Chapter 37: Black Gold Wood, Spirit Snake Martial Arts Hall, and a Request!

Mystic Gold Wood is a type of mutated timber that, if aged long enough, becomes harder than iron. However, because it is used extensively by the military, over-logging has driven it to the brink of extinction. Today, high-quality Mystic Gold Wood is extremely expensive; a ten-year-old piece costs five taels of silver per tael, while a thirty-year-old piece skyrockets to twenty taels. Moreover, it is a seller’s market where demand far outstrips supply.

"Of course, you could use a lower-grade Mystic Iron Wood, but the effectiveness would be compromised, and it would be a waste of these red gold arrowheads."

Xia He nodded, having a rough idea of the situation. "Master, please hold onto the red gold for now; I will find a way to get the Mystic Gold Wood."

"Very well, but if you intend to search for it yourself, you must be quick. Once winter arrives and the mountains are sealed, there will be no more Mystic Gold Wood for sale on the market."

After bidding farewell to the craftsman and Uncle Zhou, Xia He pondered. He needed to make a trip to the mountains soon. Mystic Gold Wood was difficult to find, but with his tracking skills, there was still hope—though he would have to venture deep into the wilderness.

Having already consumed a bowl of blood-nourishing soup in the morning, he spent his morning performing the standard martial arts drills at the training grounds.

[Skill: Blood Refining - Basic Soldier’s Blood Refining Manual (Mountain Crushing)]
[Progress: 12/200]
[Effect: None]
[Skill: Blood Refining - Basic Soldier’s Blood Refining Manual (Mountain Opening)]
[Progress: 19/200]
[Effect: None]

With the boost from the blood-nourishing soup, his progress was at least twice as fast as before. Yet, at this rate, he feared it would take an eternity to cultivate the first wisp of vital blood.

"The Great Qin’s blood refining method doesn't require a specific innate talent, but the progress is truly agonizingly slow... Still, it is the most stable path once you actually cultivate vital blood."

At noon, drenched in sweat, he sat by the training grounds with Wang Erpang to rest. He pulled a piece of dried wild boar meat from his tunic, tore it in half, and tossed a portion to Erpang.

"Thanks, Brother He!"
"What’s wrong? Are we growing distant? Dropped the 'godfather' title?"
"Hehe, I can’t call you that every day, can I, godfather?"

Xia He chuckled, chewing on the boar meat as he asked, "Which movement of the fist stance have you reached?"
"Brother He, I'm almost at the thirtieth."

Wang Erpang’s face was visibly excited. Even he had not expected to make such progress in less than a month. Xia He’s lips twitched. His own speed was due to the bonus of his skills, his dedicated focus, and constant intake of meat. Wang Erpang, however, was relying entirely on his own innate talent.

"Could my boy Erpang possess the aura of a Great Emperor?" Xia He mused silently while stuffing the rest of the meat into his mouth.

He had brought back nearly a hundred catties of wild boar meat; despite eating quite a bit, half remained, yet no attribute points had appeared. This lack of progress was infuriating. Since he couldn't rely on attribute points, he needed to accelerate the progress of the *Blood Fiend Technique* to cultivate vital blood quickly.

After lunch, he found a secluded spot and placed a pinch of golden-threaded blood salt into his mouth. As expected, it was effective.

[Skill: Blood Refining - Blood Fiend Technique (Blood Coagulation)]
[Progress: 10/200]
[Effect: None]

That afternoon, he clearly felt his blood refining speed increase, gaining over a dozen points—a very gratifying result. The only issue was that the substance was too filled with baleful energy; he couldn't consume too much at once, or his body wouldn't be able to handle it.

Time passed quickly, and by dusk, after a full day of training, Xia He wiped the sweat from his brow and requested leave for the next day at the barracks.

"Erpang, come with me to the mountains tomorrow."
"Alright!"

After leaving the military camp and returning to town, Xia He specifically went to a shop, intending to buy fabric to make a new set of clothes for Li Huilan. To his surprise, the shop, which usually did decent business, was already closed. Not only that, but many businesses along the entire street were shuttered, and the area was desolate.

"Sigh, Brother He, prices in town are rising sharply. People can barely afford food; how could they have money for clothes?"

Xia He nodded. "The blood plague is spreading violently, and people are dying every day. Go home quickly, and be careful, Erpang."

On the way, Xia He frowned deeply. The spread of the blood plague continued, and the antidote remained monopolized by certain pharmacies, all backed by the martial arts schools. He had originally thought that killing Kong Hu would control the plague, but it now seemed that Kong Hu was not the mastermind; there was someone else behind him.

"Could it be Commander Fan?" A chill crept into Xia He’s heart. Who else would have the audacity to do this? The man had been friendly toward him and even rewarded him, but who could know how vicious his heart truly was behind the scenes?

"If it is him, is he doing this just to rake in silver?" Filled with anxiety, Xia He hurried home.

As he approached, he saw several unfamiliar figures standing by his door. He immediately slowed his pace, a look of vigilance appearing in his eyes. Observing them, these men looked nothing like ordinary commoners. Each had solid muscles and thick, powerful palms—clearly men who had practiced martial arts.

Seeing Xia He, the middle-aged man at the front immediately walked up with a smile. Noticing the wariness in Xia He’s eyes, he quickly explained, "Do not be alarmed, young brother; we mean no harm. I am a retainer of the Spirit Snake Martial Arts Hall, and we are here on the orders of our Young Master."

"People from the martial arts hall?" Hearing this, Xia He was startled, though he remained composed. "Is there something you need? I don’t believe I am acquainted with your Young Hall Master."

"It is like this," the middle-aged man continued. "Our Young Master wishes to enter the mountains to search for a medicinal herb before the winter sets in. We heard that you are knowledgeable in medicine and are intimately familiar with the mountain paths, so we were dispatched to invite you to guide our party into the mountains. You can rest assured, it is not a rare or difficult herb; it is merely for treating colds. Our Young Hall Master is a filial son and cannot bear to see his elders suffer from illness; that is why he made this request."

Xia He said nothing after listening, but his silence clearly indicated his refusal. The middle-aged man did not press the issue, instead praising Xia He incessantly: "To be a military household member at such a young age, you surely have a bright future ahead! Our Young Master has a high opinion of you and has long wished to befriend you."

One cannot strike a person who is smiling.

"Please inform your Young Hall Master that with the barbarian incursions looming, I cannot spare the time. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will pay a visit personally."

"Understood, understood." The man added, "Additionally, our Young Master said he highly values your martial arts talent. If you require blood-nourishing soup, feel free to come to our martial arts hall. While it costs six taels a bowl on the black market, we can sell it to you at half price. We shall take our leave then."

After the men left, Xia He quickly entered the courtyard and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Li Huilan unharmed.

"Brother He, some people came looking for you earlier, saying they were from the martial arts hall. I told them to wait outside. Did you see them?"

"I did." Xia He waved his hand, not wanting to worry Li Huilan, and said with a smile, "It was nothing, just a request for me to help find a medicinal herb. I declined."

Li Huilan finally relaxed. Everyone in town knew how powerful the martial arts halls were. Not long ago, the auntie who sold vegetables tried to send her youngest son to learn martial arts, but even after spending a great deal of silver, they wouldn't make an exception. Ordinary people could not afford to offend them.