Chapter 399: Blood River Stone

Xu Sanyan realized he had been overthinking things. No matter how deranged the First Madam might be, she would never try to seduce him. It was clear she had something to discuss.

The First Madam’s courtyard was located within the main residence, though it was a separate compound. Xu Sanyan rarely visited, having only come a few times when he married Wang Mingxin.

The courtyard was filled with a profusion of flowers, many of which he couldn’t name. Stone-paved paths wound through the flowerbeds, creating a serene and elegant atmosphere.

A maid led him through the courtyard to where the First Madam sat on a bamboo chair, pruning flowers.

“You’ve arrived. Please, sit,” she said, looking up with a warm smile and a nod before resuming her pruning.

The maid who had escorted him turned and left without another word.

Xu Sanyan didn’t interrupt. He sat quietly, watching the First Madam tend to the flower. In truth, the flower didn’t need much pruning; perhaps this task was merely a way for her to calm her mind and gather her thoughts.

Some people habitually do something while thinking, and it seemed the First Madam was one of them.

The First Madam planted the small knife in the soil, turned around, clapped her hands, and said with a gentle smile, “I heard your cultivation level has improved again. This is truly cause for celebration.”

Xu Sanyan replied humbly, “You flatter me, Mother-in-law. It was merely good fortune, nothing worth mentioning.”

The First Madam chuckled softly and shook her head. “This is no mere stroke of luck. It’s a testament to your exceptional talent. There’s no need for false modesty.”

Despite her being his mother-in-law, Xu Sanyan had no patience for small talk. He cut straight to the point, “Do you have something you wish to discuss, Mother-in-law? Please speak plainly.”

The First Madam paused, surprised by his impatience. She abandoned her roundabout approach. “Indeed, there is something. After much deliberation, I’ve concluded that you are the most suitable person for this task.”

This old one?

Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping quickly over the First Madam’s figure. Her prominent chest, flawless skin, and voluptuous curves seemed utterly incongruous with the term “this old one.”

Yet her self-designation wasn’t entirely inappropriate. Though she appeared youthful, the First Madam was undeniably older and Xu Sanyan’s elder. Referring to herself as “this old one” was therefore fitting.

“Please speak plainly,” he urged.

Xu Sanyan didn’t immediately agree. He wanted to hear what the matter was first, and what he would gain from it.

He certainly wouldn’t help for free, even if she was his nominal mother-in-law.

The First Madam, well-versed in human nature, would never ask for a favor without offering something in return. She first retrieved five soul crystals from her robes and arranged them on the table. Only when Xu Sanyan showed a flicker of interest did she speak.

“I need you to go to the Li Clan and bring someone back for me.”

Xu Sanyan frowned. “Bring someone back?”

The Wang and Li Clans were neighbors, but the distance between them was still considerable—a three- to five-day journey under normal circumstances. With the current dangers outside the city, the return trip could easily take seven or eight days.

Adding to the risks were the numerous ghost beasts along the way, and the burden of escorting someone else meant he wouldn’t have a moment’s peace.

After considering it, it wasn’t that he couldn’t do it, but the key was…

Xu Sanyan glanced at the five soul crystals on the stone table.

Too little.

The reward didn’t justify the risk. For a mere five soul crystals, he wouldn’t risk his life.

The First Madam, clearly aware of the dangers outside the city, quickly clarified, “This is just a partial payment. There will be a substantial reward once the person is safely returned.”

The conversation between the two women felt less like a mother-in-law and son-in-law exchange and more like a cold, calculated transaction.

Xu Sanyan raised his eyebrows. “Who is so important that you would go to such lengths? Why not have the Li Clan send someone? Wouldn’t that be more convenient?”

The First Madam sighed and slowly shook her head. “It’s my younger sister. She’s always been a bit simple-minded. Normally, she’s fine in the Li Clan, but these are no ordinary times…”

The First Madam gazed into the thick fog, her heart heavy with worry.

If the Li Clan were to fall into crisis, her defenseless sister would surely perish without someone to care for her. Bringing her here was the only viable option.

After much deliberation, the First Madam concluded that Xu Sanyan was the most suitable choice. Firstly, his high cultivation level guaranteed her sister’s safety. Secondly, as her son-in-law, their familial bond would ensure his loyalty.

Xu Sanyan had no interest in their sisterly bond. He adhered to a single principle: profit.

The First Madam’s empty promise of “generous rewards” for risking his life was pure fantasy. Xu Sanyan demurred, “The mountain paths are long and treacherous, teeming with ghost beasts. Traveling alone is manageable, but escorting another person would be far too dangerous…”

The refusal in his words was unmistakable. The First Madam sighed, “Soul crystals are precious, and I have few left. However, I do have something else that might serve as a token of gratitude.”

Xu Sanyan remained silent, lifting his head in curiosity. The First Madam turned her hand over, revealing a blood-red stone. Smooth as an egg, it emitted a faint glow in the misty air, its extraordinary nature immediately apparent.

“What is this?” Xu Sanyan frowned.

He sensed a chaotic energy emanating from the stone, thick with the stench of blood and malevolent qi—clearly not something benign.

“A Blood River Stone.”

The First Madam tossed the stone to him, urging him to examine it closely.

Xu Sanyan grasped the stone. Aside from a slight chill in his palm, he felt nothing else. It might serve as a cooling item in summer, at best.

“What use is this to me?” Xu Sanyan asked, puzzled.

“One or two stones are useless, of course. But with enough, you can draw malevolent qi into your body to temper your flesh, allowing you to advance further in body refinement.”

Knowing that Xu Sanyan cultivated the path of the physical body, the First Madam had specially prepared Blood River Stones as his reward.

“However, this item has its drawbacks,” she explained, making no attempt to conceal the risks. “The malevolent qi it contains can easily corrupt the mind. You must remain constantly vigilant to prevent cultivation deviation.”

Xu Sanyan held the Blood River Stone, his brow furrowed in thought. He didn’t yet know the stone’s true effectiveness, but it seemed it could be used for other purposes…

Coincidentally, the Soul-Gathering Brilliance-Preserving Grand Formation also relied on turbid energy to defile the heavenly dao. If he incorporated this stone into the formation…

After careful consideration, Xu Sanyan shook his head in rejection. With his current cultivation level in the Formation Dao, he was far from capable of modifying the Great Formation. Any attempt to add to it would be like gilding the lily. He had a clear understanding of his own limitations.

I’ll wait until I’ve fully mastered the Great Formation before considering this.

“How many of these stones can you provide?” Xu Sanyan asked, looking up.

The First Madam raised a single finger. “One hundred.”

“One hundred…”

Xu Sanyan weighed his options. He didn’t yet know the Blood River Stone’s true effectiveness, but he estimated it couldn’t match the potency of pool milk. Given its inherent risks, its value couldn’t be particularly high.

One hundred is too few.

“Five hundred.”

“Agreed,” the First Madam replied instantly, nodding.

Damn, I should have asked for more…

“I want them now.”

“Very well.”

The First Madam wasn’t worried about him taking the money and running. She promptly retrieved a storage pouch and tossed it to him.

(End of the Chapter)