Chapter 176 : The Zhu Siblings
Chen Fan and his companions checked with the front desk and got a number of the best car rental company in the city. Chen Fan made the call, and as soon as the manager heard that these customers are heading toward Dragon Head City, he booked a vehicle for them on their system right away.
Right before noon, Chen Fan arrived at the Far Sale car rental company. They were greeted by the manager at the door. He recognized the number Chen Fan called from was the front desk number of the five-star hotel, and therefore he wagered that these customers could afford the most luxurious line of rental cars he could offer. The car would have to be worth at least fifty thousand Yuan, so he thought.
Lo and behold, Chen Fan had asked something that was big and spacious with good off-road capability. They were heading toward the Medicine God Valley Sect set deep inside the mountain, it was highly likely that they would traverse through treacherous paths. If the car sat low to the ground, it would not be able to survive the potholes or stubborn gnarly roots. Plus, they had Tong Shan with them, therefore, the interior had to be spacious.
“We sure have something that you will like. I have a sports version of the Land Rover, fully decked out inside. It’s much bigger than a normal SUV inside. However, the rental fee is on the steep side. It will cost ten thousand yuan a day.” He studied the three customers carefully, measuring their financial capability in his mind.
Chen Fan didn’t waste a word and fished out his bank card.
“A platinum card?” The manager was elated as he swallowed down his doubts.
This young man looked seventeen, however, he had a platinum level credit card. That means he has at least over a hundred million yuan saved up at the bank.
“He must be a playboy from a super-rich family or what not.” With that thought in mind, the manager walked away lightheartedly to have someone pull out the Land Rover. Since the vehicle was huge in size and difficult to control, the manager had assigned a Chauffeur to his customers free of charge.
Chen Fan accepted the offer and was on his way. The Chauffeur was a very experienced driver and he drove among places in Lin Xi Province all the time. Dragon Head City was one of his most frequent stops. Although he never heard of the Lin Shan village, he should be able to find it by following the GPS.
Once the car hit the toll road, Chen Fan spoke to Zhou Jin Yi again: “Can you tell me everything about Medicine God Valley Sect now?”
“Humph! Fine, I might as well make you feel hopeless in your mission.” Zhou Jin Yi snorted. “The Medicine God Valley Sect can trace our lineage to the ancient Daoist set of Tripod Cauldron Elixir. Although creating elixirs was our main business, our Sect Master had reached Dharma Cultivation level five years ago. We also have at least four elders who just like my master, had reached the peak level of the Dao-Reaching Level, and another twenty who were of the same level but haven’t reached the peak yet.
“In addition, the Sect also had many sect-servants. Three of them had reached the peak of the Internal Force cultivation. The rest, about thirty in total, were all of the Phenomenal Success in their cultivation.”
“There are that many people in your sect?” Chen Fan furrowed his brows.
So far, he had only met two Dharma Spell sects: The Ghost Witch Sect and the Yin Ghost Sect. The Ghost Witch Sect aside, Yin Ghost Sect was puny in its power. Other than Wu Shanhe and his sect brothers, none of the sect’s disciples had reached the Dao-Reaching Level.
However, in the Medicine God Valley Sect, just the number of Dao-Reaching Level cultivators had reached more than thirty, not to mention a large number of martial artists. It must be a super sect in the eyes of other sects.
“I hope it makes you think twice about your plan. The Medicine God Valley Sect is a force to be reckoned with.” Zhou Jin Yi lifted her chin and snorted. “Without so many powerful fighters, our sect would have long since perished amidst the fierce competition. By then, the only two sects that knew the art of Elixir Brewing are the Medicine God Valley Sect and the Li Family of Green Vines.”
“The Li Family’s customers are mainly the rich and powerful, therefore, they had strong backings to avert any crisis. However, the Medicine God Valley Sect was hidden deep in the mountains and lacked the connections with the world to protect itself. Therefore, we must rely on our own strength.”
Chen Beixuan said lightly: “Well, you guys are indeed stronger than I had thought. But it’s an annoyance at the most, not impossible. The Medicine God Valley Sect will never be able to stop me from doing what I want.”
“You!” Zhou Jin Yi felt the anger burning inside of her once again.
She had always had a quiet and calm demeanor, however, she found it increasingly hard to hold in her emotions ever since she met Chen Fan. Although she was aware that Elder Qi had brought his own destruction, she hated Chen Fan for killing him.
After a while, the silence returned to the car.
Chen Fan took out the Connate Spirit Wood he had taken away from Zhou Jin Yi by force and started to harness the Spirit Qi inside of it. This Connate Spirit Wood was from the Connate Spirit Tree, and therefore the Spirit Qi contained in it was much purer than those in normal jade stones.
“The Spirit Qi in this wood should help me finish about one-fifth of my Dao Body. The rest of my progress would have to rely on the Spirit Medicine in the Medicine God Valley Sect. Once I have gained the Dao Body I should be able to reach Ethereal Enlightenment right away.” Chen Fan thought to himself.
Ethereal Enlightenment and the Foundation Establishment were not only the name of two levels but also two entirely different states of existence. Once one reached the Ethereal Enlightenment, the Immortal Enlightenment would not be too far.
By then, he would no longer need to use physical force in order to kill, he simply needed to think about it, and the Immortal Enlightenment would do the job for him.
The car rolled toward Dragon Head City and no one spoke a word inside. Around noon, the driver pulled the car to a stop so that the passengers could get off to have some lunch.
Chen Fan didn’t need lunch since the Essence Gathering Pill had provided his daily sustenance. However, the same cannot be said about the chauffeur and Zhou Jin Yi. Their bodies needed mortal fuel.
The million yuan vehicle, the Chauffeur, a bodyguard, and the gorgeous faces, everything around Chen Fan suggested that he was a blue-blooded son of a super-rich family; it looked gaudy and conspicuous.
Chen Fan didn’t mind the attention, he had long since gotten used to it after five hundred years of playing a galactic hero. however, Zhou Jin Yi was not used to so many gazes on her. She couldn’t help but suspecting that people actually thought she was the mistress of an arrogant little shit.
Therefore, she put on an elegant looking hat and lowered the bill to cover her face. After that, she felt much more comfortable.
“No one is looking at you, why do you need the hat?” Chen Fan’s casual remark nearly brought out the tears in Zhou Jin Yi’s eyes. She gritted her teeth and thought to herself: “I am beautiful, no matter what they say, words can’t bring me down, I am beautiful.”
Suddenly, a fleet of cars pulled over beside Chen Fan’s car. The car at the front of the fleet was an S series Mercedes-Benz. A couple emerged from the car and then a few bodyguards in black suits followed from the jeep behind them.
“Shoot, these guys are more conspicuous than the rich boy. Look at those bodyguards!” Someone exclaimed.
“Waifu, come see the super-rich. One day, If I am rich, I will drive a Mercedes-Benz as well and bring a dozen muscle men with me.” Another man said as his eyes turned green with envy.
Among everyone’s impressed stares, the couple entered the restaurant, trailing behind a group of bodyguards.
When the men in black entered the restaurant, they all looked at Tong Shan. Tong Shan was too out of place among normal people. His size screamed threat at everyone around him. After a while, the newcomers finally noticed Chen Fan and Zhou Jin Yi.
Chen Fan had an average look and therefore didn’t catch as much attention as Zhou Jin Yi. Zhou Jin Yi’s hat was not able to hide her pointy chin and the touch of rosy red on her lower lip. Although she lacked a coy charm, her presence had arrested the attention of the young man leading the group.
“Brother, stop ogling! We need to hurry.”
The girl beside the young man complained.
“Oh what? I am not ... ogling.” The young man cracked an embarrassed smile.
The two groups sat on either side of the dining hall and started ordering dishes. However, the young man kept on glancing at Zhou Jin Yi surreptitiously. As a member of a large family, he had his fair share of sightings of beautiful girls. A charming and glamorous beauty like Zhou Jin Yi had always been his favorite. Driven by his young and restless curiosity, he wanted to know what Zhou Jin Yi looked like under that hat. However, he had little time for such frivolous matters; he was on a mission.
Chen Fan and his companions left the restaurant as soon as they finished eating.
It was a long ride. They passed half a dozen cities and stopped to eat and rest. Along their way, they met that group of strangers again during one of the breaks.
In the night, they pulled over for dinner and met the group for the third time. The young man could no longer withhold his curiosity so he approached Chen Fan and the girl. “I wager you guys are heading toward Dragon Head City?”
“Dragon Head City, Shan Yang County.” Chen Fan replied lightly.
“Ah-Ha! What a coincidence! I am heading to Shan Yang County as well!” The man’s eyes lit up with joy. He pressed on again: “Are you traveling with your wife?”
“I am not his wife, I have nothing to do with him.” Zhou Jin Yi cut in.
“Ah, my apologies.” A broad smile broke over his face. For the remainder of the conversation, the man mainly talked with Zhou Jin Yi.
The man was called Zhu Yuntao and the girl was her sister Zhu Ruohan. They were both from the Zhu family: a reputable family in Zhong Hai. The family had over billions of assets. They were on their way toward Dragon Head City to look for a cure for their father illness.
Zhou Jin Yi was in his early thirties. His clothes were custom fit to his body shape, and despite his average looks, he had a warm smile. His upbringing and also given him a gentle air. Even Zhou Jin Yi who always been very judgmental of man felt a slight approval of him.
“Looking for a cure at the Shan Yang County? Are you going to the Medicine God Valley Sect?” Chen Fan asked abruptly.
“So you have heard of it too?” Zhu Yuntao exclaimed.
The Medicine God Valley Sect was a well-hidden secret among only a few selected groups. Even the Zhu family didn’t know its existence until they heard it from a family friend. The family friend was treating his father at the time, but after the friend’s attempt failed, he suggested them to look for help at the Medicine God Valley Sect.
Zhu Yuntao had thought that only an heir of a prestigious family such as himself was worthy of the information about Medicine God Valley Sect, so realizing that a random seventeen-year-old he met knew the sect surprised him. He wagered that there were more than what meets the eye of Chen Fan and his companions.
With that thought in mind, Zhu Yuntao asked abruptly: “So... are you guys going to ask for a cure from the Medicine God Valley Sect as well?
“That will be fantastic! we can travel together!” Zhu Yuntao clapped his hands excitedly and said.
Chen Fan kept his silence while Zhou Jin Yi sneered at the young man in her mind.
The little shit in front of him was not going to ask for a cure, he was going to take medicine by force.
After learning that Chen Fan was heading toward the Medicine God Valley Sect as well, a broad smile broke over Zhu Yuntao’s face and was ready to cozy up with the attractive girl. He heard his sister chide him.
“Brother, why do you disclose our mission to strangers? What if they mean us no good?”
Zhou Jin Yi was visibly irritated by her words, and Zhu Yuntao let out an embarrassed smile.
Chen Fan sat still and pretended that he didn’t hear anything.