Chapter 419: He’s Still Alive!
“Spirit Envoy Jiang?”
“Is that really him?”
“The ship is right, but is the man?”
As Jiang Chen steered the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost into the heart of the Spirit Farm, he drew the eyes of everyone he passed. Without exception, every face he saw was painted with utter astonishment.
Jiang Chen furrowed his brow. *Just how long have I been gone?*
Suddenly, the Spirit Cultivator Envoy token at his waist buzzed. Elder Mu’s voice echoed from within.
“Jiang Chen?”
“It’s me.”
“You… you’re back?”
“Yes.”“Come to the Management Office first.”
“Alright.”
The exchange was brief, but for the first time, Jiang Chen detected a raw urgency in Elder Mu’s usually steady tone.
Moments later, the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost docked at the base of Flat Top Mountain. He strode up the familiar stone steps toward the peak.
Cultivators along the path stared at him as if he were a walking corpse. They shrank back, giving him a wide berth. By the time he reached the summit, this eerie phenomenon had infected the entire crowd. Their gazes were downright bizarre.
Trailed by a gawking crowd, Jiang Chen entered the palace hall and spotted Elder Mu. To his surprise, the old man was already staring intently at the entrance, his eyes brimming with anxious anticipation.
Seeing Jiang Chen standing there in the flesh, completely unscathed, Elder Mu finally let out a long exhale, his tense shoulders slumping in relief.
Jiang Chen stepped forward and cupped his fists. “Manager.”
Elder Mu scrutinized him from head to toe before asking, “Where have you been this past month?”
Jiang Chen froze. “A month?”
Elder Mu gave a solemn nod. “The Return to Ruins Secret Realm has already closed, yet you never returned.”
It finally clicked. No wonder everyone had been staring at him like he had crawled out of a grave.
He had assumed his ordeal took seven or eight days—perhaps a fortnight at most. He never imagined that a full month had slipped by between his departure from Mystic Heart City and surviving his Heavenly Tribulation.
*Most of them probably assumed I was dead.*
“The Field Master even traveled to the Canglan Sea personally to search for you,” Elder Mu added.
A genuine wave of gratitude washed over Jiang Chen. “I am deeply thankful for the Field Master’s and Manager’s concern!”
Elder Mu shook his head. “Find some time to explain everything to the Field Master yourself.”
“I will,” Jiang Chen promised with a firm nod.
Rather than rushing off, he stayed to submit his quota for the quarter: his own thousand-odd pounds of Top-quality Spirit Rice, along with Lin An’s thousand pounds of ordinary Spirit Rice.
Business concluded, he departed the Core Management Office and took to the skies, heading toward his own Spirit Farm.
The further he flew, the more desolate the landscape became, until the crowds thinned to nothing. Nearing his property, he swept the area with his Divine Sense.
He wasn’t alone. Two people were waiting inside his home: Jin Fugui and Ruo Qunshuang.
Jin Fugui wore a face full of misery, letting out a long, dramatic sigh. “Old Jiang, ah… you didn’t even leave behind an heir. How could you just abandon me like this?”
Beside him, Ruo Qunshuang nervously twisted the hem of her skirt. Naturally clumsy with words, she sat in uncomfortable silence. She had only come to collect her promised cultivation resources. She never expected to learn that her supplier had been missing for a month, his fate unknown.
Jin Fugui cast a sympathetic glance her way and took a deep breath. “Don’t worry. Since Old Jiang promised you, I’ll see it through, even if he’s gone.”
Before Ruo Qunshuang could respond, a familiar voice drifted in from the courtyard. “Fatty, are you really that eager for me to stay dead?”
Jin Fugui’s face crumpled. “It’s over. The grief is giving me auditory hallucinations.”
Ruo Qunshuang blinked. “I don’t think that was a hallucination.”
Jin Fugui froze. He slowly turned his head toward the doorway. The moment his eyes locked onto that familiar silhouette, he launched himself forward like a cannonball. “Old Jiang!”
He tackled Jiang Chen into a suffocating bear hug, terrified his friend might vanish into thin air. Tears and snot streamed down his chubby face.
Jiang Chen patted the fatty’s broad back, a teasing smirk on his lips. “You’ve lost weight!”
Jin Fugui nodded vehemently. “Of course I have! Ever since you disappeared, my appetite has been ruined. I can barely stomach three bowls of Spirit Rice a meal!”
Jiang Chen chuckled. “Where’s Old Mo?”
“He went to the Canglan Sea to look for you,” Jin Fugui sniffled. “Said he wouldn’t come back until he found you alive, or found your corpse.”
Jiang Chen nodded thoughtfully. “Well, as you can see, I’m perfectly fine. Send word to Old Mo and tell him to return immediately.”
*Even though the Flood Dragon and the Mirage Dragon are gone, and Wu Lao, Xiao Mei’er, and the rest are dead, that place is far from safe.* The Canglan Sea had devolved into a treacherous wasteland of corrupted waters, a breeding ground for countless vicious water demons and sea monsters.
Jin Fugui wiped his face on his sleeve, his expression turning serious. “It’s not just Old Mo. Senior Brother Chen Tian, Senior Brother Chen Bo, Senior Brother Wang Ze, Tie Zhu, and that female drunkard—they all need to know.”
Jiang Chen pulled out a thick stack of Communication Talismans. “I’ll handle it.”
“Then I’m heading to Beast Mountain right now to slaughter a prime spirit beast!” Jin Fugui declared, his eyes shining. “We’re celebrating tonight!”
“Sounds good,” Jiang Chen agreed.
Jin Fugui wasted no time. He summoned his riding camel and vaulted onto its back.
Just as the fatty was about to leave, Jiang Chen suddenly asked, “Why haven’t you reached Foundation Establishment yet?”
Jin Fugui scratched his head awkwardly. “I got sidetracked by a bunch of things. Plus, you know my situation. I have a Fire-Restrains-Metal Spirit Root. I can’t break through on my own; I absolutely need a Foundation Pill.”
Jiang Chen’s eyes gleamed with quiet calculation. “Alright. I understand.”
*I’ve already formed my Golden Core, yet my closest brother is still stuck in Qi Condensation. That won’t do.* Once he settled his immediate affairs, he would personally refine a Foundation Pill for the fatty. With his current alchemy skills, it would be a trivial matter.
With a final wave, Jin Fugui rode off.
That left only Jiang Chen and Ruo Qunshuang in the room. A heavy, awkward silence settled over them.
Ruo Qunshuang kept her head bowed, her fingers working nervously at her skirt, too intimidated to speak.
Recognizing that his month-long disappearance had put her in a difficult spot, Jiang Chen didn’t waste time. He retrieved the cultivation resources she needed and pushed them across the table. “Take them.”
Ruo Qunshuang hesitated, biting her lip. Given the circumstances of his miraculous return, demanding her payment felt inappropriate.
Jiang Chen saw right through her apprehension and offered a reassuring smile. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’m the one who nearly breached our contract. I should be thanking you for not reporting me to the Punishment Department.”
Ruo Qunshuang’s eyes widened, and she frantically waved her hands. “I… I would never do that!”
Seeing her sheer panic, Jiang Chen let out a helpless chuckle. “Relax, I’m not blaming you. It was just a joke.”
Visibly relieved, Ruo Qunshuang carefully accepted the resources. She stood up and bowed slightly. “Thank you, Senior Brother Jiang. I won’t take up any more of your time.”
“What’s the rush?” Jiang Chen stopped her, pulling a plump, black-skinned watermelon from his storage ring. “Stay and have a meal before you go.”
Seeing the familiar fruit, a genuine smile finally graced Ruo Qunshuang’s lips. “Alright.”
She sat back down, quietly enjoying a slice of the sweet melon.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen infused his spiritual energy into the stack of Communication Talismans, sending out messages one by one.
Old Mo was in the Canglan Sea, so he couldn’t be reached. Tie Zhu was also unreachable for some unknown reason.
Fortunately, he managed to contact Chen Tian, Chen Bo, Wang Ze, and Han Xin. Upon hearing that Jiang Chen was not only alive but had already returned home, they were overjoyed. Without finishing their current tasks, they immediately took to the skies and flew toward the Spirit Farm!