Chapter 16: Madame Wang's Sister-in-Law Pays a Late-Night Visit

The boss spoke; the old shopkeeper Chu Li obviously didn't dare to defy, only able to stand aside with a smiling face and say: "Young Master Fang, don't be angry, boss..."

"Chu Li." Fang Xu gave a faint smile, shoved the banknote into Chu Li's hand, and said: "Seventy Blood Qi Pills, and the remaining three hundred ten taels of silver as well—give me a banknote, kid."

The smallest denomination of Yu Dynasty banknotes is one hundred taels; three hundred ten taels of silver in cash would be too bulky and inconvenient, so Fang Xu simply asked for a banknote.

Seeing that Fang Xu wasn't angry and still wanted to buy the Blood Qi Pills, Chu Li was slightly startled, quickly took the banknote, then ordered the shop assistants to bring out all the Blood Qi Pills.

"Young Master Fang, here are your Blood Qi Pills and a three-hundred-tael banknote, plus ten taels of cash." After quickly sorting the money and goods, Chu Li stepped before Fang Xu and bowed.

After briefly counting the Blood Qi Pills and confirming there were seventy, Fang Xu gave a slight bow, took the money and pills, and left Qinxiang Zhai.

Just as he left, Wu Ningxue came out from the shop's inner room again, watching Fang Xu's retreating back, her expression shifting.

"Boss, the blood food business..." Chu Li ventured cautiously.

Wu Ningxue narrowed her beautiful eyes, the corners of her mouth slightly lifting as she said: "The blood food business in Maple Forest Town isn't something only that shop can do..."

"Does Lu Zhiyuan really think that by obtaining that shop he can easily replace the Zhang clan and take over the entire blood food business of Maple Forest Town?"

"Chu Li, I'll leave Qinxiang Zhai in your hands for these two days; I need to go home for a while."

……

When good fortune comes, one's spirit is refreshed; carrying seventy Blood Qi Pills and holding over three hundred taels of silver, Fang Xu walked home all smiles.

This time, the prospecting teams that walked toward him avoided him early on; even acquaintances were more irritatingly eager to greet him than before.

The incident at the Zhang family manor had long spread through the town; now everyone in Maple Forest Town knows that Fang Xu has become involved with the Yun family young lady from Huangzhou Prefecture.

That's the Yun family—they are the heavens of Huangzhou Prefecture!

As long as Yun Wan remains in Maple Forest Town for a day, not only ordinary people but even the Wu family and Zhiyuantang dare not harbor any designs against Fang Xu.

After all, even as strong as the Zhang family, when facing Yun Wan they were instantly wiped out; they don't know whether offending Fang Xu would provoke Yun Wan's displeasure.

Returning home from the street, Fang Xu discovered that the two assistants from the blood food shop had delivered all the blood food—two thousand catties, neatly processed and piled in the kitchen.

The blood food of savage beasts in the mountains is less prone to spoil and rot than that of ordinary livestock; Fang Xu had heard that the carcass of a high-grade savage beast could even remain unrotten for years after death.

After placing the Blood Qi Pill in his room, Fang Xu picked a piece of blood food, gave it a quick wash, put it in the pot to stew, then went to his room, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began his cultivation.

Taking out one Blood Qi Pill and swallowing it, aided by the surging Blood Qi Power, Fang Xu began, as usual, to refine his viscera.

Guiding his consciousness, he carefully directed the Blood Qi Power to scour and polish his internal organs, feeling the flesh of his organs gradually transform; Fang Xu immersed himself, losing track of time.

For cultivators, Blood Qi Pills and blood food serve much the same purpose—both provide a large amount of Blood Qi Power to replenish the consumption of daily cultivation.

The only difference is that the Blood Qi Pill's effect is purer and more violent; once a pill enters the stomach, the Blood Qi Power contained within erupts like a floodgate opened, surging into the limbs and bones in a short time.

Meanwhile, the Blood Qi Power contained in blood food is relatively smaller, but its advantage lies in its gentleness; after being eaten and digested, it releases Blood Qi Power like a trickling stream, continuous and unceasing.

High-grade blood food may contain even more Blood Qi Power than the Blood Qi Pills from Qinxiang Zhai; likewise, the Blood Qi Pills refined by the Wu family's forefather are merely the lowest grade, with higher-quality pills existing above them.

But neither high-grade Blood Qi Pills nor high-grade blood food are currently accessible to Fang Xu.

Time flew; an hour quickly passed, and Fang Xu on the bed woke up leisurely, feeling the changes in his body, he faintly frowned with regret.

The Blood Qi Pill releases its Blood Qi Power all at once; with his present ability to control Blood Qi Power, he cannot fully utilize it, resulting in at least thirty percent being wasted.

The Blood Qi Power that isn't fully utilized settles into the flesh's apertures of his body, waiting to be absorbed.

Compared to flesh, the apertures contain endless mysteries and have a stronger capacity to absorb Blood Qi Power.

Moreover, if the Blood Qi Power in the flesh is not promptly absorbed through cultivation, it will gradually leak out through the skin's pores.

No wonder Zhang Mingliang failed when breaking through to the Martial Apprentice Realm; it must be because he regularly consumed large amounts of Blood Qi Pills, causing the walls of his apertures to become exceptionally tough.

Feeling the effects of the Blood Qi Pill in his body gradually fade, Fang Xu rose and went to the courtyard; the stew in the pot was ready, but he did not rush to eat it.

The thirty percent of Blood Qi Power from that pill that had dispersed into his flesh must be absorbed quickly; dragging it out brings no benefit.

Standing in the courtyard, he slowly removed his upper garment, revealing a strong and well-proportioned torso, and Fang Xu began to practice his fists in the courtyard.

This set of fists is the technique inherent in the Coiling Dragon Strength; though not orthodox, its advantage lies in quickly merging the body's surplus Blood Qi Power into muscles and marrow, turning it into power he can control.

Fang Xu waved his arms with a solemn expression, his body moving in tandem with the fist technique through various motions.

At times his whole person leapt like a flood dragon, at times he played like a swimming dragon in water; in motion and stillness, every muscle and bone of his body could burst forth with strong force, and occasionally he could even produce a faint sonic boom with his fleshly body.

Practicing Coiling Dragon Strength is extremely stamina-consuming; in less than a quarter hour, sweat drenched Fang Xu's face and body, the moisture tracing his muscles' curves to soak his lower trousers, then dripping down his pant legs onto the ground beneath his feet.

Half an hour quickly passed; Fang Xu slowly lowered his fists, exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, then came to the well in the courtyard, drew two buckets of clear well water, removed his lower trousers, and prepared to take a bath.

Elsewhere, wearing only her undergarments and exposing her fragrant shoulders and half her back, Madame Wang sat alone in the room, gazing at her proud figure in the bronze mirror, recalling the matter she had heard about during the day, her expression continually shifting.

Under the influence of the System's might, she had already developed a fondness for Fang Xu the moment he inherited the estate.

Moreover, since marrying Wang Ergou she had never known satisfaction; at this moment her heart was already surging with undercurrents.

Thinking of these days and her contact with Fang Xu, Madame Wang could truly feel that Fang Xu was ten thousand times stronger than that filthy wretch Wang Ergou.

"If Young Master Fang can win the favor of that Yun family young lady, then if I were to attach myself to him now, with the Yun lady present, even my uncle would dare not say much."

"Following Young Master Fang would certainly be far better than spending a lifetime as a chaste widow."

Pinching the edge of her garment, a faint rose hue crept onto Madame Wang's face; after a slight hesitation, she took some rouge and powder from nearby and quietly began to make herself up.

After applying it, Madame Wang nodded in satisfaction at the bronze mirror, then took a sheer pink gauze long shirt from the wardrobe, draped it over herself, and hurried to Fang Xu's small courtyard under the cover of night.

(End of chapter)