"Young Master Zhang Yuan, this pearl is called the Moon Fox Pearl. It is formed from the essence of the sun and moon absorbed by a Fifth-tier Magical Beast, the Treasure Moon Fox. It is useless to humans, but ordinary Magical Beasts can improve their intelligence by possessing it. Fox-type Magical Beasts can use it to transform into human form, and Magical Beasts below the seventh tier that failed Tribulation Transfiguration can successfully transform after swallowing it."
"Ordinarily, this pearl has nothing unusual about it. Even high-tier Magical Beasts that do not recognize it would only take it for an ordinary pearl. Only after a Magical Beast has been in contact with it for a long time can it discover its mysteries."
"I once saw a fox clan prodigy selling this item at an auction house in the Central Region, which is why I recognized it. If sold among Magical Beasts, it would be worth as much as a Low-level Earth-tier Dou Technique."
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As valuable as a Low-level Earth-tier Dou Technique?!
Zhang Yuan immediately gained a clear understanding of the pearl's value.
If word got out in the Jia Ma Empire, it would be enough to draw in forces such as the imperial family and the Misty Cloud Sect, stirring up a bloody storm.
Fortunately, he had obtained it. There was no need to worry about causing any trouble. He had already shouldered far too much for this empire.
"Come, Escort Master Qin, let me toast you." Zhang Yuan took the initiative to raise his wine cup and clink it against Qin Hai's. Smiling, he said, "If you encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to come to me. So long as it is within my abilities, I will not refuse."
Although Qin Hai had failed to recognize the treasure and Zhang Yuan had only picked it up through his own strength, he understood Qin Hai's intentions and would not be completely stingy.
"Commander Zhang is truly generous. Please drink as you please; I'll finish mine." Delight appeared in Qin Hai's eyes.
This was a sixteen-year-old Five-Star Great Dou Shi, a young prodigy who had wiped out the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits. He had traded a useless piece of "junk" whose purpose he did not even know for this man's friendship and a promise. What a profit!
One found the other agreeable, while the other sincerely wished to befriend him. The two chatted happily.
On the other side, Meng Xu watched everything unfold and repeatedly signaled Meng Xing with his eyes.
Though unwilling, Meng Xing still took the initiative to say, "Commander, at Twin Dragon Pass that day, I was excessively presumptuous with my words. I hope you will overlook my offense."
Meng Xing had never expected to be slapped in the face, much less so quickly.
When he first met Zhang Yuan, he thought Zhang Yuan was young and at most a Peak Dou Master. Meanwhile, his cousin Meng Xu was a Da Dou Shi and was about to become a Black Armored Guard commander. What did Zhang Yuan amount to?
Yet not long after crossing the Illusionary Mist Mountain Range, he heard that the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits had been executed. The one responsible was Zhang Yuan, a Black Armored Guard captain. After returning to Qingyun Town and learning the details of how the bandits had been killed, he realized Zhang Yuan was the young Black Armored Guard he had encountered at Twin Dragon Pass. He immediately sought Meng Xu out and explained the situation.
Meng Xu's response had been simple: punishment according to clan rules. Even now, Meng Xing's backside had not fully recovered.
"Commander, Meng Xing is my younger cousin. He was spoiled from childhood, so please forgive him." Meng Xu spoke up for him, taking out a scroll and placing it before Zhang Yuan.
To curry favor with Mu Zhan, Meng Xu had also targeted Zhang Yuan quite a bit in the army, only to be slapped in the face by him every time.
Now even Mu Zhan had apologized to Zhang Yuan under Mu Kun's instruction. Meng Xu naturally would not stubbornly persist. Even if he could not become friends with Zhang Yuan, he needed to dissolve their grudge.
"What are you doing?" Zhang Yuan said with a stern expression. "Meng Xu, since I trusted you enough to keep you as my deputy, I have already written off our previous conflicts. Offering compensation is an insult to me."
"Commander, your character is truly noble, but I feel ashamed." Meng Xu said sincerely, "If you accept this gift, I can devote myself to my duties with peace of mind."
"No. I am not that kind of person." Zhang Yuan refused.
"In that case, I can only ask the Commander-in-Chief to transfer me to another unit," Meng Xu said.
Zhang Yuan stared at him without speaking, his expression turning serious.
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Qin Hai and Meng Xing both said nothing.
After pondering for a moment, Zhang Yuan asked, "What is inside this scroll?"
"A Mysterious Tier Low-grade movement Dou Technique called the Wave-Chasing Wind Pursuit Step. Once mastered, one can walk upon water without leaving a trace. Even if one falls from dozens of zhang in the air, one can use clever force to emerge completely unscathed," Meng Xu immediately answered.
"A Dou Technique?" Zhang Yuan's brows relaxed. "Is this the original or a copy?"
"It is the original, though the Meng family possesses copied versions," Meng Xu replied.
"Then that's fine." Zhang Yuan picked up the scroll and nodded. "Your Meng family has not lost anything, so I will accept this gift. From now on, our old grievances are gone. What do you think?"
Meng Xu naturally agreed without hesitation.
Thus, Zhang Yuan reluctantly accepted another movement Dou Technique.
Come to think of it, the Divine Step Chasing Lightning was already beginning to fall short of his needs. This Wave-Treading Wind-Chasing Step had arrived at exactly the right time and should barely suffice until he became a Dou Wang.
Cultivators could also learn Dou Techniques that differed from their own Dou Qi attribute. It was simply twice the effort for half the result, and their performance would not compare to someone able to empower them with Dou Qi of the corresponding attribute. For example, Xiao Yan had once cultivated the lightning-attribute Three Thousand Lightning Movement.
With the Three Dragon Thunder Gang Fire, Zhang Yuan was confident he could make this movement Dou Technique his own.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Zhang Yuan and the other three chatted for a while longer when knocking sounded at the private room's door. Then Qing Yanjing's voice called out, "The medicinal cuisine is ready. May we bring it in?"
"Please do," Zhang Yuan immediately said, his eyes shifting slightly.
If he had guessed correctly, Qing Yanjing had deliberately waited until Meng Xu and Qin Hai were finished with their business before coming over.
Creak!
The private room door was pushed open, and Qing Yanjing entered with five maids. Each carried two long wooden trays, upon which sat covers crafted from some special metal.
"Qingyun Mutton Paste, Black Flame Sand Rice Porridge, Misty Cloud Bean Rolls, Black Ginseng Vermilion Ling Buns, Stone Desert Lotus Root Powder Cake, Solomon's-Seal Red Chick Soup..."
Qing Yanjing introduced the names of the ten dishes to the four of them. The ingredients were specialties from all over the Jia Ma Empire, such as Clear-Horn Yellow Mountain Goat from Qingyun Town, rice cultivated in the desert by Black Flame City, special spirit beans raised by the Misty Cloud Sect, and more. The cooking methods were also exceptionally particular.
Under Qing Yanjing's guidance, Zhang Yuan sampled every dish. At once, he gave up on the idea of getting to know this woman better, because he wanted to abduct her outright. That way, he could eat the food she made every day from now on.
Having come from that great culinary nation, he had always held a special fondness for food.
Well, it was definitely not because he craved her body. He simply craved her cooking.
"Lady Qing, your cooking is superb. These ten dishes are the finest food I have ever eaten in my life," Zhang Yuan praised.
"Commander, you flatter me." Qing Yanjing nodded calmly. She had heard such words countless times.
In terms of cooking, she had long since surpassed her teacher.
If not for the misfortune she brought to those around her, she could have established herself in the Imperial Capital with her cooking alone.
"Lady Qing, um..."
Zhang Yuan had originally wanted to ask Qing Yanjing how he could regularly eat her cooking.
He had to abduct this cook, but it could not be rushed. He had to take it step by step.
Yet the moment he called out to her, he sensed an unusual movement from the Thunder God Visualization Diagram within his Spiritual Sense.
Just as he thought he was about to experience the same strange occurrence from that afternoon, he discovered that only a One-Veined Purple Moon briefly appeared at the very bottom of the Visualization Diagram before vanishing. Then it fell silent again.
"A One-Veined Purple Moon? What does that mean?"
Zhang Yuan was inwardly puzzled, but he did not show it.
Feeling Qing Yanjing's gaze, he opened his mouth to ask again.
But the next instant, his pupils suddenly contracted. Dou Qi Armor formed around him in an instant as he sprang to his feet, kicked Qin Hai to his left, bent down to scoop Qing Yanjing into his arms, then kicked Meng Xu away before flying toward the window. Heavenly Flames condensed into a pair of wings behind his back.
Meng Xu and Qin Hai flew backward with bewildered expressions, too stunned even to care about the pain in their chests.
Meng Xing, the only one left farther away, was even more confused and had no idea what Zhang Yuan was doing.
Then he heard the sound of a structure breaking above him.
Boom!
Meng Xing looked up just in time to see the ceiling shatter in an instant as a green figure wrapped in thick vines fell down.
Then there was no then. He had already lost consciousness.
Meng Xu, Qin Hai, Qing Yanjing, and the others, however, saw it clearly.
It was an enormous serpent nearly ten zhang long, with azure wings growing from its back. At that moment, its entire body was bound by massive vines.
Ling Ying's voice sounded beside Zhang Yuan's ear.
"This is a Sixth-Rank Magical Beast, the Azure Winged Sky Serpent!"
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(End of Chapter)
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