Another Obstacle

Returning from the mining area, Xu Yuan suddenly felt lighter all over.

This trip back to the mining area had not merely been about fulfilling the promise he had once made. It was also a farewell to those past days of seeking immortality, and to the suffering and trials he had endured in the mine tunnels.

Not to sever them, but to tell himself that he had now walked out of that place, and it was time to head toward a better path of immortality.

Clouds and mist curled through the mountains. Once he passed through that barrier again, the bustling Biyou Market lay before him.

It was late today, so he would not be going down into the mine. As usual, Xu Yuan bought two jin of demon beast meat before returning to his room.

Bi Qiong's door was still tightly shut. Recently, she had not returned very often. Most of the time, she would only hurriedly exchange a few words with Xu Yuan before rushing back to the talisman shop.

That was simply how it was for an apprentice. Her master was already an extraordinarily, extraordinarily decent person—he actually only made her work nine shichen a day, and did not even charge spirit stones for tuition.

Of course, Bi Qiong's exceptional talent was also part of it. In barely a month, she had already begun learning the strokes.

Once she finished learning the strokes and signed a long-term contract with the shopkeeper, agreeing to serve for a certain period at low pay, she could begin learning talismans.

Thinking that his friend would soon become a talisman master, Xu Yuan felt a little anxious.

Come on, bro, it's fine if you don't live a hard life anymore—but could you maybe not go around driving a Range Rover?

Yet when he raised his right hand and looked at those addable entries upon it, his heart slowly returned to calm.

What he needed now was simply time to accumulate. Once this period of accumulation had passed, the day he soared into the heavens was bound to come as well. There was no need to rush over a moment's delay.

Assuming a cultivation posture, Xu Yuan slowly immersed himself in cultivating the Little Azure Mountain Essence Refinement Art.

In truth, he had also looked for other essence-refining, qi-transforming cultivation arts during this time. But they were either exorbitantly priced or poor in quality and effectiveness. After looking them over, this cultivation art he had practiced for so long was still the most useful.

At dawn, Xu Yuan climbed out of bed. After a simple wash, he headed to the mining area as usual.

Since he always found a secluded spot by himself every day, even after a month, he had not become familiar with anyone in the mine. But that was fine too—he was happy to have peace and quiet.

Arriving at his "post," Xu Yuan swung his detection pick. As his intent spread into the rock wall, the ores within instantly became clear to him.

His luck was good this time. Just after starting work, he discovered a piece of refined black iron. Xu Yuan swung his mining pick and dug it out in just a few strikes. But as he placed it into the basket on his back and prepared to dig out all the other ores within his detection range, he suddenly caught sight of a tall, thin man walking toward him from the corner of his eye.

He recognized the man. He was one of Zhang Chao's right-hand men, usually following at Zhang Chao's side and handling inventory work. Why had he come down into the mine today?

"Xu Yuan?"

Standing beside him, the man asked coldly.

"That's me." Xu Yuan answered, somewhat puzzled.

"I had quite a time finding you." The tall, thin man waved impatiently. "Enough, stop digging for now. Come with me. Our boss wants to see you."

"Zhang Chao? What does he want with me?"

Xu Yuan muttered to himself, but within Biyou Market, he trusted that the other party would not dare lay a hand on him. After all, Biyou Market's rules stood above all else, and the prohibition against disciples killing one another was written right on the first page.

Even if Zhang Chao had eaten a bear's heart and leopard's gall, he would not dare openly challenge the Hidden Moon Sect's rules.

Following the man out of the mine, Xu Yuan found that they were no longer meeting at the desk from before. Instead, he was taken directly to a stone house.

Zhang Chao, who had summoned him, was sitting before a table full of dishes. The moment he saw Xu Yuan, he hurriedly waved.

"Brother Xu, you're finally here! The feast I ordered for five low-grade spirit stones was nearly getting cold. Come, come, come—Brother Xu, please take a seat. Let's eat while we talk."

As he spoke, one of Zhang Chao's men brought Xu Yuan a stool, then gestured for him to sit.

"Immortal Master Zhang, what is this about?"

Xu Yuan asked in confusion, though he already had a faint suspicion.

What else could Zhang Chao possibly have his eye on, when Xu Yuan was merely a Rogue Cultivator at the first level of Qi Refinement?

Sure enough, in the next moment, Zhang Chao first placed an enormous piece of demon beast meat into Xu Yuan's bowl before speaking.

"Over this past month, we have all seen Brother Xu's hard work. You have contributed greatly to my quota for this month. This table of food is a reward for Brother Xu. And besides that..."

Zhang Chao rubbed his hands with a napkin, wiping away the grease, before asking as if casually, "Brother Xu produces such a great quantity every day. As your elder brother, I'm rather curious—what secret art does Brother Xu use?"

"Of course, of course, I'm not asking for my own sake. I'm asking for the sect. If there is some fine method of detection, I, Zhang Chao, am willing to pass it on to all our fellow miners. When the mine's output increases severalfold, it will be a tremendous boon to the Hidden Moon Sect that shelters us."

Zhang Chao spoke with lofty righteousness, but after staying in Biyou Market for so long, how could Xu Yuan not understand what kind of people these were? His so-called passing it on really meant selling it, and his so-called great benefit to the sect would in truth be a heaven-sent boon for himself.

He was merely borrowing the sect's name to demand Xu Yuan's method.

"Immortal Master, your judgment is keen." Xu Yuan bowed. "I too wish to contribute to the sect, but I truly possess no mysterious or wondrous art. The reason I have mined so much ore these days is entirely because I spend a long time in the mines and have had rather good luck."

"Oh, is that so?"

His voice visibly turned cold, and Zhang Chao let out another sigh.

"Ah, it seems that I, Zhang Chao, cannot force everyone to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the sect's development. Since that is the case, I shall not be stingy with my own resources. Xu Yuan, I am willing to pay thirty low-grade spirit stones for your secret art. What do you say?"

"Thirty?" Xu Yuan's heart jolted. He truly wished he had some damned secret art to sell, but the problem was that he did not have jack shit!

Seeing Xu Yuan remain silent, Zhang Chao frowned again. "How about forty?"

Xu Yuan still did not agree. He merely offered a sincere bow. "I truly do not have any secret art."

"Fifty. That is my final price." Zhang Chao's voice turned completely cold. Looking at the mere first-level Qi Refinement cultivator before him, he had not expected the other party to be so incapable of appreciating favors. How had someone like this managed to survive here?

Three breaths passed after his words fell. Xu Yuan's face was full of helplessness, while Zhang Chao slightly lifted his chin, then swept the exquisite dishes before him onto the floor. "Since you are unwilling, see our guest out."

"Sure enough, I was still too high-profile." Leaving the stone house in frustration, Xu Yuan collected his equipment and returned to the mine.

Just as he was pondering how the other party might deal with him, he suddenly spotted that tall, thin man from before silently arriving behind him out of the corner of his eye.

The man did not speak, nor did he make any move against him. He merely stood behind Xu Yuan like a stone statue, silently watching his every action.