Middle Three Continents, Yunmeng Prefecture.
“So… which sect are we going to wreck next?”
Jiang Keke, her body wrapped in bandages, stared at the ceiling. She felt the “ice and fire double heaven” sensation—alternating between bitter and sweet—in her mouth as she dazed out, her mind a total blank.
“No rush. You’ve almost exhausted my supply of medicinal herbs lately. I’m planning to head to the Alchemist Association to borrow some natural treasures.”
Yun Heng looked like a witch from a Western cultivation world, vigorously stirring a large iron pot with a giant wooden spoon.
“Speaking of which, Young Master… isn’t it a bit of a waste to prepare these rare medicinal herbs for me?”
Jiang Keke tried to roll over, but she found that everything below her waist was completely devoid of strength.
She could only squirm a couple of times like a maggot, looking at Yun Heng from an extremely awkward angle.
“I’m just a book boy found everywhere. I was only lucky enough to be chosen by the Master to accompany you in your studies; I was also lucky enough that when you chose to run away from home, you slipped and picked me to be your personal book boy.”
“Therefore, I’m not worth you using these natural treasures to nourish me.”
Her posture was strange, but her gaze was incredibly serious.
Since she was a child, Jiang Keke understood the principle that ‘one must have self-knowledge.’
In just one month, a person with mixed spiritual roots had progressed from Level 3 to Level 7 of Qi Refining, and there were even faint signs of breaking through to Level 8.
Aside from Jiang Keke’s own hard work in “taking beatings,” it was also inseparable from the miraculous elixirs Yun Heng brewed.
In fact, the latter probably accounted for the lion’s share of the progress.
After all, Jiang Keke had come from the Upper Three Provinces.
She knew that the cultivation levels of many geniuses were piled up by their families and sects using various spiritual medicines and secret treasures. She felt her situation was much the same.
But she was merely a book boy. What virtue or ability did she have to be qualified for all this?
Moreover, this was the noble Eldest Young Master of the Changsheng Yun family “personally” and meticulously preparing it for her.
“We will be involved in at least three life-or-death battles next.”
Yun Heng did not comfort Jiang Keke’s low self-esteem because he knew it was useless. Only the most utilitarian approach could put her mind at ease for the time being.
“But most of the magical artifacts on me are defensive, life-saving types. Once a battle starts, I can only become a turtle hiding in its shell. If multiple forces surround us, even if I exhaust all my magical artifacts, I’m afraid it would be difficult to guarantee my safety.”
Yun Heng didn’t look at Jiang Keke, continuing to brew the soup as he whispered to himself, “As the saying goes, offense is the best defense.”
“But as you know, it will be hard for my physical condition to be of use anytime soon. Therefore, I need you to become my ‘fist’ and protect me.”
As his voice trailed off, Yun Heng stopped speaking, leaving the point to sink in.
After a long silence, Jiang Keke chose to find a comfortable position to lie down again. She closed her eyes and began to recuperate in peace.
It wasn’t until Yun Heng finished preparing the medicinal soup—worth 16,000 high-grade spirit stones—and brought the bowl to her side that she forced herself to sit up.
Her eyes widened as she brandished a fist. “Even if you didn’t say so, I would still protect you. Don’t underestimate me, Young Master!”
With that, Jiang Keke snatched the thick soup from the bowl and downed it in one go.
“This is very bitter…”
Yun Heng tried to warn her kindly, only to see her eyes brimming with tears — she was crying from the bitterness — as her hand shook while placing the bowl by the bed. Then, like a mummy, she lay straight back down.
She didn’t say a word.
Actually, she let out a muffled groan, the sound of the injury to her spine aching from that series of large movements.
Yun Heng was speechless, shaking his head with a faint smile.
***
The night passed without further words.
Yunmeng Prefecture, named after the “vastness of the Chu heavens and Yunmeng,” symbolized the prosperity and diversity of cultivation culture. It consisted of seven parts water and three parts land.
Unlike Yu Gong province, which was filled with mortal dynasties, this place was ruled by hundreds of sects and cultivation families, large and small, according to the waterways.
Because of this, the province naturally birthed a unique culture of “boat markets” and “floating grotto-heavens.”
Cultivators mostly moved about using flying boats or water-controlling magical artifacts. Trade flourished and information was readily available, though it was also a place where all sorts of people mingled.
Because the soil and water were fertile, producing an abundance of spiritual plants and water-attribute demon cores, the practice of alchemy was extremely popular in Yunmeng Prefecture.
The Alchemist Association held immense power, almost monopolizing the circulation of mid-to-high-end elixirs. Its branches were spread across every city, even influencing the resource distribution of sects.
Many cultivators did not excel at combat but could establish themselves solely through alchemy or spiritual plant cultivation skills.
The open and secret struggles between sects often revolved around the competition for elixir recipes, medicinal fields, and alchemist talent.
As for Liuli Valley, one of the three top sects in Yunmeng Prefecture, its “yin flourishing and yang declining” characteristic—with a male-to-female ratio of 1:90—also deeply influenced the local style.
Within its jurisdiction, clothing was mostly made of light and elegant materials, and transactions always emphasized refined etiquette.
Although there were fewer public conflicts, the secret intelligence wars and resource gambles were far more delicate and prolonged.
“The so-called ‘refined on the outside, calculating on the inside’ is the best eight-word mantra to describe this place.”
Before the morning mist had dissipated, a man and a woman walked along the damp bluestone road.
Yun Heng acted like a tour guide, educating Jiang Keke. Occasionally, when he saw some beautiful scenery, he would stop to gaze into the distance, focusing on relaxation and leisure.
Fortunately, Jiang Keke loved listening to Yun Heng talk about these things. She always listened intently and would even ask follow-up questions from time to time, never spoiling the mood.
Although she was able to walk, her face was still pale, her steps were unstable, and the outlines of bandages were faintly visible beneath her loose clothing.
When they were about 300 or 400 meters away from the Alchemist Association branch, Yun Heng stopped talking, and Jiang Keke began to look around curiously.
It was currently just 5:00 AM, but a long queue had already formed in front of the association.
Although the cultivators were dressed differently, most had a refined temperament. They talked in low voices about the market prices of medicinal materials or their insights into alchemy; not a single person was noisy.
“They’re so polite…”
Jiang Keke couldn’t help but sigh softly.
She had followed the Young Master from the upper three provinces, traveling everywhere.
She had been to the mortal realm, the lower three continents, and other sect locations in Yunmeng Prefecture, but she had never seen such a “morning market” with such high standards.
This made Jiang Keke unable to resist muttering in her heart: ‘If someone suddenly staged a robbery, would these people even scream?’
“Didn’t I just say it? Alchemists have a very high status in Yunmeng Prefecture. If anyone dares to commit a robbery in front of the Alchemist Association, then even if the King of Heaven himself showed up, he wouldn’t have the guts to say he could leave in one piece.”
Jiang Keke was startled by Yun Heng’s sudden answer. She puffed out her cheeks indignantly.
“Young Master, do you really not know how to read minds? How is it that you know what I’m thinking every time?”
“Who told you to write your thoughts so clearly on your face every time?”
Yun Heng shrugged.
In truth, he actually could read minds—it was that “three-second hypnosis” ability he rarely used.
That golden finger would have been excellent in the mortal realm, but for a cultivator born into a wealthy family like Yun Heng, it was somewhat lackluster.
‘In my previous life, my mind was mostly occupied by my ex-wife, so I never thought about researching my golden finger… In this life, I should find an opportunity to study what its function and origin actually are.’
Thinking this, Yun Heng led Jiang Keke to the entrance of the Alchemist Association.
Right at that moment, an untimely, unrefined, and boisterous voice—one that mixed arrogance and superiority with a hint of respect—rang out in front of them:
“Brother Yun, I hope you’ve been well. I didn’t expect to see you here. Hahaha! It seems our demon inspection team really does share a deep fate with you!”
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