Chapter 514: Someone from Central Plains, Did She Learn Real Skills? (Requesting...)

Chapter 514: Someone from the Central Lands Came, Did She Really Learn Something? (Begging for Monthly Tickets!)

The lake shimmered with ripples, its surface after the first clearing of rain possessing a certain charm.

A young girl held a cleaver, gazing at the fish in the water, curiosity in her eyes.

"Is this a ghost fish? It looks no different from ordinary fish."

"Would a villain have the word 'villain' stamped on his forehead?"

"You have a point, Old Cleaver!"

With a light swing of the cleaver in her hand, the three words—fast, precise, ruthless—were brought to full expression.

It must be said, chopping vegetables was a tremendous improvement for Jiang Yunxi’s practical combat skills.

After all, she was born into nobility, with a silver spoon in her mouth, and had very little real combat experience.

Using a cleaver to cut vegetables counted as one of her few moments of hard training.

"You have slain a ghost fish with one strike; experience has increased slightly."

A cold, mechanical prompt sounded, and Jiang Yunxi blinked.

"Who is explaining this? I kill fish and gain experience—what kind of experience is that?"

Jiang Yunxi chattered endlessly, like a string of firecrackers popping without stop.

"Sorry, but killing the ghost fish means I’m the one gaining experience," Qi Yuan replied truthfully.

"You gain experience, so what do I gain?"

"You gain... experience in killing fish. In the future, when you cook, you’ll be very fast at killing fish?"

"Huh?"

"Don’t just stand there; there are still many ghost fish in here. Hurry up and kill them."

"Okay!"

"Watch out—if I hadn’t turned my head just now, you would have chopped this boat in half!"

"Sorry!"

"Nice knife skills—you’ve already sliced the ghost spirit into sashimi."

"What sashimi? Isn’t this dead fish slices?"

In Yeshan Lake, battles raged on. Jiang Yunxi, cleaver in hand, kept slaying the fish in the water.

Her expression was focused, her eyes filled with delight.

To her, every ghost spirit deserved death.

Her astonishing perseverance had no audience.

But that didn’t matter; she would go back and write in her diary, recording this fervent, perilous battle.

On the other side, Yun Li and Yun Hu on the boat felt a bit dizzy, both slightly seasick.

"The princess... she does have some skill."

"But venting her anger on these ordinary fish is really..."

"It’s fine, they’re just fish. As long as she doesn’t go deep and run into the Water Lord, all will be well."

"It’s getting dark soon; I think we’ll be heading back."

"The princess is afraid of the dark."

...

Deep in Yeshan Lake, a man like a water snake dove into the water and entered an underwater palace.

If any Imperial Soldier Envoy were here, they would surely recognize this man as an elder of Thorny Blood.

After all, the path of combining humans and ghost spirits was something Thorny Blood practiced most.

The Water Snake Elder slithered into the underground palace, moving deeper.

The environment changed; the water vanished as if a water-repelling pearl were present.

The underwater palace was no different from one on land.

A faint smell of blood drifted in, mixed with a scent like rust.

"How goes it?" The Water Snake Elder twisted his body, his serpentine eyes cold.

"Reporting to the elder, the ghostly spirit blood is almost brewed. However... the little darling we released some time ago seems to have been killed by a young girl.

She has two Earth-grade Imperial Soldier Envoys following her; we dared not act," the gray-robed man said nervously.

"Hmm?" A chill flashed in the Water Snake Elder’s cold eyes. "Discovered? No, if it were discovered, the Heavenly Sect would have reacted by now. This must be a coincidence.

Just keep an eye on it. Tomorrow, release more fish. I want this entire stretch of water to become a ghost domain!"

The Water Snake Elder’s face twisted, his smile especially eerie.

"Once the ghost domain is formed, and with the Water Lord’s aid, this Jining Prefecture will become my territory. Even if a Heaven-grade Imperial Soldier Envoy comes, they won’t be able to do anything to me!"

...

"Today was another diligent day; I killed quite a few ghost fish.

Alas, I am truly great, silently contributing to this world, not for fame, hiding my merit and name."

Jiang Yunxi wrote these words in her diary.

Just then, the silent cleaver spoke.

"Don’t you think the ghost fish have been increasing lately?"

Hearing this, Jiang Yunxi tilted her head in thought, her expression growing serious.

"You’re right—the ghost fish seem to be multiplying; I can’t kill them all."

"There are too many fish. Just using your hands, you kill fewer than they multiply."

"Then what should I do?" Jiang Yunxi looked worried.

"You need to upgrade your equipment."

"Huh?"

"Killing fish is too slow. You need to electrocute them—once the thunder strikes, a whole school of fish dies!"

Though electrocuting fish is unethical on Blue Star, this is the Green Mountain Realm, where it’s not illegal.

And they’re ghost fish, after all.

"How do I electrocute them?"

"It’s simple. Go buy some materials to help me evolve, and I’ll gain the lightning attribute.

However, these materials are very rare and usually not available on the open market," Qi Yuan said.

He had plenty of money, but when it came to buying forging materials, many were simply unobtainable.

This Jiang Yunxi, clearly a "naive rich girl," probably had plenty of connections.

"If you're short of money, go to the old man—he's got plenty of silver on him."

"Alright, just tell me the materials, and I'll go buy them tomorrow!"

Jiang Yunxi said earnestly.

The next day, Jiang Yunxi didn't chop vegetables. She put her cleaver into her bag, hung it at her waist, and headed toward the city.

About an hour later, she stopped before an ancient-looking pavilion.

This pavilion was only fifteen meters tall, but what caught the eye most was its weathered, timeworn appearance—as if a single gust of wind might topple it.

"Good thing I'm well-traveled and know about this branch of the Heavenly Workshop. The rare materials here are even more abundant than at the Artificer Association."

Thinking this, Jiang Yunxi walked toward the Heavenly Workshop branch.

A young man blocked her path.

"Private area. No entry."

Some branches of the Heavenly Workshop were off-limits to visitors and didn't conduct transactions.

"I'm a VIP of the Heavenly Workshop!" Jiang Yunxi produced a jade pendant.

The young man's expression shifted instantly, turning ingratiating.

"Take me to your treasury. I want to buy some materials."

Many of the Heavenly Workshop's rare materials weren't open to the public, but exceptions were made for VIPs like Jiang Yunxi.

"Very well."

In good spirits, Jiang Yunxi followed the young man toward the treasury.

"The Heavenly Workshop's treasury is a dazzling array of treasures—even more exquisite than the Artificer Association's collection."

Entering the workshop, Jiang Yunxi gazed at the multitude of materials and spoke to Qi Yuan.

The young man beside her smiled proudly, though a flicker of doubt crossed his mind.

Who was this VIP talking to?

"I need Heavenly Thunderwood, Fangxing Stone, Dan Cinnabar..." Jiang Yunxi listed the materials Qi Yuan required.

"Please wait a moment, honored guest. I'll have someone fetch them immediately," the young man said, inwardly stunned.

The materials Jiang Yunxi had mentioned were worth over three hundred thousand taels.

He was intensely curious about her identity—was she really that... wealthy?

The young man left, and Jiang Yunxi settled into a grand armchair, swinging her legs idly, looking pleased.

About a quarter of an hour later, footsteps echoed.

A petite woman pushed the door open, and when she saw Jiang Yunxi, a flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"Yunxi, it's you!"

"Sister Ye Zhen, what are you doing here?" Jiang Yunxi's eyes sparkled with delight.

Her VIP jade pendant had been given to her by Sister Ye Zhen.

Qi Yuan also sensed the newcomer.

It was an acquaintance—the one who had once invited him to join the Heavenly Workshop.

He felt little interest and continued his slumber.

"I heard this branch had a VIP visitor buying up rare materials in bulk, and it turns out to be you." Ye Zhen's eyes were curious.

Jiang Yunxi was a commandery princess, but she had no talent for artifact forging.

"What are you buying all these materials for?"

Ye Zhen was straightforward and close to Jiang Yunxi, so she asked directly.

"Cough, cough—it's a secret." Jiang Yunxi wasn't foolish enough to reveal it.

"These materials together must cost three hundred thousand taels. Yunxi, dear... you haven't been tricked by some scoundrel, have you?" Ye Zhen's voice turned slightly cold with concern.

This little sister was a naive spendthrift—such a huge sum would have to be "stolen" to obtain.

She feared Jiang Yunxi might be swindled out of both money and virtue by some young artificer.

"Sister Ye Zhen, don't worry. I'm not stupid. This money isn't mine," Jiang Yunxi said nonchalantly.

*You're not stupid?* Ye Zhen thought to herself.

Still, learning it wasn't Jiang Yunxi's own silver, she breathed a little easier.

Jiang Yunxi was surely being watched over by protectors wherever she went, so she probably wouldn't be allowed to fall into danger.

"Since you're so short on materials, how about attending the Artificer Assembly in a few days? There should be plenty of rare materials on display." Ye Zhen spoke casually, though an unshakable shadow lingered in her eyes.

These days, Mount Ye Lake was swarming with experts from all sides, especially artificers.

The renowned Blazing Flame Artificer and other Earth-grade artificers had all gathered, having witnessed the Azure Dragon.

Yet none of them were confident about repairing the Azure Dragon.

Even an Earth-grade Weapon Master couldn't do it.

Could anyone else?

This Artificer Assembly might end in failure—the Water Lord... would be hard to eliminate.

"I'm afraid I won't have time."

The materials she was buying now were enough for the cleaver's evolution, so Jiang Yunxi wouldn't attend the Artificer Assembly.

"Aren't you the one who loves a good spectacle?" Ye Zhen asked curiously.

"Sister Ye Zhen, I'll tell you a secret, but you mustn't breathe a word." Jiang Yunxi was talkative and couldn't keep things bottled up.

"Alright."

Jiang Yunxi looked around carefully, and seeing no one nearby, she spoke earnestly.

"I recently met an old immortal!"

*More like an old swindler,* Ye Zhen thought.

"He said I have extraordinary talent and might even save the world!"

*Yunxi, dear, maybe you should take a look in the mirror first? Save the world?*

"Lately, I've been training like crazy. I can chop three hundred catties of cabbage and seventy catties of meat in a day—all minced into paste!"

*Do you even hear yourself? Who saves the world by chopping vegetables?*

"Not only that, but I've also graduated from training. Every day I sneak off to Mount Ye Lake to kill specters—yesterday alone, I killed several hundred of them!"

*Using "several hundred" for specters? Are they fish?*

*And killing several hundred in a day? What about the cabbage?*

"Little sister is truly formidable—you'll surely go down in history!"

“Hehe, lately there have been more and more specters. I can no longer be as lazy as before—I must strive to slay them and restore clarity to this world!” Jiang Yunxi said earnestly.

... In the great courtyard, an old man in splendid robes revealed a curious expression.

“Yunxi spent three hundred thousand taels on a pile of rare materials?”

The old man was Zhenshan Wang, younger brother of the current Ning Kingdom emperor, and Yunxi’s father.

Listening to his subordinate’s report, his eyes held a hint of surprise.

Three hundred thousand taels was no small sum.

Though he doted on Yunxi, she had only carried a little over two thousand taels in silver notes when she left this time.

“It must have been that old man who gave the princess the silver,” the subordinate speculated.

“To be able to produce three hundred thousand taels in one go—this is no ordinary person.” Zhenshan Wang’s face was calm as he rolled a golden sandalwood bead in his hand.

“Investigate that old man’s identity, treat him with courtesy, and do not offend a master.”

Zhenshan Wang grew curious about Chen Kangbao’s identity.

At first, when he heard his daughter was following Chen Kangbao, neglecting her duties to learn cooking, he did not object.

It was good that his daughter learned to cook—he could benefit and even have his subordinates buy some of the buns she made herself.

But now, events had taken an unexpected turn; that old man had actually produced three hundred thousand taels.

Could someone who could produce three hundred thousand taels be ordinary?

“As you command.”

Just then, Wang Qingyi of the Heavenly Sect spoke: “From what he said, the materials Princess Yunxi bought at the Heavenly Craft Hall are mostly rare forging materials. Could it be that old man... is a powerful artificer?”

Zhenshan Wang nodded: “If he is a powerful artificer, that would explain it.”

The Artificer Convention was imminent, and more and more artificers were converging on Yeshan Lake.

That old man might be a powerful artificer, hence able to produce three hundred thousand taels.

“He is at least an Earth-grade artificer, perhaps even at the Earth-grade peak. I have never met him. I wonder when I might visit and ask this lord to take a look at Weilong Xuanyuan!” Wang Qingyi, as an elder of the Heavenly Sect, was deeply troubled over Weilong Xuanyuan.

She desperately hoped an artificer could repair Weilong Xuanyuan, so they would have a better chance against the Water Lord.

Otherwise, once the Water Lord’s power was established, Jining Prefecture’s safety would rest entirely on his whim.

Wang Qingyi spoke with a solemn expression: “There are rumors that a group of... powerful Armament Masters has arrived in the Ning Kingdom capital?”

As she spoke, Wang Qingyi scrutinized Zhenshan Wang.

Zhenshan Wang’s expression also turned serious: “Not just one group—two groups, seemingly hostile, from... the Central Land Raksha Kingdom.”

At this, Zhenshan Wang hesitated, stammering slightly.

“The legendary Central Land!” Wang Qingyi’s eyes were filled with boundless longing. “It is said that Heaven-grade Armament Masters are not rare there, and even the legendary Divine-grade Armament Masters appear. If we were in the Central Land, how would the Water Lord dare to stir up trouble?”

The Central Land was the holy land in every Armament Master’s heart.

It was a golden age of cultivation, with even passages leading beyond the heavens.

“Could they... intervene?” Wang Qingyi asked tentatively. “Our Heavenly Sect is willing to offer rare treasures!”

Zhenshan Wang smiled bitterly: “The treasures we hold dear are worthless in their eyes. They have come to Ning Kingdom for a great matter and are unwilling to meddle in trivial affairs here.”

Hearing this, Wang Qingyi felt a pang of disappointment.

The Water Lord, whom they regarded as a great enemy, was merely a trivial matter in those people’s eyes.

“What are they doing in Ning Kingdom?” Wang Qingyi asked curiously.

Compared to the Central Land Raksha Kingdom, Ning Kingdom was like a remote backwater, with no great figures willing to come here.

“I heard... they are searching for a god.”

“A god?” Wang Qingyi’s eyes widened in shock.

A god!

A deity had actually appeared within Ning Kingdom’s borders.

Yet she had no information at all.

“Which revered god?”

“The God of Judgment, also known as Shenlin...”

“What, that one? Wasn’t He already destroyed long ago?” Wang Qingyi exclaimed in astonishment.

The founder of the Heavenly Sect was rumored to have an unfathomable relationship with the mysterious Divine-grade Artificer Sheng Nu.

That Divine-grade Artificer had once forged a divine weapon named Shenlin.

No one in the world had ever seen the form of that divine weapon Shenlin except Sheng Nu.

Yet from its birth, it was the strongest divine weapon in the Raksha Kingdom.

It swept all before it, invincible.

One only needed to call “Shenlin” to cut down all evil.

“The secrets therein, I do not know either, but... if we have news of Shenlin, we might ask them to intervene once,” Zhenshan Wang said.

Wang Qingyi’s face turned grave: “I will return at once to report to the Sect Leader and issue orders to investigate news of Shenlin. I hope... this revered one appears within our Jiangzhou territory!”

Now, with Weilong Xuanyuan beyond repair, the Water Lord’s threat loomed ever present.

Perhaps only by inviting those mysterious Heaven-grade Armament Masters to act could Jining Prefecture be saved.

Meanwhile.

In the courtyard.

Qi Yuan said calmly: “When walking the martial world, be wary of those surnamed Ye—for instance, your sister Ye Zhen. Does she have any cousins or brothers?”

“Huh? I don’t know. Why be wary of those surnamed Ye?”

“Those surnamed Ye usually have the fate of a protagonist, born extraordinary. I know many formidable people with that surname—

Ye Fan, Ye Chen, Ye Chen, Ye Chen, Ye Liangchen, and oh, there’s also... Ye Bi Daxiong?” Qi Yuan said seriously.

“Huh?” Jiang Yunxi noted it carefully.

This was Chef Old’s experience—it must be very useful.

“When facing such people with protagonist fates, either kill them outright or latch onto their coattails,” Qi Yuan continued. “Alright, send me and the materials to the old man. I’m going to evolve.”

“Okay!” Jiang Yunxi nodded quickly, though her eyes showed hesitation. “After you evolve, if I hold you, will I get electrocuted?”

She was a little afraid.

“No...”

Well, at least this “host” knew to use an umbrella when it rained—not entirely foolish.

...

Yesterday was clear, but today a drizzling rain shrouded everything.

Jiang Yunxi carried the evolved kitchen knife, her face brimming with excitement.

With such a cleaver, I am truly invincible!

She was very excited.

Yesterday, after making steamed buns, she directly used the cleaver to electrocute all the buns.

This made her feel elated and proud.

At that moment, she sat in a skiff, holding a fish in her hands.

"Fish, tell me, where are those wicked demon fish?"

Soon, the fish in her hand quivered, dove into the water, and led the way for Jiang Yunxi.

Jiang Yunxi stood up; the drizzle fell on her shoulders, but she seemed not to notice.

Suddenly, she pinched herself.

"Ouch!"

"Why did you pinch yourself?" Qi Yuan asked curiously.

This "host" was strange.

"There is no beautiful maiden savior; it's just a fantasy before death. I'm afraid... that I actually died long ago." Jiang Yunxi felt a dreamlike sensation, as if it were too unreal.

After all, could she really sweep away the demon fish and save the world?

"You're so prone to wild thoughts. After saving the world, go... write a biographical novel."

Jiang Yunxi's heart suddenly leaped: "...And you?"

"Me? Naturally, I'll continue to play through life. You and I are merely passersby in each other's lives."

"Mm."

For some reason, Jiang Yunxi felt a touch of sadness.

She understood that, like the protagonists in those biographical novels, she was driven by possessiveness, always thinking that good things should be hers.

At that moment, the guiding fish ahead stopped.

A rare glint of ferocity, or rather killing intent, appeared in Jiang Yunxi's eyes.

"Hmph, mere demon fish, how dare you act insolent!"

At this time, Yun Hu and Yun Li, following far behind, appeared utterly languid.

There was a special artifact on the boat, and with Jiang Yunxi's strength, she couldn't tell that someone was following her.

"Sigh, every day we come out to kill fish. If the princess later earns the title of 'Fish-Slaying Maniac,' that would be amusing," Yun Hu said with a laugh.

"Wait... don't you feel... something strange about the fish ahead?" Yun Li squinted, gazing into the distance. "Get closer!"

Yun Hu also dropped his nonchalant demeanor, his expression turning grave: "Now that you mention it, there is indeed a problem. The fish ahead... are too many, a dark, oppressive mass."

Yun Hu looked carefully and saw that in the waters before the princess, the water was pitch-black, as if hiding countless black fish.

Those fish were packed together, an immense number, looking somewhat eerie.

"Something's wrong. Some of these fish schools should be devouring each other. Why are they gathered together now?"

Yun Li looked puzzled.

"I seem to smell the aura of demon spirits... Wait, those fish couldn't really be demon spirits, could they?" Yun Hu was tense, his heart churning with tumultuous waves.

"Damn it, the young lady is in danger. We need to go over there!" Yun Hu shouted urgently.

At that moment, a scene that shocked Yun Hu and Yun Li unfolded.

The young girl Jiang Yunxi raised her cleaver, her expression fierce, her voice sweet and girlish.

"How dare you, mere demon spirits, act recklessly? Die for your sister!"

The cleaver slashed down fiercely.

In an instant, crackling sounds of electricity erupted all at once.

The waters within a hundred meters seemed to roar with ten thousand thunderbolts.

The entire water surface turned into a purple ocean.

Tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of demon fish were numbed by the terrifying lightning.

The young girl wielded the cleaver like a goddess commanding thunder; with one slash, countless demon fish fell.

The waters within a hundred meters churned violently, like boiling water in a pot.

As for the demon fish, they were merely ingredients.

As for the guiding fish, it had long since leaped onto the skiff.

"Not bad. Today you've learned another dish—this is electric boiled fish!" Qi Yuan commented.

The thunderous sound also vanished at that moment.

The waters were still boiling, gradually calming, and the lightning dissipated.

Jiang Yunxi was thrilled and excited: "I'm actually this strong!"

Meanwhile, on a nearby boat, Yun Hu and Yun Li stared wide-eyed at the scene before them, unable to comprehend.

"This..."

"What... what just happened?"

"Could it be... that she really learned some skill?"

Both were utterly shocked; the scene before them defied their understanding.

Even though they were hundreds of meters away from Jiang Yunxi, they could still feel the terror of the lightning.

If they had been caught in that vortex of thunder, they would surely have died!

But their princess, wielding a cleaver, slashed out lightning—how terrifying was that!

The two exchanged glances, their hearts surging with shock. But when they looked again, the skiff and the young girl had vanished.

The waters ahead were silent, the lightning gone without a trace.

If not for the dense corpses of demon fish, Yun Hu and Yun Li might have thought everything they saw was an illusion.

Yun Hu swallowed hard: "The princess is gone!"

Yun Li was anxious: "That cleaver is definitely extraordinary—at least a heaven-grade artifact!"

Even if the young lady had learned real skills, she couldn't have delivered such a terrifying slash.

Clearly, that cleaver was far from ordinary.

"We've lost the young lady. Damn it!" Yun Hu hesitated.

"Let's go find her... This matter must be reported to the prince!"

Both felt that this incident was enormous—the kind that could pierce the heavens.

PS: A six-thousand-word chapter. Please give monthly votes! Please, please!!

(Chapter end)