Chapter 137

Su Yun stayed in Qinghe City for three days, doing nothing.

On the first day, he slept until noon before waking up.

Zhao Lanxin sat by the bed, holding a newly made robe, embroidering the final cloud pattern.

Seeing him open his eyes, she quickly put down her work and gestured to ask if he wanted to eat something.

Su Yun shook his head and pulled her into his arms.

The little girl blushed and obediently leaned against his chest, not moving an inch.

The two of them stayed like that for a long time.

In the afternoon, he went to the courtyard, where Zhou Ruoyun had already set a table of dishes.

The little girl's cooking skills had improved; braised spirit fish, stir-fried spirit bamboo shoots, and spirit mushroom chicken soup were laid out, filling the table.

She stood by the table, looking at him expectantly, waiting for his evaluation.

Su Yun tasted the fish and nodded, saying it was delicious.

Zhou Ruoyun's eyes curved into crescent moons, and she added a chopstick of bamboo shoots to his bowl.

Liu Wugou also came over, sitting beside him and adding food to his bowl from time to time.

The meal lasted for half an hour, and the food in Su Yun's bowl was piled up like a small mountain.

On the second day, he went to see Elder Han Yue.

She lived in a quiet little courtyard in the east of the city, where a few green bamboos were planted, much like her Immortal Cave at Jade Maiden Peak of the Zhengyi Sect back then.

She stood under the bamboo, wearing a moon-white Daoist robe, her hair tied with a jade hairpin, still as cold as frost.

Seeing him enter, she bowed slightly and called out, "Husband."

Su Yun sat in the small courtyard for the afternoon.

The two did not say much; Elder Han Yue brewed a pot of tea, the fragrance clear and light, slightly bitter at first, with a sweet aftertaste.

She asked him if it was cold in the Northern Wastelands, and he said it was.

She asked if he was injured, and he said he had recovered.

She asked if he would leave again, and he said he would.

Elder Han Yue was silent for a long time before refilling his tea.

When leaving, Su Yun stopped at the doorway and looked back at her.

She stood under the bamboo, with the setting sun shining on her, casting a long shadow.

"Wait for me to return," he said.

Elder Han Yue nodded. "Your concubine will wait for Husband."

On the third day, he went to watch Valley Master Su Yao practice Alchemy.

Since returning, the Medicine King Valley Valley Master had not rested, throwing herself into the Pill Refining Room to begin researching the method for refining the Soul Transformation Stage Pill.

She sliced the ten-thousand-year ganoderma into thin pieces, sealed them in a jade box, and then took out the liquid of the sky thunder bamboo, carefully dripping it into a jade bottle.

Both main materials were ready; only the nine-turn dragon saliva was missing.

Su Yun asked her when they could set off for the Western Regions, and she said anytime.

Su Yun shook his head and said there was no rush.

He had almost lost his life in the Northern Wastelands, so he needed to be fully prepared before going to the Western Regions.

Valley Master Su Yao nodded and buried herself back into studying the Pill Formula.

In the evening, Su Yun gathered everyone in the courtyard.

Valley Master Su Yao, Fairy Jianyun, Zi Wuji, Zhou Yuanshuang, Liu Wugou, Elder Han Yue, Bai Shuang, Zhao Lanxin, Zhou Ruoyun, Zi Ling, Hu Meiniang, and the female Disciples from Qingyou Valley filled the courtyard.

He stood on the steps, his gaze sweeping over them.

"I will go to the Western Regions in half a month," he said.

The courtyard went quiet.

Zhao Lanxin lowered her head, Zhou Ruoyun's eyes reddened, and Liu Wugou pursed her lips, saying nothing.

Zi Ling was expressionless, but her fingers were clenched tightly around the corner of her clothes.

Elder Han Yue stood at the very back of the crowd, her expression calm.

Su Yun continued, "Going to the Western Regions this time will not be as urgent as the Northern Wastelands."

"The Northern Wastelands was to find things; the Western Regions is to buy things."

"The nine-turn dragon saliva is a specialty of Longyuan, which is the largest trading market in the Western Regions; if you have Spirit Stones, you can buy it."

"There is no need to risk your life, no need to fight. Buy it and come back."

Valley Master Su Yao added, "Although nine-turn dragon saliva is precious, Longyuan in the Western Regions holds auctions every year; as long as you have enough Spirit Stones, it is not hard to buy."

"The problem is the price. One drop of nine-turn dragon saliva costs at least 100,000 High-Grade Spirit Stones."

100,000 High-Grade Spirit Stones.

There was a collective gasp in the courtyard.

The Storage Rings Su Yun had previously seized in Qinghe City, plus the tributes handed over by the various Sects, added up to only a few tens of thousands of High-Grade Spirit Stones.

The shortfall was huge.

Zi Wuji spoke up, "The Purple Mansion still has savings of 20,000 High-Grade Spirit Stones; we can take them out first."

Fairy Jianyun said, "Heavenly Sword Pavilion also has over 10,000."

Liu Wugou raised her hand, "Over at Qingyou Valley, Blood Maiden has saved quite a few Spirit Stones; I will have to ask her exactly how many."

Su Yun waved his hand, "No need. I will figure out the Spirit Stones. You just need to manage your own affairs."

He looked at Bai Shuang, "Are you familiar with the Western Regions?"

Bai Shuang shook her head, "This subordinate has never been to the Western Regions, but I have seen several merchants from the Western Regions while gathering herbs in the Northern Wastelands."

"I heard them say that the Western Regions is several times larger than the Central Regions, and the forces there are more complex."

"Longyuan is the largest trading market in the Western Regions, backed by several forces at the Soul Transformation Stage; no one dares to cause trouble there."

Su Yun nodded.

Soul Transformation Stage.

He was currently at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, and with the power of True Monarch Bingpo and the Blood-colored Girl, he could barely trade a few blows with someone at the Initial Stage of Soul Transformation.

For going to the Western Regions to buy things, that was enough.

He looked at Valley Master Su Yao, "For these half a month, help me keep an eye on them Cultivating. Especially Zi Ling and Zhao Lanxin, their cultivation is too low."

Valley Master Su Yao nodded.

Su Yun looked at everyone, "You may all go and get busy."

Everyone dispersed.

Zhao Lanxin was the last to leave; when she reached the door, she turned back to look at him.

Su Yun smiled at her, and she blushed and ran away.

The night was deep.

Su Yun sat in the study with a map spread out before him.

This was the map of the entire Northern Wastelands given to him by Granny Meng, but the Western Regions part only had a rough outline.

The Western Regions was several times larger than the Central Regions, filled with many Sects and complex forces.

Longyuan was in the far east of the Western Regions, near the direction of the Central Regions; from Qinghe City, it would take about twenty days to travel there.

He was thinking about the Spirit Stones.

100,000 High-Grade Spirit Stones was not a small amount.

The savings in Qinghe City added up to at most 50,000.

There was still half missing.

Someone knocked on the door.

Liu Wugou came in with a bowl of soup and placed it on the table.

"Master, drink some soup."

Su Yun took the bowl and took a sip.

The soup was very fresh; it was spirit chicken soup that had been stewed for an afternoon.

Liu Wugou sat down opposite him, propping her chin on her hand as she watched him.

"Master, about the Spirit Stones, this subordinate has a way."

Su Yun raised an eyebrow, "What way?"

Liu Wugou blinked, "Sell Medicinal Pills."

"The Medicinal Pills refined by Valley Master Su Yao don't sell for a high price in the Central Regions, but it is different if they are taken to the Western Regions to sell."

"The Alchemy techniques in the Western Regions are not as good as in the Central Regions; for the same Medicinal Pill, the price in the Western Regions can be two or three times higher."

Su Yun thought about it.

This was indeed a good idea.

Valley Master Su Yao had refined many Medicinal Pills over these months, both high-grade and low-grade, filling half a warehouse.

Rather than letting them gather dust, it would be better to take them to the Western Regions to sell.

He nodded, "Anything else?"

Liu Wugou smiled, "Also, Master, you yourself are the biggest source of wealth."

Su Yun looked at her.

Liu Wugou said, "Those forces in the Western Regions don't lack Spirit Stones the most; they lack combat power."

"Master, you alone can fight someone at the Initial Stage of Soul Transformation; with such strength, if you were to serve as a guest elder for any force, you could earn tens of thousands of Spirit Stones a year."

Su Yun shook his head, "I will not be a guest elder. I will not do things that involve owing favors."

Liu Wugou did not force him; she stood up, walked behind him, and massaged his shoulders.

"Then Master, just take more Medicinal Pills to sell."

"If it is still not enough, this subordinate will transfer more from Qingyou Valley."

"Blood Maiden has saved quite a few good things and has never been willing to use them."

Su Yun held her hand, "No need. I will figure out the Spirit Stones myself."

Liu Wugou leaned against his back, her face pressing against the back of his neck.

"Master, this subordinate does not want you to take risks again. That time in the Northern Wastelands, you almost…"

Su Yun interrupted her, "This time it is not a risk. I am going to buy things, and I will come back once I have bought them."

Liu Wugou was silent for a long time before softly saying, "Mm."

That night, Liu Wugou did not leave.

She curled up in Su Yun's arms, sleeping soundly, with a smile still on her lips.

Su Yun held her, looking at the moon outside the window.

The moonlight shone in, illuminating the map on the table.

Western Regions, Longyuan, nine-turn dragon saliva.

The road was still long, but one had to walk it step by step.

Setting off in half a month.

This time, he would not return empty-handed.