Wang Ping nodded without saying much and went over to open the door. Standing outside were four people: Guo Xu, a disciple of Zhao Nanshan, and the burly man who, along with Xu Changming and others, had tried to drive out the Sanhe Fist Gym.

The other two, an old man and a young man, were dressed in silk, indicating their extraordinary status.

"Please come in," Wang Ping said, gesturing with his hand.

"Thank you..." The older man cupped his hands, very polite.

He had inquired about all the major and minor forces in Ping An County. Chen Yuan had a trusted confidant named Wang Ping, who was highly valued and generally accompanied him in whatever he did.

Such a person could not be offended!

If they weren't afraid of causing misunderstandings with Chen Yuan, they probably would have tried to get close to Wang Ping long ago.

Wang Ping nodded, turned, and stood silently by Chen Yuan's side.

"This old man is Li Changshan."

"I am Huang Wenxuan."

"I am Ma..."

"Greetings, Master Chen."

The group cupped their hands in unison.

Chen Yuan lowered his eyelids slightly and said softly, "What do you all want from me?"

The old man surnamed Li smiled and said, "I have long heard of Chief Chen's reputation, but unfortunately, I had no chance to meet him. That's why I asked Brother Zhao to introduce us."

"You don't need to be so polite. Please, take a seat." Chen Yuan pointed to the nearby seats.

"Thank you."

Only after Chen Yuan spoke did they feel comfortable sitting down.

"This is a small gift from me. I hope Chief Chen won't find it too shabby." The old man surnamed Li took out a small wooden box from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and opened it.

Inside was a jade bracelet, entirely green, indicating its considerable value.

Seeing this, Huang Wenxuan didn't want to be outdone and promptly took out a porcelain bottle: "Master Chen, this pill is called Huangyu Dan. It was created by the main branch of my Huang family and is best suited for Refining Bone martial artists. I hope Master Chen will take care of us in the future."

"The Huang family's main branch..." Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes and asked softly, "Are you referring to the Huang family in the Prefectural City?"

"Precisely," Huang Wenxuan nodded with a smile.

The last one, the burly man surnamed Ma, also didn't want to be left out: "Chief Chen, I have offended you in the past. I hope Chief Chen won't hold it against me. Consider these Tiger Bone Pills as my apology."

As he spoke, he also took out a small porcelain bottle.

Chen Yuan's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't even look at the items on the table: "You are all too kind. In recent years, the imperial court has repeatedly advocated incorruptibility. How could I..."

Li Changshan's eyes flickered, and his gaze landed on the box on the table. He laughed and said, "Chief Chen is right. I'll just have to take it back then."

He reached out, carefully wrapped the jade bracelet with a yellow cloth, placed it in front of Chen Yuan, and then put the wooden box back into his sleeve.

Huang Wenxuan smiled, picked up two pebbles from the ground, gave one to the burly man surnamed Ma, and naturally pocketed the other: "I think this item looks quite like obsidian. It just so happens that weapons lack this material, so I'll use these pills to exchange for it. What do you think, Brother Ma?"

The burly man surnamed Ma understood and quickly put away the pebble: "Yes, yes, I hope Chief Chen will part with it."

Chen Yuan frowned and said in a low voice, "This... Fine, since you all appreciate it so much, I can't be unreasonable, can I?"

"Master Chen is absolutely right."

"Hahaha..."

Chen Yuan accepted the gifts, and the group was very happy. They then engaged in some casual conversation in the backyard.

Before long, Chen Yuan picked up his teacup, gently blew on it, but didn't drink.

Li Changshan and Huang Wenxuan exchanged glances, stood up, and said, "We still have some small matters at home, so we won't bother you any longer."

They understood the meaning of offering tea as a farewell. Their purpose had been achieved, and Zhao Nanshan would convey their intentions later.

"Then I won't see you out," Chen Yuan nodded.

Soon, the group left the backyard led by Guo Xu and Wang Ping.

"What are their purposes? Old Zhao, you can tell me now, right?" Chen Yuan asked in a low voice.

"That Li Changshan has been facing some difficulties recently and has had some conflicts with the North Sea Gang. However, his own strength is not enough to fight against the North Sea Gang, so he probably wants you to say a word on his behalf."

"Huang Wenxuan wants to befriend you. They were observing you before, but now your position is very stable, with both prestige and strength, which is quite normal."

"As for the one surnamed Ma, he hopes you won't hold a grudge from last time," Zhao Nanshan said, taking a sip of tea.

"If anyone should hold a grudge, it's Senior Zhao. However, this Huang family has very deep roots." Chen Yuan had heard of the Huang family's name; they were a prominent family in Nanling Prefecture.

"It's just a branch that moved out many years ago, but befriending them wouldn't be a bad thing. Their Huangyu Dan is indeed very effective for Refining Bone martial artists."

"They are also very popular in the Prefectural City. If it weren't for the limitations of materials, the Huang family would have a great future."

Chen Yuan nodded: "In that case, it might not be bad to befriend the Huang family."

"Hehe, officials in Ping An County must have some allies in order to have a stable position."

Chen Yuan didn't mind. Anyone with some strength in Ping An County knew the relationship between him and the North Sea Gang.

It was no wonder Li Changshan sought him out.

"This time, besides Zhao Lao's invitation, I also want to ask you some questions," Chen Yuan said with a smile.

Although he had already entered the Refining Bone stage, he wasn't very clear about the subsequent cultivation. The Vajra Glazed Body was a Refining Bone technique, but it didn't have a way to advance to the Coagulating Astral Realm.

And although Zhao Nanshan was half-crippled, his knowledge and experience were still valuable, so Chen Yuan wanted to ask for guidance.

Chen Yuan still had some trust in Zhao Nanshan, unlike Li Mingqi, whom he regarded with deep suspicion.

His relationship with Li Mingqi was a simple superior-subordinate relationship, without much intimacy. Li Mingqi needed him as an obedient subordinate, and he needed to use Li Mingqi as a shield.

"You want to ask about cultivation, right?" Zhao Nanshan asked calmly, seemingly not surprised.

"Senior Zhao has sharp eyes," Chen Yuan nodded in agreement.

"Stepping from Refining Blood into Refining Bone is simple and difficult at the same time..."

Zhao Nanshan calmly told Chen Yuan about his past experiences.

After Zhao Nanshan finished speaking, Chen Yuan said, "Senior Zhao, it's not about entering the Refining Bone stage, but about how to break through to the Coagulating Astral Realm."

The reason he hadn't interrupted was not only out of respect but also because Chen Yuan wanted to know if what Zhao Nanshan said was the same as what was recorded in the Vajra Glazed Body manual.

Chen Yuan had broken through quickly, but he wasn't very solid in some of the principles and tricks.

And what Zhao Nanshan said was no different from Chen Yuan's breakthrough process. The only difference was that the speed of Refining Bone after Refining Blood three times would be very slow, but he was different. His blood energy was several times that of ordinary Refining Blood martial artists.

His cultivation speed was also incomparable.

The solid foundation laid by Refining Blood nine times would make it much easier for Chen Yuan in the Refining Bone stage.

Zhao Nanshan's expression changed slightly, and he stared at Chen Yuan: "You've entered the Refining Bone stage?"

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