novelraw Chapter 201 : Another Old Friend Gone
Chapter 201 : Another Old Friend Gone
Chapter 201: Another Old Friend Gone
Everyone returned to the Water Dragon Sect, and then went their separate ways.
Even Ji Yuan was no exception.
Right now, the sect's top priority was to urgently convene a Council of Elders, report the matter, and then assign these Golden Core Elders to investigate the various Spirit Veins.
Thus, the reward promised to Ji Yuan naturally had to be postponed.
Fortunately, Ji Yuan wasn’t in a hurry either.
After bidding farewell to the others, Ji Yuan first sent a message to Feng Zhi Tao, but received no reply.
It seemed that Hua Yaoyue had already taken her to attempt her breakthrough.
Since he was already at the sect, Ji Yuan went ahead and returned to Wuyou Island. Before he could reach it, he noticed a flying boat skimming across the lake’s surface, entering Fox Moon Island.
‘Dong Qian is back?’
Ji Yuan thought that it had indeed been a while since they met, and he happened to be free, so he took out Dong Qian’s Messaging Talisman and infused it with a trace of divine sense.
Even though he saw that Dong Qian was home, Ji Yuan still had to wait quite a while before receiving a reply.
After some thought, he didn’t rush over to Fox Moon Island.
Instead, he first returned to Wuyou Island and inspected the place.
While Ji Yuan had been away these past years, he had left Corpse Servant Chu San on Wuyou Island. Since there were no outsiders around, he had instructed Chu San to renovate the island.
After so many years, the once-sturdy Chu San now looked a bit emaciated.
Though a Corpse Servant didn't need to eat or drink, without the nourishment of Yin Energy, even its body would begin to wither... Hmm, it was definitely due to the lack of Yin Energy, and had absolutely nothing to do with him squeezing it dry.
Besides, he had only given it something to do—how could that count as exploitation?
Still, Ji Yuan planned to bring Chu San back to Misty Island next time and send it into the【Grave Mound】to replenish its empty body with some good Yin Energy.
As for the island, it was more or less fully renovated by now.
The three-entry courtyard Ji Yuan had requested, along with a newly built wall, divided the island into several distinct areas.
A Breeding Area, a Spiritual Field Area, and a designated【Fish Pond】.
As for the【Talisman Room】and【Pill Refining Room】, Ji Yuan had naturally arranged them within the courtyard. Additionally, beside the courtyard, he had built a separate compound.
That was to be the future【Weapon Refining Room】.
The Weapon Refining Room needed to draw on the Earth Vein’s Fire, which reportedly required permission from Real Person Xuan Shui. After that, he’d have to coordinate with Four Directions Island and ask someone from the Artifact Hall to ignite the fire. Only then would it be complete.
After a while, Ji Yuan reached the highest point of Wuyou Island.
There, he had planted a pine tree, for which he had even specially purchased some Liquid Spiritual Energy from Bai Piao to help it grow rapidly.
So in just a few years, the pine tree had grown into a towering giant.
He had also asked Chu San to set up a tea table under the pine tree. When idle, this spot was perfect for brewing tea and enjoying the view.
With a major upheaval approaching, Ji Yuan naturally had to prioritize retreating into the Water Dragon Sect.
Once he finished inspecting Wuyou Island, Ji Yuan made his way to Fox Moon Island.
"It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen Junior Brother.”
Dong Qian still had that unhurried demeanor. Even when pouring tea for Ji Yuan, she seemed somewhat lazy.
“Can’t be helped, always running around outside.”
Ji Yuan accepted the tea with both hands. Whether intentionally or not, their fingers gently touched.
He instinctively pulled back, but Dong Qian didn’t seem to notice.
“Senior Sister, your Duty Shift at Maple Leaf City ended?”
“Not yet. I just took leave and came back. I’ve refined quite a few pills over there and came to stock them in the shop for sale.”
“Oh?”
Ji Yuan’s eyes lit up. “Where’s Senior Sister’s shop located? I was thinking of visiting last time I came back but didn’t run into you.”
Hearing this, Dong Qian gave a charming smile, her eyes naturally filled with allure.
“This time’s perfect, I’ll take Junior Brother to see it.”
“Then I’ll trouble you, Senior Sister.”
Ji Yuan didn’t stand on ceremony. If the shop was suitable, the pills and Talismans he refined in the future could be sold there, saving him the trouble of doing it himself.
Of course, this relied on Dong Qian being trustworthy.
If it were someone else’s shop, Ji Yuan wouldn’t trust them.
—
Half a day later.
Ji Yuan arrived at Everything Island.
Standing in front of a shop, he looked up slightly, surveying the surroundings. He knew right away this was indeed a place Dong Qian would have chosen.
The location wasn’t prominent, not close to the Hundred Treasure Pavilion, nor near any of the main roads.
Not in any “CBD” area.
The shop didn’t appear large, but upon stepping inside, one would find it held hidden depths.
This single store was equal to two regular-sized ones.
As soon as Dong Qian entered, a Qi Refining female cultivator on duty welcomed her with a smile, looping her arm around Dong Qian’s.
“Senior Sister Dong, why are you supervising again? Don’t worry, I’ve been doing a great job!”
Dong Qian smiled gently. “Brought my Junior Brother over to have a look.”
Hearing that, the female cultivator quickly let go and bowed toward Ji Yuan.
“Junior, Shi Xiu’er, greets Martial Uncle.”
“No need for formality.”
Ji Yuan waved his hand slightly and began looking around the shop.
Dong Qian’s shop was named Miraculous Medicine Shop. From the name alone, one could tell it specialized in pills, which was indeed the case. Two-thirds of the shop’s space was dedicated to pill sales.
The remaining third was for selling First-Tier Talismans, Spiritual Herbs, and miscellaneous items.
Overall, the shop was quite spacious and didn’t stock many items… because most pills were supplied by Dong Qian alone, it tended to appear a bit deserted.
From Ji Yuan’s perspective, this was an ideal place to do business.
Low profile, with ample space.
At most, things sold a bit slower, but Ji Yuan wasn’t relying on these Spirit Stones to get by. For him, selling steadily was good enough.
Once he finished looking around, Dong Qian proposed, “There’s a room inside the shop. Junior Brother, would you like to sit for a while?”
Business talk coming… Ji Yuan nodded. “Sure.”
The two entered the room one after another, and outside, Shi Xiu’er covered her mouth in shock.
To her, Senior Sister Dong was such a rare beauty!
Usually, even when other Foundation Establishment Martial Uncles came by, Senior Sister Dong always remained courteous and distant. But now?
This Martial Uncle arrived, and she took him straight into the room... Shi Xiu’er quickly sealed her ears with spiritual energy and silently recited, “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”
Inside the room—it was more of a chamber than a bedroom—there was no bed. Just a soft chair draped with a purple rug and a vanity with a mirror.
Dong Qian took out a chair from her Storage Pouch, and once they were seated, she asked, “Junior Brother, how do you find my shop?”
Ji Yuan pondered briefly and said two words:
“Very good.”
Dong Qian smiled upon hearing that, then stuck several Talismans on the wall.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan pulled a small First-Tier Formation Disk from his Storage Pouch, covering the entire room in its barrier.
Outside, Shi Xiu’er sensed the aura and immediately blushed crimson.
“In the future, if you have anything to handle or buy, you can just tell Senior Sister.”
“Alright, then the profit…”
“The profit naturally all goes to you.” Dong Qian frowned slightly, seeming displeased. “Talking about this makes us sound like strangers.”
“No, I mean, business is business. At least let me pay rent.”
Ji Yuan said helplessly.
“My shop earns enough to cover that already. Besides, if you can supply more pills for sale, my business will also improve, won’t it?”
“Once things pick up, Senior Sister can bask in some glory and earn more Spirit Stones too.”
Dong Qian chuckled lightly.
Ji Yuan was about to speak again, but Dong Qian directly sent a Divine Sense Transmission: “Alright, I know you’re not lacking in Spirit Stones, and you know I’m not either, so let’s not fuss.”
Ji Yuan fell silent for a moment, then nodded. “Very well.”
“Now that’s more like it.”
Dong Qian saw Ji Yuan agree at last, leaned back with satisfaction, and reclined into the soft chair.
Ji Yuan, meanwhile, began sorting through his Storage Pouch, taking out all the items he no longer used and organizing them into separate pouches for sale.
Some of the miscellaneous Talismans and Pills were ones he had kept since before Foundation Establishment.
When he finally handed over five completely full Storage Pouches, asking Dong Qian to help handle them, even this all-encompassing Senior Sister Dong was a little stunned.
『This... this much?』
“Don’t know how many years I’ve been saving it all—this is everything I’ve got now, and it’s all in your hands, Senior Sister.”
Dong Qian covered her mouth with a chuckle, lightly waved her sleeve, and swept the five pouches into it.
“Don’t worry, I won’t embezzle your Spirit Stones.”
“Ha, wouldn’t matter even if you did.”
Ji Yuan laughed it off.
Then Dong Qian counted everything in front of him—which took a full hour.
After she finished tallying, she said there was no advance payment in Spirit Stones—they’d settle up after selling everything.
The two then exited the room, one after another. Outside, Shi Xiu’er kept a straight face, but internally couldn’t help thinking...
『That Martial Uncle... was in there that long?
Are all Foundation Establishment cultivators this strong?』
“Shi Junior Sister, come in for a moment.”
Dong Qian’s gentle call made Shi Xiu’er shiver. “Ah? O-okay.”
Ji Yuan didn’t rush to leave. Instead, he found a few nearby shops to exchange a sum of Spirit Stones. After Dong Qian finished speaking with Shi Xiu’er, the two finally left Everything Island together.
On the way back, Dong Qian seemed to recall something and said:
“We’ve lost another person from our Yunyu Marshlands group. Junior Brother, you should know them.”
“Oh? Who?”
Ji Yuan asked curiously.
Among those he had known, only Dong Qian, Du Wanyi, and Han Feiyu still counted as close. As for the others... Fang Jie was decent, mostly due to his connection with Liu Yuan. When they chatted, he’d come up occasionally.
Fang Jie, like him, had a False Spiritual Root, and since he hadn’t ventured into the Nine Nether Grotto-Heaven, he was still saving up for a Foundation Establishment Pill.
He was still doing Duty Shifts at the Disciplinary Hall.
“The one who used to be pretty close with Du Wanyi back in Yunyu Marshlands... I think his name was... Yao Jingfeng?”
“It was him!”
Hearing that it was “Brother Yao” who had died, Ji Yuan was genuinely surprised. Strictly speaking, he hadn’t had any real grudge with Yao Jingfeng. The reason they drifted apart was partly due to Yao’s poor character—and also because he simply couldn’t keep up.
“Mm, I figured you’d know him.”
“I do.”
Ji Yuan sat down on the Sky-Slicer Boat, and Dong Qian cooperatively slowed the vessel. The two flew south side by side.
“Back in Yunyu Marshlands, it was me, Yao Jingfeng, Du Wanyi, and a man named Luo Tian—the four of us took our vows together in the same year.”
Ji Yuan spoke steadily.
Dong Qian nodded slightly. “I know them all.”
“Luo Tian—my Third Brother—died even before he could join Water Dragon Sect... We fought a battle against Demonic Cultivators, and Yao Jingfeng had his Foundation crippled in that war. Never stood a chance of forming it after that.”
“Such is cultivation—one misstep and there’s no return.”
“How did he die?”
Ji Yuan turned to look at Dong Qian, curiosity piqued.
After all, they had once known each other.
“I heard it from Junior Sister Du. She said Yao Jingfeng tried to steal someone’s Spirit Stones, got caught red-handed, and was going to be taken to the Disciplinary Hall. But on the way, he took his own life.”
Ji Yuan fell silent after hearing this.
Back in Yunyu Marshlands, when the four had sworn brotherhood, each spoke of their fortuitous encounter.
Yao Jingfeng’s was a theft technique. It had helped him make a small fortune and build his strength bit by bit.
But now... even after joining Water Dragon Sect, he was still stealing.
Was he really that desperate for Spirit Stones?
On Hatchling Dragon Island, rent wasn’t even charged. If you made ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones a month, live lavishly. If it was just ten Low-Grade Stones, live frugally.
Worst case, just follow the example of Xu Fugui and run errands for the sect and Hundred Treasure Pavilion.
Hard work, sure—but the pay was decent.
Was stealing really necessary?
After some thought, Ji Yuan concluded that Yao Jingfeng’s downfall probably stemmed from seeing him and Du Wanyi both successfully achieve Foundation Establishment.
He couldn’t let go of that obsession in his heart.
Or maybe... he owed someone a large debt in Spirit Stones for other reasons?
All possible...
“By the way, where did Senior Sister Du go for her duty shift?” Ji Yuan changed the subject, no longer discussing Yao Jingfeng.
“She? She went west to Yulan City.”
Dong Qian, of course, knew. “She said she wanted to say goodbye to you, but you weren’t home. The place is quite far from the sect, so it’s unlikely she’ll come back before her shift ends.”
“Yulan City? That’s indeed far.”
Yulan City was west of the Water Dragon Sect, near Medicine King Valley.
Similar to Beishan City, it was one of the sect’s “border cities.”
Although Dong Qian was stationed at Maple Leaf City, which was better, it was still quite distant from the sect. But that was actually the norm.
Someone like Ji Yuan, with a Golden Core Master backing him, would be assigned to a city that paid well, had little trouble, and was close to home. That was rare.
“Mm, but it’s a big city. Ten Foundation Establishment cultivators are stationed there—nothing serious will happen.”
Hearing Dong Qian say “nothing will happen,” Ji Yuan instinctively felt uneasy.
『Don’t jinx it.』
■
Before long, after watching Dong Qian return to Fox Moon Island, Ji Yuan didn’t even bother pretending anymore. He didn’t return to Wuyou Island, instead flying straight west.
Only after getting a hundred li away from Fox Moon Island did he veer south toward Misty Island.
Compared to his last two trips, this one was short.
Barely two months total, most of it spent on the road.
After returning to Misty Island, Ji Yuan placed everything back into the Spiritual Beast Pouch, then collected over a month’s worth of output from Tu Yue. The main prize was, of course, the Three-Colored Spiritual Eggs.
After receiving them, he cracked one open and swallowed it on the spot, letting it slowly refine the Spiritual Energy in his Dantian.
However, compared to before, the effect was no longer obvious.
Mainly because the Spiritual Energy in his Dantian had already been refined again and again—
It was nearly compressed to the limit.
Once he finished consuming the egg, Ji Yuan returned to the【Cave Dwelling】. He had a major task this time:
To assign a position for the【Spirit Vein】.
Placing buildings wasn’t easy. Back at Liancheng Mountain, he could activate it only because there was a genuine【Spirit Vein】there.
But on Misty Island, where could he find a real one?
That was obviously impossible. So Ji Yuan planned to try creating an “artificial spirit vein” to trick the Panel.
After all, activating these buildings for the first time was always tough—but once done, enhancing them later wasn’t so demanding.
The【Cave Dwelling】had many buildings, each with its own function. To open the Spirit Vein, he’d have to dig a tunnel again.
Back to the old trade: Flying Sword excavation.
Only this time, he found a helper... the Ice Flood Dragon who only knew how to eat.
All the stone excavated by the Flying Sword was loaded onto the beast’s back and delivered to Yunyu Marshlands.
Sure, Ji Yuan could’ve moved it all at once using the Storage Pouch. But since the Ice Flood Dragon was free labor, why not use it? It had consumed so many resources already. If it couldn’t fight, it could at least carry rocks.
■
One day later.
Ji Yuan stood before a nearly ten-zhang-long slanted “spirit vein,” wearing a half-satisfied smile.
Why only half? Because the job was only halfway done—the rest involved embedding Spirit Stones inside the “vein.”
From Low-Grade Stones near the surface to several High-Grade Stones at the deepest part—he had it all planned out.
Now that the vein was dug, it was time to “plant Spirit Stones.”
The Flying Sword carved out a pit, then he pressed the Spirit Stone into it.
He even called Tu Yue back to help. Digging pits? She could handle that.
Men and women working together—less tiring.
In just half a day, Ji Yuan had “planted Spirit Stones” throughout the tunnel.
Once he finished and looked up, a line of bright text appeared above him.
【Spirit Vein: lv2 (Upgradeable)】
■
Water Dragon Sect.
Ancestor Hall.
A group of Golden Core Elders had gathered. Once Real Person Xuan Shui finished explaining, they all erupted in rage, vowing to track down the mastermind and tear them limb from limb!
After all, other matters might not concern them, but Spirit Vein Erosion?
That was like digging up their ancestral graves!
Even the usually feuding First Elder and Third Elder found common ground on this matter.
Unanimously declaring:
Forget about the Righteous–Demonic War—first, let’s settle this Spirit Vein business!