Chapter 69: Whetstone

Dongling Prefecture, city wall.

Chen Chen stood atop it, among the solemn city guards, his clothes slightly damp, having stood there for who knew how long.

The sky grew faintly light, yet he did not move.

The sky brightened fully, yet he still did not move.

Only at noon, under the blazing sun, did he open his eyes, a flash of killing intent passing through them.

“Zhou Kui and the other two must be dead.”

Two Qi Refining cultivators—even if artificially boosted by Black Blood Pills—could never get lost or injured by wild beasts: “This is good news, great news, Old Chou, you were right.”

Beside him, the black-robed elder had also stood for a long time, clearly deeply concerned; his voice was hoarse: “I studied his past. Since arriving in Dongling Prefecture, he has always secluded himself to cultivate, enduring everything, never acting arrogantly or aggressively.”

Jiang Ding sat cross-legged, eyes closed, cultivating.

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News arrived from Yuejing: the Primordial True Person of Qingniu Palace had successfully interrogated and uncovered the mastermind behind it all; he had secretly sent letters to the leaders of all orthodox sects and petitioned the imperial court to strip the Marquis of Zhendong of his title.

The news spread through the surroundings, one telling ten, ten telling a hundred—the entire camp erupted in uproar.

“Yes, Young Master, rest assured.”

Chou Di’s face showed confusion.

There isn’t much time left.

Long San fell silent.

Even ten thousand taels in silver couldn’t match this item.

The enthusiasm of thousands in the mountains was ignited; regardless of potential danger, nets full of Blue Fluorescent Butterflies were continuously brought in, day and night.

Jiang Ding’s expression turned slightly cold.

Long Zhengwu acted swiftly, tearing off a piece of white cloth and covering the Red-Tailed Falcon, then presenting it with beaming delight: “Caught a wild bird—I humbly offer it to the Young Master.”

Long Zhengwu hurriedly said.

Yao Xiu, now Vice Chief of the Righteous Brotherhood, under the Marquis’s support, wiped out and consolidated all major and minor gangs in the city, expanding his influence manyfold; now he led over a dozen Qi Refining cultivators as “Scattered Cavalry.”

The same was true of the camp.

The Red-Tailed Falcon let out several sharp cries, struggling to dodge, but still pierced through the wing by an arrow, shrieking in agony, its flight path twisting wildly.

In a breath, the Red-Tailed Falcon was already several meters away; even the serial number on the message tube was visible.

Long Zhengwu finally made his decision, his hand slashing downward sharply—suddenly, over ten arrows fired in unison. Chirp! Chirp!

“Master Long, I know your Four Seas Trading Company breeds a rare bird called the Red-Tailed Falcon, highly intelligent—even from Dongling Mountain, it can deliver messages. Please send this item.”

In the sky, a cheerful sound rang out; a Red-Tailed Falcon flew in from nowhere, circling the camp several times before diving straight down.

“Silver can’t open it—Four Seas Trading Company issues IOUs!”

“General Chen!”

“Not yet.”

A pair of rice-grain-sized black eyes stared at Long Zhengwu in confusion, yet still flew toward him.

Jiang Ding did not press further, asking: “I still need fifteen thousand more pairs of Blue Fluorescent Butterflies—how much longer?”

Five hundred fifty thousand pairs. Not one pair less.

One net could yield dozens of taels of silver—this wasn’t catching butterflies, it was catching silver! Even the Four Seas Trading Company’s cultivators were nearly driven mad, gazing at the vast Dongling Mountain as if it were a mountain of gold!

The Four Seas Trading Company is absolutely neutral. Whoever holds power in Dongling Prefecture—the Marquis of Zhendong—will be supported by the company; if one day Jiang Ding becomes the master of Dongling Prefecture, they will obey his orders to eradicate the Marquis’s remnants.

He knew it was true.

“It’s past noon now; marching there will likely mean arriving near nightfall.”

Tiny drops of blood fell to the ground.

!.

“We can now confirm this item is extremely important to him—could there truly exist a world-shaking cultivation art that grows by absorbing Blue Fluorescent Butterflies?”

“Master Long, your eloquence far surpasses mine,” Chen Chen said coldly. “But you must know: it is the Four Seas Trading Company that receives the Marquis’s favor—not Long San.”

As the distance narrowed, the message tube on its tail became clearly visible.

“Only Blue Fluorescent Butterflies!”

He lifted the white cloth—a Red-Tailed Falcon burst out, its sharp beak striking for his face, but he caught it effortlessly.

“Four days. At most four days.”

Chirp! Chirp! As soon as the words ended, the herb gatherers around the camp held their breath, their gazes instantly burning with heat.

Jiang Ding said sternly: “Tell the men: one pair of Blue Fluorescent Butterflies equals one tael of silver—but only for these two days. After that, not a single copper coin will be paid!”

“Young Master! Wait, wait!”

One prefecture like this, one county like this.

In an instant, the vast camp emptied, leaving only a handful of people.

Chen Chen’s expression changed slightly.

“Shoot!”

Jiang Ding took the message tube, unleashed internal force, reducing it to dust, then tossed the wounded Red-Tailed Falcon back.

“If the Four Seas Trading Company headquarters learns you deliberately delayed the Marquis’s honored guest and made excuses, would killing you be too much?”

Whoever holds power, they stand with them.

“I offer fifteen thousand taels! A hundredfold price!”

“Black Ash Young Master, why suddenly take interest in that criminal again?”

Jiang Ding’s gaze turned icy, killing intent spreading openly—coldness swept through the surroundings.

Long San was not afraid; he shouted: “Even when meeting the Marquis, my Four Seas Trading Company is granted a seat of honor. You drag me here like a criminal—do you now believe your strength and status surpass even the Marquis’s?”

Jiang Ding glanced at him, his hand leaving the sword hilt.

His expression was cold; he handed over an envelope.

One tael of silver used to be enough for them to live half a year.

Only the top-tier laboratories within the Immortal Sects can extract “Blue Gold 2413” from Blue Fluorescent Butterflies—Jiang Ding cannot afford their fees, so he pays with materials.

The Four Seas Trading Company’s branches are separated by thousands of mountains and rivers; only this bird can unify their efforts for communication.

At dawn’s first light, Chen Chen led over a hundred armored cavalrymen out of the city gate in silent procession.

Long Zhengwu watched the approaching Red-Tailed Falcon, his face filled with sorrow; his hand gripping the bow trembled several times, unable to release the arrow.

After confirmation, not only the herb gatherers and hired laborers, but even the Four Seas Trading Company’s guards’ eyes turned red; they abandoned their posts and rushed into the mountains.

Aside from this man, the Marquis of Zhendong took this matter extremely seriously and dispatched his in-law, Zheng Ye, the head of the Zheng family—“Mixed Gold Blade”—alongside two other Qi Refining Perfect experts, one of whom ranked among the top of the Dragon-Feng List.

Now, only one pair of Blue Fluorescent Butterflies is needed!

“I like it very much—but don’t send any more. Just execute him directly.”

He didn’t just speak—he pulled out two banknotes totaling fifteen thousand taels and slapped them on the table, his voice carrying hundreds of meters: “The silver is here, deposited with Elder Long. Whoever has the guts—go ahead and take it!”

Chen Chen clapped his hands and brought forward a man: Long San, the Dongling branch manager of the Four Seas Trading Company. He hadn’t been abused, only slightly disheveled from the tussle.

…

Long San knew he couldn’t stop it—even if he died, someone within the Four Seas Trading Company would carry out the Marquis of Zhendong’s orders.

His entire strength, his soldiers—all came from the Marquis’s household. Though Marquis Tang Wang showed signs of a great ruler, he would not tolerate such a subordinate.

The number of Blue Fluorescent Butterflies was increasing rapidly.

Meanwhile,

“Don’t speak nonsense!”

“The Tiger Den is a formidable force. Lu Jingtian and Yang Dongsheng are both powerful. Zhou Kun is skilled at training troops. Yet the moment he sensed even a slight threat from Blue Fluorescent Butterflies, he immediately ascended the mountain and wiped them out—without hesitation.”

Chen Chen turned his head and asked.

Long Zhengwu carefully took the Red-Tailed Falcon, sorrowfully touching its wounded wing.

“Enough.”

“According to the Four Seas Trading Company, he needs five hundred fifty thousand pairs of Blue Fluorescent Butterflies, and they can be captured within four days at most. If you intend to act, do so quickly.”

This Red-Tailed Falcon is a spirit bird meticulously bred by the Four Seas Trading Company for centuries—it flies fast, flies high, recognizes at least dozens of Four Seas personnel, and understands simple words.

He had already lit the Spirit-Linking Incense to summon the Law King of the Wolf God Cult; the Law King could arrive at any moment. Marquis Tang Wang would not let him leave the city, for fear of mishaps.

With such force, breaching a city is trivial.

Originally, Yuan Lao Ye, the head of the Dragon-Tiger Martial Arts Hall—“Sky-Turning Monkey”—was also to be included, but he feigned grave illness, appearing on the verge of death, so he could not be pressured.

“Originally, I had no interest in a caged beast destined to die.”

Black Ash smiled lightly: “But if he can escape under so many eyes, that’s interesting—he’s worthy of being my whetstone.”

(End of Chapter)