Zhao Ya was not acting on a whim when he decided to take the risk.
He had already anticipated the consequences of failure.
The first issue was the potential delay, but as he had just turned twenty this year, there was still plenty of time.
In fact, Lu Dingtai’s requirement for him was to safely advance to the Fifth Realm by the age of thirty, so there was no need to worry about that.
Secondly, there was a significant risk of damaging his internal organs, which could hinder his Martial Dao prospects.
This consequence was severe and the main reason others wouldn’t dare to attempt it easily.
However, for Zhao Ya, this wasn’t a problem at all.
After all, with the help of his Golden Finger, Zhao Ya had already strengthened all of his five organs, and his six viscera were on the path to fortification.
Zhao Ya did not believe that the so-called backlash could be stronger than his Golden Finger.
Seeing Zhao Ya’s calm expression, Mo Qi finally nodded.
"Very well, since you’ve already considered it, let’s do as you said. Keep these two Beast Pearls. I need to find the most suitable elixir for them before you can refine them."
"Alright, let me know whatever you need, anytime."
"There’s nothing else needed for now, but we need a substantial amount of money, as the entire process requires expensive materials."
Without hesitation, Zhao Ya immediately took out a stack of gold notes and handed them over.
"Here’s twenty thousand taels worth of gold notes for you to use first. If it’s not enough, I’ll send more your way."
Even Mo Qi was amazed by Zhao Ya’s generosity.
He took the thick stack of gold notes and couldn’t help but smile, "Aren’t you afraid I might abscond with the money?"
Zhao Ya smiled, "No, because since the Master recommended you to me, it proves you’re reliable."
Mo Qi laughed heartily and stored the gold notes away, "Rest assured, though I, Mo Qi, am no saint, I still have my credibility. Besides, you saved my life once; I will put my utmost effort into this task."
Zhao Ya nodded, exchanged a few more words, and then turned to leave.
After he left, Mo Qi stood silently in the courtyard.
At that moment, Rao Mingyue came out.
"Master, your health has just recovered. Be careful not to catch a cold, come back inside."
Mo Qi nodded and suddenly sighed, "Mingyue!"
"Yes, Master, what instructions do you have?"
"I was going to say... never mind, I won’t say anything."
Mo Qi shook his head and turned to go back inside, leaving Rao Mingyue standing in the courtyard, bewildered.
When Zhao Ya returned to the Shang residence, it was already the early hours of the morning.
At such a late hour, the gatekeeper was likely already asleep.
Zhao Ya didn’t bother knocking, instead he flashed through and entered the courtyard.
He hadn’t expected to hear a soft female voice as soon as he landed.
"You’re back?"
Zhao Ya turned his gaze to see that Shang Luoluo had not gone to bed but was sitting in the courtyard waiting for him.
Zhao Ya nodded, "Yes, I’m back."
"How did it go?" Shang Luoluo asked.
"Everything went smoothly."
There was nothing to hide from Shang Luoluo.
Zhao Ya recounted the events, not even concealing his encounter with Xia Hongyu.
After listening, Shang Luoluo curiously examined the smooth Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill in her hand before handing it back to Zhao Ya.
"I didn’t expect He Town to be merely a Sea Lord of the Four Seas Gang, yet possess such abundant wealth."
"Indeed, it makes one realize how much the Four Seas Gang have been extorting," Zhao Ya said.
"But it’s just a facade; the real powerhouses are its backers, the Profound Sun Sect and noble families like the Wei and Lin families."
"What kind of existence is this Profound Sun Sect that dares to openly support an underground gang?" Zhao Ya asked.
Although there were many rumors about the Profound Sun Sect on the streets, the information was often mixed with truths and falsehoods, and Zhao Ya couldn’t be bothered to sift through it.
Because he knew this intelligent young woman would have her own judgment.
As expected.
After hearing Zhao Ya’s question, Shang Luoluo said, "The Profound Sun Sect is the top of the three major sects, and in terms of strength, it is unquestionably the number one among the capital’s sects. Its Sect Leader, Xie Tianfeng, is truly a high master in the Meridian Opening Realm, so no one dares to provoke them."
"However, this is just the surface information. I once investigated and found that the Profound Sun Sect is deeply connected with noble families like the Wei and Lin families. Over the years, they’ve been continuously recruiting disciples and harboring notorious criminals from the Jianghu, with unclear intentions."
"Couple that with the control of the Four Seas Gang over the Yan Capital City’s underground dealings, and the Profound Sun Sect’s motives become apparent," Zhao Ya concluded with his judgment.
Shang Luoluo nodded, "We seem to be in agreement."
Zhao Ya sighed, "Given that, does the Great Yan royal family just turn a blind eye?"
"How could they act? The Great Yan royal family has long been in decline. If not for the current Emperor still having a military under his control, even defending the capital would be uncertain, let alone dealing with the formidable Wei Family and Profound Sun Sect," Shang Luoluo retorted cynically.
"So Yan Xizhao’s urgency to advance becomes clear," Zhao Ya finally understood why Yan Xizhao was so desperate in her cultivation efforts for a breakthrough.
As the last hope of the Great Yan royal lineage, failure could mean a dreadful end for her.
"Does your father know about these matters?" Zhao Ya asked.
"He’s aware, which is why he has repeatedly cursed the Wei Family and Profound Sun Sect as traitorous scoundrels at home," Shang Luoluo said helplessly.
"Good thing he knows not to curse publicly," Zhao Ya joked.
"Actually, I really don’t want my father involved in the chaotic court politics of the Great Yan. He’s too rigid-minded and easily manipulated, but he refuses to listen to me. Whenever I advise him, he would go on about his lifelong loyalty to the Emperor," Shang Luoluo said, despondent.
"Everyone has their own beliefs and persistence. Your father’s actions can’t be called wrong," Zhao Ya comforted her.
The two fell into silence for a moment, then Shang Luoluo stood up and said, "It’s getting late, it’s time to rest. You have a visit to make tomorrow."
Zhao Ya sensed something was off about Shang Luoluo’s words, but before he could ask, she had already gracefully departed.
Although he said he would rest, Zhao Ya only laid down briefly before getting up to start his training.
Ever since his financial situation had improved significantly, Zhao Ya felt he should move out.
The Shang residence was too cramped, suitable for just the father and daughter, but once he and Zui’Er moved in, it was noticeably tight.
Especially during his martial arts practice, Zhao Ya felt this acutely.
He hesitated to practice any martial skills that involved large movements, fearing he might accidentally collapse the courtyard walls.
Once Shang Jingchuan’s position stabilizes in a few days, I should find a place and move out, Zhao Ya resolved inwardly.
After finishing his exercises, Zhao Ya was satisfied with the continuous progress of unlocking his lungs.
At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before his lungs were completely unlocked.
However, over half of the Black Flood Dragon Dried Meat had been consumed, so it seemed like it was time to visit Yun Yuan.
Several days had passed without any movement, and Zhao Ya was unsure of how things were progressing with the Yun Family.
After breakfast, Zhao Ya changed his clothes, bought some modest yet presentable gifts from the street, and headed towards the Xia Family.
At the Xia family’s rear courtyard.
Even though she hadn’t rested well, Xia Hongyu woke up unusually early today.
After getting up, she ignored the morning chill entirely and began to groom and dress.
Watching Xia Hongyu busily preparing, Xia Yuping pursed her lips, feeling rather disdainful inwardly.
Isn’t Zhao Ya coming over in a while?
Is it really necessary to make such a big fuss?
Even grandma had put on the guest-welcoming attire she rarely wore.
The more it was like this, the stronger Xia Yuping’s urge to give Zhao Ya a hard time grew.
With this in mind, Xia Yuping’s eyes twinkled with a plan. She called over a young maid, gave her some instructions, and then the maid went on her way.