantly appeared a few cracks on the surface of the rock. He lightly broke the pieces apart, and as the crushed pieces of rock fell, there actually appeared a flicker of gold light from within.
“Yi?” Everyone could not help but turn to look.
Chapter 191
Translator: _Dark_Angel_ Editor: Kurisu
Ling Han broke the rock apart in a few moves, and the golden light became stronger and stronger, before finally becoming a ball of resplendent light, so bright that it was not possible to open one’s eyes to look at it.
But the golden light very quickly paled and darkened, and in Ling Han’s hand, there shockingly appeared a golden plant. It looked like a chrysanthemum; the whole flower was sparkling and translucent, possessing an indescribable beauty to it.
“Yi!”
“Ah!”
“Oh!”
Everyone was exclaiming in shock. There was actually such a strange object growing inside a rock. No matter what it was, it was really inconceivable.
“Return this flower to me!” the stall keeper instantly shouted, his eyes red. Even if he had no idea what it was, he would have been able to guess that a plant growing within a rock was definitely an extraordinary treasure and not something that can be bought with a mere 2000 silver coins.
He had finally understood by now. Ling Han had only pretended to be scared previously, but in fact, he had already had his eye fixed on this rock.
This detestable brat!
Ling Han only pretended he had not heard anything, and asked Hu Niu, “Niu Niu, do you know what this is?”
Hu Niu sniffed it a few times, and instantly, put on a disinterested expression, and said, “It’s not delicious!”
Ling Han laughed loudly, and said, “This is called the Golden Flower of the Stone. It is formed through gathering Spiritual Qi from its surroundings and can only grow within this kind of Stone of Nine Poisons. It has the effect of curing poison. Only a tiny little petal would be enough to cure many of the poisons of this world. The stem is even more outstanding, as it can cure any poison.”
“Brother, this Golden Flower of the Stone is probably worth a lot, right?” one of the spectators asked.
“Of course.” Ling Han nodded. “It is unavoidable for martial artists to enter into areas that are filled with powerful poison to adventure, and merely placing a single petal of the Golden Flower of the Stone in one’s mouth would allow one to resist many poisons. Tell me, how much do you think it’s worth?”
“A petal is worth 10,000 silver coins?” someone asked, his voice shaking.
“10,000 coins?” Ling Han shook his head with a smile, and said, “The rewards wou
ld naturally be overwhelmingly large if one actually had to enter such a dangerous location on an adventure. It would be nothing strange to spend several million, or even several dozen million just to prepare for such a journey. As a result, a single petal of this flower would be worth 100,000 coins, at the very least.”
There was a simultaneous sharp intake of breath from all around them. A price of at least 100,000 coins… that was really too terrifying, because this Golden Flower of the Stone had exactly how many petals? At the very least, there were a few hundred petals there… then that would be worth about a few dozen million!
Moreover, the stem could apparently cure any conceivable poison, so it was naturally worth even more money.
“Hahahaha, brat, give me back my Golden Flower of the Stone!” The stall keeper was also listening to Ling Han’s explanation just now, and now that he knew the astronomical value of this golden flower, he was both shocked and delighted. He was secretly laughing at Ling Han for being an idiot, to actually reveal the existence of such a treasure in the public, and was also secretly delighted inside his heart. He was really going to make a huge amount of money this time round.
“Is there something wrong with you?” Ling Han smiled calmly. “This is already mine, so what does it have to do with you?”
“This is your money, I’m giving it back!” The stall keeper threw out two monetary notes. “Now, give my back my Golden Flower of the Stone!”
“The transaction has been completed, so this item is naturally mine. And I have no intention to sell it off to you,” Ling Han said seriously.
“Haha, who would dare not to sell me something that I, Ruan Shi Zhong, want?” The stall keeper smirked, and stretched out a hand towards Ling Han’s neck.
Hu Niu moved. One smack from her, and with a peng , Ruan Shi Zhong was instantly flung away, crashing heavily into a wall before slowly sliding down it. He had actually been smacked unconscious.
Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294 Page 111