Chapter 137: Preparing to Reclaim the Land

At the break of dawn, Cangwu City, which had been quiet for a night, quickly bustled with life.

On the streets, many new trial-takers had finished a night of cultivation. Looking hurried, they headed straight outside the east city gate to mine blaze stones. Upon returning, they still had to work in shops such as teahouses, restaurants, and inns. Although grueling, it was full of promise.

As Wei Cheng walked by, many new trial-takers enthusiastically greeted him. Some even wanted to have their equipment reinforced once more on top of yesterday's enhancements, offering a higher price.

Wei Cheng could only politely decline.

With the street-side shops opening for business, his group also began a massive shopping spree. Osmanthus wine, dried meat, large stuffed meat buns, and fragrant rice were the primary choices. Although these supplies could not be consumed during combat, they served as excellent provisions for recovering internal energy in daily life.

The key was that they were of high quality and reasonably priced, purchasable with bronze dragon coins.

During the previous exchange, Wei Cheng had purposely kept about fifty thousand bronze dragon coins, which now came in handy.

In addition to these, the Great Wasteland Blazing Sun Wine was the most crucial item. It was currently the most civilian-friendly and cost-effective wine in Cangwu City, comparable to the osmanthus wine in Floating Cloud City.

After taking a sip, Wei Cheng deduced that a single jar of this could restore roughly sixty years of Mountain-Moving internal energy to him.

As for individuals like Bai Han, Chen Ce, Tang Yuanshan, and Liu Sui, a single jar of this wine could instantly replenish their entire reserves of internal energy.

For this reason, Wei Cheng purchased three hundred jars in one breath.

Furthermore, out of his own pocket, he bought a storage back basket for everyone in the team.

However, these were not the storage back baskets like Wei Cheng's that could hold five hundred jars of osmanthus wine.

Instead, they were civilian-grade storage back baskets capable of holding only one hundred jars of osmanthus wine, priced at one thousand bronze dragon coins each.

After a flurry of shopping, Wei Cheng hesitated for a moment before heading to the apothecary. His spiritual power was currently at level 9; while sufficient most of the time, should his spirit suffer damage, relying solely on Mountain-Moving internal energy would not heal it, and the Azure Wood internal energy also seemed helpless against it.

Thus, purchasing a calming pill was imperative.

Although ten gold dragon coins were expensive, failing to stockpile one might lead to total annihilation of the team if luck turned sour.

It was still early, and the apothecary had not yet opened. Wei Cheng and his companions patiently waited outside for over half an hour before an apothecary apprentice rushed over like a gust of wind from outside the city—remarkably, it was the very enthusiastic Jiang Haoyu.

He also spotted Wei Cheng.

"Eh? It's you. The old master hasn't woken up yet."

With that, Jiang Haoyu took out the key and unlocked the shop's door.

"Buddy, are you the only one left?" Wei Cheng asked casually. When he came last five days ago, there had been seven or eight apprentices in this apothecary.

"The others left. Some were eliminated, and I'm the last one."

Jiang Haoyu chuckled. As he spoke, he deftly set to work—mopping the floor and wiping the cabinets with absolute familiarity.

He was a tier-six Swift Swallow practitioner with merely average aptitude, but surprisingly, his spiritual power was at level 4.5.

Wei Cheng pondered for a moment, then asked, "I want to buy a calming pill. Can you give me some pointers, friend?"

"A calming pill? Gosh, big brother, you're really wealthy!" Jiang Haoyu was very surprised.

"What do you mean wealthy? This is our leader, Wei Cheng, the number one Mountain-Moving practitioner in our district," Yu Liang chimed in with indignation. This kid didn't even recognize him; he must have been blind to Mount Tai.

"Wei Cheng? Ah, I seem to have some impression of it. Only... calming pills are very expensive—" Jiang Haoyu trailed off, hesitant.

Wei Cheng first glared at Yu Liang to shut him up, then smiled casually.

"That's why I'm coming to you, an acquaintance, to see if there's any way around it."

"Hehe, what way could I have?"

Jiang Haoyu gave an honest, simple smile, then rolled his eyes.

"However, since we are acquaintances, I'll definitely figure something out. Uh, well, Big Brother Wei, you see, I'm currently studying alchemy, but alchemy is too costly—absurdly expensive. All the savings I scraped together before have been poured into it, yet I still can't make a breakthrough. The other apprentices left because of this. They worked from dawn to dusk to make money, but before they even had time to cultivate, it all got dumped into this. What are we supposed to do when the demon army attacks the city?"

"So, since you're wealthy, Big Brother, why don't you sponsor me a bit? If I can successfully refine a calming pill, I'll sell it to you at cost."

"Is this for real?"

Wei Cheng was astonished, extremely astonished. At a time like this, someone still had the guts to study arcane arts? To study it alone without the support and backing of a team—did he intend to abandon his primary profession?

The consequences of this were even more severe than neglecting one's studies.

"True, absolutely true. Let me tell you, Brother Wei, if you sponsor me, you'll be my own flesh-and-blood brother, and I'll follow your lead from now on!"

Jiang Haoyu spoke with utmost sincerity and anxiety, because he was truly desperate.

A full month had passed since the start, and not only had his Swift Swallow mental cultivation method made zero progress, but all his income had also been poured into the alchemy arcane art. Previously, he had thought that mastering alchemy meant he would never have to worry about food or drink again, but now he realized it was all a lie.

The stopping-bleeding pills and Qi-nourishing pills he currently brewed—one for stopping bleeding and the other for restoring internal energy—did have effects, but they weren't very significant, and crucially, they were expensive.

The material cost alone for a single bleeding-stopping pill was twelve copper coins, and he had to sell it for twenty copper coins. Yet, buying a tea egg at the market could yield the exact same recovery effect.

Who besides a fool would buy them?

Thus, out of the initial twenty or thirty apprentices, only he remained.

If things went on like this, he would have to leave too.

"Can you refine calming pills?" Wei Cheng asked again.

"I... I'm not sure. I at least need a process of grasping and mastering it, but I truly know the formula. The old master gave it all to me, really. I figure about ten tries—ten tries, and I can refine a calming pill of acceptable quality."

Jiang Haoyu looked at Wei Cheng expectantly, hoping only that this big shot was a fool—no, no offense intended—hoping that the big shot recognized true value.

"How much is the cost price?"

"Ten gold dragon coins..."

After whispering this price, Jiang Haoyu felt that he was doomed and hopeless. What kind of trash item was this expensive, especially with the suffix 'pill'? If it were at least a calming elixir, he could have fooled a big shot a bit easier.

"Alright, I'll give you ten gold dragon coins. How fast do you need?"

Wei Cheng didn't hesitate at all.

"What? Ah! Big Brother, you are my own real brother! Give me a day, give me one day. Big Brother, trust me, may I die a horrible death if I lie to you!"

Jiang Haoyu was so excited he looked like a little Pomeranian, darting around the room and almost howling.

On this side, Wei Cheng had already taken out ten gold dragon coins.

"Old Wei—"

"Brother Wei..."

Everyone felt this was inappropriate. Ten gold dragon coins! Even wealthy people shouldn't burn money like this, especially on something so unreliable.

But Wei Cheng merely waved his hand, because this was worth it! Extremely worth it.

Of course, had he not understood the miraculous effects of the calming pill, he wouldn't have been so certain.

Then again, who would eat such expensive pills for no reason?

Normally, it would take two months, or even the next checkpoint, before one might possibly need this kind of pill.

"Brother Wei, please wait a moment. You guys wait outside. If I dare to run, you can beat me to death!"

Jiang Haoyu took the ten gold dragon coins and said very solemnly. Afterward, he began searching for relevant materials among various jars and bottles.

Interestingly, some jars and bottles required inserting a few copper coins to open, while others required inserting a gold dragon coin.

It bore a strong resemblance to an automated vending system in the cultivation world.

However, beyond that, it was incomprehensible, as every trade has its masters.

"You guys don't need to waste time here. Go back and focus on your cultivation. Gaining even one extra day is good," Wei Cheng instructed.

"Brother Wei, I'll stay here and keep watch," Bai Han said, feeling a bit uneasy.

"Very well! Also, Old Tang, go to the east city and acquire blaze stones for me. The more, the better. If anyone among you has extra bronze dragon coins, bring them out together to buy blaze stones."

With these instructions, Wei Cheng handed the remaining bronze dragon coins in his hand to Tang Yuanshan. He then led the group back to the small courtyard, urged everyone to seize the time to improve themselves, and turned his gaze to Qin Yang.

"It's safe here. I noticed earlier that you seemed to have more on your mind. You can say it now."

Qin Yang looked around, hesitated for a moment, and suddenly said, "Boss Wei, I know this is inappropriate, but I have a friend who currently possesses forty years of Purple Mist internal energy. Can I bring him along? I guarantee we won't hold the team back—"

"So, kid, you're bargaining again? There's no end to it!" Wei Cheng frowned.

"No, Boss Wei, I'm just worried about the future situation in Cangwu City. Moreover, I guarantee that taking us in will give you more value than what you invest."

"Interesting. Fine, speak. Let's see what you're offering to trade for this spot." Wei Cheng was almost angry enough to laugh. They were going to clear wasteland, not run a kindergarten.

Bringing two dead weights—did they think they weren't dying fast enough?

Yet, Qin Yang's very first sentence stunned him.

"Boss Wei, I believe Cangwu City should have once been called Purple Mist City. Over the past month, running around inside and outside the city, I've found unique cloud pattern designs and some ancient characters in the corners of old streets and on bluestone decorations."

"My friend and I both studied ancient history and literature, and we have some expertise in ancient characters especially. After cross-referencing through various sources—particularly referencing the various patterns and characters appearing on the enlightenment stelae—we finally determined that it is the very same 'Purple Mist' from the Purple Mist Mental Cultivation Method."

"Therefore, we deduce that Cangwu City very likely used to be called Purple Mist City, or has a major connection to the name Purple Mist, and perhaps an even greater connection to the Purple Mist Mental Cultivation Method—"

"Stop. You're saying your friend has forty years of Purple Mist internal energy, and yet he hasn't cultivated at all during his first month entering the seventh checkpoint?" Wei Cheng suddenly asked.

A whole month had passed, and he only had forty years of Purple Mist energy? Just how much of an academic failure must this guy be?

And yet he was here deciphering ancient texts for him—did he take him for a fool?

"No, Boss Wei, my friend has a somewhat stubborn personality. He said he insists on deciphering the full text of the Purple Mist Mental Cultivation Method first, and then cultivate using the language of immortals. He even said something called—'Sharpening the axe doesn't delay the work of woodcutting!'"

Qin Yang felt embarrassed just saying it. It was too much, simply too much.

"To hell with sharpening your axe not delaying woodcutting! If the two of you are truly friends, you make quite the pair of crouching dragons and fledgling phoenixes. From now on, you shall be called Qin Wolong, and what is his name?"

"Uh, Qi... Qijia..." Qin Yang was frightened to the point of trembling. The pressure emanating from Wei Cheng at that moment was simply too overwhelming; it wasn't that he was particularly ferocious, but rather like an immense mountain pressing down, making it hard to breathe.

"Good. From now on, he shall be called Qi Fengchu. Do you agree?"

"Ag... Agreed!"

"Very well, tell him to get over here."

Wei Cheng waved his hand, and Qin Yang, granted a reprieve, scrambled out in a panic.

As for Wei Cheng, he fell into deep thought.

Cangwu City used to be called Purple Mist City?

That seemed rather far-fetched, but Cangwu City must have once had a very profound connection with the Purple Mist Immortal Sect.