Chapter 13 - 12: 2 Years of Time

Chapter 13: Chapter 12: 2 Years of Time

One Spirit Stone was a considerable sum, but it wasn’t a fortune. Old Gao wanted to use this Spirit Stone to have Chen Jianghe look after Gao Peiyao in the future, or perhaps he genuinely wanted to provide some assistance for Chen Jianghe’s early-stage cultivation. Regardless of the reason, he absolutely could not accept this Spirit Stone.

Gao Peiyao possessed a Four-Element Pseudo Spirit Root and had been guided onto the Immortal Path by Old Gao. It wouldn’t take long for her cultivation to potentially surpass both Chen Jianghe’s and Yu Daniu’s. The waters of Jingyue Lake weren’t particularly dangerous. Furthermore, Chen Jianghe believed that Old Gao would instruct Gao Peiyao on what to look out for as a Yun Family Fisherman and Farmer. The so-called "looking after" simply meant Old Gao wanted Gao Peiyao to join the pact between the three of them, so they could support each other in the future.

He thought, "Old Gao treats me well. How could I take advantage of his precarious situation? I’ll just find an opportunity to return this Spirit Stone to Gao Peiyao later."

Gao Peiyao had higher talent, so having her join the pact was a good thing. There was no need to mix in petty profits.

Chen Jianghe stayed at Port No.1 for another ten days to participate in the Fishermen and Farmers Assembly. As always, it was filled with lengthy speeches and empty promises. The only thing worth noting was that Yun Bufan would no longer serve as the Steward of the Outer Waters. Rumor had it that he was returning to Huxing Island to cultivate in seclusion, preparing to break through to Late-Stage Qi Refining.

Yun Bufan was three years older than Chen Jianghe, meaning he would break through to Late-Stage Qi Refining at twenty-three. He truly lived up to the title of Master Qilin, a heaven-sent genius, a moniker bestowed upon him even by the Foundation Establishment Elder Ancestors of the Yun Family. Chen Jianghe felt envious but not jealous; after all, he also possessed an astonishing trump card.

However, surprisingly, Yu Daniu had also reached Second-Layer Qi Refining.

Yu Daniu and Chen Jianghe became Yun Family Fishermen and Farmers in the same year, and both had been granted a Spirit-Encompassing Pill by the Yun Family. Logically speaking, Yu Daniu should have needed another year to break through to Second-Layer Qi Refining. As for buying Qi Nourishing Pills...

Yu Daniu’s talent in breeding Large Cyan Fish was mediocre. His annual salary was only around fifty grains of Spiritual Sand. Deducting his yearly expenses of ten grains of Spiritual Sand, he would only pocket about forty grains by the end of the year. The first year was unpaid labor. The salaries from the following five years combined were barely enough to buy a single Qi Nourishing Pill. But one couldn’t forget that Yu Daniu still had a dead debt of fifty grains of Spiritual Sand owed to Wang Kui.

He deduced, "Old Gao must have also sought out Daniu and given him a Spirit Stone. Daniu used that Spirit Stone along with his savings to buy a Qi Nourishing Pill, allowing his cultivation to break through to Second-Layer Qi Refining."

It seemed Old Gao had truly reached the end of his lifespan and was already making arrangements for his passing.

Whether Yu Daniu used the Spirit Stone given by Old Gao or not, Chen Jianghe wouldn’t interfere, but he absolutely would not use his own. With his long lifespan, as long as he cultivated steadily, he would have plenty of Spirit Stones in the future. If he spent this Spirit Stone, what would he do when Gao Peiyao actually encountered trouble in the future? Help her or not?

If it was something he could do conveniently, a trivial matter with no lingering karma, he would lend a hand based on the friendship he had built with Gao Peiyao. But what if it was a troublesome matter entangled with karma? Owning a favor for the sake of one Spirit Stone simply wasn’t worth it.

After the Fishermen and Farmers Assembly concluded, Chen Jianghe returned to his breeding waters, resuming his monotonous life shuttling back and forth between the waters and the port. Cultivation meant seeking truth, refining one’s true self. The first thing one had to overcome on the Immortal Path was the boredom and loneliness. He had it relatively well. When he was truly bored, he could dive into the lake to interact with Little Black, nurturing their bond as master and pet. His days were quite fulfilling.

Until half a year later.

A White Egret brought a letter written by Gao Peiyao. It turned out Old Gao’s time had finally come, and he had passed away. Gao Peiyao had also written to Yu Daniu.

As friends who had known each other for years, Chen Jianghe and Yu Daniu arranged to meet Gao Peiyao at Port No.2. They gave Old Gao a water burial, sending him off on his final journey. Afterward, Chen Jianghe offered Gao Peiyao a few words of comfort, telling her to send a letter if she ever needed anything.

Since Gao Peiyao had been brought by Old Gao and publicly introduced as his granddaughter, and because she had successfully achieved Energy Introduction, opened her Dantian Qi Sea, and become a First-Layer Qi Refining Cultivator, she inherited breeding water area 511 after Old Gao’s death, becoming a Basic-Level Fisherman and Farmer for the Yun Family.

More than two months later, as the Fish Sleep Stage approached, Gao Peiyao sent Chen Jianghe another letter. The letter stated that Old Gao had left behind five Spirit Stones after his death. She wanted to give Chen Jianghe and Yu Daniu one Spirit Stone each as a token of gratitude for helping with Old Gao’s funeral arrangements.

Chen Jianghe wrote back to refuse. When Basic-Level Fishermen and Farmers like them died, they didn’t require grand funerals. It merely cost a few dozen taels of silver to buy a fine silk mat to wrap the body, which was then tied to heavy stones and sunk into the lake. What was there to be thankful for?

Furthermore, if Gao Peiyao truly wanted to distribute the Spirit Stones, why hadn’t she brought it up face-to-face during Old Gao’s water burial? Instead, she waited two months to mention it. This was clearly a test to gauge Chen Jianghe and Yu Daniu’s attitudes toward her following Old Gao’s death.

Chen Jianghe wasn’t angry about this. On the contrary, he appreciated Gao Peiyao’s approach; he would have done the same in her shoes. If they replied with the intention of taking the Spirit Stones, it would show they had ill intentions and coveted the wealth their friend left for his surviving ward. Such people were unworthy of deep friendship, and there would be no need for further association.

He just didn’t know if this was Gao Peiyao’s own idea or a strategy Old Gao gave her before he died. If Gao Peiyao had thought of it herself, then with such shrewdness coupled with her talent, she might be able to walk out of Jingyue Lake in the future.

In his reply, Chen Jianghe also instructed Gao Peiyao not to go out to do odd jobs during the Fish Sleep Stage, nor to believe any claims in the market about making quick Spirit Stones.

Old Gao had once mentioned that some female Fishermen and Farmers in the Outer Waters couldn’t resist the temptation of Spirit Stones and took on part-time work at the Yanyu Pavilion in the market. This not only ruined their foundation but also ruined their bodies. Although they earned seven or eight, or even over a dozen Spirit Stones in a short time, ultimately, due to the leakage of their Primordial Yin and the various lingering illnesses brought about by their part-time work, they were never able to break through to Late-Stage Qi Refining in their entire lives.

These were Old Gao’s words, and now they were being used by Chen Jianghe to warn Gao Peiyao. It was also possible that Old Gao had already told Gao Peiyao about this.

Time flew by, and several months passed.

A small gathering took place at the Yuelai Inn. There were still three people, but Old Gao had been replaced by Gao Peiyao. They exchanged insights on problems encountered during cultivation and discussed what they had seen and heard over the past year. From the conversation between Gao Peiyao and Yu Daniu, Chen Jianghe deduced that Yu Daniu hadn’t accepted Gao Peiyao’s offer to share the Spirit Stones either.

Looking at it now, Yu Daniu had used the Spirit Stone given by Old Gao, likely viewing it as genuine help from the old man. He had no other ulterior motives. After years of getting along, Chen Jianghe had gained a clear understanding of Yu Daniu’s character. He was honest, simple-minded, and his usual carefree demeanor was merely a cover for the inferiority complex that belonged to bottom-tier Cultivators.

***

Another year passed.

Inside the cabin, Chen Jianghe circulated his Cultivation Technique. He absorbed the thin Spiritual Qi from his surroundings, guiding it into his body and completing Circulations. His Spirit Root converted it into Magical Power, which ultimately converged in his Dantian. After running the Returning Origin True Water Technique for three Grand Circulations, he guided the Qi back to his Dantian and slowly concluded his practice.

He thought, "I still need Qi Nourishing Pills. Relying solely on the thin Spiritual Qi in the Outer Waters, it will take at least another five years to cultivate to Third-Layer Qi Refining."

It was true that Jingyue Lake had a Tier Two Lower-Grade Spiritual Vein, but it was located in the Yun Family’s clan grounds on Huxing Island. Moreover, the Yun Family possessed an Island Protection Array, resulting in very little outward leakage of Spiritual Qi. Even in the Inner Waters, the density barely matched that of a Tier One Middle-Grade Spirit Vein. The Outer Waters were only slightly better than an area without a Spiritual Vein. The Spiritual Qi density didn’t even reach the level of a Tier One Lower-Grade Spirit Vein.

He stood up and walked to the bow of the boat. The night faded away as the east gradually brightened, casting a red hue over countless white clouds. On the misty lake surface, large ships could faintly be seen sailing along the water channels.

It was time to harvest the fish again.