Shushan: Extinction

Chapter 236 Old Friend
At this time, the sunlight shines through the window lattice, casting mottled light and shadows on the brocade cover, making the four large gold-plated characters "Chen Family Tree" flicker.

Cui Xiaoyi's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, and the celadon teacup made a small clash of sounds:
"Your father had someone send it here earlier, saying that from now on, you will be a proper member of the Chen family."

The corners of her eyes were red, and her voice was choked with sobs:

"Mother has waited for so many years, finally"

A bastard like Gong Tianwu had a low status and his mother was a slave. Many wealthy families would not include him in the family tree, but treat him as an illegitimate child.

So it’s no wonder that Cui Xiaoyi was so excited. To her, status is the most important thing.

Next, Gong Tianwu slowly unfolded the document and stroked the three neat regular script characters "Chen Feiding" on it with his fingertips.

The ink was not yet dry, and still had the unique bitter aroma of pine smoke. He suddenly noticed that there was a line of small words specially marked under his name:
"Born on the seventh day of the third month of the year of Guimao"

"What a good word 'fixed'."

Gong Tianwu chuckled and rolled up the document again. The brocade made a rustling sound, like the wind blowing through leaves.

Cui Xiaoyi hurriedly grabbed his son's sleeve:
"Wu Lang, this is great news! Among your brothers, except for the legitimate one, the Eighth Sister and the Eleventh Brother have not yet been included in the family tree."

"Mother."

Gong Tianwu suddenly interrupted her and took out a small gilded box from his arms:

"This is the new rouge from western Fujian. Try it and see if it works."

He tapped his fingertips lightly on the wolf head pattern embossed on the lid of the box, then sighed softly:

“Father is hitting me.”

At this time, the sound of the family soldiers' training could be heard faintly in the distance, and the uniform footsteps caused ripples in the tea on the table.

Gong Tianwu looked at his broken reflection on the water. Of course he could see that the word "ding" on the document was both a reward and a warning.

However, Gong Tianwu showed a smile at the corner of his mouth, and couldn't help muttering:

"How can a sparrow understand the ambition of a swan?"

***
He didn't take the fact of Gong Tianwu being included in the family tree seriously, but when the people under him heard about it, they all cheered as if it was New Year's Day.

The most intuitive data can show that the loyalty of subordinates has generally increased, with the minimum increase being three points and the maximum being eighteen points.

However, Gong Tianwu could also understand that everyone must think that following the young marquis is more promising, and this is also human nature.

During this period of time, Gong Tianwu also focused on observing Cai Yuanchang and found that this person was indeed a man of great talent. He did everything he was assigned to do in a smooth and flawless manner.

But it is also quite difficult to win his heart. For example, it was him whose loyalty increased by 3 points. And it dropped by 1 point the next day.

After handing over the recipe for the Wild Wolf Crossbow to the Marquis' Mansion, Gong Tianwu did not seem to have gained any benefits - almost two months had passed, and Chen Yunsheng had no plans to send troops to the Yanzhi River Valley.

But in fact, this is not the case. For example, Gong Tianwu can already obtain most of the resources from the Marquis' Mansion.

So when he had nothing else to do, he took the opportunity to pick up the skills of refining equipment and making pills, and practiced with some common materials.

After all, although Gong Tianwu did not have a stunning performance due to his mediocre talent, he had decades of experience under his belt, so he could still guarantee not to lose money.

In addition, Gong Tianwu can also obtain information transmitted by all intelligence channels of the Marquis' Mansion, which was built by the Chen family with the hard work of three generations.

Such a professional intelligence channel is definitely not comparable to the hastily built commercial channel like Cui Ziyang's.

And given Gong Tianwu's identity as the Seventh Young Master, the intelligence authority he can access is also the highest level.

***
After a long and careful search, Gong Tianwu finally saw what he wanted today and kept it in his heart.

"Finally found you. Now it seems that you are the most suitable one."

A smile appeared on Gong Tianwu's lips, and then he picked up a pen and wrote a name on the paper next to him: Wu Mingyuan.

Then he ordered people to conduct a thorough verification and investigation, and he also planned to make this matter a top priority in the near future.

Gong Tianwu's power had already begun to take shape at this time. Not only that, if he gave some orders to the intelligence agency of the Marquis' Mansion, as long as it did not conflict with the Marquis Chen Yunsheng, the people below would do it.

After all, no matter how you look at it at this moment, this gentleman has the greatest chance of inheriting the title of marquis.

Seven days later, after some disguise, Gong Tianwu saw the gray-brown walls of Chahan City. Faded flags were planted on the towers of this important border town, rustling in the north wind.

According to intelligence, the person he was looking for was hiding in this city.

Soon, Gong Tianwu, accompanied by Hasar and a group of Wuluowei, passed through the noisy Nanmen Market. The air was filled with the aroma of baked naan, the stench of horse manure, and the pungent smell of Western spices.

There were also some foreign merchants selling some rare goods.

At this time, Gong Tianwu was wearing a brown fur hat on his head, a half-new and half-old sleeveless sheepskin coat, and a two-finger-wide cowhide belt around his waist. The others were dressed similarly.

Dressed like this is the most common attire for the business men within a few hundred miles, so it is not eye-catching at all.

After turning two streets, a three-story wooden building stands out among the gray buildings.

The three big characters "Taibai Tower" are vaguely visible on the faded wine flag. The bronze bells hanging on the eaves jingle in the wind. A man in his thirties can be seen squatting outside the building, looking around with his hands behind his back.

This man was also a member of Wulouwei. When he saw Hasar, he nodded, indicating that the target was inside, and then stood up and walked over.

As the two passed by each other, the man whispered:

"On the second floor, by the window on the east side, alone."

Hasar nodded and calmly pushed open the carved door of the restaurant. The sour smell of aged wine lees mixed with the stench of sheep hit him in the face, and a group of people crowded in.

Gong Tianwu nodded slightly and glanced across the noisy lobby.

A few drunks were gathering in a corner throwing dice, and a waiter was moving among the crowd carrying a greasy tray.

Then the welcoming shopkeeper came over with a smile on his face, wearing a white sheepskin towel:

"Eight distinguished guests!! Please come in. Would you like to stay in the hotel or have a meal?"

Hasar said in a rough voice:
"I'm starving. Find me a quiet place to sit!"

The shopkeeper immediately called out to the waiter next to him:

"Hurry and take the distinguished guest to the second floor!!"

So the group followed the waiter up the creaking stairs.

After going upstairs, Gong Tianwu immediately saw a middle-aged man in a Taoist robe that was washed so white that it was drinking alone at the window on the second floor.

On the pinewood table in front of him was a half-dish of dried tofu and a pot of muddy wine. The sunlight shone through the cracks in the window lattice, casting mottled shadows on his thin cheeks, and he occasionally coughed twice.

This person is the Wu Mingyuan that he is looking for.

Gong Tianwu sat down three tables away from Wu Mingyuan and observed carefully while ordering food. The wooden hairpin that the Taoist used to tie his hair had cracked, and the elbows of his gray Taoist robe were neatly patched. This showed that Wu Mingyuan was already in a tight financial situation.

The joints of his fingers holding the cup were thick, and there were traces of cinnabar in the gaps between his nails, which showed that he was also good at drawing talismans and making tools.

"Master, do you want me to go and investigate?" Hasar asked in a vague voice while chewing beef.

Gong Tianwu shook his head slightly, and a strange light flashed in his eyes. At this moment, he activated his ability to recognize people, and his pupils suddenly shrank slightly.

"How could this be?"

It turned out that under the gaze of his bloodline ability, he saw an unexpected result - this seemingly down-and-out cultivator was not the person they were looking for.

Name: Wu Mingyuan
Strength: Qi Refining 30%

"Loyalty: None"

"Possessing a Class B talent: A Yellow Crown disciple, people with this talent have a unique advantage in practicing the Taoist mental method.

"Having a trait: going back on one's word - I usually don't go back on my word. If I do, it must be because you forced me to do so."

"Has Trait: Silencing Witnesses - If I kill you, then no one in this world will know about the mistakes I made, right? Hahahaha!"

The reason why Gong Tianwu approached Wu Mingyuan was that he heard that this person was trustworthy and that he was a casual cultivator without much background.

Then he would be useful, but now it seems that this guy is a bit hypocritical and well disguised.

After he sighed in disappointment, the waiter came with the dish, which was a large plate of castrated mutton.

This thing is cut into large pieces and comes with skin on, steaming hot.

You can see a piece of sheepskin with fat attached trembling, and the aroma of the meat is extremely strong, mixed with the fragrance of mutton fat and the spiciness of spices, going straight into people's nostrils.

Everyone was hungry and looked at the meat on the plate eagerly, but they also observed etiquette and waited for Gong Tianwu to pick up his chopsticks first.

Gong Tianwu didn't hesitate to reach out and grabbed a piece, and immediately felt a slight burning pain on his fingertips.

The fat of the goat meat had not yet solidified, and it slowly flowed down through the fingers, shining golden light under the light. The meat was quite heavy, and it was obvious that it was living meat around the bones.

The moment you bite down, your teeth first break through the slight resistance of the crispy surface, and then sink into the soft meat. The gravy immediately splashes in your mouth, hot and delicious.

As they chewed, they actually tasted a hint of sweetness, which they thought was due to the grass that the ram had often eaten when it was alive. At this time, everyone started to get started, taking a bite of meat and a sip of wine, and drinking to their heart's content.

However, Hasar had extremely strict requirements for the Wulou Guards. When on duty beside Gong Tianwu, they were not allowed to drink more than two taels of alcohol.

So although everyone present was drinking, they only took small sips. The meat was enough to fill them up.

At this time, Wu Mingyuan suddenly looked over here. Gong Tianwu looked calm. After all, the two of them had no grudges against each other. He used the power of his bloodline to test his bottom line, but the other party, who was only at the third level of Qi Refining, could not find out at all.

At this moment, Gong Tianwu discovered that the art of reading the gods had been activated, probably because Wu Mingyuan's thoughts were related to himself.

"The mutton this kid is eating smells so good. Senior Brother Li also seems to have a good appetite."

"By the way, if I scatter the white cloud in this mutton, I think it won't be discovered, right?"

"Yes, this is a good idea. We should not miss this opportunity! What if he receives what he wants and spends the pills? We should do it tonight."

"I still have to choose the place to strike carefully. After all, I am good at water magic."

After hearing Wu Mingyuan's voice, Gong Tianwu's heart was suddenly moved, because Baiyunsan sounded very beautiful and poetic, but in fact it was not.

Simply because its use is nothing else but to disperse the power!

Once a cultivator is hit by this thing, the spiritual power in his body will become as illusory as white clouds and white dogs, becoming invisible and completely uncontrollable.

So this Wu Mingyuan seems to be plotting against a certain Senior Brother Li.

When Gong Tianwu thought of this, his heart moved, and after some deduction in his mind, he said:

"gone."

After leaving Taibai Tower, Gong Tianwu said to Hasar:
"Now get someone to do three things right away."

"The first group of people is keeping an eye on Wu Mingyuan's whereabouts."

"The second is to go to the Mizhen Temple in the city to investigate whether there is a new immortal with the surname Li."

"Third, find out if there are any rivers or lakes near Chahan City. If there are, list them all."

"By the way, remember not to let our people go in person. It doesn't matter if it costs some money. If they get caught, it won't involve us."

Hasar nodded.

Then the group went to check in at the place that had been arranged long ago.

After about half an hour, Hasar came to Gong Tianwu's room and said:
"Master, I have found out that two days ago, a Taoist priest named Li came to Mizhen Temple. His name is Li Yuzhen, and his Taoist name is Mingzhenzi."

After hearing this, Gong Tianwu was stunned and couldn't help but say:
"Ming Zhenzi? Your surname is Li?"

Hasar thought Gong Tianwu was questioning him, and said hurriedly:
"Yes, Master, our people have inquired clearly that this immortal came here to purchase a rare medicinal herb called red bezoar."

"Bezoars are not very common to begin with, and red bezoars are a disease of cattle, which will continuously absorb the blood of cattle, so blood-like textures will appear on the surface and inside of bezoars."

"This thing is a must-have for the True People to refine certain elixirs. Of course, it only appears occasionally in places like grasslands where cattle and sheep are raised on a large scale."

"This Master Li must be in a hurry to get the goods, so he asked people to spread the news everywhere. Not only will he charge twice the market price, but he will also give an extra pill as a reward."

After hearing this, Gong Tianwu burst out laughing and said:

"You misunderstood. I'm not questioning the source of your information. I just thought of something."

"Yeah, some interesting things."

Yes, Gong Tianwu himself never thought that, if nothing unexpected happened, this Master Li should be the abbot of Yidu Mizhen Temple whom he met in his previous life.

The Taoist names may be accidentally similar, but if the surnames are also the same, then it is almost certain.

In fact, Gong Tianwu didn’t know that Ming Zhenzi’s real name was Li Yuzhen before, but he knew that Ming Zhenzi’s son who was beaten by him was named Li Gefei.

However, when I met him that year, this guy had already taken refuge in Baiman Mountain and was in his twilight years. He had no ambition to make progress, and he had a beautiful wife and concubines. His son was raised to be a real second-generation immortal.

And now, this Ming Zhenzi should still be in the period of striving for progress.
Just as Gong Tianwu was hesitating, another piece of information was sent over, which was about the water veins near Chahan City.

This place is not a water town in the south of the Yangtze River, but a grassland outside the Great Wall, so the intelligence also clearly states that the largest water source nearby is the Tuotuo River Bay, seven miles away from the city.

With this information, Gong Tianwu immediately had an idea in his mind, and a plan quickly took shape in his mind.

(End of this chapter)