14 days ago Author: Pig Heart Shrimp
Chapter 31: The Current Situation of the Prince
Yù Huá left quietly, and each time he left, it broadened Gu Wēn's horizons.
He learned about the three protectors of the world, the protectors of the Dao, and the three rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.
Out of millions of cultivators, only three hundred enter the Immortal Realm and achieve the three rankings.
Those with strong heavenly mandates are invincible, those with extraordinary roots are naturally gifted, and the heroes are the best among the best.
Truly wonderful!
Gu Wēn suppressed the restlessness in his heart.
With his talents, he naturally thought of making a name for himself, but he also knew that fame served no purpose in cultivation.
Cultivation is not about competing ruthlessly.
Power, fame, status, and the like are all byproducts of cultivation, but they should not be the goal of cultivation.
As he circulated the Jade Clear Heart Sutra, the vigorous blood and divine thoughts that had become vibrant due to Yù Huá's words gradually calmed down.
They transformed into a warm flow that propelled the true qi to circulate rapidly, refining his mana bit by bit.
Only a strand of green true qi had grown stronger by a few points, now the size of a finger.
With the practice during this period, he could probably maintain the release of protective energy for half an hour and unleash over a dozen sword qi.
A night of silence, cultivating until dawn.
Gu Wēn opened his eyes and saw that his mana had only increased slightly.
He couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed, "No wonder Zhào Fēng is always taking medicine, buying tens of thousands of taels worth of medicine at the drop of a hat, working hard to achieve results."
He had asked Yù Huá about the difficulties of cultivation, and the answer was that the Great Qian's spiritual energy was top-notch, but it was all absorbed by various divine opportunities.
His ability to cultivate was already a credit to his foundation.
In other words, it required spending money on medicine.
The essence of heaven dried up.
Gu Wēn sighed.
It would take some time for the Dragon and Tiger Pill from the Qianfèng Tower, and he had inquired about medicinal fruits, but due to the war, even the internal stock of the Imperial Pharmacy had run out.
Even if there were any, they were all sent to the imperial palace to refine pills for the useless emperor.
Gu Wēn closed his eyes and nurtured his sword intent with the Lingbao Azure Eye Water Ripple Bead.
This treasure could accelerate the circulation of mana, providing a boost to all cultivation techniques that required mana to operate.
However, cultivating the Dao Foundation of the heart technique was difficult.
He had just learned two techniques and was more inclined to use the essence of heaven.
Because these techniques were mostly about comprehension, once proficiency was achieved, they could be used.
The Jade Clear Sword Technique, on the other hand, required gradual refinement.
Understanding only the sword moves, not the sword intent itself.
Just like the Dao Foundation, its levels could be improved, but the amount of mana remained the same.
Sword intent was currently his only means of defending against soul attacks.
In the days that followed, Gu Wēn immersed himself in cultivation once again.
Apart from drinking Emperor's Milk from the Dragon Spring at sunset, he spent all his time cultivating.
His sword intent had grown to the size of a finger.
Although he couldn't kill from a distance yet, he had no problem defending against soul attacks.
The Falling Moon Step had been mastered, silent and suitable for assassination.
The Spirit Jade Body Protection Technique, the most crucial, had reached its peak.
However, nurturing the second layer of tendons as strong as iron was necessary.
In mid-May, a young eunuch he hadn't seen much before came looking for him, claiming to be acting on behalf of the Ninth Prince and asking for silver.
Gu Wēn asked in confusion, "What about Eunuch Fēng?"
"Lord Wēn, Eunuch Fēng has passed away."
The newcomer, a young eunuch, was much more respectful than the old eunuch.
"How did he die?"
"I don't know."
Gu Wēn felt that something was amiss, but he didn't pay much attention.
One old eunuch dying was just that.
He couldn't help but sigh that the world never lacked replacements.
When you died, someone else would take your place, just like Eunuch Fēng, who had been by Zhào Fēng's side since childhood.
Even if Zhào Fēng died, the next prince would take his place.
So, the most advanced means was the destruction of the physical body.
The young eunuch said, "Lord Wēn, I am here on a mission. His Highness needs you to deliver fifty thousand taels to the royal mansion."
What was so much money needed for?
Gu Wēn agreed at first, then sent someone to investigate.
Through the information network of the Longqiao merchants and the watermen of the water house, some clues were quickly obtained.
Firstly, it seemed that the royal mansion had been attacked some days ago, with rumors of fireworks causing an explosion in the house.
Secondly, the royal mansion's affiliated bank had taken away a large amount of silver recently.
The bank's treasurer had been frequenting the Qianfèng Tower, where the Dragon and Tiger Pills were sold.
Thirdly, a piece of gossip: it was said that Hú Sānyuán's wife had an affair, which had caused a commotion at the yamen due to her powerful family background.
At the end of the month, Gu Wēn took the water house's bill to the royal mansion to see Zhào Fēng.
As soon as he entered the mansion, a familiar voice called out to him.
"Oh, isn't this Lord Wēn?"
The man who came in was burly, with a scar on his right cheek, dressed in a large purple silk robe.
He wore a finger guard on his right hand, used for drawing a bowstring, a rare sight.
Hú Sānyuán, the black glove of the royal mansion, managed the bank and pawnshop.
Although it was a pawnshop, they engaged in shady dealings of forced buying and selling, partnering with gambling dens to lend money at high interest rates.
Lending money was a means commonly used by ancient noble families to acquire land, and even Zhào Fēng, as a prince, was no exception.
"Boss Hú, do you have business at the royal mansion today?"
Gu Wēn responded indifferently with a nod.
Although they both worked under the royal mansion, Gu Wēn had a slightly unfavorable impression of Hú Sānyuán.
Gu Wēn may not have the ability or qualifications to help others, but that didn't mean he had to associate with those who fed on the blood of others.
Similarly, Hú Sānyuán didn't particularly like Gu Wēn either, always harboring hostility towards the one in the top position.
"I'm helping His Highness find some tonic herbs recently, and I've got some leads."
Hú Sānyuán's words piqued Gu Wēn's interest, and he asked, "Is Lord Gu's visit today related to this?"
But ever since he learned about cultivation and how money could buy various spiritual herbs, Gu Wēn had become sensitive to the cash flow in the royal mansion.
Hú Sānyuán suddenly smiled as if showing off and asked, "Lord Wēn doesn't know?"
"I don't."
"Then I'm afraid I can't tell Lord Wēn."
"If it's inconvenient, there's no need."
Gu Wēn waved his sleeve and turned to continue forward, pondering in his heart to have someone investigate who Hú Sānyuán had met recently.
There are no walls that don't leak wind, and Biànjīng is riddled with holes.
For example, at Longqiao, every time a big shot entered the store, the shop assistants would loudly announce their names, displaying a grand demeanor.
With thousands of watermen in Biànjīng, Gu Wēn had always kept an eye on Hú Sānyuán.
The two men walked in silence to the study in the royal mansion.
The courtyard was quiet, with artificial hills and trees, and the study window framed the green pines in the garden.
When they saw Zhào Fēng, they were both stunned.
The former elegant prince now had a pale face, wrapped in fur clothing on a hot day, looking extremely ill, coughing from time to time.
Had he deteriorated so much in just a few days?
Zhào Fēng was writing and didn't pay attention to the two who entered.
They could only wait, as it was the norm.
Every time they saw Zhào Fēng, they had to wait, as if he always had some leisurely matters to attend to.
Since he started cultivating, Gu Wēn's senses had sharpened, and he noticed that Zhào Fēng's handwriting was not steady, and his movements were not as focused as they should be.
This didn't seem like someone who enjoyed calligraphy.
'Could it be that all this waiting has been a way to test us?'
He tugged at the corner of his mouth, feeling absurd, but it made sense when it came to someone born in the imperial family.
They were born to trample on others.
Many books are now hard to find, so cherish them while you can.