Golden Core is a Star, and You Call This Cultivation?

“Five hundred taels?”

Li Xiaodan’s eyes widened in disbelief, a mixture of astonishment, joy, and doubt flashing across his face.

Zhou Hu, on the other hand, looked at the Daoist-clad woman with a deeply apprehensive gaze.

A Weapon Master!

This was undoubtedly a Weapon Master—and not a low-ranking one.

Her sudden arrival at Hongyun Village... Could she be enlisted to help?

“You’re wondering why, if the deity is dead and the statue has lost its divine essence, I’d offer such a high price?” the woman asked.

Li Xiaodan’s expression grew more puzzled.

Zhou Hu also struggled to understand.

The woman’s gaze softened slightly as she seemed to recall something from the past.

“In the days when the Central Lands were united and the realm was at peace, a Divine-Level Artificer named Sheng Nu traveled across mountains and rivers, gathering the essence of nature. She even ventured into realms beyond our world to collect celestial materials, and finally forged the artifact Divine Descent!

“With a heart as pure as a saint, Sheng Nu imbued Divine Descent with compassion and righteousness, and it became the national treasure of the Luocha Kingdom in the Central Lands.

“The Luocha Kingdom entered an unprecedented era of prosperity.

“With Divine Descent sweeping aside all external threats, and its Melody of the Divine Path harmonizing the kingdom internally, the nation rose to unparalleled strength.”

“Wait, could this Divine Descent be the legendary Judgment Deity?” Zhou Hu exclaimed, eyes wide with realization.

At first, he hadn’t made the connection, but as the woman spoke, everything clicked.

The Luocha Kingdom didn’t have just one divine artifact, and the deities worshipped by the people weren’t limited to a single entity.

However, none was as widely revered as the Judgment Deity.

Zhou Hu had often heard storytellers in taverns recount the tales of the Judgment Deity.

These stories, celebrated across all social strata, were especially beloved by the common folk.

Famous accounts like The Oil Merchant Suing the Magistrate and The Courtesan Who Slew the Third Prince were endlessly popular.

It was said that, centuries ago, the common people of the Luocha Kingdom lived prosperous lives. Even when dealing with government officials, they could stand tall.

The emperor demanded submission; the Judgment Deity made the people rise.

Thus, the Luocha Kingdom’s citizens worshipped the deity en masse.

The deity symbolized absolute fairness and justice.

In contrast, Zhou Hu’s Ninghe County was a place where the idea of commoners suing officials was nearly unthinkable.

To accuse an official was akin to patricide. Plaintiffs faced torturous punishments, including scorching irons, lashes, and beatings, before their cases could even be heard. 𐍂ΑNȮ₿ĘŠ

But in the Luocha Kingdom, not only could commoners sue officials—there were even tales of courtesans defying royalty.

One such tale, The Courtesan Who Slew the Third Prince, was particularly renowned.

The story tells of a humble washerwoman whose beauty caught the eye of the Third Prince during an outing. Bound by the laws upheld by the Judgment Deity, the prince couldn’t openly seize her.

Instead, he orchestrated a scheme to destroy her family, ultimately forcing her into a brothel—or, more accurately, a form of private captivity.

One day, the prince inadvertently revealed his deeds while speaking in his sleep. The washerwoman, now a courtesan, overheard him and investigated.

Upon discovering the truth, she exacted her revenge by killing the prince with a sword one night.

Elsewhere, this would have been catastrophic—a courtesan murdering royalty!

However, during her execution, a miracle occurred: snow fell in July.

At the execution site, her friend declared her innocence and summoned a statue of the Judgment Deity.

The deity, representing fairness and truth, intervened.

The courtesan was declared innocent, and the officials who had failed her were punished.

<hr>

If Qi Yuan had heard this story, he would undoubtedly have exclaimed, “This Judgment Deity sounds just like an intelligent AI!”

Indeed, the Luocha Kingdom’s governance bore a striking resemblance to rule by AI oversight.

<hr>

“Yes, Divine Descent was also known as the Judgment Deity,” the woman said, her voice tinged with sorrow.

“I heard that a century ago, the Luocha Kingdom was invaded by a powerful enemy. Divine Descent perished in battle?” Zhou Hu asked.

When Zhou Hu had first heard stories of the deity, he’d been deeply moved, like many virtuous individuals across the land.

In fact, many of the downtrodden dreamed of traveling to the Central Lands to seek the deity’s protection.

“That’s correct,” the woman replied, her expression turning cold. “The artifact was destroyed, and the deity… died.

“That same year, the royal court of the Luocha Kingdom ordered all statues of the Judgment Deity to be destroyed.

“To possess one was punishable by exile—or death.”

A frosty smile crossed her face. “Without Divine Descent, the Luocha Kingdom surrendered to the Great Feng Empire fifteen years ago. A nation that once dominated the world now offers tributes.

“Laughable, isn’t it?”

Zhou Hu felt a pang of sadness.

Perhaps no one in the Luocha Kingdom’s royal court or nobility truly revered the deity.

Only those who knelt in the mud—the common people—cherished its protection.

<hr>

“This statue is really that amazing?” Li Xiaodan, being young, focused on the deity’s power rather than its downfall.

“True statues of Divine Descent are nearly extinct in the Luocha Kingdom. My younger sister has always admired the deity.

“When I saw your statue, I thought to buy it for her—for five hundred taels,” the woman said calmly.

“I…” Li Xiaodan hesitated.

Five hundred taels was an astronomical sum.

He instinctively turned to Zhou Hu, hoping for advice.

The woman sighed. “Forget it. This statue crossed paths with you; it belongs with you. I won’t buy it.”

Though Divine Descent was a relic of the past, she felt no need to burden herself—or her sister—with such memories.

Li Xiaodan’s eyes widened in disappointment but quickly found solace.

“Well, if the deity is so powerful, it’ll surely protect me and my sister!”

He either missed or ignored her earlier words about the deity’s demise.

Zhou Hu smiled faintly at the boy’s optimism.

As the woman walked away, Zhou Hu hurried after her.

“Excuse me… Are you really a Weapon Master?”

“Yes,” she replied curtly.

“Why have you come to Hongyun Village?” Zhou Hu asked cautiously.

“That is none of your concern,” she said, her icy demeanor silencing him.

Zhou Hu felt a chilling pressure. This Weapon Master was far from ordinary.

“My apologies, but as a constable of Ninghe County, I must warn you…

“Recently, Hongyun Village has seen strange deaths, possibly linked to Specters. Please, exercise caution—”

“Be careful of the water and food here?” she interrupted, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“You already know?” Zhou Hu gasped, his hope rekindled. Could she be the village’s salvation?

“Do not pin your hopes on me. I travel to slay Specters for my cultivation. If the situation is beyond my ability, I will not throw my life away.

“This Specter… is unusual. My life-bound artifact may not suffice.”

The artifacts mastered by the Weapon Masters are divided into two types. One is an ordinary artifact. As long as it fits, it can be used with a simple seal.

There is another kind of artifact, which is the natal artifact.

This kind of artifact is closely related to the Weapon Master, and can even grow with the Weapon Master.

But the Weapon Masters with the natal artifacts are more difficult to improve than ordinary Weapon Masters. Not only do they need to improve themselves, but also their natal artifacts.

Zhou Hu heard this and showed an ecstatic look: "Senior, if you need anything, just find me, Zhou Hu, and I will do my best to help you!"

Nightfall.

Two figures moved through the darkness—one tall and young, the other stooped and aged.

Qi Yuan clapped his hands, his expression calm as he spoke. “Wang Kaixuan—who’s this person?”

Chen Kangbao, hunching his back, replied from behind him, “Not sure, but according to Huang Yanshou, it’s someone from the provincial capital.”

Over the past few days, Qi Yuan’s strength had grown significantly.

Revenge is a dish best served cold, Qi Yuan mused.

Under cover of darkness, he and Chen Kangbao had infiltrated the Huang family estate and captured Huang Yanshou. From him, Qi Yuan learned that the one who had orchestrated his downfall was none other than Wang Kaixuan.

“This game really loves its nested traps,” Qi Yuan muttered under his breath.

He had already pieced together some plausible motives.

First, as the son-in-law of the Shen family, Qi Yuan’s wife was strikingly beautiful, a fact likely to provoke envy. Wang Kaixuan’s jealousy over her beauty alone could have been enough to spur his actions.

Second, Qi Yuan’s parents, skilled artifact craftsmen, had left behind several valuable treasures. Such assets might easily have tempted Wang Kaixuan’s greed.

With these two motives combined, the plot against him made sense.

“Now that we’ve dealt with him, let’s head to Anshan Inn,” Qi Yuan said thoughtfully.

When Qi Yuan had first returned to Ninghe County for ancestral rituals, the Shen family had sent a servant to accompany him.

It was time to check in with this servant and ensure he delivered a letter back to the Shen family.

Qi Yuan couldn’t risk letting his wife learn the full extent of his circumstances, lest she divorce him in anger.

Without his position as the Shen family’s son-in-law, how could Qi Yuan complete his role-playing mission?

He still needed to maintain the guise of the Shen family’s son-in-law, even if it meant something as absurd as washing his mother-in-law’s feet.

Before being sent to the asylum, Qi Yuan and the servant had stayed at the Anshan Inn.

Though the night was dark, it was still relatively early.

<hr>

“Master, should we set the place on fire?” Chen Kangbao suggested suddenly. “After all, we’ve killed someone. Burning it down would tie up loose ends.”

Qi Yuan shook his head firmly. “No needless killing, and no destroying property. That’s a serious crime.”

Chen Kangbao, seemingly deep in thought, nodded solemnly.

“Instead of that nonsense, you should focus on crafting a better plan for dealing with Specters.

“We can’t always rely on you holding them down while I strike. That won’t work forever.”

Qi Yuan’s words rang true.

If they encountered a particularly strong Specter, what would happen if Chen Kangbao couldn’t hold it in place?

Right now, Qi Yuan’s abilities were still far from sufficient.

Chen Kangbao seemed to consider this for a moment.

“I may not be an expert on Specters, but from my perspective, when one approaches, we could try smiling to show we mean no harm.

“Once it feels at ease, we can gently pat its head. Most Specters seem to enjoy that sort of thing, and we could use the opportunity to—”

“To strike it down?” Qi Yuan interrupted dryly.

“And what if it attacks us first?”

“Ahem… Well, I’m not a professional, so my idea might have some flaws,” Chen Kangbao admitted, coughing awkwardly.

Qi Yuan sighed. “You’ll just keep holding them down for now. You’re the cutting board, and I’m the knife. All we’re missing is a chef.”

His role-playing mission weighed heavily on his mind.

After all, successfully fulfilling his role would earn him substantial rewards, something he eagerly anticipated.

“What chef? Are you planning to cook for this old servant?” Chen Kangbao joked, his thoughts never straying far from food.

“We’ll deal with that when we return to the city,” Qi Yuan replied, already formulating plans.

For now, the most pressing matter was improving his strength.

Once his power grew, he could better strategize his role-playing endeavors.

As things stood, Qi Yuan’s current physique didn’t exactly scream knife. Any attempts to role-play effectively were pointless.

<hr>

Before long, the two arrived at the Anshan Inn.

The innkeeper, recognizing Qi Yuan, seemed momentarily startled. “Qi... Young Master Qi?”

The Qi Yuan standing before him now looked completely different from the one he had met previously.

Not only had Qi Yuan’s appearance and physique changed, but his aura was entirely transformed.

The innkeeper studied him closely before finally confirming his identity.

Qi Yuan’s brief stint in the asylum hadn’t been widely publicized, and the innkeeper wasn’t privy to the details.

“Where’s Lao Zhong? Why isn’t he here?” Qi Yuan asked.

Lao Zhong, the Shen family’s servant sent to assist him, had accompanied him during his return to Ninghe County for ancestral rites.

“Zhong Ye left!” the innkeeper replied quickly.

“Left?”

“On the day Young Master Huang invited you for an outing, Zhong Ye checked out that evening and left.”

Qi Yuan’s expression remained calm. “And my belongings?”

“Zhong Ye took all your things with him,” the innkeeper explained nervously, afraid Qi Yuan might suspect the inn of theft.

“Did he now?” Qi Yuan murmured, his tone indifferent.

“Master, that old Zhong has betrayed you!” Chen Kangbao exclaimed. “Master gets thrown into an asylum, and he doesn’t even visit or investigate? He just runs off!”

“If it were me, I’d have stormed that asylum and rescued Master myself!”

Chen Kangbao leaned in close, whispering conspiratorially as if to emphasize his loyalty.

Qi Yuan gave a small nod before turning to the innkeeper. “Prepare two upper rooms for us.”

“Right away!”

Meanwhile, back at the Huang family estate, Zhou Hu frowned deeply.

Huang Yanshou was dead—but who could have done it?

With Lin Qinghe having left for his new post, Zhou Hu was now acting head constable.

The murder of Huang Yanshou was just one of several troubling events in Ninghe County, alongside the deaths at the asylum and the strange happenings at Hongyun Village.

“Constable Zhou, who’s the culprit?” the elderly patriarch of the Huang family asked, his hair white with age and his expression grim.

“Judging by the evidence, the killer… is likely a Weapon Master,” Zhou Hu replied. “Elder Huang, had your grandson recently provoked anyone?”

The patriarch’s expression stiffened momentarily before he quickly replied, “No. My grandson was a kind and virtuous soul. How could he offend anyone?”

“Elder Huang, are you withholding anything from me?” Zhou Hu asked, his suspicions growing.

Both the asylum incident and Huang Yanshou’s death seemed connected to Qi Yuan. Could it be…?

“This case… we won’t be pursuing it. My grandson died of a sudden illness,” the elder declared calmly.

Zhou Hu fell silent, his thoughts swirling.

His mind wandered back to the Judgment Deity of the Central Lands.

If only such fairness still existed… Perhaps things would be different.

“Very well. I take my leave.” Zhou Hu saluted and departed.

Not long after, a grieving old woman entered the Huang family’s hall.

“Shi Fan! My son is dead, and you’re just letting the killer walk free?”

The patriarch, Huang Shi Fan, turned to her in anger, slapping her across the face.

“Wasn’t it your fault? I warned you countless times not to let Yanshou associate with Wang Kaixuan, but you wouldn’t listen!

“Do you think our Huang family can compete with the clans of Weapon Masters?”

The woman collapsed to the floor, stunned. “My son…”

“This matter ends here,” Huang Shi Fan declared coldly.

He resolved to offer reparations to the Shen family.

As for Huang Yanshou’s death, it would be presented as punishment at his own hand—child unfit, parent to blame.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!