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Chapter 271: Lu Chen, Fellow Daoist, Please Save Me
Chapter 271: Lu Chen, Fellow Daoist, Please Save Me
Qinhua Riverbank
The once-raging river now flowed calmly, with a portion of its waters entering a vast bay midway, creating a tranquil haven.
The bay was enormous, spanning several dozen zhang in width.
The river's surface was calm, without a ripple, as a gentle breeze caressed its waters.
Two figures sat side by side on the riverbank, a pot of medicinal tea between them, each holding a fishing rod emitting a spiritual energy glow.
"My Li family's foundation lies in alchemy and cultivating seven types of medicinal herbs, earning us a modest reputation in Heavenly Wave Immortal City."
"In addition to herbs and pills, we also have three spiritual fish ponds as supplementary sources of income."
"The pool beneath my feet, the Dragon Return Bay, is one of those spiritual fish ponds, specifically designed for Washflower Fish that require live water."
Li Jinhuang stroked his white-streaked beard, speaking with ease.
He discussed various Li family businesses, all of which were vital to the family's survival.
He spoke openly, seemingly unafraid of the man beside him coveting their secrets.
Lu Chen smiled slightly, glancing at the motionless fishing rod, and said casually, "If you're going to fish, why not go to a real river? Fishing in a pond like this doesn't showcase true skill."
His words implied that real fishing prowess was demonstrated in vast rivers, not ponds.
Unexpectedly, Li Jinhuang waved his hand dismissively.
"Fellow Daoist, you are mistaken. The fish you are trying to catch are not the domesticated Washflower Fish."
"Oh? How so?"
"Washflower Fish require live water as their source, so we can only build the fish pond in this Dragon Return Bay. But in the Qinhua River, there is a Green Scaled Dragon Fish that loves to feed on Washflower Fish. Now that the two are connected, the Green Scaled Dragon Fish often comes to feed, and even with magical tools blocking their path, some manage to sneak in, causing significant losses for my Li family."
Li Jinhuang paused, gesturing towards the fishing rod.
"The bait we use is specially made from the bones of Washflower Fish, which is especially attractive to the Green Scaled Dragon Fish."
Lu Chen suddenly understood.
"So, I'm just doing free labor for your Li family!"
Li Jinhuang spoke with a weathered tone, "Fellow Daoist, if you intend to use my channels to sell your pills, aren't you also asking me to do free labor?"
Lu Chen's eyebrows furrowed, "Of course, you won't be missing out on your share of the reward."
"As a dying man, what use are a few spirit stones to me?" Li Jinhuang looked at Lu Chen calmly.
At that moment, Lu Chen fell silent.
The other party had only a few years left to live.
Earning spirit stones indeed seemed pointless.
Just like Duan Feng, who, before his death, went on a spending spree, buying various resources for his family.
Li Jinhuang was no different!
After a while, Lu Chen lifted his head, meeting Li Jinhuang's calm, weathered gaze.
"Speak, what do you want?"
Li Jinhuang nodded but didn't mention his request. Instead, he first explained what he could do.
"I will take care of your pills, and the price will definitely satisfy you. Moreover, I will ensure that no one knows they are your creations, and no one will be able to trace them back to you. This way, everything will be foolproof."
"Are you sure?"
Lu Chen was skeptical.
It made sense that no one could trace the pills back to him.
But if even Li Jinhuang, who personally handled the transaction, could remain hidden, it was indeed impressive.
Li Jinhuang smiled slightly, "Since my youth, I have lived in Heavenly Wave Immortal City, and I am well-acquainted with the various sects within a thousand li and ten thousand li. Finding channels to sell these pills is a trivial matter."
"I might even say that I won't handle the sale of these pills in Heavenly Wave Immortal City."
"This way, you can rest assured!"
With his assurance, Lu Chen became convinced.
The other party was also an alchemist, though not particularly skilled, capable of refining only first-stage pills.
However, he undoubtedly had a better understanding of the underground channels for selling pills than Lu Chen, who had only been in Heavenly Wave Immortal City for a few years.
The question then returned to the original request.
"Tell me what you want, and I will do my best."
"What I want is simple!"
Li Jinhuang took a deep breath, his weathered gaze intensifying as he stared intently at Lu Chen.
"If my Li family's young talent successfully establishes his foundation, I want him to join the Luo Tianhui and be given an honorary elder position."
Hmm?
Lu Chen was taken aback.
A Foundation Establishment Cultivator joining the Luo Tianhui, requesting only an elder position, and an honorary one at that?
"And if he doesn't succeed?" Lu Chen's thoughts raced, but he asked aloud.
Li Jinhuang sighed, "If he doesn't succeed, I hope you can promote Yuan Dongsheng to the position of Medicine Hall Master."
Yuan Dongsheng, the grandson of Auntie Yuan.
He was also the chosen partner for the marriage alliance between the Luo Tianhui and the Qinhua Li family.
The engagement had already been set.
In a year, they would be married.
Lu Chen was even more perplexed, "How come, no matter what, it seems like the Luo Tianhui is the one benefiting?"
"Isn't it a good thing?" Li Jinhuang smiled.
Lu Chen shook his head, "I only know that there are no free lunches in this world; every gain has its loss."
Li Jinhuang nodded, "That's natural. All I ask is that you look after the Qinhua Li family during crucial times."
So that was it!
Whether it was the Li family's new Foundation Establishment Cultivator joining the Luo Tianhui or the promotion of Li family's son-in-law, Yuan Dongsheng, to the position of Hall Master.
Both directly increased the status of the Qinhua Li family within the Luo Tianhui.
In times of great crisis, the Li family could rely on the Luo Tianhui to weather the storm.
Lu Chen sighed, "You truly have the best interests of your family at heart, worrying endlessly! But..."
His tone shifted.
"Don't you worry that after you're gone, I might use Yuan Dongsheng's name to seize your family's assets?"
Li Jinhuang stroked his beard and smiled, "After I'm gone, if the Li family doesn't have a capable successor, even without you, others will covet this family fortune."
"Compared to those Foundation Establishment Cultivators with ulterior motives outside, I trust your character more."
"At the very least, with your accommodating nature, you won't wipe us out. You'll leave some scraps for my Li family."
"I'm right, aren't I, Fellow Daoist Luo Chen?"
Luo Chen's eyebrows twitched, unsure of how to respond for a moment.
It was clear that the other party had thoroughly investigated his deeds.
Through this, they could gauge his character, and thus, entrust him with such a task.
This was a form of recognition of his personal charm.
"Fellow Daoist, you've caught a big one!"
A reminder sounded in his ear, and Luo Chen pulled hard on the black fishing rod. The transparent and sturdy fishing line suddenly jerked out.
In the cold wind, a huge dragon fish struggled as it was pulled out of the water.
The green fish scales flickered with intense demonic energy fluctuations.
It was actually a late-stage first-tier Green Scaled Dragon Fish!
"Fellow Daoist, quickly pull it up! This fish is a real treasure!"
...
"Master, Sister Mi's pill refining technique has improved a lot recently. She can produce twenty-something Zhon Miaowans from ten furnaces!"
"How did you know I caught a seven-hundred-pound Green Scaled Dragon Fish?"
"Uh..."
Qu Lingjun, who was in high spirits, suddenly became dazed.
Luo Chen laughed and praised Mi Li a few words before heading up Crimson Peak.
He handed the huge Green Scaled Dragon Fish to Yuan Dongsheng.
"This is a treasure. Its excrement can be used as fertilizer to improve soil aeration, allowing spiritual energy to penetrate the roots of spirit plants, making them grow faster and better!"
Yuan Dongsheng's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly.
He had heard about the Green Scaled Dragon Fish from his fiancee, Li Yingjun.
The reason Li's family's herb business was so successful was that they often used the excrement of Green Scaled Dragon Fish to improve the quality of their spirit fields, aiding the growth of spirit plants.
But he never expected that the President would catch a late-stage first-tier big fish!
Yuan Dongsheng immediately sent someone to take care of the fish and then took Luo Chen for a walk through the mountains.
"This area has a relatively flat terrain, with a total of thirty-seven spirit fields, all of which have recovered their quality."
"We removed the previously planted Heavenly Silkworm Beans and Ten Fragrant Caltrops, and we plan to plant Green Silver Flower Grass after the heavy snow. It's a spirit grass that contains abundant spiritual energy, has high economic value, and has a short growth cycle. The only drawback is that it's too fragile and needs careful nurturing."
"But Elder Min Longyu came to survey once and said that we can set up an array to protect the growth of the Green Silver Flower Grass."
"Over there..."
The two of them walked and talked.
Most of the time, Yuan Dongsheng was speaking, and Luo Chen was listening.
Along the way, they occasionally encountered Battle Hall cultivators who came to earn merit in the spirit fields.
When they met Luo Chen, they would always stand to the side, greeting him enthusiastically and respectfully.
Luo Chen responded with a warm smile.
If he ran into a familiar subordinate from the past, he would stop to ask about their cultivation progress and quickly resolve any doubts they had.
In this way, they walked and talked.
Luo Chen finally gained a comprehensive understanding of the spirit fields on Crimson Peak.
It could be said that this was an enormous fortune!
If managed well, the annual revenue generated would be several tens of thousands of spirit stones!
If it weren't for Luo Chen's presence in the Medicine Hall, these spirit fields would be the main source of income for Luo Tianhui.
Renting this Crimson Peak for ten years at a cost of ten thousand spirit stones per year was an incredibly profitable deal!
However, the Ice Fortress wasn't at a loss either.
They only had the right to collect rent, and Crimson Peak was actually a shared asset of the seven sects.
It's like selling the field and not worrying about the loss of the crops!
Moreover, managing spirit fields was quite challenging and required constant supervision.
And one also needed an experienced spirit plant husband like Yuan Dongsheng.
If it were any other loose cultivator who didn't eat grains, they wouldn't even know how to cultivate or what to plant!
The main reason no one rented it before was due to the complex situation on Crimson Peak.
The high rent, the presence of many loose cultivators, and the interference of small factions like the Divine Craft Sect and the Geng family made it unattractive.
In the end, Luo Chen relied on his eloquence and strength to secure this territory.
Even so, Luo Tianhui still had to put in a lot of effort to restore the quality of these spirit fields.
As they walked to a secluded area, several narrow spirit fields had already been planted with Star Clinging Vines that could climb up rock walls.
Luo Chen stopped in his tracks.
"You've done a great job, and I hope you'll continue to do even better in the future!"
Yuan Dongsheng smiled with restraint, "President, you have shown me deep kindness, and you've also found me a wonderful marriage. These are things I should do."
It seemed that he was very satisfied with his fiancee, Li Yingjun.
Luo Chen shook his head.
"Keep up the good work in the future!"
"When you reach the ninth layer of Qi Condensation, I'll take charge of the Medicine Hall and let you preside over it."
Yuan Dongsheng was stunned.
He subconsciously asked, "What about Hall Master Bian?"
"He doesn't understand these things; he's just sitting in the Medicine Hall because of his cultivation base." Luo Chen turned and walked back, "In the future, Luo Tianhui will have other arrangements for him."
Hearing this, Yuan Dongsheng felt relieved.
Following Luo Chen, he was excited, and his heart was filled with even greater enthusiasm.
He didn't have much desire for power.
But the Medicine Hall was established and developed by his grandmother.
If one day in the future, he could preside over the Medicine Hall again, he wouldn't have let his grandmother down.
...
Next, Luo Chen went to the Armory Hall and Battle Hall, even taking the time to visit the Green Obscure Valley Small Bazaar, which had taken initial shape.
By the time he finished this round, it was already very late.
When he returned to Luo Tian Grand Hall, Sima Huiwang had been quietly waiting for a long time.
Sitting down in the chair, Luo Chen sighed and said, "Huiwang, you've truly done an excellent job!"
Even after years of tempering, her mindset had become extremely mature, but upon hearing Luo Chen's heartfelt praise, Sima Huiwang still felt a tingling sensation in her nose.
Others didn't know why Luo Chen had given such a sudden and sincere compliment.
Only Sima Huiwang knew the truth.
This afternoon, Luo Chen wasn't just sightseeing and casually inquiring about the development of various branches; he was also judging the current attitudes of the Luo Tianhui through brief conversations with each of the cultivators he encountered.
To completely cut back on basic salaries was undoubtedly a risky move.
History has shown that the decline of countless large corporations began with cost-cutting, streamlining, and managing internal personnel.
In his previous life, Luo Chen was just an exploited mid-level corporate worker.
He understood the principles, but not the reasons behind them.
Therefore, when he decided to take this step, he still felt apprehensive.
He didn't want to see the Luo Tianhui, which he had established with his own hands, fall apart so hastily.
However, reality proved that he had to do so.
Otherwise, the collapse of the Luo Tianhui would only come sooner.
During this time, Luo Chen had been constantly thinking about this matter.
That was why, after meeting with Li Jinhuang, he came straight to Crimson Peak.
But after seeing and hearing what was happening inside, he realized that there wasn't a situation of widespread resentment among the members.
This proved that the internal cultivators had accepted the previous series of policies.
And the reason they accepted it wasn't because the policy was particularly good, but because the person implementing the policy did an excellent job!
That was why he couldn't help but praise Sima Huiwang.
This woman might have been limited in her development due to her stage and experience, but when it came to management and personnel adjustments, she truly had a talent for it.
Now, after many years, she had turned her talent into strength!
"You're giving me too much credit, President."
"The reason I was able to achieve this is all because of your prestige, President. That's why I was able to carry out these policies without any obstacles."
"Prestige? Perhaps!"
Luo Chen shook his head and smiled.
Looking at the slightly fatigued woman, he couldn't help but think that during the implementation of the Merit Policy, she must have endured a lot of grievances and taken on a lot of blame! After all, the generous one was President Luo Chen.
The stingy one was always President Sima Huiwang.
Sima Huiwang spoke seriously, "At the beginning of the Merit Policy implementation, I first used the 'kill the chicken to scare the monkey' approach to intimidate everyone. Then, I offered both the carrot and the stick, providing welfare benefits."
"Especially since our Luo Tianhui's treatment is already much better than the nearby large and small forces."
"Whether it's good or bad, everyone has their own opinions."
"But most importantly, everyone feels that by following President, they have a chance to rise to prominence!"
"With Duan, Wang, and Min having already reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, and Meng Juan Qinglian on the verge of breaking through, what about the future? Who doesn't feel that they also have a chance?"
"And this opportunity is something that the leaders of other small forces won't give, only President is capable of it!"
Is that so?
Luo Chen listened with delight, but his mind couldn't help but recall Li Jinhuang's words from the morning.
Haha!
That old man must have judged his character based on this!
After all, anyone can say nice things, but the truth lies in the actual situation.
Luo Chen didn't say too many flattering words, but the Luo Tianhui had indeed repeatedly produced Foundation Establishment Stage True Cultivators!
This was the most powerful evidence!
"With you in charge of the Luo Tianhui, I'm at ease."
"Keep up the good work!"
Without saying anything more, Luo Chen encouraged her with a few words and then left Crimson Peak.
If he stayed any later, the gates of Heavenly Wave Immortal City would close, and he would have to bother that old man, Xu Jingnian, again.
Now was the crucial moment for him to break through to the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage, and Luo Chen didn't want to waste a single day.
He had taken a whole day to come out and wanted to investigate one or two hidden dangers within the Luo Tianhui.
Only with the Luo Tianhui safe and sound could he focus on pill refining and cultivation.
Under the cold moonlit night, above the wasteland, a flying boat soared through the sky.
Suddenly, Luo Chen's brows furrowed as his gaze landed on a spot not too far ahead.
Three flying eagles hovered in the air.
A magical tool flashed, exuding a chilling killing intent.
A figure was surrounded by three enemies and three flying eagles, struggling to defend himself.
"Interesting!"
"A Foundation Establishment Stage True Cultivator is being forced into such a dire situation by three Qi Condensation Stage cultivators."
Luo Chen shook his head, having no intention of getting involved in this mess.
He merely glanced at the scene and then focused on maneuvering the Langqi Flying Boat to bypass the group ahead.
During the flight, his gaze remained fixed on the battle.
He felt that the besieged cultivator looked somewhat familiar.
"Huh?"
"It's him!"
Luo Chen suddenly remembered—this was the scar-faced cultivator who had sold him three damaged magical treasures.
This person had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage almost simultaneously with Min Longyu, but he hadn't even had time to solidify his stage before leaving Heavenly Wave Immortal City.
As Luo Chen watched, the scar-faced cultivator seemed to be driven to a dead end, and he suddenly roared.
"You brats, you've gone too far!"
Before he could finish his sentence, a dazzling sword light burst forth.
The sword light was majestic, like a divine sword, and it swept through everything in its path.
Under this sword strike, the three Qi Condensation Stage cultivators and the three flying eagles had almost no resistance, and they were directly annihilated without even a chance to utter a last word.
"A magical treasure!"
"Tsk tsk, what a pity. This person seems to have only refined it briefly. With just one sword strike, he exhausted all his spiritual power and even injured himself."
"But for three Qi Condensation Stage cultivators to dare to besiege a Foundation Establishment Stage True Cultivator, they truly don't know the value of their lives."
Luo Chen recognized the three cultivators.
They might be considered skilled, but they weren't exceptionally powerful.
Even Duan Feng and Qin Liangchen from the Dahedao Market era were slightly better, and their strength was roughly on par with Zeng Wen.
For people like them to attempt to kill enemies of higher stages was truly not knowing the value of their lives.
Shaking his head, Luo Chen maneuvered the flying boat and bypassed the battle.
Suddenly, from behind him.
"Fellow Daoist Luo Chen, save me!"
(End of Chapter)
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