Chapter 117: A Different Approach: The First Team

The pale young man was about the same age as Chen Xuan.

Even after many years, looking at the young man in front of him, Chen Xuan could instantly connect him with Niu Changgong.

"Isn't this Niu Xiaoshan? Why is he here?"

Chen Xuan looked secretly surprised.

Back then, the scenes of him and Niu Changgong and others working together to hunt monsters in the market town of Qixia Town instantly emerged in Chen Xuan's mind.

"Back then, Niu Changgong still owed me a hundred low-grade spirit stones. Unfortunately, I'm afraid Niu Changgong has died a long time ago. This debt..."

Chen Xuan soon returned to his normal expression.

At this moment, Niu Xiaoshan also saw Chen Xuan, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"May I ask if you are Master Xuan Chen?"

Niu Xiaoshan quickly saluted Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan waved his hand casually, and a gentle energy directly lifted Niu Xiaoshan up, and a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist, I don't know you at all. What are you doing?" Chen Xuan said.

"It is natural that you do not recognize me, Senior. But I cannot forget you. Not long ago, Senior gave a healing pill to a female cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining. Do you remember this?"

Niu Xiaoshan's expression was extremely respectful.

Chen Xuan was very surprised when he heard this.

"Could it be that fellow Daoist and that fairy are a dual cultivation couple?"

Chen Xuan remembered it clearly.

Back when he was in the market town of Qixia, Niu Xiaoshan was under the supervision of Niu Changgong and focused on practicing.

Matters between men and women are never involved.

I didn't expect that after so many years, the guy who needed protection back then actually has his own dual cultivation partner.

"Senior, Zhu Yu is my dual cultivation partner. If it weren't for her, who found a doctor and medicine for me when I was seriously injured, I am afraid I will not be able to repay you for saving my life." Niu Xiaoshan said.

"It's just a trivial matter, don't take it to heart. If you have nothing else to do, please go back!"

After Chen Xuan finished speaking, he packed up his stall and left immediately.

Unexpectedly, Niu Xiaoshan did not leave.

Instead, he followed Chen Xuan for a long distance with a determined look on his face.

Chen Xuan stopped only when he was about to reach Fanhua Courtyard.

"Fellow Daoist, do you have anything else to say?" Chen Xuan said.

"Senior, I have no way to repay you for saving my life. I can only serve you like a slave, please don't despise me."

When Niu Xiaoshan said this, he suddenly knelt down in front of Chen Xuan.

This was something Chen Xuan had not expected.

However, Chen Xuan did not agree immediately.

After some more kind persuasion, he sent Niu Xiaoshan back.

Chen Xuan knew that Niu Xiaoshan and he were also old friends.

After not seeing each other for so many years, Chen Xuan couldn't guarantee whether Niu Xiaoshan was still the simple-minded Niu Xiaoshan of the past.

After a moment of hesitation, Chen Xuan secretly used the shape-changing technique to change his appearance and aura, and then followed Niu Xiaoshan from a distance.

With Niu Xiaoshan's tenth level of Qi Refining, he naturally could not detect Chen Xuan's existence.

About an hour later, Chen Xuan followed Niu Xiaoshan to a temporary cave rental site in the south of Qingyunfang City.

The temporary cave here is just a simple place to stay.

Only one low-grade spirit stone is needed per day.

It is also the best place to live for countless Qi Refining cultivators who are not wealthy.

"Husband, you are back? Have you ever met Master Xuan Chen?"

Niu Xiaoshan had just walked into a temporary cave when he heard Zhu Yu's voice coming from inside.

Although, the formation in the temporary cave has been activated.

With the strength of Chen Xuan's spiritual power in the early stage of foundation building, it was easy for him to eavesdrop on the conversation between the two.

"Yu'er, I did meet Senior Xuan Chen. However, he didn't seem to care about saving his life."

Niu Xiaoshan looked disappointed.

"My husband, Master Xuan Chen is not only a strong man in the early stage of foundation building, but also kind and generous. He is very popular in Qingyun Market. There are countless immortal cultivators in the foundation building stage who have benefited from his kindness, and there are probably even more immortal cultivators like us in the Qi Refining stage. With his status, how could he take these trivial matters to heart?"

Zhu Yu comforted Niu Xiaoshan, paused, and then said, "My husband, although Master Xuan Chen is not willing to accept the gift of the elixir, we cannot be ungrateful. In the future, if Senior Xuan Chen has any problems, my husband and I will run around for him."

"Yu'er, you are right. When my father Niu Changgong was still alive, he often taught me that one should not forget one's roots. Back then, when my father and I were still in the market town of Qixia Town, he once borrowed 100 low-grade spirit stones from a Taoist friend named Chen. Even before he died, he did not forget this matter and told me to find that Taoist friend Chen and return the spirit stones to him."

"This... Husband, you have been keeping a hundred low-grade spirit stones for all these years, and refused to let me use them even when you were seriously injured. Could it be that you are keeping the spirit stones to pay off the debt to that Daoist Fellow Chen?"

"Exactly!"

……

Outside the temporary cave, Chen Xuan, who was in disguise, felt mixed emotions when he heard this.

He really didn't expect that Niu Changgong and his son would be so true to their promise.

Even though so many years had passed since the incident of borrowing the spirit stone, if Chen Xuan had not met Niu Xiaoshan by chance, I'm afraid Chen Xuan would not have remembered it.

However, Niu Xiaoshan kept in mind the fact that he had borrowed the one hundred spirit stones from Chen Xuan.

Even though he was seriously injured, he refused to let Zhu Yu use the one hundred spirit stones that were meant to pay off his debt.

In this world of immortal cultivators where human relationships are cold, Chen Xuan feels very relieved to meet such an old friend.

"It seems that Niu Xiaoshan and his wife are not having an easy time either. If that's the case, I can help them."

Chen Xuan sighed lightly, and his figure disappeared in a flash.

After he returned to the Fanhua Courtyard, he took out a sound transmission talisman, said a few words, and then activated it casually.

More than an hour later, Niu Xiaoshan and his wife appeared in the flowery courtyard where Chen Xuan lived.

When Niu Xiaoshan and his wife saw that the place where Chen Xuan lived was actually in the spiritual vein area with abundant spiritual energy in Qingyun Market, they were secretly envious.

Chen Xuan naturally saw all of this.

"My two Taoist friends, do you like this small courtyard?"

Chen Xuan smiled slightly, with profound meaning.

Upon hearing this, Niu Xiaoshan and his wife shook their heads in fear.

"This is where you live, Senior. How dare I..."

"Fellow Daoist Niu, take a closer look at who I am?"

Chen Xuan dissipated the shape-changing magic technique, revealing his original face.

Niu Xiaoshan looked surprised.

"You are... Chen Dao... Senior Chen?"

Soon, Niu Xiaoshan hurriedly took out a hundred low-grade spirit stones that he had carried with him for many years and handed them to Chen Xuan.

"Senior Chen, these are the one hundred low-grade spirit stones my father asked me to give you before he died. Now, I am giving these spirit stones to you, senior, and it also relieves my father's worries."

Chen Xuan did not take the spirit stone, but looked at Niu Xiaoshan with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Niu, when did your father tell you to return the spirit stone to me?"

"It was when my father and Fellow Daoist Xiang and others were exploring the ancient cultivator's cave. At that time, my father gave me a Peiyuan Pill so that I could practice with peace of mind. He also told me that if he couldn't come back, I should remember to pay back the one hundred low-grade spirit stones I owed to the senior."

Niu Xiaoshan answered without hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"It seems that Niu Xiaoshan is still the Niu Xiaoshan I knew before. If so..."

Thinking of this, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Niu, you and Fairy Zhu have become a dual cultivation couple, and you have met me here. It is really fate. Since you are also an old friend of mine, I can give you two a clear path. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Niu Xiaoshan and his wife said without hesitation: "Senior, if you have anything to ask, just tell us. We will go through fire and water for you without hesitation!"

"Haha, that's not necessary. Actually, I just want you two to keep an eye on the various news in Qingyun Market for me. Sometimes, I need you to buy some medicinal materials for alchemy. As a reward, I will give each of you a bottle of small essence pill every month, plus 100 low-grade spirit stones. How about that?"

A bottle of small essence pill is already very valuable.

Plus one hundred low-grade spirit stones.

This income is more than twice their current income.

Moreover, there is no need for them to take any risks.

This is simply pie in the sky.

Niu Xiaoshan and his wife naturally would not refuse.

After everything was settled, Chen Xuan gave Niu Xiaoshan and his wife a year's salary on the spot and sent them away.

After a long time, Chen Xuan carefully recalled how he had received Niu Xiaoshan and his wife. After making sure that his every move was correct, he smiled with satisfaction.

"Now, I have my own team in Qingyun Market. From now on, I will leave the task of collecting information for the sect to them."

"However, if I want to find the murderer behind the attack on my Yuling Sect, I still have to start with the list of spies."