The Price

After the villagers left, only Zhou Yi, Chief Constable Li, Qu Yong, Old Qin, and the Village Chief remained in the large ancestral hall.

The Village Chief looked at the few people and then said to everyone, "Including young Zhou, there are three Vitality Realm martial artists here. Can we really not deal with that Weirdness?"

It seemed the Village Chief already knew he had advanced to the Vitality Realm. He probably learned it from his master last night.

Qu Yong, hearing his father's words, shook his head and said, "No. If it were just one Weirdness, the three of us could fight it, but this is the Red and White Fiends."

Hearing Qu Yong, the Village Chief then said, "Alright then, can you hold them off for a while?"

Qu Yong nodded upon hearing this, saying, "If we cooperate with Old Qin, we can hold them off, but not for long."

The Village Chief turned his gaze to Old Qin, "Brother Qin, I'll have to trouble you again this time."

"It's my duty," Old Qin waved his hand.

"I've already troubled you by having you accompany this kid out before, and now I have to trouble you again."

"If you hadn't saved me before, I don't even know where I'd be buried now!" Old Qin said to the Village Chief with a bitter smile.

The Village Chief looked at Old Qin and said, "Ultimately, it's still a bother."

Old Qin just shook his head this time.

Seeing this, the Village Chief didn't say anything more, merely shifting his gaze to Li Zhengqing.

Li Zhengqing, seeing the Village Chief's gaze turn towards him, quickly asked, "Village Chief, is there something you need me to do?"

The Village Chief nodded and said to Li Zhengqing, "I can persuade the villagers, but it would be better for your yamen to handle those wealthy merchants in the village. My son has too bad a temper and isn't suitable to be involved. It wouldn't be good if things get too ugly. With the Weirdness upon us, we can't afford any mistakes right now."

Li Zhengqing held great respect for the old man before him and immediately patted his chest, saying to the Village Chief, "Don't worry, Village Chief, I'll personally go and talk to them about this matter."

After receiving Li Zhengqing's promise, the Village Chief nodded with relief and finally turned his gaze to Zhou Yi.

"Young Zhou, I'll have to trouble you this time too."

"It's my duty," Zhou Yi shook his head and said to the Village Chief.

Seeing this, the Village Chief nodded with satisfaction and then said to everyone, "I'll go get busy now."

After the Village Chief left, Li Zhengqing also said to everyone, "The sooner, the better. I'll go visit those wealthy merchants now."

Seeing that only Old Qin and his master were left in the ancestral hall, Zhou Yi, full of questions, spoke up, "Master, what is the price for Luoshi City?"

Qu Yong held up five fingers towards Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi looked and asked, "Five thousand taels?"

"Fifty thousand taels," Qu Yong said to Zhou Yi with heartache.

Hearing fifty thousand taels, Zhou Yi gasped. His monthly salary was only ten taels of silver. Fifty thousand taels... Zhou Yi calculated in his heart that it would take him nearly four hundred years to earn that much money. No wonder his master looked so pained. He had been reluctant to lend him even one tael of silver back then.

Qu Yong continued, "Don't think about that anymore. I didn't get a chance to tell you about the path beyond the Vitality Realm last night. I'll tell you now."

Zhou Yi nodded. The two sat down on chairs nearby, while Old Qin watched silently.

Qu Yong spoke with a hint of reminiscence, "Entering the Vitality Realm is when you truly enter the path of a martial artist. Your life's level also undergoes a change. The Vitality Realm's advancement method is different from the Strength Channeling Realm."

Zhou Yi suddenly thought of the ten percent behind the race on his status panel. Did that number represent the change in his life's level?

Zhou Yi thought silently in his heart, while continuing to listen to Qu Yong's words.

"In the Strength Channeling Realm, you only need to generate qi and blood. Therefore, even someone who has just entered the Strength Channeling Realm can advance to the Vitality Realm, but it's very difficult and there's almost no way to advance to higher levels afterward. So, people with poor martial arts talent usually temper their bodies for a period before advancing, but they still can't compare to those who temper their bodies to the extreme before advancing."

"For you to temper your body to the extreme and advance to the Vitality Realm within two months is the best talent I've ever seen. You don't even compare to the so-called geniuses from those great families. You have to know, they've been tempering their bodies with medicinal herbs since childhood, while you had never practiced martial arts before."

Qu Yong knew he was deviating a bit. He glanced at Zhou Yi and found that Zhou Yi hadn't noticed, so he continued, "The advancement method for the Vitality Realm is different. First is the cultivation method. If you want a smoother path for future advancements, you must choose a cultivation method that suits you. Moreover, advancing in the Vitality Realm usually requires heavenly treasures that complement the cultivation method."

Qu Yong said with great emotion to Zhou Yi, "Qingzhu Village is too small. I originally thought you would take at least a few more years to advance to the Vitality Realm, and then I would find a way to help you solve the cultivation technique and heavenly treasures."

"The current Qingzhu Village limits you. Master doesn't even have a Vitality Realm cultivation technique for you. After the Red and White Fiends are dealt with, you should go to Luoshi City. Master has a friend there in the Provincial Governor's Office who will take care of you."

"Master, I..." Zhou Yi wanted to say something but didn't know how to start.

Qu Yong saw what Zhou Yi was thinking and said to him, "Go ahead. Just remember to come back and see us when you have time."

Zhou Yi solemnly said to Qu Yong, "You will always be my master."

Hearing this, Qu Yong showed a gratified smile and then said to Zhou Yi, "That's all I need to hear. Alright, next I'll tell you about the differences in cultivation techniques."

Qu Yong paused and then said, "The Body Refining Technique you cultivate, as well as your saber techniques and footwork, these are all Mortal Grade cultivation techniques."

"Mortal Grade?" Zhou Yi asked doubtfully.

"Yes, Mortal Grade. Once you reach the Vitality Realm, Mortal Grade cultivation techniques can still be used, but they can't keep up with the demands of the realm. Mortal Grade martial skills will become sluggish in your hands, preventing you from unleashing the strength expected of the Vitality Realm."

Zhou Yi understood a little. His cultivation realm was like a bucket, and the cultivation technique was like a water pipe drawing water from the bucket. A Mortal Grade cultivation technique drew water too slowly.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yi asked Qu Yong, "Then Master, what are the martial skills higher than Mortal Grade?"

Qu Yong explained to Zhou Yi, "Above Mortal Grade are Spirit Grade and Divine Ability. All Spirit Grade and above martial skills are controlled by families and the imperial court. Although Master has a Spirit Grade martial skill, it's not suitable for you, nor can I pass it on to you. When learning Spirit Grade martial skills, you are required to take an oath. Violators will be discovered by the imperial court, which will not only bring disaster upon yourself but also endanger those close to you."

Zhou Yi didn't care about this. At worst, he could exchange for it later after entering the Provincial Governor's Office. He was more interested in what kind of Spirit Grade skill his master practiced, and he was also curious about Divine Abilities. So, he asked, "Master, what Spirit Grade skill do you practice? And what are Divine Abilities?"

Qu Yong saw that Zhou Yi's face didn't show any dejection from not being able to learn a Spirit Grade martial skill, so he continued, "The only Spirit Grade skill I have learned is a spear technique - the Spirit Severing Spear. As for Divine Abilities, I once witnessed an esteemed adult display a Divine Ability. At that moment, the heavens and earth changed color. With a single palm strike, a small mountain turned to dust beneath that adult's palm."

Hearing the power of the Divine Ability Qu Yong described, Zhou Yi's eyes couldn't help but reveal a look of longing.

After imparting his knowledge and experience to Zhou Yi, Qu Yong couldn't help but feel troubled again about the matter of the Red and White Fiends.