Chapter 488 - 22: Mid-Stage Ninth Grade

"How tyrannical!"

Standing outside Baiyun Temple, Zhu Ju sighed helplessly, shook his head, and got into his horse carriage.

Wujiu had been polite and even gave him a Stabilizing Essence Pill, which was priceless on the market. It seemed he had acknowledged him as Shuang’er’s relative.

And yet...

He still refused to let Zhu Ju have any further contact with Shuang’er.

Perhaps he didn’t want Shuang’er to have too many lingering attachments to this place, or maybe he was worried about what Zhu Ju might say.

In short.

He had been politely ’shown out’, not even given the chance for a final farewell.

"Young Master Zhu."

A luxurious carriage pulled up alongside, its curtain lifted to reveal a picturesque, pretty face.

"What a coincidence. We parted ways that day, and Ru Xuan never had the chance to thank you. I didn’t expect to see you here today."

"Thank me?" Zhu Ju looked puzzled.

"Miss Zhou, I believe the last time we met was six months ago at the Mansion Master’s banquet, wasn’t it?"

"Hee-hee..." Zhou Ruxuan pursed her lips in a light chuckle, her eyes narrowing into crescents. Showing no annoyance at her failed attempt to trick him, she said unhurriedly, "You have a good memory, Young Master Zhu. In that case, I must have mistaken you for someone else. If you’re heading back to the city, why not share a ride?"

"Men and women should maintain their distance." Zhu Ju shook his head.

"I think I’ll pass."

"Tsk!" Zhou Ruxuan laughed.

"Young Master Zhu’s maid was taken as a disciple by an expert from the True Martial Sect. The Zhu Family’s rise is now set in stone. Don’t tell me you’re already looking down on someone from a minor family like me?"

"Miss Zhou..." Zhu Ju was speechless.

"Please don’t joke."

"Forget it." Zhou Ruxuan waved her hand.

"A few days ago, I helped you by raising the bid on that shop. Don’t forget that favor."

"Oh!" Zhu Ju realized.

"So it was Miss Zhou who helped. I’m endlessly grateful."

"Don’t just pay lip service." Zhou Ruxuan smiled, lowering the curtain to hide her pretty face.

"I’ll take my leave for now. We’ll meet again another day."

Inside the carriage.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

’Is it really not him?’

Watching the Zhou Family’s carriage depart, Zhu Ju finally had his own carriage move forward, taking one last look at the Daoist Temple behind him.

’Wujiu... Golden Core?’

Wary of the other man’s Cultivation, Zhu Ju didn’t intentionally spy on him, but he could still discern a great deal with the help of his Formless Divine Light.

In his view, the Formless Divine Light was like a mirror, capable of reflecting all things in the world.

Cultivation level, the circulation of a Cultivation Technique... it could see them all!

Reflected in the Formless Divine Light, Wujiu’s Qi Blood was not as vast and boundless as Leng Jian’s.

Instead, it was extremely condensed.

Like a round, gleaming golden Pill, a massive amount of Qi Blood was condensed within, and it even revealed the form of a Red Flame Qilin.

’It resembles a Golden Core, but also a Nascent Soul.’

A ’Dharma Aspect’ was being nurtured within the ’Golden Core’ of condensed Qi Blood. This seemed to be the path of Cultivation in this world.

’This Wujiu’s Qi Blood is no less abundant than mine was in my prime; it might even be greater.’

The carriage moved forward.

Zhu Ju narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.

’Even if this world specializes in Qi Blood, putting me at a slight disadvantage when judging strength, his power still isn’t far off from mine at my peak.’

’Fourth Grade... he should be on the verge of advancing to the Third Grade!’

’If Third Grade is comparable to a Nascent Soul, and each grade after that is a whole new level, just how powerful are Second-Grade and First Grade?’

"Young Master," the voice of an accompanying guard sounded.

"A message came by messenger bird from the estate."

"Oh?" Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow, lifted the curtain, and took the secret message from Nursing Director Zhang. After unfolding it, he snorted.

"Just as I thought!"

The Qingyi Gang oversaw three major cloth merchants: the Zhu, Qian, and Li families. While the Zhu Family’s tax silver was thirty thousand taels, the other two families only had to pay twenty thousand taels each.

Moreover.

They could use other goods as payment.

The deadline was even extended to the end of next month. All in all, the price paid by the other two families was less than that of the Zhu Family alone.

’Guo Jie...’

Pursing his lips, Zhu Ju gave a calm smile.

’"When you’re under someone else’s roof, you have to bow your head." He’s a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist, after all. What can a fifteen or sixteen-year-old kid like me do?’

*

*

*

GULP...

The Pill slid down his throat and into his stomach.

Immediately after.

A faint, warm current appeared, surging through his limbs and bones, following the path of his Qi Blood circulation.

"Ngh..."

A grunt escaped Zhu Ju’s lips, a vein throbbing on his forehead.

’This Stabilizing Essence Pill is truly worth a fortune. With such potent medicinal power, it might save me a year or two of hard work.’

’Dragon Elephant Force!’

’Refine it for me!’

As he operated the Method with all his might, the Qi Blood in his body swirled like a dragon and elephant, frantically devouring and undergoing the Refinement of the Stabilizing Essence Pill’s medicinal power.

This Pill was a Spirit Pill from the True Martial Sect, specially designed to solidify the Martial Arts foundation of practitioners below the Seventh Grade.

It was said to be worth a fortune,

but in reality, it was priceless and unavailable on the market.

Every single one was exceptionally rare.

Wujiu had given Zhu Ju one. Perhaps, in his mind, that was enough to ’buy’ Shuang’er.

CRACKLE...

As the medicinal power of the Stabilizing Essence Pill entered his body, a series of fine, crisp sounds echoed from Zhu Ju’s limbs and bones.

His originally weak Tendon and Bone were being reshaped at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In just a few moments, a lustrous, jade-like sheen began to emerge from the depths of his bone marrow.

If anyone else were to witness this scene, they would surely be dumbfounded.

The Stabilizing Essence Pill was good, but remodeling one’s Physical Body was not something that could be done overnight. The fact that Zhu Ju could push the medicinal power to this extent showed just how terrifying his control over his own body was.

Moreover, the pain of reforging one’s bones was unbearable for an ordinary person, yet he only broke out in a few beads of cold sweat on his forehead.

「Several days later.」

Zhu Ju slowly opened his eyes, ceased his Cultivation Technique, and shook his body. He then clenched his five fingers into a sudden, powerful fist.

BANG!

A fierce Strength erupted from his fingertips. The extreme speed and power actually created a sonic boom in his palm.

’Mid-Ninth Grade!’

His constitution had reached the mid-Ninth Grade, but his foundation was far deeper than an ordinary person’s. The result was...

’I can sustain a Seventh-Grade-level burst of power for a short time!’

Standing up.

Zhu Ju straightened his clothes and slowly walked out of the Quiet Chamber.

......

East side of the city.

This area was filled with merchants and warehouses.

The Qingyi Gang naturally had many properties here as well, one of which was occupied by Guo Jie.

This place served as both his office and his private residence.

"Steward." A man gestured for others to bring a chest forward. "This is next year’s tax silver collected from Hutong Alley. A total of two thousand three hundred taels, all in here."

"Two thousand three hundred taels?" Guo Jie stepped forward and opened the silver chest. "Was anyone uncooperative?"

"A few families," the man grinned. "But the brothers taught one of them a lesson, and the rest became cooperative. As for those who really couldn’t produce the silver..."

"There are always ways to make them pay."

He said this with a sinister laugh.

Guo Jie shook his head, took out a handful of silver from the chest, and tossed it to him.

"Don’t go too far. We’re just collecting tax silver on behalf of the Court. If you push people too hard and things blow up, it’ll make the Gang Leader lose face."

"I understand." The subordinate hastily accepted the silver, smiling obsequiously.

"Thank you for the reward, Steward!"

"We know our limits. Even if we make people sell their sons and daughters, we definitely won’t cause too much of a stir."

"Mm." Guo Jie nodded.

"As long as you know your limits."

With that.

He waved his men away, lifted the silver chest with one hand, and went into the inner room, tossing the chest aside.

’This is tricky!’

’The Zhu Family, after all, is a cloth merchant cultivated by the gang. I can’t go too far. But I’ve already accepted benefits from the Qian Family.’

Stroking his chin, Guo Jie’s eyes narrowed.

’Looks like... I’ll have to apply a little more pressure.’

Huh?

"Who’s there!"

Before the words had even left his mouth, a dark figure pounced from behind him, the sharp killing intent making his heart tremble.

’An assassin!’

Guo Jie’s eyes flew wide open. A white arc of electricity suddenly flashed between his fingers as the Longsword at his waist sang out of its sheath.

The speed of his draw was clearly beyond the assassin’s expectations, and the momentum of the attack changed accordingly.

Soul-Shocking Needle!

Guo Jie’s head snapped back, his eyes went vacant, and his mind buzzed as if it had been stabbed by a white-hot steel needle.

He even...

lost his grip, and his sword CLANGED to the floor.