Chapter 124: Taking His Place

"As you wish, my lord," Yaoyue said with a light chuckle.

Only in front of Lu Qian would this woman, usually known for her ruthlessness, reveal such a playful demeanor.

Lu Qian toyed gently with a lock of her hair and said slowly, "I had you come here because I need you to handle a matter for me. There is a trading firm called the Rare Goods Exchange, run by a man named Master Taozhu. He has been acting quite brazenly lately, constantly throwing my name around to throw his weight about. Go and take over that firm."

Lu Qian’s tone was indifferent, though it carried a faint edge of murderous intent. Ever since he had become a deacon of alchemy, Master Taozhu had used their connection to commit many acts that incited public resentment. He had used Lu Qian’s reputation to amass wealth frantically, crushing rival firms in the process. If he had at least shared a portion of the profits, it might have been tolerable, but he had greedily kept it all for himself. This left Lu Qian feeling quite displeased. Did the man really think he could be fooled just because he was focused on his cultivation and paid no mind to worldly affairs?

Upon hearing this, Yaoyue’s gaze sharpened. "Would you like me to kill him, my lord?"

"That is up to you, just make sure you leave no tracks," Lu Qian replied nonchalantly.

He and Master Taozhu did not share a deep friendship. Their transactions were always strictly business—money for goods—with no favors owed on either side. These recent actions had exhausted whatever goodwill remained. More importantly, the man knew too much; those with ulterior motives could deduce what Lu Qian was cultivating based on the specific goods he requested. That was the primary reason Lu Qian decided to replace him. He did not shy away from the truth: he was simply being selfish and narrow-minded.

"Master, would you like me to bring you a few more young sisters?" Yaoyue’s eyes darted around as she smiled.

"Forget it. The three of you are enough." Many experts kept households full of wives and concubines, but Lu Qian felt he could not handle such a mess. Otherwise, his home would be turned into a stage for endless palace intrigue every single day.

"Does the master prefer someone like me, or perhaps someone like Xiyue?" Yaoyue teased coyly.

"Get out!" Lu Qian tapped her playfully.

After being served by his attendants and getting dressed, Lu Qian headed to the training area. In the refining room sat a large coffin, surrounded by piles of metal shavings.

"Has the 'Meat of Vision' reached the Copper Body stage?" Lu Qian asked.

"Yes, Master. It has," Mochou replied respectfully.

The coffin lid opened automatically, revealing a large mass of flesh lying in the center. The flesh radiated a luster like polished brass and appeared immensely heavy, pressing deep grooves into the floor. Lu Qian made a rough estimate: now that it had reached the Copper Body stage—equivalent to the late stage of Qi Refining—the Meat of Vision weighed a full ten thousand catties. Its own mass alone was enough to serve as a weapon.

With the Copper stage complete, the next phase was the Iron Skin stage. Once that was reached, it would signify that this external avatar had entered the Soul Nourishment realm. Of course, that would require Lu Qian to handle the process himself.

With this in mind, Lu Qian gestured toward the burning alchemy furnace nearby. "Help me monitor the heat, and while you're at it, learn the techniques for operating the paper dolls."

The three paper dolls worked busily nearby, occasionally producing radiant pills from the furnace.

"Yes, Master."

Afterward, Lu Qian sat cross-legged and took out the various exotic metals he had prepared. He channeled his inner arts, using true fire to refine the essence. The furnace’s true flame extracted the essence of the iron, which he then infused into the body of the Meat of Vision using a series of hand seals.

His plans for the coming days were roughly set: continue refining his Qi and body, and forge two magical artifacts. He would also take the time to strengthen the Yin Capital Black Prison Lock and the Bone Calamity Needle. Time was tight; there was only a little over a year left before the opening of the Water Eye. The blood curse still lingered in his body. He could not attend to everything at once, so he had to prioritize.

As he infused the second strand of iron essence, a flash of inspiration struck Lu Qian.

"The second layer of the Artifact Refining Art is 'Void Qi Consumption,' which allows for the direct absorption of metal qi. If I use a portion of that absorbed metal qi to refine the corpse, couldn't I cultivate both at the same time?"

Lu Qian realized this was possible. This way, he could bypass the tedious and repetitive process of true fire refining, and cultivate both simultaneously. Once he grasped this, he immediately put it into action. It proved to be highly effective.

***

Meanwhile, at the Rare Goods Exchange, the once-dilapidated sign had long been replaced, and the storefront had grown tenfold. The shop was filled with beautiful maidservants and young acolytes.

"Greetings, Master!"

"Good fortune to you, Daoist."

Master Taozhu, dressed in luxurious silks, beamed with satisfaction as he accepted the flattery of those around him.

"Good, everyone work hard," Master Taozhu nodded. He had been riding high lately. The most rewarding investment of his life had been getting to know Yulong. Not only had his assets multiplied dozens of times, but he also held a position of high status. Once he mentioned the name of the Lingbo Tower, no one dared to refuse him.

Thinking of Yulong, Master Taozhu felt a slight tremor of unease. Deacon Yulong was broad-minded, surely he wouldn't mind that he had used his name? After all, even if he hadn't achieved greatness, he had certainly put in the work.

"Are you Master Taozhu?" A man in black emerged from the shadows.

Master Taozhu’s heart skipped a beat. Could this be an enemy seeking revenge? He spoke quickly, "My friend, is there some misunderstanding? I am a man of Deacon Yulong of the Lingbo Tower. If I have offended you in any way, I hope you can be magnanimous."

"I am the man Yulong sent."

The next day, everyone was surprised to discover that Master Taozhu had handed the firm over to a stranger. Master Taozhu had become strange, wandering about listlessly all day like a walking corpse. Three days later, he vanished entirely. According to the new manager, who called himself Yaoying, Master Taozhu had returned to his hometown.

The following day, carts full of goods arrived at the firm.

"You've worked hard!" Lu Qian said to Yaoyue, who was disguised as a man.

"It is no trouble at all." Power was all Yaoyue had ever dreamed of—the power to have the final word, the power to decide the life and death of others. She was too happy to consider it hard work.

In the time that followed, Lu Qian threw himself entirely into his cultivation, with almost no time for rest, day and night. He was so busy that even when Shenzeng tried to contact him several times, he could not respond in time. The markings on the Golden Mirror continued to increase. As the saying went, one reaps what one sows; his cultivation was steadily and rapidly increasing.

The side effect of such rapid cultivation was the swift consumption of resources. Especially for vast quantities of materials like the Five Metals, he had to rely on the trading firm to provide a constant supply.

...

A year later, in a cold, damp cavern where the mist never lifted, a figure in a black cloak stood amidst the fog. The person pulled back their hood, revealing a terrifying face. The only features were a pair of pitch-black eyes; the rest of the face was smooth and featureless, like a melting candle. This was Shenzeng.

"Has Yulong been reached?" Shenzeng’s voice emerged from nowhere.

"No. He said he has been in seclusion and has no time to come out," replied the stall owner, Chi Gui.

"What a pity. It seems he will miss the opening of the Water Eye. I quite liked the look of his nose. Heh heh."

"We can only wait until he returns. I hope we can run into the 'Old Immortal' this time."

Whoosh!

Shenzeng drew a deep breath, and Chi Gui instantly transformed into a red light, sinking into his body. Two crimson pupils appeared within the pitch-black eyes.

"Arghhh!"

Shenzeng suddenly began to howl in madness. His body expanded rapidly, veins bulging as he transformed into an ugly monster. Standing three zhang tall, his body was bloated and fat, shaped like a cabinet; he crawled like a dog and stood like a bear. He had six legs, and six black wings sprouted from his oval, featureless head.

The beast was temperamental, bumping blindly around the cave like a creature without eyes, alternating between sudden stillness and violent rage. If not for the fact that it had no mouth, one might have heard its furious roars.

A few more days passed.

At the Hidden Dragon Cave, the long-sealed doors of the training room finally opened, and a figure emerged from the dust.