Yu Daniu's value

Three days earlier, Yu Daniu had first received Chen Jianghe's reply. Its contents had shaken his resolve to leave the alliance of his own accord.

With the Yun Household in turmoil, if he left the alliance and something really did happen, he would not even have anyone to travel with. With his early Qi Refining stage cultivation, he would surely end up as dry bones in the lake.

As Chen Jianghe had said in his letter, even if he wanted to leave the alliance, he should wait until the Yun Household's situation stabilized.

Brother Jianghe is right. I don't owe Zhou Miaoyun anything. I gave up benefits of my own to receive her Talisman Dao inheritance. Now that I've failed at the Talisman Dao and cannot pass the inheritance on, the subsequent benefits stipulated in my agreement with Zhou Miaoyun are null and void.

Every act of mutual assistance in the Mutual Aid Alliance is driven by benefits.

Yu Daniu was sincerely grateful for Chen Jianghe's heartfelt words. Without that reply, he would certainly have left the alliance at this small year-end gathering.

Now, he had no intention whatsoever of leaving the alliance.

Unless Chen Jianghe and Gao Peiyao joined together to ostracize him.

After he had thought it through, he received Zhou Miaoyun's letter, asking him to go to Port No. 1 in three days. Chen Jianghe and Gao Peiyao would also be there.

But every word was cold.

This left Yu Daniu worried that Zhou Miaoyun had already persuaded Chen Jianghe and Gao Peiyao. If they all ostracized him then, he truly would no longer be able to stay in the alliance.

But then he thought of Chen Jianghe's letter again.

Yu Daniu rallied his spirits and traveled from the Aquaculture Waters to Port No. 1 that very day.

He understood that if he could not demonstrate any value in this alliance, he would sooner or later be squeezed out.

Thus, Yu Daniu thought of the value he could offer: taking risks to gather information.

Inside the private room, Zhou Miaoyun and Gao Peiyao sat close together. Hearing Yu Daniu's words, they exchanged curious glances.

"What happened?" Chen Jianghe also looked puzzled.

"The Bai Household's Foundation Establishment Ancestor on Qiyun Mountain has made his move. The Bai Household has already occupied Linyun Mine. The Yun Household's Third Elder was killed, and the Second Elder and Fifth Elder fled back to Heart of the Lake Island with injuries, but quite a few direct descendants at the mid Qi Refining stage perished at Linyun Mine."

Watching the three of them pale in shock, Yu Daniu knew that none of them had heard this news yet.

"Not only that, over a hundred junior fisher-farmers have already fled the Outer Waters. Even a dozen or so senior fisher-farmers from the Inner Waters have run away."

"I couldn't get in touch with any retainers at Port No. 1, so I haven't found out anything about retainers leaving."

Yu Daniu's words stirred towering waves in the hearts of Chen Jianghe and the two women. They had only known that Port No. 2 had been attacked.

How could they have known that Linyun Mine had also been attacked, and that even a Foundation Establishment Ancestor had appeared?

An elder at the ninth level of Qi Refining, along with quite a few direct descendants at the mid Qi Refining stage, had all died at Linyun Mine.

By comparison, the losses at Port No. 2 seemed rather insignificant.

Especially in light of the news that followed.

"Brother Daniu, you said junior fisher-farmers and senior fisher-farmers have fled? Did they leave the Yun Household?" Gao Peiyao's lovely face lost its color in shock, and her voice trembled.

"Yes."

Yu Daniu nodded.

Zhou Miaoyun's expression shifted. With such a calamity befalling the Yun Household, the entire Mirror Moon Lake region would fall into chaos.

Her Zhou Household was only a small Qi Refining Aristocratic Clan, and her father was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. Once bandit cultivators set their sights on them, the Zhou Household would have no escape from disaster.

"Leaving the waters of Mirror Moon Lake means certain death. This is the Yun Household's stronghold. As long as their ancestor remains alive, this place won't descend into chaos.

"Outside, on the other hand, bandit cultivators probably already rule the roost."

Seeing the fear in Gao Peiyao's eyes, Zhou Miaoyun hurriedly offered her analysis.

She also wanted to return to the Zhou Household to check on things, but leaving the waters of Mirror Moon Lake now was too dangerous. She might meet with misfortune before she even reached home.

Besides, what could she do even if she returned to the Zhou Household?

A low-grade talisman master whose cultivation was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining could hardly be of much use.

By staying here, she might at least preserve a thread of the Zhou Household's bloodline. "Daniu, did you arrive at Port No. 1 three days ago?" Chen Jianghe looked solemnly at Yu Daniu and spoke earnestly.

"It's dangerous for you to gather information like this."

"It wasn't really dangerous. I only asked junior fisher-farmers at the early Qi Refining stage." Meeting Chen Jianghe's gaze, Yu Daniu scratched his head with an honest, guileless air.

Only then did Zhou Miaoyun and Gao Peiyao catch on.

Chen Jianghe was directing those words at them.

Yu Daniu had gathered information despite the dangers posed by fleeing fisher-farmers. Those fleeing fisher-farmers had no scruples. If wicked thoughts arose, they might rob someone before running away. The Yun Household had no attention to spare for them anyway.

This, too, was providing value to the alliance, and the value of that information could not even be measured in spirit stones.

"Brother Daniu, doing this really was too dangerous."

"Thank you for the information, Fellow Daoist Yu."

Yu Daniu flushed red and did not know what to do with his hands or feet. He smiled awkwardly. "It was nothing, nothing."

"Daniu, you mustn't be so reckless again," Chen Jianghe said sternly.

"I understand, Brother Jianghe."

By now, Yu Daniu had also caught on.

Chen Jianghe had deliberately mentioned that he had arrived at the port three days early. He was helping establish his value to the alliance.

He was letting Zhou Miaoyun and Gao Peiyao feel his worth.

"Fairy Miaoyun is right. The Mirror Moon Lake region spans eight hundred li. Even if chaos breaks out, it will start outside first. We'll be relatively safer staying on the water."

Looking at the three of them, Chen Jianghe suggested, "While we're at Port No. 1 this time, we should buy enough daily necessities for the next eight months.

"As for the chamber pots..."

At this point, he paused.

After all, they were only at the early Qi Refining stage, and Zhou Miaoyun had only just entered the mid Qi Refining stage. They simply could not afford Fasting Pills, spirit medicines used during secluded cultivation.

A jar of Fasting Pills cost eight spirit stones. Even late Qi Refining stage cultivators without a craft would choose to buy spirit marrow rice unless absolutely necessary.

Thus, as long as they ate, night soil was unavoidable.

Even fairies were no exception.

"You can buy some oilcloth and bury the night soil deep at the bottom of the lake. At year's end, you can retrieve it and bring it to the port, or simply let it become nourishment for the weeds on the lakebed."

"All right, I'll do as Brother Jianghe says."

Without a second thought, Yu Daniu nodded earnestly.

Gao Peiyao and Zhou Miaoyun exchanged a brief glance, then both nodded as well.

This was far too dangerous a time. Even though the steward of the Outer Waters was stationed at Port No. 1, it was naturally better not to visit the port if they could avoid it.

Coming to the port again at year's end would naturally be fine.

Unless the Fisher-Farmer Conference was not held. If it was, the Yun Household's late Qi Refining stage cultivators would certainly come to oversee it, ensuring that the Fisher-Farmer Conference proceeded normally and safely.

Perhaps the mention of night soil had robbed both fairies of their appetites. Once the discussion ended, they left straightaway.

Seeing that Zhou Miaoyun had no intention of taking out the spirit stones and Water Escape Talisman, Chen Jianghe kept silent on the matter.

Clearly, Zhou Miaoyun still did not think much of Yu Daniu.

Gao Peiyao did not mention it either. She had clearly chosen to side with Zhou Miaoyun.

After Zhou Miaoyun and Gao Peiyao left.

Chen Jianghe stopped Yu Daniu.

"Daniu, how much spirit sand do you still have on you?"