Chapter 259: A Promise from the Qiangwu Ninth Heaven

"3 storage areas, 18 rooms, 64 cabinets, totaling exactly 1 million catties."

"The granary keeps 1 male cat, provided with food and water daily, to patrol everywhere and catch rats."

"An auxiliary warehouse is also established, containing grain and rice to replenish losses from mold and rat infestations, ensuring the main warehouse has over 1 million catties."

"Owner of the stored grain: Lu Zhigang."

The traveler took down the wooden sign hanging on the granary gate and read the text on it.

This was a vast granary; looking out, it was a boundless expanse, with grain piled up like mountains everywhere.

The golden shimmer stood tall like a mountain range, layer upon layer, bringing a powerful visual impact.

The scent rushing toward them was a complex mix of dry grain and a slightly moldy odor.

A ball of fur darted to Zhou You's feet and meowed twice; it turned out to be the warehouse keeper guarding the granary.

Wherever grain is stored, there are rat infestations, so one must keep a cat.

Don't look down on it as a beast; once entrusted with a heavy responsibility, it is fed and housed, and even in famine years, it will not go hungry.

Zhou You picked up the male cat and stroked it; the warehouse keeper struggled a few times, then simply squinted its eyes and began to enjoy it.

The warehouse filled with golden grain was abandoned in the plague zone, and all relevant personnel had fled.

Although many people knew there was grain here, no one dared to come and take it.

Everyone knew that the owner of this batch of grain was not to be trifled with, and his fierce reputation was far-reaching.

Du Yan Lu Zhigang, who kills invisibly and can poison thousands with a wave of his hand... it was just exaggerated! The traveler grabbed a handful of grain; without even smelling it, he knew these grains were clean and had not been tampered with.

The world feared the terror of the Poison Palm and spread rumors, turning life-saving grain into lethal poison.

If no one came, this batch of grain would go unmanaged, and even if it wasn't eaten by rats, it would mold and rot, becoming unusable.

"I want this batch of grain."

The traveler let go, allowing the grains to flow from his fingertips back into the mountain of grain in the warehouse.

He turned to look at Zhou You, "The grain is not yours, but you provided the information, so you have merit. Now I will give you two choices."

"First, take this batch of grain in my name. You need not bear the consequences; if the owner of the grain wants to pursue it, let him come to me."

"In that case, your providing the information naturally isn't worth a promise from me, but I will still give you a satisfactory reward."

Zhou You did not agree immediately but asked, "Lu Zhigang's Poison Palm is sharp; are you truly not wary of him?"

"Him?"

The traveler smiled, "I have seen those who are truly skilled at using poison; how could a mere Du Yan compare?"

"That Seven Step Poison Sand Palm has some connection to Du Taiyue. If he could climb that relationship, perhaps there might be some hope in the future, but even Du Taiyue himself would not dare to provoke me."

Listening to the other's tone, Du Taiyue was definitely a poison expert who had broken through to Martial Master using the Poison Palm.

Zhou You became increasingly certain that the traveler before him had an extraordinary background; with just two simple sentences, he revealed an extremely important piece of information.

The Seven Step Poison Sand Palm can climb the relationship of 'Du Taiyue'—remember this, it will be useful in the future.

"Second, you bear the consequences, I take the grain, and you receive a promise from me."

Zhou You fell into deep thought; the difference between the two choices was significant.

Choosing the former, this batch of grain would be something the traveler snatched from Lu Zhigang, and he would just be a guide, with little responsibility.

If he chose the latter, it would be him snatching it from Lu Zhigang and then handing it to the traveler, and he would have to face the wrath of 'Du Yan' in the future.

The greater the responsibility, the greater the reward; the traveler's attitude was clear.

But, I am 'Lu Zhigang'.

Why hesitate? The task progress bar on the panel is still waiting, isn't it? "I choose the second option. This grain is a gift to you, and I will bear the consequences alone." Zhou You's action was nothing more than moving it from his left hand to his right; the risk of sharing was small.

Others didn't know, but as Lu Zhigang himself, he knew clearly that this batch of grain was not poisoned at all and could be eaten once cooked.

The traveler smiled, and at that moment, the simple and honest look on his face vanished without a trace.

At this moment, the traveler in Zhou You's sight was as heavy and distant as a mountain, making one feel awe just by looking at him.

"Deal. State your name."

"Winged Tiger Zhou You."

"Good, Winged Tiger Zhou You. You have received a promise from Yin Sanfen of 'Palm Supporting Mount Buzhou', to be fulfilled within ten years."

Zhou You's heart stirred, and he asked subconsciously, "Why ten years?"

"Because in ten years at the latest, I will break through the Qiangwu barrier and leap to become a Human Sect."

"One million catties of grain, just at a time when I am in need; to condescend to exchange it for a promise, in ordinary times, such a cheap and good deal would never happen."

"What you have paid today is at most worth a promise from a Qiangwu Ninth Heaven; it is far from enough for a promise from a Human Sect."

"Do you understand?"

Every word and every sentence was like thunder, exploding in Zhou You's ears, causing his entire body to tremble incessantly.

The traveler before him—he had originally guessed he was an intermediate or even advanced Martial Master, but he hadn't expected the other to be far more than that. Qiangwu, surpassing Martial Masters, with every step a new heaven, and every heaven a leap in realm.

The other was actually a Qiangwu Ninth Heaven, standing at the threshold of breaking through to the Grandmaster realm.

Qiangwu barrier?

Zhou You remembered this term; clearly, this terminology was a secret of cultivation, and saying it was worth a thousand gold per word was no exaggeration.

"Trial Project completed, Experience Points +20000."

A one-star task, and after completion, it burst out 20,000 Experience Points, verifying that the traveler's identity was by no means ordinary.

Zhou You had never seen a Qiangwu and did not know the characteristics of a Qiangwu, so he still harbored some doubts in his heart.

After all, he was in the late stage of Blood Qi; to him, whether the person opposite was an advanced Martial Master or a Qiangwu, there was little difference—both could kill him.

He would tentatively believe what the traveler said: he had obtained a promise from a Qiangwu.

Palm Supporting Mount Buzhou... Yin Sanfen.

This name was very unfamiliar; he had never heard of it. It was possible the gap was too wide for him to be qualified to know, or perhaps this Yin Sanfen was just a passerby whose reputation was very loud in other lands.

This man knows how to repay kindness; the grace of a single mouthful of water back then is now being repaid with all his might to the old woman who provided it.

Kind and orderly, adhering to principles—this is the reason Zhou You is willing to trade with him.

The warehouse gate stood wide open, and countless people threw themselves onto the mountain of grain, desperately scraping it into their pockets, chewing on grains that hadn't even been cooked yet.

The traveler spoke up, saying there was no problem with this grain, and everyone could take as much as they could carry.

At first, no one dared to take any, but after Zhou You grabbed a handful and ate it on the spot to prove it was fine, the situation finally opened up.

Don't let the amount of grain fool you; as the residents kept moving it, it was like ants gnawing on a steamed bun, shrinking rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye until it was finally emptied.

"..."

The tomcat looked at the empty warehouse with a somewhat bewildered expression; its iron rice bowl was gone, so where would it go to keep scrounging for food? Zhou You gently stroked the fur on its neck, "I'll take care of you."

After all, it was an old employee of Lu Zhigang; even though its position had been eliminated, providing for its retirement was a must.

The plague zone had recovered a glimmer of vitality! Smoke from cooking fires rose all around as survivors tore down doors and windows to burn for cooking; once the grain was in hand, the first priority was to eat their fill.

(End of chapter)