Dongting Immortal Clan

It was already past midnight when I got home.

Old Zhang didn't sleep; he sat in the main room waiting, a pot of tea already placed in front of him.

When he saw the two brothers return, their faces were somewhat grave, and he immediately knew something was wrong.

Chen Changhe recounted everything he had seen.

After listening, Old Zhang frowned even more deeply and slowly said:

"It seems... it's definitely not unclaimed."

"The Zhou family..."

"Why did they suddenly come up with this thing?"

He paused, then suddenly spoke again:

"I've heard some rumors these past few days, and the Zhou family seems to be quite strange."

He whispered:

"The Zhou family's old house is at least a hundred years old. The older generation said that the Zhou family was able to prosper in this area because of the feng shui of that house."

"There is a rumor that there is an ancient well locked in the Zhou family's ancestral home, in which a golden carp is raised. It is a descendant of the Dragon King of the lake, and when the time is right, it will transform into a dragon and fly to the heavens..."

"The Zhou family's old residence is tightly locked; ordinary people rarely get a chance to see it."

Recalling the fierce and chilling aura he had just felt, Chen Changhe became even more certain.

This matter should have nothing to do with Shen Congyun.

Why is this old house, which has been silent for many years, showing strange phenomena at this particular time?

"Godfather".

He looked at Old Zhang and asked, "Should we tell Shen Congyun about this?"

Old Zhang looked up at him, his gaze deep, and remained silent for a long time.

He stood up, walked to the door, and looked out at the lake that was completely swallowed by thick fog.

The fog on the lake grew thicker, and nothing could be seen.

"Let's not talk about it now."

"Shen Congyun is Zhou Yan's man. Once Zhou Yan makes a move, you won't be able to hold onto this thing."

"If he lacks discernment and fails to see the clues, or... becomes greedy and conceals the truth, then that would be exactly what we want."

He turned around, and in the dim glow of the yellow lamplight, his weathered face appeared remarkably serene.

"You can go to the Zhou family to collect it when your cultivation is sufficient in the future."

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In the following days, Chen Changhe stopped going to the Zhou family to observe their celestial phenomena, as if he knew nothing about the matter.

He silently surveyed all the fields surrounding Baiyukou.

Every day before dawn, he would go out with his short sword and a yellow paper talisman, walking along the lake embankment, the field ridges, and the foot of the mountain, looking at each place one by one.

He used the Spirit Detection Technique no less than a hundred times, and the Qi Observation Technique even more frequently.

So much so that the ancestral acupoint between the eyebrows felt faintly swollen, as if something was trying to squeeze out from inside.

Old Zhang still owns some wasteland, which has a certain charm; it's located on the lake shore, very close to that reed field.

Chen Changhe and Chen Dajiang used to cut grass and burn the wasteland to reclaim the land.

The soil here is indeed excellent, with a thick layer of black soil and abundant humus. In addition, the concentration of spiritual energy is much higher than elsewhere, making it perfect for planting spirit grains.

"The White Jade Spirit Valley yields two harvests a year. If planted now, it will be ready for harvest in the autumn."

……

Before you knew it, it was time for Shen Congyun to come to Baiyukou again.

Standing in front of the Chen family courtyard gate, gazing at the neatly maintained blue-brick courtyard before him, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

"The Chen family has indeed shown signs of rising in recent years."

"Not to mention Chen Xiaohu who is cultivating in the inner sect, even Chen Changhe is probably not far from the Transcendent Realm."

"Master Shen".

Wang Guifang invited him into the main room and served him tea. Chen Chuansheng sat beside him, telling him interesting stories.

Shen Congyun wore a moon-white Taoist robe, her hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, her face was fair, and she had her usual smile on her lips. She looked gentle and harmless.

Shortly after, Chen Changhe and Chen Dajiang entered the room together, cupped their hands in greeting to Shen Congyun, and said:

"Brother Shen, you've arrived so early!"

Shen Congyun put down his teacup, glanced at Chen Changhe, and waved his hand with a smile:

"Brother Chen's progress is truly rapid. The wooden embryo has faded, and spiritual energy is abundant within. Congratulations!"

His cultivation had reached the third level of the Spiritual Treasury Realm, and his spiritual sense was sharp, so he could see through Chen Changhe's changes at a glance.

"It's all thanks to Senior Zhou's guidance and the blessings of the sect."

Chen Changhe smiled and spoke respectfully.

That's true. If Zhou Yan hadn't given him the elixir and told him about the Azure Water Clam, he might not have been able to cultivate so quickly.

Shen Congyun picked up his teacup and gently blew on it, saying:

"Uncle Zhou said the batch of blue water clams we collected last month were of excellent quality, and he asked me to come and collect another batch. I wonder if you've had any new catches lately?"

"We don't have any stock at home right now, so we need to ask the fishermen in the villages."

Chen Changhe frowned slightly and said apologetically:

"Lately I've been focused on stabilizing my cultivation level, and I've neglected this matter. Perhaps I should go and ask about it now?"

"Uncle-Master was just asking casually, there's no need to rush."

Shen Congyun waved his hand, showing no anger.

His gaze lingered on the brothers' mud-stained trouser legs for a moment, then he asked with a smile:

"You two look rather rustic; were you just clearing land?"

Chen Changhe nodded:

"Exactly."

"Having mastered the art of spirit detection, I discovered a few acres of thin land in the surrounding area that possesses a slight spiritual quality, and I'm thinking of trying to plant some white jade millet."

"This is a good thing."

Shen Congyun nodded repeatedly, his smile widening.

"Once the annual spirit grain is paid, the sect will bestow rewards accordingly."

"My Shen family of Longxi has accumulated wealth slowly in this way to achieve our current status."

The Shen family he came from was also a family of cultivators, with its roots in a mountain stream in Yunmeng, not in the lakes and marshes.

"In that case, let's go and check out those fishing households you mentioned; perhaps we can find something there."

Shen Congyun stood up, his robe sleeves fluttering slightly.

Chen Changhe's heart tightened, but he remained calm on the surface and got up to lead the way.

The two left the courtyard one after the other.

……

Springtime is the best time to see the whitefish mouth.

The willows by the lake have sprouted new buds, and their tender green branches sway gently in the wind.

The rapeseed flowers in the field are in full bloom, a bright yellow expanse, with bees buzzing among them.

In the distance, the vast expanse of Dongting Lake stretches out, its blue waters boundless. Occasionally, a flock of egrets takes flight from the reeds, tracing an arc in the sky.

Shen Congyun walked slowly, stopping frequently along the way and occasionally asking a few casual questions.

The two first went to the newly reclaimed arable land at the east end of the village.

Shen Congyun squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, kneaded it in his hand, and nodded:

"The soil is good and the spiritual energy is sufficient. In a good year, these five acres of land should yield ten bushels of spiritual grain."

"Ten bushels?"

Chen Changhe was slightly taken aback.

"More than that."

Shen Congyun stood up and brushed the dust off his hands.

"One stone of spirit grain can be exchanged for one bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pill in the sect. Ten stones will make ten bottles. You can't use them all by yourself, so the rest can be used to help your elder brother cultivate."

Chen Dajiang is also about to undergo a transformation, and with the aid of elixirs, he will surely achieve twice the result with half the effort.

The two visited several more fishermen's homes and collected seven or eight green water clams.

They are all small, the largest being no bigger than a fist.

However, these spirit clams were all of good quality, with smooth shells and clear patterns, making it clear at a glance that they contained spiritual golden pearls inside.

Shen Congyun put the green water clam into a blue cloth bag.

The bag didn't look big, but it could hold more than a dozen river clams; it was a storage magic item.

By the time they finished collecting the blue water clams, the sun was already setting.

Chen Changhe led Shen Congyun back, but instead of taking the original route, they deliberately took a detour, passing by the outskirts of Zhoujia Village.

As he walked, he chatted with Shen Congyun, talking about interesting things in the village, rumors about the lake, and the management of the spiritual fields.

His tone was natural and his expression relaxed, but he remained tense, secretly observing Shen Congyun's reaction.

When passing through Zhoujia Village.

Shen Congyun glanced at the gray-black rooftops, but didn't stop walking or even look at them for long.

His expression remained unchanged, with his usual smile still playing on his lips, as if the place before him was just an ordinary village.

"He didn't notice?!"

Chen Changhe's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm.

He did not deliberately guide Shen Congyun to look in the direction of the Zhou family's old house, nor did he bring up anything about Zhoujia Village.

The two quickly passed Zhoujia Village and walked back along the lake embankment.

The sun had already sunk below the surface of the lake.

The clouds on the horizon were burned to a bright orange-red, reflected in the lake.

"The scenery here is quite nice."

Shen Congyun suddenly murmured a word of praise.

Chen Changhe nodded:

"It's good."

"Unfortunately, the lake is not safe, and in the past two years, far fewer fishing boats have dared to venture into deeper waters."

"That thing hasn't been found yet?" Shen Congyun asked.

"no."

"After Senior Zhou left, no one came to investigate the lake again."

Shen Congyun hummed in agreement and didn't ask any more questions.

When the two returned to the Chen family home, it was almost dark.

Old Zhang asked Wang Guifang to cook a few dishes.

A dish of cured pork stir-fried with garlic sprouts, a bowl of crucian carp and tofu soup, a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a small jar of Shaoxing wine.

Shen Congyun did not refuse and sat down to have a few drinks with Chen Chuansheng and Old Zhang. They talked about things in the city, and the atmosphere at the table was harmonious, just like always.

After finishing his meal, Shen Congyun got up to say goodbye, left the courtyard, and walked along the village road toward the main road.

Chen Changhe escorted him to the village entrance, watching his figure gradually disappear into the twilight before frowning and turning back.

"It wasn't him..."