Deliberation Hall

The pills refined by Heart Nourishers were divided into four attributes: Yin Attribute, Yang Attribute, Yin Yang Attribute, and Primal Chaos Attribute.

A martial artist's bloodline was likewise divided into Yin Attribute, Yang Attribute, Yin Yang Attribute, and Primal Chaos Attribute.

Other than Primal Chaos Attribute pills, martial artists could not use pills of different attributes interchangeably.

In other words:

Yin Attribute Heart Nourishing Elixir could only be taken by martial artists with Yin Attribute or Yin Yang Attribute bloodlines.

Yang Attribute Heart Nourishing Elixir could only be taken by martial artists with Yang Attribute or Yin Yang Attribute bloodlines.

Yin Yang Attribute Heart Nourishing Elixir could only be taken by martial artists with Yin Yang Attribute bloodlines.

Ning Xiaochuan had analyzed this issue and felt that the reason the medicines refined by Heart Nourishers possessed four attributes was likely due to the influence of bloodlines.

Thus, Ning Xiaochuan believed that the four attributes of Heart Nourishers actually corresponded to the four human blood types: Type A, Type B, Type AB, and Type O.

Why did Mysterious Medicine have to be refined by a Heart Nourisher before martial artists could absorb it? It was because Heart Nourishers tempered the Mysterious Medicine with the blood of their own hearts, eliminating its rejection of foreign substances. Yet this process also caused the refined medicine to take on the Heart Nourisher's bloodline attribute, meaning it could only be taken by martial artists with the same attribute.

Primal Chaos Attribute represented Type O blood. A Primal Chaos Heart Nourisher was a "universal Heart Nourisher."

Therefore, among Heart Nourishers of the same rank, Primal Chaos Heart Nourishers held the greatest value and the highest status.

Heart Nourishers of the other three attributes were comparatively restricted. Most of them had to attach themselves to a Heart Nourishing Hall, unlike Primal Chaos Heart Nourishers, who could thrive anywhere and build good relations with any expert.

Primal Chaos Attribute Heart Nourishing Elixir naturally cost more than Heart Nourishing Elixir of other attributes.

Yu Qianqian was even more delighted. She had actually recruited a Heart Nourisher with the Primal Chaos Attribute for the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall—this was true wealth. Moreover, he was so young, and the first Heart Nourishing Elixir he had refined already possessed supreme purity. His future potential was boundless!

Yu Qianqian was exceedingly generous. She bought all three drops of Heart Nourishing Elixir refined by Ning Xiaochuan for ten thousand Small Coin each, totaling thirty thousand Small Coin.

Having recovered all his costs in one stroke, Ning Xiaochuan was naturally thrilled.

Next came the Elementary Heart Nourisher test. The test itself was simple: refine a single stalk of First Grade Nourishing Heart Grass.

Naturally, it posed no difficulty for Ning Xiaochuan. He easily passed the test and officially became an Elementary Heart Nourisher.

He received the Novice Heart Nourisher Robe and the Novice Heart Nourisher Token, then signed the Heart Nourisher Pact with the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall.

By the time Ning Xiaochuan walked out of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, night had already fallen completely.

The streets of the Imperial City blazed with lights, while carriages and horses flowed in endless streams. Martial artists from all corners of the land gathered here. This was a world of hidden dragons and crouching tigers—so long as one had ability, one could rise above others here and earn the respect of countless people!

Clop-clop!

A gigantic golden lion pulled a Red Sandalwood Carriage as it came galloping over. It was five or six times larger than the lions Ning Xiaochuan had seen before, practically an elephant covered in golden fur, yet far more ferocious than an elephant. The teeth in its mouth were each as long as a palm, like sharp swords that made ordinary people tremble in terror.

This was the Mysterious Beast known as the Howling Moon Golden Lion.

The Red Sandalwood Carriage stopped before Ning Xiaochuan. A slender jade hand lifted the curtain, revealing an exquisite, beautiful face. She smiled. "Young Master Ning, where do you live? Would you like Qian Qian to give you a ride?"

Ning Xiaochuan smiled. "No need. I live just up ahead."

Yu Qianqian glanced faintly toward the street ahead. She could vaguely make out the gates of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion, and realization dawned on her. With a knowing smile, she said, "Then all right! We'll meet again next time."

The curtain fell, and the Howling Moon Golden Lion pulled the Red Sandalwood Carriage away.

Yu Qianqian sat inside the carriage, her eyes like stars and the corners of her rosy lips curling slightly upward. She murmured to herself, "The Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion truly produces talents in abundance!"

Ning Xiaochuan naturally did not know Yu Qianqian's identity, but he could guess that she was certainly either wealthy or noble. In the Imperial City, there were simply too many people with backgrounds, influence, and wealth. A miserable descendant of nobility like Ning Xiaochuan was, after all, a rarity.

Why was he miserable? Because he was once again penniless.

The Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall's monthly salary of five hundred thousand Small Coin would not be paid until next month. As for the thirty thousand Small Coin from selling his Heart Nourishing Elixir, he had already exchanged it for ten stalks of First Grade Nourishing Heart Grass and ten stalks of First Grade Blood Accumulation Grass.

This was only because he was an Elementary Heart Nourisher of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, allowing him to buy so much Mysterious Medicine at a low price. Otherwise, thirty thousand Small Coin would not have been nearly enough!

Yet Ning Xiaochuan was still full of lofty ambitions. As long as he refined all this Nourishing Heart Grass and Blood Accumulation Grass into Heart Nourishing Elixir and Blood Nourishing Elixir, then sold them, it would become an enormous fortune! At that thought, his heart surged like rolling waves.

"Brother, you're finally back. Something terrible has happened." Ning Xiner had been terribly worried and was just about to head to the brothel to find Ning Xiaochuan. But when she reached the gates of the Marquis Mansion and saw Ning Xiaochuan returning with a bundle on his back, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

Ning Xiaochuan said, "What happened?"

"Ning Han was killed." Ning Xiner's delicate face was filled with gravity.

Ning Xiaochuan's eyes narrowed slightly. Pretending to be shocked, he said, "Someone actually dared to kill a descendant of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion?"

Ning Xiner nodded. "Two family servants also died. Their bodies were discovered at the Jade Orchid Riverbank in the Outer City and have already been brought back. Ning Han was Fourth Uncle's legitimate son. The entire Marquis Mansion is now on edge, as if every rustle of wind and cry of a crane were an enemy. Brother, from now on... you should try not to leave the Marquis Mansion. What if something happens..."

Footsteps sounded, followed by a cold, stern voice.

"Hmph! He's only Sickly Ning, a useless piece of trash. Even if someone wanted to deal with our Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion, they would not choose someone like him."

Under the night sky, a richly dressed young man of about twenty emerged steadily, surrounded by a group of servants.

Ning Hengqing was a direct descendant of one branch of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion. His cultivation was extremely high, having reached the Profound Qi Eighth Level.

With such high cultivation, he naturally considered himself above others. Apart from a few peak experts such as Ning Xiner, he did not place anyone in his eyes.

Ning Hengqing shot Ning Xiaochuan a contemptuous glance. "Fourth Master and First Master have ordered all direct descendants of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion to gather outside the Deliberation Hall. Sickly Ning, you are going too."

Ning Xiner said coldly, "Ning Hengqing, show my brother some respect."

Ning Hengqing gave a mocking laugh. "Respect is an attitude the weak show toward the strong. Your brother... is he worthy? Heh! Even if there is respect, a piece of trash like him should be the one respecting an expert like me. Look at him, look at him—do you see any respect for me in his eyes? Hahaha!"

Ning Xiner ground her teeth. Martial Dao Profound Qi burst from her delicate fist. "You're courting death!"

Ning Xiaochuan grabbed Ning Xiner's wrist and stared at Ning Hengqing. "Respect is mutual. It has nothing to do with status, nobility, or the height of one's cultivation!"

The words sounded righteous and awe-inspiring. Had they come from the mouth of a Martial Venerable, they would have seemed perfectly natural. But coming from a sickly invalid despised by everyone, they felt distinctly strange.

Everyone was stunned, including Ning Xiner.

Ning Xiner dearly wanted to cripple Ning Hengqing, but she could not refute his words. In this world where the strong were honored, the word "respect" indeed existed only in the weak toward the strong. Never had she seen a strong person show respect toward a weak one.

"If you respect me, then I will naturally respect you. If you do not respect me, why should I respect you?" Ning Xiaochuan took Ning Xiner's small hand and brushed past Ning Hengqing toward the Deliberation Hall.

Ning Hengqing stood frozen for a long while before letting out a cold laugh. A vicious gleam appeared in his eyes. "After dying once, he has grown quite a backbone. If I do not teach him a lesson in front of everyone, he will be climbing onto this young master's head. Hmph! Come, let us go to the Deliberation Hall too. There will be a good show tonight."

The Deliberation Hall was an important place within the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion. Only significant figures of the Marquis Mansion were qualified to come here.

Yet at this moment, three corpses lay outside the Deliberation Hall. One was sealed in ice, while the other two had become desiccated corpses.

By the time Ning Xiaochuan and Ning Xiner arrived, many descendants of the Marquis Mansion had already gathered there, all surrounding the three corpses on the ground and discussing them in hushed voices.

Bronze pillars stood around the Deliberation Hall, filled with Tung Oil. The Tung Oil burned, and the flames drove back the darkness. One could see over a thousand people gathered here, all direct descendants of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion.

The Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion had eight direct branches in total. The Old Marquis's branch was merely one of them.

Only a small portion of them had gathered here. Many other direct descendants of the Marquis Mansion had yet to return. Some were leading troops into battle, some held official posts elsewhere, some were training in the Martial Dao, and some managed businesses under the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion.

This is a true noble clan—its members flourish in great numbers. Counting the collateral descendants, their numbers are likely dozens or even hundreds of times greater. Ning Xiaochuan thought to himself, deeply moved.

Those currently in power within the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion were still the experts of the second and third generations, and they were presently inside the Deliberation Hall. Those gathered outside were mainly fourth-generation descendants of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion, many of them young people.

"Look, Sickly Ning actually came. In the past, whenever the direct descendants of the Marquis Mansion gathered, he was never allowed to participate. This time is truly strange."

"They did not let him participate in gatherings of the direct descendants because they did not want him to make a fool of himself."

"Do you think he is really Third Master's biological son? Why is Sister Xiner so gifted while he is so useless?"

"Who knows? I heard that his dead mother was even from the Demon Sect. Women of the Demon Sect—you know what they're like! Heh heh!"

Many people fixed their eyes on Ning Xiaochuan, their faces full of contempt and mockery.

Ning Xiner was furious beyond measure. She struck out with her palm. Smack! The youth who had just insulted her mother was sent flying more than ten meters, crashing to the ground and continuously coughing up blood.

This time, Ning Xiaochuan did not stop her. In truth, he himself had nearly been unable to restrain himself just now. Even a clay figurine had three parts fire in it—these people were simply going too far.

When it was time to act, he would beat them until they howled!