Chapter 150: Liu Ye: Have I Become The Villain? Time To Level Up!
Chen Kai subconsciously glanced again at the monk beside him.
If this Mr. Liu really wanted to rent the mountain behind the Chen Clan to build a temple, and it would overlook them from above, would that not be an obvious attempt to suppress the Chen Clan?
The struggle between Buddha and Dao has existed since ancient times; the resulting karma would be immense.
Master Xin Yan’s face was full of confusion. He felt that the director of the County Culture and Tourism Bureau was looking at him with some hostility.
What had he done?
He had not offended him, had he?
Liu Ye sensed it too and asked in puzzlement, “Director Chen? Is there some problem with me contracting the mountain behind the Chen Clan?”
Seeing him ask so directly, Chen Kai could only remind him, “Mr. Liu, this might be your first time at the Chen Clan, so there are things you do not know. The Chen Clan actually has many things that are difficult to understand.”
“For example, the talk online about the tourist who was disrespectful to the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation, then got hemorrhoids and ended up in the hospital. Some things may look fake, but that hemorrhoid-stricken tourist is still in the hospital.”
The meaning was clear enough. There was no way Liu Ye could fail to understand. What truly shocked him was that someone of this identity would say such a thing. That meant this rumor about the Chen Clan was real.
Moreover, he felt as if Director Chen was reminding him of something, which made him ask, even more uncertain, “Director Chen, does this mean I cannot rent this mountain?”
Chen Kai wondered if the other man was pretending not to get it. Had he not been clear?
So his tone turned cold. “Mr. Liu, it is true you have money, and you can contract this mountain, but if you want to help this master build some temple on it, then if anything happens, you had better be mentally prepared.”
“Ah????” Liu Ye was confused.
What the hell?
When had he ever said he wanted to build a temple?
He naturally knew some of the matters between mystic sects. Building a temple above the Chen Clan would be nothing short of a provocation against the Chen Clan.
This was one huge misunderstanding.
Beside him, Master Xin Yan shuddered instinctively. He did not know why, but he felt a great disaster was looming over his head.
He quickly said, “Amitabha, Director Chen has misunderstood. Benefactor Liu has no such intention.”
Liu Ye also reacted at this moment and hurriedly said, “Misunderstanding, misunderstanding. I want to rent the mountain behind the Chen Clan to dedicate it to the Chen Clan, and ask the Chen Clan to pray for blessings for me.”
“What???” Chen Kai was clearly stunned, then realized that he had worried for nothing and misunderstood?
His cold expression immediately turned warm and sunny. “Mr. Liu, let us discuss the mountain contract, then. You want the Chen Family Head to pray for blessings for you as soon as possible, do you not?”
“Yes, yes, yes, that is more important!” Liu Ye also let out a sigh of relief. It was good that the misunderstanding was resolved.
Master Xin Yan also relaxed and wondered if he should leave the Chen Clan for now, otherwise…
…
After Chen Han and his junior sister finished discussing the performance program, the Chen Clan martial arts field grew busy in the afternoon as workers began constructing the stage.
Chen Han then looked at the light screen data in his mind. The requirement of one hundred million in money and the requirement of five hundred thousand reputation were both fulfilled.
【Sect residence meets the upgrade requirements. Upgrade immediately?】
This time, he did not choose “yes” immediately, because the demonic cult rogue Chu Hao had sent him a message: that Mr. Liu was in contact with the county authorities and might give him a huge surprise.
He had not expected that after donating one hundred million, Mr. Liu would also rent a mountain and gift it to the Chen Clan.
That showed this man really was rich.
It also showed how much he was tormented by his rheumatic paralysis symptoms.
If that was the case, then when he did the renovation later, it might allow for an even better choice.
Afterward, Chen Han prepared a table with several watermelons on it, and with a thought, directly stored the table and the watermelons into the Warehouse in an instant.
He had already planned the performance process. After he went on stage, he would have people bring those lion head geese onto the Performance Stage and first show everyone a beast taming technique.
Then he would use ancient trickery to shock the crowd, performing fruit transformations or flower transformations and such. The Warehouse could hold a lot.
Finally, he would do one big move.
Right now everyone thought the Cloud Barrier Technique was special effects. He had not used it again since the Cloud Barrier Technique video.
When the time came, there was no need for a large-area Cloud Barrier Technique, only about two to three meters. He would toss out a Cloud Barrier Pill, and when the cloud mist billowed out and people realized it was not special effects, that would be shocking enough.
Then, within the cloud mist, he would produce a table, with several watermelons placed on top.
That would be even more stunning.
Then he could cut the watermelons and share them with the spectators in the front rows for interaction.
Naturally, he could also have the three cows Fu, Lu, Shou and You Cai cooperate in the performance. They had already gained intelligence; with their cooperation, the performance would definitely be vivid and lively.
He just had to work out a detailed plan on how to have them cooperate.
He had taken the table and the watermelons on it into the Warehouse in one go; with another thought, he placed them back in front of him with no problem at all.
There was one more matter: the 《Ancient Quiet Heart Art》. When the time came, he could chant the 《Ancient Quiet Heart Art》 to let all the tourists see how powerful the Chen Clan’s scripture chanting was.
So the matter of the scripture chanter had to be settled.
He also sent his junior sister a message, asking how the matter of the scripture chanter was going.
That night, his junior sister hurried over, speaking helplessly. “Senior brother, an uncle’s grandson just graduated from university, and he majored in music. I spoke to that uncle about this, and he is very enthusiastic. He wants his grandson to come back, and even his parents feel the same.”
“It is just that the grandson found a job in a studio doing music editing and does not want to come back at all. The main thing is that he has a girlfriend now, a copywriter in the same studio. They are in a passionate relationship and even less willing to separate.”
“Because of this, that uncle is furious. He has been scolding him over the telephone, saying if he does not come back, he will personally drag him back to make a contribution to the family.”
Chen Han chuckled when he heard this.
From this it was clear he already had very high prestige among the older generation in the family.
Even among middle-aged clan members, it was the same. They were either those who had stayed behind or those who had come back from working outside, so they naturally knew how good their Patriarch was.
But it was different for the younger generation, especially those who had studied and gone out.
They had their own ideas, and some of the talented ones could earn a decent income on their own.
So Chen Han asked his junior sister, “Did you tell him what the Chen Clan scripture chanter’s salary would be?”
This made Xiao Yu freeze. “I have been so busy that I forgot to mention it.”
Then she deliberately added, “Senior brother, I really am busy. I need to work with Sister Xiao Mi on the national style plan, handle the short video team, and I also have clan matters to manage!”
By the end, she was half trying to claim credit, as if saying: senior brother, look how much I have done.
Seeing his junior sister like this, Chen Han knew he should use his old trick and praise her. “Junior sister, you have worked hard. The whole Chen Clan relies on you. Without you, I would not know what to do!”
“Senior brother, this is what I should do.” As he expected, the corners of her mouth lifted with a hint of pride.
Hmph! She had to keep reminding her senior brother how important she was.
Chen Han also smiled. This trick never failed.
Then he thought for a moment and added, “The scripture chanter is a crucial part of the Daoist triad of ‘Dao, scripture, and master.’ Once he learns, he will also need to serve as a mentor to teach others. We can offer him a salary of fifteen thousand a month.”
“As for his girlfriend, she can come and be your assistant. In a cultural position, she counts as half a talent. Give her six thousand five hundred a month. Then we will see if he still acts so defiant and refuses to come back.”
With this younger generation, before winning them over, you had to first show them the benefits. Otherwise, with a music editor’s job, once the internship ended, he could earn seven to eight thousand a month.
If you wanted to trick young people into working like beasts for nothing, it was really hard nowadays.
He just hoped that after the young man came back to the Chen Clan and learned the 《Ancient Quiet Heart Art》, he would be able to calm down.
By then, becoming a scripture chanter would not be something he could just decide on his own.
“Alright, senior brother.” Xiao Yu nodded. After she left, she went straight to a building on the west side of the Chen Clan. Entering the courtyard, she saw a woman in traditional dress washing dishes.
Cai Xiaojuan was now working as a waitress in the Chen Clan, with a salary of five thousand a month, slightly higher than what she made washing dishes at a restaurant in the county.
But in the county she had to pay rent, utilities, and other expenses, so there was not much left.
The key point was being separated from her husband, with the family seldom together.
But they had no choice. Their son had just graduated from university this year, and they had to start thinking about a house, a car, and a bride price.
As parents, they naturally had to fight for it, hoping they could help their son later.
Otherwise, at twenty-four, with a salary of only eight thousand, renting in a big city, daily expenses, and a girlfriend, saving three thousand a month was already good.
By the age of twenty-seven, when he would be about ready for marriage, saving one hundred thousand in three years would already be good.
And that was the ideal situation. In many cases, he might not even save thirty thousand, which would not be enough for bride prices that could be tens of thousands or more.
At this age, without parental help, how many could afford to marry on their own?
Young people nowadays were under too much pressure. She and her husband were not like those parents who could not help but still forced their children to hurry up and marry.
But now things were better. Thanks to the Patriarch, their family could save about twenty thousand a month if they were frugal. In three years, when their son was ready to marry, they would definitely be able to give him a grand wedding.
So she truly had no way to repay the Patriarch’s kindness.
And yet the clan wanted her son to come back, and that brat still refused. She felt like giving him a good beating. Ungrateful brat.
“Aunt Xiaojuan.” Xiao Yu entered and greeted Cai Xiaojuan.
Seeing her, Cai Xiaojuan replied warmly, “Xiao Yu, yesterday his dad and grandfather already called him and told him to get back here, or we will no longer recognize him as our son.”
Xiao Yu smiled and said, “Aunt Xiaojuan, I forgot to tell you before. Senior brother wants Chen Jing to come back. If he can manage the job, the clan will give him a salary of fifteen thousand plus bonuses every month, and his girlfriend can be my assistant at six thousand five hundred a month.”
“Huh?” Cai Xiaojuan was stunned.
The clan would give her son fifteen thousand? And even his girlfriend could get six thousand five hundred?
My god.
She felt like kneeling in gratitude to the Patriarch.
Then she hurried into the building, shouting, “Hey, call Chen Jing right now and tell him the clan is offering fifteen thousand a month. If he still does not come back, we will go over there and break his legs.”
In Quan City.
On a stage at a roadside food stall, Chen Jing went up with his guitar and sang the currently very popular 《Addiction》.
He was doing part-time work, of course. In a big city, with a salary of eight thousand a month, he could not save much. Part-time singing let him earn more and made use of the four years of music he had studied.
After he finished the song and stepped offstage to sit down, he got a call from the old man at home, which made him feel helpless.
He knew the Chen Clan had undergone huge changes recently. He had even seen the Patriarch’s videos, knew that he was developing tourism and providing many positions for clan members.
He also knew his parents and grandparents were now receiving wages, and that the family had turned one room into a guest room, making four hundred a day.
He was the biggest beneficiary of all that and was very grateful to the Patriarch.
But after studying music for four years, going back to chant scriptures would make people laugh at him.
The key point was that he now made eight thousand a month, and with part-time work he could easily reach eleven to twelve thousand. His girlfriend also earned five thousand a month.
So how could he just go back?
But he could not ignore the old man’s call, so he answered and said, “Dad, I studied music for four years. Is it appropriate to go back and chant scriptures? Only a dog would go chant those scriptures!”
His father’s voice came from the other end. “The Patriarch says that if you can manage it, the clan will give you fifteen thousand a month. Your girlfriend can be Xiao Yu’s assistant for six thousand five hundred a month. Whether you come back or not is up to you.”
Chen Jing froze, then hurriedly said into the phone, “Dad, please tell the Patriarch I will go back and be a dog right now. I am definitely chanting those scriptures.”
Seriously, why had they not said so earlier?
Did the Patriarch not know? The clan members wandering outside had long wished they could return and swear to serve him.
…
Time passed, and another night went by.
Liu Ye still got up early. He subconsciously moved his knee, severely deformed by his rheumatic symptoms, and a look of irrepressible delight came over his face.
He could clearly see that the deformed swelling had improved significantly, and that numb, heavy feeling had lessened.
The medicinal wine from the Chen Family Head was working, and working surprisingly well.
Coming to the Chen Clan this time had truly been the right decision. He now owed the Chu family an enormous favor.
However, that warm, cozy feeling had faded, while his symptoms were not yet completely cured.
He still needed the Chen Family Head to continue treating him.
He remembered that the man yesterday had his eyes completely healed because of the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation’s blessing.
But he himself had not yet received the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation’s blessing.
So, no matter what, he had to invite the Chen Family Head to pray for blessings for him.
He hoped Linhe County’s efficiency would be high.
Meanwhile, Chen Han was already riding You Fu to the Special Spiritual Aperture. As the spiritual energy washed over him, he began operating the 《Nine Heavens Profound Scripture Basic Qi Cultivation Method》 to absorb the spiritual energy and refine it into his own true qi.
Once he had refined all the spiritual energy he absorbed and came out of cultivation and samadhi, his face lit up with joy, because he was almost ready to open the third meridian among the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
If he cultivated that night using primary spirit stones, one more night should be enough.
Then his strength would rise again.
Leaving the pavilion, he went to Uncle’s Kitchen to start stewing medicinal cuisine, and then waited for the Thief Demon Bees to attack. It only made sense for the daily task to trigger every day, right?
Because the Thief Demon Bees dropped spirit stones, he was even more eager for it.
Unfortunately, it seemed that after their heavy losses in the previous two attacks, they did not come today. Even by noon, after he had eaten his medicinal cuisine, nothing had happened.
When he returned to his courtyard, however, he received a call from Director Chen of the Culture and Tourism Bureau. When he answered, he heard the other man say urgently, “Chen Family Head, sorry to trouble you again. I am at the Chen Clan now, and there is a very important matter to discuss with you. Where are you at the moment?”
Chen Han felt Director Chen’s words sounded familiar. Yesterday, when he brought Old Master Wang over, he had said something similar.
He directly asked him to come to his courtyard.
He figured the surprise had arrived.
Another blessing request was a minor matter.
Soon, Director Chen arrived with some people from the Culture and Tourism Bureau. With them were Mr. Liu and the master.
As soon as he saw him, Director Chen beamed. “Chen Family Head, Mr. Liu has filed an application with the county. He intends to invest in tourism projects in the vicinity of the Chen Clan and hopes to receive the Chen Clan’s support.”
Liu Ye did not hesitate. He immediately handed over several documents. “Chen Family Head, though I have not been at the Chen Clan long, I have been deeply moved by the teachings of the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation. This is a small token of my respect for the Heavenly Lord, to thank him for his teachings.”
Chen Han took the documents and glanced at them. On the first document, he saw the note: 《Record of newly added Merit Industry of the Chen Clan!》
Just as he had expected.
And Mr. Liu’s gesture was truly grand.
At that moment, a game prompt suddenly appeared in his mind, leaving him even more astonished.
It really worked!
