Chapter 230 - 229: Hundredfold Interest

Chapter 230: Chapter 229: Hundredfold Interest

"The Nineteenth Prince, Xia Wenliang, stumbled into a desolate Monkey Valley a few days ago while hunting on West Mountain. After killing a large number of Demon Monkeys, he acquired a jar of aged Monkey Wine. Upon appraisal, the Monkey Wine was determined to be over nine hundred and fifty years old, making it nearly a Spirit Brew."

"However, the Nineteenth Prince only has a Fourth Grade Perfect Cultivation and cannot withstand the wine’s immense medicinal power. Therefore, he has temporarily hidden it in a secret chamber within his Sleeping Palace, saving it for later consumption."

...

A strange glint flashed in Xia Wuyang’s eyes. ’Nine-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Monkey Wine... That’s a Top Level Mortal Treasure, perfect for my cultivation.’

If he could drink it, he could surely cleanse all the filth and impurities from his body. His Qi Blood would also reach a sufficiently high level, allowing him to then attempt a breakthrough to the Qi Refining Stage.

’I can’t believe that fellow Xia Wenliang had such good luck, managing to get his hands on a jar of nine-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Monkey Wine.’

Among the many Princes and Princesses, this Nineteenth Prince was considered one of the more mild-mannered ones. He didn’t have much ambition, just a taste for petty gains.

Back when his Crown Prince’s Mansion fell from grace, Xia Wenliang had seized the opportunity to snatch a few of his properties. However, he hadn’t physically harmed or killed anyone, and he hadn’t deliberately targeted him afterward.

That was far better than the other Princes and Princesses.

But at the end of the day, he had still stolen some of his properties and resources. ’It’s only right to take this opportunity to teach him a lesson.’

’A light punishment will suffice.’ With that, Xia Wuyang made up his mind.

At midnight, the spring wind still carried a chill, causing the palace lanterns to sway and cast flickering shadows on the stone path.

Xia Wuyang disguised himself, donning a mask and a Cloak. He activated his Escape Concealment Technique, his figure becoming like smoke and mist as he silently passed through the palace’s many walls, arriving at Wenxing Hall.

The Nineteenth Prince, Xia Wenliang, resided here. Although Wenxing Hall could not compare to many of the other palaces, it was decorated rather elegantly.

It was situated in the northeast corner of the Imperial Palace, a somewhat remote and modest-sized location.

The Nineteenth Prince’s mother had been just an ordinary concubine from a family with little influence. She had passed away long ago, leaving him with no powerful backer in the palace, so he had always kept a low profile.

As Xia Wuyang slipped into Wenxing Hall, he found the security to be quite lax. The few Guards on duty were dozing off, and the palace eunuchs and Palace Maids had already retired for the night.

It was like walking into an unguarded domain; he reached the Sleeping Palace with ease.

Xia Wenliang was not in the Sleeping Palace; he was cultivating in a nearby Practice Room.

The furnishings in the Sleeping Palace were also very simple; compared to places like the Gold and Silver Palace or the Wude Palace, it even looked a little shabby.

The Purple Sandalwood furniture was somewhat old, and the Antiques on the Antique Shelf were nothing special. He expanded his Mental Force Field, and everything was reflected in his Heart Lake.

Xia Wuyang’s gaze quickly locked onto one spot: the wall behind the bed. One of the bricks was slightly different in color from the rest.

Most Martial Artists would not have been able to spot the difference, but this did not include Xia Wuyang.

He stepped forward and pressed it lightly. The wall slid open without a sound, revealing a secret chamber about three feet square.

Only three items were inside: a wine jar sealed with yellow clay, a palm-sized Jade Box, and a yellowed ancient scroll.

The wine jar was a common earthenware pot, a much shoddier container compared to those of the Monkey Wine Xia Wuyang had previously acquired.

The yellow clay on the jar had turned a dark red. This was a type of wine paste that only formed after Monkey Wine had been stored for over five hundred years, and it could be used for Refining some good things.

As Xia Wuyang’s fingertip lightly touched the jar, he could feel the immense essence of flora within, along with a faint, almost imperceptible trace of Spirituality. This wine was indeed close to becoming a Spirit Brew. It was only a few decades short; once it passed the thousand-year mark, it would be a true Spirit Brew.

Once it became a Spirit Brew, it would be a Low Level Spirit Treasure, capable of helping a True Monarch significantly improve their Cultivation Realm. Its value would multiply many times over. ’A bit of a pity,’ he thought.

He opened the Jade Box. Inside was a Sea Pearl the size of a pigeon’s egg, which glowed on its own in the darkness, bathing the secret chamber in a soft light.

It was a South Sea Luminous Pearl. Though not a cultivation treasure, it was priceless and worth a fortune in gold.

The ancient scroll was a copy of the *Chronicles of Strange Objects in the West Mountain*, which documented things like the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and the Exotic Flowers and Herbs of the West Mountain region.

Xia Wuyang casually flipped through it and on one page found a record of the Monkey Valley. It turned out that the area was once where the Royal Family of a previous dynasty raised Spiritual Monkeys. After the dynasty fell, the monkeys scattered, but their tradition of winemaking was passed down.

’So, Xia Wenliang didn’t find this nine-hundred-year-old Monkey Wine by pure luck after all. He had the guidance of an ancient text.’

’This windfall is mine now.’

Xia Wuyang stored all three items in his Personal Space. He then rummaged around some more, taking everything of any value and adding it to his spoils.

’A quick calculation shows that the total value of these items is nearly a hundred times greater than the resources and properties Xia Wenliang snatched from me back then.’

The most valuable item by far was the nine-hundred-year-old Monkey Wine, a rare Top Level Mortal Treasure. It was the kind of treasure that even a Celestial Human could only hope to stumble upon by chance.

That single jar of nine-hundred-year-old Monkey Wine alone was worth dozens of times more than the properties and resources Xia Wenliang had stolen. Combined with the other treasures, this haul was far more valuable.

’I’ll just consider the nearly hundredfold surplus as interest. After all, Xia Wenliang has held those properties and resources for many years. Isn’t it only right he pay some interest?’

’Besides, those properties and resources will remain Xia Wenliang’s for the time being. I don’t plan on taking them back yet, so it’s only fair I take a little extra now.’

’As for whether Xia Wenliang is willing, that’s not his choice to make. When he stole my resources and properties back then, he certainly didn’t ask if I was willing.’

’Now, I’m just giving him a taste of his own medicine. It doesn’t matter if he agrees or not. The fact that I haven’t done anything to him personally is a testament to my mercy.’

Returning to the Practice Room in Wenhua Hall, the entire round trip had taken him only as long as it takes to drink a cup of tea, a testament to Xia Wuyang’s incredible speed.

He took out the nine-hundred-year-old Monkey Wine and carefully removed the clay seal.

HUMMM...

The moment the wine jar was opened, a rich and exotic fragrance filled the entire Practice Room.

This aroma was not overpowering like that of mortal wine; instead, it was as elegant as an orchid, carrying the crisp freshness of mountain flora.

The liquid was amber-colored, glowing with a faint golden light under the illumination of the Luminous Pearl. Countless tiny specks of light seemed to drift within it—a sign that its medicinal power was so dense it had begun to materialize. It was only a single step away from becoming a Spirit Wine.

Xia Wuyang poured a small cup and took a tentative sip.

As the liquid went down his throat, it felt as gentle as spring water at first, but then it transformed into a torrential flood of medicinal power that surged through his entire body.

Unlike the violent power of the Blood Lotus Fruit, the medicinal energy of the Monkey Wine was gentle and enduring. Like a spring rain nurturing the earth, it silently nourished his meridians, bones, and organs.

Even more miraculously, the wine contained a trace of "monkey essence"—the vitality and Spirituality that the Demon Monkeys had infused into it during brewing.

This trace of Spirituality could awaken a Martial Artist’s latent life potential and had a miraculous effect on breaking through to new realms.