Chapter 24 Golden Jade Pavilion

After mentioning Fang Ruoyan to Sun Qiankun, he indicated that she was his companion and that he absolutely had to invite her when she claimed a mission.

Seeing the agreement sent from the other side, Qin Wu finally relaxed. Then, looking at the remaining one hundred or so Spirit Stones in his storage ring, he started to worry.

To participate in the Thunder Fissure Secluded Valley mission, he definitely needed to prepare a few Lightning Evasion Talismans, and it would be best if he could also buy a few bottles of huiyuan pill to use when his spiritual power was insufficient.

But all of these required Spirit Stones, and he didn’t have enough!

Speaking of which, it seemed he hadn’t returned to the Outpost for several days.

After inquiring about his asset status from Qian Tuo, a look of joy appeared between his brows, and he immediately opened the light gate and walked in.

As he stepped across the light gate, Consort Lian’s hair quickly wrapped around him, hanging by his waist.

Returning to the rented room in the Outpost again, the artificial sun overhead stably emitted light. Qin Wu closed his eyes slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable.

Outside the Outpost, the real dark sun hung high, always dim. Even within the Holy Land, it was only slightly brighter. Having long been accustomed to a dark environment, he felt so unaccustomed upon suddenly seeing light.

“Where is this place?” Consort Lian looked around everything curiously.

“This is the Seventh Outpost that Qian Tuo mentioned.” Qin Wu walked to the balcony and closed the window.

He had left in too much of a hurry that day. Fortunately, it hadn’t rained these past few days, otherwise, his home would have suffered.

After closing the doors and windows inside, Qin Wu looked at Consort Lian’s head with some trouble: “I have to go out in a moment, you look a bit conspicuous like this…”

Consort Lian said: “No matter, it’s just casting an illusion.”

Walking out the main door, Qin Wu headed toward the safe house Qian Tuo had told him about. According to Qian Tuo, no one else knew about that place, and there was an unregistered card inside.

Indeed, no one outside looked at Consort Lian.

After transferring a few times, Qin Wu stood before the safe house, which was three times larger than his own rented room, and couldn’t help but click his tongue.

Qian Tuo that kid is really rich!

He walked into the study, touched the mechanism on the bookshelf, and found a hidden compartment. Upon opening it, there was not only the unregistered card but also a white jade token carved with the words “Golden Jade”.

The outer city of the Seventh Outpost had a total of twelve districts; the larger the number, the poorer and more chaotic it was.

The Golden Jade Tower was located at the junction of the Fourth and Fifth Districts. Inside the Golden Jade Tower, anything could be traded as long as one could afford the price.

Qian Tuo’s safe house was in the Fifth District. Qin Wu changed his clothes and walked downstairs. The people on the road were dressed decently and hurried about their business. The streets on both sides were lined with bright shops. In a daze, he almost thought he had returned to his previous life.

“Welcome.” He walked into a small shop that specialized in selling masks. The proprietress, wearing a qipao, walked over gracefully.

“You’re still a student, right?” She sized up Qin Wu, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “The masks in our shop are all handmade, and the prices aren’t cheap.”

“What is your budget, and what type do you like? Sister can recommend a few styles for you.”

“Let me look first.” Qin Wu looked at the masks on the shelves; there were all kinds of styles, and the paintings on the masks were delicately drawn, but the prices were outrageous.

He walked around and finally took down a black evil ghost mask: “How much is this one?”

“One hundred thousand,” the proprietress said with a smile. “Although it’s a bit expensive, this one is engraved with two kinds of Talismans. One can conceal one’s aura, and the other can deepen others’ fear.”

Qin Wu nodded, took out Qian Tuo’s card, and handed it to her.

Not long after, Qin Wu, wearing the evil ghost mask, arrived within the vicinity of the Golden Jade Tower.

“Sir, please show your token.”

Outside the Golden Jade Tower, a person in white clothes and a white mask stopped him. His cultivation was at least Qi Refining Late Stage.

Qin Wu took out the white jade token and handed it over.

Inside the Golden Jade Tower, tokens had four Ranks. White jade was the fourth Rank, but it was enough for him right now.

When the white-masked person returned the token to him, he also handed over a key: “The White Jade Token can only be used to purchase resources for the Qi Refining Stage. Your room is on the first floor, number 64.”

The Golden Jade Tower was a nine-story building. Qin Wu took the key and walked in, finding his room.

It was very small inside, with an opaque window in the middle. Paper and pen were placed in front of the window, presumably for guests to write down their needs.

Qin Wu sat in the chair and picked up the pen.

He needed to prepare at least five Lightning Evasion Talismans, ten huiyuan pills to replenish spiritual power, five small Vitality Pills for healing, and a jade bottle to hold spiritual liquid.

When writing down ‘jade bottle,’ Qin Wu paused. Sun Qiankun should have one; perhaps he wouldn’t mind sharing one with him.

He erased ‘jade bottle’ from the last line he wrote and added a high-Rank Purification Potion at the end.

He thought of the child whose rotting flesh had started to fall off. Since he had promised to buy him a Purification Potion, he couldn’t go back on his word. However, the spirit poison in his body was already very severe; an Elementary Purification Potion wouldn’t do much good.

Soon, the paper was taken away and pushed back shortly after, with the price written next to every resource he wanted to buy.

The total was three million three hundred and ninety thousand.

The Golden Jade Tower did not accept haggling. Qin Wu handed the card in.

In less than fifteen minutes, his card and the required resources were handed out through the window by a pair of hands wearing black gloves.

Qin Wu put the items into his storage ring and walked straight out of the Golden Jade Tower.

Actually, the outer city had an underground black market where resources could also be bought and sold, and it was much cheaper than the Golden Jade Tower.

However, the authenticity of the goods could not be guaranteed, and within the confines of the Golden Jade Tower, one did not have to worry about being robbed and killed.

Turning into an empty alley, Qin Wu took off the mask, changed his clothes, and walked out.

He took the electric car and leaned by the window to rest his eyes. Consort Lian stuck to the window, looking outside curiously.

“Wake up, is the station you mentioned here?”

A strand of hair brushed across Qin Wu’s face. He opened his sleepy eyes and yawned.

Ever since the Holy Land enrollment event began, he hadn’t slept so soundly in a long time.

“This is it.” Seeing the hospital outside, Qin Wu got off the electric car. His mother was still hospitalized here.

Although he had hired a Caregiver, he still wanted to come and check on her to feel at ease.

Qin Wu took out his phone to check the time; it was exactly lunchtime. So, he searched for restaurants near the hospital and chose a private chef with good reviews, then walked in.

Everything sold here was suitable for patients and very nourishing, but the prices were also quite steep.

Qin Wu, holding Qian Tuo’s card, ordered several of the best-selling soups and main courses before walking into the hospital.

“Mom.” He walked into the ward carrying the takeout boxes. The Caregiver was not there. There was a fruit basket by the head of the bed, suggesting someone had visited her.

“School is off today, so I came back to see you. How has your health been these past few days?”

Li Yuerou stared out the window without saying a word, occasionally coughing a few times. Qin Wu placed the takeout boxes on the bedside table and first took out the soup.

The shop owner had placed a warming Talisman at the bottom of the takeout box, so the soup was still piping hot when taken out, with steam visibly rising from it.

“I bought this on the way; the reviews were not bad. Try some.”

Just as Qin Wu was about to hand her the soup, he saw Li Yuerou suddenly turn her head, her eyes filled with rage.

She fiercely waved her hand and knocked over the soup in Qin Wu’s hand; he didn’t react at all, and it all spilled onto him.

Immediately, a burning, stinging pain came from his chest.

He widened his eyes, looking at the food box rolling on the floor, seemingly not understanding what had happened.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

“You… cough, cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough!”

Li Yuerou covered her mouth and coughed violently, unable to utter a single word. Finally, she even coughed up blood.

Qin Wu’s expression twisted for a moment. Enduring the sharp pain in his chest, he walked outside, fetched a cup of warm water, and handed it to her.

“Mom, don’t rush. Take a sip first.”

After drinking the water, Li Yuerou’s coughing gradually subsided. She gripped Qin Wu’s arm tightly, her nails almost digging into his flesh.

“You haven’t been going to school these past few days, have you?”