NOVEL NEXT Chapter 68 Sinking Sand
The three shopkeepers were all startled when they heard Yang Luochen's statements:
"Demon People?"
"Elder Shang is seriously injured?"
"What on earth happened?"
"Elder Yang, are you alright?"
The three of them asked anxiously.
Yang Luochen waved his hand and said, "My injury is minor. I just need to take some medicine and regulate my qi and blood. I'll be fine in three to five days. Elder Shang's situation is a bit more difficult. Arrange for Pharmacists to consult as soon as possible. Also, we must report the matter of the Demon People to the county government office..."
Chen Ku, from a distance, overheard bits and pieces with his Skinny Dog ears.
Demon People?
He had originally thought that today's conflict had been easily resolved. Now, he realized there were bigger issues ahead. Even Master Yang, a person of such great skill, had been injured, and Elder Shang was seriously wounded...
Suddenly, an invisible sense of urgency and oppression weighed down on his heart.
Is something big going to happen in Baojiao County?
It had to be said that the day's events, just as Huang Muxia had predicted, quickly spread throughout the city.
North Yang planted his staff so firmly that Huang Muxia, even exerting all his strength, could not budge it. This kind of incident was prime material for the most beloved stories in many Martial Forest tales.
However, nobody thought any less of Huang Muxia because of this. It was, after all, a confrontation between two individuals with a vast disparity in their abilities. Furthermore, the news that Yang Luochen's Martial Arts had advanced, making him one of only two Inner Strength Realm experts in the city, caused an even greater sensation. In the path of Martial Arts, after all, a hair's breadth of difference could mean a world of disparity. Baojiao County, with its population of one hundred thousand households, currently had only two experts at the Five Realms Inner Strength Level. No matter how Huang Muxia lost, it wasn't a disgrace.
This was also the outcome Huang Muxia had sought. He knew very well that with North Yang presiding over Medicine King Hall, even if he led his men to attack, he wouldn't gain any advantage. So, by breaking Chai Bao's bow and then naturally losing to North Yang, no one could say a word against him.
The matter regarding Huang Gun was thus settled.
Within the largest estate in Baojiao County, covering dozens of acres and featuring a pond with a small pavilion in its center, sat the man who held the most power and strength in the city—Shangguan Yun.
He had just placed his silver chopsticks on the exquisite antique dishes. From the large table laden with delicacies, he had taken only a few bites, leaving the rest untouched.
Shangguan Yun wiped his mouth with a fine silk handkerchief, tossing it casually aside. This pale-faced, well-nourished seventh-rank official closed his eyes, having just listened to the news delivered from Medicine King Hall.
"Peace Path... Talisman Paper? Demon Art? What kind of organization has sprung up out of nowhere?"
Sitting across the table, Counselor Su You, mirroring Shangguan Yun's action, also placed his chopsticks aside and calmly analyzed, "Our Daji Dynasty was founded on martial might. Of all on this land, we are the most orthodox Martial Path dynasty, abhorring mystical heresies. Indeed, some foreign cultivation philosophies have spread here, attempting to corrupt the martial orthodoxy by preaching and teaching their ways. If such heretics were found in the Central Plains, it would indeed warrant immediate military action to suppress them. However, this is a far-flung border area, distant from the emperor's watchful eye. How to deal with it, sir, is ultimately your decision."
"According to Yang Luochen, those people's own physiques aren't very good, yet they can obtain a form of Divine Power by affixing talismans to themselves. Some talismans can even explode, more powerful than gunpowder. Even with the skill levels of Yang Luochen and Shang Yunfang, they were helpless when facing dozens of such Talisman Papers thrown at them at once."
Shangguan Yun's gaze flickered slightly. "It sounds like something that can be mass-produced? But I wonder how its power compares to the Divine Force Crossbows of our Baojiao City Guards?"
The Divine Force Crossbow was a standard military weapon of the Daji Dynasty. Private forging by civilians was strictly forbidden; being caught was tantamount to rebellion, punishable by the execution of one's entire family. Even the most common Divine Force Crossbow could penetrate armor from two hundred paces away. Even the Baojiao City Guards possessed only twenty such crossbows in total. If fired simultaneously, their combined power was something no Martial Practitioner in Baojiao County could withstand. Even Shangguan Yun, considered invincible in the city, couldn't guarantee he'd survive an attack from twenty Divine Force Crossbows fired at him at once.
Yet now, these Talisman Papers, though perhaps less powerful than a Divine Force Crossbow, seemed much easier to manufacture.
Seeing Shangguan Yun's expression, Counselor Su You guessed what the official was thinking and said, "Next spring, after Grandmaster Jin Chui's arrival, perhaps we'll know more."
"Then we'll wait until next year to suppress them. There's no rush."
Except for the few words overheard by Chen Ku, none of the other apprentices or staff knew about Shang Yunfang's serious injury. Chen Ku didn't dare to ask about it proactively either... He could only observe that Ke Yansheng's expression remained quite somber over the next few days.
In his heart, he couldn't help but guess: No way! As the largest apothecary in the city, Medicine King Hall can't even save its own Elder Shang?
But he could only speculate based on Ke Yansheng's expressions and mood.
Two or three days later, he saw Master Ke's expression relax somewhat, which eased Chen Ku's mind; it signified that Elder Shang's condition must have stabilized.
It was normal for Chen Ku to be concerned. After all, Medicine King Hall had three main courtyards. If the Butcher Court lost its central pillar, Elder Shang, his own days would become difficult.
Once his worries and anxieties about this matter subsided, Chen Ku redirected his thoughts back to himself.
Last night, Skinny Dog returned. Although it came back empty-handed, the memories it conveyed showed that over the past ten days or so, it had sniffed out a lair of bait mice, containing at least seven or eight of them. Now, all I need is for Skinny Dog to stake out that spot; there's no need to keep scouring the mountainside. Seven or eight… let's say eight. If I could catch them all, that would be assets worth two to three thousand taels! Enough to sell, offer to the Transformation Diagram, buy a house in the Inner City, or even open a shop…
Chen Ku walked out of Medicine King Hall. Now, I should go inquire about the sources and prices of crow sink sand.
How much money would it take to buy ten thousand catties of crow sink sand?
Shortly after, he arrived at an average-sized blacksmith shop in the outer city.
Salt and iron were both important assets. With the government's approval, one could gain mining qualifications, though this definitely required connections within the Imperial Court. Only with an official edict from the Imperial Court could one purchase mountains, land, rivers, and other such state-owned territories for mining and smelting.
Because of the great significance behind iron, the Firewood Iron Shop was the only entity that could not monopolize the iron trade. Otherwise, if the Firewood Iron Shop were to rebel, it would be disastrous. Therefore, to maintain a balance, while the Firewood Iron Shop had the right to smelt iron, many private mines and kilns also existed both inside and outside the city. However, the majority of resources were still controlled by official kilns and mines.
"You want to buy crow sink sand? We have it. How much do you need?"
The sign of this Iron Bank indicated it wasn't affiliated with the Firewood Iron Shop; it was started by a man named Liu Mazha. He owned a small mine in Feng Manor of Baojiao County, hence the shop was named Liu Mazha Iron Shop. It didn't forge iron, only sold iron materials.
"What's the price for crow sink sand?" Chen Ku knew his Refined Iron Dragon Stick contained crow sink sand but wasn't aware of the specific price.
The assistant at the Iron Bank led him directly to a cluttered backyard, pointing at sand inside a stone trough, about the volume of an overturned sea-bowl. "This bowlful is five hundred catties. The going rate is three money of silver per catty of crow sink sand. So, five hundred catties come to one hundred and fifty taels of silver. If you take it all, I'll give you a discount; call it one hundred and forty taels."
So, a bowl-sized amount actually weighed five hundred catties; that was indeed characteristic of crow sink sand. The word 'sink' in its name said it all.
Chen Ku shuddered when he heard the price of the crow sink sand. That meant ten thousand catties of crow sink sand would cost three thousand taels of silver.
"That expensive?" Chen Ku looked at the assistant.
The assistant explained, "Crow sink sand is a top-quality material for forging Weapons. It's a type of extremely heavy iron sand, formed when the Great Dragon River washed it down from Iron Prison Mountain thousands of years ago, following changes in the earth's crust, and deposited it beneath its waters. Later on, the Great Dragon River changed its course within Yuan Country, so it no longer washes down this sand. That's why the crow sink sand we dredge from beneath the Dragon River's silt becomes scarcer the more we collect. Furthermore, the crow sink sand that accumulated in certain areas has long since become actual sand mines, which have been demarcated and claimed. Those waters all have owners. These five hundred catties we have were also acquired through trade. If you find it too expensive and only need a small amount, you might as well grab a sieve and try panning for it yourself on the riverbanks. See if you can even find one catty in a whole year!"
Chen Ku didn't reply but turned and walked out.
Dig for it myself? If I have to dig it myself, then I will dig it myself... How is it different from picking herbs in the mountains? I might not have the talent for finding sand mines, but it's not like there are no underwater creatures. Besides, I still have that Crocodile Fiend transformation I haven't used yet.