Supreme Sword Master - Chapter 24
"Supreme Sword Master - Chapter 24: Heading to the Royal Capital, Re-entering the Wilderness Forest!"
Chapter 24: Heading to the Royal Capital, Re-entering the Wilderness Forest!
"Brother Gu, we've finally waited for you!"
"Yes, earlier we wanted to visit you, but we were too busy to get away. Please forgive us, Brother Gu!"
"..."
The group spoke all at once, afraid of offending Gu Han.
They were the heads of various families within the city.
"What are you doing here!"
Gu Han's sense of caution surged.
"Brother Gu."
The head of the Zhang Family hurriedly clasped his hands together, smiling broadly.
"We come with no ill intentions!"
"Yes, Brother Gu, we know you're heading to the Martial Academy, so we came to see you off!"
Beside them.
The head of the Wang Family quickly took out a storage bag.
"A small token of our appreciation, though it's nothing much. We hope you'll accept it, Brother Gu."
Gu Han accepted it suspiciously, glanced inside, and was secretly shocked. The bag was neatly packed with spirit crystals—over ten thousand in total!
These spirit crystals were naturally part of the spoils they had divided after seizing the Gu Family's assets.
If Gu Han had been captured by Liu Yuan earlier, they would have chosen to keep everything for themselves.
But now that Gu Han not only retained his qualification for the Martial Academy but also had ties with the Seventh Prince, they couldn't ignore him. After all, most of the Gu Family's wealth had been accumulated by Gu Tian and Gu Han, father and son.
Giving these spirit crystals wasn't just about flattery.
It was also for peace of mind.
"Thoughtful of you."
Gu Han naturally didn't sympathize with the Gu Family and pocketed the storage bag.
"I accept this gift."
He was currently short on cultivation resources, so he naturally wouldn't refuse such an offer.
"Hahaha, Brother Gu is a straightforward man!"
"With this departure, may Brother Gu achieve great success and make a name for yourself in the royal capital!"
"..."
Amidst the chorus of flattery, Gu Han set off again.
Seeing him leave.
The group finally relaxed, wasting no time as they hurried back.
The vast Gu Family.
Naturally, there was more to be gained than just this.
This time, each of their families would profit immensely.
...
As night fell.
Gu Han had traveled nearly a full day. Though he wasn't tired, he still found a secluded spot to rest and take stock of his resources.
140-150 first-rank beast cores.
Over 50 second-rank beast cores.
More than 10 third-rank beast cores.
One high-grade spirit weapon.
Plus over 17,000 spirit crystals.
This was all of Gu Han's current possessions, including the resources he had seized after killing Gu Chang.
"Sigh..."
He couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"Young Master."
Asha put down the fragrant roasted beast meat.
"What's wrong?"
"Asha, we're so poor!"
If outsiders heard this.
They'd surely scold him for being ungrateful.
This amount of resources could rival the entire assets of a small family in Tienwu City. How could he still claim poverty?
But Gu Han understood.
With his cultivation devouring resources like a whale, this amount wouldn't last long. Soon, he'd be completely broke.
Although he could receive regular resources at the Martial Academy.
For him, it would still be like trying to douse a fire with a cup of water—completely insufficient.
"If only..."
He gave a bitter smile.
"I hadn't been so generous."
Thinking about how casually he had handed over a heavenly-rank technique to the Seventh Prince, his heart suddenly ached.
"Young Master!"
Asha suddenly felt the roasted beast meat wasn't as appetizing anymore, her little face filled with seriousness.
"I want to help you earn money!"
"Good!"
Gu Han patted her head.
"I believe in you!"
Shaking his head to temporarily set aside these worries, he picked up the map again.
The geography of the Great Qi Dynasty resembled a crescent moon, its borders adjoining the Wilderness Forest. Tienwu City and the royal capital were located at the two sharp ends of the crescent.
If traveling straight.
He would inevitably pass through the Wilderness Forest. Although it was only the outer regions, it added many variables and dangers.
If taking the detour.
Though safer, the journey would be three times longer, passing through numerous checkpoints and cities, which would also take considerable time.
For a moment.
He fell into deep thought.
"Young Master."
After finishing the roasted meat, Asha's little head popped over again.
"What are you looking at?"
"Asha."
Gu Han explained the situation to her.
"If it were you, which path would you choose?"
"This one!"
Asha didn't hesitate for a moment, pointing directly at the route through the Wilderness Forest.
"Why?"
"I can help Young Master find medicinal herbs. Didn't you say we're poor? These herbs can sell for a lot of money!"
"Clever."
Gu Han laughed.
"Alright, we'll take this path!"
Asha's idea naturally aligned perfectly with his own.
Having made the decision, he put away the map, used his cultivation to help Asha clear some meridians, guiding her to sense the flow of qi in preparation for future cultivation. Afterward, he began his own cultivation.
...
The next morning.
Gu Han slowly opened his eyes.
After a night of cultivation, another thousand spirit crystals were gone, and his cultivation was still far from reaching the eighth level of the Meridian Opening Realm.
At this moment.
His desire to earn spirit crystals grew even stronger.
Carrying Asha on his back, it only took him half a day to reach the fork in the road, where he plunged straight into the Wilderness Forest.
...
In the blink of an eye.
Several days passed.
"It's this one!"
Watching Gu Han store a fist-sized green fruit in his pouch, Asha beamed with joy.
In her mind.
Nothing made her happier than being able to help Gu Han.
Not even chicken legs.
After picking the medicinal fruit.
Gu Han's mood was naturally extremely pleasant.
This area was far from the major cities and checkpoints, and the creatures encountered were mostly third-rank demonic beasts, so there were fewer people around. Over the past few days, he had only seen two groups of people from afar.
Conversely.
There were naturally more medicinal herbs here.
With Asha's abilities, including this green fruit, he had already harvested five medicinal herbs. Two of them, judging by their appearance alone, were worth much more than the *Xuan Shen* herb. In addition, the beast cores obtained from slaying demonic beasts along the way meant that his gains over these few days equaled what an ordinary person might collect in half a year of hard searching.
Of course.
While searching for medicinal fruits.
He hadn't neglected his cultivation either. He had now smoothly entered the eighth level of the Meridian Opening Realm, but the cost... over four thousand spirit crystals!
"Still so poor."
He shook his head with a bitter smile.
He continued forward.
Asha also perked up, her big, bright eyes scanning the surroundings tirelessly, afraid of missing any medicinal herbs.
Half a day later.
"Hmm?"
After hours of intense focus, Asha's eyes suddenly lit up despite her fatigue.
"Young Master! Up ahead! There's something!"
"It's a big ball of light! This must be worth a lot!"
"Where?"
Gu Han also became excited, following the direction she pointed and sprinting wildly.
Now.
He deeply trusted Asha's words.
If Asha said it was valuable, then it must be an incredible treasure!
"Here! Here!"
Moments later, a vine as thick as an arm appeared before them, covered in sharp thorns half an inch long.
"Young Master!"
Asha pointed to a purple flower bud the size of a human head on the vine.
"It's inside there!"
Gu Han exhaled softly, finally understanding why such a precious medicinal herb had gone unnoticed.
Within the Wilderness Forest, there were many strange-looking flowers that had no value whatsoever. No one would spare them a second glance. This vine looked utterly ordinary, and unless someone had the broad knowledge of a Physician Xue, no wandering cultivator would notice anything unusual about it.
Without hesitation.
He gently set Asha down and reached out to pluck the flower.
Suddenly.
An abrupt change occurred!
The vine seemed to sense danger and came alive, its thick body twisting like a giant snake toward Gu Han!
"Young Master, be careful!"
Asha couldn't help but cry out.
"It has consciousness?"
Gu Han's heart leapt with excitement.
This was the first time he had seen a medicinal herb react this way, proof that the treasure inside the flower bud was far more valuable than he had imagined!
Swish!
A flash of sword light!
The vine was instantly severed into several pieces, falling to the ground and writhing.
At the same time.
Streams of dark purple liquid flowed from the cuts, transforming into wisps of purple mist that drifted into the air!
"Damn!"
Just inhaling a bit.
Gu Han felt dizzy and disoriented, and even his spiritual energy movement slowed.
"Asha!"
He ignored collecting the medicinal herb, instantly scooping up Asha and retreating far from the purple mist!
"Phew..."
Escaping the range of the purple mist, he broke out in a cold sweat.
He hadn't expected at all that the sharp thorns on the vine were just a decoy. The truly dangerous thing was the highly toxic purple liquid. Even with his cultivation, he couldn't resist it. If Asha had inhaled even a trace, the consequences would have been unimaginable!
At the same time.
His heart felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over it, instantly sobering him.
Careless!
The Wilderness Forest was fraught with danger, and it wasn't a joke!
Even a seemingly ordinary vine could be so bizarre. The hidden dangers ahead... would undoubtedly be even greater!
"Asha."
Thinking of this.
His earlier excitement faded significantly.
"You wait here."
Before Asha could speak, he darted back into the purple mist, which had now spread to cover an area several zhang wide!
"Young Master..."
Asha's heart instantly tightened.
Just stepping into the mist again, the dizziness and disorientation returned. Gu Han quickly held his breath and decisively swung his sword, cutting the flower bud down!
In a daze.
He seemed to hear a sharp shriek!
The next moment.
The concentration of purple mist suddenly increased several times!
Even holding his breath, the mist seeped into his body through his pores, spreading into his flesh, organs, and meridians!
Just as he struggled to move, almost collapsing, the silver vortexes in his meridians activated once more, drawing in all the purple mist. After neutralizing the toxins, it transformed into threads of pure spiritual energy, mixing into his spiritual power.
Opportunity!
Gu Han's mind cleared, and with a step, he instantly broke through the purple mist barrier!
"Young Master!"
Asha finally exhaled in relief.
"Are you... are you alright?"
"I'm fine!"
By now, Gu Han had finally confirmed something.
His newly formed meridians were extraordinary, granting him a body immune to countless poisons—an enviable gift for countless others!
"This thing..."
After calming his thoughts.
He finally had the chance to carefully examine the seemingly ordinary flower bud in his hand.
Just at this moment!
A figure suddenly flashed past him!
The figure was too fast—he had no time to react. Even his powerful spiritual sense hadn't given the slightest warning.
There was only one reason!
This person's cultivation far surpassed his own!
Gu Han broke out in a cold sweat again.
Thankfully, they were just passing by.
Otherwise...
Swish!
To his surprise.
Before he could relax, the figure returned, appearing before him once more!
And Gu Han finally got a clear look at his appearance.
In his twenties, dressed in white, with a longsword strapped to his back, his appearance was striking.
Trouble!
Gu Han's heart tightened, and he quickly pulled Asha behind him.
He immediately guessed the reason for the return—the man must be after the medicinal herb in his hand. Judging by the potency of the purple mist, the value of this herb was no less than the *Yang Spirit Fruit*!
To give...
Or not to give...
"This young brother."
As Gu Han was struggling internally, the young man finally spoke.
Unexpectedly, he didn't even glance at the medicinal herb in Gu Han's hand. Instead, he clasped his hands together, his expression filled with shame and sorrow.
"Help me!"