Chapter 47: Maximizing Gains

“For a small-time operation like the Four Tigers Gang, they’re surprisingly well-stocked,” Zhang Shen noted cheerfully as he counted the spirit stones. 

They were all of the lower-grade variety, no mid-grade ones among them, yet the total count neared 30,000.

Aside from the spirit stones, there was also an array of valuable minerals. On the other hand, cultivation techniques and martial arts manuals were few and far between.

They did, however, have an assortment of magical weapons, all of Acquired stage quality. He planned to bring these back to Hongyuan City later. As for Innate stage magical items, there was only one, a flying ship.

“What were they thinking? They had enough spirit stones to buy a flying ship but skimped on Innate stage magical weapons? Isn’t the difference in importance clear as day?”

Zhang Shen had initially assumed that the Four Tigers Gang couldn’t afford Innate stage items. To discover that they’d instead invested in a flying ship, a luxury costing far more than comparable weapons, was baffling.

Unable to comprehend their logic, Zhang Shen resigned himself to storing the precious flying ship in his spatial bag, his first.

After clearing the area of anything valuable, and grateful that his storage bag could accommodate it all, he returned to the training ground outside the main hall. 

Li Zhi sat, her face a mask of fierceness, her eyes tinged with tears. Nearby lay a decapitated corpse, its skull fragments scattered across the ground.

“Well done, decisive in killing,” Zhang Shen commended softly. 

As he circulated his True Qi according to the Bright Moon technique, a gentle luminescence emanated from his palm, enveloping Li Zhi. 

“Don’t resist. The True Qi from the Bright Moon Technique will stabilize your emotions.”

The soothing True Qi of the Bright Moon Technique channeled through Li Zhi, harmonizing the internal energy within her.

Covered by an aura of vengeful wrath and sorrow, Li Zhi’s emotional state gradually steadied and cleared.

“Seeking revenge is understandable, but don’t let murderous intent consume you. Such a path will only drive you to madness, stripping you of your rationality and spiraling you into self-destruction.”

After a moment, Li Zhi managed to regain her emotional composure.

The first action she took was to kneel and offer a heartfelt bow, her voice carrying the weight of her grief, “Thank you, Senior Zhang Shen, for exacting vengeance for my family.”

Zhang Shen gracefully accepted her show of gratitude.

“Perhaps you should bow once more,” he suggested.

Li Zhi looked at him, puzzled.

With a sweeping motion, Zhang Shen smoothed his robe over the ground and sat down cross-legged.

“My relationship with your family runs deep and is rather complicated. I’ll explain further when the time is right. For now, are you willing to become an official disciple under my guidance?”

Stunned for a moment, Li Zhi quickly regained her composure and kowtowed. 

“Disciple Li Zhi offers her respects to Master!”

A whirlwind of emotions–relief from avenging her family, sorrow from the loss of loved ones, and newfound joy from having a mentor to lean on–all swirled together within her heart at that very moment.

Upon their return to the Li residence, neither Li Wu nor Li Zhong had any inkling that Zhang Shen and Li Zhi had been absent.

The overnight obliteration of the Four Tigers Gang had sent ripples of astonishment throughout Black Iron City’s various power factions. The once insignificant Li family was now seen as a formidable force, instilling fear and awe.

“Have you made your decision?” Zhang Shen asked.

Li Zhi nodded, “After we depart, there’s no certainty as to when we’ll be back. By then, our family’s assets and perhaps even our ancestral home might be taken over. Instead of squabbling over it later, why not sell them now?”

Li Zhi had more on her mind. While Zhang Shen had accepted her as a disciple, the path of cultivation required valuable resources that wouldn’t necessarily be provided by a master. When weighed against keeping the property, what she, her younger brother, and Uncle Zhong truly needed were resources for their cultivation.

Zhang Shen neither endorsed nor objected to her plan but offered his presence to oversee the auction. Properties and businesses that had once been seized by rival factions were now being sold back to them by Li Zhi.

After Zhang Shen demonstrated his formidable level of cultivation, releasing his eighth layer Innate True Qi, the various factions present relented. They accepted Li Zhi’s terms and generously contributed resources to settle the matter.

They ended up with so many items and they lacked the large storage bags that Zhang Shen had. Consequently, each of them was comically laden with seven or eight bulging bags.

“Let’s go,” Zhang Shen said as they stood outside Black Iron City, summoning a flying ship.

The timely acquisition of this vessel was a relief, otherwise, escorting three non-flying individuals to the Sunfire Market would have been a cumbersome affair.

The flying ship expanded upon landing, revealing a basic cabin and deck that could accommodate up to ten people. The space was not expansive but amply sufficient.

The journey back to Sunfire Market took twice as long as his initial trip, yet it was considerably faster than if Zhang Shen had flown on his own while carrying everyone.

During the journey, Zhang Shen imparted to Li Zhi the Acquired techniques from the Mountain of a Thousand Layers cultivation manual. Switching to a new cultivation method sooner rather than later was generally advisable, as not everyone had the luxury of time like Zhang Shen.

The transition was seamless, given that the Li family’s current method of cultivation was already a modified version of the Mountain of a Thousand Layers technique, which had been adapted by Li Yan. There was a natural affinity between the two.

Through this, Li Zhi learned of Zhang Shen’s relationship with her family, prompting her to marvel at the twists of fate.

Li Zhi was neither naïve nor aggrieved that Zhang Shen had inherited her ancestor Li Yan’s legacy without sharing any of it with her. The Endless Wilderness was a dog-eat-dog world, where strength dictated who gained possession of resources and legacies.

She recognized that Zhang Shen’s willingness to help, despite having claimed Li Yan’s legacy for himself, was an act of remarkable honor.

Meanwhile, Li Wu and Li Zhong continued their cultivation using the original Li family techniques.

Li Zhi did not dare to share her newfound knowledge with them without explicit permission from Zhang Shen. However, Zhang Shen made no effort to exclude them when he was teaching the essential cultivation principles, key techniques, and helpful tips to Li Zhi.

Li Zhong benefited immensely from overhearing these teachings, while Li Wu, who was still at the peak of the Human Limit, could only jot down what he heard for future understanding.

Upon arriving at Sunfire Market, Zhang Shen first made sure the trio was comfortably settled within the marketplace. After that, he ventured out to find a suitable location for his new retreat. The small rental courtyards in the market were inadequate for his regular cultivation practices, especially now that he had three additional people with him.

Given that Zhang Shen already had sufficient resources for cultivation, he didn’t need an area rich in spiritual energy. After some searching, he discovered an expansive mountain valley located roughly fifty miles from Sunfire Market, backed by towering peaks and situated deep within a mountain range that was inaccessible to the average person.

Although it was a significant distance from Sunfire Market, this was only an issue for Li Zhi and the others. For Zhang Shen, the journey took merely a moment. Further from the mountain lay a lake and a large river where several human settlements flourished. These communities also housed martial artists, albeit of low cultivation, making it an ideal environment for Li Zhi, Li Wu, and Li Zhong.

In reality, Sunfire Market was not a fitting place for the trio to stay. To live there for an extended period, they would need the guidance of someone with at least Innate stage martial abilities. However, Zhang Shen was already planning to shift his base of operations.

Utilizing a low-grade magical artifact, he effortlessly carved a deep hollow into the cliffside and proceeded to set up various rooms, including a meditation chamber and a library. Afterward, he returned to Sunfire Market and led the trio to the newly established retreat.

“From today onward, this will be my sanctuary,” he informed them. “You have the option to stay here or reside in the towns beyond these mountains. However, Zhi’er, you are required to spend at least half of each month here for martial training.”

He added, glancing at Li Zhong and Li Wu, “When Zhi’er is here for her training, both of you are welcome to join and learn.”

Zhang Shen didn’t insist that the trio stay with him in his secluded mountain retreat. He had long been accustomed to a life of solitary, rigorous cultivation, while Li Zhi and her companions needed time to adjust. Pushing them too hard could lead to psychological issues.

True to expectations, after living in the remote mountain valley for half a month, Li Wu, who was close to eight years old, began showing signs of emotional agitation. Recognizing this, Li Zhong let out a small sigh and took Li Wu down the mountain to find a home in Yousha Town, which was nearby.

Li Zhong was a capable individual. His many years of experience with the Li family had equipped him well in the art of wealth-building and influence-gaining. Yousha Town did have the presence of Innate-level martial artists, but only two of them, making the competition considerably less intense than what they would have faced in Black Iron City.

Being newcomers without any immediate conflicts with the local powers, Li Zhong and Li Wu were able to establish a stable foothold in Yousha Town with relative ease.

Li Zhong made a two-pronged investment by purchasing both a spacious residential property and a storefront. The residential space provided ample room for martial arts practice, while the store was used to sell various items like medicinal ointments and resources valuable to both ordinary and Acquired-stage martial artists. This allowed them to maintain some level of interaction with the local martial arts community, ensuring they didn’t lose touch with it entirely.

To handle daily chores, Li Zhong acquired some servants from the local slave market. Even in this human-dominated region, there were many who, out of desperation or circumstance, willingly entered servitude. Some had even been enslaved as a result of local power struggles. Whether old or young, experienced or showing promise, Li Zhong bought a range of servants to meet their various needs.

After spending two months in the mountainous sanctuary, Li Zhi too began to feel a sense of restlessness and descended the mountain to reunite with Li Zhong and Li Wu. 

Zhang Shen found her ability to endure two months of solitary cultivation quite commendable.

Afterward, Zhang Shen chose to reside in the valley he had named Luoshui Ravine, making occasional nighttime visits to the Li family’s artifact forge in Sunfire Market.

Before long, his martial arts cultivation ascended to yet another level.

“Ah, I’ve reached the ninth layer of the Innate stage,” he exhaled.

His rate of advancement surpassed even his own expectations. Although he possessed techniques ranging from the Mountain of a Thousand Layers technique to the ninth layer of the True Core stage, these were merely guidelines that required his own interpretation and insight for effective implementation.

However, upon obtaining the legacy medallion, he gained not just the teachings of the Mountain of a Thousand Layers but also annotations left by earlier masters. While he could currently access only the portions related to the Innate stage, they were precisely what he needed. 

This considerably sped up his cultivation.

“Yet, the progression of my physical body seems to have hit a wall,” he said, looking at the displayed status for his physical level that read, True Core Stage First Layer: 73%.

The glaring disparity between the Innate and True Core stages became increasingly evident to him.

As he advanced, this gap would inevitably widen further.

“Going forward, I’ll have to devote more and more time to cultivation. However, living in the mortal world brings its own set of complexities and obligations. I need to train reliable subordinates to lighten my load.”

Li Shuang and his sons were prime examples.

However, that wasn’t sufficient. Li Zhong was also within Zhang Shen’s future plans. While Li Zhong might not be directly subservient to him, that didn’t mean Zhang Shen couldn’t put him to use.

“Li Zhong is just one step away from entering the Innate stage. Naturally, it would take him about three to four years. That’s a bit too slow for my liking,” he thought.

That timeframe wasn’t exceedingly long. Many could spend a lifetime failing to cross that mystical barrier. A mere three or four years seemed trivial by comparison. Still, Zhang Shen was unwilling to wait that long. He toyed with a Barrier-Breaking Pill in his hands.

“How can I offer this pill to Li Zhong without experiencing a loss on my end?” he wondered.