Chapter 88: Chapter 88 When should one fear a thief as one fears a tiger!
In the room.
A blackwood table, a small red clay stove.
Steam puffs from the black ceramic kettle with a “gurgle,” “gurgle.”
The fragrance of tea fills the air.
“Has my wise nephew been well lately?” asked a middle-aged cultivator with a white, beardless face and a refined demeanor, sipping spiritual tea with a smile. “Have you encountered any difficulties in living and practicing cultivation?”
It was Lv Defang.
Wang Chen half sat on his chair, answering with sincere trepidation, “Thank you for your concern, Uncle. I am well.”
This sudden visit from his nominal uncle hadn’t been anticipated by Wang Chen.
But he did not panic.
He responded as the former him would have.
Although he could not imitate him perfectly.
People always grow up, after all.
“You, you never tell your uncle the truth!” Lv Defang set down his teacup and pointed a finger playfully at Wang Chen. “I just returned from the Outer Domain a couple of days ago, only to learn that now Spirit Valley rice seeds must be purchased with spirit stones.”
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“The cost for those ten mu of spirit fields must be high, right?”
Wang Chen nodded with a wry smile, “Yes, it is.”
“Cultivation is not easy.” Lv Defang sighed. “I am somewhat at a loss with today’s sects.”
He shook his head, appearing reluctant to delve deeper.
Then, he brought out two envelopes filled with spirit stones and placed them in front of Wang Chen. “This is a little token of my affection, take it.”
Wang Chen was immediately taken aback, “Ah?”
Ten pieces per envelope.
Twenty Low Spirit in total!
In his memory, the man had never been so generous!
“In another half month, it will be your birthday.” A hint of compassion flickered in Lv Defang’s eyes as he said, “I’ve always kept it in my heart. Consider these spirit stones a birthday gift. Buy yourself some tasty treats; don’t shortchange yourself.”
That’s when Wang Chen remembered.
The 18th of March was indeed the original owner’s birthday.
He would be turning eighteen soon!
Grateful, Wang Chen said, “Thank you, Uncle.”
“Family doesn’t talk in two different ways.” Lv Defang waved his hand dismissively. “Shao Yuan left us early, and I have no children—it’s obvious that you will inherit what I have. What are twenty spirit stones in the grand scheme of things?”
“Keep cultivating well. Perhaps there’ll come a day when you can achieve the Breakthrough Mansion, and Shao Yuan’s spirit in heaven would find peace in that!”
Wang Chen nodded vigorously.
His eyes reddened.
Lv Defang chuckled, “I have another piece of good news to tell you. If nothing goes wrong, I should soon progress to the Inner Sect, and when the time comes, I will find a way to take you with me!”
He had hinted at it once before, but now his words sounded definite, as if it was all but assured.
With surprise and joy, Wang Chen exclaimed, “Really?”
“Of course, it’s true!” Lv Defang lifted the teapot and poured them each a cup of hot tea. “Come, let’s drink tea instead of wine and celebrate in advance, nephew!”
Wang Chen hurriedly cradled his teacup with both hands, “I preemptively wish Uncle a promotion to the Inner Sect and attainment of the Purple Mansion!”
He stuttered a bit.
Lv Defang laughed heartily, “Good!”
They drained their cups.
After finishing the tea, he stood up and said, “It’s getting late; I should be going back. If you have any issues, send me a crane message. Don’t bear it alone, remember this!”
Wang Chen nodded fervently, sending Lv Defang out the door with utmost respect.
Once Lv Defang’s figure had vanished completely,
Wang Chen, standing at the doorway, spat out a mouthful of tea.
It sprayed onto the ground, still steaming!
The tea was exactly what he had just drunk.
But when it touched his mouth, he had wrapped it in mana, hiding it inside his mouth.
Wang Chen first learned this technique from a book, and then he practiced it.
After many attempts, he had managed to use it with ease.
Aside from tea, pills, and a small amount of food were not a problem either.
Even speaking did not interfere.
As the saying goes, one must always be guarded against others.
Knowing that Lv Defang had ulterior motives, how could Wang Chen dare to eat anything he brought?
The skills he had learned before were now coming in handy.
That’s why they say one should always read more, and cultivators are no exception!
However, what puzzled Wang Chen was that today, Lv Defang did not show the same malice as last time.
Even when he was giving away Spirit Stones, he seemed to show some sort of pity.
It was as if…
Wang Chen returned to his room and looked at the two envelopes of Spirit Stones on the wooden table. A sudden chill rose in his heart.
“Take it to buy some good food, don’t shortchange yourself!”
The voice of Lv Defang seemed to echo once again in his ears, clear and distinct.
This was the money given to Wang Chen to buy his life.
It was also the meal of a condemned man!
It was quite normal for Lv Defang to have no malice—who would bear malice toward fish on the chopping board?
A nameless fire suddenly rose from Wang Chen’s heart.
The Heavenly Dragon in the depths of his Sea of Consciousness let out a silent roar, struggling fiercely to break free from its constraints.
Yet the chains wrapped around it did not budge!
Despite the towering rage in his heart, Wang Chen remained sufficiently calm under the pressure of a clear and enlightened Dao heart.
Anger in humans often stems from powerlessness.
In fact, when facing Lv Defang before, Wang Chen had the impulse to take action.
With the Great Achievement level Geng Metal Finger combined with the Ruyi Golden Needle, there was a real chance of successfully launching a surprise attack!
But Wang Chen had suppressed that impulse.
Because his instinct told him.
Lv Defang was exceptionally dangerous and not so easily defeated.
A cultivator at the Complete Qi Cultivation stage surely wouldn’t lack powerful means of self-protection.
More so, Lv Defang often left the sect to explore the Outer Domain.
Without real capabilities, he would have been long dead!
To confront such an enemy, one could not act rashly without sufficient confidence.
Otherwise, the one certainly to die would be oneself!
Wang Chen was also not fully prepared to face Lv Defang in open conflict.
Thus, not only did he suppress his impulse, he made every effort to feign civility with Lv Defang.
Conversely, for some unknown reason, Lv Defang currently showed no intention of immediately taking Wang Chen’s life.
The other party seemed to be waiting for the arrival of a certain moment.
This might also be an opportunity for him!
The two envelopes of Spirit Stones given by Lv Defang were stored away by Wang Chen in another Storage Bag.
He now had as many as five Storage Bags, which allowed him to categorize and store different items separately.
That was a minor matter.
What really mattered was that Wang Chen felt a major crisis was approaching him step by step.
His preparations had to be accelerated even further!
Three days after Lv Defang’s visit, Wang Chen dug a new tunnel next to the third underground chamber.
This tunnel was over twenty li long, twice the length of another tunnel.
The new tunnel led southwest, and its exit was not very far from the border of the Outer Domain.
The location was even more secluded.
For this expansion project, Wang Chen relied on his Grandmaster-level Mudstone Technique and five Storage Bags to complete the work quickly and smoothly.
The speed of construction even surpassed the previous tunnel.
Besides that, using his Grandmaster-level Talisman Crafting Technique, Wang Chen drew hundreds of Meteor Fire Talismans in one go!
As an enemy, Lv Defang was undoubtedly very powerful.
But Wang Chen was now fearless.
Or rather, the more prepared he was, the greater his courage to face a formidable enemy.
He was just waiting for the battle!
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