121: Chapter 121 Master Chen

You traveled for another half a month, asking in seven or eight towns, but the answers you received were much the same.

"Immortal Cultivator? Those are figures from the heavens; how would we know where they live?"

An old man selling steamed buns waved his hand. "We only know that every six years, an Immortal Elder comes to town to test for Spiritual Roots. If a child in the family has a Spiritual Root and is taken away, it can be exchanged for enough silver to live a life free of worry about food and drink."

"What year was the last time?" you asked.

"Four years ago," the old man said, counting on his fingers. "A boy in the neighboring village was chosen. His parents got three hundred taels, built a new house, bought twenty mu of land, and were so happy they couldn't close their mouths."

You asked several influential people as well.

The owner of a silk shop stroked his beard for a long time before saying, "Madam, the Immortal Elders come and go like the wind; how would we mere Mortals dare to inquire about them?"

You tried several different ways of asking, but you received the same response every time.

You stood on the street, watching the pedestrians passing by, and for the first time, you felt a slight sense of helplessness.

This Cultivation World was far larger than you had imagined, and the information barrier between Immortal Cultivators and Mortals was thicker than the Ten Thousand Mountains.

You took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation in your heart.

You cannot be impatient, you told yourself; you have time.

At least in this simulation, you still have time.

You adjusted your strategy, no longer specifically asking people, but keeping an eye out while traveling.

You traveled for another month or so.

One day, you arrived at a town named "Yunping."

The town was not large, with about twenty thousand people, but it was unexpectedly prosperous. The streets were lined with shops, and among the pedestrians, there were many energetic Martial Artists. You even sensed the presence of two Grandmaster-level auras at an intersection.

What caught your attention even more was something else.

As you passed by a pawnshop, you heard two clerks whispering inside.

"...Master Chen's family is back to collect medicinal herbs. Polygonatum, fleeceflower root, Ganoderma—they collect as much as there is, and the price is generous."

"They are the descendants of an Immortal, after all. It is said that their Old Master is an Immortal who can live for several hundred years."

"Several hundred years? You're exaggerating. I think he's at most an expert who has practiced some Immortal arts. However, that Chen residence is truly strange. The last time I passed by, a weird smell drifted from inside the courtyard walls—not sweet, not sour..."

Your footsteps halted.

Descendants of an Immortal? Collecting medicinal herbs?

You did not rush in to ask, but instead turned and walked into the teahouse diagonally across the street.

You sat down and ordered a pot of tea.

You did not initiate any conversation, just pricked up your ears to listen.

The teahouse was crowded and noisy. In less than half an hour, you had pieced together the general picture from the chatter of several tables of guests.

In Yunping City, there was a prominent family with the surname Chen. An "Immortal Master" had settled here to establish his family line, and they were now the richest family in the city. That Immortal Master was named Chen Wei, and he was still alive today, serving as the true backbone of the Chen family.

The Chen family kept their doors tightly shut and rarely interacted with outsiders, but they sent people to the city every month to purchase large quantities of various medicinal herbs, and they only accepted those of the highest quality.

You held the teacup, your lips curling slightly.

After searching for more than two months, you finally caught one.

And based on the existing information, this so-called Immortal Master should only be an Opening Aperture Realm Cultivator.

You set down the teacup, stood up, and went to the largest medicinal herb shop in the city.

There, you spent two hundred taels of silver to buy a gift box of high-quality medicinal herbs, added a few local specialties, and wrapped it neatly in red cloth.

Then, you headed straight for the Chen residence.

The Chen residence was in the east of the city, occupying a small part of the street, with green brick walls and an imposing entrance.

You knocked on the copper ring.

An old servant in his forties opened the door, his face stern. He looked you over, his gaze lingering on your plain attire, and his tone was polite but stiff: "What is the matter?"

"I am passing through this area and have long heard of Old Master Chen's reputation, so I have come to pay a visit." You raised the red cloth package. "A humble gift to express my respects."

The old servant glanced at the gift, his expression unchanged.

After a while, the old servant opened the door again.

"My Old Master does not see outside guests." He was blunt and decisive. "Please return."

The door closed with a creak.

You stood before the tightly closed gate, your brows slightly furrowed.

An Opening Aperture Realm, yet he puts on quite the airs.

You did not turn and leave.

You stepped back a few paces, stood in the middle of the street directly opposite the Chen residence gate, and took a deep breath.

You circulated the Origin Qi in your Dantian. You did not intentionally restrain it, but instead released that power unique to a "Origin Qi Realm" Martial Artist.

"Immortal Master Chen," you said aloud. Your voice was not loud, but it clearly penetrated the courtyard walls. "I am not a Mortal. My visit was abrupt, but I truly have an important matter to inquire about. I hope the Immortal Master can spare some time to see me."

Inside the courtyard.

Chen Wei, who was holding a teacup, had his expression darken instantly.

"Where did this crazy woman come from?" He snorted angrily. "I already said I wouldn't see..."

Halfway through his sentence, he stopped abruptly.

"Family Head?"

The butler saw that Chen Wei's expression was wrong and stepped forward. "Should I call a few servants to drive that woman away?"

Chen Wei pressed his hand down. "Shut up. Go to the study and brew a pot of good tea."

"Ah?" The butler was obviously stunned. "Old Master, didn't you just say you wouldn't see..."

"Go when I tell you to!"

The butler was dumbfounded.

A moment ago he wanted to drive someone away, and now he wants to brew tea?

"Family Head, isn't that just a Mortal woman..."

"A Mortal?" Chen Wei stood up and straightened his robes, his eyes filled with shock and suspicion. "She has Spiritual Qi fluctuations on her. This Fellow Daoist is also an Immortal Cultivator."

The butler gasped and opened his mouth wide.

That plain-looking woman outside was actually a figure from the heavens?

He dared not say another word and hurriedly turned to prepare the tea.

Chen Wei took a deep breath and walked toward the gate, his mind racing.

Who could it be?

He was merely a five-aperture Opening Aperture Realm Cultivator. In the Cultivation World, he was like a stone on the side of the road that anyone could kick. Coupled with the suffocating pressure at the Spiritual Vein, which made him unable to breathe, he had fled back to the Mortal world, thinking of living out the rest of his life in peace.

At such a time, who would come to find him?

He could not figure it out, but those Spiritual Qi fluctuations could not be fake.

Before long, the gate opened again.

This time, it was Chen Wei himself who came to open the door.

His gaze swept over you quickly. You could tell he was trying to sense your cultivation level, but since you had only released a wisp of Origin Qi earlier and then pulled it back, your aura was now completely restrained, and he could not fathom your depth at all.

This made his expression even more nervous.

"Fellow Daoist," he cupped his hands, his posture very humble. "I offended you just now; it is truly... I have lived here for a long time and am accustomed to Mortal interactions. I did not expect a fellow practitioner to arrive. My apologies, my apologies. Please, come in!"

You nodded, without saying much, and followed him inside.

Entering the study, the tea had already been brewed.

Chen Wei invited you to sit, and he sat opposite you. The butler poured tea for you both and then retreated, closing the door behind him.

"Please, Fellow Daoist." Chen Wei made a gesture for you to drink the tea. After you picked up the teacup and took a sip, he tentatively opened the conversation. "Forgive my lack of insight, I do not know where you come from? I am Chen Wei, a few years older, with Opening Aperture Realm cultivation, not worth mentioning..."

He said with a self-deprecating smile, his eyes full of probing.