Chapter 37: The Death of Wang Dun

Hearing the middle-aged cultivator say this, He Pingsheng let out a sigh of relief.

Pill toxicity?

I only take top-grade elixirs, so I have no reason to worry about such things.

“No need!” He Pingsheng smiled. “I don’t take many pills normally. When I truly have pill toxicity, I’ll come buy from you—after all, I’m short on funds!”

“Huh?” The middle-aged cultivator’s gaze shifted from He Pingsheng’s face to the cloth bundle on his back: “You… still aren’t flush?”

He Pingsheng yanked the bundle from his back and hugged it tightly. “These spirit stones aren’t mine—they belong to my master. I wouldn’t dare spend them!”

“Oh…” The middle-aged cultivator nodded.

He Pingsheng put away the purchased elixirs, asked the middle-aged cultivator for two empty porcelain bottles, then left the Mount Matou marketplace with casual ease.

Three burly, menacing men immediately followed after him.

The middle-aged cultivator shook his head with a sigh. “A mere Qi Refining fourth-layer cultivator, now targeted by the Black Wind Trio—this kid’s chances are slim. Sigh… He doesn’t even understand the rule of not flaunting wealth. No wonder!”

The Black Wind Trio were infamous evil cultivators of this generation in the Daoxuan Alliance.

Rumors claimed they murdered and plundered without restraint.

But no concrete evidence had ever been found, so the Daoxuan Alliance couldn’t convict them.

All stories were just legends.

Yet there was no doubt these three were no good.

“Brother…” After leaving the Mount Matou marketplace, the second brother said: “This way, quick, quick, chase after him!”

“Go!”

Whoosh!

A paper crane shot into the sky, flying through the snowstorm toward the direction where He Pingsheng had vanished.

The speed of a paper crane isn’t fixed—the higher the cultivator’s realm, the faster it flies.

The Black Wind Trio’s logic was simple: How fast could a Qi Refining fourth-layer disciple run?

Even if we lag behind a bit, we’ll catch up eventually.

But they didn’t.

They flew frantically through the void for half a day, yet saw not even a shadow of He Pingsheng.

Meanwhile, He Pingsheng landed on a hill near the sect an hour later, retrieved the paper crane, and walked steadily toward the outer sect town.

Throughout, he had no idea anyone was tracking him.

He Pingsheng didn’t head straight home—he visited the outer sect grand hall instead.

His daily supplies were due for restocking.

After using contribution points to buy some spirit rice, he went to the central counter in the hall.

It was a circular counter, with several disciples seated inside, ready to serve visitors.

“Young brother, what can I help you with?” One disciple stood up as He Pingsheng approached, asking gently.

He Pingsheng said: “Brother, hello. I’d like to ask—does the Spirit Herb Valley currently accept new disciples?”

“Spirit Herb Valley?” The disciple nodded slightly. “Yes… You want to work there?”

“Are you a Wood-elemental spiritual root?”

“No, no, no…” He Pingsheng quickly waved his hands. “I’m not a Wood-elemental root, and I don’t plan to work there. I just want to ask you—if anyone heads to the Spirit Herb Valley, could you deliver a message to Brother Wang Dun for me?”

“I have urgent business with him!”

He Pingsheng wasn’t trying to reclaim his three spirit stones—he wanted to discuss using Wang Dun’s furnace to refine elixirs.

After all, the furnace belonged to someone else!

But the disciple shook his head. “Can’t do it, young brother. Don’t you know? Brother Wang Dun was killed in a battle outside the sect not long ago.”

“What?”

He Pingsheng’s mouth dropped open. “No way… He… he’s gone?”

“Gone!” The disciple’s face darkened with sorrow. “Brother Wang Dun was a decent man.”

He Pingsheng asked: “Who killed him?”

The disciple glanced around, then lowered his voice. “Rumor says it was an inner sect disciple from Xiuzhu Peak. I don’t know who exactly. Someone like Brother Wang Dun—no sect backing, no protection—dies, and no one cares.”

“Sigh…”

“Cultivation, cultivation—it’s just like this!”

“By the way, why were you looking for Wang Dun?” the disciple asked again.

He Pingsheng shook his head. “Brother Wang Dun borrowed a few spirit stones from me… Never mind. Dead man, debt erased. Thank you for the information, brother.”

He Pingsheng bowed to the disciple, then left.

Wang Dun was dead!

Logically, the furnace now belonged to him.

But He Pingsheng felt no joy at gaining the furnace—only deep sorrow.

Again, Xiuzhu Peak. Again, an inner sect disciple.

In the eyes of those inner sect disciples, perhaps we outer sect disciples are less than ants.

Killing Hao Yun only earned seven days of solitary confinement.

How many days of confinement would they get for killing Wang Dun?

He Pingsheng shook the snow off his body and returned to his room.

He locked the door.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, his brow furrowed, his heart remained unsettled.

Could it be that cruel woman, Linglong again?

Are outer sect disciples’ lives really so worthless?

And in the eyes of cultivators, are the countless mortals in this town no better than weeds?

He Pingsheng sat motionless, lost in thought for a long while.

After half a day, he shook his head, clearing the chaotic negative emotions from his mind. With a flick of his spiritual sense, he retrieved the Treasure Basin from his dantian.

The basin was three feet wide, filled with all manner of items.

First and foremost were spirit stones.

He’d spent fifty-four on elixirs and herbs—twenty and fourteen respectively—and now had five hundred forty-six left.

Besides spirit stones, there were four jade boxes containing [Seven-Leaf Spirit Herb], [Immortal Bamboo Shoot], [Crimson Fruit], and [Spirit Apricot].

These were the raw materials for refining Qi- Gathering Elixir.

Each had twenty portions.

Besides these herbs, there were four porcelain bottles—two containing twenty-four lower-grade [Qi-Gathering Elixirs] total.

The rest were miscellaneous odds and ends.

“Heh…” Looking at the cluttered room, He Pingsheng sighed. “If only I had a storage bag!”

With a storage bag, everything could be kept inside—no need to dump everything onto the floor or bed every time I use the Treasure Basin to enhance something.

It’s truly inconvenient.

But think about it!

Even the most basic storage bag costs over two thousand spirit stones.

Forget it.

He Pingsheng shook his head and tossed all twenty portions of the four herbs into the Treasure Basin.

Enhance!

Over the next few days, He Pingsheng inquired several more times, confirming Wang Dun’s death, then tossed Wang Dun’s furnace into the Treasure Basin as well.

Materials!

Furnace!

Porcelain bottles!

Elixirs!

One by one, enhanced.

He Pingsheng didn’t idle—he studied the [Thirty-Six Elixir Formulas] for days.

For these days, he focused only on basic elixir-refining knowledge and the [Qi-Gathering Elixir] formula within the Thirty-Six.

Because he was about to begin refining elixirs.

Preparing for elixir-refining involved more than this—it required firewood!

Different elixirs required different types of wood.

Even for the same elixir, different stages of refining demanded different wood.

Size and specifications also varied.

All these requirements meant a considerable amount of wood was needed.

He Pingsheng picked up his axe and went into the mountains to chop firewood himself.