Chapter 30: Taking Another Step Forward

"Twenty days?"

"Yes, Young Miss. He said he needs to consult other cultivation techniques to increase his speed and guarantee he can succeed in his cultivation within twenty days."

In front of a private warehouse, Ling'er was reporting to the Young Miss, who wore a white gauze hat.

Inside the warehouse, there was the rustling sound of bags of millet being loaded.

Outside the warehouse, ten ox carts were parked, and several strong men were directing the work of loading, tying, and moisture-proofing.

Merchants buy grain at low prices during bountiful years to stock their granaries, and when they release the grain during famine years, it is not at exorbitant prices, but only slightly increased; otherwise, the government would not let them off easily.

This year is clearly a famine year, and many rural areas that provide grain are instead in need of relief grain from the city.

Of course, the villagers alone certainly could not afford so much grain.

But the government of the Great Shang Dynasty provides a sum of money to the merchants, so that when merchants resell the grain, the price is not only not too high, but sometimes even lower.

In this way, a portion of the disaster relief task actually falls upon the merchants.

The cost of ox, horse, and human labor is high, while water transport is not only convenient but also cheap.

Therefore, once the Yunhe is opened, it will be of great benefit to everyone.

And all of this is thanks to the Heavenly Son; after all, many people know that the current Heavenly Son does not favor martial virtue, but instead prizes the people's livelihood and trade.

Today, ten ox carts are parked here, capable of transporting two thousand dou of grain.

This business is not small and cannot afford any losses.

An Chenyu intends to accompany the shipment.

She has calculated that she will return in about a month.

By that time, it will be time to see if little Song can do it or not.

"Twenty days? He's bragging, that kid." Ding Kui, who was nearby, didn't know when he had approached, and he burst into loud laughter.

An Chenyu said indifferently, "Is little Song bragging?"

Ding Kui said, "Young Miss, isn't that obvious? Entering the Jin Realm in twenty days—other than bragging, I, Lao Ding, don't know how that could be done."

"Anyway, I'm still tempering my Jin energy even now; this is slow work, it can't be rushed."

"Just like pork needs to be tender, it must be stewed slowly over a low fire; it cannot be hurried."

"In our chamber of commerce, only Guard Captain Shi took fifty days to get started."

"And besides..."

He lowered his voice and said, "That day, we went to Biliu Courtyard. Hua Zhi was even prepared to give him a red envelope, but in the end... he just wouldn't take it. Hahahaha!"

Ling'er said, "Why are you saying this in front of the Young Miss? Go away, go away!"

Ding Kui laughed heartily.

An Chenyu, however, did not laugh.

She rarely laughed.

Only when she needed to provide the normal etiquette of social interaction would she smile.

Ling'er said again, "Then, Young Miss, why don't I go and scold him, tell him to stop thinking about these random things and just focus on his cultivation."

The Young Miss of the chamber of commerce was silent, as if deep in thought.

The white gauze brushed gently past her neck, which was as smooth and white as a swan's, while her side profile revealed a touch of iceberg-like coldness.

Such a beautiful Young Miss should have married into a powerful family, become a pampered plaything for a man, served her parents-in-law, and raised children, but she simply did not do that, instead defying the world's disapproval to manage the chamber of commerce.

Of course, she truly has talent, and she has a group of guards supporting her.

These guards are all trustworthy; Ding Kui watched her grow up, Shi Yi grew up with her, and the "Jin Realm experts" Wang Tianchuan and Wang Tianma, who are accompanying her to transport the goods this time, are the old guard of the previous head of the chamber of commerce, who was her grandfather.

After a while, An Chenyu said indifferently, "If he dares to ask for it, I dare to give it."

Ling'er opened her mouth in astonishment: "Ah?"

An Chenyu said, "Ling'er, you know where my things are. Take it and give it to him; after I return, have him return it to me."

Ling'er said anxiously, "Young Miss! That... that is your An Family's ancestral Jin technique, right? Isn't it not to be passed on to outsiders?"

An Chenyu said, "That was the past. Now, I have the final say."

Ling'er said, "But, even Guard Captain Shi hasn't seen that technique..."

An Chenyu said coldly, "What does that have to do with Shi Yi?"

Ling'er stuck out her tongue and said, "Alright, alright, Ling'er understands."

She hurried away.

An Chenyu continued to stand in the wind filled with chaff and dust, earnestly supervising the loading and tying of the millet.

"You're getting a bargain!"

Ling'er angrily handed a wooden box to Song Cheng and then said, "Let me tell you, this is the Young Miss's ancestral Jin technique; not even the guards have seen it! You'd better study it well!"

Saying this, she left in a huff, walked to the door, then turned her head and said, "I'll see how you enter the realm in twenty days!"

Song Cheng smiled and said, "Miss Ling'er, what are you angry about?"

Ling'er said, "I'm not angry."

After finishing, she walked away huffily.

Song Cheng took the wooden box.

The sunset stretched across the end of the firmament, casting blood-colored light.

'It seems the Young Miss has more spirit than I thought.'

Song Cheng had only asked, but he hadn't expected the Young Miss to give him her ancestral Jin technique without a word.

One must know, he and the Young Miss had only known each other for a few days.

However, from this, one can also tell that the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce likely only has these two "Jin Realm" techniques.

He opened the wooden box; the book inside was well-maintained, and two characters were written on the cover: Jue Jin Jin Jin.

He glanced again at the 16 points remaining at this time. Clearly, the points were not enough.

"Patience is a state of mind that a cultivator must possess."

"Even if it cannot be mastered today, it will certainly be possible in a few days."

Song Cheng took a deep breath, then sat under the eaves and flipped open *Jue Jin Jin Jin*.

The setting sun cast the shadow of the white wall; Tong Xiaoniangzi gripped her blade and continued practicing the White Snake Blade in the courtyard, while Song Cheng would lift his eyes from time to time to offer pointers.

He had not only reached Completion in *White Snake Blade*, but was also well-versed in the *Black Tortoise Steps* that matched the *White Snake Blade*, the subsequent *Black Tortoise Strength*, and even the *Xuanwu Fuliu Jin Jin Strength*.

Standing on high ground, his insights were naturally incisive.

Tong Xiaoniangzi's practice was also smoother than ever before.

Song Cheng flipped through the book.

The young mistress practiced her blade.

A short while later, the young mistress stopped and came over to interpret the characters he did not recognize for Song Cheng; however, although Tong Jia knew many characters, there were still some she did not know, so they debated and deliberated over them repeatedly.

The figures of the two fell into the quiet courtyard, appearing as if they had yellowed and frozen in time.

After much effort, Song Cheng saw *Jue Jin Jin Jin* appear on his panel, breathed a sigh of relief, and then said, "Starting tomorrow, I want to go stroll around South Street."

"South Street?"

Tong Niangzi said, "There's nothing fun there; it's all small gangs, and the atmosphere of fighting and ruthlessness seems quite thick."

Song Cheng smiled and said, "I'm not doing anything, just going to take a look."

The two went to the kitchen to eat, and after resting a while upon returning, Tong Jia continued her practice, while Song Cheng earnestly offered pointers and corrections from the side to ensure his young mistress could achieve twice the result with half the effort in her martial arts.

A while later, a servant brought over some "extra meat," but this was meat he had never seen before.

Even when cooked and sprinkled with pepper and salt, the meat still showed firm muscle fibers; at a glance, it was clearly the meat of some kind of fierce beast.

Once Song Cheng asked, he learned it was "Demon Beast Meat" specifically ordered by the Young Miss to be prepared.

Demon beasts—Song Cheng searched his predecessor's memories and found he had never heard of them; on the contrary, Tong Xiaoniangzi knew about them.

"The barbarians' wolf cavalry are Demon Beasts; people who often live in the North Land know at least something about this."

Tong Xiaoniangzi enlightened Song Cheng, "And the Six Towns are there to defend against the barbarians. However, there are many barbarian tribes, and the Demon Beasts they ride are not limited to one kind. It is normal that you didn't know, as you always stayed in Huichun Hall before."

Song Cheng nodded, turned around, and cut the Demon Beast Meat into small pieces one by one, ate a piece himself, and then pulled Tong Xiaoniangzi over, "forcing" her to eat the rest.

Tong Xiaoniangzi suddenly felt her body burning up and grabbed her blade to dance wildly for a while.

When they reached the bed, the two shed their clothes.

Tong Xiaoniangzi lay prone, and Song Cheng sat astride her hips, earnestly performing stretches for her to better digest the day's practice.

As they kneaded and massaged, the lamp wick was blown out, and the two figures leaned over and pressed down, colliding together.

The next day, Song Cheng was still asleep.

Suddenly, the beautiful woman in his arms let out a terrified cry, and her body began to struggle.

He opened his eyes abruptly, took one look, and shouted, "Niangzi! Niangzi!"

A moment later, Tong Jia opened her eyes, covered in cold sweat.

Song Cheng asked urgently, "What's wrong?"

Tong Jia took a long time to calm down before saying with fearful suspicion, "I... I dreamed of the mountain."

Having said that, she spat out those four words that filled her with terror but which she could never forget: "Extreme Bliss World..."

"Don't think about it; that place is very far from us now," Song Cheng said.

Tong Jia's breathing slowly eased; she clung to her man, held him tightly, and murmured, "Yes, it is very, very far..."

Daytime.

The two went to stroll around South Street.

So-called gangs either relied on industries, such as the Boatmen Gang or Beggar Gang... or relied on terrain, such as this or that Lake Gang, this or that Mountain Gang... but in the county seat and Prefecture City, more were centered around "Martial Arts Halls."

Any wealthy family wanting to protect their assets needed experts to hold the fort; if there were elders with great strength and youths with deep potential, then they had the capital to grow big and strong.

Therefore, the martial arts hall business was quite good, which in turn formed many small gangs. The fighting between gangs was, to some extent, not managed by the government; it was a place that formed its own underworld.

Song Cheng and Tong Jia walked a large circle, saw many martial arts halls, and saw many people issuing challenges.

Song Cheng accurately found that "30~30" existence.

It was the master of a hall called "Water Bird Martial Arts Hall," in the prime of his life, who used twin blades; after equipping the twin blades, his strength reached "33~62." Just then, a disciple from another martial arts hall came to challenge a "Water Bird Martial Arts Hall disciple," and the master of the Water Bird Martial Arts Hall was watching from the side.

Song Cheng glanced at him from afar and then left.

The next day.

He asked Tong Niangzi for help.

Tong Niangzi glued a beard on him, smeared his face with ash, and then created a fake scar on his face.

With a shake of his body, he transformed into a ruthless underworld figure.

Immediately, Song Cheng grabbed his blade and went to the Water Bird Martial Arts Hall, shouting that he wanted to challenge the master. The disciples in the hall accepted the challenge and were defeated by him with ease. The Water Bird master finally appeared, his twin blades nimble, like two flying swallows.

As soon as the two exchanged blows, the Water Bird master knew he had encountered an expert and became cautious.

The two had another intense battle, and afterward, Song Cheng said, "Watch out, I'm using my ultimate move." The Water Bird master narrowed his eyes and focused.

Song Cheng stepped forward, the two forces of pouncing and flicking intertwined, and he slashed out with a move of "Xuanwu Swallows Sparrow"; the blade emerged like a venomous snake in the night, fast as lightning, and halfway through, it suddenly accelerated again in a magical way, tricky and ruthless! The Water Bird master could not defend in time; while his twin blades were still halfway, a blade edge was already resting against his neck.

The Water Bird master's face was stunned, his eyes dull, and the surrounding Martial Artists also revealed shock and disbelief.

Song Cheng withdrew his blade, said nothing, turned around, and left quickly, ignoring the calls from behind such as "Would your Excellency please leave your name," took several detours, wiped off his makeup, and then leisurely returned home.

A line of information floated up: You have dueled with an expert of the same realm, your comprehension has deepened, and the path ahead has become clearer.

*Xuanwu Fuliu Jin Jin Strength* has an 8‰ probability of deducing a "Yellow Grade Grade B" technique.

(End of chapter)