Chapter 168: Jiang Cheng's Plea for Help

When Ye Tian returned to the old ancestral mansion, the sky was already faintly growing light.

Having spent the entire night on the train, he should have gone straight to rest. Instead, facing the morning light, he began to practice the Eight Sections of the Vajra Sutra.

Being a cultivator at the Golden Core True Person stage had its distinct advantages. The resting effects of meditation and breathing exercises far surpassed those of a deep sleep. Having meditated for over a dozen hours on the train, not only did he feel no fatigue at all, but his cultivation realm had even advanced significantly.

"Brother Tian, you sure are in a leisurely and elegant mood."

A handsome young man with dyed yellowish hair popped out from nowhere. His face looked decadent and thoroughly dejected.

Ye Tian glanced over with a hint of surprise.

"Jiang Cheng, what are you doing here in my place for no good reason?"

"Oh, nothing much. I was just bored and went out for a stroll, and my stroll happened to bring me here to your place," Jiang Cheng said in a low, dreary tone.

"A ghost would believe that. You can stroll all the way from the capital to Zhongdu, and then coincidentally stroll right to my doorstep?"

"Ah, Brother Tian, your discernment is truly as piercing as a torch! I am in awe of you, Brother Jiang!" Jiang Cheng suddenly switched to a flattering expression, stepping forward with a cheeky grin.

"Cut it out. Say what you have to say, and don't try to amuse me." Ye Tian didn't even lift his eyelids, continuing with his health-maintenance exercises.

"Ah, Brother Tian..."

Jiang Cheng hesitated as if he found it somewhat embarrassing to speak.

After repeated hesitation, he pouted his lips and finally said, "Brother Tian, you are omniscient and divine—can you help me divine my romantic fate?"

"Romantic fate? You actually need to come to me for your romantic fate?"

As if he had heard some utterly absurd story, Ye Tian's eyes widened all at once.

A direct-line scion of the Jiang family, a young master of a super-wealthy clan with assets exceeding a trillion, was actually worrying about finding a partner? Was this a joke, or was he humble-bragging?

"What about that girlfriend of yours from before? Weren't you two doing quite well?"

Ye Tian hadn't forgotten that the first time he met the guy, Jiang Cheng had a female companion by his side, and that young lady was actually quite pretty.

"What kind of partner was that? We were just playing around."

"Scumbag."

Cough, cough...

After a fit of dry coughs, Jiang Cheng hurriedly mounted a defense: "You call me a scumbag, but you don't even look at how many romantic confidantes you have!"

"That's different," Ye Tian laughed. "I can take responsibility for every single one of them. Can you?"

"You're awesome."

Left completely speechless, Jiang Cheng quickly skipped past the topic. "Let's talk about my romantic fate instead. Brother Tian, I really need your help!"

"Make things clear first, and then I'll consider whether to help you."

***

"Alright."

Briefly sorting out his thoughts, Jiang Cheng recounted his experience.

The gist of the story was that he had met a girl from out of town who had come to the capital to chase her dreams. From getting acquainted to becoming familiar, it took them about a month to become so-called close friends.

Shortly after, Jiang Cheng, whose heart was stirred with romantic longing, confessed his feelings to her.

At first, the girl neither agreed nor refused, saying only that true sincerity still needed to be tested. She placed Jiang Cheng in the category of her prospective boyfriend, stating bluntly that he needed to undergo a period of testing before he could be promoted to full status.

Jiang Cheng, who was entirely sincere toward the girl, was deeply moved. While feeling that his affections had been acknowledged, he also believed that she was a girl exceptionally prudent about matters of the heart.

From then on, Jiang Cheng began to wholeheartedly interact with the girl, helping her resolve her housing and living issues, and even smoothly getting her a job at a company under the Jiang family's name.

Yet just yesterday, the girl informed Jiang Cheng that they were unsuited for each other and proposed a breakup.

"That's pretty much how it went. I just can't accept her suddenly acting like this," Jiang Cheng said in agony.

"She denied our relationship just because I'm not one meter eighty centimeters tall. I really can't accept this, Brother Tian!"

"Then how tall are you?"

"One meter seventy-nine."

Hearing this preposterous statement, Ye Tian fell into silence.

This foolish boy had been scammed and didn't even realize it.

The girl had clearly treated him as a simpering doormat, throwing him away the moment she was done using him. Yet this fellow still thought he had fallen short of her standards.

What actual difference was there between one meter seventy-nine and one meter eighty?

Were the young masters in the capital really this dim-witted?

"A case like yours would still drool even if it were cured. I can't help you."

"Brother Tian, why are you cursing at me!" Jiang Cheng's face stiffened.

"I thought you wouldn't understand," Ye Tian chuckled, then explained, "That girl doesn't have a shred of affection for you, so stop hoping."

"Why? She was clearly so gentle and considerate toward me before!"

Hearing this, Jiang Cheng looked thoroughly unconvinced.

"I feel like I still have a chance!"

"Then what exactly do you want? Do you want me to help you persuade her to change her mind, or do you want me to forcefully control her so she has to be your girlfriend for the rest of her life?"

"How could that work!"

Jiang Cheng panicked. "I just feel like Qianqian must have some psychological knot in her heart, which is why she randomly found an excuse to break up with me."

"I came to you, Brother Tian, precisely to ask you to help untie that knot for her."

Ye Tian: ...

He had just secretly cast a divination for Jiang Cheng, and the result was that these two were predated to have no fate tying them together, ending ultimately in a parting of ways.

No matter how hard he struggled, it would all end up like trying to scoop water with a bamboo basket—empty in the end.

He truly, truly did not advise struggling, young man...

Of course, these words could only be kept in his heart; Ye Tian had no intention of telling him directly.

Since Jiang Cheng had run all the way from the capital to seek his help here, he was definitely not going to turn back until he hit a brick wall. Saying anything right now wouldn't have any effect anyway.

It would be better to let him see the person's true colors with his own eyes and give up completely.

"Alright, I can help you."

Ye Tian nodded, ultimately deciding to take on this commission. "Since you are seeking my help, you naturally have to pay a corresponding reward."

"No problem, of course no problem!"

Hearing this, Jiang Cheng was overjoyed, nodding his head like pounding garlic, and immediately waved his hand grandly. "Brother Tian, just tell me what you want. I still have quite a few shares of the Jiang family in my hands; if you want them, I'll split them with you!"

"Don't, keep your shares to yourself." Ye Tian's mouth twitched. This prodigal son—if his old man found out, beating him half to death would be considered a light punishment.

"I want you to help me inquire about a primordial spirit beast."

"A primordial spirit beast?"

"Correct."

Ye Tian nodded.

If he wanted to cultivate the ultimate spell of sealing heaven and earth, he had to find a wood-attribute primordial spirit beast—much like that dragon-to-be—and extract its inner core to fuse into his own golden core.

Only then would the five elements be complete, and his divine abilities could be attained.

However, primordial spirit beasts were inherently rare, and he wasn't exactly a favored child of fortune who could stumble upon one just by walking down the street. Therefore, entrusting a few well-connected heavyweights to ask around for him was far better than sitting idly and waiting.

The Jiang family was a genuine powerhouse, and Jiang Cheng's father must know quite a few alchemy cultivators or powerful Martial Kings. A single word from him could fetch a wealth of information.

"A primordial spirit? I've never even heard of it," Jiang Cheng said with a blank expression, scratching his head.

"I'm not asking you; I want you to go ask your old man," Ye Tian retorted irritably.