Chapter Thirty-Nine: Investing in Hidden Dragons, Quietly Forging Alliances

The Zha family has reached a bottleneck. This is a fact well known to the upper echelons of the family.

Despite the Zha family currently being the premier aristocratic clan in Dongjun, with a Zifu-stage ancestor presiding over the household, all other Foundation Establishment families in the commandery defer to them. Even Zha Liangcai’s casual remarks can influence the administrative edicts of the Commandery Governor’s office. Yet, the Zha family has undeniably hit a ceiling.

The inherent limitation for a commandery-level noble house is the Zifu stage. The three major Golden Core sects of Qingzhou will not permit another Golden Core power to emerge and compete with them for the region's resources. Zha Liangcai understands clearly that he cannot rely on the other aristocratic families of Dongjun, and the three major sects of Qingzhou would never sell him resources for Golden Core advancement. They barely have enough for themselves; why would they ever supply a potential rival?

If Zha Liangcai wishes to reach the Golden Core stage, the barrier posed by the three major sects is insurmountable. Unless he can flee to another province in the Qi Kingdom, or perhaps to the states of Wei or Lu, to seek resources and attempt his breakthrough elsewhere, he is destined to remain trapped at the Zifu stage while within Qingzhou. Should he dare to attempt a Golden Core breakthrough within the borders of Qingzhou, the three major sects would inevitably unite to destroy the Zha family. Furthermore, the very Foundation Establishment families currently clinging to the Zha family for protection would immediately turn their blades to carve up the Zha family’s legacy.

This is precisely why Zha Liangcai chose to cooperate with the River God of Taiping River. He is not blinded by profit; he simply has no other choice. Beyond the River God’s promise to assist him in reaching the Golden Core stage, he can find no one else in all of Qingzhou willing to help him, nor even anyone willing to offer a single promise.

This is not merely the Zha family’s plight; it is a predicament faced by all the major Zifu-stage families in Qingzhou. Those with ambition, like the Xu family of Qingjun, send their gifted descendants into the sects from a young age, effectively severing their ties to the family to belong entirely to the sect. Should these descendants be fortunate enough to reach the Zifu or even the Golden Core stage, the family would surely welcome a new opportunity for development. However, the Xu family can afford such a gamble because they already have a Zifu-stage elder within the Lanyue Sect, whereas the Zha family has only Zha Liangcai himself.

Previously, Zha Liangcai had no choice, but the appearance of Jiang Sheng has undoubtedly offered him another path. If one must choose a patron to rely upon, why not align with the strongest? The River God’s origins are obscure and their motives inscrutable; continuing to work with such a being risks inviting disaster. But what if one were to invest in a true disciple of Penglai in advance? It is said that every generation of Penglai’s true disciples consists of prodigies who achieve Heavenly Foundation Establishment before the age of twenty and forge a Superior Golden Core before sixty. Zha Liangcai still has over two hundred years of lifespan; he can certainly afford to wait a few decades. Even if not for his own sake, for the future of the Zha family, having a true disciple of Penglai as a patron would ensure limitless prospects for the family’s growth.

Zha Liangcai fell into deep thought. He needed to understand Jiang Sheng’s capabilities and temperament; he needed time to judge whether Jiang Sheng was worth the investment. After much deliberation, Zha Liangcai said to Zha Liangping, "The Lantern Festival is approaching. When the time comes, second brother, send some gifts to Daoist Jiang. We must not let it seem as though our Zha family has forgotten its manners."

Zha Liangping nodded. "Don't worry, elder brother, I understand."

After Zha Liangping departed, Zha Liangcai returned to his fishing, murmuring to himself, "Golden Core..."

Jiang Sheng was unaware of the Zha family’s intentions, nor did he care. After purchasing a large quantity of spiritual herbs at the commandery marketplace, he did not linger and headed straight back to Qingping Mountain. The mountain was surrounded by peaks and traversed by rivers, with spiritual energy subtly manifesting—it was an excellent geomantic site for a "hidden dragon in the deep."

Jiang Sheng had no need to concern himself with external affairs; he only needed to cultivate diligently on Qingping Mountain, and the Zifu stage would naturally follow in due time. Only by opening the Zifu could one truly earn the right to speak in Dongjun, or even in all of Qingzhou.

After traveling for three days and nights, Jiang Sheng finally returned to Qingping Mountain.

"Master, you have returned," Tian Ming’an said, looking pleasantly surprised to see him.

Jiang Sheng nodded, looking somewhat weary. "Indeed. While I have been away, has anyone come to disturb us?"

Tian Ming’an replied, "With your reputation, the Taoist temple has been very quiet. However, I heard from grandfather that the Magistrate has been arresting many people in Qingshan County these past few days, many of whom are members of the local gentry. The Magistrate claims they colluded with demons, leading to the flood that struck the county, and as such, he intends to confiscate their wealth and behead them in public."

Hearing these reports, Jiang Sheng chuckled and waved his hand. "Let Magistrate Zhang do as he pleases; pay him no mind. I have been traveling for six days and am quite exhausted. I shall rest now. Go and prepare yourself; when I wake, I will test your progress in your studies."

Tian Ming’an quickly agreed, his eyes bright with excitement. He had been looking forward to this, eager to show Jiang Sheng the results of his efforts over the past few days.

Upon entering the temple, Jiang Sheng offered incense to the portrait of the founder in the front hall before retiring to the rear hall to rest. Having maintained a high level of mental focus during his six-day journey, he was indeed fatigued. After verifying that the defensive formations were intact, he fell into a deep sleep.

He slept until the next morning. At the hour of the rabbit (5:00 AM), Jiang Sheng habitually opened his eyes; a night’s rest had finally restored his spirit. After his customary practice of absorbing the morning mist, he summoned Tian Ming’an. "I said I would test your studies. It is now morning, a perfect time. Perform your practice for me to see."

Tian Ming’an immediately took his stance, executing a full set of martial arts with precision and focus. Standing before the hall, Jiang Sheng watched, nodding with satisfaction. "You have made some progress."

Tian Ming’an beamed. "It is all thanks to your teaching, Master."

With that, Tian Ming’an took three blue talismans from his robes and offered them to Jiang Sheng with both hands. "Master, you were tired yesterday, so I dared not disturb your rest. These are the spiritual talismans you gave me; I did not end up using them, so I return them to you."

"They are but three talismans; what I have given you is yours to keep," Jiang Sheng said, waving his hand. Those were meant for his protection; there was no reason to take them back. He then calculated the date on his fingers. "In the coming days, I intend to light the furnace and refine pills. You have good aptitude; continue your studies diligently. If you can clearly perceive the true energy by early spring, I will help you guide it into your body."

Upon hearing this, Tian Ming’an was overjoyed. "Thank you, Master! I will certainly not fail your expectations."

"Go back to your studies."

After dismissing Tian Ming’an, Jiang Sheng inspected the rear hall and brought out his pill furnace. The second-tier furnace was the height of a man and bronze in color. Jiang Sheng was satisfied; it was perfectly suited for his current needs. After taking out the necessary materials, he sat cross-legged before the furnace, quietly adjusting his breath to ensure his spiritual sense and magical power were in the most perfect state.

By midday, Jiang Sheng opened his eyes, pointed his right hand, and the Foundation Establishment True Fire began to roar beneath the furnace, turning the base red in moments. With a wave of his left hand, he sent the Snake Saliva Fruit, Seven-Star Grass, and Red Silk Flower into the furnace. Under the heat of the true fire and his spiritual power, the three herbs quickly transformed into pools of spiritual liquid.

Next, Jiang Sheng added a section of the demon tiger’s bone. Under the roasting heat, the bone gradually dissolved into a white fluid. He skillfully controlled the four fluids, merging them as the intensity of the true fire fluctuated. Once they were fully integrated, he introduced the Hundred-Herb Dew. As the dew merged into the mixture, the entire mass of liquid unified, which he then divided into ten smaller portions under his control.

At the final stage, Jiang Sheng carefully regulated the fire, condensing the ten portions into small, uneven pills—the crude form of the medicine. He continued to roast them with the true fire, using his spiritual power to compress them further. As the surfaces became smooth and rounded, the pills were complete.

He waved his hand to open the lid and gathered the ten pills. After sniffing their fragrance and confirming their color and shape were correct, he stored them in a jade bottle.

"Refining Tiger Bone Peiyuan Pills is not difficult. I shall refine five batches, then move on to the Gathering Essence Pills."

Deciding on this, Jiang Sheng continued his work. Each batch took two hours; he spent ten hours in total, consuming much of his spiritual power. Not wishing to force the process, he sat down to recover until the next day, when he felt rejuvenated and began refining the Gathering Essence Pills.

The Gathering Essence Pills required five types of herbs: Black Ganoderma, Windbell Grass, Light Spirit Grass, and Seven-Star Grass. Once they turned to liquid, he added the Hundred-Herb Dew to fuse them. When the liquid was divided and condensed into ten rounded, cyan-colored pills, the second-tier Gathering Essence Pills were finished.

After verifying their quality, he stored them away and began another batch. For several days, Jiang Sheng did nothing but refine pills.

Meanwhile, in Qingshan County, Magistrate Zhang Qingyun utilized the authority gained from "slaying demons" to purge the local gentry who had not cooperated with him. Many wealthy merchants lived in fear, realizing they had only two choices: obey or perish. When the Huang family was the first to be raided, and the notorious Master Huang Shiren and his kin were beheaded at the marketplace, the remaining gentry knew their time had run out.

The only exception was Qingping Town. It seemed as if Zhang Qingyun had forgotten it existed; nothing had changed, and no administrative edicts from the county office ever reached them. It was as peaceful and quiet as if the place were not part of the county at all. Everyone understood why: the grandson of the Qingping Town mayor was a disciple of the master on Qingping Mountain.