Chapter 59: Unorthodox Moves
The morning sun had barely risen when Luo Qing emerged from a teahouse, having arranged a meeting with a foreman. With the upcoming New Year, it was crucial to act swiftly before the workers dispersed to their hometowns. The plan was simple—bring the team to Falling Cloud Retreat, assess the damage, and get a quote for rebuilding both the western wing and the main hall.
After finishing his morning tea, Luo Qing drove to the bustling market street. Parking his car, he made his way towards his shop. From a distance, he spotted the foreman waiting at the entrance, accompanied by a group of workers. Luo Qing approached with a steady gait, greeted them, and unlocked the doors, leading the way to the courtyard behind the shop.
“The western wing has collapsed, and the main hall is half in ruins. Take a look and tell me how much it’ll cost to restore them.”
But as he stepped into the third courtyard, his voice faltered.
The foreman, who had been expecting a renovation project, glanced around in bewilderment before turning back to Luo Qing.
“Uh… Boss Luo, are you sure you didn’t misspeak? This isn’t a renovation—it’s a full reconstruction.”
Luo Qing’s gaze swept across the scene. The outer courtyard walls remained intact, but the rest…
The western wing, which had already crumbled, was unchanged.
The eastern wing, however, was gone—reduced to a heap of shattered bricks and broken tiles.
As for the main hall… what had once stood half-destroyed was now completely obliterated. The roof and walls had vanished, leaving only a few lonely pillars stubbornly standing in defiance.
“Boss Luo, this job is no small matter. The previous estimate won’t cut it.”
“Boss Luo, these buildings are part of the historical district. Have you secured the necessary permits?”
“And another thing—if these are district-owned structures, I’ll need entry authorization before we start. Otherwise, I don’t want trouble with the authorities.”
“Oh, and Boss Luo, will the reconstruction follow the original architectural style? I hear the government enforces strict guidelines for this—”
“Boss Luo? Boss Luo!”
The foreman’s chatter halted abruptly as Luo Qing’s body stiffened before he toppled forward, crashing face-first into the ground.
The workers rushed forward in alarm, only to find Luo Qing lying there, his complexion pale, lips trembling as he muttered repeatedly:
“My money… My money… My money…”
—
Meanwhile, Chen Yan and Little Madam Gu were enjoying breakfast—hot soy milk and vegetable-stuffed buns. The filling was a blend of fresh greens and black fungus, delicately seasoned with sesame oil, each bite releasing an enticing fragrance.
Little Madam Gu, dainty in her ways, only drank a single cup of soy milk. But the buns? She devoured eight in quick succession, prompting Chen Yan to frown.
“Maybe we should pack some for later? They’d make a good lunch,” she suggested sheepishly after finishing her meal.
Chen Yan sighed.
“Fine, fine. It’s just a few buns—filial piety demands I feed my elders.”
As they walked along the street, carrying a bag of steaming buns, Chen Yan suddenly recalled something.
“By the way, last night, when you were tearing that place down… you were quite practiced at it. Done this before?”
Little Madam Gu’s gaze drifted off into the distance, as though she hadn’t heard him.
Chen Yan didn’t press further. Instead, he snapped a couple of photos of Falling Cloud Retreat’s devastated courtyard and sent them to President Fang via messaging app.
No punches had been thrown, but the destruction alone would have left Luo Qing severely wounded in spirit.
As expected, President Fang’s response came swiftly—a simple thumbs-up emoji.
Upon returning to the villa district, they noticed a moving truck parked outside a neighboring house, its sides emblazoned with the words “Auspicious Relocations”. Several uniformed movers busied themselves, ferrying furniture out through the courtyard gates.
“The neighbors are moving out?” Chen Yan mused. “The feng shui here is excellent. Why leave?”
Little Madam Gu cast a glance towards the house before speaking casually, “Didn’t you say this villa is rented? Now that they’re leaving, why not see if you can buy it?”
“No money,” Chen Yan replied bluntly.
He had barely over a million in liquid cash.
However, the underground vault in Harbor City held a fortune in gold, jewels, and jade artifacts. At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it. But after studying the Artifact Appraisal Technique from the old manual left by the Old Madam, he realized the true value of those jade pieces.
In fact, the gold was trivial compared to those priceless jade stones. He could still recall their translucency, their brilliance—each one a treasure.
Perhaps… there was even a rare artifact hidden among them? Like a finely carved thumb ring?
Speaking of which, he had once shown a jade thumb ring to Little Madam Gu for appraisal.
Her response had been simple: “I don’t get it. Not my area.”
Well, she was trained in battle arts.
Even that seafood merchant had once said—warriors were a rough and uncultured bunch.
—
Back at home, Chen Yan settled into his meditation, circulating his Vital Energy. Meanwhile, Little Madam Gu dragged a chair outside to bask in the sun.
Time slipped by unnoticed as Chen Yan practiced his breathing techniques, refining his energy flow. By the time he finished, it was already afternoon.
To her credit, Little Madam Gu had not disturbed him during his training. She had simply reheated a few buns for herself, having already mastered the use of the gas stove.
The villa’s basement had been converted into a dedicated training chamber. Seated atop a meditation cushion, Chen Yan felt the familiar surge of Vital Energy coursing through him. Yet, today, he reached his limit—his body could no longer accommodate any more energy.
His cultivation had reached a bottleneck.
The art of cultivation required a steady progression, with the daily circulation of Vital Energy through the body. Each day, a small portion would nourish the flesh, strengthening both cultivation and endurance. Over time, the body’s capacity for Vital Energy would slowly expand, growing ever so slightly with the passing days.
By Chen Yan’s own assessment, he could currently practice the Vital Energy Circulation Method a maximum of six times per day before his body reached its limit. Beyond that, any further training would be futile, as his vessel could no longer contain additional Vital Energy. However, as he continued his daily cultivation, his body’s capacity would expand at a slow yet steady pace.
From his calculations, at his current rate, in half a year he would be able to circulate his Vital Energy nine times instead of eight. By Gu Qing Yi’s estimation, this rate of improvement was already quite impressive, a mark of strong natural talent.
But Chen Yan was not one to be satisfied so easily—
[Why grind like a fool when I have a cheat?]
Sliding the Emerald Thumb Ring onto his left thumb, Chen Yan resumed his cultivation.
The ninth cycle!
Upon drawing in Vital Energy, his body reached its limit. A vague resistance surfaced—an inability to absorb further nourishment. Yet Chen Yan had a simple solution: instead of storing the energy within, he allowed it to flow through his body according to the circulation pathways dictated by the method, before directing it into the Emerald Thumb Ring.
By doing so, each cycle of circulation still washed over his body, refining his flesh—but without the burden of retention. The effect was remarkable. The energy coursed through his meridians in a gentle, refined manner, tempering his body without the crude, forceful method of using a Spirit-Gathering Formation as Gu Qing Yi had once described. That method, though effective, was akin to being battered by a raging tide, resulting in a physique of exaggerated, brutish proportions.
As twilight settled, Gu Qing Yi descended from the upper floor to inspect his progress. As a Celestial, her keen perception instantly saw through Chen Yan’s approach. She lingered for but a moment before shaking her head and retreating upstairs without a word.
Later that evening, Little Madam Gu reheated a few steamed buns for supper before stepping into the courtyard to gaze upon the moon and stars.
Meanwhile, Chen Yan remained immersed in his cultivation, only emerging from his deep meditation the next morning. When he opened his eyes, he felt an unprecedented lightness, as though his body had been completely cleansed. His senses were sharp, his movements effortless—as if he had slept soundly for an entire day and bathed in steaming waters, scrubbing away all impurities. There was even a momentary illusion that a simple movement of his arms might lift him into flight.
The most significant transformation, however, was visible when he activated his Qi-Observing Technique.
The Vital Energy of the world, usually appearing as a dull mist in his vision, now shimmered faintly. His own energy, circulating within him, pulsed with a faint silver luminescence—a clear sign that his foundation in the Origin Stage had solidified. As Gu Qing Yi had explained in detail before, stepping into the Origin Stage enhanced one’s perception of Vital Energy and allowed for a greater awareness of fortune and fate.
Of course, an increase in cultivation meant access to more powerful techniques—
But before any of that—
His stomach roared in protest.
Checking his phone, he found a notification from the bank: 888,800 silver had been deposited into his account.
The note read: Phase Two Renovation Payment.
[Excellent.] Chen Yan nodded in satisfaction. President Fang was indeed a straightforward man.
With his spirits soaring, Chen Yan reflected on the efficacy of using the Emerald Thumb Ring as an aid in cultivation. When relying solely on the Spirit-Gathering Formation, he had managed to increase his efficiency by over threefold. But by employing the Emerald Thumb Ring, he had pushed his limits far beyond the normal constraints. Where before he could only complete eight cycles per day, last night he had performed at least thirty.
That was more than four times his usual efficiency.
Combining both methods, his training speed had surged to nearly seven or eight times that of a normal cultivator!
Gu Qing Yi had once estimated that breaking through to the Platform Ascension Stage would take him twenty years. But with his newfound speed—
He calculated that he might achieve it within three or four years instead.
[Indeed, in the path of cultivation, the true way is to rely on a cheat!] he mused, recalling the many tales he had read where protagonists always possessed some kind of miraculous advantage.
He ascended to the living room, gazing through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the courtyard. There, Gu Qing Yi still lay on a reclining chair, seemingly unbothered by the passing of time.
[Did she really spend the entire night watching the moon?]
Shrugging, Chen Yan dismissed the thought—after all, she was a Celestial. The cold would not harm her.
He turned toward the kitchen, his filial instincts kicking in.
Lighting the stove, he fried four eggs, poured a glass of milk, and prepared two slices of toast. Once assembled into a sandwich, he had barely set the plate down when—
A gust of wind swept past him.
The food vanished.
Before he could react, the milk was gone as well.
He turned his gaze—
There sat Gu Qing Yi, at the dining table, nonchalantly chewing, eyes twinkling with satisfaction.
[Wait a minute… Haven’t I seen this scene before?]
—
You’re incredible!
Glancing at the twenty-one-year-old Honored Stepmother, who was now indulging in breakfast with an oil-streaked mouth, Chen Yan rose from his seat and made for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“Chasing after beauties. Is that a problem?” he replied righteously.
Gu Qing Yi’s imposing presence wavered. She hesitated for a moment before muttering, “Ah… go ahead. Treat your girlfriend well. I’ll just order takeout for lunch.”
Without another word, Chen Yan departed, strolling toward the community gates. He hailed a carriage from the Spirit-Rider Guild and journeyed toward the heart of the city.
This time, he chose a restaurant he had never dared to enter before—
A renowned establishment, famed for its Su-Yang Delicacies and, of course, notorious for its exorbitant prices.
Having just earned a grand sum of eight hundred and eighty thousand, Chen the Great Philanthropist strode into the restaurant with the confidence of a man who had just conquered a battlefield. He ordered four dishes and a soup with the bold generosity of one who knew the taste of wealth.
The first bite—
Excellent! Every morsel was imbued with the flavor of silver taels and golden ingots.
Chen the Great Philanthropist relished this taste. As he ate, he contemplated his schedule. By afternoon, he would need to visit the Woodcarving Shop to retrieve the custom-made ancestral tablet of his father.
Hmm, the weather was quite pleasant today. Should he invite Lu Si Si for a stroll through the streets, perhaps take in a movie? The dim lighting of the cinema would be the perfect setting for some discreet hand-holding.
No! Unwise!
Who would carry their father’s ancestral tablet while on a date with a lady? That would be an act of filial piety tainted with impropriety!
Perhaps he should leave the tablet at the Woodcarving Shop for another day. Surely, his father’s spirit in the afterlife would understand—after all, finding a woman and ensuring the continuation of the Chen family line was, in itself, an act of great filial devotion!
As Chen the Great Philanthropist pondered this righteous reasoning, he heard the crisp clatter of high heels striking the wooden floor. A fragrant breeze brushed past his senses. Lifting his gaze, he saw a figure draped in a form-fitting qipao, standing before him with graceful poise.
Ah, this type of full-bodied beauty, where the fabric seemed stretched to its very limits, was precisely the kind he favored.
To Chen Yan, the definition of an exceptional feminine form was one that seemed to teeter on the verge of bursting from its attire—such a physique was, indeed, the pinnacle of allure.
His eyes trailed upward. A stunningly bewitching face, striking yet carrying a faint touch of icy indifference. Sharp features, large expressive eyes, a delicate chin—there was an innate seductiveness in her bearing. The glasses perched upon her nose did not diminish this charm but instead added a scholarly wickedness to her already enthralling presence.
…Wait… Elder Zi?
No, spit!
“…Chu Ke Qing?” Chen Yan narrowed his eyes.
The elegant yet imposing beauty exhaled softly, her lips curving into a slight, detached smile. “Master Chen, I apologize for the intrusion.”
“If you know it’s an intrusion, then you shouldn’t be intruding.” Chen Yan’s response was languid, edged with faint amusement.
“Master Chen certainly has a sense of humor.” Chu Ke Qing paused briefly, then, with the composure of one accustomed to command, she gracefully lowered herself into the seat opposite him.
Chen Yan: “…”
He was not surprised that she had found him.
Rather—
As she settled into her seat, the fullness of her chest nearly came to rest upon the table’s surface.
Chen Yan took a deep breath and, with great sincerity, said, “Thank you.”
Chu Ke Qing blinked. “Hmm?”
“Nothing.” He waved a hand dismissively, straightening his posture before leaning back slightly. “I must admit, I’m rather impressed that you managed to track me down.”
Chu Ke Qing shook her head. “President Fang is a man of integrity. He didn’t betray you. He and I share some history, and I wouldn’t use force against him. However, his driver was rather easy to handle. A single True Speech Talisman and he divulged everything.
“President Fang delivered a grand gift to you, visited you in person, and coupled with the fact that Luo Qing performed a ritual at your haunted residence—connecting these dots was not difficult.”
Chen Yan nodded. No wonder. This woman was not just a brute with formidable cultivation—her intellect was keen as well.
But at this moment, Chen the Great Philanthropist feared nothing.
A few days ago, had someone of such evident power sought him out, he might have been somewhat anxious.
But now? His cultivation had surged, his arsenal of techniques had expanded—
If she wished to test her mettle, she was welcome to try!
And if all else failed—
He would simply go home and inform his mother!
Chu Ke Qing shifted slightly, adjusting her posture so that her chest no longer pressed against the table.
Chen Yan sighed inwardly with regret.
The woman’s expression turned solemn as she formed a strange hand seal, then seamlessly transitioned into a Tai Chi Fish Mudra. Her voice carried a weighty reverence. “I am Chu Ke Qing, Sect Master of the Cloud Sect. I greet Master Chen. I would ask that Master Chen reveal his own title.”
Chen Yan studied her for a moment before glancing at the table. “There are chopsticks here. If you haven’t eaten, why not have a bite first?”
Chu Ke Qing’s breath hitched, and the motion of her chest did not go unnoticed. A trace of exasperation laced her voice. “Is the name of Cloud Sect not enough for Master Chen to offer his own title?”
Chen Yan frowned slightly, setting his chopsticks down. He regarded her with an even gaze. “Cloud Sect?”
“Indeed.”
Chen Yan shook his head. “What era are we living in, that people still go around declaring sects and orders? Do you have a business license? An organization registration number? Are you a legally recognized enterprise or a civil association under the Ministry of Civil Affairs? Do you have a legal representative? Have you completed your annual tax filings?”
Behind her glasses, Chu Ke Qing’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
This man…
Why did he not follow the script?
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation