Chapter 149: Chapter 142: Fish Dragon, Xiao Chan
His days were spent attending class on the Earth Element Star, then cultivating in his Cave Mansion. Afterward, he would go to the Market to mind the shop, and when he finished, he returned to his Cave Mansion to cultivate some more.
Chen Che’s routine was extremely regular, and he even found some joy in it.
Of course, this was also thanks to his immense Divine Sense and Qi and Blood.
Otherwise.
Any ordinary Cultivator would have died from exhaustion long ago.
Meanwhile, the Market grew increasingly bustling.
As soon as the sun rose, the streets and alleys were already filled with people.
Besides the local Loose Cultivators, there were many other Cultivators with foreign accents. This was all, of course, due to the Wuyin Ore Mine. The arrival of the Primordial Sect only added fuel to the fire, causing the Market’s reputation to skyrocket.
"The streets are so crowded you can barely move. I wonder when they’ll expand the Market?"
Ding Fei muttered under his breath.
’The Pill Shop is getting too small, too!’
Originally, he had planned to buy the two adjacent shops to expand the Pill Shop.
But who could have predicted it? As soon as the mine was discovered, foot traffic surged and business in the Market boomed. Who would be willing to sell their shop now?
"Perhaps in a little while."
Chen Che paid these matters no mind. All he knew was that after Ye Jingzhou concluded his business with the Primordial Sect, he had gone back into seclusion, supposedly to forge a Magical Artifact.
All the refined ore was being sent to him.
However.
The members of the Primordial Sect still remained within Jinyun Valley.
"Control your Jingfeng!"
Just as he was lost in thought, he heard an angry voice. Chen Che turned to look and saw the Little Chick menacingly perched on the back of the Fiery Flying Crane.
The Fiery Flying Crane didn’t dare to move. The chick scraped a claw against it, plucking out a cluster of feathers and bringing a furious expression to Meng Qingxuan’s face.
"Get down!"
"Your Jingfeng is too wild."
Seeing it comply, Meng Qingxuan breathed a sigh of relief. "But it’s normal. This kind of Demon Bird is hard to tame. It’s rare that it listens to you this well, but you still need to discipline it more before you can put it to good use."
"Thank you for letting me know."
Chen Che lowered his head and took a sip of his tea.
’It had been several days since he’d ’bought the bird’.’
The Little Chick had made a few open appearances. Some Cultivators who didn’t recognize it, seeing how extraordinary it was, wanted to capture it. But before they could act, someone would pull them aside and quietly explain, "That’s Tributor Chen’s Jingfeng."
They would immediately back off.
Even Lu Yi had seen it once, but the Little Chick’s appearance had changed so drastically that he didn’t recognize it at all. Instead, he praised its Shen Wu and majestic air.
From then on, its identity was completely legitimized, and no one suspected a thing.
"Once your Jingfeng reaches adulthood, it will surely become the overlord of these skies."
Meng Qingxuan remarked, watching the chick.
Chen Che raised an eyebrow slightly, his expression serene.
Even when the Little Chick just stood there with its wings folded, a single glance from it was enough to make the nearby Fiery Flying Crane tremble uncontrollably.
’Bloodline suppression?’
’Food chain dominance?’
’Perhaps both.’
"I heard Dan Guanliang has gone missing, without a trace, along with the few cultivators he brought with him from the Mortal World."
After some more small talk, Meng Qingxuan suddenly added, "However, his younger brother, Dan Guanyun, arrived at the Market yesterday."
’So soon?’
’Dan Guanliang has barely been dead, and the second Prince has already seamlessly taken his place. Is the struggle within the Royal Family really that intense?’
Chen Che’s brow twitched. "Is he here to avenge his older brother?"
"I’m not sure."
Meng Qingxuan shook her head and chuckled lightly. "But that brother of his is arrogant and domineering. He started an argument with someone at a small gathering just yesterday."
For Cultivators, a mysterious disappearance was tantamount to death.
Moreover, as Jinyun Valley’s popularity soared, reports of murder and robbery outside the Market surfaced from time to time.
"That kind of personality?"
Chen Che thought for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "I’m afraid his days are numbered, too."
Those from secular dynasties have ruled over the masses for so long they naturally think too highly of themselves.
When they come to the Cultivation World, if they don’t quickly learn their place, death won’t be far behind.
As the two were talking, a customer entered. After confirming that this was Chen’s Pill Shop, he took out a Pill Formula, claiming it was an ancestral secret and asking if Chen Che could complete it.
"You want the owner to look at a mere Tier One formula?"
Ding Fei gave it a single glance before casually tossing it to Zhao Deyou, who thought for a moment before proposing a one-month deadline.
The customer looked at Chen Che with pleading eyes, clearly hoping he would take the job. But Ding Fei’s next words quickly dashed those hopes. "For the owner to complete a Tier One formula, it’s one hundred Spirit Stones. For Tier Two, it’s one thousand! For Head Shopkeeper Zhao, it’s five Spirit Stones..."
After all, given Chen Che’s status, accepting formulas from any Tom, Dick, or Harry would only damage the Pill Shop’s reputation.
That was why the price was set so high.
In the end, the customer had no choice but to go with Zhao Deyou.
And incidents like this had happened several times recently.
"That man just now seemed to have a Kanzhou accent. I can’t believe your fame has already spread beyond Yunzhou. People are even traveling thousands of miles just to find you."
Meng Qingxuan watched this unfold, her eyes shimmering as she leaned forward slightly:
"I heard a Fish Dragon has appeared in the Black Water River. It’s said to be as large as a ship, with a single horn on its head—an incredibly wondrous sight. If you have time, we should go see it today."
A sweet fragrance, like osmanthus and gardenia, wafted over, a scent that could soothe the soul.
"It’s just an empty reputation."
Chen Che remained expressionless and leaned back slightly. "As for the Fish Dragon, I don’t have the time right now..."
News of this had been circulating for two or three days.
The Black Water River had suddenly churned with waves despite there being no wind, as if a Flood Dragon were thrashing wildly. Several fishing boats were instantly capsized. One brave Cultivator went to investigate, only to be swallowed whole by a giant fish in front of many onlookers.
Because it was thirty feet long and had a single horn, everyone started calling it a Fish Dragon.
Some speculated that the fish possessed the bloodline of a Great Demon and had immense potential, prompting many people to rush to the Black Water River to catch a glimpse.
"...You."
Meng Qingxuan froze for a moment. She bit her lip, her tone softening:
"You have Jingfeng and I have my Flying Crane. A round trip wouldn’t actually take very long."
"Jingfeng is hard to control."
"It’s fine, I can help you..."
Meng Qingxuan reached out with a delicate, fair hand and placed it on the back of his.
For a moment, Chen Che felt her fingertips, warm and smooth like fine White Jade, as if they were boneless. He looked up at her; in her green dress, with her lovely face, she was the very picture of grace and charm.
Even he couldn’t help but feel a stir in his heart.
"Alright?"
"..."
After a moment’s hesitation, Chen Che sent a mental command.
The Little Chick abruptly spread its massive wings. The Fiery Flying Crane, already terrified to its core, shrieked in alarm and shot out of the Market. Meng Qingxuan, who had been about to press her invitation, cried out in surprise and had no choice but to grit her teeth and fly after it.
"Phew!"
"The allure of a beautiful woman is truly hard to resist..."
Watching Meng Qingxuan depart, Chen Che couldn’t help but sigh.
He had, of course, noticed the difference in how she treated him compared to others and was well aware of her affection.
If he were willing to go along with it, it wouldn’t be impossible for them to become cultivation partners.
But.
He had too many secrets. If he married into the Meng Family, it would only be a matter of time before the truth came out.
Therefore, even though he was aware of her feelings, he could only keep her at a respectful distance.
"Go on, you can go play for a while."
With Meng Qingxuan gone, Chen Che felt a welcome sense of peace and sent the Little Chick off to hunt on its own.
A sudden gale erupted, and many Cultivators in the Market looked up at the sky.
That afternoon, a body was discovered in a corner of the Market. By the time anyone found it, it had been stripped bare. It was Dan Guanyun.
"How horrible..."
Ding Fei shook his head; he had just run over to gawk at the scene. "The body was already stiff. They say he died last night. Stabbed eighteen times! I wonder who he pissed off!"
Chen Che raised an eyebrow.
Just a short while ago, he and Meng Qingxuan had been discussing the man, and he’d predicted he wouldn’t last many days. He never imagined he wouldn’t even last the night.
’If you want to be arrogant and domineering, you need the strength to back it up. Otherwise, you can only bow your head and act humble.’
With time on his hands, Chen Che took a trip to the Black Water River.
Sure enough, he saw that many Loose Cultivators had gathered by the Black Water River, all of them obviously there for the Fish Dragon.
After all, this type of Demon Fish was incredibly rare. Capturing and selling one would fetch at least a hundred Spirit Stones. For an ordinary Loose Cultivator, that was a huge opportunity.
The Big Leader of the fish stall from a few days ago had taken the Spirit Stones Chen Che gave him, used them to recruit a few more Loose Cultivators, and now ran the biggest fish operation in the area.
’So this is the Black Water River!’
After circling above the river a few times, Chen Che discovered it was even more vast than he had imagined. Recalling the rumors, he felt a renewed sense of wonder.
’Just what could make the river water as black as ink?’
’Is it a treasure? A demonic creature? Or something else... Huh?’
As he was mulling it over, he suddenly sensed a faint, barely perceptible aura trailing him.
And no matter where he went, it clung to him like a leech.
Chen Che frowned.
After a moment of deliberation, he signaled the Little Chick to land in a dense forest below.
A moment later, the soft sound of footsteps echoed from within the woods.
SHIING!
The very instant the footsteps sounded, Chen Che flicked a finger. The Pure Jun Sword on his back flew from its sheath, transforming into a streak of light that blasted toward the source of the sound.
But the newcomer remained calm. He brought his hands together as if closing a gate, summoning a dense wave of True Essence to shield his front.
CLANG!
A sharp sound rang out.
The Pure Jun Sword had actually been stopped by the True Essence.
His first strike having failed, Chen Che’s expression remained unchanged. He brought his hands together and pointed forward once more.
The Qi Mechanism of the sword’s edge erupted, its power suddenly increasing by a third. Its speed became like a flash of lightning. With a BANG, it shattered the man’s Protective True Essence.
"Oh?"
The newcomer cried out in surprise.
But with a flourish of his hands, he summoned a surging wave of True Essence and clapped them together, managing to catch the sword between his palms.
However, the power contained in the blade still sent him stumbling back a dozen steps. Each step left a deep imprint in the ground, and one even shattered a millstone-sized boulder before he finally managed to steady himself.
Then.
With a flick of his hands, he sent the Pure Jun Sword flying. It buried itself in a nearby tree with a THUD, humming and vibrating.
"Who would have thought that Jinyun Valley’s famous genius Pill Master would also possess such terrifying strength."
A hoarse voice drifted from the depths of the forest.
With a thought, the Pure Jun Sword returned to its sheath. Chen Che turned his eyes to the dense woods:
"The three Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Primordial Sect are here, yet you still dare show your true face. Aren’t you afraid they’ll make a move against you?"
I see.
A figure gradually emerged from the depths of the forest.
He was dressed all in black, wearing a bamboo hat, with a black-cloth-wrapped object on his back, revealing half of a young face.
Who else could it be but Xiao Chan?
