I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World-Chapter 248 - 218: (Revised) Jingshan Family Affairs
Mountain and Sea Building, inside the quiet room on one side of the main hall.
A middle-aged steward stood with a troubled expression next to a Taishi chair, quietly reporting to the white-bearded elder who was seated.
"Elder Luoo, those sword cultivators refuse to accept our spirit stones, saying we are insulting them and all sword cultivators under heaven."
"Not enough spirit stones?" Luoo Tingzong asked, holding a teacup.
"This much." The middle-aged steward made a gesture with his hand.
"That’s not a small amount," Luoo Tingzong pondered, "Our Old Ancestor always said, there’s nothing in this world that money can’t solve, and if there is, it’s because there’s not enough money."
Luoo Tingzong put down the teacup, "If those sword cultivators won’t accept the spirit stones, then add the spiritual ore for sword forging, the spiritual spring for sword quenching, and the sword sheath for nurturing. If that doesn’t work, bring out a couple of bundles of treasure swords gathering dust in the vault and let them pick for themselves."
"All we’re asking is for each of them to lose one match to our young master, not their lives. Go negotiate again! Offer enough benefits and show them the resolve of our Mountain and Sea Building."
"Alright."
Luoo Tingzong looked out the building, eyes filled with expectation.
"Once this matter is settled, our young master will have fulfilled his wish to be on the sword list and might be willing to stay home to help grow the Xie Family."
"The Old Ancestor could also fulfill his obsession and plan for the Divinity Transformation, so don’t be afraid to spend money; compared to the descendants of the Xie Family and the Old Ancestor’s Transformation, it’s all just a minor expense."
"Elder Luoo, the young master has arrived and he’s brought a female cultivator."
A servant rushed in to report, making Luoo Tingzong jump up from his chair, wrenching his old back in pain.
"Where are they? Are you sure it’s a female? A genuine female?"
"Just outside, a beautiful female cultivator, seems to be a fellow disciple of the young master."
Luoo Tingzong clutched his old back and rushed out, thinking, as long as it’s a female, it’s fine.
For years, despite painstaking efforts, their young master just wouldn’t take an interest in women, and the Old Ancestor was beginning to suspect that their young master might prefer men.
It’s just a pity their young master is immune to all poisons, making it too difficult to drug him; otherwise, it wouldn’t be this troublesome.
Main hall of the Mountain and Sea Building.
Jiang Yuebai looked up, amazed by the opulent decoration.
"Xie Jingshan, is this two-zhang high Three-Legged Golden Toad in the center of the hall made out of a whole piece of top-grade water spirit stone? How ’extravagant’!"
"My grandfather said that water gathers wealth, so the decorations in the hall are mostly carved from water spirit stone, set in a flowing great array. Hey, you can touch it, but that’s enough, so many people are watching."
Jiang Yuebai: (¯﹃¯*)
Really want to take it all with me~~~
"Hey? Speaking of which, why doesn’t your building have any extraordinary people slaves... ugh, I mean, servants?"
Jiang Yuebai scanned the surroundings, but besides the extraordinary people brought in by guests, there were no others. In Kongfang City, almost every shop had extraordinary people slaves working.
Xie Jingshan said, "My grandfather set a strict rule that no Mountain and Sea Building is allowed to enslave extraordinary people. Most of the servants, stewards, and shopkeepers in my family’s shop are orphans my grandfather adopted from various places and gradually nurtured."
"No wonder your grandfather could build such a big enterprise single-handedly, he’s truly a magnanimous, wise, and courageous person."
Jiang Yuebai didn’t hold back in his praise.
"Ah, little friend, what a good eye you have. If our Old Ancestor hears that, he would surely be delighted."
Luoo Tingzong walked over eagerly, eyes gleaming as he looked at Jiang Yuebai.
"My young master, why haven’t you brought such an excellent fellow disciple to visit earlier, causing the Old Ancestor to worry for no reason."
Xie Jingshan’s heart skipped a beat, uh-oh!
Unexpectedly, Jiang Yuebai shot Xie Jingshan a glance, signaling him to stay calm.
Jiang Yuebai briefly assessed the elder before her, estimating a mid-stage Golden Core level, and bowed with a well-behaved face.
"Greetings, Senior. I am Jiang Yuebai, the Daoist companion of Lu Nanzhi. I share common ideals and are confidants with Xie Jingshan. I’ve always benefited from his help but have never visited to thank him, which is my fault as a junior."
That statement left Luoo Tingzong petrified on the spot and Xie Jingshan bewildered.
Lu Nanzhi’s Daoist companion? Sharing common ideals with Xie Jingshan?
It’s over! Their young master really likes the same gender!
Jiang Yuebai subtly raised her eyebrows at Xie Jingshan, with an expression of ’Aren’t I clever?’.
Avoiding any misunderstanding about her relationship with Xie Jingshan, and helping him out of a bind, perfect!
"Ahem~" Xie Jingshan coughed with his fist to his mouth, grudgingly admitting, "That’s right, we are confidants who share common ideals."
Luoo Tingzong’s smile gradually faded, "Young master, you stay busy. The Old Ancestor still has something for me to do. I’ll take my leave."
Luoo Tingzong left like the wind, while Xie Jingshan glanced around as the servants and stewards abruptly resumed their work, pretending not to have heard anything.
"Jiang Yuebai, you’ve ruined my entire reputation!" Xie Jingshan gritted his teeth.
"Then go have eighty-one children."
"....."
Xie Jingshan couldn’t speak. Jiang Yuebai called a servant to handle her affairs.
"What should I do now?"
Xie Jingshan ruffled his hair in frustration, knowing his grandfather had been stuck at the peak of Nascent Soul for a long time, recently feeling it was getting hard to control, hinting at Divinity Transformation.
But his grandfather’s obsession hadn’t dissipated, worrying that his father and he couldn’t hold the Mountain and Sea Building, making it impossible to successfully achieve Divinity Transformation with such a mindset.
So it felt as if his grandfather recently had a sense of arranging his affairs, planning for after he’s gone.
If it weren’t for concern about his grandfather, he’d have run far away long ago. Yet, for his grandfather’s sake, he couldn’t bring himself to have children.
In this world, only his mother could make his grandfather compromise and change his mind.
Xie Jingshan walked to the counter and stopped a young servant.
The servant trembled and hurriedly said, "Young master, I’m getting married next month."
Xie Jingshan was startled, "What does your marriage have to do with me...!! Your young master is a normal man, stop overthinking! I was just going to ask if there’s been any news of my mother recently."
The servant shook his head, "But the master has been in the building constantly, asking three to five times a day if the madam has returned. The master is in his study on the top floor now."
"Does my father know..."
Before he could finish, Xie Jingshan’s pupils contracted sharply as he saw a woman with two swords on her back appear at the entrance of the Mountain and Sea Building.
Wearing a fitted purple dress, her demeanor was dashing in the wind, with sharp brows and eyes full of spirit. Just standing there exuded a sense of ready for action and revenge.
"Xie Guihong, I’m back!"
"Mother!"
Xie Jingshan, with tears in his eyes, rushed forward to the woman.
"Who are you?" Ding Lanzhi sidestepped, frowning and sizing him up.
Xie Jingshan froze, lips trembling, heart shattered.
"I’m Jingshan, Mom~"
"Really? I’ve only been away for a few years. When I left, my son Jingshan was only this..."
Ding Lanzhi gestured, high and low.
"He couldn’t even walk at that time and was chewing on his father’s stinky shoe. How could he suddenly..."
Xie Jingshan spread his hand, showing Ding Lanzhi the red mole in his palm.
"Mom, you’ve been away for exactly twenty years. You left when I was four."
Ding Lanzhi was puzzled, "Twenty years? It doesn’t feel like I’ve been to that many places, and suddenly you’re this grown?"
Xie Jingshan nodded vigorously, tears and mucus streaming.
"Mom~ I missed you so much~~" Xie Jingshan spread his arms to embrace her.
"Lanzhi!"
"Guihong!"
Xie Jingshan hugged empty air, and upon turning around, his mother was in the embrace of a middle-aged man with a scholarly and graceful demeanor, mustache on his lip.
The two were wrapped in each other’s arms, unable to let go, with deep affection, moving the servants and guests in the building.
Jiang Yuebai finished her business and walked out, witnessing the scene firsthand.
She went to Xie Jingshan, saying, "Are those your dad and mom? Such a good relationship."
Xie Jingshan looked aggrieved like a child, eyes fixed on the pair who only had eyes for each other, hands clasped tightly.
Jiang Yuebai patted Xie Jingshan’s shoulder, "I won’t disturb your family reunion. Once you’ve investigated Fang Mingyi’s usual hangouts, find me."
"Besides, if you don’t step in, your parents might forget about you for a while. The baby that cries gets milk, so don’t be too well-behaved in front of your parents; it’s better to be somewhat naughty."
Jiang Yuebai gave Xie Jingshan a push, turned, and left the Mountain and Sea Building.
With parents alive, truly enviable~
