Chapter 12: The Black Jade Restorative Ointment

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Zhang Zifan, accompanied by two subordinates, went to investigate the Ghost Market but was beaten badly and fled back to the Qingfeng Inn. Gao Wu originally intended to introduce Zhang Zifan to the two women, Qingguo and Qingcheng, hoping to rekindle their relationship, but this plan was abruptly interrupted. However, when Zhang Zifan revealed that the Dragon Abyss Map had not been stolen, Gao Wu’s interest was piqued.

Familiar with the unfolding events, Gao Wu knew that Wen Tao was fickle and likely to side with the villains at any moment. This led him to approach Wan Baolou, seeking a deal: he wanted Wan Baolou to intervene and seize the millennium spiritual mushroom for their own use.

“Brother Zhang, what have you discovered?” Gao Wu asked.

“When Jiang Renjie beat me, he accidentally let something slip: among the stolen items were not only the Dragon Abyss Map and the millennium spiritual mushroom, but also the Longquan Sword!”

“What? The Longquan Sword?” Gao Wu, Qingguo, and Qingcheng exclaimed in unison.

If the Dragon Abyss Map was the treasured possession of the Duke Tang’s estate, then the Longquan Sword was its very foundation. At the founding of the Great Zhou Empire, the national master Jiang Shengren created the Dragon Abyss Map to stabilize the nation’s fate. Later, the map was divided into seven parts, with six great dukes each holding a piece, while the central, most crucial portion remained under the royal family’s control.

On the back of each piece, Jiang Shengren inscribed a secret technique to ensure each duke’s estate had a master of the Qimen realm. Legend holds that if all seven techniques were cultivated together, one could break through the Qimen realm.

The Dragon Abyss Map was both a gift and a duty to the dukes. The Longquan Sword was different; it was the treasured blade of the first Duke Tang, famed for its meritorious deeds during the empire’s founding wars, ranked sixth among the empire’s legendary weapons.

There was even a legend that the first Duke Tang used the Longquan Sword to cleave open the Heavenly Gate and break into the Qimen realm.

For the Duke Tang estate, the Dragon Abyss Map might be lost, but the Longquan Sword could never be. Now, Jiang Renjie’s claim that the sword was among their stolen treasures immediately aroused Zhang Zifan’s suspicion.

All of this could very well be a ruse set by the Duke Tang estate. What their true purpose was, Zhang Zifan and Gao Wu could only guess.

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Inside the Duke Tang estate, the current Duke Tang, Li Xingyun’s father Li Ye, had a pale complexion and no beard, looking far younger than his supposed age of forty or fifty—more like a man in his twenties, barely older than Li Xingyun himself.

At this moment, he held the Longquan Sword horizontally in his left hand, carefully polishing it with his right. On the table before him lay two objects.

One was an unremarkable piece of beast-hide parchment, its irregular edges suggesting it had been torn roughly.

The other was far more striking, resembling a burning flame, radiating a mysterious power.

Beneath him stood a tall, well-proportioned youth with handsome features and long black hair. His deep, sharp eyes and black robe, topped with a black hat, gave him an aura of inscrutable mystery.

“Wen Tao, you did well on this mission. The ‘Tiangang Technique’ inscribed on the Dragon Abyss Map is your reward; you may cultivate it yourself.”

“Thank you, Duke Tang, for the instruction!”

“Very well, go now.”

After Wen Tao left, Li Ye picked up the beast-hide parchment and studied the front illustration carefully, seeking clues. Just looking at the image made Li Ye dizzy, as if the painting sealed some fierce and terrible beast within.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps approached outside, snapping Li Ye from his reverie.

“Report, Duke Tang! Visitors from Wan Baolou request an audience!”

“Wait for them in the main hall!”

The visitor was none other than the enchanting Manager Tong from Wan Baolou, her flushed face betraying the signs of recent drinking, a slight drunken haze about her.

“So it’s Manager Tong!”

“Duke Tang, forgive my presumptuous visit!”

“To what do I owe the honor, Manager Tong?”

“Oh, Duke Tang, no need for such formalities!” Tong smiled seductively at Li Ye, her eyes dreamy. “I’ve come to do business with Duke Tang!”

“Heh, I’ve heard that Manager Tong from Wan Baolou always insists on a drink before negotiations—the more wine, the bigger the deal. Looks like you’ve been drinking quite a bit today, haven’t you?”

“Of course, this is a transaction worth a fortune!”

Li Ye’s interest was immediately piqued, curious about what Tong wished to discuss.

“The millennium fire spiritual mushroom!” A gleam flashed briefly in Tong’s hazy eyes before vanishing.

“Haha!” Duke Tang said nothing about the mushroom having been lost; instead, he asked with interest, “I wonder what price Manager Tong can offer?”

“A set of innate techniques.”

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“Not enough!”

“Greedy!” Tong teased with a slight pout, but inwardly her confidence grew. Duke Tang was willing to negotiate, meaning there was room to discuss.

“There are many innate techniques, but only one millennium mushroom. Once used, it’s gone.”

The Duke Tang estate was unlike Wan Baolou; possessing both the family’s secret ‘Seven Stars Technique’ and the ‘Tiangang Technique’ from the Dragon Abyss Map, they would not trade for mere innate techniques. Nor did they lack silver coins.

To close this deal, Wan Baolou would need to strike at Duke Tang’s true weakness—discovering what he truly desired.

Prepared for this, Manager Tong produced a brocade box from her bosom. Opening it revealed a black, cool, fragrant ointment.

Li Ye’s pupils contracted sharply, disbelief flickering in his voice, “The Black Jade Bone Mending Ointment of the Vajra Sect?”

The Black Jade Bone Mending Ointment was miraculous. When joints or limbs were severely injured or disabled, applying it could fully heal the wounds and restore function. If the bones had long since healed but were deformed, breaking and reapplying the ointment could restore them to normal.

Moreover, it had a little-known hidden benefit: nourishing liver and kidneys, strengthening muscles and bones, and restoring virility.

Legend even said the Vajra Sect’s annihilation was due to a certain sect leader named Dongfang, who killed to seize this ointment.

After the Vajra Sect’s fall, the Black Jade Bone Mending Ointment vanished from the martial world, never to be seen again. Duke Tang often lamented his misfortune—still in his prime but no longer possessing his youthful vigor.

“Whether it’s the spiritual mushroom or the Black Jade Ointment, they’re worth a fortune only in capable hands.”

Li Ye sighed deeply. “Wan Baolou’s reputation is well-earned.”

Wan Baolou not only uncovered the Duke’s hidden ailments but also found the long-lost Black Jade Ointment—such power and mystery sent a chill through anyone who pondered it.

With the ointment revealed, the deal was firmly in Manager Tong’s hands.

“An exchange of medicine for medicine—fairer than fair.”

Yet despite the longing shining in Li Ye’s eyes, he struggled and said, “Wait! I have two more conditions.”

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