Longevity: Starting from Refining Gu Chapter 23 – Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Am I Actually a Pauper?

Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Am I Actually a Pauper?
Editor: Henyee Translations

The night was dark, with birds and insects chirping.

Feng Qi was draped in black clothing, holding a pipe in his left hand and a lantern in his right.

He slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, standing quietly at the edge of Wang Ye's field, waiting.

In front of him, three disciples of the Shadow Hall were swiftly digging up the ground.

After an hour, a disciple from the Shadow Hall emerged from the pit, “Hall Master, we've found something.”

Feng Qi glanced sideways, “What is it?”

The Shadow Hall disciple reported, “Underneath is a cave, and in the center of the cave, Stone Nipples have condensed Earth Mother Spirit Liquid, approximately several dozen drops!”

Feng Qi pondered for a moment, putting down the pipe from his mouth, “Earth-attribute treasures, indeed they might be materials for the Grass Spirit Gu's advancement.”

“Retrieve it and store it in the Shadow Hall.”

“Restore the Spiritual Field after retrieval.”

He rose, walked into the dense night, and said as he walked, “Inform Ye Yuntian, tell him to go fetch the sword Gu.”

“Chen Qing's investigation ends here.”

After speaking, an ancient pine beside him swayed, and a shadow leaped, bounding between the large trees, retreating far into the distance.

…

Two days later, the Spirit Plant Elder returned from his visit, examined the newly opened Spiritual Field, and a smile appeared on his face.

He found Chen Qing, who was arranging the planting of Spirit Ginseng, and said, “I've heard Ye Yuntian and the others have already set out, so your sword Gu should soon be in your hands.”

Chen Qing replied, “Then I should head down the mountain to wait for Brother Ye to come back every day and welcome him with open arms.”

The Spirit Plant Elder said, “Though you have a Grass Spirit Gu of Butterfly Transformation, it's unwise to be in the martial world without any means of self-preservation.”

“You're about to own a sword Gu; you should learn some swordsmanship.”

Chen Qing pondered, knowing that both the War Affairs Hall and the Shadow Hall had many senior brothers with excellent swordsmanship, but they were often away.

Brother Gongsun Xiu was indeed adept at swordsmanship; it was he who had beheaded two Evil Cultivators last time.

Unfortunately, being a Hall Master meant having too many duties, leaving no time to teach.

When the Spirit Plant Elder spoke, Chen Qing immediately thought of Yu Qingshuang.

His senior sister was a sword enthusiast with exceptional swordsmanship, and anyway, whenever he sparred, he couldn't even get past one of her moves.

Moreover, she hadn't joined any hall yet and was idle at home.

Chen Qing agreed, “My senior sister's swordsmanship is excellent, but I wonder if she could teach me a bit.”

The Spirit Plant Elder laughed heartily, “She's just idle at home; you might as well ask her.”

Off duty, Chen Qing went down the mountain, preparing to buy some supplies for learning the sword.

When night fell, Chen Qing mingled among the Wuyou Mountain disciples going downhill to the market, found a toilet in the night, and changed into a black robe.

Carrying a pouch of medium-grade Spirit Stones, Chen Qing arrived in front of Wanbao Pavilion, lowering his voice and said, “Clerk, do you sell Gu here?”

The clerk gestured invitingly, “Please come inside, sir, for a chat.”

Chen Qing glanced around, seeing a bustling crowd, felt reassured, and followed the clerk inside with big strides.

In the tea room, the clerk skillfully brewed tea, “I wonder what kind of Gu sir is interested in?”

Chen Qing, having concealed his identity, saw no need to waste time, and said in a low voice, “Fog Gu.”

The clerk was stunned for a moment, “Sir, the Fog Gu is not easy to find and is more expensive than ordinary Gu.”

Chen Qing asked, “What's the price?”

The clerk thought for a moment, “It's usually sixteen thousand lower-grade Spirit Stones! If the quality is better, it could be even more expensive.”

Chen Qing was astonished, “Is it really that expensive?”

It was almost twice the price of ordinary Gu!

He had thought that having a hundred and five pieces of medium-grade Spirit Stones meant being wealthy, but who would have thought he couldn't even afford an ordinary Fog Gu.

The clerk explained, “Sir, you may not know, although the Fog Gu isn't remarkable in offense, it's extremely effective against Sword Cultivators.”

That's exactly why I wanted to buy it!

The clerk continued, “And the Fog Gu is different from other Gu. Once a contract is made, it can deploy the fog ability, making it extremely practical.”

“Even our store doesn't have Fog Gu in stock here; it needs to be brought from Wo Hu City.”

“If you sincerely want it, I can apply through the Wanbao Pavilion branch there.”

Now, I can directly see the information regarding the upgrade of Gu, so I don't really need a high-level one initially or those with good appearances.

Cultivating from low-level is much cheaper.

And the life span is also longer.

“I don't need top quality; as long as there are no defects, low-level is fine.”

The clerk said, “I see, it seems you're in a hurry. I'll make inquiries on your behalf, and if it's available, I'll arrange to have it delivered here.”

Chen Qing asked, “How long will it take?”

The clerk replied, “Around half a month.”

Chen Qing took out five lower-grade Spirit Stones from his sleeve and placed them on the tea table, not even glancing at the brewed tea, “I'll leave it to you then.”

The clerk discreetly accepted the five lower-grade Spirit Stones, “Understood, understood.”

Exiting Wanbao Pavilion, Chen Qing twisted and turned through several alleyways, found a deserted restroom, and changed into Wuyou Mountain disciple attire before leisurely walking out.

“Time to buy a sword.”

In the blacksmith's shop, he picked a suitable sword, weighing nine pounds, crafted from Mystic Iron, extremely hard and reasonably flexible.

It looked majestic and heroic, with an imposing presence.

Chen Qing tried it out, finding that this Mystic Iron sword, which ordinary people would barely manage with both hands, was still manageable in his hand.

Even though he didn't have a Power Gu with him, with his cultivation, his body was much more robust than an ordinary person's.

“How much is this sword?” Chen Qing asked.

The owner took a sip of tea, “That one doesn't sell alone; it's part of a pair, and there's also a female sword.”

Chen Qing took the female sword handed by the owner, slightly more elegant than his own, a bit shorter, more agile.

Perfect as a gift for his senior sister when learning swordsmanship from her; after all, he couldn't just ask for her guidance for nothing.

“I'll take both!”

Hearing this, the owner instantly changed his expression to a smile, “A fair price of one hundred sixty lower-grade Spirit Stones, please take care, sir.”

Carrying the swords, Chen Qing skillfully found himself in the back garden of the Spirit Plant Elder's house, where two banana trees just sprouted new leaves, green like jade.

Yu Qingshuang was practicing her sword, her fragrant sweat drenching her clothes.

I must say, the allure of a beauty in ancient attire was overwhelming to Chen Qing.

She was poised and dignified, exuding charm throughout the garden.

With each swing of the sword, there was a resonant sound, making her seem even more otherworldly. Having only gone through basic education, Chen Qing had never seen such a scene.

“Senior Sister, your swordsmanship is excellent!”

Yu Qingshuang made a spinning motion and sheathed her sword, “You rascal, why do you watch me practice swordplay at such a young age?”

Carrying the sword, Chen Qing stepped forward, “Brother Ye has gone to fetch a sword Gu for me. I've been thinking, among the people I've met, only Senior Sister's swordsmanship stands out, so I wish to learn some swordplay from you.”

He stepped forward and handed over the newly bought female sword, “A small gift, please, Senior Sister, accept it with a smile.”

Yu Qingshuang, a lover of swords, felt pleased at Chen Qing's words. She drew the sword from its sheath and spun it twice, “It's quite handy.”

Upon saying that, she hurled the long sword, landing it neatly in the scabbard Chen Qing was holding, startling him.

Yu Qingshuang went to fetch some water, “Chen, have you forgotten the words I spoke to you in the cave that day?”

Chen Qing replied, “But as a Cultivator with a Grass Spirit Butterfly, I lack the strength to restrain even a chicken. Even leaving home, I can't guarantee my safety.”

“I'd rather learn from you, so I at least have a choice.”

Yu Qingshuang said, “Think carefully, once you learn this, eventually, there will be blood.”

“It'll either be someone else's blood or your own.”

Chen Qing replied, “Being in the martial world, you might evade for a while, but not for a lifetime.”

As Yu Qingshuang walked past Chen Qing, she lifted a foot and kicked the female sword, catching it in her hand, and thrust it toward Chen Qing, “Since you're determined to learn, then I'll teach you!”

Watching Yu Qingshuang's graceful and agile figure, a sudden ominous feeling rose in Chen Qing's heart…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on N𝘰vgo.co

Chapter end