Chapter 3645 — A Man of Ambition

And as the old saying goes, treasures have spirits of their own—every heaven-sent material and earthly jewel waits for the one fated to claim it. That is the destiny and fortune that belongs to each and every person!

Though Wei Zhao had yet to coax the true purpose of the Star Ink Stone out of the damn thing's mouth, that tremor of spiritual resonance he had felt back then had been no illusion. He could distinctly sense the hidden connection between himself and this Star Ink Stone, and he could tell that once it was in his hands, some utterly unexpected delight would be waiting for him!

Yet even as Wei Zhao yearned for the Star Ink Stone, a hundred li away, within the cave dwelling of a certain inner sect disciple of Soaring Heavens Pavilion, one man was thinking of that unremarkable-looking stone with a fervor even greater than his own—so consumed by it that he could neither rest by day nor sleep by night.

Had Wei Zhao been present, he would surely have been startled, and then on his guard, for this man was none other than the Soaring Heavens Pavilion inner sect disciple he had encountered earlier at the Hong Clan Merchant Guild—Yu Jiang by name.

Compared with other inner sect disciples of Soaring Heavens Pavilion, Yu Jiang might barely count as a second-generation cultivator, but his backing was nowhere near as deep as that of a scion like Xu Lingchong. And in Soaring Heavens Pavilion, without powerful backing, one had to have powerful strength—otherwise one could only be trampled at will by others, with no hope of ever rising.

So Yu Jiang had always applied himself diligently. Beyond his daily cultivation, the place he frequented most was the Pavilion of Stored Scriptures.

For a token payment of a pittance of spirit jade, each month one could consult tens of thousands of classic texts and ancient tomes within—a privilege reserved solely for the inner sect disciples of Soaring Heavens Pavilion!

As for the inner sect disciples of the other two pavilions, gaining entry to the Pavilion of Stored Scriptures would cost them far more than a pittance of spirit jade. A single casual visit would exact a price that made the flesh ache.

There was no other reason: the Pavilion of Stored Scriptures stood upon territory governed by Soaring Heavens Pavilion.

As an inner sect disciple of Soaring Heavens Pavilion whose backing was none too formidable, Yu Jiang knew well that to make a name for himself, diligent cultivation alone would never suffice. He needed some unforeseen stroke of fortune—and the opportunities for such fortune were often hidden within these ancient tomes.

To gain easier access to these ancient texts, Yu Jiang—high and mighty inner sect disciple though he was—had even volunteered to serve as a humble steward of the Pavilion of Stored Scriptures. Over three full years, he had come to know every classic and ancient tome in that pavilion by heart.

Beyond the Pavilion of Stored Scriptures, another place Yu Jiang frequented was the market district. The outer and middle streets naturally had little to catch the eye, but the mysterious and exalted inner street often produced treasures beyond all expectation—treasures many could not fathom, yet profound in their hidden worth.

The inner street, however, was not one to enter at will. Yu Jiang might be an inner sect disciple of Soaring Heavens Pavilion, but for one thing his backing was not especially deep, and for another his strength was not especially great; nor had he ever won any dazzling result in the Three-Tier Pavilion trials. So he had never gained the inner street's recognition.

The only chance he had to enter the inner street was the inner street's open day, held once a month.

Opportunity always favors the prepared. Through Yu Jiang's unremitting efforts, at last, on the open day of the inner street a few days ago, he had discovered the very thing he had dreamed of—an object of destiny that everyone else had overlooked, yet one sufficient to set a man upon the summit.

It was the Star Ink Stone recorded in the ancient texts!

Whenever he thought of that pitch-black lump of stubborn stone, Yu Jiang could not suppress a surge of excitement. This was a supreme treasure that even the Hong Clan Merchant Guild had misjudged! A price of one thousand spirit jade was hardly low, true—but if the ancient texts spoke truly, its real value far exceeded a mere thousand spirit jade. Multiply that tenfold, a hundredfold, and still it would not be enough!

Unfortunately, Yu Jiang had not possessed a thousand spirit jade at the time. Though he was an inner sect disciple of Soaring Heavens Pavilion and his monthly stipend far exceeded that of disciples from the other two pavilions, saving a thousand spirit jade from such a stipend alone was hardly realistic.

What was more, he had spent these three years as a steward in the Pavilion of Stored Scriptures and had never gone out to take the high-reward missions, so he was not as flush with funds as other inner sect disciples of Soaring Heavens Pavilion.

Fortunately, Yu Jiang had already arranged with someone to borrow a thousand spirit jade before the inner street's open day next month. The interest was steep, yes—but so long as he bought the Star Ink Stone smoothly, the returns it brought would be tenfold, even a hundredfold!

To wait less than a month more and then purchase the Star Ink Stone recorded in the ancient texts—one could well imagine the surging tide of emotion in Yu Jiang's heart at this moment. This was a supreme treasure capable of changing the entire course of his life!

Yu Jiang was not worried that anyone might snatch the Star Ink Stone before him, for a thing like the Star Ink Stone was far more obscure than any other treasure. This was evident from the fact that even the Hong Clan Merchant Guild's appraiser had failed to recognize its true worth. It was only out of an appraiser's instinct—a sense that the thing was no ordinary article—that it had been symbolically priced at a thousand spirit jade.

Apart from a man like Yu Jiang himself, who had pored through ancient texts expressly for this purpose, no one else could possibly know what the Star Ink Stone was for, much less spend a thousand spirit jade to buy such an inexplicable stone. So Yu Jiang considered it as good as his.

Suddenly, a strange figure flashed through Yu Jiang's mind—none other than that rootless wandering cultivator he had never met before, the one standing beside him when he found the Star Ink Stone that day. From the look of things then, the man had seemed somewhat interested in the stone as well. Surely that fellow could not also know the Star Ink Stone's value?

The moment the thought arose, Yu Jiang laughed at himself. To begin with, a rootless wandering cultivator would have no chance to consult classic ancient texts, so the odds of him recognizing the Star Ink Stone were infinitesimal. And even if he did recognize it, so what? Could he possibly scrape together a thousand spirit jade and buy it out from under him?

Yet laugh at himself though he might, this Star Ink Stone was far too important for Yu Jiang to risk losing. However absurd the notion seemed, he would strangle the risk in the cradle.

Better safe than sorry—he decided to go and wait there the night before the inner street's open day next month, and to buy the Star Ink Stone at the very first opportunity. That way, even if that rootless wandering cultivator had likewise set his eyes on the stone, and even if he had likewise raised a thousand spirit jade, in the end he could only gaze upon it and sigh.

This is the destiny and fortune that belongs to me, Yu Jiang, and me alone. No one can wrest it from my hands! With its aid, I shall walk that road to the summit!

Meanwhile, Wei Zhao had no idea that his competitor had already made every preparation!