Chapter 22: Xiao Yuan Dan

“Wu younger brother, I’m already very satisfied.”

Li Rui said.

Wu Tu thought he was just offering comfort, but he truly was deeply satisfied.

No work to do, yet still drawing a salary, with endless time to train in martial arts—where in this world could you find such a perfect job!

You’d wake up laughing in your dreams.

Others might see the position of Tianyi Hall’s leader as chewing on a chicken rib—tasteless to eat, hard to discard—but for him, it was the absolute best role: not only did it bring a salary, but it carried almost no risk whatsoever.

He had martial bones and secret techniques; as long as he moved steadily forward, he could go far—there was absolutely no need to risk his life.

Wu Tu thought for a moment, still feeling guilty toward Li Rui, and patiently explained:

“Older brother, the Heaven-Earth Alliance is still in its infancy; there will be many chances to earn merit in the future, and there’s a major examination every year. As long as you stand out in the exam, your rank will naturally rise. I’m certain that with your martial skill, you’ll secure an excellent position.”

The Heaven-Earth Alliance’s rapid growth was also closely tied to its competitive system.

Unlike the other two gangs and three families, the Heaven-Earth Alliance had only existed for ten years, so there was virtually no seniority-based hierarchy—it emphasized blood and grit, and anyone who could fight could rise.

Of course, such duels required witnesses from the Enforcement Hall.

Self-destruction within the Alliance was strictly forbidden; anyone who committed such an unjust act would be hunted down by the Heaven-Earth Alliance.

The higher the rank on your token, the more resources you received.

The difference in treatment between Token “1” and Token “28” was more than tenfold, evident in elixirs, martial arts, authority, and every other aspect.

The more resources you could obtain, the more effort you had to invest.

Vast amounts of time would be wasted handling Alliance affairs—this was simply the cost of gain.

But martial artists could never train day and night anyway; overall, it was still a profit.

The major examination allowed challengers to target those ranked higher than themselves; if successful, both parties’ tokens would be swapped.

Wu Tu spoke at length.

He told Li Rui everything he knew about the Heaven-Earth Alliance, no matter how small the detail.

“Older brother, I’ve failed you in this matter—I feel deep shame. This Xiao Yuan Dan enhances longevity; please accept it.”

He shoved a small wooden box into Li Rui’s hand.

Then he turned and walked away without looking back, giving Li Rui no chance to refuse.

Li Rui stared at the silver note and the elixir in his hand.

He truly didn’t want to refuse.

What if Wu Tu took it back?

“One hundred taels! One hundred taels!”

Li Rui’s heart pounded wildly.

He had never in his life seen a silver note of such a massive amount; even after a lifetime of saving, he’d only managed to accumulate thirty taels—saved over fifty years of frugal living.

One hundred taels

Put it this way—it was enough to support a family of three for a lifetime!

In addition, he had received an elixir.

Even through the wooden box, he could smell its fragrance.

This kind of refined elixir was worth far more than raw herbs—didn’t you see how fat and rich all the alchemists in town were?

Skilled alchemists could blend multiple herbs to enhance potency and reduce toxicity.

Far superior to Li Rui’s herbal baths, and priced many times higher.

“Xiao Yuan Dan”

Li Rui had heard the name of this elixir before.

He remembered, thirty years ago, on a snowy night, he had fetched an elixir for the Zhu family’s patriarch from Danwang Workshop—it was the Xiao Yuan Dan.

As Wu Tu said, this elixir strengthened the body and extended life.

If he remembered correctly, one such pill was worth fifty taels!

Wu Tu was a man worth keeping close.

Li Rui’s heart raced.

In less than a quarter hour, he had earned one hundred and fifty taels—something he had never dared to dream of.

That night,

he swallowed the Xiao Yuan Dan. Aside from its bitter, hard-to-swallow taste, there was nothing unusual about it.

But soon—

a warm current surged up from his dantian, filling his entire body, especially scorching hot along his spine’s great dragon.

His martial bones were activating again!

Li Rui knew time was critical—he immediately sat cross-legged on his bed, formed the Tai Shang Lao Jun finger seal, held his breath, and began practicing the White Ape’s Knife-Breathing Method.

A cool energy flowed through his body in one full circuit.

The burning sensation across his body gradually faded.

The next morning,

Li Rui slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the faint light outside the window, as if waking from another lifetime.

Without realizing it, he had sat in meditation all night.

And he felt no fatigue—on the contrary, he was refreshed and alert.

Closing his eyes, he focused inward, then suddenly opened them, his eyes filled with delight.

He had broken through again!

In just one night, he had advanced from Middle Training to Great Training—half a year faster than he had expected!

“Is the Xiao Yuan Dan really this potent?”

Li Rui found it hard to believe.

But then he identified the key reason for such dramatic effects—his martial bones and the breathing method.

He had seen the Zhu family’s patriarch take this elixir; the results had been nowhere near as striking as his own.

It was well known that elixirs carried resistance.

Li Rui had lived seventy years, and in the past few months had only soaked in herbal baths seven or eight times—he had never taken a single elixir. The first time he took one, the effect was naturally strongest, and with the help of his martial bones and breathing method, the results were astonishingly powerful.

It wouldn’t be this good again.

He was already deeply satisfied.

He washed his face and found his most presentable clothes.

A man is known by his clothes, a horse by his saddle—he couldn’t let them look down on him from the first glance.

Dressed neatly, Li Rui stepped out and headed toward the Heaven-Earth Alliance.

According to Wu Tu, the Heaven-Earth Alliance had spent a fortune to buy a large estate in the western part of the city as the headquarters of the Qinghe Branch.

Half an hour later,

Li Rui arrived at the Heaven-Earth Alliance’s western city headquarters.

He recalled that this area had once housed several martial arts academies, which had later fallen into decline, closed, and stood abandoned for years—only recently purchased by the Heaven-Earth Alliance.

The towering gate, two zhang high, was grand and imposing, with three bold characters painted across it: “Heaven-Earth Alliance!”

Two disciples stood guard at the entrance, each sturdy and muscular, clad in black robes that gave them a sharp, efficient air.

“Who are you?”

The lead disciple spotted Li Rui approaching and barked out a warning.

Li Rui smiled and pulled from his sleeve the token engraved with the number “28.”

Seeing the number on the token, the lead disciple’s expression changed instantly—he became far more respectful: “So you’re the Executive Elder!”

His own token bore the number “198”—of course he had to address Li Rui as “Elder.”

To be appointed gate captain of the Alliance, martial skill was secondary—what mattered most was having sharp eyes.

Otherwise, you might accidentally offend a senior and be beaten to death.

Elder?

Li Rui’s expression grew distant.

For the first half of his life, people called him Little Li; for the second half, Old Li. Being called “Elder” felt strange indeed.

But he’d get used to it.

His gaze hardened.

As he stepped forward into the Heaven-Earth Alliance’s main gate, a line of small characters appeared before his eyes.

【Congratulations, Host! Achievement Completed: “Fame and Fortune—Initial Plot”—Joined a Faction.】

(End of Chapter)