The drinking nights between Yanga and Frank Pina never seemed to end, carrying on until the sun came up, and this time was no different. Fortunately for them, the place they frequented knew them well. By morning, someone made sure they both got home safely.
After some rest and clearing his head, Yanga headed to the library a place that had become a source of comfort for him. It was the one spot where he could sit quietly and drift away in thought.
Right now, Yanga had plenty on his mind. The biggest concern was something that Yanga still did not have any solution to, or the start of one. There were just over four months left in the year that old man Hancock had promised to protect him.
Even though Yanga felt certain the old man wouldn't turn him out when the time came, he didn't want to rely on that.
On top of that, another big problem loomed ahead, and Yanga knew he couldn't just sit around he needed to act fast to build up his strength.
For Yanga, the biggest challenge was building a foundation before turning 40, and he had no idea how to pull it off. Anyone else, with the same time and resources he had, would likely succeed but not Yanga.
His Boundless Saint Physique somehow made it impossible. The only option left was to take bold action and rack up rewards quickly. Yanga had thought about the Infinite Basin, which could provide the resources he needed.
But there was a catch getting those resources required more strength than he currently possessed. To truly gain what he sought, Yanga would have to venture deeper into the Infinite Basin, where its true treasures awaited.
After racking his brain for a long time, Yanga still couldn't find a solution to his current problems.
Eventually, he decided it was best to let it go for the time being. Yanga immersed himself in the library, eager to learn as much as possible while waiting for the village chief to return so he could approve this very large transaction.
Five days later, a message arrived on Yanga's Jade Scroll from Frank Pina. He explained that everything had been sorted out since the village chief's return and told Yanga he could pick up his money whenever he was ready.
The sudden windfall couldn't have come at a better time for Yanga. His last trip to the Infinite Basin had cost him dearly, leaving him without much of his gear.
His protective clothing was destroyed beyond repair, and the short sword he'd been carrying no longer suited him he needed one that felt right.
So, when Frank Pina called, Yanga didn't hesitate. He quickly took care of a few matters before heading out to meet Frank and wrap up the deal.
When he finally saw Frank, the man was busy with a group of sect disciples. Yanga chose not to move any closer and simply waited by the door. He didn't want to bother Frank or the disciples.
From his brief interactions with them, Yanga knew they were extremely proud annoyingly so and he preferred to avoid dealing with them unless necessary.
He waited for Frank to notice him before quietly taking what was his and leaving. A smile spread across his face as he looked at the sum of spirit stones in his possession 480,000.
It was an impressive amount for anything except his cultivation. Knowing he could burn through it in a month or two if used for cultivation, he decided shopping was the better option.
Then he went to the market, a room so enormous it felt impossibly large for the building it was in. Was this place really indoors? Inside, it seemed bigger than the entire exterior suggested, though that wasn't what Yanga liked best.
What drew him in most was its structure it reminded him of something he couldn't quite place. The market had three floors ground, second, and third but it was really just one gigantic, stadium-sized space.
When Yanga walked in, it hit him that this place was like a mall from Earth.
The first floor was filled with many different vendors, all kinds of people selling their own things, but this was not why Yanga came, so we move to the second floor.
The second floor had many different stores selling many different products. Yanga went to the smithy, a store that sold weapons, and Yanga really needed a new weapon.
Residents of Mhlanga village run the stores here, and everyone in Mhlanga village knew Yanga, as he was somewhat famous in the area.
Old Man Hancock is one of the strongest and most respected figures in the village, so when he brought in a young man from out of nowhere, it sparked the villagers' curiosity about who Yanga really is.
Rumors swirled through the village. Some claimed Yanga was Old Man Hancock's adopted child, others whispered he was an illegitimate one.
Those were the ones that got under Yanga's skin the most, but there wasn't much to be done about them. What puzzled people most was how someone at his age had never cultivated before.
That only added to the mystery, one the villagers were eager to unravel. A few even dared to question him directly, but Yanga never breathed a word about it.
When Yanga stepped into the weapon shop, he greeted the shop manager before casually wandering around. He already knew exactly what he was looking for.
He had spotted it before, back when he bought his short sword. At that time, his budget was tight, so he settled for the cheapest yet most reliable weapon he could find.
Now, at the back of the shop, there it was a beautifully carved black katana adorned with red flowers, an exquisite piece whose most impressive feature was its exceptional grade.
The katana was once a supreme Earth-grade weapon, far superior to anything Yanga currently possessed and not something that the current Yanga could use. Still, it had been badly damaged, reducing it to a low-tier human-grade weapon.
Yanga was drawn to it because, as the shop manager mentioned before, despite its condition, it still held great potential and could be restored with relative ease.
The only challenge was that it required a large amount of spirit qi for repairs and daily nourishment to regain its former glory gradually. Fortunately, Yanga had more than enough spirit qi, so restoring the katana wouldn't be an issue for him.
The katana cost a solid 100,000 spirit stones, a steep price for someone at the earliest stage of strength and cultivation.
Weapons used by those in the spirit gathering stage were far weaker and far cheaper, but Yanga was focused on its future potential.
He took it in his hands, running his fingers over it as tenderly as if touching a beautiful woman. Then he drew the blade, an exquisite weapon indeed, though its brilliance was dulled by the many cracks marring it.
Desert flower, a name that seemed to fit the Katana well.