Before long, they arrived at the county government office and stated their purpose.
Upon hearing the report, the magistrate of Qiantang County's eyes lit up immediately—this was wonderful news!
Although Qiantang County is located in the fertile southeast, there are still many barren mountains and dense forests. Since a local tycoon is willing to pay money to buy the land, he naturally will not refuse.
"Quickly invite that distinguished guest over, and remember not to neglect them!" The magistrate immediately ordered a minor official to summon Wang Xuan.
The magistrate of Qiantang County had heard of these free-spirited martial arts practitioners. Those who could establish their own schools were all martial arts masters, and many of them disregarded the law.
If he feels you've neglected him, he might just come and take your head in the middle of the night...
When the magistrate of Qiantang County met Wang Xuan, his evaluation of Wang Xuan improved even further. Wang Xuan was dressed in a white robe, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, exuding an aura of elegance and nobility.
"Could this be the legendary aura of a grandmaster?" The magistrate of Qiantang County was extremely surprised, but he did not show it on his face. He simply had someone bring out a map.
"Young Master Wang, please take a look. Most of the land in our Qiantang County has been developed, but these dozen or so hills are still barren. Which one do you fancy?"
Wang Xuan took the map and quickly spotted a barren mountain.
That desolate mountain is called Qibao Mountain. Legend has it that there is a rare treasure in Qibao Mountain called the Purple Dragon King Ginseng, which is said to be the best of the best. Because it has lived for two thousand years, its body is purple and contains the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, hence the name Purple Dragon King Ginseng.
It is said that if mortals eat it, all their ailments will be cured, and those who do so can become emperors while alive and immortals after death. Many people want to dig up this ginseng king, but the ginseng king can transform into human form and runs extremely fast, so no one has ever found it before.
“Even a treasure like the Purple Dragon King Ginseng is rooted in Qibao Mountain, which shows that the spiritual energy there is much richer than that outside. Besides, that Purple Dragon King Ginseng is almost an immortal being. If possible, it would be best to bring it to the Xuan Tian World.”
Having made up his mind, Wang Xuan immediately pointed to the location of Qibao Mountain on the map and asked, "How much would it cost to buy this mountain?"
The magistrate of Qiantang County glanced at it, his smile growing even more amiable. It was well known that Qibao Mountain was one of the most magnificent mountains in Qiantang County, and the amount of silver required to purchase it would be considerable!
"Young Master Wang certainly has a good eye. The Purple Dragon King Ginseng lives in Qibao Mountain. By buying this barren mountain, you are essentially taking the Purple Dragon King Ginseng for yourself as well." The magistrate of Qiantang County said generously, "For just 100,000 taels of silver, I will transfer the land deed of Qibao Mountain to you. From then on, you will be the owner of Qibao Mountain. You can confidently establish your sect there, and no officials will ever bother you!"
"Good heavens, this is really outrageous!" Although Wang Xuan didn't care about the money, he couldn't agree too readily, otherwise the magistrate of Qiantang County would treat him like a fat sheep.
"Ten thousand taels of silver is too much! Whether the Purple Dragon King Ginseng truly exists is still under investigation. Even if it does exist, how easy is it to catch it?" Wang Xuan retorted, "I think Qibao Mountain is worth at most ten thousand taels of silver!"
Chapter 189 Lin Gongfu (Second Update)
After some haggling, Wang Xuan finally offered 50,000 taels of silver to buy the entire Qibao Mountain.
Both sides felt they had made a huge profit. Buying a blessed place like Qibao Mountain for 50,000 taels of silver was an incredibly good deal, so Wang Xuan naturally had no reason to back out.
However, in the eyes of the magistrate of Qiantang County, Qibao Mountain was just a barren mountain with no mineral deposits and little development value. What was even more terrifying was that monsters often appeared in the mountain, so it was of no use to the government. Being able to sell it for money would be considered one of his achievements.
Of course, although Wang Xuan spent a full 50,000 taels of silver, the sales contract stated that it was 30,000 taels of silver.
As for where the other 20,000 taels of silver went? There's no need to elaborate; both sides know perfectly well that it must have ended up in the pocket of the Qiantang County Magistrate.
The magistrate of Qiantang County was overjoyed after making a fortune and immediately summoned two constables to take Wang Xuan and his men to Qibao Mountain.
The two constables, one of whom was about 40 years old, had vigorous blood and energy, and possessed about the fifth or sixth level of acquired cultivation.
The other constable was a young man of about seventeen or eighteen years old. Although he was young, his cultivation had reached the fifth level of the Acquired Realm.
"Young Master Wang, Qibao Mountain is forty li away from the county town. If we set off now, we should be able to arrive before dark," the older constable explained to Wang Xuan.
Before Wang Xuan could say anything, the younger constable quickly retorted, "This is not appropriate! I've heard that monsters lurk in Qibao Mountain. Going there during the day might be safe, but if we arrive at Qibao Mountain at dusk, we might face unforeseen dangers!"
"Lin Gongfu, you're exaggerating!" the middle-aged constable sneered. "Although there are rumors of monsters appearing in Qibao Mountain, out of all the people who go there every year, only a few dozen die. The vast majority come back alive!"
"I refuse to believe we're so unlucky as to run into a monster!" The middle-aged constable then turned to Wang Xuan, smiling and flattering him, "Besides, we're traveling with Young Hero Wang! Since Young Hero Wang dares to establish a sect at Qibao Mountain, why would he fear a mere monster?"
"If I were to encounter ordinary little monsters, I certainly wouldn't be afraid. They should be the ones afraid of me!" Wang Xuan interrupted the two constables' argument, but he couldn't help but mutter a few complaints in his heart.
The seventeen or eighteen-year-old constable beside him was named Lin Gongfu. Wasn't that Xu Xian's brother-in-law?
Even Lin Gongfu is only this age now, and Xu Xian is probably still a little boy of about ten years old. It seems that it has been some years since the story of the Legend of the White Snake began.
However, this is just right. Wang Xuan can make a name for himself over the years, and when the story begins, his fame only needs to reach the level of Fahai.
They set off immediately. Wang Xuan and Xiao Qing did not display any magic. They simply rode ordinary horses, just like the two constables, Lin Gongfu and Xiao Qing.
Flying and escaping are not skills that ordinary martial artists possess, and they don't fit Wang Xuan's current persona, so he can only endure it for the time being.
When they arrived at the foot of Qibao Mountain, just as Lin Gongfu had said, it was already evening.
"Xiao Qing, go to the village next door and hire a few villagers. Go up the mountain early tomorrow morning to build the mountain gate!" Wang Xuan didn't need to do such a small thing himself, so he directly instructed Xiao Qing to do it.
Xiaoqing pouted and obeyed the order. She even considered taking the opportunity to escape, but when she thought of Wang Xuan's flying speed, she immediately dismissed the idea.
After giving instructions to Xiaoqing, Wang Xuan strode directly into Qibao Mountain.
Just then, Lin Gongfu quickly blocked Wang Xuan's path and asked, "Young Hero Wang, where are you going? Qibao Mountain is extremely dangerous at night. You'd better wait until tomorrow to go up the mountain!"
Lin Gongfu was a man of impeccable character. He was worried that Wang Xuan might encounter monsters while going up the mountain at night and lose his life, so he earnestly tried to dissuade him.
As for Wang Xuan's claim that he was not afraid of monsters, he simply did not believe it.
The world of the Legend of the White Snake also contains rudimentary martial arts. Lin Gongfu himself possesses martial arts skills and knows that even top-tier martial artists in the martial arts world are powerless against monsters!
Wang Xuan had boasted before, but Lin Gongfu only took it as a joke and didn't really take it to heart.
"I'm going to Qibao Mountain to find a suitable place to build a mountain gate. Once Xiaoqing has recruited the villagers, we'll start construction tomorrow!" Wang Xuan explained, and without waiting for Lin Gongfu's objections, he strode away.
Lin Gongfu tried to stop him again, but Wang Xuan exerted a gentle force that knocked Lin Gongfu's hand away.
"Could this be the legendary innate qi?!" Lin Gongfu was shocked. Knowing that he had encountered a master, he did not try to stop him anymore, but followed Wang Xuan into the mountain.
Qibao Mountain covers an area of 100 li (approximately 50 kilometers), and Wang Xuan walked at a normal pace, taking nearly an hour to find a suitable spot.
The terrain here is flat, backed by cliffs, making it suitable for building houses and offering a defensive advantage. More importantly, the place is rich in spiritual energy, and there is a hidden spiritual eye below.
"My sect will be built right here!" Wang Xuan nodded in satisfaction and slapped down on the big tree next to him.
With a single palm strike, the pine tree, as thick as a bowl, snapped in two and fell forward.
Before the pine tree had completely fallen, a tiger over ten feet long rushed out of the bushes ahead!
The tiger had been lying in ambush in the bushes, preparing to attack Wang Xuan and his companions. It only charged out when it saw the large tree about to fall on it.
"What a huge tiger! This beast is practically a spirit!" Lin Gongfu was startled and drew his sword without hesitation, rushing forward.
The magistrate of Qiantang County sent him not only to guide the way, but also to serve as a bodyguard for Wang Xuan.
Even though Wang Xuan was highly skilled in martial arts and seemed to have broken through to the legendary Innate Realm, Lin Gongfu could not forget his mission.
The man and the tiger were about to collide, but at this moment the tiger roared and a thick black aura rushed out of its body, sweeping towards Lin Gongfu!
This isn't a tiger that's almost become a spirit; it's clearly a tiger demon that can already control demonic energy!
Lin Gongfu cried out in alarm, but it was too late. The black demonic energy swept over him, making him dizzy and instantly rendering him powerless to resist.
The tiger demon roared to the sky, its ferocious maw about to bite off Lin Gongfu's neck!
Chapter 190 Sword Slays Demons and Evil (Third Update)
At this critical moment, Lin Gongfu heard a furious roar: "You beast, stop hurting people!"
This was naturally Wang Xuan's doing.
As the brother-in-law of the protagonist Xu Xian and the father-in-law of Xu Shilin, the future Wenquxing (a famous scholar), Wang Xuan would not allow Lin Gongfu to die here.
The reason Wang Xuan didn't make a move earlier was to make Lin Gongfu suffer some hardship so that he could take the opportunity to subdue him.
If Wang Xuan had killed the tiger demon with a single sword strike right away, Lin Gongfu would have probably thought that Wang Xuan had only killed an ordinary tiger, and that would not have highlighted Wang Xuan's strength.
Getting back to the point, almost at the same moment Wang Xuan roared out, the Azure Nether Sword in his hand was drawn from its sheath and shot out as a streak of light.
"puff!"
He didn't use magic to power this sword strike; he simply infused the Azure Sword with innate true energy, so the power it could unleash was quite limited.
Even so, it was not something a tiger demon that had just cultivated demonic energy could withstand. The Azure Nether Sword was incredibly sharp, piercing directly through the tiger demon's brow and splitting its massive head in two.
Hot tiger blood sprayed all over Lin Gongfu's face, and Lin Gongfu was awakened from his dream. He cried out and collapsed to the ground.
Wang Xuan walked over, picked up the Azure Nether Sword, and flicked it lightly with his finger, causing the blood on the sword to instantly fall to the ground.
After sheathing the Qingming Sword, he turned to Lin Gongfu and said, "You little constable have good courage, but unfortunately your martial arts skills are really mediocre."
Lin Gongfu had just narrowly escaped death, and was still in shock and unease. Wang Xuan's words only added to his embarrassment, causing his face to flush red with shame.
"Although your talent is a little lacking, your character and courage are excellent. You dare to face danger head-on, which is much better than those who abandon their companions and run away alone when they encounter danger." Wang Xuan seemed to be praising him casually.
Lin Gongfu was immediately enlightened and knelt down, pleading, "Please accept me as your disciple, Young Hero Wang. I, Lin Gongfu, will never refuse any request you may make in the future!"
Wang Xuan inwardly praised him; he enjoyed talking to intelligent people like this. If he had encountered someone less intelligent, he probably would have had to take the initiative to ask to become their disciple.
Although both involve taking on apprentices, it's one thing for the other person to beg to become your apprentice, and another for you to eagerly run over and accept them as your apprentice. The latter undoubtedly lowers your prestige.
"Since you sincerely wish to become my disciple, then I shall accept you." Wang Xuan pretended to hesitate for a while before making his decision: "I will establish the Xuan Tian Holy Sect here. The sect's disciples will be divided into inner disciples and outer disciples. Your talent is ordinary, so for now you can only be an outer disciple. If you make any significant contributions to the sect in the future, I will then accept you as an inner disciple."
Lin Gongfu was overjoyed, as if hearing celestial music, and kowtowed several more times to Wang Xuan.
After this delay, it was already completely dark, and the sounds of wolves howling and foxes whistling echoed from Qibao Mountain, making people involuntarily feel uneasy.
Lin Gongfu was originally a passionate young man with considerable martial arts skills, and he wouldn't be afraid of a few wild wolves. However, having just escaped from the jaws of death, he knew that monsters did indeed exist in this place, and even a fox could take his life. How could he dare to stay in Qibao Mountain any longer?
"Master, look, it's getting late. We've found the foundation for the mountain gate you were looking for. Let's hurry back!" Lin Gongfu suggested awkwardly.
Wang Xuan, skilled and bold, rejected Lin Gongfu's suggestion without hesitation.
"I just killed a weak tiger demon. There's another tiger demon nearby with even greater power. I'll go kill that one first." Wang Xuan held the Qingming Sword upside down and strode forward.
"What?! There are even stronger monsters nearby?!" Lin Gongfu was terrified, but he had no choice but to follow closely behind Wang Xuan.
Without Wang Xuan as his powerful backer, it's questionable whether he can even leave Qibao Mountain alive.
After walking a distance forward, they saw ghostly figures ahead, with more than a dozen semi-transparent figures floating in mid-air, surrounded by black demonic energy.
As the saying goes, "to act as an accomplice to a tiger," meaning that once a tiger becomes a spirit, it can command accomplices and ghosts, which are transformed from the souls of people eaten by the tiger spirit.
Without a doubt, Wang Xuan and his group have encountered a group of treacherous spirits.
Upon seeing Wang Xuan and Lin Gongfu, the demons pounced on them fiercely, like hungry wolves seeing lambs.
Wang Xuan sneered repeatedly, and his Azure Nether Sword unleashed a beam of sword light.
He only used the power of the Innate Realm, and the sword intent contained within it was enough to tear these low-level demons apart.
None of those fierce and terrifying demons could withstand Wang Xuan's sword strike.