I Can Merge Techniques-Chapter 38 - 37: Mystery of the Seven Stars Gang

The Seven Stars Gang’s dining hall was abuzz with activity.

The smells of sweat and food mingled with the vibrant energy of the young men, weaving together in the air.

Chu Fan and Zhao Tianxing, each carrying a large platter of roasted chicken, pushed through the boisterous crowd and found an empty table in a corner.

Only one person was sitting at the table, by the window.

It was Li Qingxue.

She was dressed in plain white robes, her posture as straight and tall as a solitary pine. Before her was a bowl of plain congee and two dishes of simple vegetables, which she was eating in silence.

The greasy, boisterous atmosphere of the hall seemed worlds away from her.

She sat alone in her cool aloofness, like a distant, snow-capped mountain.

Even when the tempting aroma of roasted chicken wafted over, she didn’t so much as glance their way, as if the only scent she could smell was the faint fragrance of her congee.

There was always a wide, empty space around Li Qingxue. No one dared to approach.

Only Chu Fan was shameless enough to sit near her every day, and as a result, he had enjoyed twenty days of peace and quiet.

Zhao Tianxing tore off a chicken leg and offered it to Li Qingxue. "Senior Sister, want a chicken leg?"

Chu Fan: "..."

’If a move like that could actually pick up a girl...’

’...I’d write my name backward!’

Li Qingxue didn’t even lift her head. Her voice was indifferent. "No, thank you."

Zhao Tianxing awkwardly pulled his hand back and took a huge bite of the chicken leg.

The roasted chicken was golden-brown and glistening, its skin crispy, and it was still faintly steaming.

The rich, meaty aroma instantly overpowered the scent of the surrounding vegetable dishes.

Disciples at the nearby tables couldn’t help but sniff the air and cast envious glances their way.

Just then, the short, chubby youth who chopped firewood with Chu Fan came over. Staring at the roasted chicken, he asked, "What’s the special occasion? Why so extravagant?"

Chu Fan just kept his head down and ate, pretending he hadn’t seen or heard anything.

Zhao Tianxing glanced at the short, chubby youth, then at the roasted chicken on the table. After a moment’s hesitation, he tore off the other chicken leg and handed it to him.

"Thanks, Tianxing!"

Overjoyed, the short, chubby youth took the chicken leg and sat down next to Zhao Tianxing.

’Zhao Tianxing is a true friend.’

’That kid Chu Fan just plays dumb, doesn’t even offer a polite word.’

While gnawing on the chicken leg, the short, chubby youth stared at the roasted chicken on Chu Fan’s plate, unable to look away.

Chu Fan looked up and saw his covetous expression. He couldn’t help but say, "You’ve already been given a chicken leg, and you’re still staring at the other parts of the chicken?"

He paused, then added, "Fine, you can have the chicken butt!"

The short, chubby youth’s face flushed red. He defended himself in a low voice, "This chicken leg wasn’t even from your chicken... And I didn’t come over just because I saw you had roasted chicken."

"I came to warn you..."

"Chu Fan, did you offend someone?"

Chu Fan kept his head down, focused on eating his chicken. "What makes you say that?"

The short, chubby youth said, "Just now, outside the dining hall, I saw a group of people gathered together, saying they were going to find a chance to teach you a lesson today!"

"You probably misheard the name," Chu Fan said calmly. "I just go between my quarters, the wood-chopping yard, the dining hall, and the Martial Arts Arena. Since coming here, I’ve spoken to fewer than ten people. Who could I have offended?"

As he was speaking, the short, chubby youth suddenly lowered his voice. "It’s them, look!"

His gaze darted toward the entrance of the dining hall.

Chu Fan glanced up.

Five people were walking in, and he didn’t recognize any of them.

But all five of them were looking at him with hostile expressions.

Chu Fan, however, paid them no mind and turned to Zhao Tianxing. "Tianxing, you’ve mentioned the Mist Marsh several times. What do you know about it?"

Zhao Tianxing’s eyes lit up. "You’re willing to go to the Mist Marsh?"

Chu Fan sighed. "One roasted chicken costs two hundred copper coins. If I ate by myself, even eating one every day, that bit of money would last me a month."

"But with you freeloading off me every day, it’ll be a blessing if the money lasts half a month."

"Naturally, I have to think of a way to earn some money."

Zhao Tianxing chuckled and took a big bite of meat.

The short, chubby youth’s eyes widened. "You... you’re actually thinking of going to the Mist Marsh?"

"Tianxing, you used to be a Hunter. You know better than anyone how dangerous the Mist Marsh is, and you’d still take Chu Fan there?"

"I’ve heard that deep in the Mist Marsh, there are Great Demons that eat people, bones and all!"

"We’re not going into the depths," Zhao Tianxing said. "The Mist Marsh nurtures precious medicinal herbs that are hard to find in the outside world. The value of a single stalk is enough to make a Martial Artist risk their life!"

"When I was fifteen, I went hunting in the Mist Marsh and almost died in there..."

"You almost died, and you dare to go back?" The short, chubby youth looked horrified.

But Zhao Tianxing didn’t explain, just chuckled again.

’Before I learned martial arts, I could already take on a black bear.’

’My archery skills have taken down plenty of tigers and leopards.’

’Now that I’ve learned martial arts, in a few days I’ll be able to condense my third strand of Qi-Blood and break through to the Blood Nourishing realm.’

’I can even break through to Five Elements Small Success in the Twelve Forms Fist within a few days.’

’With this kind of strength, why couldn’t I venture into the outer regions of the Mist Marsh?’

’Besides, I’ll have Chu Fan with me.’

’Chu Fan’s Qi-Blood might not be as strong as mine, but he’s already achieved Small Success in all Twelve Forms of the Twelve Forms Fist. His overall strength is even greater than mine!’

’If we team up, we could even venture deeper into the Mist Marsh!’

’Then, whether we gather a few herbs or kill a few Exotic Beasts, it would be enough for us to smoothly advance from the Blood Nourishing to the Blood Refining realm!’

Zhao Tianxing continued, "The Mist Marsh is north of Cyan Yang Ancient City, over two hundred li from the city. It’s shrouded in a damp, cold, greyish-white mist year-round, which is how it got its name."

"All sorts of strange flowers and rare herbs that are hard to find in the outside world grow in the marsh. A single stalk can be worth a fortune."

"That’s why there are always fearless Medicine Gatherers who hire Martial Artists for protection and venture carefully into the outer marsh, following the ’safe’ paths vaguely marked with white bones by those who came before."

"I even have a map of the Mist Marsh..."

"It was drawn with the blood and lives of many old Hunters. I’ll show it to you when we get back."

Chu Fan nodded slightly.

He and Zhao Tianxing were both about to break through to the Blood Nourishing realm.

After Blood Nourishing, the second stage was Blood Refining.

The resources required for Blood Refining far exceeded those for Blood Nourishing; three bowls of Blood-Nourishing Medicine Soup a day would be nowhere near enough.

The other day, he and Zhao Tianxing had seen Ling Feng buy Blood Refining Pills. Those pills were used for breaking through to the Blood Refining realm.

A single Blood Refining Pill cost five maces of silver.

One pill a day would be fifteen taels of silver a month.

’What a staggering expense...’

’But if I’m really going to the Mist Marsh, I’ll have to wait until my Twelve Forms Fist reaches Perfection, or until I achieve Small Success with the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber.’

Amidst the clatter of bowls and chopsticks in the dining hall, the wooden door suddenly creaked open with a SQUEAK.

A group of people walked in, all of them unfamiliar faces.

Looking at these new faces, Chu Fan was suddenly reminded of a question he’d had when he first joined the Seven Stars Gang.

’Why does the Seven Stars Gang recruit people every single day?’

’They recruit eight or ten people a day, which means three or four hundred new recruits a month.’

’Over a year, that adds up to three or four thousand... but it’s not like the Seven Stars Gang is overrunning Cyan Yang Ancient City, is it?’

’Room and board being covered is one thing, but they also provide a bowl of Blood-Nourishing Medicine Soup every day.’

’What kind of immense resources would that level of consumption require?’

’The Seven Stars Gang was originally just a Horse Gang. Where did they get the wealth to support so many people?’

’The Blood Saber Sect, another one of the three major gangs alongside the Seven Stars Gang, recruits fewer new members in a month than the Seven Stars Gang does in a single day...’

’It just doesn’t make any sense.’

Chu Fan shook his head slightly, as if trying to shake off the unease in his heart.

Seeing him staring blankly at the newcomers, Zhao Tianxing couldn’t help but laugh. "Judging by their expressions and movements, you can tell they’re new. We’ve only been in the gang for a little over a month, and we’re already considered ’old-timers’. It’s pretty funny."

By the window, Li Qingxue gently set down her bowl and chopsticks. The bowl was so clean that not a single grain of rice remained.

Suddenly, she took a small wooden box from her robes.

The box was a dark, subdued color, clearly having been carried close to its owner’s body for a long time. It was warm to the touch and carried a faint, cold fragrance.

Her movements were not intentional, yet they drew the gazes of Chu Fan and Zhao Tianxing, who were busy gnawing on their roasted chicken.

They watched as Li Qingxue’s slender, jade-like fingers gently unfastened the small bronze clasp on the box and opened the lid.

A much richer medicinal aroma instantly filled the air.

The fragrance had an earthy, pungent scent, yet it was incredibly rich. Inhaling it was enough to invigorate the spirit, sending a wave of warmth through one’s entire body.

Lying quietly on the red, soft lining inside the box was a stalk of ginseng.

The ginseng was exquisitely shaped. Its long, dense rootlets resembled a dragon’s whiskers, while its main body was plump with tight-grained skin.

The ginseng had a healthy, yellowish-brown color and faintly emanated an abundant Spiritual Qi.

One glance was enough to tell it was of a considerable age, no ordinary item. It was a true treasure, capable of Strengthening the Foundation and Nourishing the Essence to aid in cultivation!