Chapter 9: Assembly Hall

Chapter 9: Assembly Hall

The pills refined by Heart Nurturers are divided into four attributes: Yin Attribute, Yang Attribute, Yin-Yang Attribute, and Mixed-element Attribute.

Similarly, a warrior’s bloodline is also categorized into: Yin Attribute, Yang Attribute, Yin-Yang Attribute, and Mixed-element Attribute.

With the exception of Mixed-element pills, warriors cannot use pills of other attributes interchangeably.

In other words:

- Yin Attribute Heart Nurturing Liquid can only be consumed by warriors with Yin or Yin-Yang bloodlines.

- Yang Attribute Heart Nurturing Liquid can only be consumed by warriors with Yang or Yin-Yang bloodlines.

- Yin-Yang Attribute Heart Nurturing Liquid can only be consumed by warriors with a Yin-Yang bloodline.

Ning Xiaochuan had analyzed this issue and concluded that the reason Heart Nurturers’ refined medicines had these four attributes was likely influenced by bloodlines, leading to such distinctions.

Thus, Ning Xiaochuan believed that the four attributes of Heart Nurturers actually corresponded to the four blood types of the human body: Type A, Type B, Type AB, and Type O.

Why must Mystic Medicine be refined by Heart Nurturers before warriors can absorb it?

It’s because Heart Nurturers temper the Mystic Medicine with their own heart’s blood, eliminating its foreign rejection properties. However, this process also imbues the refined medicine with the Heart Nurturer’s bloodline attribute, meaning it can only be consumed by warriors of the same attribute.

The Mixed-element Attribute represents Type O blood, making Mixed-element Heart Nurturers "universal Heart Nurturers."

Therefore, among Heart Nurturers, Mixed-element Heart Nurturers hold the highest value and status.

The other three types of Heart Nurturers are relatively more limited, with the vast majority attaching themselves to Heart Nurturing Halls. Unlike Mixed-element Heart Nurturers, who thrive everywhere and can forge connections with any powerful figure.

Naturally, Mixed-element Heart Nurturing Liquid is also priced higher than those of other attributes.

Yu Qianqian was even more delighted—she had actually recruited a Mixed-element Heart Nurturer for the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall. This was true wealth! Moreover, he was so young, and his first refinement of Heart Nurturing Liquid had achieved supreme purity. His future potential was limitless!

Yu Qianqian was quite generous, purchasing all three drops of Heart Nurturing Liquid refined by Ning Xiaochuan for 10,000 Small Coins each, totaling 30,000 Small Coins.

Instantly recouping his costs, Ning Xiaochuan was naturally exhilarated.

Next was the test for Primary Heart Nurturer, which was simple: refine a single First-Grade Heart Nurturing Grass.

For Ning Xiaochuan, this was effortless. He passed the test with ease, officially becoming a Primary Heart Nurturer.

He received his Primary Heart Nurturer Robe and Primary Heart Nurturer Token, then signed the Heart Nurturer Convention with the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall!

By the time Ning Xiaochuan stepped out of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, night had fully fallen.

The imperial city’s streets were brightly lit, bustling with carriages and crowds. Warriors from all corners of the world gathered here—this was a realm of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. With skill, one could rise above the masses and earn the respect of countless people!

Clatter! Clatter!

A golden giant lion pulled a Purple Sandalwood Carriage, charging forward. It was five or six times larger than any lion Ning Xiaochuan had ever seen, resembling a golden-furred elephant—yet far more ferocious. The teeth in its mouth were as long as a palm, like sharp swords, striking fear into ordinary hearts.

This was the mystic beast—the Roaring Moon Golden Lion.

The Purple Sandalwood Carriage stopped in front of Ning Xiaochuan. A slender, jade-like hand lifted the curtain, revealing an exquisitely beautiful face that smiled and said, "Young Master Ning, where do you live? Would you like Qianqian to give you a ride?"

Ning Xiaochuan smiled. "No need, I live just ahead."

Yu Qianqian glanced down the street and faintly caught sight of the gates of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House. A look of realization crossed her face, and she smiled knowingly. "Very well, then. Until next time."

The curtain fell back into place, and the Roaring Moon Golden Lion pulled the Purple Sandalwood Carriage away.

Inside the carriage, Yu Qianqian sat with star-like eyes, her rosy lips curling slightly as she murmured to herself, "The Jian Pavilion Marquis House truly produces no shortage of talents."

Ning Xiaochuan naturally didn’t know Yu Qianqian’s identity, but he could guess she was either wealthy or noble. In the imperial capital, there were far too many people with background, influence, and riches—those like Ning Xiaochuan, a pitiable descendant of nobility, were few.

Why pitiable?

Because he was once again penniless.

The Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall’s monthly salary of 500,000 Small Coins wouldn’t be paid until next month, and the 30,000 Small Coins he had spent on Heart Nurturing Liquid had now been exchanged for ten stalks of First-Grade Heart Nurturing Grass and ten stalks of First-Grade Blood Nourishing Grass.

Only because he was a Primary Heart Nurturer at the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall could he purchase so much Mystic Medicine at a low price. Otherwise, 30,000 Small Coins wouldn’t have been nearly enough!

But Ning Xiaochuan was still ambitious. Once he refined these Heart Nurturing Grass and Blood Nourishing Grass into Heart Nurturing Liquid and Blood Nourishing Liquid, selling them would bring him a massive fortune!

The thought alone made his heart surge with excitement.

"Brother, you’re finally back! Something terrible has happened!" Ning Xin'er was deeply worried and had been about to head to the brothel to find Ning Xiaochuan when she spotted him returning with a bundle at the gates of the Marquis House. She let out a sigh of relief.

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "What’s wrong?"

"Ning Han has been killed." Ning Xin'er’s small face was grave.

Ning Xiaochuan’s eyes narrowed slightly, feigning surprise. "Someone actually dared to kill a descendant of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House?"

Ning Xin'er nodded. "Two servants were also killed. Their bodies were discovered by the Jade Mist Riverbank in the outer city and have already been brought back. Ning Han was Fourth Uncle’s legitimate son. The entire Marquis House is now on high alert. Brother, from now on… you should try not to leave the estate. If anything were to happen—"

Footsteps approached, followed by a cold, mocking voice.

"Hmph! He’s just a sickly waste. Even if someone were targeting our Jian Pavilion Marquis House, they wouldn’t bother with someone like him."

Under the night sky, a young man in brocade robes, around twenty years old, strode forward with steady steps, surrounded by a group of servants.

Ning Hengqing was a direct descendant of one of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House’s branches, with extremely high cultivation—having reached the Eighth Level of Mystic Qi.

With such strength, he was naturally arrogant. Aside from a few top experts like Ning Xin'er, he looked down on everyone else.

Ning Hengqing cast a disdainful glance at Ning Xiaochuan. "Fourth Elder and First Elder have ordered all direct descendants of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House to assemble outside the Assembly Hall. Ning the Sickly, you’re to come too."

Ning Xin'er said coldly, "Ning Hengqing, show my brother some respect."

Ning Hengqing sneered mockingly, "Respect is an attitude the weak show toward the strong. Your brother... does he even deserve it? Hah! Even if it were about respect, it should be a worthless trash like him showing more respect to a powerhouse like me. Look at him, look at him—does his eyes hold any respect for me? Hahaha!"

Ning Xin'er gritted her teeth, her delicate fists erupting with Martial Arts Profound Qi. "You're asking for death!"

Ning Xiaochuan grabbed her wrist, staring coldly at Ning Hengqing. "Respect is mutual. It has nothing to do with status or cultivation level!"

His words carried an air of righteousness. If spoken by a Martial Venerable, it would have been natural, but coming from the mouth of a despised "Ning the Sickly," it felt strangely out of place.

Everyone was stunned, including Ning Xin'er.

Though she desperately wanted to cripple Ning Hengqing, she couldn't refute his words. In this world where strength ruled supreme, the concept of "respect" truly only existed when the weak bowed to the strong. Never had anyone seen a strong figure show respect to someone beneath them.

"If you respect me, I will naturally respect you. If you don’t, why should I?" Ning Xiaochuan took Ning Xin'er's small hand and brushed past Ning Hengqing, heading toward the Assembly Hall.

Ning Hengqing stood frozen for a long moment before letting out a cold laugh, his eyes gleaming with malice. "After dying once, he’s grown some backbone. Seems like if I don’t teach him a lesson in public, he’ll start thinking he can step all over me. Hmph! Let’s go—we’re heading to the Assembly Hall too. There’s going to be quite a show tonight."

The Assembly Hall was a crucial location within the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, accessible only to its most important figures.

Yet, outside the hall lay three corpses—one encased in ice, the other two shriveled into dried husks.

By the time Ning Xiaochuan and Ning Xin'er arrived, many descendants of the Marquis House had already gathered, murmuring among themselves as they examined the bodies.

Copper pillars stood around the Assembly Hall, filled with tung oil that burned brightly, illuminating the darkness. Nearly a thousand people had gathered—all direct descendants of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House.

The direct lineage of the Marquis House consisted of eight branches, with the Old Marquis’s line being just one of them.

Those assembled here were only a small fraction. Many more direct descendants were absent—some leading troops in battle, others serving as officials, some undergoing martial training, and others managing the Marquis House’s businesses.

"This is a true noble family—prosperous and flourishing. Including the collateral branches, the numbers must multiply by dozens, even hundreds," Ning Xiaochuan thought to himself, deeply moved.

Currently, the power within the Jian Pavilion Marquis House still lay in the hands of the second and third-generation experts, all of whom were inside the Assembly Hall. Outside, most of the gathered were fourth-generation descendants, many of them young.

"Look, Ning the Sickly actually came. In the past, he was never allowed to attend direct descendant assemblies. How strange."

"They didn’t let him join because they didn’t want him embarrassing himself."

"Do you think he’s really Third Master’s biological son? Why is Xin’er so talented while he’s so useless?"

"Who knows? I heard his dead mother was from the Demon Sect. Women from the Demon Sect—you know what they're like! Heh heh!"

Many turned their gazes toward Ning Xiaochuan, their faces filled with disdain and mockery.

Ning Xin'er had reached the peak of fury. With a single palm strike—smack!—she sent the youth who had insulted her mother flying over ten meters away, leaving him sprawled on the ground, coughing up blood.

This time, Ning Xiaochuan did not stop her. In truth, he had nearly lost his own temper earlier. Even the most patient person has their limits—these people had gone too far.

When it's time to strike, make sure they howl in pain!