Chapter 145

Jiang Ye turned and returned to his Heavenly Sunflower herb garden.

He sat cross-legged on the open space of the herb garden, his eyes slightly closed, his heart and mind sinking into his dantian, and began to nurture the wisps of light yellow earth qi from the earth beneath his feet.

What he needs to do now is to cultivate the "Thick Earth Mountain-Suppressing Qi-Nurturing Method" to small success first, and then cultivate the metal-element true qi's "Great White Gold Essence Qi-Nurturing Method."

Otherwise, if the strength of the several true qis in his body is too different, they will lose balance.

He doesn't want to be eager for quick success and ruin his foundation because of greed for speed.

Steady and solid is the right path.

The night deepened, and his breathing became more and more long.

Light yellow light flowed faintly around his body, merging with the earth beneath him, like an ancient tree rooted for a thousand years, silent and firm.

Meanwhile.

Just as Jiang Ye had expected.

Zhang Kui of Thick Earth Peak colluded with the Feng family to harm the disciples of Tianyangfeng and was forcefully suppressed and killed by Elder Jiang of Tianyangfeng...

This matter instantly swept through the entire Profound Heaven Sect like a hurricane.

Disciples of each peak told each other, after tea and dinner, by the side of the martial arts arena, and even in the alchemy room, everyone was discussing this shocking news.

Many even suspected that this was fake news.

Because it was truly too outrageous.

Zhang Kui, the "Mountain-Suppressing Hand" of Thick Earth Peak, what kind of character was that.

He could be called a character among the many Embracing the Pill Realm elders.

Famous for more than ten years, with a resounding name.

Actually suppressed and killed by an Elder Jiang who had only joined the sect for two months?!

How is this possible!

However, even more shocking news soon came again.

Zhao Jing, the Peak Master of Thick Earth Peak, went to Tianyangfeng in a rage to ask for an explanation.

As a result, not only did he not get an explanation, but he also got injured himself...

Many disciples in the sect saw the small depression on Zhao Jing's head.

The entire Profound Heaven Sect fell into shock.

For a time, the elders of each peak set off one after another to Tianyangfeng, wanting to visit this legendary Elder Jiang.

However, they were destined to be disappointed.

Because that Elder Jiang had already gone into seclusion.

Chen Chen Lili and Lu Ming didn't know how many Embracing the Pill Realm elders they had received all night, welcoming and sending them off, their lips almost worn out.

Some left tactfully after listening, while others had to ask repeatedly: "When will Elder Jiang come out of seclusion?"

Facing these questions, Chen Chen Lili and Lu Ming could only smile bitterly and stall them one by one.

Late at night, the last elder finally left.

"Little fatty, I'm truly tired; leave these people to you to deal with tomorrow."

Chen Chen Lili leaned against the wooden door, sighed long, her bright face full of exhaustion.

Lu Ming sat paralyzed on the blue stone, nodding weakly, almost without the strength to speak.

The next day, early morning.

Chen Chen Lili had just finished washing up and was combing her long black hair in front of the bronze mirror when Lu Ming's shocked voice came from outside the house, "Chen Xu Shijie, something big has happened!"

Hearing this, Chen Chen Lili's heart trembled, and the comb in her hand almost fell to the ground.

She hurried to run out of the house, only to see Lu Ming looking at her with a shocked face, his small eyes full of disbelief, his mouth slightly open, as if he had seen something incredible.

"What big thing?"

Chen Chen Lili asked somewhat puzzled, her brows furrowing slightly.

Lu Ming hesitated to speak, his round face full of struggle, as if he were weighing how to open his mouth.

A moment later, he lowered his voice and said:

"Xu Xu Shijie... Chen Xu Shijie, so you are the eldest daughter of the Chen family in the prefecture city..."

The voice carried a bit of shock and a bit of sudden realization.

Hearing this, Chen Chen Lili's expression changed suddenly, and she instantly thought of something, a flash of extremely complex emotion in her eyes.

That emotion had shock, panic, bitterness, and a trace of pain that even she herself couldn't explain.

Her eye sockets turned slightly red, and her voice was somewhat unstable: "Did the Chen family come?!"

Lu Ming nodded slightly, carefully observing Chen Chen Lili's reaction, and said softly:

"Hmm... that Chen family head said he missed you very much and came to visit Elder Jiang by the way..."

He paused and added: "He also brought your sister... they came together..."

Chen Chen Lili was silent for a moment, a cold smile appearing on her bright face, the smile full of mockery, as if she had heard some great joke:

"Missing me is fake, using this name to visit Elder Jiang is real!"

Her voice was cold, hiding all the grievances, disappointments, and heartaches of those years in this short sentence.

Afterward, she took a deep breath, a flash of somewhat reluctant determination in her red-rimmed beautiful eyes.

She bit her lip, her voice low:

"Junior Brother Lu, there are some hidden reasons for this... it's not that I deliberately hid it from you..."

"I was born in the Chen family, but I am not considered the eldest daughter of the Chen family... I am not worthy..."

Her voice became lighter and lighter, finally almost inaudible, as if she were saying it to herself.

"Go out and send them away; I won't see them."

She turned around, back to Lu Ming, her back appearing exceptionally thin in the morning light, yet revealing a stubborn firmness.

Lu Ming was also a smart person.

Seeing Chen Chen Lili's expression, he knew that there must be some unpleasantness between her and the Chen family.

He didn't ask much, nodded in a deep voice: "Yes, Xu Xu Shijie."

He turned and walked toward the outside of the herb garden.

Behind him, Chen Chen Lili leaned against the door frame, looking toward the direction of the Heavenly Sunflower herb garden, the tears she had been holding back in her eye sockets finally couldn't help but slide down.

At this moment, she suddenly remembered the sentence Zheng Hui had once said to her—

Xu Xu Shijie, just hold onto Elder Jiang's thigh tightly! Your stupid father might have to kneel and beg you to go back in the future...

Now it seems, this has already begun to come true.

"Truly ridiculous..."

Chen Chen Lili shook her head, her gaze looking toward the direction outside the herb garden, muttering softly with a complex expression.

Outside the herb garden, Chen Chen Yanzhou stood with his hands behind his back, followed by Chen Chen Weiwei.

Manager Cao stood far behind, with a respectful expression.

Chen Chen Yanzhou had changed into a dark-colored brocade robe today, with a jade belt tied around his waist, his demeanor elegant, but his brows carried a trace of imperceptible urgency.

Chen Chen Weiwei behind him was in a goose-yellow dress, her face pretty, her brows seven or eight parts similar to Chen Chen Lili's, but with a bit more willfulness.

She stood on tiptoe from time to time to look into the herb garden, her eyes full of curiosity, muttering in a low voice: "So this is that Elder Jiang's herb garden... it doesn't look like anything special..."

"Little Brother Lu Ming, sorry to trouble you to report."

Chen Chen Yanzhou saw Lu Ming walk out, a warm smile piling up on his face.

Lu Ming looked at this elegant middle-aged man in front of him, and then looked at Chen Chen Weiwei behind him who looked seven or eight parts like Chen Xu Shijie, his heart feeling complex.

He took a deep breath and spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly:

"Family Head Chen, it's truly a coincidence, Elder Jiang is in seclusion and does not see outside guests. As for Chen Xu Shijie..."

He paused, weighing his words:

"She is unwell and not convenient to see guests either. I will definitely convey your intentions."

"Please return."

The smile on Chen Chen Yanzhou's face stiffened slightly, and a flash of disappointment crossed the depths of his eyes.

He had been prepared for not seeing Elder Jiang in his heart.

Because he had heard the rumors that shook the Profound Heaven Sect last night.

Elder Jiang could be said to be the most prestigious Elder of the Profound Heaven Sect in the entire prefecture city now.

To avoid disturbance, seclusion was expected.

However, not seeing Chen Chen Lili...

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, it could only turn into a helpless sigh, "It seems Chen Lili still holds a grudge against me."

Chen Chen Weiwei, standing behind him, pouted with dissatisfaction, her pretty face full of resentment, her voice carrying a bit of coquettishness:

"Dad, her airs are too big now; we came from so far away, and she still won't see us..."

Chen Chen Yanzhou directly raised his hand to stop her, his voice carrying a trace of severity: "Chen Weiwei, you should get closer to your sister in the future!"

Chen Chen Weiwei bit her lip, a flash of reluctance in her eyes, but she didn't dare to say anything more, just lowered her head and drew circles on the ground with her toes.

Afterward, he took a deep look at the depths of the herb garden, his gaze full of complex emotions.

He sighed again, took out an exquisite wooden box from his sleeve; the wooden box was pitch black, with silver threads inlaid at the corners, and it was clearly valuable at a glance.

He held it with both hands and handed it to Lu Ming, his posture solemn:

"Since that's the case, I won't force it."

"These are some Snow Sun Grass and Green Water Luo; please trouble Little Brother to convey them to Elder Jiang as a token of our Chen family's heart."

"As for Chen Lili..."

He paused, "Please tell her, Dad... has always been thinking of her."

Lu Ming took the wooden box and nodded solemnly: "Family Head Chen, rest assured, I will definitely convey it."

Chen Chen Yanzhou didn't say more, took another deep look at the depths of the herb garden, and turned to leave.

Chen Chen Weiwei really wanted to stay here for a while longer to see if there was a chance to see that Elder Jiang again.

She stretched her neck, looking eagerly into the depths of the herb garden.

But seeing her father had already walked far away, she bit her moist red lips and could only follow helplessly, her steps full of unwillingness.

Manager Cao hurried to follow behind, and the group walked further and further along the blue stone path, finally disappearing into the morning mist.

Lu Ming looked at the few disappearing backs and sighed, the sigh full of emotion:

"Every family has its own difficult scriptures to read."

He shook his head and was about to turn back, but suddenly discovered that Chen Chen Lili had been standing behind him at some point.

She leaned against the door frame, her beautiful eyes, which were always full of hearty smiles, were now red, her eye sockets slightly wet, looking at the direction where Chen Chen Yanzhou and the others had disappeared, her gaze complex and far-reaching.

The atmosphere appeared somewhat solemn, and even the morning breeze seemed to have stopped.

Lu Ming felt somewhat uncomfortable, scratched his head, wanting to say something to alleviate this oppression.

He coughed lightly, squeezed a teasing smile on his face, and deliberately used a relaxed tone to joke:

"Xu Xu Shijie, I didn't expect your family to be a pair of sisters... Elder Jiang will have a blessing in the future..."

As soon as the words were out, he felt somewhat reckless himself, but the water was spilled and couldn't be gathered, so he could only bite the bullet and maintain that grinning appearance.

Hearing this, Chen Chen Lili, whose emotions were complex just a second ago, had some images of Elder Jiang flash through her mind.

Her breathing quickened, and a flush of unnatural redness appeared on her bright face, but it was quickly covered up by her rolling her eyes.

She snorted coldly, her voice carrying a bit of disdain:

"Chen Chen Weiwei..."

"Forget it!"

"That little girl doesn't look like she's useful at all!!!"