Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 167 A Small Meeting at Pinghe, The Fierce Wind Sword Technique (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

As the sun sets in the west and the moon rises in the east, more than ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Nankou Township is the southernmost township in Rongtai County, bordering Ronghuai County.

Duiying Mountain, the boundary mountain between Rongtai County and Ronghuai County, is also located in Nankou Township.

Last August, Zhao Xian was entrusted by the Zhu family to kill a group of bandits at Duiying Mountain and retrieve the spiritual rice that had been stolen from the Zhu family.

It was because of this incident that Zhao Xian was recommended by Liu Yuan, the county clerk, to be the military clerk.

It can be said that if it weren't for the bandits of Duiying Mountain, Zhao Xian would probably still be serving as the village assistant in Shahe Township.

Zhao Xian had a different feeling about Duiying Mountain. During his month-long stay in Nankou Township, he spent a lot of time hunting on this mountain.

No matter how much we cherish this mountain, it's time to leave.

On the fourth day of the seventh month, Zhao Xian led a group of demon hunters back to Xixiang.

Dao Min, a member of the demon-hunting team under his command, had been away from home for a month and naturally missed his family very much.

Besides, it's the busy season for farming now, so I need to go home and take care of things.

Nankou Township is nearly 100 li away from Xixiang Township.

Although Zhao Xian and his entourage had mounts, the weather was too hot for them to ride at full speed, so they could only walk with their followers.

It took the group two days to return to Xixiang.

As the team leader, Zhao Zheng naturally had a mount, and he and Cao Quan rode back to Wohu Township midway.

As for Zhao Ji, Zhao Cheng, and the others, their families have now been settled in Xixiang and they have been included in the local register of Xixiang, so they will naturally return to Xixiang together.

Upon returning to Xixiang, Zhao Xian led Huang Zhong and the other three to a village inn in Xixiang for the night.

Zhao Ji, Zhao Cheng, and the other members of the demon-hunting team naturally surrendered their weapons and hurriedly returned home. They had been away from home for more than a month and missed their families very much!

Now that the demon-hunting team is gradually becoming more organized, Zhao Xian has instructed Song Ming to formulate his own military regulations in accordance with the military orders of the Qian Dynasty.

Among these, the management of weapons is of paramount importance!

When the demon-hunting team was first formed, most of the weapons carried by the members were self-made. Later, after Zhao Xian obtained talisman money, he replaced them all with finely crafted weapons.

Even figures like Zhao Ji, Zhao Cheng, and Zhang Gong possessed low-grade weapons, iron-rimmed bows, and leather armor.

But now that Zhao Xian has issued military orders, these weapons and armor will naturally be taken back one by one.

Fortunately, no one complained about it and they returned it readily.

Zhao Xian compensated for this by purchasing a batch of thirty-refined ring-pommel swords from the Hundred Weapons Pavilion and distributing them to everyone for protection.

Although it can't compare to a low-grade weapon refined to the 36th level, it's still quite good!

The villagers all returned home, and Zhao Xian and his companions had nothing much to do.

After resting for a day in the country house, Zhao Xian remembered something.

At Chen Sheng's Foundation Establishment celebration, Chen Mo, a cultivator from a small family whom I met, mentioned something.

In addition to the Daqingshan Market, there is a small gathering of Qi Refining cultivators every month in Pinghe Township and Donglai Township.

"Since we have nothing better to do, why don't we go take a look!"

Xixiang and Pinghe Township are adjacent but not far apart.

The next morning, the sun rose in the east.

Zhao Xian invited Song Ming and Liu Ping, and together with Huang Zhong and Zhao Hong, changed into light robes and rode their horses toward Pinghe Township.

By the time the hour of Si (9-11 AM) had passed, the group had arrived at Pinghe Township.

The gathering took place at the market across from the country house.

After leaving their horses at the country house, the group headed towards the market.

Zhao Xian had thought this market among Qi Refining cultivators would be quite mysterious, but he didn't expect it to be just like an ordinary small vendor's market. The cultivators would simply occupy a stall and place their goods on it.

It wasn't just Qi Refining cultivators who came to stroll around; some martial arts cultivators and even ordinary people without cultivation were also wandering around the market.

The gathering of minor cultivators from all directions naturally made it a very lively place.

Although Zhao Xian and his group traveled light, their cultivation levels were still considerable.

Apart from Liu Ping, Zhao Bing, and Zhao Hong, who are still at the mid-stage of Qi Refining or the Tendon Refining stage, the rest of them are already at the late-stage of Qi Refining or the Bone Refining stage.

The group was quite young, and their journey naturally attracted the attention of many small vendors.

Suddenly, Zhao Xian stopped at a stall, his gaze falling on a white porcelain bottle in the very center of the stall.

"Is this the Leopard Embryo Tendon-Changing Pill?"

Zhao Xian glanced at the fair-skinned stall owner, then asked with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist has excellent eyesight!"

"It is indeed the Leopard Embryo Tendon-Changing Pill!"

The stall owner was about forty or fifty years old, with fair skin and a simple, elegant blue robe. Upon hearing Zhao Xian's words, he immediately smiled and replied.

"May I take a look?"

"Fellow Daoist, please take it yourself!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian naturally didn't stand on ceremony. He raised his hand and the white porcelain bottle flew into his palm.

This skillful manipulation of objects greatly surprised the stall owner. Looking at Song Ming, Huang Zhong, and the others behind him, who all possessed extraordinary bearing, the stall owner naturally took them seriously.

Zhao Xian opened the white porcelain bottle, poured out a blood-red elixir, and then gently sniffed it.

A faint smell of blood mixed with a hint of sweetness stirred one's heart.

"Ah Hong, how does this elixir compare to the ones you took before?"

Zhao Xian had never taken this elixir before, so he immediately tossed the white porcelain bottle to Zhao Hong behind him and asked with a smile.

Zhao Hong didn't stand on ceremony and took out a pill, then gently sniffed it.

"The stench of blood has become a bit too strong!"

A few breaths later, Zhao Hong returned the white porcelain bottle to the stall owner and then said with a smile.

"Where did the Leopard Embryo Tendon-Changing Pill you previously consumed come from?"

Upon hearing this, the stall owner immediately looked at Zhao Hong and asked with a smile.

"It should be Yunlan Pavilion!"

Zhao Hong said uncertainly.

Upon hearing Zhao Hong's words, the stall owner smiled helplessly and said, "How could my crude alchemy skills compare to those of the alchemists at Yunlan Pavilion!"

"It was we who were presumptuous!"

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian immediately bowed and said.

"Judging from your attire, you probably don't come to this Pinghe gathering often!"

Just then, the stall owner next door chimed in with a smile.

"I only learned about this from a fellow Daoist when I attended Venerable Chen Sheng's Foundation Establishment Ceremony a few days ago!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian naturally smiled and replied.

"You gentlemen are indeed fortunate!" Upon hearing this, the stall owner raised an eyebrow and praised with a smile, then added with a laugh, "This Master Chu before you is quite famous in the northwestern villages of Rongtai!"

"I, Chu, have only learned a rudimentary skill in alchemy; I have no reputation whatsoever!"

The middle-aged cultivator opposite Zhao Xian immediately waved his hands repeatedly and said with a wry smile.

"According to the classification of our cultivation world, Master Chu should be considered a mid-grade Yellow Rank alchemist, capable of refining spiritual pills in the mid-to-early stages of Qi Refining."

The stall owner then smiled and said...

This wasn't exactly a secret; most of the independent cultivators in the market knew about it.

Only newcomers like Zhao Xian are unaware of this.

Among the various arts of cultivation, alchemy, artifact crafting, and talisman arrays, alchemists are the most sought-after. Upon hearing that the middle-aged cultivator in front of them was actually an alchemist, Zhao Xian and the others also showed a hint of surprise on their faces!

Alchemists are not so easy to train!

Even for a pill refiner who can only refine pills for the early or mid-stages of Qi Refining, the amount of spiritual herbs consumed during the cultivation process would be a considerable sum if converted into low-grade spirit stones.

"Fellow Daoist Chu is actually an alchemist? My apologies for not recognizing you!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian bowed again, and Song Ming and the others behind him also bowed in return.

Seeing Zhao Xian's surprise, the middle-aged cultivator was quite pleased. He immediately straightened his expression and returned the greeting: "Chu Shu from Pinghe Township greets all fellow Daoists!"

"Zhao Xian of Wohu Township greets Fellow Daoist Chu!"

"Song Ming from Shangbei Township greets Fellow Daoist Chu!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhao Xian began to carefully examine the elixirs on the stall.

Indeed, there are only some elixirs for the early and middle stages of Qi cultivation, or elixirs that help with skin and tendon training.

"How much does this Leopard Embryo Tendon-Changing Pill cost?"

Finally, Zhao Xian asked.

"One pill equals five low-grade spirit stones!"

Although it was just a brief chat, it was still a business transaction. When Chu Shu saw Zhao Xian speak, he immediately replied with a smile.

"Ten pills per bottle, fifty low-grade spirit stones! Could you give me a discount if I buy a whole bottle?"

Zhao Xian weighed the white porcelain bottle in his hand and asked again.

"This~"

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's question, Chu Shu showed a hint of embarrassment and gave a wry smile, saying, "Three of these pills have already been reserved by you, so I can only sell you seven!"

"Are people actually buying them one by one?"

Zhao Bing asked, quite surprised.

"We humble cultivators from the countryside are mostly short of money, so buying elixirs by the pill is quite common!"

Upon hearing Zhao Bing's words, the stall owner at the nearby stall immediately said helplessly.

Immediately, the stall owner also looked at Zhao Xian, who was at the head, and began to ponder.

"Bo Zhang, the quality of these elixirs is actually quite acceptable!"

"Why don't we buy some!"

Suddenly, Song Ming pointed to the Body Strengthening Pills on the stall and said with a smile.

"Body Strengthening Pill~"

Zhao Xian looked over as well, pondered for a moment, and then looked at Chu Shu: "Buy these seven Leopard Embryo Tendon-Changing Pills, these five bottles of Body-Strengthening Pills, and this bottle of Essence Pills."

"How many spirit stones?"

"This~"

Upon hearing this, Chu Shu was shocked, never expecting Zhao Xian to buy so many!

"One hundred and thirty low-grade spirit stones, what does Fellow Daoist Zhao think?"

Zhao Xian nodded immediately and did not haggle.

Seeing that Zhao Xian had agreed, Zhao Hong immediately took out a palm-sized piece of ethereal spirit stone from his sleeve and handed it to Chu Shu.

"A mid-grade spirit stone?"

Upon seeing this, Chu Shu immediately took the spirit stone and then picked out the pills that Zhao Xian had bought from the stall, handing them to Zhao Xian.

"Thank you for your patronage, Fellow Daoist Zhao."

Chu Shu thanked Zhao Xian, then packed up his stall, put it away, and left!

"I'd also like to ask him how many more spirit stones he should add!"

Zhao Hong scratched his head, puzzled.

Meanwhile, the stall owner next door looked at Zhao Xian and his group with a hint of greed in his eyes.

Let's go!

Zhao Xian waved his sleeve and put all the elixirs into his storage bag, completely ignoring the stares around him, and then continued to stroll around the market.

"May I ask if you are Zhao Xian, the county garrison officer?"

Suddenly, someone spoke up and asked in a loud voice.

"That's me!"

Zhao Xian turned around and responded, then continued walking forward.

"So it was him!"

"It's actually this lord!"

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's admission, the surrounding stall owners began to whisper among themselves.

"This man is no pushover. He patrols the countryside, slays bandits and monsters, and wipes out the Wu family of Xixiang!"

Then someone looked around at the stalls and spoke in a solemn voice.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding stall owners all showed a hint of solemnity on their faces.

"Bozhang, the saying goes, 'Wealth should not be flaunted,' but you just showed off your wealth!"

Walking through the market, Song Ming and Zhao Xian walked side by side, when suddenly Song Ming chuckled softly.

"Zizhao, it's alright, Pinghe Township is just a short distance away anyway."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian smiled slightly and nodded towards the distance.

"Ah Ping, here, take this bottle of Essence Pills. You should start cultivating properly now!"

Suddenly, Zhao Xian handed the bottle of Essence Pills to Liu Ping behind him.

"This elixir is too precious for Liu Ping to accept!"

Upon seeing this, Liu Ping shook his head and replied solemnly.

"You are an official under my command, and you represent my authority on a daily basis!"

"If my cultivation level is too low, and others don't respect me, wouldn't that be an insult to me!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian immediately and without hesitation placed the white porcelain bottle into Liu Ping's hand, and said with a smile.

Seeing Zhao Xian's attitude, Liu Ping had no choice but to accept the gift, and he was very grateful to Zhao Xian.

After all, when he joined Zhao Xianmo's sect, he was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, and now, more than half a year has passed, he is still stuck at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

Huang Zhong and Zhao Duan have already entered the bone-training stage, while Zhao Hong and Zhao Bing have also reached the completion of tendon-training.

The rapid progress of everyone else naturally made Liu Ping envious.

Now that I have this bottle of Essence Pill to help me, I should be able to advance to the fifth level of Qi Refining sooner!

The group strolled around the market. Besides the cultivators selling elixirs, there were also some cultivators selling low-level spiritual items such as talisman soldiers and spirit talismans.

Of course, most small vendors sell everything, from scattered pieces of demon blood and bones to cultivated spirit rice, etc.

Forged ironware.

Such examples are numerous and varied.

Suddenly, Song Ming pointed to a stall not far away.

Zhao Xian looked up and saw a dozen or so cultivators surrounding the stall, which immediately aroused his curiosity.

The group approached for a closer look and discovered that it was selling classical books.

Upon discovering that it was a shop selling ancient books, Song Ming shook his head, looking quite disappointed.

"Zizhao, what's wrong? Don't you just love ancient books?"

Seeing this, Zhao Xian naturally asked out of curiosity.

"When I traveled abroad, I also saw these books for sale, and most of them were forgeries!"

Song Ming smiled and replied in a low voice.

"Oh? How do you forge it?"

"The first few pages are all genuine, for buyers to verify; the subsequent content is entirely fabricated!"

After hearing this, Zhao Xian nodded.

Looking at the stall in front of them again, they became more discerning.

Sure enough, just as Song Ming had said, a junior cultivator opened a cultivation manual, but after reading only three or five pages, the stall owner snatched it back.

He claimed that if they continued reading, they would have to buy it with spirit stones!

"Um?!"

As Zhao Xian was gathering his thoughts, his eyes were drawn to a martial arts manual displayed at a stall.

"Whoosh!"

With a wave of his hand, the technique was already in Zhao Xian's hands.

When the stall owner saw the martial arts manual fly away, his face immediately turned anxious. When he looked up again, he saw that the manual had already fallen into Zhao Xian's hands.

"Fellow Daoist, you can only view the first three pages!"

Seeing Zhao Xian's imposing stature and extraordinary bearing, the stall owner immediately gave a smirk.

"The Gale Sword Technique!"

"Could it be the Flying Sword Technique?"

Zhao Xian glanced at the homepage title only, then looked at the stall owner and asked with a smile.

"Exactly!"

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's question, the stall owner was immediately delighted and quickly responded.

As a small-time merchant who travels all over the country, he naturally has a keen eye and can tell that Zhao Xian and his group must be people of extraordinary status. And if such people ask about something, it must mean that they have already set their sights on it!

"Snapped!"

But then the cultivation technique landed back on the stall. Zhao Xian looked at the stall owner and said with an unfriendly expression, "The technique of sword control is extremely precious even in the hands of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!"

"Your little stall even has sword techniques needed by Foundation Establishment cultivators?"

Seeing Zhao Xian's sudden change of expression, the stall owner was also startled. Fortunately, he was very knowledgeable and knew that he must not show any fear at this time!

He immediately craned his neck to look at Zhao Xian and replied loudly, "The flying sword technique is indeed quite precious!"

"But what's truly precious is the artistic conception contained within this sword manual. If this sword manual were recorded using a jade slip, its artistic conception could be fully captured!"

"Naturally, it's extremely valuable!"

"But since it's only recorded on blank paper now, it certainly can't be considered a treasure!"

When the stall owner got to this point, he noticed that Zhao Xian's expression had softened somewhat, and he quickly added with a smile, "This sword technique is actually a family heirloom!"

"My ancestors were once glorious; one of them was a Foundation Establishment cultivator!"

"It's a pity that after our ancestor passed away, our family became like burlap sacks and straw bags, declining with each generation!"

At this point, the stall owner's eyes also reddened, as if he was about to cry.

"If you're interested, fellow Daoist, you can take it for ten low-grade spirit stones!"

Five dollars!

Seeing this middle-aged man shedding tears, Zhao Xian remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"Five dollars it is!"

The man grabbed the sword manual, wiped his eyes slightly, and handed it to Zhao Xian, a hint of smugness flashing deep in his eyes.

He wasn't lying; this sword technique was indeed passed down in his family!

However, this sword manual has already been sold more than ten times!

"then!"

Zhao Hong tossed out five low-grade spirit stones, and Zhao Xian took the opportunity to open the sword manual and carefully peruse it.

"It's not entirely fabricated; there's some truth to it!"

He then handed the sword manual to Song Ming, who glanced at it briefly and nodded.

The group then turned and left.

"Sell me this one!"

As Zhao Xian and his group left, shouts echoed from the stall behind them.

It's obviously open for business!

After wandering around the market for the better part of an hour, the group finally left and headed towards the country house.

Upon returning to their village in Pinghe, they ran into Xu Dekun and his men, who were returning from the north.

Seeing that Zhao Xian and his entourage were traveling lightly and had just left the market, Xu Dekun naturally guessed what they had come up with.

"Bozhang, how did it go? Did you manage to snag any bargains?"

Taking a few steps forward, Xu Dekun asked with a smile.

"These cultivators are all incredibly skilled; it's not that easy to find a bargain here!"

"This sword manual is quite good!"

After saying that, Zhao Xian handed the "Raging Wind Sword Manual" in his hand to Xu Dekun.

Xu Dekun took the book, glanced at the title on the first page, and then handed it back to Zhao Xian.

"I also have a copy of the 'Gale Sword Technique'!"

Seeing Zhao Xian's confusion, Xu Dekun immediately smiled and said.

"It seems this sword technique is indeed genuine!"

Slightly taken aback, Zhao Xian could only smile wryly and say.

"Haha! Bozhang is quite optimistic!"

With a sigh, Xu Dekun then began to explain the origin of this sword manual to Zhao Xian.

"Master Liefeng was a Foundation Establishment cultivator a hundred years ago. He was renowned in Rongtai and the surrounding counties for his formidable swordsmanship!"

"I never imagined that a century later, our family would have fallen to such a state!"

"He truly is a disciple of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!"

"Five low-grade spirit stones are worth it!"

After Zhao Xian and Song Ming heard this, Zhao Hong immediately chimed in from the side.

"Ah Hong is absolutely right!"

After chatting for a while, Xu Dekun invited Zhao Xian to his country house for a chat.

Zhao Xian naturally did not refuse and immediately followed him into the country house.

Before long, the group was seated in the hall.

Besides Zhao Xian and Xu Dekun, there were also Song Ming, Liu Ping, and Xu Dejing.

"I also attended Master Chen Sheng's celebration, but unfortunately I didn't get to meet Bo Zhang!"

"It's alright, isn't it perfect that we're meeting here today?"

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhao Xian looked at Liu Ping, smiled, but said nothing more.

Upon seeing this, Liu Ping stood up, bowed respectfully, and said he wanted to go and see the fish scale register of Pinghe Township.

Seeing Liu Ping leave, Xu Dejing also got up and said that he would go with Liu Ping.

In the blink of an eye, only Zhao Xian and the other two remained in the hall.

"Master Chen Sheng intends to get involved in the Yan family's affairs!"

Once there were no outsiders left in the hall, Zhao Xian immediately looked at Xu Dekun and said solemnly.

"Um?!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Dekun's expression changed in surprise, but he immediately looked at Zhao Xian, "Bozhang, about this matter~"

"These are the words of the Venerable Master himself!"

Zhao Xianli replied immediately.

"Thank you for informing me, Bo-Zhang!"

After pondering for a while, Xu Dekun's expression turned solemn, and he bowed to Zhao Xian.

"Do not leak this!"

Zhao Xian accepted the greeting without hesitation, and then added a word of advice.

Xu Dekun readily agreed.

"If the Venerable One is involved, the Yan family will surely be doomed!"

"Dekun, the Xu family should also prepare themselves!"

"Ugh!"

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's words, Xu Dekun let out a long sigh.

"De Kun, I didn't get a good look earlier, but you've already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining without a sound!"

Suddenly, Zhao Xian looked at Xu Dekun and said with a surprised expression.

"After I took up my post as a border guard, my family also bestowed upon me some spiritual items for cultivation!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Dekun immediately gave a smug smile.

"This truly makes Zhao Xian extremely envious!"

Zhao Xian replied with a smile.

"Haha, with Bo Zhang's talent, he'll probably catch up to me in just a few years!"

Song Ming was also present; he was also a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

With three late-stage Qi Refining cultivators gathered here, they naturally had to discuss their cultivation practices.

While they were discussing metaphysics and philosophy, Yuan Wei, the village head of Pinghe Township, also came to join them after learning of Zhao Xian's arrival.

In terms of cultivation, he is the best among them, having already reached the perfection of Qi Refining!

With his guidance, Zhao Xian and Song Ming also benefited greatly.

Before we knew it, night had fallen.

Since it was a rare occasion for Zhao Xian to come here, Yuan Wei, as the host of this place, naturally wanted to host a banquet for Zhao Xian, which Zhao Xian gladly accepted.

The banquet lasted until late at night before everyone dispersed, and Zhao Xian stayed overnight in Pinghe Township.

The next morning, after having a meal, Zhao Xiancai returned to Xixiang with Zhao Hong and others.