Chapter 358: Chapter 207: Inventory Change (Part 2)

Li Xian clasped his hands and took his leave, having no intention of staying to listen.

"How did the negotiations go?" Cheng Zongyang asked as he sat down, looking at Li Lu.

Li Lu’s face lit up with joy. "They’ve all been signed."

As he spoke, he took three rolled-up animal-hide agreements from his robes and handed them to Cheng Zongyang. "The three families were very cooperative. They all signed the agreements willingly.

"The Liu and Ding Families have already delivered their payment, a total of sixty thousand taels, which I’ve had sent over to Li Yihuo. As for the Xu Family’s thirty thousand taels, that should arrive tomorrow."

Cheng Zongyang nodded in satisfaction. ’At least keeping He Shujun alive has served its purpose.’

’If He Shujun had died before these agreements were signed, the three families might not have been so compliant.’ He then said, "Very good. However, I’m constrained by the Li Family’s rules, so it’s inconvenient for me to act personally. I’ll have Zhou Zhendong take the rest of the men, along with you and Xiao Bing.

"That makes eight people, all carrying Geomagnetic Stones. You and Zhou Zhendong both have a Divine Weapon, and you’ll have Confusing Smoke and other tools as well.

"Tomorrow night, you will go to the He Family’s residence and cripple He Shujun. But leave him alive. I still need to use him and the lives of those other Martial Artists to trade for resources. We can’t let them go to waste."

Hearing this, Li Lu hesitated. "Will that be enough? Didn’t you say Geomagnetic Stones have almost no effect on a Martial Artist who has cultivated True Qi?"

Cheng Zongyang nodded. "That’s right. Although he’s a Sixth Grade Martial Artist, the cumulative effect of eight Geomagnetic Stones will definitely have an impact. It’s just a question of how strong that impact will be.

"But in the middle of a fight, even a small disruption can be fatal. As long as his speed is even slightly slower than yours, you’ll have an opening! It’s not good for me to make a move myself. If Li Mingxin finds out, it will be a huge problem. But I’ll be watching from nearby. If there’s any real danger, I will intervene."

Suddenly, Li Lu’s gaze snapped toward Cheng Zongyang, his eyes gradually widening.

It was only then that it dawned on him. He stared at Cheng Zongyang in shock, his mouth agape, at a loss for words.

Finally, he stammered in a low voice, his tone laced with disbelief, "You... you’ve reached the... the Sixth Grade?"

’How long has it even been?’

’The first time I met Cheng Zongyang, he was just a farmer’s son.’

’Now, in just under a year, he’s already at the Sixth Grade!’

’What kind of Martial Arts Talent is this? Or did he have the help of some powerful Elixir?’

Cheng Zongyang had no intention of hiding it anymore, nor did he need to. He nodded slightly.

"That’s right. But this must be kept secret. The tribute required of a Middle Third Grade Family is too high. This is also why I need you all to be the ones to act."

As he spoke, he handed ten of the remaining Red Blood Pills to Li Lu. "These were sent over. Each one can replenish your qi and blood. You can use them. They should help you break through to the Seventh Grade."

Li Lu looked at Cheng Zongyang with a complicated expression as he accepted the pills with both hands. Though he should have been thrilled and overjoyed, he was filled with more complex emotions.

But he quickly composed himself and smiled. "Alright then. I won’t waste words on thanks, since they can’t express my gratitude anyway. I’ll try for a breakthrough tonight. If I can succeed before tomorrow night, our chances of dealing with He Shujun will be much greater."

Cheng Zongyang didn’t try to stop him. "Go ahead. But don’t take too many if you can’t handle the strain. Normally, a Ninth Grade would take one every three days, and an Eighth Grade one every two days. This allows for full absorption of the medicinal power, so it doesn’t go to waste from being too much to absorb at once."

Li Lu nodded in understanding.

’If I can reach the Seventh Grade, I’ll truly be a Gang Leader worthy of the name in this County Town. I’ll be able to speak with the other three families as an equal, rather than relying on external items for leverage.’

’Regardless of my combat experience, at least my Realm won’t be lower than theirs.’

Just before leaving, Cheng Zongyang suddenly asked, "Wind and Cloud Hall is in charge of business affairs. Have you made any plans?"

Li Lu was taken aback for a moment, then quickly replied, "Chen Eryun has already found a number of people who used to be Shopkeepers. They’re starting to handle things, but they aren’t of much use yet. The gang doesn’t need to engage in outside commerce, so the requirements aren’t high. If they run into anything they don’t understand, we can have Li Yihuo assist them in the future."

Cheng Zongyang gave a slight nod and said no more, leaving the gang’s headquarters to return to his residence.

When he returned to his residence, Zhou Zhendong had already been waiting for a long time.

In the backyard pavilion, Cheng Zongyang and Zhou Zhendong sat and began to talk.

After listening to Zhou Zhendong’s report, Cheng Zongyang said with a smile,

"You did well. Your decision was correct. When you have external tools to help subdue an opponent, there’s no need to waste time clashing head-on. What we want is the final result."

He then took out the remaining Elixirs and handed them over, saying,

"You all will need to handle matters here frequently in the future, so your Cultivation and that of the others need to improve. However, the clan doesn’t have many Qi Essence Pills right now, so the supply is limited. You won’t be able to just use them one after another.

"But things will get better. Take ten of these thirty Qi Essence Pills for yourself. Distribute another ten among the five members of the Earth Branch Lineage, and you can keep the rest to distribute as rewards.

"As for these thirty separate Red Blood Pills, give them to those at the Ninth Grade. They can greatly replenish qi and blood and increase their Cultivation."

Zhou Zhendong was a little surprised. "These Elixirs... did you make them yourself?"

’The clan doesn’t seem to have any Red Blood Pills, and the supply of Qi Essence Pills is indeed low. After all, the supply of Medicinal Materials is still insufficient. Since Cheng Zongyang was the one who brought back all these Elixir Recipes, he couldn’t help but suspect this was the case.’

Cheng Zongyang smiled. "That’s right. The clan back in the village doesn’t have many Elixirs, so I gathered some Medicinal Materials on the outside and made them myself. There’s nothing wrong with them."

Cheng Zongyang simply went along with Zhou Zhendong’s assumption and confirmed it.