Chapter Forty-One: Dragon Vein

Thinking of this, Lin Wan became even more eager to curry favor with Qin Tian.

"Young Master Qin, let me massage your shoulders for you!" No sooner had she spoken than she ran behind Qin Tian to knead his shoulders and back.

She had often used such methods to please her great-grandfather back in her family, so her technique was quite refined. Qin Tian felt very comfortable and did not refuse.

When evening arrived, Qin Tian signaled that it was time for Lin Wan to return. Though she wished to stay the night, she had no choice but to leave once he had given the cue.

Upon returning home, she immediately sought out her great-grandfather and recounted the day's events. He was deeply shocked by her report. He had never imagined that a master of the Emperor Realm and another formidable expert were hiding in Qingyun City.

His expression turned solemn at the thought. "This must be a master who has attained enlightenment while living among the mundane world. Do not disturb him often, lest you provoke his ire." He paused, then added, "As for the shares of his book, we shall decline them; give him all the profits."

Lin Wan nodded, suppressing her own selfish thoughts.

Meanwhile, at the Qingmu Chamber of Commerce, times were becoming increasingly difficult. Their business had halved, largely due to the traffic drawn away by Qin Tian’s *The Legend of the White Snake* and the three artistic concept paintings Lin Wan had purchased from him. Customers who reached a certain spending threshold in the Lin family's shop were granted one day to contemplate the paintings for free. When news broke that some had achieved breakthroughs during their contemplation, the shop’s business flourished even more. Furthermore, they seized the opportunity to launch a series of promotional events to stimulate consumption.

Qing Hongming was frantic. If he could not find a solution, the Qingyun City market might soon cease to be a contest between two firms, with the Lin Family Chamber of Commerce becoming the sole hegemon. After much deliberation, he decided to speak with Qin Tian personally. He reasoned that since Qin Tian was selling books, he must be after wealth—and could surely be swayed by spirit stones.

The next day, Qing Hongming went to the Artistic Conception Gallery alone and knocked on the door. Once Qin Tian opened it and heard his proposal, Qing Hongming began to bargain: "Mr. Qin, a copy of *The Legend of the White Snake* only earns you one supreme-grade spirit stone. If you are willing to cooperate with us, I will offer you 100,000 supreme-grade spirit stones and give you eighty percent of all future profits. I also know you are the one selling the artistic concept paintings; if you have more, I am willing to buy them for 100,000 supreme-grade spirit stones each."

Qin Tian refused outright. Had this been earlier, he might have been tempted, but to him now, hundreds of thousands of spirit stones were just numbers with little real meaning. He published the story simply because his work had gained recognition, which pleased him.

Qing Hongming, assuming his offer was too low, began to increase it. 150,000? Qin Tian shook his head. 200,000? Qing Hongming gritted his teeth and added another 50,000. Qin Tian remained unmoved.

Seeing Qin Tian's reaction, Qing Hongming’s face turned pale with anger. According to his intelligence, Qin Tian was an outsider who didn't even own his own house, so how could he not be short of money? He concluded that Qin Tian was simply playing hard to get.

"I will add one last time: 250,000 supreme-grade spirit stones."

Qin Tian, tired of the entanglement, said bluntly, "The opportunity was given to you at the start, but you missed it. No matter how much you say, it is useless."

"My subordinate was blind then, but I already had him kneel and apologize to you," Qing Hongming argued. "I have shown enough sincerity; surely you wouldn't hold a grudge against spirit stones? Do you know what 250,000 supreme-grade spirit stones are worth? It would take a Creation Realm warrior ten years to earn that much!" He spoke with renewed confidence, adding, "One must know how to weigh the pros and cons. Don't be ungrateful."

Qin Tian laughed at his words and replied with disdain, "Is 250,000 really that much?"

With that, he pulled out the supreme-grade storage ring Lin Wan had given him and said, "This is the 800,000 supreme-grade spirit stones the Lin Family Chamber of Commerce just gave me. Your perspective is too narrow."

Qing Hongming froze at the sight of the supreme ring. As the primary competitor, how could he not recognize the exclusive supreme storage ring? It was reserved for the highest-tier members of the Lin Family Chamber, typically requiring a million-stone threshold, and it granted a twenty-percent discount on all purchases.

While he stood there stunned, Qin Tian slammed the door shut.

Qin Tian poured himself a cup of tea and began to miss An Miaoling. In the past, she would always brew tea for him whenever she saw him sitting. He wanted to return to see her, but the main mission of his journey remained unfinished. He needed to continue searching for his own Dao.

Since he was idle now, he began to contemplate. He practiced the *He-Hua-Zi-Zai* technique, the most magical aspect of which was the ability to embody all spirits. He could transform into a master of the sword, the blade, or the fist. It was precisely because of this that he could not grasp what his own true Dao was.

Qin Tian began to reflect on his past. Initially, he had just been hiding on Hidden Sword Peak, living a simple, stagnant life. But after An Miaoling arrived, everything changed, and he developed feelings for his disciple. Later, he began to cultivate and gather followers to help her seek revenge. The enemies he encountered grew stronger, from the Half-Saint level to the current Emperor Realm, and he felt a growing sense of urgency. He was no longer the boy who just wanted to lie flat. He wanted to protect those he cared about, like An Miaoling and Bai Xiaoru.

At that moment, he seemed to reach an epiphany. What he lacked was not a specific Dao, but a heart of cultivation that sought to grow stronger. Before, he was confused because he didn't understand this, but now that he did, it became his motivation.

The most important elements of cultivation are wealth, reputation, companions, techniques, and location. His previous tasks related to wealth and reputation; wealth allowed for faster growth and the ability to recruit followers, while reputation brought deterrence and attracted talent. For companions, he had An Miaoling, someone to progress with. For techniques, he had the System. What he lacked now was location—a place conducive to cultivation, which could make his efforts twice as effective.

Just then, a system notification chimed.

*Ding!*

[Task: Acquire the Azure Dragon Vein. The Azure Dragon Vein will appear in the Qingyun Mountain Range within a year. It will increase the density of spiritual energy within a thirty-kilometer radius by double, and by tenfold within a three-kilometer radius.]

Seeing the benefits, he realized he truly needed to obtain it. Tenfold spiritual energy—one could only imagine how fast his cultivation speed would become. He looked forward to improving alongside An Miaoling, the little fox, and his subordinates.

He decided to stay in Qingyun City and wait; he would surely sense any disturbance when the time came. The fact that the system had not yet unsealed his spiritual power suggested that obtaining the Dragon Vein was the key to unlocking it.