Chapter 4: The First Pot of Gold

The Tianlang River before him flowed with icy, crystalline water, its source emerging from the distant Wuhanshan, thousands of miles away. Upstream lay the territory of the Nine Mystics Sect, midstream belonged to the Wind and Thunder Martial Pavilion, and downstream, the domains of the Tianji Mu family and the Fear Gate. The Tianji Mu family and Fear Gate stood opposite each other across the river.

The eastern bank was home to the Fear Gate, abundant in mountains and stone, where wild beasts and savage creatures roamed freely. Among the four major powers, the Fear Gate was renowned throughout the Nine Mountains and Eighteen Ridges for its four unparalleled traits: strange mountains, peculiar stones, ruthless people, and fierce beasts.

By contrast, the lands of the Tianji Mu family, though also forested and mountainous, were abundant not with rocks but with valuable trees. Exotic flowers and rare herbs bloomed everywhere, the landscape vibrant in all seasons—a spectacle unmatched by the other three powers. The Tianji Mu family was famous for its exquisite mechanical arts and puppet-making techniques. The term "Tianji" itself embodied the essence of unparalleled craftsmanship and the mastery of intricate mechanisms.

Beyond their extraordinary skills with puppetry and mechanisms, the Tianji Mu family possessed the richest herbal resources in the Nine Mountains and Eighteen Ridges, thanks to their lush forests and diverse flora. Their elixirs were considered the finest among the four great powers.

As a laborer of the Fear Gate, Chu Feng had not known much about these matters. Yet, his heart was always inclined toward martial arts, and whenever opportunity allowed, he sought information from elder coworkers who had traveled far and wide. Over time, Chu Feng had gained some understanding of the Tianji Mu family's domain.

The Tianlang River wound for thousands of miles, but only the spot before him was shallow enough to cross with ease. Fortunately, it was daytime, and the saber-toothed crocodiles had retreated to the deeper waters; otherwise, the river's savage beasts would have been a considerable headache for Chu Feng.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Chu Feng had crossed the river's hundred-zhang width. Upon reaching the opposite shore, he felt an immediate sense of relief. Beneath his feet was the territory of the Tianji Mu family, no longer within the reach of the Fear Gate's influence. The air seemed fresher, his breathing easier, and the scenery before him much more beautiful.

"Surviving calamity brings future blessings. If I, Chu Feng, managed to escape the Fear Gate's disaster today, it means my fate has not run its course. When I gain strength, and cross this Tianlang River again, Fear Gate, you better beware!"

With this fierce vow in his heart, Chu Feng strode forward along a small path through the woods.

This dense forest was not a vast, sprawling wilderness, but rather served as a "forest boundary" standing between the two territories, akin to a natural marker. Once he passed through the woods, Chu Feng was greeted by an open, expansive sight.

Before him lay a remarkably flat marketplace nestled within the forest. Trees had been cleared to create this riverside market, where many martial wanderers from distant lands arrived by boat to trade. The market was huge, its boundaries out of sight, with no fewer than a thousand martial artists engaged in lively commerce.

Chu Feng immediately considered what he most needed to acquire—not weapons or equipment, but a disguise elixir. Though he was now in the Tianji Mu family's territory, Chu Feng knew that if the Fear Gate were determined to capture him, they could easily do so by other means, even here. But once he changed his appearance and disguised himself, such worries would vanish.

Disguise elixirs were a staple among martial wanderers; many carried them as standard. Chu Feng browsed several stalls and soon purchased a high-quality disguise elixir and a set of blue-grey martial attire.

Venturing deeper into the woods, Chu Feng found a secluded spot, applied the disguise elixir, and changed into his new clothes, transforming himself into the likeness of a middle-aged martial artist before returning to the marketplace. Though his disguise was not particularly sophisticated, as long as no one scrutinized him closely, it was unlikely anyone would recognize his true identity.

Chu Feng was currently at the first stage of the Body Refinement realm—a period of strengthening. To break through to the second stage, the cultivation of internal force, he needed to consume highly nutritious foods: prime meats and select vegetables, to fortify his body and lay a solid foundation for the next stage.

Quantity was unnecessary, quality was paramount. Eating an entire thousand-pound ox could not match the benefits of fifty pounds of red-striped tiger meat or twenty pounds of Blood King Bear heart.

Chu Feng wandered through the market, surveying the stalls, and finally stopped before one run by a young girl. She, too, was a martial artist at the first stage of Body Refinement, barely fourteen or fifteen years old. Her stall was laden with all manner of meats: tiger flesh, lion heart, bear heart, leopard gall, serpent gall, eagle talons—all rare and precious foods. Not only was her stall well-stocked, but the quantity was substantial; she was a genuine major vendor.

"Uncle, want some meat?" she called out to Chu Feng.

Disguised as a martial artist in his thirties, Chu Feng truly appeared as an uncle before the girl.

"Tiger meat, bear heart, leopard gall, and eagle talons—how much for these?" Chu Feng asked.

"Sold by the pound, ten silver each!" she replied. "Uncle, you’re still at the first stage of Body Refinement, not like us younger folks. If you really want to break through to the second stage, don’t skimp—go all in and buy fifty pounds of meat. I guarantee you'll reach the second stage!"

Chu Feng nodded; her advice was sound. He’d heard from Fear Gate coworkers that advancing from the first to the second stage required about fifty pounds of prime beast meat, which typically cost eight to ten silver per pound—four hundred to five hundred silver in total!

As a laborer at the Fear Gate, Chu Feng barely earned three silver per month, working himself to the bone. Even if he saved every coin, the sum of five hundred silver would require thirteen or fourteen years of toil, only enough when he reached middle age.

"Miss, ten silver is too expensive—give me a price of six silver per pound. I'll take fifty pounds at once!" Chu Feng bargained.

"Impossible! I’m a dealer—I bought it from the Fear Gate for seven silver a pound. If you want fifty, the lowest I can go is eight silver. Any less, and I won’t sell." She shook her head. "These are savage beasts from the Fear Gate’s domain—the best quality meat!"

Chu Feng nodded. Savage beasts from the Fear Gate were second to none in the Nine Mountains and Eighteen Ridges. Martial artists who ate their meat gained far more than those who consumed beasts from other regions.

"Deal!" Chu Feng replied briskly, "But I don’t have enough cash. How about I trade you some Battle Shadow Iron?"

He took out a piece of Battle Shadow Iron and showed it to her.

"Oh, you have that?" she exclaimed, evidently knowledgeable. "Battle Shadow Iron, added during weapon forging, allows a weapon to create a flurry of shadows when swung. Though it lacks inherent lethality, it can imbue a weapon with killing power! This piece is worth over a hundred silver, isn’t it?"

Battle Shadow Iron differed from beast meat; meat was for martial artists in Chu Feng’s stage, but those at the second or third stage gained little from it. Battle Shadow Iron, however, was prized by those at the third stage or above, when martial artists could learn to wield external weapons and its value became apparent.

For Chu Feng, at the first stage, Battle Shadow Iron was useless; he didn’t even know how to wield a weapon yet.

Those three pieces of Battle Shadow Iron were stolen by Chu Feng from the Fear Gate’s forging workshop the night he escaped, compensation for his years of labor.

"Battle Shadow Iron is worth about one hundred twenty silver," Chu Feng said. "The meat comes to four hundred silver. I’ll give you three pieces of Battle Shadow Iron, plus forty silver, making four hundred total. How about it?"

"I’d rather have cash, but since you’re straightforward, all right, deal!" The girl nodded, handing him a packed bundle of fifty pounds of beast meat.

Chu Feng counted out three pieces of Battle Shadow Iron and forty silver, passing them to her.

Her meat was genuine, but the Battle Shadow Iron Chu Feng handed over was a clever replica created from his storage pouch. He felt a pang of guilt, afraid she might notice something amiss.

"Pleasure doing business, Uncle! Safe travels, and may you eat well and break through to the second stage soon!" she smiled.

"Thank you!" Chu Feng nodded. Having bought genuine goods with counterfeit coin, he dared not linger and quickly turned to leave.

"Who would have thought—this is my first real fortune! With this meat, breaking through to the second stage will be so much easier!" Chu Feng mused, when suddenly, a voice called out behind him—

"Uncle, don’t go yet! Come back, there’s something strange I need to ask you!" It was the meat-selling girl’s voice.