Chapter Seventy-Nine: Such a Coincidence

With a loud bang, Black Big Guy’s shoe went flying along with the little stone. Now he was even angrier, running barefoot in search of his shoe, cursing as he went, “Damn it, when you’re unlucky, you can choke on water.” Looking everywhere, he finally spotted his upturned sneaker beside the pile of trash. Not caring how dirty the ground was, he strode over and put his shoe back on. As he turned to leave, he shot the foul-smelling trash can a glare, thinking, “Hell, lucky it didn’t fall in there, or I’d really be out of luck.”

But as luck would have it, that glance landed him a stroke of fortune: there, just beside the trash, was the wallet Tang Jing had lost! Heaven must truly favor him today. Not only did he find Tang Wei’s wallet, but it happened to be open, showing photos of a few children. No way to escape this time. Black Big Guy might not recognize the others, but he’d never forget Yaya’s face—he’d been running around with her photo for days. There was no way he could forget.

When he first saw the photo, he was stunned, hardly believing he could be so lucky. He shook his head in disbelief, then snapped out of it and rushed over, grabbing the wallet and pulling out the photo for a closer look. He didn’t care whether it was dirty; even if it were smeared with filth, he’d still snatch it up without hesitation. After all, this could determine his future prospects—it deserved his utmost protection.

“Letting Skinny Monkey know now won’t do; he’d hog all the credit for himself.” Black Big Guy thought carefully about how to proceed to maximize his advantage. He had to think this through—couldn’t let someone else reap the benefits while he was left empty-handed.

“I can’t handle this alone. I’ll need someone’s help. Who should I pick? Best to split the glory with someone I trust—Toothless, maybe. We have the best rapport, he’s always looked out for me, and I’m comfortable with him.” Decision made, Black Big Guy immediately called Toothless.

When Toothless heard that Black Big Guy had found a clue and wanted to share the credit, proposing they tackle the matter together, he didn’t suspect a thing—he hailed a cab and came right over.

The two huddled together, quickly deducing that the wallet’s owner must be connected to the girl named Yaya. Their best bet was to find the owner and follow the thread to the bigger picture. Since the wallet was lost at the entrance to the market, its owner must come here daily for groceries. After some whispered strategizing, they decided the simplest method was best: find the owner first, then investigate further. They tidied up the wallet and prepared to wait at the market entrance early the next morning to catch their quarry.

As luck would have it, the two of them, wallet in hand, asked people one by one at the market gate, “Excuse me, did you drop this wallet?” This foolish method actually worked—they found Tang Jing. Their luck was truly something else.

Now that they’d found Tang Jing, the rest was simple. Soon, they’d dug up the entire Tang family history. It was confirmed: the Tang family was indeed who they were searching for. But one thing puzzled them—if the Tang family had never shown any signs of cultivation before, and only recently exhibited unusual traits, could they have reached the Fasting stage in just a few years? Impossible! Even the most reclusive wouldn’t progress that quickly.

At this point, the two bumbling investigators dared not act on their own. With just Qi Refining level one or two under their belts, how could they hope to probe into the affairs of Fasting stage cultivators? They’d already done enough to secure a promotion and a fortune, so best not to ruin things. They hurried to report to their superiors and let the higher-ups handle it from here.

Meanwhile, in Tang Family Village, under Tang Wei’s advocacy for pollutant-free, natural foods, people found themselves healthier and progressing faster in their cultivation. With Doctor Li’s endorsement, everyone was full of enthusiasm. No more pesticides—the fields were now farmed by traditional methods.

And indeed, after five years, the harvests were bountiful, meals tasted better, people were healthier, and illness was rare. Even neighboring villagers admitted, “The Tang family’s grains really do taste better, and their vegetables are fresher.” Soon, everyone flocked to Tang Family Village for advice.

One or two visitors were manageable, but daily crowds overwhelmed the villagers. People started hiding at home, dreading the persistent visitors.

Today, Tang Dad finally found a moment to himself and headed to the village entrance to pick up his grandchildren from the small shop. On the way, he was stopped by a man named Liu Chunxi, who greeted him warmly, “Brother, you’re looking well!” And indeed, since cultivating, Tang Dad looked younger by the day—it was no wonder people addressed him as “Brother.”

Liu Chunxi had been sent by Black Big Guy and Toothless’s superiors to gather information on the Tang Family Village. He wasn’t doing badly: while most managers were at least at Foundation Establishment, he’d reached management rank with only a tenth-level Qi Refining cultivation, and now he’d been entrusted with this important task—proof of his favor with the higher-ups.

As soon as he approached the village entrance, he saw a man, nearly forty, striding out energetically. Secretly, he used his superior’s magic tool to test him and found the spiritual energy around him dense—at least Foundation Establishment or higher. Target confirmed, Liu Chunxi hurried forward to greet him.

Tang Dad glanced at the stranger, not recognizing him. He was about to leave when the man enthusiastically called after him, “Brother, hello! My name is Liu Chunxi, could I ask you something?” Tang Dad, feeling cheerful, thought, Why not chat a bit? The grandchildren were right ahead in the shop—no rush. Lots of people had been pestering him lately about farming techniques, but he hadn’t run into one yet. Might as well see what it’s like. He replied with a broad smile, “Of course, ask anything you like!”

“I hear your village folk are quite remarkable— is it true? Just looking at you, anyone can tell you’re extraordinary. Is everyone here as capable as you?” Liu Chunxi began to flatter him.

“What skill do I have? There are plenty in the village better than me!” Tang Dad replied modestly, embarrassed to be praised for such a humble thing as farming.

“If you’re not considered impressive, does that mean everyone here has such skills?” In the outside world, Foundation Establishment cultivators were rare—otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up a manager himself! If this elder wasn’t considered skilled, then this was truly something. Had he stumbled into a village of immortals? Liu Chunxi wondered.

“Of course! Everyone can do it—even the five or six-year-old children can manage a bit.” Tang Dad found it odd that the man was so shocked. Was farming really that hard? Didn’t every family work together transplanting rice and tending vegetables, even the children helping with weeding and carrying seedlings?

“And who did you learn all this from?” Liu Chunxi drew a sharp breath. Was he serious? Even little kids could do it? When did they start, and how was it passed down? Liu Chunxi’s mind started racing.

“Who needs to be taught? It’s just handed down from generation to generation. You pick it up by doing it!” Tang Dad laughed. Growing up working in the fields, there was nothing to it.

Strangely enough, though one was talking about cultivation and the other about farming, the two still managed to converse enthusiastically, neither betraying their true intentions.

The more Tang Dad spoke, the more animated he became, boasting at length about the villagers’ farming prowess. The more Liu Chunxi listened, the more alarmed he grew—his face darkening with each word. This village was truly a den of hidden dragons! For cultivators so powerful to live quietly in such a small place, it must be a secluded and illustrious family indeed.

Seeing Liu Chunxi’s expression darken, Tang Dad felt a secret satisfaction: “Let’s see if you dare to bother us again!”

Back at home, Tang Mom was worried about her husband, who hadn’t returned after going to fetch the grandchildren. She thought, “The girls have been out for days without news, and before they left, they urged us to be cautious. What if something’s happened to the old man? I’d better go check—he mustn’t have run into trouble!”

She hurried toward the village entrance, only to find Tang Dad chatting away with a stranger, lost in conversation.

“That old fool! I’m worried sick at home, and here he is, gossiping with some outsider.” Not wanting to embarrass her husband in front of others, Tang Mom didn’t scold him, but strode past with a cold air, ignoring him as if he were a stranger.

From the moment Tang Mom appeared at the entrance, Liu Chunxi had been watching. As she passed by, he discreetly used his magic tool again—heavens! Another Foundation Establishment cultivator. Now he believed every word Tang Dad had said. All he could think about was hurrying back to report, lest he accidentally provoke these people.

Liu Chunxi made up an excuse to take his leave and followed Tang Mom out of the village.

Tang Dad, realizing from his wife’s attitude that she was angry, rubbed his nose and thought, “Ah, I lost track of time. She’s mad—what now? Better wait here for her, or it’ll be worse if I go back.”

Liu Chunxi, meanwhile, couldn’t care less—his mind was set on leaving as quickly as possible. With two Foundation Establishment cultivators casually strolling out of the village, these were not people he could afford to cross. He had to get out of here, fast!

At the small shop near the entrance, Liu Chunxi ran into Tang Mom again, this time with Niuniu and the other children. He tested them too—sure enough, even these little ones had reached the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining. Good heavens, how are the rest of us supposed to survive? He couldn’t wait to rush back and report—no one must provoke these people!

At this moment, Liu Chunxi wished he could light a fire under himself and blast away like a rocket.