Chapter 74: Liu Yuerong

Zhao Yuhui had always been exceptionally kind to Wang Changsheng. When Zhao Yuzhi was still alive, she often brought Wang Changsheng to the Zhao family home to play. Because of this, Wang Changsheng felt quite close to the Zhao family. Seeing Zhao Ningxiang crying so profusely, he couldn't help but feel a surge of pity, which prompted him to speak up on behalf of the Zhao family. Yet, the moment the words left his lips, he regretted them.

The Wang and Zhao families were, after all, merely connected by marriage, not blood relatives from the same lineage. Without tangible benefits, there was no reason for the Wang family cultivators to put their lives on the line for the Zhao family. When the Zhao family had previously helped mediate, they had received the Wang family's silkworm breeding techniques in return, while the Zhao family had only offered words from beginning to end.

Now, with the Zhao family offering no concrete advantages, it was simply impossible for the Wang family to agree to help them merely out of respect for the deceased Zhao Yuzhi.

Wang Mingzhan nodded and sternly admonished him, "Exactly! Changsheng, you cannot let your emotions dictate your actions. The Zhao family and our Wang family are in-laws. We will never refuse to help when we can, but only if it doesn't jeopardize the interests of our Wang family. I know Aunt Yuhui was exceptionally kind to you, and it's perfectly fine for you to feel close to the Zhao family. However, you must not compromise our family's interests. If you're concerned about Ningxiang, you can buy a few spiritual talismans and give them to her for protection. But I must warn you: that girl Ningxiang is very ambitious; you won't be able to hold onto her."

Wang Mingzhan assumed Wang Changsheng had a romantic interest in Zhao Ningxiang, which was why he had spoken favorably of the Zhao family.

"Uncle Twenty-five, Sixth Uncle," Wang Changsheng began, "I realize I was wrong; it was thoughtless of me. I only view Cousin Ningxiang as a sister. I have a first-tier, mid-grade Black Eagle puppet, and I'd like to give it to her for protection. What do you think of that?"

"As long as you're willing to part with it, that's fine," Wang Mingzhan replied. "However, you cannot say you refined it yourself. You must say your eleventh uncle refined it. The fact that you can craft puppet beasts must remain a secret for now. I'll accompany you."

Wang Mingzhan felt a bit uneasy. Wang Changsheng was young, after all, and he worried Wang Changsheng might secretly leave Xianyun City and venture into the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range with Zhao Yutang.

Wang Changsheng was currently the Wang family's most precious asset, and Wang Yaolong and the others would absolutely not allow any mishap to befall him.

Wang Changsheng didn't object. He followed Wang Mingzhan to Feixian Inn and personally presented the Black Eagle puppet to Zhao Ningxiang.

Zhao Ningxiang was deeply moved. The Wang Clan's Artifact Forging Shop sold first-tier, mid-grade puppet beasts for over a hundred spirit stones. Wang Changsheng had essentially given her a gift worth more than a hundred spirit stones, which was a significant fortune for her at the moment.

She lightly bit her red lip with her pearly teeth and said gratefully, "Cousin Changsheng, thank you. If I can join the Medicine King Valley, I will definitely repay your kindness."

Wang Changsheng smiled faintly and replied, "Aunt-grandma was very kind to me, so it's only right for me to be kind to you. Cousin Ningxiang, I believe you'll definitely be able to join the Medicine King Valley. But please be careful; I hope you return safely."

"Yes, I will definitely join the Medicine King Valley," she affirmed.

Zhao Ningxiang nodded heavily, her gaze resolute.

After exchanging a few more casual words with Zhao Ningxiang, Wang Changsheng bid farewell and departed.

Upon returning to the Wang Clan's Artifact Forging Shop, Wang Changsheng noticed three young individuals, two men and one woman, inside.

All three wore a valley emblem on their sleeves, the distinctive symbol of the Medicine King Valley.

They were all young and all Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Of the two men and one woman, one man was dressed in a green scholar's robe, with a refined, fair, and clean appearance, holding a shimmering white paper fan. The other man had dark skin, a broad, muscular build, bulging muscles, and an intensely masculine aura. The sole woman wore a long blue dress; she appeared to be around twenty years old, with pure features, a round face, and large, dark eyes that made her look playfully charming.

"Esteemed seniors," Wang Yaolong said with a fawning smile, "our shop truly does not have any second-tier puppet beasts for sale. If we did, we would have sold them to you long ago. How would a junior like myself dare to deceive you?"

"Hmph, if I discover you're trying to deceive us," the green-robed scholar snorted, his expression displeased, "you'll regret it."

"Since there are no second-tier puppet beasts for sale, let's leave," the woman in the blue dress said, turning to depart, unwilling to linger.

The green-robed scholar and the dark-skinned burly man hastily followed her, calling out "Junior Sister Liu."

"Uncle Twenty-five, were they looking to buy second-tier puppet beasts?" Wang Changsheng casually inquired.

"Yes, we don't have any, so I naturally had to tell them the truth," Wang Mingzhan replied. "But enough about that. Changsheng, did you give the item to Ningxiang?"

Wang Changsheng nodded. "Yes, I gave it to her. I exchanged a few words with Cousin Ningxiang, then returned."

"Good, then," Wang Mingzhan said. "Go back upstairs and cultivate! Don't wander around."

Wang Changsheng assented and returned to his room to cultivate.

"Senior Brother Nangong," the blue-robed woman pouted, sounding dissatisfied, "didn't you say Xianyun City was a major market and would have second-tier puppet beasts for sale? We've searched all over, and we can't find any at all! If I had known this, I wouldn't have come to Xianyun City with Senior Brother Chen to recruit disciples."

The green-robed scholar offered an awkward smile and explained, "Junior Sister Liu, I wasn't lying to you. I really did buy second-tier puppet beasts at the Hundred Puppets Tower in Xianyun City before. The second-tier puppet beast I gave you was indeed purchased right here in Xianyun City. I simply didn't know that the second-tier puppet master from the Hundred Puppets Tower had been transferred elsewhere."

The dark-skinned burly man sneered mockingly, "Hmph, I don't think Xianyun City has any second-tier puppet beasts at all. Junior Sister Liu, the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range is rich in demonic beast resources. Why don't we go into the mountains and hunt some? I'll get you a few second-tier demon cores."

The blue-robed woman frowned slightly and said with some displeasure, "Demon cores? Senior Brother Wu, you know I'm not interested in alchemy, nor do I enjoy fighting."

"Exactly," the green-robed scholar chimed in, "Senior Brother Wu, do you think Junior Sister Liu enjoys fighting as much as you do?"

"Hmph, what do you know?" the burly man retorted. "Junior Sister Liu, I've made inquiries. The Hundred Beasts Mountain Range is rich in spiritual medicine resources. Someone once gathered a Face-Retaining Fruit there. I don't need to elaborate on the effects of the Face-Retaining Fruit, do I?"

"Nonsense!" the scholar exclaimed. "The Face-Retaining Fruit ripens only once every five hundred years! It's a third-tier spiritual fruit, extremely difficult to cultivate. How could there possibly be wild third-tier spiritual fruits in the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range? Even if there were, would the demonic beasts just leave them untouched, waiting for you to pick them?"

"The Hundred Beasts Mountain Range has existed for thousands of years," the burly man countered. "It wouldn't be strange for there to be wild Face-Retaining Fruit trees. You're not afraid of being eaten by demonic beasts, are you? If you are, I'll just go with Junior Sister Liu myself."

The blue-robed woman was somewhat tempted; what woman wouldn't desire eternal youth?

She blinked and asked doubtfully, "Senior Brother Wu, are you sure there's a Face-Retaining Fruit in the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range? You're not trying to trick me, are you?"

"Heh heh, Junior Sister Liu," Wu Tianhu chuckled, patting his chest confidently, a hint of smugness in his eyes. "I, Wu Tianhu, would never lie to you of all people! I only heard about it, but even if there's no Face-Retaining Fruit, we can still hunt a few second-tier demonic beasts. They might have demon cores inside them. Junior Sister Liu, don't you have a first-tier, high-grade Red-mouthed Spiritual Crane? The Red-mouthed Spiritual Crane is a fire-attribute spiritual bird; if it consumes a few second-tier fire-attribute demon cores, it has a certain chance to advance. If you fancy any spiritual beasts, I'll help you catch them. There are so many demonic beasts in the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range; there's bound to be one you like."

The young woman in the blue dress was Liu Yuerong, the only daughter of Liu Hongguang, the Medicine King Valley's sect master. While Liu Hongguang was not a Core Formation cultivator himself, he was a disciple of a Core Formation True Person within the Medicine King Valley, giving him extraordinary status.

"No, you mustn't, Junior Sister Liu," the green-robed youth earnestly advised. "Senior Brother Chen repeatedly warned you not to go to the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range. It's teeming with demonic beasts, and it's even rumored that third-tier demonic beasts have appeared there. Don't be impulsive."

"Hmph, Nangong Chen," Wu Tianhu scoffed, "if you're scared, you don't have to go. If the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range truly harbored third-tier demonic beasts, the Core Formation cultivators of the four major sects would have exterminated them long ago. The four major sects regularly send patrols to the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range, so if there were indeed third-tier demonic beasts, they would have discovered them already. Besides, Junior Sister Liu cultivates the Autumn Water Sword Art and possesses numerous protective treasures. Even if we encounter a third-tier demonic beast, we can still retreat safely. And to take it a step further, as long as we don't venture deep into the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range, there will absolutely be no danger. With me protecting you, Junior Sister Liu, you'll be safe."

Liu Yuerong felt Wu Tianhu made a valid point; as long as they didn't venture deep into the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range, there should indeed be no danger.

"Well, we're just idling anyway, so let's go take a look at the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range," Liu Yuerong decided. "It'll also be a good opportunity for me to test the power of those first-tier, high-grade puppet beasts. Senior Brother Nangong, if you're too scared to go, you're not allowed to complain to Senior Brother Chen, or I'll ignore you from now on."

"Hmph, who says I'm scared?" Nangong Chen retorted. "I can protect you too."

"Alright, then let's set off now!"

With a consensus reached, the three headed towards the exit of Xianyun City.