30 A hint of prosperity

Slowly withdrawing his hand, He Chen, who had been asleep for over an hour, quietly emerged and saw Aunt Lan making shoes. After thinking for a moment, he promised, "Wen'er is still young. It's good that she starts school now, and she can interact with her peers. She can learn whatever she wants in the future, as long as she has the talent. You don't need to worry too much."

Okay, thank you, Brother Shen.

He Chen paused, then continued, "Last night, I went to the mine. All the masterminds behind it have been dealt with. I intended to bring the Cheng family back for you to handle, but unexpectedly..."

Then I gave a brief explanation.

Lan Jie's eyes were red with tears, which streamed down her face uncontrollably, quickly soaking her face. She knelt down and thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Brother Chen."

He Chen helped her up. Alas, poor thing. Seeing that she might have misunderstood, he didn't want to explain too much. Sister Lan cried so hard that her legs went weak and she couldn't even stand up. He could only take her back to her room to rest.

Then came another turbulent morning. After tossing and turning for an hour, I finally fell into a deep sleep!

He Chen covered the beauty with a blanket, and seeing that she had already fallen into a deep sleep, he picked up his sword, stepped out of the inner courtyard, and practiced his sword in the front yard. The sword flashed, but he did not circulate any internal energy. He was just practicing his sword. The sunlight reflected off the sword, and the courtyard was filled with the shadows of swords!

After a refreshing nap this morning, my mental focus is now clear. 650 kill points, 50 points for the Gentleman's Blade! 600 points all for mental cultivation!

Looking at oneself

Weapon: Gentleman's Blade, sturdy and sharp, level 16

Inner Strength Technique: Thunderfire Inner Strength Technique, Level 700

Realm: Rank 5

Without improving one's cultivation level, one cannot use physical strength or sword energy to fly and kill enemies; one must still rely on external objects.

When will I be able to be like a great Confucian scholar, sweeping away the winds and clouds with a wave of my hand and settling the world with my hands behind my back?

Steward Weng arrived. "Sir, we have harvested some ginseng today. Please check it. Many people have been asking about the shop's sales today. I also heard that many villagers returned from the mine this morning, having escaped and survived."

The school program has already begun, and so far it's going well, with excellent results. Everyone is very grateful for the adults' kindness!

He Chen nodded and said, "Okay, this matter is not urgent for now. Besides selling some, we need to keep a few more. You can decide on the specific quantity."

Also, a man named Baiye may return to see you in the next few days. Let him choose a shop himself. Furthermore, bring his two sons to see me!

At this moment, Jin Luo and Jin Feng arrived and recounted what had happened at the mine that morning. They then asked, "Sir, this mine is quite close to us. Should we begin mining?"

He Chen shook his head, "This matter isn't urgent for now. These next few days, you should focus on gathering intelligence on Huangtu County: gangs, prominent families, yamen runners, the police force, and the number of soldiers, etc."

"Yes, sir," the two said in unison.

Watching Steward Weng and Jin Luo leave, Xie Huayu came out from the inner courtyard, her pretty face radiant. She leaned against He Chen's back and asked in a low voice, "Does Your Excellency need information about Huangtu County? I do know general information."

In Huangtu County, there are prominent families such as the Flying Eagle Gang, the Fierce Tiger Gang, the Lian Family, and the Tian Family, as well as other groups like the Demon Slayers.

The county government was weak, or rather, its yamen runners were incompetent, and there weren't many constables. The patrol office was infiltrated by powerful families, so it lacked real control. The magistrate was said to be a newly appointed scholar, but it was unclear why he had come to this place, and his true strength was unknown.

"Okay, I understand. Do you know the uses of the Corpse Pill?" He Chen asked.

"These corpse pills are used for alchemy. Low-grade corpse pills are easy to find but also very scarce, making them highly sought after by many noble families. Sixth-grade and higher corpse pills are extremely rare, and they are fiercely contested as soon as they appear. They are excellent ingredients for refining Thousand-Machine Pills and Imperial Extreme Pills. It is said that they can bring the dead back to life; as long as there is a breath left, they can live!"

He Chen nodded in confirmation, "That's great! It seems to be a really good item! Here, take this. I suppose you've successfully completed your mission." With that, he casually handed over the sixth-tier corpse pill.

"Ah, my lord, this is—" Xie Huayu was overjoyed, her delicate body trembling slightly as she looked at the corpse pill.

He Chen said calmly, "This is a sixth-tier corpse pill. I obtained it by chance last night. You can take it."

Jie Huayu examined the corpse pill carefully for a long time, then didn't take it. "My lord, please keep this. It can be exchanged for many things. If you use it to exchange for Qi Cultivation Pills, you can easily get many bottles. Please keep it to exchange for other cultivation items."

After saying that, she took out her previous Qi-cultivating pills and handed them to He Chen. She felt that He Chen was even more unfathomable. Having such a person as a backer was not a bad choice.

At the sixth level, one can control the qi to leave the body, transform spiritual energy into liquid, and possess an astonishing amount of true qi, far beyond what is commonly known.

He could conjure weapons out of thin air, and some could even materialize flames, ice, and other means of harming people. His power was extraordinary, and he could even kill such powerful evil corpses. He Chen's strength excited Xie Huayu greatly!

"You can use it yourself," He Chen refused.

"Please use it, sir. My talent is limited. Only after meeting you did I realize that my struggles with my opponents were nothing more than child's play in the eyes of the family's powerful members. Only when you are safe and strong can I have a powerful backer." At this moment, Xie Huayu looked at He Chen with infinite tenderness and said.

He handed the Qi-Nourishing Pill to He Chen. All the past events were like drifting clouds; the hardest thing to bear was receiving no kindness from others. He Chen silently accepted it.

He took out the yellow and white items from his storage bag and said, "From now on, you'll help me collect ginseng and other spiritual fruits. You can buy whatever you need yourself, and take what's in the chests in the inner courtyard!"

Jie Huayu said excitedly, "Yes, sir."

A gentle embrace! The afternoon turned into something restless, but no one nearby disturbed us. Half an hour later! Finally, she drifted off to a sweet and deep sleep!

These past two days I've been engrossed in practicing swordsmanship and testing my mental cultivation techniques. I glimpsed the distant scenery with a glimpse of the Cloud Wind Step, feeling neither sorrow nor joy in my heart!

That night, after dinner, Xie Huayu, dressed in white, said...

"Sir, according to the old man, the market should have ended a few days ago."

There weren't many people around, but today the flow of people has increased significantly, and villagers who had traveled from afar are now bringing their goods.

This trip was very fruitful; we even bought quite a bit of ginseng and brought it back. We also unexpectedly obtained a Spirit Heart Vermilion Fruit, which can enhance spiritual awareness. Please use it quickly, my lord. It seems this is all thanks to your good reputation at the market; your name has spread very quickly!

Upon hearing this, He Chen thought it was a good thing. It would allow him to collect spiritual energy much faster. He wished he could go to some sacred springs to soak in the spiritual energy, but he wasn't that kind of person unless he was fighting against evil and righting wrongs!

'The Spirit Heart Vermilion Fruit, not bad. You don't need such a treasure?'