Chapter 80: This is a Magical Artifact! Second Update

Xia Ning’s beautiful eyes were misted with longing. For reasons she couldn’t quite explain, seeing Jiang Yu step down from the car gave her the feeling of being abandoned in the midst of a passionate romance; a sense of forlornness crept in. She wanted nothing more than to rush forward, embrace Jiang Yu tightly, and cry out loud, pouring out all the accumulated yearning of these past days.

Yet, all such impulses were held back by a gentle smile. Xia Ning was always rational; deep down, she knew that between herself and the young man walking toward her, they were at best just good friends.

“It’s been a long time,” she said, smiling as she extended her slender hand to lightly shake Jiang Yu’s.

He touched her hand and quickly let go, about to enter the villa, when Xia Ning, almost without thinking, blurted, “Jiang Yu, could you give me a hug?”

To think of someone through objects is never as good as having that person right before you.

Jiang Yu’s expression remained calm; he turned and pulled Xia Ning into an embrace, teasing, “Did you take the wrong medicine?”

Sniffing, Xia Ning’s lips curved upward, “Perhaps.”

…

It was past three in the morning, and the villa’s hall was crowded with guests.

“What did Master Jiang call us here for?” Yuan Shixiong asked, puzzled. As Yuan Tiangang’s younger brother, his family had suffered since their father was crippled by Lin Wangtian, leaving him disabled for life. Yuan Tiangang had joined the Dragon Soaring Group and rarely returned home. Thus, for the past two years, all the Yuan family’s businesses, large and small, had been handled by Yuan Shixiong single-handedly. He had managed admirably, keeping everything well-organized.

Li Hao spread his hands, indicating he was equally in the dark, “Let’s wait. Teacher must have something important to announce.”

Everyone sensed that Jiang Yu’s late-night summons of several of Yun City’s wealthiest figures must herald something significant.

Xia Hou Sheng sat on the sofa, opening a bottle of 1980 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti to entertain his guests, but everyone was too anxious to enjoy the wine.

Two hours earlier, Jiang Yu had entered a room carrying some jade beads and common herbal medicines and hadn’t emerged since. No one dared to barge in, so they waited patiently in the hall.

“Yuan Shixiong, I heard your family recently signed several major contracts with the Jiang family, giving up all the profits?” Li Hao asked curiously.

Despite his youth, Li Hao was as shrewd as an eel.

Yuan Shixiong chuckled, “The Xia family, and you, Li Hao, have also sent contracts to the Jiang family in a roundabout way, haven’t you? To be honest, we’re all trying to win Master Jiang’s favor.”

Everyone nodded; no wonder Yuan Shixiong was standing in this hall tonight—Jiang Yu remembered his generosity.

Moments later, another figure entered, wearing a backless evening gown and high heels, her long hair draped over her shoulders, her exquisite face carrying a hint of cool aloofness.

“Xia Qinghan, what brings you here?” Xia Hou Sheng rose with a cold smile.

Yuan Shixiong’s pupils contracted; he was stunned by Xia Qinghan’s beauty.

“What a stunning woman,” he murmured. Though used to seeing all kinds of beauties, Xia Qinghan made his breath catch.

Behind her stood an elderly man, whose cultivation rivaled that of Old Shen, both having reached the level of Grandmaster in internal energy. Since the Xia family split into two branches, the right branch pursued martial arts, while the left focused on business, and the gap between them had grown. As the eldest daughter of the right branch, Xia Qinghan had been at the height of her fame these past two years.

“Uncle Xia,” Xia Qinghan greeted gracefully.

Xia Hou Sheng responded coldly, unwilling to make things difficult for a young woman.

“Where’s Jiang Yu?” Xia Qinghan looked around, finding no sign of him.

After returning from Liusha Town to Yun City, it took her more than a week to come to terms with everything. She was a clever woman, understanding that her relationship with Jiang Yu wasn’t beyond repair. Upon hearing of his return, she rushed over immediately.

“Indeed, Xia Qinghan has discovered Jiang Yu’s true identity,” Xia Ning pursed her lips, a hint of loneliness in her eyes.

Xia Qinghan’s mature style, enhanced by subtle makeup, gave her an edge over Xia Ning in beauty.

“In the future, the women around Jiang Yu will only grow in number and excellence,” Xia Ning clenched her fist, suddenly feeling powerless.

Time passed slowly, and everyone fell silent, glancing toward the second floor from time to time. Jiang Yu had been inside for three hours—what was he doing? In Yun City, or even all of Jiangbei, there were few who could make these wealthy elites wait three or four hours. Anyone else, and they’d have left already, but who didn’t have a temper? Yet this was the renowned young master of Liusha, who presided over Jiangbei and the southern desert. Even if they had to wait days and nights, they would grit their teeth and stay.

Li Hao, who had accompanied Jiang Yu to Yuzhou, understood best—even the Hidden Sect had been forced to retreat step by step; in this world, few could restrain Jiang Yu.

“Hmph, give my teacher ten more years, and even Gu Changsheng would bow and salute before him,” Li Hao’s eyes shone as he clenched his fist. Of all the disciples, he admired Jiang Yu the most, seeing him as a deity in his heart. His right-hand man, Head Wolf, knew this best; others worshipped the likes of Guan Yu, but Li Hao had fashioned a gold statue in Jiang Yu’s likeness for daily veneration.

As everyone waited, the sound of a door opening came from upstairs.

All eyes turned in unison.

Jiang Yu appeared, beads of sweat on his brow, carrying a trembling wooden tray. On it rested a glass vessel filled with thumb-sized, pale green pills. On the other side lay seven or eight jade beads with strange patterns.

He entered the hall, placed the tray on the tea table, and smiled, “Thank you all for waiting.”

Xia Hou Sheng asked, puzzled, “Master Jiang, what is this?”

Jiang Yu waved his hand, “Now, each of you take a pill.”

Everyone complied, picking a pill from the vessel, exchanging confused glances, unsure of what was happening.

Only Old Shen’s gaze burned with eagerness as he swallowed the pill without hesitation.

The moment he saw the pills, he knew—they were elixirs.

The white-haired elder who had arrived with Xia Qinghan stared wide-eyed at the pill in his hand, “Is… is this an elixir?”

Jiang Yu nodded, “Precisely.”

The elder swallowed it and immediately felt a gentle force, which, upon reaching his throat, transformed into a warm current spreading through his limbs and meridians, invigorating his whole being.

In that instant, he sensed his cultivation advancing as much as a month’s diligent practice.

“Elixir—it truly is an elixir!” the elder exclaimed, astonished and trembling with excitement, his gaze toward Jiang Yu now filled with greed.

Jiang Yu had anticipated this reaction. Once the elixir appeared, such outcomes were inevitable. In an age where spiritual energy was dwindling and rare treasures were vanishing, the emergence of elixirs would drive worldly martial artists to madness.

“Hmm…” Jiang Yu frowned, raising his hand like a blade, “Before you make a move, consider whether you can withstand this strike.”

The elder instantly sobered, bowing his head, “Forgive my impertinence, Master Jiang.”

Old Shen scoffed, “You see something good and forget who you are? How do you compare to Shadow Killer’s half-step master, Shen Wan’an?”

Xia Qinghan’s face turned pale, recalling Jiang Yu’s awe-inspiring power that day.

Xia Hou Sheng was dumbfounded. Having just swallowed the elixir, he felt his fatigue vanish, his body brimming with energy. Even the aftereffects left by the Bihui Gold Qi had improved noticeably in seconds.

Yuan Shixiong, Head Wolf, Li Hao, Xia Qinghan, and several others felt the same, frozen with disbelief.

Jiang Yu explained, “These elixirs are made from the most common herbs, extracting the essence and discarding the dross. For ordinary people, these pills not only strengthen the body and ward off illness, but also extend life.”

“What do you all think of the effects?” Jiang Yu dared not release true elixirs into the world; promoting human evolution to such a degree could plunge the planet into chaos. The replacement of old with new is nature’s law; if elixirs became widespread, everyone might live past one hundred, even two hundred, creating problems enough to destroy humanity.

Xia Hou Sheng’s expression grew grave, “These pills could usher humanity into a new era, surpassing any health product in the world. If revealed, even a Nobel Prize would pale in comparison. Just the benefits of strengthening the body and prolonging life would draw countless people to them.”

Yuan Shixiong muttered, “Unbelievable. Even if these pills cost over a million each, I’d buy them.”

Jiang Yu laughed, “Put away your little schemes. If elixirs circulate widely, myriad consequences will follow, and I don’t wish to become everyone’s target.”

“I called you here today to form a company, with each of you investing for shares. As shareholders, whenever you possess any rare herbs or treasures, you can bring them to me for exchange, and I’ll provide you with a certain number of elixirs as payment.”

“In short, join my company, provide funds to acquire various herbs and rarities, and you’ll be able to exchange them here for rewards.”

With that, Jiang Yu gestured to the seven or eight jade beads, “Send someone to pick up a bead and hold it.”

Head Wolf volunteered, “I’ll do it.”

He picked up a jade bead, holding it tightly, waiting for Jiang Yu’s instructions.

Jiang Yu said calmly, “The Xia family’s bodyguards are armed, aren’t they?”

Everyone looked at each other, the room falling into utter silence.

Xia Hou Sheng summoned a bodyguard, nodded, and motioned him to aim at Head Wolf and pull the trigger.

Head Wolf shouted in terror, “What, for real?”

As the deafening gunshot rang out, everyone saw a blue barrier appear around Head Wolf, the bullet lodged firmly within its folds, unable to penetrate further.

“This is the true power of wearing a magical artifact!”

The villa hall fell into a deathly silence.