TAP...
A faint sound echoed from deep within the dark, narrow mining tunnel.
As a torch was lit, its flickering light illuminated the surroundings, revealing a moderately sized mineral vein.
"This is..."
Zhou Ruxuan picked up a piece of crushed ore. Her brow furrowed in thought.
'Where have I seen this before?'
"Obsidian," Zhu Ju said.
"It's a Spiritual Ore formed from the remains of a Great Demon with an Innate Metal Bloodline. This is its unrefined form, before any impurities have been removed."
"This place..."
"Tens of thousands of years ago, or even longer, a Great Demon above the Third Grade was buried here."
Only a Great Demon above the Third Grade could have its remains transform into a Spiritual Ore after death.
"Obsidian?"
Zhou Ruxuan's eyes were lost in thought. Suddenly, her wrist trembled, and she nearly dropped the ore she was holding.
"A Spiritual Object that can be used to forge a Qi Blood Divine Weapon?"
"This place..."
"It's a Spirit Vein!"
"That's right." Zhu Ju nodded.
"From the traces left behind, it looks like they've only just begun to excavate this Spirit Vein."
CLAP! Zhou Ruxuan clapped her hands together, her face filled with emotion.
"Wonderful!"
"This is absolutely incredible!"
"If this entire Spirit Vein is mined, it could be worth several thousand Primordial Crystals, maybe even over ten thousand."
Over ten thousand Primordial Crystals!
That's enough to buy a top-quality Fifth-Grade Qi Blood Divine Weapon, or even a lower-quality Fourth-Grade one.
The Zhou Family, with its long heritage, only possessed two Fifth-Grade Qi Blood Divine Weapons.
"We've struck it rich!"
Zhou Ruxuan's eyes shone as she spoke rapidly.
"With this, I can definitely reach the Sixth Grade, and maybe you can too! This haul is enough to change our destinies!"
"Don't get too excited just yet," Zhu Ju said.
"The people guarding this mine aren't bandits from the Celestial Eagle Thieves. It's a different group."
"And this faction is no weaker than the Celestial Eagle Thieves."
That Yuan Tao...
His disposition and methods were nothing like a bandit's, and he was even stronger than the stronghold's leader, Mingying.
He was clearly not one of the Celestial Eagle Thieves.
If a mere guard possessed such strength, there must be a Sixth-Grade master backing them.
This was not a problem they could handle at their current level.
"Hm?"
Zhou Ruxuan frowned.
"Are you saying we can't hold on to this mine?"
"Yes."
Zhu Ju nodded.
It wasn't just about holding on to it; they would need manpower for excavation, refinement, transportation, and sales.
How could the thirty-odd guards of the Zhu Mansion possibly protect a mine of such immense value?
"But..." Zhou Ruxuan looked hesitant.
"If we hand the mine over to someone else, we'll get very little out of it."
"Even if I give it to my second brother, I'm afraid I won't get a good price."
"It's better than having it blow up in our faces," Zhu Ju said slowly.
"Besides, this way, we can get the Primordial Crystals quickly without going through all the hard work of mining and selling."
"Well..." Zhou Ruxuan seemed thoughtful.
"That makes sense."
"Six hundred Primordial Crystals," Zhu Ju said.
"As long as the Zhou Mansion can pay that price, we'll sell. We'll split it fifty-fifty."
Half.
Three hundred Primordial Crystals.
Zhou Ruxuan's breath hitched, her eyes flickering rapidly.
At her normal Cultivation speed, even with the help of a Qi Blood Divine Weapon, it would take her at least six to eight years, maybe even ten, to reach the Great Success or Perfection stage of the Seventh Grade.
By then...
...she would already be thirty years old.
Although she would still have a chance to break through to the Sixth Grade, if she failed, she would never have another opportunity to advance.
But with these Primordial Crystals, she was confident she could attempt to break through to the Sixth-Grade Realm within four or five years.
Even if she failed...
...she could try a second time.
"Alright!"
Her eyes hardened with resolve, and Zhou Ruxuan nodded firmly.
"Let's do it."
"Also..."
She took a deep breath.
"After I get the Primordial Crystals, I'm going into secluded cultivation somewhere. It'll probably be a few years before I come out."
As she spoke...
...her gaze toward Zhu Ju held a hint of reluctance.
"It's only a few years. They'll pass quickly."
Zhu Ju stroked his chin.
"Speaking of which, I might be heading out for a while myself. Maybe for a year or two."
"Oh!" Zhou Ruxuan raised an eyebrow.
"How convenient."
*
*
*
「A few days later.」
The head of the Zhou Family, Zhou Jingren, appeared in the mine. He gently stroked the mineral vein, his expression shifting rapidly.
Excitement, thrill, fervor...
"Excellent!"
"Little sister, you truly are my lucky star."
He muttered to himself.
"With this mine, my power can rise to the next level. I might even reach the Fifth Grade."
"And the Zhou Family..."
"...can also take another step forward. Perhaps in my generation, we'll no longer be confined to a single prefecture."
"Brother," Zhou Ruxuan reminded him.
"I need six hundred Primordial Crystals. If you can't produce the money, the deal is off."
Zhou Jingren frowned instinctively, a flash of displeasure in his eyes that didn't show on his face.
"No problem."
He nodded slowly.
"Business is business. You've really grown up, little sister. However, I can't produce six hundred Primordial Crystals all at once. How about I pay you over two years?"
"Give me three hundred up front," Zhou Ruxuan said.
"That's what Zhu Ju is owed. You can pay my share slowly. Also..."
"I want to enter the family's forbidden Profound Ice Cave to cultivate until all the Primordial Crystals are used up."
"Hm?"
Zhou Jingren frowned.
"You've performed a great service, so there's no problem with you cultivating in the Profound Ice Cave. But giving three hundred Primordial Crystals to Zhu Ju..."
"What use does he have for Primordial Crystals?"
"I know he has extraordinary Talent for Body Refining, but he was injured years ago. His Physical Body is no longer at its peak. Besides, his Cultivation is only in the Eighth Grade. He has no hope of ever reaching the Sixth-Grade Realm in this lifetime. Wouldn't it be better to support his business ventures? Earning more silver taels is the proper pursuit for a Mortal like him."
"No." Zhou Ruxuan had asked the same question once, but Zhu Ju's answer had been firm.
"Three hundred Primordial Crystals up front, or there's nothing to discuss."
"Fine!" Zhou Jingren sighed.
"Give me five days to gather the Primordial Crystals. I also need to dispatch men to this location."
Hearing this...
...a smile appeared on Zhou Ruxuan's face.
"By the way, what's the situation with the Celestial Eagle Thieves?"
"Not ideal."
Zhou Jingren shook his head.
"Yue Xihong learned a Demon Transformation Method from somewhere. He can merge with those two Eagle Demons, causing his strength to skyrocket temporarily, making him comparable to a Fifth-Grade Martial Artist. On top of that, someone tipped him off. So even though we killed most of the Celestial Eagle Thieves, a few of them still managed to escape."
"Especially Yue Xihong..."
"I'm afraid it will be difficult to eliminate him completely, but he probably won't dare to show his face for a while."
Zhou Ruxuan nodded slowly.
This outcome was more or less what Zhu Ju had predicted.
The Celestial Eagle Thieves had run rampant in Taiyuan Prefecture for years, and almost all the major families in the Prefecture City had dealings with them.
In fact...
...Yue Xihong had dirt on many people. It was only natural that some of them didn't want him dead.
「Meanwhile.」
Zhu Ju was hosting a guest.
Zhang Kui of the Lii River Military Preparation Camp!
"The Huang Family has been kind to me, and Miss Huang Ying even sent me a letter asking me to look after you."
"I just didn't expect you to wait this long to cash in this favor. Weren't you afraid I wouldn't honor it?"
"You know, favors like these tend to lose their value over time."
Holding the Token Huang Ying had left for Zhu Ju, Zhang Kui wore a half-smile.
"You're joking."
Zhu Ju smiled faintly.
"I heard Miss Huang has already reached the Fifth Grade. Her favors should only become more valuable."
"Haha..." Zhang Kui laughed heartily, then his voice grew serious.
"I can help you find the Essence blood of a Demon above the Third Grade. But that kind of thing is extremely valuable, especially since you're asking for the highest quality possible. You might need to put up some money."
"That can be arranged." Zhu Ju's gaze remained steady.
"Anything up to three hundred Primordial Crystals is not a problem."
"Three hundred Primordial Crystals?" Zhang Kui gave him a surprised look, seemingly not expecting a cloth merchant to be able to produce so many. After a moment of thought, he spoke slowly.
"I know of a vial of Essence blood. It's from a certain Super Grade Demon God, but it has been diluted."
Super Grade?
Zhu Ju's heart suddenly began to race.