A man and a woman turned into Mud Bottle Alley. The young man wore a tall crown and a jade pendant at his waist. He resembled a wealthy young master more than a descendant of the richest family in the small town, the Lus. The woman’s age was hard to discern. At first glance, she looked like a young maiden, her skin delicate and tender, her pointed chin like an icicle hanging from the eaves in winter. On second glance, she possessed the allure of a thirty-year-old woman. Her phoenix eyes were captivating, her figure enchanting, radiating a captivating charm from head to toe. The way she walked, her waist swaying, was unlike any woman in the town.

The woman looked around, full of curiosity, even reaching out to touch the yellow mud walls. Unable to detect any clues, she asked, “Fu Nanhua, is this truly one of the hidden blessed lands you mentioned? Why didn’t my family’s ancestor’s geomantic map emphasize this alleyway?”

The young man answered irrelevantly, “If we truly gain an unexpected reward here, how will you repay me?”

The woman turned to the side, interlacing her fingers behind her back, accentuating the captivating scenery of her chest, making it appear even fuller and more voluptuous. She said with a half-true, gentle smile, “At your disposal, what do you say?”

The young man did not expect her to be so direct, which instead threw him off balance. Furthermore, he was here to “visit relatives and seek friends,” shouldering the responsibility for his entire family’s century of prosperity, even a thousand years of flourishing. No matter how flirtatious he was, he would never dare to engage in a fleeting affair with the woman before him in the small town, under the “public eye.”

So, he quickly changed the subject, pointing to the depths of the alleyway, and said with a smile, “Fairy Cai, friends are friends, business is business. I must repeat once again, according to our previous agreement, there are two households in this Mud Bottle Alley: a master and servant pair, and a mother and son pair. I will let you choose one to bet on first. The initial investment will be ten pieces of Cloud Root Stone, a specialty of your Cloud Radiance Mountain, to be delivered to our Old Dragon City every year.”

The woman nodded, her smile charming. “Of course, that’s fine.”

The young man walked forward slowly, continuing, “Next, if you happen to obtain any opportunity here beyond our family’s expectations, that item must be submitted to our respective ancestors for appraisal to determine a fair price. Afterward, your Cloud Radiance Mountain will provide half of the equivalent value in Cloud Root Stone. Cai Jinjian, do you have any objections? Or rather, can you be sure that after agreeing to this matter here and now, you can also convince your Cloud Radiance Mountain’s ancestors to nod and approve of this bet after you have obtained the benefits and secured your gains?”

The woman’s expression had changed, becoming solemn and dignified, completely different from before. It was as if a courtesan who had fallen into the world of prostitution had transformed into an empress, the mother of the world. This woman, known as Cai Jinjian of Cloud Radiance Mountain, said decisively, “I can!”

The young man narrowed his eyes, his expression dark. He stopped and looked directly at the woman, whose height was not inferior to his. “Let’s get the unpleasantries out of the way first. The reason we can form an alliance today for mutual benefit is not because we fell in love at first sight or found each other agreeable. It’s because of the incense offering accumulated by the successive generations of ancestors of Old Dragon City and Cloud Radiance Mountain over hundreds of years. If we mess this up and incur the wrath of those old fogeys, neither I, Fu Nanhua, nor you, Cai Jinjian, nor even our parents and teachers, can bear the responsibility!”

Cai Jinjian smiled. “So, during our time in this small town, we must be sincere with each other and cooperate wholeheartedly, right?”

Fu Nanhua also displayed his handsome and debonair side in this dark alley, and said with a smile, “Besides that…”

Fu Nanhua turned his head and glanced around, then lowered his voice after withdrawing his gaze. “We also need to be careful of those two. After all, they aren’t from the Righteous Sun Mountain, which is known for its good reputation. And I heard that those two are rather untamed and don’t follow the rules too closely.”

The tall woman squinted her eloquent phoenix eyes, as if saying coquettishly, “That’s why I, Cai Jinjian, chose you, Young Master Fu.”

Fu Nanhua said softly, “Let’s go. Although this place has a Sage suppressing and balancing the various forces, it’s still best to be careful. It wouldn’t do to be overturned in a ditch. In short, whether we can leap through the dragon gate depends on this.”

This favored son of heaven, famous throughout the region, strengthened his Dao heart and silently recited in his heart, “The Great Dao is attainable, and those who block my path, immortals and Buddhas can be killed!”

He looked toward the depths of the alley and saw a slender young man walking toward them from the opposite direction.

It was the second time they had met.

(End of this chapter, please turn the page)

The two continued to walk leisurely, like a pair of divine beings who had descended to the mortal realm.

The tall woman also saw the young man and joked, “At the gate, in the alley, we’ve run into him twice. Do you think this young man will…?”

She only said half of what she meant. Fu Nanhua, of course, knew what she meant and said with a wry smile, “My Great Fairy Cai, there are six hundred households in this small town, plus the servants and laborers of the ten major clans, nearly five thousand people. No matter how many hidden dragons and crouching tigers there are in this small town, it’s still just a small town. Moreover, over the years, those good seedlings with roots, fortune, and origins have long been secretly divided up. The reason we can ‘find a bargain’ this time is simply because those great power figures with unfathomable minds are deliberately selling it to us.”

The woman also smiled self-deprecatingly, feeling embarrassed for her naive thoughts.

Hesitating for a moment, she still said, “I don’t know how your ancestor passed on the secrets of heaven, but my father told me something: after entering this place, if someone makes you feel cold, you must take the initiative to retreat and keep a respectful distance, and never easily disobey or provoke them. After all, this place is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and is unfathomable. The person who makes you feel hostile is likely to be your opponent in this treasure hunt in the small town. As for those who make you feel close, they may be people with great fortune and blessings in this area, and there is hope that they can be turned into your own opportunity. At that time, as long as you don’t easily kill people and don’t break those few immutable old rules, other than that, whether it’s buying, deceiving, or seizing by force, it all depends on…”

Cai Jinjian’s lips curled up, “It all depends on our mood.”

She suddenly frowned. “Young Master Fu, why didn’t you let me bring the Zhao family’s descendants who are rooted here? Although I also learned some of the local dialect before I left…”

Fu Nanhua interrupted the woman and shook his head. “Those big family clans have secret channels that are still connected to the outside world. They can transmit some insignificant information under the Sage’s nose without being regarded as crossing the line. Accumulated over generations, they have a deep foundation. The true backers of these families are still slightly inferior to our Old Dragon City and Cloud Radiance Mountain. Furthermore, borrowing the strength of outsiders is ultimately not ideal, and it can easily create complications and delay important matters. If you don’t want to speak later, I’ll take care of it.”

She smiled. “It’s just speaking some awkward words, I’m not that delicate.”

Fu Nanhua smiled without answering, and Cai Jinjian didn’t say anything more.

In the end, friends who form alliances halfway are not as good as family.

Moreover, to some ambitious people who aspire to prove the Dao, what are grandparents, fathers, sons, husbands, wives, and brothers?

Fu Nanhua’s smile was calm and elegant, like the son of a top-tier wealthy family in the world.

The reason he revealed the secrets of heaven, telling Cai Jinjian the “mental cultivation method” that his father secretly passed down to him, was actually very simple.

Compared to the other two in his group, the wooden middle-aged man and the cold black-clothed girl, Fu Nanhua, from the first step he took into the small town’s gate, had murderous intent toward his ally, the woman from Cloud Radiance Mountain, Cai Jinjian!

Fu Nanhua subconsciously reached out and grasped the green pendant at his waist.

Old Dragon creates rain, ingeniously crafted.

A gentleman has no reason to be without jade on his person.

Cai Jinjian thought for a moment, closed her eyes, and then opened them, saying, “Song Jixin, Gu Can… I’ll choose Gu Can.”

Fu Nanhua raised his eyebrows slightly. “Good. It’s settled!”

In their sight, as the young man hopped and skipped along the way to the alleyway, about to unlock and push open the door to enter.

Fu Nanhua quickly walked forward with Cai Jinjian, and said with a smile, “What a coincidence, we meet again.”

The impoverished young man, Chen Ping’an, had just come out of Gu Can’s house. After hearing the voice, he turned around and nodded, asking, “Is there something you need?”

Fu Nanhua said in fluent local dialect, “Is this Mud Bottle Alley? I want to ask if a man named Song Jixin and a child named Gu Can live here. I’m from the capital, and my family has been friends with Song Jixin’s father for generations. This sister beside me, surnamed Cai, is a relative of Gu Can’s mother’s family. So, the two of us traveled together and happened to be on the same alley. Isn’t that a coincidence? It feels like everything is coming together, it’s truly no coincidence that makes a book.”

Fu Nanhua’s smile was calm and composed.

(End of this chapter, please turn the page)

Even when speaking to the straw sandal young man from the bottom of society, the tall and slender Fu Nanhua slightly bent his waist in order to accommodate the young man, maintaining this posture throughout their conversation. It was neither pretentious nor did it seem like he had ulterior motives, but it made others feel that he was gentle, kind, courteous, frugal, and yielding, a true gentleman.

The young man, looking up, nodded and said softly, “It is a coincidence.”

Fu Nanhua’s smile deepened, and he said gently, “Then, do these two families live…?”

Unexpectedly, the young man shook his head. “I was recently an apprentice at a dragon kiln and lived outside the town for many years. I just moved here and am not familiar with the neighbors. Do you want to ask someone else?”

Fu Nanhua smiled and didn’t rush to speak, as if he was considering his words.

The tall woman said with a smile, “Little brother, it’s not good to lie. Do you think we look like bad people? To take a step back, in broad daylight, what bad things can we do?”

Chen Ping’an blinked. “But I really don’t know.”

Cai Jinjian returned to her usual way of speaking and asked Fu Nanhua, “Does this child want a reward?”

Fu Nanhua’s expression remained normal. “It doesn’t seem like it.”

A hint of impatience, hidden very subtly, appeared between the tall woman’s eyebrows. “If it really doesn’t work, we can ask from house to house, and we’ll still be able to find the people.”

Fu Nanhua waved his hand at her and patiently coaxed the young man. “Help us with a small favor, and I’ll give you something, how about it?”

The young man scratched his head, his figure thin, his eyes clear.

Fu Nanhua suddenly stood up straight.

As a result, he saw a bookish young man squatting on the wall not far away, looking at them.

Near the elegantly dressed young man stood a girl, revealing the upper half of her face, fair and delicate, clean and tidy, her eyebrows like ink.

At that moment, Fu Nanhua felt a great sense of certainty.

The young man before him was bound to be his possession.

The young man stood up and asked loudly, “Are you looking for someone?”

Fu Nanhua and Cai Jinjian had no choice but to look up. The former said, “Yes, I’m looking for you. This sister next to me is looking for Gu Can, can you help?”

The young man frowned. “Do you know me?”

Fu Nanhua smiled. “Of course I don’t know you, but I know Master Song who is currently serving in the Ministry of Rites.”

Song Jixin asked straight to the point, “Help you find snot Gu Can, okay, what’s the benefit?”

Without saying a word, Fu Nanhua took off the green pendant from his waist and tossed it high to the young man standing on the low wall. “It’s yours.”

After Song Jixin caught it, he was slightly startled, but his expression didn’t change. He lowered his head and said to the maid Zhi Gui, “Go.”

She nodded and left the courtyard. When the girl stood quietly in the narrow alley, the entire Mud Bottle Alley seemed to brighten up in an instant.

Fu Nanhua smiled at the straw sandal young man, “Little fellow, I’ll give you a piece of advice: wide rain does not water rootless grass.”

Then, he took the lead and walked toward the girl.

The tall woman didn’t move, her eyes playful. She asked the young man in a low voice, “Do you know what that means?”

Her eyes sparkled, inexplicably aroused. Without waiting for the young man to answer, she laughed happily, “Actually, it’s telling you that you missed a great opportunity. As long as this young master digs out a little bit from between his fingernails, it’s enough for you to live an incredibly comfortable life ‘down the mountain’ in this lifetime. But luckily, you probably won’t know what you missed today in this lifetime. It’s truly a blessing in disguise, otherwise you’d regret it to the point of turning your intestines green.”

Fu Nanhua heard her words and felt that she was preaching to deaf ears.

Outside the small town, the difference between people, especially the distinction between high and low, is even greater than the separation between yin and yang.

Cai Jinjian walked backward toward the maid, so she was facing the straw sandal young man. “Wide rain does not water rootless grass, remember that.”

The young man’t expression hadn’t changed, but he suddenly shouted loudly, “Be careful behind you…”

Cai Jinjian’s body stiffened suddenly.

The young man lowered his voice, “Dog shit.”

(End of chapter)