Dao Companions Help Me Live Forever

Chapter 171: Wrong Timing

When Yu Xian left the Lin Mansion, he looked surprised.

He had thought that his visit would bring relief to the Lin family and solve their urgent problem.

But Lin You, the head of the Lin family, had a nonchalant attitude towards him, as if he had no desires or ambitions.

The Lin family being audited for taxes?

That was to be expected. The peace in Shangyang City relies on the protection of the Immortal, and it is an honor for the Lin family to pay taxes to the Immortal.

Being targeted?

There's always something when there's nothing. It's because the Lin family hasn't done well enough and still holds a lucky mindset towards inspections.

From now on, the Lin family will strictly follow the rules and never miss a single spiritual stone in tax payments.

Throughout the entire process, Lin You maintained a stable emotional state, cooperated extremely well, and showed no trace of the arrogance of a three-hundred-year-old prestigious family.

Yu Xian didn't understand, but he didn't care either.

Since the Lin family admitted defeat, he would just continue to grind them down.

After all, as the supervisory department, it would be easy to find some small faults. Even if Lin You emphasized the rules to his subordinates, it would be the subordinates who actually carried out the tasks. It's not like every one of them is a loyal servant who treats spiritual stones like dirt.

By then, as long as the subordinates make mistakes, they can endlessly hold the Lin family responsible.

The most important thing is that Zhao Shiwen is the one doing all these things. Even if things escalate to an irreconcilable point, he can easily shift the blame by claiming ignorance.

In addition, Yu Xian obtained the information he wanted about the millennium spirit medicine.

That millennium Purple Gold Cordyceps was obtained by the ancestors of the Lin family when they ventured deep into the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain. Shortly after returning to the family, they passed away.

If he wants a second millennium spirit medicine, he can only venture deep into the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain.

This was an expected piece of news.

The high-level resources in the cultivation world of Shangyang City are scarce. Foundation Building cultivators can still find resources for their early-stage cultivation, but in the middle and later stages of Foundation Building, there are no sustainable resources in the entire region.

Most cultivators can only seek their own paths.

The nearby Ten Thousand Demon Mountain is the best treasure trove.

Although the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain next to Shangyang City is just a small branch, it is still a place where third-level demon kings exist.

Even if it's just some scraps, it's not difficult to satisfy a few Foundation Building cultivators, not to mention the second-level demon beasts.

Those are all tempting cultivation resources.

However... the mortality rate is higher.

For example, the first powerful expert Yu Xian encountered, Old Jiang, had a relic that looked like a treasure map of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain.

Yu Xian suspected that his injuries were caused in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, which allowed him to gain an advantage.

With this precedent, Yu Xian naturally wouldn't take the risk himself.

So he decided to offer a reward to find the medicine.

There are always cultivators who are not afraid of death, and if he offers a higher price, there will always be lucky ones who will be tempted.

...

The next day, Yu Xian issued a small-scale internal reward within the Taxation Department, offering several types of millennium spirit medicine in exchange for Foundation Building pills. This immediately caused a huge stir.

Since the Wu family and Manager Yu reached a deep cooperation, the outflow of Foundation Building pills has been tightly controlled.

Although there are still some alchemists who can refine Foundation Building pills on the market, it's difficult to make bricks without straw.

After Master Danyang left, the supply of several special materials for Foundation Building pills became scarce.

These materials used to be harvested by the Xuan Yang Chamber of Commerce from the Foundation Building cultivators in Shangyang City, but now there are no opportunities for them to harvest.

The reason why Foundation Building pills can still be produced is because the major prestigious families and the market still have some inventory.

Seeing the difficulty in replenishing the supply, everyone naturally chose Wu Laozu and Luo Han, the two alchemists who can stably refine Foundation Building pills.

Other alchemists have unstable skills. They used to be given a chance to practice by refining pills, but now even one explosion would make people feel heartbroken.

In this context, the value of each Foundation Building pill has greatly increased.

After the news slowly spread, even some Foundation Building cultivators were tempted, especially those who were nearing the end of their lifespan in their families.

Regarding this, Yu Xian didn't care about the consequences. As long as there are spirit medicines, there will be Foundation Building pills.

If you want the Foundation Building pill but don't have any elixirs, you better work obediently for the Taxation Department.

Two temporary workers who performed well at the Taxation Department were promoted in advance, and one of them successfully broke through to the Foundation Building stage.

Now the temporary positions at the Taxation Department have gained great market recognition.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, Yu Xian patiently waits for the flowers to bloom.

Just like that, two months passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day.

Yu Xian had just returned from deep discussions with Luo Han in Cave No. 2, feeling that his alchemy skills had improved, but he sensed that something was off in the mansion.

Ah Miao, who used to greet him at the door on time, was nowhere to be found.

The maids in the mansion were silent, previously eager to be close to him, but now they avoided him like a ferocious beast.

Yu Xian knew that the mistress of the house had returned.

Sure enough.

When Yu Xian entered the inner courtyard, he saw Yu Lan standing at the door, smiling at him, and Chen Yi standing behind her with her back turned to him.

And there was Ah Miao peeking out from the corner.

It looked at the mistress, then at the master, with a mischievous look in its eyes, almost as if it was waiting for a show.

It was just missing a small stool and some melon seeds.

In response, Yu Xian's smile appeared on his face as he reached out his hand towards Yu Lan.

"It's been so long, come here and give me a hug."

Yu Lan hesitated for a moment, turned her head to look at Chen Yi, then dashed towards Yu Xian, giving him a hug like an octopus.

"Husband, I missed you so much."

Yu Lan nestled in Yu Xian's arms, rubbing her face against him like a cat, smelling his familiar scent, and any unfamiliarity from the two years apart instantly disappeared.

Speaking of which, this was the first time she had been separated from Yu Xian for such a long time.

But in this comforting embrace, she felt that nothing had changed.

Yu Xian then gently lifted her up and weighed her.

"Not bad, you haven't lost weight."

"Husband..."

Yu Lan pouted, a blush appearing on her face, and reminded him, "And there's Sister Xiao Yi, she misses you too."

Yu Xian put down Yu Lan and slowly walked behind Chen Yi, directly embracing her, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder.

"What's wrong? We're an old married couple, can't I let go?"

Chen Yi collapsed into Yu Xian's arms, her eyes closed, murmuring, "I can't remove the restriction on me."

Yu Xian sniffed Chen Yi's hair and lazily said,

"It's okay, as long as you're by my side."

"Is that really enough?"

Chen Yi turned around, facing Yu Xian, her eyes already open, clear and penetrating.

"You found another woman and let her live in our house?"

Yu Xian admitted frankly, "Yes."

"Not just for fun?"

"She's called Luo Han, she's already my Dao companion, just like you."

Chen Yi's expression dimmed, as if she was asking Yu Xian, but also asking herself.

"Why are you so greedy?"

Yu Xian's smile slowly faded from his face, and he gently let go of Chen Yi, saying quite seriously,

"I have always been this greedy."

Chen Yi tilted her head slightly, her cold gaze meeting Yu Xian's eyes.

"Perhaps the joy of reunion after a long separation has blinded my eyes. In the two years since we were apart, I have thought a lot on the mountain."

"I think if I can remove the restriction and give myself to you completely again, then you can only be mine, at most, with the addition of Yu Lan."

"But I can't do it."

"Once, I used this reason to convince myself, to accept your absurdity and promiscuity, to ignore your infidelity. Even though I knew I was deceiving myself."

"But I found that when I knew you were being intimate and sweet with other women, there would be anger, resentment, and hatred in my heart... I couldn't be as gentle and tolerant as a magnolia, accommodating you in every way."

"For me, love should be selfish, possessive."

"Yu Xian, tell me, what should I do?"

Yu Xian fell into silence.

He didn't expect their conflict to come so quickly, probably because Luo Han's appearance catalyzed the speed.

Good fortune is not so easy to enjoy.

As Chen Yi just said, love is selfish, possessive, and this applies to both men and women.

Just like he would never allow his woman to be with another man.

Yulan could tolerate the presence of different women around him because she knew she couldn't hold onto his heart.

So she willingly became a silent harbor, just waiting quietly.

But Chen Yi is different.

The former Chen Yi was weak and helpless, in the dangerous Fu Wang Mansion, he was the only one to rely on, no matter what he did, it seemed natural.

But now Chen Yi is a genius who attracts attention, far surpassing his Gold Core True Person, a figure he could never reach in his lifetime.

This is an objective fact that will not change because of personal emotions.

To give an inappropriate analogy, it's like Chen Yi, a princess with real power, marrying him, a local wealthy man.

In this situation, how could she willingly share a man with other women?

But...

How could he give up the entire forest for one tree?

"It seems you have made a decision in your heart."

Yu Xian smiled bitterly, decisively putting himself in the role of the victim.

The overbearing CEO returned to his hometown to fulfill his long-cherished wish with the moonlight, only to find that the moonlight had become a grain of rice on his clothes, so he decided to give her some money to send her away.

Hmm, the plot development is logical.

Yu Xian expressed his approval.

Even if he wanted to break up with Chen Yi, it would be impossible for him to do it actively. Otherwise, even if Chen Yi didn't take action, he would be killed by his uncle in minutes.

But now if Chen Yi proposed it.

It would perfectly fit the development plot that he and his uncle had imagined.

At that time, with his uncle's simple mind, he would only feel more guilty towards him.

Sure enough, Chen Yi shook his head and said:

"I don't know, but I think we should separate for a while. There are some issues that I haven't thought through."

Yulan beside him looked anxious, biting her lip tightly, wanting to say something but not daring to interrupt.

She didn't understand how things had developed to this point, when they should have been happy after a long separation.

Yu Xian's hand trembled involuntarily, and his body showed a slight tremor, but it was quickly concealed.

"Okay, I respect your decision."

At this moment, he showed a hint of a smile, but it looked particularly sad.

"Sometimes I wonder, can birds in the sky and fish in the water fall in love?"

"Even if they do, what will be the result for them?"

"Whether it's a bird entering the water or a fish coming ashore, tragedy awaits them."

"Chen Yi, you are too perfect, too powerful. And you are not a melodious oriole, but an eagle soaring in the sky, your gaze is on the heavens, encompassing the whole world."

"And I am just a little fish drifting with the current in the water, happy enough to eat some shrimp every day."

"I think this is why your master is willing to let you come back, the gap between you and me will make our feelings extremely fragile."

"But I won't blame you."

"Because you are right, what may be a small storm for you, could be a catastrophic storm for me."

"I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. After learning about your current identity, I'm not happy, but fearful, afraid that one day your master will suddenly appear in front of me.

She said, "I seduced her disciple and wants to slap me to death with one palm."

"So..." Yu Xian forced a smile and said, "I will cultivate diligently. If, I mean, if one day I catch up to your footsteps, I will be able to stand proudly in front of you, side by side."

"I hope that when that time comes, you can give me another chance to chase after you again."

"For now, I hope we can still be friends."

Chen Yi couldn't help but feel a tremor in her heart. The question that had puzzled her for a long time was answered at this moment.

Yes, the conflict between her and Yu Xian was never about his promiscuity.

In the past, she could accept Yu Xian's promiscuity, so why couldn't she accept it now?

It was because she had become stronger.

She felt that she deserved a unique love.

So even though she was temporarily infatuated with Yu Xian's sweet words, once she returned to reality and saw Yu Xian holding another woman in his arms, a sense of disconnection and confusion would arise.

Was this really the love she wanted?

If Yu Xian were strong enough, she wouldn't feel unwilling and frustrated like she did now.

But it was a pity.

He would never catch up to her.

Chen Yi sighed inwardly and said, "The gap between you and me is indeed quite large now. But I don't care about that, as long as you promise to accompany me in the future..."

As she spoke, she suddenly paused and smiled.

"When did I, Chen Yi, become such a timid person, begging repeatedly for a love to come back?"

"Yu Xian, you're right."

Birds and fish cannot fall in love, so I will wait for you to leap over the dragon gate and transform into a true dragon. Then, I will be the little bird perched by your side."

"For now, we are just friends."

Chen Yi took a step forward, gently encircling Yu Xian's waist, resting her head on his chest, and a tear unconsciously rolled down her cheek.

"This is a hug between friends before parting."

Yu Xian's body stiffened, and when he came back to his senses and wanted to give Chen Yi a hug, he found that the person in front of him had turned into a blur, leaving behind only an amber-colored wine gourd.

Yu Xian grabbed the wine gourd and felt the immense power contained within, like the vastness of mountains and seas, and suddenly felt a sense of loss.

Clearly, this was the plot he wanted, so why did he feel a little sad?

Chen Yi was too strong, he couldn't control her now.

Being by her side meant forever living under pressure, and the possibility of betrayal from the Xuan Yin Sect...

But he couldn't go against his own heart and be a supportive husband to Chen Yi, content with living off her.

And Chen Yi wasn't someone driven by love, she wouldn't blindly obey and accommodate him just because of love.

It could only be said that they met at the wrong time.

If they waited another twenty years, perhaps everything would be different.

"Master, look!"

Yu Xian heard Yu Lan's exclamation and followed her gaze.

The big tree behind Chen Yi had just shed its leaves.

If one looked closely, they would see that each leaf had become fragmented, enveloped by an invisible force.

After falling to the ground, the leaves dissipated like light and shadows, completely turning into dust.

The atmosphere suddenly became melancholic.

Yu Xian shook the wine gourd in his hand and heard the sound of water rushing inside.

He uncorked the bottle and smelled a strong aroma of wine.

It was soft and carried a hint of sweetness.

He seemed to see a young girl secretly pouring a pot of wine into the wine gourd, carrying it with her day and night, fantasizing about sharing a cup of wine with her lover when they met.

"There will be a chance."

Yu Xian pressed down the cork and silently said.

I caught a cold last night, and my throat has been uncomfortable all day today. Combined with the difficulty of writing this chapter, I've been stuck, so I can only write this much.

(End of this chapter)