Chapter 125

126. Chapter 126: Eight-Treasure Deer

Li Yi and Zhao Qian chatted in the garden. Through some of Zhao Qian's words, Li Yi learned quite a bit more about the cultivation knowledge of this world and also heard of some rare treasures and strange phenomena. However, the stories of these rare treasures and spirits made Li Yi curious about the cosmic energy here.

A place capable of nurturing heavenly treasures surely wouldn't lack cosmic energy.

Moreover, this wasn't Earth; it was highly likely that the cosmic energy here hadn't been tainted. Wouldn't it be even better to practice the White Bone Contemplation cultivation technique here?

Thinking of this, Li Yi's eyes lit up.

If the cosmic energy were abundant, that would be truly fantastic news. He could temper his martial arts and undergo evolution simultaneously, walking both paths of cultivation. His strength would surely advance by leaps and bounds. Once he became powerful, no grudge would be a problem—whether it was his master's enemies or the trouble he had caused with Yang Yi Long, he could knock them all down with a single punch.

"Wait a moment. I'll practice the White Bone Contemplation cultivation technique tonight; it's best to follow Master and practice martial arts during the day."

Although Li Yi was excited, he didn't act impulsively. He needed to arrange his time reasonably to maximize efficiency.

While he was chatting idly with Zhao Qian, it wasn't long before Zhao Ge returned with his two disciples, Rong Niang and Shou Hou, leading their horses and knocking on the courtyard gate.

After Zhao Qian heard the commotion, she observed cautiously for a moment, and only after confirming who it was did she open the gate.

"Father, how did things go? Did it go smoothly?" Zhao Qian hurriedly took the reins and led the horses to the stable.

Zhao Ge shook his head: "You Shui Town is too small; such high-quality heavy bows, crossbows, and steel sabers couldn't fetch a good price. However, the dozen or so horses sold for a decent sum. Never mind, these are extraordinary times, so I couldn't be too picky. I sold them all off in one go; they were looted anyway, and they're useless to keep."

Shou Hou smiled and said: "But I advised Master to keep Jin Bu Feng's saber. It's a shame to leave such a precious blade in You Shui Town."

As he spoke, he patted the fine saber at his waist.

"Jin Bu Feng's saber is good, but keeping it invites trouble. Never mind, we're planning to kill our way back anyway. If they come looking for us, we'll just kill them too and loot them again to get more money." Zhao Ge said: "Although we got a sum of silver this time, the expenses are high. I bought up almost all the good medicine in the small town, which should be enough to feed our group for a while."

"Rong Niang, go sort through the things on the horses. Didn't you say you wanted to buy a garment for Meng De? Take it out and see if Meng De likes it."

"Yes, Master." Rong Niang responded and, together with Shou Hou, moved the goods down and placed them inside the room. She then retrieved a red cloak and, with a touch of maidenly shyness, handed it to Li Yi.

"Senior Brother, see if this cloak fits you?"

"Thank you, Rong Niang."

Li Yi smiled as he took it. He gave the red cloak a shake, and it unfurled. When he draped it over his shoulders, it was a perfect fit—neither too long nor too short, neither too big nor too small.

Although the five-clawed black dragon on his Flying Fish Robe was hidden by the cloak and no longer so eye-catching, the red cloak was still striking. Still, as a gift from Rong Niang, he was quite happy.

"Not bad. Meng De looks even more heroic in this cloak. With such a bearing, walking out like this, he's bound to be the center of attention."

Seeing Li Yi, who was full of youthful vigor, heroic spirit, and extraordinary bearing, Zhao Ge couldn't help but praise him.

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Youth is truly a wonderful thing.

His future is boundless.

Unlike himself, who was old and withered, with his vital energy in decline.

The future head of the Zhao Family Zhao Wuguan would be this man.

Zhao Ge thought to himself. He had already decided that once they took their revenge and successfully rebuilt the martial arts school, he would retire and hand the school over to Li Yi. He believed that under Li Yi's leadership, the school would only become more prosperous.

"It's a pity I don't use a saber. If I had a Embroidered Spring Saber, I'd be a Brocade Guard." Li Yi smiled, then took off the cloak to put it away.

"Senior Brother, what is a Brocade Guard?" Rong Niang walked over, took the cloak from Li Yi, and began to fold it carefully.

Li Yi said: "It was an agency during the Ming Dynasty in my world. They monitored officials, held imperial authority, and could execute before reporting. Every one of them was a martial arts master, equipped with a Flying Fish Robe and an Embroidered Spring Saber. But the Ming Dynasty fell and became history; nothing remains but some historical records."

"I see. It sounds similar to the Emperor Shenwu Gate's Emperor Shenwu Envoys here." Zhao Ge stroked his beard and said. There was a similar agency in the Four Seas and Eight Continents.

They recruited martial artists from all over to serve the imperial court. He had been scouted to join the Emperor Shenwu Gate before, but he had refused; opening a martial arts school back home was far more carefree, and fighting for power and influence wasn't his ambition.

"Senior Brother, I don't understand. Rebelling is a crime punishable by the execution of one's nine clans. How could those people dare to do such a thing?"

Shou Hou scratched his head, truly unable to comprehend. If he couldn't survive, he would at most die himself; he wouldn't dare implicate his relatives.

"Execution of nine clans?"

Li Yi paused for a moment, then immediately said: "Why not just take the nine clans along to rebel? If you succeed, you become imperial relatives, sharing glory and passing it down through generations. If you fail, you leave your name in history. If you can't survive anyway, what is there to fear?"

"..."

Everyone was struck silent by these words.

But for some reason, upon closer reflection, they found that these words made a lot of sense.

"Meng De, say less of such things in the future." Zhao Ge could only pat him on the shoulder and say earnestly.

Shou Hou grinned and secretly gave Li Yi a thumbs-up.

The Senior Brother was indeed worthy of being the Senior Brother.

Born with a rebellious spirit, despising princes and nobles, viewing the heroes of the world as mere grass.

"The Emperor's throne rotates, this year it comes to my house."

What kind of spirit is that? That is true spirit.

"All of you, say less as well. These are treasonous words. Now that the enemies haven't been wiped out, don't invite unnecessary trouble." Zhao Ge shouted again, forbidding his disciples from discussing such topics.

"Alright, Master, we won't say it, we won't say it." Shou Hou said sheepishly.

But he still loved hearing the Senior Brother talk about rebelling.

However, these words could indeed invite disaster here, so Li Yi stopped talking.

After a while.

The courtyard gate was knocked on again.

It was the people from the dental agency.

"Noble one, are you there? The matter is settled. Two experts at slaughtering sheep, twenty yellow sheep, and that mountain treasure have all been brought." A voice called out from outside the gate.

"Father, I bought some food and found a mountain treasure to help everyone nourish themselves." Zhao Qian said immediately.

Zhao Ge nodded: "Good, you handled it well. Our group of martial artists truly needs to recuperate for a few days. Shou Hou, go open the gate, drive the sheep into the stable, and slaughter two fat ones to stew today. Take out the tonic medicine we bought earlier and add it in. I'd like to take a good look at that mountain treasure."

"You Shui Town doesn't look like a place that could produce a mountain treasure; a water treasure would be more like it."

He felt a bit suspicious.

As the courtyard gate opened.

The dental agency man immediately bowed and smiled obsequiously. Behind him was an old shepherd driving a flock of sheep, and beside them were butchers with their own tools, all waiting respectfully.

"Where is the mountain treasure?" Shou Hou looked around and asked.

"Bring it over." The dental agency man signaled.

Four laborers immediately carried a wooden cage over, swaying as they walked. Beside them followed a martial artist at the Skin Refining stage, seemingly afraid that the mountain treasure might break the cage and escape.

Zhao Ge strode over and stood before the cage to look.

He saw an old deer inside. Its body had five-colored patterns, unlike an ordinary deer. Although trapped in the cage, its eyes were extremely sharp, like those of a human, scanning everything around it with a hint of hatred.

"So it's an Eight-Treasure Deer."

Zhao Ge recognized it at a glance, but then sighed with regret: "This is an old deer that has attained some cultivation and transformed into a mountain treasure. The old deer's vital energy is already declining. If it hadn't started nourishing itself in the wild, a deer of this age would have died long ago. Even now that it has become an Eight-Treasure Deer, it's of little use. Its flesh is already aged, and its bone marrow is drying up. Don't be fooled by its large frame; it probably weighs less than fifty pounds."

"What? An old deer that's about to die? Damn it, you guy actually cheated me." Zhao Qian was furious upon hearing this and went to demand an explanation.

No wonder this mountain treasure hadn't been sold; it turned out to be like this.

Zhao Ge waved his hand to signal Zhao Qian to calm down.

It was already good enough to find a mountain treasure in You Shui Town; now wasn't the time to be picky.

Seeing her father speak, Zhao Qian had to stop and shut her mouth.

"How much do you want for this Eight-Treasure Deer?" Zhao Ge asked again.

The dental agency man saw that he had met an experienced master and could only say sheepishly: "The previous asking price was two hundred taels, and we already took a ten-tael deposit. If you are sincere about buying it, one hundred and eighty taels will do."

"That price isn't extortionate. I won't haggle with you. Two hundred taels it is, but throw in twenty yellow sheep, and I'll take this Eight-Treasure Deer." Zhao Ge said.

As soon as these words were spoken, the dental agency man beamed with joy, agreed immediately, and then had the Eight-Treasure Deer sent inside.

"Shou Hou, pay them and see them out." Zhao Ge said.

Shou Hou immediately paid the silver, sent the shepherd and the others away, and then ordered the two butchers to pick two fat sheep to slaughter and stew properly.

Once everything was settled, Zhao Ge circled around the Eight-Treasure Deer again.

"Father, what's so interesting about an old deer? Let's slaughter it tomorrow, lest it starve to death. We can use it to nourish you and everyone else, and let Brother Yi taste the Eight-Treasure Deer." Zhao Qian said.

Zhao Ge snorted: "What do you know? An old deer has its own wonders. A deer that has lived in the mountains and forests to this age—what places hasn't it been to? What dangers doesn't it know? Now that it has attained cultivation and transformed into an Eight-Treasure Deer, its intelligence has opened. It will remember all the good things and precious medicines it saw when it was young. If we can tame it and take it into the mountains and forests for a turn, we might be able to find quite a few mountain treasures and precious medicines."

"The martial arts school needs to be rebuilt, and we will need plenty of precious treasures in the future. Meng De, when you have time, try to see if you can tame it. If you succeed, keep it and raise it first. If you can't, slaughter it for meat."

He was already considering the rebuilding of the martial arts school.

Clearly, he had great confidence that Li Yi could kill the two martial artists at the Meridian Opening stage in San Yang City.

"I'll do my best."

Li Yi didn't know how to tame beasts, but it seemed the Master didn't either, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and give it a try. ===== CHAPTER 126 =====

Shouhou immediately paid the money, then let the shepherd drive the sheep in, and then ordered the two people who slaughtered the sheep to pick two fat sheep and stew them well.

After things were settled, Zhao Ge stared at this Eight-Treasure Deer again.

"Father, what's so good about an old deer? Just slaughter it tomorrow, lest it starve to death. At that time, it will be a supplement for you and everyone, and let Brother Yi also taste the Eight-Treasure Deer." Zhao Qian said.

Zhao Ge hummed: "What do you know? An old deer has the magic of an old deer. A deer has lived to this age in the mountains and forests. Where hasn't it been? What danger doesn't it know? Now it has become a climate and transformed into an Eight-Treasure Deer, and its wisdom has opened. At that time, it will remember the good things it saw when it was young. If it can be tamed and taken to the mountains and forests for a turn, it is estimated that it can get a lot of mountain treasures and precious medicines."

"The martial arts school needs to be rebuilt, and there will be no shortage of demand for treasures in the future. Meng De, try to see if you can tame it when you have time. If it succeeds, keep it and raise it first. If it doesn't, kill it and eat the meat."

He was already considering the rebuilding of the martial arts school at this moment.

Obviously, he had confidence that Li Yi could kill the two meridian-practicing martial artists in Sanyang City.

"I will try my best."

Li Yi wouldn't tame beasts, but looking at it, Master wouldn't either, so he could only bite the bullet and try.