Chapter 141: What a Fine Young Woman

So that was it.

Zhao Sirong understood. Zhao Yi’s goal was to prevent Lu Ren from easily obtaining the martial arts manual he desired. However, Zhao Sirong did not believe Lu Ren was in the wrong for killing Zhao Hao. She felt that even if Zhao Hao had been possessed by a malevolent entity, he should not have acted against the interests of the Zhao family for the sake of his own survival. Furthermore, after the entity was killed and his life was no longer in danger, he should not have continued to frame Lu Ren as the possessed one. Lu Ren had no choice but to kill him in self-defense to prove his innocence; if she had been in his position, she would have done the same.

"My dear niece, surely you wouldn't refuse to help your uncle with such a small favor?" Zhao Yi asked.

"Uncle, you speak too seriously. Lu Ren did indeed reveal to me the martial art he intended to exchange for. It is a first-class martial art: the Crimson Flame Golden Body."

"Crimson Flame Golden Body—a body-refining martial art," Zhao Yi nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Sirong. Come, let’s drink."

A short while later, Zhao Sirong took her leave, and Zhao Yi’s expression darkened.

"Master, what should we do?" the steward asked as he approached.

"That girl Zhao Sirong might not be telling the truth, but regardless, send someone to exchange for the Crimson Flame Golden Body first," Zhao Yi commanded. The steward nodded.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Lu Yan arrived at the Affairs Office again to see the old man from before.

"Young brother, you’ve come. Let’s go; I will personally take you to the Martial Treasury today," the old man said with a smile.

"Sorry to trouble you, Senior," Lu Yan said, cupping his hands.

The old man led the way, and Lu Yan followed. The Zhao family’s Martial Treasury was, naturally, located on the blood vein at the heart of Lingwang City. To be honest, this blood vein of the Zhao family was not particularly vast in area, but the concentration of blood-earth energy was exceptionally dense, far surpassing other grade-two blood veins. It was a top-tier grade-two blood vein.

Throughout the area, watchtowers and arrow towers had been constructed, with martial troops patrolling constantly. Those arrow towers were equipped with massive armor-piercing crossbows of extraordinary power; it was said that the strongest among them could threaten a martial artist at the fifth level of the Martial Marquis realm.

Lu Yan followed the old man through layers of guards, eventually arriving before a grand pavilion. Above the main gate, the characters "Martial Treasury" were inscribed. The surrounding area was heavily patrolled by martial troops, including many experts of the Martial Marquis level. Lu Yan even suspected that there might be a Grandmaster overseeing the place.

The pavilion had four floors.

"You are only permitted to enter the third floor. Go ahead. After you borrow the book, come back here to have your combat merits deducted," the old man said.

Lu Yan nodded and stepped through the gate into the first floor. The first floor was filled with rows of shelves containing various miscellaneous books. Lu Yan did not linger; he climbed the stairs to the second floor and then to the third.

The third floor held far fewer books, only a few dozen. However, each one was sealed within an iron box. Lu Yan wandered around, examining them one by one. *Crimson Flame Golden Body*, *Nine-Turn Profound Saber*, *Flying Snow of the Overlook Tower*... the sight of these first-class martial arts made Lu Yan’s heart race. However, the box for the *Crimson Flame Golden Body* had been opened, and it was empty inside.

"Hold on. After I master the Heart-Quenching Technique, if I still have combat merits, I can come back to exchange for it," Lu Yan told himself, suppressing his restlessness. He continued to walk around until his eyes lit up. On one of the iron boxes, there was a slip of paper with the words "Heart-Quenching Technique" written on it.

Lu Yan picked up the *Heart-Quenching Technique* and went to the first floor to register it.

"The *Heart-Quenching Technique* is different from other first-class martial arts. You must return it within three months," an old woman at the registration desk said coldly.

"Understood, Senior," Lu Yan nodded.

"Also, give me your combat merit token," the old woman added. Lu Yan handed it over, and she used a special pigment to erase the previous number and rewrite it: eight hundred and fifty.

Having successfully exchanged for the *Heart-Quenching Technique*, Lu Yan was quite excited. He left the mountain with the old man and returned to his residence as quickly as possible, eager to open and study it.

Half an hour later, Lu Yan closed the manual, his expression complex. The rumors were true: practicing the *Heart-Quenching Technique* was indeed extremely difficult and had very high requirements. Unlike other martial arts, it was not divided into levels like Entry, Minor Completion, Mastery, or Perfection. The *Heart-Quenching Technique* consisted of only eight stages. Mastering the first stage was considered the entry level, but even then, it had little effect on the heart.

To increase the chances of successfully breaking through to the Grandmaster realm, one had to cultivate it to at least the fifth stage. Upon reaching the fifth stage, the heart would undergo a transformation, becoming as tough as silkworm silk. With each subsequent stage, the heart would transform again, becoming stronger and stronger. It was said that after reaching the final eighth stage, the heart would become incredibly powerful, akin to the heart of a dragon. A person's vitality would also be enhanced, and even their lifespan would be increased. Such effects were truly heaven-defying.

However, the difficulty of cultivation was immense. For the first stage alone, one needed the heart of a grade-two exotic beast, three pounds of exoticized heart meat, and eighteen types of precious medicinal herbs. That was not all; one also needed to locate a "Pure Blood Cavern," place those materials inside, and submerge oneself in the cavern to absorb the energy of the materials for forty-nine days before success could be achieved. And that was just for the first stage.

Starting from the second stage, the required components became even rarer and more precious. Things like the heart bead of a grade-two exoticized beast king—which was a primary material for breaking through to the Grandmaster realm—or the heart of a grade-three exoticized beast king, a century-old tiger king heart, or even the absurd requirement of a dragon heart later on. It was no wonder the technique had been lost. Who could possibly master it? Even if one managed the first stage, they could never handle the later ones.

But for Lu Yan, he didn't need to look beyond the first stage.

"The eighteen types of medicinal herbs are easy enough to find. I have the three pounds of exoticized heart meat ready. As for the grade-two exotic beast heart, there is a Blood-Armored Lizard King hidden in the blood vein. It’s the Pure Blood Cavern that’s a bit tricky. I wonder if I can exchange for it with combat merits?" Lu Yan pondered.

Having spent three months reading all kinds of miscellaneous books in the Li family’s collection had not been in vain; he had once read records about Pure Blood Caverns. They only had a chance to manifest on grade-two blood veins. It was a natural formation containing a special liquid, like fresh blood, filled with dense blood-earth energy. Ordinary blood-earth energy was toxic, but the liquid inside a Pure Blood Cavern had no such toxicity; it could be absorbed directly by the human body and possessed healing properties. Martial artists often suffered internal injuries from years of combat, and training in a Pure Blood Cavern for a period could nourish the body and purge these hidden wounds.

However, Pure Blood Caverns were rare. A grade-two blood vein might have a chance to produce one, but it was not guaranteed. In fact, in the entire Lingdong six counties, there were only two such places: one belonging to the Zhao family of Lingwang City, and one to the Gao family of Nanyi City. No wonder the Zhao family had collected the *Heart-Quenching Technique*; it was likely because they happened to possess a Pure Blood Cavern.

"I might as well go and ask those two at the Affairs Office," Lu Yan thought. He picked up the manual, read it carefully a few more times to commit it to memory, then set out for the Affairs Office.

"You’ve come again? Is there something you need?" the old man asked curiously when he saw Lu Yan.

"Senior, I would like to ask if it is possible to exchange combat merits to use your clan's Pure Blood Cavern?" Lu Yan asked, cupping his hands.

"The Pure Blood Cavern only has healing properties. Why? Do you have hidden injuries you want to treat?" the old man asked.

"Yes, Senior," Lu Yan nodded.

"The Pure Blood Cavern can indeed be accessed with combat merits. Let me check if anyone is currently using it." The old man nodded, went away, and returned a moment later. "The cavern is currently occupied. You should come back in a month."

"Thank you, Senior." Lu Yan felt relieved. Since it could be exchanged for with combat merits, he was satisfied. Besides, he hadn't prepared all the materials yet, so a month from now would be perfect.

Leaving the Affairs Office, he went to the largest merchant association in Lingwang City to inquire about the eighteen types of herbs. They weren't particularly rare, and he managed to buy thirteen of them. He planned to buy the remaining five in Baicao City, which was famous for its medicinal herbs and carried a wider variety than Lingwang City.

After purchasing the fifteen herbs and strapping them to his back, Lu Yan left Lingwang City and headed for Baicao City at full speed. He didn't stop along the way and reached Baicao City in less than ten days. He immediately summoned Li Quan and had him investigate the whereabouts of the remaining five herbs. A day later, Li Quan brought them to him.

With all eighteen herbs in hand and the exoticized heart meat already secured, the only thing left was the grade-two beast king heart. Lu Yan took his saber and headed into the Changfeng City blood vein to hunt the grade-two Blood-Armored Lizard King.

The Blood-Armored Lizard King had strength comparable to a Martial Marquis, and not just an ordinary one; a standard first-level Martial Marquis would likely be no match for it. But to the current Lu Yan, it was no challenge at all. With a single strike, he pierced the creature's throat. The lizard king roared and attacked wildly, but moments later, it collapsed.

Lu Yan cut open the chest, removed the heart, and placed it into a food box made of crimson blood-jade. Naturally, he didn't waste the rest of the meat. The lizard king was not exoticized, so its flesh was safe to use. It weighed roughly two thousand pounds and was incredibly valuable. Since the price of unprocessed grade-two exotic beast meat was twenty taels per pound, and the meat of an exotic beast king was even pricier—at least forty taels per pound—the two thousand pounds were worth eighty thousand taels of silver.

Lu Yan portioned it out and secretly transported it back to Baicao City, letting Li Quan and Wang Lin sell it quietly. The meat of a grade-two exotic beast king was highly sought after and sold out immediately. Li Quan and Wang Lin were careful not to release too much at once, selling only a little each day. Ten days later, the entire lizard king had been sold, and Lu Yan’s pockets were heavier by over eighty thousand taels of silver. Carrying his materials, he headed back to Lingwang City.

***

In Zhao Yi’s mansion in Lingwang City:

"That Lu Ren actually exchanged for the *Heart-Quenching Technique*? Hmph, that girl Zhao Sirong really wasn't telling the truth. She’s helping an outsider," Zhao Yi’s eyes were cold as ice.

"Master, what should we do now?" the steward asked in a low voice, terrified of fueling Zhao Yi's anger.

"I’ve read the *Heart-Quenching Technique* before," Zhao Yi said. As someone with an innate martial body, he had naturally been interested in such a special technique that could increase the chances of breaking through to the Grandmaster realm. But after reading it, he had dismissed the idea. He could have gathered the materials for the first entry stage, but the requirements for the second stage were too rare, and by the third stage, even the entire Zhao family would struggle to provide them. The key was that the first few stages provided little benefit; one had to reach the fifth stage.

Though he gave up on practicing it, he had memorized the content. "This Lu Ren must also have an innate martial body if he exchanged for it, but thinking he can use this technique to improve his chances of reaching the Grandmaster realm is a fool's dream." He didn't believe anyone in the six counties of Lingdong could master it—unless they were from the top-tier noble clans or feudal lords outside the region.

"Still, I cannot let him master the first stage. To do so, he needs the Pure Blood Cavern. He will likely try to exchange for it with combat merits," Zhao Yi analyzed. "Send someone to book the Pure Blood Cavern under the guise of healing." Even though he was certain Lu Yan couldn't master the later stages, he would do anything to obstruct him.

"Yes," the steward nodded.

Lu Yan returned to his residence after ten days. He placed all his materials into an iron box, dug a hole in his bedroom, and buried it. After securing it, he rushed to the Zhao family's Affairs Office.

"You're too late. The Pure Blood Cavern has been booked again. If you want to exchange for it, you'll have to wait until next month," the old man said.

"Booked again?" Lu Yan frowned. He had inquired before, and the cavern was rarely used. Why had it been so frequently occupied lately? Was it because many people were injured following the recent demon attack? "Senior, can I book it in advance for next month?"

"It's too early to book for next month. You can only book ten days in advance. Come back in twenty days," the old man replied.

Lu Yan had no choice but to leave and wait patiently. He bought a batch of martial food and focused on improving his "Cloud-Step." Ten days later, the technique reached the realm of "Superb Skill," and he began working toward the unity of man and martial art.

Twenty days later, he timed his arrival perfectly at the Affairs Office, only to be told that the Pure Blood Cavern had already been booked for the following month.

"Senior, what is going on? I calculated the time to be here, how could it be booked so quickly?" Lu Yan asked, his expression darkening.

"A high-ranking member of the Zhao family used their connections to book it in advance. There is nothing I can do," the old man shook his head.

"A high-ranking member? Could it be Zhao Yi, deliberately trying to annoy me?" Lu Yan immediately thought of him. Being blocked repeatedly was either a coincidence or a deliberate act. If it was a high-ranking member, it had to be Zhao Yi.

"Zhao Yi," a cold glint flashed in Lu Yan’s eyes. He wouldn't let him get away with this; if he found an opening, he would certainly kill him.

"What should I do?" Lu Yan pondered. Finally, he thought of Zhao Sirong. He had no choice but to ask for her help. When he found her and explained the situation, she agreed readily.

"I will have my father use his influence within the clan to help you book the Pure Blood Cavern. Don't worry. To ensure fairness, if there is competition within the Zhao family for the cavern, no single faction can monopolize it for long; it must be rotated."

Lu Yan was deeply moved, a sudden urge to pull Zhao Sirong into his arms. What a good woman she was.