Big Data Cultivation
Chapter 946 - Chapter 946 Chapter 946 Undercurrents Stirring (Three More for

Chapter 946: Chapter 946: Undercurrents Stirring (Three More for Monthly Pass) Chapter 946: Chapter 946: Undercurrents Stirring (Three More for Monthly Pass) About six or seven miles from the Tiantong Courtyard, there was a row of more than a dozen thatched cottages.

These were built by the disciples of the Yuan Guangmi Family to guard the trade route.

Because of the booming business on the roads below Mount Zhige, there had been quite a few highway robberies, but these bandits usually had the presence of mind not to target the caravans associated with Mount Zhige… no one wanted to incur the wrath of an Immortal.

They preyed on those without connections, newcomers to the area–Mount Zhige might be rich in gold and silver, but you had to have the strength to collect it!

Previously, Feng Jun was too busy to deal with these ants, but later on, Mu Fengtang and Lang Zhen’s younger sister got close, and the issue was brought up.

Knowing that those from the Mu Family didn’t skimp on pomp when they arrived, Lang Zhen thought of those “thieves” dared to intercept such people, and the idea of clearing out the road took hold.

Not long ago, Feng Jun went to the Cultivation World, so Lang Zhen chose this time to take action, a habit formed from his time as a wanderer–the more vulnerable the home appeared, the stronger a front needed to be shown!

To this end, he gathered disciples from the Tian, Mi, Yu, Chen, and other families to deliver a swift attack, ending up hitting the guards of Lord Beiyuan on the first strike.

These guards were supposed to protect the Mysterious Iron Mine, and occasionally… they doubled as bandits; there was no helping it, that’s just how the Earl’s guards were.

In their words, this was also helping Doctor Feng keep watch–the unskilled had no business near Mount Zhige.

Brother Bao was so angry that he beheaded two of the worst offenders and caught a few more to work in the mines for a year.

Later, Chen Family Disciples caught another group; they were local thugs from Zhige County City that colluded with outsiders to rob.

Indeed, those involved in such deeds near Mount Zhige were under surveillance; seeing several clans unite for a strike, they scattered like birds and beasts–it was all fine and good to make a quick score now and then, but stirring trouble with the genuine authorities was courting death.

As a former Escort Master, Lang Zhen knew that dealing with these people couldn’t rely on momentary fervor, so he ordered thatched cottages to be built along the road, with people from various families taking turns to guard them.

During the trouble caused by the Geng Family’s innate experts, one of the guarding Tian Family disciples was killed, and two were seriously injured; the major clans conducted a thorough search and eventually captured more than ten culprits, executing them without exception and burning down their houses.

After that, no one dared to target this route again.

The dozen or so thatched cottages were under the responsibility of the Mi Family. Originally, many disciples guarded them, but later only two or three remained, and now the task was entirely outsourced to the Tian Family–after all, this place was far from the bustle and quite deserted.

The Tian Family Disciples didn’t need to personally look after everything; with just a little food, they hired poor families to keep watch.

Now, in the dead of winter, there were still some impoverished people who took shelter in these houses, and the Tian Family Disciples didn’t bother with them–in fact, this was a simplistic world view of this realm: Why not lend out something you don’t need to help someone preserve their life?

In one of these houses, an elderly couple in their fifties lived, along with their son and daughter-in-law.

The old couple sold some hot tea and dry cakes here, and their son and daughter-in-law, vigorous and strong, would go to Feng Jun’s territory to find odd jobs during the day, returning to reunite with the elderly couple at night.

Early in the morning, as the young couple left again, the old man and woman sat outside the door, leaning against the wall to soak up the sun.

Suddenly, the old woman blurted out, “How much longer do we have to live here?”

The old man puffed on his dry pipe, squinting his eyes, and took his time to reply, “Life here isn’t bad, quite leisurely.”

The old woman humphed, “If you ask me, you’re just too timid… There’s a Spirit Gathering Array inside Mount Zhige, what kind of a commotion could just a first-level ascended being cause?”

The old man replied lazily, “They’ve made it clear: anyone below the ascended stage is forbidden to enter without invitation… If you really want to stir trouble, leave your Storage Bag behind so that it won’t be a bargain for someone else.”

The old woman glared at him, annoyed, “Are we not here to protect him? Do we need to be so humble about it?”

“Cut the chatter,” the old man said as he refilled his pipe, “you weren’t quite so chatty when the major steward gave us instructions.”

The old woman fell silent, speaking only after a long pause, “I just feel it’s unfair; is this the level of protection the Family Head gets?”

The old man pressed down the tobacco, speaking deliberately, “He doesn’t deserve that privilege, but there are too many people who would take pleasure in his downfall. If he gets killed, Pine Cypress Peak will take the blame. The Family Head is currently attempting to reach the High Stage of Golden Core, and we cannot afford any mishaps at this crucial time.”

It turns out that these two were ascended beings from Pine Cypress Peak, bound by Feng Jun’s rules, they couldn’t step directly into the territory and had to find a place on the periphery to rest, secretly protecting Mount Zhige.

As for their son and daughter-in-law, they hired local mortals, expecting nothing of them but to relay what they see and hear, so the two ascendants wouldn’t be out of touch.

The old woman couldn’t stand it any longer–they were both at the seventh and eighth levels of ascension respectively, protecting a junior–and moreover, a young one not related to their own family. They had to do it all in secret, even in disguise…

She snorted, “If I had known Liu Feng would bring so much trouble, I would have wiped out his entire family myself!”

The old man finally lit his tobacco pipe, puffing out clouds of smoke as he leisurely spoke, “Our main task this time is to catch any potential attackers… As much as possible, we want to capture them alive and see who is eyeing our Pine Cypress Peak.”

A day passed by in the blink of an eye, and the son and daughter-in-law returned, bringing news, “Mountain Master Feng healed someone, and that courtyard belonging to Tiantong is going to throw a big banquet tonight.”

Feng Jun was treating Tianxin Platform Disciples for Gu poison, and this news was known to Tiantong, Crimson Phoenix, and Wuyou Platform, even a disciple from the Yinsha Sect who was left behind had heard of it, but as mortals, they couldn’t possibly know these things.

The elderly couple glanced at each other and said nothing, but they both understood that normally, why would there be a banquet at a Tiantong courtyard? Surely that Feng youngster must have done something remarkable again.

In the dead of night, when all was quiet, the old lady couldn’t hold back her curiosity and asked in a low voice, “The one who came to seek medical treatment, wasn’t it a disciple from Tianxin Platform?”

The old man replied indifferently, “Tianxin Platform has been getting quite close to Tiantong lately, I’ve heard it involves a Reward Command Token from Master Yisuo… What I find peculiar is, what illness is it that even Tianxin Platform can’t cure?”

The old lady wasn’t interested in that topic, “What I want to know is whether that little girl managed to persuade Feng or not?”

“You’re thinking too much,” the old man said dismissively, “It would actually suit me if he agreed. That way, there’d probably be a higher chance of someone coming to assassinate him… Then we’d get to show off our skills and impress the youngster.”

Today, Feng Jun indeed completed the final incubation of the Gu eggs. After a thorough inspection, he declared that the Gu insects had been eradicated, and although there was some residual poison, it wasn’t a big deal anymore.

At the celebration banquet, Luo Shuchen brought up an old concern, “Divine Doctor Feng, how is that little Gu insect with the green glow doing now?”

He didn’t even mind that people from Tiantong were present, which showed his impatience.

Feng Jun was also a bit annoyed, Have you still not let it go? He casually replied, “My Spirit Plant shepherd ate it.”

Luo Shuchen’s eyes widened in shock, “Ate… ate it?”

Feng Jun glanced at him, retorting with dissatisfaction, “Ah, what’s wrong, is that not acceptable?”

“You’ve gone too far!” Luo Shuchen slammed the table as he stood up, furious, “Did you even ask me?”

Seeing him getting angry made Feng Jun actually laugh. He asked with a grin, “What, the Gu insect I incubated in advance with secret techniques, shouldn’t I be the one to research it? Eating it… is also part of the research, you know?”

Anyway, bluffing a layman, why not, he wasn’t afraid of the other party seeing through his tricks.

Luo Shuchen stood stunned, yelling after a long pause, “Eating it counts as research?”

Feng Jun responded with a smile, “Friend Luo, that expression of yours lacks composure… You know in your heart that what I’m saying makes sense. Everyone here is sharp, and your overreaction looks a bit forced, haven’t you ever read ‘An Actor Prepares’?”

Luo Shuchen, considering himself a clever person, was taken aback, “An Actor Prepares… What is that?”

If Feng Jun had simply mentioned “actor,” he would have understood.

“Anyway, you’re pretending to be surprised,” Feng Jun didn’t bother to argue further, “I observed the results after eating it, is that not okay? That Gu insect was about to die… I thought it best to eat it while it was still warm.”

This was outright cheekiness, pure fabrication, purely taking advantage of the other’s ignorance.

Luo Shuchen was not so easily bullied. His brows furrowed, “I don’t believe it. Divine Doctor Feng, if you are so uncooperative, I may have to request an inspection.”

“An inspection?” Feng Jun laughed with a look of disdain, “In my territory, what I say goes… I find it strange though, I cured the patient and gave you so many little Gu insects, yet you ignore them and fixate on one?”

A bystander, Xu the Divine Doctor, interjected softly, “Feng Dao friend, remember to settle on the price before you make your next move.”

Feng Jun spread his hands helplessly and replied, “I hadn’t seen this man’s condition before, and it was Friend Luo who brought him to me. I made my requests known early on, but he said he couldn’t decide on his own… In the meantime, rather than just waiting for an answer, I took action and treated the patient. Did I do something wrong?”

His words made sense, and Luo Shuchen couldn’t really object, but still he insisted, “You’re right, but that abnormal Gu insect, it still came from my Tianxin Platform Disciples. At least we should have the right to know, right?”

Why didn’t you just say that earlier? Feng Jun muttered internally, displeased. In reality, he didn’t mind informing the other party, but previously Friend Luo clearly intended to take the Gu insect, which is why he was so resistant.

Now that the cat was out of the bag, he couldn’t take his words back, so he had to stand his ground, “It truly was my Spirit Plant shepherd that ate it. If you don’t believe it, there’s nothing I can do.”

Friend Luo’s eyes flickered, “Why don’t we just check and clear it up?”

Feng Jun’s expression darkened, “That demand is excessive. This is my territory, how can I let Tianxin Platform do as it pleases?”

As he spoke, he pulled out the Talented Scholars Plaque from Tianxin Platform and slammed it on the table, “I’d like you to take this back, Friend Luo!”

Luo Shuchen was also quite angered, but he managed to suppress his fury, “I have a Gu Detection Compass… It can detect Gu insects within ten miles!”

(Finally, an even-numbered chapter. Feng Xiao likes updating to even-numbered chapters every day, can’t help the OCD… Updating to an odd number just doesn’t feel right… Ah, yes, third installment asking loudly for monthly votes.)