Chapter 43: "The Strange Rock inside the Treasury"
Although she still doesn't know all that much about the foe, but the appearance of a quasi-alchemist worried Ling Yue greatly.
Thinking of the dagger in her sleeve and the spirit imprint from before, she speculates both are deeds originating from this Master Lian.
And those Ice Freezing Grasses, what are the Song family up to now?
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Before she knew it while she's lost in her own thoughts, Ling Yue was already outside the Ye family's manor where Ye Huang Yun (big uncle) and Ye Huang Cheng (hated uncle) was hurrying out with a group of martialists from the family.
"Ling Yue, you just came back from the mountain hunt, why are you not taking a good rest?" Ye Huang Yun kindly inquires.
To be able to come out winning in this mountain hunt where dangerous anomalies were all around, Ye Huang Yun sure took the spotlight this time because his son was the one leading the team. Though he did find out afterwards that the spirit beast was only through luck that Ling Yue caught it, but nevertheless it did benefited him and his son greatly. Besides, ever since Ling Yue regained her sanity, the Ye family's been going through one good thing after another, just that fact alone was enough to turn his attitude into a good one.
"Big uncle, I'm fine. Where are you going in such a hurry?" Ling Yue inquires, but was immediately met with a scornful grunting sound from Ye Huang Cheng (hated uncle).
"Only a kid, since when did a youngster get the right to question the work of the adults."
"Huang Cheng, you... don't mind your fourth uncle. This time it's all thanks to your fortune that the family was able to retrieve the mining rights to the Seven Slope Mountain. I and your fourth uncle is going to see the mayor now to see if we can hurry up the exchange process of the mines." Ye Huang Yun knows very well that this younger brother of his didn't look kindly towards their third sister and her daughter. In the end, he can only shake his head helplessly.
"Speaking of the Song family... big uncle, I was just passing through the market when I saw Song Guang Zhi and a young man entering the medicine shop. From their words, it sounded like they just bought a large shipment of herbs to be used in something. Maybe its related to the Seven Slope Mines?" Due to the issue of her position, she can only say it in a roundabout manner in hopes of her big uncle paying extra attention to this fact.
It's unknown what the possible uses are for the Ice Freezing Grasses, but it can't be good knowing who's behind it.
"There's not an ounce of relationship with the medicine shop and Seven Slope Mine. Don't think just because you went to the forge for a little while that you know everything, understand. Big brother, the hours getting late, let's hurry to the mayor's place lest the Song family tries to play dirty." Against Ye Huang Cheng's impatience, Ye Huang Yun can only nod and hurriedly leave with everyone.
Beyond the Ye family expectation, the Song family didn't try to drag out the process. Under the auspice eyes of Mayor Liu, the Song family promised to hand over the mine in three days after settling the account books.
Naturally Ye Gu would finally drop the weighing stone inside his heart at this news, but Ling Yue on the other hand wasn't so relaxed.
Nevertheless, her focus was soon attracted to the treasury instead.
Following the victory on the mountain hunt, Ye Gu not only doubled everyone's monthly allowance, they were also awarded with the right to pick out a weapon of their choosing from the family's treasury.
For the youngsters of the family, this reward was a huge temptation that's difficult to resist, Ling Yue was no exception.
After all, the Ye family's treasury contains a wide collection of weapons and armors gathered by generations of ancestors in the family. At the critical moment, many of these things could save their lives.
A few days later under the guidance of big cousin Ye Saint, Ling Yue and the others were brought into the treasury, blinding their eyes with the various valuables in front of them.
There is a total of two rooms for the treasury, one for the weapons of various sizes like bows, axes, spears, swords, and other things.
The second was for armors like wrist bands, helmets, and a wide range of suits designed for each sex.
"Ling Yue, you can have a look around and choose first." Knowing Ling Yue was the biggest hero in this hunt, Ye Saint didn't get stingy and offered to let her pick first.
Towards this arrangement, the others didn't have any objection, even Ye Qing didn't make a peep and kept silent.
Pick whatever I need?
Ling Yue pinches her mouth to one side unhappily, I need everything okay! Weapons, armor, I want them all. Who can blame me when I used to be a girl without father and was mentally challenged.
But what to pick? She asks herself this.
Prior to entering the treasury, her mother had reminded her not to blindly choose the most valuable thing to come into her eyes, instead pick the thing most suitable for herself.
Although the treasury contains a lot of nice weapons and armors, but considering she had the flying dagger, these general class gears really didn't mean much anymore.
After a long while of indecision, she finally gives up.
"Big cousin, best all of you pick first, I want to look around some more." Ling Yue apologizes and smiled at everyone.
Not being polite, Ye Saint and the others went ahead for they've been heatedly eyeing their own favorite items for a while now.
Strolling through the room to screen the shelves, the cauldron inside her hand suddenly began to act up when she got close to one of the cupboards.
This wasn't the first time Ling Yue experienced this sort of feeling before. Hurrying over, she rummages through the shelf and found a dirty looking rock as the source of this tingling sensation.
The stone was flat and ordinary, no matter how she looked at it, this shouldn't be kept inside a treasury room.
Curiously picking it up, she immediately knew then this rock wasn't as normal as it seems.
So heavy!
Surprised by the weight, she hurries to send the spirit smoke inside to check.
One look in, the only thing she can see was a densely packed group of light specs. Strangely enough, these light specs looked similar to a form of liquid.
Seems her insight was a bit lacking. Aside from something like Yuan Iron, she can't make out anything else from this rock.
"Ling Yue, this piece of ore you are holding was excavated by our Ye family's great ancestor inside the Seven Slope Mountain. No one knows what it is so it's been stored inside the treasury room for all these years." Ye Saint kindly explains to her from one side.
"Then I want this piece of ore Big cousin." Ling Yue's choice perplexed Ye Saint, but since they agreed to let everyone freely make their own choices, he and the others are in no position to say anything.
Aside from the strange rock Ling Yue picked, everyone else seems to have gotten something of great value: Ye Saint with his spear, Ye Qing with his armor, Ye Ning and Ye Ying both picked a weapon.
Each with their own prize, the five was happily chatting away as they came out of the treasury room when a martialist came running over to whisper something into Ye Saint's ear.
"How outrageous, the Song family are going too far!" Ye Saint turned beet red after hearing what the guy had to say.
"Big cousin, what's going on?" Ling Yue knew something bad has happened.
"What else can it be? It's to do with the mine. News just came back that the entire Seven Slope Mine is ruined." Ye Saint's word left all four of them looking at each other in dismay. Not saying more, Ye Saint headed for the Seven Star Mountain along with everyone else.