Chapter 5 - 4: A Small Gathering of Three

Chapter 5: Chapter 4: A Small Gathering of Three

Chen Jianghe usually landed at Port No. 2, but the year-end assembly for Fishermen and Farmers was held at Port No. 1.

The lake route to Port No. 1 was packed with a seemingly endless fleet of boats, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Chen Jianghe rowed along the route for four hours, arriving at Port No. 1 just as dusk was approaching.

At the port, masts and sails gathered like clouds, lined up row upon row.

The market was even more bustling with heavy traffic and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. Hawkers had set up their stalls all the way to the port; clearly, they all knew that the Fishermen and Farmers had received their pay.

Chen Jianghe walked toward the market, stopped in front of a tavern named Yuelai Inn, and went inside.

This was the agreed-upon location for the three of them to meet.

Arriving at the pre-booked private room on the second floor, he found that Old Gao had already arrived. The old man was sitting by the window, sipping tea and watching the crowds passing by outside.

"Old Gao."

"Brother Chen is here."

Old Gao turned around, revealing an aged face. Deep wrinkles crisscrossed his skin like a dried riverbed, and his increasingly cloudy eyes were filled with the vicissitudes of life.

After not seeing him for a year, Old Gao had aged significantly once more.

Even Old Gao himself couldn’t remember his true age. He only knew that he had worked as a Fisherman and Farmer for the Yun Family his entire life, spanning at least seventy or eighty years.

By a rough estimate, he had to be over ninety.

"I can pour it myself."

Seeing Old Gao about to pour tea for him, Chen Jianghe quickly stepped forward, grabbed the teapot, refilled Old Gao’s cup, and then poured one for himself.

"I’m old and useless now," Old Gao said, his eyes lowered. Looking at the scenery outside the window, he couldn’t help but space out.

Chen Jianghe said nothing and also watched the passing crowds outside.

There were Fishermen and Farmers like him, foreign Loose Cultivators, ordinary mortals, and hawkers shouting vigorously to sell their wares.

Old Gao’s depressed demeanor, caused by his approaching lifespan limit, was a common sight among Cultivators.

Mortals wanted to live.

Cultivators feared death even more.

But Cultivators did not need consolation.

Qi Refining Stage Cultivators had a maximum lifespan of one hundred and twenty years. Even if Old Gao was overestimated to be a hundred years old this year, he still had twenty years left to live.

In reality, however, lifespan wasn’t calculated that simply.

For instance, a mortal’s maximum lifespan was eighty years, but how many mortals actually lived to be eighty?

Most died in their sixties or seventies, possibly due to overwork or long-term, excessive drain on their Heart and Mind.

It was the same for Cultivators. Trauma left from fierce fights in their youth or injuries sustained for other reasons could all potentially reduce their maximum lifespan.

Therefore, Chen Jianghe firmly remembered one rule: never make enemies, avoid conflicts and fights, and never engage in any risky activities.

Judging from Old Gao’s appearance, his lifespan limit would likely be reached within the next few years.

"Old Gao, Brother Jianghe, you’re here so early."

Before they had even finished a cup of tea, the muscular, dark-skinned Yu Daniu walked in with a gruff, booming voice.

True to his name, "Daniu"—or Big Bull—he had grown to a towering height of over 1.9 meters at just sixteen years old.

Now that everyone had arrived, Chen Jianghe asked the tavern waiter to serve the dishes. This was their second time gathering at Yuelai Inn.

According to their agreement, each person would take turns paying for the drinks each year. Old Gao had paid the first year; going by age, this year it was Chen Jianghe’s turn.

The annual budget for drinks was also pre-determined: one grain of Spiritual Sand, which was equivalent to one hundred taels of silver.

Spending one hundred taels of silver on a meal might seem luxurious, but in the port market, it was actually quite frugal.

They only ordered four dishes that contained no Spiritual Qi and a pot of the most ordinary Immortal Spirit Wine.

None of them dared to order Jingyue Lake’s signature dish, the braised Large Cyan Fish.

Old Gao had splurged once in his youth, ordering a nearly three-pound braised Large Cyan Fish. It had cost two grains of Spiritual Sand, an exorbitant price.

After several rounds of food and drink, the three exchanged stories of what they had encountered over the past year, as well as some insights on Cultivation.

As for insights on Cultivation, it was mostly Old Gao guiding Chen Jianghe and Yu Daniu. After all, he possessed a Cultivation of Fourth-Layer Qi Refining and was a Mid-Stage Qi Refining Cultivator.

As for the events of the year, Chen Jianghe was a homebody. All year round, his life consisted of traveling back and forth between his boat and the port, devoid of any bizarre experiences.

Due to his age, Old Gao had aged drastically this year. Filled with melancholy, he had spent most of his time cooped up on his fishing boat.

During the Fish Sleep Stage, just like Chen Jianghe, he hadn’t chosen to take up any odd jobs.

Yu Daniu, on the other hand, had a very eventful year. Perhaps wanting to subsidize his family’s expenses, he had been motivated to take on short-term jobs.

Just as he had written in his letter to Chen Jianghe, he had gone to the Lann Family to work as a short-term Spirit Farmer, but returned home midway to visit his relatives, narrowly escaping the Lann Family’s murderous plot against the Fishermen and Farmers.

"With over two hundred Fishermen and Farmers resisting together, the Lann Family wouldn’t necessarily have the upper hand, right?" Chen Jianghe asked, curious about the details.

"It happened so suddenly, and since most of the Fishermen and Farmers were only in the Early-Stage Qi Refining, they were too terrified and only thought about fleeing. Who would have thought to unite and fight back?"

Although Old Gao didn’t know much about the incident, he could easily picture the scene based on the information from Yu Daniu.

He added, "The Lann Family is one of the prominent Qi Refining Families around Jingyue Lake. They definitely have more than one Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivator. With premeditated planning, slaughtering over a hundred Fishermen and Farmers would be a breeze for them."

Hearing Old Gao’s analysis, Yu Daniu cast a surprised look and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

"Yes, exactly! That’s exactly how it was. The Lann Family has three Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators, and one of them is even a Ninth-Layer Qi Refining Great Cultivator. That’s how they managed to kill and injure more than half of the Fishermen and Farmers on their territory.

"After I returned, I also heard that the Lann Family profited at least eight hundred Spirit Stones from this massacre of the Fishermen and Farmers."

As Yu Daniu spoke, he found himself shocked once again by the massive figure.

A fleeting gleam flashed in Old Gao’s eyes, revealing his envy. If he had eight hundred Spirit Stones, he would definitely be able to live to his maximum lifespan limit, and perhaps even break through to the Sixth-Layer Qi Refining before he died.

Chen Jianghe was also astonished by the sum of eight hundred Spirit Stones, but he quickly calmed his restless heart.

Eight hundred Spirit Stones was a fortune, but one needed to be alive to enjoy it.

How could the Yun Family just sit back and watch the Lann Family run away with eight hundred Spirit Stones?

He just needed to continue his Cultivation step by step. Once he became a Senior Fisherman and Farmer, he would earn a higher salary.

At that point, he could figure out a way to learn a trade. Relying on his lifespan—which was three times that of Cultivators in the same Realm—he could definitely secure an additional source of income.

Of course, Chen Jianghe also understood that the moment he mastered a trade would be the time he left the Yun Family.

Staying with the Yun Family for thirty to fifty years wouldn’t be a problem.

But if he stayed any longer, his unchanging appearance would certainly arouse suspicion. After all, the price of a Youthful Pill was not something a lowly Fisherman and Farmer could afford.

After Yu Daniu finished recounting the Lann Family incident, their year-end gathering came to a close.

However, as they were parting ways, Old Gao left them with one piece of advice.

"You two have both reached the age to lose your virginity. If you’re looking for some fun, you can visit Yanyu Pavilion."

Chen Jianghe had no interest in this. After leaving Yuelai Inn, he headed straight back to his fishing boat to rest and wait for the Fishermen and Farmers’ year-end assembly.

As for whether Yu Daniu went to Yanyu Pavilion like Old Gao suggested, he had no idea.