Longevity with a Turtle

Chapter 68: Chapter 67: A Letter from Peiyao

”Fellow Daoist Zhuang, what good luck! You secured a spot in Bixia Town, which is only thirty miles away from Jingyue Lake!”

Chu Lang looked enviously at the old man across from him and sighed helplessly. ”I, on the other hand, received a place in Shixia Town. It’s a full three hundred miles from Jingyue Lake.”

Jingyue Lake was no longer the same as before. When the Jingyue Marketplace opened next year, it would definitely become a gathering place for Loose Cultivators within a thousand-mile radius. When that time came, the closer a family’s residence was to the Jingyue Marketplace, the better. Being closer meant getting the first move on opportunities, receiving more support from the Yun Family, and seizing the advantage in securing various marketplace resources.

”Mr. Chu, you are too attached to appearances. So what if the location assigned by the Yun Family is good? Aren’t you and I still going to stay on Huxing Island?” the old man surnamed Zhuang said with a bitter smile.

”That’s entirely different. With your family located just thirty miles from Jingyue Lake, Fellow Daoist Zhuang, they might become even closer to the Yun Family in the future. The younger generation might actually have hope of reaching Foundation Establishment...” Chu Lang paused mid-sentence. Hearing someone call out to him, he followed the sound and saw Chen Jianghe standing outside Tingyu Pavilion. He quickly waved him over.

”Apologies for disturbing you, Talisman Master Chu,” Chen Jianghe said apologetically, smiling and nodding at the old man surnamed Zhuang beside him.

”We agreed to meet here, so there is no disturbance at all,” Talisman Master Chu said with a laugh. ”Let me introduce the two of you. This young talent is Fellow Daoist Chen Jianghe, whom I mentioned before. He is the brother of Steward Yu from the Jingyue Immortal Tower. Fellow Daoist Chen, this is Fellow Daoist Zhuang Yanfeng. Fellow Daoist Zhuang is also a Yun Family Honored Guest Elder, and he is a High-Grade Alchemist as well.”

An alchemist! Chen Jianghe was shocked. He looked at the old man before him, his eyes instantly revealing deep respect. This was the very first time since his transmigration that he had met an alchemist, let alone a High-Grade Alchemist.

”This junior, Chen Jianghe, greets Alchemist Zhuang.”

”I heard from Mr. Chu that Little Friend Chen is entirely self-taught in the Talisman Dao and has even become a Lower-Grade Talisman Master. You truly are a heaven-sent genius.” Zhuang Yanfeng assessed Chen Jianghe with profound eyes before revealing an amiable smile and offering a word of praise.

For a Lower-Grade Talisman Master like Chen Jianghe, there was no need for him to engage in empty flattery. Even Yu Daniu could not enter his Dharma Eye. In the Cultivation Realm, the value of a High-Grade Alchemist was far higher than that of a High-Grade Talisman Master. However, Yu Daniu’s father-in-law, Yun Xiaoqian, was someone he had to take seriously, as the man was a core figure in the Yun Family.

”This junior merely had a stroke of lucky fortune. I am not worthy of Senior’s praise,” Chen Jianghe replied, naturally aware that Alchemist Zhuang was just being polite. He did not speak further with Alchemist Zhuang. With his current Cultivation and status, talking too much would only provoke annoyance. Instead, he immediately took out eleven Spirit Stones and looked at Chu Lang. ”Talisman Master Chu, this is the profit from Talisman Making for this year.”

Chu Lang took one look. Seeing there were only eleven Spirit Stones, he knew Chen Jianghe must have been experimenting with Spirit Talismans of other attributes. Otherwise, the amount should have been a bit higher. Since they were bound by an oath made during their initial transaction, there was no need to worry about Chen Jianghe embezzling the profits from Talisman Painting. He accepted the eleven Spirit Stones with satisfaction, his gaze toward Chen Jianghe softening even more.

Seeing returns in the very first year of their transaction proved Chen Jianghe’s earlier claim: trading with him yielded immediate vested interests without the need to wait. Chu Lang was not a lone wolf; he had his own family. While he engaged in Cultivation at Jingyue Lake, the younger generation of his family was located in Shixia Town, three hundred miles to the north. These eleven Spirit Stones were enough to cover a descendant’s Pension Money for four entire years. Moreover, the profits would only increase over the next nine years.

”Fellow Daoist Chen, as Steward Yu’s elder brother, you surely know that the Jingyue Marketplace will open next year. When that time came, even though Honored Guest Elders still cannot trade with outsiders, private transactions with Senior Fishermen and Farmers will be permitted. If you ever need High-Grade Spirit Talismans then, you can come to me. I will offer you a ten-percent discount.” Pausing here, Chu Lang chuckled and glanced at Zhuang Yanfeng before adding, ”If you need High-Grade Spiritual Pills, you can also look for Fellow Daoist Zhuang.”

”Indeed, that is fine. However, I can only offer a five-percent discount off the market price,” Zhuang Yanfeng said.

Chen Jianghe knew that Talisman Master Chu was helping him establish private trading channels, and he repeatedly expressed his gratitude. ”Thank you for looking out for me, Talisman Master Chu and Alchemist Zhuang. This junior will stop disturbing you now.” Chen Jianghe bowed with cupped hands and tactfully took his leave.

Following the riverside corridor, he left the Jingyue Marketplace and directly steered his boat back to his own breeding waters.

”Master~” As soon as he returned to the Zone C No.12 Water Area, Little Black sensed him. He swam beneath the boat and used Spirit Platform Transmission, obediently calling out to his master.

Chen Jianghe broke out in goosebumps. He suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, experiencing an illusion that his blood was about to be drained. ”Speak,” Chen Jianghe replied indifferently.

Little Black showed no dissatisfaction whatsoever with Chen Jianghe’s coldness, continuing to transmit his voice in an obedient tone. ”Master, you came back with a Spirit-Encompassing Flower. You can give it to me now. I already completely refined the last one a long time ago.”

Sitting at the bow of the boat, Chen Jianghe took a deep breath. He knew that hearing the word ’Master’ would not come easily. As expected, it was all for the Spirit-Encompassing Flower. However, he had only bought a single Spirit-Encompassing Flower. He had planned to give it to Little Black exactly when he himself took a Qi Storage Pill, ensuring their resource consumption was synchronized. Although he had Spirit Stones on hand and could afford to buy quite a few Spirit-Encompassing Flowers, Yu Daniu had advised him to hoard his Spirit Stones before the Jingyue Marketplace opened and not to spend them recklessly. Otherwise, he would miss out on the opening opportunities. Thus, it was not that he was being stingy.

”I couldn’t buy one. I’ll buy it for you next time,” Chen Jianghe said, intending to just brush him off for now.

”Hehe, I can already smell it! Hurry and give it to me, Master~” Little Black transmitted via the Spirit Platform. He even viciously rammed his turtle head against the bottom of the hull, causing the Upturned Boat to rock violently.

”You can smell it?” Chen Jianghe took out the Sandalwood Box and gave it a serious sniff, but not a single trace of the Spirit-Encompassing Flower’s scent leaked out. Then, he opened the Sandalwood Box, and only then did the refreshing fragrance of the Spirit-Encompassing Flower waft out, permeating the entire Upturned Boat.

”Master really did buy a Spirit-Encompassing Flower for me! I knew Master was the best.” Little Black swam excitedly from the bottom of the boat to the bow, cautiously revealing half of his turtle head and squinting his tiny mung-bean-sized eyes.

”...” Chen Jianghe looked at the open Sandalwood Box in his hand, then at the outwardly docile Little Black. He felt like he had been scammed by a turtle!

”Here.” Chen Jianghe’s face darkened. Channeling his Magical Power, he sent the Spirit-Encompassing Flower into the lake. It was instantly swallowed in one gulp by Little Black, who then turned and swam toward the bottom of the lake.

”You ate an extra Spirit-Encompassing Flower of mine, yet you don’t even know how to say thank you,” Chen Jianghe complained, cursing under his breath. Afterward, he calmed his mood and settled his focus. He inhaled and exhaled the free-floating Spiritual Qi, circulating the Returning Origin True Water Technique to refine it. The Spiritual Qi was then converted into Magical Power by his Spirit Root, enriching his Qi Sea Dantian. He began his meaningful Cultivation lifestyle.

Three months passed. It was the season of Grain Rain once again.

Along with a heron’s cry that sounded suspiciously like a duck’s QUACK, Chen Jianghe received two letters. One was from Yu Daniu, and the other was from Zhou Miaoyun.

Yu Daniu’s Fifth Brother had also been tested and found to possess a Spirit Root. Just like Second Brother, it was a Four-Element Pseudo Spirit Root. By now, all five of Yu Daniu’s children had been tested and found to possess Spirit Roots. Two had Four-Element Pseudo Spirit Roots, and three had Five-Element Mixed Spirit Roots. This elevated his status within the Yun Family to yet another level, completely solidifying his position as the Steward of the Jingyue Immortal Tower.

At the same time, Yu Daniu’s letter once again mentioned that there would be opening opportunities at the Jingyue Marketplace, urging him to ensure he had his Spirit Stones ready. After finishing Yu Daniu’s letter, Chen Jianghe opened Zhou Miaoyun’s letter.

The next moment, he froze.

It was a forwarded letter, signed by Gao Peiyao.