Chapter 230: CH. 230 | New Business for Lin Tian

The next day.

To start their mortal life, they clearly needed to do something like take up work and the like. That was purely to keep them from arousing suspicion among the other mortals.

That way, they could go about their lives peacefully without worrying about anything.

Lin Tian woke up that morning and saw a woman in the kitchen, cooking something in a large pot. His attention was drawn to her, and he found himself smiling wide watching her cook.

The fragrant scent of spices from the pot stirred his appetite. He walked over to the pot and saw that An Yue was making a warm morning soup for the two of them.

"That looks delicious," Lin Tian said, "It’s been a while since I’ve had mortal food."

"Same here," An Yue said.

"I learned this recipe from Auntie Su Hua. I hope it doesn’t taste too different."

Lin Tian nodded, then walked over to the wooden window and opened it. He watched the villagers going about their morning routine as usual, most of them heading to the fields rather than into town.

"Maybe you should think about a job, husband," An Yue said.

"I know you have plenty of money, but a job isn’t about earning money, it’s so we look like real mortals," An Yue explained.

The man turned around and looked at An Yue. He told her he’d already thought about it earlier that morning, even before he was fully awake and up.

Still, he had no idea what kind of work would suit him. He couldn’t very well take up anything related to the cultivation world, that would make the villagers suspicious.

His best option was to walk around Xiayu Village and see what people needed. That way, he could figure out the right line of work for himself.

"I think I’ll walk around the village and see what they need," Lin Tian said.

An Yue poured the warm soup into bowls, then walked over to the wooden dining table, setting out two bowls of soup for their morning meal.

"That’s good. That way you can find out what kind of work might do well in this village."

"Come on, eat breakfast first, then you can go."

Lin Tian smiled and agreed, walking over to the table and enjoying the warm breakfast. An Yue looked pleased, a wide smile staying on her face as she watched Lin Tian eat what she’d made.

From Lin Tian’s expression, An Yue didn’t see even a hint of dislike on his face. Instead, she got nothing but endless compliments from him, since the food she’d cooked suited his taste perfectly.

"I’m glad you like it, Lin Tian."

Before long, the two of them finished breakfast. An Yue gathered up the dishes and took them to the kitchen, while Lin Tian walked toward the front door.

Before leaving, he turned back and looked at An Yue, saying goodbye. An Yue paused what she was doing and walked over to Lin Tian, wishing him luck in finding work.

Lin Tian left the house and walked along, passing other villagers on the way. He greeted them, occasionally waving, smiling warmly.

They had no suspicions. Lin Tian’s appearance and demeanor gave no hint that he was a cultivator. His disguise as a mortal was working!

"I already told you, you brought the wrong stuff!"

From down the village road, right in front of a wooden house, Lin Tian saw a heavyset middle-aged woman scolding a shabby-looking young man. She’d thrown a basket of herbal ingredients that now lay scattered on the ground.

Lin Tian paused, his eyes on the herbs. The quality wasn’t great, but for making potions for ordinary mortals, it was more than enough.

The shabby young man picked up the basket and gathered the herbs back into it. The middle-aged woman shouted and threatened him.

"Go back to town and exchange those herbs. If they ask for a difference in price, use your own money!"

"I want you back here before noon!"

The woman turned and went back inside, leaving the young man behind, looking poor and thin. But he had no other choice. Her herb shop was the only place still willing to hire him, so all he could do was try his best to earn money and trust.

He limped off, leaving the village with the basket of herbs in hand. Lin Tian didn’t know exactly what the woman needed, but if her shop sold medicinal herbs, then two of the herbs the shabby man was carrying were completely wrong.

Lin Tian decided to follow him to find out what was really going on. Poor men were usually more careful and diligent when carrying out tasks, given how badly they needed the money.

There were a number of factors that could explain his mistake: a lapse in focus, hunger, illness, or even age.

He still couldn’t say for certain what had caused the man to buy the wrong herbs and anger the shop owner.

The man walked alone, with no one accompanying him. Lin Tian watched him closely.

A few villagers passed him along the way, some even heading into town themselves. But not one of them offered him a ride.

Lin Tian felt moved and sympathetic. He raised his hand and used his spiritual energy manipulation to conjure a wooden cart along with a healthy horse.

He climbed onto the cart and rode along the road connecting the villages. When his eyes landed on the man, Lin Tian immediately brought the cart to a stop.

"Town’s still far off, you’ll pass out before you get there," Lin Tian said.

The shabby man turned around. Lin Tian could see his face clearly now. He looked young, with a somewhat thin frame, his face pale and his eyes looking hollow and empty.

"You... you’re that new guy from yesterday?"

"I’m Lin," Lin Tian greeted him.

"I’m Wei Hutong."

"Get on," Lin Tian offered, "I’m heading to town, we’re going the same way."

Wei Hutong glanced at the back of the cart and saw it was empty. Since he was also pressed for time, he decided to accept Lin Tian’s offer.

He thanked him and climbed onto the back of the cart, while Lin Tian urged the horse forward, leaving the spot behind.

"Something wrong? I saw you just came back from town earlier, why are you heading there again now?" Lin Tian asked.

"I bought the wrong herbs."

"I have to go back to town and exchange them before the old woman fires me," Wei Hutong answered quietly.

"How’d you end up buying the wrong ones? Didn’t she give you a list?"

"That... I don’t know."

Lin Tian narrowed his eyes. He noticed Wei Hutong hadn’t given him a clear answer about what happened. There was a good chance he was hiding the real reason, since it likely touched on something embarrassing for him.

He clearly didn’t want anyone else knowing about his shortcomings. That was why he chose to keep quiet and not answer.

"I’m new here, I don’t really know what kind of business would work well in this village," Lin Tian said, glancing over briefly. "You know anything about that?"

Wei Hutong turned to look at Lin Tian, then spoke briefly, half-whispering, "Blacksmithing."

"Blacksmithing?" Lin Tian asked, a little surprised, since it hadn’t crossed his mind.

"Yeah," Wei Hutong answered, "Most people in Xiayu Village work as farmers and loggers. When their tools break, they have a hard time, they have to go into town and pay a lot for repairs."

"If there was a blacksmith in the village, it’d help them a lot."

He might be poor, but he’s a sharp observer. There’s something special about him.

Lin Tian nodded in agreement and told Wei Hutong that he’d try setting up a blacksmith business, even though he had absolutely no skill in that area.

But Lin Tian was a Soul Formation cultivator, so of course it would be easy for him to pick up something like blacksmithing.

Their cart came to a stop in the town. Wei Hutong pointed ahead, telling Lin Tian where the herb shop was. Lin Tian dropped him off right in front of the shop.

"Thanks for the ride, Brother Lin."

"No problem," Lin Tian answered. "Thanks for helping me figure out my business too, Brother Wei."

Wei Hutong nodded and said his goodbyes, heading into the shop alone with the wooden basket on his back. Lin Tian, meanwhile, steered his cart in a different direction, searching for the best blacksmith shop in town.

Once he got the information he needed, Lin Tian stopped the cart and got down. He walked into the blacksmith shop and saw an old man hammering away at hot iron.

"Excuse me," Lin Tian said.

A woman stepped forward and asked why Lin Tian had come. He explained that he wanted to meet the old man who owned the blacksmith shop.

The old man looked startled, then turned to look at Lin Tian. He walked over and asked what business Lin Tian had with him.

"Do you have business with me?" the old man asked.

"That’s right."

Lin Tian raised his hand and pressed his index finger to the old man’s forehead. The woman gasped, stepping back in fear.

A blue qi light appeared at the tip of Lin Tian’s finger, glowing for a few seconds before fading away completely. The old man looked bewildered by what Lin Tian had just done.

"What did you do?"

"I just extended your lifespan by 10 years, for helping repair my grandfather’s axe," Lin Tian answered.

"I don’t remember that... you’re a cultivator."

"That’s right," Lin Tian answered. "I’m a wandering cultivator."

Without the old man realizing it, what Lin Tian had just done was copy the man’s blacksmithing skills, along with all his experience.

That way, Lin Tian could set up a blacksmith business without having to worry about a thing.