Nine Star Hegemon Body Art (WN)
Nine Star Hegemon Body Art (WN) - Chapter 501: Refusing to Join

“Sorry, but I don’t want to.” Long Chen shook his head.

“Long Chen, perhaps you just don’t know how strong my Shui family is. Let me tell you-” Being refused by Long Chen, Shui Wuhen didn’t get the slightest bit angry. On the contrary, she smiled slightly.

“Monastery head, or perhaps I should call you big sister as that will make us seem closer, I don’t want to join your Shui family because I don’t want to be drawn into your Shui family’s games.

“Perhaps you asked me for my benefit, as I can grow up better within the Shui family. At the same time, the Shui family will gain a powerful helper, a mutually beneficial agreement.

“But considering how large your Shui family must be, is it possible everyone is united? There’s no inner struggle? If someone targeted me, what would I do?

“If you were the Shui family head, then perhaps I might choose to join, because I can sense you truly do care about and trust me.

“But you aren’t the family head. Then what if one day the Shui family decides that for profit, they have to sacrifice me? What would you do then?” asked Long Chen.

When Shui Wuhen first heard Long Chen call her big sister, she almost laughed. But seeing how solemn he was, emotion tugged at her heart. She now understood a bit of Long Chen’s temperament. Since he had called her big sister, then he truly did think of her as a big sister.

In all her years, this was the first time someone treated her so genuinely. Even in her family, there was no one who had had such trust in her.

But the rest of his words caused her heart to shiver. Large families were heartless, just like how sects were heartless. In front of profit, everything else was so insignificant.

Furthermore, with Long Chen’s temperament, if she brought him into her family, then although he might bring some benefits, he would very likely bring trouble with him.

After bringing profit, her family would smile happily towards him, but as soon as he caused trouble, if that trouble exceeded the profit, her family would not hesitate to abandon him. Let alone Long Chen, they wouldn’t hesitate to abandon her as well.

For Long Chen to join the Shui family, there were two likely conclusions: one, Long Chen would die under the Shui family’s scheming, or two, Long Chen would live, while the Shui family…

Thinking of that, Shui Wuhen became covered in cold sweat. She recalled what Ling Yun-zi had said before leaving. That had been a warning as well.

“I understand. I won’t force you to join. In addition, thank you for that appellation. I feel like I’m suddenly much younger.” Shui Wuhen laughed.

Seeing she wasn’t displeased, Long Chen relaxed a great deal. If this matter had caused Shui Wuhen displeasure, then Long Chen would have had no choice but to bring his people to leave the monastery.

Currently, Long Chen was surrounded by enemies on all sides. If he had been alone, he wouldn’t be afraid. But he had others with him. The Dragonblood Legion had just been formed and had yet to mature. If they were struck now, it would be a fatal blow.

Although Shui Wuhen was in a high position and also used profound schemes, Long Chen felt that she was actually very kind inside, someone worthy of him trusting.

“Hehe, I should be the one saying thanks. With a big sister like you, then wouldn’t I be able to slap whichever sect leader I wanted?” Long Chen smiled mischievously.

“You dare? Let me tell you, don’t even think of using my name to run amok. Otherwise, I’ll still put you in your place,” warned Shui Wuhen.

“I was just joking. Do you think I’m that kind of person?” said Long Chen awkwardly.

Shui Wuhen silently looked at Long Chen, but that gaze clearly said: Yes, I do.

After talking to him for a while, Shui Wuhen now felt closer to Long Chen than before, and she was more casual.

“The Huo family is trying to make it hard on my supermonastery. All our medicinal pills are purchased from the Pill Tower. But a few days ago, I received word that when my subordinates went to purchase medicinal pills, the Pill Tower said they were low on stock and could only sell us a limited amount.

“Hmph, those despicable little people, they want to play this game with me? Are they trying to give me a demonstration of their power? In any case, my supermonastery has quite a few savings. As long as they don’t completely cut us off, we can still endure for a while,” sneered Shui Wuhen.

“Tch, a bunch of counterfeiters also dare be so arrogant? Truly courting death.” Long Chen also sneered.

“Counterfeiters?”

“Big sister, you probably don’t know this, but the Bone Tempering Pills sold by the Pill Tower have had something done to them to halve their medicinal effect. However, it’s impossible to tell from the outside, and since all the Bone Tempering Pills on the market are monopolized by the Pill Tower and others don’t have the medicinal formula to refine their own, no one knows this secret,” explained Long Chen.

“Is that true?!”

“How refreshing, would I dare trick big sister? Well since you don’t believe me, I’ll refine a furnace of pills for you to see.”

He directly took out a pill furnace and refined pills in front of Shui Wuhen. His technique was extremely skillful, and he refined very quickly. In just an incense stick’s worth of time, the furnace lid opened and pill fragrance floated out.

“They’re all high grade pills! Long Chen, you’re an alchemy genius!” Seeing those nine high grade medicinal pills, Shui Wuhen was completely shocked.

Although she wasn’t a pill cultivator, her years of experience weren’t wasted. Not only was his pill refining speed extremely fast, but he had also refined nine high grade pills at once. That was practically unbelievable.

In truth, Long Chen had been holding back. If he had refined a furnace of ringed high grade pills, that would definitely make Shui Wuhen dumbstruck.

But Long Chen didn’t want to show off that much. Right now, all he needed was to prove that the medicinal pills sold by the Pill Tower had a problem.

“Big sister, look. This medicinal pill is the same quality as the Bone Tempering Pills sold by the Pill Tower, but their medicinal effects are not the same,” said Long Chen.

Shui Wuhen carefully took out a Bone Tempering Pill to compare with Long Chen’s Bone Tempering Pills. Bewildered, she said, “On the outside, they look the same, and the medicinal energy fluctuations are around the same. There really is no way to see a difference. But more importantly, how do you know how to refine Bone Tempering Pills?”

Only the Pill Tower had the pill formula for the Bone Tempering Pill. That was why it was monopolized and the Pill Tower could make so much profit.

Countless people had tried to research the Bone Tempering Pill’s formula, but it was practically impossible. People found that whatever formulas they came up with would either fail to condense or wouldn’t have any bone tempering effect.

The fact that Long Chen could refine Bone Tempering Pills shocked Shui Wuhen even more than his refining speed or his full furnace of high grade pills.

“Ah, if you can’t say, it’s fine,” added Shui Wuhen hastily. Only now did she remember it was taboo to ask about a person’s secrets.

“That’s alright. This Bone Tempering Pill’s medicinal formula is something I obtained accidentally within the secret realm. I’m not planning on keeping it secret.” Long Chen smiled slightly.

He couldn’t tell the truth. All he could say was that he had obtained it in the secret realm, because it was possible for any kind of treasure to appear in there. More important was Long Chen’s last sentence.

That made Shui Wuhen jump, and she quickly said, “You can’t be reckless. If you make the pill formula public, you’ll definitely be chased down by the Pill Tower. No one would be able to protect you.”

The Pill Tower had mostly monopolized the pill market, and the Bone Tempering Pill was one of their most lucrative pills. If Long Chen made the pill formula public, the Pill Tower would definitely launch a harsh attack. It would be impossible for them to let him off.

“Why would I make it public? I just said I wouldn’t keep it secret. Even if a huge amount of Bone Tempering Pills suddenly appeared in the cultivation world, they wouldn’t suspect me. There should already be certain people that have begun to sell them throughout various auction houses.” Long Chen laughed.

“Could it be… you’re selling Bone Tempering Pills through the Huayun Sect?” Shui Wuhen suddenly understood.

The only one that could face off against the Pill Tower was the Huayun Sect. Long Chen’s actions were equivalent to giving the Pill Tower a vicious cut.

Long Chen detested the Pill Tower’s lofty and arrogant fellows. From Huo Wufang’s conduct, he had already realized the entire Pill Tower was full of arrogant people who looked down their noses at people.

He had already given the pill formula to Zheng Wenlong. This was an extremely secret cooperation. When Zheng Wenlong had seen the pill formula, he had almost shouted in shock.

Long Chen was doing this for two reasons. One was to borrow the Huayun Sect to give a blow to the Pill Tower, revealing their contemptible scheme to sell fake medicine.

The other goal he had was to get more Bone Tempering Pills for himself. He didn’t have enough time to refine that many Bone Tempering Pills, so he needed the Huayun Sect’s help. After all, the Huayun Sect also had their own pill cultivators.

Furthermore, Huayun Sect’s reputation was famed, and they always kept secrets confidential. No one would realize that it was Long Chen who had given the pill formula to the Huayun Sect.

Back at that time, Zheng Wenlong had already said that once they began to sell Bone Tempering Pills, Long Chen would receive a twenty percent dividend of the profit.

It had to be known that the Huayun Sect’s auction houses were spread throughout the world. A twenty percent dividend was shocking.

However, Long Chen didn’t really care about it. Right now, he needed two things: one was precious medicinal ingredients, while the other was Bone Tempering Pills.

To establish the Dragonblood Legion would require an ocean’s worth of medicinal pills. If he refined all of them himself, he would end up exhausting himself to death. So cooperating with the Huayun Sect was the best, mutually beneficial option.

“This way, it won’t be long before the matter of the Pill Tower’s fake medicines becomes public knowledge. At that time, will they still have time to care about me? This time I’ll borrow the Huayun Sect to give the Pill Tower a vicious blow. Those arrogant fellows really should reserve themselves more.” Long Chen laughed mischievously.

Looking at Long Chen’s sinister smile, Shui Wuhen was a bit speechless. For the Pill Tower to end up making an enemy out of someone like Long Chen, they really were unfortunate.

The Pill Tower might say they were neutral in the cultivation world, but they were too arrogant, and they were lacking character. No one had a good impression of them.

However, both the Righteous and Corrupt paths relied on their medicinal pills. There was no choice but to lower their heads to them.

Once the Huayun Sect delivers this blow, they should be a bit better behaved from now on. Their haughtiness should also be more restrained.

“That’s right, sister, is there any news about Yin Wushuang?” asked Long Chen.