Chapter 752 Good Fortune

The cave entrance was tightly closed.

The heavy jade door exudes a restrained spiritual light, separating the two worlds inside and outside the door.

In front of the cave is a small, smooth platform carved from a single piece of mountain rock.

It was late at night.

The cool moonlight shone down, giving the stone platform a bluish-green luster, like a frozen, cold pool.

At the edge of the stone platform lies a bottomless cliff.

The wind howled like a sob.

Chen San stood in the center of the stone platform, not daring to get too close to the cave entrance, fearing he might displease the cave's owner.

Under the moonlight, he seemed to be standing in a cold pool.

At this moment, his lean body was taut and straight, yet he habitually hunched his back slightly, his head bowed, like a stone sculpture frozen in the shadows.

The reply message had already passed through the portal and disappeared without a trace. Chen San didn't know if any cultivators inside the cave had received his message.

The night wind, carrying the chill of the mountain peak, spiraled upwards from the cliff, howling and whistling, raising goosebumps on his bare neck.

The chill seeped into his bones, but he was completely unaware.

Each time the wind subsided, he would subconsciously hold his breath, prick up his ears, and try to catch any sound that might come from inside the door—footsteps, a cough, or even the subtle hum of spiritual energy flowing through the air.

However, all he gained was a deeper silence.

The entrance to the cave before him was like a cold, gaping maw, swallowing up all his hopes.

"Then let's wait until dawn to show our sincerity." He sighed inwardly, his hands and feet gradually growing cold, his gaze no longer fixed on the door, but gradually wandering away.

On the cliff face next to the cave, he saw a cluster of extremely tenacious vines growing in the cracks of the rocks.

The dark brown roots were rough and twisted, clinging tightly to the meager amount of damp mud in the cracks of the rocks. Most of the vines were pressed down by a huge, protruding, jagged boulder, and could only struggle to squeeze out a few thin, weak tendrils from the edges and bottom of the cracks, twisting and reaching upwards.

The moonlight stingily shone down a few rays, just enough to illuminate the tip of a vine. Two tender new leaves, not yet fully unfurled, shone with an almost humble vitality in the moonlight.

Chen San's gaze gradually fixed on the two green leaves, and memories of past techniques surfaced in his mind.

In the mine, his young and humble body huddled like a rat in a dark corner.

Only a ray of sunlight shone through the hole in the ceiling.

Chen San was not born into a family of cultivators, nor was he even an ordinary citizen. He was the illegitimate son of a mine slave and had lived in a spirit stone mine since childhood.

In order to survive a few more days in the harsh environment, the old miners in the mine secretly learned many incomplete and rudimentary breathing techniques and some folk methods to enhance strength and pain resistance.

Chen San was like a dried-up sponge, greedily absorbing this "garbage" and secretly growing.

The harsh living environment made him keenly aware of the changes around him from a young age. He could make the most of all the resources around him and even rack his brains and risk his life for a piece of ore containing a trace of spiritual energy!

Before his death, his father pointed to the sunlit cave entrance and said, "You little brat, you're unlucky. You're my son. I'm a mine slave, and you're a mine slave too."

"I have a low-grade spiritual root, and so do you."

"Heh, it's useless. Even if we only reach the Qi Refining stage in our entire lives, at best we can only reach the Foundation Establishment stage."

"Do you see that vine?"

"Learn it!"

"On our own, we can only be at the very bottom among cultivators. But if we can attach ourselves to a certain power or organization, we can reach a height that we could never achieve in this lifetime."

"Like that fat, idiotic foreman, whose cultivation level was far from sufficient, but who was a distant relative of Steward Zhang. That's why he was able to become the foreman!"

"Did you hear that, you little brat!"

Chen San gritted his teeth, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the dark green vine, and hissed in a low voice, "I heard you, Dad!"

A large forest has all kinds of birds.

Among countless cultivators, there are high-level cultivators, and naturally there are middle-level and low-level cultivators.

Chen San lacked natural talent; his aptitude for cultivation was at the very bottom, and he had virtually no resources for cultivation.

He was like a vine, like a leaf, stretching upwards with all his might, reaching towards the towering cliff face.

But the cliff face was too high, too steep, too rugged. The tips of the vines touched it in vain, like pilgrims extending trembling fingers, but could never truly climb up.

Chen San had tried to curry favor with the powerful.

He had presented a meticulously drawn treasure map to Steward Zhao. Steward Zhao threw the map on the ground and crushed it heavily with the sole of his boot. The piercing mockery and the unrestrained laughter around him felt like countless needles pricking Chen San's eardrums.

He had also created a mechanical bird for nighttime surveillance, which he presented to Captain Wang of the city guard as a means of promotion. However, the mechanical bird was used as evidence, and Captain Wang used it to frame Chen San for a major crime. The stench of the prison, the excruciating pain of whipping—he was then tortured into confessing.

He had a stroke of luck, managing to save a young master from a powerful family. In the end, he stood outside the grand vermilion gate, holding a light bag of low-grade spirit stones. From inside, he could faintly hear Young Master Lin's disgusted voice: "What bad luck..." The steward's gaze towards Chen San was cold and full of condescension, as if he were looking at a stray dog ​​begging on the street.

He even spent almost his entire fortune at the auction to buy a treasure at a high price, which he then presented to a young master in public. The young master gently brushed aside the magical artifact he offered with a folding fan, as if swatting away a buzzing fly. He looked down at Chen San with undisguised contempt on his face: "What are you? You dare to offer me a gift? It's a pity that this treasure has been tainted after passing through your hands."

...

The repeated humiliations left Chen San with a burning pain in his memory.

But no matter how intense the burning pain was, it couldn't outweigh his desire to cling to her.

"Even if one spends one's entire life on one's own, one can only twist and struggle in the filthy, muddy crevices of the bottom layer, growing a few insignificant leaves."

"It could be crushed by a larger rock at any moment, or crushed by an unintentional foot."

"I absolutely cannot succeed on my own, but it's not without hope!"

"I was originally just a weed. Only by climbing high mountains can a humble vine reach a certain height, touch more sunlight, and see more scenery."

"They look down on me simply because I have little value. Who would recruit a low-grade spiritual root, a weed with no potential, as a subordinate?"

How can I make myself more valuable?

"Perhaps being rooted in the grassroots is both my weakness and my strength..."

The vine named Chen San grew from the mine of his childhood, under the sunlight, to this place, in the crevices of the boulders beside the blue stone cave, its leaves trembling in the night wind under the clear moonlight.

What will be the outcome of this attempt to curry favor?

Will the person behind this door be the next Manager Zhao, the next Captain Wang? Will that young master's folding fan in the auction house once again open his eyes to the outside world?

At the same time, we hope that, like fireflies in the darkness, we will leap weakly but tenaciously.

What if? What if this time is different?

What if the owner of this Soseki Cave really needs a keen eye and a helper who moves in the shadows?

Worry, anticipation, tension, and a touch of panic, like invisible vines, wrapped around Chen San's heart, tightening more and more.

As the night wind howled, his body and mind were tense, and a chill kept creeping in.

Silence, still an endless silence.

The jade gate remained completely still, like ancient ice.

Chen San subconsciously looked at the ordinary vine growing in the crack in the rock, as if he saw his destined end, to be shattered in the wind.

Just then, from inside the cave entrance, came a very faint "click" sound, like jade rubbing together.

Chen San's pupils suddenly contracted, all the muscles in his body tensed, and he subconsciously held his breath.

The door gradually opened a crack.

Then, under Chen San's watchful gaze, the gap gradually widened, revealing the figure of an old cultivator.

"Chen San greets Senior." Chen San immediately bowed.

The old cook looked him up and down and nodded slightly: "Young master has summoned you, come with me."

Chen San was overjoyed. In the past, he had always been dealt with perfunctorily by the subordinates of powerful figures, but this time, he never expected to be personally summoned by Ning Zhuo.

Although he had just attended Ning Zhuo's banquet at the restaurant, Chen San, who had always struggled at the bottom of society, knew all too well the huge difference between public and private life!

Bang bang bang...

As his anticipation grew, Chen San's nervousness intensified, and his heart began to race.

The martial arts formation opened a gate, and Chen San stepped inside. He saw Ning Zhuo sitting in meditation in the distance and immediately bowed respectfully.

Ning Zhuo: "Chen San, how's the thing I asked you to do going?"

Ning Zhuo's tone was not polite, but Chen San was even more delighted. This was because his attitude towards fellow Daoists and subordinates was different.

Chen San briefly reported Ah Huo's performance and other details to Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo did not respond, but fell into a brief silence.

Chen San stared at the floor tiles at his feet, his heart pounding faster and faster, his mouth dry, and each day felt like an eternity.

Ning Zhuo took out a bag of spirit stones and threw it at Chen San's feet: "I've read your information. You're also a participant in the Flying Cloud Tournament, so the Myriad Manifestations Sect has conducted more investigations into your situation. As a result, I've also learned quite a bit."

"Since you're good at intelligence gathering, use this money to do me a favor."

Chen San was overjoyed and immediately knelt on one knee: "Please give your orders, young master, and I will do my best."

Ning Zhuo then said, "I need you to spread some rumors..."

Chen San listened carefully and immediately memorized it. He then repeated it to Ning Zhuo, word for word, without any discrepancy.

He had an exceptional memory; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to handle intelligence work. In fact, he grew up in a mine; without an outstanding memory, how could he distinguish the correct path in complex and similar underground mines and tunnels?

Ning Zhuo nodded slightly: "Go ahead."

Chen San: "This subordinate takes his leave."

Behind him, a portal-sized passage opened in the magic circle. He bowed in greeting, took several steps back, and then turned to leave.

The old cook stood outside the formation. When he saw Chen San come out, he stretched out his arms and said, "This way."

The two walked out of the cave, one after the other.

Chen San bowed to the old cook again to say goodbye: "Thank you very much, senior."

The old cook grunted expressionlessly, "Since you've gained the young master's favor, then do your job well."

"I will do my utmost!" Chen San finally dared to raise his voice a little and make a promise.

The old cook closed the door to the cave.

Chen San turned and left, but stopped at the edge of the stone platform, turned back to face the cave and bowed.

He rode away on a cloud, and only when he was halfway there, with the night wind blowing constantly, did he calm down a little.

He shook his head slightly, still feeling somewhat bewildered.

Looking back on what just happened, it all felt like a dream.

He didn't expect that Ning Zhuo wouldn't give him a long lecture, but instead directly threw him a new task.

"Is this yet another test for Young Master Ning Zhuo?"

Thinking of this, Chen San then used his divine sense to probe into the storage bag.

"There are so many spirit stones?" The number of spirit stones in the storage bag exceeded his expectations.

He had already planned to advance the funds himself, but Ning Zhuo provided far more money than the event itself, something Chen San had never experienced before!

"Isn't he afraid that I'll take the money and run away?" Chen San wondered.

"Or is it because he comes from a noble family and doesn't know how much money is needed to spread rumors?"

Chen San shook his head again, his gaze hardening: "No matter what, I must seize this opportunity!"

Ban Family Ancestral Hall.

creak, creak...

The group of elders surrounding the Clan's Throne Chain all had ashen faces.

The karmic chain of destiny unfolds and transforms once again, revealing some secrets of Ning Zhuo's fortune.

"This guy really got lucky!"

"He had already suppressed Banji before he even obtained it. Now that his luck is even stronger, what should we do?"

"Ban Ji's royal destiny needs to be awakened step by step, but Ning Zhuo has blocked Ban Ji, which is tantamount to blocking the entire Ban family's promotion channel."

"We must save Banji from this calamity!"

"But we can't afford to provoke the Myriad Manifestations Sect..."

"We need to plan this out carefully!"

"Let's use the Clan Destiny Cardinal Chain to create some trouble for his fortune. We've only measured half of this kid's fortune, but it's already alarming. We must curb him in this regard!"

"I second that."

"I second that."

I second that!

One day later.

Banji met the three men in the cave: the presumptuous monk, the rust-disaster craftsman, and Liu Qingyan.

His face turned ashen.

"What are you doing? Are you scared out of your wits by Ning Zhuo?!" Ban Ji stared at the three demonic cultivators in front of him and said mockingly.

The presumptuous monk clasped his hands together in front of his chest and said, “This Ning Zhuo has already obtained the stone tablet. He is a genius even stronger than you, Ban Ji, and he has a mysterious and powerful force backing him up. Your reward is absolutely not enough for me to go against such a prodigy.”

Ban Ji's expression softened slightly: "Ning Zhuo's strength has indeed exceeded our expectations. You think the money is too little? That's easy! I'll add more."

But the response he received was a shake of the head from the three men.

The rust-wielding craftsman said, "I'm afraid I might earn it but not live to spend it. The Spider Lady has been missing for many days. She used the Spider Cart to try to deal with Ning Zhuo, but now that she's nowhere to be found, she's probably in grave danger."

Liu Qingyan: "Even if we can deal with Ning Zhuo now, how will we face the retaliation from the forces behind him in the future?"

"What's even more frightening is that he has already won first place in the Qinghuangzi competition, and now he has four first places in his hands."

"What about you, Banji?"

Banji's face immediately turned red, revealing his anger.

He growled, "I was just out of rhythm! If I were allowed to perform at my best, without Ning Zhuo interfering, I would have been a stone tablet long ago."

"Don't you know my strength?"

The three remained silent, exchanging bewildered glances.

Rusty Craftsman: "It was precisely because we knew your strength and future that we agreed to let you deal with Ning Zhuo."

"But the struggle between you and Ning Zhuo is not something we can interfere with."

The presumptuous monk said, "There are already a lot of rumors circulating in the market that the three of us were sent by you to obstruct Ning Zhuo."

"If we make things difficult for Ning Zhuo any further, it will be too dangerous. The Myriad Manifestations Sect might take action against us!"

Banji remained silent.

(End of this chapter)