Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 191 A Forest of Relatives, Gifts from the South China Sea

Although Jiang Yi had his doubts, the matter was already settled and the die was cast.

Asking too many questions can actually damage relationships.

With that in mind, he suppressed his doubts and didn't bring it up again.

After chatting for a few more minutes about everyday matters, he got up to say goodbye.

Instead of following the original path, they took another trail and went straight down the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain stands a godless water temple. The temple is small, but it is kept clean.

Inside the courtyard, a slightly worn boat was moored.

Jiang Qin was engrossed in using a plane to carefully repair the cracks on the hull, his expression solemn.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up, his face first lighting up with joy, then dimming again.

He put down his tools, hurried forward, and whispered:

"Grandpa."

His voice carried a hint of guilt and unease.

Before Jiang Yi could speak, he lowered his head and added:
“It is my child’s bad character that has tarnished the family’s reputation.”

Seeing his reaction, Jiang Yi simply smiled gently and patted him lightly on the shoulder.
"Don't blame yourself. This matter is not entirely your fault."

Jiang Qin kept his head down, but his fists were clenched tightly, revealing the turmoil in his heart.

Jiang Yi didn't urge him, but stood quietly for a moment before asking in a slow voice:
"So, what are your plans now?"

Jiang Qin then raised his head, a hint of stubbornness in his eyes, and said:

“I have been to the village ancestral hall several times these past few days, hoping to make a promise to Miss Gui in person that I would take responsibility. But each time I was stopped by Old Master Gui, who said that such matters must be handled by the elders.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's smile deepened, but his tone suddenly shifted:
"Oh? What if Grandpa doesn't agree?"

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Jiang Qin's wrist.

The brass bracelet that she was wearing was now completely wrapped in black cloth, obscuring even the slightest metallic luster.

“After all, you know,” Jiang Yi said calmly, “that’s her status…”

Jiang Qin's expression froze for a moment, then, as if he had finally made a decision, he said in a deep voice:
“No matter what, I must take responsibility for this. At worst, I will elope with her, live in anonymity, never mention my own name again, and never bring any trouble to the clan.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi simply chuckled, his tone carrying a hint of teasing:

"Are you so sure that this girl would be willing to give up her status for you and live a life of hardship and displacement with you?"

Jiang Qin hesitated for a moment, as if recalling something, then nodded sharply, his gaze unwavering:
"Child...believe in her."

Seeing his stubborn expression, Jiang Yi finally shook his head and chuckled.

He stopped teasing his simple-minded grandson and recounted in detail what he had discussed with Elder Gui at the village shrine.

Jiang Qin was stunned at first, but when he heard the word "marriage", his face first showed disbelief, and then he was overjoyed.

He didn't care about anything else, lifted his robe and knelt down with a "thud," kowtowing deeply.

"Thank you for your kindness, sir!"

The voice was choked with emotion, yet filled with joy.

With everything settled, Jiang Yi didn't linger any longer and simply got up to take his leave.

Firstly, the Gui family girl still needs time to recover from her injuries.

Secondly, Eagle's Sorrow Gorge is ultimately a secret that cannot be made public, and neither side wants to make it public, so naturally they will not make any special arrangements.

At that time, the bride's elders will have Lao Gui, and the groom's elders will have Jiang Liang. With Heaven and Earth as witnesses, the formalities will be complete.

Those who cultivate themselves have great ambitions, so why would they care about a few empty formalities?

On his way back down the mountain, Jiang Yi passed by the local temple where he had previously captured the evil god. He paused for a moment, thought for a moment, and then stepped inside.

He didn't say anything, but respectfully lit three sticks of incense and left a few of his own spiritual fruits on the offering table.

In truth, if it weren't for the mischief caused by that unfortunate water god, this joyous occasion would likely have been impossible.

Upon seeing this, the water god in the temple thanked him repeatedly, looking somewhat flattered.

After traveling for several days, when he returned to Liangjie Village, his son had already sent word back to his home, causing quite a stir.

Liu Xiulian was overjoyed. She had prepared silks, gold and silver, and picked out several baskets of spiritual fruits and medicines, which she handed over to Jiang Liang, urging him to send them over quickly as a token of her good wishes for her new wife.

The Jiang family has a happy occasion coming up, but the village's situation shows no sign of improving.

The sky grew increasingly yellow, and the air was thick with the dry, earthy smell of heat.

The stream at the entrance of the village had long since dried up, and the pebbles had turned white from the sun.

The water level in the well was getting shallower day by day, and the water that was drawn up all had a muddy smell.

The villagers who used to chat idly on the ridges of the fields now have lost their smiles, and their brows are filled with unyielding sorrow.

This situation persisted for another half month.

As night fell, Jiang Yi sat quietly by the spiritual spring behind his house. As he was breathing, a wisp of divine soul rippled gently towards him.

He slowly opened his eyes.

Jiang Liang stood not far away, his expression more somber than usual, his brows furrowed as if he had an unresolved knot.

"A reply has arrived from the Western Sea."

Jiang Liang's voice was deep, and after a slight pause, he continued:

"It was Ao Yu who personally went to ask her father about Wenya's letter. But the Dragon King only said, 'Rainfall is ordained by Heaven, and you must not ask about it,' and then dismissed her."

Jiang Liang's eyebrows drooped slightly, and his voice was low:
"She later tried to go to the Dragon Palace Treasury to find some magical treasures for storing water, but she was stopped by the guards, who said that no one was allowed to move without the Dragon King's order."

“Ao Yu was also quite aggrieved. She said that those things were just ordinary trinkets in the past, things she casually picked up to play with when she was young, but now they were…”

That was the end of the conversation.

Jiang Yi already knew perfectly well what was going on.

If it was just a vague guess before, now the last stone has been dropped.

This drought, stretching for thousands of miles, was indeed not a change in the weather, but rather a calamity that had been planned long in advance...

Seeing his father's somber expression, Jiang Liang added in a low voice:
“At the end of the letter, Ao Yu said that if things were really difficult at home, one could go to the Western Sea to stay for a while. But other than that, I’m afraid there’s nothing else I can do to help.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi simply raised his hand and waved it, indicating that he knew what he was doing.

He understood that for such a major matter involving the Heavenly Court, the Western Sea was merely following orders.

To offer such a simple statement is already an act of utmost kindness and righteousness.

Jiang Yi stopped dwelling on the previous events and simply said:
"Is there any news about Qin'er?"

The mention of happy events eased the gloom on Jiang Liang's brow somewhat:
"The bride-to-be has recovered well from her injuries. Old Master Gui has chosen an auspicious day for the wedding, which will be the third day of next month."

"Ah."

Jiang Yi nodded slightly in response, and then said:

"At that time, you can represent the Jiang family. Remember, don't forget to bring a few jugs of good wine to give to that Third Prince Ao."

"My child understands."

Jiang Liang bowed and accepted the order. Seeing that his father had no further instructions, he vanished like a wisp of smoke.

The pond returned to silence.

Jiang Yi sat alone for a long time before slowly raising his head and looking at the night sky.

His gaze was heavy, as if weighed down by a thousand pounds.

In the end, he only glanced at it briefly before closing his eyes again.

One exhale, one inhale.

The spiritual energy remains constant, cycling endlessly.

The days slipped by unnoticed, like sand slipping through fingers and the lingering fragrance on the desk.

The weather grew increasingly scorching, and the mountains and fields cracked, but the spring behind the house continued to flow serenely and steadily.

Although Jiang Yi felt a little relieved, he couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.

This life-saving water is probably more than we can drink ourselves.

But the well at the village entrance is getting shallower day by day, and it seems it will soon run dry.

In the blink of an eye, we're already in the third year of junior high.

With the happy occasion approaching, although the Jiang family hadn't had time for a celebratory banquet, Liu Xiulian, being a strong-willed person, still managed to prepare a sumptuous feast in the courtyard.

The glistening dishes and the fragrant aroma of wine filled the air as the whole family sat together, chatting and laughing, as if offering their congratulations to the newlyweds from afar.

That bit of joy really did dispel some of the gloom that had been hanging over us for days.

Not long after the auspicious hour, Jiang Liang's figure solidified in the hall.

Even though he is now a deity, he could not hide his joy at the marriage of his own child.

He greeted everyone in turn, then raised his hand and summoned several understated yet exquisite items that appeared out of thin air on the table. They were clearly no ordinary objects. "These are congratulatory gifts sent by relatives from the Gui family."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's expression faltered slightly.

When Lao Gui brought up the matter that day, he took it as just polite talk and didn't take it to heart.

After all, the two families had already agreed not to hold a banquet or invite relatives and friends.

Jiang Liang did not rush to sit down. He first bowed to his father, then took out a roll of silk from his sleeve and slowly unfolded it. It was a gift list.

He cleared his throat and read aloud, referring to the text:

"The new bride's third uncle gave her a pair of warm jade pieces as a congratulatory gift, which can calm the mind and soothe the soul."

As he spoke, he picked up a small wooden box, opened it, and saw two warm and smooth ancient jade pieces lying quietly inside, slightly warm to the touch, exuding a spiritual aura.

"Sixth Uncle has sent a three-hundred-year-old blood ginseng to nourish vital energy."

Another jade box was revealed, inside which was a blood-red ginseng, shaped like an infant, with winding tendrils and a faint spiritual energy surging within.

These two items, though rare, are still within reason and can be considered a respectable and substantial gift for a first meeting.

When it came to the last item, Jiang Liang's tone became more serious:

"What Aunt Qi gave me was a set of 'Minor Spirit Gathering Array' flags."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi paused slightly in his teacup.

What Jiang Liang took out were twelve small flags of black iron, each about an inch long, with silk covers and intricate runes embroidered with silver thread. They shimmered with a faint light and seemed to breathe in the energy of heaven and earth.

"Although this thing is called 'small,' it can gather spiritual energy within a radius of about 10 miles and make it available for one's own use, which is quite beneficial to cultivation."

Jiang Yi's gaze lingered on the set of array flags for a long time before he looked away.

Warm jade and blood ginseng are just ordinary courtesies.

But this set of array flags... is not something that ordinary ghost immortals and their families can casually take out.

Jiang Yi nodded slowly.

The slight displeasure in my heart from being schemed against by Lao Gui vanished in front of this table of congratulatory gifts.

He was about to speak when the wisp of Jiang Liang's spirit in the hall suddenly froze, then clasped his hands in apology:

"Father and Mother, please wait a moment, I will be right back."

Before the words were finished, the figures had already disappeared, leaving only a table full of lingering festive cheer.

Jiang Yi wasn't annoyed; he simply turned his gaze back to the table.

He reached out and took out two pieces of warm jade, handing one to his eldest daughter-in-law Jin Xiuer, and the other to Jiang Rui's wife Zhao Qiqi.

My own flesh and blood grew up by the spiritual spring from childhood, so my foundation is solid and I don't need this thing to nourish me.

However, the two daughters-in-law are less robust, so if they can be kept close to him day and night, it would be a long-term benefit.

The two were overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.

Before the words of thanks had even ended, Jiang Liang's figure solidified again beside the table.

This time, the joy on his face was even stronger, almost overflowing from his eyebrows and the corners of his eyes.

Before his father could speak, he had already raised his hand and placed several more objects of different kinds on the table.

The gift list in his hand had somehow grown longer, more than twice as long as before.

He read aloud:
"The new bride, the thirteenth uncle, is He Bishui Gui!"

"To the newlywed twenty-seventh aunt, a box of He Ning Shen Incense is presented!"

"..."

Halfway through his reading, Jiang Liang paused slightly, his joy turning into a wry smile.

He bowed to the crowd and said with a wry smile:

"Father and Mother, please don't be angry, I still have to go again."

After saying that, his figure disappeared again.

The hall fell silent for a moment, and Jiang Yi and Liu Xiulian exchanged a glance.

A hint of inexplicable doubt and confusion surfaced in each other's eyes at the same time.

What... is going on here?
From then on, it was like ink spilled on water, impossible to stop.

Within a few days, the direction of Yingchoujian became like a river mouth with its sluice gates opened, with congratulatory gifts pouring into the Jiang family one after another.

Jiang Liang, the newly appointed father-in-law, has become a full-time porter, making the round trip every day and keeping himself very busy.

In just a few days, the Jiang family's storage hut, which was usually used for storing firewood and rakes, was now half-filled with all sorts of magical objects, radiating a precious light that even made the roof shine.

The titles on the gift list in his hand were arranged line by line.

From the initial "Third Uncle" and "Seventh Aunt", the list went all the way up to "Seventy-Eighth Uncle" and "Ninety-Seventh Aunt".

Later on, they even stopped using titles, leaving only phrases like "Uncle He" and "Aunt He," making it sound like a diary entry.

These gifts were quite interesting.

Yes, but it's just a few pieces of warm jade and a box of spices, a simple gift to show the sentiment.

However, some are like the "Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenation Pill" or the "Taiyi Golden Essence," which even the most righteous immortals in heaven might not be able to obtain easily.

Although a gift is meant to express goodwill, its value is not important.

But looking at the brilliance of the room, Jiang Yi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

The Gui family's relatives are indeed numerous and diverse.

The strange thing is that he hadn't heard a single word about such a huge and deeply entrenched family beforehand.

The more I think about it, the stranger it seems.

Jiang Yi now firmly believes in what Ao Lie said that day.

Such families have an extensive and intricate network of connections and influence, yet they remain as clean as a blank sheet of paper.

The fact that they were able to do this says a lot.

It wasn't until several days later that things calmed down at Eagle's Sorrow Gorge.

Jiang Yi inventoried each of the congratulatory gifts in the room, categorized them, and arranged them properly.

Some were given to family members to wear and nurture, some were moved to the treehouse to enhance their spiritual energy, and some were used to water and care for the three peach trees.

As for things that are useless at the moment, they were all collected into the Pot Heaven and saved for later.

However, after thoroughly examining the room full of precious treasures, it was still a pity.

There was a dazzling array of goods, yet nothing that could solve the immediate problem.

Not even a trace of a treasure that could store water or bring rain.

Just as he was about to move on from the matter, Jiang Liang's spirit quietly returned to the orchard.

This time, however, there was no joy on his face. Instead, he looked around cautiously, as if afraid that others would see him.

Jiang Yi's heart stirred slightly, but he did not utter a sound. He simply let his divine sense slowly spread out and swept around the mountain forest.

The forest was quiet, the birds were at ease, and the wind rustled silently. Only then did he regain his composure and ask in a low voice:

"what happened?"

Jiang Liang leaned closer, lowered his voice, and whispered:
"Father, Qin'er just received two more congratulatory gifts."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi didn't even raise an eyebrow.

I've been receiving so many congratulatory gifts these past few days that my hands are sore and my ears are calloused from hearing them; I'm completely numb to it all.

Seeing that his father didn't seem to care, Jiang Liang swallowed hard before uttering the second half of his sentence:
"However... this time, the person who sent the gift was not a relative of the Gui family."

At this point, his expression turned solemn, tinged with a sense of inexplicable unease.

"Something...is special."

The moment the word "special" was uttered, Jiang Yi's casual expression vanished completely.

Looking up at Jiang Liang, his expression had become more serious.

Seeing that his father's expression had become solemn, Jiang Liang carefully took out a roll of brand-new silk from his sleeve.

He didn't start spreading it out immediately, but first cleared his throat and lowered his voice.

It was as if what was written on it was not an ordinary name, but two heavy imperial edicts.

"South China Sea, Hui'an Traveler, congratulates Yangzhi Jade Dewdrop."

"South China Sea, Dragon Girl holding a pearl, and a ceramic vase from the Lotus Pond."

After saying this, he raised his hand and a ceramic vase appeared in his palm out of thin air.

Jiang Yi's gaze fell on the bottle, and with just one glance, he made a judgment in his mind.

New, undisputedly new.

(End of this chapter)