Chapter 76: Blood Rushes Up, Golden Bones Complete

So elixirs are this cheap.

Li Rui walked out of the herb shop with six still-warm Strong-Body Elixirs in his pocket.

A single spirit elixir costs at least five hundred taels.

Six of them amount to a full three thousand taels—that’s the price at the herb shop; outside, at the Elixir King Pavilion, it would be even higher.

But you can go straight to the alchemist.

The herbs cost a thousand taels total; labor fees are at most two hundred taels.

In other words, the herb shop made a profit of a full eighteen hundred taels from this one transaction!

“Carters, boatmen, innkeepers, porters, and brokers—all deserve death even if innocent.”

The herb shop is one thing, but places like the Elixir King Pavilion, which court alchemists for business, are no different from brokers—they merely pass goods along and grow fat with profit.

Still, Li Rui only muttered a few words.

Cleaning up the market is for the young to handle; an old man like him won’t get involved.

As long as he himself isn’t cheated, that’s enough.

Six spirit elixirs.

More than enough to turn Iron Bones into Golden Bones.

Thinking of this, he quickened his pace.

“Go back and cultivate.”

County government office, side hall.

The Qinghe County government office is laid out in orderly fashion.

“Facing south with north as the back, civil on the left, martial on the right, front hall and rear residence, prison in the southwest.”

Entering from the main gate, one passes along the central axis through the Great Hall, Second Hall, Third Hall, and finally the county magistrate’s residence; corridors on the east and west sides serve as offices for civil and military officials, while the prison sits in the southwest corner.

The county magistrate usually receives guests in the eastern hall.

At this moment, the Great Hall was packed with people; outside, the constables could faintly hear County Magistrate Zhang speaking.

“All present are heroes and righteous men—I entrust the matter of the Ghost Ming Sect to you all.”

County Magistrate Zhang Linkang rose with a smile and bowed.

Inside the hall.

Left is honored, right is inferior.

Song Zhenyun, Elder of Huaqing Sect, held the highest status and sat unquestionably at the far left; Han Qin and the other Huaqing Sect disciples stood behind him.

On one side sat Tang Sheng, Deputy Leader of the Heaven-Earth Alliance, and Peng Hu, Deputy Chief of the Blood Tiger Gang.

In addition, all prominent family heads and gang leaders from Qinghe were present—including Dao Xiong.

Such a gathering.

Even County Magistrate Zhang Linkang felt proud—this would make him look good when he met his peers, and he’d have plenty to boast about.

“Those demons of the Ghost Ming Sect slaughter innocents, rape virtuous women, raise monstrous beasts to plague the countryside, and forge weapons illegally—their crimes are heinous!”

County Magistrate Zhang listed dozens of crimes committed by the Ghost Ming Sect in one breath, his tone filled with anguish and righteous fury.

As if failing to join forces and destroy the Ghost Ming Sect would weigh on his conscience.

Dao Xiong, seated in the center, listened with silent scorn.

“You can’t trust the words of scholars.”

Though County Magistrate Zhang appeared eager to rid the people of evil,

that wasn’t how he used to be.

Though the Ghost Ming Sect had long been branded an evil cult and persecuted by local governments,

this County Magistrate Zhang had never cared before; recently sending constables to search was only because the Huaqing Sect disciple who had defected to the Ghost Ming Sect had killed too many constables, shaming him—only then did he order the search.

“The Prefect of Anning recently took a concubine who was exceptionally skilled in pleasing men—she was a spy sent by the Ghost Ming Sect, stole imperial secrets, and murdered an official.”

“It’s said the Prefect flew into a rage and vowed to eradicate the Ghost Ming Sect.”

If his superior hadn’t taken notice, how would a seasoned official like Zhang, who had served for a decade, bother rallying everyone to confront the Ghost Ming Sect?

Seeing everyone’s faces filled with righteous indignation,

though those who showed it too obviously were clearly his planted stooges or loyalists.

In any case, the atmosphere was excellent.

Zhang Linkang was even more satisfied.

He turned to Song Zhenyuan, who appeared to be dozing: “Elder Song, I’ve heard your sect’s Elder Jiang has come to Qinghe—could I possibly meet him?”

Upon hearing Jiang Lin’s name,

everyone in the hall instinctively sat up straight, straining to listen.

Everyone was intensely curious about that great figure—if they could form a connection, or even be noticed, it could change their fate entirely.

Song Zhenyuan slowly opened his eyes: “Elder Jiang is like a divine dragon—seen only in glimpses. We need only do our duty; Elder Jiang will act when the time comes.”

“Exactly, exactly.”

Zhang Linkang nodded vigorously in agreement.

Though Huaqing Sect is a martial sect, it has powerful connections within the imperial court—its ties are deep and tangled; he dared not offend it.

After much discussion,

all agreed to join forces against the Ghost Ming Sect.

Zhang Linkang then assigned the number of personnel each gang and family must contribute.

Everyone was pleased.

The meeting ended.

Tang Sheng chose not to ride in a sedan chair but walked back to the Qinghe branch hall.

Dao Xiong followed half a step behind.

Passersby seeing a group of Heaven-Earth Alliance disciples automatically stepped aside.

Tang Sheng seemed to be in good spirits.

He spoke: “Dao Xiong, do you know why the Leader sent you to Qinghe to establish a branch hall?”

Dao Xiong’s heart tightened.

Deputy Leader Tang was clearly giving him a hint—he answered carefully: “I do not know.”

He did not try to be clever or spout nonsense.

Tang Sheng chuckled softly, speaking only loud enough for the two to hear: “The Leader has won the favor of a noble from Anan Army. Word has reached us—the Ghost Ming Sect obtained a divine treasure, and that treasure is now in Qinghe. The Leader established this branch hall so you could find it.”

Dao Xiong’s pupils contracted slightly.

The thoughts of those above are truly hard to fathom.

He had thought the Leader wanted to expand influence—but it was something far deeper.

“Divine treasure.”

Those who reach the pinnacle ascend as immortals.

Many legends about immortals circulate in the world.

Divine treasure, naturally, is a relic left behind by immortals.

Incredible!

Tianyi Hall.

Li residence.

Since Wang Zhao and Yang Yong moved into the residence, many trivial matters no longer required Li Rui’s personal attention.

He had more time to train.

In the courtyard.

The sky was dark; heavy rain poured down with a roar.

Li Rui gripped a seventy-jin greatsword, his body twisting like a dragon; the blade whirled so swiftly it formed an impenetrable wall—seen from afar, it looked like a swirling black mist.

Raindrops struck the blade and splashed away in all directions.

Beneath the torrential rain,

Li Rui remained completely dry—not a single raindrop touched his body.

All the rain in the sky was blocked by his sword technique.

Water cannot penetrate—sword art has reached minor mastery!

And Li Rui achieved this with a seventy-jin blade—making it even more extraordinary.

The sword grew faster.

The blackness deepened until it fully engulfed him, obscuring his figure entirely.

It whirled like a raging storm.

A long howl rang out.

Li Rui felt a surge of heat rise from his soles; his body burned in an instant.

The Great Dragon bone on his back throbbed with a tingling numbness.

Without thinking,

his sword technique halted instantly—the seventy-jin greatsword stopped dead.

Li Rui rushed into the room.

He took out the last Strong-Body Elixir, tilted his head back, and swallowed it.

Boiling blood surged through his body, coursing from knee to hip, through shoulder to arm, all the way to his fingertips!

His bones subtly shifted as well.

If he could look inward, he would see golden specks shimmering across his bones.

Blood and qi surged upward—Golden Bones fully formed!

(End of Chapter)