Zhang Yuanxing and the black-hatted old man departed on the boat and quickly disappeared from sight.
Unable to contain his laughter any longer, Fu Shan said, "The son of the Zhang Clan's patriarch does have keen insight to recognize Mr. Su's extraordinary abilities. What's amusing, however, is that he doesn't realize that Mr. Su is already a legendary figure, like a divine dragon in the sky. He is far from the simple individual Zhang Yuanxing imagines him to be."
Su Yi casually remarked, "Young people of this age often like to recruit talents for their own use. It can be considered ambitious."
Fu Shan nodded and said, "If it were any other young talent in Guangling City, I'm afraid very few would refuse the opportunity to work with Zhang Yuanxing."
Yunhe County City, the hinterland of Yunhe County, was far superior to remote cities like Guangling City and Luoyun City.
In Yunhe County City, numerous forces of different sizes were scattered.
Among them, the top four forces were the "County Prefect Mansion," which served the Great Zhou Court, and the "Qinghe Sword Mansion," the number one cultivation force in Yunhe County.
The other two were the Zhang Clan and the Yuan Clan, the two major clans.
Compared to these top four forces, all other forces paled in comparison.
As the son of the Zhang Clan patriarch, Zhang Yuanxing's prestigious status could be easily imagined.
Just like earlier, Fu Shan had to show him deference.
As they conversed, the two of them walked forward and arrived at a bamboo forest with a span of only three zhang (about ten meters).
The bamboo forest was lush green, enveloped in a faint mist and aura. There were only a dozen fully grown Green Jade Spirit Bamboos, while others were still in the process of maturing.
The fully grown Green Jade Spirit Bamboos were merely as thick as a child's arm and not taller than one zhang. Their stems were translucent and clear, like the finest jade or emerald carvings.
Fu Shan held a short hoe in his hand and chuckled, "Mr. Su, please let me know which ones you are interested in."
Su Yi didn't hesitate and quickly selected one of the Green Jade Spirit Bamboos.
Fu Shan immediately approached it and used the short hoe to dig up the roots of the bamboo.
After all, this was a spiritual object. Its roots and leaves could be used as medicine, and the stem could serve as spiritual material. It was a treasure in every aspect.
"Mr. Su, take a look if there are any other pleasing ones."
Fu Shan smiled and said.
Bringing Su Yi here today was to share some of the treasures on this bamboo island with him, thus strengthening their relationship.
Su Yi pondered for a moment and said, "If possible, just give me two more randomly."
He personally selected the Green Jade Spirit Bamboo, which had excellent quality. With a little craftsmanship, he could make a natural bamboo scabbard for his sword. When held in hand, it felt like gripping a staff, and during battles, he could draw his sword from the scabbard in the blink of an eye, making it extremely convenient. Moreover, this bamboo was a spiritual material that could nourish the Dustblade Sword.
As for the other two bamboos that Su Yi wanted, he intended to use them to refine a batch of talismans.
Talismans, artifact refinement, alchemy, beast taming...
These were the things that cultivators frequently encountered, forming a complete and vast cultivation system in the vast land of the Nine Provinces.
Even low-level cultivators could discuss these topics confidently.
In his previous life, Su Yi was honored as the "Master of Ten Thousand Paths," so naturally, he was familiar with the art of refining talismans.
Unfortunately, this was the Cangqing Continent, where spiritual energy was scarce and barren. It was so difficult to find suitable spiritual materials even for refining talismans.
The Green Jade Spirit Bamboo in front of him could be considered a second-grade spiritual material, barely able to withstand the power of basic talismans.
Su Yi would not miss this opportunity.
Next, Fu Shan first dug up two fully grown Green Jade Spirit Bamboos and then unearthed a bamboo shoot hidden underground, handing them all to Su Yi.
He smiled and said, "Mr. Su, this Green Jade Spirit Shoot is a rare delicacy. It is rich in spiritual energy and has delicious flesh. Normally, no one would be willing to consume it."
"Thank you," Su Yi nodded and expressed his gratitude.
Fu Shan waved his hand and said, "Mr. Su, you don't need to be so polite. If it weren't for you quelling the storm at the Dragon Gate Arena last night, this Bamboo Island would have been seized by that old fellow Li Jianyu from Luoyun City."
Soon, the two of them returned to the black-covered boat and retraced their original path until they reached in front of the Apricot Yellow Medical Hall.
As Su Yi got off the carriage, he suddenly said, "Master Fu, I may not stay in Guangling City for much longer."
Fu Shan was taken aback for a moment, then sighed and said, "I had a premonition. With Mr. Su's abilities, it's impossible for you to stay in a small place like Guangling City for long, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon."
He paused for a moment and hesitated, "May I know where Mr. Su intends to go?"
"Yunhe County City," Su Yi casually replied.
He had spent three years cultivating in the Qinghe Sword Manor and was relatively familiar with Yunhe County City.
Now that he had begun "Bone Refinement" and was about to step into the Qi Gathering Realm, he could only find the necessary cultivation resources for the Qi Gathering Realm in prosperous places like Yunhe County City.
Fu Shan nodded and asked, "When does Mr. Su plan to set off?"
Su Yi pondered for a moment and replied, "It won't exceed one month at most."
He needed to wait for his younger sister-in-law, Wen Lingxue, to return.
He also wanted to make a trip to the Ghostmother Ridge.
Before leaving, Fu Shan suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, what do you think I should reply to Zhang Yuanxing?"
"What does Master Fu think?" Su Yi countered.
"I understand," Fu Shan paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "When Mr. Su leaves, I will personally see you off."
Soon, Fu Shan and his group left.
Su Yi entered the Apricot Yellow Medical Hall.
"Master."
Suddenly, everyone in the medical hall, including Hu Quan, Wu Guangbin, and the servants, stopped their actions and turned their gaze to Su Yi.
Their expressions carried awe and admiration.
The news from the Dragon Gate banquet last night had already caused a sensation on both sides of the Da Cang River and spread throughout Guangling City, stirring up countless waves.
Who wouldn't know that Su Yi was the one who won the first place in the Dragon Gate Competition?
Therefore, when they saw Su Yi appearing in the medical hall, the attitudes and gazes of everyone had undergone earth-shaking changes.
"Continue with your tasks," Su Yi instructed, then approached Hu Quan and asked, "Hu Manager, do you know which herb gatherer is most familiar with the Ghostmother Ridge?"
Hu Quan's expression changed slightly, and he said, "Young Master, that place is extremely dangerous. Normally, very few people would venture there. What do you want to do?"
Su Yi replied, "Don't worry, I just want to inquire about some information related to the Ghostmother Ridge."
Hu Quan pondered for a moment and said, "That can be easily done. Among the thousands of herbalists employed by the Wen family, there must be someone who knows about this. Let me find out for you."
"Good, I'll leave this matter to you."
"Don't worry, Master, I promise to take care of it today!"
Hu Quan patted his chest and smiled.
He had the privilege of accompanying Su Yi to the Longmen banquet last night, and what he saw and heard was like opening a new world. He was filled with excitement throughout the evening. Such an experience would be enough for him to boast about for a lifetime.
Su Yi didn't linger and left on his own. However, when he returned to the Xinghuang residence, he unexpectedly found a figure standing in the courtyard, as if she had been waiting for a long time.
The figure was dressed in a snow-white dress, with a high bun, beautiful eyes, and charming red lips. Her delicate and graceful appearance was accompanied by a hint of melancholy, adding to her enchanting charm.
It was Nan Ying.
When Nan Ying saw Su Yi enter, she quickly turned around, a look of pleasant surprise appearing on her face. But soon, she bit her lip and her expression turned melancholic. Tears welled up in her eyes like mist as she spoke:
"Senior Brother Su, today I will leave Guangling City with Senior Uncle Zhou. But before I go, I couldn't help but come to see you."
Her voice was soft and tinged with a hint of sadness.
If it were any other man, seeing such a scene of a beautiful woman shedding tears would soften their heart. Subconsciously, they would think that she couldn't control her emotions because of her feelings for him.
But Su Yi, disregarding the expected response, directly questioned, "Did you climb over the wall to get in?"
Climb...
Climb over the wall?
Nan Ying's delicate and sorrowful face stiffened imperceptibly, and the atmosphere became strangely silent.
But soon, Nan Ying regained her composure and sighed softly:
"Senior Brother Su, I know that what I said that day seemed extremely harsh and heartless. But if I didn't still care about you, why would I have come to find you at that time?"
"True indifference is treating each other as strangers, completely drawing a clear line. It's not like what I did, losing control and venting my accumulated sadness after more than a year when I saw you again, getting angry and saying nonsense..."
"This... it's because I still care about you!"
Speaking of this, Nan Ying's voice choked and trembled, teardrops shimmering in her beautiful eyes. Her expression turned desolate and lonely.
"I admit that the words I said back then were hurtful, and I don't expect you to forgive me right away, but... can you give me a chance to make up for my guilty conscience? I don't want to leave Guangling City with this inner turmoil."
Seeing Su Yi remaining silent, Nan Ying hurriedly ran up to him, her eyes pleading. "Senior Brother Su, you promised me back then at the Qinghe Sword Sect that no matter how big of a mistake I make in the future, as long as I change, you will forgive me. You... you wouldn't refuse to forgive me, right?"
As she spoke, she reached out to grab Su Yi's sleeve.
Su Yi took a step back, evading her grasp.
Nan Ying's eyes filled with a sense of sorrow.
Then, she took a deep breath and took out a delicate jade box from her sleeve, gently opening it.
Inside was a chicken leg that had long since dried up, shriveled, and moldy, with an unattractive dark color.
"Senior Brother Su, do you still remember? When you became the outer disciple leader, the sect held a celebration banquet for you. After the banquet ended, you rushed to find me and gave me this chicken leg carefully wrapped in a lotus leaf, just because you heard that I didn't have dinner that day..."
Nan Ying's expression flickered with reminiscence, a mixture of sweetness and sadness. "That night, I was so happy that I couldn't sleep. How could I bear to eat this chicken leg? I kept it as a keepsake. Although this thing is very common, the chicken leg you gave me, Senior Brother Su, holds an irreplaceable place in my heart."
Even with Su Yi's temperament from two lifetimes, he couldn't help but inhale a breath of cold air, pointing at the chicken leg and asking, "You... have you been carrying this thing with you all this time?"
Nan Ying murmured softly, "Senior Brother Su, I would never lie about this..."
Su Yi turned around and walked towards the courtyard gate.
This reaction completely caught Nan Ying off guard. Wasn't Senior Brother Su supposed to hold her tightly in his embrace and wipe away her tears?
Caught off guard, she subconsciously asked, "Senior Brother Su, where are you going?"
Su Yi stood still in front of the courtyard gate, turning around with a smile. "Of course, I'm going to find Ni Hao and tell him everything you just said. Oh, and this melodramatic chicken leg story. I believe that after he hears it, he will definitely look at you in a new light."
Nan Ying was thunderstruck, standing there dumbfounded.
Did I go too far with my performance just now?
Otherwise, considering Senior Brother Su's personality that I know well, shouldn't he be moved?