Chapter 39: The Calm Spirit Pill
Chapter 39: The Calm Spirit Pill
"Leave this place?" Fang Xing expressed surprise. "Does Madam Shen have enough money for the journey?"
Qinglinfang City was established by Qingxu Zong to develop the untamed wilderness, and its location was deep within this treacherous territory, surrounded by danger on all sides.
Aside from the occasional passage of Qingxu Zong's own flying boat caravans, there was no other way out.
It was relatively easy for rogue cultivators to come to Qinglinfang City, but leaving was a different matter altogether, as even the boat tickets were exorbitantly priced.
"Selling off our possessions should be enough," Shen Yuhxin replied calmly, but with determination in her voice, indicating that she had planned this beforehand.
Now that the Five Chivalrous Brothers of Cangshan were destined to fall apart, they had also greatly offended the Black Tiger Gang. Staying in the city would only lead to further danger, so their only option was to leave!
"Here's a spirit stone as a token of my condolences. Please don't think it's too little, Madam," Fang Xing said after some thought, taking out a lower-grade spirit stone.
"How can I accept this?" Shen Yuhxin's eyes reddened further, and her voice turned hoarse with emotion. "After so many years of sworn brotherhood, you, a neighbor I've only known for a few days, show more righteousness than they do. Ah, such righteousness..."
However, she was also quick-witted and grateful. She led Fang Xing to the back hall and said, "My husband and I kept our belongings here. Feel free to take whatever you like, Brother Fang..."
Fang Xing had offered a substantial gift, and this was his true intention.
With a quick glance, he spotted Meng Yi and his wife's 'possessions,' which weren't much: a few weapons, five secret manuals, and some miscellaneous items like pills, talismans, and herbs.
"Hmm? You even have the 'Illusion Heart Orchid'?" Fang Xing pointed at the freshly picked orchid, sounding surprised.
"My husband and I risked our lives to obtain this. If you want it, Brother Fang, it's yours for ten spirit stones," Shen Yuhxin replied. With these ten spirit stones, along with their usual savings, they should have enough for two boat tickets.
While she and her son were unafraid of the Black Tiger Gang within the city, it was unwise to assume they could keep out thieves indefinitely.
The sooner they left, the better.
"Ten spirit stones? That's not too expensive..." Fang Xing mused. "It just so happens that I need to cultivate martial arts, and I'm only missing the 'Calm Spirit Pill'..."
He sighed, took out ten spirit stones, and held the Illusion Heart Orchid in his hand.
Lower-grade spirit stones were only the size of a fingernail, so a small pouch could hold many of them.
However, these ten spirit stones were quite a fortune for rogue cultivators.
Even Shen Yuhxin gave Fang Xing a second glance but said nothing more, quickly concluding the transaction.
"Got it!" After leaving Shen Yuhxin's house, a smile curved Fang Xing's lips.
It might seem redundant to buy another Illusion Heart Orchid since he already had one, but the difference was significant.
At the very least, the origin of the orchid in his possession was now 'laundered.'
It appeared to be purchased rather than taken from the Black Tiger Gang, and no matter how arrogant and domineering they were, they wouldn't dare to cause trouble for him over this.
Who knew how many Illusion Heart Orchids Shen Yuhxin had sold?
Once she and her son left, there would be no evidence at all.
...
Qingdanfang.
"Welcome, esteemed customer..." A waitress with a charming smile approached Fang Xing, only to be ignored. "Is Miss Ru here?"
"Miss Ru, I'll go get her right away..." The waitress's smile froze slightly at being disregarded.
Soon after, Ru appeared before Fang Xing. "Are you the customer who inquired about the Calm Spirit Pill last time?"
She had a good memory and recognized Fang Xing.
"Yes. Do you have any in stock?" Fang Xing asked.
"I'm sorry, but we're still out of stock for the Calm Spirit Pill..." Ru offered an apologetic smile.
"Oh? But I recently acquired an 'Illusion Heart Orchid.' What if I commissioned its refinement?" Fang Xing asked again.
"What a fortunate coincidence for you to have obtained an Illusion Heart Orchid! If you wish to commission its refinement, we'd be happy to oblige," Ru replied, slightly surprised. "If you provide the 'Illusion Heart Orchid,' we'll prepare the auxiliary materials. In case of success, you'll receive fifty percent of the pills, and if it fails, you won't need to pay any additional spirit stones."
Fang Xing frowned slightly, feeling that this shop was a bit of a rip-off.
However, there was no other choice. Other private pill refiners were even more unscrupulous and lacked the necessary skills.
"Please rest assured, our pill refiner has a success rate of over seventy percent for the Calm Spirit Pill..." Ru said, seemingly aware of Fang Xing's hesitation.
"Fine, let's do it then..." Fang Xing took out an Illusion Heart Orchid, ready to give it a try.
After all, he still had another one, so he wasn't too worried.
Even if this shop was dishonest and cheated him, it would only serve to expose the true nature of these city shops.
There would be a reckoning in the future!
...
After wandering through the market, Fang Xing returned to his shack.
As he was about to open the door, he suddenly froze. There were quite a few people gathered in front of Shen Yuhxin's house, and they didn't look friendly.
Each one of them had a fierce look on their faces, and they wore tiger-head emblems on their chests—obviously members of the Black Tiger Gang.
"Where did the woman and child who lived here go?" The leader asked in a menacing tone, glaring at Fang Xing.
"I heard that Shen, the widow, wanted to leave Qinglinfang City with her child after her husband died," Fang Xing replied, his body trembling as if he was afraid. He had just sold out Shen Yuhxin.
"Smart move, leaving. But they won't get far. We have eyes and ears everywhere," the leader sneered.
"Let's go!"
This group of Black Tiger Gang members had apparently already interrogated the other neighbors, and now that they had confirmed their suspicions, they left in disappointment.
"As expected, when it comes to dealing with gang members, killing one is usually enough to get the message across..."
Fang Xing closed the door with a shake of his head. With his current lack of strength, all he could do was endure and bide his time.
Once he became powerful enough to crush this place, he would be free to do as he pleased. This was his path of martial arts!
Although Xiaolong had spoken of the spirit of martial arts, of the weak punching above their weight against the strong, Fang Xing wasn't particularly moved by such ideals.
His path of martial arts was about becoming stronger, protecting himself, and only then, when he had the strength to do so, would he extend a helping hand to those in need.
"Practice, practice!"
Fang Xing cooked himself a pot of Spirit Rice and began to practice the Grand Dragon Stake technique.
In the middle of the night, a sudden knocking sound startled him.
"Hmm? Who could it be now?"
He was getting a bit annoyed, but when he peered through the door crack, he was surprised by what he saw. After a moment's thought, he opened the door.
A fragrant breeze wafted in, carrying with it a woman with peach-like cheeks, apricot eyes, curved eyebrows, and a captivating gaze. She exuded the charm and maturity of a grown woman, like a ripe and sweet peach—she was Hua Feiyue, the second of the Five Chivalrous Brothers of Cangshan.
"Miss Hua... no, Fellow Daoist Hua, we meet again," Fang Xing said, his tone indifferent as they had only met once before. "What brings you here?"
"Brother Fang, I just came to check on Fifth Sister, but it seems she's already left. She really is a sensible person..." Hua Feiyue's aura was slightly unstable, indicating that her injuries had not fully healed.
"Sister Shen didn't go into detail, but she mentioned that Brother Meng had an accident while gathering herbs. As a widow with a child, I wonder what the Five Chivalrous Brothers of Cangshan will do for her now..." Fang Xing rambled on, recounting what Shen Yuxin had done that day.
"Leaving, huh? That might be for the best... The Five Chivalrous Brothers of Cangshan will no longer have a presence in Qinglinfang City from now on." Hua Feiyue's smile was bitter, and her bright eyes glanced at Fang Xing. "Brother Fang, you're honest and brave. I admire you, and if you have time in the future, please come and visit me at No. 66, Yizilu."
She bowed gracefully and withdrew.
Fang Xing's expression turned strange. "This woman wouldn't fall for me after just two meetings... Does she have a secret connection with Shen Yuxin? Or is she testing me? Or... does she really intend to leave this life of bloodshed behind? But how can a martial artist in this city survive without doing such things?"
Herb gathering was already a dangerous profession, and with the beast tide making things ten times more difficult, it was even harder for those without savings.
'I've heard that many female martial artists with decent looks also work as semi-courtesans to make ends meet...'
Fang Xing stroked his chin thoughtfully.
...
Three days later.
"This is the Calm Spirit Pill?"
Fang Xing picked up a jade bottle and poured out a pill.
The pill was a vivid green and exuded a strange, spicy aura.
He had waited two days before going to Qingdanfang, and fortunately, they had kept their promise. They informed him that the pill refinement had been successful, resulting in a total of four bottles of pills.
According to their agreement, they gave him two bottles.
"Actually... who knows what the real success rate of that pill refiner is? But the fact that they provided the pills is already a good show of credibility. I shouldn't ask for too much... after all, the bottom line of people in this world is too flexible," Fang Xing mused, shaking his head.
He prepared to test the hard-earned Calm Spirit Pill to see if it lived up to its name.
Sitting cross-legged, he calmed his mind, emptying it of all thoughts, and then attempted to enter a meditative state.
In an instant, he silently contemplated the concept of 'a knife in hand, leaving no ghosts or gods behind.'
Suddenly, his originally calm mental state stirred, and the clear waters of his mind turned black as countless thoughts emerged, transforming into faces displaying a range of emotions.
'Just meditating is this troublesome... How terrifying would it be if I faced actual heart demons?'
Fang Xing's heart stirred as he quickly popped a Calm Spirit Pill into his mouth.
As the spicy taste spread across his tongue, his mind cleared.
The myriad distracting thoughts that had surfaced were instantly suppressed.
He even felt that he could 'look inward,' seeing his meridians, bones, organs... and even the tiniest parts of his body!
'Could this be the 'spiritual sense' of a cultivator?'
In this state of 'absolute control,' Fang Xing successfully calmed his mind, overcoming the first hurdle of mastering the Ghost God Knife. He then began to hypnotize himself, causing his spirit to gradually take on a 'ghost-like, godly' quality.
This hypnosis wasn't a simple trick but a true transformation of his spiritual traits, even drawing out the enormous potential hidden deep within his body.
"With a knife in hand, I shall slaughter ghosts, slay gods, and battle ghost gods... All it takes is a single thought!"
With a stir of his heart, a hundred-refined steel knife appeared in Fang Xing's hand. He leaped into the air and slashed out: "Slay ghosts!"
Szzz!
A bright inch-long blade of light appeared out of thin air!
"Externalize my true qi and transform it into a blade of light!"
Fang Xing stood with his knife, his eyes gleaming. "This isn't because I've reached the Innate Realm, but because I've finally entered the door of the Ghost God Knife, granting me Innate-level battle prowess!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
