Chapter 61: [Hell-Suppressing Platform]

Fang Fang Zong was truly angry this time, and the fury came on with terrifying intensity!

To be honest, although Luo Qing had screwed Fang Fang Zong over before, even though Fang Fang Zong was angry, it was all kept within normal bounds.

After all, he, Fatty Fang, had been rolling around in society for many years. Men of the jianghu do jianghu things.

This world was always a mixed bag — some help you, some cheat you.

Fatty Fang had been wandering the jianghu for years; it wasn't as if he'd never been screwed over or wronged before.

But those could all be counted as jianghu tactics.

But...

This time was different!

Yesterday it was you, Old Zi, who took the initiative to come apologize at the door, and who voluntarily agreed to that compensation figure!

That meant voluntarily backing down and seeking reconciliation.

He, Fatty Fang, had already accepted it with magnanimous generosity. As for that compensation money... the sum was not small. But Fatty Fang took it with perfect justification!

He'd previously been screwed over by Luo Qing, lost so much money in business, gotten sick and hospitalized, and broken his leg from a fall.

Taking that compensation money — there was nothing wrong with it at all.

And yet, it had all been agreed upon so nicely.

One day passed, and the other party went back on their word?!

That meant deliberately humiliating him!!

Not playing by the rules, and on top of that playing him for a fool?!

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Fatty Fang's veins pulsed on his forehead. He gritted his teeth and said: "Assistant Yan, go call Old Zi, explain the situation to her, and ask this woman what the hell she means! Does she really think I'm made of clay?!"

Assistant Yan nodded and was about to turn and head out to make the call, when Fang Fang Zong suddenly shouted: "Wait!"

"Hmm? Boss, any other instructions?"

Fang Fang Zong tapped his fingers on the desk and sneered: "Forget it, don't bother calling that woman! No need wasting words on her!

She and that surnamed Luo are from the same sect — they're family, thick as thieves."

Hmm, didn't the boss mean 'thick as thieves'?

Assistant Yan kept his expression unchanged and said steadily: "Boss, then what do we do?"

Fang Fang Zong sighed: "This matter still has to be brought to Chen Chen Laoshi... well, but it's a pity.

Last night we just sent gifts and had dinner with him, and today we're immediately asking him for a favor — it just doesn't look good.

Makes it seem like we only came burning incense at his door because we needed something from him."

Assistant Yan thought for a moment, then said cautiously: "Boss, are you overthinking it? I can see Chen Chen Laoshi is someone who likes things simple and direct. If you need his help, he'll naturally take payment. I don't think he'd refuse."

"You don't understand," Fang Fang Zong shook his head. "I just don't want the relationship between me and Chen Chen Laoshi to turn into some kind of transaction. I want to be his friend, understand? It's a pity, though — nobody else can handle this, we can only go to Chen Chen Laoshi."

Fang Fang Zong narrowed his eyes and thought: "Assistant Yan, can you think of some way to make Chen Chen Laoshi owe me a favor?"

Assistant Yan, mulling over Fang Fang Zong's intentions, ventured: "Cater to his tastes?"

"Mm, that's one approach. When befriending someone, the best method is always to cater to their tastes. Help me think of something. Unfortunately, our acquaintance with Chen Chen Laoshi is too shallow — we don't even know what he likes."

(He likes money), Assistant Yan muttered to himself.

Chen Yan liked money — Assistant Yan had seen this clearly long ago. Back when they discussed the ritual matter, when he first brought it up, the other party wasn't too keen, but the moment he mentioned the payment was one month's rent, Chen Yan immediately beamed.

Then they added more money, half a year's property fees and such...

This man liked money — that was Assistant Yan's assessment.

But then again... who doesn't like money?

Liking money didn't mean you could just show up every day with a bundle of cash.

After all, he was holding Fang Fang Zong's rice bowl, so Assistant Yan still racked his brain for a moment before recalling something.

"Boss, I just suddenly thought of something. When Chen Chen Laoshi rented your building earlier, the agent who handled it seemed to be an old acquaintance of Chen Chen Laoshi's.

The day we signed the contract, I went to handle it. I heard them talking — they seemed to be college classmates from the same class."

"Oh?" Fang Fang Zong's eyes lit up.

Assistant Yan said softly: "Shall I... go find an agent to make some inquiries?"

"Mm, that's an approach. Just be careful not to dig too deep — just find out what Chen Chen Laoshi usually likes, any people or things he particularly cares about."

"Got it!"

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After Chen Yan got up in the morning, he spent the entire morning busy in the courtyard.

The previous Spirit-Gathering Array had been smashed by Gu Qingyi, so Chen Yan had already called that black-hearted boss at the stone yard to order a few more inscribed bluestone strips.

When Chen Yan made that call, the black-hearted boss was overjoyed — Chen Yan had previously ordered a hundred Bai Yu plaques from him. They had agreed that once they were finished in a few days, he'd contact Chen Yan for delivery.

But then Chen Yan ran into the Seven-Day Tribulation, and his phone was switched off. The stone yard boss called several times a day with no answer and thought the order had been jumped.

After Chen Yan came back, one thing after another happened, and he nearly forgot about the jade plaque business.

It wasn't until the Spirit-Gathering Array was damaged and he needed to replenish materials that he remembered to contact that black-hearted boss.

When they connected by phone, the boss was actually very straightforward and told Chen Yan that he actually had stock on hand — when doing business, he always kept a buffer. For the fifty bluestone strips ordered last time, when preparing the stock, he'd cut a few extra strips.

Just in case any got damaged during carving, replacements would be ready at any time.

Now those few backup strips were still sitting in the warehouse — just without the runes carved on them.

Upon receiving Chen Yan's call, the stone yard boss thumped his chest and promised delivery within two days — along with the hundred Bai Yu plaques from the previous order.

Chen Yan spent the morning in the courtyard, directing Old Turtle to clear away the damaged array stones from the Spirit-Gathering Array.

Poor Gui Geng toiled as a laborer all morning — these Spirit-Gathering Array stones were the very things that had stolen the mountain's vital energy and made him run back and forth. In his heart, he cursed Chen Yan countless times as a "conscienceless bastard."

While Chen Yan was directing Gui Geng to tidy up the courtyard, during a break he turned his head and noticed that Gu Xiaoniang had at some point dragged a chair out and placed it right in the middle of the grass in the courtyard.

Her small body slumped sideways onto the chair, sprawled there in a loose, slack heap, eyes half-closed, no one knowing whether she had fallen asleep or was practicing some mysterious cultivation method.

For two hours, Gu Xiaoniang did not shift an inch.

What a pity, Chen Yan thought, looking at her and sighing inwardly.

Such a pretty Miss, yet she managed to sleep in a pose that felt like a total collapse.

Curiosity got the better of Chen Yan; he couldn't help but walk over and give the chair a gentle kick.

"..." Gu Qingyi opened her eyes and looked at Chen Yan with calm composure.

"What are you doing here? You haven't moved all morning."

Gu Qingyi pondered for a moment, then answered in a soft, quiet voice: "I am sunbathing."

Hearing this, Chen Yan raised an eyebrow and instinctively looked up at the sun in the sky.

Although it was a clear day today, it was already the winter season; the sun overhead looked bright enough, but the tiny bit of warmth it actually released, when it fell upon a person, was truly nothing more than a drop in the bucket.

Add to that the northwest wind that had been blowing today; for an ordinary person sitting outside in such weather for half a day, with the cold wind howling, not catching a cold would count as having a sturdy body.

"The high temperature today is only three degrees," Chen Yan frowned. "What's so good about sunbathing in this sun?"

"You don't understand," Gu Qingyi glanced at Chen Yan, then looked up at that sun, and actually spoke in a low voice with a tone that was sincere and serious: "The sunlight here... is very warm."

Chen Yan had originally wanted to make a couple of jokes, but suddenly he noticed that Gu Qingyi's eyes were somewhat unusual.

The girl looked up at the sun in the sky, that warmth which was truly nothing more than a drop in the bucket... yet in her eyes, there was strangely, as if carrying a trace of...

Enjoyment?

Chen Yan felt somewhat dazed, wondering if he had seen things wrong.

Looking at this delicate girl who also carried a hint of bewitchment, her eyes actually revealed a tiny bit of something that made one unable to help but feel pity—although Chen Yan didn't know where that look came from.

He thought for a moment, walked back into the villa, and when he came out again a while later, he was holding two large cups of steaming hot milk tea.

"Yesterday, Director Fang sent New Year's gifts that included two boxes of fine tea leaves, and there happened to be milk in the refrigerator, so I tried making two cups of milk tea. Taste my special blend of milk green tea."

Chen Yan shoved one of the cups into Gu Qingyi's hands. Gu Qingyi took it, hesitated for a moment, took a tiny sip, and then quickly, those bewitching big eyes narrowed shut.

This girl likes sweet things!

Chen Yan made a conclusion in his heart.

The milk tea he made had deliberately added half a spoonful extra of sugar.

Then Chen Yan smiled easily, moved a chair over and placed it not far beside Gu Qingyi, and imitating Gu Qingyi's posture, curled his body into the chair and lay down.

To be honest, one sip of milk tea, one gust of northwest wind, this taste...

Isn't it just living through suffering?

Chen Yan curiously turned his head to look at Gu Qingyi, but found that this Gu Xiaoniang still wore an expression of complete contentment and enjoyment.

"In the Domain Realm, is it impossible to see the sun?" Chen Yan asked softly.

"It is possible to see it," Gu Qingyi opened her eyes, then narrowed them shut again, murmuring in a low voice: "In Peach Blossom Mountain during spring, the wind and the sun are very warm. The sunset at Second Dragon Bay is said to be very beautiful. In the summer of Luo River Plain, people are said to jump into the Heavenly River to bathe and escape the heat... Pity, I have not yet seen any of these things."

"You haven't seen them?" Chen Yan asked curiously.

Gu Qingyi shook her head: "I am a member of the Gu family. The Gu family's inherited cultivation method follows the Path of War—it is not skilled in spells, but specializes in the Way of Attack. I practiced war techniques from childhood, and after my coming-of-age ceremony at fifteen, I was sent to the Prison-Suppressing Platform..."

Chen Yan's heart sank, and he said: "The Prison-Suppressing Platform? Just hearing that name doesn't sound like a wonderful place."

A trace of faint coldness appeared in Gu Qingyi's eyes: "Indeed, it is not a good place."

She looked at the sun in the sky with complex eyes, not knowing what she was recalling, and spoke softly: "That place... the sky is perpetually gray and hazy, one can never see the sun, and one can never see the moon.

All year round, there is no day, and no night.

Every moment, wild winds like steel blades chop against the body... If one does not hide indoors, even a cultivator standing outdoors must constantly circulate their cultivation method to resist; otherwise, those wild winds, like countless steel blades, can scrape the skin and flesh until it is shattered and rotted away.

I personally saw someone whose cultivation method had been ruined, thrown out into the wind; a perfectly good person, in a short while, was scraped by the gale winds there into a skeleton.

The air is perpetually both gloomy and damp; after smelling it for a long time, no matter how much water one drinks, one feels a bitter taste in the mouth.

That place never has even a shred of warmth...

Hmm, what I say is not quite right..."

Gu Qingyi suddenly paused, a smile that seemed somewhat mad appearing on her face, and then she spoke softly to herself:

"Because, when fresh blood sprays onto the face, one can feel a little bit of warmth."

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