Wind Spirit Root

Merchant associations in the Gan Yue Kingdom mainly gathered goods from merchants, families, and individuals, frequently holding auctions of various scales and taking a share of the profits. Of course, some merchant associations also owned industries of their own.

There were quite a few merchant associations in the royal capital, most of them branches sent by their headquarters.

"What is your merchant association called?"

Qin Jun asked curiously. Any merchant association that caught Qin Yu's eye was definitely no ordinary one.

"The Yan Bei Merchant Association." Yan Mo Bei answered helplessly, making Qin Jun's pupils shrink.

The Yan Bei Merchant Association was the top local merchant association in the Gan Yue Kingdom. No one knew just how much wealth it possessed.

"That can't be right. Your Yan Bei Merchant Association is so wealthy, so can't you hire powerful guards?" Qin Jun asked with a frown. His predecessor had only one impression of the Yan Bei Merchant Association: rich.

Money could make the devil turn millstones!

The Blood Saber Guards were generally at the Qi Refining Realm. Qin Jun did not believe the Yan Bei Merchant Association could not hire Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.

Yan Mo Bei said awkwardly, "The moment those cultivators heard that we had offended the Fifth Prince, they all ran away..."

Qin Jun had overestimated merchant associations. Merchant associations in the Gan Yue Kingdom basically belonged to the ranks of ordinary mortals. The goods they traded could at most attract Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, and even then, very few. Thus, the Yan Bei Merchant Association had not managed to recruit many Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. Once they heard the association had offended the Fifth Prince, they all turned their backs and left.

Most cultivators in the Gan Yue Kingdom who could reach the Foundation Establishment Realm were sect disciples. Lone cultivators lacked resources and support, making it difficult for them to achieve anything great.

Who in the cultivation world did not know that the Fifth Prince was close to the Purple Light Sect and was widely recognized as the future emperor? Who would dare offend him?

Unless they no longer wanted to survive in the Gan Yue Kingdom!

"This group of Blood Saber Guards is considered low-ranking within the Blood Saber Organization. The stronger members of our Yan Family were slain by more powerful Blood Saber Guards, leaving only the old, weak, sick, and disabled. That is why they sent this group to hunt us down and eliminate us completely." Yan Mo Bei smiled bitterly.

Qin Jun could not help narrowing his eyes as another thought arose in his mind.

"Your Yan Bei Merchant Association has offended Qin Yu. It seems you can no longer maintain a foothold in the Gan Yue Kingdom." Qin Jun said, stroking his chin. Yan Mo Bei fell into despair upon hearing this.

That was indeed the truth. Even if they wanted to flee the Gan Yue Kingdom, they could not. The Gan Yue Kingdom was separated from neighboring kingdoms by wastelands and mountain forests filled with terrifying demon beasts. Without Foundation Establishment Realm strength, no one dared leave the Gan Yue Kingdom.

Clearly, Yan Mo Bei was not a Foundation Establishment Realm expert, and neither were his three guards.

By that reckoning, the Yan Family was still doomed.

Ding! Side Quest triggered—Subdue the Yan Bei Merchant Association! Completion reward: 4,000 Experience Points and one Random Draw Opportunity!

The system notification sounded at just the right time. Since Qin Jun had developed ambitions toward the Yan Bei Merchant Association, it was not surprising that he had triggered a Side Quest.

Once the mission was completed, he could level up and gain another Random Draw Opportunity!

During his first draw, he had obtained the Desert Eagle, a small but deadly weapon. He was greatly looking forward to the next draw.

"Join me. Qin Yu and I are bitter enemies as well. The enemy of my enemy is my friend!" Qin Jun said bluntly, moving Yan Mo Bei.

However, Yan Mo Bei did not agree immediately. If this had been the Qin Jun from a month ago, he might have agreed.

But Qin Jun was now a disgraced Prince. If he appeared in the royal capital, he would undoubtedly provoke the emperor's fury.

Offending the Fifth Prince was miserable enough. If they offended the emperor as well, the Yan Family would truly be exterminated to the ninth generation.

"Don't worry. I came back this time to clear my name. I will settle you down first, then openly support your Yan Family once I reclaim my title as Prince!"

Qin Jun naturally saw Yan Mo Bei's concerns and gave a light laugh.

Yan Mo Bei was still somewhat uneasy. "But if these Blood Saber Guards do not return to report, the Fifth Prince will surely send more assassins..."

"It's fine. Follow me into the city. I'll protect you!" Qin Jun said with a wave of his hand. Yan Mo Bei felt this was the best arrangement for now. As for fleeing, he did not even dare consider it. Within the Gan Yue Kingdom, was there anyone Qin Yu could not find?

Afterward, Qin Jun walked toward the ten children. Daji and the Howling Celestial Dog followed him as well.

Ding! A potential talent with a wind-attribute Single Spirit Root has been discovered!

The system notification suddenly sounded. Qin Jun froze. A Wind Spirit Root?

To cultivate immortality, one had to possess a spirit root. This was also a major reason why there were so few cultivators in the Gan Yue Kingdom, since most people had no spirit roots.

Qin Jun did not yet know what spirit roots actually looked like, but all cultivators understood that the purer a spirit root's attribute was, the better. When learning cultivation techniques of the corresponding attribute, one could achieve twice the result with half the effort.

If the spirit root's attributes were too mixed, cultivation would instead become difficult, because each individual attribute accounted for too little of it.

Being good at everything sometimes meant being mediocre at everything.

Qin Jun himself had a mixed spirit root, possessing all five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Although he was suited to cultivating techniques of the five elements, it was basically impossible for him to attain great achievements.

Five-element spirit roots were common among cultivators. A spirit root with three attributes could be considered talented, and its cultivation speed far surpassed that of four-spirit-root or mixed-spirit-root cultivators.

Those with dual spirit roots were treasures that cultivation sects competed to obtain.

Single Spirit Root aptitude was also known as Heavenly Spirit Root aptitude. Such people were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns; the Gan Yue Kingdom might not produce even one in several centuries.

Wind attributes were exceptionally rare. They did not belong among the five elements, yet they were stronger.

Other rare attributes included lightning, light, space, and so on. They were known as Sacred Spirit Roots. So far, aside from the Three Great Sects, no other force in the Gan Yue Kingdom had a way to detect Sacred Spirit Root aptitude.

Qin Jun had only read about Sacred Spirit Roots in a few books.

Sacred Spirit Roots existed only in legends. In other words, this child with Sacred Spirit Root potential discovered by the system had likely never been noticed by the Yan Bei Merchant Association.

Following the system's prompt, Qin Jun looked toward a boy standing at the very back. The boy was around twelve or thirteen years old, painfully thin, yet his eyes were remarkably clear. Though he was also crying, he did not look as miserable as the other children.

"What is his name?" Qin Jun asked, pointing at the boy with the Wind Spirit Root.

"His name is Yan San. He is my nephew. He has no talent for cultivation and is rather ordinary." Yan Mo Bei quickly explained.

No talent for cultivation?

Qin Jun secretly laughed. It seemed he had guessed correctly.

Under Qin Jun's gaze, Yan San quickly lowered his head, not daring to look at him.

"Young Master, surely you aren't thinking of taking them in? They look so weak!" Daji asked in confusion, embarrassing Yan Mo Bei and his three guards.

At the same time, they instinctively examined Daji. Other than her peerlessly beautiful face, they could not see through her at all.

She was as mysterious as a dense fog, clearly no ordinary person.

"Yes. Next, we will enter the royal capital together!"

Qin Jun declared without room for doubt. A Void Transformation Realm expert like Daji naturally looked down on the Yan Family, but he understood the importance of merchant associations to a kingdom. After all, most people in the Gan Yue Kingdom were mortals. Money, which cultivators regarded as dirt, held immense allure for mortals.

Most importantly, he had discovered Yan San, a Wind Spirit Root genius!

Once a Sacred Spirit Root genius grew up, he would definitely become a figure who shook heaven and earth.