Chapter 405

Chapter 405: Secret

Xu Xinlan was married at the age of sixteen.

Her family background was modest; her father was a cultivator with perfect mastery in Qi Training, but he perished during his attempt to reach the Purple Palace. Consequently, their family’s fortunes declined, and under the arrangement of her clan elders, she was wed to a distant relative from the Chen family.

The Chen family was a merchant family in Wailing City. Though they lacked significant influence, they had produced a few notable individuals.

Xu Xinlan’s husband was exceptionally talented, but unfortunately, he was cursed with ill fate. In his youth, he fell victim to witchcraft, which not only severed his journey of cultivation but also left him chronically ill and bedridden.

Although Xu Xinlan had no choice in the marriage, her husband treated her kindly. They respected each other deeply, and he entrusted her with managing their shop and mine, even transferring the ownership of their residence to her.

Three years into their marriage, Xu Xinlan became a widow and upheld the household according to her late husband’s wishes.

Until now.

However, this was no easy feat. Over the years, she faced numerous dangers and challenges. Fortunately, her vigilance, a stroke of luck, and the assistance of her cousin Zuo Xiaomo helped her maintain her current standing.

Though she appeared prosperous in public, the hardships she endured behind the scenes were unimaginable.

“I’m so tired,” Xu Xinlan murmured, leaning against Wang Chen’s chest. “So very tired.”

No matter how strong she tried to be, she was still just a woman. Her cultivation level at the Qi Training seventh level couldn’t deter the lurking predators, and Zuo Xiaomo’s influence was limited.

Moreover, Zuo Xiaomo himself faced numerous troubles.

Last night’s drunken chaos was both Xu Xinlan’s impulse and her resolve.

She had long yearned for a sturdy tree to lean on.

Wang Chen couldn’t help but ask, “Why me?”

Wang Chen was quite self-aware. Although he was an inner sect disciple of the West Sea Sect, his admission into the Mountain-Sea Realm’s premier immortal sect was largely due to luck.

Typically, a loose cultivator from outside could only join the West Sea Sect if they were an exceptionally talented Dao seed; otherwise, securing a position in the outer sect would be a remarkable achievement.

How could someone like Wang Chen start as an inner sect disciple?

Among the inner sect disciples of the West Sea Sect, even the lowest-ranking Entry Disciples often surpassed him in cultivation level and talent.

Not to mention their backgrounds and statuses.

With Xu Xinlan’s beauty and family assets, finding a more powerful protector shouldn’t have been difficult.

Why did it have to be Wang Chen?

In response to Wang Chen’s question, Xu Xinlan’s lips curved into a faint smile. “I possess an innate ability to discern the goodness and wickedness in people’s hearts.”

It was this ability that allowed her to protect herself amidst the predatory gazes of those around her.

“You are the purest-hearted master I have ever met.”

Finding a protector was easy, but as a widow, she couldn’t ascend to a higher status; at best, she could become a concubine.

Once her charm faded or someone grew tired of her, her fate would be sealed.

Thus, Xu Xinlan needed to find someone truly reliable and trustworthy to shield her from life’s storms.

At this moment, Zuo Xiaomo recommended Wang Chen to her.

When Xu Xinlan first met Wang Chen, she immediately sensed that he was different from others, prompting her to make a decisive and significant bet.

Wang Chen hailed from an outer realm, unburdened by family ties or complications, with a straightforward background.

Despite his youth, he had already achieved the status of a Purple Palace cultivator and secured a place in the inner sect of the West Sea Sect, indicating a future potential that was boundless.

His trustworthy and comforting nature made Xu Xinlan eager to secure his loyalty.

To this end, she did not hesitate to offer her family’s secret formula spiritual wine, enhanced with a special ingredient.

This move effectively captured Wang Chen’s attention.

Upon understanding the full context, Wang Chen felt a wave of compassion.

Xu Xinlan was not the epitome of innocence and kindness, but her strategies and maneuvers were aimed solely at ensuring her survival, not at harming others for personal gain.

Crucially, she was now his woman!

Wang Chen was not the type to take advantage and leave; he pondered for a moment before declaring, "From now on, you will stay by my side. As long as I remain in the West Sea Sect, I will ensure your safety."

After a brief pause, he added, "You no longer need to give me 30% of the earnings from your family’s business."

Xu Xinlan leaned her face against his chest and murmured, "Everything I possess is yours, my lord."

Wang Chen gently patted her most voluptuous part and said, "I can earn spirit stones on my own, but I require more essence of the wood element."

Through his recent cultivation efforts, Wang Chen had discovered that the essence of the wood element significantly enhanced his practice of the Preheaven Five Element Technique.

Previously, even after rigorous training for three to five days, he might not gain a single technique experience point.

However, by consuming the essence of the wood element during his practice, he could reliably gain one point each day.

This increased his efficiency by three to five times!

Wang Chen had previously inquired at the Merit department and learned that the essence of the wood element could be exchanged for contribution points.

The issue was the exorbitant number of points required.

He simply couldn’t afford it.

Since Xu Xinlan had access to the essence of the wood element, Wang Chen naturally preferred to conserve his valuable contribution points.

He was determined to accelerate his advancement to the mid-level of the Purple Palace!

This was not solely for his benefit; the higher his cultivation level, the better he could protect Xu Xinlan.

To prevent any misunderstanding from the beauty in his arms, he clarified, "The essence of the wood element is crucial for my cultivation!"

Indeed, the Su Yin Huan Zhen Hehe method was also quite effective, but that could be discussed at a later time.

"I’ve told you, everything I have is yours," Xu Xinlan said with a charming smile. "Let me share a secret with you; the essence of the wood element I provided all comes from our mine."

"What?" Wang Chen was utterly astonished!

He knew that Xu Xinlan managed several businesses and owned multiple shops, assuming that the essence of the wood element she offered was procured through some external channel.

He never imagined that she actually owned a mine!

It’s important to note that the essence of the wood element is considered among the heavenly materials and treasures. Even of average quality, a mine producing such essence would surely attract the interest of a Golden Core true master.

"This secret is known only to Uncle Zhong," Xu Xinlan explained. "He personally collects the essence of the wood element from the mine, but publicly claims it’s purchased from the outer realm."

"I once saved Uncle Zhong’s life. He has no children and has always treated me as his own daughter…"

Wang Chen nodded in understanding.

If this secret were to be revealed, he might not be able to protect Xu Xinlan, and the only solution would be to relinquish the precious mine to ensure her safety.

However, with the essence of the wood element being so beneficial to him, Wang Chen was unwilling to let others profit from it without cost!

"Another day, I’ll have Uncle Zhong take you to the mine," Xu Xinlan said. "Entrusting this secret to you makes me feel even more secure. Uncle Zhong is getting old."

Uncle Zhong, a cultivator with perfect mastery in Qi Training, was nearing the end of his lifespan and wouldn’t be able to protect her for much longer.

This was one of the reasons Xu Xinlan had placed all her trust in Wang Chen!