Chapter 80
If he didn't sell the talismans and spiritual ink in his hands, he would currently have eleven spiritual stones and thirty taels of gold to his name.
"Is there anything cheaper?"
"Sure, there are options cheaper than a single spiritual stone," Han Qi replied bluntly.
"Then I..."
"Not finished yet. These body-refining techniques are either incomplete or impossible to practice."
Han Qi led Zheng Fa to a secluded corner of the bookshelf.
The books there were haphazardly stacked, and no one bothered to organize them.
"This one, 'Earth Fire Refining the Golden Body,' is perfect for someone like you who practices fire-based techniques. Once mastered, it could even help you break through your bottleneck—but it requires an earth fire vein. Our Jiu Shan Sect used to have one, but it collapsed."
"And this one, 'Bodhi Dao Body,' can enhance your comprehension—but it requires a Bodhi fruit, which is said to be extinct in the entire cultivation world."
"…"
Zheng Fa fell silent. They say you get what you pay for.
But these weren't just low-quality goods; they were expired products.
Seeing his dejected expression, Han Qi, with a teasing smile, picked up a book. "Actually, this one is my top recommendation: 'Five Thunder Law Body.' It's the most suitable body-refining technique for disciples of our Jiu Shan Sect."
"Why?"
"Our sect excels in talismans, and among them, thunder talismans are the most powerful. 'Five Thunder Law Body' was created by a great predecessor of our sect. I've heard that mastering this technique not only makes your body hard to injure but also significantly enhances the power of your thunder talismans."
As Han Qi spoke, he seemed genuinely enthusiastic about the technique, adding, "Our disciples once relied on this technique to draw five thunder talismans, making them unmatched among the disciples of the Hundred Immortals Alliance. They even earned the title of the best in Xuanwei Thunder Talismans—that was the peak of our Jiu Shan Sect."
A hint of longing flickered in his expression as he spoke.
"…But I can't practice it?"
"It’s easy to end up as charcoal! The final step of this technique requires heavenly thunder to refine the body." Han Qi tossed the book back onto the shelf. "You need to rely on Xuanlei Stone, using its thunderous power to temper your flesh, gradually adapting your body to the thunder and preparing for the final heavenly thunder refinement..."
Wait a minute!
"Xuanlei Stone?"
"A type of spiritual ore that contains thunderous power. Although the power of the thunder in Xuanlei Stone is only a fraction of true heavenly thunder, it’s just right for refining during the Qi Refining stage, allowing your body to strengthen step by step until it can withstand the power of heavenly thunder."
"Is that vein exhausted too?"
"Not exactly, but it's extremely rare." Han Qi sighed. "The Xuanlei Stone is useful for more than just practicing 'Five Thunder Law Body.' In the market, it’s priced very high, practically out of reach for Qi Refining disciples."
Zheng Fa nodded.
Suddenly, he asked, "How much is this technique?"
"Before, this was considered a sect secret, and you wouldn't even qualify to see it for five hundred spiritual stones. Now, though—just one spiritual stone."
"I'll take it!"
"Wait, junior brother, hold on… I meant before! This technique was powerful back then, but now it can't be practiced!" Han Qi grabbed Zheng Fa's hand as he reached for the shelf.
Zheng Fa paused, looking at Han Qi.
He could sense that this person hadn’t been too fond of him before.
Did ten taels of gold change everything?
Is goodwill this cheap?
But Han Qi meant well, so he explained, "I just want to give it a try."
"Do you happen to have a Xuanlei Stone mine at home?"
"No!"
"Listen to your senior brother, don’t try it. If you really think spiritual stones are a nuisance, just give them to me!"
Zheng Fa remained resolute and took the 'Five Thunder Law Body.'
He might not have a mine at home, but Han Qi, after all, hadn’t studied history and didn’t know a term called the electrical revolution.
…
Han Qi furrowed his brows as he returned home.
He lived in a modest house that looked a bit worn.
"Senior brother!"
Two followers were waiting for him inside, and upon seeing his expression, they grew a bit agitated.
"Did that kid give you a hard time?"
Han Qi remained silent, waving his hand at the two and sitting down, seemingly lost in thought.
"Why don’t we just leave in a couple of days? We’ve saved enough money over the years! We could buy three big houses, each of us could marry a few wives, and life would be good!"
One of the taller, leaner ones suggested.
"Exactly! We shouldn’t put up with this nonsense! We’re the ones getting scammed, but the big share goes to Brother Yuan, right? In the end, we offend a new disciple, and he treats us like trash!" said the shorter follower.
Han Qi still didn’t respond, and the two grew anxious.
"Senior brother?"
"He didn’t give me a hard time." Han Qi finally spoke slowly, "He even gave me ten taels of gold."
"Ten taels of gold? What’s that worth?"
The tall one scoffed.
"The geniuses we’ve encountered before were quick to part with their money. When have they ever given it back?" Han Qi sneered. "We need to cultivate, and those geniuses need to cultivate even more… They don’t even let us have a sip of soup!"
"So what are you worried about, senior brother? Didn’t we agree to leave Jiu Shan Sect together in a few days?"
"This Zheng Fa chose 'Five Thunder Law Body,'" Han Qi suddenly said.
"That thing hasn’t been practiced in a thousand years, right? Is he stupid?" The tall one was taken aback, then shrugged it off. "Whatever, it’s his choice. What does it have to do with us?"
Han Qi glanced at the gold in his hand, suddenly standing up and walking toward the door.
"Where are you going, senior brother?"
"I'm going to see Sister Zhang."
The two disciples exchanged glances, and the tall one couldn’t help but mutter, "Ten taels of gold, is it really worth it?"
---
**Chapter 91: Yin and Yang**
Sister Zhang sat at the front of the hall, while Han Qi stood below.
He kept his head down, eyes fixed on the ground, not daring to look at Sister Zhang.
It seemed that as soon as he entered, all the courage he had gathered on the way vanished.
"What do you need from me?"
But Sister Zhang was not one to waste time; she asked directly.
"Reporting to Sister, as you instructed, I brought Junior Brother Zheng today to collect his nameplate and technique."
Sister Zhang nodded lightly, listening for him to continue.
"Junior Brother Zheng chose 'Five Thunder Law Body' in the Scripture Pavilion."
Upon hearing this, Sister Zhang fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Is that all you wanted to tell me?"
"Yes!" Han Qi lowered his head, speaking softly, "Although 'Five Thunder Law Body' is profound, no one has practiced it successfully in a thousand years..."
"Mm."
"I just wanted to..."
"You want me to advise Junior Brother Zheng?"
"Yes, if Junior Brother Zheng is confident, that’s great, but I worry he might be too young and impulsive."
Sister Zhang stared at Han Qi for a long time, as if pondering something.
"Han Junior Brother," she suddenly called him, "you’re not that kind of person."
"Sister?"
"You entered our Jiu Shan Sect fifty years ago, with dual spiritual roots, average talent in talismans, from a small family, often mingling in the market, doing a bit of petty trickery..."
Han Qi raised his head, surprise etched on his face, clearly not expecting Sister Zhang to know him so well.
Sister Zhang continued, "You’ve been scheming around, then joined Brother Yuan’s faction. Well, your reputation isn’t exactly stellar."
"Yes..."
"Han Junior Brother, you’re not genuinely concerned about a newly initiated disciple."
"…He gave me ten taels of gold."
"Mm?"
Sister Zhang’s face showed rare confusion.
"Sister Zhang, with your exceptional talent, you might not understand the struggles of us low-ranking cultivators. The people I’ve encountered in the immortal sect are all bullies, taking advantage of others..."
"Is that all?"
Sister Zhang frowned and asked.
"You might not know, but I’m already preparing to leave the immortal sect and live out my life in the mortal world," Han Qi said, keeping his head down. "Sister only knows I come from a small family, but you don’t know that my parents have long passed away, and there are no close relatives left in my clan."
"…"
"Funny enough, I’ve had a very unhappy time in Jiu Shan Sect. I’ve been scolded for decades, only to realize that the only place I could call home is right here."
For the first time, Han Qi looked directly into Sister Zhang’s eyes.
"Since Junior Brother Zheng is so valued by you, he will surely achieve great things in the future." Han Qi glanced at the ten taels of gold in his hand and suddenly smiled. "I was just thinking, if our Jiu Shan Sect had more prominent figures like Junior Brother Zheng in the future, would my decades of hardship be worth it?"
Sister Zhang looked at his somewhat embarrassed face, and her gaze softened.
"…I guess I’m about to leave, but I still find myself hoping for the best for Jiu Shan Sect."
Sister Zhang nodded gently, taking a long moment before speaking, "I already know about this matter; you don’t need to worry."
Han Qi cupped his hands in respect and took his leave.
Table of Contents
