【I humbly beseech the Heavenly Tome—show me a viable path to wealth!】
Returning to his shack in the communal courtyard, Jiang Yi lay down fully clothed, closing his eyes to focus his mind.
Before sinking into sleep, with focused intent, he once more sent an inquiry to that mysterious golden page.
【Subject of inquiry: Wealth】
【Deduction time required: Ten hours】
The golden page shimmered with flowing light, the characters gradually becoming clear.
“Ten hours—that’s not too long.”
Gazing at this page of the Heavenly Tome, Jiang Yi felt quite reassured in his heart. The unrefined alcohol rushed to his head, finally granting him a sound, intoxicated sleep.
“Bliss!”
He slept extremely deeply, not waking naturally until the sun was already high in the sky. He felt his spirit refreshed and his mind clear, his breath sweet and fragrant, his organs and bones warm and cozy, his true qi flowing smoothly without obstruction. Presumably, after yesterday’s consumption of molten copper and chewing of iron pellets—a great replenishment—his Qi Refinement Fourth Layer had been thoroughly stabilized. His cultivation progress was probably around eighteen percent.
“I should go see Overseer Yang, pay my respects, and fulfill my filial duty. While I’m at it, see if I can get a few pointers.” Jiang Yi rolled out of bed and pushed open the wooden door of the shack. The daylight outside poured in brilliantly; it was actually a rare clear, sunny day.
“Old He and Old Li are quite diligent.”
The snow in the courtyard had been shoveled to the corners and stacked neatly. As usual, he stepped into the kitchen and indeed saw two large bowls turned upside down on the counter. Lifting them to look...
Huh! Actual dumplings!
Jiang Yi rubbed his hands together, unable to wait to taste two. One bowl was beef and radish filling, the other chive and pork filling. Because they had been kept warm by the stove for so long, the wrappers were somewhat dry—far inferior to the spirit cuisine of Harmony Water Cave that could nourish flesh and blood. But upon entering the mouth, they were full of oily fragrance, brimming with the genuine atmosphere of mortal life.
“It has to be Sister Qin who cares about me.”
Jiang Yi quickly polished off both large bowls of dumplings, his belly full and his entire body energized. Then he straightened his dao robe, strode out the door, and headed in the direction of the Quenching Workshop on Scarlet Flame Peak.
It was the beginning of the month.
The work on the Four Outer Peaks was not heavy, and the labor of the mortal servants seemed light as well; the usual complaints and grumbling had diminished. With the end of the year approaching, everyone was figuring out how to take advantage of the fact that the heavy snow hadn’t completely sealed the mountains yet, to stockpile more clothing and food for the winter.
The four peaks under the jurisdiction of the Silk-Trigger Sect produced weapon embryos and spiritual materials, eighty to ninety percent of which were supplied to the market down the mountain. But with the new year approaching, the various shops would close for the holidays, and the market would grow desolate. Without external demand, the Inner Peaks didn’t need to press aggressively, so there was no need to rush work day and night without rest.
Generally speaking, as the year-end approached, the mortal servants had two choices: one was to take leave and descend the mountain to reunite with their families; the other was to stay in the sect and quietly wait for spring. The two options were roughly split fifty-fifty.
“Brother Yi, Overseer Yang just happened to come by today for a look around; he’s resting on the second floor.” Seeing Jiang Yi step into the Quenching Workshop, He Laohun hurried forward to greet him.
“How is this month’s progress?” Jiang Yi asked offhandedly.
Ever since he had presented that secret formula, the work in the Quenching Workshop wasn’t as bitterly exhausting as before. Combined with Overseer Yang Xun not being the type to be harsh and exploitative, this place was actually more popular than the Grinding and Forging workshops.
“Not bad. The Inner Peaks ordered us to prepare more materials before the year’s end so we don’t fall behind when spring comes. But Overseer Yang is benevolent; he just told us to be more diligent next month and didn’t press us desperately. Nowadays we earn spirit notes easily, and everyone is grateful to you, Brother Yi.” He Laohun, having shed his previously dejected appearance, spoke carefully.
Jiang Yi nodded slightly. Yang Xun, whose face looked fierce and vicious, was actually quite humane—much better than the overseers of the other workshops. Bidding farewell to He Laohun, he went straight up to the second floor.
The young Dao attendant serving Overseer Yang didn’t block him; instead, he handed over the pot of Sweet-Aftertaste Vine tea in his hands.
“Thanks for your hard work.” Jiang Yi pinched a bright red spirit note between two fingers and deftly tucked it into the attendant’s chest. These past few days he had been busy cultivating and traveling back and forth to the Inner Peaks, worried about “neglecting” Yang Xun, so he had specially instructed the young attendant to serve him well. Each day, brew a pot of Sweet-Aftertaste Vine tea and prepare some sweet snacks to satisfy his cravings. This way, even if Jiang Yi wasn’t by his side accompanying him, Yang Xun could still feel that meticulous “filial piety.”
“Don’t disturb Grandpa; I’ll just wait here.” Seeing Yang Xun curled up in a rocking chair with light snoring, Jiang Yi lowered his voice.
Having followed his old supervisor for many years, he had learned quite a few useful and practical principles. One of them was: “Maintain the utmost respect for noble persons who bring benefits to oneself.”
Despite standing at Qi Refinement Fourth Layer and having befriended clan direct descendants like Wang Heng, Lu Yun, and Li Ruohan, regarding the matter of securing additional seats in the Inner Peaks, without Yang Xun’s full assistance, it was absolutely not a certainty. Thinking of this, Jiang Yi slightly suppressed the soaring pride that came with being at Qi Refinement Fourth Layer and looking down upon the mortal servants of Scarlet Flame Peak, once again silently reciting the mantra of “Steadiness.”
Clang, clang, clang!
The bell of Viewing-Wave Peak arrived melodiously. Yang Xun, who had been sleeping soundly, lifted his eyelids and just happened to see Jiang Yi. The young man obediently held the teapot, concern hidden in his eyes:
“Grandpa, you must be thirsty; would you like to moisten your throat?”
The Quenching Workshop was steaming with heat; staying too long inevitably led to a dry mouth and tongue. Yang Xun was stunned for a moment, his gaze slightly dazed: “Ah Yi has come.” He slowly raised his hand to take the teapot and gulped down several large mouthfuls straight from the spout.
The parched dryness in his heart was moistened, and even the bitterness and astringency in the tea became sweet and pleasant.
“This period I’ve been busy solidifying my cultivation. Having finally taken another step forward, I came to pay my respects to Grandpa.” Jiang Yi smiled, without his previous cautious timidity, familiarly grabbing a handful of dried lychees from the food box and chewing lightly. This kind of intimate, familiar posture, just like that of his own junior, pleased Yang Xun even more.
He nodded and said:
“Yes, cultivation is fundamental; it should indeed be so. Those Inner Peak seats next spring will definitely be fiercely contested. Having not seen you for many days, Ah Yi, you should have reached the late stage of Qi Refinement Third Layer by now...”
Before Yang Xun finished speaking, his fierce face with its bald eyebrows suddenly changed, both startled and delighted.
“Fourth Layer?!”
Jiang Yi appropriately revealed a bit of youthful pride: “Reporting to Grandpa, I just barely crossed the threshold yesterday.”
Yang Xun couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cold air. Counting on his fingers in his heart, when Jiang Yi first came to his attention, it seemed he was only at Qi Refinement Second Layer. Later, with his permission, he learned the Minor Forge-Origin Fire Control Technique, smoothly broke through to the Third Layer, crippled Zhang San and killed Dong Si. And now, having refined his viscera to establish himself in the Fourth Layer. In total, it had only been a little over a month!
“Such fierce and diligent progress—I’m afraid you’ve spent quite a bit of spirit money, right?” Yang Xun restrained his joy and pulled Jiang Yi’s hand over, his tone turning grave.
“Those tiger-and-wolf pastes—use them as little as possible! Excessive violent tempering damages the foundation of your life and nature. The path of cultivation is long; it’s not as if becoming an Inner Peak disciple means you can rest easy. The future is long; you must leave yourself some leeway. Don’t completely hollow out your body.”
Naturally, Yang Xun assumed that Jiang Yi’s cultivation speed was due to adopting desperate methods like draining the pond to catch all the fish. Before Qi Refinement Fifth Layer, the so-called tendon-changing and bone-forging, marrow-replacing and blood-exchanging, visceral-refining—all of these were desperate attempts to strengthen oneself, forging a firm cauldron for cultivation. To say it was difficult wasn’t difficult. The direct descendants of the Dao clans from the “Faction-Head” dharma lineage of North Mound Ridge, from the age of ten, laid foundations and consumed various precious medicines to regulate their bodies. By the time they were fourteen or fifteen and their bones and tendons were formed, with their blood and qi surging vigorously, they could ascend to the Fourth Level in a matter of days.
The true barrier of cultivation was the Fifth Layer—opening the Yuan-Pass Inner Residence and refining the spiritual mechanisms of heaven and earth.
But Jiang Yi was, after all, born a mere mortal servant under the “Gate-Head” dharma lineage, without substantial resources to rely on. If he wanted to catch up, besides risking his life to fight, what else could he depend on? The affection in Yang Xun’s eyes deepened even more. He increasingly felt his judgment was sound, and that focusing on nurturing this child was indeed a wise move. The other party hadn’t sat waiting for resources to fall from the sky; instead, he understood how to seize opportunities and was willing to pay a bloody price to fight for a future. This kind of clear-headedness and ruthlessness was completely different from those clan descendants with their noses in the air who cherished themselves and sought only personal gain. It rather bore some resemblance to himself in his younger days!
“That you can understand the principle that ‘in all things, one must ultimately rely on oneself’—this old man is very comforted.” Yang Xun’s expression was satisfied. He no longer merely regarded Jiang Yi as a substitute to fill some regret.
Feeling the roughness and warmth of Yang Xun’s palm, the feigned pride on Jiang Yi’s face quietly faded, turning sincere:
“Grandpa’s teachings are always engraved in my heart. I have used very little of those tiger-and-wolf pastes. I rely more on the Fire Control Technique to refine my origin, consolidate my foundation, and advance my cultivation. Recently, I also made a few friends over at Harmony Water Cave, spending money on food and drink to nourish my physique, and crossed into the Fourth Layer in one breath.”
Hearing this, the approval in Yang Xun’s eyes grew even stronger. Taking on this foster kinship in his old age was truly not a mistake. These words were pleasant to hear. Which elder wouldn’t want such a sensible and filial junior?
“Set your mind at ease. I am already preparing the ‘Water Pool Fire Marsh’ ritual. Still lacking several main ingredients that can’t be found on the mountain—I need to look for them at the outside market.” Seeing Jiang Yi so promising, Yang Xun gave him a reassurance.
“Once everything is arranged, you will sit within it and undergo the tempering of water and fire. Both your spirit and physical body will be cleansed and nourished, which should make up for the origin vitality lost before.”
Jiang Yi was naturally immensely grateful. The more he dealt with figures like Wang Heng and Yang Xun, the more he understood the importance of background and connections. According to the rules of the Silk-Trigger Sect, filling Inner Peak openings was absolutely not as simple as “the capable shall reside there.” Without someone to pull you up, you probably couldn’t even touch the threshold.
“There’s no need to say such polite words in the future.” Yang Xun narrowed his eyes, his tone gentle but firm. “Since you are willing to call me ‘Grandpa,’ I naturally won’t treat you poorly. I definitely won’t let you suffer a loss.”
Jiang Yi chuckled and accompanied Yang Xun out of the empty Quenching Workshop, returning together to the residence at the peak for a meal. The grandfather and grandson sat facing each other. Just as they were eating, golden light faintly appeared in Jiang Yi’s eyes. He quietly lowered his head, scanning the tadpole-like small characters appearing on the Heavenly Tome.
【Deduction results are as follows:】
【Example One: In recent months, the Cicada Wing Silk, Flowing Cloud Satin, and Purple Shadow Thread produced by Seamstress Peak have reportedly been heavily purchased by the market. One can take the opportunity to stockpile...】
【Example Two: When heavy snow seals the mountains, several Yi-class medicine fields on Herb-Gathering Peak will suffer disaster and require Fire Spirit Sap to irrigate. One can take the opportunity to buy in...】
Jiang Yi silently memorized them, mentally selecting several feasible strategies. Though these arbitrage opportunities were good, they all required capital. And what he lacked most at present was precisely “startup funds.”
“Do I have to ask Grandpa?”
Just as Jiang Yi was hesitating, his thoughts turned and he asked the Heavenly Tome again.
【I humbly beseech the Heavenly Tome—show me a method to obtain wealth that I can operate immediately and that carries no risks or latent troubles?】
Golden light flowed, characters vanishing and reappearing.
【Subject of inquiry: Wealth】
【Deduction time required: Twenty breaths】
When the filter conditions were limited to what Jiang Yi himself could manage, the web of cause and effect seemed to become extremely simple and clear.
【Deduction result: Viewing-Wave Peak’s Harmony Water Cave intends to launch foundation-building supplements to attract clan direct descendants and Inner Peak disciples. One can use Overseer Yang Xun and Wang Heng of Nourishing-Soul Peak as intermediaries to negotiate cooperation and sell Green Ganoderma Sap...】
“Eh? This method is indeed feasible!”
Jiang Yi wiped his mouth, suddenly raised his head, and spoke in a natural tone:
“Grandpa, I seem to have found a path to wealth in the Inner Peaks. I’d like to ask you, Elder, to examine it for me and help me judge it.”