Chapter 32 Qianqiao Town
After comforting each other, the two could only decide to keep a lower profile.
In particular, Zhong Cai, in order to avoid being discovered by those time travelers, will probably have to hide her alchemy skills as much as possible.
Zhong Cai sighed, "Old Wu, I have very mixed feelings right now."
Wu Shaogan looked at him: "What?"
Zhong Cai said, "These time travelers might be from the same world as me, or maybe they're from some parallel world. I wonder if we can be considered fellow countrymen."
Wu Shaogan listened quietly.
Zhong Cai said with a hint of helplessness, "You saw how much malice the one who just died harbored towards me. Just thinking about how the others might do the same in the future..."
Wu Shaogan put his arm around his shoulder and laughed, "You've already been reborn into my family, how can those people still be your fellow villagers? Besides, fellow villagers are strangers. You have me, why bother with them?"
Zhong Cai thought about it and realized it made sense. He wasn't someone who came from another world halfway through; his past life was already gone. Now he had Lao Wu by his side, and he still had many happy days ahead of him. He might encounter some troubles, but it was okay; he could just consider it a life experience.
Seeing that Zhong Cai's melancholy had disappeared, Wu Shaogan said, "Not all time travelers are the same. Those with malicious intent should be killed directly, but if we encounter someone with good intentions, we can treat them normally."
Zhong Cai laughed too: "That's true. If you encounter someone who's neither good nor bad, you can just ignore each other and keep to your own business."
Wu Shaogan nodded in agreement.
Zhong Cai felt much more relaxed. She leaned against Wu Shaogan, nudged him with her elbow, and asked with a smile, "Old Wu, I haven't asked yet, but wasn't your reaction just now a bit too calm? You might be someone from a storybook! You're part of a plot! Everything you encounter is controlled by the story!"
Wu Shaogan thought for a moment and said frankly, "I was shocked when I first heard it, but before I could think about it, I heard that guy spouting nonsense about you."
Zhong Cai's eyes were bright.
Wow! Old Wu got upset because he swore!
Wu Shaogan pressed his palm against Zhong Cai's face and pushed her away, saying helplessly, "What kind of expression is that?"
Zhong Cai chuckled: "A touched expression."
Wu Shaogan was even more helpless.
Are you even going to listen to me or not?
Zhong Cai immediately became serious.
Wu Shaogan continued, "Later, seeing that you were angry with me, I didn't have time to think about it anymore. Then you told me that you were a time traveler, and talked about your speculations about storybooks..." He looked at Zhong Cai, "I think what you said makes a lot of sense."
Zhong Cai laughed: "So you also think that with this world at such a high level, and my previous world where I couldn't even cultivate, this is probably not some real storybook, right?"
Wu Shaogan nodded: "As for the plot... that's not something we need to worry about." He pondered, "We are born into a cultivation world. Once everyone's aptitude is determined, their future fate is almost predetermined. Isn't this just a story that the workings of heaven and earth write for each of us?"
"My being deposed was a twist of fate, but it was not without reason or a disaster from heaven."
“Even if I don’t travel, and Hua Siyue doesn’t show me any goodwill, Dai Rong will still treat me as a rival and then make a move against me. Because with Hua Siyue’s limited knowledge, she would never be interested in Dai Rong, and Dai Rong wouldn’t think there’s anything wrong with him. He would still think that Hua Siyue wants someone with better qualifications, which is me.”
"My biggest conflict with Dai Rong is still about talent. Unless I am less talented than him, I will definitely provoke him and trigger his reaction. And if I am less talented, then other 'plots' will await me."
Wu Shaogan said seriously, "Besides, only what remains unchanged can be considered manipulated. Although I was crippled, I had the possibility of recovery early on because of you. The fact that the person who just died was so surprised by our relationship that he couldn't speak without thinking shows that the 'plot' has changed a lot. He also values me a lot, so I should be an important character in the storybook."
"If the 'plot' is truly unchangeable, then the parts about the important characters should also not be changed. Otherwise, changing one thing will affect the whole situation, and the subsequent 'plot' will become unpredictable."
"And what is the difference between a 'plot' that can be changed and fate? Although destiny exists, people can adapt. The future of us cultivators ultimately depends on our own efforts."
Zhong Cai roughly understood what his buddy was thinking and couldn't help but give him a thumbs up: "Old Wu, you're amazing! You're so open-minded!"
Wu Shaogan smiled slightly.
There's another very important point—the time traveler was already very meticulous, but when he saw him, he suddenly became so terrified that he lost his mind. This shows that he must be an unimaginably terrifying character in the "plot".
Wu Shaogan pondered to himself, what would have become of him all these years if A Cai hadn't been by his side? He had some vague speculations.
But didn't A-Cai appear?
Right now, he can't even imagine what terrible things he might do.
As they talked, they both felt much better.
Zhong Cai chuckled and said, "By the way, Lao Wu, if the so-called 'plot' of our world is actually just a destiny written by God, then the so-called 'protagonist' should be some kind of chosen one, right?"
Wu Shaogan found it intriguing and smiled in agreement: "Right?"
Zhong Cai chuckled and guessed, "We don't know who the main character is. We don't know much about him, and we might not even recognize him when we meet... What do you call this? This is called the main character and the villain just brushing past each other."
Wu Shaogan couldn't help but chuckle and said, "If I'm the villain, then what are you?"
Zhong Cai thought for a moment: "According to the plot, I should be a minor character in the villain's backstory, someone who's only briefly mentioned. But now I obviously have a lot of screen time..." He said with a smile, "So I should be the top henchman of the villain?"
Wu Shao chuckled dryly.
Zhong Cai laughed so hard she almost fell over – luckily, Wu Shaogan caught her in time.
After a while, Wu Shaogan laughed and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Zhong Cai didn't think he was talking nonsense and kept shouting that he wanted to argue... but Wu Shaogan immediately shut him up with a single sentence.
Wu Shaogan joked, "No matter what, you shouldn't be a lackey. What was it like in your previous life? The protagonist had many wives. You should be the villain's wife."
Zhong Cai immediately lunged forward, knocking Wu Shaogan to the ground, and reached out to pull at his hair.
"You've got a lot of money, and you're taking advantage of me! Wife? What wife? In our world, you should call me Dad!"
Wu Shaogan was flustered and didn't seem to be taking Zhong Cai seriously.
“What is a father? Is it a dad? No way, my dad is no good.”
Zhong Cai: "..." Ahhh!
The two rolled around on the grass, playing and frolicking for quite a while.
Finally, the two of them lay on their backs on the ground.
Zhong Cai was panting heavily.
Wu Shaogan, whose physique was much stronger, mocked, "Ah Cai, although you're not bad at alchemy, your physical strength is still too weak."
Zhong Cai rolled her eyes: "Who can be as beastly as you?"
After revealing her past life, Zhong Cai became even more uninhibited when communicating with Wu Shaogan, and she said many of the flirtatious things she had said in her past life without hesitation. Wu Shaogan, on the other hand, was open-minded and could understand everything she said.
Wu Shaogan understood this time and said with a smile, "I'm nothing compared to what I've learned. Once I've recovered, I'll show you what I'm capable of."
Zhong Cai blushed, seemingly lost in thought: "Come on! Once I catch up to your level, I'll definitely have a fight with you."
Wu Shaogan tentatively asked, "In your words, let's see who's the father?" He shook his head again, "No, father won't do. Whoever loses has to call the other brother."
Zhong Cai refused without hesitation.
Wu Shaogan raised an eyebrow.
Zhong Cai snorted, not falling for it.
"Do you think I'm stupid? I'm an alchemist. Once your aptitude recovers and your cultivation level skyrockets, you definitely won't be idle. You'll definitely have more fighting experience than me. If we were to really fight, do you think I could beat you?" He turned around, grabbed Wu Shaogan's collar, and shook him. "I want to fight you simply because I want to beat you up, understand?"
Wu Shaogan suppressed a laugh: "I understand."
Zhong Cai then let go and flipped it back over.
·
The sound of the two chatting drifted around them.
"Old Wu, if there really are still quite a few transmigrators, wouldn't our world be riddled with holes?"
"...Somewhat. Perhaps."
"That's what I'm wondering. How did they all get here? How could our heavens not stop a few ordinary people? Do you think the heavens were injured and couldn't stop them? Or is there some kind of mastermind behind them? Or does the heavens just not care and let a few little bugs play with them since they're not destructive?"
"...Anything is possible."
"Old Wu, what do you think?"
"In my opinion, since there are protagonists in this world but no restrictions on the 'plot', and everyone's cultivation is as usual, it means that the laws governing the world are healthy and have not been damaged."
Zhong Cai turned her head and asked curiously, "So you mean that God doesn't care?"
Wu Shaogan thought for a moment and then laughed, "If Heaven and Earth really have consciousness, they might even find it amusing."
Zhong Cai smiled too.
Yes, maybe it's like the TV series adapted from novels in his past life. He's already read the novels and knows the plot very well. He's also seen TV series that are faithful to the original work, so he'd really like to see a drastically different adaptation.
If time travelers still exist, maybe it really is just God having fun.
It's always fun to do something new.
·
Although the two came out to arrest someone, they were also out having some fun.
Despite knowing about some troublesome matters, it didn't really affect their mood.
As evening approached, the two got up tacitly and prepared to return to the hunting party's camp.
This time they didn't say how long they would stay in the mountains, because they wanted to go back early to avoid worrying their grandfather and aunt.
A little further away, the mangled corpse was still there.
It's completely cold.
Zhong Caicai suddenly remembered and sighed, "The person who was possessed is also pitiful. Xiang Lin, let's burn him! Anyway, it's a body that was conceived in this world, so it's good for him to return to the world."
From a tree branch a short distance away, Xiang Lin agreed, then leaped to the body and set it on fire.
Zhong Cai didn't linger there and left with Wu Shaogan.
The fire was raging, and Ji Boping's body quickly turned to ashes.
It scattered when the wind blew.
·
Now that it was confirmed that it was a time traveler causing trouble, the two no longer needed to worry too much about any difficult people watching Xihu.
Zhong Cai had already seen the words "Golden Leopard" in the booklet, which stated that the time was several years later. She then understood why the time traveler had targeted the Western Tiger—because the Golden Leopard had collapsed long ago, while the Western Tiger remained intact.
Relying on the plot, the time traveler naturally suspects Xihu and wants to investigate the situation further, searching for the reason from the slightest clues.
It was truly a coincidence that the two of them bumped into each other.
·
After returning to his post, Zhong Cai planned to leave at a later date.
"Now let Xiang Lin go back to the Wu family and bring Zhong Da and the others over."
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "You haven't mentioned it these past few days, so I thought you'd forgotten."
Zhong Cai said irritably, "I just forgot. I only remembered now that I'm about to leave."
Wu Shaogan chuckled: "Then you'll probably have to stay a few more days."
Zhong Cai said nonchalantly, "Then let's stay here."
Wu Shaogan smiled and called Xiang Lin in.
Zhong Cai first instructed Xiang Lin to bring the people over, then took out several death contracts from his mustard seed bag and handed them to Xiang Lin, saying, "When you go this time, Zhong Da will definitely bring them back. The death contracts of the others are all here. When you go back, ask them about their plans."
“Zhou Lin and Dong Jin belong to the Zhong family. If they don’t want to stay in Xihu, ask them if they want to return to the Zhong family. Just say that Old Wu and I have too many people and can be handed over to my stepmother. Her two children are already quite grown up and need help when they’re out in the world. She shouldn’t mind having a couple more.”
"Oh, right, if my stepmother asks about the situation, just say that Lao Wu and I were traveling and met the relatives of Xi Hu that she mentioned to me, and on a whim, we went to visit my grandfather. After that, we'll travel around a bit more, so she won't worry."
When Zhong Cai mentioned her stepmother, she recalled the help the stepmother had given her...
He rummaged through the pills he still had, found two mid-grade Qi-replenishing pills, and handed them to Xiang Lin.
“Give one to your stepmother, and tell her to give one to your cheap father as well. Just tell them that I went through a lot of trouble to refine these, and I didn’t give any to the Wu family, but only to my parents.”
"Of course, if they don't choose to go back to the Zhong family, bring me the Qi-replenishing pills."
Zhong Cai then arranged for other people to join.
"If Miao Hua and Miao Ye don't want to come, ask them if they have any other Wu family members they want to join. If they do, send them over along with their death contracts, as they please. If not, they can stay and guard the courtyard; just leave them some monthly allowance."
Xiang Lin agreed to everything and quickly slipped away.
Wu Shao chuckled dryly and asked, "What was your original plan? Weren't you going to just bring it over?"
Zhong Cai: "My original intention was to have more people to take care of my grandfather and aunt, so they would have somewhere to go. But then I thought about it again. They are all servants from a family of cultivators, and they have their own way of doing things. They may not be used to the life of a free cultivator. If they come here unwillingly, it will save us trouble, but it will cause trouble for Xi Hu."
Wu Shaogan chuckled and said, "It won't cause any trouble. You're going to hand over the death contract to Xihu anyway. If they don't behave, Grandpa and Aunt can deal with them directly."
Zhong Cai pouted: "It's always better to do things willingly. Otherwise, either they'll lose their lives, or my grandparents will tolerate it for my sake. Why bother?"
Wu Shaogan smiled again: "I'll listen to you."
After that, the two of them continued to stay at the West Tiger's camp as usual.
Wu Shaogan continued his research on talisman making, and Zhong Cai still didn't refine pills. Instead, she asked Wu Shaogan for the booklet and began to study it carefully.
If you're unsure about the plot... then let's analyze the timeline?
Anyway, I'm just idling around.
·
A few days later, Xiang Lin returned with his men.
There's no doubt that Zhong Da will follow Zhong Cai, and he can also assist Xiang Lin in the future.
Upon arrival, Zhong Da returned the remaining gold to Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai glanced at him and knew that Zhong Da strictly followed the normal consumption method. It was indeed rigid, but it was also without any mistakes.
As Zhong Cai had predicted, apart from Zhong Da, the other four really wanted to stay in the family.
Zhong Cai glanced at Wu Shaogan, a hint of smugness in her eyes.
Wu Shaogan found it amusing; only A Cai would offer a choice between servants. But then he thought that A Cai still carried some influences from her past life, and these were just minor details, nothing serious. As long as he was happy, that was all that mattered.
Zhong Cai looked at Lin and asked, "What's going on?"
Xiang Lin replied, "I asked them what they thought, as Cai Gongzi requested. Dong Jin and Zhou Lin were both willing to work under Madam Zhong, and Madam Zhong gladly accepted. She did care about Cai Gongzi's situation. When she received the mid-grade Qi-replenishing pill, she was very happy and offered to keep Cai Gongzi's secret."
Zhong Cai nodded in satisfaction.
His adoptive father and stepmother are both smart people. Giving them some benefits will help maintain their relationship, and they can help him when needed. There's nothing wrong with that.
Xiang Lin continued, "Miao Hua and Miao Ye are unwilling to come, and they have no one to turn to. They are also very afraid of their former master and are hesitant about guarding the courtyard alone."
Zhong Cai: "What about them?"
Xiang Lin said, "I asked Madam Zhong to take me in for the time being, and Madam Zhong agreed."
Zhong Cai was taken aback; she hadn't expected this.
However, for Miao Hua and Miao Ye, this is not a bad place. Anyway, the Wu family won't care about the two maids. Even if they are mentioned, they can say that he is going on a long trip and it is inconvenient for him to take them with him, so he asks his stepmother to keep an eye on them.
Zhong Cai looked at Wu Shaogan and smiled, "Remind me to bring something for my stepmother next time I go back."
Wu Shaogan waved Xiang Lin away and nodded in agreement.
Then, Zhong Cai simply called over Bi Cen and Qiao Hong.
Since we've already asked Dong Jin and the others for their opinions, let's ask them as well.
"We'll be leaving soon to stay in another town temporarily. Are you two coming with us, or do you have other plans?"
Bi Cen was taken aback: "Other plans? What does Master Zhong mean..."
Zhong Cai pointed to Zhong Da standing in the corner and told him directly where Miao Hua, Miao Ye and the others had gone. He then said, "You have a few options. Go back to the Wu family, or stay in Xihu."
Without hesitation, Bichen and Qiaohong immediately said, "We will follow you two."
Zhong Cai added, "In the future, I and the Young Cadres will go even further, and there will inevitably be a time when we will not need your help."
Bi Cen said, "At that time, we will naturally obey the orders of our two masters."
Qiao Hong shared the same idea.
Zhong Cai nodded: "Okay. Then you can come along."
After the two men left, Wu Shao chuckled dryly and said, "They genuinely want to follow you, the alchemist, from the bottom of their hearts."
Zhong Cai was in a good mood and said, "They're all quite clever and adaptable. I'll give them more monthly allowances in the future."
Wu Shaogan had no objections; as long as Zhong Cai was happy, that was fine.
·
The next day, Zhong Cai went to her maternal grandfather's residence to say goodbye to him and her aunt.
Sun Hu and Sun Liu were discussing matters at their post when they heard Zhong Cai's words and both looked somewhat disappointed.
Sun Liu frowned slightly: "Are you leaving so soon?"
Zhong Cai smiled and said, "We've been here for half a month, it's time to go. The town we're looking for is only ten or fifteen days away from here, so it'll be easy to meet again. We can even write letters."
Upon hearing this, Sun Liu knew that Zhong Cai was determined to leave and could no longer try to persuade her to stay.
Sun Hu was also somewhat reluctant, but he also understood his grandson's feelings.
"Come anytime you want to come back in the future."
Zhong Cai said with a grin, "Of course, I won't stand on ceremony with my grandfather."
Sun Hu and Sun Liu were somewhat comforted upon hearing this.
Afterwards, the father and daughter reluctantly saw Zhong Cai and her group off.
This time, it was Zhong Da who took the train.
Xiang Lin was stationed at the carriage door, where he was responsible for guarding the entrance.
Zhong Cai leaned against the carriage, opened the window, and tossed the object towards Sun Hu.
Sun Hu caught it instinctively.
Zhong Da had been instructed earlier and immediately whipped the chariot to go.
The wildebeest galloped swiftly, pulling the carriage away at breakneck speed.
Only Zhong Cai's words remained in the wind, drifting back from afar.
"Grandpa, Aunt, this is a gift for you when we first meet—"
Sun Hu opened his hand and saw that it was a mustard seed bag.
Sun Liu also looked over.
The two looked at each other, but did not open the mustard seed bag on the spot. Instead, they waited until the carriage was out of sight before returning to Sun Hu's residence together.
Sun Liu closed the door.
Sun Hu then emptied the contents of the mustard seed bag.
The mustard seed bag itself is not very large, only one square meter.
There weren't many items on the table, less than ten in total.
However……
Sun Hu picked up the thin booklet, opened it, and his expression suddenly changed.
Sun Liu was also taken aback.
The Overlord Tiger Saber Technique!
Sun Hu took a deep breath and said, "This is a third-tier secret technique."
Sun Liu's pupils suddenly contracted.
·
When Sun Hu was in his twenties, he unexpectedly obtained a third-tier cultivation technique called "Tiger Roar Technique".
Not only does its name match Sun Hu's, but it also fits Sun Hu's physique perfectly.
Sun Hu's summoned companion treasure was a large sword, but the sword techniques he had found before were not particularly outstanding, and he could not fully unleash the power condensed in the "Tiger Roar Technique".
Now, what Zhong Cai gave to Sun Hu was a very violent sword technique manual.
Sun Hu only glanced at it briefly before discovering that this secret technique, when combined with the "Tiger's Roar Technique," could double or even more the power of his swordsmanship! If he learned it, his future attack power would also be greatly enhanced.
Moreover, Sun Liu also used the same knife technique.
Perhaps Sun Liu and Sun Hu really do have a father-daughter bond, because even Sun Xi's companion treasure is not a knife, but hers is.
Her sword, like Sun Hu's, was a heavy sword.
Undoubtedly, Sun Liu is also well-suited to cultivate the "Tiger Roar Technique," and has used it to lay the foundation since childhood.
Now that Sun Liu can start practicing the "Overlord Tiger Saber Technique" early, once her strength has broken through a few more times and she has reached the Palace Opening stage, she can then use the saber technique to cooperate with Sun Hu. When the father and daughter attack together, their offensive power will surge again.
·
After a long silence, Sun Hu sighed and said in a deep voice, "Cai'er has given us too many benefits."
Sun Liu paused, agreeing wholeheartedly, but still reassured her, "This shows that Cai'er is close to us."
The father and daughter then turned their gaze to the other eight resources on the table.
Three of them are level two, and five are level one.
They are for the two of them respectively.
Many of the resources are very suitable for the father and daughter. With these aids, they can save a lot of time searching for resources. It's likely that before long, Sun Hu will have a chance to break through to the second level of the Palace Opening Realm, and Sun Liu will be able to speed up her pace and quickly catch up with the Palace Opening Realm.
The father and daughter remained silent for a while.
Sun Hu said, "The business of making elixirs must be managed well."
Sun Liu said, "Cai'er must also be worried about the safety of our West Tiger... Father, taking advantage of the opportunity to recruit more members, we can change some of the rules in the group, and open up the exchange of resources. In addition, we should select some more people, test them more, and give them the authority to exchange for cultivation techniques."
Sun Hu pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Only by making Xihu stronger can we live up to Cai'er's good intentions."
Sun Liu also said, "When Cai'er reaches higher levels in the future, Xi Hu shouldn't hold her back too much."
After discussing it, the father and daughter carefully put away all the resources.
They all looked very excited and had more plans for the future development of Xihu...
·
Twelve days later, the carriage stopped in front of a small town.
Zhong Cai jumped down and looked around.
"This is Qianqiao Town? It really doesn't look very impressive."
Wu Shaogan also got out of the car and said, "It's better if you say it's inconspicuous, since you picked it."
Zhong Cai rolled her eyes at him and said, "I was just making a casual remark."
Wu Shaogan smiled and remained silent.
The two of them came here intending to stay for a while longer.
Since they didn't know how long Wu Shaogan's recovery period would take, they estimated it would be at least in "years." In addition, the town wasn't very big, so renting a courtyard might not be convenient. It would be better to buy one.
Zhong Cai instructed, "Xiang Lin, you and Zhong Da take Bi Cen and Qiao Hong to find the courtyard. Lao Wu and I will look around and then bring us there once we find it."
Xiang Lin naturally responded.
Zhong drove, taking the others with him.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan walked side by side along the town's streets.
·
Qianqiao Town is a small town, but its area is close to that of a medium-sized town.
A place is typically classified as a small town if it has at least 1,000 hectares of land and a population of over 100,000. A medium-sized town, on the other hand, requires at least 5,000 hectares of land and a population of over 500,000.
Qianqiao Town covers an area of over 4,000 hectares and has a population of just over 400,000. In a few more years, it should be able to expand further, and the overall level of the town will also be upgraded.
Besides Qianqiao Town, there are other small towns that are close to the county seat, but there is no Zhongzhen.
The two were looking for a place that was both convenient and easy to hide in, so naturally, a larger place with more people would be better. After comparing several options, they finally chose Qianqiao Town.
There are quite a few people coming and going here, and the three most powerful families in the town are the Huang family, the Liu family, and the Qian family.
All three families have experts at the Palace-Opening Realm, with the strongest being the Huang family's ancestor—a third-level Palace-Opening Realm expert, surpassing the second-level ancestors of the Liu and Qian families. However, the Huang family has no more Palace-Opening Realm experts, while the Liu and Qian families each still have a first-level Palace-Opening Realm expert, which is why this three-way balance of power exists.
According to the information Xihu obtained, the town is very peaceful.
The most powerful Huang family doesn't like to cause trouble, the Liu family is also very peaceful, and although the Qian family is a bit domineering, under the leadership of the other two families, they can't do anything too outrageous.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan gained some insight into this during their stroll through the town.
At least the cultivators in the shops and stalls are very comfortable, and many high-quality first-class resources are also available for sale.
Some days, cultivators at the seventh or eighth level would go to the stall owners at the fourth or fifth level to buy resources. The two sides would have fierce bargaining, but in the end, the one with higher strength would not get angry, but would give a corresponding price.
Even after the person left, the stall owner still looked relaxed.
Similar situations occurred more than once or twice, which suggests that the rules governing trade in the town are probably quite good.
Zhong Cai was even more satisfied after experiencing the local atmosphere firsthand.
·
Before long, after walking through several streets, the two arrived at a relatively secluded place.
In front of a courtyard not far away, Zhong Da and Qiao Hong were keeping watch.
Clearly, Xiang Lin and Bi Cen should be looking at the house in the yard.
Qiao Hong, quick-witted, spotted her two masters and hurried over to greet them.
Zhong Cai smiled and asked, "Is the courtyard here nice?"
Qiao Hong replied respectfully, "I compared several courtyards with those of Senior and Senior Zhong. The houses here are more complete, and the neighbors are not noisy. In addition, the courtyard is indeed for sale, not just for rent."
Zhong Cai then asked, "How many courtyards are there to choose from?"
Qiao Hong said, "There's only one truly excellent spot; the others each have their flaws. But there's a decent one on the adjacent street, just a bit more bustling."
Zhong Cai pondered for a moment and said, "Let's look at this one first, and if it doesn't work, we can switch to another one."
Qiao Hong then led Zhong Cai and the other person to the front of the courtyard.
Zhong Da was still on guard. Upon seeing his two masters, he obediently bowed.
Zhong Cai nodded and pulled Wu Shaogan into the courtyard.
·
Just as Qiaohong said, the courtyard was indeed quite nice.
More importantly, besides also having inner and outer layers, the overall structure and layout of the buildings are somewhat similar to the small courtyard the two of them lived in at the Wu family's residence. A more spacious training ground has also been added, and even a first-grade high-level defensive formation has been set up to slow down the wear and tear on the training ground.
Xiang Lin and Bi Cen are negotiating with the seller in the outer courtyard.
Bi Cen was quick-witted and eloquent, and he bargained with the seller.
The seller was a slightly chubby young man, who looked to be in his early twenties, and his strength was only around the third level of the Heavenly Attraction Realm.
This is the norm for cultivators in a small town.
The slightly chubby young man was also very good at bargaining. He had a long argument with Bi Cen, but he probably sensed that Xiang Lin's aura was not weak, so even in the argument, he remained very polite.
Upon noticing the arrival of his two masters, Xiang Lin immediately greeted them respectfully.
The slightly chubby young man also noticed them, and when he turned his head and saw the two of them, a look of amazement flashed in his eyes.
—These two young people are so good-looking!
However, no matter how good-looking someone is, it can't lower the price of their yard.
The slightly chubby young man argued confidently, "You two should make the decision. If I hadn't just happened to come across a rare breakthrough medicine and needed enough money to buy it, I wouldn't have sold such a nice courtyard. Don't let its small size fool you, it's worth at least three hundred, right? Your attendant is trying to bargain me down to two hundred, but I can't agree to that! The array set up in the training ground is already worth one hundred and fifty, so such an elegant courtyard and such a sturdy house, one hundred or so isn't unreasonable!"
Bi Cen then said, “Young master, although this courtyard looks nice, it has been built for more than ten years. In addition, the place is remote and the formation has been used for many years, so the price should be reduced. If it were brand new, three hundred and fifty would be acceptable, but it’s different now. This young master is asking for three hundred and thirty, isn’t that asking for the moon?”
Zhong Cai listened to the argument from both sides and understood the situation.
According to Bichen's assessment, the actual price of the courtyard should be around 260, and it would be even better if it could be negotiated down to just over 200.
Although the seller's asking price was only about three gold coins, which was nothing to him and Lao Wu, they couldn't be ripped off and have to spend more money on a courtyard that was clearly not worth it.
It should be noted that Bichen and Qiaohong's monthly allowance was only two taels of silver.
Zhong Cai smiled and held up two fingers to the slightly chubby young man.
"How about 280? We're both straightforward people, let's compromise. There's no need to say anything more. If it's more than that, we'll have to go somewhere else. There are other places to see, we don't have to limit ourselves to this place."
The slightly chubby young man was taken aback.
Surprisingly, while the servants were all bargaining, the master was so decisive.
After his eyes darted around, the slightly chubby young man wanted to say a few more words, but when he saw the smile on Zhong Cai's face, and then looked at Wu Shaogan's smile behind him... for some reason, he became a little timid.
In the small town, there are far more people renting than buying houses. The slightly overweight young man has been trying to buy for more than ten days, and even if there are people who want to buy, the highest offer is only 250.
The slightly overweight young man didn't want to delay any longer.
The seller of rare medicines promised to hold it for him for at most a month. If he missed this opportunity, and the courtyard couldn't be sold later, where would he get the money to buy medicine? If he failed to break through, he wouldn't have a chance to win the family competition in half a month, and he wouldn't be able to get the reward for his older brother...
In a flash, the slightly overweight young man made his decision.
"Two hundred and eighty... it's two hundred and eighty! Consider it my way of making you my friend!"
Zhong Cai gestured to Xiang Lin.
Xiang Lin took out some silver and handed it to the slightly chubby young man.
The slightly overweight young man was quick and efficient; he handed over the property deed and keys, the transaction was completed, and he left in a flash.
·
Without needing any instructions, Bichen and Qiaohong quickly got to work.
Zhong Da also went to catch the carriage and settle the wildebeest.
Zhong Cai asked, "Xiang Lin, what's his background? Is it alright to buy his courtyard?"
Xiang Lin had naturally inquired about it all and immediately reported: "The man just now is from the Wu family. He is the youngest son of the third branch of the Wu family, named Wu Yousong. His elder brother, Wu Youbai, was poisoned after hunting in the mountains and needs a rare antidote or a first-class antidote pill to treat him."
·
In such a small town, there are no antidotes at all, and rare antidotes are also hard to find.
Wu Youbai's injury has been delayed for seven or eight months. Even with the medicine to suppress it, if it cannot be cured in a few more months, it will damage his meridians, and he will never be able to break through to the tenth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm again.
Wu Yousong and Wu Youbo had a very good relationship, but they tried many methods without success.
The Wu family was only a third-rate power in the town. They had hired the town's hunting team to search for them, but to no avail.
However, every year, a small family competition is held in Qianqiao Town, spearheaded by the Huang family and with the cooperation of the other two families. Different stages are set up for members of various families in the town to participate in the competition.
Those who excel at different stages will receive certain rewards.
The various awards for this year's upcoming competition have already been revealed.
Among the rewards for the first to fourth levels of the Heavenly Guidance stage is a rare antidote, but only the top three cultivators can choose it. The other two rewards are even rarer than the antidote, so if Wu Yousong can get into the top three, he will most likely get the antidote.
Wu Yousong, being only on the third floor, had no chance of competing with those on the fourth floor.
But he was lucky. A hunting captain who had some past acquaintance with him found a rare medicine for breakthrough and was willing to keep it for him for a while, but the price was high and he couldn't give it to him for free.
Wu Yousong understood; of course, the priority was to raise money as quickly as possible.
Only when one reaches the fourth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm and further strengthens oneself in other aspects will one have a chance to compete.
·
Xiang Lin said, "The Wu family has a clean family tradition and keeps its promises. Wu Youbai was poisoned by snake venom in order to protect his colleagues, and he did not hold a grudge afterward. After buying Wu Yousong's courtyard, the other party will not do much, which will save us a lot of trouble."
The other courtyards were quite nice, but the owners' character was questionable, so it's better not to associate with them.
Zhong Cai nodded: "Your consideration is good."
After bowing to Xiang Lin, he disappeared into the shadows.
Wu Shaogan, who had been watching Zhong Cai with a smile, finally asked, "Are you interested in that family competition?"
Zhong Cai raised her eyebrows and looked excited: "You really know me! But the Wu family and the Zhong family don't have any big or small competitions, they seem to be less active than the people in this small town."
Wu Shaogan said, "Both families have many members and abundant resources. Those with better aptitude will improve faster, and the outcome will often be decided without any fighting. Besides, those with lower aptitude can directly trade the resources they need within the family; and the resources that attract high-aptitude family members to compete for are not needed by those with lower aptitude anyway, so they can just be allocated directly. Why bother with unnecessary comparisons?"
Zhong Cai thought about it and agreed.
Wu Shaogan added, "The resources in this town are limited. Those with slightly higher qualifications can use them, and those with slightly lower qualifications can also use them. The three families holding this competition can not only show off their respective family's talent reserves, but also hone their strength. At the same time, it is also an opportunity for some families with weaker power."
Zhong Cai listened with a smile and chatted with him for a few more minutes.
"I'll have Xiang Lin find out if Xiao Bi can be watched. If the whole town can watch, then we can go and join in the fun."
Wu Shao chuckled dryly and agreed.
·
The two settled down in Qianqiao Town.
The area was indeed very quiet, but it was still an unfamiliar place, and the courtyard itself wasn't well-defended.
Together, the two set up an even larger defensive formation, covering the entire courtyard.
Wu Shaogan then took out some more talismans and posted them in various places in the courtyard—so that they could react quickly in case of any outside spying or attack.
After all the arrangements were made, Zhong Cai entered the cultivation room and began her breakthrough.
His advancement from the fourth to the sixth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm was too rapid to be conveniently carried out within the West Tiger Garrison.
In almost a single night, Zhong Cai had tempered his ribs. And once he started tempering the bones other than his limbs and ribs, he was already a cultivator at the sixth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm.
Zhong Cai's cultivation had never been so smooth; she was practically radiant.
Then, with renewed vigor, he continued to consume large quantities of top-grade Qi-replenishing pills, quickly refining all the remaining bones as well.
It only took five or six days in total.
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