Chapter 1431 - 1039: At the Mercy of Others

Chapter 1431: Chapter 1039: At the Mercy of Others

Wan Mingchuan didn’t react at first, it was actually the Lotus Peak Courtyard!

The wooden pavilions had carved beams and painted rafters, glowing with warm yellow candlelight in the ever-dusky night of the Netherworld;

Workshops with Netherworld hues were neatly arranged in a corner, aligned in threes and twos;

The doorway was paved with stone slabs, and flowering trees were planted at the corners, adding a touch of warmth to the courtyard, which was swept by the eerie wind.

"Greetings, sir!" Uncle Corpse Puppet of Tang Qin had just returned with a big basket on his back. After the courtesy, he couldn’t help but meddle, saying, "Ah! Such a nice courtyard for the sir, and such resource-rich Lotus Mountain. Closing the doors and doing some mining cultivation is indeed a great thing!

But that Miss He seems to be acting out of character, never at home, doing no work. A young lady, showing herself outside every day!

Sometimes she rushes back home with those little ghosts, the details unknown. Not only does she shelter them, but lets them live in big houses, provides them with Elixirs and Cold Crystal Jade. She’s almost ruined your little fortune!"

As soon as the words fell, the angry little Ghost Cultivator He Gui, who had trailed behind, bowed to Jiang Yuan, saying, "Tang Jinsheng, are your lips itching again? Just for that gossiping mouth of yours, Miss Tang scolded you the other day, and here you are at it again today.

Sir, please don’t listen to his nonsense!

Miss He wouldn’t casually bring little ghosts to Lotus Peak. She searches for scattered Ghost Cultivators in the Netherworld and wants to check their lineage background.

Only the innocent Ghost Cultivators are brought back; those who have committed crimes, some are left to fend for themselves; those with major offenses are directly sent to Fengdu City for disposal.

Moreover, the Ghost Cultivators brought back don’t get Elixirs and Cold Crystal Jade for nothing. The former are urgently needed for healing injuries; the latter are rewards for special contributions in mining and material gathering at Lotus Peak.

Mr. Bai has scheduled shifts for us. I am resting today and will go into the mountains tomorrow. Originally, Miss Tang also arranged for her uncle, Tang Jinsheng, to work every other day, but since he’s always stirring trouble and spreading rumors, Miss Tang punished him to work daily!"

He Gui was originally a meek scholar who was killed by bandits on his way to take the imperial exam in the capital.

Unwilling to let go of his wrongful death, he was led to the Netherworld by the Yin Messenger, still yearning for revenge, but unexpectedly became a Ghost Cultivator instead of returning to the Human Realm.

While Fengdu City was aggressively recruiting and capturing Ghost Cultivators, he happened to be recuperating in the city, hence evaded detection quietly. Later, while seeking cultivation resources outside, he was nearly discovered by a Yin Messenger, but fortunately, He Miancun brought him to reside in the small Lotus Peak Courtyard just in time.

He worked one day in the mountains and rested one day for cultivation, balancing work and leisure, and occasionally earning ready-made Cold Crystal Jade, fostering affection for the courtyard not governed by Fengdu City, fearing its peaceful life would be disrupted by malicious people.

Upon discovering that other Ghost Cultivators behaved themselves but Miss Tang’s Uncle Corpse Puppet constantly gossiped behind backs, He Gui kept an eye on Tang Jinsheng. Once the latter spread rumors, He Gui would immediately jump out to refute him.

Initially, Tang Jinsheng’s rumors and trouble-making did cause minor inconveniences, but Bai Yunqi and He Miancun soon suppressed him in tandem.

On one hand, being Tang Qin’s capable minion, devoid of pain and fatigue, capable enough in mining to rival three men, made it hard to be excessively punished;

On the other hand, over time, everyone knew Tang Jinsheng’s character, so no one believed what he said. Thus, they let him be.

Ever since He Gui fixated on Tang Jinsheng, they became a routine spectacle at the Lotus Peak courtyard, one speaking ahead and the other countering.

In a ghostly, somber environment devoid of entertainment, such a duo brought plenty of cheer. Everyone was also curious about what strange things would come out of Tang Jinsheng’s mouth, considering he had been through the Tongue Pulling Hell yet hadn’t learned his lesson.

"It seems even daily work can’t restrain him." Jiang Yuan joke, then introduced his senior disciple Wan Mingchuan to He Gui, asking, "Miss He mentioned your old injuries; how are they now?"

Both sides greeted each other, and He Gui excitedly said, "The Elixirs you refined are excellent, sir! The Ghost Doctor said that once I transcend the Tribulation Crossing and ascend to the next Realm, I can eliminate the root of my old injuries.

You must be here to visit Elder Wan, right? He’s up in the mountains. I’ll take the two of you there."

Following along, flying into the depths of Lotus Peak, Wan Mingchuan looked at the drastically changed mountains, the courtyard’s initial state still lingering in his mind.

In under a year, it had become hardly recognizable. Yet, no matter the changes, it was unmistakably a courtyard personally tended by his master, even the layout was identical to the Shuiyun Lake courtyard!

"Ding ding dang dang!"

Stepping into the valley, the commotion from the mining drifted in with the eerie wind.

When Jiang Yuan used the Ten Thousand Worlds Mirror to discover Lotus Peak’s petal mountain, where the hidden treasure lay in obscurity, he set up chains of bone-oil lamps, illuminating the valley with a fairy tale-like brightness, akin to stars.

Numerous Ghost Cultivators busied themselves shuttling within, categorizing and stacking baskets of gravel and yellow earth outside the valley.

"Hello, Mr. Jiang!"

"Hello, sir!"

"Mr. Jiang is here!"

...

Thanks to Jiang Yuan’s trade with Du Li and Fengdu City, the Lotus Peak area was tightly secured by two protective arrays.

Especially the array replicating the Eighteen Layers of Hell; even the Yin Messengers dared not approach without permission, offering the little Ghost Cultivators maximum safety assurances.

Meanwhile, He Miancun was out recruiting Ghost Cultivators, whom Jiang Yuan personally reviewed and admitted as Guests. The Lotus Peak Courtyard was now home to nearly two hundred Ghost Cultivators.