Chapter 188: Dan Fei’s Invitation
What disappointed Jiang Chen was that old man Fei wasn’t in the capital but had instead been missing for quite a while. There was no trace of old man Fei in the entire Qingyang Valley.
“Is this old man playing hide and seek with me?” Jiang Chen mused inwardly. But he also believed that even though old man Fei was crafty, he wasn’t the sort to run away from his obligations.
If old man Fei was really that sort of person, Jiang Chen wouldn’t have given him the recipe for the Renewal Purity Pill. He’d observed the old man a few times and confirmed his temperament before giving that recipe to him.
“This old man has been pining after this pill for forever, surely because of its particular use. In that case, he must be furiously collecting materials in preparation of refining this pill?”
It was a good thing that although old man Fei had left, he had given instructions to these disciples that if Jiang Chen came by, they’d have to serve Jiang Chen as if they were serving their own ancestor.
Therefore, when Jiang Chen arrived, all these associates were incredibly fervent. Jiang Chen handed over the list that he’d prepared earlier and all the items were collected in short order, with the associates refusing to accept any money for the items.
Such ardent zeal made Jiang Chen feel almost a bit embarrassed to have lectured old man Fei.
After lingering for a while inside, Jiang Chen didn’t want to while away the time outside with Han Xianke so he drank two small cups of tea before finally making his way out of the door.
At this moment, Tang Long happened to arrive with his younger brother. Large beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
Even though he was part of the army, to make a return trip in such a short amount of time with only his two legs was still a very difficult thing
Han Xianke was a man of his word and didn’t put on any airs.
He took a quick glance, flourished his sleeves, and poked a few times at some acupuncture points on Tang Long’s younger brother’s leg. Then, he took out a few gold needles and poked at various key nerves in his younger brother’s body.
“Ah!” Tang Long’s brother cried out as a mouthful of previously blocked blood sprayed from his mouth. Black blood also started flowing out of the seven orifices of his head.
“Alright.” Han Xianke put away his gold needles. “You brought him here in time. If you had waited another half a year, not even the gods would have been able to save this man.”
“Al… alright?” Tang Long hadn’t even had time to react. “The treatment is done just like that?”
“Ignore it if you don’t believe me.” Han Xianke’s regular demeanor as a sect disciple once again reared its head.
Tang Long smiled awkwardly as he grasped the Black Spirit Wood in his hands. He wanted to offer it as a reward, but was then worried that he was acting too hastily. What if his brother hadn’t truly been cured?
Jiang Chen really wanted to burst out laughing when he saw Tang Long’s hesitant figure.
“Tang Long, take your younger brother back. Oh right, before that, go to the Qingyang Valley and obtain some medicine that will strengthen the body. They’re not that expensive. Tell them I sent you.”
This time, Tang Long had happened to catch a glimpse of Jiang Chen coming out of the Qingyang Valley office.
“If you want your younger brother to be able to stand up, you still have to use the requisite medicines. Sir Han also already taken care of the palsy, but it’s still up to him to go through the recovery process. Using better medicine will help him heal faster.”
Jiang Chen actually had good medicine, but those were the ones for practitioners to take when they were injured. The body of Tang Long’s younger brother wouldn’t be able to cope with such high-level medicine.
Tang Long was a complete believer this time. He held the Black Spirit Wood in his hands, unsure whether to offer it to Jiang Chen or Han Xianke.
Jiang Chen smiled, “I’ve already said that no diagnosis fee is needed. If you find that item cumbersome, why don’t you sell it to the Qingyang Valley? They’ll give you a fair price.”
Han Xianke was the genius disciple of a sect. How could he find any value in a stick of Black Spirit Wood? Only useless trash like that senior brother Kuang would try to steal something like that.
Why would a true sect disciple want something like that?
Taking a look at Han Xianke’s resolute face, Jiang Chen felt a headache develop. “Then, ah, let’s have a chat. I have no opinion about you wanting to be my follower, but let’s talk about this only after I enter the Precious Tree Sect. How about that?”
“You want to enter the Precious Tree Sect?” Han Xianke started before becoming overjoyed. “Then what are we waiting for? I’ll recommend you right now.”
“The time isn’t ripe yet.” Jiang Chen shook his head. Recommendation? Jiang Chen didn’t want to make it into the sect through someone else’s power. Besides, he didn’t want to start off pathetically as a low ranked disciple. He wanted to make a big entrance in a blaze of glory.
Besides, he hadn’t been in the Skylaurel Kingdom for long. His foundations were not yet solid, and he had yet to find suitable positions for those around him.
It was obviously not yet the right timing to enter the Precious Tree Sect.
He didn’t want others to think that he’d gotten in by some under-the-table means as soon as he entered the sect.
Jiang Chen spent a lot of time and effort to finally convince Han Xianke that when he entered the Precious Tree Sect in the future, he would carry out the words he had spoken today and accept him as a follower.
Han Xianke still hadn’t seemed that happy, so Jiang Chen had to further promise that he would let Han Xianke visit him once every three months.
Amongst all the followers he’d ever taken, Jiang Chen had never had such a follower forcibly foisted on him before. Han Xianke was the type to never rest until he reached his goal.
“Han Xianke has rather shown me another side of sect disciples.” Jiang Chen sighed lightly. Sect disciples had their eyes on top of their heads and all sorts of eccentric tempers. But, Han Xianke possessed an indefatigable and undying sense of resolution and a type of intelligence that followed enlightenment. This wasn’t something that any regular person could measure up to.
Sect disciples weren’t useless after all; it was just that they often displayed the awful sides of themselves and made others feel that that all sect disciples were good-for-nothings.
After all, in order to become a sect disciple, all of them surely had that a spark of something special about them.
…
When he returned home, Jiang Chen discovered that he had an unexpected visitor…
Dan Fei!
She was Tutor Ye’s half granddaughter, half disciple, and the woman that Jiang Chen was currently most afraid of bumping into.
But, she’d come knocking on his door. He couldn’t very well turn his head and walk away now, could he? He could only force himself to walk up and greet her with a wry expression, “Look who the wind blew in! Sister Dan Fei, what brings you here?”
Dan Fei looked like she was in a good mood today as she wore a light green robe, with the appearance a quietly elegant apricot berry, giving others a very refined impression.
Except, her skirt emphasized her wondrous body, making her appear even more alluring. The skirt rippled like water and billowed slightly, complementing her snow white skin and exquisite features, and even adding a few ethereal traces to her face.
“Jiang Chen, I had thought that I’d need to wait half a day for you.” Dan Fei put down the tea cup on the table with a shadow of a smile.
Seeing that she was smiling, Jiang Chen felt that she likely wasn’t here to interrogate him. Almost a month had passed since the birthday banquet so there’d be no point in holding a grudge about it anymore.
Although he’d turned down the old tutor’s good intentions, he’d also explained his reasons for doing so. Even if those reasons were made up, he had still taken care to spin them into sincere white lies.
“Young master, you’re back. Miss Dan Fei has waited a long time for you.” Gouyu had been keeping her company, but it seemed that these two women who had similarly beautiful features, the same impressive body, and same proud natures were destined not to become friends.
The two remained silent for a long time while staring at the empty air.
“Mm, Gouyu, entertain our guest first. I’ve just been out and am incredibly tired. I’m going to take a shower and get a change of clothes first.” Jiang Chen wanted to make use of the opportunity and run away.
Dan Fei laughed softly and said leisurely, “To think that Jiang Chen, renowned throughout the capital and unafraid of even the country’s princes would be this afraid of seeing me, a weak woman?”
Jiang Chen smiled ruefully. This woman was a strong character alright. Although she didn’t have malice written all over her face and wasn’t threatening, but several of her noncommittal words had made it so that he could neither retreat nor advance.
However, Gouyu responded, “Miss Dan Fei, the young master of my house is only treating you with all due respect. He’s not afraid of you.”
Dan Fei smiled leisurely again, “What a loyal gal. Jiang Chen, to think that you were keeping a young wife in a golden house. You rather know how to enjoy yourself.”
Gouyu refused to admit that she was inferior. “Who are you calling gal? Who knows who’s the older one?”
Dan Fei smiled, “At least my age won’t be smaller than you?”
Gouyu stuck her chest out proudly and said with burning fighting spirit, “Who knows who’s smaller if we don’t compare ourselves?”
Those who knew what they were talking about would know that they were referring to age. Those who didn’t would likely think that they were comparing chest sizes instead after seeing Gouyu’s gesture.
These two women had vastly different personalities. Gouyu’s enthusiasm raged like fire, whereas Dan Fei’s intelligence sparkled with exquisite elegance.
One was a fiery red tree peony in full bloom, and the other a graceful camellia that was still friendly.
These two different women had created a battlefield in the living room, with a battle that saw neither the light of the blade nor the shadow of a sword commencing.
“Alright, alright. Are all women roosters that like to fight?” Jiang Chen was quite depressed as he plopped into a chair. “Sister Dan Fei, speak what’s on your mind and don’t mind that I’m stinking with sweat.”
Dan Fei smiled in satisfaction as her red lips curled slightly upwards, making a small gesture that was an indication of her power at Gouyu.
Gouyu laughed coldly and walked behind Jiang Chen, “Young master, you’ve had a long day. Let me rub your shoulders and pound your back.”
Jiang Chen discovered that these two women were dead set on facing off against each other.
“Jiang Chen, the Four Seasons Eternal Spring Pill you gave me last time was quite nice. I heard that Elder Ning of the Southern Palace immediately shaved twenty years off her looks after taking it. Your personal maid is so dutiful, so why don’t you give her one as well?” Dan Fei chuckled as she asked her question.
Gouyu smiled, “Who says I don’t have any? Our young master’s given me a ton. I’ll have enough to use from when I’m forty years old to when I’m four hundred.”
Dan Fei was a bit depressed that her blow had no effect whatsoever.
Jiang Chen hastily changed the topic when he saw the situation. “Sister Dan Fei, what of the honored tutor’s Phoenix-Dragon?” He’d wanted to ask if it’d been castrated, but that really wasn’t the sort of thing to ask in front of two beautiful women.
“It’s all been taken care of and the lordmaster is quite happy. He’s told me to come ask you to meet him for a drink. Look, you’ve kept him waiting for so long. Aren’t you an awful person?”
Jiang Chen didn’t believe that Dan Fei was merely here to invite him to go drinking. He rubbed his nose. “Ordinary people aren’t able to drink the lordmaster’s wine. Sister Dan Fei don’t try to act dumb, please speak candidly.”
Dan Fei shot a swift smile of beauty, “I’ll only tell you if you promise me first.”
“I promise I’ll definitely do it if it’s something I can do. But how can I agree to something that I can’t do? What if you tell me to run naked through the streets? That I definitely won’t do.” Jiang Chen started joking around with her as well.
“Who wants you to go streaking? You dratted person.” Dan Fei hectored, but she wasn’t really angry. “Have you heard of the Maze Realm Autumn Hunt? I have a few spots at my disposal, are you interested?”
“Eh…” Jiang Chen was speechless.
“What? You were just saying that you’d do it for sure if you could do it. You can’t even do this?” Dan Fei’s charming face was a bit unhappy