Chapter 80 - 79: The Vicissitudes of Life

Chapter 80: Chapter 79: The Vicissitudes of Life

Instead of heading to Tingyu Pavilion, Chen Jianghe made his way to the residential area of Jingyue Marketplace.

Fushou Street was where the Yun Family’s Honored Guest Elders resided, each living in a small, two-room courtyard.

Talisman Master Chu Lang resided in Courtyard Seven on Fushou Street. His neighbor, Alchemist Zhuang, had already left the Yun Family.

Some said he went to Qinghe Marketplace, while others claimed he had moved to the Immortal Sect Marketplace.

In any case, with Lann Tianxiang severely injured and his nephew Lann Yunyi dead, Jingyue Marketplace’s development was back on track. Yet, Alchemist Zhuang never returned with his granddaughter.

Clearly, he had no desire to serve as a Yun Family Honored Guest Elder again; after all, the entire Zhuang Family now consisted of only him and his granddaughter.

When he arrived at Courtyard Seven on Fushou Street, he saw that there was no "In Seclusion" sign hanging on the gate.

KNOCK—KNOCK KNOCK

Chen Jianghe knocked, striking the door knocker.

A moment later, the courtyard gate opened to reveal a little girl of about seven or eight. She was a junior member of Talisman Master Chu Lang’s household, and her name was Zhu Ying.

"Grandpa, Uncle Jianghe is here."

Zhu Ying recognized Chen Jianghe. She had just arrived at Courtyard Seven on Fushou Street the year before, when Chen Jianghe had come to deliver Spirit Stones.

"Fellow Daoist Chen."

With a strained smile, Talisman Master Chu Lang walked into the courtyard, guided Chen Jianghe to a seat, and asked Zhu Ying to brew a pot of Spirit Tea.

"Please don’t trouble yourself, Talisman Master Chu. I still have to get to Jingyue Immortal Tower."

"Here are this year’s profits." Chen Jianghe didn’t sit down, instead taking out thirty-two Spirit Stones and placing them on the stone table.

"Mm, alright." Talisman Master Chu Lang nodded and took the Spirit Stones.

"This junior takes his leave."

Chen Jianghe cupped his fists, said his farewell, and turned to leave.

Last year, he had stayed and talked with Talisman Master Chu Lang for a long time, learning much about the Yun Family’s Honored Guest Elders.

For instance, the Yun Family currently had seven Talisman Master Guest Elders: two High-Grade and five Middle-Grade.

They also had three Guest Elder Alchemists: one High-Grade and two Middle-Grade.

In addition, there were two Spirit Brew Masters, one Beast Tamer, four Medicinal Cuisine Masters, one Puppet Master, and one Artifact Refiner.

Except for the Artifact Refiner, who possessed Tier One High-Grade Skills, the other artisans were all at the Tier One Middle Grade level.

The reason he didn’t linger at Talisman Master Chu Lang’s home was that he had only recently learned that the Talisman Master’s family had suffered during the Celestial South Sect’s Demon Extermination campaign.

It seemed that the cultivators from the Celestial South Sect, unable to kill Lann Tianxiang or find Lann Yunyi’s Storage Pouch, had vented their fury on the Chu Family of Bixia Town.

They believed the Chu Family had found and hidden Lann Yunyi’s Storage Pouch, so they resorted to forced confessions and Soul Searches.

They performed Soul Searches on six members of the Chu Family in succession. After being subjected to the Soul Search, all of them, including one Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivator, were reduced to drooling simpletons.

If the Yun Family hadn’t intervened and offered a substantial amount of Gratitude Gold, the entire Chu Family might have been subjected to the Soul Search.

The Demon Extermination in Bixia Town was a devastating blow to the Chu Family. The number of cultivators in their family was reduced by a third, and their sole Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivator was now a simpleton.

To compensate Talisman Master Chu, the Yun Family waived ten years of the Chu Family’s land rent in Bixia Town and gave them three Misfortune-Breaking Pills.

Chen Jianghe hadn’t known about this before. Now that he did, he felt it was best not to impose on Talisman Master Chu Lang any longer.

Upon arriving at Jingyue Immortal Tower, he found that Yu Daniu was not in, but Xiaoniu was.

"Uncle."

As soon as Yun Xiaoniu saw Chen Jianghe, he immediately came forward and bowed respectfully.

"Fifth Brother, come greet your uncle."

Seeing that Wuniu was still playing with a Puppet toy, Yun Xiaoniu smacked him on the back of the head.

"Hmph! I’m going to tell Mom you hit me," Wuniu wheezed before running off.

"My apologies, Uncle. My fifth brother is spoiled by our mother. Please forgive him," Yun Xiaoniu said, cupping his fists.

"It’s nothing. Where’s your father?" Chen Jianghe chuckled. He wasn’t about to squabble with a ten-year-old boy.

’Then again, Yun Xiaoniu understood propriety when he was only four or five,’ he thought. ’It seems this fifth brother really is being spoiled.’

The seventeen-year-old Yun Xiaoniu had already grown to a height of 2.2 meters, making him half a head taller than Yu Daniu.

His Cultivation had also reached the Third-Layer of Qi Refining.

He had an honest and simple appearance that belied a meticulous mind.

"My father successfully broke through to the Seventh-Layer of Qi Refining and went to see Grandfather," Yun Xiaoniu explained as he led Chen Jianghe into a private room.

"He should be back very soon. You can wait for him, Uncle."

Yu Daniu had married into the Yun Family, so his children all took the Yun surname. It was only natural that they also called Yun Huizhen’s father "Grandfather."

"Here, sit down." Chen Jianghe waved for Yun Xiaoniu to take a seat and said with a chuckle, "You being here is just as good."

"Jingyue Marketplace is growing more prosperous every day. More and more Cultivators are coming here, with Mid-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators making up eighty percent of them. Have you ever thought about opening a passenger route on the lake?"

"A passenger route?"

Yun Xiaoniu frowned slightly, pondering for a moment before his face lit up in pleasant surprise. "Uncle, you mean starting a large ferry service for Early-Stage and Mid-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators between Port No. 1 and Jingyue Marketplace?"

"That’s completely feasible!"

Yun Xiaoniu’s mind raced, quickly considering the benefits of such a route.

"Early-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators can’t use Qi Manipulation Flight and don’t have Magical Artifacts, so it’s difficult for them to reach Jingyue Marketplace. And while Mid-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators can fly, the seventy or eighty-li distance would be a heavy drain on their Magical Power. If we started a large passenger ferry, business would be booming."

"Furthermore, it would stimulate the economy at Port No. 1, causing Early-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators to gather there. That would bring immense profits to the Yun Family."

"Uncle, your idea is brilliant! Please forgive my rudeness, but I must tell my father about this at once."

"Mm, go ahead," Chen Jianghe nodded.

He had originally planned to tell Yu Daniu this when Jingyue Marketplace first opened, but there had been too many ups and downs. Thankfully, the marketplace was now on the mend.

This was why the idea had resurfaced in his mind.

Even if he didn’t suggest it now, the Yun Family members would have figured it out sooner or later. It was better to tell Yu Daniu and help solidify his position in the family.

Not long after Yun Xiaoniu left, the table was covered with Medicinal Cuisine and Spirit Wine, which made Chen Jianghe smile in satisfaction.

’That kid, Xiaoniu,’ he thought fondly.

He then began to eat and drink. One could not simply refuse a junior’s show of respect.

About an hour later, the door to the private room was pushed open, and Yu Daniu strode in with a loud laugh.

"Brother Jianghe, your idea is brilliant!"

Yu Daniu plopped down beside Chen Jianghe and yelled to Yun Xiaoniu, who had just reached the doorway, "Eldest! Go home and get that Three Yang Spirit Wine your grandfather gave me! I’m going to drink with your uncle until we pass out!"

"Oh, and bring your mother and your brothers over, too."

"Daniu, let’s skip the Three Yang Spirit Wine. Just having your wife and my nephews join us for a gathering is enough."

Chen Jianghe knew exactly what Three Yang Spirit Wine was. It was brewed from the Spirit Blood of the Flaming Tiger, Red Flame Chicken, and Purple Sun Deer, and even had parts of these three Spirit Beasts steeping in it. The brew was an extremely potent aphrodisiac.

"Heh, after we’re done drinking, I’ll make arrangements with Yanyu Tower. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied, Brother Jianghe."