After leaving the house, Lu Yuan cheerfully headed to the Armory. The officials there had already received instructions, so they welcomed him warmly.
"Lord Lu, you're here! Please, come right in. The Captain gave orders: take whichever item you choose today." As he spoke, he ushered Lu Yuan inside.
Though still young, Lu Yuan had already earned so much merit, and the Zhou Family valued him highly.
His future was sure to be bright. Now that they had a chance to get on good terms with him, they naturally didn't dare neglect him.
"Sorry for the trouble."
After Lu Yuan entered, he was led to a small storeroom.
"Everything stored in here is among the finest things in Ice Plain City," the Armory official said quietly.
Lu Yuan nodded and began looking around. He had already set his sights on a particular cultivation supply, but the items here were clearly better.
At last, his gaze settled on a jar.
"Tiger Bone Paste!"
"Lord Lu, the name of this jar's contents may sound simple, but its effects are anything but. It's made by simmering the bones of Mystic Tiger demons with various medicinal ingredients, and it works wonders for those in the Bone-Forging Realm."
"I'll take it," Lu Yuan said calmly.
The official beside him beamed. "Excellent! I'll pack it up for you right away."
Cultivation supplies worth five thousand merit points, and meant for someone in the Bone-Forging Realm at that—usually only scions of prominent clans used things like this.
It had been sitting in this storeroom for who knew how long.
At last, someone had redeemed it. The official could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
After all, Tiger Bone Paste was difficult to preserve. If it expired, he'd have a hard time explaining himself.
Lu Yuan didn't concern himself with that. He carried the jar of medicine out.
As he passed through the outer room, he thought it over and spent another five taels of silver on a bottle of Blood Nourishing Pills.
Madam Xiao had been suffering from illness, and lately her face had grown sallow. She looked terrible, so he bought some pills to help restore her health.
He led his horse home.
First, Lu Yuan found a place to put away the Tiger Bone Paste.
Then he locked the silver in a cabinet.
After that, he tucked the pills into his clothes and headed out.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Someone rapped on the gate of the neighboring courtyard.
A clear voice called from inside, "Coming! Who is it?"
Since only mother and daughter lived in the house, Xiao Hua always called out to ask who was there whenever she heard a knock.
"It's me," Lu Yuan answered.
Then he distinctly heard footsteps from inside the courtyard, moving a little faster than before.
"Creak!"
When the gate opened, Xiao Hua's delicate face appeared before him.
Her cheeks were rosy with a smile, and her hands were a little wet.
"Brother Yuan, you're back. I was washing clothes, so I'm a bit late opening the door," Xiao Hua said hurriedly as she stepped aside to let Lu Yuan in.
Once he stepped into the courtyard, he smiled. "I came to see how Auntie is doing."
"Much better. She can get out of bed now. Thank you, Brother Yuan. If it weren't for you, Mother might really have been in serious trouble this time," Xiao Hua said, still shaken.
"No need to thank me." As he spoke, he pushed open the door and went inside.
Madam Xiao really could get out of bed now. She was just coming out of the kitchen, setting a teacup on the table.
"A-Yuan, have some tea. Before, whenever you came by, Auntie was stuck in bed. At last I can look after you properly this time." Madam Xiao's complexion had clearly improved.
"Auntie, please sit down. I can serve myself. The spoils I brought back from the battlefield weren't anything you could use, but on my way home today I exchanged for a bottle of Blood Nourishing Pills. They're better than ordinary medicinal herbs. Please take them to help build up your strength."
As he spoke, he placed a bottle of pills on the table.
Madam Xiao looked at the pills. "You already went to so much trouble buying medicine for us. Your help was the only reason we could afford it. And now you've bought more medicine for me..."
"Auntie, we're family. There's no need to stand on ceremony. Just take them. They didn't cost much."
Lu Yuan smiled, then sat down and took a sip of tea.
Only then did he realize Xiao Hua had disappeared.
Madam Xiao noticed where he was looking. "That girl went to buy groceries. Since you just got back, stay here for dinner."
"Of course. I'll do as you say."
A little while later, Xiao Hua returned with some meat and vegetables.
She set her laundry aside and stopped washing, then began preparing dinner.
Lu Yuan kept Madam Xiao company, chatting with her.
She seemed to know a little about everything. Sometimes she even asked Lu Yuan about what had happened on the battlefield.
When she heard that a full company of Iron Sparrowhawks had arrived outside the city, her expression darkened.
Looking at Lu Yuan, she said, "The Northern Barbarians' Iron Sparrowhawks have a rule: they never let a grudge go unanswered. If you kill one of them, they'll keep hunting you at any cost, until they've killed you.
"For a while, don't leave the city unless you have something important to do."
"Auntie, you seem to know a lot about the Northern Barbarians," Lu Yuan said curiously.
"Spend long enough in the Northern Frontier, and you learn a thing or two. But don't take my warning lightly," Madam Xiao said gravely.
Her tone had turned stern, something rare for her.
Lu Yuan nodded. "I understand, Auntie. I'll try not to go out. If I really have no choice, I'll be careful."
"Good." Only then did Madam Xiao seem to relax.
"Dinner's ready!" Xiao Hua called. She came out of the kitchen, and steaming dishes were set on the table.
She had even warmed a pot of wine for Lu Yuan.
The girl really was quick and capable.
"A-Yuan, eat more." Madam Xiao placed a piece of meat in Lu Yuan's bowl, then drew Xiao Hua over to eat as well.
After that, they didn't talk about the battlefield anymore. Instead, they chatted about interesting things happening in Sai City.
By the time they finished eating, it was already afternoon.
Lu Yuan said goodbye and headed home.
Once inside, he lit the brazier, took a bath, and then prepared to begin cultivating.
Over the next few days, he stayed home to cultivate almost every day and didn't go out.
Still, he went over to Xiao Hua's house now and then. When he had time, he'd sit and chat with the old lady. He'd realized that Madam Xiao knew a great deal about the Northern Frontier, and lately she had deliberately brought up things about the Northern Barbarians.
That knowledge was important to him. Some of it might even save his life.
While Lu Yuan spent those days recuperating, the Iron Sparrowhawks swept through the area beyond the Three Great Fortresses.
Yun Mo had gathered another force. Just two days after leaving the city, his troops clashed with the Iron Sparrowhawks. Nearly his entire force was wiped out, and they killed fewer than ten of the enemy.
This time, he wasn't as lucky as before. His left arm was chopped off, a devastating blow to his future military career.
Zhang Zhe of Yellow Sand City didn't leave the city, but any scouts who ventured outside and ran into the Iron Sparrowhawks were killed.
Two villages were slaughtered as well.
Both the Zhou Family and the Helian Clan were frantic.
They knew that if this kept up, the Grand Governor would punish them.
That day, after taking all his pills, Lu Yuan finally sensed that he had reached a state of perfection.
He immediately opened the system space to check how much his cultivation had improved.
If all went well, he would break through to the Tendon Refining Realm that very day.
Then he would be able to venture outside the city again.