104: Breaking King Pill and Five Spirit Flowers

After lending one hundred thousand gold coins to Ji Ruxue, Qin Feng clearly felt his cultivation resources becoming stretched thin. From Late-stage Grand Martial Master to Perfection, and then to the push for Martial King, every step required a massive amount of resources, especially that critical 'king breaking pill', which hung over his head like a mountain of gold.

He couldn't wait any longer.

On this day, Qin Feng greeted Su Yuetang and left the Hundred Flowers Pavilion branch alone, heading for the 'Medicine King Manor', which was quite famous in West Lake City and the surrounding areas.

Upon entering the manor, a young servant in green came forward to receive him. Hearing that Qin Feng intended to inquire about the 'king breaking pill', the servant did not dare to be negligent and led him directly to a quiet room. After serving fragrant tea, the servant went to invite a deacon of the manor.

“Young Master Qin, I apologize, Manor Lord Sun Simiao is in seclusion.”

“No matter.”

The deacon was a middle-aged man with a ruddy complexion and shrewd eyes. His cultivation was around the Grand Martial Master Realm, and he was clearly more adept at business. He sized Qin Feng up, sensing his Late-stage Grand Martial Master cultivation, and a professional smile broke out on his face.

“Young Master Qin, are you looking to purchase a king breaking pill?”

“Correct,” Qin Feng nodded. “I wonder if your manor has any in stock? And what is the price?”

The deacon shook his head, showing a well-timed trace of regret. “Young Master has come at an unfortunate time. A sought-after pill like the king breaking pill is always in short supply. The last batch of three was reserved months ago. It is not yet certain when the next batch will be refined.”

Qin Feng's heart sank. As expected.

The deacon's tone shifted as he added, “However, if Young Master Qin is truly in urgent need, this manor can provide a 'custom' service.”

“Custom?” Qin Feng raised an eyebrow.

“Precisely,” the deacon explained. “An Alchemy Great Master from our manor will personally open the cauldron to refine it for you. However, there are a few rules for this custom service: First, the main material, the 'five spirit flower', must be provided by you, the customer. Second, other supplementary Materials such as century-old tiger bone and red essence lingzhi will be provided by our manor. Third, a refining fee of one hundred thousand gold coins must be paid.”

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of finality. “Finally, and most importantly, Earth Rank pills are not easy to refine. Even with a Great Master's hand, the success rate is only fifty percent. If successful, the pill belongs to you; if it fails... the Materials are destroyed, and the one hundred thousand gold coins will not be refunded.”

“A fifty percent success rate? And the gold coins aren't refunded on failure?” Qin Feng's eyes narrowed slightly. “Isn't this a massive gamble?”

The deacon smiled with a touch of pride. “Young Master is wise. The king breaking pill is an Earth Rank pill and is worth a fortune. For our manor's Great Master to be willing to act is already an opportunity. Looking across the entire Great Qian, besides the Imperial Family and those few top Sects, only a handful of places like our Medicine King Manor can stably provide custom king breaking pill services. These hundred thousand gold coins buy more than just a pill; they buy a chance. After all...”

He gave Qin Feng a meaningful look. “Below the Martial King, all are ants. Once you step into the Martial King Realm, it is a meteoric rise. In a small city, it is enough to be a local hegemon, and even in a great city like West Lake City, one can obtain a high position. It is rumored that in our Great Qian Dynasty, with hundreds of cities plus various major powers and the Imperial Family, the total number of Martial King experts, both open and hidden, is probably less than two thousand. This chance is worth the price.”

Qin Feng remained silent. Although the deacon's words were blunt, they were an indisputable fact. Martial King was the true mark of entering the threshold of the powerful.

But these conditions were indeed harsh. The five spirit flower, an Earth Rank spiritual material, was the key main ingredient for refining various Earth Rank pills because it contained pure Five Elements Spiritual Qi. It had long been strictly controlled by major powers and the Imperial Family. Very few were left in the wild; it was said they could only be found in some extremely hidden ancient catacombs or the secret treasuries of Families with long-standing Legacies.

And that hundred thousand gold coins was almost his entire net worth! A normal Grand Martial Master, without a fortuitous encounter or a deep background, might not be able to produce a hundred thousand gold coins even after a lifetime of saving.

The path of Martial Dao was truly a money-burning endeavor!

“I need to consider it.” Qin Feng did not agree immediately.

“As you wish, Young Master. But a word of reminder: custom Alchemy also requires a queue. If you make up your mind, please do so as early as possible.” The deacon was not surprised and politely saw Qin Feng out.

Returning to the Green Bamboo Courtyard, Qin Feng's mood was somewhat heavy. On one side was the huge temptation of breaking through to Martial King, and on the other were the nearly harsh conditions and massive risk.

He forced himself to calm down. First, he Cultivated the Primordial Unity Qi Art and Wind Spirit Illusion Steps, then he took out his Medicine Cauldron to refine some commonly used healing and Qi-recovery Medicinal Pills. This was both to practice his skills and to slightly replenish his empty pockets.

Night fell, and the zi hour was approaching.

Qin Feng sat cross-legged in the quiet room, clearing his mind and waiting for the daily intelligence to refresh. This was currently his greatest reliance.

[Ding! The zi hour has arrived! Daily intelligence has been refreshed!]

The shimmering panel appeared on time.

[Today's Intelligence:]

[White Intelligence: The concubine of the West Lake City Vice City Lord is having an affair with the captain of the guards. They are currently plotting to abscond with a batch of valuables soon.]

[White Intelligence: Su Yuetang, the head of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion West Lake City branch, has successfully initiated the Blazing Divine Palm with the help of earth core jade marrow and her own bitter cultivation; its power is beginning to show.]

[Blue Intelligence: The Four Seas Merchant Guild's treasury contains a mature 'five spirit flower'. However, the guild has no plans to sell it recently. Because the guild's cargo ships have repeatedly been robbed by a group of fierce Japanese pirates, suffering heavy losses, the guild's high-level management has decided to use this five spirit flower as a reward to recruit powerful bodyguards to escort the next batch of important goods to sea and take the opportunity to wipe out or severely damage that group of pirates.]

Japanese pirates!

Qin Feng's gaze turned sharp. He had heard of these bandits from overseas islands. Their combat strength was extremely formidable, they were unafraid of death, and their methods were cruel. They piloted fast ships, coming and going like the wind, specializing in robbing coastal merchant ships and even frequently going ashore to pillage villages and towns. It was rumored that a few dozen fierce Ronin had once broken through two small cities with lax defenses, burning, killing, and looting, committing all kinds of evil, making the coastal areas turn pale at the mere mention of them.

The Four Seas Merchant Guild was pushed to their limit, actually willing to take out a treasure like the five spirit flower to recruit strong reinforcements!

The risk was immense!

For that group of pirates to succeed repeatedly and give a large guild like the Four Seas Merchant Guild such a headache, their strength was definitely not to be underestimated. There were likely Martial King Rank experts among them. Participating in this was no different from licking blood off a blade's edge.

But... Qin Feng's eyes were fixed intently on the words 'five spirit flower'.

This was the only clear path he currently knew of to obtain a five spirit flower! If he missed it, who knew how long he would have to wait to find another. Without the five spirit flower, he couldn't custom-order the king breaking pill, and his plan to push for Martial King would be delayed indefinitely.

“Phew—” Qin Feng exhaled a long breath of turbid Qi, a flash of determination crossing his eyes.

“I must get this five spirit flower!”

Risk and opportunity coexisted. Though the pirates were fierce, he now possessed several Earth Rank Martial Skills and had the foresight of the intelligence System; he might not be unable to snatch the chestnuts from the fire. Moreover, if he could use this to establish a connection with the Four Seas Merchant Guild, there might be additional gains.

He stood up and pushed open the window of the quiet room, looking toward the direction of the Four Seas Merchant Guild's headquarters, his gaze as sharp as a sword.

“Japanese pirates... let me see just how fierce you really are!”