Chapter 102: Heading to Xiangcheng

The Divine Medicine Mountain is renowned throughout the cultivation world of China, yet few know its exact location or how to enter it. Outsiders wishing to deal with the mountain must go to the major southwestern city of Chengdu during the Dragon Boat Festival each year and seek out the "Heaven-sent Elder" of the Divine Medicine Mountain.

Yes, "Heaven-sent." In the eyes of the Divine Medicine Mountain, the boons they bestow upon the martial arts community are gifts from heaven.

From the memories of Master Black Tiger, Jiang An obtained all the information he sought regarding the Divine Medicine Mountain. As outsiders speculated, the mountain is a massive, long-established entity with countless spiritual herbs and a history spanning several centuries. It is precisely because of this that they deliberately keep their distance from the cultivation world; first, to maintain an air of mystery, and second, to protect their foundation. After all, no one with such "treasures" coveted by the martial arts community would dare make their location public, as doing so would invite the catastrophe of total annihilation.

However, the hidden influence of the Divine Medicine Mountain is indeed immense. For every expert who comes seeking help, the mountain does its best to satisfy them, provided they can offer something of equal value in return. If they cannot, it matters not—they simply owe a favor. Over time, no one knows how many prominent experts have become indebted to the Divine Medicine Mountain. For this reason, the Divine Medicine Mountain and the "Green Garment Valley" in the northwest—known for its countless miracle doctors—are collectively referred to as "One Mountain, One Valley." As the old saying goes, "Better to offend the King of Hell than the Mountain or the Valley; three lives of misfortune, blood flowing enough to float a pestle." While an exaggeration, it underscores the terrifying nature of both.

Jiang An is quite "fortunate" to have offended both giants at once. Setting aside the Divine Medicine Mountain—where he killed two of their men, creating a feud that runs bone-deep—he offended the Green Garment Valley because the Xishuang and Longevity Pills launched by the Yu Sect stole the spotlight and profits from the valley in the mundane world. Miracle doctors need to eat, sleep, and raise children too; without money, how could they survive? Jiang An cut off some of their revenue streams, and it goes without saying how deep that grudge runs. It is simply not out in the open yet, or perhaps the Green Garment Valley is biding its time.

Jiang An decided to set aside thoughts of the Green Garment Valley for now, but he must visit the Divine Medicine Mountain. If they are sensible, he has no intention of seizing their centuries-old foundation; he would rather trade for what he needs with items of equal value. If they refuse to show him respect, then so be it—Jiang An is no saint; he is a man who kills without hesitation. If that happens, they should not blame him for his ruthlessness, as it was the Divine Medicine Mountain’s Bao Yi who provoked him first.

In any case, Jiang An is determined to obtain those centuries of accumulated spiritual herbs; with them, he can rapidly elevate his cultivation.

Yet, despite his strong desire, Jiang An cannot go just yet. He lacks the strength. He has learned that the Divine Medicine Mountain is teeming with experts. Beyond Master Black Tiger, there are the Black Lion, Black Leopard, and Black Bear—all of the same rank—collectively known as the Four Guardian Beasts. Furthermore, beyond the regular Grandmaster elders, the Mountain Lord is a formidable expert at the Third Realm of Grandmasterhood, though he has been in seclusion for years. Coupled with protective formations and talismans, rushing the mountain gates blindly would yield no good results. He lacks the power to sweep everything aside; his current mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation is still too weak.

As it happens, Master Black Tiger had two missions when he left the mountain: setting the trap to kill Jiang An, and traveling to Hong Kong.

As a world-renowned financial center, Hong Kong holds a prestigious position, attracting vast numbers of people from the mainland and abroad for tourism, shopping, and business. Soon, the famous Sotheby’s auction house will hold its annual event, auctioning precious antiques and artwork collected from around the world. Master Black Tiger’s goal was to bid on a Ming Dynasty porcelain piece, which contained a hidden secret, and then pay a visit to the Huo family—one of the ten wealthiest families in Hong Kong—to conduct a transaction.

Jiang An was intrigued by both the mystery within the vase and the nature of the transaction with the Huo family, as both would be highly beneficial to his cultivation. With time pressing, the trip to Hong Kong became inevitable.

As for Master Black Tiger? Forgive him, but he has already entered the cycle of reincarnation, reduced to ashes by Jiang An’s fireball spell.

The next day, after parting ways with Ouyang Shi and the God-level squad, Jiang An crossed the border into Yunnan Province. By the afternoon, his team from the Eastern Province had caught up with him.

Fan Jun.

Since Jiang An was unfamiliar with Hong Kong, he naturally needed an assistant, and Fan Jun, the Chief Steward of the Yu Sect, was the most suitable choice. Upon receiving Jiang An’s call, he immediately arrived with two subordinates. The party of four did not linger in Yunnan, immediately traveling through Guangdong Province toward Hong Kong.

A day later, Jiang An appeared on the streets of Hong Kong. The unique cultural atmosphere, the distinctive streetscapes, the bustling traffic, and the noisy crowds—what a magnificent international city and cinematic hub!

*Whoosh!* A stretched Lincoln pulled up in front of him. The door opened, and a portly, middle-aged man draped in gold and silver stepped out. His greased hair was perfectly groomed, though his appearance was ruined the moment he smiled, revealing a large gold tooth—a constant signal to everyone that he was a wealthy man.

"Oh my, apologies for keeping you waiting! I am Huang Dashu. President Fan, it is an honor to finally meet you!" The portly man hurried over to Jiang An and Fan Jun, shaking Fan Jun’s hand with a flattering smile and speaking in a standard, Cantonese-accented Mandarin.

This Huang Dashu previously had a long-standing partnership with the Divine Blade Sect. After the Yu Sect was established, he secured the exclusive distribution rights for Xishuang and the Longevity Pills in the Hong Kong region, earning a fortune. Naturally, he treated the "God of Wealth" with the utmost subservience. Since Jiang An was coming to Hong Kong for business, he needed a local connection, and Fan Jun had contacted this man in advance.

"Sorry to trouble you, Boss Huang," Fan Jun said with a smile.

Huang Dashu laughed heartily, feigning intimacy as he glanced at Jiang An and asked cautiously, "President Fan, and this is?"

"This is our boss, Mr. Jiang," Fan Jun said coolly.

Huang Dashu’s expression shifted instantly. The boss of President Fan—that would be the legendary head of the Yu Sect, the great tycoon! He looked thrilled, rubbing his large hands against his designer coat before bowing and scraping, nodding with a smile. "Mr. Jiang, your arrival in Hong Kong is truly my honor. Please, I hope you will look after me in the future."

Jiang An glanced at him and shook his hand briefly without a word. Even that was enough to make Huang Dashu overjoyed; as long as he could bring in mountains of money, he would gladly call anyone "Grandpa" every day.

"Quick! Please, come inside, it’s cold out here!"

Huang Dashu rushed to invite Jiang An and Fan Jun into the car, and the group departed.

"Boss Huang, nice car you’ve got there," Fan Jun said, performing his role as an excellent businessman by surveying the interior and offering a compliment.

Huang Dashu chuckled. "It’s all thanks to you two. I just bought this car for appearances; that’s how business is done in Hong Kong. If you look the part, people think you have deep pockets, and business is easier to conduct. Of course, compared to the Green Sea Group, I’m just a mosquito’s leg."

"You are too modest, Boss Huang. By the way, how are our products selling in Hong Kong?" Fan Jun asked.

"Widely acclaimed! We can’t keep them in stock!" When the topic turned to business, Huang Dashu’s eyes lit up. "They are truly epoch-making products. The socialite and film circles are hounding me for stock every day. Since they haven't been on the market long, the potential hasn't been fully tapped. I estimate that in a year, the annual sales will reach around three billion! Furthermore, Hong Kong is an international metropolis with many foreigners. If we play our cards right, we can expand into Southeast Asia and even the rest of the world..."

Fan Jun listened to him ramble before asking, "Right, what about the Sotheby’s auction?"

"You can rest easy on that, President Fan! Would I dare be careless with a task you entrusted to me? Everything is arranged. The official auction starts the day after tomorrow!" Huang Dashu patted his chest.

He knew that given his status, trying to converse with Jiang An would be futile, so he spent the trip chatting cheerfully with Fan Jun, doing his best to show his diligence.

"I’ve arranged the itinerary for my two distinguished guests for the next few days. I’ve rented a villa for your stay, and I’ve already booked a table at the Jin Fu Hotel to welcome you and let you sample the local cuisine. After dinner, we’ll head to the most exclusive nightclub, Clayden’s. The girls there are the best, and the service is unique—nothing vulgar, I assure you. As for tomorrow..."

Huang Dashu was spitting as he talked, but when Fan Jun caught a glimpse of Jiang An’s expression, he quickly intervened. "Ahem, Boss Huang, dinner will suffice. We can skip the other services."

Huang Dashu finally realized the atmosphere had shifted. He gave his own face a light slap and apologized, "I must have been blinded by greed. Hehe, everything will be as you wish."

Though he said this, he was uncertain: were these truly honorable guests who didn't care for such things, or were they just putting on a show? He had arranged for two stunning, third-tier actresses to be there tonight. Oh well, he would ask President Fan in private later.