Yang Daqiang (Please Keep Reading)

Zhou Sihai looked up at Wang Mengde, his expression carrying a trace of apology. "Brother Wang, I'm truly sorry.

I only have nine hundred spirit stones on me today. I'll write an IOU for the rest and deliver it to you tomorrow without fail. What do you think?"

After a brief consideration, Wang Mengde nodded. "All right."

Zhou Sihai immediately pulled a blank talisman paper from his robes. His fingers traced through the air, spiritual power stirring, and lines of writing swiftly appeared on the paper.

After finishing, he signed his name and stamped it with a small personal seal before handing the IOU to Wang Mengde.

Wang Mengde took it, glanced over it, and tucked it into his robes.

With a pat of his storage bag, Zhou Sihai made a dense pile of spirit stones appear before them.

He then took out two burlap sacks and loaded the spirit stones into them.

Nine hundred spirit stones the size of chicken eggs filled the two sacks to the brim.

On the dock, the fishmongers and fish cultivators stared at the two bulging sacks, their eyes nearly popping out.

Liu Haiwen swallowed hard, his eyes full of envy.

The other fishmongers were equally envious and jealous. They sold fish every day, yet even after years of work, they could not earn two sacks of spirit stones like that.

Only after Wang Mengde had sold off the remaining ordinary sea fish did he leave the dock, carrying the two sacks.

As he walked down the street, he felt everyone's eyes falling on him.

Those gazes held envy, jealousy, and greed buried deep beneath the surface.

Carrying two sacks of spirit stones, he felt as though someone might rush up and rob him at any moment.

Wang Mengde narrowed his eyes.

He needed to spend some of this money as soon as possible.

Keeping spirit stones in his hands was like clutching a burning hot potato.

Only when they became strength would they truly belong to him.

He first went to Hundred Herbs Hall.

He bought two Essence-Nourishing Pills and ten Fasting Pills.

Then he went to Rosy Cloud Pavilion.

He spent four hundred and ninety-five spirit stones to purchase an offensive spell, the Palm Thunder Technique.

He spent another sixteen spirit stones on a Voice Transmission Technique.

Carrying his remaining spirit stones, he left Rosy Cloud Pavilion.

He had not gone far when several fish cultivators who knew him approached from the opposite direction.

"Wang Mengde, I heard you struck it rich?" one fish cultivator greeted him with a grin.

Wang Mengde gave a bitter smile and said loudly,

"What fortune? I just bought some spells. My spirit stones are nearly gone already."

He shook the sack in his hand.

"This is all I have left."

Seeing that the sacks had shrunk considerably, the fish cultivators' eyes flashed with relief.

"Buying spells is good. Only greater strength lets you earn more money."

"Exactly, exactly."

Carrying his sacks, Wang Mengde complained about spending spirit stones too quickly whenever he met an acquaintance along the way.

He was afraid people would not know that he had little spirit stones left.

Upon returning to his small courtyard, he shut the gate and entered his bedroom.

He took out the spell jade slips that recorded the Voice Transmission Technique and the Palm Thunder Technique.

Sitting cross-legged, he first pressed the jade slip of the Palm Thunder Technique against his forehead.

Very soon.

The Palm Thunder Technique reached the beginner level.

Then.

The Voice Transmission Technique also reached the beginner level.

He drew a deep breath and calmed his mind.

Then he took out a spirit stone and held it in his palm.

Closing his eyes, he circulated the Luan-Phoenix Harmony Formula.

Strands of spiritual energy streamed out of the spirit stone and entered his body. They circulated along the cultivation method's pathways before finally flowing into his dantian.

One cycle.

Two cycles.

A line of tiny golden words quietly appeared in his mind.

[The Luan-Phoenix Harmony Formula +1]

[Spiritual power cultivation +1]

Wang Mengde absorbed the insight that had surfaced in his mind.

Then he continued cultivating.

Another cycle.

And another cycle.

Spiritual power flowed through his meridians, growing hotter and hotter.

Wang Mengde frowned slightly.

This sensation had become increasingly obvious over the past year.

The spiritual power within his body always carried a scorching heat.

If he was not mistaken, this was likely a flaw of the Luan-Phoenix Harmony Formula.

This cultivation method emphasized the harmony of yin and yang, requiring dual cultivation to balance the spiritual power within one's body.

Cultivating alone would leave yang energy too abundant and yin energy insufficient. Over time, yin and yang would fall out of balance within the body, giving rise to this scorching sensation.

It required dual cultivation to alleviate it.

Wang Mengde took a deep breath and suppressed the thoughts in his heart.

He could still endure for some time.

He wondered when Qingyue would return.

He shook his head, stopped dwelling on it, closed his eyes again, and continued cultivating.

Early the next morning.

Sunlight streamed in through the window lattice.

Wang Mengde awoke from cultivation and let out a long breath of turbid air.

Just then.

A knock sounded outside the courtyard gate.

Knock, knock, knock.

Wang Mengde rose, left his bedroom, crossed the courtyard, and opened the gate.

A woman stood outside.

She was in her twenties, with a slender, graceful figure and a narrow waist. Her oval face was fair and delicate, while her brows and eyes held a natural, alluring charm.

Her green dress could not conceal her exquisite curves in the slightest.

Her jet-black hair was gathered behind her head, exposing her pale neck.

She was Lin Xiaowan, the wife of Zhao Youming, his neighbor next door.

When Lin Xiaowan saw him, her eyes reddened slightly, and urgency colored her voice.

"Brother Wang, have you heard any news of Youming?"

Wang Mengde frowned slightly. "Sister-in-law, Fellow Daoist Zhao still hasn't returned?"

Biting her lip, Lin Xiaowan's eyes welled with tears.

"He... he hasn't come home for a long time. I thought he had gone looking for that woman again, so I didn't pay much attention.

"But last night, that woman came to see me and asked whether he had returned..."

Her voice choked as she continued.

"That was when I learned that he encountered a school of Azure Jade Ghost Carp while out at sea.

"Zhou Lie and Sun He, who were with him, still haven't returned either. Qin Xiangnan hasn't come back either. Only you..."

She raised her head and looked at Wang Mengde.

"Only you returned alive."

After a moment of silence, Wang Mengde said, "Sister-in-law, that day, when we encountered the school of Azure Jade Ghost Carp and were hunted down, we scattered and fled.

"I fled separately from Fellow Daoist Zhao and the others, and I never saw them again afterward.

"My return alive was also due to luck."

Lin Xiaowan looked at him, her eyes full of pleading.

"Brother Wang, if you know anything, you must tell me. He... he is my man. Even if... even if he has another woman outside, he is still my man."

Wang Mengde shook his head.

"I truly don't know. Sister-in-law, go back and wait for news. Maybe they'll return in a few days."

The tears in Lin Xiaowan's eyes finally fell.

She nodded and turned to leave.

Her back was desolate, her steps unsteady.

Wang Mengde watched her departing figure and shut the courtyard gate.

Returning to his bedroom, he sat down on the meditation cushion.

After sitting in silence for a moment, he took out a spirit stone and resumed cultivating.

At noon.

Zhao Sihai came as promised and brought the remaining spirit stones.

The following day.

At noon.

Wang Mengde had just finished eating spiritual rice.

Suddenly, a rapid knock sounded outside the courtyard gate.

Knock, knock, knock.

Wang Mengde set down his bowl and chopsticks, frowning slightly.

This knocking was nothing like Lin Xiaowan's gentle knock yesterday. It pounded against the gate with thunderous force.

He rose, crossed the courtyard, and opened the gate.

Three people stood outside.

All three wore the fitted green uniforms of the Island Patrol Guards.

The man in the lead was a little over thirty, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's.

Wang Mengde knew this man. He was a squad captain of the Island Patrol Guards named Yang Daqiang.

He was at the sixth level of Qi Refinement.

The two men behind him, one tall and one short, were both at the fifth level of Qi Refinement.

The moment the three stood at the entrance, an invisible pressure washed over him.

Wang Mengde's heart tightened, but an enthusiastic smile appeared on his face as he hurriedly stepped aside.

"Honored sirs, what an honor to have you here. Please come in, please come in."

Yang Daqiang glanced at him without speaking and strode through the courtyard gate.

The other two followed close behind.

Wang Mengde led the three across the courtyard and into the main hall.

Without the slightest ceremony, Yang Daqiang sat down broadly in the seat of honor at the center of the hall.

The two men behind him stood to his left and right, their cold gazes fixed on Wang Mengde.

Wang Mengde's expression did not change as he said with a smile,

"Please sit for a moment, honored sirs. I'll pour you some tea."

He turned, picked up the teapot, poured three cups of hot tea, and brought them before the three men one by one.

Yang Daqiang picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Then he set it down and narrowed his eyes at Wang Mengde.

His right index finger curled, tapping lightly against the tabletop, once after another.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.