Chapter 156: Chapter 153: Intentions
Shen Zhongshan, Shen Rongguang, and the others were all covered in dust, their faces etched with exhaustion.
But an irrepressible joy shone in everyone’s eyes.
Evidently, their gains from wandering the mountains for the past six months had not disappointed them.
"I never thought this place would be a treasure mountain! This single haul is worth several years of our past efforts!"
"Yeah, the Spiritual Qi here isn’t great, but because it’s so remote, vast swathes of mountains and wilderness have never been trod by human feet. This has left behind some incredibly precious Heavenly and Earthly Treasures. If you’re lucky, getting rich overnight isn’t just a dream!"
"It’s a shame we couldn’t find any Cyan Essence Water Grass. If we had, we’d have really struck it rich."
"Give me a break. You all heard the news from a few days ago, right? The one who found the Cyan Essence Water Grass? Not even his bones are left!"
"Those people have gone crazy. Treasure is good, but your life is more important."
"Heh, what’s there to be afraid of? I heard the guy who got the Cyan Essence Water Grass was a Loose Cultivator with no backing. He was like a three-year-old carrying a gold ingot through a busy street, of course he was going to be devoured without a trace. But we’re all members of the Shen Family. Would those people dare attack us?"
The group was travel-worn,
but their spirits were exceptionally high.
They chatted excitedly all the way.
"By the way, Brother Zhongshan, why are we going to Dawan Village?"
"Our harvest this time has been good, and everyone’s Storage Bags are full. It’s about time we sold some things off. I heard someone mention that there’s a village where a chamber of commerce has set up shop, buying and selling all sorts of Immortal Cultivation Resources."
"We’ll head to Dawan Village to rest up for a bit, then ask around for the location of that other village. It’ll save us from wasting time."
"With all the chaos and fighting everywhere, it’s possible that Dawan Village is in big trouble too. After all, we’re all Shen Family. We should watch over and help one another. Besides, that person is the Clan Leader’s illegitimate son. Since we have the strength to spare, it’s only natural that we go lend a hand."
Shen Zhongshan spoke in a steady voice,
projecting an air of righteous dedication to family unity.
But if one were to look closely,
they would see
a flicker of sarcasm and contempt at the corner of his lips.
"Oh, so that’s how it is. That makes sense."
Among the group, the somewhat clueless Shen Cunrui nodded in sudden understanding.
"Makes sense, my ass!"
"Little Cunrui, you’re just too naive. What ’watch over and help one another’? We’re just going to see that guy, Shen Changchuan, make a fool of himself!"
Shen Rongguang cut Shen Cunrui’s thoughts short,
interjecting.
"That kid was so arrogant back then. We specially came to his door to offer him a sweet deal, inviting him to join us as a guide to get rich in the mountains. But that kid had eyes and couldn’t see, and he actually turned us down."
"In the end, we had to hire a regular person from outside as a guide, which made us waste a lot of effort adapting to the area during the first two months. Our harvest was greatly reduced."
"Now, we’ve all succeeded, and this adventure has been a huge gain for all of us. On the other hand, with the situation around here looking so bad, that kid’s dream of peacefully planting his crops has probably gone up in smoke."
"Now I’m returning with a harvest worth over a thousand Spirit Stones. When I stand in front of that blind fool, I want to see if he regrets it then!"
Shen Rongguang raised his head proudly, his face filled with mockery as he spoke loudly.
He couldn’t help but have such thoughts.
Just imagining it—arriving at Dawan Village, casually revealing his gains from the trip, and seeing the shock and disbelief on the other’s face...
A wave of satisfaction washed over Shen Rongguang.
He wished he could fly to Dawan Village right now and see the look of utter regret on that guy’s face.
"Alright, that’s enough. No need to mention it again."
Shen Zhongshan spoke calmly,
silencing Shen Rongguang.
His expression didn’t change much.
Was he really going to show off and get some revenge, just as Shen Rongguang had said?
No one knew.
...
「Dawan Village」
The Spirit Grain planted in the village’s twelve-mu Spirit Field was now being harvested.
The process involved timing the harvest, organizing, and sorting—the steps were truly quite complicated.
And this time, thanks to the commercial district in the east of the village, the bountiful Spirit Grain harvest had attracted the attention of many small, local family forces who survived by relying on their own Spirit Fields.
For these minor Immortal Cultivation Forces, who had to split every Spirit Stone in half to use it, the prospect of increasing Spirit Grain yield was extremely attractive.
Thus, many people spontaneously gathered to observe the harvest from a distance, discussing it animatedly and occasionally jotting down notes, hoping to find some clue to the increased yield.
This situation held potential hidden dangers and required a certain degree of vigilance.
But as for these trivial matters,
Shen Changchuan had no mind to manage them. He had already handed them over to his maternal grandfather, Han Qinhu.
After coming out of seclusion, he rested and got his affairs in order.
Once he had decided on his next move, he used the Breath Concealment Technique to restrain his aura,
then went directly to the eastern area of the village, seeking out the temporary post of the Sanhe Chamber of Commerce.
At this moment, the commercial district in the east of the village was bustling with people. The shouts of vendors from their stalls in the square, the sounds of haggling from the shops on both sides, and the chatter of passersby on the road all blended together... Its prosperity was already comparable to that of a small town.
But unlike an ordinary town,
everyone coming and going here was a Cultivator, which added to the lively atmosphere.
Of course,
where there’s business, there are bound to be disputes.
And the Cultivators who dared to venture into the mountains were mostly unruly types who would resort to violence at the slightest disagreement.
Although the commercial district had clear rules prohibiting fighting within the village,
if mortal enemies happened to run into each other,
or if an argument got heated and someone lost their head, who would still care about your rules?
At times like these,
someone needed to step in and stop them.
And it had to be someone with a certain level of strength to do the job.
The ordinary people in the village, or those few Low Tier Immortal Cultivators, were certainly not up to the task.
This undoubtedly revealed the awkward predicament Dawan Village faced, having no one strong enough to deploy.
However, Shen Changchuan had been in seclusion for three months and rarely went out, yet no trouble had broken out in the eastern commercial district.
Evidently, the problem had been solved.
The problem was solved in two ways.
First, Shen Changchuan had granted the major merchant guilds a degree of authority, enlisting their stationed guards to conduct daily patrols and guard against potential attacks.
Second, help came from a source that was somewhat unexpected for Shen Changchuan, yet perfectly logical: the victims of the Blood Slaughter Three Demons, who held a deep-seated blood feud against them!
