Early the next morning, Duan Yun and Ziyu were just about to have breakfast when someone arrived with news.
Due to their outstanding performance in training, the siblings were honored to be selected to accompany the Inner Sect disciples into the mountains.
The time was set for noon that day, and they were told to prepare and head out for the meeting.
Last night, after hearing Ziyu talk about Valkyrie and the seven little dwarves, Duan Yun had developed some interest in the secrets of the Golden Mountain.
Of course, this interest wasn’t because the Valkyrie was well-endowed. After all, that was nothing more than the fantasy of Ziyu’s yellow book brain. His interest, as a strong man in the Martial World, in the Martial God Treasure Vault was quite reasonable.
If the Valkyrie really was alive as the legends said, and still wandering in the Golden Palace, he might even spar with her.
When experts clash, it’s often a good way to relieve loneliness.
Sometimes being an expert feels rather empty and lonely.
Since they were honored to be selected, with the opportunity to enter the Inner Sect, learn the Divine Skill, become a pillar of support on Red Tower Mountain, and marry the Sect Leader’s daughter, Duan Yun couldn’t refuse.
Young Hero Duan wanted to transform Red Tower Mountain, so naturally, he had to first delve into it and understand it.
His experience as an outer disciple in the Iron Blood Sect had shown him the struggles and some of the causes of distress among the lower-level people of the Martial World, so he needed to continue his practice and explore more.
Seeing Duan Yun skipping breakfast and packing things, Ziyu couldn’t help but say, "Why do you look so eager? Could it be that you’re really interested in the young lady of Red Tower Mountain?"
Duan Yun replied, "Why would I be interested in a woman who loves smoking? I’m just someone who loves the work I do and then reforms what I do."
Thinking of the sects that were loved and reformed by him, Ziyu’s temples throbbed.
Furthermore, this time Old Demon Duan had mentioned, the reform might not happen; he must first use electricity to treat the smoking addiction.
Within the deepest tower on Red Tower Mountain.
Deputy Sect Leader Hong Kaishan looked worried.
Because Red Tower Mountain had plenty of money, earning a fortune from tobacco was an immensely profitable business, and the entire sect was very ’united.’
After all, without Red Tower Mountain, living a fairy life smoking celestial cigarettes every day would be tough.
These streams of smoke were like threads tying the people within the sect together, creating great unity.
Yet now, Hong Kaishan felt some worry.
In fact, in the entire Qinghe City, Red Tower Mountain was already considered decent.
Even though they were late to lay out their plans and acted relatively late, their ability to earn Silver was top-notch.
However, for people, the biggest fear is comparison.
The Yuxi Sect and Red Tower Mountain were not far apart, both using tobacco as an industry. Often, they were equally matched.
Due to their similarity and both scrambling for food in the same area, comparisons were inevitable.
The Red Tower Mountain assumed they were no worse than Yuxi, and most of the time, whether it was the tobacco or the people, it was indeed hard to distinguish who was better.
But in laying out their plans in Qinghe City, Red Tower Mountain lagged behind.
As the saying goes, a slow step begets further delays, and now Yuxi Sect had already become one of the five major powers in the city, with both a broader industry scale and higher prestige than Red Tower Mountain.
The Sect Master wanted him to come to Qinghe City to help Red Tower Mountain catch up.
Unfortunately, it was difficult.
The five major powers were now entangled with each other and quite united, with rumors saying the five Sect Leaders even exchanged wives for fun, demonstrating their intimacy.
It’s like trying to break up a loving family of five, very difficult.
The opium den business of Red Tower Mountain in the city had improved, but only slightly.
Because beyond these two streets, their influence would be hindered by Qingxi Sect.
When they tried to break through the encirclement, the other four major families would constrain them from the sides, making it tough.
Thus, in this vast Qinghe City, what fascinated the myriad of smokers was Yuxi cigarettes, not those of Red Tower Mountain.
Furthermore, Yuxi Sect’s deceitful actions showed no martial virtue, having hired many storytellers to vigorously promote Yuxi cigarettes while belittling Red Tower Mountain, limiting their prowess.
Now, the Inner disciples of Red Tower Mountain were living quite well, but it was out of necessity.
It’s only with great rewards that you find men of courage, or else, who would fight for you in such circumstances?
Even so, after spending a large sum of money and effort, Red Tower Mountain remained neither up nor down here.
Thus Hong Kaishan had to find another path.
Many of the forces coming to Qinghe City were here to earn Silver, but more were here searching for the Golden Palace.
You could even say making money was just a mere side business; discovering the Treasure Vault Divine Skill was most critical.
With Yuxi Sect having already established a foothold in advance, for them to surpass Yuxi Sect, they could only go further in discovering the Treasure Vault.
As long as there was progress with the Golden Palace, who knew how many Martial World talents would flock to them by then.
If they could also practice the Martial Arts Divine Skill and reach a certain level, why not extinguish Yuxi Sect?
Not only extinguishing Yuxi Sect, for you five major sects who like wife swapping, when the time comes, I’ll catch all your wives and serve them all together, making you gnash your teeth!
This had always been Hong Kaishan’s fantasy when feeling frustrated, but now progress was really being made.
Entering the mountains during summer was never a good choice, but he insisted on sending several groups of people to search for treasure.
He spent so much Silver, nurtured so many people, and taught so many martial skills, for moments .
Unexpectedly, three disciples indeed found a way.
One of them, a disciple named Zhang Yu, initially fell off a cliff unexpectedly, and got separated from fellow disciples.
He stumbled upon a peach blossom forest growing along the banks of a stream, stretching hundreds of strides without any other trees in between.