Profound Gold

At noon, the blazing sun hung high in the sky.

In a spacious, brightly lit hall, a banquet had been laid out. Wang Changsheng sat in the seat of honor, accompanied by Wang clan members of the Qing Generation.

"Ninth Uncle, these are Gold-Spine Knife Fish freshly caught from the river. I don't know what flavor you prefer—steamed or braised, we have both. And this Jade Treasure Chicken was fed rice from the time it was young, so it tastes quite good. There's also roast duck; the ducks were raised on well water and rice, so the meat is tender and fresh." Wang Qingshan introduced the dishes enthusiastically, his face wreathed in smiles.

"Yes! Ninth Uncle, this Jadeite Soup was simmered with the freshest bamboo shoots. It's sweet and refreshing."

"And this Ginseng Stewed Pigeon is also a specialty of our Green Stone Town."

The Clan Elders of the Qing Generation spoke up one after another, introducing the dishes on the table to Wang Changsheng.

"Enough, enough. I'll help myself when I want something. Don't just sit there watching me eat. There's no need to be so restrained. Drink when you should drink." Wang Changsheng waved his hand and instructed them.

The Clan Elders all agreed, but though they said so, few of them moved their chopsticks.

It was rare for them to have the chance to dine with Wang Changsheng. Naturally, they had to serve him with utmost care; how could they dare act too casually?

They all wanted to win Wang Changsheng's favor so they could send their juniors to stay by his side and seek a brighter future.

"Ninth Uncle-Grandfather, something terrible has happened!" Just then, an urgent voice rang out.

Wang Qiusheng rushed in as if his hair were on fire, followed by several Wang clan members of the Qiu Generation.

"What happened? Has another clan member been killed?" Wang Changsheng put down his chopsticks and asked solemnly.

"That's right. A corpse was found at the Quarry. He was bitten to death by a Jiangshi. The deceased was called Wang Youliang, and he had always worked at the Quarry." Wang Qiusheng nodded and explained the whole sequence of events.

"Wang Youliang? Didn't I order every clan member to leave the Quarry? Why was someone still lingering there? Who manages that Quarry?" Wang Changsheng asked sternly.

A tall Middle-Aged Man stepped forward two paces and said respectfully, "Your grandson Wang Qiucai greets Ninth Uncle-Grandfather. That Quarry is under my management. Following Ninth Uncle-Grandfather's orders, all clan members withdrew from the Quarry yesterday. But for some reason, Wang Youliang secretly returned to the Quarry last night and was bitten to death by a Jiangshi."

"Where is this Quarry? The corpse hasn't been burned yet, has it?"

"More than thirty li east of town. The corpse hasn't been burned. I had people guard it and made sure no one disturbed it."

Wang Changsheng rose to his feet and instructed, "Qiusheng, Qiucai, the two of you will come with me. Qingshan, I remember there is another Quarry. First withdraw all clan members from it. Before the Jiangshi has been completely eliminated, no clan member may leave Green Stone Town without permission. Any violator will be severely punished without exception."

"Yes, Ninth Uncle. Your nephew will give the orders immediately."

Wang Changsheng's lips moved slightly, and a White Cloud appeared out of thin air. Wang Qiusheng pulled Wang Qiucai aboard.

The White Cloud slowly rose into the air and flew eastward.

Less than half an hour later, Wang Changsheng appeared within a massive Gorge. Mountains surrounded the Gorge on all sides, while large amounts of shattered stone lay scattered across the ground. The surrounding peaks bore obvious marks of fire.

Not far away stood a High Peak three to four hundred zhang tall. Dozens of Wang clan members gathered at its foot. There were clear signs of smelting on the left side of the mountain base, and many huge blocks of quarried Bluestone lay nearby.

Under Wang Qiucai's guidance, Wang Changsheng quickly saw a corpse with two bloody holes in its neck.

"Ninth Uncle-Grandfather, we originally thought the Jiangshi had been eliminated. We returned to the Quarry this morning intending to quarry stone, but as soon as we arrived, we discovered Wang Youliang's corpse." Wang Qiucai explained the details.

Wang Changsheng carefully noticed that Wang Youliang's chest was bulging, as though he had something hidden in his clothes.

He pulled a fist-sized green stone from Wang Youliang's chest. At first glance, it seemed unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, one could vaguely see Golden Light shining from its surface, as though some kind of metal had been mixed within it.

"Gold? Is there a gold mine at this Quarry?" Wang Changsheng suddenly understood and asked Wang Qiucai.

"This isn't gold. We don't know what it is either. We put it in a Furnace and burned it for half a day, but it wouldn't melt. Chopping it with blades did nothing." Wang Qiucai shook his head.

Wang Changsheng's gaze shifted as he asked, "Was this stone collected here?"

"Yes. It was only discovered a few days ago. At first, we thought it was gold, but after burning it in the Furnace for half a day, the stone remained completely intact. Third Uncle sent Qiumao to the county seat to invite a jade master, but even he couldn't identify it."

"Take me to where this stone was discovered. Also, burn the corpse immediately."

Wang Qiucai ordered two clan members to burn the corpse, then personally led Wang Changsheng to a Stone Wall on the right side of the mountain base.

The Stone Wall was pitch-black and had clearly been scorched by fire. Under the sunlight, waves of Golden Light faintly shone from it.

"Dismiss the clan members and send them home. Also, if anyone has this kind of stone, make them hand it over immediately. Anyone who dares hide it privately will be severely punished without exception." Wang Changsheng gave the order gravely.

Wang Qiucai's eyes turned, and he carefully asked, "Ninth Uncle-Grandfather, is this something used by Immortals?"

"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask. If this truly is something used by Cultivators, I can transfer you back to the main family to serve there. Before that, keep your mouth shut tight. Also, gather every clan member from the Quarry. Do not allow them to come into contact with outsiders. This matter is a top-secret matter of the Wang Family. Anyone who leaks it will be severely punished without exception."

"Yes, Ninth Uncle-Grandfather. I'll handle it right away." Wang Qiucai readily agreed and turned to leave.

"Qiusheng, go with him. Dismiss the clan members. No one is allowed to remain here."

Wang Qiusheng answered and turned to leave.

After every Wang clan member had departed, Wang Changsheng raised both hands at once. Two crystalline Ice Spikes, each about a foot long, shot out and struck the Stone Wall glimmering with Golden Light.

With two soft cracks, the Ice Spikes shattered, leaving a patch of white frost on the Stone Wall.

Wang Changsheng was greatly delighted. He brought out the Coin Sword and slashed it against the Stone Wall.

With a clang of metal striking metal, the Coin Sword sank about an inch into the Stone Wall before being stopped.

"So I was right. This is Profound Gold. I just don't know how large the deposit is." Wang Changsheng spoke in a voice so soft it was nearly inaudible, surprise shining in his eyes.

Profound Gold was a commonly used metal in the Cultivation World, a First Grade Lower Rank Refining Material often used to forge sword- and saber-type Spirit Tools.

One jin of Profound Gold was worth thirty Spirit Stones on the market. If forged into a Spirit Tool, its price would be even higher.

This Quarry actually contained Profound Gold, such a commonly used Metal Ore in the Cultivation World. It was truly beyond Wang Changsheng's expectations. He simply did not know how large this Profound Gold Mine was.

Still, it did not need to be too large. Even if there were only a hundred jin, it could be sold for three thousand Spirit Stones. That was a huge sum for the Wang Family.

The Wang Family was currently tightening its belt and opening new sources of income, desperately short of Spirit Stones! With this Profound Gold Mine, the Wang Family would certainly be able to weather its present difficulties. If the Profound Gold Mine proved sufficiently large, it might even become the opportunity for the Wang Family to rise.

Wang Changsheng calmed his excited emotions. Looking at the Stone Wall gleaming with Golden Light, his expression shifted between light and shadow.

To be honest, after confirming that it was Profound Gold, Wang Changsheng's first thought was not to Report it to the Lineage, but to monopolize this Profound Gold for himself.

Everyone had selfish desires, and Wang Changsheng was no exception.

If he monopolized this Profound Gold and exchanged it for Cultivation Resources, his cultivation speed would increase greatly. If there was enough Profound Gold, supporting his cultivation all the way to the Ninth Level of Qi Refining would not be a problem.

Wang Changsheng's heart was tangled like a ball of hemp. On one side stood a Lineage whose income could not cover its expenses; on the other stood himself, whose cultivation advanced slowly.

The Lineage had treated him well. Every year, his mother sent him Cultivation Resources. His cousin had given him a Spirit Egg that she could not bear to eat herself. Before he left the Lineage, Sixth Uncle-Grandfather had given him several First Grade Lower Rank Talismans. His father had given him the Coin Sword he personally used for protection. His mother had given him the Soaring Talisman she had treasured for years to save his life. Fifth Uncle-Grandfather had given him three Qi Refining Pills.

Whenever Wang Changsheng thought of his relatives' kindness toward him, he felt deeply ashamed of his own selfish thoughts.

Something delayed me, and I'm truly sorry. Many thanks to Niu Zishan and HAOSWZSHIJ for the rewards. Today's update came late, and there is only one chapter. I'll make up the chapter I owed. Also, I only just changed my status today, yet you already rewarded me, so I should add more chapters. I'll add one extra chapter for each of you, making two extra chapters and three chapters in total. After getting recommended, I'll update more often. Please invest; it's especially needed during the new book period. Starting Wednesday, updates will become stable.