I’m so thrilled to see you here today.
"I had some business to attend to on White Jade Island, so I returned a few days earlier. But I’ll have to go back again later."
Chen Jichuan smiled at Pei Ze while walking into the garden, asking, "Is Master here?"
Pei Ze followed behind Chen Jichuan and responded, then asked curiously, "Senior brother, you’ve been working at the Jade Spring Pill Pavilion for three years now—why are you returning to White Jade Island?"
"I came back specifically to discuss this with Master."
"Let’s talk about it together later."
Without answering Pei Ze further, Chen Jichuan strode quickly toward Yus Chengbo’s residence.
After three years apart, Yus Chengbo seemed even more burdened by age, his progress in cultivation sluggish.
Upon seeing Chen Jichuan’s return, his expression didn’t show much change; he simply nodded in acknowledgment.
Chen Jichuan took it in stride, unfazed. He retrieved a cloth bag from his waist and presented it, saying, "Here are five pounds of ’Green Sprout Rice.’ I saw these on White Jade Island and thought their quality looked excellent, so I bought some to bring back for you to taste."
Of course, this ’Green Sprout Rice’ wasn’t actually purchased—it was grown by Chen Jichuan himself. But even so, those five pounds could fetch ten Spirit Stones if sold.
At the Jade Spring Pill Pavilion, Chen Jichuan earned a monthly salary of three ounces of silver and one Qi Eater Powder. The silver was negligible; the Qi Eater Powder alone was worth one Spirit Stone.
These five pounds of ’Green Sprout Rice’ were equivalent to ten months’ wages for him.
It was more than enough to express his goodwill.
Even Yus Chengbo, upon seeing it, forced a faint smile and said, "You’ve been thoughtful."
After accepting the ’Green Sprout Rice,’ he added, "You must’ve had a bumpy journey. Rest for now. If you have any questions in your cultivation over the next few days, feel free to ask me."
It’s often said that receiving favors obligates one to reciprocate.
Though Yus Chengbo’s temperament was as still as stagnant water, he understood the ways of the world.
However, Chen Jichuan offered the ’Green Sprout Rice’ purely out of regard for their master-disciple bond, not to seek guidance from Yus Chengbo.
Chen Jichuan expressed his gratitude first, then said, "Master, I left my hometown as a teenager, and now it’s been six years. I feel I’ve made some progress in cultivation, so I wish to return and see if my family and old friends are still there. Over the years, I’ve saved up some silver to leave for them, which should sever my worldly attachments. From then on, I can cultivate with peace of mind."
Severing worldly attachments.
This kind of reasoning was not uncommon among cultivators and could be considered standard practice.
Yus Chengbo found it agreeable and nodded. "In cultivation, one should be free from worldly concerns. It’s good to make this trip and resolve mundane matters, so you can focus wholeheartedly on your pursuit of the Dao in the future. But beware: the inland regions are rife with rogue thieves and bandits. Devious schemes abound. While you’ve studied magic and made some progress with the ’Herb and Tree Formulas,’ you must not let your guard down. Otherwise, you might stumble unexpectedly."
As he spoke, Yus Chengbo pulled out two talismans from his sleeve and handed them to Chen Jichuan: "These are the ’Golden Light Talisman’ and the ’Earth Tunneling Talisman,’ both mid-level. If you encounter danger too sudden to cast spells, these can help save your life." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel·fire·net
A single mid-level talisman was worth about two Spirit Stones.
Bestowing two at once wasn’t extravagant, but it was a genuine gesture.
Chen Jichuan accepted the talismans and expressed his thanks.
Seeing Yus Chengbo’s lack of further interest, he left with Pei Ze.
"So, Senior Brother is going back to his hometown."
As soon as they stepped out, Pei Ze sighed with dismay. "You just returned, and now you’re leaving again. How long will you be gone this time?"
"If all goes well, I’ll be back in a year."
Chen Jichuan smiled as he spoke.
But this was merely a comforting lie for Pei Ze.
For this journey, unless he reached the Innate Limit or until Wuk Yuan Immortal Master reached the end of his lifespan, he had no intention of returning.
It would be a minimum of thirty to fifty years before he came back.
By then, Pei Ze would likely have married, had children, and even grandchildren.
Unaware of this, Pei Ze still lamented that a year was far too long. "A year is way too long!"
For a Qi Refining Immortal Master, a year passed in the blink of an eye.
But to Pei Ze, a mere thirteen-year-old boy, a year felt eternal.
"The inland is very far."
"A round trip takes at least a year."
Chen Jichuan shook his head, not wanting to dwell further on the topic. Taking out a flying shuttle from his pocket, he smiled at Pei Ze and said, "This is the ’Carefree Shuttle.’ You can stand on it and glide close to the ground. I brought it specially for you."
The Carefree Shuttle was a low-level magical artifact, somewhat inferior. Its gliding speed couldn’t match many Postnatal martial artists skilled in speed, let alone Innate Grandmasters.
Yet it had cost Chen Jichuan eight Spirit Stones.
Being young, Pei Ze was quickly captivated by the shuttle.
He took it, inspecting it from all angles, and grinned so widely his gums showed.
The sadness of parting vanished instantly.
Chen Jichuan didn’t linger on Jade Spring Island for long.
The very next day, he packed lightly and returned to White Jade Island, making final preparations for his departure.
Four days after his return.
Chen Jichuan visited the Hundred Crafts Workshop, holding a small cauldron in his hands and examining it closely.
Nearby, Feng Yuanji smiled and introduced it: "Brother Chen, you’ve got a keen eye. This is the ’Three Suns Cauldron’ my father crafted last year. See these three legs? Each contains a ’Fiery Fire Formation.’ By channeling inner strength, it can emit flames to refine medicinal herbs—perfect for alchemy."
Feng Yuanji was the son of Feng Zhengyang.
Feng Zhengyang had obtained an Innate Pill from Chen Jichuan, intending it for his son, Feng Yuanji.
Unfortunately, Feng Yuanji was impatient and overreached by swallowing the Innate Pill hastily. Not only did he fail to break through, but it also caused his cultivation to regress and damaged his foundation.
Feng Zhengyang had been heartbroken over the wasted Innate Pill.
He also reflected on his failure to provide Feng Yuanji with proper tempering in the past.
Thus, over the past two years, he frequently brought Feng Yuanji to the Hundred Crafts Workshop to interact with all kinds of customers, aiming to hone his mindset.