In the days that followed, Zhu Bufan lived the most comfortable life he ever had. The entire Zhou Family's villa appeared to have completely forgotten the events of a few days ago, especially the deaths of Zhou Wu and Zhou Xing, which were shrouded in secrecy and never mentioned.
And Zhou Zichu, in the eyes of others, stooped to mentor Zhu Bufan in cultivation, while Zhu Bufan frequently sought advice from Elder Zheng Da. Their cultivation experience helped Zhu Bufan avoid many detours.
...
"Zi Yu, I'm leaving for You State tomorrow!"
In the VIP room of the Drunk Immortal Tower, Zhu Bufan and Zi Yu sat facing each other.
"I know!" Zi Yu gulped down the fine wine in his cup, then pulled a small booklet from his bosom and tossed it in front of Zhu Bufan.
"What's this?" Zhu Bufan picked it up and glanced at it, his face changing instantly, followed by a look of delight.
"Brother, I know you're about to leave, so how about this gift?" Zi Yu's handsome face was filled with a smile.
"Good! Good! Good! It's like sending charcoal in snowy weather! Truly excellent, with this item, it's like adding wings to a tiger."
Zhu Bufan didn't hide his happiness, shouting 'good!' three times without reservation.
It turned out that this small booklet recorded information about You State, with a focus on the Zhou Family's situation.
What Zhu Bufan was about to face was beyond his anticipation. Although he could speculate some things from various indications, in general, he was in the dark regarding the future and matters of the Zhou Family.
During his days with Elder Zheng Da, Zhu Bufan often tried to pry for information, but Elder Zheng Da was as cunning as an old fox, with a tight-lipped demeanor. Despite Zhu Bufan's attempts to extract information, he never obtained anything of real value.
Now, the small booklet Zi Yu gifted him solved his greatest difficulty, and Zhu Bufan couldn't help but be overjoyed.
"Haha, I just knew you needed it!" Zi Yu said with a satisfied smile.
"Thank you, I also have something for you!" As he spoke, Zhu Bufan pulled out a piece of silk cloth from his bosom.
The silk cloth was densely packed with tiny script.
"**Powder, Soul-breaking Ointment... this... this is..." Zi Yu looked more excited than Zhu Bufan.
"These are recipes for refining some poisons. This is why I asked you to help prepare the materials back then. Now I'm giving it to you in hopes that it will be of some help!" Zhu Bufan said with a faint smile.
"This isn't just a little help; it's the guarantee of my rise! Selling medicinal materials is highly profitable, with profits typically around twenty percent, but refining the materials into these poisons can yield profits of at least fifty percent, if not more!" Zi Yu's eyes glinted.
"I knew you'd need it!" Zhu Bufan said with a smile.
"Alright! Brother, I won't take this for free. From now on, I'll move this poison business underground. After deducting the costs of herbs and refining, we'll split the remaining profits fifty-fifty!" Zi Yu said quietly.
But upon hearing this, Zhu Bufan shook his head.
"You're going to refuse!" Zi Yu didn't give Zhu Bufan a chance to argue, "Otherwise, I wouldn't dare accept your great gift!"
Seeing Zi Yu's determined expression, Zhu Bufan shook his head silently. "Alright, but you know I don't have many places where I need money, while you currently do. How about this: we split it 80-20, you 80, me 20! After all, you're responsible for all the operations and raw materials!"
Seeing Zhu Bufan's resolute expression, Zi Yu didn't argue further and agreed.
...
"Aunt Rong, take good care of yourself!"
Outside the Zhou Family, more than twenty carriages were parked, ready to send off the disciples selected in this round. Zhu Bufan was also in the queue.
"Young Master Feng, take care as well, don't worry about me!" Aunt Rong said tearfully, unable to let go.
"Aunt Rong, rest assured, once I settle down, I'll definitely bring you over!" Zhu Bufan felt reluctant as well.
"Mm, I'm waiting..." Aunt Rong said with a gratifying smile.
After boarding the carriage and watching the gigantic walls of Nanli City shrink in his field of vision until they became a small black dot and eventually disappeared, Zhu Bufan's initial reluctance turned into anticipation for a new life and strong determination.
The leading carriage in the procession was made entirely of Zi Yu tung wood, adorned with gold and inlaid with silver. Inside, Coiled Dragon Incense was lit, and thick Snow Fox fur covered the seats. A small tea table bore a teapot steaming with mist.
"What? Has Young Master Feng become a bit sentimental?" Elder Zheng Da, sitting opposite Zhu Bufan who had closed his eyes, smiled and asked.
"Sentimental? Maybe, after all, it's a city I've lived in for decades. Leaving suddenly makes my heart feel empty!" Zhu Bufan forced a slight smile.
"Haha, is Young Master Feng reluctant to leave?" Elder Zheng Da laughed heartily.
Zhu Bufan smiled faintly without saying much more and abruptly changed the subject, "I wonder if the Elder's martial arts realm has reached the legendary Innate Realm." He said, his eyes fixed intently on him.
"Innate?" Elder Zheng Da heard this and couldn't help but laugh bitterly, "The Innate Realm is not so easily entered!" The elder's face showed a trace of longing.
"But Elder's cultivation clearly surpasses the peak of the Tenth Rank by a lot?" Zhu Bufan asked in confusion.
Glancing at Zhu Bufan, Elder Zheng Da shook his head slightly and said, "You can't be blamed for that; you've lived in Nanli City without systematic clan education, hence having unclear knowledge about the distinctions within martial arts realms. Alright, since there's nothing else to do, let me explain it to you properly!"
Hearing this, Zhu Bufan immediately sat up straight with an attentive posture.
"The martial arts realm is divided into Postnatal and Innate stages. Do you know what this division is based on?" Elder Zheng Da stroked his beard and asked.
"This..." Upon hearing the question, Zhu Bufan furrowed his brow and thought. Faced with the unknown realm, he dared not make reckless guesses. "I... I don't know!"
"Haha, how could a Postnatal Martial Artist who hasn't reached the Innate Realm understand what 'innate' truly means? And among those who have reached the Innate Realm, how could their insights be the same..." Elder Zheng Da laughed heartily. "What I'm telling you now is merely recorded by ancestors and my own insights! Nowadays, the Postnatal Realm is divided into ten ranks, but according to ancient records and the understanding of Innate experts, the Postnatal Realm can actually be divided into three levels!"
After pausing and taking a sip of tea, Elder Zheng Da continued, "The first level is Skin and Flesh, the second is Bones, and the third is Organs and Marrow!"
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