Yu Hua moved silently, and each departure broadened Gu Wen's horizons. He learned about the worldly protectors, the path guardians, and the three rankings of heaven, earth, and man.
Out of myriad cultivators, three hundred would enter the Immortal Land and be listed in the three rankings.
Those destined for might were naturally invincible, those with transcendent bones were heaven-sent prodigies, and those exceptional among men were also the cream of the crop.
Truly spectacular!
Gu Wen suppressed the restlessness within his heart. Naturally inclined to make a name for himself due to his abilities, he was also acutely aware that fame held no purpose.
Cultivation wasn't about competing or fighting ruthlessly. Power, fame, status, and all else were potential results of cultivation, but they couldn't become its purpose.
Cycling the Yuqing Heart Method, the vigor and Divine Thought that Yu Hua's words had stirred were gradually soothed, turned into a warm current that propelled True Qi to circulate swiftly, tempering Mana bit by bit.
Only a wisp of green True Qi had thickened a bit, and with the cultivation of this period, it was already the size of an index finger.
It was probably enough to maintain half an hour of Gang Qi output, launching a dozen Sword Qi.
A night passed without words, and he cultivated until dawn.
Gu Wen opened his eyes to see only an insignificant increase in Mana, which left him rather vexed: "No wonder Zhao Feng pops pills daily, spending tens of thousands of Silver to buy medicines—it would take an eternity to achieve anything through sheer hard work."
He had asked Yu Hua about the difficulty of cultivation, who answered that the Spiritual Energy of Daqian was the best in the world, yet it was all absorbed by various fated encounters, and the fact that he could cultivate at all was thanks to the merit of his foundational practice.
Put plainly, he needed to spend money on medicinal pills.
[Heavenly Marrow depleted]
Gu Wen sighed. The Dragon Tiger Pills from Qianfeng Tower would take more time, and after inquiring about medicinal fruits, he learned that due to the war, even the internal reserves of Taifu Temple were running out.
Even if there were any, they would all be sent to the Emperor's palace for alchemy.
Gu Wen closed his eyes and nurtured Sword Intent with the Spiritual Treasure, the Jade-eyed Water Wave Pearl, which could accelerate the circulation of Mana, hence aiding all kinds of cultivation techniques that required Mana.
And since the mental method and foundation were difficult to cultivate, he preferred to use Heavenly Marrow for the two cultivation techniques he had just learned.
These techniques were mostly comprehension-based; once proficient, they could be utilized, whereas the Yuqing Sword Skill required little by little refinement. What was comprehended were just the sword moves, not the essence of Sword Intent itself.
Just like the base of one's practice, its layers could be enhanced, but the storage of Mana remained unchanged.
Sword Intent was his only means, for now, to defend against Divine Soul attacks.
In the following days, Gu Wen once again immersed himself in cultivation, drinking Imperial Jelly at Dragon Spring only at sunset, with the rest of his time devoted to practice.
Sword Intent had already grown to the size of an index finger, and while it still couldn't kill from a distance, it sufficed to defend against Divine Soul attacks.
He achieved an elementary mastery of Moonset Step, which when executed was silent and suited for assassination.
The crux of the Spiritual Jade Body Protection Skill was refined to its peak, but the Second Level, with muscles and bones as hard as iron, required nurturing.
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In mid-May, a little eunuch whom he had barely seen before came looking for him, saying he was on an errand for the Ninth Prince and wanted Silver.
Gu Wen asked, puzzled, "What about Eunuch Feng?"
"Replying to Marquis Wen, Feng Daban has died."
The newly arrived little eunuch was evidently much more respectful than the old ones.
"How did he die?"
"I do not know."
Gu Wen found the situation strange but didn't care much; an old eunuch had died, and that was that.
Afterward, he couldn't help but reflect that the world never ceased to turn for want of somebody. When you die, there will always be someone to take your place—even Eunuch Feng, who had been by Zhao Feng's side since childhood, was no exception. Even if Zhao Feng died, there would be another prince to replace him.
That is why the ultimate technique is the destruction of the physical body.
The little eunuch said, "Marquis Wen, I am here on a task. The Ninth Prince needs you to deliver fifty thousand Silver to the royal residence."
What was all that money for?
Gu Wen first agreed to the request, then dispatched people to investigate. Under the intelligence network of the Longqiao merchants and the Water House workers, both upper and lower tiers, it didn't take long to uncover some clues.
First, it appeared that the royal residence had been attacked some days ago, and there were others who claimed it was a firework explosion that damaged the buildings.
Second, recently the bank under the royal residence withdrew a large amount of Silver. In the past few days, the bank's manager frequented Qianfeng Tower, which happened to be the place where Dragon Tiger Pills were sold.
Third, a piece of gossip: it was said that Hu Sanyuan's wife had an affair, and, due to her family's influence, the scandal reached the government office.
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At the end of the month, Gu Wen, holding the account books of the Water House, entered the royal residence to see Zhao Feng. As soon as he stepped foot into the residence, he was called out by a familiar voice.
"Oh my, isn't that Marquis Wen?"
The newcomer was burly, with a tiger's back and bear's waist, a scar from a blade on his right cheek, dressed in a large purple silk robe, wearing a thumb ring on his right hand, which was used for drawing bows—a rarity to be worn all the time.
Hu Sanyuan, the underhanded fixer of the royal residence, ran both a bank and a pawn shop. Although called a pawnbroker, his business was all about forceful buying and selling, as well as shady deals like usury in partnership with gambling houses.
Making loans was a common strategy used by ancient aristocratic families to annex land, and Prince Zhao Feng was no exception.
"Is Boss Hu also here for business in the royal residence today?"
Gu Wen replied with a cold nod.
Although they both worked under the royal residence, Gu Wen's impression of Hu Sanyuan was somewhat poor. Gu Wen might not have the capacity or status to help others, but that did not mean he would associate with someone involved in such bloody business.
Hu Sanyuan wasn't fond of Gu Wen either. As an eternal number two, he always harbored hostility towards the number one.
"I've been recently helping the Ninth Prince find some restoratives. I've had some leads."
Hu Sanyuan's words made Gu Wen's eyes flicker, and he asked, "Gu has come today to deliver Silver. Does it have to do with this?"
But ever since he became aware of cultivation and that money could buy various types of Spiritual Medicine, Gu Wen was very sensitive to the cash flow within the royal residence.
Then Hu Sanyuan suddenly laughed merrily, as if showing off, "Doesn't Marquis Wen know?"
"I don't know."
"Then it's inconvenient for me to inform Marquis Wen."
"If it's inconvenient, then there's no need."
Gu Wen flicked his sleeve and turned to continue forward, beginning to calculate in his mind and sending someone to investigate whom the other party had met recently.
There are no walls without cracks under heaven, and Bianjing was riddled with holes. The Dragon Bridge, for instance, whenever a VIP entered a shop, the waiters would shout their names—it was indeed a grandiose affair.
And Gu Wen, with his thousands of Water House workers throughout Bianjing, always kept an eye on Hu Sanyuan.
Without another word to each other, the two walked to the royal residence's study. The courtyard was tranquil, with rockeries standing tall, and the study's windows perfectly framed the verdant pines of the garden.
Upon seeing Zhao Feng they were both taken aback; the normally gracefully composed Prince now had a ghastly pale face, wrapped in furs despite the summer heat, looking utterly ill, occasionally coughing.
How had he declined so much in just a few days?
Zhao Feng was writing and did not pay attention to the two men who had entered. They could only wait, as had become the norm; each time they saw Zhao Feng, there was waiting involved—as if he always had some refined interest to attend to.
Ever since Gu Wen began his own cultivation practice and his senses were heightened, he noticed Zhao Feng's pen was not steady, his movements not as concentrated as his expression suggested.
This was not the behavior of someone who enjoyed calligraphy.
'Could it be that all the waiting was just a means to intimidate us?'
He tugged at the corner of his mouth. Although it seemed far-fetched, it made sense for those born in the imperial family, creatures who were bred to tread upon others.