Trap

"Lu Yi and Qing Lan, both of you will go out and purchase some seasoning ingredients. We'll be making some dried meat jerky from what we have here to prepare for our upcoming Annual Hunting Festival." Qin Lan flips a piece of paper to both of them as he looked at the herbs they gathered.

"Ah, and bring Huo Zunjie along. I'm sure you remember that I ask you to search for someone good in dealing with private dealings regarding Protective and Offensive Treasures." Qin Lan pointed at Huo Zunjie, asking him to tag along with both of them.

"Yes, young master. He's excited the moment I told him I might have a business for him." Huo Zunjie added.

"Good. Put this on your arm, Qing Yun. I've made this especially for you. But to make sure it fetched an excellent price for other things I'm going to sell in the future, make sure you be stubborn and unwilling to sell no matter what is the given price."

"Do you understand?" Qin Lan asked.

"I do," Lu Qing Yun lift the clothing on her shoulder up as she revealed her beautiful, white, and smooth lady arm as she slotted the armlet into her wrist. It matched perfectly with the thickness of her arm, just like heaven pairing them together.

"Go, and come back quickly. We'll have many things to do in these twelve days before the Annual Hunting Festival started." Qin Lan gestured and have all of them leave to accomplish all the tasks he gave them.

"We'll be back early." Lu Yi said.

(Now, let's see what they brought back...)

Qin Lan started to mess around with the goods they brought back from a night of hunting in a three people party. After looking at the content poured out from the nine rucksacks, Qin Lan chuckled.

(Perhaps, it's because I'm not around that they're capable of expressing themselves without restraint)

Qin Lan used some of his spiritual energy like a blade and started to cut open the body of a Yellowtail Fox Demon Beast. His first incision starts from the closest artery located on the base of the neck.

The blood released was collected in a wine jar. It has much more uses in comparison to the blood of the White Marten Demon Beast. But to efficiently using them, close to ten other ingredients are required to balance the value, which can only be said to be excessive.

And based on Qin Lan's understanding, the path of culinary, which used to be a part of the Department of Earth Blessing, has been lost. Whatever remained so far comes mostly from the commoner's interest and some of the cultivator's own research.

With the blood cleared from the carcasses, Qin Lan proceeds with the butchering process to separates the flesh, bones, and innards. Only the tail and leather from the Yellowtail Fox Demon Beast is kept aside to be worked later.

As for the teeth, fangs, and claws, they were all taken off and ready to be thrown into flames. But before that, Qin Lan breaks the skull of the Yellowtail Fox Demon opened to extract a pill-like stone from the brain of the beast.

That's what differentiates them from the demon subdivision.

Only "Yao" with a demon core is qualified to be made into varieties of Offensive Treasures.

If they were around when Qin Lan is preparing the materials, they might be surprised by his outstanding efficiency.

...

...

"Big Sister Zhou Mei," Huo Zunjie led the way as they went into a shop located at a shady place behind the town's most luxurious inn. There was only an attendant working in this shop.

This so-called Zhou Mei individual is in her seventeen years of age, barely entering the threshold as a first-level Flesh Refining Layer cultivator. But that was only a facade to those that know too little.

That's because half of this shop belonged to the Jiao Household. While another half belonged to a mysterious owner that randomly drops a few Protective or Offensive Treasures to be sold here.

The reason why Huo Zunjie knows about this is that the person named Zhou Mei used to be a person equivalent to a half-sister of his. Although she hardly came to visit him after the death of his family members, Zhou Mei is still treating Huo Zunjie like a younger brother of hers.

"Ah? The brat is finally bringing friends to me. I wonder who is so unlucky to be dragged by you around." Zhou Mei jokes. She came out from her corner and played with Huo Zunjie's messy hairstyle before stopping beside Lu Qing Yun.

"Can you let big sister take a look at the armlet on your wrist?" Zhou Mei's sharp gaze seems like it could penetrate through clothing, as she asked to be shown with the armlet.

"I'm not selling it! I've told you, Zunjie, I just need to know how much this treasure cost!" Lu Qing Yun started with her act as ordered by her young master.

"Relax, young sister. I love treasures, but that doesn't mean our shop will force our customers to sell theirs. Would you mind allowing me to have a look at yours?" Zhou Mei asked.

Her speech, gesture, and habit of fluttering around made the two boys feeling somewhat restless on their underpants. Even Lu Qing Yun is struggling to resist her charm as she speaks. Gently moving her hand and lifting the sleeve covering her arm, Lu Qing Yun allowed Zhou Mei to inspect the beautiful armlet made by her young master.

"Oh, Heaven!" Zhou Mei gasped. She shows a hint of surprise as she studies the delicate and beautiful armlet on Lu Qing Yun's shoulder.

But at the same time, the trio failed to notice that there's a meaning hidden behind her word. The elder that sleeping on the corner of the shop stops snoring after he heard Zhou Mei's sentence.

Similar to the grading system in cultivation, there exists a grading system that was used solely to determine the quality of treasures.

Heaven and Earth, Huang and Xuan. (Huang means Royal Yellow, Xuan means Mysterious Black) The grading further separates into Half or Full Treasure, based on the quality of their completion.

Although most of the treasures started out by being a Full Treasure, the degree of time used, protection, and damage depreciate their value as time past. Some of them also might be some relics unearthed from some ruins belonged to a sect. Hence, the grading of Half and Full Treasure exists.

As for why they were graded into Xuan, Huang, Earth, and Heaven, it is due to the degree of perfection. Treasure is similar to human cultivation, which is divided into Precelestial and Pericelestial.

A Mysterious Xuan treasure is capable of strengthening the cultivator's ability twofold at most when used. Royal Huang treasures multiply the might of a cultivator by threefold, Earth treasures by fourfold, and Heavenly treasures by fivefold.

"Sister Zhou Mei. Is this treasure expensive?" Lu Qing Yun asked with watery eyes. She revealed a hint of her body was being sullied to be given such a treasure in return.

Such an immature act could hardly escape the eyes of the elder. But to Zhou Mei, she's still somewhat inexperienced.

"Little sister, it's a piece of a very precious protective treasure. I dare to say that even if we used all our treasures inside this shop, it is still not enough to exchange with your armlet." Zhou Mei answered her question honestly.

"I dare to say that it would fetch no less than 15,000 pieces of gold coins if my shop owner is here." Zhou Mei added.

Lu Yi and Huo Zunjie's jaw dropped. Fifteen pieces of gold coins are enough for them to eat until they're bloated inside the inn right beside this store, but fifteen thousand gold coins? They have no idea about how much it would be.

"Little sister, listen to this big sister's advice and return the armlet to the owner. Or else, you might endanger yourself and also your family members just like my little brother Zunjie here..." Zhou Mei whispered beside her ears.

"I will. I'll return this immediately." Lu Qing Yun nodded. With nothing else to talk about, the trio excused themselves and left the store, leaving only Zhou Mei and the elder inside.

"Close the store. Since one of them is your acquaintance, I'll give them half a day of a chance to escape from the reach of Dragon Corps." the elder said.

...

...

"Quickly go back to your house." Lu Yi pulled Lu Qing Yun's arm with another hand holding the food ingredients they bought. They were moving quickly without noticing that there's a needle-like hairpin stuck on one of the packagings.

"Young master! I think we're in..." Lu Yi was going to finish his sentence, but Qin Lan's palm stopped all three of them from moving another step further into the house.

"Trouble..." he whispered.

"I know. That armlet is made to attract trouble." Qin Lan pushed all of them outside of the house as he leaves a piece of paper and an imitation armlet on the table. The packaging with the needle hairpin was also left inside of that house.

"Let's get back to the Qin Family Manor. Huo Zunjie, tell your woman that your house is sold to some other people. You're now living as a working servant to the third young master of Qin Household." Qin Lan said as he walked without anything in his hand.

"Young Master, what about those things we've hunted earlier? They're all still inside the house." Lu Qing Yun said. She tried to remove the armlet from her arm but seems unable to do so.

...

...

Night.

"It's a trap!"

"Open the door! Wait, don't touch that treasure! You fool, you'll kill all of us..."

"BOOM!!!" Huo Zunjie's repaired shack explodes, creating a firework that caught the attention of every commoner and member of proud households established and rooted inside this Fu-Rong Town.