Chapter 928 Chen Jiaxin's Troubles
Inside the warehouse at midnight.
Silent and still.
A slender, dark figure slowly approached Madam Chen.
Upon hearing this, Madam Chen immediately turned around, her tone showing no surprise, but rather a hint of delight:
"You're here?"
The slender, dark figure said coldly:
"Turn off the lights."
It was a cold, aloof female voice.
Ouyang Rong, hiding in the shadows, subconsciously began to analyze the situation.
But soon, he realized that the voice sounded vaguely familiar.
I feel like I've heard it somewhere before, but I can't quite remember where.
Madam Chen quickly opened the lampshade and blew out the flame, not daring to let the light shine on the face of the newcomer.
The slender, dark figure then stepped forward, her tone somewhat displeased:
"I told you not to come looking for me unless it's absolutely necessary. If someone sees you, it'll cause a lot of trouble."
Madam Chen said apologetically:
"Miss, don't be angry. It's just that the old man is too concerned about you and is afraid that you're not doing well in Jianze."
The slender, dark figure quieted down, seemingly having calmed down somewhat.
After a while, he asked quietly:
"How is Grandpa's illness? How is he recovering?"
Madam Chen hesitated for a moment, then said:
"His health is still fairly good, but his diabetes is really tormenting. He's constantly thirsty and drinks water, and he also suffers from pulmonary tuberculosis and coughing. Recently, he's also developed some symptoms of deafness and blindness..."
The slender, dark figure couldn't help but ask:
"How did Grandpa fare after you brought those medicines I found down the mountain?"
Madam Chen didn't speak immediately, seemingly lowering her head and organizing her thoughts:
"The old man said... said..."
Hesitant and indecisive.
The slender, dark figure spoke in a clear yet stern voice: "What did you say?"
As if sensing the oppressive aura emanating from the slender, motionless black figure before her, the woman nodded like a chick pecking at rice, forcing a smile:
"The old man said he feels a bit better, thank you for your trouble, Miss. However, he also instructed you that cultivation is important, and there's no need to worry about finding medicine for him anymore. It's not only risky, but it would also affect your cultivation in Jianze. The family has already sent people out to invite renowned doctors from various places to treat him..."
The slender black image understood.
He did not continue to blame the woman in front of him.
She took a deep breath, her tone resolute:
"Let me look again. I recently heard from my senior sister that there's a legendary doctor locked up in the prison that Master is guarding. I don't know which cell it is, though. I'll go and find out..."
Madam Chen hesitated, then said, "Miss, the old master said you don't need to..."
"Shut up!"
A clear rebuke echoed through the warehouse.
The two had been whispering to each other, but now their voices were a bit louder.
The two seemed to realize that after the sound, the air was quiet for a moment.
Meanwhile, Ouyang Rong, after hearing the rebuke, finally remembered who the voice belonged to.
Chen Jiaxin.
It's Chen Jiaxin!
His expression was somewhat dazed.
A thought flashed through his mind, and he realized that he had encountered the strangely behaving Madam Chen in the Chen family's ink room. Ouyang Rong immediately understood.
Moreover, if I'm not mistaken, the surname of this purchasing manager, Madam Chen, is not the "Chen" in "left ear knife," but rather the homophone "Chen."
There are quite a few people from the Nine Clans of Peach Blossom Town in this Yunmeng Sword Marsh... he thought subconsciously.
The warehouse is designed to prevent moisture and insects, so it has very few windows, and they are all covered with screens. The few windows that are there are also very high, almost to the ceiling.
This makes it difficult for the bright moonlight outside to shine in.
This not only gave Ouyang Rong a sense of hiding place, but also made Chen Da Niangzi and Chen Jiaxin, who arrived in the middle of the night, hide in the darkness. It was difficult to see each other's appearance when they got close, and they could only use their voices to identify their general location.
Madam Chen sighed:
"Miss, please be careful. This matter is extremely taboo, especially right now. Jianze is strictly controlled both inside and outside, and rules are strictly enforced. The First Lady has always been against Yue Nu having any connection with the secular families down the mountain. Everything must be severed, not even the nine families of our Peach Blossom Town. One thing at a time. Not to mention that you are a direct disciple, you must not let anyone know..."
"I know, you don't need to teach me."
Chen Jiaxin paused, speaking slowly and deliberately, and said coldly, "And since you know this, why are you still so bold as to come to me? You should mind your own business first."
Madam Chen forced a smile:
"The main reason is that the old man misses Miss so much. He has some things to say to you, so he handed over a letter. In addition, there are some things that he would only feel at ease if he gave them to you personally. This time, the Fairies of Lantang led a team down the mountain, which was a good opportunity. I couldn't resist going to the house..."
As she spoke, Madam Chen turned around and patted the box behind her as a gesture.
"What is that?"
Chen Jiaxin's tone was already somewhat impatient, as if she didn't like the furtive atmosphere in the warehouse.
"Please wait a moment, Miss. She's inside."
To provide light, Madam Chen took out a tinderbox and, after consulting with Chen Jiaxin, lit it.
A tiny orange-red flame suddenly ignited in the pitch-black warehouse.
Very eye-catching.
Using the faint light of the tinderbox, Madam Chen began rummaging through the box.
Not far away, Ouyang Rong used the light of the fire to see clearly the two people having a secret meeting in the middle of the night, and he also saw Chen Jiaxin's appearance.
The faint firelight shone on Chen Jiaxin's delicate, fair face.
He took a second look and confirmed the person had arrived.
Her face was faintly cold, perhaps due to the words she had spoken earlier. At this moment, she was quietly watching Madam Chen rummage through the chests, her eyes fixed on the scene, lost in thought.
After not seeing her for several days, Ouyang Rong noticed that Chen Jiaxin seemed to have changed quite a bit.
Perhaps it was because it was late at night, but the woman was much quieter and didn't seem as sharp, assertive, and confident as she had been during the day.
It resembles a female peacock with its wings folded.
While Ouyang Rong was secretly observing, Madam Chen took something out of the box and happily handed it to Chen Jiaxin.
Chen Jiaxin didn't take it immediately, her eyes fixed on the letter and another item that were handed to her.
It vaguely resembled a small box. Ouyang Rong glanced at it sideways; there were many such small boxes in the cargo box, containing medicinal herbs. He had overlooked them while searching earlier and hadn't found anything unusual. This Madam Chen had certainly hidden them quite well…
Chen Jiaxin first asked:
"What is this thing?"
"The precious pill from Gezao Mountain is said to be beneficial for cultivation. When the clan sent people to search for the medicine, they inquired about it from a Taoist priest named Yuqing. The priest said he had a channel to purchase the precious pill, but only one was available. When the old man heard this, he immediately made the decision to have the clan buy it. It cost a lot of money, and the other eight clans also contributed some money to purchase this precious pill. The medicinal pills that were originally planned to be purchased were postponed..."
Madam Chen muttered to herself.
Chen Jiaxin listened without saying a word.
Ouyang Rong, however, noticed that Chen Jiaxin's small face suddenly displayed a variety of expressions... First, her brows furrowed tightly, then her eyes held a hint of anger, and finally her pretty face flushed red...
She abruptly interrupted when she heard Madam Chen's last sentence:
"I told you long ago that cultivation is none of his business. He doesn't understand anything and only makes things worse! And you guys, why didn't you stop him? Just go and buy the medicine for treating the illness, why buy all this random stuff? If it delays treatment, aren't you just asking for trouble? Can't you guys be a little more considerate?"
She became increasingly agitated as she spoke, her tone becoming exceptionally stern.
Madam Chen instinctively leaned back and shrank her head, "But...but..."
"There are no 'buts'."
Chen Jiaxin snatched the pill box and opened it with a click.
In the next instant, she clenched her small fist, gripping the pill tightly, as if about to throw it away but then stopped herself.
The young woman's chest heaved violently as she said angrily:
"What precious pill? It's just a Qi-replenishing pill. It only helps Qi cultivators sustain themselves in battle. It has no effect on improving physical constitution or advancing cultivation. Truly precious pills that benefit the latter two are rare on the mountain. Even if you sell your entire fortune, or even the whole town, you still can't afford it... I don't need that little bit. Before you make such an important decision, can you use your brains? The most urgent thing is to treat Grandpa's illness!"
Ouyang Rong realized that Chen Jiaxin was indeed angry, and her words came out like beans pouring from a bamboo tube, her tone full of disappointment and frustration.
Madam Chen remained silent, her face meek and submissive.
The atmosphere in the warehouse suddenly became somewhat frozen and deathly silent.
After eavesdropping for a while, Ouyang Rong roughly understood the reason.
His expression calmed down.
He wasn't particularly interested in the Chen family's wish for their daughter to succeed.
He was far less concerned about the "miracle doctor in prison" that Chen Jiaxin had just mentioned.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Rong couldn't help but think of a certain little biscuit, no, a certain old Taoist in a crane-cloak.
Could it be this old bastard?
Ouyang Rong frowned.
If it really is him, then this old Taoist priest surnamed Sun might know something about the embroiderer who was hidden away by the Queen's Palace.
Since the embroiderer returned to Jianze unconscious, it's highly likely that Lady Zhishuang and the other senior sisters will take her to see the divine physician...
Lost in thought, on the other side, Chen Jiaxin had already put away the pills. She suddenly spoke, her tone cold:
"Say what you want to say."
They must have noticed that Madam Chen's expression was unusual.
"Miss, actually..."
"Actually, what is it? Speak quickly."
The woman spoke weakly: "Actually, the old man guessed that you would be angry, so he asked me to pass on a message to you."
Chen Jiaxin had calmed down and looked directly at her, saying, "Speak."
"The old man said that this Taoist priest is indeed from Yuqing Pavilion on Zao Mountain, but the so-called efficacy of the precious pill is probably just the priest's boasting. Its uses aren't that miraculous. In fact, this Taoist priest probably doesn't have a high status on Zao Mountain and isn't considered an important figure. Because if it were truly powerful, such a precious pill wouldn't be available to a small family like ours. But..."
"But even if there is only a one in a thousand chance, you must buy this pill. What if it works? Even if it has the slightest effect on your cultivation, it will be good. If it is useless, it is fine. It is better to have nothing than nothing. Trying your best and doing something is always better than leaving it to fate. This is the fundamental belief of the Chen family over the generations in accumulating their family fortune and expanding their branches. This belief must not be broken in your case."
Madam Chen, looking timid and weak, repeated the calm words of an elderly woman bedridden at the foot of the mountain:
“You are the daughter of the Chen family, the most promising one of this generation, even better than your older brothers and sisters. The Chen family must give you the best. If we fail to do so, even if you become very successful in the future, the Chen family will still be in the wrong; but if we do so, even if you unfortunately do not succeed later, the Chen family will still be right. This is the greatest principle of our family, even greater than prolonging the life of an old ancestor who is on his deathbed.”
Chen Jiaxin quieted down.
Ouyang Rong, who was in the corner, came to his senses and glanced at her slightly.
After Madam Chen finished recounting the story, she secretly observed her young mistress's expression by the light of a tinderbox.
Chen Jiaxin suddenly spoke, startling her:
"Who was it that had the audacity to tell you about my situation here? How did Ah Weng and the others find out about cultivation?"
Madam Chen gave an awkward laugh, not daring to answer.
Chen Jiaxin said with displeasure, "If those little husses dare to talk nonsense again, I'll tear their mouths apart."
Madam Chen couldn't help but speak up in her defense:
"Actually, everyone cares about you. All the members of the Nine Clans in the sect have high hopes for you, Miss. But Miss, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Although I'm not very educated and don't understand much about cultivation, I do understand one thing: cultivation is a long-term process, not something that can be done in a short time."
"That Liu Qing is only temporarily ahead of you, Miss. It's too early to judge who is stronger or weaker... With your hard work, Miss, you will surely defeat her and win the best resources from the Queen's Palace."
Upon hearing Amei's name, Ouyang Rong, who was waiting idly in the shadows, raised an eyebrow slightly.
Why is Aqing being dragged into this?
He couldn't help but glance at Chen Jiaxin, whose expression was changing.
So all this pressure you're under comes from Aqing?
She alone constitutes your "unprecedented crisis"?
However, Ouyang Rong hadn't seen A Qing for quite some time and didn't know how the girl was doing in the Queen's Palace, but judging from the expressions of Chen Jiaxin, Madam Chen, and the others, it seemed to be quite gratifying...
Chen Jiaxin was silent for a moment, then said in a crisp voice:
"You don't need to worry about these things, I can handle them. Just do your own thing in Jianze and don't cause any trouble."
She paused, then flipped her hand to put away the pills, and said calmly:
"If there's nothing else, let's call it a day."
Madam Chen seemed about to nod, but then, remembering something, she couldn't help but ask:
"Miss, I heard some things on my trip down the mountain. Have the goddesses up there turned against the Great Zhou Dynasty...?"
Chen Jiaxin abruptly interrupted, her sharp gaze fixed on the woman before her:
"Who told you this? Who else did you see?"
Madam Chen waved her hand and hurriedly explained:
"I didn't see anyone, and I didn't mean anything by it. I was just asking out of curiosity. Besides, quite a few people in the clan know about this. The old man has also stated that the nine clans of our town are already bound to Jianze. We can only follow them and can't leave..."
"However, what the old man means is that if you, Miss, can enter the Queen's Palace and rise higher, getting closer to the Primordial Queen, our status can also be raised. Even if a storm comes, we won't be the first to drown, and we'll be safer..."
Chen Jiaxin's gaze softened somewhat; she seemed a little distracted.
"Uh-huh……"
(End of this chapter)
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