Chapter 52: News of the [Heart-Protecting Pill]

"Hmm, what's going on?" Seeing that he didn't look like he was joking, Song Changsheng immediately became serious.

Zhu Yiqun's features crumpled into a frown as he let out a sigh. "Sigh, it's all because of my old man. He was incredibly wild in his youth and offended too many people. A few days ago, an enemy tracked him down and they had a confrontation.

Although the old man was superior in skill and repelled the person, the news leaked out. Now, people coming to seek revenge are arriving in an endless stream. I've spent almost this entire period running for my life.

A few days ago, the old man couldn't hold out any longer and said he needed to go out to lie low for a while. That heartless old man left me all alone. I've been hiding for a few days, and only after realizing no one was looking for trouble with me did I dare come to the market to meet you."

Zhu Yiqun squeezed the last part of that paragraph through his teeth; clearly, he was extremely infuriated.

"Your old man is...?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. The old man is my master. I grew up with him."

"To be able to train a disciple like Brother Zhu, your master must surely be a hidden expert," Song Changsheng said with a cupped fist and a smile.

"At most, he's only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Aside from treating that broken sword like a precious treasure, he basically never looked after me. Just thinking about it makes me angry. Forget it, let's not mention that dead old man. You said you were looking for me—is there something you need?"

"First, I wanted to ask if that batch of demonic artifacts has been dealt with, and second, I want you to help me find two things," Song Changsheng quickly stated his purpose.

"The demonic artifacts have been dealt with. They sold for a total of over two thousand spirit stones, so we can each take over seven hundred. I'll give them to you in a moment. By the way, what are you looking for?"

"[Dragon Blood Orchid] and [Heart-Protecting Pill]."

Zhu Yiqun's brow furrowed instantly. After a moment of deep thought, he said, "[Dragon Blood Orchid] is a second-tier spiritual herb containing abundant blood-qi energy. There are only a few stalks every year, and as soon as they appear, they are snatched up by body cultivators.

Aside from private collections, it will likely be hard to find them in Lingzhou this year. However, with the influence of your Song Clan, it's not impossible to find them.

As for this [Heart-Protecting Pill], I actually have a bit of a lead."

Song Changsheng had originally only intended to try his luck, so he was overjoyed to find that Zhu Yiqun actually had a lead. "I beg Brother Zhu for guidance. I will surely offer a heavy reward."

"Eh, it's just a piece of information. If you want to thank me, just treat me to a meal and some wine."

Zhu Yiqun waved his hand dismissively and then continued, "I know a rogue cultivator senior. Ten years ago, he refined a batch of [Heart-Protecting Pills]. There were five pills produced at the time; I don't know if he has any leftovers now."

Song Changsheng was overjoyed and hurriedly cupped his hands. "Where does that senior reside? I shall visit him in person."

"Sorry, Changsheng, I can't tell you that. This senior came to Lingzhou to evade enemies and rarely interacts with the outside world. If the old man didn't have some friendship with him, I wouldn't even know of his existence. I once promised not to spread the word," Zhu Yiqun said with a hint of apology.

Song Changsheng was somewhat disappointed, but he could understand the difficulty. "In that case, I must trouble Brother Zhu to run an errand for me and meet that senior. I will pay a sufficient price to exchange for the [Heart-Protecting Pill] in his possession."

"Deal. Leave this matter to me." Zhu Yiqun patted his chest in guarantee, then took out a storage bag and said, "These are the spirit stones from the sale of the demonic artifacts."

"Thank you for your trouble."

"Don't be so polite. Just remember to treat me to wine."

——————

It had to be said that Zhu Yiqun was extremely efficient. Three days later, he brought reliable news to Song Changsheng.

"Brother Zhu, what did the senior say?" Song Changsheng asked urgently.

Zhu Yiqun frowned and said, "Call it good news. The senior does indeed have one [Heart-Protecting Pill] remaining."

Song Changsheng was ecstatic, but Zhu Yiqun quickly threw a bucket of cold water on him. "Don't get happy too early. The senior said he doesn't want spirit stones or anything else. He only needs you to do one thing for him."

"One thing? Tell me first." Song Changsheng frowned slightly. If the other party set a price, as long as it wasn't too outrageous, he would have a way to fulfill it.

But for the other party to ask him to do something meant there was a lot of room for maneuver. It was likely not simple; otherwise, Zhu Yiqun wouldn't have this expression.

"Sigh, this matter sounds simple, but I always feel like it's just the surface."

"As long as it doesn't violate morality or my bottom line, danger is nothing."

Seeing the determination in Song Changsheng's eyes, Zhu Yiqun could only nod. "Fine. What the senior wants you to do is to bid on an item for him at the market's auction one month from now. He will provide the funds; you only need to help him successfully bid for it."

"Is it that simple?" Song Changsheng's eyebrows twitched. Sometimes, the simpler a matter appeared, the less simple it actually was.

Since that unknown senior was a friend of Zhu Yiqun's master, he should also be a Foundation Establishment cultivator. In Lingzhou, a Foundation Establishment cultivator could practically walk sideways through the streets; they were honored guests everywhere, and attending an auction was a trivial matter.

So why did he need someone else to bid for him?

Either his enemies were extremely powerful, and there was a risk of being discovered even if he attended the auction in disguise.

Or, the item he wanted was problematic, preventing him from bidding personally.

No matter how he looked at it, there was a trap involved.

Song Changsheng was suddenly conflicted. Should he get involved?

If he gave up, he would naturally have peace of mind, but finding the [Heart-Protecting Pill] again would be difficult.

If he accepted the condition, he might encounter some trouble, which was something he wanted to avoid. After all, there were already enough people targeting him.

"Changsheng, I don't think this is very reliable. That senior's identity is somewhat special; it's dangerous for you to jump in blindly. Let me think of another way for you."

"Sigh, the materials for the [Heart-Protecting Pill] are rare, and the alchemists capable of refining it are even fewer. If I miss this chance, I don't know how much more time will be wasted. Time waits for no one."

Song Changsheng didn't want to get involved, but he wanted the [Heart-Protecting Pill] even more. After much deliberation, he ultimately decided to agree.

Regardless, he was safe within the market, and his elders would come to pick him up when it was time to leave. At that time, he would stay within the clan and only descend the mountain after breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

As long as a Purple Mansion cultivator didn't act, he would be safe.

The other party certainly wouldn't be a Purple Mansion cultivator, because with the means of a Purple Mansion cultivator, finding someone in Lingzhou would be no difficulty at all.

"Are you sure?" Zhu Yiqun still wanted to persuade him.

"I'm sure." Song Changsheng nodded firmly.

"Sigh, here are the spirit stones prepared by the senior. The item he wants you to bid on is also recorded in this jade slip. Decide for yourself." Zhu Yiqun seemed to have anticipated his choice and had prepared everything.

Song Changsheng took the storage bag, opened it, and was instantly shocked. "Ten thousand spirit stones?"

...

...

(End of Chapter)