Luo Shiqi Comes Calling, It Came Ashore!

Even the cleverest housewife could not cook without rice.

Yan Ruyu might have been a fifth-realm medical cultivator, a famous-doctor-level big shot.

But even she could not knead top-tier medicinal ingredients out of thin air with her bare hands.

Being able to find substitutes in such a short time was already extremely impressive.

But Jiang Wangzu was still thinking about the talent reward after Black Tiger Fist reached perfection—the Black Jade Tiger Bone!

So if he could brew the Black Altar Nine-Turn Secret Medicine, then he did not want to cut corners.

If he could not, Jiang Wangzu would not keep dragging things out at the great accomplishment stage of Strength Training just for the Black Jade Tiger Bone talent.

"Try your best to help me trade for the black tiger bones."

"I'll figure out the exotic beast essence blood myself."

"If that's the case, about how much would one dose of Black Altar Nine-Turn Secret Medicine cost?"

Jiang Wangzu asked.

"Around a thousand silver dollars, I suppose."

Yan Ruyu thought for a moment, then said.

"How the hell is this a shortcut method? This is straight-up a pay-to-win method!"

"Hard-body martial arts are still better!"

"I love hard-body training!"

Jiang Wangzu thought silently to himself.

If the exotic beast essence blood was included, one dose of Black Altar Nine-Turn Secret Medicine might be worth fifteen hundred silver dollars.

Yan Ruyu definitely had not quoted the normal price. If it were sold at the normal market price, it might reach two thousand silver dollars.

Ten doses would be twenty thousand silver dollars!

If he did not use the Black Altar Nine-Turn Secret Medicine and only used Black Tiger Powder secret medicine, it would cost nine thousand, nearly ten thousand silver dollars.

A difference of double.

But it saved two months of time, and there was also the Black Jade Tiger Bone talent.

It really was worth it!

Right now, he still had around a thousand silver dollars on hand.

He probably could not even buy a single dose of Black Altar Nine-Turn Secret Medicine!

"I feel like you're just too anxious."

"You're only eighteen. You haven't even practiced martial arts for two months, yet you're already the equal of other people's years, even more than a decade, of bitter cultivation."

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"You can take it slowly, one step at a time."

"Even so, I believe you will definitely be able to reach a height on the path of martial cultivation that others can hardly hope to attain."

Seeing Jiang Wangzu frowning in thought, Yan Ruyu walked up to him, reached out, and gently smoothed away the "river" crease between his brows as she said softly.

"You don't understand."

"But thank you anyway."

Jiang Wangzu placed his hand on Yan Ruyu's lower back and gently breathed in the faint medicinal fragrance on her body.

He had already been targeted by that thing beneath the waters of Dragon River Pier.

Although there was not much difference between great accomplishment in Strength Training and perfection in Strength Training to that thing.

He still wanted to raise his strength as much as possible before that thing came looking for him.

Although his current strength had already surpassed his boss, Chen Tai.

It still was not enough!

With this little strength, he could not control his own fate!

"Why are you so desperate to raise your strength?"

"Have you run into some kind of trouble?"

Yan Ruyu sensed the faint worry in Jiang Wangzu's eyes.

She took the initiative to wrap her arms around Jiang Wangzu's waist, burying her head against his chest, quietly listening to the steady, powerful beating of his heart.

Feeling the supremely hard, supremely yang aura radiating from Jiang Wangzu's body.

She swore that she had never been so infatuated with any man other than Jiang Wangzu.

It was as if she had been possessed.

Jiang Wangzu felt the warmth in his arms and forcefully pulled Yan Ruyu into his embrace.

The two of them simply stood there quietly in the little courtyard.

The apprentices and attending doctors of Benevolent World Hall had already gotten off work, and Steward Sun and the few long-term workers on duty were tactful enough not to disturb Jiang Wangzu and Yan Ruyu.

After Jiang Wangzu escorted Yan Ruyu home as usual, he hurried back to the little courtyard he rented.

In the darkness, he saw Luo Shiqi standing in front of his door, waiting for him.

He had once told Luo Shiqi before that if anything happened, he could come here to find him.

"It came ashore!"

As soon as Luo Shiqi saw Jiang Wangzu, he spoke with a grave expression.

The smile on Jiang Wangzu's face slowly faded.

No more hee-hee.

The strange beast Water Ghoul of Dragon River Pier had actually come ashore!

"Is it coming to find me?"

Jiang Wangzu asked aloud.

"It didn't come to find you."

"In fact, it went back almost as soon as it came ashore."

"Maybe it felt the time wasn't right yet."

"Maybe it was testing the attitude and strength of us land-dwelling creatures."

There was one more thing Luo Shiqi did not say.

Which was that he had blocked that strange beast, the Water Ghoul, with the Red Lacquer Coffin on his back.

That strange beast, the Water Ghoul, was extremely wary of his Corpse Puppet, so it turned around and retreated back into the Dragon River.

But he could not control that Corpse Puppet; he had merely been a fox borrowing the tiger's might.

"Let's go!"

"Leave Shen City. Go to the great northwest, or even to the Western Continent."

"I refuse to believe that beast would cross mountains and rivers and sail across the ocean just to kill you."

Luo Shiqi spoke again.

"Shen City is my home. Why should I run?"

"Brother Luo, don't worry. I have my own way!"

"Come on, Brother Luo. It's rare for you to visit. I'll take you to a dance hall to relax!"

Jiang Wangzu said very warmly.

"Forget it."

"I came here just to send you word."

"Um... could you give me a little more blood?"

"I don't have money right now. Could I owe you first?"

Luo Shiqi said, a little embarrassed.

Nani?

Well, well, you tight-lipped gourd Luo Shiqi had learned to rob a burning house too?

No money?

And you still wanted to bleed me?

Then that was freeloading?

Are you kidding?

"Do you have strange beast essence blood?"

"No."

"Do you have black tiger bones?"

"Also no."

"Then what do you have?"

"I have a Red Lacquer Coffin."

"..."

Jiang Wangzu was utterly speechless.

But looking at this tight-lipped gourd Luo Shiqi, he did not seem like someone who would use his blood to do anything bad.

He could only agree to go to the Western Hospital tomorrow and have another two hundred milliliters of blood drawn to hand over to Luo Shiqi.

Early the next morning.

Someone from Canal Gang headquarters had arrived.

They found Chen Tai on Rongsheng Street and said someone at headquarters wanted to see Jiang Wangzu.

Chen Tai immediately began sending people all over the place to look for Jiang Wangzu.

After they found Jiang Wangzu—

Chen Tai sized Jiang Wangzu up from head to toe.

There seemed to be something in his eyes, something that could not quite be put into words.

With a smile that did not reach his eyes, he pretended to be warm and patted Jiang Wangzu on the shoulder, saying:

"A-Zu, since some big shot at headquarters wants to see you, then go."

"Remember, don't embarrass our Rongsheng Street."

"Yes, boss!"

Jiang Wangzu knew this meant his sister-in-law had finished making the arrangements for him.

Next, it would all depend on his performance.

As for Chen Tai's attitude toward him, he did not care in the slightest.

If Chen Tai dared to make a move against him, he would teach the man exactly how the word "death" was written.

He was no longer the ant who had just transmigrated over and could be butchered at will!

If that mad dog Chen Tai dared to bare his teeth and snarl at him again, he would not mind giving the mad dog a vicious beating!

Canal Gang headquarters was still in the Lower District.

However, it was right next to the Upper District. It occupied a vast area and had been built in an extremely grand style.

To be honest, though Jiang Wangzu had joined the Canal Gang for so long, this was his first time at its headquarters.

The messenger led Jiang Wangzu into Canal Gang headquarters, where, in a side courtyard, he met an old man holding a cane, wearing a fedora, dressed in a black modern Chinese outfit, and shod in leather shoes.

This man was the connection his sister-in-law had found for him.

One of the Canal Gang's seven executive elders, Elder Dai—Dai Qinghe.