UGB Chapter 24 Encounter
Chapter 24 Encounter
Zhou Qiuyuan did not go straight home. Every now and then, he would secretly observe to see if anyone was following him.
Sixty or seventy taels of gold is not a small sum; even body cultivators would be tempted by it.
It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. If a large sum of wealth is leaked, it will surely bring about a fatal disaster.
This is the real world, not a future dream. Only by being careful and cautious can we eliminate all hidden dangers.
As soon as Zhou Qiuyuan returned to Moxiang, he saw a carriage parked outside the alley. The alley was too narrow for the carriage to pass through, so it had to be parked far away.
A woman dressed in a white fox fur coat and with rouge on her face walked out from around the corner of the courtyard, followed by a strong smell of perfume.
Zhou Qiuyuan had intended to walk past in a hurry, but when he saw the other person's appearance clearly, he was taken aback.
"Zhou Qiuyuan, it's been a long time." The woman chuckled, a hint of undisguised smugness in her eyes.
Is this... Willow Eyebrows?
A white fox fur coat is a top-quality item costing thousands or even tens of thousands of coins. She wore a jade hairpin and had lacquered lips, which added to her noble air.
Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse. Liu Mei's appearance changed drastically after she changed her clothes, making it hard to associate her with a malnourished and poor girl.
"It's been a long time, but you look radiant."
Zhou Qiuyuan left early and returned late, and it had indeed been a while since he had seen Liu Mei. The last time they met seemed to have been when all four of them were together.
Seeing Zhou Qiuyuan's surprised expression, Liu Mei felt quite pleased with herself.
When she saw the fine sweat beading on Zhou Qiuyuan's neck and the bundle of hemp clothing in his left hand, she raised her chin slightly and said, "Judging from your hurried appearance, did you perhaps find some treasure?"
Zhou Qiuyuan's heart tightened, but he smiled and said, "I bought three hedgehogs on the way to make soup. I wrapped them in hemp clothing to prevent them from pricking your hands. Do you want me to send some over to your family for lunch so they can try them?"
Liu Mei shook her head dismissively and said, "I won't chat with you. Sanlang has been waiting for a long time."
She was glad she hadn't listened to her father's matchmaking; otherwise, she would have been living a miserable life with Zhou Qiuyuan, drinking hedgehog soup instead of having any chance to rise in status.
Liu Mei carefully avoided the mud on the ground and headed straight for the carriage in the distance, embracing a brand new life.
When Zhou Chengwu saw Zhou Qiuyuan return home looking anxious and worried, his expression turned serious. He lowered his voice and asked, "Why are you back? What happened?"
Zhou Qiuyuan knew that some things couldn't be hidden from him, so he replied, "I just found a gold pot at a stall."
Golden pot?
How much does a gold-cast pot weigh? It must weigh at least a hundred or eighty taels!
Zhou Chengwu was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses: "How come you only managed to find a golden pot by chance? Are the others blind?"
"Your luck is just too good!"
Zhou Qiuyuan first bought a mutated egg, then saved someone and obtained the Qiling Pill, and also received financial assistance from a benefactor.
Before long, he unexpectedly stumbled upon another golden pot, a stroke of luck that would make anyone envious.
Zhou Chengwu felt much better when he realized it was his son.
Zhou Qiuyuan reminded Zhou Chengwu, "You must not tell anyone, lest you attract petty thieves and scoundrels."
There was a man named Liu Laowu in the courtyard. He wasn't afraid of thieves stealing from him, but he was afraid of thieves eyeing him.
Zhou Chengwu nodded. The father and son walked around outside to make sure no one was nearby before opening the burlap sack in Zhou Qiuyuan's hand.
A golden light shone forth, revealing a stunning golden pot adorned with nine exquisitely crafted dragons spitting pearls.
Looking at the deformed Golden Dragon Pot, Zhou Chengwu felt a little heartache. He carefully repaired the deformed parts to their original shape, and only after carefully inspecting that there was no damage did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Damaged golden dragon teapots can only be dismantled and turned into gold, while intact golden dragon teapots can be sold as antiques and fetch more money.
"This is an antique, it could definitely fetch a lot of money. Are the people in the market blind?"
"Where did you buy this treasure?"
Zhou Chengwu learned the whole story from Zhou Qiuyuan and then looked enlightened.
Most people would think it's a chamber pot and find it unlucky, but who would have thought that the chamber pot actually contains a golden dragon pot?
If the unscrupulous antique dealer knew that he had given away the gold pot as a bonus, he would probably be so angry that he would vomit blood.
"This treasure is very valuable; if it gets out, it will definitely cause trouble."
"You still have to keep this from your mother. She's very outspoken, and I'm afraid she won't be able to keep it a secret."
The father and son exchanged a glance and agreed.
Zhou Qiuyuan said, "We should hide this gold pot. If we run out of money, we can exchange it for cash."
"Only when one's strength reaches the Body Tempering Realm can one be considered to have the ability to protect oneself. Even if the Golden Dragon Pot is leaked, I can still block it."
Zhou Chengwu moved the floor tiles under the kang (a heated brick bed) and carefully stuffed the Golden Dragon Pot inside.
"Son, don't worry! I've been staying home the whole time, nothing will go wrong."
Zhou Qiuyuan glanced at the wooden table, on which lay a dagger and an iron rod.
Black Swamp City established an office, and its officials handled criminal cases within the city. Anyone who dared to commit murder or other heinous acts within the city would be expelled from Black Swamp City.
An ordinary person couldn't survive a night outside Blackswamp City...
This also made Blackswamp City relatively stable, with gang members only acting within the rules and not daring to openly plunder.
Zhou Qiuyuan trusted his father and hurried toward his master's residence.
Lu Chengping was already using the Thunder Blade to temper his body, and Zhou Qiuyuan arrived more than an hour later than usual.
"Junior Brother Zhou, why are you so late today?" Luo Tong asked in confusion, then added, "Master is waiting for you."
An elderly figure lay on a recliner, lazily basking in the sun.
"Disciple, come here!" Wei Jin's voice was stronger and more powerful than a few days ago, and he had also regained a lot of energy.
"How's your spiritual practice progressing lately?"
"Reporting to Master, your disciple has always been diligent and has not dared to slack off in the slightest." Zhou Qiuyuan quickly stepped forward and bowed.
Wei Jin looked a bit thinner than before, and smiled slightly as he looked at Zhou Qiuyuan. "Words are no proof. After your second senior brother has completed his body tempering, I will test him."
During this period, Wei Jin pointed out the key points of breathing exercises and the Yang Lei Lung technique, explaining them in more detail than Luo Tong. Some of the key points of practice gave people a sense of sudden enlightenment.
How can one person working in isolation compare to the guidance of an experienced mentor?
Half an hour later, Lu Chengping finished his cultivation and handed over the Thunder Blade.
Let's begin!
Zhou Qiuyuan swallowed a protective pill and connected his thoughts to the patterns on the Thunder Blade. The four hundred Thunder Spirit Roots absorbed the Thunder Spirit Power as if they were living things.
The lightning energy slid into the airway and began to strengthen the lungs.
With each breath, a vibrant purple hue filled the air.
"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Such talent is truly amazing."
"It's a pity you weren't born ten years earlier; your master won't be able to see the day you embark on the path to immortality."
Wei Jin couldn't help but sigh. In his early years, he had the ambition to become a Thunder Dao cultivator through body refinement, but unfortunately, he was severely injured by the Frost Demon and had to rely on elixirs to prolong his life.
Looking back, the Wei family was once a prominent clan in the northern city, but now, their numbers are dwindling. The spirit stones and wealth accumulated over the years have been mostly squandered, leaving them with no hope of advancing further in this life.
He was willing to take on disciples for two reasons: firstly, he enjoyed the excitement and being a role model for others; secondly, he wanted someone to fulfill his long-cherished wish as a cultivator of the Thunder Path.
Wei Jin initially placed his hopes on his adopted son and eldest disciple Luo Tong, followed by his second disciple Lu Chengping, who was exceptionally talented. Unexpectedly, another brilliant and talented individual, Zhou Qiuyuan, emerged.
No matter how great one's talent, it ultimately takes time to realize its full potential.
The affliction of the Frost Demon penetrated deep into the internal organs of Wei Jin, and was difficult to cure with medicine. Even if there were miraculous elixirs, he would not survive until that day.
"Master, your disciple will definitely work hard and will not let you down." As soon as Zhou Qiuyuan finished speaking, Wei Jin smiled brightly and nodded happily.
"Cultivate diligently, and hope that Master will live to see that day."