Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!
Chapter 227 Divine Assistance

Chapter 227: Chapter 227 Divine Assistance

A baby in swaddling clothes was found by an old man. To survive, the grandfather and grandson struggled bitterly in a poor, remote village with a strict class system. Despite the hardships, they gained a lot of familial affection.

However, an unexpected incident shattered their plain and difficult life. The grandfather was murdered, and the young boy vowed to take revenge, apprenticing to learn skills. He had an exceptional cultivation talent; even though he started late, he could successfully establish a foundation in no time. Next comes the quest to find the mystery of his lineage, discovering either a blood feud or being the young master of some sect or noble family...

Jiang Yuan automatically filled in the blanks in his mind, the more he thought about it, the more he felt like a tool on the path of success as the chosen one.

"Mr. Jiang, Mr. Bai, please come in quickly!" Wan An’s heart skipped a beat at first sight of his grandson, fearing something had happened to him. But seeing the two behind him, he felt his worries subside and hastily invited them inside.

In the courtyard with three entrances and three exits, red lanterns hung, and unique plants of the Netherworld were planted. The ambiance was grand but, under the dim twilight that was neither bright nor dark, there lingered an eerie, ghostly presence everywhere.

"The little Yin Messenger does dependable work, not deducting too much." Bai Yunqi looked around with his hands behind his back, quite satisfied with the living environment. After sitting down, he listened to a detailed account of how Ma Hongtu visited and made promises.

This was the first problem to solve on this Netherworld trip—whether to spend Cold Crystal Jade to purchase the "Ghost Immortal Scripture" that Ma Hongtu wanted to sell privately.

"If you can get the real deal, that’s naturally the best. A heavenly-level cultivation technique is said to be close to perfect and most in harmony with the Great Dao, greatly increasing the chances of tribulation crossing and ascension in the future. The lower the level of the cultivation technique, the more flaws it has. Many cultivators spend their entire lives training low-level techniques and never touch the Great Dao. Either they are prodigies able to patch the deficiencies themselves, creating their own heavenly-level techniques, or they can only regretfully exit the stage."

Bai Yunqi pondered for a moment before speaking, "What worries me now isn’t the money but whether that Yin Messenger himself possesses the complete true skill. If he harbored malicious intentions and modified part of it, we’ve never cultivated in the Ghost Dao, how could we tell if it’s genuine or fake?

The last and most crucial—Yin Messengers are strictly prohibited from transmitting inherited cultivation techniques. I’m not sure if Fengdu has measures against leakage, but over the years, I’ve never heard of ’Ghost Immortal Scripture’ being leaked. Therefore, the Venerable Family must be cautious in this matter; we may need to meet that little Yin Messenger ourselves."

Jiang Yuan was still mulling over how to find an opportunity to inquire about the disciple’s lineage from the old man. Hearing this, he curiously asked, "Since becoming a Yin Messenger gets you tutored, why not secure a minor position for the old man in Fengdu?"

Everyone in the room—human, ghost, and demon—was stunned by this statement.

"Aren’t Yin Messengers just proxies nowadays? Ma Hongtu can live like a fish in water at Fengdu just by scraping together some paper money. Instead of spending thirty thousand Cold Crystal Jade to risk buying an unknown cultivation technique, why not spend that money to get the old man a relaxed job that doesn’t require running back and forth? He would receive authentic teachings and have an official status to stand firmer in the Netherworld in the future."

Jiang Yuan glanced at the upper right corner of the map, thinking that given the enormous and prosperous Fengdu, as long as one was willing to spend money, finding a position that required no real work and aimed just to get genuine teachings should be doable?

"That would take quite a bit to grease palms." Wan An felt unsure, instinctively glancing at his grandson.

Wan Mingchuan didn’t even think about it and wholeheartedly supported his master, "Master is right! But... how do we secure a relaxed position?"

Jiang Yuan’s gaze shifted directly to Bai Yunqi.

"Let me think clearly about it, but I now..."

"You don’t need to show your face and make connections, just know who to ask inside Fengdu to get things done. It’s just a matter of spending a bit more money and time to smooth out the connections," knowing his pain points, Jiang Yuan, as the owner of the contract pet, naturally wouldn’t let him lose face.

"The problem is it’s been too long; I’m not clear on the current state in Fengdu."

"Without stepping forward yourself, just write a letter for Mingchuan to seek people and spend money; will that work?"

"It’s worth a try, but I’m really not sure it’ll work. Moreover, an important point is that King Yan is easy to see, but the little demons are tricky. The old guys I know aren’t ones that just anyone can meet..."

......

Listening to their discussion, it seemed difficult to accomplish. Wan An softly said, "Sirs, you need not worry yourselves for me. I have never hoped to cultivate any true skills and ascend as a Ghost Immortal. If I need to have some cultivation myself, I can search for not too expensive techniques and work hard to assist you as much as I can."

While they were discussing, the courtyard door knocked again.

Jiang Yuan merely gave a signal with his eyes, and the Yin Warrior standing at the door stood up to open it, obedient and docile, almost like a living human.

Wan An couldn’t help but sigh at the huge difference between people; he himself could only command the Yin Warriors with simple orders, anything slightly complex seems beyond their understanding.

"Sir, Senior Bai." Hu Zhile, in high spirits, walked in briskly, first greeting the two seniors and then saying hello to Old Master Wan and Wan Mingchuan.

Seeing her, Jiang Yuan’s eyes lit up, "You came just in time. I want to inquire about the cultivation technique practiced by Lady Yin Mountain. Is it taught to others?"

She paused briefly and nodded, "Passing the method is naturally possible, and Lady also takes disciples. She mainly cultivates the earthly-level ’Clear Heart Slash’; everything else is fine but advancing to the Heart Refining Realm requires blood relatives to aid. It’s not very picky; any blood-related kin would do..."

Hu Zhile immediately noticed the only ghost there, guessing they probably wanted to find some cultivation techniques for this ghostly old gentleman, she said with a shallow smile, "If Grandpa Wan wants to cultivate, it’s naturally not a problem. With Mingchuan, his biological grandson, assisting, it should go smoothly."

The grandfather and grandson exchanged a glance. Wan Mingchuan felt a bit disappointed and said in a low voice, "I have no blood relation with Grandpa; I’m adopted by him."

It’s practically a divine assist for a side quest!

Jiang Yuan immediately perked up and continued the topic, asking, "Where did you find him? Previously, when Xiao Bai taught Mingchuan to write, I said his name was well-chosen; did you give it to him?"

"Yes, I named him," Wan An nodded and recalled thoughtfully, "I never told Mingchuan about these things, but it’s indeed time for you to know your own origins.

It must have been seventeen or eighteen years ago; I can’t quite remember, old age makes my mind muddled.

Back then, I hadn’t reached the Deserted Island yet... I was born and raised in Wuyou Village of Ningjing Prefecture. I lost my parents at a young age and finally grew up to be sturdy enough to marry and have children. Although we were poor, we lived a fairly content life.

That year, my youngest daughter was only three years old. Ningjing Prefecture was hit by a disaster, continuous heavy rain broke the riverbank and destroyed the fields. After the rain came a plague, and the corrupt officials distributing relief grain embezzled; of my family of six, all died of hunger and illness, leaving only me roaming around.

When I found Mingchuan, I was living day by day without much thought. Moreover, many were abandoning children those years. I vaguely remember it was near East Lake Port.

At that time, I heard a baby’s cries and followed them up the mountain. I found a little guy, wet and naked, in the grass on the mountaintop. Fortunately, the rain ceased, and the sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the endless mountains as if gilded with gold.

Standing on the mountaintop holding the child, I thought, my surname is Wan, and this vast landscape must have over ten thousand peaks, naming the child Wan Mingchuan for prosperity and brightness."

East Lake Port? A place with layered mountains, Jiang Yuan saw no reaction from the system, so he noted the key information, planning to visit the real location after returning to the Mortal World.