109: Quantitative change leads to qualitative change

“The old man? My friend clearly has a scarred face. Did you… change shopkeepers?” Jiang Hanwen said seriously.

Xia Zhijie was startled at first, then a flush of wild joy spread across his face. He turned and shouted loudly behind the curtain:

“Grandpa, the shopkeeper’s friend is here!”

A scarred face—only he, his grandfather, and the owner of the bookstore knew this detail.

The grandfather and grandson placed the remaining ten taels of silver from that time, plus the twenty taels earned this year, all in front of Jiang Hanwen.

“Big Brother, if you want the bookstore, can my grandfather and I leave?” Xia Zhijie asked.

“Leave?

Did I say I wanted to drive you away?” Jiang Hanwen shook his head. This kid’s breathing was a bit erratic, even panicked. Was he afraid of being driven away?

Putting everything else aside, the fact that the two of them produced over thirty taels of silver proved that he hadn’t saved the wrong people; on the contrary, he had found a treasure.

“Your shopkeeper will be back in a few days. You should both stay. I’m here to gather information.

Black Wind Martial Hall, the Li Family, the Bai Family—tell me everything you two know.”

“…”

After some inquiry, Jiang Hanwen had a rough understanding of the forces down the mountain.

The Li, Bai, and Huang Families were all similar to landlord families, with Qi Induction Realm masters within their ranks.

Black Wind Martial Hall was different; it was founded jointly by three Qi Induction Realm Cultivators.

The Li Family excelled in forging, with a First-Grade Craftsman presiding over their household. The Huang Family was well-acquainted with people in the underworld, having started their business through trade. In terms of Guest Elders, the Huang Family had the most, making them the strongest among the families.

The Bai Family was the most mysterious, but because there was a mysterious Talisman Master, outsiders were quite wary of them.

As for Black Wind Martial Hall, two Qi Induction Realm Cultivators and a First-Grade Alchemist were in charge. They had numerous disciples and secretly controlled the smaller Gangs, making them the most informed.

It was true; because the old man’s storytelling attracted crowds, Loose Cultivators often came in for tea and books. Although the grandfather and grandson didn’t go out much, they knew a great deal.

By this reckoning, none of the forces down the mountain were easy to provoke; each had its strengths, which qualified them to establish themselves.

Among them, what surprised Jiang Hanwen the most was that his own Vertical and Horizontal Merchant Association, despite being robbed by the Black Tiger Gang half a year ago, still existed.

According to Xia Zhijie, it seemed the Black Tiger Gang’s leader had brought people to forcibly seize land, killing several vagrants.

A mysterious woman intervened, severely injuring the Qi Induction Realm leader of the Black Tiger Gang. After that, no one dared to covet the Vertical and Horizontal Merchant Association again.

Mysterious woman?

As soon as Jiang Hanwen heard the word “mysterious,” an alarm immediately sounded in his heart. It seemed his identity as the president of the Merchant Association could absolutely no longer be used.

Who knew what this mysterious woman’s true identity was.

However, hearing that the Merchant Association still upheld his twenty-day food ticket rule and continued to aid those who were truly desperate, Jiang Hanwen was in a good mood. He secretly jotted down “Black Tiger Gang” in his small notebook.

Once the matter of the Immaculate Body was settled, he would go and see what kind of characters dared to challenge his Merchant Association.

Xia Zhijie watched Jiang Hanwen’s retreating figure, his palm relaxing. Sunlight shone on two silver ingots.

These were the silver coins he had secretly hidden for a rainy day.

He didn’t want to go through starvation again, and this money was enough for him and his grandfather to find a new livelihood.

“Xiao Jie, it seems we don’t have to leave for now,” Xia Dong sighed, relieved.

“Grandpa, not only do we not have to leave, but we also need to make a room for the shopkeeper. That person just now was the shopkeeper!”

“Huh?” Xia Dong’s eyes widened, and he blurted out, “Disguise?”

Xia Zhijie nodded, pointing to his eyes: “Grandpa, you know, no matter how people I’ve seen change, I recognize them.”

Xia Dong grinned: “The shopkeeper isn’t driving us away; that’s a good thing.”

The little fellow looked meaningfully in the direction Jiang Hanwen had left:

“The shopkeeper is very cautious in his actions. He might still make us leave later, but from now on, Grandpa, you don’t have to tell stories, and I don’t have to copy storybooks anymore.”

“Why?” Xia Dong asked, bewildered.

Xia Zhijie laughed heartily:

“Grandpa, we should be asking him for a monthly salary.”

“Hahaha, right!”

…Changing his appearance, Jiang Hanwen visited nine Zhuang Family pharmacies, boosting his own performance by buying Spiritual Plants worth over three thousand taels in one go.

As the night moon approached, in the courtyard he had bought, Jiang Hanwen sat in a large wooden tub spacious enough for a mandarin duck bath.

The tub was filled with hot water, and according to the proportions, it was packed with various Spiritual Plants that nourished Qi and blood.

bloodline grass, Strong Bone Root, eclipse moon flower, Rhinoceros Horn Grass, Red Leaf Ganoderma, Blood-Patterned Ginseng… The rich, crimson essence permeated through his pores, gathering in his chest. Guided by divine breath, it refined his unblocked extraordinary meridians and eight channels.

He added medicine three times midway, and by dawn, all the medicinal ingredients were completely absorbed.

“Splash~”

Jiang Hanwen stepped out of the tub, white mist rising from the steam. Water droplets slid down his wet skin, and a cool breeze swept over him, the chill like water.

During the half-year Jiang Hanwen rested, although he did not Cultivate, he never stopped casting the Spirit Rain Technique.

Refining the twelve regular meridians was like opening pathways for Spiritual Qi. Each time he cast the Spirit Rain Technique, it was like ink spreading on a napkin.

The subtle nourishment of the body by Spiritual Qi, starting from the twelve regular meridians, had never ceased.

This refinement was unprecedentedly easy, like harvesting vegetables from spring to autumn, flowing smoothly and extremely successfully.

Two!

In just one night, he had unblocked two meridians!

Determination flashed in his eyes. With a surge of momentum, he would unblock the Grand Heavenly Cycle!

Jiang Hanwen turned and left. This time, besides the Zhuang Family, he bought all the Qi and blood tonic packs from every other pharmacy, big or small, as well as from Black Wind Martial Hall.

In one day, he spent twenty-three thousand taels.

The room had almost become a warehouse, piled high with various Spiritual Plants and tonic packs that strengthened Qi and blood.

The moon set, the sun rose, and time flew by.

Ten days later, in the faint morning light, Jiang Hanwen packed the remaining thirty percent of the Spiritual Plants into his storage ring.

By then, all twelve regular meridians and eight extraordinary meridians were completely refined!

With the greater and lesser Heavenly Cycles circulating, his speed of absorbing Spiritual Qi doubled again.

If his Spiritual Qi was depleted, his Dantian, which previously took two quarters of an hour to recover, now only needed one quarter of an hour!

Moreover, Jiang Hanwen closed his eyes, relaxed his hands, and spread his fingers.

A dense, milky-white mist, centered around him, spread out, level with the courtyard wall.

The unblocking of the Grand Heavenly Cycle didn’t just create connections; it also deepened his link with Spiritual Qi!

The Spirit Rain Technique, already mastered, directly mutated. Now, its range not only expanded to five zhang, but its control was also stronger.

He could instantly use a downpour to obscure vision, or he could make the raindrops into water threads finer than ox hair.