Dongting Immortal Clan

Old Zhang somehow acquired an oxcart, which Chen Dajiang drove, carrying Chen Chuansheng and Chen Xiaohu all the way north.

After watching them leave the village, Chen Changhe finally let out a long sigh under the camphor tree.

Old Zhang thought he was reluctant to part with Chen Xiaohu, so he took out his pipe, took a small puff, and advised him:

"It's a wonderful thing that Xiao Hu'er is going to the Immortal Sect to cultivate."

"With this connection, not to mention a few wealthy villagers, even other cultivators will have to think twice about your family."

"I know."

Once the two returned home, Chen Changhe's eyes sharpened again.

"I have already condensed nine strands of magical power, which can be considered as the minor success of the first realm. I only need to learn the Spirit Detection Technique to go and find the spirit fields."

"At that time, as long as the spirit seed is planted, there will naturally be a harvest."

"Have you ever thought about something?"

Old Zhang suddenly put down his pipe and said in a deep voice:

"What if the land under my name possesses no spiritual essence whatsoever?"

To cultivate spirit rice, one must have spirit fields. Although Old Zhang owns land, he may not necessarily have spirit fields.

After all, the spiritual energy around this lake is now extremely thin.

"Godfather".

Chen Changhe said in a slightly deep voice.

"If it's as you say, then it doesn't matter."

"Now that my family is a cultivation family under the rule of the Immortal Sect, all the fields within a ten-mile radius should be at my disposal!"

"Even if it's not in Baiyukou, it must be in other places."

Old Zhang looked at him, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Unexpectedly, Chen Changhe had such thoughts in his heart, and he did have some ambition. I was right to have misjudged him back then.

"The idea is good, but we can't rush it."

Old Zhang tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe and slowly began to speak:

As the art of war says, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

"How much do you know about these businesses around Baiyukou? How many thugs do they have, and do they have any connections in the city?"

"If you master the magic passed down by the immortal master, how many people could you defeat? And would you be injured in the process?"

"You need to think these things through carefully."

Old Zhang looked at Chen Changhe with a hint of advice in his eyes.

"Furthermore, even if everything goes as you wish and the land belongs to you, how many people are in your family? How can you possibly protect this land? Aren't you afraid that others will also hire help from the cultivation world to seize it by force?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Changhe was startled, but his eyes shone even brighter. He bowed under the eaves and said:

"Please teach me, Godfather!"

……

Old Zhang's voice wasn't loud, but his words carried great weight. Seeing Chen Changhe's humble attitude, he continued:

"To forge iron, one must be strong oneself. Your family has cultivation methods, and I will teach you martial arts. In three to five years, you will be invincible in Yunmeng, and no one in this mortal world will be your match."

"This is one of them."

Secondly.

"For the Chen family to become a cultivation family, the key is for you and Dalang to improve your cultivation as soon as possible. Only when your cultivation is high can you control everything."

"As for the work of fishing, catching clams, etc., we can arrange for others to do it."

"All you have to give up is wages and food."

Thirdly…

"You also need to keep some trusted confidants in your household to gather information and do shady things."

"The Chen family is a family under the rule of the Immortal Sect, so naturally we cannot tarnish the reputation of the Immortal Sect. How can we do everything ourselves?"

Old Zhang spoke slowly, recounting many of the rules and principles he had learned in his youth.

Chen Changhe nodded, his voice deep and serious:

"I have learned a lot."

"Right now, my business is just starting to take off, so it's not the right time to compete with the other companies."

Time is on our side.

"In three to five years, my elder brother and I will shed our wooden shells and gather a group of trusted confidants in the family. Then, in Baiyukou, there will only be the voice of the Chen family."

Old Zhang nodded repeatedly.

Chen Changhe is a smart man; he understood immediately.

"Now that spring has arrived, although Master Zhou has not found any trace of that thing on the lake, it would be best if you and Dajiang avoided going there as much as possible, just to be on the safe side."

"First, learn the method of spirit detection and see if there are any spirit fields around the village."

"If you have any spiritual fields, plant the rice first."

Old Zhang said in a steady voice:

"You and Dalang must not neglect your daily training, martial arts practice, and studies."

"I'm not particularly skilled. When I was traveling the world, I relied on a big spear and an iron bow."

"Once your meridians are fully recovered, I will pass on this killing skill to you, which is more effective than fists and feet."

"Then thank you very much, godfather."

Chen Changhe bowed respectfully.

Old Zhang was whittling a white waxwood shaft in the yard before, which he intended to use as a gun barrel.

……

The two chatted as they returned to their room.

Not long after sitting down, Old Zhang suddenly remembered something, slapped his thigh, stood up, walked over to Chen Changhe, and laughed:

"I almost forgot there's something else I need to discuss with you."

His voice sounded somewhat unnatural, perhaps because he was worried about being rejected.

Chen Changhe was playing with the white waxwood stick when he heard the sound and turned around.

"Godfather, please speak frankly."

He put down the white waxwood stick and walked over to Old Zhang.

Old Zhang cleared his throat and chuckled:

"You're almost eighteen this year. In the village, someone your age would have been married long ago."

He paused, then continued:

"A distant relative of mine has a daughter named Zhang Xiulan. She's a year younger than you. She's pretty and hardworking. Her father is a carpenter, an honest and reliable man."

"I was thinking, if you're willing, I could act as a matchmaker for you two."

Chen Changhe was stunned, his face showing surprise, confusion, and a hint of embarrassment.

"Godfather, I am now..."

Chen Changhe opened his mouth, wanting to say "I haven't even entered the gate of cultivation yet," wanting to say "My meridians haven't fully recovered yet," wanting to say "I can't worry about these things right now."

But when the words came out, they felt that none of them were valid reasons.

"Let me finish."

Old Zhang waved his hand, interrupting him.

"I'm not asking you to get married right now."

"Let's settle things first, talk about the marriage, and then have the wedding after you've recovered and your family is settled."

"I've already spoken to Xiulan, and her parents agree. Now it's up to you."

Chen Changhe lowered his head; the heroic spirit he had just felt now receded into his heart.

"What did my dad say?"

Chen Changhe suddenly said.

Old Zhang laughed:

"Your father would absolutely agree."

"But he knows you're stubborn, and if you don't agree, no one can persuade you."

"And there's Dalang."

Old Zhang continued, "He'll be twenty-three after the New Year, and I've made some arrangements for him."

"There's a girl in the village named Guifang. She's quite pretty. I'm thinking you two should get married soon so you can have more children for the Chen family."

Seeing that his father agreed, Chen Changhe naturally couldn't say anything more.

"I'll listen to my godfather."

He said it softly, not taking it too seriously.

If Zhang Xiulan, whom her adoptive father spoke of, is compatible with her temperament, then forming a marriage alliance is not out of the question.

After all, they had received a great favor from their adoptive father and were already family. It would be perfect to strengthen their ties.

Old Zhang glanced at him, nodded, and said nothing more.

He turned and walked back under the eaves, sat back down on the bench, picked up his pipe, and took a puff.

The smoke slowly rose and dissipated in the spring sunshine.

Chen Changhe sat cross-legged on a cushion under the eaves, closing his eyes to meditate.

After he swallowed the Qi-Nourishing Pill, the medicinal power was not immediately refined. Instead, it remained in his body, slowly nourishing his internal organs, which made the speed of refining his magical power faster than normal cultivation.

Now, Chen Changhe only hopes that he can quickly cultivate the thirty-six strands of magical power, shed his mortal body, and be born with spiritual consciousness.

Only in this way can the secret of the small cauldron be seen by oneself.