Chapter 002: Wages

The setting sun resembled blood, and Liu Suiyun had already found a relatively flat mountaintop. Leading everyone, they transformed the sliding pole into a small tent: "Miss Gu is not like us rough folks; she is delicate and precious, unable to withstand wind and rain. We can just lay down a simple mat, but the young lady must have a good sleep, so everyone put in some effort!"

Gu Yinghua stood at the far left of the mountain peak, distanced from Liu Suiyun and her companions. Upon hearing such an evaluation, she was unsure whether to laugh or not. When did she become a delicate young lady who could not withstand the wind and rain? In contrast, Liu Suiyun's old injuries truly could not endure any tempest. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she waved to call over Hu Qianshu: "Uncle Hu, the medicine for Liu Suiyun's root illness is the Xuan Yun Yu Ding Dan, right"

It soon became clear that it was no longer as simple as "hearing a sound." Before Liu Suiyun had left the village, he had already organized the entire team in an orderly manner, without any unexpected incidents. Clearly, it was not merely a matter of having once roamed the world and seen a bit of life; he might even be a small leader within a gang. However, Gu Yinghua's face quickly turned frosty again due to his worries.

Liu Suiyun mentioned to tidy up a bit, but in fact, the actions needed to be quicker. He opened the door to prepare his belongings, rolled up two leisure books from his bookshelf, and took a small half-pack of his favorite five-spice melon seeds. He also strapped on a two-foot short sword. Then he began to organize in his vegetable garden: "Brothers, lend me a hand. The road over Falling Star Mountain is long, and we must prepare some dishes tonight!"

Very well! Gu Yinghua raised his head and concluded, but his words also carried a hint of warmth, even the tightly furrowed brows relaxed a bit: "One thousand wen a day, I agree! However, you must also promise me to work for a few days, and after you return, help Granny Wang for a few days."

Gu Yinghua and Huo Qianshu only realized at this moment that they had been so focused on Falling Star Mountain that they had completely forgotten about these minor issues. The matter of finding shelter from the rain, in particular, was of utmost importance. Now, Gu Yinghua's body could hardly withstand the wind and rain.

The place known as Falling Star Mountain can be described as quite perilous, with numerous ferocious beasts and supernatural creatures. On this particular day, apart from Gu Yinghua, the entire team was almost covered in blood. Fortunately, with Liu Suiyun, a local expert, and Huo Qianshu, a formidable figure at the Yuanlong realm, providing support, they managed to navigate through the dangers without any serious incidents

However, our current situation is also quite difficult! Huo Qianshu was somewhat reluctant, saying, "After all, we are merely acquaintances who have crossed paths."

"It is such a pity for him, only in his early twenties!" Gu Yinghua said with compassion, "Not only is this life wasted, but given his injuries, he may not even live to see thirty. Moreover, while a pill of Xuan Yun Jade Cauldron is extremely rare for others, it is not particularly valuable to me."

Her tone was very domineering, leaving no room for Liu Suiyun to object. Liu Suiyun readily agreed: "Alright, I can also help Granny Wang for an extra three days when the time comes. Even if I fall ill, I will pay someone to assist!"

Such a skilled individual, even if placed in the county town of Yunchong, would certainly attract someone willing to pay two hundred wen per day. Gu Yinghua felt that this transaction was not too much of a loss, yet he could not understand how a talent like Liu Suiyun could be trapped in such a small mountain village as Linjia Village.

The pair of meteor hammers in Huo Qianshu's hands has indeed reached a realm of extraordinary skill. Whether it is the tigers and wolves in the mountains or the demon cats in the trees, as long as they are struck by his meteor hammers, which weigh over ten kilograms, they will either die or suffer severe injuries, with blood gushing forth, leaving everyone in awe.

Huo Qianshu then realized that this was a leopard, which had been lurking on both sides of the road without him noticing due to his momentary carelessness. It was actually Liu Suiyun, who had weakened himself by an entire realm, that dealt with it. He couldn't help but feel a flush of embarrassment. Dragging a pair of meteor hammers, he was just about to rush forward when he noticed that Liu Suiyun's movements were even faster. He had already reached the front of the leopard, his body angled, the blade flashing. Behind him, there were continuous exclamations of admiration: "Brother Suiyun is truly remarkable!"

Therefore, Gu Yinghua sat on the sedan chair and said in a delicate voice: "Make sure to do a good job for this young lady, and this young lady will not treat you poorly!"

Liu Suiyun sheathed his sword and turned to Gu Yinghua on the sliding pole, smiling brightly: "Miss Gu, my one thousand coins are still worth the value, right? Brother Huo, there are still tigers and wolves ahead; we must be extra cautious."

The so-called realm of "bone refining" is a level even higher than Liu Suiyun's "tiger wrestling" realm, having honed one's bones to the point of being resolute and unyielding. It becomes effortless to break large stones with one's chest or to snap bricks with bare hands. For ordinary warriors, reaching this level is nearly the ultimate limit.

Then, like a spirit cat, he cautiously explored the path ahead, before turning back to converse with Huo Qianshu: "There are no major issues, Brother Huo has impressive skills, but have you reached the Bone Refinement stage? Remarkable, truly remarkable!"

Upon arriving in Yuanzhou, once my cousin comes over, everything will be fine. Gu Yinghua said confidently: A Xuan Yun Jade Cauldron Pill is nothing to me, but to him, it surpasses everything.

This thousand coins were not spent in vain, as at least I can hear some sound, and Gu Yinghua's face involuntarily flushed slightly

Gu Yinghua, upon hearing this, coldly shouted at the group working fervently over there: "Liu Suiyun, put in more effort! If I don't sleep well tonight, I will deduct all your wages!"

Huo Qianshu wore a look of great self-satisfaction on his face: "Give me another three to five years, and I can directly advance to the Yuanlong realm, which would give me a fighting chance even against cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refinement"

Gu Yinghua raised her head and asked, "Who is Granny Wang?"

The market price for the Xuan Yun Jade Cauldron Pill is at least 500,000 wen. Huo Qianshu's expression changed immediately, and he lowered his voice to say: "My dear lady, you wouldn't be thinking of getting a Xuan Yun Jade Cauldron Pill for this Liu Suiyun, would you? We are complete strangers, and right now, we are only hiring him to help for a few days. You are too soft-hearted; this is not some common item like a Golden Healing Ointment or Herbal Pill. At most, you should just give him an extra three to five thousand wen when settling his wages."

No wonder it requires a thousand coins a day; for someone like Liu Suiyun, this is a life-saving sum earned through desperate efforts. However, raising five hundred thousand coins is not an easy task. Even if one manages to secure a good patron like Gu Yinghua, it would still take a year and a half without food or drink. Not to mention, in a small place like Yunchong, even a hundred wen a day is considered exorbitant. Therefore, Liu Suiyun remains quite open-minded: "I will go ahead and investigate further; there are often venomous snakes over a zhang long lurking ahead, so everyone should be cautious..."

This is the reality; a group of martial artists also spoke of Liu Suiyun's old injuries, stating that his skills are truly regrettable. Not to mention that after ten moves, he is bound to exhaust himself, even a sudden storm could take half of his life, leaving him with no choice but to seek a quick resolution

Do not rush! Liu Suiyun, however, remained calm and unhurried: "There is still enough time, allow me to tidy up a bit. Fortunately, you also need to take care of matters on your side, Yin Lizheng!"

Before he could finish saying "remarkable," Liu Suiyun suddenly erupted in anger. He leaped forward three or four steps, snatched a hunting bow from a young man's hands, then pulled an arrow from the quiver. With a bend of his waist and a gathering of strength, the swift arrow arced through the air, and then a blood arrow shot out from the forest: "Brothers, we have a feast to look forward to tonight!"

Yin Lizheng quickly replied: "She is a well-known solitary household in the village. Now, apart from her, there are only two children aged seven or eight left in the family, and the household is also in debt due to the famine, amounting to tens of thousands."

Gu Yinghua merely glanced at Liu Suiyun, her forehead furrowing again, and with a faint smile said, "Not bad, I suppose..."

Without probing her further, Liu Suiyun directly stated the truth, and during his speech, he lightly coughed a few times: "I am injured!"

Huo Qianshu is indeed a straightforward person; he did not hold a grudge against Liu Suiyun's sudden outburst at the beginning, but instead lamented, "What a pity, what a pity! Haven't you tried seeing a doctor?"

The realm of "Yuanlong" is merely an elegant expression; in simpler terms, it refers to a prominent temple at the temples. Most leaders in small factions are of this kind, having already reached the limits of mortal martial artists. After all, the next realm, "Geshan," requires the mastery of the Void-Splitting Fist, which can strike through mountains and injure from a distance, a feat that is exceedingly difficult for ordinary martial artists. However, people find the term "prominent temple" somewhat vulgar, which is why it has been renamed to Yuanlong. After all, the next realm, "Geshan," requires the mastery of the Void-Splitting Fist, which can strike through mountains and injure from a distance, a feat that is exceedingly difficult for ordinary martial artists. However, people find the term "prominent temple" somewhat vulgar, which is why it has been renamed to Yuanlong.

Huo Qianshu tossed a piece of silver to Yin Lizheng: "A silver ingot weighing three taels, is this enough? We must set off immediately"

As for Huo Qianshu claiming to have a chance against cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refinement, everyone knows this is merely self-aggrandizement. Cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refinement are not so easily dealt with. Liu Suiyun, however, is quite eloquent; while peeling broad beans, he praised, "Remarkable, truly remarkable! A martial artist at the Yuanlong stage is a rarity among tens of thousands, let alone the fact that the meteor hammer is notoriously difficult to master. Brother Huo has already perfected his meteor hammer to an extraordinary level. This time, as we traverse Falling Star Mountain, we have a tenfold assurance of success, truly remarkable..."

His footwork is as agile as a spirit cat in the mountains, certainly not inferior to those heavily equipped scouts. Often, before the ferocious beasts even notice them, the entire team is already prepared for battle. Moreover, he is also a skilled archer, truly capable of hitting a target from a hundred paces. Gu Yinghua has personally witnessed this golden leopard being shot dead by Liu Suiyun with a single arrow. Not to mention, Liu Chang is also an exceptional close-combat fighter. According to these young people, Liu Suiyun once killed three vicious wolves in the blink of an eye.

It won't delay your important matters, just a quarter of an hour!

This is a true gourmet. As soon as he stepped out of Liu Suiyun's courtyard, he began directing the others in the team and the *Tu* *Shu* Wu: "Xiao Yu, you are nimble on your feet, go borrow two jin of salt from Aunt Zhang, and also get some star anise and Sichuan pepper. You can also charge three to five jin of oil and broad beans at the store. And Liu Xing, bring several sets of rain gear. The rain on Falling Star Mountain does not take our faces into account, we must ensure that Miss Gu has no mishaps..."

At the age of seventeen, unaware of the vastness of the world, I thought this azure sky belonged solely to me, only to return with this body full of wounds. Liu Suiyun spoke with a sense of regret: "It's not that I cannot take action, but I am not suited for prolonged battles"

This is not the first time everyone has heard Liu Suiyun's helplessness. Although they sympathize with his plight, the figure of 500,000 wen is such that even the most powerful families in the county would have to sell land and houses to temporarily gather this amount of money. Therefore, Liu Suiyun has already lost hope of curing himself

Gu Yinghua also noticed that there was a two-foot short sword on Liu Suiyun's back. A skilled individual like him, who had experienced the trials of the martial world, would naturally not carry anything merely for show. This must be Liu Suiyun's ultimate trump card.

He first produced a sliding pole from somewhere, invited Gu Yinghua to board it, and then two strong young men lifted the sliding pole. This contraption was more suitable for traversing treacherous terrains like Falling Star Mountain than a sedan chair

As soon as Liu Suiyun left the village, he displayed his exceptional abilities. Crossing the Falling Star Mountain was as simple for him as strolling through his own backyard. He was well aware of the potential ferocious beasts and monsters that might appear, and more importantly, his skills were remarkably impressive

Liu Suiyun was quite open-minded about it: "What methods do ordinary quacks have? Usually, they just prescribe a few herbal remedies to alleviate the symptoms. To address the root of the illness, one would need at least 500,000 yuan."

This is sufficient. Just as the young people hired by Gu Yinghua were about to negotiate with Huo Qianshu again, Gu Yinghua had already decisively said: "Let's go"

Huo Qianshu saw that he could not persuade his own young lady, and could only let out a faint sigh: "You are simply too soft-hearted and too kind."