In the ancestral land of Cowherding Village.
Lin Dongyu’s expression was grim.
He hadn’t expected that after just twenty years of secluded cultivation, the object from beyond the heavens would already be taken.
Over two hundred years ago, he had followed a clue to Cowherding Village and found an object from beyond the heavens that was being suppressed in the villagers’ ancestral land.
This object was a scale from a Celestial Ancient Beast, containing the rare Immortal Power.
The Ancient Beast Scale Armor was a treasure material at least on par with the Heaven and Earth Sealing Spirit Array, and it was only the size of a fingernail.
But when forging a protective treasure, adding even a tiny amount would not only grant the treasure self-repairing abilities but also allow it to withstand several blows from a great Cultivator at the Manifestation realm.
It was, one could say, incomparably precious.
However, this fingernail-sized Ancient Beast Scale Armor contained an astonishingly savage nature.
Although Lin Dongyu was already a Daoist who had condensed a Dao Fruit, he was helpless against this strange object and didn’t even dare to carry it on his person.
The villagers of Cowherding Village didn’t know that their ancestral land was actually one of the formation eyes of the Heaven and Earth Sealing Spirit Array.
When this strange object fell from the sky, it didn’t land here by chance. Instead, it was actively pulled in by the Heaven and Earth Sealing Spirit Array and suppressed here.
Only by remaining within the formation eye and being slowly purified by the great array for a thousand years could it be transformed into a harmless material.
Before he found it, the object had already been purified by the great array for about seven hundred years. It would only need another three hundred years or so before he could use it.
Moreover, each formation eye of the Heaven and Earth Sealing Spirit Array automatically shifted its location roughly once every thousand years.
Finding a formation eye was extremely difficult, and Lin Dongyu had no idea where the others were located.
Within a formation eye, the erosive effect of the Heaven and Earth Sealing Spirit Array on Cultivators was devastating, and there were almost no means to resist it.
Even for someone like him, staying within the range of a formation eye for ten years would result in a drop in his cultivation realm.
A Cultivator with a lower Cultivation level would be reduced directly back to a mortal within ten years.
With no other choice, Lin Dongyu could only leave such a rare treasure here and find mortals to monitor it on his behalf.
As for who to monitor it, the villagers of Cowherding Village were quite suitable.
Though the villagers of Cowherding Village seemed like ordinary people, their blood was actually anything but.
Their blood contained an ability to resist the immortal savagery.
Although this ability grew weaker with each passing generation, the savagery of the Ancient Beast Scale Armor was weakening as well.
So, Lin Dongyu found a family and secretly controlled a husband and wife, having them relay information about the Ancient Beast Scale Armor to him every ten years through the Worldwide Bank.
He only needed to control the next generation of this family every fifty years.
By doing this just six times, over a period of three hundred years, he would be able to obtain the Ancient Beast Scale Armor, its savagery purged.
Now, more than two hundred years had passed, with less than fifty years remaining.
But he had never expected this.
He had gone into secluded cultivation for a short while, only for an accident to occur.
Because he hadn’t received the fixed ten-year letter, Lin Dongyu knew something might have happened to the couple he controlled.
When he rushed over, it was just as he’d feared: the couple had been terribly unlucky and had both perished in a flash flood.
As a result, the Ancient Beast Scale Armor in the ancestral land had been missing for several years, and he had been completely unaware.
’Heh heh, let’s just see who dares to take my things!’
Lin Dongyu sneered, closed his eyes, and in an instant, his Divine Thought blanketed the entire Cowherding Village.
In that moment, all the villagers of Cowherding Village also closed their eyes, standing frozen in place.
Images from the villagers’ memories appeared before Lin Dongyu’s eyes.
When Lin Dongyu projected keywords like "ancestral land" and "sacred offering," the many images instantly shifted in unison.
A moment later, Lin Dongyu understood what had happened.
He opened his eyes, and the villagers of Cowherding Village returned to normal as well, resuming their previous actions as if nothing had happened.
’That damned Black Giant Bear! It should have just run off with the Ancient Beast Scale Armor, but it came back looking to die!’
Lin Dongyu snorted coldly. If the Black Giant Bear had taken the Ancient Beast Scale Armor and simply run away, he could have tracked it down even if he’d found out a decade or so later.
But no, the beast had to try and occupy the village’s ancestral land. It wouldn’t leave even after being driven away, and in doing so, it brought about its own doom—and caused him to lose the Ancient Beast Scale Armor.
Mo Sang, the village chief, didn’t understand the Black Giant Bear’s intention to occupy their ancestral land, and Jiang Zuo hadn’t given it much thought either.
But Lin Dongyu understood it all too well.
After the Black Giant Bear had broken into the ancestral land and obtained the Ancient Beast Scale Armor, it wanted to come back and occupy the place even after being driven off because it felt comfortable there.
Under the influence of the Ancient Beast Scale Armor, it was growing stronger, but it was also becoming progressively more violent.
The formation eye, however, could draw out the savagery of the Ancient Beast Scale Armor, weakening its influence on the bear and making it feel comfortable.
What made Lin Dongyu want to spit blood was that a dagger he had casually left behind had turned out to be the key to killing the Black Giant Bear.
Otherwise, that young man named Jiang Zuo would have been completely helpless against the Black Giant Bear.
’Jiang Zuo, is it? Let’s see where you can run!’
With a name and a face, Lin Dongyu wasn’t worried at all about finding him.
It didn’t take him long to track the trail to the outskirts of Red Fox Town.
’This Jiang Zuo is from Red Fox Town? What a pain!’
Lin Dongyu gazed at Red Fox Town with a hint of a headache.
Lin Dongyu was extremely wary of Venerable Red Fox.
Mortals might not know, but any Cultivator with a bit of background in the Cultivation Realm knew not to cause trouble in Red Fox Town.
Back when Venerable Red Fox rose to power and Red Fox Town rapidly prospered, there were actually many hidden hands from the Cultivation Realm pushing things along from behind the scenes.
For such a shockingly talented individual to emerge from within the Heaven and Earth Sealing Spirit Array led many to believe that Red Fox Town must be hiding some kind of secret.
But by then, Venerable Red Fox had already carved out a fearsome reputation in the Cultivation Realm, and few dared to cross him.
So, they decided to muddy the waters, joining forces to secretly promote Red Fox Town’s prosperity, which also made it convenient for them to plant their own people inside to investigate its secrets.
In the end, however, no one was heard to have succeeded. In fact, a few who were less discreet with their methods ended up dying violently at Venerable Red Fox’s hands, made an example of for all to see.
And so, after more than a century of probing without anyone discovering any secrets in Red Fox Town, those figures from the Cultivation Realm gradually backed off.
That was one thing, but the incident four years ago in Red Fox Town where the dead were resurrected made Lin Dongyu even more cautious.
From the rumors that circulated afterward, it was highly likely that Venerable Red Fox had been secretly plotted against by another great Cultivator.
What kind of damage Venerable Red Fox had suffered, Lin Dongyu didn’t know, but he absolutely did not dare to provoke him at a time like this.
’Fine, I’ll investigate discreetly.’
Disguised as an ordinary person, Lin Dongyu carefully entered Red Fox Town.
After spending some time, Lin Dongyu found that Jiang Zuo had already left Red Fox Town before the incident four years ago.
He traced the trail back to Sifang County and discovered that Jiang Zuo had bought a ticket to Anxin County.
But when he went to Anxin County, the trail went completely cold.
’This kid is actually so careful and cautious?’
Lin Dongyu’s face was as dark as ink. He had used his Divine Techniques, yet he had failed to track down a mere mortal.
Returning to Jiang Zuo’s wooden cabin in Red Fox Town.
The house was tidy and clean.
But Lin Dongyu spread his Divine Thought and soon found two strands of hair in the cracks of the bed planks.
’If this person is a mortal, carrying the Ancient Beast Scale Armor, even if not on his person at all times, he will sooner or later go berserk. I’ll just have the Worldwide Bank keep an eye out for news of that sort.’
’If he’s a Cultivator, we’ll see how long he can run!’
Lin Dongyu snorted coldly.
Due to the influence of the Heaven and Earth Sealing Spirit Array, tracking-type spells were severely inaccurate in the Mortal Territory, but there was no such concern in the Cultivation Realm.
...
Great Black was basking lazily in the sun. He glanced at the approaching young woman, ignored her, and continued to lie on the ground.
"I-I’m sorry. My son just recovered from an illness, and the doctor said it would be best for him to have a soup made with Silver Spot Fish to dispel the cold and replenish his blood. Otherwise, he might suffer long-term effects. I don’t have much money, only fifty copper coins. Could you possibly sell me half a fish?"
Ruan Jianglan said pleadingly to Jiang Zuo, her face flushing.
The Silver Spot Fish was a rather famous blood-replenishing fish from the Li River. A single small one could sell for over a hundred copper coins.
Jiang Zuo glanced at Ruan Jianglan and the little boy in her arms. Ruan Jianglan had a scar on her face; it was unclear whether it was self-inflicted or caused by someone else.
The child in her arms was a bit pale and didn’t look well.
"I don’t have any right now. Come back in a few hours."
Jiang Zuo said to Ruan Jianglan.
"C-Can I wait here?"
Ruan Jianglan’s heart leaped with joy. Afraid that Jiang Zuo would go back on his word, she quickly asked.
"No, you’ll be in the way of my fishing. Come back in a few hours. Otherwise, I won’t sell you one even if I catch it."
Jiang Zuo said without hesitation.
"O-Okay. I’ll come back later."
Helpless, Ruan Jianglan could only leave with her son in her arms.
Just as she was getting further away, she glanced back and saw the big black dog jump cheerfully onto the fishing boat. The fisherman also put away his fishing rod and rowed out to fish. Only then did her heart settle a little.
Catching a Silver Spot Fish wasn’t easy, but since Jiang Zuo dared to promise Ruan Jianglan, he naturally had his own methods.
Jiang Zuo went to a part of the river where the current wasn’t too strong. Before long, a school of more than ten Black Stone Fish of various sizes appeared beneath the water.
These were all Black Stone Fish that Jiang Zuo had raised over the past few years. Although they had left the Beast Cage after being raised, they still followed his commands.
This was the good thing about raising fish. He didn’t need to sell them; as long as the fish didn’t die, the more he raised, the more fish he could command.
The dozen or so Black Stone Fish quickly herded several Silver Spot Fish over.
Jiang Zuo cast his net and caught three of them.
Since he was already out in the river, Jiang Zuo didn’t laze about. He cast his net from time to time, just like an ordinary fisherman.
When other people cast their nets, they would often come up empty.
But Jiang Zuo had the Black Stone Fish herd the fish over first, ensuring that he had a catch every time.
Jiang Zuo didn’t make his living by fishing on the Li River, but he still went to sell fish occasionally.
Otherwise, if he went a whole year without ever selling fish, he would seem too out of the ordinary.
Two hours passed, and Jiang Zuo had already caught more fish than others could in a whole day of hard work.
He returned to the riverbank, and not long after, Ruan Jianglan hurried over.
Jiang Zuo took her fifty copper coins and tossed her the smallest Silver Spot Fish.
"Take it. Make a couple of meals for the child with it, and don’t tell anyone you bought it from me."
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Ruan Jianglan was stunned for a moment, then spoke with delight.
It was difficult to buy even half a small Silver Spot Fish for fifty copper coins, because once a fish was cut, the other half became harder to sell.
Ruan Jianglan had searched all over, and Jiang Zuo was the only one willing to sell her half a fish.
She never expected that in the end, Jiang Zuo would give her a whole one.
Ruan Jianglan knew she had met a good person. On her difficult and gloomy path forward, it was as if she could see a tiny glimmer of light.