Chapter 237 Return—In the Hall of Immortal Artifact Inheritance
A day in the mine, neither long nor short, feels like a year to those low-level crystal miners. Because not everyone can return with a full load.
At least half of the people will barely make any money, and half of them will lose money.
Only a small number of people, after paying twenty crystals each, had some left over. That was their daily profit!
When Zhang Guodong and a somewhat reluctant Qingzhu emerged from the alley the next day, the disciples guarding the outside had been replaced. The one in charge of registration was no longer the junior brother Liu, but upon seeing Qingzhu, he was initially taken aback, then became even more enthusiastic.
However, the requirement of twenty crystals per person is unavoidable.
After handing over the crystals and shovel, the two left. People kept coming and going along the way; the allure of this place drew many to it.
"Senior Sister Qingzhu, are you hungry now?" Zhang Guodong glanced at Qingzhu, who had a decent appearance, and felt a little envious. That gold ribbon was a good thing; it even kept dust off her.
In contrast, he was filthy. Only his teeth were white enough.
"I'd completely forgotten, I'm so hungry now!" Qingzhu was thinking about how many crystals Zhang Guodong had dug up when Zhang Guodong mentioned food. Her stomach immediately rumbled, and Dufei's round face looked a little embarrassed.
"Let's go back and take a shower first, then I'll treat you to dinner, how about that?" Zhang Guodong said with a slight smile.
"Great, that's very kind of you," Qingzhu said, patting Zhang Guodong's arm.
To take a bath, they had to go back to Songtao Villa, where Qingzhu had also gone. Zhang Guodong had originally hoped to find a bathhouse in the city, but unfortunately, he couldn't find one.
This business is so small, there's not even a shower room? If there were, wouldn't they be able to make a fortune?
Business principles from outside the business world also apply here.
Half an hour later, Qingzhu, who was so hungry she could barely stand up straight, found Zhang Guodong with a furrowed brow. This sight amused Zhang Guodong greatly.
He wasn't actually very hungry, because he had brought quite a lot of supplies from Peach Blossom Spring—wine, meat, food, and drink. If he hadn't discovered the enormous crystals later, he definitely would have leisurely eaten and drunk his fill before slowly digging them out. But those crystals looked so green and unsettling. He couldn't rest easy. So he decided to dig them all out in one go and store them in Peach Blossom Spring.
"You're still laughing! Aren't you hungry? By the way, how many crystals did you dig up?" Xiao Qing glared at Zhang Guodong with displeasure, then asked.
"And you?" Zhang Guodong asked with a smile, not answering.
"It's less than forty yuan," Qingzhu sighed.
Zhang Guodong chuckled. Forty yuan and you still think it's too little? Even a fourth-generation inner disciple only earns fifteen low-grade crystals a month! However, forty yuan really can't compare to some people, like himself.
He currently has three low-grade crystals, one medium-grade crystal, and four high-grade crystals in Peach Blossom Spring. In the next half day, he dug deeper into the same spot and unearthed another low-grade crystal, another medium-grade crystal, and another high-grade crystal.
Zhang Guodong wanted to continue digging, but when he went deeper, there weren't many crystals left, and his time was up, so he simply left.
“That’s quite a lot. I remember I paid for the twenty low-grade crystals my family gave me. If…” Zhang Guodong joked with her.
Qingzhu immediately glared at Zhang Guodong, clutching her storage bag tightly. No way she was going to take any crystals from him! But she eventually managed to shift her attention away. Speaking of food, Qingzhu knew more about this place than Zhang Guodong. However, in most restaurants, there were more men than women, and it was quite noisy.
The two finally found the best restaurant in the city, which was also the most expensive, called Zhenbaoxuan. Damn! It had the same name as their restaurant in the provincial capital. They wondered if the food here was as good as the restaurant's name.
"Esteemed guests, we have a wide variety of delicacies, from birds that fly in the sky to animals that walk on the ground. Moreover, our chef is the renowned Master Wang Yidao, famous throughout the city! Please feel free to order whatever you like!" the shop owner said confidently.
Upon seeing the prices, Zhang Guodong immediately cursed the restaurant, calling it a rip-off—ten times the price of other restaurants! However, some dishes seemed unusual; were they their signature dishes?
"Boss, you're not bragging, are you? I can have whatever I want to eat here," Zhang Guodong said casually, handing the menu to Qingzhu.
The shop owner was taken aback for a moment, but immediately felt humiliated and said, "Of course! We even have the specialty dishes from Blackrock City and Firecloud City!"
"Alright, give me a plate of shredded pork with garlic sauce, Xinjiang-style braised chicken, braised blood curd, two steamed lobsters, and two bowls of purple rice!" Zhang Guodong said without hesitation.
I thought to myself, "You little brat, how dare you talk so confidently! You'll see!"
Sure enough, the shop owner was stumped, his eyes filled with confusion. When had he ever heard of these outside dishes? Many of the ingredients might not be available here, let alone the dishes themselves.
"Well," the shop owner said, finding the dish's name quite appealing, and wondering if it really was something. He was now a little embarrassed. He'd made too confident a statement; what was he going to do now?
Zhang Guodong raised an eyebrow and said, "No?"
The shop owner wiped his sweat, this time behaving himself, nodding and saying, "Indeed, no. This old man apologizes to both of you." Qingzhu, seeing Zhang Guodong rattle off several dishes and stump the owner of the city's most famous restaurant, was also attracted by the appealing names of the dishes. Intending to act as a peacemaker, she kicked Zhang Guodong. But Zhang Guodong ignored her, saying, "Boss, your words are a bit too confident. If word gets out..."
The shop owner immediately broke out in a cold sweat. His face turned pale.
“How about this, I won’t take advantage of you. This meal will be so-so, I’ll give you the cost price as an apology, but I won’t let you lose money! However, you can’t be so confident in the future. You know, there are many delicious foods in the world, some of which don’t even appear in restaurants, but they are no worse than what you get in restaurants,” Zhang Guodong said.
How could the restaurant owner refuse? Intuitively, Zhang Guodong's words made perfect sense. Aren't many good foods and drinks hidden among the common people? Thus, the meal was successfully arranged; otherwise, the hundred-odd taels of silver Zhang Guodong carried wouldn't have been enough. In the end, he only spent a dozen taels and earned the restaurant owner's constant gratitude.
"Hehe, you're so naughty! You actually played a trick on that boss!" As soon as the two left "Treasure Pavilion", Qingzhu immediately teased Zhang Guodong.
Zhang Guodong chuckled, but said in a serious tone, "Actually, it's not really a joke. The variety of food and drink outside is a thousand times greater than here. What Wang just mentioned are just some of the names of dishes from outside. After you leave, I'll take you to see them!"
Upon hearing this, Qingzhu immediately became fascinated by the outside world and pestered Zhang Guodong with all sorts of questions.
Having no other option, Zhang Guodong immediately said, "Let's buy some star stones first. These durable things aren't available outside. We can use them as lamps. Then we'll see if there's anything else we need to buy."
So the two began a new round of minor shopping. The buyer was Zhang Guodong. The items included a large quantity of star stones, some small dust-repelling trinkets resembling golden ribbons, medicinal herbs, refining materials, and most importantly, a refining furnace. Its primary function was to smelt the materials; it contained a furnace fire array that converted life force into demonic energy. As long as life force was continuously input, the furnace fire would continuously smelt the materials. Afterward, the furnace would no longer be needed for refining; the refining process would be primarily handled through ritualistic techniques.
The silver was all spent. Two hundred yuan worth of crystals were also spent.
However, this was nothing to Zhang Guodong.
The day of our return has finally arrived!
On this day, all the returning members gathered in the Elder Hall, their hearts filled with excitement! Zhang Guodong, Xu Wenbo, and sixteen others, plus eight senior disciples of the elders, and six ordinary people who had no chance to cultivate, made a total of thirty people!
There are no other people besides those who are returning.
Aside from the eight elders and their eldest disciples, everyone else was eager to return home. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed here, half a month, while three months had gone by in the outside world—it felt like a completely different era. Indeed, such a sentiment was apt.
The dangers of the ancient wilderness weighed heavily on everyone's minds. Apart from Xu Wenbo and his group of five, all those present were survivors. They had all endured life-or-death trials, and now, most had become powerful plant cultivators with immense potential.
Zhang Guodong's thoughts were preoccupied with his family, his wife, his son, and his daughter. He felt deeply guilty, but he didn't regret coming here.
This place showed him a brand new and magical land, and amazing people.
Everyone had different thoughts, but they were all very excited.
Even Xuan Qingying, who was usually as calm and serene as a fairy, seemed to carry a hint of melancholy. Her eyes held a mixture of confusion and reluctance. But she had never disobeyed the Grand Elder's words.
Take Qingzhu for example; this girl also seems to have something on her mind. Her eyes are red, perhaps Liu Cai has been crying. Qingzhu is actually an orphan, raised by the Tenth Elder from a young age. They were like mother and child, and now that they are separated, Qingzhu's reluctance is obvious.
Zhang Guodong wanted to say a few words of comfort to her, but he didn't know where to begin. For them, everything here was unfamiliar; there was no sense of home, and they never felt safe. For Xuan Qingban and his eight companions, the outside world was even more alien; they knew nothing about it, and the fear of the unfamiliar was inevitable.
"The elders have arrived!" someone whispered in the crowd, pulling some people who had been daydreaming back to reality.
Zhang Guodong looked up and saw that all fourteen elders, dressed in golden robes, had arrived. The eldest elder was in front, and the other elders walked slowly behind. Each of them had a serious expression on their face, which made people feel oppressed.
"Today is the day of your return, but this return is extraordinary, so everything must be done discreetly!" The Grand Elder's deep but clear voice rang out. "There are thirty people in total: fourteen elders, and Qingban, all equipped with flying magical artifacts. Now, let's set off!"
With fifteen people equipped with flying artifacts, each person could carry two others, making things relatively easy.
At this moment, Qingzhu beckoned to Zhang Guodong. Zhang Guodong was taken aback for a moment, then walked over and quickly understood what she meant. He glanced at the expressionless Xuan Qingban. Zhang Guodong's heart skipped a beat.
This is the first time I've been so close to Xuan Qingbai, the number one expert and number one beauty among the young generation!
"Senior Sister, you'll take care of Zhang Guodong and me!" Qingzhu said with a grin, holding Xuan Qingbai's hand.
Xuan Qing frowned slightly, but then waved her hand. The top-grade flying magic artifact, shaped like a green and white branch, took off. She pulled Qingzhu along, while Qingzhu blushed and pulled Zhang Guodong along. The three of them instantly flew into the air.
The Grand Elder led the way, with Xuan Qingban and his two companions in the middle, and the remaining elders leading their respective groups behind. The group vanished like lightning above Fengdu City. No one noticed the group rapidly flying through the clouds.
Zhang Guodong glanced back at the rapidly disappearing Fengdu City, sighed, and wondered if he would ever be able to return.
Finally, I'm going home!
Notice: Second update! There will be a third update! This volume will end in the next chapter, and a new volume will begin tomorrow!
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