Chapter 16: 玄金

Midday, the sun was high in the sky.

In a spacious and brightly lit hall, a banquet table was set. Wang Changsheng sat in the main seat, accompanied by members of the Wang clan from the 'Qing' generation.

"Ninth Uncle, these are Golden-Spined Dace fish, freshly caught from the river. I'm not sure what flavor you prefer, so we have both steamed and braised options. And this Jade Treasure Chicken, it's raised on rice from a young age, its flavor is excellent. Also, this roasted duck; the ducks grew up drinking well water and eating rice, so the meat is tender and delicious." Wang Qingshan introduced enthusiastically, his face beaming with smiles.

"That's right, Ninth Uncle! This Emerald Soup is made from the most tender bamboo shoots; it's refreshingly sweet and delicious."

"And this Ginseng Stewed Pigeon is also a specialty dish of our Qingzhi Town."

The elder clan members from the 'Qing' generation spoke up one after another, introducing the dishes on the table to Wang Changsheng.

"Alright, alright, I'll help myself to what I want. Don't just watch me eat; you don't need to be so formal. Drink if you wish." Wang Changsheng waved his hand, instructing them.

The clan elders agreed one after another, but despite their verbal assent, they rarely moved their chopsticks.

It was a rare opportunity to dine with Wang Changsheng, so naturally, they served him with utmost care, not daring to be too casual.

They all wanted to earn Wang Changsheng's favor, hoping to bring their own juniors along to secure a more promising future.

"Grand-Uncle Nine, this is bad! Something serious has happened!" Just then, a somewhat hurried voice rang out.

Wang Qiusheng rushed in frantically, followed by several Wang clan members from the 'Qiu' generation.

"What's wrong? Has another clan member been killed?" Wang Changsheng put down his chopsticks and asked in a deep voice.

"Yes, a body was found at the quarry. It was bitten to death by a zombie. The deceased is Wang Youliang, who worked at the quarry." Wang Qiusheng nodded, explaining the full details of the incident.

"Wang Youliang? Didn't I order all clan members to leave the quarry? Why was someone still there? Who is in charge of this quarry?" Wang Changsheng asked sternly.

A tall, middle-aged man stepped forward two paces and respectfully said, "Your grandson, Wang Qiucai, greets Grand-Uncle Nine. That quarry is under my management. According to your instructions, all clan members evacuated the quarry yesterday. However, for some unknown reason, Wang Youliang secretly returned to the quarry last night and was bitten to death by a zombie."

"Where is this quarry? The body hasn't been burned yet, has it?"

"It's about thirty li east of the town. The body hasn't been burned. I've had people guard it carefully, ensuring it hasn't been disturbed."

Wang Changsheng stood up and instructed, "Qiusheng, Qiucai, you two come with me. Qingshan, I recall there's another quarry; withdraw all clan members from there first. Until the zombies are completely eliminated, no clan member is allowed to leave Qingzhi Town without permission. Violators will be severely punished."

"Yes, Ninth Uncle, your nephew will issue the orders immediately."

Wang Changsheng's lips moved slightly, and a white cloud mass appeared out of thin air. Wang Qiusheng pulled Wang Qiucai onto it.

The white cloud slowly ascended into the sky and flew eastward.

Less than half an hour later, Wang Changsheng appeared in a giant canyon. The canyon was surrounded by mountains, with a large amount of scattered rubble on the ground. The surrounding mountain peaks showed clear signs of fire damage.

Not far away was a peak three to four hundred zhang tall. Dozens of Wang clan members had gathered at its base. The left side of the mountain base showed clear signs of calcination, and there were many large bluestones that had been excavated nearby.

Guided by Wang Qiucai, Wang Changsheng soon saw a corpse with two blood holes in its neck.

"Grand-Uncle Nine, we originally thought the zombies had been eliminated. We returned to the quarry this morning to resume mining, but as soon as we arrived, we found Wang Youliang's body," Wang Qiucai explained in detail.

Wang Changsheng carefully noticed that Wang Youliang's chest was bulging, as if he had something in his arms.

He pulled out a fist-sized bluish stone from Wang Youliang's embrace. At first glance, it seemed unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, one could faintly see golden light emanating from its surface, as if some metal was mixed within.

"Is this gold? Does this quarry have a gold mine?" Wang Changsheng suddenly realized and asked Wang Qiucai.

"It's not gold. We don't know what it is. We tried burning it in a furnace for half a day, but it wouldn't melt, and cutting it with a knife was useless," Wang Qiucai replied, shaking his head.

Wang Changsheng's gaze shifted, and he asked, "Was this stone collected here?"

"Yes, it was just discovered a few days ago. We initially thought it was gold, but after burning it in a furnace for half a day, the stone remained completely intact. Third Uncle sent Qiumao to the county town to invite a jade master, but even he couldn't identify what it was."

"Take me to the place where this kind of stone was found. Also, burn the body immediately."

Wang Qiucai ordered two clan members to burn the body. He personally led Wang Changsheng to the rock wall on the right side at the foot of the mountain.

The rock wall was pitch black, clearly scorched by fire, and faintly emitted flashes of golden light under the sunlight.

"Dismiss the clan members and send them back. Also, if anyone has this kind of stone, tell them to hand it over immediately. Anyone daring to conceal it will be severely punished," Wang Changsheng ordered gravely.

Wang Qiucai's eyes darted around, and he cautiously asked, "Grand-Uncle Nine, is this something used by immortals?"

"Don't ask what you shouldn't. If this truly is something used by cultivators, you could be transferred back to the main family to work. Before that, keep your mouth shut. Additionally, gather all the clan members from the quarry and do not allow them to contact outsiders. This matter is an absolute top secret of our Wang family; anyone who leaks it will be severely punished."

"Yes, Grand-Uncle Nine, I'll go take care of it right away," Wang Qiucai readily agreed, then turned and left.

"Qiusheng, go with him, dismiss the clan members, and don't allow anyone to remain here."

Wang Qiusheng acknowledged with a sound and turned to leave.

After all the Wang clan members had left, Wang Changsheng raised both hands simultaneously, and two crystal-clear ice cones, about a foot long, shot out, striking the golden-glowing rock wall.

With two soft clicks, the two ice cones shattered, and a layer of white frost appeared on the rock wall.

Wang Changsheng was overjoyed. He conjured his Money Sword and chopped at the rock wall.

With a clang of metal striking stone, the blade of the Money Sword penetrated the rock wall only about an inch before being blocked.

"As expected, I wasn't wrong. This is Profound Gold. I just don't know how large the deposit is," Wang Changsheng murmured in a barely audible voice, a hint of pleasant surprise appearing in his eyes.

Profound Gold is a common metal in the cultivation world, a low-grade first-tier material often used to forge spiritual artifacts like swords and blades.

A catty of Profound Gold is worth thirty spirit stones on the market, and its price would be even higher if it were forged into a spiritual artifact.

It was truly beyond Wang Changsheng's expectation that this quarry contained Profound Gold, a common metal ore in the cultivation world. He wondered how large this Profound Gold vein was.

However, even if there wasn't much, just a hundred catties could sell for three thousand spirit stones, which would be a substantial sum for the Wang family.

The Wang family was currently trying to increase income and reduce expenses, and they were in dire need of spirit stones! With this Profound Gold vein, the Wang family would certainly overcome their current difficulties. If the Profound Gold vein proved to be large, it might even be an opportunity for the Wang family to rise.

Wang Changsheng calmed his excited mind. Looking at the golden-glowing rock wall, his expression fluctuated between contemplation and uncertainty.

To be honest, after confirming it was Profound Gold, Wang Changsheng's first thought wasn't to report it to the family, but to claim the Profound Gold for himself.

Everyone has selfish desires, and Wang Changsheng was no exception.

If he monopolized this Profound Gold and exchanged it for cultivation resources, his cultivation speed would increase significantly. If there was enough Profound Gold, it wouldn't be an issue for him to cultivate all the way to the ninth level of Qi Refinement.

Wang Changsheng's mind was in turmoil. On one hand, there was his family struggling financially; on the other, his own slow cultivation progress.

The family had treated him well. His mother sent him cultivation resources every year, his cousin gave him a spirit egg that she herself was reluctant to eat, and before he left the family, Sixth Grand-Uncle gave him several low-grade first-tier talismans. His father gave him his own Money Sword for self-defense, his mother gave him a cherished flying talisman for his life, and Fifth Grand-Uncle gave him three Qi Refinement pills.

As soon as Wang Changsheng thought of the kindness his relatives had shown him, he felt exceptionally ashamed of his own selfish desires.