Chapter 27: It Seems I Am Going Bankrupt...

That said, this is actually a pretty good way to avoid being disturbed during cultivation.

Wangquan Baye is truly something else; as expected, someone with a younger sister really has a knack for handling her...

"Looking at how full of life you are, the injuries from the other day must have mostly healed, right?"

"Yes, thank you for the healing medicine."

Yang Qingyuan nodded, though he didn't mention that he had actually recovered almost completely the day after the injury. After all, they were only superficial wounds that hadn't truly damaged his internal organs or bones. Coupled with the reinforcement of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, such minor injuries were bound to heal quickly.

"Small matter. But you really do recover fast..."

As she spoke, Wangquan Zui looked Yang Qingyuan up and down with a peculiar expression.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing. I was just wondering if you’ve been secretly practicing the Mu family's body-tempering techniques? Otherwise, as a human child, how did you manage to rush in with just a sword and trade blows with a minor demon king?"

"I’m naturally strong," Yang Qingyuan shrugged, channeling his inner powerhouse.

"Naturally strong..."

Wangquan Zui circled Yang Qingyuan twice before continuing, "I’ve never heard of the Yang family having a talent for natural strength."

"There are plenty of things in this world you haven't heard of," Yang Qingyuan rolled his eyes, feeling annoyed. "Tell me, what scheme are you cooking up by finding me today?"

"What scheme? I’m here on official business."

"Oh? Official business? That’s rare. Let’s hear it."

Wangquan Zui gritted her teeth, baring her two fangs at him in a show of defiance, before saying, "Didn't you ask Brother Li Quzhuo to forge a magic treasure for you before?"

"It’s not really a magic treasure; I just asked him to forge a weapon for me. Whether it has special abilities or not doesn't really matter. By the way, how did you know?"

"Come with me."

"Where to?"

"The Li family of the Peach Orchard!"

***

A short while later, above the Li family estate.

Upon arriving, Wangquan Zui didn't even bother with the main entrance. She led Yang Qingyuan straight toward one of the courtyards. As they flew, she called out excitedly, "Brother! I’ve brought him here!"

When the Li family guards realized it was Wangquan Zui, none dared to stop her, allowing her to fly right in. Once the two landed in a courtyard, Yang Qingyuan began to observe his surroundings. It was no wonder people referred to the League’s Li family as the "Peach Orchard Li Family"—peach trees were planted everywhere.

It was the third month of spring, and the peach blossoms were in full bloom, making the courtyard look absolutely magnificent. A gentle breeze blew, carrying the intoxicating fragrance of blossoms.

On a nearby stone bench, three youths were sitting together, chatting and laughing. Seeing Yang Qingyuan and Wangquan Zui arrive, they smiled and waved.

"Zui’er, you’re back! And Qingyuan, welcome, welcome!"

As Yang Qingyuan expected, the three youths were the brothers Li Quzhuo and Li Zizai, along with Wangquan Zui’s brother, Wangquan Baye.

"Young Master Wangquan, why are you here?"

"What? Can’t I come visit my brother’s home? And I’ve told you so many times, don’t call me Young Master Wangquan. Can’t you just call me by my name?" Wangquan Baye offered a helpless smile.

Yang Qingyuan declined. Habits from his past life made him want to call Wangquan Baye "Daddy" the moment he opened his mouth. If he accidentally blurted that out, he would suffer social death right on the spot.

"I heard that not long ago, you fought a bloody battle against a wolf demon at the minor demon king level and saved the lives of an entire village?" The usually taciturn Li Zizai spoke up for once.

"It wasn't a bloody battle; I just tangled with it for a while. It’s true that I was nearly beaten to death," Yang Qingyuan waved it off.

"Don't be so modest. We heard everything from Zui’er. Man, ever since we met, I’ve felt you were a tough guy, but I never imagined you were even tougher than I thought!" Li Quzhuo said, patting Yang Qingyuan’s shoulder with excitement.

"Indeed. That was a minor demon king-level monster; in demon territory, it would at least be a minor chieftain. At our age, encountering a monster of that caliber during our first real fight and surviving is no small feat. This matter is also the fault of my Wangquan family. If my sister’s guards hadn't been so rigid, you wouldn’t have had to risk your life, Brother Qingyuan. Let me apologize to you on their behalf."

With that, Wangquan Baye bowed sincerely and cupped his hands in respect.

"There’s no need for that. Protecting Wangquan Zui was their duty. My decision to step forward was my own choice; I have no reason to drag others into my risks."

"Subduing demons, protecting the borders, and keeping the people safe—this is the original intention and responsibility of us cultivators. How can one say it has nothing to do with them?"

Yang Qingyuan was slightly taken aback. Right, he had almost forgotten that this group of people from the Mask organization all possessed a strong sense of justice.

"Oh, come on, Boss. If you two keep being so polite, the sun will set! Don’t forget, we have real business today!"

"Oh, right." Wangquan Baye nodded and turned his gaze to Li Quzhuo. "Quzhuo, it’s your turn."

"Hehe, alright." Li Quzhuo chuckled and channeled his mana to open the sword case on his back. "Let me show you the masterpiece I’ve been forging day and night for these past few days!"

BOOM!

Following a cold glint that flashed across the sky, a three-pointed, double-edged spear slammed into the ground directly in front of Yang Qingyuan.

Yang Qingyuan looked closely. The spear was shimmering with radiant light, and even just stuck in the ground, it seemed to emit the faint sound of dragons roaring and tigers howling.

"This is the weapon I forged according to your requirements. It’s a unique design; I’ve never seen anything like it before. You also requested that it didn't need special abilities, but had to have a certain weight. So, when I forged it, I used a rare material from my family’s collection—Nine-Heaven Profound Iron!"

Nine-Heaven Profound Iron?

Yang Qingyuan’s eyebrows shot up. He had read about this in a book. Legend had it that it was an extraterrestrial material, incredibly rare. It was extremely hard, yet not particularly heavy by itself. However, once mana was infused into it, its weight would increase drastically. And the more mana poured into it, the more absurdly heavy it would become.

At that moment, Yang Qingyuan had a sinking feeling that he was about to go bankrupt.