Chapter 43: Gu Zhengshun (Please keep reading, please vote)

"Keep it for now. I can take a set of characters, scramble them, and hand them over to someone else to translate."

He muttered to himself.

Next, Wang Yu traversed the entire corpse-nurturing grounds, arriving almost at the very edge of the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect's protective formation, beneath a large locust tree!

"Brother Wang, you've finally arrived. You're nearly half an hour late; I thought you no longer wanted this thing."

Wang Yu narrowed his eyes.

A man stepped out from behind a willow tree. He was somewhat different from the other disciples of Heavenly Corpse Peak, who all appeared emaciated with depleted vital essence.

He, however, looked robust, showing no abnormalities other than rather heavy dark circles under his eyes.

He carried a black locust-wood coffin slung diagonally across his back, and in his hand, he was twirling a grayish-white arm as if playing with it out of boredom, greeting Wang Yu as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

"Gu Zhengshun, don't play games with me."

Gu Zhengshun was an inner disciple of Heavenly Corpse Peak. Upon entering the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect, he had entered the service of an inner-sect Foundation Establishment deacon, meaning he had a lineage. His grandmaster was even a Core Formation elder of Heavenly Corpse Peak.

His background could be considered quite formidable.

It was precisely because of this man that a seemingly useless second-tier refined corpse's severed arm could be produced, and because his cultivation was only at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, which was one of the reasons Wang Yu dared to strike a deal with him.

"Ah, Brother Wang, that is a bit unfair. This corpse-nurturing ground is remote and seldom visited; encountering an unexpected delay is a perfectly normal phenomenon, not something I did intentionally."

"Hmph—"

Wang Yu did not press the matter further, as that arm was indeed something he urgently needed. "Here are one thousand spirit stones. Let's trade."

"Fine."

Gu Zhengshun agreed readily without attempting to raise the price on the spot. Normally, the price of a second-tier refined corpse varied wildly depending on its type and strength.

Expensive ones could cost thirty or forty thousand, while cheap, ordinary ones were sufficient for eight or nine thousand. It was very rare for someone like Wang Yu to buy only a single severed arm.

However, a second-tier severed arm could only be used as food for intact refined corpses or kept as patching material, so the price wasn't exceptionally high.

One thousand spirit stones was already quite a lot.

This severed arm came from a second-tier Divine Strength Corpse, whose strength surpassed that of other refined corpses of the same tier. After Wang Yu used it to repair his missing left arm, he would gain an additional method of combat.

Therefore, it was not a loss.

With the transaction complete, Wang Yu turned to leave, only to hear Gu Zhengshun say, "Brother Wang, please stay a moment."

"What else is it?" Wang Yu asked with a frown.

"It is nothing major. I heard that Brother Wang holds a 'Mystic Bone Token' and wondered if it might be available for trade."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yu's heart went cold. That bastard Zhao Shang had sold him out again!

The Mystic Bone Token was closely related to his subsequent plan to leave the sect; it was impossible to trade it away. Furthermore, there were only a few months left until the five-year rotation, yet Zhao Shang had suddenly informed Gu Zhengshun.

Was he trying to borrow a knife to kill?

In that case, the condition for Gu Zhengshun's cooperation with Xu Jiaojiao was likely this very token—a highly coveted prize.

His eyes darted around as Wang Yu countered.

"I do have the Mystic Bone Token. I assume you heard this from that fellow Zhao Shang. What use would such a token have for you? With your Senior Brother's background, obtaining it shouldn't be difficult."

Hearing this, Gu Zhengshun first nodded to confirm the source of the information, then explained

"The Mystic Bone Token is related to a resource site of the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect called 'Mystic Bone Mountain,' which is responsible for guarding and mining a special material known as Mystic Bone Wood.

"It has a massive auxiliary effect on the growth of refined corpses. That is what I seek. Is this explanation satisfactory?"

Wang Yu frowned.

"Why specifically the one in my hands?"

Gu Zhengshun paused for a moment before continuing.

"There are two types of Mystic Bone Tokens: the Mining Token and the Mountain Lord Token. The one you hold is the Mountain Lord Token.

"It allows one to preside over all affairs at Mystic Bone Mountain. There are only three Mountain Lord Tokens in existence. Knowing I cannot obtain the other two, I could only set my sights on you, Brother Wang."

So that was it!

Ever since obtaining the token, Wang Yu had investigated this matter, but he hadn't been able to gather much information because Mystic Bone Mountain was far too distant from the sect gates.

The Crimson Kite Demon Realm consisted of twenty-three provinces, with the five great demon sects dividing the fertile lands and spiritual veins.

The Reverse Spirit Blood Sect occupied the four westernmost provinces, sharing half its border with the Taihu Spirit Realm, while the other half belonged to the [Hehuan Sect], which was more powerful and possessed five provinces.

Mystic Bone Mountain was located in the territory of [Feng Province], one of the four provinces, far away from the [Blood Abyss Province] where the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect's gates were located!

When the mountains are high and the Emperor is far, imperial power struggles to reach the countryside.

This meant that the interests of Mystic Bone Mountain could be dominated by the three Mountain Lords; the value of this token was much higher than Wang Yu had imagined.

Gu Zhengshun's decision to lay everything on the table without concealment was actually driven by his own motives.

"Brother Wang, what are your thoughts?"

Seeing that he remained silent, Gu Zhengshun couldn't help but urge him, adding a promise

"I can exchange an ordinary Mystic Bone Token for your Mountain Lord Token, and add another thousand spirit stones on top. Once we reach Mystic Bone Mountain, we can also form an alliance to advance and retreat together.

"Mystic Bone Mountain is not a safe place; it is fraught with danger. You are not well-acquainted with that area, but with my assistance, you can quickly establish a foothold.

"As for the matter regarding Xu Jiaojiao, I guarantee not to leak a single word."

Under this "sugar-coated bullet," Wang Yu immediately realized the truth.

The reason the other party was being so forthcoming was that he valued Wang Yu's strength. After all, his arrival at the meeting implied that Xu Jiaojiao was dead—and she was an eighth-level Qi Refinement cultivator, not some weakling.

Such an attempt at recruitment suggested that Mystic Bone Mountain was more dangerous than imagined; otherwise, a grand-disciple of a Core Formation expert like Gu Zhengshun wouldn't have offered so many conditions.

"Fine! I agree."

Gu Zhengshun was instantly overjoyed. He tossed back the thousand spirit stones Wang Yu had just given him and simultaneously produced an ordinary Mystic Bone Token to hand over.

Wang Yu likewise handed the Mountain Lord Token to Gu Zhengshun; both parties were very satisfied with the trade.

He had no desire to expose himself publicly. The Mountain Lord Token represented not only profit but also a massive amount of trouble—it was a path to calamity.

Wang Yu's original intention in leaving the sect was to avoid disaster and, incidentally, to wash away his suspicious abilities by using "fortuitous encounters" as an excuse.

Zhao Shang certainly wouldn't have expected him to yield. In their interactions, Wang Yu had always been domineering and sharp-tongued, treating Zhao Shang with almost no respect.

Gu Zhengshun's scheme had failed, but instead, he recognized Wang Yu's strength and made a swift decision to trade heavy interests for Wang Yu's support. His decisiveness was not to be underestimated.

—A win-win!

With the deal struck, Gu Zhengshun produced a jade slip and gave it to Wang Yu, which contained extensive records of the actual situation at Mystic Bone Mountain. After a cursory glance, Wang Yu's heart tightened.

He felt the situation there was incredibly complex, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of hesitation. However, if everything went smoothly and he successfully established a foothold, it might help him reach the peak of Qi Refinement even faster.

"Then, I shall take my leave. See you in three months."

"Very well, see you in three months."

Leaving that remote area, he encountered no further trouble on the return journey. Wang Yu felt somewhat puzzled as to why he hadn't seen Su Qingshan.

(End of Chapter)