Family Cultivation: My Ancestral Home Gets Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 131 Budding Feelings

The next morning.

Jiang Fu'an carried the medicine pot and came to the secluded courtyard halfway up the mountain again.

As soon as he pushed open the courtyard gate, he saw Zhao Lintang already standing under the porch in front of the house, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

Upon seeing Jiang Fu'an enter, she took two steps forward to greet him, then composed herself and bowed respectfully to him: "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Jiang, for keeping Lin Tang's injury in your heart."

"Even after I left, so much time and effort were still spent improving the prescription."

"I have nothing to repay you with but three thousand spirit stones as a token of my gratitude."

After saying that, she raised her hand and gently tapped the storage bag at her waist.

Instantly, streaks of light flew out of the bag and hovered silently in mid-air.

The light gradually dissipated, transforming into sparkling, translucent spirit stones.

Jiang Fu'an watched her series of actions and a sense of doubt arose in his heart.

She didn't say anything special yesterday, so why did her attitude suddenly become so grateful overnight?

Could it be that the medicinal diet has already taken effect?

Instead of rushing to collect the spirit stones, he inquired with concern, "Fairy Zhao, did the medicinal diet you took yesterday have any effect?"

"efficient!"

Zhao Lintang nodded immediately, a hint of joy spreading across his face: "And the effects are quite remarkable. At this rate, it should only take about two months to completely eliminate the remaining poison."

After answering, she did not look away, but instead stared intently at Jiang Fu'an's face and suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, when you went to so much trouble to improve my prescription, did you ever think of this?"

"If I never return, will all your efforts have been in vain?"

This question left Jiang Fu'an speechless for a moment.

His primary purpose in studying medicinal cuisine was to better conceal the effects of "food therapy," and he never considered whether the other party would come again.

But he hesitated only for a moment before looking puzzled: "Why be afraid? If the fairy doesn't return, doesn't that mean the remaining poison has been eliminated and the hidden danger has been resolved? I should be happy for the fairy!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lintang's gaze toward Jiang Fu'an suddenly became even brighter.

She never expected that this person would go to such lengths for her, giving selflessly and asking for nothing in return.

Such sentiments are something even one's own parents have never shown in the past.

The person in front of me took meticulous care of me when I was seriously injured.

Even after leaving, he continued to study the prescriptions in silence, not even caring whether his efforts would be in vain.

Her voice softened unconsciously: "Fellow Daoist Jiang, why are you treating me so well?"

Just then, Jiang Fu'an put the floating spirit stone into his storage bag and looked up to meet her gaze.

In those eyes, as clear as autumn water, besides gratitude, there was also a faint, slightly shy yet burning light.

Jiang Fu'an's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

His experience from past and present lives told him that women are mostly emotional.

The atmosphere was tense. Zhao Lintang's demeanor and tone were different from usual. If he were to take the initiative further, perhaps—

Zhao Lintang was not only exceptionally beautiful, but also extremely wealthy.

If he could win her heart, it would undoubtedly be a great help to the future development of the Jiang family.

With this thought in mind, he met her gaze and softened his voice: "Fairy is my patient. Since I have agreed to treat you, I should do my best."

"Moreover, the fairy is exceptionally beautiful and possesses a refined and elegant demeanor. When I was taking care of her, I couldn't help but—"

However, before the last few words could be uttered, Yue'er's voice suddenly rang out from outside the door: "Father! Eldest sister is back!"

Upon hearing the sound, Zhao Lintang suddenly lowered his head, his gaze darting nervously toward the corner of the wall.

Jiang Fu'an sighed inwardly, knowing that this rare opportunity had already been missed.

Not wanting to say anything more, he simply cupped his hands and said, "Please enjoy your meal, Fairy Zhao. I'll take my leave now."

11

After saying that, he turned around and walked out of the courtyard.

Only after his figure disappeared through the door did Zhao Lintang slowly raise his hand and lightly touch his cheek with his fingertips.

The skin beneath my palm was warm, but I had no idea when it had become scalding hot.

Three slender and graceful figures stood by the mountain path outside the gate of the mansion.

Two of them were Jiang Fu'an's eldest and second daughters.

The third person standing next to Jiang Xianghe surprised Jiang Fu'an; it was Sun Zhiwei.

Sun Zhiwei was not wearing her sect uniform today, but instead wore a neat, light yellow outfit.

Upon seeing Jiang Fu'an emerge, she took two steps forward and bowed respectfully to him, saying, "Uncle Jiang, it's been two years since we last met. You look even more radiant than before and appear even younger."

Something unusual is bound to happen. If the other party suddenly becomes warm and polite instead of their usual coldness, they probably want something from you.

And what they seek is almost always related to "money".

Don't ask him how he knew.

Just now, those people from my past life who I hadn't contacted in a long time, whose first words were always "Are you there?"

Then, the faces of classmates and colleagues who were either asking for money or asking for favors flashed through my mind.

He showed no sign of it on his face, only putting on his usual friendly smile: "It's Zhiwei, what a rare guest. Don't stand by the roadside, come in and let's talk."

He turned around first and walked along the mountain path toward the house at the top of the mountain.

Sun Zhiwei followed half a step behind, while Zi Guang kept looking at the scenery along the way.

Terraced fields stretched out in layers, and medicinal herbs flourished. In the distance, the faint rustling sound of processing spiritual bamboo could be heard from the workshops.

Her eyes revealed undisguised admiration, and her tone was deliberately ingratiating: "Uncle Jiang manages his household well; it's truly admirable."

"In just a few short years, the Jiang family has not only made the talisman business a great success, but now they have also developed a medicinal herb garden of this size."

"Given time, it will probably be just around the corner for the Jiang family to produce their own elixirs."

Jiang Fu'an casually replied "Not at all," without slowing his pace.

The group continued until they returned to the mountaintop residence and entered the hall.

He finally found a moment and called his eldest daughter to the side hall.

"He Miao, Sun Zhiwei suddenly came to my door today, and was so respectful and polite to me. Do you know why?"

Jiang Xianghe smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners: "Zhiwei respects you, naturally because Father, you are very capable and have managed our Jiang family to be prosperous and thriving. Who wouldn't admire that?"

She started by offering a compliment, then her expression became slightly more serious: "However, she came here this time because she wants to ask you for a favor."

"Didn't I mention to you before that Zhiwei accepted the sect's mission to go to the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm to collect spiritual herbs? Upon completion, she will receive a Foundation Establishment Pill as a reward."

"About a year ago, she returned from the secret realm, not only severely injured, but also with seven or eight tenths of the magical artifacts and talismans she carried with her gone."

"Although I've been given a second chance at life, I'm still short of the spiritual medicine needed for the mission."

"Recently, after her injuries healed, she planned to go there again."

"But that secret realm is really dangerous, and she is currently short of money and doesn't have many spirit stones left to buy things to save her life."

"So the reason I've come here is to borrow a batch of our Jiang family's unique talismans from you."

"She has made a promise that she will repay double in the future."

After listening to his daughter's account, Jiang Fu felt relieved and said, "I knew it."

But then a sense of curiosity arose within him: "How did she find out about our Jiang family's unique talismans? And why did she make a special trip for them?"

"My daughter gave her a few cards for self-defense."

Jiang Xianghe said with a hint of pride, "Zhiwei later told me that our talismans were incredibly powerful and saved her life in the secret realm."

"So when she decided to venture into the secret realm again, her first thought was to come to our house to borrow some talismans."

"I see."

Jiang Fu'an nodded, but did not immediately express his opinion. Instead, he looked at his daughter and asked, "So, in your opinion, should we lend this talisman or not?"

Sun Zhiwei was, after all, a friend of his daughter's, so he should listen to his daughter's thoughts, no matter what.

Jiang Xianghe didn't directly say whether to lend or not, but instead analyzed: "Father, Zhiwei is a bit aloof and devoted to the Great Dao. She is known as a diligent ascetic in her sect."

"In the past, when she treated people, the first thing she would look at was their cultivation level. If she felt the difference was too great, she would not bother to socialize with them."

"Her previous indifference towards you was not intentional; it was simply her nature."

"As for her character, my daughter has known her for many years and thinks she is fairly reliable."

"She usually keeps her promises."

"If we can help her obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill this time, she will surely remember this kindness."

Seeing that his daughter was quite protective of him and that her analysis was reasonable, Jiang Fu'an immediately made the decision: "Okay, then let's lend it to her."

Investing in a cultivator with the potential to reach the Foundation Establishment stage will undoubtedly yield substantial returns.

As for risks, the Jiang family has no shortage of spirit stones at the moment.

Even if Sun Zhiwei truly perished in the secret realm, it would not affect the Jiang family's development.

Jiang Xianghe was taken aback by his father's quick decision and asked, "Father, won't you reconsider?"

"What are you considering? I don't even know her well."

Jiang Fu'an waved his hand, his tone trusting: "Your analysis is enough. I trust your judgment."

Feeling his father's trust, Jiang Xianghe's face lit up with a bright smile: "Thank you, Dad!"

The two agreed not to delay any longer and returned to the main hall together.

In the hall, Sun Zhiwei sat upright in a chair, her expression showing some unease.

Upon seeing the father and daughter return, she immediately stood up and called out again, "Uncle Jiang."

"Zhiwei, there's no need for such formalities. Please sit."

Jiang Fu'an gestured for her to sit down, then took his seat in the main seat himself, and got straight to the point: "He Miao just told me that you want to borrow some talismans to go to the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm again?"

Sun Zhiwei sat up straight and carefully replied, "That's right. The secret realm is fraught with danger, and I want to make more preparations."

"But I am really short of spirit stones, so I have no choice but to shamelessly ask my uncle for help."

Jiang Fu'an chuckled: "What's so shameless about that? I've known your father for a long time, and you and He Miao have been friends for many years. Our two families are practically family friends."

"What kinds do you need, and how much of each?"

Seeing his quick agreement, Sun Zhiwei felt relieved and hurriedly stated the amount she had already calculated: "Uncle, I would like thirty large fireball talismans and twenty stone armor talismans. Is that feasible?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fu'an silently calculated in his mind.

Both of these are mid-grade first-tier talismans. In their own talisman pavilion, the Great Fireball Talisman costs about five spirit stones each, and the Stone Armor Talisman costs eight spirit stones each, totaling just over three hundred spirit stones.

He frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Zhiwei, since you said the secret realm is dangerous, wouldn't these numbers still be insufficient?"

"Uncle, how about I lend you fifty large fireball talismans and thirty stone armor talismans?"

Since he was going to lend the money, he naturally hoped the other party would come back alive.

Sun Zhiwei was taken aback, momentarily wondering if she had misheard or if the other person was being sarcastic.

But upon closer inspection, she saw only genuine concern on Jiang Fu'an's face, without the slightest hint of sarcasm.

Overwhelmed with joy, she quickly stood up, her voice slightly excited: "If—if Uncle is willing to lend more, the more the better!"

"I promise that if there is anything left over, I will return it all upon my return!"

Jiang Fu'an said no more and patted the storage bag at his waist.

A flash of light appeared in his hand, and a thick stack of large fireball talismans appeared.

These newly drawn ones haven't been given to Stone yet.

With deft fingertips, he quickly counted out fifty bills and neatly stacked them on the table.

Immediately afterwards, he slapped the storage bag again, and another stack of stone armor talismans appeared in his hand.

He then counted out thirty more.

Sun Zhiwei's eyes followed his movements closely, her heart filled with joy.

For a long time, she has been accustomed to observing everyone's cultivation level at the first moment.

In her perception, it was as if an invisible number was suspended above everyone's head, representing their cultivation level.

Previously, the number above Jiang Fu'an's head was "three".

But at this very moment, he pushed the talisman, worth nearly five hundred spirit stones, in front of him.

The number "three" seemed to jump around in a daze, eventually settling into a "ten".

That was the numerical value she assigned to Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.

After the inventory was completed, Jiang Fu'an solemnly instructed: "On this trip, safety must be the top priority. Do not disregard danger for the sake of the mission."

"If we fail to gather enough medicinal herbs this time, we'll try again next time."

"As long as you come to Qinglu Mountain, your uncle can lend you more talismans."

"Under no circumstances should you force yourself to do anything."

Sun Zhiwei accepted the talisman with both hands and nodded vigorously: "Uncle, rest assured, Zhiwei will definitely remember this and will never take any risks lightly!"

Jiang Fu'an nodded and said, "You don't need to return these talismans twice over."

"If you succeed in building your foundation one day, don't forget your good friend, He Miao."

Sun Zhiwei said earnestly, "I will never forget the kindness that He Miao has shown me!"

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Sun Zhiwei got up to take her leave, as she needed to return to her sect as soon as possible to prepare.

Jiang Xianghe's trip home was originally just to accompany a friend. Now that things were settled, he decided to return to the sect with Sun Zhiwei.

Standing before the gate of the mansion atop the mountain, Jiang Fu'an watched as two voices rose into the sky, piercing the pale blue backdrop and fading into the distance.

He slowly withdrew his gaze, his eyes falling to the courtyard where Zhao Lintang lived halfway up the mountain.

With this delay, I wonder if the budding feelings we had just shared can be rekindled?

>