vstars Chapter 199 - 160: 12 Yuan Beasts (2)
Chapter 199 - 160: 12 Yuan Beasts (2)
Fang Qingyuan had put the black dagger away back then. After all this time, he wouldn’t have even remembered it if he hadn’t just seen a similar Magical Artifact.
’Seeing how similar the two are, could there be some intrinsic connection between them?’
Fang Qingyuan picked up both items and compared them carefully. He discovered that the small black knife seemed to be a replica of the black dagger, and the black dagger even had characters engraved on it.
One was the character for "Rooster," the other for "Snake," perfectly matching the two masks from that time. Speaking of masks, Fang Qingyuan rummaged around for a bit and fished the two of them out from a corner where they’d been tucked away.
Two black daggers and two masks—these were all that remained of the two Qi Cultivation Cultivators from all those years ago.
Back then, Fang Qingyuan had been afraid their accomplices would give chase, so he had rushed back to the Southern Border without stopping. Now, after all these years, he had returned to this place. ’Could it be that my Foundation Establishment Opportunity lies here?’
Nowadays, Fang Qingyuan subconsciously connected everything to his Foundation Establishment Opportunity. But who would have thought that this time, his blind guess would actually hit the mark?
No sooner had the thought of his Foundation Establishment Opportunity surfaced in his mind than the sensation from his Foundation Establishment Spirit Guide—one he hadn’t felt in a very long time—came flooding back. The feeling surged through him like a tidal wave, ultimately settling on the two black daggers in his hands.
Fang Qingyuan let out a wry laugh. ’This Foundation Establishment Opportunity truly is mysterious. A small gain from years ago, something I’d almost forgotten even existed, has turned out to be the key today.’
Still, knowing the direction forward put Fang Qingyuan’s mind at ease. What he didn’t understand, however, was what it meant for the Foundation Establishment Opportunity to point to these two black daggers. ’Does it want me to eat them?’
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Fang Qingyuan took the black daggers and studied them over and over, but he ultimately found nothing unusual about them.
Then, a thought suddenly struck him. ’The black daggers must be part of a set. Looking at the two beast-related characters on the blades, and based on the pattern of the twelve primordial beasts, there must be ten more that I haven’t found yet.’
’If I can gather all twelve, my Foundation Establishment Opportunity will surely become much clearer.’
The more Fang Qingyuan thought about it, the more sense it made. ’The only question is, where am I supposed to find the remaining ten?’
’Looks like the only plan for now is to go to the Black Market and pay another visit to that Steward from the Black Hand.’
After this idea came to him, Fang Qingyuan put the items away, returned his focus to his body, and continued to polish his cultivation realm. ’This matter can’t be rushed. I must proceed with caution.’
...
「Two days later.」
Fang Qingyuan went to South Street to find the broker, Wu Mi. Black Sand City had plenty of vacant properties, and since Fang Qingyuan wasn’t picky about the quality of the Spiritual Land, the remaining conditions were easy to meet. Wu Mi hadn’t rested for the past two days, working tirelessly on Fang Qingyuan’s behalf.
When she saw Fang Qingyuan, Wu Mi came forward, her face alight with excitement.
"Senior, I’ve found a few residences for you. Since you’re free today, please come with me to take a look."
Fang Qingyuan naturally agreed. He brought Jinbao along and followed Wu Mi into a building complex in the southern part of the city. Once there, Fang Qingyuan discovered that the environment was serene and secluded, with flowers, grass, and trees providing ample shade. It was truly a fine place to live.
’To think that a city covered in black sand would have such a nice spot.’ Without Wu Mi to guide him, it would have taken Fang Qingyuan considerable effort to find this place.
Once they arrived, Wu Mi began to explain to Fang Qingyuan:
"This place originally belonged to the Wind Breath Sect. After they moved, they sold it to the Gua Talisman Alliance. Important family members of the Wind Breath Sect used to live here. Although the Spiritual Land isn’t high-grade, they put a lot of care into the environment. They spent a great deal of money to set up a Second Order Array just to keep out the wind and sand. Senior, what do you think? Does it suit you? If not, I have other places we can look at."
Looking at the scenery beneath the array’s dome, Fang Qingyuan saw that it contained hills and water. A single estate occupied a spacious plot of land, more than half an acre in size.
’To be able to create such a landscape in a city covered in black sand, the Wind Breath Sect must have spent a fortune in Spirit Stones on this place.’ Extrapolating from this small detail, it was no wonder the Wind Breath Sect’s expenditures had outstripped their income.
But none of that had anything to do with Fang Qingyuan. He nodded at Wu Mi and said:
"This place will do. Please go speak with the steward here and ask how many Spirit Stones it would cost to rent for a year."
Wu Mi was a little taken aback by Fang Qingyuan’s words. She looked up at him, her small face tilted, and asked:
"Senior, don’t you want to see a few more places? I still have several other options ready."
Fang Qingyuan chuckled and said softly,
"I won’t be staying for long anyway. One place is as good as another. This one is fine. I can’t be bothered with the hassle."
Following Fang Qingyuan’s instructions, Wu Mi went to negotiate the price with the local steward. Not long after, Fang Qingyuan had spent eight hundred Spirit Stones to rent the place for one year.
After his experience renting an estate on Sea Gate Island, Fang Qingyuan was much more cautious. He now preferred to rent for shorter periods and renew later. He would rather deal with the minor inconvenience than be trapped in a passive situation again.
Fang Qingyuan had previously given Wu Mi one thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones. The rent was eight hundred, so the remaining two hundred were for Wu Mi’s commission.
At first, Wu Mi was hesitant to accept it, but seeing that Fang Qingyuan genuinely didn’t mind, her face filled with delight, and she thanked him again and again.
After Wu Mi left, Fang Qingyuan checked out of the inn and moved into his new home with Jinbao. His new estate spanned half an acre and featured over twenty rooms, including specialized facilities like an Alchemy Room, a Quiet Chamber, a study, and a Beast Cage. There were also seven or eight guest suites for hosting friends and visitors.