Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 1637: Paving the Way to the Gate

Rourou suddenly changed her mind.

Of course, before she changed her mind, she first went to take a look to confirm that Qin Yu was indeed in closed-door cultivation.

She had released White Iris and allowed her to walk around her courtyard. She even took off her white robe and changed into a long skirt that was tighter and showed off her curves.

When Lord Min accidentally stumbled across White Iris behaving intimately and laughing together with Min Xiangtai on the boat, he felt as if he was struck by lightning and almost lost his temper.

He turned around and went to find Rourou. He almost knelt down on the spot and scowled miserably, “Lady, I will definitely help to heal that subordinate of yours, but this is a very troublesome matter; you have to give me some time. I only have one son and nothing can happen to him. Lady, please have mercy and call her back!”

Rourou inhaled and softly put down her tea cup, not looking upset at all. “If Lord Min feels that whatever she is doing is inappropriate, you may take action and kill her yourself. Why did you feel the need to come here?”

Lord Min rubbed his face. I really want to do that, but I don’t dare to. Of course I have repeatedly denied this on the surface, but I really wish that I could just swear on the spot that I do not dare to ever disrespect you.

Rourou did not believe any of this. However, they had dealt with each other before and this was his way of saying that he was ready to get down to business.

She tapped her fingers lightly on the table and said blandly, “She’s just a dog that’s not worth my efforts, so what if she dies?”

The corner of Min Changjing’s lips twitched and he took a deep breath, “May I ask what else do you need my help with exactly? If I am able to do it, I will definitely not decline.”

Rourou raised her hand and pointed in the direction where Qin Yu was in closed-door cultivation, “Marquis Chongwu gained an opportunity a few days ago. He had seen the Celestial Gate in advance. However, having seen it does not mean that he is able to reach it. He needs someone to help him pave the way to the gate.”

Min Changjing frowned and did not say a word.

The air was silent and peaceful.

The corners of Rourou’s lips curled up, “Why? Lord Min, you have already endured for so long, are you going to curl up and shrink now?”

She licked her lips and her eyes were bright.

Min Changjing could only laugh bitterly, “Lady, your words are harsh. Even if I had a hundred guts, I would not dare to have any bad intentions towards you. However, this matter is very tricky. You’re right, I admit that I am indeed capable of opening up a path for him. However, it does not make sense to build a ladder for his Great Dao at the expense of my family’s Dao Path.”

When he raised his head to make eye contact with Rourou, his tone was still respectful but there was something else in his eyes as he said, “I believe that you won’t ask a horse to run without giving it some hay, right?”

He tried to express what his bottom line was by sounding light and playful, as if he said it with complete ease.

However, it had a heavy meaning to it.

Everything else could be discussed, but if she was going to cross his bottom line, then he would have to change his attitude.

Now, Min Changjing had very clearly expressed what his bottom line was to this lady. Whether she wanted to go one step forward or half a step backwards was up to her.

Rourou was expressionless but her gaze was cold, “Lord Min, such great courage you have.”

Min Changjing shook his head, “I have no choice. After living for so many years, I still can’t get old. Instead, I have become a marionette, otherwise, I would not be living up to my life’s worth of cultivation.”

Rourou scoffed and turned her palm upwards to reveal a heart that was still beating.

Opposite her, Min Changjing frowned. He paled slightly but showed no fear in his eyes at all.

“Hmph! It seems like Lord Min is afraid after all. However, it would be a pity for me to use this heart myself, so let’s make a deal.”

Min Changjing quickly nodded his head and there was a big smile on his face, “Yes, it’s good to make a deal, it’s good to make a deal! Fortunes can only be made during peacetime!”

The corners of Rourou’s lips curled up, “So, you’d better think properly before you quote a price. Otherwise, I might just change my mind.”

Min Changjing cupped his hands with a serious expression, “My lady, please rest assured, I do not have a death wish yet.” Even though he said it that way, he had a sharp tongue and was very good at bargaining. Rourou was always on the verge of falling out with him until they compromised to reach a deal.

With a long face, Min Changjing left this courtyard that had Light Flow Tiles on the roof. Suddenly, he exhaled slowly and looked like he was deep in thought.

The old chef, whose legs had been broken, had unknowingly appeared by Lord Min’s side. He had an expression that showed he was eager to listen to Lord Min’s troubles. Lord Min said, “Let’s just leave the matter at that. Since the lady isn’t being unreasonable, we can put up with this for a little while longer. There’s no need to make a decision now.”

The old chef nodded, “Lord Min is right, those are very wise words.”

Min Changjing gritted his teeth, “Get lost. I’m in a very bad mood now and you’re an eyesore.”

Even though he said that the worst situation had not happened yet, he had still suffered a big loss at the end of the day. In his own house, he was forced to lower his head by outsiders. Of course he did not feel happy about it.

The old chef turned around and left without a hint of sloppiness. The fact that Lord Min was angry meant that everything was indeed fine. If he was laughing on the surface and making small talk, then that would indicate that something big was going to happen.

“Come back, haven’t your legs been broken? If you walk back just like this, that lass will lose face.” Min Changjing’s gaze was threatening.

The old chef instantly started to run and was soon gone from sight, “Lord Min, please don’t worry. I have the means to hide this from that brat!”

As he ran, there was a wronged expression on his face. He thought to himself that he was indeed not very good at hiding his inner emotions. Lord Min could see through all his thoughts just by looking at him. Just now, Lord Min was truly thinking of breaking both his legs himself.

If that happened, his legs would truly be broken!

Sigh, he did not have many years left to live. Why did Lord Min not allow him to repay his debts?

His capabilities could not be brought with him after he died anyway. If he wasted them by not using them, then that would truly be a pity. Why not have a gamble? Even though that lady possessed a Great Shaman’s heart now, if he abandoned his body, he might be able to seal her powers.

He did not wish for too much – just sealing her powers for half an hour was enough for Lord Min to take action and swallow her. When she had fallen into the lord’s belly, even if she was extremely powerful, she would not be able to escape. Then, they would be able to just let slow erosion do all the work. At most, he would have to suffer from a bellyache for hundreds of years to digest her bit by bit, but it would still make him extremely powerful.

He could not understand, he truly could not understand. The old chef was extremely frustrated. However, he was very clear about Lord Min’s intentions. Since he did not agree with taking action, then they could only continue to put up with her.

……

Qin Yu’s short period of closed-door cultivation was interrupted by Rourou. She told him straightforwardly that she had completed a deal with Min Changjing and that he would help to create a path for Qin Yu to the gate.

Precisely because Qin Yu knew what gate Rourou was referring to, he felt even more alarmed. He hurriedly asked her a few more questions to confirm that nothing was wrong, but he still felt slightly worried.

Rourou rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t worry, I did not suffer any losses. At most, I would have to give something that is of no value to me.”

After a pause, the corners of her lips curled upwards, “On the other hand, that old toad is going to vomit blood this time. Later on, do not stand on occasion. Open your belly and eat as much as you can.”

Qin Yu looked at Rourou and hesitated.

“Alright, you’re a man and my husband, but you’re not efficient at all. I just came to tell you about this matter; you only have to wait.” Rourou turned and left, and a little warmth could be seen in her eyes.

Min Changjing was waiting outside the courtyard. When he saw Rourou coming out, he laughed bitterly, “Lady, you should lower your voice when you speak. I am standing outside and I can hear everything, I feel slightly strange listening in.”

Rourou looked at him and said blandly, “I am true to my words – I will personally go and bring White Iris back and also have a chat with your family’s young master.”

Min Changjing’s face froze as he watched her leave. He wanted to grit his teeth very badly, but he could only force a smile onto his face and enter the courtyard.

“Marquis, the lady has already explained everything to you. If there is nothing else, shall we begin right away?”

Qin Yu smiled and cupped his hands, “I’ll have to trouble you this time, Lord Min.”

“It’s no trouble at all. It is my fortune to be able to work with the lady,” Min Changjing said and coughed lightly. He lowered his voice and a bitter expression formed on his face, “It’s just that this collaboration will incur a huge loss for me. Building a Great Dao for you will harm my Dao Path that I painstakingly cultivated. Therefore, I hope that later on, Marquis will be magnanimous and not let me ruin my cultivation base.”

Qin Yu nodded his head in a serious manner, “Lord Min, please do not worry. You’re doing a huge favor for me, of course Ning Qin is grateful and will act appropriately.”

Who is Ning Qin? No matter who it was, it’s not me!

Min Changjing’s face was full of gratitude. However, after expressing his gratitude, he extended his arm, “Please sit cross-legged and stare at that gate. Afterwards, I will take action and build a road to the gate for you. You just need to ensure that you are focused on that gate for the whole time. You don’t have to worry about the rest.”

Qin Yu cupped his hands to thank Lord Min again and sat cross-legged as per his instructions. He gathered his concentration and focus. Instantly, a big gate that had golden light shining out of it ‘appeared’.

Min Changjing walked in front of Qin Yu, raised his hand, and placed a finger between Qin Yu’s eyebrows. His face changed slightly and there was a bitter expression on his face.

It seemed that the quality of this marquis’ cultivation was rather ordinary, and this gate was extremely high, as if it had reached the horizon.

If there was no one to pave the way for him, even if there was a heaven-defying opportunity that allowed him to see this gate in advance, he would never have the opportunity to step into it in his whole life.

How sad!

The higher the gate was, the longer the road would be, which meant that the amount of Dao Path that he needed to consume would be greater. Originally, he was thinking that he would not be losing too much, but from the looks of it now, it seemed that he had indeed suffered a huge loss.

There was a bit of hesitation in Min Changjing’s heart, but only a bit. Since the deal was already done, he could not go back on his word because it would be unreasonable.

When that lady went mad, she really had no scruples. If that happened, he would not be able to keep his son safe and he would not be able to save himself as well. After all, Min Changjing had seen that Great Shaman’s heart that came from unknown origins for himself. The power it held was indeed great; there was no way to fake this at all.

Gritting his teeth, golden veins suddenly appeared on Min Changjing’s palm. Like the roots of a big tree that dug into the ground, the veins converged to his fingertips.

Then, his fingertips turned a dazzling gold color. Strands of golden aura came out from his fingertips and entered Qin Yu’s forehead.

Going on the Great Dao Path exhausted Great Dao energy. Every strand of golden aura was Lord Min’s Dao Path.

If any demon in this world could even get a strand of this golden aura, it would lead to a huge improvement to their cultivation. Even if it was a normal and ordinary beast, as long as they could swallow it without ripping their belly apart, it could also activate their spiritual wisdom and allow them to practise the cultivation path of the Demon Clan.

In the eyes of a demon, it was truly a treasure!

The Thousand Islands were sitting in a large lake. In this large lake, the waters were extremely deep and there were countless demons that occupied this territory. Usually, the Thousand Islands were governed by the West Desolate empire, so they did not dare to act recklessly. These islands were considered to be rather peaceful and they could devote themselves to cultivating underwater.

However, today, these demons seemed to have lost their minds and started to overturn the sea and rivers. They rushed from all four directions and this shocked the owners of these large and small islands. Then, they realized that these water demons that had gone mad were not charging at them. They rode the waves and went straight to a certain place.

Looking at that place, it was an island that suddenly gained an owner in the last few years…in an instant, countless eyes focused on it and various thoughts turned in their hearts.

As the saying went, ‘wind does not come from an empty cave for no reason’.

There must have been a huge opportunity that arose to cause thousands of demons in this lake to suddenly lose their minds. Could there be a treasure being born on this island? Outside this group of demons, several figures that hid in the shadow also rode these ferocious waves and secretly went towards Long Island.

Cough, they were all neighbors who were connected by water. As the saying went, ‘a neighbor is better than a distant relative’. Now that the neighborhood was being attacked by demons, as good neighbors, us West Desolate people cannot just sit back and watch!