My Husband’s Ascension C24 (Part 2)
Chapter 24.2 Vying for Affection
The next morning, the members of Cloudculm Abode finally stepped into the city of Jimo Sea.
Unlike the rustic charm of Small Sword Pass, Jimo Sea was clearly more bustling. The streets were crowded, filled not only with cultivators but also yao and demons.
Everything was novel to Zhao Zhao, and she wandered along, curious at every turn.
Though it wasn’t wise to flaunt wealth, buying small items here and there posed no harm.
“…Right next door is a ready-made clothing shop,” Zhao Zhao said, glancing up and down at Zhongli Shun. “You can’t very well go home in those clothes; let’s get you a new set.”
Yao Ling, clutching a small windmill, a grasshopper toy, and a pile of other trinkets, immediately pouted.
Zhongli Shun looked a little surprised, then cautiously asked, “If I get new clothes, will Miss Immortal then part ways with me?”
Zhao Zhao paused, then chuckled. “How could that be? We still need you to help us find a good place to settle.”
Zhongli Shun’s face brightened noticeably.
The fact that Miss Immortal was willing to buy him new clothes must mean she didn’t dislike him, and that the chance of being accepted as her disciple had just grown a little.
“No need to buy new clothes. I can wear whatever. Let’s go look for land first!”
Yao Ling, hearing this, seethed silently.
Of course he wouldn't want new clothes! Trying to act sensible to win Master’s favor…what a cunning schemer!
Yao Ling quietly nudged up against Zhao Zhao’s side, tugging at her robe. “Master, are you thirsty? There’s some Perilla tea for sale nearby. I can get you a cup.”
Zhao Zhao felt a little flattered.
“You want to get it for me? Since when have you been so thoughtful—”
“What are you talking about, Master? I’ve always been this thoughtful, haven’t I?”
The little girl circled around, pushing Zhongli Shun aside, and smiled up at Zhao Zhao with perfect sweetness. “And these candied cherries (樱桃煎), I remember they’re your favorites, Master. Open your mouth and I’ll feed you.”
The usually reserved little girl was suddenly so attentive, like an aloof kitten transforming into a clingy little pet, so stark a contrast it was impossible to ignore.
Zhao Zhao indulged in it, savoring the candied cherry’s sweetness.
Zhongli Shun scoffed, not bothering to argue.
Candied cherries? That’s nothing. His usefulness to Master far outweighed that!
If only she would accept him as her disciple, he could study diligently, improve his cultivation, and eventually bring the entire Zhongli Clan under her command, making everyone bow to Master!
Zhongli Shun stopped in his tracks, pointing at the sign ahead. “This is the place.”
The group stepped into a property brokerage of Jimo Sea.
“—Ah, it’s the young master of the Zhongli Clan.” Although his clothes were tattered, the sharp-eyed shop owner immediately recognized Zhongli Shun and beamed warmly. “May I ask, young master, are you here again today to sell another land of great feng shui?”
Sell another?
Zhao Zhao picked up quite a bit of information from his words.
She glanced at the slightly embarrassed Zhongli Shun but didn’t press him for details, instead explaining their purpose to the shop owner.
Upon hearing that they were there to buy land, the shop owner’s face lit up. “I see! My apologies for not recognizing you earlier. Please, have a seat, esteemed guests. Waiter, bring tea for these immortals."
Once the members from Cloudculm Abode had taken their seats, the shop owner had his assistants bring out a stack of property deeds and maps of Jimo Sea.
“Jimo Sea is vast, with deep spiritual essence. There are many feng shui-rich plots available, but may I ask, do you have a budget in mind?”
Li Feng was about to boast that they had plenty of money and insist on being shown the best plots first, but Zhao Zhao restrained him and said with a warm smile, “Our budget is limited, but we still want to see what plots you have. If they truly are prime feng shui lands, we may endure a slight strain on our coffers.”
This was a negotiation tactic she had learned while accompanying Xie Lanshu on business inspections of her family’s ventures.
Appearing too extravagant might prompt the seller to inflate prices, while being too frugal could make them lose respect and fail to even sit at the negotiating table.
In the art of reading people, Xie Lanshu was naturally talented, more adept than every member of the Xie Residence, and Zhao Zhao had absorbed a lot from observing him.
Hearing this, the shop owner immediately had a clearer idea of how to present the options.
Although these visitors were from out of town, they weren’t easy marks, so the shop owner restrained his usual tendency to inflate prices and carefully laid out several genuinely valuable plots, explaining each in detail.
“…This one is called Firespire Mountain (离火山), located on the western edge of the Rock Valley (岩谷). Winters are as warm as spring and flowers bloom year-round. Its drawback is that summers are scorching; it’s better suited for fire-element cultivators.”
“This one is called Beaconlight Mountain (明烛山), south of Jimo Sea, nestled between mountains and sea. The climate is mild in winter and cool in summer. Situated on a prime earth vein*, its spiritual energy is abundant—seeds sprout easily, plants flourish. Its downside is the buildings are simple, and the price is not exactly cheap…”
(TLN: 地脉 is an geographical position according to the principles of feng shui (风水), it’s similar to ‘ley lines’)
Zhao Zhao found Beaconlight Mountain quite satisfactory.
The simplicity of the buildings wasn’t an issue, they could demolish and rebuild according to their needs. More importantly, its position atop a strong earth vein meant abundant spiritual energy. Living there in the mortal realm would be roughly equivalent to having a prime location near the Imperial City.
She felt pleased but didn’t voice it, instead scanning the names on the deeds.
Most, she noted, bore the name of the Zhongli Clan.
Curious, she inquired, “Why are all the deeds under Zhongli’s name?”
The shop owner hesitated briefly, then realized that since they were outsiders unfamiliar with Jimo Sea, it wasn’t surprising they didn’t know.
He glanced at Zhongli Shun beside him.
“With the young master of the Zhongli clan here, why not ask him, Miss Immortal?”
Zhao Zhao’s interest in the Zhongli Clan caught Zhongli Shun a little off guard.
“Are you interested in the affairs of the Zhongli family, Miss Immortal?”
Zhao Zhao propped her chin in her hand and nodded. After all, this was the family of Dao Lord Tianshu.
Now that he held the title of Dao Lord and led the Zhongli Clan, he should be supporting his own household, but this family had been repeatedly selling off lands and estates, giving the impression of decline. Naturally, it piqued her curiosity.
Had her ties of affection not yet been severed, perhaps she wouldn’t have felt so curious.
Zhongli Shun considered for a moment. While family matters were usually not for outsiders, since it was his future master showing interest, he chose not to withhold anything and summarized the key points.
The Zhongli bloodline held an exceptionally unique status in the cultivation world.
Legend had it that in ancient times, the Zhongli Clan belonged to the celestial deities, governing a divine domain. But their excessive pursuit of power, coupled with indifference toward mortals, led to their divine status being stripped, leaving them as a banished immortal lineage.
Over the course of countless years, the original tales of the celestial clan had faded into myth.
But it was obvious that the descendants of the Zhongli Clan were exceptionally gifted in cultivation. Whether in swordsmanship, Confucian studies, or other disciplines, they almost invariably excelled, surpassing ordinary practitioners by far.
However, what could have been a prestigious, righteous lineage was fractured when a clan head succumbed to demonic corruption in one generation.
The orthodox sects united to eliminate the rogue, splintering the Zhongli Clan. Its descendants lost the protection of their family, left wandering and adrift, and were taken in by various sects out of compassion for these innocent children.
This act was initially charitable.
Yet, as these Zhongli offspring grew, they became the backbone of their adoptive sects, significantly strengthening those sects’ power.
Afterward, many sects began to harbor ulterior motives.
Adopting a Zhongli descendant was no longer merely an act of kindness; it became a method for selecting and cultivating talent for the sect. Useful children were trained, while those deemed unworthy were left to their fate.
It was under these circumstances that Dao Lord Tianshu became a disciple of Kunwu.
Consequently, after attaining the title of Dao Lord, he enacted a series of regulations regarding the treatment of Zhongli descendants in the cultivation world.
He appointed elders to oversee them and settled the Zhongli descendants in Jimo Sea, stipulating that for every Zhongli child adopted, he would grant land to the family to nurture and support the child’s growth.
If others returned a child, Dao Lord Tianshu would also grant gold and silver as a reward.
With the Zhongli Clan of Jimo Sea established, other sects lost their pretext for taking in Zhongli children and were compelled to send these children back to Jimo Sea.
Hearing this, Zhao Zhao couldn’t help but wonder, “Then in that case, the Zhongli Clan should have grown even stronger. Why has it come to the point of selling so much land?”
Zhongli Shun clenched his fists, his youthful face brimming with indignation. “It’s because of those clan elders!”
Supported by Dao Lord Tianshu, the Zhongli Clan had held sway over Jimo Sea for many years, gradually growing into a prominent noble family.
For a time, the family prospered, but eventually, the flaws inherent in a noble house surfaced. The elders vied for power, and the children once meant to be nurtured were instead used as tools for their own gain.
They took in Zhongli children but provided no proper guidance, indulging in nepotism and personal pleasures, slowly hollowing out the clan like a rotting log.
To maintain the last semblance of dignity, selling off land and estates became their desperate recourse.
The young Zhongli Shun was occasionally sent on errands for the clan, many of which involved selling off family lands.
Watching as the precious plots granted by Dao Lord Tianshu were squandered by indulgent heirs, he felt utterly powerless.
He had only been brought back as a child to serve as a tool for claiming land, not as kin to the elders. Even though he bore the Zhongli surname, there were so many Zhongli children, if one wasn’t a close relative, who would invest resources to nurture him?
After saying all this, Zhongli Shun carefully watched Zhao Zhao’s expression.
Everything he said was true, yet there was a hint of self-interest in it.
This female immortal had a soft heart; if she felt even a trace of pity for him because of this, she might be more willing to accept him as a disciple.
Indeed, Zhao Zhao felt her heart soften considerably.
By his account, the Zhongli Clan’s decline had really only occurred in these past few years.
These years were exactly when Dao Lord Tianshu had inexplicably lost his memory due to heavenly tribulation and descended into the mortal realm to undergo his trials.
While the Zhongli children suffered, Xie Lanshu accompanied Zhao Zhao, managing the Xie family’s affairs, turning them into the wealthiest household in Yunmeng Pier.
Rationally, Zhao Zhao knew this had nothing to do with her, but emotionally, she couldn’t help feeling a pang of compassion.
After pondering for a moment, Daoist Ming Jue finally spoke up, “The Zhongli Clan didn’t fall to this state overnight. Did Dao Lord Tianshu never notice the signs before?”
Zhongli Shun bore no resentment toward Dao Lord Tianshu, on the contrary, he even spoke up in his defense, “Dao Lord oversees the affairs of the entire cultivation realm and often has to lead expeditions against the Demon and Ghost Realms. How could he possibly manage every trivial matter himself? Those clan elders must have deceived him, causing him to overlook such minor issues! This definitely wasn’t Dao Lord’s intention!”
In short, every fault lay with someone else, how could it possibly be blamed on Dao Lord Tianshu?
Zhao Zhao: “……”
Daoist Ming Jue smacked his own forehead in frustration.
Brat, no wonder you haven’t managed to get a master to take you in. You brought it on yourself.
