Chapter 719
You said you cultivated what
As the sun sets in the west, twilight descends upon the horizon, the afterglow fades, the evening breeze rustles the bamboo tips, and the chirping of insects in the height of summer disturbs the senses.
In the garden, Chen Xuan lay sprawled out, completely unconcerned about his appearance. A blooming begonia petal had fallen from his open collar, and the discarded base of the concealment array he was holding seemed about to roll to the ground at any moment. The tea on the stone table had long lost its fragrant aroma, and the evening breeze still carried the heat of summer. It was as pleasant as could be.
The young maidservant slowed her pace as she approached the door, as if afraid of disturbing her master's sweet midsummer night's dream.
"Has Roujia eaten yet?" Chen Xuan asked lazily, adjusting himself into a comfortable position. He was drowsy and didn't want to open his eyes. Summer evenings are the time when people are most sleepy. Although he hadn't done anything all day, he still felt bad for himself.
Covering her mouth with a smile, the little maid skipped forward lightly and said, "We'll have to wait a while. We had a refreshing lotus flower dish at Tianshui Pavilion the other day, and we've got the recipe. Madam and the others want to try making it themselves, but it's always a little off and they're not satisfied."
Tsk, how could a master chef's secret skills be so easily replicated? Just like you can learn a kung fu manual by simply copying it, why bother with all that effort?
Muttering to himself, Chen Xuan, who was slacking off and waiting for dinner, still refused to open his eyes and said listlessly, "Then you still dare to disturb my peaceful sleep? Aren't you afraid I'll spank your little bottom in a fit of anger?"
When they were the only two people left to rely on, the master would always scare himself like this. The little girl wasn't afraid at all. She skipped over to his side, removed the flower petals from his chest, and said, "No, master, that Liu Yuyuan came looking for us the other day."
"Where?" Chen Xuan immediately opened his eyes and got up, intrigued. He wondered if he could resolve the vague sense of déjà vu in his mind. After that day, he was no longer afraid that Liu Yuyuan would run away, but the other party arrived a little later than expected.
If the other party doesn't come in a few more days, Chen Xuan and the others plan to leave Yucheng. There's nothing fun to do there anyway. However, before leaving, Chen Xuan will still try to find him to unravel the mystery, but he won't force him.
"She's in the living room, being entertained by Aunt Mei. I came over to inform the master as soon as possible."
What are we waiting for? Let's go take a look.
"Master, Master, slow down, your clothes are all messed up, let me help you straighten them," the little maid urged.
Chen Xuancai didn't care about any of this, waving his hand dismissively. It would be too tiring if he couldn't be more relaxed at home.
The courtyard wasn't very big to begin with. After turning two corners, you arrive at the living room. Chen Xuan saw Liu Yuyuan at first glance. He looked the same as he did that day, but he was a little disheveled, with a pale face and a strong smell of blood on his body. He sat there very awkwardly.
"Master Liu, we meet again. What's going on here?" Chen Xuan greeted him casually as he stepped forward.
Upon hearing this, Liu Yuyuan looked over, immediately stood up (almost stumbling and falling), and bowed, saying, "Greetings, young master. I apologize for the intrusion; I hope I have not caused any trouble to your household."
That day, he only introduced himself and did not ask Chen Xuan's name. He came to fulfill his promise and did not take the initiative to ask, after all, they were not from the same world, and it was uncertain whether they would ever meet again.
"Don't mention it, you're badly injured. Let me help you regulate your breathing first, we can talk about the rest later. Sorry for the inconvenience. Well, all done," Chen Xuan stepped into the living room. As he spoke, his true essence transformed into a silent force that made the other person sit down. At the same time, a wisp of gentle true essence entered his body and circulated to ease his injuries. He flicked his finger and swallowed a pill. He had done all this before he finished speaking. He then sat down and looked at the other person with great interest.
Even from a distance, Chen Xuan could tell at a glance that he was seriously injured. He had wounds on his back, chest, and abdomen, resembling the rips from some kind of sharp claws, with the skin and flesh torn up, several ribs broken, and some internal organs damaged. The extremely vicious and scorching internal energy was continuously damaging his internal organs, and he was already at his last gasp. Chen Xuan was surprised that he had managed to get here.
Before he could even finish speaking, Liu Yuyuan felt a warm and soothing energy coursing through his body, instantly dispelling the scorching internal energy that had been entrenched within him. This energy nourished his internal organs, causing his damaged organs and bones to heal rapidly. Even his wounds felt as if they were soaking in warm water, relieving the pain. A pill transformed into a cool aura that spread throughout his limbs and bones, and his injuries were healing at an incredible speed. If this continued, he would be completely healed in less than two days!
Liu Yuyuan knew his condition; he was already close to death. He had only managed to come here to fulfill the promise he made to Chen Xuan that day. As a man of the martial world, he was a man of his word, and he would keep his promises.
However, to his utter surprise, his injuries healed rapidly in front of this noble person, without the other party even touching him. What kind of cultivation was this? He couldn't help but be shocked; it was too unbelievable.
Who would want to die if they could live? Suppressing the trembling in his heart and feeling his injuries rapidly healing, Liu Yuyuan took a deep breath, cupped his hands in a deep bow, and said, "Thank you so much, sir. I am deeply grateful."
"It's nothing, just a small favor, don't worry about it. By the way, Master Liu left in such a hurry that day that he didn't get a chance to introduce himself. I am Chen Xuan," Chen Xuan said with a wave of his hand, indicating that he should sit down and speak with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Liu Yuyuan's eyes flashed with surprise, and he exclaimed, "So it was Mr. Chen in person! I was so mistaken. I dare not accept such a title; you flatter me greatly!"
As a member of the martial arts world, how could he not have heard of Chen Xuan's illustrious reputation? He just never dreamed that he would unexpectedly cross paths with such a person.
"Why belittle yourself, Master Liu? Although I am not a member of the martial arts world, I sincerely admire your noble character and chivalrous spirit," Chen Xuan said sincerely.
There's no need for such formalities. Chen Xuan changed the subject. Since he's already here, there's no rush to figure out why the internal energy he cultivates seems familiar. He looked at him blankly and asked, "Why were you in such a sorry state before I asked you, Master Liu? Luckily, you came here in time to meet me, otherwise, the consequences would have been unpredictable."
Liu Yuyuan knew his own situation all too well. He knew that Chen Xuan had been tactful, and he was extremely relieved. He thought to himself that this Chen Xuan was indeed a renowned young master. His injuries, which were originally almost fatal, had been miraculously restored by Chen Xuan's slightest skill.
He cupped his hands in thanks again, deeply moved and relieved to have survived such a close call, saying, "Thank you again, Mr. Chen, for your righteous help. I will never forget your kindness. In the future..."
"Same old excuse again. Do people in the martial arts world have no other words?" Chen Xuan chuckled inwardly. He naturally didn't expect the other party to report back, and apologetically interrupted, "Master Liu, please don't take it to heart. Let's first talk about why you're in such a sorry state." People in the martial arts world are usually not verbose, and Liu Yuyuan was no exception. It was only because of the vast difference in status between him and Chen Xuan that he had to appear reserved. Now he could see that Chen Xuan was also straightforward, so he simply organized his thoughts and frankly said, "This is a long story, it all started the day I parted ways with you, Mr. Chen..."
He then recounted his experiences over the past few days in detail, and Chen Xuan and the others listened patiently without interrupting.
That day, he learned about the clues in the woman's disappearance case from Chen Xuan and left. At first, he was skeptical, but after a long investigation, he still had no clues. So, he had no choice but to focus on Yuexiangju based on the clues provided by Chen Xuan, purely as a last resort.
Yuexiangju's business is very large, with branches in nearly half of the major cities in the entire Yuhua Kingdom. With such a scale, it is naturally impossible for someone like Liu Yuyuan, who is at the bottom of the martial arts world, to come into contact with the real background.
However, he wasn't targeting Yuexiangju or its background, but rather investigating the disappearance of women. Among the clues provided by Chen Xuan, the most popular perfume powder from Yuexiangju, Red Thread, requires a large amount of Acacia Ice Moon Flower. The growing conditions of that medicinal herb are harsh, which may be related to the disappearance of a large number of women.
However, as someone from the bottom of the underworld, and practically a lone wolf, how much investigative experience did he have? After much thought, he could only resort to the most rudimentary method: targeting Yuexiangju's shipping channels.
Sure enough, after two days of observation, he actually figured out some things. The most popular face powder at Yuexiangju, called Red Thread, was all sourced from the main store, which was located in this Jade City, saving him the trouble of traveling around.
But that was all he could do. The main store of Yuexiangju was heavily guarded, with more than one innate master protecting it. Even though he was good at hiding his aura, he was still only at the acquired level. How could he possibly break in? Several times he tried to take the risk and explore, but he almost alerted the other party as soon as he made a move. Helplessly, he was stuck in the middle.
The turning point came this afternoon when a group of managers from out of town came to the main store of Yuexiangju. Liu Yuyuan certainly didn't recognize them, but the business was big and there were many people. Soon, word spread that they had come to the main store. It turned out that a batch of goods had been robbed en route, so they urgently needed to replenish the stock. After all, many people had already paid deposits, and failure to deliver the goods on time would affect their reputation.
It's normal for things to be robbed, especially red thread, which is so popular everywhere that it's almost impossible to find. It's not something shameful, so the news of it spreading is quite common.
However, Yuexiangju's stock is limited in each region, and it can't just appear out of thin air, so they need to speed up production and restocking.
Upon learning this news, Liu Yuyuan, who was secretly keeping an eye on the main store of Yuexiangju, quickly realized that his opportunity had come. If he could follow the clues to find out where their raw materials came from, he might be able to confirm whether the large number of missing women mentioned in Chen Xuan's clues were related to them.
To this end, he took the risk and took action. After keeping watch for several days, Liu Yuyuan roughly figured out what was going on at the Yuexiangju main store. He found an opportunity to knock out a person of mediocre status at Yuexiangju, disguised himself and infiltrated the store, and surprisingly succeeded.
Because his disguised identity was inconspicuous, he went unnoticed. A manager ordered a team, including him, to retrieve raw materials, without specifying what exactly to retrieve. He could only follow orders. A group of about ten people, led by a master of innate cultivation, left the city as normal.
Everything was going too smoothly, so smoothly that Liu Yuyuan felt something was wrong. However, at this point, he vaguely felt that he was getting closer to the truth. Not daring to make any rash moves, he calmed down and went along.
But in the end, something still happened. Their group left Yucheng and traveled over a hundred miles. They then followed a small path into the wilderness and eventually arrived at an inconspicuous desolate mountain. Once there, the leader said a coded message that Liu Yuyuan couldn't understand to an empty mountain hollow. Miraculously, the hollow, which was completely empty and could be seen through at a glance, responded to the coded message. Then, the group stepped into the hollow.
The moment he entered the mountain valley, Liu Yuyuan felt as if he had entered another world, where everything was different. At the same time, he discovered that the group of people who had just been beside him had disappeared, as if he had seen a ghost.
He instantly realized that he had encountered a formation he had never seen before and was trapped within it. The reason why the others who accompanied him had disappeared was because they had been here before and knew how to navigate the formation correctly, but he didn't, and he was directly trapped inside.
When he realized this, he instantly knew he was doomed.
Before he could even figure out what was happening, a tearing pain shot through his chest and back. He didn't even realize where the attack had come from before his vision went black and he was about to lose consciousness...
"...It was my carelessness. Those people definitely frequent the formation, while I didn't know the correct way to enter and exit. So I was exposed the moment I stepped in. The reason I survived was because before losing consciousness, I desperately circulated my family's secret technique to lower my aura to the minimum, making me appear like a dead person. Before I lost consciousness, I vaguely heard someone say that yet another reckless fellow had actually managed to sneak in here. I must thoroughly investigate when I get back. The Acacia Ice Moon Flower's medicinal field cannot be lost. It's a pity it's not a woman; it doesn't even qualify as fertilizer... When I woke up..." It was in a pitch-black pit, littered with corpses. Some were already skeletons, others hadn't been dead for long. I suppose my family's secret technique of concealing my breath allowed me to appear as a dead man and fool them into surviving. In any case, it verified the clues Mr. Chen had given me. I forced myself to leave the pit, and once on the surface, I couldn't tell how far I was from the array. I quickly disguised myself and returned to the city, relaying my discovery to a few familiar martial arts practitioners through letters and other means. Then I hurriedly came to fulfill my promise to Mr. Chen. That's roughly the situation."
After recounting everything in one breath, Liu Yuyuan looked terrified, as if he had just escaped a disaster. However, his injuries were quickly healed under Chen Xuan's intervention, and his eyes gleamed with a determination to get to the bottom of things and bring the truth to light.
After hearing his story, Chen Xuan said with admiration, "Master Liu, you took such a risk! You almost didn't make it back alive!"
“But it’s all worth it. At least it confirms that Yuexiangju has a large supply of Acacia Ice Moon Flowers. The so-called medicinal field, based on the growing conditions of Acacia Ice Moon Flowers, is definitely related to the large number of women who have disappeared in recent years!” Liu Yuyuan said with burning eyes.
He had narrowly escaped death and finally found a clue. However, as a listener, Chen Xuan felt that there was something strange about his trip. It was as if Yuexiangju had discovered his secret surveillance and arranged for him to be taken advantage of.
Putting these thoughts aside for the moment, Chen Xuan turned to Liu Yuyuan and smiled, "Hero Liu, please remember not to take such risks in the future. You don't always have that kind of luck. Since the clues I provided that day helped you, can you now answer my questions? I'm genuinely curious about what kind of martial arts you practice, Hero Liu. It's not that I'm coveting your secret manual; we agreed that you only need to tell me the name. Our promise ends there."
Liu Yuyuan replied without hesitation, "Although I didn't know Mr. Chen was so insistent on the cultivation method I practice, I am a man of my word. Without going into the specifics of the cultivation, telling you the name is fine. To be honest, the family cultivation method I practice is called the Ze Yuan Jue, and there is not a single word of falsehood in it. If Young Master Chen suspects that I am fabricating something, I swear..."
"Wait, Master Liu, you said the cultivation technique you practice is called Ze Yuan Jue?" Chen Xuan immediately interrupted in astonishment to confirm.
...(End of this chapter)