Chapter 173
Chapter 173
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 173
Chapter Title: Peiyao Takes Action, Two Ways to Repay a Favor
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A golden gleam pierced the long night, descending upon the Yu estate with the might of Foundation Establishment. The terrifying fluctuations of spiritual power from a Foundation Establishment cultivator crushed the three-tiered front hall.
*Clang~*
The crisp clang of metal striking metal echoed through the night sky.
A pale blue flying sword knocked the attacking golden gleam away.
“Xiaoniu, protect Qi Rui.”
Yu Daniu summoned a high-grade defensive magical artifact. A high-grade flying sword appeared before him and soared into the night sky.
“May I ask which senior has come? Has my Yu family offended you in some way? Why attack us?”
Yu Daniu looked at the golden gleam under the night sky and called out.
The moment he saw the pale blue flying sword, Yu Daniu had already guessed that Gao Peiyao had intervened, helping the Yu family block the Foundation Establishment cultivator's attack.
Although Yun Xiaoniu wasn't at Qiyun Mountain, the family had two Foundation Establishment cultivators, Gao Peiyao and Luo Xiyue, as well as Chen Jianghe's tier-two spirit beast.
“There's another Foundation Establishment cultivator? Hmph, consider your Yu family lucky.”
The cultivator within the golden gleam was startled by Gao Peiyao's sword strike. He hadn't expected the Yu family to have another Foundation Establishment cultivator.
The next moment, he quickly fled.
“Since you're here, don't even think about leaving.”
Seeing the Foundation Establishment cultivator who attacked the Yu family trying to escape, Gao Peiyao instantly gave chase. If she hadn't happened to be there, it would have been one thing.
But someone had tried to slaughter the Yu family while she was visiting as a guest.
Gao Peiyao naturally couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
Besides, the opponent's aura was weak and unstable. He was clearly severely injured and had not yet recovered, yet he was in a hurry to come to the Yu family to commit murder.
This person must have a deep-seated hatred for the Yu family.
He couldn't be left alive.
Chen Jianghe flew over to Yu Daniu's side, watching Gao Peiyao chase after the golden gleam.
He was clutching a tier-two earth-element defensive talisman in his hand.
Even if Gao Peiyao hadn't acted just now, he would have used this tier-two defensive talisman to help the Yu family block the Foundation Establishment cultivator's attack.
If neither Gao Peiyao nor Luo Xiyue had been present.
He might have had Xiao Hei step in.
“Big Brother.” Yu Daniu saw the tier-two defensive talisman in Chen Jianghe's hand. He knew Chen Jianghe was about to help the Yu family.
“Has the Yu family offended a Foundation Establishment cultivator?” Chen Jianghe asked.
“The Yu family is newly established, and Qi Rui is the only heir so far. The eldest is often in a standoff with the Shi and Liu clans at Yunmen Mountain, and our fourth brother is almost always cultivating. We haven't offended any Foundation Establishment Ancestor.” Yu Daniu was also very puzzled.
He knew that the newly established Yu family treated everyone with leniency, whether they were outsiders or the cultivation families within Qiyun Mountain's territory.
They were essentially the type of family that was kind to others and sought to form good relationships.
Chen Jianghe watched the two streaks of light fleeing into the distance under the moonlight, not worried for Gao Peiyao. The attack from that Foundation Establishment cultivator just now was weaker than the raiders he had encountered over the Luo Xing River.
As a Foundation Establishment disciple of a sect, it would be easy for Gao Peiyao to deal with such a rogue cultivator.
Even if she couldn't win, she wouldn't be injured.
*Swoosh~*
Fairy Luo and Alchemist Zhuang also flew into the sky above the Yu estate.
“The attacker is at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment and was severely injured. To come to the Yu family to slaughter people before fully recovering, he must hold a deep grudge.”
Luo Xiyue said coolly.
“An injured Foundation Establishment cultivator?”
Hearing this, Chen Jianghe immediately thought of someone: the Liu Clan Ancestor who had been severely wounded by the Yun Clan Ancestor before his death.
The Yu family was not on bad terms with any other clans.
But they had a conflict of interest with the Shi and Liu clans. The Yun Clan Ancestor had even sacrificed his own life to cripple the Liu Clan Ancestor's legs.
Under normal circumstances.
The Liu Clan Ancestor would certainly place this grudge on the Yu family. Right now, the Yu family's Yun Xiaoniu was in a standoff with the Shi Clan Ancestor at Yunmen Mountain.
The Yu family had no other Foundation Establishment members and no mountain-protecting formation.
The White Clan's former tier-two mountain-protecting formation had been broken. The newly established Yu family naturally didn't have the resources to invite a tier-two formation master to set up a defensive array.
In contrast, the Mirror Moon Lake Yun Clan had Yun Bufan, a Foundation Establishment cultivator in his prime. The enemy certainly wouldn't launch a sneak attack on Mirror Moon Lake.
To get revenge, his only option was to secretly annihilate the Yu family.
“Daniu, the person who attacked the Yu family was likely the Liu Clan's Foundation Establishment Ancestor. Have someone notify the Yun Clan to prepare to take over the Liu Clan's nine-hundred-li territory of Redwater.”
Chen Jianghe said to Yu Daniu.
The man's legs had been crippled by the Yun Clan Ancestor, and he already held a grudge against the Yu family, leading to tonight's sneak attack.
If he wasn't eliminated, the Yu family would constantly face the threat of sneak attacks in the future.
Everyone in the Yu family, from Yun Xiaoniu down, could be killed.
Especially Yu Daniu.
For Yu Daniu's safety, Gao Peiyao could not possibly let that Liu Clan Foundation Establishment Ancestor live.
Chen Jianghe wouldn't let him live either.
He had planned to wait until he reached Foundation Establishment and Maoqiu became a tier-two spirit beast, then have Maoqiu cooperate with Yun Xiaoniu to destroy the Liu Clan.
Now that Gao Peiyao was here, it wouldn't be so troublesome.
“The Liu Clan Foundation Establishment Ancestor? It was him? The Ancestor crippled his legs, and now he wants to kill everyone in my Yu family.”
Yu Daniu clasped his hands in a salute to Chen Jianghe, Luo Xiyue, and Alchemist Zhuang, then returned to the estate to make arrangements to deal with the Liu Clan.
If not for the esteemed guests at home tonight, the four direct members and nine branch members of the Yu family would have all been killed by the Liu Clan's Foundation Establishment Ancestor.
At this thought, Yu Daniu's eyes filled with killing intent.
About an hour later, Gao Peiyao returned, but she was holding an extra storage pouch.
There was no need to ask.
The Liu Clan's Foundation Establishment Ancestor was no more.
How could a Foundation Establishment cultivator who was already severely injured and unrecovered possibly defeat a sect's Foundation Establishment disciple like Gao Peiyao?
“Brother Daniu, the Foundation Establishment cultivator who came to Qiyun Mountain for a sneak attack was the Liu Clan's Foundation Establishment Ancestor. I've already eliminated him. You can cooperate with the Yun Clan to take over the Liu Clan's territory now,” Gao Peiyao said calmly.
She put away the storage pouch. This was her fee for taking action.
However, it wasn't paid by the Yu family, but by the Liu Clan's Foundation Establishment Ancestor himself.
“Thank you, Fairy Peiyao. If you hadn't been here today, I'm afraid the few of us in the Yu family would have all perished at that villain's hands.”
Yu Daniu bowed and expressed his thanks.
“It was nothing. Brother Daniu, there's no need for such formality.”
Gao Peiyao said lightly, as if killing a Foundation Establishment Ancestor was no big deal to her.
“Besides, even if I weren't here, Brother Jianghe is. A crippled Foundation Establishment cultivator can't stir up much trouble.”
After saying this.
Gao Peiyao took Luo Xiyue's arm and left.
In the instant Luo Xiyue turned around, Chen Jianghe actually saw a smile on the ice beauty's face.
Indeed, it wasn't that she couldn't smile, but that you weren't worthy of making her smile.
Afterward, Alchemist Zhuang also left.
In the Yu family estate, only Chen Jianghe, Yu Daniu, Madam Zhou, and Yu Qirui remained. As for Yun Xiaoniu, he had already left Qiyun Mountain.
“Big Brother, I had Xiaoniu go to the Yun Clan to ask Cousin Bufan to personally take action and directly destroy the Liu Clan.”
Yu Daniu said in a low voice, his tone filled with killing intent.
The Liu Clan's Foundation Establishment Ancestor had dared to launch a sneak attack in the middle of the night. This meant it was a fight to the death with the Yu family.
At a time like this, being merciful to the enemy was being cruel to oneself.
They had to annihilate the Liu Clan and pull them out by the roots before they learned that their Foundation Establishment Ancestor had fallen.
“Uncle, regarding the annexation of the Liu Clan this time, your niece-in-law plans to give sixty percent of the profits to the Yun Clan. Does Uncle have any suggestions?”
Madam Zhou asked respectfully.
“Although the Liu Clan's Foundation Establishment Ancestor was killed by Fairy Peiyao, the Liu Clan still has many late-stage Qi Refining cultivators. The Yun Clan will inevitably have to lead the charge. Giving up sixty percent of the profits is the right move.”
Chen Jianghe looked at Madam Zhou and nodded, very satisfied with her decision.
Afterward, Madam Zhou respectfully withdrew with Yu Qirui.
Chen Jianghe looked at Yu Daniu and took out two tier-two talismans. One was a tier-two wood-element attack talisman.
The other was a tier-two earth-element defensive talisman.
With a thought, he severed his connection to these two tier-two talismans.
“Daniu, take these two tier-two talismans. Use them for protection.”
“Big Brother, how can I accept this?”
Yu Daniu naturally knew how valuable tier-two talismans were. The Yu family's foundation was still shallow; they hadn't even purchased a single tier-two talisman.
It wasn't that they couldn't afford it, but that they had no channels to acquire one.
“Take them.”
Chen Jianghe's expression hardened. He pushed the tier-two talismans into Yu Daniu's hands and then turned to leave.
Tier-two talismans were valuable and rare.
They rarely circulated and almost never appeared at auctions, being privately consumed by the powerful Foundation Establishment immortal clans.
Chen Jianghe had four tier-two talismans—two offensive and two defensive. Initially, he hadn't thought of giving them to Yu Daniu.
But today's events forced him to give Yu Daniu some means of protection.
In a while, he would be leaving Qiyun Mountain, and he didn't know if he would ever have the chance to return.
But Chen Jianghe wanted to be able to see Yu Daniu again when he returned.
Yu Daniu regarded him as a big brother.
Likewise, Chen Jianghe truly saw him as his own younger brother. He could tolerate Yu Daniu growing old naturally.
But he didn't want Yu Daniu to die an unnatural death because he lacked the means to protect himself.
Yu Daniu watched Chen Jianghe's departing figure.
He looked down at the tier-two talismans in his hand, and tears welled up in his eyes.
“Big Brother has the heart to achieve Foundation Establishment. Before he does, I must obtain that treasure and have Xiaoniu deliver it to him!”
—
Time flew by.
More than three months passed.
Gao Peiyao stayed at Qiyun Mountain for half a month before heading to Qinghe Market City, where the beast tide had erupted.
However, before she left, Gao Peiyao asked Chen Jianghe when he planned to attempt Foundation Establishment.
She could come and stand guard for him.
Chen Jianghe stated frankly that he would attempt it in three years, at the age of eighty.
With this agreement set.
This time when Gao Peiyao left, she gave Chen Jianghe a contact address. If he wanted to contact her, he could write a letter to this address in the Immortal Sect Market City.
Clearly, after confirming Chen Jianghe's determination to attempt Foundation Establishment, regardless of whether he succeeded, he had once again caught Gao Peiyao's eye.
The Yu family, in these three-plus months, developed rapidly. The Liu Clan's Foundation Establishment Ancestor had fallen.
Yun Bufan and Yun Xiaoniu led dozens of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, descended upon the Liu Clan's ancestral land, and annihilated them.
The nine-hundred-li territory of Redwater.
Five hundred li were given to the Yun Clan, while the remaining four hundred went to the Yu family.
Furthermore, the Liu Clan's wealth was also split forty-sixty, with the Yu family taking forty percent and the Yun Clan sixty.
This undoubtedly brought the Yun and Yu families even closer.
The Yu family's territory had now expanded to a thousand square li, governing thirteen small cultivation towns.
It could be said that the Yu family now lacked for nothing in resources, only in population.
In late November, Yu Daniu approached Chen Jianghe, saying he wanted to arrange a marriage for Yu Qirui.
This left Chen Jianghe stunned.
If he recalled correctly, Yu Qirui was, at most, only thirteen years old this year, and just a minor cultivator at the first layer of Qi Refining.
To be so eager for marriage now, wasn't it a bit too soon?
But since both Yu Daniu and Madam Zhou thought it was appropriate, Chen Jianghe naturally wouldn't object, letting Madam Zhou handle it.
From their decision, Chen Jianghe could see that they had no intention of Yu Qirui reaching Foundation Establishment.
Or rather, they weren't counting on Yu Qirui to reach Foundation Establishment at all.
They wanted Yu Qirui to carry on the family line. As for Foundation Establishment? They would slowly accumulate resources and leave them for Yu Qirui's descendants.
In fact, this decision was the correct one.
But it was somewhat unfair to Yu Qirui. However, as someone designated to be the head of the Yu family from a young age, he had enjoyed all sorts of resources.
For the sake of the family's continuation, he naturally had to abandon hope of Foundation Establishment and spare no expense of his vital essence to produce many offspring.
After all, in this world, how could one have all the good things?
By New Year's Eve.
Chen Jianghe went to the Yu estate and had a family banquet with the Yu family. Only Yun Xiaoniu was absent.
The Liu Clan had been destroyed.
The Puppet Lu Clan had been warned by Gao Peiyao, the personal disciple of a Core Formation elder of the Tiannan Sect, and had temporarily suspended their covert support for the Shi Clan.
But the two tier-two puppets already sold to the Shi Clan naturally couldn't be taken back.
Therefore, the Shi Clan's power was still formidable.
One Foundation Establishment Ancestor and two tier-two beast puppets were fully comparable to the combined strength of the Yun and Yu families.
So, Yun Xiaoniu was still in a standoff with the Shi Clan at Yunmen Mountain, but the Shi Clan didn't dare to make a move.
The Liu Clan had only been destroyed a few months ago.
The Shi Clan was naturally afraid as well.
Of course, the Shi Clan didn't know that the Liu Clan's Foundation Establishment Ancestor had been killed by Gao Peiyao. Otherwise, they would have already started to make concessions.
Yu Daniu didn't let anyone spread the word about Gao Peiyao helping the Yu family and killing the Liu Clan's Foundation Establishment Ancestor.
Chen Jianghe was very pleased with Yu Daniu's handling of this.
Doing things outside under Gao Peiyao's banner would displease her.
Besides, Gao Peiyao had already helped the Yu family a great deal, secretly killing a Foundation Establishment Ancestor for them.
And she had also warned the Lu Clan.
Either of these two matters constituted a huge favor.
After the family banquet ended.
Yu Daniu took out two tier-two water-element spirit cores and gave them to Chen Jianghe.
Chen Jianghe also took out the high-grade spirit talismans he had drawn over the past year. In total, there were twelve high-grade protection talismans, eighteen five-element escape talismans, nine swift-movement talismans, ten giant-strength talismans, eight sealing talismans, and five spirit-tracking talismans.
Due to the beast tide, the protection talismans and five-element escape talismans were sold at a premium, but since the beast tide had been going on for a year, the premium was small.
After applying his usual thirty percent discount, the final price was equivalent to eighty percent of the market value.
Twelve high-grade protection talismans, one hundred and fifteen spirit stones.
Eighteen high-grade five-element escape talismans, two hundred and sixteen spirit stones.
The other types of spirit talismans had no premium and were all sold to Yu Daniu at a thirty percent discount.
Nine swift-movement talismans, ninety-four spirit stones.
Ten giant-strength talismans, one hundred and five spirit stones.
Eight sealing talismans, one hundred and twelve spirit stones.
Five spirit-tracking talismans, one hundred and five spirit stones.
The total was seven hundred and forty-seven spirit stones.
Chen Jianghe had intended to use these spirit stones to offset the cost of the two tier-two water-element spirit cores. After all, the previous talismans and the tier-two ice-element spirit core were not nearly enough to pay for two tier-two water-element spirit cores.
But Yu Daniu insisted on giving all the spirit stones to Chen Jianghe.
Yu Daniu was simple and honest, but he wasn't stupid.
Chen Jianghe gave him tier-two talismans and sold him spirit talismans at a low price.
He knew very well that Chen Jianghe wouldn't stay in Qiyun Mountain for long and would leave sooner or later.
He might leave after reaching Foundation Establishment.
But even if he successfully reached Foundation Establishment and became a lofty Foundation Establishment Ancestor, he would still need spirit stones.
He didn't want his big brother to be short on spirit stones while he was away.
Afterward, Yu Daniu gave Chen Jianghe another jade slip, which contained recent information about Qinghe Market City and the Beast Taming Market City.
After leaving the Yu estate.
Chen Jianghe returned to his courtyard. He scanned the jade slip with his spiritual sense and learned its contents.
He gained some understanding of the situation in the Beast Taming Market City and Qinghe Market City.
The situation at the Beast Taming Market City was currently grim.
A tier-three Blackflame Fire Crow had paid the price of severe injury to use a divine ability and break through the market city's defensive formation.
This forced the cultivators of the Beast Taming Market City into a desperate battle with the demonic beasts.
The severely injured Blackflame Fire Crow perished.
But the tier-three spirit beast in the Beast Taming Market City also perished.
The Core Formation rogue cultivator also perished. The two Core Formation members of the Beast Taming Immortal Zhou Clan suffered minor injuries, but they managed to block the demonic beasts' final attack.
Through the combined efforts of all the cultivators in the Beast Taming Market City, they once again repelled the demonic beasts' assault.
But the cost was enormous.
The Beast Taming Market City was littered with the corpses of cultivators and demonic beasts, including more than twenty tier-two demonic beasts.
There were also more than fifty Foundation Establishment cultivators among the dead.
Seeing this, Chen Jianghe looked at the two tier-two water-element spirit cores in his hand. If he wasn't mistaken, they must have come from the Beast Taming Market City.
One had to know that tier-two spirit cores were very rare.
Almost no one would auction them off; they would choose to keep them to nurture a tier-two spirit beast.
Compared to the brutal situation at the Beast Taming Market City.
Qinghe Market City was much better off. After Gao Peiyao's master, Elder Lan, arrived, there were basically no more major battles.
That tier-three Thunder-Patterned Crimsonflame Leopard seemed to be very wary of Elder Lan and didn't dare to rashly attack Qinghe Market City.
The other tier-three demonic beast returned to the depths of the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range after seeing Elder Lan.
Obviously, it didn't want to confront a Core Formation elder from a major sect.
It could help the Thunder-Patterned Crimsonflame Leopard trample Foundation Establishment cultivators, or rogue Core Formation mighty figures, or even a tier-three spirit beast on the verge of dying from old age.
But help the Thunder-Patterned Crimsonflame Leopard deal with a sect's Core Formation elder?
It was clearly lucid enough not to do something so foolish.
It was precisely because of this tier-three demonic beast's departure that Qinghe Market City became a training ground for the Tiannan Sect's Foundation Establishment disciples.
Gao Peiyao and a dozen or so other Foundation Establishment disciples, all under the protection of Elder Lan, would periodically leave Qinghe Market City to battle with tier-two demonic beasts.
There were times when they killed tier-two demonic beasts.
And there were times when they were severely injured by them.
But as long as that tier-three Thunder-Patterned Crimsonflame Leopard didn't attack, Elder Lan wouldn't intervene either.
As Foundation Establishment disciples of a sect, being injured by a tier-two demonic beast meant their skills were lacking and their cultivation was insufficient.
If they died, they died in vain.
“A market city has become a training ground. It seems Qinghe Market City is about to change hands completely and become the property of the Tiannan Sect.”
Even if the two great immortal clans of Qinghe raised that Thunder-Patterned Crimsonflame Leopard into a tier-three spirit beast, they still wouldn't be able to regain control of Qinghe Market City.
If they wanted to survive, they could only live under the shadow of the Tiannan Sect.
If he wasn't mistaken, Qinghe Market City would always have a Core Formation elder stationed there from now on.
If the two great immortal clans of Qinghe wanted to break away from the Tiannan Sect and develop independently, their only option was to leave Qinghe Market City and find another place to grow.
But the two great immortal clans had developed for several hundred years and had numerous descendants. How could relocating be so easy?
Most places with tier-two high-grade spirit veins were already occupied.
Even the unoccupied ones were home to demonic beasts.
As for tier-three spirit veins, unless a Core Formation mighty figure emerged from one of these two great immortal clans, it would be absolutely impossible for them to occupy one.
Only the ancestral lands of the four top-tier immortal clans and the top three market cities were built on tier-three spirit veins.
Thinking of the four top-tier immortal clans, Chen Jianghe couldn't help but think of the raiders who had tried to kill him over the Luo Xing River.
These raiders were all after him.
Chen Jianghe didn't recognize the raider killed by Luo Xiyue, but Ruan Tieniu did. It was Chen Feng, the Fifth Chieftain of Qingfeng Stronghold.
In the distance were the Grand Chieftain, Duan Tiande, and the Seventh Chieftain, Lu Shisan.
Chen Jianghe didn't take the raiders' attack to heart. That was their line of business.
Once he reached Core Formation, he could easily destroy them and settle this karma.
But the other two had indeed created significant karma.
Those two were definitely not raiders.
Ruan Tieniu didn't recognize them either.
However, under Luo Xiyue's attack, the middle-aged Foundation Establishment cultivator had cried out, 'Young Master, save me.'
Clearly, that middle-aged Foundation Establishment cultivator was a family servant.
For that young master in brocade robes to have a Foundation Establishment servant, one could only imagine how powerful his background was.
Chen Jianghe didn't care what kind of background he had.
Since he dared to try and kill him, the karma was now set.
He had a gentle personality, had always been magnanimous and kind to others, and never actively sought conflict with anyone.
But that didn't mean he was weak and could be bullied.
His cultivation was still low now, so he could let it slide for the time being, but once he reached Core Formation...
His thoughts paused here.
“Young Master? A Foundation Establishment servant? It seems his backing is likely one of the four top-tier immortal clans. So what? If I can cultivate to Nascent Soul in the future, I will still settle this karma.”
Chen Jianghe thought to himself.
The next day.
New Year's Day.
Chen Jianghe had a small gathering with Alchemist Zhuang, Jiang Ruxu, and Zhuang Xinyan. On a whim, he invited Luo Xiyue.
To his surprise, Luo Xiyue was very obliging this time.
She actually sat down with them.
However, after it ended and they were leaving Alchemist Zhuang's courtyard, Luo Xiyue stopped Chen Jianghe at the gate of his own courtyard.
“I don't like being indebted to people.”
Luo Xiyue looked at Chen Jianghe with her cold gaze, but she seemed to recall that he had risked danger to wait for her in Qinghe Market City for nearly two years.
Instantly, her gaze softened considerably, but her expression remained cold and arrogant.
Her meaning was direct, urging Chen Jianghe to make a request so she could quickly repay the favor.
Hearing Luo Xiyue's words.
Chen Jianghe had reason to suspect that Luo Xiyue had stayed in Qiyun Mountain with him for over a year just because she wanted him to claim his favor.
But he had never opened his mouth to ask.
This forced Luo Xiyue to finally bring it up herself.
“Fairy Luo, you don't need to worry too much about the matter in Qinghe Market City. I also had business there, which is why I stayed for a while longer.”
Chen Jianghe told the truth.
But with the "assists" from Ruan Tieniu and Alchemist Zhuang, and what she had seen with her own eyes, Luo Xiyue clearly didn't believe Chen Jianghe's explanation.
“Master once said there are two ways to eliminate a favor. One is for me to do something within my power to help you…”
Luo Xiyue stared at Chen Jianghe with an icy gaze and said coldly, "The second is to kill you. The favor will then be gone."
Luo Xiyue's attitude was extremely serious, not like she was joking.
“…”
Chen Jianghe was stunned by her words.