Chapter 151 – The Auspicious Casino (1/2)
Li Qingshan said, “Is the Academy of the Hundred Schools really that great? So much so that you think of it constantly, sir?”
Zhou Wenbin said, “That’s the foundation of Great Xia, the place that gathers all the young talents across the fifteen hundred kilometers of the Clear River prefecture. Of course, it’s a good place. What do you think of my talent for cultivation?”
Li Qingshan praised, “Sir, you are obviously outstanding to have reached the sixth layer of Qi Practitioner at your age and become the magistrate of an entire district, standing above millions.” He could not help but sigh inside. It spanned one thousand five hundred kilometers. That was the size of western Europe. Just what kind of sight would it be for all the talents in an area as large as that to gather in one place, cultivating and learning together?
Zhou Wenbin shook his head with a bitter smile. “How am I outstanding? I’m just barely the average. As for my status as a district magistrate, true prodigies have no need for these additional factors for cultivation. They would never waste time on governing people. All they need to do is focus on cultivation, and they will make it further than me.”
He was a sixth layer Qi Practitioner, yet he was barely the average?
Li Qingshan was slightly surprised. “There are many generations of people of talent in the world. There’s no need to underestimate yourself, sir.” He was not surprised by the fact that there were many people better at practising qi than him, as he understood that his talent for practising qi was nothing special, and he had only just started. He did not have any guidance either, constantly relying on common pills like Qi Gathering pills.
It was very likely for those from large Qi Practitioner clans to begin cultivating since young. They would be able to resolve their queries by asking powerful masters or seniors, and they would eat precious pills that he would not have even heard of. If their cultivation talent was just rather decent on top of all of this, they would be prodigies of cultivation.
Whether it be time, resources, or talent, there were plenty of people that surpassed him. There was nothing unfair about having people at a higher cultivation than him. This was what a head start was. Regardless of the world or age, this would always happen. Compared to grumbling, he might as well put in some more effort instead. Were those kings and lords really just born more superior than everyone else?
Zhou Wenbin said, “Your commander Hua Chengzan is the same. Although he comes from a renowned clan, he has always remained in the Academy of the Hundred Schools to study. Even now, he has yet to completely leave it. When I see him, I even have to call him senior brother! There’s a saying that that the talents of the world all emerge from the hundred schools. You really should consider it!”
Li Qingshan had once heard from Gu Yanying that Hua Chengzan was a tenth layer Qi Practitioner. Gu Yanying had even lectured him to stop hanging out with women so much. Back then, he still did not really have a perspective on what a tenth layer Qi Practitioner was, but now, he understood just what that meant. He had opened all of his extraordinary meridians and was a single step away from the first heavenly tribulation. Even if Li Qinghan daemonified, there was no way he could defeat someone like that.
Zhou Wenbin said, “This falls within my duty, so you can’t call it help. I’m basically under no constraints in Jiaping city, and there’s not really any work I’m forced to do either. It’s all up to me. However, there is something I must do, which is choose a hundred talented men and women every year to send them off to the Academy of the Hundred Schools to study.”
The requirements were surprisingly lax. Li Qingshan asked, “That simple? As long as you have the talent to cultivate?”
Zhou Wenbin said, “Entering is easy, but remaining is difficult. How long you can remain there for will be up to your own ability.”
Li Qingshan pondered silently for a while. “Oh right, do you still need money, sir?”
Zhou Wenbin said, “Ever since I became the district magistrate, there hasn’t been a single time when I don’t need money. Looks like you’ve reaped quite the harvest this time!”
Li Qingshan took out several million taels of silver notes and handed it all over, dismissing it as all from the Qian family. He obtained over fifty Qi Gathering pills from Zhou Wenbin, and as a result, the number of pills on him broke three hundred once again. It would be enough to last him a short while.
Regular Qi Practitioners experienced a limited frequency of ingesting pills. However, to a daemon like him, he could never get enough of them. He would be forced to budget it carefully. If only there was a day when he could eat pills as he wished.
Moreover, the Qi Gathering pills he obtained from Zhou Wenbin all had fantastic purity and quality. Every single one of them was tiny. Although their effects were the same, they were much smaller than Qian Yannian’s Qi Gathering pills.
“Were these pills refined by you, sir?”
Zhou Wenbin said, “I once studied beneath a renowned master of the school of Medicine who specially focused on alchemy and apothecary. It’s just Qi Gathering pills, so it obviously proves no difficulty to refine.” The materials for Qi Gathering pills were relatively easy to collect as well. As the magistrate of an entire district, a single order of his could prompt countless people to go searching for medicinal herbs.
Li Qingshan thought about how if he had the opportunity, checking out the Academy of the Hundred Schools would be quite a good idea. It was impossible for him to seek guidance over refining pills, creating talismans, or formations from a person he just came across on the street. It would be best if he formally studied a little instead. Out of wealth, companionship, method, and environment, he could not go without companionship.
But now was still not the time. There were many powerful Foundation Establishment cultivators in Clear River city. It would be very easy for Xiao An to be discovered if he just hid in the jar like this. He needed to rebuild the boy’s body first.
Li Qingshan stood up and bid farewell, leaving the government office. He did not travel in the direction of Clear river, but westward instead. He left the city along the main path.
Thirty-five kilometers away from Jiaping city, within the Auspicious casino of Silver Mountain town.
Although Silver Mountain town was just a town, it was more prosperous than most cities, as there really was a mountain of silver here. Who knows how many silver mines were hiding beneath the mountain, and who knows just how many people had struck it rich overnight and lost their lives on another night.
Although the Auspicious casino was a casino in a town, it was no worse than those first-rate casinos. Moreover, it welcomed everyone, regardless of wealth, treating everyone the same. As long as you had silver, you could gamble and try your luck there.
Whether it be the mine owners who had suddenly struck it rich or those miners who worked in precarious situations, they would all come here to try their luck.
Under the brilliant lantern light, curses, laughter, and roars of anger poured into everyone’s ears. The smell of sweat, smoke, and perfume mingled together.
Everyone’s gazes were firmly fixed on the gambling table. They clenched their hands as their eyes widened. Their expressions changed and twisted with the numbers on the dice. There was pleasure, anger, sorrow, and joy.