Young master, why not become a corpse immortal?

Chapter 279 Returning Home

The remaining days were calm and peaceful.

The village was being built step by step, and with the help of Jinzi and Linjiang, the entire village gradually took on a new look.

Lin Jiang occasionally traveled between Qingniwa and the small village, partly to purchase daily necessities, and partly to persuade merchants to establish a chamber of commerce there.

The Lanko people have very few adult laborers left; those who survived are mainly children and the elderly. Although these two groups can manage some work, it is quite difficult to rely on them to support the entire village's industry.

Nowadays, most villages of Daxing's size rely on farming to achieve self-sufficiency, but the people of Lanke simply cannot do that.

Not to mention that cultivating farmland takes a long time, even from sowing seeds to harvesting, it would be difficult to get things running in the short term without the presence of experts skilled in farming.

Therefore, the village cannot rely on farming as its primary occupation for the time being.

And what about hunting? That's even less feasible.

Although there is prey in the nearby woodlands, it is enough to sustain the village in the short term. However, if the village relies on this for a long time, since it is neither located in the deep mountains nor adjacent to a large forest, the number of prey will certainly be insufficient.

After much deliberation, this small village, as the intermediary crossroads for those coming from the south to Qingniwa, is indeed the best choice.

So the plan was to first build roads, then prepare horses, and then build post stations to attract merchants.

Logically speaking, it would be quite difficult for a village to get to this point directly.

However, the people of Lanco have plenty of gold!

Do you think our small village has a bleak future?
Why don't you weigh what's in my pocket?

Is the road too far?
Shake the things in my pocket again.

Worried about unsold goods?

Please feel the treasure in my pocket for yourself.

Merchants come for money, and money is created for merchants.

This is called attracting investment.

That's why Lin Jiang has been going back and forth to Qingniwa these past few days.

In practice, this worked quite well. Most merchants were tempted after seeing the money and patted their chests, promising to find a good place in the village.

Early this morning, the sky was dark and gloomy, as if it were about to rain. Lin Jiang did not want to brave the rain and get soaked, so he did not leave the village but stayed in a small house to rest.

Originally, Zi Ren and Lan Ke Ren wanted to build a large house specifically for Lin Jiang, but they felt that manpower was tight and they should focus on ensuring that everyone had a place to live first, and then build a house later if they had the resources. So they settled down in such a small house themselves.

It is right next to the river reflecting the moon.

Gong Xuan lived on the other side of the village, and the two tried to avoid seeing each other on weekdays.

At that moment, he was squatting at the door, holding a bowl of noodles with gravy in his hand, looking up at a carpenter in the distance who was using a plane to scrape wood planks.

The carpenter was skilled, and with each stroke, the wood shavings from the planer flew up and down. He then scolded his apprentice for not watching over the wood properly.

It made the place seem unusually lively.

Just then, they heard the sound of horses' hooves coming from afar.

Looking to the side, I caught a glimpse of a group of people riding horses in a leisurely manner.

Lin Jiang glanced at them once, and his gaze quickly locked onto the middle-aged man at the head of the group.

This person is definitely extraordinary.

Regardless of the small squad of well-trained guards following him, the extraordinary aura emanating from him alone indicated that he was no ordinary person.

Who is this distinguished guest who has come here?

Lin Jiang stared at the man, who looked back at him with a gentle smile on his face. He then dismounted and slowly walked towards Lin Jiang.

"Brother, do you have any more noodles? We've been working day and night, traveling for a long time, and we're really tired."

Lin Jiang pointed directly into the distance with his chopsticks. Beside the noodle stall, Yana was efficiently distributing today's meals:
"Just go there to get it, it's three coins a bowl, and the gravy is two coins extra."

The rather noble-looking middle-aged man nodded and led his men straight toward the noodle stall.

Before long, they all returned with their bowls of noodles.

Lin Jiang clearly saw that the middle-aged man's attendants started eating noodles first, and then the middle-aged man slowly picked up his chopsticks.

With nowhere to sit in the village, the man ate a couple of bites, thought for a moment, and then moved to Lin Jiang's side and squatted down as well.

The two of them squatted down on either side of each other and ate noodles.

After taking a couple of bites, the man suddenly sighed:
"This place is really nice."

"This place is really nice."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiang nodded solemnly.

The man couldn't help but look at Lin Jiang with surprise:
"Aren't you going to ask me why I said that?"

“You’re a discerning person, so you’re definitely right.”

The man couldn't help but laugh out loud.

“Your answer is quite interesting,” he said with a smile. “My surname is Zhao, and my given name is Dafu. I am a merchant from the south. I originally planned to do some business in Qingniwa. On my way, I happened to pass by this place and saw your village. I thought it was a really nice place, so I wondered if I could do some business here.”

"As long as you are sincere in doing business, you are naturally welcome."

"If we don't do business, what else can we do?"

The bowl of noodles was empty and placed at his feet. The middle-aged man, who called himself Zhao Dafu, stood up and straightened the hem of his overly long coat that had swept to the ground.

"We need to go to Qingniwa in the next few days to prepare some basic supplies. We will return in two or three days. Finally, we hope that you can reserve a good place for us in the village."

"If we come early, we might be able to secure a good spot sooner."

The middle-aged man walked away with a smile.

Watching that receding figure, Lin Jiang's brows furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly.

This person spoke politely, behaved gently, and looked like a decent and good person.

However, there was always something strange about his every move that made Lin Jiang feel uneasy.

No matter how you look at it, he doesn't seem like an ordinary wealthy businessman.

Thinking that he must continue to travel around and could not stay here for long, he realized that he had to continue traveling around.

The town is a mixed bag, and there might be some unscrupulous people among them. Yana is still young, and Old Apa is far away in the capital. In the end, they need to find a more reliable person to stay and take care of her.

He raised his hand and gently tapped his forehead.

If all else fails, next time I go to see Old Zhao, I can borrow a capable advisor from him to keep watch. Just as he was thinking, a drop of cool rain unexpectedly touched his cheek. Looking up, he saw that the thick, dark clouds were finally letting down heavy raindrops.

The autumn rain arrived quietly.

The weather should be getting cooler now.

Back in his room, Lin Jiang lay down on the wooden bed covered only by a thin mattress and closed his eyes for a short rest.

Half-asleep, I heard a woman's soft voice calling in my ear:
"Master."

"Master."

"I've successfully trained back in my hometown."

Lin Jiang suddenly opened his eyes.

As he pondered this, he suddenly realized that it was Luo Li who had been calling his name softly beside him.

Lin Jiang sat up, rubbed his groggy head, and slowly regained some consciousness:
"So fast?"

"You brought in helpers, and several long-standing bottlenecks were suddenly resolved. Once you understand these methods, you can be considered to have mastered them."

Lin Jiang felt no joy whatsoever.

The newly acquired elixir formula was certainly welcome, but once the method was mastered, Gongxuan would have to embark on a long journey.

The purpose of practicing this method was to ensure that Gongxuan could return at any time if he encountered danger. Now that he has succeeded, even if he deliberately conceals it, it will ultimately be in vain.

His thoughts churned for a moment, then he forcibly suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind.

Instead of just daydreaming, let's take this opportunity to explore the workings of returning home.

This method can allow one to return home instantly. Lin Jiang suspects it is related to the heavy fog. If one can diligently study and comprehend it, one may be able to travel back and forth freely.

So he accessed his memories and absorbed everything the ghosts had learned during that time.

A moment later, Lin Jiang had completely absorbed this method into his mind.

He focused his mind and comprehended the method, becoming increasingly aware of its extraordinary mystery.

The teleportation technique used here ultimately relies on the power of the primordial fog, and this alchemy technique is no exception.

However, compared to the brute force used by the King of Qi, the art of controlling the mist in his hometown was clearly more subtle and profound.

The entire art of alchemy is divided into only two parts: the first is "contemplation," which requires the practitioner to cherish the thought of their homeland. This thought is like a key, which can guide the primordial fog to locate the way home.

The second is "opening," which means using this thought as a key, viewing the primordial fog as a gate, and striving to push it open.

The greatest challenge lies in how to push open the door using the least amount of fog.

Excessive fog can be a major problem, because the original fog was extremely fierce and could easily cause people to lose their way if it was not controlled.

If one were to fall into an empty space, there would still be room for maneuver; the fatal flaw lies in…

In the primordial fog, there were no ups, downs, or boundaries.

Its teleportation landing point is by no means limited to land.

It could be anywhere—the deepest depths of the earth, the boundless ocean, or the highest peaks of the sky.

Even Lin Jiang, if thrown into a stone coffin at the ends of the earth, would find it difficult to escape a desperate situation of being trapped and dying.

Extremely dangerous.

Fortunately, the Dan formula had already balanced this part, so Lin Jiang didn't need to try it.

Similarly, Lin Jiang could try this first step.

Because its search criteria seem to be thoughts, rather than the actual hometown.

Since I had an idea, I decided to give it a try.

Close your eyes and knead the first one using the normal method to bring it home.

Open your palm, and a small, brownish-gray pill appears in your hand.

The unmodified "Returning Home" should, according to its medicinal properties, take directly to the place most deeply etched in one's memory.

Although Baishan Town is his hometown, the impressions left on Lin Jiang by the capital city and the ancient pines are more vivid.

After a moment's thought, he decided to focus on imagining the capital city after swallowing it.

After all, Cangsong is also considered homeland, and the primary task this time is to verify whether the elixir can be directed to other locations.

As soon as the pill entered my mouth, a surge of Qi immediately rose from my throat and flowed to my limbs and bones in an instant.

At the same time, the scene of the capital city gradually took shape in Lin Jiang's mind.

Suddenly, a cacophony of voices filled my ears.

Lin Jiang suddenly opened his eyes, startling a passing scholar who staggered back several steps:

"This guy appeared out of nowhere, it's terrifying!"

The scholar stared wide-eyed and muttered under his breath.

Lin Jiang had no time to pay attention to him at the moment and immediately looked around.

The streets were bustling, and an old man carrying a birdcage could be clearly seen strolling in the distance; this place must be the capital.

It seems that as long as one longs for this place enough, one can indeed reach the place one desires.

So...where else?

For example, like treading on clouds.

He had a vivid memory of that scene.

Without hesitation, he found a quiet corner and rubbed out another one to go home.

Tilt your head back and swallow, then close your eyes and concentrate.

The familiar sense of oppression returned.

Lin Jiang suddenly opened his eyes.

All around was a vast expanse of water, with howling winds in the sky and towering waves crashing against Lin Jiang's head, almost shoving him down.

I... fell into the sea?

What the hell did I get myself into?

(End of this chapter)