Chapter 107 - 70 [More Money, Greater Risk] (8600 words)_5
This manipulation of Primordial Qi, which is almost like the Divine Techniques of the Immortal Family, only exists in legends and fantasies for her.
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Gu Qingyi was upstairs when she heard the noise of someone entering the room downstairs. She came down the stairs and said displeasedly, "You said you were going to buy some youtiao, why did it take so long?"
Chen Yan smiled and tossed the bag of youtiao onto the dining table, "Fresh out of the pot, still hot."
Gu Qingyi’s face finally showed a bit of a smile. She glanced at Chu Keqing, who was following Chen Yan, and her expression remained indifferent, "A guest?"
Chen Yan nodded casually, "Yeah, a friend came by to drop off some New Year’s goods."
Chu Keqing seriously stared at Gu Qingyi for a moment, and couldn’t help but feel a tinge of amazement in her heart.
Instinctively, she sneaked a peek at Chen Yan again.
This Senior Chen Yan...what a...playboy!
Previously, she had encountered him near the shops at Luoyun House, and at that time, he was accompanied by a gentle and cute young girl.
After getting to know him, due to the matter involving Luo Qing, she got entangled with the owner of an internet café—a stunning beauty.
Now, there’s yet another beautiful troublemaker hidden in his home!
This Senior Chen Yan is exactly as I saw with my Qi Observation Skill—a true ladies’ man!
However, Chu Keqing hesitated for a moment and then looked at Gu Qingyi, unsure of how to greet her, so she looked at Chen Yan for help.
Chen Yan scratched his head and said vaguely, "This is...an elder relative from a distant branch of my family."
Chu Keqing, being gentle and flexible, was naturally intimidated by the presence of Senior Chen Yan. Without hesitation, she politely greeted Gu Qingyi, "Greetings, senior!"
Although she was over thirty years old and Gu Qingyi looked at least ten years younger than her—in her early twenties at most—addressing her as ’senior’ posed no obstacle.
This Senior Chen Yan, who was ninety-one years old, looked like a twenty-year-old lad. Who knows how old this stunning girl might be?
She might be old enough to be her grandmother.
This family...they must all be extraordinary people!
Gu Qingyi tugged at the corners of her mouth, returning a polite smile, "Hello."
Then, Young Lady Gu carried the youtiao and disappeared into the dining room.
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Chen Yan led Chu Keqing to the sofa in the living room and had her sit down.
As a millennial who didn’t like drinking tea or understand the tea ceremony, he put a bottle of mineral water in front of Chu Keqing.
"Alright, just tell me what you came for," Chen Yan said, looking at Chu Keqing.
"...A few days ago, there was trouble with a Mountain Demon in Zijin Mountain, it seems it was the senior who suppressed it, right?" Chu Keqing asked.
Chen Yan raised an eyebrow and looked at her, "How did you know?"
Chu Keqing took a deep breath and recounted her observations of the Evil Qi spreading from the mountain, her subsequent investigation at Zijin Mountain, and the series of events she witnessed.
Finally, she took out a torn fragment of talisman paper she had found and placed it on the coffee table.
"I saw this piece of talisman paper, and it confirmed to me that it was your handiwork. There was trouble with a Mountain Demon, but by the time I arrived, there were no traces left except for this. I boldly guessed that it was the senior who dealt with it."
Chen Yan thought for a moment, then said calmly, "I happened to be there."
He then raised his eyelids and glanced at her, "You didn’t come just to ask about this, did you?"
"No," Chu Keqing shook her head, her voice soft yet distinct. "I wouldn’t dare to pry into the senior’s actions. I needed to confirm this event due to another matter related to my visit today."
After a pause, her tone became more cautious, "Since the senior was willing to act regarding the Mountain Demon, it shows you have a kind heart and are willing to protect mortals... I came today because I’ve encountered a troublesome situation recently. My Tao Practice is insufficient, and I can’t resolve it by myself, so I boldly sought your help."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yan furrowed his brow and thought for a moment before speaking, "Your cultivation is quite impressive, and you are well-known in Jinling Prefecture. What could be beyond your ability to solve?"
Chu Keqing’s expression remained unchanged, she shook her head, "Indeed, this is beyond my ability. I have thought long and hard but found no solution, thus I had no choice but to seek your help."
Chen Yan glanced toward the dining room; Young Lady Gu was sitting there, one hand holding a youtiao and the other a cup of soy milk, focusing intently on eating and drinking. However, he knew she was definitely listening to every word.
Chen Yan then said, "The end of the year is approaching, I don’t have much time to deal with miscellaneous matters."
Chu Keqing pondered for a moment and then spoke, "The one who commissioned me for this task is a wealthy merchant, an old client of mine for many years. When he sought my help, I couldn’t refuse. Only after hearing the full story did I realize it was troublesome.
But this friend is in great difficulty and has no one else to turn to, so I couldn’t neglect him even though I knew it would be hard.
"That’s your friend, not mine," Chen Yan said with a smile.
Chu Keqing calmly took out her notebook and quickly wrote a string of numbers before pushing it in front of Chen Yan.
"This friend of mine is willing to give this amount as a reward. However, knowing my Tao Practice isn’t enough to handle this, I’d be willing to offer the entire reward if senior is willing to help!
As for me... I ask nothing more than to follow you, assist where I can, and expand my horizons."
Chen Yan glanced at the numbers on the paper—enough to buy the villa he was currently renting.
That was no small sum!
However, Chen Yan wasn’t the type to risk his life for money... Though tempting, he knew that if someone offered this much, the task was likely extremely difficult and dangerous.
He tapped his fingers on the table and said calmly, "Explain exactly what the task is. I’ll decide after hearing it."
Chu Keqing silently let out a sigh of relief—the fact that he didn’t reject outright confirmed her judgment.
She had carefully analyzed Senior Chen Yan’s involvement with President Fang, reaching one conclusion: this high elder, while a reclusive expert, also had a taste for money!
Putting the reward amount upfront seemed to be the right move.
Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and began to tell an eerie story...
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[Happy New Year, everyone! May your New Year be filled with joy, health, and prosperity!]
[Please consider tipping as a New Year’s gift, just a small amount to bring some good luck]
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