My Name Is Hong Qi

As the five people walked through the market, chatting and laughing, someone suddenly called out, "Mr. Yue!"

The group stopped, Yue Qianchou turned around to see Dongguo Su, who had sold him the white talismans, running over cheerfully. He asked in confusion, "Didn't you say it would take at least two or three days? What? You're back after only one day?"

Old Man Dongguo glanced at the other four people and found that he could not see through the cultivation level of any of them. He cupped his hands in greeting to them, and finally cupped his hands to Yue Qianchou and said with a smile, "Mr. Yue, it is like this, I have prepared some wine and dishes at home. Please come to my home and sit for a while."

Yue Qianchou found it increasingly strange and said, "Dongguo Su, this is only the second time we've met! Why are you treating us to food and drink?"

Dongguo Su glanced around, seemingly hesitant, and kept nodding and bowing, saying, "Please do me the honor of joining us, gentlemen. It won't take much time..."

The group exchanged bewildered glances, then nodded slightly, all wanting to see what the old man was up to. Yue Qianchou scrutinized him for a moment, then stroked his chin and slowly said, "Old man Dongguo, don't try to fool us, or you'll be in big trouble. Lead the way!"

Dongguo Su said obsequiously, "No, no!" In this way, he easily led the five people away in a daze, mainly because of their curiosity.

Leaving the market and heading south, a short downhill stretch reveals numerous houses, built by people who have long made their living there, eventually forming a residential area. Since Hundred Flower Valley deals with people from all over the world, it naturally needs some foot traffic. As long as their origins are legitimate, they are generally allowed to develop freely. Of course, the rules of Hundred Flower Valley are still observed; otherwise, one wouldn't stay for long.

Dongguo Su led the group to a secluded courtyard and said with a forced smile, "This is my humble abode. I apologize for the poor living conditions you have provided."

The group looked around; the courtyard, though small, exuded elegance and wasn't as shabby as he'd described—it was a pleasant place to live. However, something about this place seemed odd. Yue Qianchou frowned and said, "Old man Dongguo, stop playing games with me! Just tell me what's on your mind!"

"Yes, yes." Dongguo Su called into the house, "Old woman, is everything ready?"

"Alright." A middle-aged woman dressed in ordinary, everyday attire stepped forward and bowed to the group. She looked considerably younger than Old Man Dongguo, yet she was the old woman he had mentioned. Upon closer inspection, they found she possessed the cultivation of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, slightly surpassing Dongguo Su. This was easily explained; those with superior talent and timely cultivation advancements naturally excel at delaying aging.

Completely bewildered, the couple ushered them into the main hall, where a table laden with fragrant food and wine was laid out for them. Dongguo Su poured them wine and invited them to eat. His wife, however, stood to the side with a faint smile on her face. Despite her cultivation being far superior to her husband's, she willingly played a supporting role, a truly devoted and domestic wife.

Upon Yue Qianchou knew it was Hundred Flower Brew, a fine wine from Hundred Flower Inn. He glanced at the woman standing to the side and said politely, "Mr. Dongguo, this pot of Hundred Flower Brew costs a lot of money. I estimate you could sell your talismans for half a year and still not be able to afford one pot! How can we drink this wine with peace of mind? Just say what you want! Don't beat around the bush, you've confused me."

A hint of embarrassment appeared on Dongguo Su's old face as he nodded to his wife. The middle-aged woman smiled apologetically at the group and quickly led a child of about seven or eight years old from a side room. The child's big, dark eyes looked curiously at the group, and after being gently patted on the back by the woman beside him, he immediately bowed to them.

The group was even more confused. They exchanged glances, and despite their intelligence, none of them could figure out what it meant. Yue Qianchou smiled bitterly and said, "Mr. Dongguo, what exactly do you mean by this? You've invited us to drink and then asked us to watch the child. Does this child have some special background?"

Dongguo Su smiled obsequiously and said, "To be honest, this child has no special background. He is my grandson. My wife and I ventured into the Cultivation World when we were young, and we know it is full of dangers. We were tired of that kind of life and just wanted to live out our lives peacefully. After we had a daughter, we were even less willing to take those risks, so we settled down in Hundred Flower Valley. With this in mind, we naturally didn't want our daughter to follow in our footsteps, so ten years ago she married an ordinary man in the secular world. Who knew that when I went to visit my daughter last year, she and her husband had died in a war, leaving behind this grandson who had been wandering and begging for more than half a year before I found him and brought him back."

"Wait!" Yue Qianchou waved his hand and said, "Mr. Dongguo, what exactly do you mean by telling me all this? You've explained it very clearly, but the more I listen, the more confused I get. What exactly do you mean?"

Dongguo Su glanced at his wife and said to Yue Qianchou, "Our daughter's death was a great blow to my wife and me. We have been thinking deeply about how to prevent our grandson from following in our daughter's footsteps. We cannot bear the pain of a parent outliving their child. My grandson also has some Spirit Root. I implore Mr. Yue to introduce him to Fu Xian Island for cultivation."

"So that's how it is," Bi Zicong and the other three smiled. Yue Qianchou's face twitched slightly as he said, "Why are you asking me if you want to send your grandson to Fu Xian Island for cultivation? Doesn't Hundred Flower Valley always have shops from Fu Xian Island? Why don't you just send your grandson there?"

"Mr. Yue, don't you know that your Fu Xian Island always finds its own disciples to cultivate, and never accepts disciples who come to you for help?" Dongguo Su asked in surprise.

"Uh..." Yue Qianchou was taken aback. It seemed that Fu Xian Island did have such a nonsensical rule, which often made it so that some disciples who were expelled from the sect couldn't even find their original homes. However, it seemed that he had gone to their doorstep, but that was only because he had the Fu Xian Token.

Yue Qianchou smiled bitterly, "There are plenty of cultivation sects in the world, why do you insist on sending your grandson to Fu Xian Island? For example, these four friends of mine are from the Four Great Families of the Cultivation World, sending your grandson to cultivate with Four Great Families wouldn't be bad!"

The four rolled their eyes. They'd never seen anyone like this before. "If you don't want to, don't push it onto us!" they thought. "We're all young people; who wants to do something as time-consuming and thankless as recruiting disciples for a sect?" Bi Zicong laughed, "Brother Yue, don't you understand what Mr. Dongguo meant? Mr. Dongguo wanted his grandson to have an even higher position. Besides the number one sect in the world, Fu Xian Island, who else could it be? Mr. Dongguo, is that what you mean?"

Dongguo Su nodded and said, "This gentleman has hit the nail on the head. That's exactly what I meant. Please help me, Mr. Yue."

Yue Qianchou was suddenly taken aback, and said with a sickening smile, "Mr. Dongguo is really good at scheming. It seems I have never told you that my surname is Yue?"

"Mr. Yue's name has been widely known in Hundred Flower Valley these past few days, so there's no need for you to tell me personally," Dongguo Su said with a smirk.

He had only heard of Yue Qianchou's exploits before yesterday, but didn't actually know him, including when he was selling white talismans. It wasn't until later, shortly after Yue Qianchou left his stall, that he staged another charade with the demonic forces. The old man, having just finished packing up, went to watch the spectacle and was immediately captivated. This kid was Yue Qianchou, a master of Righteous and Demonic paths arts—truly remarkable! So he set his sights on him. Early the next morning, he waited at the market, watching as Yue Qianchou was once again respectfully invited inside by the manager of the Four Great Families. Knowing he would likely return, he spent a fortune buying a bunch of things for his wife to prepare, while he went to keep watch. His efforts paid off; he finally managed to trick Yue Qianchou.

Tan Fei chuckled and said, "Brother Yue's great name in Hundred Flower Valley certainly doesn't need to be said by himself." The other three couldn't help but chuckle as well.

Yue Qianchou smiled helplessly, unsure whether he should help. He beckoned to the child and said, "Come here, what's your name?" The child looked up at his grandmother, and seeing her nod, he walked over shyly and said, "My name is Hong Qi!"

"Oh! Hong Qi, what a strange name. Uh... what did you say? Your name is Hong Qi?" Yue Qianchou suddenly thought of a famous figure, Hong Qi, the leader of the Beggars' Sect. And this little guy still needs to beg for food. Damn! He'll definitely be an extraordinary person when he grows up!

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