Bang!
Niu the Third's head crashed heavily against the wall.
His body, as if it suddenly lost all strength, went limp and slid down to the ground like a noodle.
[Martial Artist's Log: Another fierce duel against horizontal pressure, Martial Artist experience +3]
Xu Guang frowned.
Why is the experience so little?
Is it because this battle wasn't fierce enough?
Or is it because Niu the Third is too weak?
Not knowing the reason, Xu Guang waited on the side.
After a long while, Niu the Third groggily got up.
"Are you ready?"
"Hmm?"
In his muddled state, Niu the Third seemed to hear someone speaking.
Suddenly looking up, he saw a big hand pressing his head down hard, forcing it against the wall.
With a bang!
Undoubtedly, Niu the Third was knocked out again.
[Martial Artist's Log: Horizontal pressure! Another horizontal pressure. Martial Artist experience +1]
Ignoring the unconscious Niu the Third, Xu Guang felt he finally understood why the experience gain was so little.
Tomorrow, I'll go to the Iron Armor Courtyard to test it out, and it should become clear.
...
"I was right about you, Zhu Family Master; the black market people really are willing to talk with you."
Song Di's face showed happiness as he looked at Zhu Fu, whose expression was uncertain.
Zhu Fu didn't disappoint him. After entering the black market, he managed to contact the true higher-ups there, who indicated they were willing to have the people of the Thirty-Six Giant Bandits talk with Zhu Fu.
Song Di desperately needed the support of the Thirty-Six Great Bandits. The person he wanted to track was extraordinary, and only a force like the Thirty-Six Great Bandits, which even the Peak Great Zhou couldn't eliminate, had such capability.
"Young Master Song, you overpraise me. Truth be told, my Zhu Family has no connection with the black market. Perhaps the reason the important figures of the black market agreed to meet is that they think my Zhu Family has some value to offer them."
Zhu Fu spoke softly.
He couldn't quite figure out Song Di's true intentions.
Song Di looked at Zhu Fu with a smirk, his expression playful.
"But I've heard that the Zhu Family is closely linked with the Thirty-Six Bandits, having even traded for an eighth-grade young Kunlun Beast."
Zhu Fu's expression remained unchanged, but his pupils contracted sharply.
Song Di observed everything, letting out a snigger.
"I've been staying at the Zhu Family's place these past few days and heard some rumors. They say the Zhu Family has skilled experts who can tame the Kunlun Beast. I wonder if I could witness it?"
Zhu Fu was taken aback, silently cursing.
"Young Master Song..."
"To not hide from you, Landlord, this time I'm in Qingshuo because I heard about the traces of Celestial Destiny demons appearing here. The Celestial Destiny Sect is to be executed by everyone in the world. If you could support me, I vow by the Song Clan that your son will attain the seventh grade!"
Song Di stared fixedly at Zhu Fu, enunciating each word.
Zhu Fu fell into silence.
...
In the Elephant House.
General Wei, restless and uneasy, swung his long trunk around, creating a resounding noise on the ground. The accumulated snow in the Elephant House had long been trampled into mud by General Wei. The long hair on his neck stood upright, like a male lion about to rage.
With over two months of cultivating feelings, Xu Guang knew this was a sign of hunger from General Wei.
But it wasn't a hunger to fill the belly; it was a nutritional hunger, similar to a child lacking growth nutrients when growing up.
Zhu Cheng stood by, not daring to approach, speaking in a low voice.
"Xiaoguang, what's going on? Since the afternoon, General Wei has been in this state, very irritable, and I dare not come near."
Xu Guang ignored Zhu Cheng and swaggered towards General Wei.
"Xiaoguang..."
Zhu Cheng's worried voice came from behind.
Xu Guang waved him off and proceeded directly towards General Wei.
To Zhu Cheng's surprise, General Wei actually stopped his rampage, waving his long trunk over Xu Guang's shoulder, making a whining sound like a wronged child.
With Xu Guang reaching out to stroke General Wei, he finally understood General Wei's current state.
[General Wei: General Wei is currently entering the metamorphosis stage, dietary adjustments are recommended]
[Growth diet (daily): 500 pounds of Teal Flower Grass, 30 pounds of blood, 300 pounds of figs, one 50-year-old ginseng]
Hmm?
Oh my!
A 50-year-old ginseng?
Xu Guang twitched the corner of his mouth. From what he knew of the outside market prices, a 50-year-old ginseng was worth at least a hundred taels of silver, equivalent to his monthly salary.
Although the Zhu Family is wealthy, a daily expense of a hundred taels of silver—would Zhu Fu agree?
"Xiaoguang? What's up with General Wei?"
Xu Guang, sitting on General Wei's back, spoke up.
"He's about to break through, transitioning from the growth stage to the mature stage, and the current food is insufficient to supply the nutrients needed for his growth."
He explained.
Zhu Cheng was initially stunned upon hearing this, but then became overjoyed!
The current strength of General Wei was comparable to that of an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist. Once he broke through, wouldn't that mean... the seventh grade!
"What does he need? I'll prepare it; we absolutely can't delay General Wei's growth!"
Xu Guang remained silent for a moment, looking at Zhu Cheng with a peculiar gaze.
Zhu Cheng felt a bit uneasy under his stare.
Then he heard Xu Guang speak again.
"He needs a 50-year-old ginseng daily..."
Zhu Cheng fell into silence.
...
This matter reached Zhu Fu's ears, and without hesitation, Zhu Fu agreed.
In previous times, he wouldn't have acted like this.
But after today's discussion with Song Di and learning about the presence of Celestial Destiny demons, he hesitated not a bit.
The Celestial Destiny Demon Sect, the true boss of this world.
Eighty years ago, the Celestial Destiny Sect, under the banner of 'Celestial Destiny is in the North, establish a new Emperor,' raised an army and invaded the Great Zhou Imperial Court. Although all the land's great families united to support the king, they only managed to expel the Celestial Destiny Demon Sect, instilling further fear as the Celestial Destiny Demon Sect retreated, leaving the Great Zhou Imperial Family, starting from the Emperor and within five generations, all missing!
Since then, the Celestial Destiny Demon Sect became taboo.
The current state of Great Zhou is very peculiar: the Imperial Family is missing, local families and sects self-govern, yet it's chaotic without falling apart, showing restraint.
This situation arises from many influences: firstly, the eight hundred years of the Great Zhou's legacy ingrained the identity of being Zhou people deep in everyone's hearts, making it difficult for the families to establish independence.
Secondly, there's the factor of the Celestial Destiny Demon Sect.
No single force within the land's great families considers themselves able to solely withstand the Celestial Destiny Demon Sect, known for its myriad mysterious methods. Hence, everyone exercises restraint, with nobody truly raising arms and attempting to become the new Emperor.
The Celestial Destiny Sect wields such immense intimidation towards the great families, let alone a small county family like the Zhu Family.
Thus, Zhu Fu, without any delay, instructed people to procure what General Wei needed for his advancement.
He also had a message sent to Xu Guang, promising him eighth-grade tributor treatment, provided General Wei can ascend.
Xu Guang naturally supported this idea.
In a sense, General Wei was his trump card, not Zhu Family's. Upgrading one's own trump card is something he's determined to do wholeheartedly.
It couldn't help but make him grateful that General Wei was, on paper, the property of the Zhu Family. Otherwise, with General Wei's massive existence, he truly couldn't afford to maintain him.