Chapter 173: Chapter 173: Inner Strength Takes Form, Medicine King Valley Again

"There are currently two main sources for Spirit Fruits and other such heavenly and earthly treasures," Liu Yuheng explained patiently to Pei Shaoqing as they walked. "The first is, naturally, the legacies left behind by Ancient Cultivators. The second is things that have accumulated power over vast amounts of time, like thousand-year-old ginseng and so on."

Pei Shaoqing had a sudden realization. General Li must have encountered the second type, which just went to show how lucky he was.

Beasts that roamed the mountains often discovered heavenly and earthly treasures and the legacies of Cultivators long before humans did.

This was likely how the now-rare, almost-extinct demons gained their Spiritual Wisdom and formed their Inner Cores.

A crowd had gathered around a particularly thick stalk of bamboo, all of them looking up at a man in black wearing a ghost-faced mask who stood atop it.

The man in black held one hand out flat. In his palm rested an egg-sized, light purple fruit that emanated a rich, fruity fragrance and a faint glow. It attracted not only people but also many birds and beasts.

A flock of birds circled above the bamboo forest like a great black cloud, obscuring the starlight and moonlight.

"So that’s a Spirit Fruit... I can smell it from this far away. I can’t imagine how delicious it must be."

"All you think about is eating! This is a Spirit Fruit! The kind you only see once in a century! Legend says it can bring the dead back to life and grow flesh on bare bones. A single one might even let you become a Grandmaster."

"I heard some Spirit Fruits grant immortality and eternal youth. If only I had one..."

The onlookers chattered amongst themselves, their descriptions of the Spirit Fruit’s effects growing more and more exaggerated. Some even swore that eating it would let one ascend to godhood in broad daylight, becoming an immortal on the spot.

Pei Shaoqing dismissed it all as bullshit.

’Spirit Fruits definitely have strange properties, but they can’t possibly be as amazing as people claim. Otherwise, the Emperors and leaders of the great powers would have achieved immortality long ago.’

"With the Spiritual Qi so depleted, even a Spirit Fruit that took a thousand years to ripen would lack the nourishment of the world’s spiritual energy during its growth. Its effects are far from what they were in ancient times," Liu Yuheng said to Pei Shaoqing in a low voice.

Pei Shao nodded and asked, "Then what about the heavenly and earthly treasures left behind by the Cultivators?"

"Heavenly and earthly treasures are harder to preserve than Spirit Pills. Most have lost a significant amount of their Spiritual Power. And just like Spirit Pills, you can’t just eat them recklessly. We mere mortals would likely just explode and die," Liu Yuheng said, shaking her head.

Pei Shaoqing could only once again marvel at General Li’s good fortune. Not only had he found a Spirit Fruit, but he hadn’t exploded after eating it. Instead, he became a demon, changing his feline life forever.

Seeing that a sufficient crowd had gathered, the ghost-faced man holding the Spirit Fruit on the bamboo tip finally spoke. "According to ancient texts, the Spirit Fruit in my hand is called a Nine Orifice Exquisite Fruit. Consuming it can help one achieve clarity of Spiritual Wisdom and break through Cultivation bottlenecks. It is also the main ingredient for refining the Nine Orifice Exquisite Pill."

"Of course, this Spirit Fruit has already lost a great deal of its Spiritual Power. But even so, it is still a great tonic for us mortals. Any heroes present who are interested may bid freely. The highest bidder wins."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Furthermore, I only accept direct transactions—payment for goods. So when you bid, please base your offers on the amount of silver notes you have on your person."

"To hell with that!" An old man laughed loudly as he leaped into the air and shot toward the ghost-faced man, reaching out to snatch the Spirit Fruit. "Selling it at the Ghost Market, and with terms like that... it’s obvious this Spirit Fruit isn’t legitimately yours. I can just take it, so why should I pay?"

The ghost-faced man snorted coldly and thrust out his palm. His powerful Inner Strength coalesced into a Palm Seal that struck the old man. With a bloodcurdling scream, the old man exploded on the spot, showering the ground in a grisly rain of blood, flesh, and organs.

In an instant, the many people who had been thinking of getting a five-finger discount calmed down, no longer daring to make a rash move.

Liu Yuheng’s expression grew solemn. "If he’s not a Grandmaster, he’s at most half a step away."

"A Grandmaster!" Pei Shaoqing’s gaze sharpened.

’This is the first time I’ve seen a Martial Artist close to the Grandmaster realm in action. His Inner Strength can already be projected and given form. How powerful must a true Grandmaster be?’

’Could they take an enemy general’s head from within an army of thousands?’

"If he’s only half a step from becoming a Grandmaster, why doesn’t he keep the Spirit Fruit for himself?" he asked, a little confused.

Liu Yuheng replied softly, "Young Master, it’s precisely because he’s only half a step away from being a Grandmaster that he *doesn’t* need the Spirit Fruit. He can cross that threshold on his own. It’s better to exchange it for silver to buy other things he needs."

Pei Shaoqing was taken aback. ’Alright, a slacker like me who’s too lazy to train and just wants to pop pills to level up could never understand a hardcore grinder who levels up through pure effort.’

"If anyone else wants to try their luck, I’ll give them the chance," the ghost-faced man said coldly, looking down at the crowd.

The bustling Ghost Market was now utterly silent.

It was so quiet that only the sound of breathing could be heard.

The ghost-faced man snorted again, settled himself back on the bamboo tip, and said, "You may all begin bidding."

"One hundred and twenty thousand taels!" Pei Shaoqing shouted, having estimated the amount of silver and silver notes in his Storage Ring.

He was the first to make a bid.

The moment he spoke, all eyes turned to him.

"It’s Lord Pingyang, Pei Shaoqing."

"I’ll give Lord Pingyang some face. I’m not bidding against him."

"Compete with what? Can you even scrape together one thousand taels? Stop putting on an act."

Pei Shaoqing tapped the ground with his toes and leaped onto a bamboo stalk. Looking down on the crowd, he performed a fist-and-palm salute and said, "I hope you will all do me this favor."

For a time, no one else spoke up.

It was either because they didn’t have that much money on them, or they didn’t want to get into a conflict with Pei Shaoqing over it.

"I thank you all for your consideration," Pei Shaoqing said with a smile, offering another fist-and-palm salute in gratitude.

’This is the benefit of not wearing a mask.’

’I can activate my Face-Face Fruit ability anytime I want.’

Just as he thought the Spirit Fruit was within his grasp, a voice suddenly rang out. "I bid one hundred fifty thousand taels."

BOOM!

The crowd instantly erupted.

Someone actually dared to snatch food from a tiger’s mouth?

Pei Shaoqing’s expression darkened instantly. His cold gaze swept over to a young man, also unmasked, who looked to be about twenty-six or twenty-seven. He wore a green robe and had an unremarkable appearance.

Meeting the varied gazes of the crowd, the man adopted a self-possessed air and gave Pei Shaoqing a fist-and-palm salute.

"Greetings, Lord Pingyang. I am Zhang Qing, a disciple of Medicine King Valley. I was sent down the mountain to procure some items for our upcoming grand ceremony and did not expect to encounter a Spirit Fruit. I boldly ask that Lord Pingyang part with this treasure. After my Medicine King Valley refines this fruit into a Pill, we are willing to gift one to you as thanks."

Upon hearing this, the onlookers immediately began to murmur.

"He’s from Medicine King Valley! No wonder."

"To carry that much silver and dare to compete with Lord Pingyang, this Zhang Qing must not be an ordinary disciple in Medicine King Valley. He must hold a significant position."

"Lord Pingyang is most likely here to attend the Medicine King Valley’s ceremony too. He’ll probably give them this face, right?"

’Someone from Medicine King Valley again!’ Pei Shaoqing was so annoyed he almost laughed. With a scornful look, he said, "You’ll gift me one Pill after you refine it? Should I be thanking you for that?"

"I wouldn’t dare presume. If Lord Pingyang looks down on my offer, I will not humiliate myself further. We can both just compete on our own merits," Zhang Qing replied, his tone stiffening as he frowned at Pei Shaoqing’s hostility.

Pei Shaoqing immediately raised the price. "One hundred seventy thousand taels."

’The ghost-faced man must be in a hurry to fence this. That’s why he’s selling it cheap at the Ghost Market. I absolutely cannot miss this opportunity.’

"Two hundred thousand taels," Zhang Qing added leisurely, raising the price by thirty thousand. He chuckled. "Heh, feel free to keep bidding, Lord Pingyang. Medicine King Valley has nothing but medicine and silver. I am prepared to see this through to the end tonight."

"It seems Medicine King Valley truly desires this Spirit Fruit. Since that’s the case, this official will do you the favor tonight," Pei Shaoqing said suddenly with a smile.

Zhang Qing froze for a moment, guessing that Pei Shaoqing probably didn’t have that much money on him. A smirk played on his lips. "Then I must thank Lord Pingyang for yielding."

"Not at all, not at all. The Spirit Fruit would be wasted in my hands anyway," Pei Shaoqing said, shaking his head with a laugh. He turned and said, "Aunt Liu, let’s go."

Liu Yuheng glanced at Zhang Qing before hurrying to catch up.

"I can’t believe even Lord Pingyang, who’s been on such a roll lately, would get one-upped by Medicine King Valley. They live up to their reputation."

"What do you mean one-upped? Lord Pingyang clearly yielded on purpose. That’s called having magnanimity, you get it?"

"The Medicine King Valley’s grand ceremony is about to start. Lord Pingyang is just giving face to the host, that’s why he backed down."

Only a small fraction of the crowd thought Pei Shaoqing couldn’t outbid Zhang Qing. Most of them imagined he had yielded intentionally, praising him as a man of great character.

"Lord Pingyang? So what? I thought there’d be a good show, but he just chickened out when faced with Medicine King Valley," a man with a full beard said with a sneer, spitting on the ground.

Pei Shaoqing stopped and looked back at the man with the sharp, predatory gaze of a wolf, then turned and left without another word.

Having successfully purchased the Nine Orifice Exquisite Fruit, Zhang Qing was all smiles. "Eldest Brother is about to take over as Sect Leader, and I was just worrying about a suitable gift. This trip down the mountain was truly worthwhile."

"But, Senior Brother Zhang, have we offended Lord Pingyang?" one of the Medicine King Valley disciples who had followed him down the mountain to procure supplies asked worriedly.

Zhang Qing was clearly unaware of what the people from Medicine King Valley had done in Tongzhou. He shook his head and said, "Since Pei Shaoqing is personally coming to Yazhou for the ceremony, he shouldn’t be so petty. Besides, this is Yazhou. Even if we did offend him, what can he do to us here?"

"Senior Brother Zhang, I still think..."

"That’s enough," Zhang Qing interrupted his junior brother impatiently. "Let’s go back to the city and sleep. We’ll return to the valley tomorrow morning."

In the early hours of the morning, Zhang Qing was startled from his sleep by a faint noise. He shot up in bed and saw several blade-wielding shadows moving quickly outside his room.

Sensing danger, he didn’t even have time to get dressed. He pulled a long spear directly from his Storage Ring, then leaped up, attempting to crash through the roof and escape from above.

But an ambush was already waiting for him on the roof.

The moment he broke through the roof, he was enveloped by a large, specially made net, which sent him falling back into the room.

He couldn’t brandish his spear properly, and before he could struggle free of the net, the door was kicked open. A group of Jing’an Guards rushed in, pressing their blades against his neck.

The room was pitch-black, with the pale moonlight providing the only illumination. It reflected off the Jing’an Guards’ Faceless Masks, making them look even ghastlier, like a pack of demons.

Zhang Qing could hear the sounds of fighting from the other rooms. Clearly, all the men he had brought down the mountain with him had been wiped out.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.