The Hundred Bones Resound-Help Me Refine the Dragonblood Herb! / She Dares Come Looking for Trouble?

"Think about it carefully. One of those two Senior Sisters was at the fifth level, and the other was at the sixth."

"The two of them teamed up, yet lost to a Junior Brother at the fourth level—and they were killed in an instant..."

"If word got out, they'd be the ones who lost face."

"Never mind whether they'd have the nerve to spread the news themselves. Even if they really reported it to an Elder, it would still come down to being outmatched. Wenjian Sect has always revered the strong. If they dared make a fuss, they'd only embarrass themselves further."

Though he was panicking inside, he didn't blame Gu Chengming.

After all, he'd been the one to suggest taking Gu Chengming to the Marketplace. If he hadn't, they wouldn't have run into this mess.

Ultimately, he just hadn't thought things through.

Jiang Lu sighed and clasped his hands.

"But this matter was still inappropriate, and I'm afraid it won't be so easy to settle. I need to hurry back and report it to my master, then see what he thinks and whether he can mediate."

"Sorry for the trouble, Junior Brother Jiang."

Gu Chengming clasped his hands in return, his face showing sincere gratitude.

Whatever else one could say, Jiang Lu really was a good friend.

"Thank you for showing me around today, Junior Brother. I found quite a lot at the Marketplace."

Gu Chengming patted the Storage Bag at his waist and smiled.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing about what just happened. I won't let it implicate you, Junior Brother Jiang."

Jiang Lu gave a wry smile and shook his head.

"Senior Brother, don't talk about implicating me. We're fellow disciples; we should look out for one another. Besides, I was the one who set today's events in motion."

"Then I'll be off. Once I've seen my master and have news, I'll come back and tell you everything."

With that, Jiang Lu didn't waste any more time. He turned and hurried away, his retreating figure radiating the urgency of someone "rushing off to put out a fire."

Gu Chengming stood where he was, watching Jiang Lu's back disappear into the distance as he rubbed his chin.

Junior Brother Jiang was a pretty good guy.

He was just a little timid.

Hundred Bones Chime, Help Me Refine Dragon Blood Grass!

Back in the familiar little courtyard, Gu Chengming shut the gate behind him, cutting off the clamor outside.

Only then did he let out a long breath. He went to the table, sat down, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and summoned the System Panel that only he could see.

Two lines of pale blue text appeared before his eyes:

[Clear Heart Art: 45/Friendly]

[Hundred Bones Chime: 50/Friendly]

Looking at the two numbers, Gu Chengming thought that Hundred Bones Chime had really caught up from behind.

Clear Heart Art had clearly come first, but thanks to today's one-two punch of "finding a bargain at the Marketplace" and "killing above his level," its Favorability had skyrocketed, overtaking Clear Heart Art.

Am I really a genius protagonist of a Dating Sim Game?

Gu Chengming rubbed his chin, thinking it over.

But on second thought, rather than saying he was good at winning people over, it was more like Hundred Bones Chime had won itself over.

As for the Strength Faction, it really did take nothing more than strength to win it over.

Now that Hundred Bones Chime had reached 50, he couldn't let Clear Heart Art fall too far behind.

He took out the Writing Brush, Ink, Paper, and Inkstone from his Storage Bag and skillfully spread out a sheet of Xuan Paper.

The storybook he'd been writing before had reached the crucial third part.

—After accidentally consuming Joyful Union Powder, the master's Dao Heart was unsteady. To help the master steady it, the Rebellious Disciple had no choice but to make a few sacrifices that "went against their ancestors' teachings."

This part of the story required exceptionally delicate descriptions of the characters' inner thoughts and atmosphere, and placed extremely high demands on his writing.

Gu Chengming took a deep breath and dipped his brush in ink.

After who knew how long, he set down the final stroke. Looking at the flowing script on the paper, he nodded with satisfaction.

He checked the panel again.

[Clear Heart Art looks at you with deep resentment. The Chapter Breaker Dog cut the story off again]

[Favorability +5]

[Clear Heart Art: 50/Friendly]

Gu Chengming was very satisfied and stretched.

Both core Cultivation Methods had successfully reached the threshold between "Friendly" and "Liked."

It was just like playing a Dating Sim Game. The Favorability of both main heroines had been raised to full hearts. Now he only needed to trigger a few key events to unlock "Intimate" or even "Vowed" status.

Sigh. It really is lonely at the top as the God of Strategy.

Storybook time was over. Next, it was time to handle the real business.

His gaze fell on the bundle of "weeds" tossed carelessly in the corner of the table.

That was the "Dragon Blood Grass" he'd bought at the Marketplace for two Spirit Stones.

Since he'd taken the act this far, he had to see it through.

Gu Chengming's expression turned serious. He got up, shut the window tightly, then set up a simple Warning Restriction at the door, putting on the whole show of "secluding himself to refine a precious treasure."

Then he sat cross-legged on the bed and solemnly plucked a sprig from the bundle of herbs.

Its leaves were yellow and withered, and a little dirt clung to the roots. It gave off a faint, earthy smell mixed with bitterness.

Gu Chengming's mouth twitched.

Was it really safe to eat this thing raw?

Forget it. If it made him stronger, it wasn't embarrassing.

He took a deep breath, arranged his features into an expression of "expectant yet apprehensive before a rare treasure," then stuffed the Blood Activating Grass into his mouth and chewed hard.

...It was really bitter.

Though he was cursing inwardly, Gu Chengming's face flushed instantly, as if a wild surge of energy had exploded in his mouth.

He clenched his teeth, eyes wide, and let out a suppressed growl, as though enduring tremendous pain and impact.

"What overbearing medicinal power!"

"As expected of Dragon Blood Grass! Even a mere young sprig contains such astonishing Qi and Blood!"

"Hundred Bones Chime! Help me refine it!"

He gave a mighty shout in his heart, then immediately began circulating the Hundred Bones Chime method.

[Hundred Bones Chime responds instantly!]

[It senses its host's summons and "sees" the host's mighty feat of swallowing the Divine Medicine!]

[It's here! The legendary Marrow Cleansing!]

[It immediately mobilizes the functions of the entire body, preparing to meet the enormous medicinal power about to arrive!]

In reality, the only things that had entered Gu Chengming's stomach were a pitifully small amount of plant fiber and a trace of Blood Activating Grass's medicinal power, so weak it was almost negligible.

But!

Gu Chengming had a genuine trump card—Favorability.

His various moves at the Marketplace, along with his recent kill above his level, had raised Hundred Bones Chime's Favorability by 15 points in one go, bringing it to the important threshold of 50.

A Cultivation Method's Favorability was directly tied to cultivation efficiency and compatibility. An increase of nearly 15 Favorability points meant that the method flowed more smoothly, gave him greater control over his body, and converted Spiritual Energy more efficiently—a qualitative leap from before.

Thus, when Gu Chengming began circulating the method, the Qi and Blood in his body seemed like dry firewood set alight, boiling over in an instant.

The previously obscure and difficult meridian routes now flowed with incredible ease. The Qi and Blood that had once required tremendous concentration to guide now surged of their own accord, washing through every limb and bone.

And this changed Hundred Bones Chime's attitude.

[Hundred Bones Chime thinks, Holy crap, it's real?!]

[It had actually harbored the faintest doubts. After all, that grass looked far too much like the weeds growing by the roadside.]

[But now, the facts speak for themselves!]

[Is this what it means to be the Child of Destiny?]

[He can just pop into some backwater Marketplace and find a treasure that doubles cultivation speed. With a Golden Finger like this, how could Hundred Bones Chime fail to Achieve Dao and Become Saint?!]

[Hundred Bones Chime admires you immensely]

[Favorability +5]

The Other Side.

Jiang Lu hurried straight to Siegong Hall.

As an important place in Wenjian Sect responsible for recording disciples' merits and demerits and handing out assignments, Siegong Hall was usually solemn and stately. Disciples who came and went all kept their voices down.

Jiang Lu usually didn't dare breathe too loudly when he came here, either. But the matter was urgent today, and he strode in with barely concealed anxiety, drawing sidelong glances from quite a few fellow disciples.

He went straight in to ask for his master, the current Elder of the Ministry of Works, Liu Enchuan.

Incense curled through the room as Liu Enchuan sat behind his desk, reviewing the records recently submitted by the Outer Sect.

Seeing his own disciple hurry in like a fire was at his heels, he furrowed his brow almost imperceptibly. But when he saw how pale Jiang Lu was, he didn't scold him, only telling him to explain at his own pace.

Jiang Lu didn't dare hide anything. He recounted everything that had happened at the Marketplace, from beginning to end.

He told him how Gu Chengming had "found a bargain" at the Marketplace, how the two women from Daoning Gate had blocked his way and picked a fight, how Gu Chengming had suddenly struck and knocked them both unconscious, and even the outrageous theory about "Robber Cultivators" that followed. He also described how the two of them had split up and left. He left nothing out.

After hearing it all, Liu Enchuan was a little surprised. After all, swordsmanship was one thing, but the gap in cultivation levels couldn't simply be ignored.

But Gu Chengming... His talent was indeed quite high. It was only natural that he could defeat the two of them.

Perhaps his cultivation had improved again?

Thinking of this, his mood brightened a little. He set aside his stray thoughts and began to consider the matter.

It was no great issue, but neither was it trivial. Put mildly, it was merely a fight between disciples, and no one had been killed—or even seriously injured. At most, it had caused some bruises and wounded pride.

But it wasn't insignificant, either. After all, those two were from Daoning Gate.

Within Wenjian Sect, the various sects and schools were united in name, but the rivalry between them had never stopped.

The people from Daoning Gate who practiced Mystical Arts were usually conceited and extremely protective of their own. The Female Cultivators in particular were difficult to deal with. If they found out that one of their disciples had been knocked unconscious in the street by an Outer Sect Sword Cultivator, they probably wouldn't let it go.

If the matter wasn't handled well, Gu Chengming's days in the sect would likely be full of trouble.

Liu Enchuan glanced at Jiang Lu standing below him and sighed inwardly.

His own disciple had a good heart, but he was a little too soft and prone to panic when trouble arose.

"All right. I understand what happened."

Liu Enchuan waved his hand.

"Go back. Don't spread this around. Keep cultivating and carry on with your work. As for Gu Chengming... Tell him to avoid loitering around the Marketplace for a while."

Jiang Lu hurriedly bowed and withdrew.

After his disciple left, Liu Enchuan picked up the Vermilion Brush again, but couldn't bring himself to put it to paper.

After pondering for a moment, he finally stood up, straightened his robes, and went out the door.

This was too much for him to decide on his own. He'd have to ask his senior brother what he thought.

In a quiet courtyard at the Back Mountain of Huiyuan Gate,

Great Elder Ren Wencai was squatting on the ground without a shred of dignity, using a Spirit Herb in his hand to tease a Spirit Crane he'd somehow caught.