Chapter 30: The Heavenly Official's Eight-Hundred Spirit Stone Investment

"You seek the blood of a Tushan fox?" The Celestial Official stared, looking Jiang Wang up and down.

Jiang Wang bowed to the official. "Yes, I heard you keep some, and I was hoping to purchase a bit. Would that be possible?"

This official had been recommended to Jiang Wang by a colleague. According to that colleague, this official was exceptionally powerful, even among his peers. Unlike most officials who managed human affairs, this one was primarily responsible for the spiritual beasts of the Heavenly Court.

Not all spiritual beasts in the Heavenly Court belong to individual masters; a large portion are ownerless and raised collectively. Some of these beasts possess noble origins or carry bloodlines dating back to ancient times. Among them are the Tushan foxes.

The Tushan foxes that come to the Heavenly Court are fox immortals who yearn for the celestial realm; they occasionally serve as attendants to celestial maidens and goddesses. For instance, the Queen Mother of the West has a fox immortal from Qingqiu in her service. Such fox immortals are formidable, and because they require cultivation resources, they sometimes trade their own blood for them. Of course, such fox immortals are extremely rare.

Most fox immortals who venture into the mortal realm find themselves showered with endless cultivation resources. In the Western Continent, the Bull Demon King has a concubine known as the Jade-Faced Fox. Though she is merely a fox demon rather than an immortal, her status ensures she never lacks for resources. Even the Bull Demon King, despite being a henpecked husband constantly under the thumb of his primary wife, Princess Iron Fan, still manages to siphon off resources for his concubine.

"I do have fox immortal blood here," the official replied. "But what type are you looking for? I should tell you first that the price varies between, say, a Qingqiu fox and a Yousu fox. To be frank, Qingqiu fox blood is quite hard to come by, unlike the blood of fox immortals such as the Yousu or the Chunhu, for which I have plenty in stock. If you want Tushan fox blood, the price will be higher. As long as you have enough spirit stones, I can get you the blood of any spiritual beast you desire."

The official spoke with absolute confidence. Jiang Wang did not doubt him. It was a known fact that in the Heavenly Court, if you wanted the blood of a spiritual beast, this official was the most likely person to secure it for you. After all, he was the one in charge. That was the benefit of being such an official.

Every official in charge of a specific domain enjoys certain privileges. If there were no such perks, who would be willing to serve in the Heavenly Court? Even the Great Celestial Venerable is aware of such matters. Yet, knowing is one thing; he would never forbid them from doing it. Interests are divided even in the Heavenly Court; that is an immutable fact. It is better to accommodate them than to attempt to reform them.

In any case, no "privilege" that could truly disrupt the operation of the Heavenly Court is ever allowed to persist. If a "privilege" capable of impacting the Heavenly Court were to emerge, the Law-Enforcing Celestial General, Yang Jian, would have long since thrown those officials into the celestial dungeons. The laws of heaven are strict; that is no empty phrase.

"How much Tushan fox blood can I buy with a single spirit stone?" After some back-and-forth, Jiang Wang asked a question that left the official speechless.

The official’s eyes widened in disbelief. "One spirit stone? You are only buying for one spirit stone? Why come to me then? I don't conduct such cheap business."

"Official, I need the Tushan fox blood for alchemy," Jiang Wang said respectfully. "I have made great progress in the Dao of Alchemy recently. If I can refine high-quality celestial pills, perhaps we could establish a cooperative relationship in the future."

"Oh? You are quite skilled in alchemy?" the official asked, intrigued.

Jiang Wang nodded. "I wouldn't say highly skilled, but at least better than the pills refined by many celestial immortals."

The official looked Jiang Wang over. "Since you put it that way, I am somewhat interested in trading with you."

With that, the official produced a jade vial. Inside was a single bead of blood. It was crystal clear, its surface smooth and gleaming, with a mysterious aura circulating within.

"Here, this is Tushan fox blood. This tiny vial alone is worth at least eight hundred spirit stones!"

Jiang Wang’s pupils constricted. What on earth? A tiny jade vial with only a few drops of blood, and it cost eight hundred spirit stones? That was several years' worth of salary for an ordinary celestial soldier.

"I only need one spirit stone's worth of blood. Can you sell me that much, my lord?" Jiang Wang decided to ask one more time. If there were no results, he would simply seek out another official. It was not as if only one person was in charge of "spiritual beasts" in the Heavenly Court, though this one was simply the most convenient.

"I can sell it to you," the official said with a faint smile, tossing the vial worth eight hundred spirit stones directly to Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang caught the vial, looking at the official with confusion. "Official, I only need a single spirit stone's worth. This is worth eight hundred; I cannot afford this."

"Haha, it’s fine, fellow Daoist! Consider it an investment in our friendship. But remember, if you manage to refine top-tier celestial pills, you must contact me."

Jiang Wang was silent for a moment. Facing the official who had invested in him, he finally bowed. "Many thanks, Official."

"It is nothing. Talents in the alchemy arts are rare in the Heavenly Court today. Few celestial soldiers choose alchemy as an auxiliary path; you are one of the few, so investing in you is worth it," the official said dismissively.

After concluding his business and obtaining the Tushan fox blood, Jiang Wang bade the official farewell and flew toward his own cave dwelling.

Watching Jiang Wang leave, a look of calculation flickered in the official's eyes. "He reeks of alchemy; he is not lying. To have another alchemy master in the future of the Heavenly Court—making friends early is a fortunate thing."

Jiang Wang’s dwelling was located in the Lower Nine Heavens. As he flew on his clouds, various fellow celestial soldiers greeted him warmly.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, if I ever run into trouble in the future, please do help me out."

One, two... three, five of them all said roughly the same thing. Annoyed, Jiang Wang quickened his pace and ducked into his residence. These colleagues had likely heard about the three hundred spirit stones the Heavenly King of the East was rewarding him with, which led to their pestering. Jiang Wang could hardly tell them that those three hundred stones were already mostly spent on refining his alchemy techniques.

Back in his dwelling, Jiang Wang waved his hand, sealing off the surrounding space. He then deployed the Creation Jade Disk, completely isolating his residence so that no powerful being could observe him. Only then did he begin his alchemy in earnest.