Chapter 94: Chapter 95: The Big Fish Doesn’t Bite

Although there was only one winter vacation homework assignment, it was a massive, folio-sized book over two hundred pages long.

What’s more,

To prevent students from cheating off each other, Li Xiaoshuang had even set a special requirement:

For every problem, the key points had to be highlighted, accompanied by all deduction and calculation steps. When the time came, he would even use his Divine Sense to check each assignment, judging by the strength of the aura each student left behind on their work.

Of course,

For a model student like Chen Che, who was determined to test into the Four Greats, there was no need to cheat.

SCRATCH, SCRATCH~

Inside the thatched hut,

Chen Che worked by the light of an oil lamp, his brush flying across the page.

Outside, snow fell thick and fast.

That’s right.

He wasn’t on the Earth Element Star, not in the Market, and not in his Cave Mansion, but in a small thatched hut in Changshan County.

Completely immersed in his homework, he would occasionally make a gesture in the air, but otherwise hadn’t moved for a long time.

Suddenly,

BANG!

A figure, wrapped in a flurry of wind and snow, suddenly burst through the window. The flash of a sword streaked swiftly toward Chen Che as he sat hunched over his desk.

’The fish are biting?’

Chen Che shot his head up, a pleased surprise in his eyes.

WHOOSH!

A strong gust of wind swept through, extinguishing the dim oil lamp and plunging the entire hut into darkness.

The moment darkness fell,

several more figures burst in through the main door and from the roof, all rushing in almost simultaneously.

There was no telling how long these people had been lying in wait, but they struck with absolute killing intent. In an instant, countless sword flashes wove into a vast net, sealing off all of Chen Che’s escape routes.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

A rapid series of clashing weapons echoed through the dark, accompanied by showers of sparks and the sounds of screams and whimpers. But just as quickly, it all fell silent.

A few breaths later, the lamp flared back to life.

Four corpses of black-clad, linen-masked figures now lay on the floor. A closer look revealed that even their weapons had been painted black.

’Just a few small fry?’

Chen Che pulled off their linen masks and found they were just some unfamiliar Loose Cultivators. He couldn’t help but frown.

Over the past few days,

he had deliberately shown his face in the Market before openly returning to Changshan County. Just today, he had even run into Li Hong and pointedly asked about Ji Xianlong’s whereabouts, thinking it would finally provoke them into action.

He never expected them to send only a few nobodies.

The one with the highest Cultivation was only at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

’Did Li Hong send them?’

He searched the bodies but found nothing.

These Loose Cultivators not only carried nothing that could identify them, but they were also completely devoid of valuables.

’Time to get back to my homework...’

After disposing of the bodies, Chen Che slumped back down at his desk.

"Answer: After Xiaoming is poisoned, an antidote Pill can be refined using eleven types of Spirit Grass, including Bloody Chrysanthemum, Bitter Hemp Herb, and Fire Tongue Orchid..."

...

「The next day.」

Chen Che sat on the threshold, shoveling rice into his mouth.

CRUNCH!

He seemed to have bitten down on a bone. With a few more crunches, he chewed it up and swallowed it down.

’The medicinal effects should be fully digested today. I can take the second Leopard Embryo Elixir tomorrow!’

Over the past few days,

he had managed to find some time to refine a few more batches of Pills. His luck was decent; he had produced two from seven attempts.

Such a success rate was already considered quite high among Tier One Alchemists.

’With these Pills on hand, I won’t have to go through the painstaking effort of broadening my meridians, which will save a lot of time. At this rate, it won’t even take a year...’

Chen Che mused, holding his bowl.

SCREE~

Just then,

an eagle’s cry suddenly rang out in his mind.

’Someone’s coming?’

His heart stirred.

While he was fishing, the Little Chick was responsible for keeping watch during the day, while he himself stood guard with his Divine Sense at night. He quickly tapped into the Little Chick’s vision and saw several figures walking toward him through the wind and snow. They were carrying cured meat, sweet buns, and a wine jar.

However,

to his surprise, the visitors were none other than Chen Shan, Mrs. Fang of the Chen Clan, and Chen Jiang.

’What are they doing here?’

Chen Che was puzzled.

He went back inside, refilled his bowl, and sat back down on the threshold, shoveling down rice as he waited for them to approach.

"Brother Che’er."

From a distance, his uncle, Chen Shan, saw Chen Che and called out warmly:

"Having a meal? Your aunt, your cousin, and I have come to see you."

Chen Che rolled his eyes. "I’m not dead. Are you a little disappointed?"

"Now, what kind of thing is that to say? We’re all family here."

Chen Shan was left speechless. Mrs. Fang of the Chen Clan heard the sarcasm but didn’t get angry. She brandished the gifts they were carrying and made to push open the outer gate. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"It’s freezing out here. Why don’t we go inside to talk? We can put these things down in there."

"Just stay there and talk..."

Chen Che opened his mouth and spat. PTHOO.

Mrs. Fang of the Chen Clan felt a sharp sting on her right hand, as if from a hornet. She snatched it back, and the back of her hand was already visibly red and swollen. A closer look revealed that what had hit her was a slice of ginger. A surge of anger rose in her heart.

Ever since the boy had tried to drown himself in the river a few years ago, his personality had changed drastically. He went from being timid and fearful to cold and utterly reckless.

But then she remembered why they had come; they had a request, and it wouldn’t do to anger him.

So she could only swallow her pride. "The new year is almost here. It isn’t right for you to be all alone. I was hoping to invite you to celebrate with us."

"No need."

Chen Che refused flatly; this was a classic case of the weasel paying a New Year’s visit to the chicken. "If you have something to say, say it. Don’t beat around the bush."

"In that case..."

Chen Shan gritted his teeth in frustration. He turned to Chen Jiang, tilted his head, and said arrogantly, "Show your cousin what you can do."

"Alright!"

Chen Jiang shot Chen Che a cold smirk and sharply clapped his hands together.

The next moment, his aura began to rise. His robes billowed and his long hair fluttered. A seemingly transparent barrier formed around him, shielding him from the falling snow.

Then, he raised his hand and pointed.

"Bloom!"

On one of the branches of the peach tree in the courtyard, a green bud swiftly appeared, and in the blink of an eye, it opened into a delicate peach blossom.

Chen Jiang released his stance, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and then stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down his nose at Chen Che.

"Cousin, did you see that?"

"Wonderful!" Mrs. Fang of the Chen Clan clapped and cheered at the sight of the blossom.

Chen Jiang’s face was also filled with pride.

A peach blossom in the dead of winter—this was an Immortal Technique.

Watching his uncle’s family’s ecstatic reactions, Chen Che, still holding his bowl, stared blankly. "So, you just wanted me to watch this?"

"Brother Che’er!" Chen Shan was beside himself, his voice trembling. "This is an Immortal Technique! Your cousin has become a Cultivator! Do you have any idea what that means?"

"What does it mean?"

Chen Che went back inside, refilled his bowl, and returned to his seat on the threshold.

"Brother Che’er!"

Chen Shan said, his eyes filled with sincerity:

"This is a great opportunity for our Chen Clan! If we seize it, we can become an Immortal Race in the future. And you will be a part of it! Chen Jiang has been cultivating day and night, but his progress is slow due to a lack of resources."

Ever since Ding Fei had begun to follow Chen Che, Chen Jiang and the others had been dismissed.

However, Chen Jiang had still managed to learn a few lines of a cultivation mantra and had been practicing with them.

...Hmm.

Early-stage First Layer.

In the words of Xiaohu, he would never reach the Qi Refining Third Layer in his entire life; it was highly likely he wouldn’t even reach the Second Layer.

"And?"

Chen Che scoffed and asked casually.

"Brother Che’er, I hope you can think of the bigger picture. Give us the Spirit Field for your cousin’s Cultivation. In the future, if he becomes an Upper Immortal, you’ll share in the glory!"

Chen Shan said excitedly, "Opportunities like this are rare!"

COUGH, COUGH, COUGH...

Chen Che almost choked on his rice. ’He wanted *me* to think of the bigger picture and hand over the Spirit Field for his son’s Cultivation?’

Then again, it made sense.

To a mortal, even a single line from a cultivation mantra was a tremendous opportunity. In the eyes of an ordinary person, the ability to make a peach blossom bloom out of season was already something extraordinary.

But in his eyes, it was a joke.

"No!"

"Cousin, are you really refusing?"

Chen Jiang’s brows knitted in anger as he glared and threatened, "This might be the only chance you ever get to make something of yourself in this life..."

"Get lost!"

Chen Che waved his hand, his patience gone.

"Fine, fine, fine! We’re leaving!"

Chen Shan’s chest heaved with anger as he spun around and stormed off. Indignant, Chen Jiang kicked a snowbank by the road in a fit of pique.

’Idiot!’

Watching the departing figures, Chen Che’s gaze suddenly sharpened, and he drew his sword in a fluid, backhand motion.

SHING!

The sword slashed through empty air, as if in a casual release of frustration. But the space it cut through trembled, and a figure suddenly materialized from nothing, falling to the ground with a THUD.

Then, with a flick of his wrist,

a small flame landed on the corpse, which was reduced to nothing in the blink of an eye.

"What was that sound?"

The retreating Chen Jiang seemed to hear something and looked back.

Chen Che was still sitting on the threshold eating his rice, as if he hadn’t moved an inch.