Chapter 173: Somehow Grasping Sword Will
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“What? Do you have more requests, Chief Murong?”
Jiang He frowned, explaining, “Fifteen Bezoar Detox Pills, fifteen Amoxicillin capsules, and fifteen band-aids, along with an eggplant that promotes longevity and eases swells and stops bleedings... is that not enough for one torn script of an immortal art?”
Murong Buyi came to his senses and quickly said, “It’s enough, Mister Jiang. You’ve misunderstood, I’m just...”
However, he did not know what to say right then with his eggplant in hand.
Beside them, Long Mountain Lin laughed. “Don’t worry, Chief Murong. I’ve had the eggplant before, and it really does promote longevity by five years.”
Only then did Murong Buyi exclaimed in delight and asked, “Mister Jiang, how do I use this eggplant?”
“It depends on personal taste. I usually go for stir-fry.”
Jiang He answered truthfully. “Coleslaw is fine too—cook it, cut it into slices, and mix it with garlic and pepper powder. Add it with some coleslaw condiments, suitable portions of salt and vinegar and the texture would be good.”
“The Murong clan would have a personal chef, right? If you don’t mind the trouble, a coal-baked eggplant might be even better.”
“...”
Murong Buyi blinked, feeling as if he could not wrap his head around it.
Why would such a valuable item feel no different from home-grown vegetables, with how Jiang He was describing it?
Then, Jiang He took out fifteen portions of Bezoar Detox Pills, Amoxicillin capsules, and band-aids to Murong Buyi.
“Good trade, Mister Jiang.”
After shaking his hand, Murong Buyi shared a few more courteous exchanges with Jiang He, even offering to hold a feast in Jiang He’s honor, although Jiang He turned him down.
“Well, Mister Jiang, the auction will start in an hour. I’ll be going now.”
Murong Buyi offered another fist-palm salute and left.
Beside them, Long Mountain Lin was subtly shaking his head.
It was no secret that the Murong clan had the torn script of an immortal art in the martial world—Long Mountain Lin had heard about it, at least. But was it possible to cultivate from a torn script?
Unless Jiang He was some heavenly prodigy like the Murong clan’s ancestor and could develop a cultivation method that could match Star Shift, this deal was not definitely a terrible loss.
Of course, that was Long Mountain Lin’s own opinion.
Jiang He would decide on his own where it was a profit or loss.
After around a dozen minutes, Wei Zhishu and Long Qi returned as well.
The former was holding a crystal bottle with 1500 drops of Origin Fluid.
Still, Jiang He was quite surprised.
Although 1500 drops sound like a lot, it did not even fill the crystal bottle.
“This little bit of isn’t even enough for one serving. Whatever, the rank-nine Origin Fluid is a rare item anyway, and I could try planting it back home.” With that, Jiang He took the crystal bottle and handed the Bezoar Detox Pills, Amoxicillin capsules, and band-aids to Wei Zhishu.
Drinking it whole at once was not very worthwhile.
When it comes to life, one should always set their eyes further into the future. If Jiang He really could plant the Origin Fluid, he could replace mineral water with it.
After having getting used to drinking rank-nine Origin Fluids, Jiang He could not bear to drink normal mineral water now.
“Mister Jiang He, here’s the Sword Will Barrenwort.”
Long Qi was holding a special metal box.
He opened it to reveal the three tufts of Sword Will Barrenwort inside. Jiang He picked one up for inspection and found that there was nothing out of the ordinary—it was perfectly ordinary and no different from roadside weeds.
However, the moment his spirit reached the Sword Will Barrenwort and sensed what was within, a sharp sword will grew within the dark s.p.a.ce. It seemed that his spirit had triggered the sword wail, and in his spirit sense, Jiang He seemed to see a three-feet long blue edge sword cutting down at him.
Snikt!
The dark horizon was sliced in two by the sword.
Jiang He felt a throbbing pain on his head as his spirit seemed to recoil, and turned pale-white. He stumbled three steps back, clutching at the sofa with his fingers as his breath turned more rapid.
However, all his focus was placed on the sea of swords in his mind.
It seems that a single strand of weird energy now circled over the sea of swords.
Every single luminous sword in his mind seemed to become more radiant.
“Brother Jiang He!”
“Mister Jiang!”
Long Mountain Lin, Long Qi, and Wei Zhishu all quickly came to him.
Helping Jiang He stand, Long Mountain Lin asked with concern, “Are you alright, Brother Jiang He?”
“I’m alright.”
Jiang He waved him off, saying, “My spirit merely suffered a little recoil from the sword will inside Sword Will Barrenwort, but it’s not a big deal.”
He sat on the sofa.
“Brother Jiang He... according to what I know, you were cultivating blade technique and not swordplay.”
Long Mountain Lin chuckled bitterly at that and said, “You’re not even rank-nine and your spirit probably isn’t up to par. You would only grasp sword will when your spirit reaches rank-nine, and then use the Sword Will Barrenwort to refine your will and grasp the Boundary of Wills.”
“Otherwise, you would only be counterproductive.”
Elder Lin looked somber then and instructed, “If you wish to tread upon the path of the sword, I could teach you my clan’s swordplay. Let’s wait until you reach some extent of proficiency and ascend up to rank-nine, after of which you could try using the Sword Will Barrenwort again.”
“Eh?”
Jiang He appeared surprised and asked in shock, “There are so many rules for using the Sword Will Barrenwort?”
Puzzled, he frowned and asked, “My spirit isn’t that weak, is it? Still, you’re right, Old Brother Lin... I’ve only had a little dip into blade will, and had never cultivated sword will before.”
“Eh?”
Even before Jiang He finished, his gaze twitched, and his consciousness returned to the sea of swords in his mind.
That energy was becoming clearer, and Jiang He felt a curious sensation... as if he could control that energy.
Hence.
He extended a finger and pointed ahead—at a tea table and a 55-inch LED tv.
Whoosh!
A sharp Sword Qi shot out of Jiang He’s fingertip, piercing the TV with a dull puncturing sound along with the wall behind it, ending up somewhere unknown.
“What the h.e.l.l!”
A cry of surprise could be heard from the next room. “Who the heck shot me with Sword Qi?!”
Even so, Long Mountain Lin, Long Qi, and Wei Zhishu seemed to not hear the noise next door, all of their eyes widening at Jiang He as if they saw a ghost.
A little embarra.s.sed from being stared, Jiang He chuckled and said, “Why those looks, gentlemen? I’m not some monster!”
“Right.”
“Didn’t you say that I can’t grasp sword will? I felt like I did it already... weird, how did I somehow grasp it?”
There was a long silence in the room.
After a few seconds, Long Mountain Lin breathed a long sigh. “Rank-eights were never compatible with sword will, and yet you grasped one-tenth of it by just using a Sword Will Barrenwort once. Monster... no, genius! Brother Jiang He, you definitely are a genius in sword will!”
Long Mountain Lin’s eyes twinkled at that and he exclaimed, “My clan’s swordplay is pa.s.sed down from Qingcheng Faction, one of the five sacred grounds for martial arts. While I’ve only cultivated a small extent in the Evil-Warding Sword Manual, but I’m confident that I’m amongst the best in swordplay alone. Brother Jiang He, if you want to cultivate in swordplay, I’m willing to teach you my clan’s secret swordplay unconditionally.”
Evil-Warding... Sword Manual?
Jiang He shuddered and quickly close his legs, saying, “No way, how could an outsider like me cultivate in a secret technique of your clan?”
When he saw that Long Mountain Lin was about to speak, Jiang He rose and said seriously, “Old Brother Lin, you don’t have to say anything else. If you insist me to learn your clan’s secret technique, I’ll cut ties with you!”
He spoked with utter frankness!
Don’t even joke about it!
When it came to the Evil-Warding Sword Manual...
Who would dare to learn it?
Come to think of it, to think that the ultimate technique of Qingcheng Faction is the Evil-Warding Sword Manual...
Jiang He glanced suspiciously at Long Mountain Lin, the image of Lin Tianzheng appearing in his mind.
The Evil-Warding Sword Manual was probably different from the one he knew. For one, the prerequisites for it were nonexistent.
How else would Long Mountain Lin have so many children and grandchildren?
Thud-thud-thud!
That was when a loud knock on the door could be heard.
Jiang He opened it and found a familiar figure: it was the bearded martial artist who he met when he relieved himself outside the city.
“Eh?”
The bearded martial artist clearly remembered Jiang He too, and asked in surprise, “Bro, is this your room?”
Jiang He nodded, and noticed that the bearded man was holding his shoulder with his hand, with blood flowing out between his fingers. “Bro, your shoulder...” He could not help saying.
“What the h.e.l.l!”
Furious, the bearded man barked, “I was just taking a bath, and somehow a Sword Qi came shooting towards me...”
“...”
“Haha!”
Jiang He chuckled awkwardly, saying, “Really, misfortune descends from the heaves when you are sitting around at home... Come, bro, I actually know some healing technique. Let me take a look at your injury.”
“It’s fine. It’s just a scratch that didn’t touch bone.”
“Well, allow me to put a band-aid on you.”
With that, Jiang He pasted a band-aid on the bearded martial artist, who was quite gracious. Still, once he turned and left, he was mumbling and cursing at the person who injured him once again.
Jiang He pretended he did not hear that.
It was now past six and the auction would soon start. Being the co-hosts of the event, Long Qi and Wei Zhishu naturally would not stay here with Jiang He.
Long Mountain Lin would partic.i.p.ate in the auction as well, whereas Jiang He replied that he would soon return to Lingzhou City.
Although he was still missing a portion of rank-nine Feral flesh to level up his farm, although in a previous conversation, Jiang He learnt that the Long clan had recently slain a rank-nine Feral—Long Qi had already arranged for someone to bring it to Jiang He over the phone.
In fact, not long after Long Mountain Lin, Long Qi, and Wei Zhishu left, a disciple of the Long clan had brought several hundred catties worth of rank-nine Feral flesh.
It was packed in another huge container as well.
Jiang He was rather helpless.
100 catties of Blue King Drake tail meat divided to 25 portions, and almost 300 catties of a rank-nine Feral meat... stuffing his sports car to the brim.
Squeezing into the driver’s seat with much difficulty, Jiang He was about to lower his seat, only to find that he couldn’t.
“Oh...”
“If I knew this would happen, I should have taken the Spatial Ring that was on auction.”
He issued a voice command.
Just as night was about to arrive, Jiang He’s sports car slowly drove out of Jiangnan City, heading northwest.
Aboard it, Jiang He was feeling rather bored.
He had slept his way to Jiangnan City and reached it without knowing, but now that he was on his way home he was not drowsy at all, not to mention that the road was bad and quite b.u.mpy.
“What the heck?”
“Aren’t Ferals supposed to be nocturnal? Why isn’t there a single Feral attacking me?”
“If there’re no Ferals, a few Sky Demon Cultists would do!”
While snacking on blended qi pellets and walnuts, Jiang He breathed a long sigh.
Others notwithstanding, he started to miss the Sky Demon Cult a little after hearing no word from them recently.
While he thought that the cultists were insane and bullies, he found them weirdly adorable now that he was bored. He even missed their fund times before, and how he could have gone looking for them to ease his boredom and when he had trouble sleeping at night.
“Whatever. I’ll sleep, and I just hope I reach home when I wake. After leveling the farm, I will plant the Purple-Golden Sunflower immediately, and munching on sunflower seeds does help when I’m bored.”
In this very moment, Jiang He was homesick.
After being away from home for days, he wondered how the little willow tree back home was, and had it obtained sentience yet?
Would Dumbo and Trumbo be starving after days of not feeding them?
And that cute, s.e.xy little maid of his...
Wouldn’t she be afraid, sleeping alone at night?