Within Books Lie Golden Mansions

He wasn't sure how that black-and-red-robed man had tracked him before—the Nine Nether Cult had tracking methods he didn't know about. If he went out again, he might well end up hunted down by them. Until his strength rose to the Qi and Blood Three Transformations, to the point where he needn't fear that priest, Lin Zheyu didn't plan on leaving the city alone again. He spent most of his time holed up at home, cultivating the Ten Thousand Armies Steps and the Six Harmonies Saber. The Ten Thousand Armies Steps was truly a movement art wholly focused on agility; it complemented the Golden Goose Skill extraordinarily well. Two days later. The Xu Mansion. Swish! Xu Qinyi abruptly lunged forward, his leg sweeping in a horizontal arc as he chopped fiercely at Lin Zheyu's waist. Lin Zheyu blocked with his left fist, stepped forward with his right foot, and drove a straight right punch at Xu Qinyi's chest. Thud! A dull thud rang out, and Xu Qinyi couldn't keep his footing, staggering back several steps. 'Brother Lin, your skill is remarkable. I admire you!' Xu Qinyi said, cupping his hands in salute, a faint bitter smile on his face. Among the younger generation of the Xu clan, he could be called the most gifted of all—the Xu clan's genius. At only sixteen, he had already cultivated to the Mid Viscera Tempering level, and in the future had every hope of breaking through to the Qi and Blood Three Transformations, or even the fourth. The Xu clan elders had pinned great hopes on him. Yet, facing Lin Zheyu—who had trained in martial arts for less than half a year and was only at Bone Tempering Peak—he had actually lost. And this was even without Lin Zheyu using his 'momentum.' 'I'm skilled in leg techniques. I just won through clever footwork,' Lin Zheyu said with a smile. Only after his last battle with that First Blood Transformation expert of the Nine Nether Cult had he come to deeply appreciate the importance of lightness skills in actual combat. In terms of strength and martial cultivation, he and that Nine Nether Cult man had been evenly matched. But because Lin Zheyu had cultivated the Golden Goose Skill to a transcendent level, his figure was graceful and ethereal, ever-shifting and unpredictable, advancing and retreating freely at a mere thought. That Nine Nether Cult man hadn't mastered the Ten Thousand Armies Steps; when he tried to counterattack, he simply couldn't touch Lin Zheyu and could only take hit after hit. 'Leg techniques are part of one's strength too. And leg techniques are extremely hard to cultivate—reaching Brother Lin's level takes diligent, hard practice on top of formidable natural talent,' Ren Qingfeng, who was watching from the side, said. Today there were only the two of them; even Xu Yuxiang and Ren Qingying weren't present. Chen Xihong, having suffered a setback at Chen Mu's hands, had also joined the City Guard, going out with the troops each day to clear out the bandits outside Songyi City. The group moved to a pavilion off to the side and sat down. The maids had already prepared snacks and warmed the wine. 'Speaking of leg techniques, last time I went out, I picked up a pretty good leg-technique manual off a bandit. I'd like to sell it, but I don't have a good channel for it,' Lin Zheyu said. 'Do you two have any good suggestions?' 'Good leg-technique manuals are all rare treasures. I don't know what level this one can be cultivated to, but if it really is good, I'll buy a copy.' Ren Qingfeng's interest was piqued. 'This technique is called the Ten Thousand Armies Steps. It's an agility-oriented movement art, said to let one, when cultivated to profound heights, take the head of an enemy general amid ten thousand troops. Though that's a bit of an exaggeration, it does have its own unique merits. The technique has five layers in total and can be cultivated directly up to the Qi and Blood Three Transformations level. Even in Songyi City, it counts as a fine manual,' Lin Zheyu said. Hearing Ren Qingfeng say he was willing to buy, Lin Zheyu's eyes couldn't help but light up—he was badly short on money right now. He'd accumulated 10 units of Origin Power, but couldn't use it freely, since he lacked enough medicinal potency to serve as the energy for his upgrades. 'A leg technique that can be cultivated up to the Qi and Blood Three Transformations counts as a rare treasure even among second-rate manuals. If it's as formidable as Brother Lin says, then I'd like to buy a copy too!' Xu Qinyi said with a smile as well. A leg technique that could be cultivated to the Qi and Blood Three Transformations, and one skewed toward agility at that, was hardly common. Buying it to enrich the Xu clan's library—giving the younger Xu members one more option, or simply using it as reference—would be well worth it. 'Let me give you two a demonstration.' Lin Zheyu rose and cupped his hands. 'I only got it two days ago and have barely grasped the basics. If there are any shortcomings, please forgive them.' He came to an open space, recalled the contents of the Ten Thousand Armies Steps, and set his body in motion. With the foundation of the Golden Goose Skill, though he'd only had the Ten Thousand Armies Steps for two days, he had already pushed it to the second layer, approaching perfection. Within a space of one square meter, Lin Zheyu darted and dodged. His footwork was extraordinarily nimble: clearly charging forward, yet he could forcibly halt his momentum, and as if defying inertia, eerily veer left and keep accelerating. As he moved, his body swayed like a roly-poly doll, weaving left and right; his motions were hardly small, yet he always kept his balance, and the speed of his footwork never wavered. It gave off an ethereal, ghostly feeling. Xu Qinyi and Ren Qingfeng exchanged a glance, a hint of shock in their eyes. It wasn't only that Lin Zheyu had cultivated a brand-new technique to such a level in just two days, but even more his control. To pull off such a thing required an extremely fine command over one's own body. After demonstrating for a while, Lin Zheyu stopped. He looked at the two of them and said with a smile, 'How was it? Interested in a copy? I don't know the going rate—you two just name the price.' 'Eight hundred taels of silver. I'll pay eight hundred taels of silver to buy this technique of Brother Lin's!' Xu Qinyi said with a smile. 'Since Brother Xu is offering eight hundred, I'll offer eight hundred as well. When Xihong gets back, tell him about it—he'll surely be interested in buying too. This technique suits melee fighting in an army. Paired with their family's Mad Battle Art, it fits them extremely well,' Ren Qingfeng said with a smile. 'Eight hundred? Isn't that a bit high?' Lin Zheyu was rather taken aback. He'd assumed he could sell it for four or five hundred taels at most; he hadn't expected Xu Qinyi to offer eight hundred outright. 'No, at eight hundred we're the ones taking advantage of you. After buying it, we'll put it to use for the whole clan, so it's a real bargain for us,' Xu Qinyi said with a smile. 'If you bought a precious leg-technique manual in one of the great cities of the Central Plains, it'd cost about the same—at most a hundred or two cheaper. If we sent people all the way over there, the round-trip costs plus the price of the manual would be far more than eight hundred taels.' 'That's exactly right. Brother Lin, just accept it in good conscience,' Ren Qingfeng said with a smile too. To their two families, eight hundred taels of silver was nothing much. Manuals were precious, but both of their families already had quite a few. It was just a pity that although the manuals were there and the cultivation resources were plentiful, those who could actually cultivate up to the Qi and Blood Realm were few and far between. 'Then thank you both. These two are handwritten copies—you can look them over first. If you're not satisfied, you can still return them now.' Lin Zheyu pulled two manuals from his robe, saying with a smile. Within books lie golden mansions—the ancients truly did not deceive me! A single manual had earned him this much money and solved his most pressing problem. Xu Qinyi and Ren Qingfeng took the manuals and leafed through them, satisfaction written on their faces. The Ten Thousand Armies Steps was indeed an outstanding leg technique; even among leg-technique manuals, it counted as a rare treasure. Even if one never cultivated it, it still had great value as reference. 'I'll take the manual for now; I'll have someone deliver the silver to your residence later,' Xu Qinyi said. 'A fine technique—a leg-technique manual wholly focused on agility is exceedingly rare among its kind,' Ren Qingfeng said with a smile. 'I'll take the manual too. Once I'm back, I'll have someone send over the eight hundred taels.' 'Thank you both, young masters, for your patronage. If not for you two, selling a manual would probably take me quite a while—and it might not even fetch this price.' Lin Zheyu thanked them. If he'd peddled it in the black market, who knew how long it would take to sell even one manual. For a high-level manual like this, those who wanted it couldn't afford the price, and those who could afford it rarely needed to buy, since most families had their own technique inheritance. And once it sold, others would just set up stalls in the black market to hawk copies too—more trouble than it was worth. But the black market was controlled by the several great clans, and they seemed to deliberately keep techniques that could be cultivated up to the Qi and Blood Realm from ever appearing there. 'Haha, a manual like this never has any trouble selling. I'll pass a message along to Xihong at the Chen clan and have him come buy from you,' Xu Qinyi said with a smile. Once bought, they could resell the manual themselves, of course. But there was no need—Xu Qinyi wasn't short a few hundred taels of silver, and he'd rather do Lin Zheyu a favor. His own father was forever angling to do Lin Zheyu favors, even wanting to marry a Xu clan girl to him, though it hadn't worked out. Yuxiang had simply been too much of a disappointment. 'Come, come—drink, drink.' Ren Qingfeng raised his cup with a smile. 'It's so hard to get together with Brother Lin even once; I can never seem to find you.' They'd wanted to invite Lin Zheyu along several times when they gathered, but they could never track him down. 'Exactly. Brother Lin, you're just too diligent. My father used to praise me to anyone who'd listen for being hardworking and driven, but ever since you showed up, he's started complaining that I don't work hard enough. All day he tells me to learn from you, to spend more time on my martial training. Sigh,' Xu Qinyi said with a smile. Lately Xu Jingwu's nagging really had worn on him; every time his father heard that Lin Zheyu had left the city again, he'd start lecturing him. 'Staying cooped up in the city is dull. It's more interesting outside. I've gone out a few times recently and learned quite a few interesting things. Have you two ever heard of Blood Pills? I heard from those bandits that a cult has appeared in Lion Valley, called the Nine Nether Cult, and they can provide Blood Pills. After taking a Blood Pill, a person can break straight through from the Viscera Tempering Realm to the Qi and Blood Realm. Quite miraculous,' Lin Zheyu said with a smile. He wanted to sound things out indirectly, to see if he could pick up any relevant information from Xu Qinyi and the others. 'I've heard my third uncle mention it too—Lion Valley has been taken over by the Nine Nether Cult,' Xu Qinyi said. 'That Nine Nether Cult is a thousand-year-old sect with deep foundations, so it's only natural they'd have such a miraculous pill. My father and the others have already sent people to make contact. They'll probably get some of those pills back soon.' 'I read in an old text that Blood Pills are refined using the blood of powerful ferocious beasts or martial artists as the main ingredient, combined with other rare medicinal herbs, through some special method. Miraculous as they are, the side effects are severe. Take one, and reaching the Qi and Blood Realm is the end of the road for you. They're meant for martial artists whose potential is spent and who have no hope of advancing further,' Ren Qingfeng said. After hearing about the Blood Pills, he had made a point of looking through the clan's relevant records. The great clans of Songyi City had all been passed down for centuries, and each kept a good many old texts, recording all sorts of hidden knowledge. Every time Lin Zheyu met with them, he could always glean something useful. 'If you wanted to buy a Blood Pill, would the price be very steep?' Lin Zheyu asked. 'Things are precious because they're scarce. It'd probably go for a hundred-odd taels of silver or so.' Xu Qinyi thought for a moment. 'Even breaking through to the Qi and Blood Realm with a Blood Pill, you can't push your strength any higher after that. To my mind, the Blood Pill isn't worth much.' In his view, the Blood Pill's practicality was poor; it only seemed precious because you couldn't get one on the market. Break through with it to the Qi and Blood Realm, and your strength could hardly advance any further—your body would hold only a few wisps of qi and blood power, gone in a single burst. A martial artist of the Qi and Blood Realm, yes, but the weakest of them. A few good men with a strong crossbow could cut him down with ease. 'I don't quite see it that way.' Lin Zheyu shook his head. 'For a martial artist, once you break through to the Qi and Blood Realm, even with only a few wisps of qi and blood power, a full-power burst can easily kill a Viscera Tempering Peak martial artist. The gap between them is enormous.' 'I agree with Brother Lin. If Blood Pills were available to buy, I'd guess plenty of martial artists stuck at Viscera Tempering Peak would be willing to pay two or three hundred taels.' Ren Qingfeng nodded; he even felt that some would pay four hundred. 'Does Brother Lin want to buy one? If you do, once my father gets some Blood Pills in, I'll set one aside for you and cut you a deal,' Xu Qinyi said with a smile. 'Just curious, is all—after all, I've never seen one.' Lin Zheyu smiled. He had four Blood Pills himself. He'd been planning to sell the Blood Pills on the black market and trade the silver for medicinal herbs, but now there was no need. Just selling the technique to Xu Qinyi and Ren Qingfeng had earned him one thousand six hundred taels of silver. It was the first time Lin Zheyu truly felt just how fast money could come. Not long after he got back from the Xu Mansion, Xu Qinyi and Ren Qingfeng sent the silver over. Since the sum was rather large, it came in gold—a full one hundred sixty taels of it, gleaming gold, a sight pleasing to the eye. 'First I'll buy the medicine and raise my strength. With this much money, I can get ingredients for more than a hundred doses of Blood-Nourishing Bone-Strengthening Decoction!' Lin Zheyu said to himself. The Origin Power he'd saved up for so long could finally be put to use. [Heaven Rewards Diligence] Name: Lin Zheyu Origin Power: 10 Skills: Wild Bull Fist (Perfection) Six Harmonies Saber (Minor Success 79%) Golden Goose Skill (Sixth Layer 12%) Ten Thousand Armies Steps (Second Layer 57%) Poison King Body (First Layer 0%) Turtle Breathing Art (Third Layer 3%) 'Upgrading the Golden Goose Skill to perfection at the eighth layer will take an estimated two hundred-odd more doses of Blood-Nourishing Bone-Strengthening Decoction ingredients. If Chen Xihong buys a copy of the technique too, the money I need will be more than enough.' Lin Zheyu looked at the data in his mind and murmured to himself. Now he didn't even need to sell the Blood Pills. Just leaning on the help of these wealthy friends, he was well on his way to raising all the silver he needed to cultivate the Golden Goose Skill to its peak. 'Cultivating the martial way really does burn money like flowing water! Over two thousand taels of silver—an ordinary person would need several lifetimes to earn that much.' Lin Zheyu couldn't help but marvel. (End of Chapter)