In a hall at the Three Southern Passes, where High Person Lingzhu resided.
High Person Lingzhu sat casually in the seat of honor, dressed in a crimson everyday robe, turning a strange, fist-sized crystal over in his hand.
Ji Yuan sat in a guest seat below him, his expression respectful.
"Thank you, Commander."
He accepted a dark teal Storage Bag from High Person Lingzhu with both hands.
The bag felt heavy in his hands—not from its weight, but because the treasures sealed inside stirred his heart.
It contained the remaining supplies Ye Wuzhen had promised days earlier and High Person Lingzhu had just allocated: the corpse of a Mountain-Shifting Ape, Evergreen Water, and that crucial Spirit-Candle Fruit.
The two most precious items, the Essence of the Nine Yangs and Immortal-Ascending Stone, would have to wait.
With the Storage Bag in hand, the taut string in Ji Yuan's heart finally loosened a little.
With the Mountain-Shifting Ape's corpse and the Spirit-Candle Fruit, he could begin upgrading the [Pigsty] and [Heavenly Craft Workshop] at once.
As for the Evergreen Water needed to upgrade the [Wine Cellar], he was still missing a divine material like the Essence of the Nine Yangs.
He put the Storage Bag away securely, but did not rise to take his leave. Instead, he settled back into his seat, lifted the cup of tea beside him that had already cooled a little, and took a small sip, as though weighing his words.
How could anything escape High Person Lingzhu's eyes? One look told him Ji Yuan had something on his mind.
He set the crystal on the table with a crisp click, then smiled. "Come now, what's there to hide from me? You've rendered such tremendous service. If you have a request, as long as it's reasonable, do you