Chapter 96: Seeking Help

Zhao Yuhui nodded with satisfaction. "Good child, you've been very thoughtful," she said. "Your great-aunt is old now; the future belongs to you young people. Come, your great-aunt has already ordered a feast to be prepared, with all your favorite dishes."

Wang Changsheng followed Zhao Yuhui to a bright hall. Besides Wang Changsheng and Zhao Yuhui, Zhao Ziheng was also present.

After a few cups of wine, Wang Changsheng got to the point: "Great-aunt, has Cousin Ningxiang sent any messages back? Is she doing well?"

"That girl has sent letters home a few times, but Medicine King Valley is too far from our Ningzhou, making communication very inconvenient. So I told her not to send any more letters and to focus on her cultivation. By now, she should have reached the ninth level of Qi Refinement, and it's even possible she's established her foundation. The last time we communicated was two years ago."

Zhao Yuhui had no intention of hiding anything and spoke truthfully. Wang Changsheng's solo visit was certainly not just to see her, nor was it likely just to ask about Zhao Ningxiang; it must have been related to Medicine King Valley.

"Great-aunt, do you have any way to contact Cousin Ningxiang? I have an important matter I need her help with."

"Help? What do you want Ningxiang to help you with? If it's too difficult, Ningxiang probably can't do it."

After all, Wang Changsheng was a grand-nephew, while Zhao Ningxiang was her own granddaughter, so Zhao Yuhui naturally had to consider Zhao Ningxiang's interests. She wasn't lying. Although Zhao Ningxiang had joined Medicine King Valley, the help the Zhao family could offer her was limited. Zhao Ningxiang was just an ordinary disciple in Medicine King Valley.

"Don't worry, Great-aunt. Your grandson just wants Cousin Ningxiang to introduce me to a second-tier alchemist; it won't put her in a difficult position."

Wang Changsheng had anticipated Zhao Yuhui's reaction. He now understood that only tangible benefits could move people.

Zhao Yuhui pondered for a moment, then said, "How about this? I'll write a personal letter to Ningxiang, and you can take it to Medicine King Valley to find her. I hope it helps you."

"Thank you, Great-aunt. Uncle, do you have anything you'd like me to take to Cousin Ningxiang? I can deliver it for you!"

Zhao Ziheng nodded and said, "Medicine King Valley has abundant cultivation resources, so ordinary items aren't lacking. How about this, Changsheng? Please take some spirit stones to Ningxiang for me, and I'll also write her a personal letter. Her mother misses her very much."

Wang Changsheng nodded in agreement. He had originally planned to stay for just one night, but when Lin Yuting, Zhao Ningxiang's mother, learned that Wang Changsheng was going to Medicine King Valley to find Zhao Ningxiang, she asked him to stay for a few more days. Lin Yuting worked through the night to make a new set of clothes for Zhao Ningxiang.

Five days later, Zhao Yuhui personally saw Wang Changsheng off.

After leaving Butterfly Valley, Wang Changsheng released his Azure-Scaled Horse and mounted it. The Azure-Scaled Horse moved its four limbs and galloped into the distance, disappearing into the vast mountains shortly after.

***

The Medicine King Mountain Range stretches for tens of thousands of miles, with perilous peaks and countless rare flowers and exotic plants. Medicine King Valley is located within this mountain range.

At the top of a peak several hundred zhang high on the outskirts of the Medicine King Mountain Range stood a greenish-blue palace over ten zhang high. Above its entrance hung a lacquered gold plaque, with the three characters "Guest Reception Hall" written in a flamboyant calligraphic style.

As one of the four major sects in Song Nation, countless cultivators wished to forge connections with Medicine King Valley. Cultivators often visited Medicine King Valley to seek out friends or relatives, and the Guest Reception Hall was responsible for receiving these visitors.

On this particular midday, a tall young man dressed in a blue scholar's robe appeared at the entrance of the Guest Reception Hall. It was Wang Changsheng. He had traveled for over three months and finally arrived at Medicine King Valley. His Azure-Scaled Horse hadn't flown for long; it mostly ran. If he had possessed a flying artifact, the journey would have been much shorter.

Wang Changsheng stepped inside. The hall was very spacious, with a long greenish-blue table in the center. Two Qi Refinement stage disciples were chatting behind it, and several ledgers were placed on the table.

Wang Changsheng quickly walked up to them and politely asked, "Excuse me, young friends, is this where one registers to visit friends or relatives in Medicine King Valley?"

The two Qi Refinement stage cultivators were disciples of Medicine King Valley, so Wang Changsheng addressed them politely. They were not surprised. A middle-aged man spoke up, asking, "Who are you looking for? What is your relationship to them? Where are you from, and what is your name?"

Wang Changsheng answered truthfully and handed five spirit stones to the middle-aged man, politely saying, "Apologies for the trouble, fellow cultivator. I am from Ningzhou and have an urgent matter to discuss with Zhao Ningxiang; she is my cousin."

"Our Medicine King Valley is quite large, with thousands of Qi Refinement stage disciples. It's not easy to find one particular Qi Refinement stage disciple. You should stay in the hall for three to five months first! We will naturally notify you once we find them."

The other man in green robes spoke with a somewhat cold tone, seemingly because he hadn't received any benefit.

Wang Changsheng quickly took out fifteen spirit stones, giving five more to the middle-aged man and ten to the man in green robes, saying with a plastered smile, "You two young friends have worked hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation, nothing major."

After receiving the ten spirit stones, both men beamed with smiles. The middle-aged man's face broke into a smile as he said, "You're too kind, Senior. Since you've provided Junior Sister Zhao's name and the peak she resides on, we will notify her as soon as possible. Please settle down in the Guest Reception Hall for now. Junior Brother Chen, please take this Senior to rest."

The man in green robes acknowledged, then led Wang Changsheng to a simply furnished stone room. It contained only a stone bed and two green meditation cushions, nothing else.

After seeing the man in green robes off, Wang Changsheng closed the stone room door, sat cross-legged on a cushion, and began to meditate and regulate his breathing.

Money makes the world go round. The two Qi Refinement cultivators, having received the spirit stones, became very efficient. Three days later, Wang Changsheng met Zhao Ningxiang.

After five years, Zhao Ningxiang had grown taller and seemed a little more reserved, losing some of her carefree nature.

"Cousin Changsheng, you've actually established your foundation!" Zhao Ningxiang said, somewhat incredulously, upon seeing Wang Changsheng. She was currently at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, not yet having established her foundation.

"I obtained a foundation-establishing spiritual item and was lucky enough to successfully establish my foundation. Oh, and Cousin Ningxiang, these are the things Great-aunt, Uncle, and Aunt asked me to bring to you."

Wang Changsheng took out a yellow storage bag and handed it to Zhao Ningxiang. Zhao Ningxiang scanned it with her divine sense, and a look of delight appeared on her face. She took out the letters and read them in front of Wang Changsheng.

After a while, she put away the letters and asked Wang Changsheng, "Cousin Changsheng, you want me to introduce you to a second-tier alchemist? Are you asking a second-tier alchemist to help you refine pills?"

"I want to ask a second-tier alchemist to help me formulate a spiritual liquid. I've already prepared the materials, and the remuneration will definitely satisfy them."

Zhao Ningxiang looked troubled and hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Cousin Changsheng, I'm only at the Qi Refinement stage; I don't know any second-tier alchemists at all. I do have a few friends, though. How about this! I'll ask them to see if they know any second-tier alchemists."

"That would be a great help, Cousin Ningxiang. This is a small token of my appreciation, and I'll have a more substantial reward for you once the matter is settled."

Wang Changsheng took out ten spirit stones and handed them to Zhao Ningxiang. Zhao Ningxiang frowned slightly and shook her head, refusing: "Cousin Changsheng, if you hadn't given me that first-tier puppet beast back then, I might not have been able to join Medicine King Valley. Please take the spirit stones back!"

"If you don't want the spirit stones, then tea should be fine, right? This jar of Azure-Flower Spiritual Tea has the effect of calming the mind. Drinking a cup before cultivating can help you quickly enter a meditative state, which is beneficial for cultivation."

Wang Changsheng took out a purple tea jar and handed it to Zhao Ningxiang. Zhao Ningxiang hesitated for a moment, then accepted the tea jar. As if remembering something, she asked, "Oh, by the way, Cousin Changsheng, do you know how to refine puppet beasts?"

The Wang family had sold many puppet beasts over the years, and Zhao Ningxiang had heard a little about it through several communications with Zhao Yuhui. Since Wang Changsheng had previously given her a puppet beast, she had guessed that he knew how to refine them.

Wang Changsheng thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Can you refine second-tier puppet beasts? If you can refine second-tier puppet beasts, then getting a second-tier alchemist to help won't be difficult."

Hearing this, Wang Changsheng was somewhat moved. He said, "I can refine second-tier puppet beasts, but the success rate isn't high."

During his five years back on Qinglian Mountain, Wang Changsheng had practiced extensively and successfully refined high-grade first-tier puppet beasts. As for second-tier puppet beasts, he began learning to refine them after entering the Foundation Establishment stage, but his success rate remained low. Refining a low-grade second-tier puppet beast took at least a month, and that was assuming no failures. After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, he had failed five times before successfully refining one low-grade second-tier puppet beast.

The cost of refining second-tier puppet beasts was relatively high; one set of materials cost over three hundred spirit stones. Of course, the selling price of second-tier puppet beasts was also quite high, starting at one thousand spirit stones, with better high-grade second-tier puppet beasts selling for up to five thousand spirit stones.

"A low success rate is fine; as long as you can refine them, that's what matters. You can stay in the Guest Reception Hall for now, and I'll go back to the sect to ask around."

Wang Changsheng expressed his gratitude and personally escorted Zhao Ningxiang out of the Guest Reception Hall.