Chapter 38 - 37: Spirit Beast Pavilion

Chapter 38: Chapter 37: Spirit Beast Pavilion

"It’s rather strange. My father sent a letter saying that the long-disappeared Lann Tianxiang actually went to the Qiyun Mountain region and killed over a dozen Bai Family descendants, including three in Late-Stage Qi Refining," Zhou Miaoyun said, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes at the mention of her father. Shixia Town had become the boundary between the Yun and Bai Families, so the Qi Refining Families there were all facing the danger of annihilation.

"The remnant of the Lann Family? Wasn’t he heavily injured?" Gao Peiyao looked at Zhou Miaoyun in confusion. Both she and Chen Jianghe remembered Lann Tianxiang vividly. They had both felt the overwhelming aura of a Ninth-Layer Qi Refining Great Cultivator at Port No.2. In an instant, he had destroyed the port and claimed the lives of dozens of Cultivators. He was exceptionally ruthless.

"Even if Lann Tianxiang has recovered from his injuries, why would he head to the Bai Family to commit murder?" Chen Jianghe spoke vaguely, but his meaning was clear. The Lann Family harbored a deep grudge against the Yun Family. Why would Lann Tianxiang help the Yun Family deal with the Bai Family? It felt a bit like defying the natural order.

"My father didn’t specify the reason in his letter, but because Lann Tianxiang attacked the Bai Family, they have also halted their invasion of Shixia Town." Zhou Miaoyun paused to think, then lowered her voice. "Is it possible that the Yun Family disguised someone as Lann Tianxiang to ambush the Bai Family?"

"That’s a possibility," Chen Jianghe and Gao Peiyao both nodded. Lann Tianxiang’s reputation as a murderous demon had already spread throughout the Celestial South Domain, cementing his identity as a Demon Cultivator. It wasn’t impossible for the Yun Family to launch a sneak attack on the Bai Family under his guise.

With that, the three of them tacitly ended the topic. The food and wine were served. They chatted about a few other matters before concluding this year-end gathering. Chen Jianghe purchased some daily necessities at the market and rowed his boat back to the Inner Waters. Now a Senior Fisherman and Farmer, he had no need to attend the Fisherman and Farmer Assembly.

The day before New Year’s Eve, Chen Jianghe received a letter from Yu Daniu.

"A baby boy. It seems Daniu has good luck," he murmured. The letter stated that Yu Daniu’s wife had given birth to a chubby baby boy. As for whether the child possessed a Spirit Root, they would have to wait six years to find out. Spirit Roots only manifested and became detectable at the age of six. However, having a boy as his first child was a stroke of fortune for Yu Daniu. The Yun Family took in live-in sons-in-law precisely because they had suffered severe losses among their male members and desperately needed new bloodlines to replenish their ranks.

Moreover, Yu Daniu had received a reward from the Yun Family. Among the seven families that took in sons-in-law, he was the first to have an heir. For this, the Yun Family rewarded him with five Spirit Stones and three Qi Blood Pills. At the end of the letter, Yu Daniu mentioned where he lived and invited Chen Jianghe over as a guest. Intentionally or otherwise, he also mentioned that he had written a letter to Gao Peiyao, though he didn’t bring up Zhou Miaoyun.

The next day.

It was barely dawn, and the red sun had yet to crest the eastern horizon. Thick fog obscured the view, making it impossible to see beyond thirty feet. Chen Jianghe rowed his boat, breaking through the dense fog as he headed toward Huxing Island. On the misty lake channels, countless silhouettes of boats stretched out as far as the eye could see. There were vessels belonging to Senior Fishermen and Farmers, as well as those of Honored Guest Elders. He had never been to Huxing Island, but he only needed to follow the boats ahead of him. No one was willing to miss the once-a-year opportunity to set foot on the island.

Half an hour later.

The morning fog had not yet dispersed. The cerulean ripples gently kissed the moss-mottled granite dikes, and the Copper Bell at the bow of the Upturned Boat, covered in dew, chimed DING DING with the tide. Chen Jianghe stepped off his boat and onto the port of Huxing Island. The first thing that caught his eye was the silhouette of a distant clock tower, its edges traced in gold by the rising sun. Suddenly, several beams of light landed on the adjacent wooden bridge, revealing figures. They immediately formed hand seals to retract their Spiritual Qi. It was a few Honored Guest Elders who had flown over using Qi Manipulation.

Watching the surging crowd head toward the clock tower, Chen Jianghe didn’t linger and followed along. On Huxing Island, Senior Fishermen and Farmers, as well as Honored Guest Elders, were not allowed to wander freely. Their range of activity was restricted to the port, the Workshop Association, and the coastal residential areas. Furthermore, he found that the Spiritual Qi on Huxing Island wasn’t as rich as he had imagined; it was only slightly stronger than in the Inner Waters. This struck him as odd. Rumor had it that there was a Tier Two Lower-Grade Spiritual Vein beneath Huxing Island. Logically, the Spiritual Qi shouldn’t be practically indistinguishable from the Inner Waters. However, he was a newcomer. Without any acquaintances in the Inner Waters, he had no one to ask.

As they grew closer to the clock tower, they passed by a large residential area composed of three-room courtyards, each covering about a fifth of an acre. Yu Daniu lived here. While walking past, he saw several Senior Fishermen and Farmers, along with an Honored Guest Elder, turn the corner and head toward the coastal residential area. They were likely visiting friends.

Chen Jianghe didn’t go directly to look for Yu Daniu; instead, he continued following the crowd toward the clock tower. It was his first time on Huxing Island, so he figured he should familiarize himself with the area first. Besides, with Yu Daniu settling down on the island and recently having a child, how could Chen Jianghe visit empty-handed on his very first time over? He still had one Spirit Stone and five grains of Spiritual Sand on him. That should be enough to buy a small meeting gift for the child.

A moment later, Chen Jianghe arrived at the clock tower district.

The hundred-meter-long street was paved with bluestone. There were over a dozen shops on both sides selling Magical Artifacts, Elixirs, Spirit Talismans, materials, Puppets, and Medicinal Cuisine. Each shop also bought back those same Cultivation Resources. The signboards of all these shops bore a common prefix: ’Yun Family.’ This meant these shops were all exclusive enterprises of the Yun Family. It was like a small-scale Marketplace. It basically had all the Cultivation Resources needed for the Qi Refining Stage.

"Oh? A Spirit Beast Pavilion. To think there’s a place selling Spirit Beasts," Chen Jianghe murmured. Out of curiosity, he walked inside. The shop was over two hundred square meters large. Separated by crystal walls filled with water, a quick glance revealed over a dozen Water Element Spirit Beasts. There were even Black Crystal Profound Turtles and Little Cyan Fish!

"Fellow Daoist, take a look and see what you need," a plump middle-aged man walked over. He didn’t emit the slightest fluctuation of Spiritual Qi, but he appeared to be the Shopkeeper of this store. Barring any surprises, he was likely a member of the Yun Family who didn’t possess a Spirit Root.

"How much for this Black Crystal Profound Turtle?" Chen Jianghe asked curiously.

"Fellow Daoist must be looking to buy a Spirit Beast to help breed Little Cyan Fish," the plump middle-aged man said with a chuckle. "You have a good eye, Fellow Daoist. Black Crystal Profound Turtles have extremely high Spiritual Wisdom. Once they become Spirit Beasts, their intellect is comparable to that of a human adult. They are the top choice for many Senior Fishermen and Farmers.

"Since you’re a Senior Fisherman and Farmer, you’re one of our Yun Family’s own. Black Crystal Profound Turtles do have one flaw: the purity of their bloodline isn’t high. You could even say they are unranked. They are forcefully nurtured into Spirit Beasts and cannot awaken Divine Techniques, so it’s impossible for them to break through and become Tier Two Spirit Beasts."

The plump middle-aged man looked Chen Jianghe up and down before finally quoting a price, "Therefore, it’s worth twelve Spirit Stones. It comes with a free Unity Lock, allowing for simple communication."

"Twelve Spirit Stones!" Chen Jianghe blanked for a moment, wondering if Little Black was really worth that much.

"What about the Black Crystal Profound Turtle’s inherited Cultivation Technique?" Chen Jianghe wanted to know if his Little Black’s inherited Cultivation Technique was the same as other Black Crystal Profound Turtles.

"Inherited Cultivation Technique?" The plump Shopkeeper was visibly taken aback, staring at Chen Jianghe with an incredulous gaze. "What inherited Cultivation Technique? Spirit Beasts only need to consume resources to improve their Cultivation. What Cultivation Technique would they have?"