Chapter 70: Great Wealth, Great Peril
Beneath the villa, in the secluded training chamber—
Chen Yan sat cross-legged in quiet meditation. He cycled through the Vital Energy Circulation Method several times before refining his proficiency with the Sword Finger Technique. By now, his control over vital energy had reached an impressive level. A mere flicker of thought, and energy surged to his fingertips, gathering into a razor-thin line, then bursting forth with sharp intent.
After several days of relentless practice, Chen Yan had tested the technique’s might. With his current cultivation, when he unleashed his full strength, his Sword Finger Technique could pierce straight through a slab of greenstone. Such power was already comparable to a bullet.
Yet, despite its potency, this attack came with severe limitations. At most, he could only execute it three times before reaching his limit—not because his vital energy was insufficient, but because his fingers could not withstand the strain. After the third strike, his fingers would swell, a sharp pain spreading through them like needles burrowing into bone.
Pondering his predicament, Chen Yan chose to lower his pride and sought out Gu Qing Yi for guidance.
When Gu Qing Yi descended into the chamber, she carried with her a freshly washed apple. The twenty-one-year-old legitimate mother of the household took a casual bite, then glanced at Chen Yan’s swollen fingers. She shook her head with a smirk.
“You’re not using it incorrectly,” she remarked, “your body is simply too fragile.”
Chen Yan was not one to stubbornly cling to old ways. If one finger could only endure three strikes—
Then why not use all ten?
Thus, in the following days, Chen Yan experimented with altering the flow of vital energy, shifting from index finger to thumb, then to middle, ring, and pinky fingers. He rotated among them, refining his technique.
Gu Qing Yi, upon learning of his rather unconventional method, was momentarily taken aback.
“This technique has been passed down for generations since its creation,” she mused. “Do you really think no one before you ever considered such an idea?”
Chen Yan was equally curious. “Then why hasn’t it been done?”
Gu Qing Yi shook her head. “Those who cultivate battle methods have bodies far more resilient than yours. We never have to worry about something as trivial as sore fingers.”
As she spoke, she casually reached for a greenstone slab beside her, effortlessly snapping it in half with her bare hands. Then, taking another piece, she crumbled it into fine powder with just a light squeeze.
Chen Yan’s gaze lingered on her delicate, fair hands. A gulp slid down his throat involuntarily. He distinctly remembered how soft and smooth her grip had been when she had taken him on a low-flight maneuver across the ground before.
Still, as a twenty-two-year-old illegitimate son, it wasn’t exactly appropriate for him to keep staring at his twenty-one-year-old legitimate mother’s hands.
Clearing his throat, he quickly looked away and muttered, “It’s not that they couldn’t handle the pain; it’s that their thinking was too rigid. Once I refine this method and make it viable for all five fingers… you ever heard of a technique called—”
“The Six Veins Divine Sword?” Gu Qing Yi tilted her head and finished his sentence effortlessly.
This time, it was Chen Yan’s turn to be surprised. “How do you know about that? Don’t tell me you’ve been sneaking onto the internet to read novels?”
Gu Qing Yi’s tone remained calm. “You think the Domain Realm is some isolated prison? Or that we know nothing of your world?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve told you before,” she said, “that there are passages connecting our worlds. Opened through spell formations, these paths carve through the boundary walls. While not easy to traverse, there are still those from the Domain Realm who occasionally make their way into your world.”
Chen Yan’s expression turned serious. “And what do they come here for?”
Gu Qing Yi’s gaze deepened. “Your world is unsuitable for cultivation. The vital energy is weak, the resources scarce. Yet… you possess something incredibly valuable.”
She paused. “You live in a world of peace. And peace… is a luxury.”
Chen Yan frowned. “What are you saying?”
“Some come seeking novelty, bringing back exotic trinkets from your world. Others…” Her voice dropped lower. “There were those who came in search of weapons—to combat certain threats. Your world, though weak in individual strength, has advanced technology beyond our realm.”
Chen Yan’s brows furrowed. “Are you saying people from your world have smuggled firearms back with them?”
Gu Qing Yi raised her hand in the shape of a gun, mimicking the action of pulling a trigger. “Some tried. But it turned out to be futile. Gunpowder, for example, loses almost all its power once it crosses into the Domain Realm. Whether due to differing world laws or some form of suppression, the explosive force diminishes by tenfold or more. Over there, it’s no more than fancy fireworks.”
Chen Yan let out a cold chuckle. “So it’s just guns? You might not know this, but our world has something far more devastating…”
“You mean nuclear weapons?” Gu Qing Yi shook her head. “It’s useless.”
Chen Yan’s lips twitched. “…You’re telling me someone tried?”
“My third uncle ventured to your world years ago. He traveled to the Northern Nation and managed to steal a nuclear warhead back to our realm for research. But he was sorely disappointed.”
Chen Yan nearly choked on his breath. “…Stole a nuclear warhead?”
He hesitated. “What was disappointing about it?”
Gu Qing Yi leaned against the wall, casually recounting, “Something about fission and reaction chains. Whatever it was, in our world, the process simply wouldn’t work.”
Chen Yan fell into deep thought. Was it due to differences in chemical and physical laws? Did the Domain Realm’s governing principles suppress technology, just as this world suppressed cultivation?
Perhaps… it was a form of balance.
Here, the Heavenly Dao restrained cultivation—vital energy was scarce, resources limited, and any power beyond the Heavenly Mortal Realm was unusable.
Meanwhile, in the Domain Realm, the very laws of existence rejected modern technology—gunpowder, chemical reactions, nuclear fission—all stripped of their effectiveness, ensuring that firearms and weapons of mass destruction were nothing but duds in that world.
The two realms had sealed away each other’s greatest martial powers?
Gu Qing Yi continued, “The combat arts of your world are ineffective in ours, just as our techniques fail to manifest here. That is why those from my realm who visit yours only do so occasionally, merely to gather intriguing novelties and return with them. Your world, after all, is abundant in luxuries and pleasures.”
Chen Yan furrowed his brow. “But after knowing you for some time, I still feel like you’re unfamiliar with many things here—like household appliances. You don’t even know how to use the most basic ones.”
Gu Qing Yi smiled faintly. “It is not that I cannot use them; I simply do not know how to handle the newest ones. The Boundary Between Worlds stands firm, and the spell formations that allow passage are difficult to traverse. We cannot cross at will. For instance, my Third Uncle—his last visit to your world was some twenty or thirty years ago.
“Back then, he would always bring back various curiosities. Not many, of course, but enough that our realm gained some familiarity with your world.”
As she spoke, she chuckled. “For instance, the Six Veins Divine Sword you mentioned—I have read Jin Yong’s novels, after all.”
Chen Yan was momentarily stunned. She had read Jin Yong’s works? But after a moment’s thought, he found it reasonable. If her Third Uncle had visited two or three decades ago, that was still during the height of Jin Yong’s literary influence.
However, she likely had no knowledge of modern tropes—no domineering CEO tales, no memes from viral videos. She had surely never heard of certain absurd internet jokes.
“I have read them all,” Gu Qing Yi huffed, “The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, The Return of the Condor Heroes, The Book and the Sword, Flying Snow Shoots the White Deer, Laughing in the Martial World, and more! Don’t assume I’m some backwater bumpkin!”
“Yes, yes, you’re not,” Chen Yan sighed.
“And not just that—I also know of the Imperial Jade Wine, a hundred and eighty coins per cup!” She looked pleased with herself. “Third Uncle even brought back a Magical Viewing Box—a device that plays discs.”
Chen Yan raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You even know about the Imperial Jade Wine? What about the song Tango Zou Si Dan? Do you know that?”
“Of course!” Gu Qing Yi beamed, but her joy quickly faded. She sighed wistfully. “But during this trip, I discovered that the old woman behind the Imperial Jade Wine has passed away. Third Uncle had hoped to bring back some of her new works for us to see.”
Gu Qing Yi had unknowingly let slip further secrets of the Domain Realm.
Chen Yan pieced together a theory. That realm was not the ancient cultivation world he had once imagined. They had sporadic exchanges with this world—rare, yet enough for them to grasp certain technological advancements, cultural trends, and even entertainment.
If they had taken firearms for study, then surely some of their scholars must have explored other aspects of modern science. Her Third Uncle had even transported Magical Viewing Boxes across the boundary.
However, due to the Boundary Between Worlds, their movement was greatly restricted. Time constraints might be one of these limitations as well. Gu Qing Yi had previously mentioned that spell formations for crossing the boundary could only be activated at intervals.
If their last crossing was two or three decades ago, then the Domain Realm’s understanding of this world was likely frozen in the 1990s.
No wonder she knew about the Imperial Jade Wine but had never heard of modern slang.
Gu Qing Yi was always tight-lipped about her world, reluctant to reveal much.
Especially one thing—what exactly were they fighting against in the Domain Realm? On this matter, she remained utterly silent.
——
The Yuan Qi Variation of the Six Veins Divine Sword had begun to take shape. It had taken Chen Yan three days to grasp its fundamentals, and Gu Qing Yi had been instrumental in guiding him. After all, the Sword Finger Technique had been taught by her, and her mastery of Yuan Qi Circulation far surpassed his.
The circulation route of Yuan Qi—from shoulder to arm, from palm to fingertip—was not a mere verbal instruction but a delicate and precise art. Switching the technique from the index finger to other fingers was no simple task.
Had Chen Yan been left to experiment on his own, he would have wandered blindly for who knows how long. With Gu Qing Yi’s guidance, he progressed at twice the speed.
After three days, the technique had finally begun to take shape. He could now release Sword Qi from all five fingers.
But the results were… mixed.
The thumb produced the most powerful strike—twice as strong as the index finger’s original version. However, its activation speed was abysmally slow. Chen Yan estimated that in actual combat, channeling Yuan Qi to the thumb and then firing the attack would take a full five seconds.
A move with such a long wind-up was practically useless unless the enemy were foolish enough to stand still and wait for him to strike.
The pinky, on the other hand, was the fastest. It gathered and released Yuan Qi even quicker than the index finger by about thirty percent.
But its power was laughable.
Even at full strength, it could barely pierce a thin wooden plank—about as strong as an ordinary person’s punch.
The advantage, however, was that it caused no strain on his fingers, allowing him to fire multiple attacks in quick succession.
Thus, after three days of relentless practice, the twenty-two-year-old young master and his twenty-one-year-old Honored Stepmother had successfully refined a rudimentary form of the Yuan Qi Variation of the Six Veins Divine Sword.
Then, Gu Qing Yi suddenly recalled something and turned to Chen Yan. “There’s something I still don’t understand.”
Chen Yan responded absentmindedly, “What is it?”
?Six Veins Divine Sword?
Gu Qing Yi’s expression remained serious, her delicate features set in contemplation. With utmost sincerity, she asked, “The technique is clearly performed with five fingers—so why is it called the Six Veins Divine Sword?”
Chen Yan was momentarily dumbfounded. “…”
Ah. Now that she mentioned it, he vaguely recalled something from Master Jin Yong’s original text—something about meridian theories and martial philosophy. But back when he read the stories, who had time to ponder over such technicalities?
Was it not enough that the tales enthralled, that the moments of peril and passion burned into memory? The celestial maiden in the woodshed, poisoned and forced to change clothes—was that not captivating? Or the dreamlike tryst in the ice cellar, where the maiden and her wanderer met in honesty—was that not mesmerizing?
—
On the fifth morning after the Mountain Fiend Incident, Chen Yan stepped out of his home. As he passed through the central plaza, he spotted Old Deng from afar. The elder was clad in a well-worn practice outfit, stretching his limbs in slow, deliberate motions. Nearby, a parrot cage dangled from a horizontal bar, its occupant chirping lazily.
Seeing Chen Yan approach, Old Deng grinned and greeted him, his gaze sweeping over him with practiced scrutiny.
“The remedy I prescribed—have you not taken it? Your excess Qi and Blood remain unchecked,” Old Deng remarked.
Chen Yan scratched his head. Truth be told, he had been preoccupied refining his Yuan Qi Variation of the Six Veins Divine Sword these past few days, utterly forgetting about the elder’s prescription.
“I’ll head out to get the medicine today—ah, everything in your formula should be available at a regular herbal pharmacy, right?”
Old Deng chuckled. “Of course. What, you thought I’d send you searching for a millennium-old ginseng? Do you have a hidden treasure trove for such rarities?”
Chen Yan nodded. The old man continued, “Given market prices, each batch should cost you around two to three hundred yuan. Get ten portions. Boil one daily—three bowls of water simmered down to one—and drink for ten days. That should gradually restore balance.”
Ten portions, two to three thousand yuan? A trivial cost. Chen Yan could afford it.
“That said—” Old Deng suddenly smirked, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “There is another way to restore your condition instantly.”
Chen Yan eyed him warily. “And that is?”
“Find a suitable young lady and harmonize your Yin and Yang—” the old man’s voice took on a knowing lilt.
Chen Yan rolled his eyes. “Elder, you’ve been reading too many questionable books.”
“Tch!” Old Deng scoffed. “You think I’m leading you astray? Dual Cultivation isn’t a game—it requires compatibility. It refines the Qi and Blood, balancing energies for mutual benefit. A proper pairing could grant both partners great fortune in their cultivation!
“But you—you foolish brat—think me an old pervert! A dog biting Lü Dong Bin—failing to recognize a true immortal!”
Being inexplicably scolded first thing in the morning left Chen Yan mildly irritated. He was about to retort when a sudden thought struck him. His expression shifted, a smile creeping onto his lips.
“Elder, you seem quite knowledgeable about this Dual Cultivation Technique…”
Old Deng turned his head proudly. “Hah! If I do not understand it, who else in this world does?”
Chen Yan gave him a skeptical glance. First, he would test the effectiveness of the herbal prescription. If it worked, then perhaps he would consider revisiting this dual cultivation nonsense.
“Alright, I’ll sort out the medicine today. You continue with your training—I still need to get my breakfast.”
—
He had originally set out merely to fetch a meal. A new breakfast shop had appeared nearby, and the thought of fresh, golden youtiao—crisped to perfection—was too enticing to ignore.
However, since he had already encountered Old Deng, he made a quick detour home to retrieve the prescription. Stuffing the slip into his pocket, he headed to a nearby traditional pharmacy.
The herbalist on duty inspected the prescription, nodding after a brief glance. “These are all blood-tonifying herbs, common for balancing Qi and Blood. Though, I must admit, the formulation itself is rather… sophisticated.”
Hearing this, Chen Yan felt slightly reassured. He placed an order for over a dozen portions.
Good. I’ll let Gui Geng try it first for a few days.
If it works on him, then I’ll drink it.
Carrying his medicine pouch, he stopped by the breakfast shop to buy freshly fried youtiao. Holding the warm pastries in hand, he took a bite as he walked back home. The Lightness Talisman he had drawn on himself made his steps airy, as if he were treading on the wind itself.
By the time he reached his residential complex, the central plaza had emptied—Old Deng had likely gone home. Paying it no mind, he approached his courtyard gate—
And suddenly stopped.
A black sedan had silently glided to a halt beside him.
The car door swung open, revealing the poised figure of Chu Ke Qing.
She saw him standing at the roadside and, without waiting for her assistant, pushed the door open herself and stepped out.
The air had grown colder, yet she still donned a lilac-colored qipao, the exquisite fabric clinging to her form. Draped over her shoulders was a snow-white fox-fur shawl, accentuating her already captivating beauty.
As she approached, she adjusted the glasses perched on her nose, her every movement measured and elegant. Reaching him, she bowed her head slightly and greeted him in a tone of utmost deference.
“Senior.”
Chen Yan smirked inwardly but kept his face impassive, his gaze sharp as a blade. “Why are you here? Still unwilling to accept the outcome of our last encounter?”
“I would not dare,” Chu Ke Qing answered smoothly, her voice carrying a newfound softness. “With the new year approaching, I have come to pay respects to Senior—bearing gifts.”
As she spoke, her gaze drifted downward to the pouch of traditional medicine in Chen Yan’s hand.
This was not particularly strange. Among practitioners of the Mystic Arts, those of senior standing often concocted their own medicinal remedies to maintain their bodies—an ordinary matter. Chu Ke Qing, too, possessed some knowledge of herbal lore and held a few exclusive prescriptions of her own. The renown of Elder Zi was in no small part built upon her formidable medical prowess.
Yet, as her gaze fell upon the medicine pouch, she noted the emblem of a pharmacy—a well-known chain, no less. That was unexpected. Since when did grandmasters of the arcane arts procure their elixirs from mere commercial dispensaries?
It was akin to the mighty patriarch of a real estate empire listing his ancestral estate on an online housing platform.
“Senior… did you go out to fetch medicine?” Chu Ke Qing ventured cautiously.
Chen Yan cast her a brief glance but remained silent.
Drawing a deep breath, she pressed on, “I meant no disrespect. It’s just that… should you require rare ingredients, this junior happens to own a small apothecary. It is modest in size, yet its stock consists only of the finest, well-aged herbs. If Senior has need, this junior would be honored to provide them as tribute.”
She was not exaggerating. Indeed, she possessed an apothecary of her own, though it rarely opened to the public. Instead, it served as a means to establish rapport with influential figures. Those who sought her assistance were invariably people of wealth and power.
Chen Yan regarded her for a moment before averting his gaze, feigning indifference. In truth, he dared not look too long. His blood surged with an excess of vitality, and Chu Ke Qing, with her intoxicating presence, was a perilous sight to behold. To him, in his current state, she was akin to a glistening, ripe peach placed before a starving man who had fasted for three days.
Should he dare to linger on her form, even the ever-composed Chen the Benevolent might find himself at a loss.
Clearing his throat, he spoke in measured tones. “Since you are not here to stir trouble, then you are a guest. Come in and take a seat.”
A flicker of joy flashed across Chu Ke Qing’s face, but before she could step forward, Chen Yan reached into his pocket and retrieved a crumpled prescription, tossing it her way.
“If you truly wish to offer medicine, prepare twenty portions according to this formula.”
“Of course! Senior may entrust this matter to me without concern!”
Her delight deepened as she received the prescription and unfolded it.
The first thing she noticed was the elegant calligraphy, each stroke imbued with precision and grace. Internally, she nodded in admiration. [Indeed, a true master. Few in this era can wield a brush with such artistry.]
Then, her eyes drifted to the ingredients listed on the paper.
Understanding dawned upon her, and a hint of awkwardness crept onto her delicate features, accompanied by the faintest blush.
Silently, she folded the prescription and tucked it away, though her thoughts remained restless. [This must be a formula for… clearing excess fire… suppressing desire…]
[But… isn’t Senior already ninety-one?]
Yes, Chen Yan had undergone Reversion to Youth and now appeared in his prime, brimming with energy. However… this prescription was alarmingly potent.
[Just how much ‘fire’ does he have to quell?]
Forcing herself to suppress any further speculation, Chu Ke Qing maintained a composed facade and followed Chen Yan into the courtyard.
At the entrance, she instructed her assistant to bring in the prepared gifts before stepping inside.
Yet, the moment she crossed the threshold, her expression changed drastically.
([This vitality…!])
As a seasoned Cultivator, Chu Ke Qing was no stranger to Primordial Qi. Given her cultivation, she possessed keen senses for such things.
But the instant she set foot within the courtyard, she was struck by the realization that the concentration of Primordial Qi here was at least three times denser than the outside world!
Such boundless, flourishing energy…
Chu Ke Qing had journeyed far and wide, traversing famous peaks and legendary lands. She had set foot in so-called Blessed Paradises, yet never had she encountered a place where the Primordial Qi was so incredibly rich.
And more than that—
She could sense an unseen force within this courtyard, akin to a Celestial Vortex, siphoning the world’s boundless Primordial Qi, drawing it in thread by thread, and condensing it here.
Yet, the energy did not dissipate. It lingered, as though held in place by an invisible force, binding it to this domain.
([This is… on par with the divine arts of the Immortals!])
Breathless with astonishment, Chu Ke Qing followed in silence, her heartbeat slightly unsteady.
Sensing her unsettled breath, Chen Yan turned his head slightly. “Something wrong?”
Lowering her gaze with utmost respect, she spoke softly, “This junior has merely lost composure… Senior’s abode is suffused with boundless Primordial Qi. Such divine formations… this junior is in awe.”
“Just a simple Formation of Qi Convergence.” Chen Yan responded with a casual air, knowing she could perceive the changes in the surroundings. “The famed Elder Zi of Jin Ling Prefecture has never encountered such an array before?”
Chu Ke Qing: “…”
It wasn’t just that she had never encountered such a formation—she had never even seen anyone wield such an ability before!
She was well-versed in the basics of formations—Mystic Arts practitioners often dabbled in minor Feng Shui Arrays.
But controlling Primordial Qi itself? Such divine workings belonged only to legend.
—
Upstairs, Gu Qing Yi had been idly awaiting Chen Yan’s return. Hearing movement below, she descended the staircase, mild irritation lacing her tone.
“You said you were just going out for some fried dough sticks—what took you so long?”
Chen Yan chuckled, tossing the bag onto the dining table. “Fresh from the pan, still warm.”
A flicker of satisfaction crossed Gu Qing Yi’s face. Yet, her sharp gaze soon landed on Chu Ke Qing, and her expression resumed its usual calm.
“Company?”
Chen Yan nodded casually. “A friend, dropping off some New Year’s offerings.”
Chu Ke Qing studied Gu Qing Yi for a moment, unable to resist a quiet admiration.
Unconsciously, her gaze drifted toward Chen Yan once more.
This Chen Yan… truly lived up to his reputation—a scoundrel of the highest order!
She had encountered him once before near the Falling Cloud Retreat, where he was accompanied by a gentle and delicate young maiden. Later, after crossing paths with him due to the Luo Qing incident, she found him entangled with the proprietress of the Extreme Net Café, a woman of captivating allure. And now—here, within his own home—he harbored yet another bewitching beauty!
Just as she had glimpsed with her Qi Observation Technique that day—his life was steeped in romance, with no shortage of fated entanglements!
Yet, as Chu Ke Qing hesitated, her gaze met Gu Qing Yi’s, and for a brief moment, she was at a loss for how to address her. Instinctively, she cast an imploring glance at Chen Yan.
Scratching his head, Chen Yan offered a vague explanation: “She’s… an elder relative from a distant branch of the family.”
Chu Ke Qing, ever poised and adaptable, felt an invisible weight pressing upon her. How could she dare to offend such a figure? Without hesitation, she bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Senior.”
Though she herself had long since passed thirty, and the striking young woman before her appeared at most in her early twenties—perhaps even younger—Chu Ke Qing had no difficulty in addressing her as Senior. After all, if this Chen Yan, who appeared no older than twenty, had lived for over ninety years, who knew how many years this woman had seen?
Perhaps she was old enough to be her grandmother.
This household… was undoubtedly a gathering of Eminent Masters.
Gu Qing Yi’s lips curled slightly, her response a polite yet distant nod. “Hello.”
Meanwhile, Little Madam Gu, completely unfazed by the scene, clutched her fried dough sticks and marched straight into the dining hall.
—
Chen Yan led Chu Ke Qing to the sofa in the living room.
Lacking any taste for tea ceremony, he simply placed a bottle of mineral water in front of her.
“Alright. Speak. What brings you here?” His voice was calm, carrying neither warmth nor hostility.
Chu Ke Qing hesitated for a moment before asking, “A few days ago, the Mountain Fiend Incident on Purple Gold Mountain—was that your doing, Senior?”
Chen Yan’s brow arched slightly. “And how did you come to that conclusion?”
Taking a deep breath, she recounted how she had sensed a Baleful Qi surge from the mountain, followed its traces to investigate, and arrived to find nothing remaining of the disturbance. Then, she retrieved a fragment of talisman paper from her sleeve and carefully placed it upon the table.
“Only upon discovering this did I confirm it was your handiwork. A Mountain Fiend caused havoc, yet when I arrived, there was no trace of it. But this remnant remained. I dared to speculate that you had intervened to resolve the matter.”
Chen Yan gave it some thought and responded indifferently, “It was merely a coincidence.”
He lifted his gaze, scrutinizing the woman before him. “Surely you haven’t come all this way just to verify that?”
“No.” Chu Ke Qing shook her head. Her voice, tinged with a delicate natural nasal tone, carried a measured urgency. “I do not presume to pry into your affairs, Senior. My inquiry was merely to confirm my suspicions, for it pertains to another matter—one that is directly tied to my purpose in coming here today.”
After a brief pause, her tone grew more solemn. “Since Senior was willing to act in the Mountain Fiend Incident, it shows that you possess compassion and a willingness to shield the common folk from harm. I, too, have encountered a dire predicament these past few days. My cultivation is lacking, and I am powerless to resolve it on my own. With no other recourse, I have come humbly to beseech your aid.”
Chen Yan frowned slightly, deliberating for a moment before speaking. “Your cultivation is not weak. In Jin Ling Prefecture, you are quite renowned. What could trouble you to such an extent?”
Chu Ke Qing’s expression remained unchanged as she shook her head. “This is beyond my means. I have pondered every possible avenue and found no solution, leaving me no choice but to seek assistance.”
Chen Yan glanced toward the dining hall. There, Little Madam Gu sat at ease, a fried dough stick in one hand and a cup of soy milk in the other, utterly engrossed in her meal. And yet, despite her apparent nonchalance, Chen Yan knew that she missed nothing of the conversation.
With a sigh, he said, “The year’s end is upon us. I have little interest in meddling with extraneous matters right now.”
Chu Ke Qing hesitated briefly before responding, “The one who has tasked me with this is a wealthy merchant—a long-time client of mine. When he approached me for help, I could not refuse. Yet, upon hearing the full details of his plight, I realized the severity of the matter.
“This old acquaintance has encountered an obstacle so insurmountable that he finds himself with nowhere to turn. I could not, in good conscience, ignore his plea. I…”
Chen Yan smirked. “He is your acquaintance, not mine.”
Unperturbed, Chu Ke Qing retrieved a pen and paper from her bag, swiftly scribbling down a number before sliding it across the table toward him.
“This is the reward he has promised. But my cultivation is insufficient for the task. Should you be willing to lend your strength, I offer this sum to you in its entirety.
“As for me, I ask for nothing in return—only the privilege of observing from the sidelines, that I may broaden my horizons and learn from your example.”
Chen Yan’s gaze flickered over the numbers on the paper—a figure substantial enough to purchase the villa he currently resided in.
This was no trivial sum.
But Chen Yan was not the sort to gamble with his life for mere wealth. The sheer size of the reward indicated that the matter at hand was no simple affair. The greater the sum, the greater the peril.
Tapping his fingers against the table, he regarded her with an even expression. “Explain the situation first. I will decide after I have heard it.”
A subtle sigh of relief passed through Chu Ke Qing’s lips. He had not outright refused. It seemed she had assessed him correctly.
Having carefully studied Chen Yan’s past actions—such as his intervention in President Fang’s affairs—she had come to a conclusion: while he was a recluse of great ability, he was not indifferent to material wealth.
Her strategy of laying the reward bare before him appeared to have been the right approach.
Taking a steady breath, she composed herself, then began recounting a tale steeped in eerie mystery…
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation