Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 93 - 80: Thousands of Pounds of Spiritual Medicine

Chapter 93: Chapter 80: Thousands of Pounds of Spiritual Medicine

Two figures flew over Luodu, leaping onto the top of the tallest tower—Wenfeng Tower, standing eighty meters high. From the left, one could appreciate the beauty of rivers, and on the right, take in the entire cityscape.

Hee Huan brought two flasks of wine and handed one to Gu Wen. He then lay back and drank his with a gulp-gulp-gulp. Seeing that Gu Wen did not drink right away, he said, "This wine is brewed from spiritual objects and is beneficial for cultivation."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Gu Wen picked up the flask and guzzled it down in a "thud-thud-thud."

[Thirty-two years of Heavenly Marrow]

One more year’s worth of Heavenly Marrow.

Hee Huan tugged at the corner of his mouth and said, "You really are addicted to cultivation."

Gu Wen naturally replied, "Only cultivation is real; everything else is an illusion."

Without cultivation, one could do nothing; with it, although one could not do everything, at least they wouldn’t live like livestock. This was Gu Wen’s realization over the previous five years—that having power was absolutely correct.

He tilted the wine jar and drank the last few drops. He had drunk it so quickly that he did not catch its specific taste, only noting a sweet aftertaste. Quite enjoyable.

"Where did this come from?"

Hee Huan replied, "One of the businesses run by my family specializes in brewing wine from leftovers, medicinal residues, and some low-quality spiritual medicines, amplifying their effects manifold. The benefit is the low cost, while the drawback is the low ceiling—it’s a way to make money."

"The path of cultivation truly changes in myriad ways, endless and inexhaustible."

Gu Wen couldn’t help but exclaim, an increased yearning for the world beyond.

The Three Religions and all kinds of teachings—Buddhist, Daoist, and Demon Sects are all jumbled up here.

The Three Religions, namely Buddhism, Daoism, and Demon Sects, enjoy the highest status and broadest reach. Almost all sects have evolved from these three, much like the three teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism.

The rest are the various branches under these major teachings, specializing in certain skills like talisman crafting, alchemy, artifact refining, etc., and are all collectively referred to as the miscellaneous paths.

Sects like the Sanqing Taoist Sect, despite being part of the orthodox Mystical Sect, also engage in such practices, though not as adeptly as those who devote their lives to such specialized studies.

Among them, the most famous and strongest is the military family, which even competes in stature with the Three Religions.

"How much for this flask of wine?"

"About five hundred silver," Hee Huan said.

Just five hundred silver?

Gu Wen’s expression revealed nothing, but inside, a storm was brewing. His mind raced with calculations, instantly perceiving the vast profits to be had.

Previously in Bianjing, he had purchased fifty pieces of inferior medicinal fruits in the black market for one year’s worth of Heavenly Marrow at the cost of a thousand silver—an exorbitant price. Ten Dragon Tiger Pills equaled one year’s worth, costing seven hundred silver also at a premium.

But this flask of wine only needed five hundred silver for the equivalent benefit.

Gu Wen was different from other cultivators; he needed only the Heavenly Marrow from the medicines. While other cultivators also sought the unique medicinal properties of the objects of the Immortal Land, they needed to carefully select those without pill poisons for better absorption and refinement.

The difference between low-grade and top-grade Dragon Tiger Pills was a tenfold price gap but only twice the amount of Heavenly Marrow.

But I’m broke now; all my money is over at Nanshui, and I don’t have a secure channel to send a message there.

The Grand Treasury Department!

Gu Wen gathered his thoughts and looked down from the tower. About five li away was the Grand Treasury Department, smaller than its counterpart in Bianjing, yet still a giant warehouse, equivalent to the size of five football fields.

Luodu, being Daqian’s central hub and relying on the river system, covered half of Daqian. There surely couldn’t be a shortage of spiritual objects here.

He asked, "When do we start?"

"We wait for Fellow Daoist Murong to bring the tools. I scouted the place a few days ago. The Luodu Grand Treasury Department is protected by an array, and I’m afraid of triggering it by accident—if we don’t get what we came for, we might also get beaten."

Hee Huan shook his head, perhaps to curb any impulsiveness from Gu Wen, and continued,

"The Grand Treasury Department in Bianjing was only lightly guarded by an old eunuch who wasn’t skilled in arrays. Haphazardly set traps would pose no problem to disciples from sects deeply versed in arrays—it would be like adding feet to a snake. But this place is different; Luodu is actually controlled by five major families."

Gu Wen sharply noticed a problem and said, "Do all these families have the backing of sects?"

If the sects had the ability to dissect Daqian, then they must have always been exerting such influence—those so-called reputable and influential families.

On the surface, the Emperor shared the world with the scholars, but in reality, it was the sects sharing the world with the Lord Emperor.

"Exactly, so we need to be careful. After all, most of the sects’ guardians are at least old curmudgeons of the Third Realm."

"Are there any True Monarchs?"

"There are three, and the rest have a cultivation starting from the Sixth Level of Dao Foundation," Hee Huan repeatedly warned, "We only talk about Dao Foundation; a True Monarch has at least a Seventh Level Dao Foundation, with two stages fulfilled... hiss, wait a minute, could you perhaps ask that Heavenly Girl to lend a hand?"

"If not necessary, I will not ask her to intervene."

Gu Wen shook his head and then began to seriously contemplate the matter.

He needed the Heavenly Marrow, but it could not come at the cost of consuming Yu Hua’s lifespan.

This morning’s magical duel with Xiao Yunyi had shown that there were a great number of cultivators in the Luo River area. For now, they hadn’t made a move on them, probably because they didn’t want to benefit others unintentionally, or perhaps because they hadn’t formed an alliance. This didn’t mean he could do as he pleased, at least he couldn’t blatantly invade their territory.

If he had achieved perfection in his Seventh Level Dao Foundation, the entire Luo River area would have been his!

Gu Wen discarded his wild fantasies, calmed his emotions, and thought rationally.

Hee Huan said, "Then let’s stick to the original plan, we’ll steal our way in, instead of breaking in directly."

The two of them waited for approximately the length of an incense stick before a robust figure climbed up the tower, casting a huge shadow over them.

Murong Suyue smiled timidly upon seeing them and said, "I apologize for the wait, the devices needed to disrupt the arrays took some time to prepare."

She then took out a small pouch from her Qiankun Bag and handed it to Gu Wen.

"Brother Hongchen, here are your pills. The Fox Fairy sends her regards and would like to make your acquaintance when the opportunity arises."

Gu Wen took the pouch, examining the pills inside, while casually remarking, "I am devoted to my cultivation and have no interest in engaging with her, let alone any interest in being her lackey."

A female cultivator’s sect, moreover a Demon Sect, and not even the Joyful Union Sect, how could it pique his interest?

As for Lu Chan’s appearance, he cared even less. It would be better to go back and see Yu Hua, at least there he could touch... though it was limited to holding hands during the transmission of spiritual power.

"The Fox Fairy said if you become friends, she won’t charge for alchemy. She is quite formidable in the art of alchemy; ordinary people have to give up half of their finished products when seeking her services."

"I like to make good connections; I thank you, Lu."

Gu Wen changed his attitude very quickly when he saw the thirty Dragon Tiger Pills in the pouch.

Ten Dragon Tiger Pills were equivalent to one year’s worth of Heavenly Marrow, and top-quality ones were twice as effective as regular Dragon Tiger Pills. Thirty pills equalled six years’ worth, which was an incredibly sincere offering.

Little by little, grains make mountains; six years’ worth of Heavenly Marrow was enough to complete the first level of his new movement technique "Moon Stepping".

Gu Wen never resisted such mutually beneficial relationships; naturally, people came to him to form connections when he showed his talents, just like Hee Huan, who had begun their acquaintance with the intention of investing in his future, valuing his potential.

Yu Hua had been the same at the start, after all, goodwill was never without reason.

What his future would hold was a matter for the future; thinking about dividing profits before the shop even opened was madness.

Gu Wen only considered how to surpass the dog Emperor in the present, starting by defeating the Great General, Wenren Wu.

Murong Suyue was somewhat startled and scratched her cheek, saying, "Brother, you truly are approachable."

Compared to Xiao Yunyi’s aloofness, as if presenting him with a gift might offend him, Gu Wen was a heaven-sent prodigy who not only accepted benefits but also expressed his thanks.

"In life, more friends mean more paths."

Gu Wen stored away the top-grade Dragon Tiger Pills; he, an old farmer, had no taste for fine bran and would rather save it to exchange for wine later.

Considering the value of Bianjing’s top-grade Dragon Tiger Pills, he could trade them for Spiritual Wine and potentially make several times the profit.

"Since Fellow Daoist Murong is here, let’s get started," Gu Wen said.

Hee Huan spoke up, "This isn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision; I heard something. Half a month ago, countless Earth Medicine Pearls, filled with Spiritual Energy, surged out of the ground near Luo River. The court and the major families organized the people to collect them, and like harvested rice, cartload after cartload of these Spiritual Objects was brought into the city."

"Here are a few I stole during that period."

He took out three white jade-like ’chestnuts’ from his sleeve, and Gu Wen tasted one, feeling the Heavenly Marrow within him grow slightly.

The amount was minuscule, but with a few hundred pounds, the quantity of Heavenly Marrow couldn’t be underestimated.

This haul might bring his Fourth Level Dao Foundation to perfection, effectively an Eighth Level Cultivation. If he encountered Xiao Yunyi again, he might be able to kill him.

"These items, are they all in the Grand Treasury Department?" Gu Wen asked.

"At least seventy percent of them," Hee Huan replied. "Years ago, Daqian had a conflict with the sects around here, and the five major families inside the city lost, so they have to hand over seventy percent of the Spiritual Objects to the court. Only Broken Sword Mountain, outside Luo River, doesn’t have to give anything as tribute, and the court even has to purchase its Heavenly Spring Water with a large sum of money."

"This phenomenon is worth more than the past five years’ harvest. Many are eager to act, which is why I brought Brother Hongchen on board."

Gu Wen understood and nodded, asking, "So, how shall we divide the spoils after the success?"

"You six, me two, and Fellow Daoist Murong two," Hee Huan proposed and then explained, "Brother Hongchen is the strongest, Murong is for breaking the Array, and I provide the information and lead the escape."

"Agreed."

Gu Wen was eager—could eight hundred pounds of Spiritual Objects allow him to gather the two hundred Heavenly Marrow needed to complete the remaining four Spiritual Forms into a Primordial Spirit, achieving Fourth Level Dao Foundation Perfection in a single stride?

The three of them covered their faces and made a leap, gliding through the air, entering the Grand Treasury Department of Luo River from above.

Before Gu Wen hit the ground, he already felt that the entire ground of the Grand Treasury Department teemed with strands of Spiritual Energy flowing in a certain pattern, much like the Cycle of meridians in cultivation.

Murong Suyue kept tossing small flags from her Qiankun Bag. When a flag was planted at a node, a part of the Spiritual Energy would come to a halt.

As they landed, the entire Array fell into stagnation.