Unconventional [Rebirth] - Chapter 48

Jiang Jianlin was momentarily stunned.

It was true. He hadn’t asked that question in a very long time.

After reflecting carefully, Jiang Jianlin realized that he did indeed want to leave. But why hadn’t he asked?

“Perhaps,” Jiang Jianlin said with a casual smile, “I feel that the time for my departure hasn’t yet arrived.”

Having stayed here for so long, he had begun to discern Tang Xuan’s intentions for trapping him. At first, he couldn’t fathom why the man would do such a thing; he and Tang Xuan had never met before, and there was no connection between them. Later, however, he began to feel that Tang Xuan did know him—and quite intimately, at that.

He simply couldn’t recall where they might have met.

Hearing this, Jiang Rui offered a faint smile. “You have already broken through the Formations of Three Desires: Power, Lust, and Wealth. You’ve also made significant progress in the Formations of Emotion and Desire; some are even on the verge of collapsing.”

A flash of doubt crossed Jiang Jianlin’s eyes, as if he didn’t quite grasp the meaning behind those words.

Jiang Rui allowed the effects of the Phantom Morphing Pill to dissipate, slowly revealing his true appearance. As the figure before him transformed, Jiang Jianlin’s eyes widened in shock.

Acting like a typical, sensible, and respectful junior, Jiang Rui spoke warmly: “Third Uncle, it is time for you to go out.”

Jiang Jianlin stared at him blankly, unable to react for a long time.

By early May, Jianghai Supermarket had opened two new branches, and the Jiang family’s business was flourishing.

Lianyuzhuang had also established a branch in Jiahai. Cao Yuke had sold a total of a hundred pieces of “Spirit-Nurturing Jade” across Qingshi and Jiahai. As the reputation of the jade spread, even tycoons from the business, political, and underworld sectors came personally to seek a piece.

However, the Spirit-Nurturing Jade was only sold at private exhibitions hosted by Cao Yuke himself, with a strict limit of one piece per person. This was the rule; no matter how high one’s status, the regulations of Lianyuzhuang could not be broken.

Anyone who knew a bit about Lianyuzhuang was aware that the hidden boss was a Master of Metaphysics—skilled in Feng Shui, masterful with formations, knowledgeable in the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, and expert in fate divination. His abilities were described as nothing short of miraculous.

The wise were unwilling to make an enemy of such a god-like figure. There were, of course, those who didn’t believe in the legends and tried to provoke Lianyuzhuang, only to end up either bankrupt or with their reputations ruined by a string of endless misfortune. After making examples of a few “early birds,” no one dared to “pluck the tiger’s whiskers” again.

Cao Yuke had opened other storefronts within Lianyuzhuang to antique dealers. Those who couldn’t secure a shop inside the manor set up stalls or shops nearby. The area around Lianyuzhuang had evolved into a small-scale antique market. At this rate, becoming a famous antique hub in Qingshi or even Lo’an Province was only a matter of time.

Miao Xuan had successfully completed its evolution over a month ago. This time, the two newly unlocked secret abilities were a pleasant surprise for Jiang Rui:

First, eighteen more rooms in the wooden tower were opened. Half were filled with spirit stones, and five contained jade slips of cultivation techniques. Of the remaining three, one was a pill room containing various spiritual elixirs up to Grade 9; another was a sword chamber which held a world of its own—a “Ninety-Nine Trials” gauntlet, making it a perfect place for secluded sword cultivation.

The final room was quite peculiar. From the outside, it looked ordinary, but when Jiang Rui probed it with his spiritual sense, he found it to be as bottomless and inscrutable as a black hole. He did not enter recklessly but asked Miao Xuan instead. Miao Xuan replied that the wooden tower was built by Qi Ge before his ascension and was incredibly mysterious; even the spirit didn’t know the room’s purpose.

After much thought, Jiang Rui decided to wait until his cultivation improved further before exploring the sword chamber or that final room.

Second, the time ratio between the Hidden Realm and the outside world had changed from 10:1 to 20:1. This meant Jiang Rui now had double the time to cultivate! Simultaneously, the spiritual energy within the Miao Xuan Hidden Realm grew denser, even liquefying into small “Spirit Lakes” in certain areas.

Amidst the nervous anticipation of his parents and aunt, Jiang Rui faced the National College Entrance Exam (Gaokao) in mid-June.

He didn’t intend to stand out too much. He performed normally in Language, Math, and English, but deliberately left several questions blank in the Science Comprehensive section. Once the exams were over, he gave his parents his estimated score—indicating a guaranteed spot at Beijing Medical University—and then used a “vacation” as an excuse to leave Qingshi for Yingchang City in Jinlin.

He and Xiao Jinnan hadn’t met in a while, though they had remained in contact. Jiang Rui had even given him a “Message Bead.” If any danger occurred, Xiao Jinnan only had to crush the bead, and Jiang Rui could reach him in an instant.

When Xiao Jinnan saw Jiang Rui, the joy in his eyes was undisguised. This caused Mo Zhao, who was standing nearby, to stare in surprise; she had rarely seen Xiao Jinnan express such open emotion.

Though time flowed differently in the realm, Jiang Rui’s appearance had changed very little since he reached the Foundation Establishment stage. After reaching the Core Formation stage, his look was fixed at around eighteen or nineteen years old. Consequently, his current appearance looked slightly more mature than his actual age in the outside world.

Years ago, Mo Zhao had preferred gentle and elegant youths like Jiang Rui, but after meeting Xiao Jinnan, she never looked at another man again. She often heard Jiang Rui’s name from Xiao Jinnan and expected someone “old-souled” and stern like her husband. She hadn’t expected a youth who looked like a “tree of jade and blossom,” possessing the refined aura of an ancient ink painting.

Seeing his wife staring blankly at his friend, Xiao Jinnan’s face darkened. He glared at Jiang Rui and reached out to cover Mo Zhao’s eyes to snap her out of it. Jiang Rui laughed internally at his friend’s jealousy but maintained an innocent expression, spreading his hands as if to say it wasn’t his fault.

Once Mo Zhao realized she had been staring, she blushed in embarrassment, feeling she had been quite rude.

Jiang Rui’s visit this time was to help Xiao Jinnan. Xiao Jinnan had established a foothold in Jinlin, but to go further, the fastest and most stable way was to gain the support of the Wei family. Unfortunately, the father of Secretary Wei—Old Master Wei—had suddenly fallen into a coma half a month ago. No medicine or doctors had worked. Xiao Jinnan’s overtures had gone unanswered, leading him to think of Jiang Rui’s miraculous abilities.

After hearing the backstory, Jiang Rui said, “Without seeing Old Master Wei in person, I can’t be certain. You go ahead and ‘accept the challenge’ from the Wei family first. We’ll talk more once we see him.”

Despite his words, Jiang Rui’s face showed no sign of uncertainty. Knowing him well, Xiao Jinnan immediately went to contact the Wei family.

Special Ward, Jinlin Provincial Military Hospital.

The attending physician, drenched in sweat, finished reporting the Old Master’s condition. He said a lot, but it boiled down to one sentence: The Old Master’s body was weakening by the day, yet no cause could be found. He couldn’t last much longer; they should prepare for his funeral.

Secretary Wei sat by the hospital bed with a grim expression, silent. Standing nearby were the second brother, Wei Keyi, and the third, Wei Kegong, both looking somber.

The fourth brother, Wei Kejian, remained silent for a moment before speaking to Secretary Wei. “Eldest Brother, Xiao Wu (Old Five) mentioned two days ago that a friend of his was willing to come and check on Father. I heard he’s fairly confident…”

Wei Keyi frowned. “Xiao Wu has always been unreliable. Last time, he claimed Dad was possessed and wanted to invite some master from Mount Wutai to perform an exorcism. His friends are no better—just a bunch of fair-weather cronies. You actually believe him?”

Wei Kegong, who always doted on the youngest brother, couldn’t help but defend him. “Xiao Wu has improved a lot lately; he’s more stable. The last time I saw him, he gave me a piece of jade. He said he went to great lengths to find it in Lo’an to help soothe the nerves.”

Wei Keyi scoffed. “You treat everything he gives you like a treasure. It’s just a piece of jade. How rare can it be? It’s not ‘medicinal jade,’ so how can it soothe nerves? He’s just playing tricks.”

Wei Kegong countered, “Second Brother, you’re wrong there. That jade really works. You know about my insomnia—none of the remedies I tried over the years ever worked. But since I started wearing that jade, I’ve been sleeping through the night without even a single dream. Haven’t you noticed my energy has been better lately?”

Wei Keyi looked skeptical. “Your complexion has improved, but are you sure it’s the jade?”

Wei Kegong nodded. “I was skeptical too, so I purposely took it off. Within two days, the insomnia returned. But as long as I wear it, I sleep perfectly.”

Secretary Wei grew curious. “Where did Xiao Wu get this jade in Lo’an? Your sister-in-law hasn’t been sleeping well either. If it’s as good as you say, have Xiao Wu get one for her.”

“That might be difficult,” Wei Kegong said with a bitter smile. “Xiao Wu said this jade is only sold at Lianyuzhuang in Qingshi or their branch in Jiahai. You can’t find it anywhere else. Their rules are strict: one piece per person, and only during exhibitions hosted by Boss Cao. You can’t buy it at any other time.”

Secretary Wei was incredulous. “If someone from the Wei family shows up, Lianyuzhuang won’t even give us that much face?”

Wei Kegong sighed. “Believe it or not, they really don’t. Not just us—even the Zhang family from the capital hit a wall at Lianyuzhuang.”

“They wouldn’t even give face to the Zhang family? Who exactly is the boss of this Lianyuzhuang?” Secretary Wei asked.

“No one knows for sure. Boss Cao is just the figurehead. No one has been able to track down the hidden owner. Word is he’s a Metaphysics Master with real power. This Spirit-Nurturing Jade is supposedly ‘cultivated’ by him,” Wei Kegong explained.

Having been in politics for years, Secretary Wei wasn’t entirely dismissive of metaphysics. He had met masters with genuine skills, though he had never heard of “Spirit-Nurturing Jade.”

“Old Fourth,” Secretary Wei asked suddenly, “who is this friend of Xiao Wu that you mentioned?”

Wei Kejian replied, “He’s from Yingchang, Jinlin. Eldest Brother, you should have heard of him. He’s the newly emerged leader of Beijiang—Xiao Jinnan.”

Hearing the name, Secretary Wei tapped his fingers on the table. “So it’s him… I have some impression of the man. He sent some gifts a few days ago, but I didn’t accept them and sent them back.”

He glanced at Wei Kejian and added, “That man is young, but he’s not easy to deal with. You and Xiao Wu should be careful when associating with him.”