Chapter 170 : Hang Yu’s Profiteering Business! The Calamity Army Invites the Sage Doctor to Emerge!
Chapter 170: Hang Yu’s Profiteering Business! The Calamity Army Invites the Sage Doctor to Emerge!
After posting the quest, Hang Yu had been observing the situation through his Lord's Vision the entire time. So when Zhang Zhongjing revealed himself and made a move, not only was Uncle Big Tree overjoyed, but Hang Yu himself felt a jolt of excitement.
He hadn’t expected—
They actually found him.
That divination turtle shell was totally worth it!
Hang Yu glanced at Zhang Zhongjing’s profile.
【Zhang Zhongjing】, Level 24 Commander Unit... Description: Renowned divine doctor, titled Sage Doctor, possesses powerful Fate.
In history, apart from emperors and kings, ministers and generals—
Anyone who could be bestowed the title of “Sage” was never an ordinary figure.
Zhang Zhongjing was a Tier-Three Commander Unit, but that didn’t mean he only possessed commander-level strength. This classification merely referred to his current lifeform authority level, and couldn’t be equated with value or potential.
Hang Yu believed that even if Zhang Zhongjing was classified as a commander, his combat power among tier-three commanders would likely be on the weaker side. His overall strength certainly wouldn’t match that of Wen Pin or Zhou Cang.
After all, as a Sage Doctor, Zhang Zhongjing was never one for bloodshed.
His true value most likely lay in pill concoction and medicinal alchemy, and in healing support he surely possessed extraordinary skill... A Tier-Three Commander-level healer/support, such a role could practically double the strength of Hang Yu’s territory!
This man was undoubtedly a treasure-tier hidden character in this dreamworld map, and his abilities and potential value might not be inferior to Jia Xu. Hang Yu had to find a way to recruit him into his territory to solidify its foundations!
Though he was desperate for talent—
He didn’t issue a recruitment task recklessly.
Hang Yu decided to observe a bit more before acting.
After Uncle Big Tree was rescued, he followed Zhang Zhongjing to his dwelling.
It was a stone chamber built into a cave. The old immortal must have been secluded here for many years. The chamber was divided into several sections—one for books, one for medicinal herb storage, and others equipped with tools and stations for alchemy.
“Many thanks, Elder Immortal, for your life-saving grace!”
Uncle Big Tree couldn’t hide his excitement and repeatedly bowed in gratitude to Zhang Zhongjing.
Zhang Zhongjing stroked his beard and smiled. “A simple matter, no need for thanks. However, this secluded place is quite hidden. How did you, young man, manage to find it?”
Uncle Big Tree’s thoughts turned several times—
In the end, he decided to speak truthfully.
“We came on a reconnaissance mission at the command of our Lord, but after an unexpected accident, we ended up here. Then, under the Lord’s Revelation, we learned of your seclusion here in the valley and came searching.”
“Lord?”
Zhang Zhongjing’s expression showed some surprise. “You’re not from Wan? Nor one of the City Lord, Extreme Yin Sect, or the Three Major Clans?”
Uncle Big Tree shook his head. “I am a citizen of the Greatest Lord Hang Yu, who is a Human Lord from the Starsea. Elder Immortal, have you heard of the Starsea?”
Zhang Zhongjing gave a slight nod. “I’ve heard bits and pieces.”
Uncle Big Tree got excited. As long as he had heard of it, things were much easier.
If such a divine figure could be recruited into their territory, become one of the NPCs for players, a partner of the Calamity Army, it would be a tremendous boon for the territory and the legion!
One of the fun aspects of Twisted Three Kingdoms was: the whole world was a massive sandbox. Be it a single grain of sand, a clump of soil, the fate of individuals, or the movements of nations—players could deeply participate and shape all of it!
With Zhou Cang, their territory’s foundation had already strengthened significantly.
If they could also coax Zhang Zhongjing over—
He could surely provide tremendous support for the Calamity Army!
Suppressing his excitement, Uncle Big Tree asked sincerely: “I heard the forces in Wan City are all searching for you, Elder Immortal. With your capabilities and reputation, you would receive VIP treatment anywhere. Why choose a lonely life in the mountains?”
Zhang Zhongjing gave a gentle sigh. “They merely covet my knowledge of medicine and alchemy. But as their hearts and souls grow increasingly corrupted, even I am powerless to cure them. I refuse to become a pawn to serve their selfish ends or enable their evildoing.”
“Instead, I prefer to dwell deep in the mountains, gathering herbs and refining medicines, roaming the land under an alias, offering what little help I can to ordinary folk.”
So that was the reason—
Zhang Zhongjing wasn’t hiding from the world.
He simply didn’t want to fall under Wan City’s control.
Could something have gone terribly wrong inside Wan City?
Perhaps some hidden evil had emerged, so vile that even Zhang Zhongjing couldn’t bear to be part of it, choosing to flee rather than be involved.
But Zhang Zhongjing wasn’t fully reclusive—he would regularly disguise himself and travel to different cities, offering treatment to commoners. Truly, he bore the heart of one who hung his gourd to save the people.
After a moment’s hesitation, Uncle Big Tree extended the invitation directly: “Elder Immortal’s noble virtue is admirable. Our Lord is a rare Human Lord, and he bears a great ambition to aid the world and save it from calamity. Why not join our territory?”
Zhang Zhongjing furrowed his brow slightly.
He didn’t know much about the Starsea Lords.
But he had heard that the Starsea included countless races, with most of its Lords being bizarre alien beings. A Human Lord was naturally less off-putting.
Still, he knew nothing of this “Hang Yu” the young man spoke of. It wasn’t possible to commit to joining a Lord’s territory based solely on words.
“I have aspired to heal the wounded and save the dying since I was a child. While saving one person is easy, saving the world is far more difficult. If this Lord you speak of truly possesses such power—why would I hesitate to offer my life?”
There was hope!
Uncle Big Tree was overjoyed.
He hurriedly said, “Elder Immortal, I know words alone aren’t enough. But if you would visit our territory just once, you’ll see with your own eyes and understand the greatness and vision of our Lord!”
Zhang Zhongjing shook his head. “It’s not that I’m unwilling to descend from the mountains, but rather that I cannot leave yet.”
Uncle Big Tree: “Why?”
Zhang Zhongjing replied, “Within this valley, there is a rare herb, which is now nearing maturity. It is of great use to me, and the reason I’ve remained in seclusion for so many years.”
Uncle Big Tree was puzzled. “If it’s already mature, why not just take it?”
Zhang Zhongjing shook his head. “It’s far from that simple.”
Uncle Big Tree asked, “Please explain!”
Zhang Zhongjing let out a sigh. “This herb is extremely dangerous. Retrieving it demands a heavy price. Moreover, a powerful corrupted beast named Jueying guards the area around the herb.”
“Jueying?!”
Uncle Big Tree was stunned.
That name sounded familiar...
Wait a minute—wasn’t Jueying the steed of Boss Cao? Why had it become a corrupted beast—and one strong enough to make even Zhang Zhongjing wary?
Zhang Zhongjing explained: “Jueying was once an extraordinary steed of unmatched spirit. During the Battle of Wan City, Cao Cao was caught in an ambush and escaped on this very horse.”
“Jueying was struck by many arrows while breaking through enemy lines, yet still carried its master for a hundred miles. It finally collapsed and died from blood loss.”
“After the descent of the Will of the Abyss, Jueying’s bones were revived through the nightmare, transforming into a fearsome corrupted beast. Even I am no match for it!”
From that alone, it was clear—
This valley’s BOSS was Jueying!
After death, it had been influenced by the Will of the Abyss, resurrected through Abyssal Nightmare, and had become a local corruption source.
That also explained the appearance of monsters like the Black-Scaled Dragon Horse.
These creatures were likely once ordinary wild horses—or maybe not even horses, but cattle or goats—that, under Jueying’s influence, gradually transformed into a new Abyssal species.
While conversing with Zhang Zhongjing, Uncle Big Tree was also privately messaging his companions with a summary of the events.
Once the other players learned of Zhang Zhongjing’s appearance—
And even caught wind of Jueying’s existence—
They all got fired up.
Just then, a system notification rang out in everyone's ears.
【Ding! Player “Uncle Big Tree” has triggered a group quest!】
【Quest Name: The Rare Herb!】
【Quest Details: Sage Doctor Zhang Zhongjing has discovered a rare herb in a hidden valley, but it is guarded by the Abyssal monster Jueying. Assist Zhang Zhongjing in obtaining the herb!】
【Quest Objective: Retrieve the herb within three days!】
【Quest Rewards: 2 million Essence, 5 million Contribution Points, to be shared among participating players. All participants have a chance to randomly obtain items, equipment, and attribute potions!】
———
Thousands of members of the Calamity Army were taken aback.
They hadn’t expected a quest to suddenly emerge like this.
It was a Group Quest—with fixed rewards—but still plenty tempting. After all, it involved both Zhang Zhongjing and Jueying, the legendary steed of Cao Cao.
In an instant—
Major Legions and elite high-level players sprang into action.
There were no level restrictions for this quest, but since the Wan City Map required a minimum level of 9 to enter, the number of eligible players maxed out around 800 to 900.
Of course, not all of them would show up.
But even with just 300 to 500 people, it would already form a formidable strike force.
“Elder Immortal Zhang, fear not. This kind of minor issue is nothing to us. Our Calamity Legion would be honored to help you retrieve the herb!” said Uncle Big Tree, seizing the moment.
Zhang Zhongjing was momentarily puzzled. “Calamity Legion?”
Uncle Big Tree explained, “The Calamity Legion is a powerful force personally built by our Lord. Every single soldier in the Calamity Legion is a fearless warrior—and I’m proud to be one of them!”
So it was a force under the Lord’s command?
If they had military assistance, perhaps obtaining the herb really was possible.
Zhang Zhongjing pondered, but still shook his head. “Jueying is no ordinary creature. It is the strongest Nightmare Creature within hundreds of li—absolutely not something a normal force can handle.”
“And this herb is no easy thing to acquire either. The process of harvesting it will likely bring about needless casualties. I appreciate your kindness, but how could I allow your Lord's army to suffer for my private matter?”
But Uncle Big Tree only laughed.
“Hahaha, Elder Immortal Zhang need not worry at all! The Calamity Legion loves meddling and helping others!”
“And what our Calamity soldiers fear least is death! I promise you—no later than three days from now—we’ll have that herb in your hands!”
Before Zhang Zhongjing could object,
Uncle Big Tree continued, “If we succeed in retrieving the herb for you, Elder Immortal, we hope that you’ll come to our territory for a visit, just to see it for yourself!”
What a strange fellow!
Zhang Zhongjing possessed some degree of Qi-sensing techniques.
Though it couldn’t directly reveal whether someone was evil or malicious, it could at least detect malintent or deception. And right now, in this Starsea Lord's citizen, what Zhang Zhongjing sensed was pure sincerity and calm honesty.
It was as if the man didn’t even care about his own life or death.
All he did—even going so far as to mobilize an entire force at great risk—was just to invite Zhang Zhongjing to visit their territory.
Such sincerity—
Left no room for words.
Just what kind of Lord could cultivate such a force?
Though Zhang Zhongjing didn’t wish for anyone to be harmed, the herb truly was of great importance to him—possibly even tied to the fate of countless living beings in the Abyss.
“Very well!”
Zhang Zhongjing didn't hesitate any longer.
He promised, “If I can obtain this herb successfully, I shall journey to your territory and personally pay my respects to your Lord!”
Success!
Uncle Big Tree let out a long sigh of relief!
Although Zhang Zhongjing hadn’t promised to join the territory outright, so long as he was willing to descend the mountain and head to Luoshui City, the many players—and their Lord—would surely find ways to persuade him to stay.
Trust in the Lord’s capability and charisma!
Trust in the players’ knack for stirring things up!
“I guess I’ve made a huge contribution this time!”
Uncle Big Tree looked at the quest he triggered and was extremely satisfied. He never imagined that a “small fry” like himself would have such a moment in the spotlight.
In real life, Uncle Big Tree was used to being under the spotlight, living amidst public attention—yet he never truly felt a sense of accomplishment or fulfillment. But right now, he felt like he had done something truly meaningful.
……
Inside the Lord’s Fortress.
Xiao Ba reminded, “Master, players are currently gathering in the southern part of White Tiger Mountain, preparing to head into the valley where Zhang Zhongjing resides to hunt down Jueying!”
Hang Yu nodded slightly. “How many are there now?”
“Four hundred so far, and the number is still growing. We estimate it’ll reach around six hundred!”
“Not bad. I don’t know how strong Jueying really is, but if all goes well, this could be a profitable wave.”
Though the player death rate had been very high lately due to map exploration, they were bringing in nearly 3 million Essence per day.
But Hang Yu's expenses were also steep—especially the exploration rewards he issued to players daily, which were no small sum.
Currently, Hang Yu’s main investment focus was the Calamity Legion.
But that wasn’t the only group he needed to nurture.
At the moment, 200 new Azure Dragon Guard recruits had already taken up duty, and training them would be another hefty cost—so making extra Essence was always a good thing.
Let’s continue observing for now.
The territory’s core resources, aside from Essence, were Mana Crystals.
Hang Yu’s supply of Mana Crystals was already running low. After spending 40,000 Crystals to recruit 2,000 new soldiers, he had also bought a Basic Spirit Field Blueprint yesterday and completed construction in the territory.
Currently, the territory had eight Spirit Fields:
Eight small fields + one large field!
Increased farmland was a good thing, no doubt—but it had also drained his savings.
Relying on player Magic Stone and Mana Crystal recycling, plus passive city income, was nowhere near enough to meet the territory's development demands. It was time to start preparing for more Mana Crystal income.
Hang Yu asked, “How many Bone-Fortifying Pills and Essence Pills have we refined so far?”
Xiao Ba replied instantly, “We have 1,464 Dragon-Pattern Bone-Fortifying Pills, and 1,632 Dragon-Pattern Essence Pills. The second batch of ingredients will mature soon—within the next three days, the attribute pill stock should reach 5,000 pieces!”
Hang Yu nodded.
Dragonblood Grass and Dragonbone Grass didn’t have long growth cycles. In the wild, they took 400–500 days to mature, but with Spirit Field planting, only 4–5 days were needed.
The first batch had been harvested two days ago—each small Spirit Field could yield 500–600 plants, totaling over 2,000 material units.
Hang Yu then supplemented this with partial planting and some purchases from the Trading Market, obtaining enough Dragon-Patterned Spirit Ginseng.
He finally had all the materials ready.
Thanks to Qingmu working overtime, over 2,000 pills were produced within just a few days. Adding the previous stock, over 3,000 pills were now available.
With steady attribute pill production,
The Alchemy Workshop had taken off.
It now matched the Forging Workshop in performance.
Though Yan Ling had a good relationship with the Forging Workshop’s alchemists, she couldn’t bear to lose her top spot in workshop rankings. Lately, she’d been working day and night forging gear and enhancing player equipment—something that greatly pleased Hang Yu as a boss.
After all the investment—
All the effort—
The harvest was finally here.
Hang Yu considered for a moment and said, “Put half of both types of pills on sale in the Trading Hall. Set the initial price at 60 Mana Crystals each.”
Xiao Ba immediately executed the command.
A total of 1,548 pills appeared in the Trading Market.
And they instantly drew attention from many market-watching Lords.
Lord 3332: “Who’s 2462? This big shot just listed so many attribute pills in one go! Truly hidden depths!”
Lord 9423: “Lord 2462, you there? Can we negotiate prices? I’d like to be your long-term client!”
Lord 5364: “60 Crystals each is steep. If it were around 50, I’d bulk-buy 300 for my territory!”
Lord 0666: “Way too expensive! Don’t buy, everyone! Let’s drive this price down together!”
“……”
Since becoming a Lord nearly two months ago, although Hang Yu had frequently engaged in trade at the marketplace, he had kept a relatively low profile and had never done anything attention-grabbing—this was the first time he attracted real attention.
After all, not every Lord had the capability to establish farmland or forge an alchemy production chain. Those who succeeded in building industrial systems within their territory were mostly old veterans who had been in the game for years.
As for pricing—
For this grade of Attribute Pills, the price per pill generally didn’t fall below 50 Mana Crystals.
Hang Yu definitely wouldn’t choose the lowest pricing, nor would he set it too high right away. He listed the pills at 60 Mana Crystals each and would adjust the price up or down at any time based on market absorption.
These tasks didn’t require Hang Yu to handle personally.
With Xiao Ba, the Super Artificial Intelligence, he could monitor the market and transactions at all times, automatically adjusting the price the moment it was needed. This ensured the pills sold quickly, reduced transaction costs like handling fees, and also maximized profits.
——
【Ding, Lord 0666 purchased 80 Dragonblood Pills and 50 Dragonbone Pills. You received 7800 Mana Crystals!】
【Ding, Lord 3552 purchased 80 Dragonbone Pills. You received 4800 Mana Crystals!】
【Ding, Lord 7500 purchased 120 Dragonblood Pills. You received 7200 Mana Crystals!】
【……】
In just over ten minutes—
Three deals had already been closed.
When Hang Yu saw thousands of Mana Crystals continually flowing into his account, he felt incredibly satisfied.
First of all, for the long-stressed and recently near-dry Treasury, these waves of Mana Crystals were like much-needed rain after a drought.
Secondly, Hang Yu realized—
Selling pills was damn profitable!
If the cost of the Farmland Formula and industrial investment wasn’t counted—
Each pill's raw material cost was only a few Mana Crystals.
And because the materials could now be self-supplied, not only had the production cost per pill dropped further, but there was no longer any need to worry about mass market purchases of dragon beast materials pushing prices up and cutting into profits.
According to the current intel—
In Wan City alone, there were two locations that produced Abyssal Dragon materials.
One was the already cleared Centipede Valley, the other was the newly discovered Hidden Valley. The former mainly yielded from Thousand-Legged Earth Dragons and Thousand-Legged Demon Dragons. Though the quality was decent, the quantity was far too limited!
As for the latter?
There was no shortage of Black-Scaled Dragon Horses.
These monsters were Level 21 Elite Monsters.
Their tier matched that of the Thousand-Eyed Centipede, but like the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon, they had awakened Abyssal Dragon bloodlines. The purity and material yield remained unknown for now—players would know once they hunted a few.
But in any case—
With Centipede Valley and Dragon Horse Valley as dual resource fields, it was enough to support the territory’s ongoing pill production, enabling a steady stream of long-term, high-margin profits.
The pills were selling better than expected.
Xiao Ba had already raised the Dragonblood Pill price to 66 Mana Crystals, and the Dragonbone Pill to 63 Mana Crystals—both increased by a notable margin. This quickly triggered complaints in the trading market from other Lords.
“What’s going on?”
“Lord 2462’s Attribute Pills got more expensive!”
“Didn’t we agree not to buy them? We’ve got a traitor in our midst!”
“Lord 2462, we beg you—just go back to the original price of 60, please!”
“……”
Hang Yu noticed that since just a short while ago, nearly twenty Lords had sent him private messages. The majority were bargaining in various ways, though some also tried to barter or offered cooperation proposals.
There were simply too many to deal with.
Hang Yu didn’t have the energy to talk to each one individually.
So he simply handed the entire matter over to Xiao Ba.
This loyal and reliable little assistant would screen the Lords, and if any had worthwhile items or partnership proposals, they would be forwarded to Hang Yu for further review and decision-making.
In this way, he wouldn’t offend other Lords—
And he wouldn’t miss out on potential business opportunities or benefits.
After about another hour, over fifteen hundred pills had already been sold, and the territory had earned over 40,000 Mana Crystals. The total was expected to reach between 65,000 and 66,000 Mana Crystals.
Hang Yu hadn’t expected Attribute Pills to be in such hot demand.
These Tier-One Attribute Pills didn’t boost a soldier’s stats by that much.
Roughly equivalent to leveling up a white-grade skill to max.
Yet a white-grade Skill Stone usually cost about a thousand Mana Crystals, and once purchased, everyone in the territory could train in it.
However, just learning a skill didn’t increase attributes.
Only maxing it out would provide stat growth.
Rushing a white skill to max level typically cost between 2,000–6,000 Essence, and while the cost per unit was low, scaling it across an entire army was prohibitively expensive.
Which Lord didn’t have thousands or tens of thousands of troops or citizens under them?
Even for those taking the elite army route and raising only a small, elite force—there would still be at least a thousand or so people, and the Essence cost generated would be astronomical, beyond what most Lords could imagine.
Precisely because of this—
Attribute Pills had a market.
They could quickly boost soldier stats at relatively low cost.
So don’t be fooled by the Lords in the public chat channel who were whining the loudest. Most of them were just talk—they’d complain loudly while buying a few pills anyway. Low-tier Lords bought two to five pills, while high-tier ones grabbed a hundred at a time.
“Being a pill seller is actually pretty sweet!”
“Looks like I won’t be short on Mana Crystals for a while!”
Hang Yu would reserve enough pills for his own territory. The rest would be dumped on the trading market, and he could then use the profits to acquire more Skill Stones and useful Blueprints.
At this moment—
The players had already begun to act.
After completing their Oath Assembly, they entered the Hidden Valley.
Today’s mission was simple: Slay Jueying and Invite the Sage Doctor Out of Seclusion!
—