Longevity starts with choosing Hextech enhancement

Chapter 351 Old Master Cai's Dilemma (4K)

After immediately revealing his Nascent Soul True Monarch cultivation level, Xiao Chen began to carefully examine the fruit plate in front of him while holding his teacup.

No other meaning intended, just learning and applying what I've learned.

But this put Grandpa Cai in a rather awkward position.

Why did this senior suddenly stop speaking halfway through his sentence?

Weren't you here to discuss a deal?
What are the specific details of the transaction?

As time passed, Mr. Cai felt a great deal of pressure, and a layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Now it was his turn to get restless.

"Um... um, may I ask what kind of transaction you're referring to, senior?"

Old Master Cai carefully considered his words before speaking: "This old man is getting on in years, and my mind is not as sharp as it used to be. I would appreciate your guidance, senior."

Xiao Chen shook his head: "Let's not rush into the deal."

"Before I came here, I heard some interesting rumors. Many people were saying that there was something wrong with the feng shui of Pingyi City."

What are your thoughts on this, sir?

If he were to discuss cooperation right away, the other party might not agree. Therefore, Xiao Chen decided to start by talking about the current predicament of the Cai family.

He needs to make the other party realize that this is a good thing that also benefits them before they will genuinely cooperate with him.

Instead of making a good deal out of nothing, they would turn around and report to the Guiyun Sect as soon as I left.

"Most rumors are untrue, and idle gossip should not be taken seriously."

Grandpa Cai first denied the feng shui theory, and then explained: "The reason why I want to move my clan back to the ancestral home is simply because I want to receive the blessings of my ancestors."

"Our ancestral home is a blessed place for the Cai family. It may be easier to raise outstanding talents here."

He was only half telling the truth.

The first statement is true; the concept of feng shui is indeed just speculation from outsiders.

The reality is that the Cai family is currently under immense pressure.

They may appear glamorous on the surface, but they're rotten to the core.

For the past two hundred years, the clan's many members have been a group of pleasure-seeking, dissolute young men who do not know how to live up to expectations.

Although a few promising talents and diligent cultivators emerged, they all met with various unexpected deaths before reaching the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment.

Initially, Mr. Cai thought it was just a matter of personal destiny.

But as time went on, he couldn't help but wonder if his family was being targeted.

The problem is that he doesn't know which company is behind this.

What worries Mr. Cai even more is that there may be more than one or two people behind the scenes.

They don't have much time left to rebuild their family.

That's why they moved back to their ancestral home, hid in a series of array formations, and even rented out the spirit fields and mines that were far away.

This is to prevent the mastermind behind the scenes from continuing to create accidents and interfere with the cultivation of the new generation of disciples in the clan.

So his last half-sentence was also true; the main purpose of moving was to better protect the chosen immortal seedlings within the clan.

"So this is ah."

Xiao Chen seemed to suddenly realize something: "I thought someone was up to something in the dark."

"It seems I was overthinking it."

Whether or not this is true, he has to give Old Master Cai a hint.

After saying that, Xiao Chen changed the subject: "In that case, let's talk about the transaction."

"I'll be frank. I've heard that there are always several fourth-tier spiritual items at the auction after the Twin Jade Gathering."

"I happen to need some fourth-tier spiritual items right now, but I don't want to be too conspicuous."

"If the old gentleman could help me bid for some spiritual items on my behalf."

"In return, I can help the old man deal with some of the more troublesome enemies."

"Of course, I have already prepared the spirit stones. I'm just using a name. I guarantee that you won't need to spend any money yourself."

"In my opinion, this is less of a deal and more of a collaboration that benefits both of us."

"What do you think, sir?"

Upon hearing these words, Old Master Cai couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

What should come has finally come.

He had actually guessed long ago that he would encounter such a thing sooner or later.

It's just a matter of whether it happens a little earlier or a little later.

However, when that day finally arrived, Mr. Cai still felt somewhat emotional and conflicted.

If he's right, Xiao Chen should be from the Reverse Immortal Alliance.

They're after the Cai family's reputation and want to bring them under their control.

From this perspective, the Cai family has indeed declined significantly.

After all, if given a choice, they certainly wouldn't engage in any so-called cooperation with the Reverse Immortal Alliance.

In other words, from the other party's perspective, they were already at their wits' end.

Although, in reality, they were indeed facing many difficulties.

Now that things have come to this, should he agree?

Grandpa Cai has lived for several hundred years and has seen many ups and downs.

But a huge sense of confusion still arose in my heart.

After all, his choice today could very well directly affect the future of the Cai family, if they even have a future.

Judging from experience, colluding with the Rebel Immortal Alliance in private is an extremely unwise choice.

The Holy City is a sword hanging over the heads of every sect and every family.

For tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of years, all traitors have met with bad ends.

Anyone found to have colluded with the Rebel Immortal Alliance was subjected to the most severe punishment.

Therefore, the right thing to do now is to pretend to agree to appease Xiao Chen, and then secretly report to Guiyun Sect and request their support.

But the question is, can Guiyun Sect really be relied upon?
Admittedly, they would certainly contribute when setting up a trap to strike at the Reverse Immortal Alliance.

But what happens next?
In the future, the Cai family will still face the predicament of having no successor, and will also attract retaliation from the remnants of the Rebel Alliance.

At that time, it will also be a dead end. The best outcome will be that it will be indirectly swallowed up by another large family through marriage, and then slowly marginalized.

Either outcome is something that Mr. Cai cannot accept.

But he had no third option.

Sometimes, people don't have the right to choose right or wrong.

The only option is to choose the less serious one from two wrong choices.

The saying goes, "When faced with two evils, choose the lesser one."

On one hand, joining the Reverse Immortal Alliance would inevitably lead to future reckoning.

On one hand, they refuse to join the Rebel Immortal Alliance, only to be exploited and humiliated by others in the future.

Grandpa Cai really didn't know what to do.

But now that he'd been approached, he couldn't hesitate any longer.

He should either pretend to agree to appease Xiao Chen first, and then report him as quickly as possible.

Either agree to cooperate readily and then try to secure as many benefits as possible for your own side.

Now that things have come to this, a decision must be made.

Should we prolong our lives a little longer, hoping for a turnaround that may never come?

Or should they use each other with the Reverse Immortal Alliance to exchange for key breakthrough spiritual items and secretly cultivate a Nascent Soul True Monarch?
The former depends purely on luck, while the latter requires gambling on whether one's grandson can successfully break through in one go.

After much deliberation, Grandpa Cai decided to take his destiny into his own hands. He reasoned that relying on oneself was better than waiting for fate to change things; rather than passively waiting for a turn of events, he would try to take a chance.

As long as I can get the breakthrough spiritual item, I can secretly send my grandson away and let him change his appearance and go to a distant place to break through to the True Lord level.

Even if they are investigated in the future, the Cai family can make a comeback in another place.

After making his decision, Mr. Cai became much calmer.

He took a deep breath: "I am truly humbled and honored by your high regard for my Cai family."

Although he spoke with fear, his tone remained calm: "Since you say you want to cooperate, then this old man would like to humbly discuss the specific methods of cooperation."

"I hope you will grant my request, senior."

discuss?

Xiao Chen asked, "Tell me about it, I'll listen."

He's always been easy to talk to; as long as the other party doesn't make exorbitant demands, everything is negotiable.

"Thank you for your understanding, senior."

Mr. Cai first expressed his gratitude, and then said, "I can help you with your work, senior, and not only in this auction, but also in subsequent collaborations."

"Whether it's stealing intelligence or providing spiritual materials, it's no problem."

"There is no need to trouble you for the time being, senior. I just hope that you can agree to bestow a Nascent Soul Pill within three years."

what?
Xiao Chen had never heard of this thing. After secretly memorizing this information, he shook his head: "I don't want to lie to you."

"I am not confident that I can obtain the Reversal of Fate Nascent Soul Pill within three years, so I cannot agree to this."

"How about you change your request?"

Upon hearing this, Old Master Cai felt a sense of reassurance.

He was just giving it a try, and he was already prepared for the other party to disagree.

But since Xiao Chen is being so frank, there's clearly still room for discussion.

So he then said, "In that case, I hope that you can bestow upon me two main medicinal herbs for refining breakthrough pills within three years."

"If we can obtain the Reversal of Fate Nascent Soul Pill within the next ten years, everything will remain the same."

"If not, then use these two main medicinal plants to settle the debt."

"As long as the senior gives the word, the entire Cai family can be at your disposal for the next ten years."

This condition might be difficult for others, but it was much simpler for Xiao Chen.

With his current abilities, obtaining two main medicinal herbs is not a difficult task.

Therefore, Xiao Chen nodded readily: "No problem, I can guarantee you will get at least two main medicinal herbs."

"At the same time, as long as you do your job well, I don't mind giving you some extra rewards."

This last sentence is the truth.

It's no exaggeration to say that Xiao Chen could easily support an entire sect right now, and he wouldn't mind sharing some resources with his own people.

However, this is on the premise that they can actually play a certain role.

The two sides reached an agreement on cooperation, and then naturally discussed the specific actions to follow.

This is much simpler.

It was nothing more than Xiao Chen impersonating a member of the Cai family and sneaking into the auction along with the Cai family's group.

Regardless, the Cai family is still one of the four major families on the surface.

They will have a separate room at the time of the auction.

At that time, they can act as the bidding agents for whatever Xiao Chen takes a fancy to.

This way, he can obtain the desired spiritual item without exposing himself.

Now that they had become partners, Mr. Cai took the initiative to present a banner to show his sincerity.

This is a formation flag of the Cai family's linked formation, which allows the holder to move freely within the formation.

This was to prove that he had no intention of secretly reporting them.

"That's not necessary."

Xiao Chen waved his hand: "Trust those you employ, and don't employ those you don't trust."

"I believe that since you have agreed to cooperate, you will not lie to me."

Of course, that's just a figure of speech. In reality, it's because he has the Night's Edge, which allows him to escape safely even if he's ambushed.

However, Mr. Cai was deeply moved.

In his view, this is naturally a manifestation of sincerity.

Whether it was agreeing to change the conditions earlier or now actively demonstrating trust, it shows a willingness to win over the Cai family.

All of this shows that the Reverse Immortal Alliance does not intend to use them and then discard them, but rather truly plans for long-term cooperation.

"By the way, the Double Jade Gathering is the day after tomorrow."

Xiao Chen asked, "When shall we depart?"

Grandpa Cai replied, "According to custom, the four major families will arrive at Guiyun Market on the morning of the day after tomorrow by spirit ship."

"Senior, are you planning to depart ahead of schedule?"

Xiao Chen waved his hand: "Since there is a precedent, we should definitely follow it to avoid arousing suspicion from outsiders."

"But since we still have a day, we might as well find something to do."

"I imagine the old gentleman must have quite a collection of books at home, right?"

"Would it be convenient for me to take a look?"

Since we're already here, we can't let the Cai family's collection of ancient books go to waste.

As the saying goes, a skinny camel is bigger than a horse.

Although the Cai family is now quite poor, they were once very wealthy.

Their family must have collected a great many books, far more than what Zhang Cunfu and others had seen or heard.

Xiao Chen still lacks a lot of understanding about the new cultivation world.

This is a good opportunity to brush up on my knowledge in this area.

In a sense, if he could see some useful information today, its future value might not be lower than that of the spiritual items at the auction.

"Of course, no problem. Please come to the study, senior."

Grandpa Cai paused for a moment, then readily agreed.

Although he didn't quite understand why Xiao Chen would be interested in his family's collection of books, he didn't think much of it.

Anyway, the Cai family only collects books on general knowledge and stories, so it's no big deal if they read them.

So he personally invited Xiao Chen to his study and served him the best spiritual tea in the house.

They even specially rummaged through the warehouse and brought in a bundle of the finest incense, which is said to be refreshing and invigorating.

"Really? Then let's just order it."

Xiao Chen didn't ask any questions about the spiritual tea and incense, since he wasn't afraid of any problems.

He immediately immersed himself in the two large bookshelves of ancient books in the study.

Although there's only one day left before we set off.

However, with the help of his powerful divine sense, Xiao Chen only spent a short time browsing through all the ancient books.

We have a general understanding of the categories and content.

Then, I selected about a hundred of the more useful books and began to study them carefully, quickly supplementing my understanding of the new cultivation world.

He spent the entire next day in his study.

Even the suggestion from Old Master Cai to meet the rest of the Cai family was postponed by him.

He couldn't be bothered to know so many people. If he had something to say, he would just tell Grandpa Cai and have him relay it.

(End of this chapter)