66: Chapter 67 Commanding the Wind and Rain

"Wartime?"

Chen Xiaoyan finally spoke.

Xu Qinghuai said, "Yes. If foreign enemies invade, the Main Family will send us on missions or to kill enemies, all of which will add more points to our wooden tokens. Once enough points are saved, you can go to Zhou Youning to exchange them for spiritual resources, techniques, Talismans, or even better cultivation Medicinal Pills."

His eyes brightened when he said this.

"Last year, I followed along to repair the northern spirit canal and earned five points. I exchanged them for a Qi Gathering Pill, which saved me a full two months of bitter cultivation."

Hearing this, Jiang Xingchuan did not feel much joy in his heart.

The Zhou Family's rules looked generous, but in reality, they were completely integrating Cold Household Cultivators into the wartime system.

By giving hope and rewards, they made these Cold Households willing to risk their lives at the Array Base.

Compared to the old ways of simple coercion, it was indeed much more clever.

After finishing his introduction, Xu Qinghuai tactfully retreated.

"You two should look over the books first. There aren't many rules at the Eastern Array Base; just don't take them out of this room or damage them. I still have to go on duty, but I'll come back to find you later."

Jiang Xingchuan cupped his hands to thank him.

"Many thanks, Brother Xu."

Xu Qinghuai waved his hand with a smile, turned around, and left the wooden house, closing the door behind them on his way out.

The room quieted down.

Jiang Xingchuan and Chen Xiaoyan exchanged a glance. Without saying much, they each picked up a book to read.

The first one he read was "A Brief Explanation of the Eastern Array".

The content was quite shallow, explaining how to identify the four small array bases of the Eastern Array Base, how to use the wooden token to trigger the spiritual light of the array eye, where to stand when the great array rose, and how to channel one's own magic power into the array base without disrupting the array patterns.

The latter half, which described Restriction techniques, was even more rudimentary but excelled in practicality.

The Door-Sealing Restriction could make ordinary doors difficult to break open for a short time, the Alarm Restriction could sound when someone stepped into a certain area, the Qi-Locking Restriction could seal the leaking Spiritual Qi of Spiritual Plants, and the Dust-Covering Restriction made a place look unremarkable to prevent Mortals from wandering in.

Naturally, these things were worthless in the eyes of the Zhou Family.

Yet Jiang Xingchuan became increasingly interested as he read.

The Jiang Family currently had shallow foundations and was precisely lacking these most basic things.

After he finished, he handed the book to Chen Xiaoyan.

Chen Xiaoyan took it and lowered her head to read, her features appearing much colder in the window light.

Jiang Xingchuan then picked up the "Wind-Calling Technique" and the "Rain-Calling Technique".

He first flipped through the "Wind-Calling Technique". He had only read half the book when Yan Zhaopo's chuckle echoed in his mind.

"This Zhou Family is quite shrewd."

Jiang Xingchuan ignored him.

Yan Zhaopo was already used to his demeanor and continued on his own, "They took a complete technique, split it into two, then deleted and simplified each part before throwing it to the Cold Households to practice."

"This way, the Cold Households can use it but can't learn the real thing. It allows them to farm and guard the array for the Zhou Family without the risk of these people obtaining a complete Legacy."

Jiang Xingchuan's fingertips paused slightly.

Yan Zhaopo continued, "This technique should have been called 'Wind-Calling and Rain-Calling'. If it were complete and intact, it would be at least High Grade Qi Refining."

"When wind and rain combine, it can block Divine Sense, swirl smoke, and draw in Qi. If used well, it has wonderful uses in combat, escaping, farming, and setting up Formations."

"It's a pity it was split in two, and the key to combining wind and rain was deleted. Taken separately, it can't even maintain Medium Grade."

Jiang Xingchuan kept his eyes lowered, appearing to still be flipping through the book, but his thoughts slowly sank into his Sea of Consciousness.

He did not speak, instead suppressing a thought in his heart.

"You mean you can complete it?"

Yan Zhaopo chuckled.

"More than just complete it."

"I know more than you imagine. Kid, how about we make a deal? You agree to one thing for me, and I won't hold anything back in the future. Techniques, Formations, ancient methods, the Purple Mansion Golden Core Way—I can help you with whatever I know."

Jiang Xingchuan's expression remained unchanged, but he sneered in his heart.

"State your requirements first."

It was rare for Yan Zhaopo not to immediately crack a joke.

He was silent for a moment, and his voice was uncharacteristically lower.

"Help me find a person."

Jiang Xingchuan's brows twitched slightly.

"Find someone here?"

"It should be right here."

Yan Zhaopo said slowly, "If there's no mistake, that person should be in the Zhou Family now, or at least among the Cold Households or branch families that the Zhou Family can reach."

A sense of unease arose in Jiang Xingchuan's heart.

"Who is it?"

Yan Zhaopo said, "I cannot be sure of the name, and the appearance might not match. But if this person has already entered the Dao, they are most likely cultivating Qingming."

When the word "Qingming" fell, Jiang Xingchuan's entire body suddenly stiffened.

Although he quickly suppressed his expression, that momentary fluctuation in his mind still could not be hidden from Yan Zhaopo, who was hiding in his Sea of Consciousness.

Yan Zhaopo immediately pressed, his voice filled with urgency.

"As expected!"

"You kid, you've stayed in the Zhou Family before; you've definitely heard news about Qingming, haven't you?"

Jiang Xingchuan did not answer immediately.

His fingertips remained on the page, and his gaze landed on the line, "The method of Wind-Calling first requires regulating the light Qi in the lungs," but his thoughts had already drifted far away.

The Zhou Family.

Qingming.

Accountant Zhou Chengli bought the complete set of Foundation Establishment methods for Qingming.

Liu Zhaoquan of Old Grave Slope losing his mind and seeking death.

The winter Cultivator died in front of the grave.

Fifth Feng had said that the Main Family believed Jiang Yuhe could not bear that Grain Rain.

And the clues that Jiang Chengning had once analyzed with Jiang Yuhe all vaguely pointed toward "death," "grave," and "Qingming."

But Jiang Xingchuan did not trust Yan Zhaopo.

This old ghost was hiding in his Sea of Consciousness, and who knew what he was plotting. If he easily told everything the Jiang Family knew, it would be equivalent to handing a knife to someone else.

Therefore, he instead slowly calmed down.

"I don't know who you are looking for."

Yan Zhaopo's voice tightened.

"You clearly reacted just now."

"I do know some information."

Jiang Xingchuan responded in his heart.

"The Zhou Family seems to be looking for something similar to Qingming, or perhaps they are plotting a path for Qingming. But I don't know what it is for. As for the person you mentioned, I also cannot be certain."

Yan Zhaopo did not speak immediately.

This time, he was silent for quite a while.

Jiang Xingchuan could feel the remnants of the soul residing deep within his Sea of Consciousness, its emotions surging violently. Urgency, suspicion, fear, excitement, and even a trace of deeply hidden terror.

After a long time, Yan Zhaopo spoke again.

"Fine."

His voice dropped, no longer as frivolous as usual.

"Since you have clues, we will make this deal. You help me keep an eye on the Zhou Family's matters regarding Qingming, and if you can find that person, tell me. In exchange, I will help you complete 'Wind-Calling and Rain-Calling', and I will also give you pointers on the key points of cultivating the Purple Mansion Golden Core Way."

Jiang Xingchuan turned a page.

"Just keeping an eye on it is enough?"

"Just keeping an eye on it," Yan Zhaopo replied.

"If it involves my life, or involves Zhang Xiuniang, or involves my family, I can refuse," Jiang Xingchuan changed the subject.

Yan Zhaopo sneered.

"Kid, you sure know how to haggle."

Jiang Xingchuan's expression remained unmoved.

"If you don't agree, the deal is off."

Yan Zhaopo was silent for a few more breaths, then finally said, "Fine."

Jiang Xingchuan did not relax just yet and added another sentence.

"From now on, you must not deliberately drag me into this. If I discover that you are using the matter of Qingming to set a trap to harm me, or if you want to risk my body, then there will be no more deals between us."

Yan Zhaopo scoffed.

"You can't kill me right now."

"I know."

Jiang Xingchuan said calmly in his heart, "But I can refuse to cooperate with you. I can also go my whole life without touching the person you want to find."

Yan Zhaopo finally stopped laughing.

A moment later, he said in a low voice, "Deal."

Jiang Xingchuan closed the "Wind-Calling Technique" and picked up the "Rain-Calling Technique".

Outside the window, the array patterns of the Eastern Array Base glowed with a cyan light in the twilight.

In the distance, in the spiritual fields, Cold Household Mortals were bent over weeding, and the figure of a Zhou Family steward stood at the end of the field ridge, like an iron nail driven into this outer field.