Mu Yunshang leaned against the railing by the pond, waved at Ning Wuque, and said, "The koi fish here are so pretty, and there's even a golden turtle!"
"Oh?"
Curious, Ning Wuque walked over.
Sure enough, in the pond, a turtle about the size of a millstone floated lazily on the water with its limbs stretched out, its entire body radiating a brilliant golden glow.
"Master, Madam, legend has it that this golden turtle carries the bloodline of the divine beast, the Golden-Patterned Dragon Turtle. Master spent a considerable sum to get his hands on it just to serve as a guardian for this estate!" Sha Wei introduced respectfully from the side.
Although he had ended up as Ning Wuque's grand-disciple in a daze, the *Elementary Manual of Alchemy* that Ning Wuque gave him was a treasured classic of the alchemical path, which would allow him to advance without any obstacles until he became a Tier 3 Alchemist. Naturally, he no longer harbored any resentment toward Ning Wuque as his grand-master.
"I see!"
Ning Wuque nodded. He didn't know yet that his newly-acquired disciple was keeping him in the dark while preparing a master-apprentice banquet. Glancing at the sky, he asked, "Little Wei, do you know what your master went off to do? Why hasn't he returned yet?"
"This disciple has no idea!"
Sha Wei shook his head.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard Luan Hongyi's voice ringing out: "Master, this disciple has returned!"
The moment the words fell, Luan Hongyi strode in eagerly, followed closely by two burly men carrying a vermilion wooden chest.
"Just leave the things here!"
Luan Hongyi gave instructions and sent the two men away.
Ning Wuque raised an eyebrow: "What were you up to? And what is inside this?"
Mu Yunshang also walked over, curiously eyeing the vermilion chest.
Luan Hongyi smiled triumphantly and said, "Master, seeing that you have already reached the Qi Condensation Realm and were previously buying Qi Condensation Pills, this disciple made a special trip back to the Alchemist Guild to bring all the Qi Condensation Pills and Spirit Gathering Pills from the guild's treasury for you!"
As he spoke, Luan Hongyi opened the wooden box, revealing bottles and jars packed tightly inside, while a wave of rich medicinal fragrance wafted into the air.
"There are fifteen bottles of top-grade Qi Condensation Pills and eight bottles of top-grade Spirit Gathering Pills in here. That should be enough for Master's cultivation for the time being. Please feel free to use them, and if they aren't enough, just tell this disciple, and I'll prepare more for you!"
Luan Hongyi introduced it with great wealth and generosity, then took out a small wooden box from within and handed it to Mu Yunshang. "Madam, this is a gift this disciple specially brought for you. Inside are youth-preserving pills, complexion-restoring pills, black-bone silky fowl and white-phoenix pills, yin-nourishing pills, and so on. Just tell this disciple when you finish them!"
Even though Mu Yunshang was the pampered apple of Prince of Zhennan's eye, she couldn't help widening her eyes upon suddenly hearing of so many pills.
She had seen all of these pills before and had even taken some.
Yet even with her status, she had only managed to take them occasionally.
Especially the black-bone silky fowl and white-phoenix pills—for her mother's birthday last year, Prince of Zhennan had sent Su Qingluan a single bottle containing ten pills.
Su Qingluan had conserved them so carefully that she made them last a whole year!
Yet now...
Just the black-bone silky fowl and white-phoenix pills in this wooden box amounted to a full five bottles, not to mention youth-preserving pills, complexion-restoring pills, and other such elixirs.
One had to know that in this world, pills meant for women's beauty and skin maintenance were thirty percent more expensive than cultivation pills of the same grade.
Ning Wuque made a rough estimate: the pills in these two chests, large and small, were worth no less than one hundred thousand taels of silver.
His disciple really was wealthy and generous!
"T-these pills are too precious, I..." Mu Yunshang's face turned slightly red as she looked somewhat embarrassed at Ning Wuque.
Ning Wuque patted the back of her hand and said with a smile, "Since it's an expression of filial piety from Hongyi, feel free to accept them."
The single scroll of the *Starry Sky Visualization Method* that he gave to Sha Wei was worth a million taels of silver on its own.
Not to mention the immeasurably valuable *Starry Sky Visualization Method* itself!
Let alone just these pills.
Even if Luan Hongyi paid the bill for all the pills needed for her future cultivation, Luan Hongyi would still be getting the better end of the deal!
Luan Hongyi chimed in repeatedly, "That's right, Madam! This is an expression of filial piety from this disciple to you, so please feel free to accept them with peace of mind!"
"But this is still too much..." Mu Yunshang said helplessly.
As good as pills were, you couldn't just eat them like jellybeans!
Ning Wuque smiled and said, "If you feel there are too many, you can take some back and give them to your mother!"
"Alright then!"
Only then did Mu Yunshang nod in agreement.
After all, she had brought Ning Wuque back without permission and insisted on marrying him, a matter that had angered Su Qingluan to the point of rage.
If she could use these pills to appease her mother's troubled mind and ease the mother-daughter relationship, that would be a good thing.
Mu Yunshang said to Luan Hongyi, "Hongyi, I'll accept these this time, but you are not allowed to send any more next time, okay?"
"Yes, yes, everything will be as Madam says!"
Luan Hongyi nodded hastily, though he had completely different thoughts in his mind: My master is truly completely submissive to Madam. I must take good care of Madam in the future. When Madam is happy, Master is happy, and when Master is happy, he might gift me more things like the *Starry Sky Visualization Method*, and then I will be happy too!
Ning Wuque had no idea what was going on in his mind and spoke up, "Hongyi, the problem with your condition cannot be delayed. Go back and practice the *Starry Sky Visualization Method* diligently. I am waiting for you to break through to the Tier 4 rank so that you can take care of me as your master in the future!"
"Rest assured, Master. This disciple will go back and practice the secret method bitterly, striving to break through to the Tier 4 rank as soon as possible. However..."
Luan Hongyi rubbed his hands together and said with a chuckle, "Master, this disciple thought about it carefully on the way here: since you have just arrived, not many people in Nanjiang City know you. To prevent any blind fools from offending you in the future, this disciple has already spread the word that a master-apprentice banquet will be held in the estate a month from now. What do you think..."
"Uh..."
Ning Wuque was taken aback.
He hadn't expected that Luan Hongyi had been gone for so long precisely because of this master-apprentice banquet.
However, things were already set in stone now.
Besides, Luan Hongyi was so tactful, and even Mu Yunshang had been coaxed into a beaming smile, so he didn't fuss and said, "Alright then, your madam and I will be there when the time comes!"
"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Madam!"
Luan Hongyi hurriedly smiled.
The few of them chatted for a while longer.
Ning Wuque pointed out some precautions for Luan Hongyi regarding the cultivation of the *Starry Sky Visualization Method*, after which Luan Hongyi left with Sha Wei.
As dusk fell, Mu Yunshang said with lingering reluctance, "Brother Wuque, I have to go back too! Mother is terribly angry this time, and I'm afraid that once I go back, I won't be able to leave easily."
"Silly girl, we are together for a lifetime and day-to-day companionship; there will be plenty of time!" Ning Wuque ruffled her hair.
A brilliant smile hung on Mu Yunshang's face as she said, "T-then Brother Wuque must cultivate single-mindedly, and I will find an opportunity to come see you!"
"Mn, I'll walk you home!"
Ning Wuque took her small hand.
The two strolled down the narrow, long street, and before long, watching Mu Yunshang's reluctant figure as she looked back every three steps, Ning Wuque watched her enter the prince's estate.
Only then did Ning Wuque return alone to the courtyard in the south of the city.
Deep within the courtyard, there was a subterranean secret chamber that Luan Hongyi had originally used for alchemy.
Now, it had become Ning Wuque's cultivation sanctuary.
Sitting cross-legged on the rush mat, Ning Wuque took a deep breath, his gaze gradually turning sharp: "With so many Qi Condensation Pills, it should be enough. I'll make one final push and break through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation Realm in one go!"
Chapter 13: Four Poles Realm, Qizhen Pavilion!
Inside the secret chamber, Ning Wuque sat cross-legged on the rush mat.
Specks of spiritual light flickered in and out of existence around his body, occasionally sinking into his flesh and blood, and occasionally darting back out to wander around him.
They transformed into a circular sphere of light that enveloped Ning Wuque within it.
All around the rush mat were empty jade bottles; the Qi Condensation Pills inside had all been fully refined by Ning Wuque, converting into his own cultivation base.
Hum!
The sphere of light shuddered violently.
Following closely after...
All the spiritual light rushed wildly into Ning Wuque's body like a breached dam, ultimately swirling within his dantian.
It was only then that Ning Wuque slowly opened his eyes. A sharp flash swept across them, and the corners of his mouth curved upward slightly: "I've finally broken through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation Realm... I didn't expect it to take me only half a month to break through from the Third Layer of Qi Condensation Realm to the Ninth Layer? Much faster than I anticipated!"
The more he cultivated, the more Ning Wuque felt the terrifying nature of his Chaotic Sword Body.
When he originally broke through from the First Layer of Qi Condensation Realm to the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation Realm, it had taken him a full half a year.
Yet now, it had taken a mere half a month.
Although he had consumed a full fifteen bottles of top-grade Qi Condensation Pills over this half-month, it was undeniable that the Chaotic Sword Body was the fundamental reason why he could achieve a breakthrough to the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation Realm in such a short time.
"A Houtian Martial Artist must pass through the three realms of Body Refining, Qi Refining, and Spirit Refining, tempering the physical body, vital energy, and spirit to their absolute extremes before stepping into the Mortal Shedding Realm. There, they merge the essence, vital energy, and spirit as one, condensing the five qi within the chest and the three flowers upon the crown, thereby transforming the Houtian physical form into a Xiantian body and stepping into the Xiantian Realm. That was the path I walked before..."Ning Wuque was once in the Xiantian Realm, so walking the path of a Houtian Martial Artist once again was naturally a familiar road for him. "However, according to the records in the *Chaos Boundless Sword Dao*, the four Houtian stages do not actually take the Ninth Layer as their ultimate limit; above the Ninth Layer lies the Extreme Realm. Only by cultivating all four Houtian stages to the Extreme Realm can one evolve an unblemished Xiantian body."
The Fleshly Body Extreme Realm.
When Ning Wuque acquired the Chaos Sword Body, he had already completed the first step of the Four Extremities Realm.
Precisely because of this, he had possessed the strength to slay powerful cultivators of the Qi Condensation Realm while still in the Body Refining Realm.
Now that his cultivation had reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation Realm, logically speaking, he could directly step into the Spirit Refining Realm.
Yet, in order to charge toward the Four Extremities Realm recorded in the *Chaos Boundless Sword Dao* and strive to condense an unblemished Xiantian body in the future, he had forcibly suppressed the urge to breakthrough.
"The Qi Refining Extreme Realm is about compressing and refining the vital energy within the body. Only after undergoing nine concentrations does one reach the Extreme Realm. This cannot be rushed; it requires time to slowly polish it... For now, I should go out for a trip. Hongyi treats me with complete sincerity, and as his master, it wouldn't do for me not to even prepare an apprenticeship gift!"
Ning Wuque stood up tall, stretched his muscles and bones, and left the secret chamber.
"Grand Master, you've emerged from seclusion?"
The moment Ning Wuque stepped out of the secret chamber, Sha Wei's voice reached him.
Ning Wuque was slightly startled and looked up.
He saw Sha Wei trotting over from not far away, holding *An Initial Explanation of Alchemy* in his hands.
A few crystalline dewdrops were faintly visible in his hair. Ning Wuque frowned and asked, "Xiaowei, why are you here?"
"Hehe, I figured that Grand Master has just arrived in Nanjiang City and is unfamiliar with the place. So I volunteered to come and keep guard here every day after finishing my work at Hundred Herbs Hall, just in case of any emergency!" Sha Wei scratched the back of his head and smiled with embarrassment.
Ever since Luan Hongyi took Ning Wuque as his master, Sha Wei had been exceptionally well-behaved in his presence, not daring to overstep his bounds in the slightest.
Ning Wuque was quite satisfied with him as well. Patting the dewdrops off Sha Wei's shoulders, he said with a smile, "In the future, when I go into seclusion, you don't need to keep watch here." He paused for a moment, then continued to ask, "In the few days I've been in seclusion, has Yunshang been here?"
"She hasn't!"
Sha Wei shook his head.
Ning Wuque uttered an "oh," though he wasn't too surprised.
This time, Mu Yunshang had really angered Su Qingluan to no end; it was likely she was truly grounded.
"I wish to find an apprenticeship gift for your master. Do you have any places to recommend?" Ning Wuque asked.
Sha Wei said, "I wonder what Grand Master is looking to find?"
Ning Wuque thought for a moment. As a Tier 3 Senior Alchemist, Luan Hongyi certainly wasn't lacking in pills, and with the *Starry Sky Visualization Method* he had bestowed upon him, he wasn't lacking in secret techniques either. Thus, he asked, "Aside from alchemy, does your master have any particular hobbies?"
"Hobbies?"
Sha Wei pondered for a moment, then probed, "Do women count?"
Ning Wuque gave him a speechless look and said, "What do you think?"
"Cough, cough..."
Sha Wei gave a dry cough and said, "If I must name a hobby, it would probably be antique calligraphy and paintings! Master is quite fond of collecting such things!"
"Antique calligraphy and paintings? Do you know where in this Nanjiang City such items are sold?"
Ning Wuque nodded and asked.
Sha Wei said without hesitation, "Qizhen Pavilion!"
"Qizhen Pavilion? Take me there!"
"Please wait a moment, Grand Master, I'll go prepare the carriage right away!"
A moment later.
A modest carriage slowly rolled out of the courtyard.
***
Qizhen Pavilion.
Rumor had it that it was backed by an ancient family with a heritage spanning over ten thousand years.
Through the long river of time, no matter how prosperous an imperial dynasty might be, there always came a time of succession and replacement, yet this Qizhen Pavilion had been able to endure and flourish without decline—it naturally had its unique strengths.
"Grand Master, we've arrived at Qizhen Pavilion!"
Sha Wei lifted the carriage curtain and said respectfully.
Ning Wuque nodded, leaped down from the carriage, and surveyed the three-story, sprawling Qizhen Pavilion before him, which bustled with streams of guests. A few more traces of curiosity appeared in his eyes: "There is also a Qizhen Pavilion in Divine Martial City of the Northern Territory, and I've been there a few times. I wonder how this Qizhen Pavilion in Nanjiang City compares to it?"
"Grand Master, I'll go park the carriage first. Why don't you go inside and take a look first?" Sha Wei asked.
Ning Wuque waved his hand and said, "You can just wait for me in the carriage!"
"This..."
Sha Wei's face revealed hesitation.
He had promised Luan Hongyi that he would accompany Ning Wuque every step of the way without leaving his side.
If Luan Hongyi found out that he had let Ning Wuque enter Qizhen Pavilion alone, he would probably be scolded to death by Luan Hongyi!
Ning Wuque smiled and said, "I'm just going into Qizhen Pavilion to buy something, not walking into a dragon's pool or a tiger's den. What kind of accident could possibly happen? Instead of spending time accompanying me around Qizhen Pavilion, you'd be better off studying *An Initial Explanation of Alchemy*!"
Sha Wei agreed, "Alright then, Grand Master, I'll wait for you in the carriage. If you need anything, just call me!"
Ning Wuque strode with bold steps toward Qizhen Pavilion.
The moment he stepped into Qizhen Pavilion, a wave of bustling noises rushed toward his face.
This Qizhen Pavilion was divided into three floors in total.
The first-floor hall was rented out to some private shops or martial artists setting up stalls to trade.
Judging by the bustling and clamorous scene, the rent alone must be enough to make Qizhen Pavilion a handsome profit.
The second floor was Qizhen Pavilion's own business area, selling all kinds of goods.
As for the third floor, it was designated as the VIP area and auction house.
As far as Ning Wuque knew, entering the third floor of Qizhen Pavilion for the first time required asset verification; anyone with a net worth under ten thousand taels didn't even have the qualification to go to the third floor.
Ning Wuque happened to have exactly ten thousand taels of silver on him.
It was what Luan Hongyi had paid in compensation to him half a month ago, and it could now be used precisely for asset verification. He walked straight toward the counter.
The person greeting him was a girl dressed in white with delicate and pretty features. The moment she saw Ning Wuque approach, a professional smile appeared on her face: "Welcome to Qizhen Pavilion. How may I help you, honored guest?"
"Verify assets, enter the VIP area!"
Ning Wuque took out a stack of silver notes, placed them on the counter, and said.
"Please wait a moment!"
The girl gave an apologetic smile, picked up the silver notes on the table, and expertly counted them. A moment later, she returned the silver notes to Ning Wuque with both hands and said with a smile, "Sorry to have kept you waiting. You have already passed the asset verification. This is your Treasure Token; holding this token grants direct access to the third-floor VIP area!"
"Many thanks!"
Ning Wuque accepted the Treasure Token and walked toward the stairs.
When passing the second floor, he took a brief stroll around, but failing to find anything worth purchasing, he headed straight for the third floor.
Relying on the Treasure Token in his hand, Ning Wuque smoothly arrived at the third floor of Qizhen Pavilion.
Compared to the first two floors, the number of guests here was noticeably much fewer.
"Welcome to Qizhen Pavilion. I am Xiaolan, and I am very happy to serve you!"
A girl with delicate and pretty features walked up to Ning Wuque, a respectful smile on her face as she spoke.
Her voice was ethereal like an oriole, quite pleasant to the ear.
Ning Wuque nodded.
The third floor of Qizhen Pavilion was the VIP area, and every guest would be assigned a professional shopping guide. Ning Wuque had already experienced this when he was at the Qizhen Pavilion in Divine Martial City. He said to Xiaolan, "I'd like to find some antique calligraphy and paintings!"
"Antique calligraphy and paintings are all in the East District. I will lead you there right now!" Xiaolan gave a slight bow and made a gesturing sign of invitation.
Ning Wuque walked along with Xiaolan toward the East District.
Along the way, Xiaolan extremely professionally introduced the shops they saw along the path.
Before long, they arrived at the East District.
Xiaolan said, "There are a total of two shops in the East District. The Spring and Autumn Hall deals in antique calligraphy and paintings, while the Source Spirit Residence deals in source spirit ores. Since you are looking for antique calligraphy and paintings, let's go take a look around Spring and Autumn Hall first. What do you think?"
"Mm, then let's go to Spring and Autumn..."
Just as Ning Wuque was speaking, his gaze suddenly froze, landing on a pair of young men and women inside Spring and Autumn Hall...
Chapter 14: They're Bullying People Too Much!
"Princess, look at this jade pendant—it has a transparent texture, exquisite carving, and at first glance, it's a top-quality piece."
A youth dressed in white brocade, with red lips and white teeth, held up a greenish-green jade pendant in his hand and clung to the girl before him like a dog-skin plaster as he said, "As the saying goes, a precious sword is for a hero, and a precious jade for a beauty. I'll buy it right now and present it to the Princess. How about that?"
"I don't want it... Stay away from me!"
Mu Yunshang's small face was scrunched up, and visible annoyance was written all over her face.
Her mood today was simply terrible to the extreme.
Earlier, she had attempted to sneak out of the Prince's Mansion to find Ning Wuque.
As a result, she was caught red-handed by Su Qingluan.
In a fit of anger, Su Qingluan directly issued an order grounding her. To prevent Mu Yunshang from sneaking away, Su Qingluan even moved directly into her courtyard, staying by her side every step of the way so that she had no way of leaving the Prince's Mansion at all.
Today, Su Qingluan was finally going to personally head to Qizhen Pavilion to select a congratulatory gift for Luan Hongyi.
Mu Yunshang had wanted to seize the opportunity of Su Qingluan's departure to sneak out and find Ning Wuque once more.
As a result.
The higher the dao stands, the higher the demon rises!
To prevent her from sneaking away, Su Qingluan directly brought her along to Qizhen Pavilion.
What left Mu Yunshang even more speechless was that Su Qingluan had specifically found Wen Guji, a renowned antique appraisal master in Nanjiang City, to help select a gift, and Wen Guji's disciple, Ouyang Shang, had stuck to her like a dog-skin plaster, impossible to shake off no matter what!
"Princess, you don't need to feel shy. Actually, I've long held an admiration for you. My aunt once said she wanted to play matchmaker for the two of us..."
Facing Mu Yunshang's rejection, Ouyang Shang was not discouraged in the slightest, still speaking with a thick-skinned expression.