Watching the value on the panel rise from 22 to 52, Fu Changsheng felt a surge of joy in his heart. This meant he could proceed to the fifth lottery draw.
Without much hesitation,
he directly said:
"Redeem a lottery draw!"
The first four were an Invisibility Cloak, Wind Blade Technique, Fire Cloud Chicken, and Hundred Ghosts Banner. He was unsure of what this fifth draw would yield, and he watched the panel expectantly and excitedly.
Buzz!
The yellow light surged.
The value on the panel dropped by fifty instantly.
At the same time,
he felt a box appear in his sleeve. Taking it out, he saw it had a white base with leaf patterns. When he opened the box, a palm-sized storage bag appeared before his eyes:
"It's actually a storage bag!"
Fu Changsheng's lips curled up slightly.
Refining a storage bag requires a Void Stone and must be crafted by an Artifact Refining Master who has mastered Space Technique.
Therefore,
even the cheapest storage bag would sell for several hundred Spirit Stones.
For the impoverished Fu Family, how could they afford it:
"I wonder how big the space in this storage bag is?"
Excited, Fu Changsheng input a technique into the storage bag. A flash of dawn light later, Fu Changsheng glanced inside to find the space was size of three interconnected houses.
This would cost at least several thousand Spirit Stones at the marketplace:
"This time I've really hit the jackpot."
Compared to the previous three draws,
he was most satisfied with winning the storage bag this time.
The Yani Gang Stone mined from Leimeng Mountain had piled up like a mountain, but he never took it out to sell because it was inconvenient to transport, too conspicuous, and it could easily attract the attention of Tribulation Cultivators, resulting in the loss of both man and wealth:
"Looks like before heading to Cyan Ox Mountain, I should sell the Yani Gang Stone, then take advantage of the low price of Red Marrow Rice to return with a batch."
The snake disaster was about a month away from breaking out.
There was still time.
Fu Changsheng immediately headed to the valley of Leimeng Mountain. His fourth sister Fu Changli was riding a Cyan Wolf Demon, running all over the mountains. Upon seeing Fu Changsheng, a hint of panic flashed across her face:
"Patriarch"
Fu Changsheng had instructed,
not to leave the mining area without his command.
Fu Changsheng glanced at the Cyan Wolf Demon. A year had passed, and the wolf cub had grown to the height of Fu Changli's waist. Having seen Fu Changli as the first person upon opening its eyes, the wolf cub was clearly quite affectionate towards Fu Changli.
Perceiving Fu Changli's nervousness, it immediately nuzzled her leg to comfort her.
Fu Changli bowed her head and said:
"Patriarch, I just saw Xiaoyao was getting bored in the mining area, and I couldn't help but bring it out..."
Her voice trailed off.
Fu Changsheng solemnly said:
"Fourth sister, other matters aside, there's no room for any negligence while guarding the mining area. Not only are there demon beasts here, but the Li Family is always watching like a hawk. If you accidentally encounter a High-Tier Demon Beast or run into Li Family cultivators, wouldn't it be dangerous? You are carrying an array token for entering and exiting the mining area. If anything happens, the mining area will be lost. Do you understand? Such mistakes shouldn't happen again!"
"Yes, Patriarch."
Fu Changli realized the seriousness of the situation upon seeing the Patriarch so earnest and immediately nodded in agreement.
The mining of Yani Gang Stone was already halfway done.
Fu Changsheng stored the Yani Gang Stone in the storage bag and promptly left Leimeng Mountain.
On the way down the mountain,
he glanced at the panel.
He saw there were two Clan Contribution Points remaining.
He immediately said:
"Redeem information!"
In the previous visits to the marketplace, exchanging for intelligence always brought good returns. This time, since he was about to make a big trade, he naturally hoped for a good omen as well.
Buzz!
Yellow light surged on the panel.
Line by line of text appeared:
[Loose Cultivator Chen Dazhu and his wife rented thirty acres of Spirit Field from the Li Family, had a bumper harvest of Red Marrow Rice, and the Li Family threatened to renew the lease in order to acquire it at prices 10% lower than market value. Unwilling, Chen Dazhu and his wife planned to transport the Red Marrow Rice to the marketplace for sale but would be robbed by Tribulation Cultivators arranged by the Li Family at Qiuli Mountain two hours later.]
Fu Changsheng squinted his eyes.
This Li Family had collaborated with Tribulation Cultivators multiple times, becoming practically bandits.
The Li Family's Spirit Field did not yield due to Blood Spirit Insect infestations. Acquiring Chen Dazhu and his wife's Red Marrow Rice was likely intended for tributes.
The Li Family had become a mortal enemy of the Fu Family.
Since he knew this piece of information, he naturally couldn't let them succeed.
In front of Qiuli Mountain is a patch of Zi Forest, through which Chen Dazhu must pass.
Fu Changsheng hid within it.
After more than an hour,
he indeed saw a Purple-horned Deer dragging tens of thousands of pounds of packages approaching with a steady beat.
The Purple-horned Deer is a Tier One Spirit Beast, incredibly strong, fast, and capable of great charge power, originating from the Southern Border, making it a rare beast. Chen Dazhu and his wife had coincidentally obtained a pair of cubs and raised them.
Fu Changsheng uncovered the Invisibility Cloak and stepped out of the woods.
Seeing him, Chen Dazhu and his wife immediately became alert.
Fu Changsheng pointed behind him, his lips moving as he transmitted a message quickly. Upon hearing it, Chen Dazhu's face changed dramatically as he sized up Fu Changsheng:
"Fu Clan Leader, how do I know what you said is true?"
As soon as he said this,
Chen Dazhu's Dao Companion, Fairy Lady Cai, immediately slapped him:
"Be it true or false, Fu Clan Leader meant well. Better to believe it than not. Come on, let's turn back immediately. Thank you, Fu Clan Leader, for the warning. We will repay this debt tenfold in the future."
Fairy Lady Cai was decisive.
When the couple returned home, less than half an hour later, news reached them that Old Qiuo's neighboring 20 acres of Red Marrow Rice had been completely looted by Tribulation Cultivators, his son was killed, and he himself was seriously injured, left on the verge of death. The incident happened at Qiuli Mountain in the Zi Forest.
Chen Dazhu fell to the ground upon hearing this news:
"The Li Family, those scoundrels, colluding with Tribulation Cultivators to rob tenants like us, aren't they afraid of divine retribution?"
If it weren't for Fu Clan Leader's reminder,
they would have met the same fate as Old Qiuo today.
Chen Dazhu shivered in fear.
Fairy Lady Cai quickly recovered her composure, turned into the backyard, and brought out the newborn Purple-horned Deer fawn. Chen Dazhu, puzzled, asked:
"Wife, where are you taking Xiaohua?"
"To see our benefactor."
"Benefactor?!"
Realizing what she meant, Chen Dazhu immediately got up from the ground and stopped her:
"No, I've already arranged to sell Xiaohua to Fellow Daoist Zhuo once she's a month old. Fu Clan Leader only said a few words, that doesn't warrant such a heavy gift."
Fairy Lady Cai glared at Chen Dazhu:
"You miser, if it weren't for Fu Clan Leader, we'd be dead now. Nevermind Xiaohua, if Fu Clan Leader asked, I'd even be willing to give both Purple-horned Deer away."
Chen Dazhu feared his wife most.
With just a word from Fairy Lady Cai, he surrendered, unable to stop her despite feeling extremely reluctant.
At the door, Fairy Lady Cai turned back and said:
"Make sure to keep your mouth shut and take what Fu Clan Leader told us to the grave."
.....
Fu Changsheng went to the marketplace to sell the Yani Gang Stone, bought up a supply of Red Marrow Rice, and saw Fairy Lady Cai holding a Purple-horned Deer fawn waiting from a distance when he returned to the entrance of Luofeng Mountain.