The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Chapter 322: Chapter 314: An Eternal Foundation

Huanglong City, inside a massive estate.

A gilded plaque bore the two words "Yang Mansion."

In a waterside pavilion at the Yang Mansion, Bai Yuan and three others sat, each in a corner, leaning against the wooden railings with wine cups in their hands.

"When it comes to having fun, the people from Jiangnan really know how."

Li Huan gazed at the scenery of the Yang Mansion, which was styled after a Jiangnan water village, and reminisced about the carefree life he had once lived in Jiangnan.

He and Bai Yuan had traveled all over Jiangnan for pleasure, and it had been a fantastic time.

Of the four men present, Yang Fangyu and Yan Lei were both from Jiangnan. He mused, trying to think of a suitable excuse to head south to Jiangnan again.

Yang Fangyu said, "I’ve asked you to come to Jiangnan several times before, but you never did."

Li Huan rolled his eyes.

’Was it because I didn’t want to go?’

As the Prince of Qingzhou, if he were to rashly visit Jiangnan, he feared his uncle, the Emperor, would suspect him of plotting a rebellion.

Yan Lei chuckled. "Well, I heard that Master Qiu will be passing through Huanglong Prefecture in a while. He’s sure to have a lot of good things from Jiangnan."

Hearing this, Li Huan’s eyes lit up.

He had personally experienced the extravagance of Cao Bang, and the memory was still fresh.

As a big shot in Cao Bang, Qiu Yang would naturally not be short on fun things.

Bai Yuan asked, "Why is Brother Qiu coming to Huanglong Prefecture?"

The others present could only address Qiu Yang as Elder Qiu; only Bai Yuan could speak to him as an equal.

Yang Fangyu and the other two were, imperceptibly, a generation below.

Yan Lei said, "I heard my grandfather asked Incense Master Qiu to personally escort a batch of supplies. It’s a perfect opportunity to have him bring back some little novelties from Jiangnan."

"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"

Li Huan was the first to clap his hands and cheer.

Ever since Bai Yuan had brought Cao Bang in to help, Yan Shao’an’s supply lines ran far more smoothly than the other armies’. Aside from the Lord Grand Protector’s own high standing, this was also largely due to Qiu Yang’s management.

Perhaps it was because of this contribution that even though Bai Yuan and Yan Shao’an were not of the same faction, they still got along relatively well.

Otherwise, Yan Shao’an’s grandson, Yan Lei, would not be here.

Bai Yuan looked at Yan Lei. "Brother Yan, what’s the current situation with the war in Dingzhou?"

Yan Lei shrugged. "Same as always. The Court’s grand army and the Demon Sect have clashed many times outside Yuquan City. Both sides have suffered casualties, but they still haven’t been able to breach Yuquan City."

"Are the Nine Heavens Profound Soldiers still in Yuquan City?"

Yan Lei said, "According to the Astronomical Bureau, the Demon Sect has already taken the Nine Heavens Profound Soldiers back to the Northern Plains. All that’s left in Yuquan City is a massive Ten Thousand Spirits Festival."

When Yang Fangyu heard that the Nine Heavens Profound Soldiers were no longer in Dingzhou, his expression relaxed.

Without the Nine Heavens Profound Soldiers, the Demon Sect’s army was no match for Yan Shao’an’s forces.

In other words, Ling Province was safe for the time being.

As the Prefect of Huanglong Prefecture, his fortunes were tied to the province; they would prosper or decline together.

If Xuan Yang were to win a great victory in the future, he would surely reap many benefits.

Yang Fangyu gave Bai Yuan a sly grin. "Looks like the day we can bring our wives back home isn’t far off."

Although he had a few beautiful maids in his mansion, he always felt they weren’t as good as Yan Xiuhong, not to mention he hadn’t seen his son in a very long time.

That’s right, Yan Xiuhong had given him a son.

This had made Yang Fangyu ecstatic; at the time, he had dragged Bai Yuan into drinking with him all night.

A look of longing crossed Bai Yuan’s face as well.

In the blink of an eye, he had been separated from Sister Qiao for over a year.

Although Sister Qiao wrote to him regularly, they were still separated by a thousand li. Ultimately, it couldn’t compare to the soft warmth of having someone right beside you.

Bai Yuan downed the wine in his cup.

Life is always full of partings. This was just a fact of life.

It was true for him, and was it not the same for Yang Fangyu, Li Huan, and Yan Lei?

Compared to the other two, that fellow Li Huan was much more carefree. It was said that he had just taken his sixth concubine last year.

Compared to Li Huan, Yan Lei was a step behind, with only his third.

For men of Xuan Yang, especially wealthy scions like Li Huan and Yan Lei, marrying wives and taking concubines was a perfectly normal affair. Their families even encouraged them to have many children to strengthen the clan.

If they didn’t have many children, how could they provide the family with a steady stream of promising candidates for the Martial Dao?

Li Huan laughed heartily. "I just received a report from the Prince’s Mansion yesterday. My wife is due to give birth in a few days, so I can’t keep you company any longer."

Yang Fangyu shot Li Huan a jealous glare.

When Yan Xiuhong was giving birth, he was stuck in Ling Province, worried sick.

He hadn’t even been able to take leave and return for a few days until after Yan Xiuhong had completed her postpartum confinement. Then he had to rush right back to Huanglong Prefecture.

In comparison, Li Huan was undoubtedly much luckier.

Li Huan’s smile grew even more smug. "Fang Yu, don’t be jealous. I bet it’s going to be a big, healthy boy."

Yang Fangyu was instantly so irritated he gritted his teeth, wondering if he should throw Li Huan into the stream flowing beneath the pavilion.

The two started to horse around.

Nearby, Bai Yuan was lost in thought.

He and Sister Qiao had been together for several years, yet they still had no children.

Unlike the other three, he had cultivated the Divine Mansion Technique, and the genes in his body had quietly undergone a change.

With his current attainment in the Divine Mansion Technique, the rate of genius among his offspring would only be more terrifying than that of the Murong Family.

It might even be possible to give rise to a ten-thousand-year family.

’I’ll definitely have to give it a try in the future.’

He and Sister Qiao were both Martial Artists with ample combat strength. If they fought day and night... it should be very quick.

A man should, of course, strive to perform peerless deeds and establish a legacy for the ages.

The four men drank late into the night before finally departing from the Yang Mansion.

Just as Bai Yuan was about to say his goodbyes, Yang Fangyu suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right, Ah Yuan, that Blood Radiance Iron you mentioned before—I might have found a way."

"Oh?"

Bai Yuan’s interest was immediately piqued.

After he brought the Blood Radiance Iron back to Huanglong Prefecture, it had been stored in the City Guard Army’s armory.

This Blood Radiance Iron was an unparalleled treasure for forging Divine Weapons, but Bai Yuan, after all, had never trained as a blacksmith. Even with the Blood Radiance Iron in his possession, he had no idea where to start.

And in all of Ling Province, there were no artisans capable of forging Blood Radiance Iron, so the situation had reached a stalemate.

So he had no choice but to ask the better-connected Yang Fangyu to find a way to locate a highly skilled artisan.

Yang Fangyu said, "That Divine Artisan is in Yan Province."

As the part of the Northern Territory closest to the Central Plains, Yan Province naturally had far more talented people than Ling Province. It was only natural that a Divine Artisan would be there.

Bai Yuan had gone to Yan Province once before to fetch Sister Qiao, and its heritage was indeed far deeper than that of Ling Province.

"The man is quite famous in the Northern Territory. His name is Tang Tie, but his asking price is a bit high."

"Oh?"

"He wants thirty percent of the Blood Radiance Iron."

"..."

Bai Yuan pondered.

Thirty percent of the Blood Radiance Iron. That was an outrageous demand. Blood Radiance Iron was a Divine Iron so precious that even the Emperor sang its praises. A single jin was priceless, let alone thirty percent, which amounted to a full ten jin.

"Can I pay with something else?"

Yang Fangyu said, "He said he only wants Blood Radiance Iron."

This actually made Bai Yuan a little curious. "Then what kind of weapon can he forge for me?"

Yang Fangyu said, "He says... it will be the best in the Northern Territory."

What a boast.

Bai Yuan said, "Alright. Then I’ll give him that chance."

If the man dared to go back on his word, he would simply go and collect the debt himself. The Blood Radiance Iron would still be his. From that perspective, it wasn’t a loss.

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