Free Web NovelChapter 541: Chapter 329: Too Many Coincidences?
Normally, if Zou Feng had taken the logical next step and made the suggestion, Jiang Xue would have likely jumped at the chance to explore the possibility with him...
However, Zou Feng couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
After all, it was all too much of a coincidence.
First, she reminded him about Fu Jiaming’s Foundation Establishment. Now that it was his turn to establish his Dao Foundation, she immediately showed up to offer him her experience.
And it wasn’t just about the Foundation Establishment experience. His Evil Qi would certainly gain additional benefits after clashing with her pure and peaceful Spiritual Qi.
On top of that, Jiang Xue was a Three-in-One, a prodigy among prodigies whose future prospects were equally limitless.
She was, quite simply, the perfect Dao Companion, fallen from the heavens.
But the more perfect the coincidence, the more Zou Feng suspected there was something wrong with Jiang Xue.
He couldn’t let his guard down just because she wasn’t on any of the ranking lists.
’Just because she doesn’t have killing intent doesn’t mean she has no other ill intentions. Harming someone doesn’t necessarily mean killing them.’
So, Zou Feng gave only a few perfunctory replies to Jiang Xue’s heartfelt confessions before falling silent.
In any case, there was no need to force this connection. It was always better to be cautious.
Seeing that time was about up, Zou Feng bid Jiang Xue farewell and left the Demon Suppression Tower.
He couldn’t stay in seclusion in the Demon Suppression Tower for too long. Bian Yixia and Tian Yun still required the nourishment of the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill.
Zou Feng’s plan was to get both women promoted to the Inner Sect within a year.
And that would require frequent, diligent "cultivation."
Just as he stepped out of the Demon Suppression Tower, Zou Feng once again felt the same sensation of being watched he’d had before.
He stopped and turned, his gaze drifting up toward the spire of the Demon Suppression Tower.
In that instant, a powerful impulse surged through Zou Feng, a desire to go to the very top of the Demon Suppression Tower and see what was there.
It felt as if something he desperately needed was there, and that it, in turn, desperately needed him.
But Zou Feng immediately activated his Heart Skill, forcibly suppressing the impulse.
’I’d have to be an idiot to go courting death on the top floor.’
Besides, he couldn’t go even if he wanted to. Disciples at the Spiritual Energy Realm weren’t allowed on the highest floor of the Demon Suppression Tower.
’Only a sect like the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect would dare to place such a sinister tower right on its grounds and open it for disciples to use for Cultivation...’
On the way back to Hongxing Inn, Zou Feng took out his Token and began browsing the available Heavenly and Earthly Treasures.
Although he already had the Ant King’s Heart, a Foundation Establishment Treasure that was perfectly suited for him.
But who said he couldn’t add a few more treasures to serve as the "base" for his Foundation Establishment?
’Anyway, if I mix too many things and something goes wrong, the big brothers will be there to clean up the mess.’
However, after browsing for a while, he found that while there were plenty of good items, none of them were suitable for him.
’Tsk, the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect’s expeditions into the Outer Realms haven’t been very fruitful lately. It feels like the selection of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures for sale hasn’t had a major update in a long time.’
Still, there was no need to rush. An Outer Realm met with disaster every month. If he just waited, something suitable would eventually turn up.
Before that, he had to save up enough Immortal Fate to avoid a situation where he could see the perfect item but couldn’t afford it.
With this in mind, Zou Feng arrived at his fried rice restaurant—Frenzied Fry.
As usual, the line was incredibly long. Business was booming.
The restaurant was already earning him a stable and considerable amount of Immortal Fate each month.
But relying on this one location, which operated on a model of low profits and high volume, wasn’t a realistic way to get rich.
So, it was time to open more branches.
Frenzied Fry’s reputation was now firmly established. In fact, many disciples who came, drawn by the name, would see the ridiculous line, decide it wasn’t worth the trouble, and walk away grumbling.
This made opening new branches a surefire bet.
And he wouldn’t just open one. He’d open five or six branches all at once.
「Back at Hongxing Inn」
Upon his return, the first thing Zou Feng had to face was a tempestuous offensive from his five Dao Companions.
Although cultivating the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill didn’t cause physical exhaustion—in fact, it was beneficial—doing it too often inevitably led to mental fatigue.
To put it bluntly, when a hobby becomes a job, the experience is greatly diminished.
This was also a major reason he could ignore Jiang Xue’s charms.
Strictly speaking, he was in a constant state of post-nut clarity.
The solution to this problem was actually quite simple.
Once he established his Dao Foundation and his level of existence ascended to another plane, his "work" would naturally become a hobby again.
He could even use a single thread of his divine sense to make all five women reach their peak simultaneously, which would save a great deal of effort.
As for Tian Yun and Bian Yixia, the Talents they’d been assessed with at the Kouxian Gate—one for Alchemy, the other for Artifact Refining—turned out to be quite extraordinary.
They both showed great potential in their respective fields, and they now worked in the Outer Sect’s Alchemy Room and Artifact Refining Workshop.
When one’s Talent reached a certain level, they were considered special personnel. The monthly assessment didn’t have to be a life-or-death battle.
Instead, they could opt for an assessment in their specialized field.
This saved Zou Feng the trouble of having to pull strings in the Outer Sect. If their monthly assessment was in their specialized field, there would naturally be no danger to their lives.
However, despite their outstanding Talents, the two women had very different attitudes.
Tian Yun was genuinely interested in Alchemy and studied it diligently. Bian Yixia, on the other hand, wasn’t as dedicated and clearly had no intention of investing all her energy into the path of an artifact refiner.
She still preferred participating in expeditions to the Outer Realms—all the fighting and killing.
After clearing five such "levels," by the time evening arrived, Zou Feng could finally catch his breath.
Just then, the Token at his waist vibrated.
He picked up the Token and saw a message from Leng Jing, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, asking if he was free.
Not long after Zou Feng replied that he was, Leng Jing appeared at his door in person.
The man always managed to show up right at mealtime, clearly intending to freeload a meal.
Of course, this was perfectly normal. You couldn’t just get a free meal personally cooked by a Spirit Chef like Zou Feng without having some connections.
Being able to regularly freeload meals from a Spirit Chef had self-evident, long-term benefits for one’s body, and could save a lot of money on Elixirs.
"Brother, the Matriarch’s five-hundredth birthday is fast approaching..."
"Have you prepared a gift?" Only after eating and drinking his fill did Leng Jing get to the point.
Zou Feng knew, of course, that Jiang Wanzhao’s five-hundredth birthday was coming up.
When he had left the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect in a hurry to return to Great Yan, he had passed through a strange forest and used this very fact as a pretext to intimidate a Great Demon.
What he found strange, however, was why Leng Jing would make a special trip just to remind him of it.
After all, as one of Jiang Wanzhao’s investments, and having received considerable benefits from her, he wasn’t so careless that he would forget her grand birthday.
Bringing a respectable gift to offer congratulations was a matter of course.
"Well... I haven’t prepared a gift just yet, but rest assured, Brother Leng, I won’t overlook this matter."
Just one look at Zou Feng’s expression told Leng Jing that he still didn’t grasp the situation.
"Brother, don’t you know? When a True Disciple celebrates a major birthday, the Celestial Dao Cauldron expresses its congratulations by publicly bestowing ’Fortune’!"
"Fortune?" Zou Feng was taken aback. He really hadn’t known about this.
Leng Jing nodded. "This ’Fortune’ is a variety of boons granted by the Celestial Dao Cauldron. You don’t know what’s inside until it’s opened."
"After the Celestial Dao Cauldron bestows these Fortune gifts upon a True Disciple, the Disciple will typically take a small portion for themselves. The rest is distributed on the spot as rewards for their subordinates, based on merit."
"Therefore, presenting a gift that pleases the Matriarch on her birthday is a meritorious deed in itself. The more pleased she is, the greater your share of the bestowed Fortune will be."
Hearing this, Zou Feng finally understood.
Leng Jing was reminding him not to be too casual about the gift, since tangible benefits were on the line.
"The Matriarch may value your potential, but you’re not her only successful investment."
"Several other prodigies will be returning from the Outer Realms specifically to celebrate her birthday..."
Zou Feng said thoughtfully, "Thank you for the tip, Brother Leng. I understand."
Despite what he said, Zou Feng now had a headache.
A gift that could genuinely satisfy a True Disciple was not something he could easily prepare at his current stage...
Just as he finished thanking Leng Jing, a female voice laced with heavy resentment called out from beyond the gate: "Is Zou Feng in?"
The voice sounded familiar. Zou Feng tilted his head, thinking... ’Luo Yingning?’
’For her, my "reserved main course," to actually show up on my doorstep of her own accord?’
