Courtyard House: Wudang Disciple Sweeps Through the Compound

The harvested grains and vegetables were neatly categorized and stored in specially built warehouses within the secret realm, making them readily available for use.

The amount of stored grain was considerable, enough to feed their family comfortably for several years.

Moreover, each crop in the secret realm has been allocated a full 100 acres of land for large-scale scientific cultivation, and in just a few days, another bumper harvest with extremely considerable yields will be achieved.

The previously harvested soybeans were partly processed into tofu, which is as white as jade, and partly made into soy milk powder with a delicate texture, or thin and chewy bean curd sheets.

He even successfully brewed soy sauce, an essential ingredient in daily cooking, using this batch of beans, and stored a considerable quantity.

Most of the harvested peanuts were used to extract oil, and several large vats of clear peanut oil have already been harvested.

At the same time, he also specially selected and kept a lot of plump and high-quality peanuts, and stored them properly as reserve grain.

However, in Chen Wenqi's opinion, although the resources in the secret realm are very abundant, the variety of fruits is still somewhat limited, which is a minor drawback.

He secretly planned to find some free time to visit the city's vegetable markets or fruit stalls to see if he could buy some specialty fruits from the south.

For example, there are sweet and juicy lychees, nourishing longans, fragrant mangoes, and uniquely flavored pineapples, which enrich the variety of fruits and vegetables in the Secret Realm Orchard and make the choice of ingredients on the table more diverse.

In that specially cultivated medicinal garden, the tens of thousands of ginseng plants he had carefully nurtured are now growing exceptionally well, presenting a vibrant and lush scene as far as the eye can see.

These ginsengs were all cultivated by him using his plant tissue culture techniques. He continuously separated and induced ginseng buds, then transplanted them into separate bottles for further cultivation.

All in all, he successfully cultivated four batches of ginseng seedlings, totaling approximately 12,000 seedlings.

Chen Wenqi had already made a clear plan in his mind: he would not continue to expand the scale of ginseng cultivation.

Because he knew very well that even if not every one of the twelve thousand ginseng plants in front of him could grow into a priceless century-old ginseng, even if they only grew to the standard of fifty-year-old wild ginseng, their total accumulated value was already an astronomical figure that was unimaginable to ordinary people.

Moreover, with the special environment of the secret realm, cultivating these ginsengs into century-old ginseng is not actually a particularly difficult task.

The current flow of time inside the secret realm is ten times that of the outside world. This means that if ten years pass in the outside world, a full hundred years will have passed in the secret realm, which is just enough to meet the growth cycle requirements of a hundred-year-old ginseng.

When the secret realm is upgraded to level two in the future, the flow of time inside will be twenty times faster than outside. At that time, it will only take five years in the real world to cultivate a hundred-year-old ginseng.

As the level of the secret realm continues to increase, the cultivation time will be further shortened, and the efficiency of ginseng cultivation will be greatly improved.

That evening, after having dinner at home, Jia Dongxu secretly pocketed the money his master, Yi Zhonghai, had given him when no one was looking.

But he secretly hid another hundred dollars, only carrying the remaining hundred dollars with him, and then made an excuse to slip out of the house.

He had originally planned to bring along Sha Zhu, with whom he had a good relationship, to bolster his courage and have someone to look after him on the way.

But Sha-zhu made an excuse that his stomach was suddenly hurting badly and refused to go out with him no matter what.

Having no other choice, Jia Dongxu walked alone through the deep night for a long time before finally arriving at Dahuaishu Hutong in the west of the city.

As soon as he reached the entrance of the alley, he noticed several figures loitering back and forth, clearly someone was keeping watch.

This is a semi-public black market trading point, often referred to by locals as the "ghost market".

Since the country implemented a strict rationing system, this kind of black market business has become increasingly prosperous. Every night, the streets and alleys are crowded with people, and transactions are endless.

Those hard-to-find coupons for grain and cloth, or rare goods that are impossible to buy in state-run stores, can often be found here.

Of course, no tickets or permits are required for transactions in such places, but the prices of goods are much higher than the official prices.

Besides, many shady deals are also conducted in this shady area.

At this moment, in order to avoid being recognized, Jia Dongxu specially disguised himself, wearing an old, yellowed hat on his head and wrapping his face tightly with a thick scarf, only revealing a pair of nervous eyes.

As soon as he reached the alley entrance, a man on lookout duty immediately approached him, scrutinizing him warily from head to toe before lowering his voice and asking, "Are you here to buy or to ship goods?"

"This... Brother, I'm not here to do business," Jia Dongxu nervously rubbed his cold hands, speaking in a humble and apologetic tone. "I'm here to inquire about someone. May I ask if Master Lu is here? I have an important matter to discuss with him in person."

Upon hearing the name "Lu San," the man immediately understood that a "special" business opportunity had come his way.

Those in the underworld all know that Lu San specializes in taking on dirty, shady jobs. As long as the price offered by the employer is tempting enough, he'll take on even dangerous jobs involving human lives.

However, in the past year or two, the situation has become more tense, and he has reduced the number of jobs he takes. Most of his work involves collecting debts or breaking the limbs of an enemy as instructed by his employer. It has been a long time since we have heard of him taking on jobs that could take lives.

"Come with me." The man said expressionlessly, then turned around and led Jia Dongxu deeper into the alley.

Jia Dongxu's heart jumped into his throat instantly, his heart pounding so hard it was deafening, and even his steps became unsteady.

His purpose in coming here was to hire someone to teach Chen Wenqi, whom he hated so much, a lesson.

But when the moment came, looking at the deep, dark, and seemingly endless alley in front of him, and then at the cold-faced guide in front of him, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

But after much hesitation, the image of Chen Wenqi's arrogant and hateful face flashed through his mind. He gritted his teeth and followed him with a heavy heart.

The two wandered through narrow, winding alleys, becoming increasingly secluded, until finally stopping in front of an inconspicuous wooden door with peeling, mottled paint.

The man in front stopped, raised his hand, and tapped lightly on the wooden door a few times in a specific rhythm.

Not long after, the heavy wooden door creaked open, and a narrow crack, just wide enough for one person to squeeze through, was pulled open from the inside.

The person inside the door was clearly familiar with the man who led the way. Through the crack in the door, he glanced warily at Jia Dongxu, who was following behind and was wrapped up tightly, and immediately understood most of the situation.

He subtly gave the man leading the way a meaningful look that only the two of them could understand.

The man understood immediately, turned slightly to the side, gave Jia Dongxu a wink to follow, and then led him into the secluded courtyard.

As soon as I stepped into the courtyard, the clattering of mahjong tiles mingled with the loud shouts of men playing drinking games and making fistfights.

In the dead of night, deep in this secluded alley, such unrestrained noise and commotion sounded particularly jarring, and even carried an indescribable eeriness and sinister aura.

Jia Dongxu's heart pounded faster and faster, and his palms were already sweating.

He knew perfectly well that those who frequented places like this were definitely not law-abiding good guys; most were ruthless street thugs, and some might even be desperate criminals with murder on their hands.

But now that others have already stepped in, it's like an arrow on a bowstring that can't be released. Even if you want to back down now, it's too late. You can only grit your teeth and persevere.

The guard led him through the not-so-spacious courtyard and straight into the inner room, which was illuminated by a dim yellow light.

Inside the room, several burly men with fierce expressions sat around a square table, loudly playing drinking games and drinking heavily, creating an atmosphere that was almost arrogant and domineering.

The man sitting in the main seat had a thick beard, and most strikingly, a long scar ran across his left cheek, shaped like a ferocious centipede.

The scar started below his left eye and extended diagonally to near his chin, looking particularly gruesome.

He had a pair of typical triangular eyes, with an undisguised sinister and ruthless look in his eyes. Anyone who saw him would know that he was definitely a ruthless character who should not be messed with.

Scarface noticed someone enter the room, but only glanced over casually out of the corner of his eye before asking gruffly, "What is it?"

Upon seeing this, one of the underlings who was drinking with him quickly stood up and respectfully replied, "Third Master, it's this brother. He says he has a business deal he'd like to discuss with you."

"Do you know the rules here?" The scarred man, known as Lu San, slightly raised his chin. His tone seemed calm, but it carried an undeniable sense of oppression.

"Yes, yes! Third Master, I know the rules!" Jia Dongxu quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said with utmost humility, "I've come here to ask you to help me cripple someone."