National Division

Chapter 38 Shen Xian: I can't exactly rob someone, can I? (Please read on, please vote!)

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Shen Xian looked towards the person who came from the sound, and memories of Zhang Kui welled up in his mind.

I am quite familiar with him.

It can be said that I was deeply influenced by Zhao Lang and Li Yan, two former figures in the martial arts world, and had many interactions with them.

Zhang Kui stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Young Master Shen, are you looking to buy a house?"

Shen Xian said, "I plan to choose a manor."

Zhang Kui chuckled and said, "Brother, why didn't you tell me beforehand that you were buying a house? I know much better than him where to find good houses."

Shen Xian laughed and said, "I was a bit confused before and forgot about it."

Previously, he was unaware of the inside story, but now he has some guesses that his third uncle may have some connection with the Four Seas Gang.

"I haven't seen you for the past two days. What have you been up to at home?" Zhang Kui said, putting his arm around Shen Xian's shoulder and laughing, "It's been a long time since I've seen you listen to the storytelling at Fuminglou."

Shen Xian chuckled and playfully punched Zhang Kui in the chest, saying, "I'll tell you in a bit. First, take me to see the house."

This intimate gesture only made Zhang Kui's smile widen, and he readily agreed, "Okay."

Then, he turned to the group of people who were following him, his face stern, and said in a deep voice, "You guys don't need to follow me. Go somewhere cool and stay there."

"Yes," several attendants replied, then turned and left.

Zhang Kui laughed and said, "Brother, let me show you around. All the mansions in this area are nice places. Tell me which one you'd like to pick."

They simply gave a brief introduction, without even digging deeper to ask where Shen Xianqian came from.

Shen Xian said, "Help me pick a house by the river, in a quiet environment, but not too remote. It should be near a main road with easy access to shops. In short, it should be a place where you can enjoy peace and quiet inside, but also be bustling with activity outside."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Kui laughed heartily and said, "Peace and tranquility within, bustling prosperity without. Brother, you've learned quite a bit at Qingyang Temple these past few days, and you've become quite the scholar?"

"My father is very strict with me, always telling me to read more and speak more politely. I haven't been able to change that habit yet," Shen Xian said.

Fortunately, his father did not let him develop the habit of speaking Mandarin at home.

Zhang Kui didn't continue the conversation. As the two walked, he said, "These past few days, you haven't gone to Fuminglou to listen to storytelling. You've been reading the same stories over and over again. I've almost memorized them."

Shen Xian said, "There should be a new story in the next couple of days."

"The Legend of the Condor Heroes" also needs someone to make it famous, and he can ask storytellers to help spread it.

"How so?" Zhang Kui asked.

Shen Xian said, "I recently got the urge to write a story myself, partly because I've been listening to a lot of stories."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Kui became interested and said, "You'll have to tell me what happened later."

"The manuscript hasn't arrived yet, but the newspaper should be out this afternoon." Shen Xian smiled and said, "I'll have to ask Brother Zhang to bring his men to support us then."

Zhang Kui in front of me looks like a rough and uncultured man, but he is actually literate.

According to his third uncle, Li Yan, he worked as a butcher, raising his siblings while they went to school. Later, he was bullied by thugs from the Jinsha Gang. Unable to bear it any longer, he led a few brothers in a fight against them.

Shen Xian didn't hear Li Yan talk about what happened after that.

Shen Xian asked, "Do you have any precious medicines here that can replenish blood and qi? Or any kind of pills?"

My father's congenital essence and blood were damaged, so he needs to be replenished.

Previously, he didn't want to ask Xue Zhihua directly, or perhaps Xue Zhihua didn't have any either; otherwise, given her personality, she would have brought it up herself.

As for purchasing from Qingyang Temple, Qingyang Temple never sells elixirs, but it accepts medicinal herbs for alchemy, just like Liu Yu, the son of County Magistrate Liu, did before.

Zhang Kui said, "I don't know about that, but speaking of pills, the pills you asked me to keep an eye on last time, I've recently made some progress."

Shen Xian used to cultivate martial arts, but he was stuck at the third level of the Acquired Realm. He discussed with Li Yan the idea of ​​using pills to break through the realm.

However, elixirs have always been precious. Even a minor elixir that helps cultivate internal energy, even if it is of slightly lower quality, costs at least a hundred taels of silver.

Even though Shen Xian is the son of a county magistrate, he still can't afford to spend money.

As for the Great Rejuvenating Pill, it costs as much as several hundred taels.

"How so?" Shen Xian asked, intrigued.

Taking too many pills can weaken one's internal energy, but if one's foundation is solid, taking a small amount is fine.

However, apart from Qingyang Temple, I haven't heard of any other places in Guhe County that practice alchemy.

Guhe County is, after all, a small place.

Zhang Kui said, "Recently, the leader of the Jinsha Gang got a gourd of pills from somewhere. I heard that there are Great Rejuvenation Pills for innate martial artists, Small Rejuvenation Pills for acquired martial artists, and Crimson Essence Pills to replenish essence and blood."

Shen Xian asked, "Red Essence Pill?" Judging from the name, this pill seemed to be a pill that replenishes blood essence.

Zhang Kui said, "It's just that the price is quite high."

Shen Xian's expression turned strange for a moment, and he muttered, "There won't be an auction, will there?"

Dead memories begin to attack him.

Zhang Kui looked at Shen Xian with a puzzled expression and said, "Auction? Why auction them? These are all things that are worthless and have no market value. They were originally bought for our own use. What's the point of selling them? Besides, the Jinsha Gang is not short of money. These pills are mainly used to reward the gang members and the Jinsha Gang leader. The old man probably committed a lot of sins when he was young. He doesn't have a single child. He wants a child and is seeking immortality everywhere. I heard that he mainly bought the Crimson Essence Pills, and the others were just side projects."

Shen Xian: "..."

Okay, there was no auction; he was just prejudiced.

The Red Essence Pill, which replenishes blood essence, does indeed have some merit based on its name.

Seeing the hatred radiating from Zhang Kui's eyes, Shen Xian asked, "Does the leader of the Golden Sands Gang have no son?"

"He's got no balls! He's desperate for a son! He has five sons-in-law and thirteen wives, but not a single boy has come along, haha." Zhang Kui made no attempt to hide his mockery when the topic came up.

Before he rose to prominence, Zhang Kui had been bullied by the Jinsha Gang. In the following years, the Sihai Gang rose to power and the Jinsha Gang's influence shrank. Only then did the Jinsha Gang consider joining forces with the Sihai Gang.

Shen Xian was speechless for a moment.

The two chatted idly as they looked around the manor along the valley river.

Xue Zhihua, concealing herself, listened to the conversation between the two, her face also showing deep thought.

The secret passage reveals that this small Guhe County truly has many stories to tell.

Shen Xian and Zhang Kui strolled around the manor, and according to Shen Xian's request, they selected three outfits.

Before we knew it, it was noon.

Zhang Kui said, "Good brother, I just got a pot of apricot blossom wine. Come over to Fuminglou and have a drink."

Shen Xian was about to politely decline when she heard Xue Zhihua's voice beside her, "Go ahead."

Seeing that Zhang Kui was completely unaware, he thought to himself, "The methods of immortality are indeed more profound than those of martial arts."

Coach, I want to learn this!

Shen Xian suppressed the ripples in his heart about the path of immortality, and then thought that it might not be a bad idea to ask Zhang Kui to inquire about the Crimson Essence Pill.

As they talked, the two headed towards Fuminglou.

This is a restaurant overlooking the valley river, offering excellent views, and there is a constant stream of people and carriages passing by.

In other words, the Guhe River, as a vital tributary of the Grand Canal, saw cargo ships docking on both sides, which greatly boosted commerce on both banks.

If, as County Magistrate Liu suggested, an additional County Commandant was to be appointed in such a county, it would be quite normal.

As the two talked, they entered the hall, which was bustling with people, with the sounds of drinking and playing drinking games filling the air, giving it a distinctly local flavor.

The shopkeeper looked up and saw Zhang Kui. He quickly ran over from behind the counter and said with a smile, "Boss Zhang, it's the same old spot."

“What Zhang the Boss? Call me Master Zhang,” Zhang Kui said softly.

Zhang the Boss, he's been treated like some kind of mountain bandit.

Shen Xian found it amusing to watch from the side.

As they spoke, they quickly went up to the second floor with Zhang Kui and then sat down by the window.

Zhang Kui asked, "Brother, when you asked about the pills earlier, were you interested in these pills?"

Shen Xian nodded, then said helplessly, "The Jinsha Gang refuses to sell, right? I can't exactly rob them, can I?"

Zhang Kui nodded and said, "It's not impossible."

Shen Xian: "..."

Zhang Kui said, "Your father is the county magistrate. If the Jinsha Gang were to sell a few pills, they might be willing to do him a favor. But everyone in the county knows your father's temper."

After all, he was a county magistrate, and the Jinsha Gang was eager to curry favor with him, but Shen Xian's father naturally wouldn't seek help from the Jinsha Gang.

Shen Xian said, "But I want that Crimson Essence Pill. Or, if I can find out the source of the Crimson Essence Pill from the leader of the Golden Sand Gang, I can try to buy it."

The innate martial artist lost several drops of his essence blood at once, which might damage his father's martial arts foundation.

Martial arts transcend the innate realm, but it is not without its levels.

　I'd like to try and get on the new book charts, so please vote if you have any.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)