Chapter 118 - 117: Its all about money

Chapter 118: Chapter 117: Its all about money

"...I truly... do."

A brief silence followed as a gentle breeze swept through the clearing, stirring the leaves of the surrounding trees.

Then...

A single flower petal drifted into Chen Yichen’s field of vision. The light in his eyes seemed to fade, but only for a brief moment.

He glanced at it, watching as it descended before his eyes. Yet, before it could reach the ground, something seemed to change in his surroundings.

By the time he realised it, a figure had already appeared beside him.

A soft chime of a bell rang in his ears. His head bobbed slightly, almost unknowingly, as his eyes glistened beneath the strange hum.

It was a young man.

He wore a loose, immaculate white robe that flowed gently with the breeze.

A golden crown-like hairpin rested upon his head, securing his long black hair behind him. It extended almost all the way to the ground, its strands moving softly in the wind.

Chen Yuan looked toward the grave with a kind smile as he appeared.

Then, just as slowly, he turned his gaze toward Chen Yichen, who stood beside him.

Mourning...

Have I not taught him not to mourn?

His gentle voice rang out as he called to the despairing young man.

"Chen Yichen, boy..."

The familiar voice rang out, and Chen Yichen’s body subconsciously stiffened, as though he had been placed under a spell.

He almost dropped the porcelain cup in his hand as he hurriedly turned around. His eyes widened slightly upon recognising the person standing beside him.

He immediately stood up, nearly forgetting the wooden tray beside him. After quickly straightening his robes, he brought his hands together in a respectful salute.

"Greetings, Ancestor Chen Yuan!"

Chen Yuan glanced at him, then briefly shifted his gaze toward the grave behind him. His eyes lingered on the two cups of tea and the carefully arranged dishes.

So the boy is still mourning ceaselessly...

What a shame...

His eyes gleamed at the thought. With a gentle wave of his sleeve, an invisible wave of spiritual energy swept toward Chen Yichen, gently lifting his lowered head.

Chen Yuan’s gaze returned to the young man’s face.

"I’ve been hearing that the prodigy of my clan has been suffering from a particularly unique illness..."

"According to the elderly, the prodigy has fallen into despair after witnessing the true face of this world..."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"Though I never expected it to be an illness of the heart."

Chen Yichen appeared nervous. After another brief pause, Chen Yuan continued, shifting his weight slightly as his sleeve flowed in the wind.

"Tell me, child. What is troubling your mind?"

"Ah..."

"T-this junior..."

Chen Yichen hesitated, his hands gripping his sides.

His words faltered, and his thoughts seemed to have become tangled. For a moment, he appeared unsure of how to answer.

His gaze unconsciously shifted toward the grave before returning to Chen Yuan.

"This junior... came to pay a visit to a friend, Ancestor."

Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"A visit, is it?"

His tone rose slightly, though not by much.

"Yes." Chen Yichen nodded, though his expression had become somewhat awkward. He wasn’t quite sure how to put his thoughts into words.

"Today is... well, this junior usually comes here around this time. I brought some food along as well."

He glanced toward the wooden tray before hurriedly adding, "This junior hopes he hasn’t disturbed anything, Ancestor. T-this junior simply came here out of goodwill to... remember."

Chen Yuan looked at him for a moment. There were two porcelain cups before the grave, one of which had already been used. The other remained untouched...

He seemed to understand something, but did not immediately comment on it. Instead, he looked back at Chen Yichen.

"Do you still miss her?"

The question struck Chen Yichen like a bolt out of the blue.

The Ancestor knows?

Well...

His lips parted, and inwardly, he felt a slight tug at his heart.

Of course the Ancestor would know. Why wouldn’t he?

The ancestors knew everything.

No words came out immediately. Instead, he lowered his gaze, his fingers tightening as though gripping an invisible rope he desperately wished were there. In that very moment, he seemed to struggle to keep his shoulders from trembling.

Though it lasted only briefly...

"T-this junior does... miss her, Ancestor."

"Dearly..."

He drew in a shaky breath, and a wry smile appeared on his face. A devastated breath escaped him, crumpling beneath its own weight.

"Meditation has become a hurdle that this junior can no longer overcome. The repeating nightmare echoes endlessly inside my mind. Whenever this junior tries to meditate, everything just comes back. I’m afraid that... a heart demon may have already taken root..."

His voice trailed off.

"Ah, p-pardon this junior for this sudden outburst, Ancestor."

Chen Yuan smiled and reached out to pat the young man’s head.

"But you are still alive, child. If you were not, would you still be remembering her as you do now?"

"B-but I..."

Chen Yichen held out both his hands and stared at them.

"I failed..."

"And you are alive..."

Chen Yuan spoke again, though this time, his words carried a different meaning.

"If she were here, would she be happy to see you in this state?"

"I..."

"Would she be delighted to see you mourn over her death endlessly?"

He tried to speak again, but Chen Yuan continued before he could even find the words.

"Continue living the best you can. Wouldn’t that be the greatest way for you to mourn her? To mourn through tears and sadness... is that truly what she wants from you?"

"The path is eternal. Resurrection is not beyond hope. Grow stronger, and reach it..."

Then, with a chuckle, Chen Yuan smiled.

"Don’t let this old man do everything himself, no?"

And in that instant, a brief memory flashed through his mind as a familiar voice seemed to appear out of nowhere, echoing in his ears. He remembered it now...

The dance...

The blossoming flowers as she danced, a way of mourning not through sadness, but rather through a beautiful performance.

How she had detested the act of mourning itself.

"Why can’t I dance as a way to mourn, too? Why does mourning have to be so sad?"

...

Chen Yichen fell silent. His hands slowly dropped to his sides as the realisation dawned on him.

"But of course, you are still young."

Chen Yuan smiled.

"Life is filled with memories that are worth cherishing. Do not let go of them..."

He looked at the young man for a brief moment, seemingly satisfied with the silence that had followed his words.

There was no need to say anything more. Some things could not be resolved through a few words of advice, no matter how profound they might be.

Chen Yichen seemed to have something he wanted to say. His lips parted slightly, and he raised his head.

"Ancestor, I..."

But before he could finish, the figure standing before him began to fade.

A gentle breeze passed through the clearing.

By the time Chen Yichen realised what was happening, Chen Yuan had already vanished, leaving nothing behind but the rustling leaves and the quiet surroundings.

Chen Yichen stared at the empty space for a moment. He eventually lowered his head and looked toward the grave.

"Thank you, Ancestor."

His voice was barely audible, carried away by the breeze before it could reach anyone.

Elsewhere, within one of the Chen Family’s residences...

A spacious room was illuminated by the warm glow of several spiritual lamps.

The furnishings were elegant, with a few shelves containing scrolls and cultivation books lining the walls. A faint fragrance lingered in the air, giving the otherwise quiet room a rather peaceful atmosphere.

Chen Yan was seated at a table, seemingly engaged in a conversation with the woman sitting across from him.

Lin Qingyue.

She wore a light-coloured dress, her long hair neatly arranged behind her shoulders. A porcelain teacup rested between her hands as she listened to Chen Yan speak.

Neither appeared to be in any particular hurry.

Their conversation had been proceeding at a leisurely pace, with the occasional exchange of remarks and the soft clinking of porcelain against the table.

Then, without the slightest warning, the space beside them rippled.

A figure in immaculate white robes appeared.

Lin Qingyue immediately noticed the sudden arrival. Her expression changed, and she hurriedly rose from her seat, placing her teacup back on the table.

"Greetings, S-senior Chen Yuan."

Chen Yan turned toward the newcomer, and the usually composed ancestor immediately revealed a rare hint of excitement.

"Oh, my lucky charm!"

"What perfect timing! I was just about to go and find you myself after this."

He rose from his seat and took a few steps forward, his expression noticeably brighter than before.

"You’ve arrived at just the right time. I have something rather interesting to show you!"

"Or perhaps you’ve already anticipated it!"

"Come, come!"

Chen Yuan glanced at him, then briefly toward Lin Qingyue, who had also risen to greet him.

"Oh? What is it?"

Chen Yan smiled. He seemed rather pleased with himself as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"I’ve recently acquired some new knowledge. More precisely, I’ve been learning the art of spiritual herbalist from this lady over here."

Chen Yuan paused.

"...Spiritual herbalist?"

He looked at Chen Yan, his expression carrying a trace of confusion.

Of all the things an ancestor of the Chen Family could occupy himself with, why had Chen Yan suddenly taken an interest in spiritual herbalism?

Or could it be...?

"Why would you want to learn such a thing?"

Chen Yan looked at him as though the answer should have been obvious.

"Chen Yuan! How can you have such a narrow perspective when you were the one who recruited this exceptional woman? Whatever can make money is a must to learn!"

His response was delivered with such earnest conviction that Chen Yuan found himself momentarily speechless.

Chen Yan, however, continued without paying much attention to his reaction.

"And this lady!"

He turned and pointed toward Lin Qingyue, his expression growing even more serious.

Lin Qingyue’s shoulders gave a slight shudder, and her hands subconsciously rose before her chest. And yet, she still forced an honest smile onto her face.

She had been standing quietly a moment ago, but seeing the way Chen Yan was looking at her, she suddenly felt rather uneasy.

"Her knowledge and the books she possesses are incredibly valuable!" Chen Yan declared.

"With the right arrangements, they could provide our Chen Family with an amount of wealth that few would be able to refuse!"

"Think about it! The business direction of this world, particularly when it comes to spiritual herbalist, is extremely limited and poorly developed!"

He spoke with such enthusiasm that one might have thought he had just discovered an ancient treasure vault.

Lin Qingyue lowered her gaze slightly.

She had never expected her knowledge of spiritual herbalism to attract this much attention. Her cheeks reddened as Chen Yan continued praising her before Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan looked between the two of them, a smile appearing on his face. Then, his gaze settled on Chen Yan once more.

"...You seem rather enthusiastic about this."

"But of course!"

Chen Yan waved his hand as he earnestly explained his plan to aggressively expand upon the business idea he had conceived.

"How can I not be excited? Miss Lin Qingyue’s master’s knowledge is exceptional, to the point of being groundbreaking!"

"Oh?"

Chen Yuan’s interest was piqued. From the looks of it, Chen Yan had already managed to grasp a glimpse of the second-grade spiritual herbalism techniques that Lin Qingyue possessed.

Chen Yuan hadn’t...

And with that, Chen Yan gestured with his right hand.

"It mentions the possibility of a certain technique... one from our homeland, Chen Yuan..."

"What do you mean?"

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes.

"The art of propagation!"