Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 196 A Family Banquet Gathers Distinguished Guests, Young Prodigies (4.6K)

After washing up, I changed into a dark brocade robe and stepped out of the room.

Chen Shunan saw that the lanterns in the courtyard were already lit, the colorful tents were neatly set up, and the musicians were tuning their suonas and gongs, creating a lively atmosphere with their clanging sounds.

Liu Ma and her maids bustled about, setting up tables and chairs, and laying out bowls and chopsticks. They were so busy that their feet barely touched the ground as they prepared seven or eight tables for a family feast.

Before long, the area in front of the gate was filled with carriages and horses.

Lin Shouzhou was the first to arrive, carrying a jar of Lotus White wine. He shouted from afar in his loud voice, "Old Chen, congratulations on moving! I've been storing this wine for three years, and I brought it here especially to celebrate today!"

San Dezi and Liu Daoba also came in, carrying calligraphy, paintings, and porcelain—all practical congratulatory gifts.

In addition, there were owners of water shops and ice cellars such as Baoquan Ice Cellar, owners of various large shops on Nanguan Street, and martial artists he had met at Wuqing Sticky Pole...

The place became abuzz with noise, drawing frequent glances from the maids.

"Brother Chen!"

Jinzhen Li, still dressed in his familiar ivory-colored official robe, stepped out of the carriage with a broad smile, holding a brocade box in his hands.
"Congratulations, Brother Chen, on moving to your new home. I heard that Wan Niang is also studying medicine. This set of the Nine Needles from the Inner Canon is a set of famous needles that I have treasured for many years..."

"Oh? This is too precious, it's really not appropriate..."

After the two men declined three times, Chen Shunan finally had the maid take the brocade box and led Jinzhen Li into the room.

A moment later, Zhao Guangxi arrived with his family and eldest son to attend the banquet.

With too many outsiders around, Zhao Guangxi had to maintain his dignity as the head of the household. He simply nodded indifferently to Chen Shunan and then entered the house.

"Brother Shun'an, congratulations!"

A black sedan chair pulled up in front of the gate.

Scholar Ma stepped down, exuding an air of profound composure and refined elegance. His clothes and headwear were impeccably presentable.

"Master Ma, please be careful not to fall!" There are also dedicated servants who attend to him at all times.

Chen Shunan looked up, and Ma Xiucai also looked up.

Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other.

Hey,

Hehehe...

it is more than words.

"Master Ma, please go ahead."

"Lord Chen, please come in too!"

The two entered the courtyard holding each other's sleeves, almost embracing each other side by side.

The servants and sedan chair bearers who accompanied the sedan chair nearly popped their eyes out when they saw this.

During this period, Master Ma was ruthless and domineering.

No matter how high-ranking an official is, they must treat him with utmost respect, lest he find fault with them and use it as an excuse to cause trouble.

Why is Chen Shunan being so polite to these ordinary people?
We're practically best friends now!
……

While Master Wang was checking the accounts in his study, he suddenly heard the steward say that he had seen Ma Liangcai's private sedan chair and that it had arrived at the Ninth Family Mansion.

Master Wang was so frightened that his face turned pale. He jumped up and quickly stuffed the account book into the cabinet. He ran towards the gate of the mansion, losing one of his shoes in the process.

Oh no, they found me?!

No, wait, is my house going to catch fire suddenly, and everyone in the house will be wiped out?!

Wang Yuanwai suddenly realized a possibility, and his legs trembled.

"Master! Wait!"

The steward ran back, panting, "Ma Liangcai's sedan chair is parked outside the Mianyi residence; he's on his way to Chen Shunan's family banquet!"

"thump!"

Master Wang suddenly stopped, turned around and kicked the steward in the leg, cursing,

"You dog servant, are you walking me? Don't finish your sentence... Quick, go prepare a gift, a generous one! How can I miss my new neighbor's family feast?"

His mind was in turmoil.

Chen Shunan and Ma Liangcai are actually very close friends, with such a deep relationship?

Wait a minute, it seems the two of them used to live in the same area of ​​Weiheng Street.

Could it be a close friend who has shared hardships?

Master Wang realized he had made a fatal mistake of principle.

Having been retired for many years and a parasite for so long, he had lost his sensitivity to human nature and how to conduct himself.

However, this slight mishap could lead to his death.

Fortunately, it's not too late.

Mianyi Residence, outside the gate.

Following his father's orders, Wang Dongya carried two boxes of gifts barely befitting the status of a prince, such as ice musk oil and pear blossom lip rouge. He slowly ascended the steps, and upon reaching the door, bowed to Chen Shunan and said…
"Master Chen—"

A large hand suddenly yanked Wang Dongya down.

He felt a sudden dizziness, and then he rolled down to the bottom of the class.

Then he saw Master Wang, his face full of flattery and feigning generosity, laughing loudly from time to time. He gestured for his servants to carry the gifts inside, then turned back, pointing at Wang Dongya, and said to Chen Shunan,
"Brother Chen, please excuse my son. He's always been frivolous, arriving before me without any manners! Come on, let's drink until we drop!"

Chen Shunan gave Wang Yuanwai a deep look, a half-smile on his face, and followed him inside.

Wang Dongya fell down the door ladder, opened his mouth, and looked somewhat aggrieved.

Didn't you ask me to come in your place?

How come it's my fault now?
Upon entering the Mianyi Residence, Master Wang saw a stage set up for opera performances and people chatting and drinking in the courtyard, creating a noisy and bustling scene.

Master Wang laughed.
"What a lively scene! I, Wang, love to join in the fun and share in the joy! Excellent, excellent, excellent!!"

……

Even a clever cook can't cook without rice, but with rice, a clever cook will come and cook.

Given Chen Shunan's current status, his housewarming banquet seems to have gathered almost half of the powerful and influential people in Wuqing County.

It's true that no one who comes here is an ordinary person.

There are at least five true masters among them.

Are you suggesting that Mr. Chen will also collect those three festivals and two birthday celebrations in the future?

We had no choice but to accept it.

This is really putting people in a difficult position.

Looking at the diverse and endless stream of people, who almost wore down the threshold, Chen Shunan was momentarily dazed.

Once upon a time, he drifted to the capital, with no relatives or friends and nowhere to turn.

He only had ten taels of silver in his pocket, which he had obtained by sacrificing the life of his fourth wife.

At a family banquet of this caliber, one wouldn't even qualify to approach the door to ask for lucky money; one would be nothing more than an ant.

All of this is now a result of strength.

Chen Shunan's somewhat dazed gaze quickly hardened.

Therefore, their desire for their own strength became even stronger.

At fifty years old, it's the prime of life to strive and work hard!

“Brother Chen… oh, no, Manager Chen.”

Suddenly, a slightly weak voice came from behind.

Chen Shunan looked over, was taken aback, and quickly went out of the house to greet him.

The person who arrived was He Qiqiang.

But the He Qiqiang of today is completely different from the burly, rugged man in Chen Shunan's mind, whose emotions were always on display.

His face was ashen and his body was so thin it was almost unrecognizable.

Wearing only a thin, coarse cotton coat, his eyes were red, perhaps from being caught in the sandstorm while rushing on his journey.

He Qiqiang, carrying a few pheasants and other local produce, stood somewhat awkwardly in front of a row of gleaming horse-drawn carriages.

Especially upon seeing Chen Shunan approaching quickly, dressed in fine clothes and fur, He Qiqiang's face showed a mixture of joy and sorrow. His lips moved slightly, and finally, he cupped his hands and said with a hint of respect,
"Manager Chen, if I offended you that day, please be magnanimous and forgive me... These are some preserved chickens I caught myself, if you don't mind..."

Back then, He Qiqiang was incredibly proud and ambitious, and he dared to fight and struggle.

He fought against Lin Shouzhou for many years and was in no way inferior.

Later, he deliberately targeted Chen Shun'an to slow down Lin Shouzhou's breakthrough speed.

However, all his calculations came to nothing.

Lin Shouzhou successfully broke through the realm, and Chen Shunan became the manager of Wohujing.

He himself failed to break through his cultivation realm and went mad with demonic possession, while his wife contracted leprosy and had long been bedridden.

Even with Zhao Guangxi's help, who personally intervened to treat his internal injuries and provided him with money and medicine, they could only barely stabilize his condition.

A single step can make all the difference.

Seeing this, Chen Shunan remained calm, took the grouse, and warmly pulled He Qiqiang into the courtyard.

"We've been waiting for you, Brother He. Come, come, all the brothers are here!" Chen Shunan said with a smile, leading He Qiqiang to sit at the table where Lin Shouzhuo and Shui San'er were sitting.

"Old He, you got us all drunk last time we drank, this time we're going to get you completely drunk!"

"That's right, you scoundrel! Don't think you're so great just because you can hold your liquor! You should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation. I'm now a wine connoisseur!"

The group of scoundrels seemed oblivious to He Qiqiang's disheveled appearance, and continued to laugh and curse as usual.

Looking at the familiar smiling faces, a hint of emotion flashed in He Qiqiang's eyes, and a genuine smile finally appeared on his face.

"Drink! We won't leave until we're drunk!"

Chen Shunan walked to Jinzhen Li's side and asked softly,
"Jinzhen Li, do you have a cure for leprosy?"

He Qiqiang's injuries, caused by a qi deviation, were difficult to cure with medicine, and even Zhao Guangxi couldn't think of a good solution for the time being.

In Chen Shunan's view, the only thing that could bring about a turning point was curing He Qiqiang's wife.

Restoring He Qiqiang's spirits might be better than any magic pill.

Jin Zhenli glanced at He Qiqiang not far away and shook his head.
“Difficult. Ordinary leprosy is one thing, but his wife is born with a deficiency and her vital energy is weak. She has already shown signs of impending death. I treated her years ago. Keeping her alive is easy, getting her out of bed is difficult, and recovering her is even more difficult.”

Chen Shunan sighed and said no more.

He returned to the head table and sat in the seat of honor.

Today he is the main character, and even Zhao Guangxi has to condescend to sit on his left.

Most of the people he invited attended in person, and those who couldn't come sent their own trusted confidants on their behalf.

The neighbors of the nine families were quite gracious; apart from two households who changed their minds at the last minute, saying they had important business to attend to and only sent gifts, everyone else was present.

"Brothers, please!" Chen Shunan said with a hearty laugh.

After three rounds of drinks, five dishes were served.

The group chatted about everything under the sun.

Unlike Chen Shunan, who used to hang out with Lin Shouzhou and other shady characters in the brothel, drinking and carousing.

Besides Zhao Guangxi, the people present included many wealthy merchants and former minor officials who had worked in the government. During their conversation, they even talked about many things that were considered secrets to Chen Shunan.

For example, the four major academies have an air of authority in Tongzhou and even the entire Shuntian Prefecture, wielding power with ease and even having the final say!

In some respects, the four major academies were equivalent to the imperial court's control over Shuntian Prefecture.

Or rather, the four major academies were themselves part of the imperial court.

In the Holy Dynasty, if you want to become an official or a martial artist to transcend the mortal realm, you simply cannot bypass the Taoist academies in each state.

He must go to the Taoist temple for further study.

This means that the most crucial channel for ordinary people to rise in social status has been firmly controlled by the imperial court.

All the heroes of the world are now within his grasp.

And this naturally fostered extremely strong feelings of camaraderie among classmates and fellow townsmen!

From local county officials to high-ranking officials, everyone is divided into factions.

The four major Taoist temples in Tongzhou City are Yueshan, Aoshan, Fengchi, and Longguang.

Yue Mountain is geared towards training civil officials, Ao Mountain towards training military officials, and Fengchi is a private academy specifically for members of the imperial family and those from Baishan with impeccable lineage.

Longguang Taoist Temple is quite mysterious, although it releases a quota of places for the elderly every year.

However, there is very little information available outside the temple, and those who entered Longguang Taoist Temple seem to have disappeared without a trace.

The influence of the Taoist temples in various states is all-encompassing, radiating to every corner.

They checked and balanced each other, thus maintaining the rule of the Holy Dynasty and preserving a balance.

However, there is one entity that can disrupt this balance, causing Taoist academies in various states to react swiftly and fight to the death.

That is...

Martial arts master!

The emergence of each martial arts master attracts the attention of Taoist academies from various states, who travel across state borders to recruit them.

Even martial artists with only a 20-30% chance of reaching the Grandmaster level are exceptionally recruited and granted admission certificates, referred to as 'outstanding talents'.

An anomaly among outstanding talents!
It seems that martial arts masters, in addition to possessing the great power to access all the orifices and unify the three refinements, also have other far-reaching influences.

Even the Taoist temples in various states joined the fray to compete.

The group toasted and drank until the city lights came on.

A martial artist from Wuqing Sticky Pole Office suddenly brought up the recent uproar about translating swine language.

Chen Shunan stood up, toasted everyone, and said earnestly,
"To be honest, I've traveled all over the country for many years. I've wade through floodwaters in Longnan, caught turtles in the deep sea, ridden donkeys on roads, and traveled by boat across rivers. I've even developed the ability to understand the languages ​​of birds and beasts, so perhaps I can translate the language of the Yangtze finless porpoise..."

"..."

After a moment of silence, everyone burst into laughter.

"Yes, yes, that's right! Brother Chen, you're incredibly resourceful; you can easily handle the words of birds and beasts!"

San Dezi burst into laughter.

"Perhaps in a couple of days, Chief Lu will have to pay a visit to Brother Chen and present him with purple iron calamus milk with both hands!"

The warehouse clerk at Wuqing Sticky Rod Office couldn't help but joke.

"If you ask me, communicating with birds and beasts is just a minor skill. Brother Chen might even be able to gather birds and beasts and attract all spirits to worship him!"

"By the way, Brother Chen, I have a wild beast at home. It is unruly and fierce, does not listen to human speech, and will devour anyone it chooses. I wonder if you could train it a little?"

"Huh? Old Han, where do you have such a ferocious beast?"

"It's my wife! Oh, brother, I'm so miserable, sob sob sob..."

For a moment, the courtyard was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Even Zhao Guangxi, Lin Shouzhou, and others couldn't help but laugh and quickly pulled Chen Shunan into the table, assuming he was just drunk.

Practicing martial arts and selling water are one thing.

You, Chen Shunan, are a master of the Three Refinements Martial Body, cunning and scheming. Even if you break through to the True Intent Realm tomorrow, everyone can still understand.

The ability to understand the language of birds and beasts, and to hear the sounds of mountains and rivers—such innate talents and secret techniques acquired through fortuitous encounters are not something one can easily possess.

He took in the expressions of everyone present.

Chen Shunan felt somewhat helpless.

Why don't you believe me when I tell you the truth?

If I were to say that I am at the level of the Five Thieves Slayer, wouldn't you be even less likely to believe me and consider it a fantasy?

"How lively! ...May we also come and ask for a meal?"

Suddenly, a clear, melodious female voice entered the mansion.

Although the volume wasn't loud, it was like ice beads falling onto a jade plate, drowning out all the noise.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw three figures walking into the mansion one after the other.

"That's... Xu Hong, the instructor from Zhangzhuang?"

“It is indeed Xu Wuju. I met him once when I was hunting in Xishan a couple of years ago.”

Everyone recognized Xu Hong at this moment, and they were somewhat surprised.

Xu Wuju has lived in seclusion in Zhangzhuang for many years, rarely appearing in public, and very few people in the entire Wuqing County know him.

Then, everyone's gaze shifted and they saw a tall, imposing figure with a square face.

His expression changed drastically!

Although the man was somewhat disheveled, with a stubble beard, his clothes covered in dried blood scabs, and a cangue around his neck, he looked like a prisoner being escorted.

But as this person moved, he was like a tiger or wolf surveying the surroundings, head held high and chest out, exuding a powerful and domineering aura.

It was as if he was the one who had become a prisoner, not someone else who was not in shackles or chains!
Many people present recognized him.

It was none other than the bandit leader Hong Wuye of the Guolu Society who should have been confronting Tianxuan Saintess at Yanziwu!
The key point is that at this moment, Xu Hong and Hong Wuye were both quietly following behind a young girl.

The little girl's face still had a childish look, her eyes were clear, and she looked around curiously.

Perhaps noticing that everyone was looking at her, the young girl gracefully gave a curtsy and said,
"I am Zhang Xiangling, a direct descendant of the Zhang family of Tongzhou. I greet you all."

Instantly, the entire Mianyi Residence fell silent.

The chopsticks were put down, and steam rose from them.

All eyes were drawn to Zhang Xiangling.

The Zhang family of Tongzhou was a distinguished family of officials. At its most illustrious, a member of the Zhang family was appointed as a Grand Secretary of the Wuyuan Pavilion.

Aoshan Taoist Temple has intricate connections with the Zhang family.

Zhang Xiangling is the daughter of the current head of the Zhang family.

My grandfather was a master who had just finished slaying six thieves and was about to reach the Grandmaster realm.

He is a genuine prodigy among young talents.

People from Tongzhou have actually come?!
Wuqing County is about to undergo a major transformation!

A thought suddenly popped into everyone's mind.

(End of this chapter)