Xiuxian, I can travel to another world

Chapter 263 Unexpected Turn of Events (Beginning of the month, please vote!)

As news of the Dao Foundation cultivator's murder spread among the lower-level cultivators, all sorts of rumors began to circulate.

An inexplicable mood permeated the air above Cloud Whale Island.

doubt!

panic!

……

Even Zhu Ju was not immune to the effects, and his sword technique practice made no progress for several days in a row.

The Drunken Taoist has not returned.

Losing such a well-informed person has left him unaware of the current situation on the island, but he has a vague feeling that something is amiss.

Dark workshop.

Zhu Ju, familiar with the place, arrived at an inconspicuous shop and bowed to the old man who was busy behind the counter.

"Fellow Daoist has arrived."

The shopkeeper greeted them with a smile:

"Miss Dong has arrived and is in room A3."

"squeak……"

Pushing open the door, Dong Ping, dressed in a martial arts outfit, was deep in thought, one hand supporting her cheek and the other playing with a teacup.

Hearing the sound, she turned her head and smiled sweetly.

"Brother Zhu is really punctual."

"Are you here again to buy the Herbal Elixir?"

As an inspector of the Chamber of Commerce, she has a certain quota each month to purchase various elixirs from the Chamber of Commerce at a low price.

You can make a fortune of spirit stones just by reselling it.

Dong Ping not only sold her own share, but also took over the shares of several other inspectors, engaging in the business of buying low and selling high.

Herbs Return to Elixir,
It is the most commonly used elixir to assist Dao Foundation cultivators in their cultivation.

"Yes." Zhu Ju pulled up a chair and sat down opposite him.

"The progress of the Primordial Chaos Scripture is slow. Without the help of elixirs, I'm afraid I'll never be able to reach the late stage of the Dao Foundation stage in my lifetime."

"Not to mention the Golden Core Path!"

"Haha..." Dong Ping laughed heartily:
"Brother Zhu is indeed exceptionally talented. Others who cultivate the Primordial Chaos Scripture will never reach the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment realm in their entire lives, yet you are still dreaming of the Golden Core realm."

"Speaking of which, some of the Chamber of Commerce's inspectors also cultivate the Primordial Chaos Scripture, but they are all older generation members who just coast along."

“The shopkeeper outside is one of them.”

The shopkeeper's surname is Ran and his given name is Ran Gu.

In my youth, I was arrogant and proud, seeing nothing but the great Dao.

how...

Ten years, a cycle of sixty years, a hundred years have passed, and the Great Way, like that distant mountain, remains tantalizingly out of reach.

In the end, they were completely desperate.

Zhu Ju smiled and took out the storage bag:
"Still ten bottles."

"No rush," Dong Ping waved her hand.
"Brother Zhu, let's get this straight up first: the price of the Herbal Elixir has gone up by 20%."

"Hmm?" Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow slightly.
"It's gone up that much?"

He had expected the price to go up before he came, but he didn't expect it to go up so much. You have to know that the Grass Returning Pill is a pill that helps Dao Foundation cultivators with their cultivation. The price is not low to begin with, and a 20% increase is already considered a big increase.

"no way."

Dong Ping spread her hands:
"Everything has gone up in price recently."

"With rising raw material costs and labor costs, prices will naturally rise as well. Pills are doing somewhat better, but some items have almost doubled in price!"

"..." Zhu Ju sighed helplessly, then took out some more spirit stones, his face showing obvious pain.
"Give me twenty... no, thirty bottles!"

Over the years, thanks to his two shops and various resources from other worlds, his income has been quite substantial.

But the consumption is also high.

Pills are essential for cultivation, and there's also the gold-devouring array, so there's not much food left.

"it is good!"

Dong Ping beamed with joy:

"Brother Zhu is so generous."

"Don't worry, you won't lose out if you buy now. The price of pills will definitely rise again after a while."

“Hmm…” Zhu Ju looked at the other person:
"Fellow Daoist, don't you think the Chamber of Commerce can resolve the current troubles quickly?"

"Solve it?" Dong Ping shook her head:
"Although I have never experienced what is happening now, I have heard older generations mention the past during this period."

"At that time..."

"The Yan family was not the largest family in the Cloud Whale Chamber of Commerce until a turmoil that lasted for several months brought it to its current state."

"The lessons of those who came before us are the guides for those who come after us!"

Zhu Ju frowned.

"What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist Dong?"

"Is it possible..."

"Could someone possibly pose a threat to the Yan family on this Cloud Whale Island?"

The Yan family controls the third-tier formation of the Chamber of Commerce. Even if someone had the desire, they probably wouldn't have the ability.

unless……

The other families on the island joined forces.

However, even if other families join forces, the Yan family's control over the island's formations means they might not necessarily lose.

Since the Golden Elixir could not be produced, Zhu Ju could not imagine the possibility of the Yan family's decline.

"Perhaps." Dong Ping remained noncommittal, leaning back and crossing her arms in front of her chest, and said slowly:
"What goes up must come down; this has always been the case."

"The Yan family patriarch failed to break through to the Golden Core realm and is suspected of falling into demonic possession and disappearing. He is very likely the murderer who killed several Foundation Establishment cultivators. With such a big incident, the Yan family must give an explanation to the people on the island."

Zhu Ju seemed to be lost in thought.

"Although I don't know how things will develop, I definitely can't stay on the Yan family's ship." Dong Ping smiled.

"Brother Zhu, would you like me to introduce you to a connection?"

"I admire you!" Zhu Ju bowed.
"However, there is no need for that for now. I am just a layman, and the title of guest of the Yan family should not attract any attention."

No wonder the other party was following the Fang family head a few days ago; it turns out he has found a new backer.

As an inspector with excellent connections, Dong Ping must have already noticed something amiss.

Before he could decide where to go next after leaving the shop, a communication jade talisman at his waist lit up with a spiritual light.

Zhu Ju took out the jade talisman, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Senior Brother Yan Ying?"

*
*
*
Yan Ying's original surname was Wang, and his original name was Wang Ying. He was an inner disciple of the Jade Void Sect, the number one immortal sect in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

When the Jade Void Sect's mountain gate was destroyed, he, as an inner disciple, fled to the East Sea, where he met and fell in love with his wife. With the help of the Yan family, he established his Dao foundation and changed his surname to Wang and Yan. When he changed his surname, he vowed never to be a disciple of the Jade Void Sect again in this life.

Zhu Ju's use of the term "brother" to address his fellow disciples was merely to fulfill a long-held wish from back then, but their relationship was indeed quite good.

"Whoosh!" A sword flashed across the sky and landed in front of a courtyard.

"Fellow Daoist Zhu."

A pretty female cultivator came out to greet him.

The female cultivator's name was Yan Lan, and she was the younger sister of Yan Ying's wife.

Yan Ying's wife did not achieve the Dao Foundation stage and passed away many years ago, while Yan Lan successfully broke through to become a Dao Foundation master.

"Miss Lan," Zhu Ju said.

Where is my senior brother?

"My brother-in-law went to the ancestral home." Yan Lan's eyes were filled with panic.
"Most of the direct descendants of the Yan family and the Dao Foundation cultivators have gone over there. I was worried about Liang'er and the others, so I stayed behind."

"Hmm?" Zhu Ju's expression darkened slightly.
"Has the Yan family's situation deteriorated to this point? Why can't Senior Brother Yan's bloodline go to the Yan family's ancestral home?"

Yan Lan paused for a moment.

"Hmph!" Zhu Ju snorted lightly upon seeing this.
"It seems that changing one's surname is not as good as keeping one's original surname. My senior brother has served the Yan family for so many years, yet he is still treated as an outsider. When something happens, even his own bloodline cannot provide protection."

"Well...you can't say that either," Yan Lan explained in a low voice.
“The ancestral home is small, so it may not be safe for too many people to go there, but it is not necessarily unsafe to stay outside.”

"Let's not talk about that for now." Zhu Ju frowned and asked:

"Is someone really planning to make a move against the Yan family?"

"Very likely." Yan Lan smiled wryly.
"The members of the Chamber of Commerce unanimously believe that the murderer who killed the Dao Foundation cultivators during this period is the head of the family, and demand that the Yan family hand over the murderer."

"But……"

"We don't know where the head of the family is, so how can we hand him over?"

"Things are getting increasingly tense, and there have been small-scale power struggles in the past few days. The situation could get out of control at any time."

"How dare they?" Zhu Ju asked, looking puzzled.
"Putting aside the fact that the Yan family has many experts, given their control over the Chamber of Commerce's formation, even if the Golden Core cultivators don't appear, other families joining forces might not be a match for them."

"Master Tang." Yan Lan said with a bitter expression.
"Does Fellow Daoist Zhu still remember Master Tang who once escaped? He taught some of the formations controlled by the Yan family to other families. Although the Yan family still controls the formations, they no longer have an absolute advantage."

"Only the ancestral home can be guaranteed to be safe. As for the outside... I just hope they won't actually make a move."

Master Tang?
This is so!

Zhu Ju looked enlightened, then frowned.

"Fellow Daoist Zhu."

Yan Lan was startled upon seeing this and hurriedly said:

"My brother-in-law's bloodline and descendants are all here. The child is so innocent. I beg you, fellow Daoist, to protect them."

"Once this is over, my brother-in-law and the Yan family will definitely reward you handsomely!"

"This..." Zhu Ju hesitated for a moment:
"Senior brother, you've been on the island for so many years. Besides me, don't you have many trustworthy friends?"

"Yes." Yan Lan nodded.
"Before my brother-in-law left, he sent messages to all his trusted friends. Fellow Daoist Zhu, you are the first one to arrive."

"That's good." Zhu Ju's expression relaxed slightly.
"Even if there is unrest on the island, with a few Foundation Establishment cultivators there, it is not difficult to protect a few Innate or mortal people."

"Yes." Yan Lan nodded repeatedly.
"It's not difficult, it's not difficult at all."

Time passes slowly.

It's getting dark.

It wasn't just the sky that darkened, but also Zhu Ju's expression.

"Miss Lan."

He glanced around and asked:
"Are you sure your senior brother sent messages to other people besides me?"

"I'm sure!" Yan Lan nodded emphatically, her eyes red as if she were about to cry.

“I saw the message my brother-in-law sent with my own eyes. Besides Fellow Daoist Zhu, there were also Fellow Daoist Ming and Fellow Daoist Han.”

"how……"

"How could this be?"

Cloud Whale Island is not small, but it would take far less than a day for a Dao Foundation cultivator to fly there.

thus……

Either they didn't receive the message, or they received it but didn't want to come.

Yan Ying sent an urgent message, and the jade talisman would give a warning, so it's unlikely that he didn't receive the message.

"Ha..." Yan Lan's face was bitter, and his body swayed:

"My brother-in-law sent messages to several friends, but unexpectedly only Fellow Daoist Zhu came in the end."

"Ugh!"

"Human relationships are fickle, and the world is cold and indifferent."

"It's getting foggy," Zhu Ju suddenly said.
"There's something wrong with this fog!"

Yan Lan was startled, only to see that a thin layer of mist had appeared in the sky and was growing thicker.

Ordinary fog cannot obstruct the vision of a Dao Foundation cultivator.

And this fog.

It not only obstructs vision but also cloudes perception, even dulling the connection with the primordial energy of heaven and earth.

Even without trying, casting spells would definitely become more difficult and less powerful.

"Formation!"

Yan Lan took a step back, her voice trembling:

"This is the Heavenly Cloud Mist, which can obscure divine sense. The appearance of the mist indicates that the anti-air formation has begun to operate."

Zhu Ju looked up.

He could sense that he had probably lost the ability to take off and fly. As a result, many of the methods of a Dao Foundation cultivator would be restricted, and once surrounded, he would not even have a chance to escape.

"Miss Lan."

Zhu Ju thought for a moment, then spoke solemnly:
"This is my senior brother's residence. Although it is protected by an array, it is too conspicuous. If someone really makes a move against the Yan family, this place will definitely become one of the targets."

"Call your senior brother's descendants, and we'll move to another place. It'll be safer with the fog covering us."

"Yes!" Yan Lan replied, turning around to call for someone, but stopped abruptly after taking only two steps.

"rest assured."

Zhu Ju spoke:
"I promised my senior brother to protect his bloodline, and I will do my best. I will not abandon you."

"Yes." Yan Lan nodded, her eyes reddening.

"Thank you very much, Brother Zhu!

The two were close in age and had similar cultivation levels. Yan Ying had even considered marrying Yan Lan to Zhu Ju.

However, Yan Lan refused to do so.

She could not leave the Yan family or Yunjing Island to follow Zhu Ju to the unknown Shiwan Mountains.

In the end it was settled.

Watch now.

This "Brother Zhu" is not only exceptionally talented and handsome, but also a responsible person, making him a great companion.

As the thought crossed her mind, Yan Lan's pretty face flushed slightly, and she hurriedly ran to the backyard.

(End of this chapter)