parentshiftbook Chapter 53: The Materials Problem
Chapter 53: The Materials Problem
Zhang Ping walked up to Chu Hanwei and bowed in greeting.
He kept Chu Hanwei's kindness in his heart.
Xiao Ling'er glanced at him, then turned to Chu Hanwei.
They discovered that Chu Hanwei was staring intently at Zhang Ping, completely motionless.
"Sister Wei?"
Xiao Ling'er waved her hand in front of her eyes in surprise.
"Oh? Sorry, I was daydreaming."
Chu Hanwei suddenly snapped back to reality, feeling a sense of absurdity about her previous thought.
As she watched Zhang Ping approach, his figure inexplicably overlapped with the blurry silhouette in the rain, the two almost overlapping.
I almost thought it was the same person.
But considering the vast difference in their cultivation levels...
She shook her head to clear her mind.
"I remember you. What is it?"
There were only two stone benches in the pavilion, and she did not gesture for Zhang Ping to sit down.
Zhang Ping didn't care at all and got straight to the point about wanting to buy materials.
"Buy materials?"
Chu Han was slightly taken aback, recalling that the two had first met at the Demon Extermination Bureau, where Zhang Ping seemed to have also gone to buy medicine.
But things are different now, and she looked apologetic.
"The Songping County Demon Exorcism Bureau does not sell medicine to the public, and I am not the local official, so I have no right to interfere with the bureau's affairs."
"But if you need anything, I can sell it to you if I have it."
Perhaps it was because that similar figure had flashed through her mind that she appeared exceptionally generous.
Even Xiao Ling'er found it novel, her gaze shifting back and forth between the two, a question rising in her mind.
Zhang Ping was initially disappointed, but then said gratefully, "I need Dragon Blood Stone, Coiled Dragon Tree Heart, Morning Sun Flower, and Black Rock Serpent Heart, Director Chu."
Chu Hanwei, who had been calm just moments before, suddenly changed her expression.
Xiao Ling'er even spat out her tea with a "pfft," her eyes widening in surprise:
"What do you need all of this for? It's all auxiliary ingredients for concocting secret medicines! Priceless!"
"Speaking of dragon bloodstone alone, you could probably search every inch of Songping County and still not find a single piece!"
Chu Hanwei composed herself and introduced Zhang Ping: "This is Xiao Ling'er, the daughter of Lord Xiao of the Xiao family."
There was only one Xiao Mansion in Songping County, which was the residence of the county magistrate, Xiao Lin.
"So it's Miss Xiao. My name is Zhang Ping."
Zhang Ping looked surprised, took a good look at Xiao Ling'er, and then looked away to greet her.
Xiao Ling'er nodded, her curiosity undiminished, and tapped her chin with her fingertip to ask further:
"You still haven't told me what you need these materials for? To make a secret medicine?"
Dragon bloodstone is extremely precious, and if used in secret medicines, it is usually only affordable for experts at the Bone Forging Realm.
Such formulas are extremely valuable, and even the Xiao family may not possess them.
Zhang Ping naturally refused to tell the truth and made up an excuse.
Xiao Ling'er wanted to ask more, but he looked at Chu Hanwei with a troubled expression.
Chu Hanwei pointed at Xiao Ling'er: "I don't have any of the four things you wanted. However, Uncle Xiao is a master of bone forging and has a rich collection, so he might have them."
The implication was that he could only rely on Xiao Ling'er.
Zhang Ping hadn't expected this situation. Looking at Chu Hanwei, who seemed helpless, and then at the curious girl, he felt utterly helpless.
"Miss Xiao, please let me off the hook. I admit it was used to research a secret medicine, but I really can't say what it is."
The girl's eyes lit up.
"I can take you to see my father, but on one condition: you must give me a portion of the secret medicine you concoct!"
"this……"
Zhang Ping frowned. His original intention was to use it for animal-pattern branding; where could he conjure up the secret medicine?
If they refused, it would be difficult to find all the necessary materials in Songping County or even the prefectural city. Especially the dragon blood stone, which was clearly rare just from their tone.
"Is that not allowed? I can buy it too." Xiao Ling'er thought he was worried about the price.
This strange request made Zhang Ping's expression even more bizarre.
Chu Hanwei explained, "Ling'er is obsessed with secret medicines and loves collecting and innovating formulas. If you can really concoct one, it wouldn't hurt to sell her a copy."
Having been put on this front, Zhang Ping had no choice but to agree.
We'll talk about the secret medicine later; if all else fails, we'll just buy her a dose to make up the difference.
"When can I see Magistrate Xiao?" The Black Dragon bloodline was crucial to Zhang Ping's strength, so he was naturally anxious.
Xiao Ling'er thought for a moment and said, "Three days later. Father is out dealing with demon affairs and will be back in about three days."
He guessed that Lingchuan might have gone to investigate demons, nodded in agreement, and took his leave.
Just as he turned around,
Chu Hanwei, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly spoke up: "Wait!"
Zhang Ping turned around in confusion.
"I remember you came to Songping County with the group? Did you escape from Lingchuan with the breakout team?"
Upon hearing this question, Zhang Ping's heart skipped a beat, and he glanced at her without saying a word.
Did you guess it?
No, that's impossible. At that time, the demonic aura obscured my face, and she couldn't see my features clearly.
Perhaps it was just that when the divine power faded, I could see the figure clearly and thought it looked similar.
Zhang Ping's expression remained unchanged as he shook his head and said, "Reporting to Director Chu, I was not in Lingchuan at the time. I only heard about the demons on my way back from escorting goods, so I immediately rushed back to provide assistance. I encountered the group on the way."
He knew that lying at this moment would be useless. If Chu Hanwei had any doubts, she could easily verify when he joined the team. Lying would only expose his flaws.
"Did we run into the group halfway through?"
Chu Hanwei's eyes showed even more doubt as she carefully scanned Zhang Ping's figure and quietly compared his face with the blurry outline in her memory.
The more I look at it, the more it resembles the real thing.
"Something's up?" Xiao Ling'er rubbed her hands together, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
"Come here."
Zhang Ping approached the stone table.
"Reach out your hand."
His eyebrows twitched slightly, but he didn't speak. He simply extended his hand as instructed.
The next moment, a cold hand touched the back of his hand.
Zhang Ping's pupils contracted.
Xiao Ling'er peeked from the side, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Flesh Refining Realm cultivation?"
A moment later, Chu Han loosened his grip slightly, unable to hide his disappointment.
He realized he was being foolish: the person who split open the demon realm must have at least reached the Refining stage of cultivation, so how could he possibly associate him with Zhang Ping, who was just an ordinary person a few months ago?
and many more……
Flesh Refining Realm?
She gave Zhang Ping a deep look. In less than a year, he had broken through from an ordinary person to the Body Refining Realm—a remarkably rapid feat.
But she didn't point it out; she simply apologized and indicated that he could leave.
"See you in three days. Goodbye."
After walking a distance from the courtyard, Zhang Ping raised his right hand, looked at the spot that had been touched, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness, I almost gave myself away." It seems that Chu Hanwei not only saw the figure clearly, but also caught a glimpse of the outline of the face.
"It doesn't matter if my Flesh Refining Realm is exposed. Everyone has secrets." He casually waved his hand and slowed his pace.
Now that we have the confidence, we no longer need to cower like before.
Not arrogant, nor afraid of trouble.
The streets of Songping County were busier than usual, with pedestrians coming and going. But one unusual thing caught everyone's attention.
The lingering smile on Zhang Ping's face vanished, and his relaxed expression disappeared.
My gaze swept over the barely concealed panic on the faces of the pedestrians, and two words that kept piercing my ears amidst the noise were particularly jarring.
"demon."
Panic has spread throughout Songping County.
The massacre of Lingchuan caused a far greater upheaval than a boulder falling into the water.
That was a colossal wave, sweeping across the entire kingdom of Wei.
Ten thousand lives were lost, and demons besieged the city... This has never happened since the founding of the nation.
His good mood vanished instantly, and a sense of unease crept onto Zhang Ping's brow.
"Hopefully... it was just an accident..."
Was it really an accident?
The Demon Lord mentioned by the demons, the reinforcements from the Wei Kingdom's Demon Extermination Division that have been delayed, and even now, the experts from the capital are still nowhere to be seen.
Was this calamity really just an accident?
Or... a harbinger of an even greater catastrophe?