The Guling Jiang Clan?
The moment those four words were spoken, the lively atmosphere in the room came to a sudden halt.
Everyone turned to look at Wang Heng, seemingly confused.
'Where is Guling? Why have we never heard of it?'
And how could a small town support such a large clan?
'Damn it, I completely misjudged him!'
Wang Heng's heart sank, and the corner of his eye twitched uncontrollably.
'This is terrible!'
How could he have predicted that Jiang Yi—who looked so handsome and spirited, and spoke so eloquently—was actually a common weed and not the fine scion of a clan?
'What a waste of such a refined appearance.'
"HAHAHAHA!"
Ever the smooth and sociable type, Wang Heng suddenly burst out laughing to ease the awkward atmosphere.
"So it's the 'Lujiang Jiang Clan'! My apologies, my apologies! Everyone, don't mind him. Junior Brother Jiang likes to joke. He must have said Guling on purpose to tease us all."
Sitting to the side, Li Ruohan frowned.
"The Lujiang Jiang Clan? I have never heard of this branch. Does Senior Brother Lu know of it?"
Lu Yun shook his head.
"I am poorly informed."
Wang Heng coughed twice and breezed past the topic.
"Ah, Beimang Guling. It's located between the Zhao and Sheng Countries, with Lu Mountain at its center, flanked by the two peaks of Hanyang and Iron Ship, and there's also the Da Long River.
There's a very famous Dharma Lineage, a Branch Sect, called the Lu Mountain Sword Sect.
So when Junior Brother Jiang calls himself the 'Guling Jiang Clan,' he's actually referring to the Lujiang region."
Lu Yun gradually caught on.
'Junior Brother Wang is just trying to smooth things over.'
He frowned slightly, then went along with the change of subject.
"Everyone, please try this 'Fish Dragon Grass and Crow Soup.' The harvest on Gathering Herbs Peak was good this year. The survival rate of Spirit Plants increased by twenty percent compared to previous years. You wouldn't normally get to eat this."
'Senior Brother Lu is so worldly-wise!'
Wang Heng praised him silently, then chuckled.
"No wonder the owner of Heshui Cave worships Senior Brother Lu like a Buddha. His business must be booming thanks to your patronage!"
As laughter and chatter resumed, the private room was once again filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
'Junior Brother Jiang's background is likely very ordinary…'
Watching Wang Heng and Lu Yun chat happily, yet pointedly no longer speaking to Jiang Yi, Li Ruohan belatedly realized the truth as she sipped her Biluo Tea.
'It seems he isn't from the Direct Lineage of a Qi Cultivation Clan. That whole 'Lujiang Jiang Clan' thing must have been Senior Brother Wang trying to make it sound good.'
'What a true pity!'
Li Ruohan set down her teacup, sighing with the same regret as Wang Heng had.
This Junior Brother Jiang's speech, mannerisms, and composed bearing were just like those of a fine scion cultivated by a Major Clan.
Ordinary Mortal Servants were worked like Cattle and Horses, their hair long since turned white and their vitality depleted.
How could any of them have his handsome features and fine posture?
Li Ruohan sighed softly, her bright eyes drifting away from Jiang Yi as she joined Lu Yun and Wang Heng's conversation.
"Senior Brothers, I have been hoping to get my hands on a few 'Nourishing Essence Pills' recently. I need them to nourish my body and harmonize my inner and outer self to break through to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer. Do either of you have a way?"
Wang Heng looked to Lu Yun, who waved his hand dismissively.
"That will be difficult. It's the end of the year, so the Inner Peak is busy auditing its accounts. Nourishing Essence Pills are part of the senior brothers' monthly stipend in the Inner Peak, and consumption is already high, so there aren't many to spare.
Especially Senior Brother Xu, who's in charge of distribution. He's been… in a foul mood recently. He went to the Outer Peak for an inspection a while ago and even killed a Mortal Servant who had the misfortune of offending him."
As Lu Yun said this, he finally deigned to glance at Jiang Yi.
"Actually, it happened in the Quenching Room on Red Flame Peak, where Junior Brother Jiang is stationed."
Zhao Fang, the newest entry-level disciple with the least seniority, heard the mention of Red Flame Peak and quickly spoke up.
"I heard about that too! Senior Brother Xu paid eight thousand talisman coins in compensation!"
Wang Heng asked curiously.
"Why is Senior Brother Xu Yan in a foul mood? He's one of the top talents in the Inner Peak. Having been accepted as Elder Sui's disciple, his status isn't much lower than those of the Sect Leader's lineage."
Lu Yun had always been well-informed, and he didn't keep them in suspense, stating directly:
"Didn't I just say that the harvest on Gathering Herbs Peak was good this year? They refined two extra 'Yuan Containing Pills,' but Senior Brother Xu didn't get one. The Sect Leader's lineage took them all."
'Yuan Containing Pill?'
Having been intentionally and unintentionally ignored, Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow. The first time he had begged the Celestial Book to show him an Opportunity, he seemed to recall seeing this very information.
"That is infuriating! Only about five Yuan Containing Pills are produced a year. To have two extra ones appear only to not get a taste—I wouldn't be able to stand it either!"
Wang Heng chimed in. The Yuan Containing Pill was made from the essence of a hundred herbs and could purify the Spiritual Energy one absorbed through Breathing, reducing the effort needed for circulation and refinement.
Taking just one was equivalent to saving several years of hard cultivation. It was truly precious!
"And that's not all. It's said Senior Brother Xu was going to raise a fuss, but Elder Sui stopped him. To compensate him, the elder pointed him toward an Opportunity.
Heh, and guess what? It fell through too!"
Lu Yun laughed heartily, clearly enjoying gossiping about the embarrassing plight of someone more powerful than himself.
"Senior Brother Xu is just too unlucky."
Li Ruohan asked with a frown.
"How can an Opportunity that was already in his grasp just fly away?"
Lu Yun explained with a smile.
"I heard a Servant from the Gathering Herbs Peak mention it. Apparently, Elder Sui calculated that somewhere in the Outer Sect Four Peaks, a place where Yin and Yang converge and merge with the earth's qi would gather moonlight and condense it into a dew… This Moonlight Dew is exceedingly rare!
It can cleanse the physical body, clear all one's meridians, and greatly advance one's Cultivation! But Senior Brother Xu searched for a full seven days and still couldn't find the place!"
'This Senior Brother Xu and I seem to be bound by fate!'
Jiang Yi thought to himself.
'So the Moonlight Dew I consumed was actually his Opportunity?'
He silently lowered his head and savored the Fish Dragon Grass and Crow Soup, which was rich with Spiritual Qi, acting as if he had never tasted such a delicacy before.
This action, in the eyes of Wang Heng and Lu Yun, lowered their internal evaluation of him yet another notch.
'Looks like Junior Brother Jiang really is just a weed from the countryside. So shallow!'
While everyone else was chatting happily and exchanging news, all he knew how to do was mooch Spiritual Meal and Good Medicine!
Li Ruohan's expression grew urgent as she returned to the main topic.
"Senior Brother Wang, do you have any ideas? The Inner Peak will be adding new seats in the spring. I must get some Nourishing Essence Pills to increase my chances of a breakthrough."
Wang Heng fell silent in thought, not daring to make any promises.
"I'll ask around for Junior Sister Li, or maybe I'll ask Senior Brother Xiao. He's already at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer and is a shoo-in for the Inner Peak. Perhaps he has a way."
Li Ruohan stood up to thank him.
"I thank you, Senior Brother! As long as I can get the Nourishing Essence Pills, any amount of talisman coins is fine!"
After that topic was settled, the group turned to idle chatter.
Jiang Yi slurped down three bowls of the Spiritual Meal and Good Medicine, eating until he was about eighty percent full.
Seeing that it was already dark outside, he tactfully stood up, clasped his hands, and bid his farewell.
Wang Heng didn't try to stop him, just giving a faint nod in dismissal.
After Jiang Yi had left the room, Lu Yun teased with a laugh.
"It's rare for Junior Brother Wang to misjudge someone, haha! To think you'd bring a common Mortal weed to our gathering!"
Wang Heng sighed helplessly.
"You flatter me, Senior Brother. Among all the Mortal Servants at the lecture on Guanlan Plateau, this Junior Brother Jiang had the most refined bearing. He didn't seem like an ordinary person! Who could have known… Sigh!"
Li Ruohan offered some comfort.
"Senior Brother, don't be upset. Since Junior Brother Jiang was able to attend an Inner Peak lecture, he must have some ability. Perhaps there will be a day when he is of use."
As the three of them were talking, Zhao Fang, who had been just as invisible as Jiang Yi, spoke up hesitantly.
"So, Senior Brother Wang doesn't know Marshal Jiang?"
Wang Heng froze, looking at Zhao Fang, who had just been recruited into the Qianji Outer Sect, and asked in astonishment.
"What Marshal Jiang?"
Zhao Fang hesitated, then stammered.
"That Senior Brother Jiang from just now… he's the Inspector of the Red Flame Peak's Quenching Room, and his methods are extraordinary!
A few days ago, two Inspectors from the Grinding and Carving Room and the Forging Room opposed him, and he beat one to death and crippled the other overnight. It was incredibly imposing!
The news has already spread all over Red Flame Peak…"
Wang Heng's eyes flew wide open. He could hardly believe it, wondering if he had misheard.
"Junior Brother, why didn't you say so earlier!?"
His voice was tinged with anger.
If Junior Brother Jiang was truly an Inspector of a room, it meant he was backed by a Servant.
Coupled with his suspected cultivation of a Daoist Skill, he ought to have uncommon talent. He was absolutely someone worth entertaining properly!
Zhao Fang mumbled.
"I heard you speaking so confidently, Senior Brother, talking about the Lujiang Jiang Clan… I thought you already knew all the details…"
Wang Heng was so furious his face alternated between green and white. For a long moment, he was speechless.
Lu Yun, sitting nearby, was also astonished. That Junior Brother Jiang, a mere weed, had actually been favored by a Servant, promoted to be an Inspector of a room, and was even practicing cultivation?
He was truly an anomaly!
"Senior Brother, there's no need to be so dejected. We all misjudged him. Junior Brother Jiang is ambitious, so it's inevitable we'll interact with him again in the future. When the time comes, we can just host a banquet and clear the air."
Li Ruohan said in a soft and charming voice.
"Besides, if you'll permit me to be a bit mercenary, even if this Junior Brother Jiang enters the Inner Peak, without a clan to support him, I'm afraid he'll still find it difficult to cultivate.
In the future, he'll probably have to rely on us to give him a helping hand."
Wang Heng felt much better hearing this and nodded with a smile.
"Junior Sister Li has a point. Establishing a foothold in the Inner Peak and cultivating properly is no simpler than working in the Outer Sect."
Lu Yun also said.
"Indeed, indeed. It's not like we're snobs, nor did we look down on Junior Brother Jiang too excessively.
Even if he does hold a grudge, it's no big deal.
Besides, with Senior Brother Xiao around, what kind of waves can a mere mortal weed possibly make?"
Wang Heng let out a long sigh.
"This was supposed to be a good thing, but I bungled it. What a pity!"
...
...
'It's a shame. I was too embarrassed to ask for another couple of bowls…'
After leaving Heshui Cave, Jiang Yi rode a Flying Crane straight back to Red Flame Peak.
After returning the Jade Token, he headed toward the Big Mixed Courtyard, the wind and snow weighing on his shoulders as thoughts quietly swirled in his mind.
'Today's meal was worth several days of my own cultivation. Though we're both Mortal Servants, the likes of Zheng Dajiang and Wang Heng can live such comfortable lives. Being supported by a clan truly is a pleasure!'
At this thought, a sense of urgency surged in Jiang Yi's heart. There weren't many new seats being added to the Inner Peak. According to Marshal Yang, there were only a few spots in total.
Across the Outer Sect Four Peaks, each peak has three major workshops, and every Servant can recommend one person.
A quick calculation told him there would be quite a few competitors!
Jiang Yi stepped into the Big Mixed Courtyard but did not go inside his room.
He stood quietly for a moment, gathering his thoughts. A glance from the corner of his eye caught the thick layer of ice that had formed on the large water vat in the corner.
'Winter has come.'
His eyes flickered, and the golden paper appeared.
'I beg the Celestial Book, show me the auspicious day to break through to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer?'