Chapter 61: Cooperation Achieved

After advancing to the Core Formation realm, Hua Changxi found her body becoming increasingly light; returning from the depths of Nanshan to the Medicine Valley, she activated the Wave-Treading Subtle Steps and arrived within minutes.

Not long after returning to the Medicine Valley, Guo Yu came looking for her.

"What? Elders Zhuo Fan and Jiang Ye are leaving?"

"Yes, both elders have urgent matters to attend to. They know the healing medicine you refine is highly effective and wish to purchase some from you."

"The healing medicine is no problem, but I actually have matters to discuss with several elders. Are they free now? I'll go find them immediately."

Watching Hua Changxi rush anxiously toward Xishan, Guo Yu followed leisurely behind, sighing inwardly that ginger indeed grows spicier with age.

Ever since guessing that Hua Changxi intended to leverage the influence of the Canal Gang, the Weiyuan Escort Agency, and the Beggar Sect to gather information, Master and the others had been waiting for her to speak first.

Who would have thought that during this period, apart from treating Elder Yang Chuan, Hua Changxi showed no intention whatsoever of discussing matters with Master and the others.

Elder Zhuo Fan grew somewhat restless, so he conspired with Master and Elder Jiang to devise this scheme, precisely to force Hua Changxi to speak first.

Upon entering the stone cave, Hua Changxi saw Zhuo Fan and Jiang Ye bidding farewell to Elder You and Yang Chuan.

Zhuo Fan looked at Yang Chuan: "Yang Chuan, just rest here under You Lin's care; once Jiang Ye and I have finished our business, we will come back to see you."

Jiang Ye nodded in agreement: "Better to live poorly than die well; take things easy, you still have us."

Seeing Hua Changxi arrive, Elder You spoke up: "Changxi, Zhuo Fan and Jiang Ye are departing. As people who roam the jianghu, injuries are commonplace for them, so they wish to buy more healing medicine from you."

Hua Changxi smiled: "If Elders Zhuo and Jiang have need, I will naturally satisfy them." Saying this, she walked over to Yang Chuan, who could now walk, and took his pulse.

"Elder Yang's injuries have largely healed."

Yang Chuan forced a smile toward Hua Changxi: "This old man's life is thanks to you, little girl."

Hua Changxi found a seat, shook her head, and smiled: "Although I contributed some effort, it cannot compare to the regard these three elders hold for Elder Yang."

Hearing this, Yang Chuan's expression shifted with emotion; he looked at You and the other two with gratitude and relief, saying nothing yet seemingly saying everything.

You and the other two said nothing either, merely smiling back at Yang Chuan.

Observing the silent exchange of glances among the four, Hua Changxi felt touched; to have such devoted friends is truly a great fortune in life: "I have a matter I wish to discuss with the four of you."

Elder You quickly exchanged glances with the other three, then smiled: "What matter is that?"

Hua Changxi looked at Elder You: "Elder, you were the one who led me to discover the rift valley in the depths of Nanshan; what is your opinion of that place?"

Elder You paused, bewildered, as Hua Changxi's topic bore no relation to their expectations: "This old man does not understand your meaning; what do you mean by asking my opinion?"

Hua Changxi took out a Fire Spirit Stone: "This stone is called a Fire Spirit Stone; do you know what it is used for?"

Elder You glanced at the other three; even though they harbored suspicions, they still shook their heads.

Hua Changxi said: "Martial artists cultivate by consuming pills to stimulate their body's potential, generating internal force and rigid qi."

"Cultivators cultivate by drawing the power of heaven and earth into themselves. The most fundamental power of heaven and earth is the power of the Five Elements. Surely the four of you know what the Five Elements are?"

Zhuo Fan snorted: "Who doesn't know the Five Elements? Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth."

Hua Changxi smiled, stood up, and distributed a Fire Spirit Stone to each of the four elders; seeing Guo Yu standing aside, she gave him one as well: "Within this stone lies the power of Fire, one of the Five Elements."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of Elder You and the other four changed, their breathing becoming somewhat rapid.

Previously, they only knew that cultivators must draw the power of heaven and earth into themselves, yet remained completely baffled as to what that power actually was; now, finally, they understood.

Zhuo Fan gazed intently at Hua Changxi, his eyes burning: "Little girl, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Hua Changxi looked again at Elder You: "Elder, beneath the rift valley lies a Fire Spirit Mine."

Elder You still did not quite grasp what Hua Changxi was driving at: "And so?"

Hua Changxi widened her eyes: "A Fire Spirit Mine! Are you not tempted?"

At these words, Elder You, Zhuo Fan, Jiang Ye, Yang Chuan, and even Guo Yu, who had been standing in the background, finally understood Hua Changxi's intent, and they all looked at each other in surprise.

Elder You ventured cautiously: "You mean to..."

Hua Changxi said: "A single spirit fruit drives you to fight desperately for it; now placed before us is an entire Fire Spirit Mine. Do you not wish to claim it for yourselves?"

The eyelids of Elder You and the others twitched simultaneously; they knew this girl was ambitious, but they had not expected her to be this ambitious.

Elder You could not help but remind her: "The Nanshan rift valley is not far from here at the Medicine Valley."

The implication was clear: the imperial court would likely discover that place; could Hua Changxi possibly dare to contend with the imperial court over the Fire Spirit Mine?

Hua Changxi understood Elder You's meaning: "Everything follows the order of arrival; moreover, I believe that situations like the Nanshan rift valley must exist elsewhere as well. The imperial court cannot, nor has the means to, monopolize all benefits."

Elder You looked at his three old friends; Hua Changxi's objective was now clear—she wished to cooperate with them to seize the Fire Spirit Mine.

A Fire Spirit Mine...

Knowing this was a cultivation resource needed by cultivators, Elder You and the other four were all tempted.

Zhuo Fan exchanged glances with Elder You and the other two, then looked at Hua Changxi: "But we are not cultivators; a Fire Spirit Mine is useless to us."

Hua Changxi said: "What if... I could make you become cultivators?"

Zhuo Fan shot to his feet with a 'whoosh'; Elder You, Jiang Ye, Yang Chuan, and Guo Yu all held their breath tightly.

"Are you speaking the truth or falsehood?"

"You aren't deceiving us, are you?"

"Can you really make us become cultivators?"

Zhuo Fan stared intently at Hua Changxi, missing not a single expression on her face.

Looking at the urgency and tension evident on the faces of Elder You and the others, Hua Changxi smiled: "I have no reason to deceive you; however, what can you offer in exchange?"

The four immediately exchanged glances.

After a moment of silent communication, Zhuo Fan spoke: "Little girl, stop beating around the bush. Don't you just want to cooperate with us to seize that Fire Spirit Mine? Speak, then; how do you plan to cooperate?"

Hua Changxi said: "I want sixty percent of the Fire Spirit Mine and the surrounding spirit plants and spirit fruits. As for the remaining forty percent, how you divide it among yourselves is none of my concern."

Zhuo Fan immediately protested: "Little girl, you are far too greedy..."

Hua Changxi cut him off directly: "For a mortal to become a cultivator is a heaven-defying opportunity. Elder Zhuo, do not pretend to be disadvantaged while actually gaining an advantage."

Zhuo Fan jumped in frustration: "Securing the Fire Spirit Mine requires us to guard it, we must do the mining, and if any blind-eyed fools come to snatch it, we must drive them away. We are doing all this work, yet you want to take sixty percent; tell me, who is really gaining the advantage here?"

Hua Changxi's expression remained calm: "Elder Zhuo, if you speak like that, it becomes rather meaningless. If you cannot handle these tasks, on what grounds do you think I would seek cooperation with you? Is it because of your temper?"

Zhuo Fan choked up, beginning to puff out his beard and glare.

Hua Changxi looked at the three elders: "Whether I have taken advantage of you, you know in your hearts. By my own account, I have been quite generous."

Zhuo Fan snorted in annoyance: "Generous, you? Little girl, you just have thick skin. Do you think that if we want to become cultivators, only you can make it happen?"

Hua Changxi smiled at him: "Senior, you are free to seek others, like those Three Pure Palaces or Great Simplicity Palaces you mentioned before."

As she spoke, her smile vanished.

"Senior, you must think clearly. If you go to those places, the price you pay to become cultivators will only be greater. You might even have to sell yourselves into servitude."

Zhuo Fan wanted to retort but could find no reason, for he knew clearly that Hua Changxi spoke the truth; the Three Pure Palaces and Great Simplicity Palaces were not places they could simply approach.

If today it had been someone with even a slight amount of power who discovered the Fire Spirit Mine, they would never have cooperated with them at all.

If they wanted to become cultivators, they would only be able to sign contracts of servitude, guarding the Fire Spirit Mine without pay, receiving merely a small stipend for their hardships each month.

Zhuo Fan looked toward the three elders, signaling with his eyes for them to step forward; he was unable to bluff this shrewd little girl.

Elder You and Jiang Ye wore expressions of helplessness; although Hua Changxi wished to possess the Fire Spirit Mine, they desired even more to become cultivators, and in terms of the intensity of their need, they were already at a disadvantage.

Elder You sighed: "Very well, we agree."

Hua Changxi suppressed the corners of her mouth from rising: "There is something I must tell you in advance. I can help you forge spirit meridians; once you have spirit meridians, you will be able to absorb the power of heaven and earth. However, you must seek out cultivation techniques on your own."

Zhuo Fan shouted again: "Don't you have cultivation techniques? Otherwise, how do you cultivate?"

Hua Changxi shook her head: "My cultivation technique cannot be transmitted to outsiders."

She had previously attempted to record the Little Bird Breathing Method, but whenever such a thought arose, her head would split with pain; after several attempts, she realized her cultivation technique could not be casually shared.

Zhuo Fan looked utterly unconvinced: "Is that true or false?"

Hua Changxi said: "I intend to cooperate with you long-term; I will not destroy the trust between us from the very start. Once you become cultivators in the future, you may verify this for yourselves."

"The four of you, Seniors, are capable individuals with influence spreading everywhere. Since you could even find a pomegranate, seeking a cultivation technique should not be difficult."

Jiang Ye suddenly spoke: "Little girl, can you tell us what use that pomegranate actually has?"

Hua Changxi smiled: "Once you Seniors become cultivators in the future, you will naturally know."

She would not tell them that it was a Creation Pomegranate used to refine Creation Pills.

Creation Pills, when consumed by mortals, can forge spirit meridians.

Creation-type spiritual fruits are extremely rare and difficult to mature; as soon as they appear in the world, they are targeted by heavenly thunder and instantly annihilated. She had not expected the four of them, led by Elder You, to actually encounter one; their luck was truly remarkable.

Zhuo Fan huffed: "Since we are already partners, what is there that cannot be said? Hiding things away is not straightforward at all."

Hua Changxi turned to look at him: "Senior Zhuo, how much silver does the Weiyuan Escort Agency earn annually? How many hands do you employ, and how many partners do you have? Would you tell me these things?"

"I may be young, but I am no fool. Although we have a cooperation, we must each maintain our proper boundaries. Do you not agree?"

Zhuo Fan was rendered speechless, puffing his beard and glaring once more; he snorted and fell silent.

Hua Changxi looked at the three elders: "Since the four of you and I have reached an understanding, let us sign a contract."

The four elders found this somewhat amusing; they had not expected Hua Changxi to actually believe in such things.

If a single sheet of paper could bind people, there would not be so many deadbeats in this world.

Amusing as it was, Elder You still glanced at Guo Yu, who immediately entered the stone chamber to fetch paper and brush.

Elder You signaled for Guo Yu to give the paper and brush to Hua Changxi.

Hua Changxi did not decline; taking the paper and brush, she began to write, saying as she wrote: "Actually, when cultivators sign contracts, they must swear Heart Demon Oaths, but I do not know how to do so, so I can only reluctantly use a paper contract."

As she spoke, she smiled and looked at the four elders.

"Cultivators most fear the birth of heart demons; once troubled by heart demons, at best one's cultivation makes no progress, and at worst one suffers a deadly backlash. Since the four of you have become Grandmasters, you ought to know the weight of a promise."

Hearing this, the expressions of the four elders instantly turned serious, discarding their previous disregard.

Soon, Hua Changxi finished writing five copies of the contract, and she and the four elders all signed their names.

Seeing that there was no copy for him, Guo Yu looked anxiously at Hua Changxi: "What about mine?"

Hua Changxi paused: "The four Seniors contribute people and effort; what can you contribute?"

Guo Yu looked desperately toward Elder You for help.

Elder You cleared his throat lightly: "Changxi..."

Hua Changxi raised her hand to interrupt him: "There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world; I am no benevolent person and do not engage in unpaid transactions." Speaking thus, she took out four wooden boxes, each half the size of a palm, and handed them to the four elders.

"These are Fire-element Creation Pills; open the boxes and consume them as soon as possible."

The Creation Pomegranate contained dense Qi of the Five Elements; Hua Changxi had refined these Fire-element Creation Pills using the pomegranate seeds that glowed with red light.

After the four elders consumed the Creation Pills, they would be able to forge Fire-element spiritual roots.

Once the four elders had carefully accepted the wooden boxes, Hua Changxi ignored Guo Yu's eager gaze and quickly stepped out of the stone cave.

One Creation Pomegranate contained six hundred seeds, enough to refine six hundred Creation Pills; giving one to Guo Yu would not be impossible, but she could not set such a precedent, nor could she let the four elders think she was easy to deal with.

Everyone has relatives and friends; once she opened this gate, she would never know peace again.

Moreover, she believed that one must have principles in doing things; her principle was fair trade. If anyone wanted something for nothing, there was no door for them!

Hua Changxi walked down the mountain, and as she neared the entrance of the Medicine Valley, a familiar figure flying on a sword appeared in her line of sight.

Gu Jinfan!

Hua Changxi's expression changed drastically; she was both surprised that Gu Jinfan would come here and astonished that she could actually fly on a sword.

Watching Gu Jinfan arrive at the entrance of the Medicine Valley, she lightly jumped off her flying sword, then waved her hand, causing the nearly two-meter-long flying sword to 'whoosh' into a stream of light and vanish into her body.

Subsequently, Gu Jinfan ascended West Mountain.

Hua Changxi hid behind a huge rock, watching Gu Jinfan walk up the mountain, her expression extremely serious.

Gu Jinfan was a cultivator!

Even though the opportunity of the Red Stone had been taken by her, she had still embarked on the path of cultivation.

"What is she doing here?"

Hua Changxi cautiously followed, and soon discovered that Gu Jinfan was heading toward the stone cliff halfway up the mountain.

"Has she come to find Elder You?"

Hua Changxi suddenly thought of the Creation Pomegranate; Creation Fruits were so rare that anyone who knew their effects would fight to the death to seize them.

The *Annotations on the Classic of Hundred Herbs* used the phrase "blood rain and bloody wind" to describe every scene where a Creation Fruit appeared.

Had Gu Jinfan come for the Creation Pomegranate?

"Who goes there?"

Guo Yu stood on guard, staring at Gu Jinfan, who had appeared silently atop the stone cliff.

Inside the stone cave, Elder You and his three companions, who had been preparing to consume the Creation Pill, all emerged upon hearing the commotion.

Seeing Yang Chuan alive and well, Gu Jinfan cried out in surprise: "You're not dead?" Then, she quickly glanced at Elder You and the other two, finding that none of them appeared seriously injured.

The moment Gu Jinfan shouted those three words—"You're not dead"—the expressions of Elder You and his four companions turned grave.

"Who are you?"

Gu Jinfan knitted her brows tightly, suppressing her shock that Yang Chuan was still alive, and got straight to the point: "Did you previously go to Mount Wuzhi in Qingzhou and seize a five-colored pomegranate?"

Hearing this, Elder You denied it without a second thought: "No, we have never been to any Mount Wuzhi."

Gu Jinfan said, "...You cannot keep that five-colored pomegranate. Hand it over, and I will shield you from the Asura Gate's pursuit."

The expressions of Elder You and his four companions shifted; during the earlier struggle for the pomegranate, their greatest opponent had been the Asura Gate.

Unclear about Gu Jinfan's background, Jiang Ye exchanged glances with his three friends and denied it again: "Young Lady, we do not know what pomegranate you speak of."

Gu Jinfan's face darkened: "If I were not certain you had obtained that five-colored pomegranate, how would I have found this place? Do not force me to act."

At these words, the faces of Elder You and his four companions turned ugly.

The little girl before them spoke with such arrogance, and her body emitted an aura that made them feel immense pressure, leaving them deeply uneasy.

A cultivator?

Elder You glanced at Guo Yu, signaling him to go down the mountain to find Hua Changxi.

Regardless, that pomegranate had been given to Hua Changxi; now that someone seemingly a cultivator had arrived to demand it, that girl should not remain uninvolved.

Receiving Elder You's signal, Guo Yu intended to descend the mountain, but before he had taken more than a few steps, a streak of green light shot toward him.

"Bang~"

The green light struck Guo Yu, sending him flying directly.

Fortunately, the green light had not attacked in the direction of the cliff; otherwise, Guo Yu would certainly have been knocked off the stone precipice.

Seeing Guo Yu spit blood and collapse after being struck, Elder You's expression changed; he exchanged looks with Jiang Ye and Zhuo Fan, and the three of them simultaneously attacked Gu Jinfan.

Seeing the three attack, Gu Jinfan sneered; clouds and mist condensed beneath her feet, and with a 'whoosh,' she hovered in mid-air.

"Bang bang bang~"

Three streaks of green light flew out; Elder You and his three companions possessed no power to resist, were all struck by the green light, and collapsed while spitting blood.

Seeing this, Yang Chuan immediately roared: "The pomegranate has already been taken by someone else!"

Gu Jinfan's expression changed: "Taken by whom?"

Yang Chuan hesitated, unsure whether to reveal Hua Changxi's name.

Gu Jinfan perceived his hesitation; green light condensed in her hand, and the next moment, four streaks of green light flew out again, striking toward Elder You and his four companions.

"Pfft~"

Elder You and his four companions were struck once more, spitting blood.

Yang Chuan quickly shouted: "I'll talk..."

Just then, the air suddenly became scorching hot, and a fire lotus shot out, fiercely attacking Gu Jinfan, who hovered in mid-air.

Upon seeing the fire lotus, Gu Jinfan's expression changed.

How could there be a cultivator here?!

In that brief moment of shock, the fire lotus had already engulfed Gu Jinfan; seeing flames ignite upon her body, a towering wave of terror surged in Gu Jinfan's heart.

She was already a Qi Sea realm cultivator, yet she could not stop the fire lotus from burning her.

Realizing that a cultivator stronger than herself was hidden in the shadows, Gu Jinfan understood she would not obtain that Creation Fruit; gritting her teeth, she used a Teleportation Talisman and flashed away from Xishan.