CHAPTER 379: CHAPTER 379: FREE OF CHARGE, NO MONEY REQUIRED

A First Grade Elixir wasn’t considered a valuable item in Xie Chenyuan’s eyes. He figured he’d return the favor later, so he accepted it without much ado.

There were too many unconfirmed speculations in his mind. Curiosity gnawed at him, so he leaned in and lowered his voice to ask, "Jiang Dao You, earlier at Wo Hu Mountain, it was utter chaos. I had no means to respond, so I retreated to the plaza for safety.

Though I couldn’t make out much at the time, you were constantly on the mountain rescuing people... What I’m getting at is, dear Dao You, did you, by any chance, manage to pick an ’Immortal Peach’? If you did, I’d be willing to pay a high price for one!"

His voice was low but loud enough for others at the table to overhear.

The members of the courtyard were already aware of something. Upon hearing this, everyone silently acknowledged each other, keeping their thoughts to themselves.

The Bear Demon and Tang Qin were utterly caught by surprise, staring at Jiang Yuan in shock.

"Seize the chaos to fish in troubled waters, you know, I got lucky." Jiang Yuan had intended to give away the "Immortal Peach", so when the window paper was pierced, he didn’t deny it. He then scanned the room, asking, "I assume you all want one too?"

Indeed!

Guessing the outcome, Xie Chenyuan couldn’t suppress his grin, thinking he must have employed the Paperman and Paper Horse Skill without being affected, using some Magical Treasure to act invisibly.

Bold and meticulous, daring to think and act, indeed, a young man of courage. After all, to swiftly find a countermeasure in such a situation and successfully implement it requires not just luck but also great confidence in one’s strength.

No wonder all the cultivators on the mountain were plagued by misfortune, except for Jiang Dao You, who was blessed with luck. He probably gained the most from this trip!

"Mr. Jiang! Is it true?" Tang Qin was trembling with excitement.

The purpose of this trip? Naturally, it was to seize the Immortal Peach to extend one’s lifespan!

For this, she had prepared early, initially befriending Mr. Jiang because of his Paperman and Paper Horse Skill, which has indeed proven extremely useful now!

She thought she’d return empty-handed, but unexpected fortune had turned her fate. She now wanted to bow to herself for initially informing him about the Immortal Peach!

This would directly increase her lifespan. A hundred more years of life, she would definitely advance to the Spiritual Devouring Realm, adding another four or five hundred years of lifespan!

"Am I dreaming?" The Bear Demon was breathless, his face pale, surprised beyond belief that he actually had a chance to touch the Immortal Peach. He spoke with a slightly trembling voice, "Mr. Jiang, please don’t joke around about something this important."

Every cultivator has their own secret skills and naturally can’t question how someone acquired something. Revealing such a secret truthfully already shows great respect!

Jiang Yuan stood up, smiling, "Why would I joke with you all? If I recall correctly, Dao You is staying at this inn, right? Shall we move to your room to speak in detail?"

The Bear Demon was overjoyed, almost fainting from happiness. Recalling they were still in a bustling hall, he knew to remain low-key and careful not to leak any information.

"Please, please! Everyone, please move upstairs, I’ll lead the way!"

Seeing the other nearly trip on his clothes out of excitement, Xie Chenyuan chuckled, signaling the innkeeper to settle the bill before following them upstairs.

The entire hall was crowded with cultivators, engaging in loud conversations. Some were regretting, some secretly relieved, and others who retreated early suffered no significant loss, feeling a bit schadenfreude. No one noticed their hurried departure.

"Hey, I say... it’s been a while, shouldn’t we check how things are over there?"

"If you want to go, go ahead. I’m not risking my life again!"

"Come on, we owe our lives to that creature, shouldn’t we at least show some gratitude?"

"You’re right, but I was saved by a little Dao You’s paper crane, so I’ll thank him. I’m not going with you."

"I was rescued by a Dao You using Sword Flight."

"Hmm, I was saved by a corpse ghost, and its owner seemed to be the Ghost Bride..."

...

True cultivators emphasize accumulating karma and doing good deeds to reap good consequences. They narrowly escaped death and felt it was against heavenly reason not to repay this kindness. However, they were at a loss on how to repay and to whom, huddling in groups of three or five, discussing fervently.

Meanwhile, in the upstairs guest room, the Bear Demon checked for the third time to ensure there were no eavesdroppers before drawing the veil in the tea room, shielding them. He conspiratorially asked, "Sir, your Immortal Peach... how much is it?"

"Inspect the goods first." Jiang Yuan casually took out a large, pink peach and placed it on the table.

Feeling the abundant vitality contained within the "Immortal Peach", just a sniff confirmed it was genuine—consuming this peach could extend one’s lifespan by a hundred years!

Tang Qin and the Bear Demon were so excited they almost lunged forward;

The courtyard members knew Jiang Yuan would certainly not let outsiders benefit first. If he was selling now, either he had plenty of peaches, or the peaches themselves had flaws.

After all, they were grown at the cost of human lives, and resisting temptation to think carefully revealed the underlying reasons.

Xie Chenyuan looked at the "Immortal Peach" with disdain and complexity. His cultivation technique allowed him to see that the so-called "Immortal Peach" was a twisted creation, not genuine. What appeared to be a juicy pink peach was rife with resentment, utterly disgusting up close.

"Sir, how many do you have? What’s the price?" Tang Qin couldn’t hold back. Being close at hand, today she must acquire the Immortal Peach!

Jiang Yuan waved his hand, "These peaches are free of charge..."

Before he could finish, the Bear Demon was so overly excited he almost fainted.

Free?! Oh, heavens, Mr. Jiang must be an Immortal descended to the Mortal World! My lifetime of accumulating virtue and doing good deeds finally led to this tremendous fortune!

"Dao You, don’t get excited just yet. Although this thing can indeed increase your lifespan, think about how it’s produced," he patiently explained, "Ideally, the Nine Nether Peach Tree could blossom and fruit with sufficient Spiritual Power, but this particular tree has been turned into a demonic entity by the Demon Monk Guang Hui, rooted with the lives of cultivators. Consuming its peaches carries a dire consequence."

Indeed, upon hearing this, both the Bear Demon and Tang Qin calmed down.

Jiang Yuan then placed a few more peaches on the table, "There are a total of twenty-three here. If you’re willing to bear the consequences, anyone who wants can eat as many as they wish. I only have one condition—eat them here and leave the pits with me."

Bai Yunqi raised an eyebrow slightly, and Hu Zhile, glancing at him, already had a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, meaning the Venerable Family wanted the pits to grow more peach trees. This hinted that the courtyard would resume cultivating Immortal Peaches!

Tang Qin instinctively looked at Hu Zhile. Seeing this, she quickly waved her hand, "My cultivation is progressing smoothly. I’ll soon advance another level. After witnessing the Purgatory firsthand, I really don’t want to meddle with such karma."

Xie Chenyuan took the opportunity to agree, "Even if it’s free, I won’t take it. A hundred years of lifespan aren’t worth risking my life."

"I... Mr. Jiang, let me think..." Tang Qin’s fingers trembled slightly, previously out of excitement, now out of tension and conflict.

How should one choose?

Consuming an Immortal Peach might lead to an insurmountable disaster; abstaining means not extending one’s lifespan, potentially never advancing and dying in a few decades.

The Bear Demon also paced back and forth, conflicted.

Coming with joy; luckily escaping disaster; thinking fortune had turned, yet discovering the "Immortal Peach" has hidden dangers, requiring an unknown price for a hundred years of lifespan.

"Forget it, I choose to believe in myself." After a moment, Tang Qin smiled slightly, no longer obsessed, "Thank you, sir, for helping me avoid another disaster. Otherwise, blinded by greed and unable to see the reason, if I really ate this ’Immortal Peach’, I’d regret it endlessly."

The Bear Demon, looking between her and the peaches, couldn’t resist the allure of extended life. With a hopeful mindset, he grabbed two peaches and ate them.

Jiang Yuan collected two peach pits, contemplating the peaches in his Storage Bag—perhaps he could display them in the Floating Market showcase to see if they could be sold?