Free Web NovelChapter 1000: Chapter 246: 7 Knife Coins (Added for Alliance Hierarch Chen Zeqing!)
The conversation with Zhang Cuihua unfolded on a bare hillside—near the vigorously burning brick kiln, where bright greens were scarce.
In May, although the hillside was barren, it wasn’t hard to endure. Occasionally, a breeze would blow, bringing refreshment.
"Is the child named Chu Yao?" Jiang Wang asked.
"That’s right. My sisters-in-law gave birth before me. When the child was born, the men said that naming him Yao was good. ’The Emperor loves his eldest son, the commoners love the youngest.’ That’s the saying, I think." Zhang Cuihua’s face bore a smile: "He was an educated man."
"Uh..." Jiang Wang agreed half-heartedly, against his better judgment: "My learned brother indeed looked like an educated man."
Zhang Cuihua didn’t notice his reluctance and seemed rather proud: "Isn’t that so? I used to be called Zhang Cuihua. My man said the character for ’flower’ was vulgar and made me change it to Cuihua. I don’t know the difference, but it sounds lovely! It makes me happy just hearing it!"
In Jiang Wang’s view, Zhang Cuihua wasn’t much better sounding than Zhang Cuihua.
But the satisfaction in Zhang Cuihua’s eyes and words...that was happiness.
Those things, those valued beauties, were they the greatest strength supporting her life?
Regardless of Chu Mi’s reputation outside, no matter what people thought of him, at least in Woyao Town, there was one person who worshipped, acknowledged, and truly loved him.
"Really nice." Jiang Wang thought for a moment, then asked, "Sister Hua, I notice you’re not looking particularly well. I know a bit of medicine, would you mind if I check your pulse for you?"
After thinking it over, he wasn’t sure how to help Chu Mi’s widow, so he decided to start by checking her health to see if he could help her become transcendent.
"What’s the inconvenience, I’m a mother!" Zhang Cuihua wiped her hands vigorously with her untied headscarf before stretching them out: "Here you go!"
Jiang Wang extended three fingers, pretending to check her pulse, but in reality he had already called upon his Path Origin to observe.
In Zhang Cuihua’s body, he found remnants of medicinal power—the power of a Channel-opening Pill.
In a very casual manner, he asked: "Has your learned husband ever given you anything special to eat?"
"No," Zhang Cuihua shook her head.
After a while, she added, "There was one time I was sick, and he went a long distance to get me medicine. It was a Dan Pill, begged from an Immortal! I got better after eating it. Haven’t been sick for years since then."
It seemed Chu Mi had already attempted to make her transcendent, but she clearly lacked the talent and her body had not been nurtured to the correct state. Even with the Channel-opening Pill, she had not succeeded.
What else could he do to help this woman?
Jiang Wang was contemplating this when he suddenly met Zhang Cuihua’s gaze.
The plainness and firmness in those eyes had disappeared at some point.
She looked at Jiang Wang, "Big brother, please tell me the truth. Did something happen to my learned husband? Don’t hide it from me, please!"
Her lips, smeared with ash, quivered, not sure whether to cry or to smile: "If he’s gone, you can’t let me wait in vain, can you? I’m not unwanted."
Jiang Wang thought he was behaving normally, but he could not fool a woman longing for her husband.
Five years.
She had waited for Chu Mi alone for five years with their child.
Of course, she wasn’t unwanted. At least the robust man earlier showed obvious interest in her.
But the meaning of "can’t let me wait in vain"—that was to say—if the wait could lead to something, no matter how long, she was willing to wait.
Jiang Wang had thought of several excuses, but now, facing these eyes—eyes with no strength yet the most powerful—
Suddenly, he couldn’t utter a single one.
"He died with dignity, with honor," Jiang Wang finally said.
Zhang Cuihua was stunned for a moment, then slowly, very slowly, crouched down.
With her rough hands, stained with the ashes of bricks and tiles, she covered her face.
She made no sound of crying.
Jiang Wang just stood beside her, quietly keeping her company.
The May breeze came and went. On the bare, completely exposed hillside, it whistled back and forth.
After a long time, Zhang Cuihua vigorously rubbed her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt and raised her head to say, "When he left, he said he would come back."
There were no tears in her eyes, but her face was smudged black and white, making a strenuous effort to remain calm: "At least he didn’t lie to me, he can’t come back. It’s not that he won’t..."
Jiang Wang half-crouched down and brushed the air in front of her face with a light touch, the gentle Water Element wiping the "pattern" made of tears and brick dust from her face.
That moist and tender power didn’t make her feel the slightest discomfort.
Zhang Cuihua was clearly stunned by this miraculous scene and forgot to speak for a while.
Jiang Wang gently said: "Your husband was like me. I was friends with your husband, and if you’re willing, I can help you live a different life."
There should be no ordinary person who could resist the temptation of transcendence.
Jiang Wang had always thought so. Since he was very young, he yearned for transcendence. For this, he feared no hardships and did not shy away from toil.
Zhang Cuihua stayed silent for a while, then suddenly asked: "It’s very dangerous, isn’t it? People like you live dangerously, don’t they?"
Jiang Wang wanted to say, if one doesn’t reach the Outer Building Realm, then there’s no need to fight in the Lost World.
But without reaching the Outer Building, without going to the Lost World, would there be no danger? freeweɓnovel.cøm
Cultivators in the Ascending Dragon Realm could also fall at any time into the fog of ignorance; isn’t that dangerous?
How many cultivators went mad from the pain of lingering in front of the Heaven and Earth Gate, unable to make even the slightest progress?
Who could imagine the consequences of a collapsed Zhoutian constructed by a cultivator at the Zhou Tian Jing Realm, when the Path swirls explode?
And for those who have truly embarked on the path of cultivation, who would be content to stay at the foot of the mountain forever, always at the Youmai?
How could he say that becoming Transcendent isn’t a dangerous path?
"It must be very dangerous." Zhang Cuihua shook her head, as if in a conversation with herself, "My man is extremely cautious, to the point where he wants me to hold onto him when drawing water from a well. If it weren’t extremely dangerous... he wouldn’t have had an accident."
Jiang Wang sighed, "I can’t guarantee that there are no dangers in the world of the Transcendent, I can only say that by stepping onto this path, one has the chance to control their own fate."
He stretched out his finger, gently tapping Zhang Cuihua’s forehead, and with his Divine Soul Strength, he transmitted the information of Green Sheep Town into her mind: "If you ever come to a decision, you can ask Chu Yao to go to this place to find me, just mention Jiang Qingyang."
He withdrew his finger, "Besides that, don’t let anyone else know about this matter. I have quite a few troubles, so does your husband."
This method of transmitting messages directly into the mind was clearly beyond Zhang Cuihua’s imagination. Chu Mi had never displayed anything Transcendent before her either.
But she remained unexpectedly calm.
After pondering seriously for a while, she finally said, "The child is still young; when he grows up, I’ll let him decide for himself."
"Alright." Jiang Wang didn’t press her and changed the subject, "Then let’s deal with the next matter. Are there any problems with your livelihood?"
Before Chu Mi turned himself in, he would undoubtedly have ensured his wife and son were provided for. A man like him would naturally know not to leave too much wealth behind, but ensuring their basic livelihoods wouldn’t be a problem.
So why now does Zhang Cuihua have to move bricks in a kiln, laboring like the men?
Zhang Cuihua thought for a moment and shook her head, "We’re doing just fine."
Jiang Wang, fearing that she did not understand his implication, made it clearer, "You should know by now what kind of person I am, what abilities I have. If you encounter any injustice or difficult problems, any hurdle you cannot cross, just tell me. I can move mountains and part waters, you needn’t worry."
Zhang Cuihua’s eyelids drooped slightly, "I’ve grown up here since childhood; Woyao Town is my home, who could make me suffer any injustice? You don’t need to worry about me."
Jiang Wang thought for a moment and did not inquire further.
Zhang Cuihua, who could raise a child on her own and had just been bossing around the men in the kiln, was definitely not someone weak-willed. If she chose not to share, she certainly had her reasons.
Considering she had sisters-in-law and a sister-in-marriage, it wasn’t hard to guess why.
Family matters are difficult for outsiders to settle.
It’s understandable that Zhang Cuihua might fear a Transcendent Cultivator like him for his disregard for ordinary human life.
"Here." Jiang Wang took out a bag of Silver, not that he couldn’t give more, but he considered the safety of the mother and child, "Take this Silver..."
Zhang Cuihua quickly stepped back, very determined, "I can’t accept this!"
Jiang Wang continued, "It’s what I borrowed from Hao Xue Ge earlier, and now I have nowhere to return it..."
Zhang Cuihua stepped forward again, "Really borrowed?"
Jiang Wang replied, "Would I lie? We Transcendent Cultivators cannot deceive others; deceiving would halt our cultivation. I hurried here to repay my debt, all to fulfill a promise!"
Zhang Cuihua then accepted the cloth bag, "Owning debts and repaying money is only right."
"Of course, it is." Jiang Wang said with a smile, looking up at the sky, "It’s getting late, it’s time for me to leave."
He tapped his own forehead with a finger, "Remember what I told you. Chu Yao will always have a choice. You needn’t feel burdened; it is what his father earned for him."
Zhang Cuihua did not speak but hugged the bag of Silver tightly and suddenly bent down, bowing deeply to Jiang Wang.
When she stood up again, that young man with the graceful face had disappeared.
Everything felt like a dream, except for the Silver she held close and the wind blowing by her ear, making it all seem a little less real.
"Mom, Mom!"
The bright and lean Chu Yao, who was not kept in check by the men on the mountain, had run over in a flash.
When Zhang Cuihua turned around, her face was already wearing a smile, "Come here, child, tell your mother how much money you’ve earned?"
"Hehe." Chu Yao counted seriously on his fingers, then with a mouth missing a front tooth, he said, "Seven Knife Coins!"
Zhang Cuihua bent down and touched his head, "Yao’er, you’ve earned enough money to go to school!"
"Really?" Chu Yao’s eyes, just like his father’s—narrow and sly—shone brightly at the moment. He didn’t care much for studying, but playing in school with other kids was definitely more fun than moving bricks.
"Yes, my child is very capable." Zhang Cuihua held her son in her arms and said softly, "You’ve earned enough already!"
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(This Chapter is an additional update because tonight combines two updates into one. Marking it as an update for the Alliance Hierarch wouldn’t be precise. Noting it as a half-update for the Alliance Hierarch would be strange. So, this Chapter is treated as an additional update!)
