Chapter 158: Old Friends in Beijing

After descending the mountain, they found a secluded shelter where they divided all the golden toads, the flesh of the red-threaded snakes, the gallbladders, and the white-flowered snake-tongue grass. Everyone present received a share. The bile from the gallbladders was consumed on the spot by all; for martial artists and cultivators, the gallbladders of such exceptionally spiritual poisonous creatures are highly coveted treasures. After consuming the bile, they all remained in the large room, sitting in meditation to regulate their breathing.

Shortly after the spoils were distributed, He Zhixing escorted Gan Ling home. At her house, he used a large cola bottle he had brought with him to soak the spiritual flesh and herbs in millennium-old Huadiao wine. He drank a small amount and practiced his cultivation before setting off again with Jiang Ni and the others. Their next destination was Beijing. Along the way, he shared a bit of the spiritual flesh and herb-infused wine with his two companions. They traveled to Beijing by train, watching the scenery pass by from the carriage windows.

Upon arriving in Beijing, He Zhixing led them straight to Panjiayuan. He had visited the place several times before; his own antique shop sourced all its replicas, genuine articles, paintings by modern masters, and porcelain from this market. He Zhixing took them directly to find the proprietor of the "Bao Fu Zhai" antique shop, who had been his regular wholesale supplier. He found the man busy manning a stall on the streets of Panjiayuan, selling antiques.

Seeing him, He Zhixing patted him on the shoulder and said, "Boss Li, business is booming! Your stall has grown quite a bit!"

Boss Li was a tall, thin man. He had been explaining the treasures on his stall to curious treasure hunters when the sudden tap on his shoulder startled him. Turning around, he was shocked to see the long-absent He Zhixing. The tall man jumped for joy: "Brother He! Oh my, what a surprise... to see you, such a mysterious man, here in Panjiayuan—it's truly unexpected! Welcome, welcome! Come, let’s not stand here; let’s go back and have a proper chat!"

With that, Boss Li decisively packed up his stall and led He Zhixing and his three companions back to his residence.

Boss Li lived in an old-fashioned courtyard house. As a native Beijinger, his courtyard was not particularly large, though there were larger ones nearby. Upon arriving, they were introduced to his wife, a beautiful woman who was busy organizing the treasures Li had recently acquired. He led a team of "treasure hunters" who were well-versed in the trade. They frequently traveled in groups to visit old houses and remote villages, sometimes venturing as far as Yunnan and Xichang, driving wherever there was word of treasures.

After dinner at Boss Li’s home, He Zhixing poured him a tiny drop of the millennium-old Huadiao wine infused with the spiritual ingredients. The effect left Boss Li speechless in astonishment—it was simply inconceivable. As they listened to Jiang Ni recount the perilous journey He Zhixing took to acquire these treasures, Li’s parents and wife listened with mouths agape, finding the story hard to believe. Had they not seen the large cola bottle half-filled with the greenish-orange wine, containing the golden and red strips of flesh and the translucent, white-green snake-tongue grass, they would never have believed such miraculous, spiritual things existed in the world.

This experience opened their eyes. They took a whiff from the mouth of the bottle and were overwhelmed by the refreshing, intoxicating aroma. He Zhixing allowed each of them only a tiny taste; he dared not let them drink more. For an ordinary person, even two drops would be unbearable—the potency of the concoction was too great. Only those who practice martial arts could refine such spiritual, medicinal wine, converting the energy into true qi and spiritual power to be stored and circulated within their dan tian.