Purple Mist Dao Master-Chapter 163 - 144: Traveler Department, All-Knowing!

"My path is complete!"

Tian Jing let out a long cry, strode up to Yan Chuan, and clasped his fists: "Thank you, Palace Master Yan!"

Seven jin and nine taels of Golden Rock Earth Dragon Blood!

Is it precious?

It doesn’t seem to be.

In terms of medicinal effect, this dragon blood is equivalent to 40 pills of ’Dragon Tiger Great Pill’, which is just equivalent to Wang Kuan’s one year of secret medicine salary.

But to say it’s not precious?

That’s not it either!

’Dragon Blood’ is different from ’Dragon Tiger Great Pill’. Although their effects can be compared, thinking you can exchange 40 ’Dragon Tiger Great Pills’ for seven jin and nine taels of Golden Rock Earth Dragon Blood is just wishful thinking!

Dragon blood is a treasure that can help one break through limits!

Dragon Tiger Great Pill?

Can’t even compare!

In terms of actual value, ten jin of dragon blood is worth far more than 53 Dragon Tiger Great Pills, not to mention 106 or 212, no one would foolishly exchange it.

Dragon blood itself is already extremely precious!

Not to mention Yan Chuan took it out at such a critical time.

"Palace Master Yan is noble and righteous; Tian Jing is deeply grateful!"

Tian Jing knew the weight of this dragon blood; he looked at Yan Chuan: "Palace Master Yan, may I have a word with you inside?"

This was something he wanted to discuss privately.

Yan Chuan naturally would not refuse: "Master Tian, please."

...

"’All-Knowing’ Tian Jing, thanks Palace Master Yan!"

Entering the room, with no one around, Tian Jing bowed again to express his gratitude for the third time, his appreciation was evident.

"Master Tian, please rise quickly."

Yan Chuan hurried to help him up, his eyes sincere: "As I established the Hundred Flower Palace on Suanzao Mountain, my hope is for the diversity of Martial Artists to blossom, everyone having a brilliant future. Master Tian, achieving comprehension at Dragon Tiger Peak is fate, I could not just stand by."

Be kind to others!

Achieve Innate!

Yan Chuan was not stingy with the dragon blood at that time. Just as he told Wang Kuan: A thousand jin of gold scattered will return again—

Holding a Star Stone!

With the prototype of a Star Gate in hand!

In the Mountain and Sea Realm, there are countless wealth and resources, Yan Chuan was confident he could gain more high-level resources like ’dragon blood’, or even more precious and rare cultivation resources.

Dragon blood missed can still be obtained.

But an Innate Martial Artist like Tian Jing, such a friend, once missed would be hard to find again.

He was gambling that Tian Jing, who appears honest, is someone who knows and reciprocates a favor.

Facts proved.

Yan Chuan was not wrong.

"Palace Master Yan."

" The ’Golden Rock Earth Dragon Blood’ is precious beyond words, and it was at a critical moment for me breaking through to Innate. Without those seven or eight jin of dragon blood, I would have been delayed by at least five years."

"Great kindness needs no thanks—"

Tian Jing took out an item from his body and handed it to Yan Chuan: "I have nothing else to repay, please accept this first."

"..."

Yan Chuan looked at the item in Tian Jing’s hand, his face showing a strange expression.

If he remembered correctly, when Xun Guilan gave him a ’Star Stone’, she had said that this item was precious, hard to find in the world. She traveled everywhere, knows of a total of four pieces, including the one she herself owned and the one given to Yan Chuan.

Over the years, Xun Guilan had only seen four Star Stones.

But Yan Chuan?

The first time Xun Guilan gifted him a piece for avenging her deceased friend by killing Fan Defang.

The second was given by Jiang Bianliu of the Cangwu Department of Guangling City, who valued Yan Chuan.

Now, gifted by Tian Jing, this was the third time Yan Chuan received a Star Stone as a gift.

Plus the one Yan Chuan obtained after defeating Du Hanfeng.

In just a few months, Yan Chuan had gotten four Star Stones.

So much for ’precious’, ’hard to find’—

The result!

Just this?

"Palace Master Yan?"

Tian Jing, holding the Star Stone, saw Yan Chuan stupefied, and asked puzzledly: "Palace Master Yan has seen a ’Star Stone’ before?"

"To be honest, I have indeed seen it."

Yan Chuan reached into his bosom—

Whack!

Exactly the same!

It was indeed a Star Stone!

"This—"

Tian Jing gave a wry smile: "It looks like I made a fool of myself."

"I understand Master Tian’s intentions, but the Star Stone is precious, and I already have one, I dare not conceal it."

Yan Chuan smiled.

The value of the ’Star Stone’ is beyond a doubt.

Having obtained a ’Star Gate Prototype’ yesterday and learning more details from Wang Kuan and Jian Rong about the ’Academy Star Gate’, its many restrictions, he understood even more the value of ’Star Stone’.

Tian Jing using this as a token of gratitude was truly sincere.

"I already have one, so a second one greatly reduces its value."

"However—"

Tian Jing still handed the Star Stone to Yan Chuan: "This is my intention; once given, there’s no reason to take it back. If Palace Master Yan doesn’t mind, please accept it. Even if you find it useless, I hear you have a mentor, and disciples who do not belong to an academy or government; they might always find it useful."

Tian Jing was full of sincerity.

Yan Chuan repeatedly refused, but in the end, relented and accepted.

The Star Stone as a token of gratitude.

Tian Jing still felt it hard to express his gratitude fully. He thought for a moment, suddenly asked: "Next February, the Cang Mountain Sword Discussion, I heard Palace Master Yan is a Guest Professor at Taikang Academy, aged twenty-six, eligible for the Sword Discussion, will you participate next year?"

"I plan to go and have a look."

Yan Chuan nodded.

Hearing this, Tian Jing smiled immediately, and took out a thick stack of notes from a bookcase behind him and handed them to Yan Chuan, explaining: "This June, after the Martial Arts Academy Rankings were announced, the court sent us ’All-Knowing’ out of the capital in fifteen directions across the Fifteen States, to investigate and record the experts of each state and county. Later we’ll return to the capital along with records of achievements and reputations, to establish the ’Limit Extreme Human List’, ’Limit Breaking Earth List’, and the ’Heavenly List’, along with the ’Hidden Dragon’ and ’Chufeng’ two lists, which record the outstanding young men and women under thirty years old."

Tian Jing patted the notes and said: "This June, I left Yanjing, starting from Ci State, through Hui State, through Qingzhou, past Peng State, finally reaching Jian Province; Jian Province’s Nine Counties, with Guangling County as the last stop. These are twenty-four volumes of notes recording the experts from Hui, Qing, Peng States, and the Nine Counties of Jian Province along the way. Palace Master Yan should accept them; they might be of help for next year’s Cang Mountain Sword Discussion."

Four States!

Fifteen Counties!

This certainly is not the entirety of the Four States, but it is indeed a great help to Yan Chuan. Especially the nine volumes recording the Nine Counties of Jian Province, which will be of significant help in the upcoming sword discussions within the province.

As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated!

In the past.

Yan Chuan only knew a little about the experts in Guangling County, and knew even less outside the county.

As for beyond Jian Province, having never been outside the province, he knew nothing about experts beyond it.

Now with these twenty-four volumes of notes from Tian Jing, Yan Chuan can significantly increase his chances of success.

"Thank you, Master Tian, I will not refuse."

Yan Chuan accepted them, then curiously asked: "Is not the ’All-Knowing’ you mentioned just one person?"

Initially, having heard Tian Jing introduced himself as ’All-Knowing’, Yan Chuan thought it was Tian Jing’s alias and found it strange. Who would introduce themselves with such a name?

But later he understood that he had misconceived.

It seemed that the ’All-Knowing’ might be an institution specific to Martial Artists, like the Three Martial Divisions.

This part.

Tian Jing laughed: "In the previous dynasty, there was a character in Jianghu known as ’All-Knowing’ who compiled the ’Weapon List’, ranking the weapons and martial arts of Martial Artists at that time. After Great Yan Buwu, ’Traveler Department’ was established, with ordinary members referred to as ’travelers’, limit-breaking level as ’walkers’, and the highest as ’All-Knowing’, responsible for investigating and ranking Martial Artists along with academies and sects. The ’Martial Arts Academy Rankings’ published midyear was coordinated by the ’Traveler Department’, though major academies did not agree, leading to next year’s ’Cang Mountain Sword Discussion’. After the ’Martial Arts Academy Rankings’, the ’Traveler Department’s primary task is compiling the ’Weapon List’, segmented into ’Hidden Dragon’, ’Chufeng’, ’Human List’, ’Earth List’, and ’Heavenly List’, a total of five lists, expected to be released next year, and Palace Master Yan may want to pay attention to them."

All-Knowing!

Traveler Department!

So that’s how it is!

This must be the ’third-party evaluation institution’ that Shao Yancong mentioned, fiercely disputed by Martial Arts Academies!

And Tian Jing, titled ’All-Knowing’, is at the top of the ’Traveler Department’.

With his equals!

None above him!

"My apologies, my apologies!"

Yan Chuan finally realized that Tian Jing had significant background.

Tian Jing waved dismissively, self-deprecatingly laughed: "The Traveler Department is even more unpopular than the Military Suppression Department, the New Faction is dissatisfied, the Old School dislikes it, everyone shouts to bring it down. My ’All-Knowing’ theoretically has the power to call on the ’Three Martial Divisions’ for assistance, but in reality, they completely ignore it, oh how humbling!"

Yan Chuan found it amusing!

Indeed!

The ’Traveler Department’ needs to investigate both the New and Old Factions while creating a ranking.

An old saying goes—

"In literature, there is no first; in martial arts, no second."

"Academy rankings are hard to place."

"Sect rankings are hard to place."

"Next year’s ’Weapon List’ will be even harder to place. Once the list is released, who knows what backlash and attacks the ’Traveler Department’ will face!"

"Moreover, some want the ’Weapon List’, especially the ’Hidden Dragon’ and ’Chufeng’ lists, to be out before the ’Cang Mountain Sword Discussion’—"

"Such people are sinister!"

Tian Jing, though now Innate, has his troubles.

Yan Chuan understood his concerns—

"The ’Hidden Dragon’ and ’Chufeng’ lists rate young Martial Artists under thirty from the Fifteen States of Great Yan. Without the ’Cang Mountain Sword Discussion’, judgments remain speculative; without real battles, no one can accurately assess, merely verbally disagree."

But with the ’Cang Mountain Sword Discussion’, the court gathers young Martial Artists under thirty into one place to fight in Cang Mountain with real weapons.

This time.

If the ’Traveler Department’ releases the ’Hidden Dragon’ and ’Chufeng’ lists beforehand, they will inevitably be used for comparison.

If someone ranked lower defeats one ranked higher, it means the ’Traveler Department’ made a mistake, proving the ’Weapon List’ inaccurate.

The Traveler Department will be under immense pressure!

Delay the release?

This also doesn’t work!

Various major organizations, especially the Three Martial Divisions, eagerly await this opportunity to verify the accuracy of the ’Traveler Department’ rankings.

Especially the ’Xuanwu Department’!

Especially Martial Arts Academies!

They have been holding back frustration for half a year, and now they shout the loudest!

To see a mule or horse!

This time, they aim to leverage the ’Weapon List’ and ’Cang Mountain Sword Discussion’ to prove themselves.

The Traveler Department can’t avoid this ordeal.

Even within the Traveler Department, among the ’Walkers’ and even ’All-Knowing’, some wish to prove themselves in this battle, proving the ’Traveler Department’.

In conclusion—

"By March or April at the latest next year, before the Fifteen States Competition of ’Cang Mountain Sword Discussion’, Palace Master Yan will likely see the ’Hidden Dragon’ and ’Chufeng’ lists."

Tian Jing outwardly smiled wryly, but inwardly, he was actually quite expectant.

...