60: Chapter 60 Liu Yaogu broke down

"Good, good, good. Someone, bring the golden marrow fruits to True Lord Yaogu."

After Liu Yaogu left, someone from the Iron Sword Sect asked, "Elder, why didn't we sell the golden marrow fruits to Cheng Xiao, but to this True Lord Liu Yaogu instead?"

"Heh, the Liu family is an overmighty branch within the Xuan Sect. I heard they suffered a secret loss last time and are now desperate to recover. Since that's the case, we should naturally give them a hand. Besides, we aren't losing anything; what does it matter who we sell to?"

When Cheng Xiao returned to the Xuan Sect empty-handed, the entire Xuan Sect was in an uproar.

Not a single golden marrow fruit was purchased this year. Didn't this mean the Artifact Refining Peak wouldn't be able to refine a single Spiritual Artifact this year?

"Peak Master Cheng, True Lord Cheng, what should we do now?"

"The Xuan Sect's stock of golden marrow fruit has hit rock bottom. Without golden jade marrow, won't we be unable to refine even one Spiritual Artifact this year?"

Cheng Xiao said angrily, "If we can't refine them, then we can't. That Iron Sword Sect doubled the price of golden marrow fruit!"

"Don't you know how much golden jade marrow a single Spiritual Artifact requires?"

"If you're so capable, go buy them yourselves. Don't bother me."

Just as everyone was panicking, news came that the Liu family had golden marrow fruits for sale.

The price was five High-Grade Spirit Stones for two jin—take it or leave it.

Regardless, golden marrow fruits were hardy; they could be stored for three to five years in a normal environment without any issues.

...

"What?"

"Someone in the Xuan Sect has cultivated golden marrow fruits?"

"Who is it?"

Sweat broke out on Liu Yaogu's forehead. He had just brought his golden marrow fruits back from the Iron Sword Sect, only to hear such explosive news.

"I heard it's Zhao Mo from Tianfeng Valley, True Person Mo."

Liu Yaogu fell silent.

"Is the news accurate?"

"It's accurate. The Xuan Sect has already granted him Tianfeng Valley."

Bang.

The chair beneath Liu Yaogu's buttocks shattered into pieces.

The amount of golden marrow fruit he bought from the Iron Sword Sect this time was no small sum—it cost as much as three hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones. If he failed again, the Liu family would truly be beyond redemption.

"Curse it, why is this Zhao Mo everywhere?"

In the white jade bottle nearby, Liu Xinzhi had just begun to form his ghost body. His Golden Core had vanished, and he had turned into a black shadow. He laughed heartily and said, "You've damn well messed up again! I told you to be ruthless long ago. You deserve it!"

Unfortunately, Liu Yaogu ignored him, frowning as he thought about how to break the deadlock.

Meanwhile, Zhao Mo of Tianfeng Valley also ran into big trouble. He was currently surrounded by over a dozen female Cultivators from the Xuan Sect. Their auras were powerful; every single one of them had a cultivation level higher than his.

"Beautiful True Lords, this Three-Colored Deer has nothing to do with me. I really didn't eat it."

Zhao Mo looked at the massive skeleton by the spirit fields; every word he spoke was the truth.

He had been drunk at the time and hadn't eaten a single piece of Three-Colored Deer meat.

"Do you take us for fools?"

One of them spoke as she swayed her hips, walking toward Zhao Mo with a rhythmic wiggle.

That swaying pale skin almost blinded Zhao Mo's eyes.

Big sister, at least pull your clothes up a bit higher, Zhao Mo complained, enduring the internal torment.

"I heard you're skilled at tending to spirit plants? My sisters and I are all flower lovers, but Heartless Valley is barren and quite monotonous."

"We have no other requests. We ask True Person Mo to find a type of spirit flower for us to plant in Heartless Valley."

"How about it?"

"If True Person Mo agrees, we'll consider this Three-Colored Deer a gift for you to eat."

"If you don't agree..."

The group stepped aside, revealing Li Feng tied up like a zongzi.

Well, the culprit had been caught, and they still came to find him. It seemed these female True Lords were extorting him.

In that case, it was better to just give in. After all, a wise man knows when to retreat. So, Zhao Mo thumped his chest.

"A trivial matter. Leave it to me."

"Good. In that case, we shall await True Person Mo's good news in Heartless Valley."

The female True Lords bowed gracefully. Before leaving, they didn't forget to give Li Feng a couple of kicks, making him grimace in pain.

"Wuwu, these old women are way too ruthless."

"They tormented me for three whole days and nights; I almost died in that bed!" as soon as Zhao Mo removed the rag from Li Feng's mouth.

This Nascent Soul Eighth Layer True Lord was actually shedding tears.

Even such a hardened man was crying; one could only imagine the suffering he had endured over the past three days.

"Tell me the details."

"Huh?"

Zhao Mo's words immediately left Li Feng bewildered.

"Hmph, stop mocking me. You just promised to plant spirit flowers in Heartless Valley, didn't you?"

"Let me tell you, in Heartless Valley, Yin and Yang are inverted and the Five Elements are in chaos. Forget spirit flowers, you couldn't even keep foxtail grass alive!"

"When you fail to fulfill your promise, your end will probably be even worse than mine."

Zhao Mo's legs went weak, but he spoke stubbornly, "I promised to plant spirit flowers in Heartless Valley, but I didn't say when I'd finish. At worst, I'll just keep stalling."

Li Feng was dumbfounded.

"You're amazing!"

Meanwhile, among the departing female True Lords of Heartless Valley, someone asked, "Sister, why didn't we set a time limit for True Person Mo? What if he keeps stalling?"

"Oh, can't you tell? This Three-Colored Deer had nothing to do with him, and Li Feng has already been punished."

"We were just looking for an excuse to approach him. In the future, if any of our Disciples practice that Cultivation Technique, he might be a good candidate."

The eyes of the many female True Lords lit up. Indeed, this True Person Mo was quite suitable.

"Heehee, Sister is Sister after all; you've considered everything so thoroughly," the group of female True Lords flattered.

Just after the people from Heartless Valley left and Zhao Mo saw Li Feng off, before he could return to the Leisurely Residence, another white cloud drifted over from the sky.

"True Person Mo?"

Zhao Mo looked at the person on the white cloud—delicate features, elegant demeanor, looking every bit the scholar. Without asking, he was one hundred percent certain this person's surname was definitely Liu.

"I am Zhao Mo. May I ask which True Lord Your Excellency is?"

"Liu Yaogu."

Sure enough, his surname was Liu.

Zhao Mo's heart tightened. He and those named Liu were ill-fated.

"May I ask why True Lord Yaogu has come?"

Zhao Mo was afraid Liu Yaogu wouldn't play fair and would attack him directly.

Wait, that's not right. I have no grudge against him. Why am I afraid of him attacking me?

Zhao Mo felt he was probably being paranoid.

"I heard True Person Mo has researched a cultivation method for golden marrow fruits. I've come to ask if you could sell this method to me?"

Zhao Mo said, "Naturally. Our Xuan Sect is troubled by the lack of golden marrow fruits and cannot refine Spiritual Artifacts at will. Since I've researched the Cultivation Technique, I'm naturally willing to sell it."

"Good, straightforward!"

"One thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones?"

Zhao Mo was stunned for a moment.

The Liu family was indeed wealthy and powerful, offering one thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones right off the bat. The other Nascent Soul True Lords had only paid one hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones.

"True Person Mo?"

"Ah? Oh."

"Is it too little?"

Zhao Mo: "No, no, I think it's a bit too much."

Liu Yaogu hadn't expected the matter to be resolved so easily, and he said amiably, "Eh~ it's not much. Such an important method is worth one thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones."

As he spoke, he took out a pile of Spirit Stones and stacked them in front of Zhao Mo.

"Then, many thanks to True Lord Yaogu."

Zhao Mo collected the Spirit Stones and handed over a Jade Slip.

Liu Yaogu took it and glanced through it. When he saw the part about boiling the golden marrow fruits for twenty-four hours and then freezing them for another twenty-four, he looked up at Zhao Mo.

At that moment, he really wanted to crack open Zhao Mo's head to see how his brain was wired—to think he could find such a bizarre method.

"True Person Mo is truly a straightforward person. However, don't tell anyone else this method from now on. It should be exclusive to the Liu family."

Only then did Zhao Mo realize that Liu Yaogu's one thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones was a buyout price.

"That... seems impossible."

"Why?" Liu Yaogu's eyes gleamed with a murderous light. Now that the method was in his hands, he wouldn't mind using force.

"Because I already gave this method to the Xuan Sect, and a few days ago, over a hundred Nascent Soul True Lords already bought it."

"What?"

Liu Yaogu's defense was broken.