Chapter 40: 5000 Merit Points of Cultivation Supplies
After leaving his house, Lu Yuan cheerfully headed to the Military Preparation Warehouse. The officials there had already received their orders, so they were extremely welcoming.
"Lord Lu, you’re here! Please, come in. The Lord Captain has already given the order: whatever you choose today, you can take." As he spoke, he ushered Lu Yuan inside.
The young man had already accomplished so much and was even held in high regard by the Zhou Family.
’His future is bound to be limitless. I can’t afford to be careless now that I have this chance to connect with him.’
"Thank you for your trouble."
Lu Yuan was led into a small, partitioned storeroom.
"Everything stored in here is a treasure of our Icefield City."
The Military Preparation Warehouse official said in a low voice.
Lu Yuan nodded and began to look around. Although he already had his eye on a particular cultivation resource, the selection here was clearly superior.
Finally, his gaze settled on a particular jar.
’Tiger Bone Ointment!’
"Lord Lu, this ointment may have a simple name, but its effects are anything but. It’s brewed from the bones of a Profound Tiger Demon Beast, combined with various medicinal herbs. It’s especially effective for those in the Bone Forging Realm."
"I’ll take it," Lu Yuan said calmly.
The official beamed. "Excellent! I’ll pack it up for you right away."
’A cultivation resource worth five thousand Merit Points, and one needed for the Bone Forging Realm, no less. Typically, only a Noble Disciple would use something like this.’
’It’s been sitting in this warehouse for who knows how long.’
He was relieved that someone had finally redeemed it.
’After all, the Tiger Bone Ointment is difficult to preserve. If it expired on his watch, it would be hard to explain.’
Lu Yuan paid no mind to this, simply taking the jar and walking out.
As he passed through the outer area, he thought for a moment and spent five taels of silver on a bottle of Blood Nourishing Pills.
’Mrs. Xiao has been plagued by illness. Her complexion has been so sallow lately, she looks terrible. I’ll buy some pills to help her recuperate.’
He led his horse back home.
The first thing Lu Yuan did was find a place to store the Tiger Bone Ointment.
Then he locked the silver in his cabinet.
After that, he tucked the pills into his clothes and went out.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
The gate of the neighboring courtyard was knocked upon.
A clear voice called from inside, "Yes, coming! Who is it?"
Since only she and her mother lived there, Xiao Hua always asked who it was before opening the door.
"It’s me," Lu Yuan replied.
Then, he heard the footsteps in the courtyard clearly quicken.
CREAK!
As the courtyard gate opened, Xiao Hua’s delicate face appeared before him.
Her smiling face was flushed, and her hands were a little wet.
"Yuan, you’re back! I was just doing laundry, sorry for taking a moment to get the door," Xiao Hua said quickly, stepping aside to let Lu Yuan in.
After stepping into the courtyard, he chuckled. "I came to see how your mother is doing. Is she any better?"
"Much better. She can even get out of bed now. Thank you, Yuan. If it weren’t for you, I’m afraid something terrible would have happened to my mother," Xiao Hua said, a hint of lingering fear in her voice.
"Don’t mention it." As he spoke, he pushed open the door and entered the house.
Sure enough, Mrs. Xiao was on her feet. She was just walking out of the kitchen, placing a teacup on the table.
"Yuan, please, have some tea. Every other time you’ve visited, I’ve been stuck in bed. I can finally host you properly," Mrs. Xiao said, her complexion visibly improved.
"Please, sit, Mrs. Xiao. I can get it myself. My spoils from the battlefield aren’t much use to you, but when I returned today, I redeemed a bottle of Blood Nourishing Pills. They’re better than common herbs. Please take them to help you regain your strength."
As he spoke, he placed a bottle of pills on the table.
Mrs. Xiao looked at the pills. "We couldn’t have even afforded the last medicine without you. My daughter and I could never have come up with that much silver. And now you’re buying me more to help me recover..."
"Mrs. Xiao, we’re practically family. There’s no need for such words. Just take them. It didn’t cost much at all."
Lu Yuan said with a chuckle, then sat down and took a sip of tea.
Only then did he realize Xiao Hua had disappeared somewhere.
Mrs. Xiao noticed him looking around. "That girl’s gone to buy groceries. Since you just got back, why don’t you stay for dinner?"
"Alright, I’ll do as you say."
A few moments later, Xiao Hua returned with some meat and vegetables.
She set aside the laundry she’d been washing and started cooking.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan chatted with Mrs. Xiao.
The older woman seemed to know a little about everything, and she would sometimes even ask Lu Yuan about the situation on the battlefield.
When she heard that a full-strength unit of Iron Kites had arrived outside the city, her expression grew grave.
She looked at Lu Yuan. "The Northern Barbarians’ Iron Kites have a code: they hunt their enemies to the death. Since you killed one of them, they will pursue you relentlessly, at any cost, until you are dead."
"For the time being, don’t leave the city unless it’s absolutely necessary."
"Mrs. Xiao, you seem to be quite familiar with the Northern Barbarians," Lu Yuan said, a little curious.
"After spending so long in the Northern Border, you pick things up. But you must not take my words lightly," Mrs. Xiao said gravely.
Her tone was uncharacteristically stern.
Lu Yuan nodded. "I understand, Mrs. Xiao. I’ll try my best not to go out. If I have absolutely no choice, I’ll be careful."
"Good." Only then did Mrs. Xiao seem to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Dinner’s ready!" Just then, Xiao Hua’s voice called out. She emerged from the kitchen, and steaming hot dishes were placed on the table.
She had even warmed a pot of wine for Lu Yuan.
’He had to admit, the young woman was incredibly efficient.’
"Yuan, eat up." Mrs. Xiao placed a piece of meat in Lu Yuan’s bowl before pulling Xiao Hua down to eat with them.
After that, they stopped talking about the battlefield, instead chatting about interesting happenings in Sai City.
By the time they finished eating, it was already afternoon.
Lu Yuan said his goodbyes and headed back to his own house.
Once inside, he first lit the stove, took a bath, and then prepared to begin his cultivation.
For the next few days, he stayed home and cultivated, rarely going out.
He did, however, visit Xiao Hua’s home. When he had free time, he would chat with the old woman. He did this mainly because he had discovered that Mrs. Xiao was very familiar with the Northern Border and had, on several occasions, deliberately brought up matters concerning the Northern Barbarians.
This was very important to him; some of this knowledge could even be life-saving.
During the days Lu Yuan spent recuperating, the area outside the three major fortresses was being swept by the Iron Kites.
Yun Mo had organized a new team and left the city. Only two days later, they ran into the Iron Kites in a skirmish. At the cost of his unit being nearly wiped out, they managed to kill fewer than ten of the enemy.
And this time, his luck was not as good as before. His left arm was severed—a devastating blow to his future military career.
Zhang Zhe of Yellow Sand City did not leave the city, but any other scouts who ventured out in scattered groups were killed whenever they encountered the Iron Kites.
Two villages were also massacred.
Both the Zhou Family and the Helian Family were frantic with anxiety.
They knew that if this continued, they would all be punished by the Grand Commandant.
On this day, after having consumed all the pills, Lu Yuan finally felt a sense of Perfection.
He immediately opened his System Space, ready to check the progress of his cultivation.
If possible, he would break through to the Muscle Refining Realm today.
Then, he would be able to leave the city once again.