Chapter 540 - 313: Fourth Grade!
Chapter 540: Chapter 313: Fourth Grade!
This doubled the power and effectiveness of Cultivation Techniques and Techniques like his Four Symbols Skill, Dragon-slaying Spear, and Mountain Shattering Fist.
To put it bluntly, if the current Chen Yi were to fight Du Cang again, he wouldn’t even need the Chess Dao. He could forcefully shatter Du Cang’s Black Magic Secret Skill using only the Spear Dao. Without his Black Magic Secret Skill, Du Cang wouldn’t even be able to withstand a single thrust of his spear!
Chen Yi felt the True Essence surging within his body. After stabilizing it for a moment, he slowly ceased his cultivation and used the Black Tortoise Concealment Technique to rein in his aura.
However, advancing in his Cultivation wasn’t entirely without drawbacks. Even though the power of his Four Symbols Skill had doubled, it was impossible for him to break through a minor realm in just four days like he did in the Fifth Grade Realm. As for an exact estimate... it was hard to say. It all depended on how much time he could spare for cultivation.
Chen Yi stood up and casually dispelled the mountains and rivers conjured by his Chess Dao. Looking around the guest room, which remained clearly visible despite the dim lighting, a slight smile appeared on his face.
Now that his Cultivation had reached the Fourth Grade Realm, the combined might of his various Techniques was enough to rival a Martial Artist in the Upper Three Grades Realm. This meant he had achieved the goal he set when he first arrived in this world: to have the ability to protect himself. As long as he didn’t provoke people like Immortal Bai, he could go anywhere in this vast world.
Then again, at this point, Chen Yi didn’t want to go anywhere at all.
"Staying here in Shu State is pretty nice," he murmured. "Stunning scenery, pristine waters, beauties by my side... But more importantly, the Emperor is far away, so I can actually enjoy some rare peace and quiet."
Looking at the full moon outside the window, Chen Yi felt completely at peace. He was used to everything here. He had formed attachments to people and matters that were hard to let go of, making it difficult for him to ever wander far away. Besides, for someone as lazy as him, leaving meant finding some obscure corner to hide in. He wouldn’t have Xiaodie to take care of him, Xiao Wan’er to fret over him, or Madam Xiao Jinghong to constantly spur him on.
He might as well just stay here in the Spring Lotus Garden.
Just as he was thinking this, a golden light flashed before his eyes.
[Daily Intelligence · Yellow-level Top Grade: At 9:00 PM in Kangle Lane, Yuan Liu’er will diagnose and treat her younger brother. A minuscule Opportunity can be obtained.]
After reading it, Chen Yi couldn’t help but gasp softly. "That girl, Liu’er, has only studied the Medical Dao for a few days, yet she already dares to treat patients? And it’s her own brother?"
After thinking it over, Chen Yi silently noted the time, planning to go take a look after nightfall tomorrow. Yuan Liu’er was a disciple he valued highly. Given her outstanding aptitude, he had to look out for her. Moreover, the Medical Dao was different from other paths; rashly prescribing medicine and treating ailments could easily backfire.
"It’s good to go check on her. It’s my duty as her grandmaster, after all."
Chen Yi couldn’t help but think of his disappointing eldest disciple, Ma Liangcai, and curled his lips in disdain. "He’s studied under me for so long but is still only at the entry-level of the Medical Dao. Truly a lost cause. Ah, well, whatever."
Ma Liangcai had started out as a quack doctor, so managing to hold down the fort at the Jishi Medicine Hall decently well was proof of his hard work. Plus, his character was commendable, and he worked efficiently, barely qualifying him to be a trusted aide.
Chen Yi checked the sky outside, then pulled out the travel bag from under his bed. He changed into black clothes, donned a mask, and left the Spring Lotus Garden, silent and unnoticed. He first visited the residence on Chuansi Street. Seeing no movement inside, he headed straight for the Hundred Herbs Hall.
The night was hazy, and a cool breeze blew gently. There weren’t many pedestrians on the streets. Only a few Jianghu People were sleeping under the open sky. Occasional laughter echoed as they chatted about recent amusing events.
In the gloomy alleys, there were even fewer people. Fortunately, the few lanes connecting the East and West Markets were mostly inhabited by people of status, so shady activities rarely occurred there. Chen Yi navigated his way through, avoiding the servants guarding the residences, as well as the patrolling City Guard Army and Imprisonment Officers, until he arrived at the Hundred Herbs Hall.
As soon as he approached, he heard the slightly hushed voices of Liu Lang and the others coming from inside. It sounded like they were in the Quiet Chamber.
"...And that’s pretty much what happened," one voice said. "General Jinghong truly lives up to her reputation as a top-tier expert in Shu State. When I went looking for her, before I even got close, a sliver of Sword Intent was already pressed against my neck."
"Hiss, she’s that formidable?"
"You bet. Did you think I was lying? If she wasn’t that powerful, why would I have obeyed her every command? Dabao, you have the nerve to judge me? Back in the pit, you were too scared to even breathe a word!"
"Hehe... With you taking the lead, Mr. Liu, how could I dare steal the spotlight..."
During the lull in their banter, Wang Ji asked from the side, "Since you guys are back in the Prefecture City, what’s the plan next?"
Liu Lang replied that he would head to Lin Village to sell off the remaining grain.
Zhang Dabao thought for a moment before saying, "Since the lord hasn’t given any further instructions, I’ll just take the members of the Celestial Sect into hiding for a while."
Liu Lang nodded in agreement. "Makes sense. You really pulled off something huge this time, kid. I originally thought the boss just sent you to pull some underhanded tricks, but I never expected it was actually to..."
Before he could finish, Chen Yi pushed the door open and walked in. "Actually to what?"
"Boss?" Liu Lang snapped to attention, quickly standing up with a smile. "I’ve taken care of everything you asked for."
Ever since he lost his duel with Chen Yi and nearly died, no matter how arrogant he was, he didn’t dare cross the line anymore.
Wang Ji and Zhang Dabao bowed successively, greeting him as "Lord."
Chen Yi closed the door, took the seat of honor, and waved his hand, signaling them to sit down and talk. "Dabao, you did an excellent job this time."
A hint of shyness appeared on Zhang Dabao’s youthful face. "It’s all thanks to your guidance, my lord. To be honest, there were a few slip-ups along the way. Thankfully, the guys from the Celestial Sect were quick-witted and salvaged the situation in time, preventing anyone from escaping."
Chen Yi smiled and nodded. "As long as the outcome was Perfection, that’s what matters."
It was, in fact, a very perfect outcome. Zhang Dabao and the others had disguised themselves as horse bandits from the Poshisu Country and Scouts from the Barbarian Race. This not only caused the capital Lin Zhenghong and his group needed to buy grain to skyrocket, but they had also unexpectedly captured Li Sanyuan from the Ji State Trading Company.
"Tell me, what was Li Sanyuan trying to do?" Chen Yi asked. Guesses were just guesses; he wanted to know exactly what the Ji State Trading Company was scheming.
Zhang Dabao quickly recounted the entire sequence of events. "That guy is incredibly sly. Even under Liu Lang’s interrogation, he only spilled part of his plan. If General Jinghong hadn’t arrived later and forced the rest of the plan out of him, I wouldn’t have known he actually sent people to get dirt on Liu Taofang."
"Liu Taofang..." Chen Yi lowered his head slightly, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the back of his chair.
Things were roughly as he had deduced—Li Sanyuan wanted to take a risk and make a deal with King Landu to secure the silver coins they had earned from the grain trade. However, he hadn’t expected—or rather, he had underestimated—Li Sanyuan’s decisiveness. Realizing he couldn’t drag Liu Hong down with him, the man immediately targeted Liu Taofang.
"If things really go according to his plan, then there will be a massive flaw on Liu Hong’s end," Chen Yi mused. His gaze shifted north. No wonder Madam Xiao Jinghong was in such a hurry to head to Guangyuan.
Li Sanyuan only held the evidence of Zhu Hao’s transactions with King Landu through the Ji State Trading Company, which didn’t implicate Liu Hong. At most, it would just lead to some suspicion. Under these circumstances, Xiao Jinghong had no choice but to go to Guangyuan County to avoid alerting Liu Hong here in the Prefecture City.
"If that’s the case, Madam probably won’t apprehend Zhu Hao right away," Chen Yi thought. He wouldn’t have either.
The best countermeasure was to keep a close eye on Zhu Hao and see if he could be tied to Liu Hong. "This gives her older brother a chance to claim this merit..." However, at this thought, Chen Yi secretly frowned.
"I shouldn’t have killed Lv Jiunan," he realized. "Judging by the caution the Old Master and Madam have shown towards Liu Hong, he must be hiding some secrets, or perhaps he has a powerful backer. To the point where they can’t act rashly without making foolproof preparations. If Lv Jiunan were still alive, the outcome would be different. He could have served as a witness to pin Asutai’s escape from Shu State entirely on Liu Hong."
After pondering for a moment, Chen Yi formed a plan. He then gave out instructions to Liu Lang and Zhang Dabao one by one.
After hearing them, Zhang Dabao’s jaw dropped as he pointed at himself. "L-Lord, you want me to disguise myself as Li Sanyuan?"
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow. "What, you can’t do it?"
"I can do it, it’s j-just... I’m afraid I’ll mess it up and delay your plans, my lord. After all, that grain..."
A million bushels of grain! The mere thought of that number made Zhang Dabao’s heart tremble. Even setting aside current prices, it was worth a million silver coins based on the rates before the grain price surged. If he screwed this up, he wouldn’t be able to pay off the debt in a lifetime.
Chen Yi chuckled softly. "It’s best if you succeed, but even if you fail, we can still force them to transport the grain out of the city. When that time comes..."
Liu Lang’s face lit up with excitement. He gripped the hilt of his Blade and snickered, "Then it’ll be my time to shine."
Back when he was in the Northern Desert, he had pulled off quite a few robbery jobs through the Bright Moon Building. It would be a walk in the park. This time, there was just more loot and more manpower needed. But at its core, it was still about killing everyone, snatching the goods, and storing them safely. Very simple.
Chen Yi nodded. "Remember to hide the grain well. If it comes down to it, take it to Tonglin Town."
"Tonglin? The Xiao Family’s fief?" Liu Lang grinned. "The boss really thinks of everything."
Seeing that Liu Lang and Zhang Dabao understood their tasks, Chen Yi turned his attention to Wang Ji and instructed, "I need you to do something for me as well."
"Please give your orders, my lord."
"Tomorrow, go to the Xiao Family’s estate. The Hundred Herbs Hall in Guangyuan County is about to open, and it needs some backing from the Xiao Family..."