Chapter 455 - 395: Making a Kill
Chapter 455: Chapter 395: Making a Kill
Grandpa Tang had made it clear before: the Tang family would support Gu Shaozheng as he traveled far and wide, searching for opportunities and ways to make a fortune. They wouldn’t be envious of his other gains, with just one condition—if he acquired any jade, he had to give at least one-third to the Tang family.
With that agreement in place, Gu Shaozheng naturally had to give the Tang family a stake in any jade mine he developed. Four people in the Tang family were cultivators. It didn’t seem like a big deal at first, but after reaching the Qi Refining Middle Stage, the need for jade containing Spiritual Energy would be immense. Having a jade mine would make things much easier.
For now, Xiao Man and Hao Hao were sharing the three large chests of jadeite jade that Old Sir Jun had provided as compensation. Because it was all top-quality, almost every piece was brimming with Spiritual Energy, and the siblings were having a blast using it. Xiao Man instructed Hao Hao not to absorb all the Spiritual Energy, telling him to leave at least ten to twenty percent to let the jade nurture itself. That way, the jadeite wouldn’t be ruined and could later be crafted into jewelry or decorative ornaments. If made well, they would still possess high artistic value.
Tang Qingshan and Tang Qingyun were adults and were expected to find their own sources for jade. However, neither of them seemed to have used much jade so far. Tang Qingshan had always been a photography enthusiast who loved immersing himself in nature, often venturing deep into the mountains in his free time. Tang Qingyun, on the other hand, spent years in remote mountain villages for work. In such sparsely populated places, the air was crisp, and the Spiritual Energy was often more concentrated. Xiao Man had given them Gathering Spirit Talisman Plates, and for the two of them, simply capturing the free-roaming Spiritual Energy in the wilderness was enough for their cultivation needs.
The higher one’s cultivation, the more Spiritual Energy was required. When that time came, it was feared that even Gu Shaozheng’s jade mines wouldn’t be able to meet the demand. Once Gu Shaojun returned and officially taught the appropriate Cultivation Techniques to the Gu family members with Spirit Roots so they could begin cultivating, the Gu, Tang, and Zheng families combined would have over a dozen Cultivators. Without the aid of jade, it would be nearly impossible for them to advance their cultivation levels.
Xiao Man advised Gu Shaozheng to take advantage of his years operating near the border to acquire as much jade as he could. He should collect any and all jade, regardless of its quality. The Spiritual Energy was distributed evenly within the stone, irrespective of its grade.
Gu Shaozheng had long been drilled by his grandfather and father on the importance of collecting jade, so of course he understood. In front of Xiao Man, however, he put on a fawning act, declaring that he would try to acquire several more jade mines if he could. He acknowledged that being abroad meant he would inevitably face all sorts of dangers, but no matter what—even if it cost him his life—he would make sure their family’s jade warehouses were filled to the brim!
This remark earned him a glare from Zheng Shaolian that could have been a volley of daggers. Xiao Man instantly understood what Gu Shaozheng was getting at and generously took a dark, unimpressive, yet heavy little charm from her bag and gave it to him. No one could tell what it was made of. Xiao Man only knew it was called Xuan Iron from reading the records on a Jade Scroll in the Treasure Pearl Space. It was a high-grade talisman forged and engraved with runes by the space’s previous owner. Thanks to its special, durable material, the talisman possessed four or five functions, including defense, protection, counter-attack, water-repelling, and even escape.
This Amulet was even more powerful than the ink jade one Xiao Man had first given to Gu Shaojun; she simply hadn’t found it back then. A few days ago, while picking and drying grapes on the back of Feilai Peak within the Treasure Pearl Space, she had accidentally kicked open a stone door and discovered an underground Artifact Refining Field inside the mountain. This Xuan Iron talisman was sitting on a stone platform inside. It seemed Gu Shaozheng was simply fated to receive it.
In her past life, Gu Shaozheng had made it onto the wealth lists and had traveled extensively in his youth, but she’d never heard of him encountering any danger. Nor had she heard of him secretly slipping across borders and moving between countries. However, his businesses in that life were in shipping, trade, and energy; he never touched the jade trade, let alone owned a jewelry company. Xiao Man started to worry. ’It would be terrible if something happened to Gu Shaozheng because of this. Besides, he’s Gu Shaojun’s only full brother. Gu Shaojun would never want any harm to come to him.’
That was why Xiao Man gave the Mystic Iron Talisman to Gu Shaozheng without a second thought, hoping it would keep this "God of Wealth" safe and sound during his travels.
Gu Caishen was thrilled to receive the Mystic Iron Talisman. This time, he didn’t call her Little Manman, but repeatedly exclaimed, "Thank you, Sister-in-law!" He immediately put it on, his eyes filled with the ecstatic joy of a long-held wish coming true. The ink jade piece Xiao Man had given his older brother had disappeared. His brother had only told their grandfather and father, but Gu Shaozheng had been brewing tea nearby and overheard everything. He had been shocked and had coveted a life-saving amulet of his own ever since. Now, his wish was finally granted!
Too disdainful to watch Gu Shaozheng gloat, Zheng Shaolian took out his own gourd string to show Xiao Man. He originally had a pair of Bi Xi Small Jade Gourds, but now only a single, lonely one remained:
"Last time Grandpa was sick, he had a nasty cough, so I lent him one to wear. His cough actually stopped, but now he refuses to give it back! I’m used to seeing them as a pair. Why don’t I get a piece of jade, and we can carve a new one for Grandpa and have him return mine?"
Xiao Man thought to herself, ’Even though Zheng Shaolian isn’t taking the same risks as Gu Shaozheng, he’s still constantly on the road and in the sky. Since I have the means, I should give him some better protection.’ She had only found three Mystic Iron Talismans in the space so far. With Gu Shaozheng having taken one, there were two left. She decided she might as well give them to Zheng Shaolian and Hao Hao to carry.
In the future, once her cultivation advanced, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to refine high-grade talismans. She could gradually give her family members upgraded ones then.
She had previously given everyone Jade Talismans of various grades for protection. Realistically, those who usually stayed home and didn’t travel far, like the elderly and children, didn’t really need high-grade Amulets.
But the men who were constantly on the move—especially people like Gu Shaojun and Gu Shaofeng in the military, who occasionally had to carry out dangerous missions—ought to have Mystic Iron Talismans. And as for the grandfathers and the paternal generation of the Tang and Gu families, they were all important figures; once they learned how powerful the Mystic Iron Talismans were, they would naturally all want one.
Fortunately, she had discovered the Artifact Refining Field within Feilai Peak in her space.
The space’s previous owner hadn’t left more Mystic Iron Talismans because the materials were too difficult to gather, making it impossible to refine any extra Xuan Iron. Xiao Man, however, didn’t need to refine anything. Back when she was "collecting scraps" in Ping County, she had unexpectedly obtained a piece of so-called "Black Iron Stone" as large as a water vat. It had supposedly rolled down a mountain on its own before villagers built it into a wall. In reality, it was a piece of pure Xuan Iron, densely packed with Spiritual Energy!
It was a stroke of incredible luck, practically a gift from the heavens. With such a large piece of Xuan Iron, she could forge whatever Magic Artifacts she wanted in the future.
After putting on the Mystic Iron Talisman, Zheng Shaolian shot Gu Shaozheng a smugly raised eyebrow. ’He could accept that he wasn’t as important as Gu Shaojun in Xiao Man’s heart, but there was no way Gu Shaozheng should rank ahead of him!’
Xiao Man instructed Gu Shaozheng and Zheng Shaolian, "You can keep the Jade Talismans you were wearing before and give them to someone close to you in the future. But don’t just hand them out to strangers, okay? They’re very precious; you can’t buy them on the open market! I wouldn’t even trade one of my little gourds for 100,000 yuan!"
Zheng Shaolian carefully put away his jade gourd. "My cousin gave this to me; of course I’m not giving it to anyone else! And I’m keeping a close watch on the one Grandpa snatched. Besides him, no one else is getting their hands on it!"
A crafty glint, however, flashed in Gu Shaozheng’s eyes. He leaned closer to Xiao Man and said, "Sister-in-law, you’ve got a point. My travels recently have really driven something home for me: there are more and more wealthy people out there, and no shortage of them are willing to spend a fortune to save their own skin! So how about we... make a killing? What do you think?"
Who would turn down the chance to make easy money without having to get personally involved? After hearing Gu Shaozheng lay out his idea, Xiao Man gave it a moment’s thought and agreed.