Chapter 128 – The Great Zhou Treasury Ignites Chaos, Tang Qiu’s Farewell, and Living Life Chronicle - Part 1

A few days later.

A steward from the Red Ant Guild quietly arrived in Gemhill County with a fresh list of goods for the Blood Blade Sect. This time, five people gathered around the table—Steward Wei of the Red Ant Guild, Li Yuan, Tie Sha, Old Ding, and Yu Chaojin.

Unlike their previous meetings, the atmosphere felt different. While Li Yuan and the others flipped through the catalog, Tie Sha remained still. Suddenly, he turned to Steward Wei and said, “We’ve known each other for years. I have a favor to ask. If you can help, I’d be most grateful.”

Steward Wei frowned slightly. “I’m just a steward of the Red Ant Guild,” he replied. “If it’s within my power, I’ll do what I can.”

Tie Sha hesitated a moment before clasping his hands respectfully and smiling. “I’m wondering if your guild has any dealings with the Sacred Fire Palace or if you happen to pass by Blackwood in Ocean Province?”

Steward Wei immediately understood. His expression eased, and he replied, “Ah, so that’s what this is about. Well, the news isn’t really a secret in the Central Plains, so I don’t mind sharing it with you, Sect Master Tie.”

He began his explanation, “Two years ago, the Red Lotus Prince proclaimed himself emperor, changed the name of the Great Zhou to Great Qi, and has been indulging in debauchery at the Jade Capital ever since. Meanwhile, the former emperor fled west, managed to regain his footing, and has now called upon the major powers to exterminate the Red Lotus Prince.

“The Sacred Fire Palace, too, answered that call and is currently locked in a bitter struggle with the Red Lotus Cult. If you head there now, you’ll be dragged straight into that war. Blades and spears show no mercy, you might not come back. Because of the fighting, our Red Ant Guild no longer travels through the Oceanstate Province; we simply go around it.

Tie Sha looked surprised. “Why would the Sacred Fire Palace obey the emperor’s order?”

“Why, you ask? It’s not that they’re obeying blindly. Rather, the emperor has promised that if they succeed, he’ll open the Great Zhou Treasury and allow each major faction to take three items as a reward.

“The Great Zhou Treasury is said to hold all the precious artifacts amassed by the dynasty over countless generations. In the past, the imperial family hoarded them; few were ever allowed inside, and they refused to use those treasures to strengthen outsiders. That stubbornness was part of how the Red Lotus Prince seized his chance in the first place.

“Back In the Great Zhou’s glory days, the imperial vault was revered as a sacred place. Even showing too much curiosity about it could get you arrested. And now, that same vault is being offered as a reward. It’s quite ironic, really.

“Beyond that, the Red Lotus Prince is completely unfit for rule. He’s proclaimed himself emperor but refuses to offer other factions any benefit. All he’s done is demand that the major powers rush to the Jade Capital and pledge fealty.

“Perhaps he wants to use this chance to negotiate, but these factions are all kings in their own right. None would bow to him so easily. They’d rather see the previous emperor restored and the realm remain the Great Zhou, so they can maintain their own stability.”

Steward Wei spoke at length, and Li Yuan felt a subtle shock course through him, his pupils narrowing. To Steward Wei, it was just casual talk, but to Li Yuan, it meant something more.

Steward Wei had mentioned only how the Red Lotus Rebels seized the capital and how the imperial family was offering access to the Great Zhou Treasury as a reward to rally the world’s powers against them.

Yet Li Yuan suspected there was more to it—perhaps something Steward Wei had overlooked, or something he simply hadn’t considered.

For ages, the Great Zhou Dynasty had been seen as powerful; no one dared probe too deeply into its real strength.

The Great Zhou Treasury was rumored to contain countless treasures, but nobody ever tried to take them.

Now, however, the Red Lotus Cult had toppled the imperial family, forcing the Emperor to flee west and open the treasury to entice others into destroying the rebels.

What did that mean? It meant that the Great Zhou had laid bare its weaknesses for all to see.

The dynasty was no longer the unassailable power it once was, yet it still possessed enormous wealth.

An ordinary man was guiltless, but possessing a priceless treasure would only invite trouble. If a mere rebel prince could seize the throne, who was to say someone else couldn’t do the same?

If the initial rebellion had only stirred a basic level of turmoil, then capturing the Jade Capital and crowning the rebel leader elevated the chaos to a moderate level. But with the previous emperor now flinging open the doors of the Great Zhou Treasury to entice powerful factions to retake the capital, the chaos was on the verge of leaping straight to a nightmare level.

Li Yuan could already envision different powers carving up the land and slaughtering one another, creating a veritable hell on earth. He had read enough history books in his previous life to know just how grim things could become. He sighed inwardly. He had to get stronger, quickly, if he wanted to survive this coming storm.

Tie Sha bowed. “I see. Thank you, Steward Wei.”

Steward Wei smiled. “No need to thank me. But with things as they are, Sect Master Tie. Do you still plan to travel with our caravan? If so, you’ll have to leave us once we reach the vicinity of Ocean Province.”

Tie Sha fell silent, deep in thought. He was a practical man and wouldn’t throw himself into obvious danger. Venturing to the Sacred Fire Palace now was basically marching into a warzone. A risky gamble.

After a moment, he pulled two gold ingots from his robe and pushed them forward. “I’d appreciate it if you could keep an eye on the situation in Oceanstate Province for me. If the time isn’t right, there’s no point in me running headlong into trouble. For now, I won’t be going anywhere.”

Yu Chaojin looked up suddenly, then lowered his head, frustration etched across his face.

Steward Wei accepted the gold ingots with a calm expression. “Though you’re in a small corner of the empire, you certainly know how to act decisively. I’ll keep an eye on things for you. Next year, I’ll return here and give you the latest news.”

“My thanks.” Tie Sha cupped his hands in salute, adding, “If all goes as planned, I’ll have a handsome reward waiting for you.”

“No need to stand on ceremony.” Steward Wei chuckled and returned Tie Sha’s bow.

Meanwhile, Li Yuan, seeing that their conversation had concluded, finally spoke up. “Steward Wei, do you have any sixth rank skills or sixth rank demonic beast meat for sale?”

He was considering ways to increase his blood concentration and pressure. Perhaps sixth rank demonic beast meat would help. True, a sixth rank cultivation technique containing a life chronicle was far too rare, but obtaining a sixth rank skill alone seemed more plausible.

Steward Wei’s response was blunt. “The guild has strict rules. Any sixth rank items must be paid for in blood gold—or bartered for equivalent goods. We don’t accept regular gold or silver.”

Li Yuan took out a single gold ingot and set it on the table, sliding it forward slowly. Steward Wei didn’t move. Li Yuan placed another ingot on top of the first, pushing them both within the steward’s reach.

At that, Steward Wei scooped them up without a word and tucked them away in his robe. Clearing his throat, he explained further, “You see, these rules aren’t ours alone; it’s practically an unspoken agreement across the land. The major powers already have plenty of gold, silver, and ordinary resources like demonic beast meat. Such transactions are enough to cover their everyday expenses. But sixth rank and above...be it a life chronicle, high-level skills, or rare materials, these are incredibly scarce.

“By the time one reaches sixth rank, they can practically fight an entire army single-handedly. That kind of strength is a threat no major faction wants springing up outside its control. So, all sixth rank manuals, skills, and materials are tightly guarded. If you want to ascend to that level, you basically have to join one of these powers.

“As for blood gold, it’s a specialized currency used by those at sixth rank and above. It’s prized for its brilliant color, almost like fiery jade. Its value goes far beyond mere gold or silver. A single ounce of blood gold, when its essence is extracted, is as nourishing as consuming a kilogram of sixth rank demonic beast meat.

“Once you’ve reached sixth rank, the amount of beast meat you have to consume every month is considerable. And let’s be honest, most high rank demonic beasts taste terrible, with coarse, stringy meat. Extracting the blood directly from blood gold makes training far more convenient, without having to choke down unpleasant meals. It’s for that reason blood gold is so valuable. It serves as currency and a vital resource.”

Li Yuan listened quietly, then nodded in understanding. He realized that, for the sake of order and control, all the great factions had tacitly agreed to limit how easily people could rise to sixth rank. It wasn’t exactly a total ban; there just weren’t many resources to go around, and if they had to split them with fewer people, each faction could reap larger shares. Moreover, real cultivation treasures like life chronicles were famously rare, impossible to reproduce by mere copying.

So long as these powers kept a firm grip on the upper echelons of martial strength, no one outside their ranks could easily break through—and that was precisely how they wanted it.

Li Yuan inclined his head respectfully. “Steward Wei, if it’s not too much trouble, could you tell me more about these major factions?”

Steward Wei paused in thought. “Such matters are well beyond the purview of a mere steward. In the Central Plains, the Sacred Fire Palace is already quite formidable by most standards. Yet above them lie even more powerful player, concealed in the shadows. Their name is a guarded secret, not something people like me would know. Perhaps only the guild master himself has a clue.”

That answer didn’t come as a surprise, especially since Tie Sha was just as much in the dark. Of course, there was also a chance Steward Wei was simply being cagey. Some things were too sensitive to discuss openly.

“Thank you,” Li Yuan said, then pushed the catalog across the table. “I’d like to order 500 kg of seventh rank demonic beast meat and pick up these skills as well.”

Steward Wei glanced at the marked items. “That comes to 1,600 taels of gold in total.”

Li Yuan nodded. He’d steeled himself for such a large expenditure. After this purchase, he’d have little left. He still had to keep his restaurant, winery, and teahouse running, which all required money. A total of 1,600 taels of gold was essentially his limit.