Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: The Vicissitudes of Life
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Chen Jianghe didn't head to Tingyu Pavilion, but instead went to the residential area of Mirror Moon Market City.
Fushou Street. This street was where the Yun Clan's guest elders lived, in small, two-room courtyards, each occupying a modest plot of land.
Talisman Master Chu Lang resided at Number Seven, Fushou Street. His neighbor was Alchemist Zhuang, but he had already left the Yun Clan.
Rumor had it that he went to Qinghe Market City, though others said he went to Xianmen Market City.
In any case, with Lan Tianxiang severely injured and his nephew Lan Yunyi killed, the development of Mirror Moon Market City had returned to normal, yet Alchemist Zhuang had not returned with his granddaughter.
Clearly, he had no intention of serving as a guest elder for the Yun Clan again. After all, he and his granddaughter were all that was left of the Zhuang Clan.
Arriving at Number Seven, Fushou Street, he saw that the courtyard gate didn't have a 'In Seclusion' sign hanging on it.
*Thump~ Thump, thump.*
Chen Jianghe knocked on the door.
A short while later, the courtyard gate opened, revealing a little girl of seven or eight. She was a junior member of Talisman Master Chu Lang's family, named Chu Ying.
"Grandpa, it's Uncle Jianghe."
Chu Ying remembered Chen Jianghe. She had come to Number Seven, Fushou Street last year when Chen Jianghe delivered the spirit stones.
"Fellow Daoist Chen."
Talisman Master Chu Lang walked into the courtyard with a strained smile. He led Chen Jianghe to a seat and asked Chu Ying to brew a pot of spirit tea.
"Talisman Master Chu, there's no need to trouble yourself. I still have to go to the Mirror Moon Immortal Pavilion."
"Here are this year's profits." Chen Jianghe didn't sit down. He took out thirty-two spirit stones and placed them on the stone table.
"Mm, alright." Talisman Master Chu Lang nodded and accepted the spirit stones.
"This junior takes his leave."
Chen Jianghe cupped his hands, spoke, and turned to leave.
Last year, he had spent a long time talking with Talisman Master Chu Lang here, learning much about the Yun Clan's guest elders.
For instance, the Yun Clan currently had seven guest Talisman Masters—two high-grade and five mid-grade.
They also had three guest Alchemists—one high-grade and two mid-grade.
Additionally, there were two Spirit Brewers, one Beast Tamer, four Medicated Chefs, as well as one Puppet Master and one Artifact Refiner.
Except for the Artifact Refiner, who possessed first-tier high-grade skills, the other four types of artisans all had first-tier mid-grade skills.
The reason he didn't linger at Talisman Master Chu Lang's was that he had recently learned that the Chu family had been caught in the crossfire when the Tiannan Sect was eliminating devils.
It turned out that the cultivators from the Tiannan Sect, frustrated by their failure to kill Lan Tianxiang and find Lan Yunyi's storage pouch, had vented their anger on the Chu Clan of Bixia Town.
They believed the Chu Clan had found Lan Yunyi's storage pouch and hidden it, so they interrogated them and performed soul-searches.
They soul-searched six members of the Chu Clan in succession, one of whom was a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. After the soul-searches, they were all left as mindless fools.
If the Yun Clan hadn't intervened to persuade them and offered a certain amount of compensation, the entire Chu Clan would likely have been soul-searched.
This devil-elimination in Bixia Town was a huge blow to the Chu Clan. The number of cultivators in their family was reduced by a third, and their only late-stage Qi Refining member was turned into a fool.
To compensate Talisman Master Chu, the Yun Clan waived the Chu Clan's land rent in Bixia Town for ten years and gave them three Calamity Dispelling Pills.
Chen Jianghe hadn't known about these matters before. Now that he did, it was naturally inappropriate for him to disturb Talisman Master Chu Lang.
He arrived at the Mirror Moon Immortal Pavilion. Yu Daniu wasn't there, but Yun Xiaoniu was.
"Uncle."
Seeing Chen Jianghe, Yun Xiaoniu immediately came forward and bowed respectfully.
"Fifth Brother, greet your uncle."
Yun Xiaoniu saw Wuniu still playing with a puppet toy and slapped him on the back of the head.
"Hmph! I'm going to tell Mother you hit me." Wuniu ran off, huffing indignantly.
"Uncle, my fifth brother has been spoiled by our mother. Please forgive him." Yun Xiaoniu cupped his hands and apologized.
"It's nothing. Where's your father?" Chen Jianghe smiled. How could he stoop to the level of a ten-year-old boy?
However, Yun Xiaoniu had understood etiquette since he was four or five. It seemed this fifth brother was indeed being spoiled.
The seventeen-year-old Yun Xiaoniu had grown to a height of 2.2 meters, making him half a head taller than Yu Daniu.
His cultivation had also reached the third level of Qi Refining.
He had an honest and simple appearance, but a sharp and meticulous mind.
"My father successfully broke through to the seventh level of Qi Refining and went to pay his respects to Grandfather." Yun Xiaoniu invited Chen Jianghe into a private room.
"He should be back soon. Uncle, you can wait for a bit."
Yu Daniu had married into the Yun Clan, so his children all took the Yun surname. Naturally, they also called Yun Huizhen's father 'Grandfather'.
"Come, sit." Chen Jianghe waved for Yun Xiaoniu to take a seat and said with a chuckle, "It's all the same with you here."
"Mirror Moon Market City is becoming more prosperous by the day. More and more cultivators are coming here, with mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators making up eighty percent of them. Have you ever considered opening a passenger route on the lake?"
"A passenger route?"
Yun Xiaoniu frowned slightly, pondering for a moment before his expression turned to one of pleasant surprise. "Uncle, you mean establishing a large boat service between Port Number One and Mirror Moon Market City to transport early and mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators."
"That's completely feasible!"
Yun Xiaoniu's mind raced as he considered the benefits of this route.
"Early-stage Qi Refining cultivators can't fly on qi and don't have magical artifacts, making it difficult for them to reach Mirror Moon Market City. Although mid-stage cultivators can fly, the distance of seventy to eighty li would consume too much of their magical power. If we started a large passenger boat service, it would definitely be a huge success."
"Furthermore, this would also boost the economy of Port Number One, attracting early-stage Qi Refining cultivators to gather there, which would bring great profits to the Yun Clan."
"Uncle, this idea is brilliant! Please excuse my rudeness, I must inform my father about this immediately."
"Mm, go on." Chen Jianghe nodded.
He had originally intended to tell Yu Daniu this when Mirror Moon Market City first opened, but there had been many twists and turns. Fortunately, things in the market city were now looking up.
The idea had once again surfaced in his mind.
Even if he didn't suggest it now, the Yun Clan would eventually think of it themselves. So, it was better to tell Yu Daniu and solidify his position within the clan.
Not long after Yun Xiaoniu left, the table was filled with medicated dishes and spirit wine, which made Chen Jianghe smile in satisfaction.
"This kid, Xiaoniu."
Then, Chen Jianghe began to eat and drink. He couldn't refuse a junior's show of filial piety.
After about an hour, the door to the private room was pushed open, and Yu Daniu walked in, laughing heartily.
"Brother Jianghe, your idea is brilliant!"
Yu Daniu plopped down next to Chen Jianghe and shouted to Yun Xiaoniu, who had just reached the doorway, "Eldest, go home and bring me the Three-Yang Spirit Wine your grandfather gave me! I'm going to drink with your uncle until we drop!"
"Oh, and bring your mother and younger brothers, too."
"Daniu, let's skip the Three-Yang Spirit Wine. Just having my sister-in-law and nephews join us is enough."
Chen Jianghe knew exactly what Three-Yang Spirit Wine was. It was brewed from the spiritual blood of three spirit beasts—the Blazing Tiger, the Crimsonflame Chicken, and the Purple Sun Deer—and was also infused with parts from these three beasts. It was known for its potent aphrodisiac effects.
"Hah! After we're done drinking, I'll have a word with the Misty Rain Pavilion. I guarantee Brother Jianghe will be satisfied."