Chapter 437: Fish Farming

“Yun’er has always been interested in the Formation Dao, but she lacks the patience to study it properly. If it’s convenient for you, virtuous nephew, I would be grateful if you could take her under your wing and teach her whenever you have the time. It would be a great help to this old man. What do you say?”

Jiang Yun’er’s cheeks flushed visibly, her eyelashes fluttering as she stole a glance at Xu Sanyan before quickly lowering her gaze. She hadn’t expected her father to propose such a condition.

As expected of my own father—no one knows his daughter better than he does.

Commander He’s lips twitched as he glanced at Jiang Yun’er. She’s interested in formations?

Shan Zhoushan, the renowned formation master from Zhoushan Mountain, has lived in Qianzhou City for years, and they’re quite close. Why haven’t you ever sought him out as a teacher?

Now that Brother Liang is young, promising, and has a high cultivation level, you’re suddenly eager to have him teach you formations? Is this really about your interest in the Formation Dao?

You just want to get close to him!

Xu Sanyan looked slightly surprised. What kind of condition is this? Is he trying to give us more opportunities to interact?

Though he understood the prefect’s true intentions, Xu Sanyan feigned reluctance. “This… to be honest, Master, the formation I cultivate is a secret passed down only within my Sect. Without my Master’s permission, I’m afraid…”

Prefect Jiang waved his hand dismissively, shaking his head with amusement. This man is truly naive. He’s not after the formation itself; he’s after you.

The pretext of teaching his daughter the formation was merely an excuse to foster closeness between them. If they could eventually marry, all the better.

He hadn’t expected Xu Sanyan to take it so seriously. Such a pure heart, untainted by the darkness of human nature. He must have devoted himself entirely to cultivation these past years, with little social interaction. No wonder he’s achieved such remarkable progress at such a young age.

“No need to worry,” Prefect Jiang said with a smile. “Just teach her the basics. There’s no need to reveal any of your Sect’s secrets.”

Not that she’d be able to learn them anyway, he added inwardly.

His daughter, though intelligent and perceptive of human nature, showed little interest in cultivation. Her innate talent was also quite ordinary.

Don’t let her strong performance in the Prefectural Examination fool you. Qian Prefecture is remote, with few talented individuals. If she were to compete in the major prefectures, she’d struggle to even make the top hundred.

Hearing this, Xu Sanyan stopped declining and thanked Prefect Jiang loudly. “This junior is deeply grateful for your support, Master Prefect! I will not disappoint your high expectations!”

“Heh, good. Once the Prefectural Examination concludes, begin preparations immediately. I’ll be watching closely.”

“Yes, Master.”

As darkness had already fallen, Xu Sanyan didn’t linger. Having achieved his purpose, he rose to take his leave.

Prefect Jiang instructed his children, Jiang Longchang and Jiang Yun’er, to escort Xu Sanyan out.

Leaving Jiang Manor, Jiang Yun’er lingered, her gaze fixed on Xu Sanyan’s retreating figure until he vanished completely. Only then did she reluctantly withdraw her gaze.

Seeing her behavior, Jiang Longchang rolled his eyes. “Enough with the act. He’s long gone. No matter what you do now, he can’t see you.”

“Hmph, what do you know? You’re just a brute,” Jiang Yun’er retorted, wrinkling her nose.

Jiang Longchang shrugged off her venomous words, long accustomed to his sister’s sharp tongue. Turning back toward the manor, he remarked, “Father has given you this opportunity. It’s up to you to seize it.”

A confident smile curled Jiang Yun’er’s lips. “You will see!”

As the sun set and the moon rose, half a month had passed in the blink of an eye.

The Prefectural Examination had long since concluded, and as expected, Jiang Yun’er had been eliminated.

Only the top three candidates were selected from the sixteen participants: Jiang Longchang, Tang Huanhuan, and a scion from a prominent clan in Qian Prefecture.

The trio had already departed for the capital several days prior to compete in the Capital Examination against elites from other major prefectures. This matter held no further relevance for Xu Sanyan.

He had been far from idle during this period. Not only did he spend his days meticulously carving formation patterns, but he also had to endure the persistent harassment from Qin Shutong and Jiang Yun’er, leaving him truly exhausted.

Moreover, his supply of human blood was running low, and he had been pondering where to procure more in recent days.

To conceal the human blood, Xu Sanyan added a spirit herb called Rouge Flower. This herb eliminated the blood’s metallic odor and altered its color, making it appear like a mixture of various spirit plant extracts—sufficient to deceive the eye without diminishing its efficacy.

Patriarch Huang’s first batch of Earth Core Stones had arrived, totaling three hundred stones, each valued at seven hundred spirit stones, amounting to two hundred and ten thousand spirit stones in total.

Xu Sanyan naturally lacked such a sum. However, as the Demonic Seed gradually integrated into Patriarch Huang’s mind, subtly manipulating his thoughts, the patriarch now treated Xu Sanyan with utmost respect, if not outright obedience.

As for mere spirit stones, Patriarch Huang dared not demand them unless Xu Sanyan offered them first.

Meanwhile, in the secret realm, Lin Fan continued his arduous task of exchanging resources for soul crystals. Over the past few days, he had secured nearly a thousand crystals, a seemingly substantial number, yet still insufficient for Xu Sanyan’s needs.

Qianzhou City was vast, requiring over a thousand soul crystals for just this one city. And there were still three more cities waiting to be fortified.

Xu Sanyan finished a stroke, slowly closed his eyes to replenish his mental energy. Carving formation patterns was exhausting, even for someone with his cultivation level. He needed to rest for an hour every half-day.

“Brother Liang, have some tea.”

A cup of hot tea was offered from behind. Jiang Yun’er kept a constant watch, never disturbing Xu Sanyan while he worked but always attending to him diligently once he finished, like a perfect helpmate.

An old man stood beside Jiang Yun’er, the formation master employed by the prefectural office. Ostensibly there to observe and learn, his true purpose was to monitor Xu Sanyan, ensuring he harbored no ulterior motives.

Xu Sanyan paid him no mind. He took the cup, drained it in one gulp, and closed his eyes to rest.

Qin Shutong wasn’t here today, a rare moment of peace. Usually, the two women would bicker and compete for his attention, making even his rest periods uneasy.

The formation he was deploying this time differed from the one at Zhangzhi City. There, he had carved the formation patterns outside the city walls. Here, he was carving them inside.

This was because an existing city-wide Great Formation already protected the outer walls, leaving him no choice. Fortunately, Qianzhou City’s walls were thick enough to accommodate two formations.

“Yun’er!”

An excited shout echoed from afar. Xu Sanyan frowned slightly, disliking any disturbance during his rest.

Turning her head, Jiang Yun’er saw a handsome young man striding toward them. With his sword-like eyebrows, starry eyes, and tall, slender frame, he possessed a striking appearance, his looks nearly rivaling Xu Sanyan’s!

This one has chosen his own death, she thought darkly.

Jiang Yun’er’s heart leaped in her chest. This is bad. Why is he here?

The newcomer was Jiang Yu, a member of the Jiang Family of Southern Heaven Valley. Born into a distinguished lineage, his father was the clan head, and his elder brother, Jiang Yan, had also earned considerable renown.

However, it was rumored that during their last venture into the Hundred Saints Secret Realm, Jiang Yan had his arms broken by Xu Sanyan. Though his injuries were later healed, the psychological trauma lingered, leaving him a shadow of his former self, a tragic decline that drew widespread pity.

This misfortune paved the way for Jiang Yu’s rise. With the family’s full support, he now stood poised to become the Jiang Family’s new Young Master.

Since the Jiang Family’s territory was not far from here, Jiang Yun’er had crossed paths with Jiang Yu before, forging a close relationship that hovered between friendship and romance—a tantalizing ambiguity she relished. She particularly enjoyed manipulating men like trained dogs, and the fact that Jiang Yu was a talented young prodigy only amplified her sense of accomplishment.

The sight of him obsessively devoted to her, his heart brimming with affection yet forever out of reach, filled her with perverse satisfaction.

Of course, Jiang Yu wasn’t the only fish in Jiang Yun’er’s pond, but she had always maintained perfect control, ensuring her carefully cultivated balance never tipped.

(End of the Chapter)