The Fairy: From the Traveling Merchant

Chapter 910: Flowering and Fruiting

After regaining his senses, Zhao Chen listened to the idle chatter of a few people in the hotel lobby and learned that the Zong family and the Peng family were both powerful local families in Ye Nan Town. It was said that their ancestors had produced experts at the "magic power" level, but the family had declined in the current generation. Although the head of the Zong family was known as the number one expert in Ye Nan, he had only reached the level of opening seven orifices. The Peng family was even worse, with the strongest elder only having opened six orifices.

The Zong and Peng families jointly manage a local "Yellow Pear Spirit Tree," which bears thirty to fifty spirit fruits every year after it blooms. Its effects are much stronger than ordinary spirit rice, making it a good auxiliary spiritual item for cultivation in the True Qi and Refining Aperture realms.

But it's only so-so. In terms of both taste and efficacy, this thing is far inferior to the "Bamboo Rhyme Thousand-Layer Pastry" from Zhuyingzhai in the capital, not to mention the "Azure Dragon Meat" that "Yu Kuai Fang" once provided to Zhao Chen.

The competition between the Zong and Peng families was not primarily about making their own children famous; its real purpose was to distribute the spiritual fruits produced by the "Yellow Pear Spirit Tree," making it a kind of unconventional "business war," only one that wasn't so formal outside of Kyushu.

Previously, the Peng family was weak and could only obtain a smaller share. However, this time, relying on the fact that the Second Elder's daughter, Peng Qi, had joined the renowned "White Spirit Sword" sect and gained strong support, they wanted to revise the share allocation.

However, the main family refused to agree, perhaps because they had something to rely on, which led to this competition.

After listening for a while, Zhao Chen finally understood that the so-called "White Spirit Sword" was a famous swordsman from several nearby counties, with a third-stage cultivation level in magic and four innate spells...

"Actually, their strength is already quite good for a small place like this. After all, even though Master was only at the Qi Refining level, he could still dominate Ice Spring Town." Zhao Chen was somewhat relieved. He didn't intend to pay any more attention to it, but then he thought, "Since we've run into them, we might as well go and try what that spiritual fruit tastes like..."

With this thought in mind, he immediately got up and stopped ordering food at the hotel. After all, there was a free feast with a lively atmosphere, so why not take advantage of it?

The sword competition was hosted by the main family, and the venue was naturally the main family's residence on the west side of the town, which was not too far from the inn.

Zhao Chen did not ride a horse again, but walked there, and soon arrived at the gate of the Zong family's residence.

This is a large mansion built against the mountain. Hundreds of tables were set up on the wide street in front of the mansion for passing heroes to eat and drink. The place was bustling with noise and was very lively.

Only true "cultivators" are invited into the courtyard to taste the spiritual fruits.

Zhao Chen ignored the banquet at the entrance and walked straight toward the main gate of the Zong family. A middle-aged man who was there to greet him immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands and smiled, "May I ask how you are addressed, young master?"

This man was also a cultivator at the Qi Refining stage, and naturally had developed spiritual senses. Of course, he couldn't possibly treat Zhao Chen as an ordinary person, since the oppressive aura emanating from him was not concealed at all!

This is at least a great master who has opened the seven orifices and formed the initial stage of his inner world! The middle-aged man thought to himself.

Zhao Chen was actually releasing the unique pressure of Yuan Qi of the "Magic Power" realm, but unfortunately the person in front of him was too ignorant. It was like he was throwing a flirtatious glance at a blind man. He could only say, "My name is Wang Chen, I come from Jianye. I happened to be traveling here when I came across the events at your residence, so I came to watch the excitement."

Although he used the identity of Wang Desheng prepared by the Imperial Concubine, no one stipulated that a member of a collateral branch of the Jianye Wang family could not use a false name when traveling the world.

Jianye? It seems to be a major city in the south? The man was confused, but he didn't show it on his face. Although he had never heard of the Wang family of Jianye, even if the person in front of him was only at the level of opening the seven orifices in his knowledge, it was still enough for him to look up to.

So he personally welcomed Zhao Chen into the courtyard and led him to a seat quite close to the front, where local celebrities were sitting next to him.

However, no one expressed dissatisfaction. In fact, several of the "veterans" who were already seated immediately stood up and bowed to Zhao Chen.

Unlike the ignorant butler, they naturally understood what the imposing aura emanating from Zhao Chen meant and politely inquired about his name.

After Zhao Chen introduced himself again, the elder leading the group of luminaries exclaimed in surprise, "So you are the young master of the Jianye Wang family! No wonder you are so extraordinary!" Although the Jianye Wang family was not a prominent family, it was considered one of the top families among the elite clans. Even if they were just a branch family, they were still far superior to these nouveau riche. After all, the branch family members were only allowed to travel to the Great Xia after they achieved "magical power".

The realm of "magical power" is the ultimate goal that these people can only dream of and never attain in their entire lives.

The difference is obvious!

After exchanging a few polite words, Zhao Chen stopped paying attention to them and just ate and drank by himself. The conference hadn't started yet, and the spiritual fruits hadn't been served.

However, Zhao Chen didn't care. Instead, he glanced at the backyard against the mountain wall and smiled slightly: "Although there are some unexpected things, they are not of a high level. It seems that my luck has really turned around."

In the backyard, upon hearing that a young master from the Wang family who was traveling had been invited to his family's banquet, Zong Fangqing, the head of the Zong family, did not react with joy, but rather with nervousness, asking the people around him, "But what went wrong with our plan?"
"Why would a member of a prominent family come to our door?"

Beside him was an elderly man with gray hair.

Upon being asked, the old man's wrinkles deepened, and he said uncertainly, "Perhaps...perhaps I really did just wander around and join in the fun?"

Upon hearing this, Zong Fangqing calmed down, thought for a moment, and then asked, "How strong is he?"

“I don’t know…” The old man shook his head first, then added, “Although the Jianye Wang family is no longer a prominent family, it still regulates its members in the same way as prominent families.”

"Core disciples must achieve supernatural powers before they are allowed to enter the world, and ordinary direct descendants must also have nine levels of magical power."

"As for the side branches, there are many, but at least one must have three levels of magical power and condense four or five innate spells to achieve perfect offense and defense before being allowed to travel."

Zong Fangqing stroked his beard, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "If he's only at the third or fourth level of magical power, then the methods prepared for the 'White Spirit Sword' might be applicable to him..."

Before he could finish speaking, the old man interrupted him: "Patriarch, you mustn't! The strength of such a scion of a prominent family cannot be judged simply by his cultivation level. Who knows if he has any secret treasures for self-defense?"

"With this young master of the Wang family around, the variables are too great!"

“Our plan is already 'ready to be launched,' and we can’t even afford to delay it.” Zong Fangqing gritted his teeth and made up his mind. “So we can only try to eliminate this obstacle.”

The old man opened his mouth, but finally sighed in despair and stopped trying to persuade them. After all, as the patriarch had said, they had no way out and could only fight it out.

After making the decision, the two cursed inwardly: "You say we're a small place that even True Qi Realm cultivators might not respect, what are you, a young master from a prominent family, doing here?"
"You're really asking for trouble, you deserve to die here!"

……

At the same time, Zhao Chen's divine sense swept over the "Yellow Pear Spirit Tree" on the mountain, which was protected by the formations of the two families, and he murmured, "It's just in time to bloom and bear fruit... I really made the right choice coming here!"
"Go wherever there are flowers..."

(End of this chapter)