CHAPTER 469: CHAPTER 95

The study room was filled with silence. Wu Yao said, his expression humorless, "Brother Chen, you really are an honest man!"

Chen Jiuge responded somewhat shyly, "I guess, I guess."

"Her Ladyship has agreed to this matter, but I need to reorganize the specific benefits," Zhu Ying’s voice broke the awkward atmosphere in the study. "When the time comes, I will arrange for someone to explain the general process to Wu Yao."

Perhaps fearing Wu Yao would make things difficult for Chen Jiuge, Zhu Ying casually revealed a secret, "It seems the ancestor of the Yu Family has broken through to become a Heavenly Immortal."

"Heavenly Immortal?" Wu Yao’s face stiffened; he had not yet received this news.

As the Jade Talisman slowly dimmed, the dissatisfaction in Wu Yao’s heart also gradually extinguished. If I were to snatch the Yu Family’s business, the trouble I’d face would be considerable, he thought. Still, it’s not bad having Snow Concubine’s backing.

On the road, Chen Jiuge continuously pondered Zhu Ying’s intentions.

The profits from the Taiji Deer are substantial, but a Lady’s involvement should remain secret.

Chen Jiuge found this hard to comprehend. Over the years, he wouldn’t dare claim to fully grasp the wealth of the major families in the True Realm, but the Taiji Deer business truly wasn’t that extensive.

CLICK.

Chen Feng said with a slightly odd expression, "Master, you’re finally back."

"Old Chen, what’s the matter?" Chen Jiuge asked casually.

"Master, your friend is waiting for you in the study."

Friend? Chen Jiuge was somewhat surprised. Chen Feng was always very careful in his work; how could he bring an outsider into the study on his own initiative?

The buxom Yu Niang toyed with a teacup made of ordinary material. In the Yu Family, such a low-rank Magic Artifact is merely a cup used by servants, she mused.

"Lord Chen, I think we need to intensify our cooperation," Yu Niang said with a smile.

The Qingming Ancient Country was vast. However, its capital city, occupying merely one percent, or perhaps even just one-thousandth of the nation’s expanse, concentrated over thirty percent of its essence.

COUGH, COUGH.

The humid air made Chen Jiuge uncomfortable. So this is Jiangnan? he thought.

Yu Niang also felt a sense of unease. This is Jiangnan, indeed!

"Sir, we have arrived at Jiangshui City," Chen Xiu, a man nearly ten feet tall who clearly cultivated the path of Body Cultivation, said in a deep voice.

The huge city stood before them, its ancient walls covered in rusty traces. This was Jiangnan’s oldest city—Jiangshui City!

Snow Concubine Jiang Xueyao was born in Jiangshui City. The Jiang Family of the Qingming Ancient Country had once been more powerful than the Yu Family, and even outshone the currently flourishing Wu Family.

"Jiangshui City, the Jiang Family... such a pity. Let’s enter the city," Yu Niang remarked with some emotion.

It took Chen Jiuge and his companions three full months to travel from the capital to Jiangshui City, and that was thanks to the imperially bestowed Earth Dragon Spirit Beast. Any lesser Spiritual Beast would have taken at least a year.

As for why they didn’t use a Transmission Array—unfortunately, space in the True Realm is exceptionally stable. The resources consumed to activate a Transmission Array just once would likely be worth more than all the possessions and lives of Chen Jiuge’s entire party combined.

"Crystal Prawns! Freshly cooked Crystal Prawns!"

"Black Water Crabs! Black Water Crabs!"

After passing through the heavy city walls, Chen Jiuge was drawn to the noisy calls of the street vendors. It felt like returning to an ancient city.

"Jiangshui City," Yu Niang remarked, a hint of wistfulness in her voice. "Ever since the Jiang Family declined, it’s no longer prosperous. Even the annual tax revenue is less than one-hundredth of what it used to be. However, since Snow Concubine entered the palace, it has regained a good deal of vitality."

"Hehe." Chen Jiuge laughed awkwardly, finding it difficult to respond.

Rumor had it that the Jiang Family’s decline was linked to a rebellion. If not for a moment of compassion from the Qingming Family’s ancestor, who shared a life-and-death bond with the Jiang Family’s ancestor, the Jiang Family might have ceased to exist.

The enormous Earth Dragon, a hundred feet in length, walked slowly through the streets. With each heavy footstep, the bluestone pavers beneath it emitted a faint Spirit Light, the Array Patterns embedded within them working to counteract the immense weight.

Their primary mission in Jiangshui City was to establish a new breeding ground for Yin Yang Deer. Chen Jiuge wondered how Snow Concubine had managed to persuade Qingming Zhao; it was baffling that the King of Qingming had agreed to such an outlandish request.

Before long, the Earth Dragon entered an even busier street. Jiang Ming, with an imposing demeanor, adjusted his attire. A high-grade long sword hung at his waist as he gently urged his exotic Dragon Horse, which stood nearly ten feet tall, forward.

"Excuse me, is the lady from the Yu Family present?" Jiang Ming called out, cupping his hands.

Inside the carriage, Yu Niang rolled her eyes at Chen Jiuge and said, "See? The moment my family’s ancestor broke through to Heavenly Immortal, people are already lining up to curry favor."

Chen Jiuge gave two awkward laughs and didn’t reply.

Before their departure, the Yu Family had expressed a desire for Chen Jiuge to marry into their family, with Yu Niang as the intended bride. Chen Jiuge had tactfully declined. However, refusing the goodwill of a Heavenly Immortal Family was no simple matter, which ultimately led to the current joint venture.

"My apologies, I am not feeling well and cannot meet with the young master," Yu Niang declined in a delicate, coquettish tone.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Ming failed to take the hint and shamelessly tried to approach. If Chen Xiu, the head of the Imperial Guards, hadn’t intervened, he might have actually tried to climb onto the carriage.

This awkward situation didn’t last long, as Huo Tian, the City Lord of Jiangshui City, soon arrived in a hurry.

The Yin Yang Deer, capable of reaching the True Immortal realm, were incredibly valuable. The only suitable breeding ground in Jiangshui City was the Dragon Raising Lake, which had once belonged to the Jiang Family but was now under the control of the court.

The history of the Dragon Raising Lake was far from simple. Legend told that it was the sacred site where a True Immortal Flood Dragon had metamorphosed into a Heavenly Immortal True Dragon. While this tale had never been confirmed, it was a fact that the Dragon Raising Lake yielded a certain number of Dragon Horses each year.

The bloodline of Dragon Species was exceedingly potent, yet it also served as excellent nourishment. The Yin Yang Deer, being Spiritual Beasts from the Chaos Era, possessed the ability to consume traces of Dragon Blood power to enhance their own bloodline. This was one of the reasons Qingming Zhao had consented.