Chapter 70: Transaction

A rumbling sound echoed through the sky above the Eight Mountains and Twelve Caves.

Jia Dakong, with starlight twinkling around him, was known as the “Star Plucker” because his attacks were as bright as the stars.

Although his main profession was grave robbing, it didn’t stop him from considering himself a man of culture.

He knew about the stars corresponding to feng shui treasure lands, the age classification of tomb soil, the various burial methods of coffins, and the specifications of imperial sacrificial texts from previous dynasties.

Who in the world knew more than him?

He wore a long robe of black and white, and coupled with his energetic spirit and handsome face, he appeared quite extraordinary.

Facing him was Si Chen, one of the Mountain Chiefs of the Three Mountains and Seven Academies.

Initially, the Three Mountains and Seven Academies was just a single academy that taught Zhou Dynasty rituals. They believed that the chaos in the world was due to the collapse of rituals and music.

They believed in the need to find and promote “rituals” – to use “rituals” to establish social hierarchy and ethics. In those times, there were distinctions between noble and lowly, old and young, rich and poor, all with their proper places, thus bringing peace to the world.

Therefore, they came to Kongtong Mountain to excavate the classics of the previous dynasty and find the “rituals.”

Over nearly a thousand years of development, they were exterminated several times, and the surviving members’ ideology gradually changed.

After all, in the Jianghu, one must speak with their fists.

Without fists, words are just empty air.

Thus, “ritual” became “power,” and “power” became “ritual”!

Only power could establish social hierarchy and ethics; only power could determine who was superior and who was inferior!

Once this ideology was established, the academy that taught Zhou Dynasty rituals developed rapidly!

In a few hundred years, it went from a single academy on one mountain to three academies on two mountains, and finally to the Three Mountains and Seven Academies!

They took control of the Great Cai Armory, monopolizing the library of the Great Cai Dynasty.

Si Chen waved his hand, as if opening a bamboo scroll, with the words “Under the vast heavens, all is the Emperor’s land; within the four seas, all are the Emperor’s subjects” written on it!

If I am strong, all the land under heaven belongs to me!

Therefore, this move could be considered Si Chen’s ultimate technique!

With a flick of the bamboo scroll, it transformed into a circular blade, a ceremonial Yue axe engraved with a Taotie pattern, descending from the sky!

The Taotie on the Yue was lifelike, with its teeth engraved on the blade, as if it wanted to devour everything.

Jia Dakong clasped his hands together, and the twenty-eight constellations danced around him. He pushed out a purple star with both hands, meeting Si Chen’s ultimate technique!

“Hmm?”

After the clash, the power was surprisingly small.

Si Chen felt that Jia Dakong’s “Purple Star Descent” held back, so he changed his mind and withdrew seventy to eighty percent of his power.

“Mister Jia, what are your instructions?” Si Chen asked.

“Hehe…” Jia Dakong stroked his beard and said, “Iron Fist Invincible Li Dangmo has been tracking Blood-Eyed Gentleman Ren Daokuang. I’m afraid there’s still no news, right?”

Iron Fist Invincible Li Dangmo was the other True Realm expert of the Three Mountains and Seven Academies.

In the Jianghu, a large city usually has a True Realm expert guarding it. No wonder the Three Mountains and Seven Academies, with two True Realm experts, could monopolize the Great Cai Armory.

Two years ago, Blood-Eyed Gentleman Ren Daokuang suddenly injured Li Dangmo and Si Chen and forced his way into the Great Cai Armory.

Recently, there was news of Ren Daokuang in the northern grasslands. Li Dangmo, hearing the news, headed north to seek revenge for the sneak attack two years ago!

“Haha… Although Brother Li is younger than me, his iron fists are truly formidable. With the sudden change in Kongtong today, our academy has its own way to contact him. With his speed, he will definitely arrive before dawn!”

Si Chen spoke slowly in his aged voice, making it impossible to discern his tone.

“Then what about them?” Jia Dakong pointed to the people below who had entered the Great Cai Armory and said,

“As long as I stop you, you can’t stop them. The others from your Three Mountains and Seven Academies can’t stop them either!”

“Before dawn, when Li Dangmo returns, those people will have already escaped into the Jianghu.”

“Within a few days, the Jianghu will be flooded with techniques from the Great Cai Armory.”

“At that time, your Three Mountains and Seven Academies will become a laughingstock.” Jia Dakong said with a smile.

“What if they have the techniques? No one in the Jianghu understands the Great Cai better than us! Naturally, no one understands the martial arts manuals of the Great Cai better than us!” Si Chen said,

“How can those Jianghu people understand those techniques?”

“What if they can?” Jia Dakong said.

“Hmm?”

✿✿✿

“What if someone in the Jianghu masters them?” Jia Dakong said, “There’s no shortage of anything in the Jianghu, except for people who want to become stronger!”

“In the past, they didn’t have the means!”

“We hold the means.”

“Now, they have the means.”

“Even if they have to use human lives to pile it up, they can still produce one or several True Realm experts!”

“Not to mention martial arts geniuses like Blood-Eyed Gentleman Ren Daokuang!”

Jia Dakong finished speaking slowly, looking at Si Chen.

Si Chen’s eyelids twitched when he heard Ren Daokuang’s name!

The Jianghu is never short of miracles!

Among the countless people in the Jianghu, there are those who can forcefully cultivate with a half-understood martial arts manual!

Not only do they not go mad or become fools, but they become even stronger!

Blood-Eyed Gentleman Ren Daokuang was such a person.

Rumor had it that Ren Daokuang was just a medicine farmer, spending his days collecting herbs in the mountains. By chance, he fell into a cliff and obtained a secret manual.

How many characters could a medicine farmer recognize?

Could an illiterate person understand a secret manual?

If this were told, it would only become a joke among them.

But, Ren Daokuang actually mastered it!

And based on the manual 《”Life Without Madness, No Path”》, he named himself Ren Daokuang!

It is precisely because of unexpected people like Ren Daokuang that the True Realm manuals in the Jianghu drive people crazy!

That’s why the Great Cai Armory is even more valuable.

“Mister Jia, please speak frankly!” Si Chen said.

“I have wandered the Jianghu for many years and have never had a place to settle down.” Jia Dakong suddenly said,

“I have some reputation and connections in the Jianghu. I want to find a mountain in Kongtong Mountain to spend the rest of my life, raising my children and enjoying family happiness.”

Si Chen’s eyelids twitched. What connections and reputation!

You old scoundrel, you’ve been digging graves all your life. You must have too many enemies, right?

“For this, I can help you suppress this place together!” Jia Dakong offered his terms.

A token of loyalty!

So what if so many people have entered the Great Cai Armory?

The exit is still under the control of their Three Mountains and Seven Academies!

As long as everyone who entered is killed, it would be as if the Great Cai Armory was never opened!

No matter what kind of techniques there are, they would be exclusive to the Three Mountains and Seven Academies! They could bargain and trade with other forces around them!

This is a huge fortune!

The premise is that it must be exclusive to them!

Therefore, everyone who entered the Great Cai Armory must die!

It must be said that Jia Dakong chose a perfect time. He could both force their hand and show his sincerity, maximizing his value.

“Alright! The Three Mountains and Seven Academies welcomes Mister Jia!” After some thought, Si Chen nodded and said.

Hesitation leads to trouble. The most important thing now is to kill the others!

As for Jia Dakong, they can deal with him after Li Dangmo returns!

“Mountain Chief Si is mistaken. It is now the Four Mountains and Seven Academies!” Jia Dakong said with a smile.

“That’s right! It’s the Four Mountains and Seven Academies!”

A dirty deal.