Chapter 45: Chapter 32: Path to Wealth, Grandfather and Grandson

[I beg the Celestial Book, show me a viable path to wealth!]

Returning to his shack in the Big Mixed Courtyard, Jiang Yi lay down fully clothed, closed his eyes, and focused his mind.

Before drifting off to sleep, he focused his thoughts and once again posed a question to the mysterious golden paper.

[Subject of inquiry: Wealth]

[Deduction time: Ten hours]

The golden paper shimmered as the characters gradually came into focus.

“Ten hours. That’s not too long.”

Gazing at this page of the Celestial Book, Jiang Yi felt a great sense of reassurance.

The unprocessed alcohol finally hit him, and he sank into a pleasant, drunken sleep.

“So refreshing!”

He had slept so soundly that he didn’t wake up until the sun was high in the sky.

He felt refreshed and clear-headed. His mouth had a clean, fragrant taste, a gentle warmth spread through his organs and bones, and his True Qi flowed smoothly and without obstruction.

It seemed that after the major supplementation from drinking copper juice and chewing Iron Pills yesterday, his Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer had been thoroughly stabilized.

He estimated his Cultivation progress was now at about eighteen percent.

’I should go see Marshal Yang, pay my respects, and show some filial piety. Maybe I can get a few pointers from him while I’m at it.’

Jiang Yi rolled out of bed and pushed open the wooden door of his shack.

Sunlight flooded in from outside. It was a rare, clear day.

’Old He and Old Li are pretty diligent.’

The snow in the courtyard had been shoveled into a corner, piled up neatly.

He walked into the kitchen as usual and, just as he expected, saw two large bowls sitting upside down on the counter.

He lifted one to look.

Whoa! They were dumplings!

Jiang Yi rubbed his hands together and eagerly tasted a couple.

One bowl was filled with beef and daikon, the other with chives and pork. They had been warming on the stove for a long time, so the wrappers were a little dry and far less nourishing to his flesh and blood than the Spiritual Meals from Heshui Cave.

But they filled his mouth with a rich, savory aroma, the very essence of a home-cooked meal.

’Sister Qin really dotes on me.’

Jiang Yi made short work of the two large bowls of dumplings. With a full stomach, he felt energized.

He then straightened his Daoist Robe, stepped outside, and headed toward the Quenching Room on Red Flame Peak.

It was the beginning of the month, and there wasn’t much work on the Outer Sect Four Peaks. The Mortal Servants went about their tasks with a lighter step, and the usual grumbling and complaining had diminished.

With the end of the year approaching, everyone was calculating how to stockpile more food, clothing, and other necessities for the winter before the heavy snows completely sealed off the mountain.

The Qianji Sect ruled over four peaks, and the Artifact Embryos and Spiritual Materials they produced were, for the most part, supplied to the Marketplace at the foot of the mountain.

But with the new year festival drawing near, the various shops would close for business, and the Marketplace would grow quiet.

Without the outside demand, the Inner Peak wouldn’t press them so aggressively, so there was no need to rush production day and night.

Typically, at the end of the year, the Mortal Servants had two options: take leave to go down the mountain for a family reunion, or stay in the sect and wait for spring.

The numbers were split about evenly between the two choices.

“Brother Yi, Marshal Yang just happened to come by for a look around today. He’s resting on the second floor.”

Seeing Jiang Yi step into the Quenching Room, He the Venerable hurried forward to greet him.

“How’s the progress this month?”

Jiang Yi asked casually.

Ever since he had presented the secret formula, the work in the Quenching Room was no longer as arduous as before. Coupled with the fact that Marshal Yang Xun wasn’t the type to be harsh or exploitative, this place had actually become more popular than the grinding and forging workshops.

“It’s going okay. The Inner Peak ordered us to prepare more materials before the year’s end so we’re not caught short in the spring. But Marshal Yang is benevolent. He just told us to be a bit more diligent next month and didn’t push us to death. Earning talisman notes is much easier now, so everyone is mindful of your kindness, Brother Yi.”

He the Venerable, no longer the dispirited man he once was, spoke in detail.

Jiang Yi nodded slightly.

Despite his fierce appearance, Yang Xun was actually quite humane—far better than the marshals of the other workshops.

After parting with He the Venerable, he went straight up to the second floor.

The Little Daoist Child attending to Yang Xun didn’t stop him. Instead, he handed over the pot of Sweet Return Vine Tea he was holding.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Jiang Yi pinched a crimson talisman note between two fingers and deftly tucked it into the Daoist Child’s robe.

He had been busy with his Cultivation these past few days, traveling back and forth to the Inner Peak, and had worried about “neglecting” Yang Xun. So, he had specifically instructed the Little Daoist Child to attend to him.

Every day, the boy was to brew a pot of Sweet Return Vine Tea and prepare some sweet snacks to satisfy his cravings.

This way, even if Jiang Yi wasn’t there in person, Yang Xun could still feel his “filial piety” in every meticulous detail.

“Don’t disturb Grandpa. I’ll just wait here.”

Seeing Yang Xun nestled in a rocking chair, snoring softly, Jiang Yi lowered his voice.

He had followed his old leader for many years and learned many useful, practical principles.

One of them was to “always maintain the utmost respect for benefactors who bring you profit.”

Even though he had reached the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer and befriended people like Wang Heng, Lu Yun, and Li Ruohan from the Village Clan Direct Lineage, securing a spot in the Inner Peak was far from a sure thing without Yang Xun’s full support.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yi suppressed the pride that came with reaching the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer and looking down on the other Mortal Servants of Red Flame Peak. He once again silently chanted his mantra: ’steady’.

DONG! DONG! DONG!

The resonant bells of Guanlan Peak echoed through the air. Yang Xun, who had been sleeping soundly, lifted his eyelids and saw Jiang Yi right before him.

The young man was obediently holding the teapot, his eyes filled with concern.

“Grandpa, you must be thirsty. Would you like to wet your throat?”

The Quenching Room was sweltering, and staying there for a long time would inevitably leave one with a dry mouth and tongue.

Yang Xun was stunned for a moment, his gaze a little dazed. “Ah Yi, you’re here.”

He slowly raised a hand to take the teapot and, putting it to his lips, took several huge gulps. GLUG, GLUG.

The dryness in his heart was soothed, and even the tea’s bitterness and astringency seemed to turn sweet and pleasant.

“I’ve been busy consolidating my Cultivation lately. I finally managed to make another breakthrough, so I came to pay my respects to you, Grandpa.”

Jiang Yi said with a broad smile, no longer as cautious and timid as before. He familiarly grabbed a handful of dried lychees from the food box and chewed them lightly.

This familiar, intimate gesture, just like that of his own junior, was even more pleasing to Yang Xun.

He nodded and said,

“Mm, Cultivation is fundamental. You’ve done the right thing. The competition for those few Inner Peak spots next spring will certainly be fierce. I haven’t seen you in days, Ah Yi. You should have reached the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation Third Layer by now…”

Before Yang Xun could finish, his fierce face, with its bald eyebrows, suddenly changed, his expression a mixture of shock and delight.

“The Fourth Layer?!”

Jiang Yi let a suitable amount of youthful pride show. “Replying to Grandpa, I just barely managed to cross the threshold yesterday.”

Yang Xun couldn’t help but gasp. He counted on his fingers in his mind. When Jiang Yi had first caught his eye, he seemed to have only been at the Qi Cultivation Second Layer.

Then, with his permission, Jiang Yi had mastered the Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique, smoothly broken through to the Third Layer, and then crippled Zhang San and killed Dong Si.

And now, he had reached the Fourth Layer by Refining the Internal Organs.

All in just over a month!

“Such valiant progress must have cost you a lot of talisman notes, right?”

Yang Xun’s joyful expression vanished. He took Jiang Yi’s hand, his tone turning grave.

“That Tiger and Wolf Ointment—use it as little as possible! Overdoing it will damage the very foundation of your Life Essence.

“The path of Cultivation is long. It’s not like you can rest easy just by becoming one of the Inner Peak Disciples. You have a long road ahead of you. You must leave something in reserve and not completely hollow out your body.”

Yang Xun naturally assumed that Jiang Yi’s rapid Cultivation speed was due to him using a desperate, “drain-the-pond-to-catch-the-fish” method.

Before the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, the so-called Muscle and Bone Transformation, Blood and Marrow Exchange, and Refining the Internal Organs were all methods to strengthen one’s own body by any means necessary, forging it into a sturdy cauldron for Cultivation.

It wasn’t that it was difficult, per se.

The Direct Lineage of the Dao Race from the Branch Sect’s Dharma Lineage on Beimang Ridge would begin laying their foundation at the age of ten, consuming all sorts of Treasure Medicines to condition their bodies.

By the time they were fourteen or fifteen, their muscles and bones would be fully developed and their qi and blood vigorous. They could ascend to the Fourth Layer Floors in a matter of days.

The true bottleneck in Cultivation was the Fifth Layer: opening the Primordial Inner Mansion to gather and refine the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism.

But Jiang Yi, in the end, was just a Mortal Servant from the Inner Sect’s Dharma Lineage. He had no vast resources to rely on. If he wanted to catch up, what else could he do but risk his life and go all out?

The look of pity and affection in Yang Xun’s eyes deepened. He felt more and more certain that his judgment had been sound; focusing his efforts on cultivating this boy was indeed a wise move.

The boy didn’t just sit around waiting for resources to fall from the sky. He knew how to seize opportunities and, more importantly, was willing to stake everything to fight for a future.

That clear-headedness and ruthlessness were completely different from those arrogant, self-serving children of the village clans. In fact, he saw a shadow of his younger self in the boy!

“I am very gratified that you understand the principle that ’in the end, you can only rely on yourself.’”

Yang Xun looked satisfied. He no longer saw Jiang Yi as merely a substitute to fill some sort of regret.

Feeling the roughness and warmth of Yang Xun’s palm, the feigned look of pride on Jiang Yi’s face quietly faded, replaced by sincerity.

“I have always taken Grandpa’s teachings to heart. I’ve been using the Tiger and Wolf Ointment very sparingly. Mostly, I’ve relied on the Fire Manipulation Technique to temper my Primordial Essence, consolidate my foundation, and advance my Merit.

“I also made a few friends over at Heshui Cave recently. We spent some money on food and drink to nourish our bodies, and I managed to break through to the Fourth Layer in one go.”

Hearing this, the look of approval in Yang Xun’s eyes grew even stronger.

He had made the right choice in accepting this godson in his old age.

His words were so pleasant to hear. What elder wouldn’t want such a sensible and filial junior?

“You can rest easy. I am already preparing the ’Pool of Fire and Water’ ritual. I’m still missing a few Main Materials that can’t be found on the mountain, so I’ll need to look for them in the Marketplace outside.”

Seeing Jiang Yi trying so hard to make him proud, Yang Xun offered him a word of reassurance.

“Once it’s properly arranged, you’ll sit inside it and undergo a trial of water and fire. Your spirit and body will both be cleansed and nourished, which should replenish the Primordial Essence and vitality you’ve lost.”

Jiang Yi was, of course, endlessly grateful.

The more he dealt with figures like Wang Heng and Yang Xun, the more he understood the importance of background and connections.

According to the rules of the Qianji Sect, getting a spot in the Inner Peak wasn’t as simple as ’the capable will rise’.

Without someone to pull you up, you probably couldn’t even touch the threshold.

“From now on, there’s no need for such pleasantries.” Yang Xun narrowed his eyes, his tone gentle yet firm. “Since you’re willing to call me ’Grandpa,’ I won’t treat you poorly. I’ll make sure you don’t get the short end of the stick.”

Jiang Yi chuckled and accompanied Yang Xun out of the empty Quenching Room, returning together to the courtyard at the peak for a meal.

The two of them, like grandfather and grandson, sat facing each other. As they were eating, a golden light flickered in Jiang Yi’s eyes.

Without a change in expression, he lowered his head and scanned the small, tadpole-like characters that had appeared on the Celestial Book.

[Deduction results as follows]

[Example 1: In the coming months, there are signs that the Cicada Wing Gauze, Flowing Cloud Brocade, and Purple Shadow Silk produced by Sewing Peak will be bought up in large quantities by the Marketplace. You can take this opportunity to stockpile them…]

[Example 2: When heavy snows seal the mountain, several B-grade medicinal fields on Gathering Herbs Peak will be damaged and will require irrigation with Fire Spirit Dew. You can use this opportunity to buy it up…]

Jiang Yi silently committed them to memory, mentally checking off several viable strategies.

These arbitrage opportunities were good, but they all required capital. And what he lacked most right now was precisely that: “startup funding.”

’Do I have to ask Grandpa?’

As Jiang Yi hesitated, his thoughts turned, and he questioned the Celestial Book again.

[I beg the Celestial Book, show me a way to make money that I can act on immediately, with no risks or future trouble?]

The golden light flowed, the characters vanishing and reappearing.

[Subject of inquiry: Wealth]

[Deduction time: Twenty breaths]

When the search criteria were limited to what Jiang Yi himself could accomplish, the web of cause and effect seemed to become extremely simple.

[Deduction result: Heshui Cave on Guanlan Peak intends to launch an Essence Nourishing Supplement to attract the Village Clan Direct Lineage and Inner Peak Disciples. You can use Marshal Yang Xun and Wang Heng of Nourishing Soul Peak as intermediaries to negotiate a partnership and sell Cyan Ganoderma Dew…]

’Huh? This method could actually work!’

Jiang Yi wiped his mouth, suddenly looked up, and spoke in a natural tone,

“Grandpa, I think I’ve stumbled upon a way to make money on the Inner Peak. I was hoping you could take a look for me and help me see if it’s sound.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep