Immortal Realm’s Smuggling Kingpin - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The Bourne Identity—Luo Qian‘s Identity

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

Luo Qian smiled. “You said it yourself. We have limited funds now, but there are many areas we will need to spend on. If you ask me for 30 Superior Immortal Jade just for a piece of land, how will I be able to afford it?”

Du Lengning thought for a while. He had a share in this business, so the money saved was partly his. “If we want the land, everything is easy to deal with, except my father.” Du Lengning continued, “You know what my father’s personality is like. If it’s anything related to the sect’s interests, he will not easily agree to anything, even if I’m the one asking.”

Luo Qian thought as much. Du Lengning’s father, Du Zhongping, was known as the third most miserly Immortal in the Immortal Realm. Otherwise, Du Lengning, the young master of the great Faraway Hall, would not be so poor that he had to buy things on credit with Luo Qian.

“However, I can discuss the matter with my father. We can offer to sell Faraway Hall the elixirs we make at half-price in exchange for the piece of land,” said Du Lengning.

Luo Qian quickly vetoed that idea. “Half-price? Don’t even think about it. Thirty pieces of Superior Immortal Jade can be earned back in a few months. If I keep supplying elixirs to Faraway Hall at half-price, I will definitely make a loss. There’s no way I’m doing that. It’s not a good deal. I’d rather pay for the land myself.”

Du Lengning thought about it again. “I’ll go back and discuss it with my father. I’ll ask him to give you a preferred price, how about that?”

Luo Qian said, “It’s not for me, it’s for us. The business belongs to the two of us. Of course, if you don’t want a share, I won’t force you.”

“Us, of course, us.” Du Lengning was not stupid. He would be an idiot if he did not want in on such a profitable business.

“Luo Qian, are you in there?” The two were discussing detailed plans when an unfamiliar voice was heard calling out from outside.

Seeing the change in Luo Qian’s expression, Du Lengning couldn’t help but ask with concern, “Why, is it your enemy? You wait here, I’ll get rid of him.” He moved to stand up.

Luo Qian grabbed him and said grimly, “It’s okay, I’ll settle it myself. You stay here.” Du Lengning looked at him curiously, and Luo Qian gave a reluctant smile. “It’s really okay.”

Du Lengning hid in the cave and strained his ears to hear the conversation. Outside, three brilliant gem fires encircled a handsome male Immortal like ribbons. The immortal wore a purple-gold crown, gold-embellished scale armor, and a green cloak. He had golden boots on, and his cloak fluttered behind him like a flame in the wind. What an impressive character!

Luo Qian looked at him indifferently. “Why are you here?”

The man stood in the air, floating. He glanced at Luo Qian and threw a jade medallion at him. The jade medallion displayed a gold seal and the following three lines: “The day after tomorrow is Grandfather’s 3,000th birthday. You can go home for a visit.”

Luo Qian glanced at the jade medallion. “I’m no longer a member of the Qian family, and that’s not my home.” He threw the jade medallion back.

The valiant Immortal in the sky was furious. With a green light, he pulverized the jade medallion into dust and shouted, “Luo Qian, are you turning your back on your family?”

Luo Qian laughed bitterly. “Turn my back? Why would I need to do that? All of you have long stopped treating me as a member of the Qian family. If I don’t leave, do you expect me to wait for you all to chase me out?”

“Presumptuous!” The valiant Immortal thundered, and the three fires around him trembled. His thunderous roar shook the entire Fushan Qingfu Peak.

Luo Qian was seriously injured, and two streams of blood flowed from his nostrils. He took several steps backward and fell to the ground.

“How has the family wronged you? Regardless of your evil deeds in the Human Realm, we have tried our best to help you, a person who has no cultivation, ascend. We even wanted to groom you to become the successor of the family. Not only do you not know gratitude, but you also harbor resentment. Even a beast is better than you!”

Luo Qian wiped off the blood and stood up straight. “Yes, they brought me to the Immortal Realm, but did I ask for it? I had a lover and a life in the Human Realm, but the family paid no heed to my feelings at all. For the sake of their so-called family interests, they forcibly made me ascend to the Immortal Realm. Hahaha… it’s a pity that the heavens don’t go along with people’s wishes. I turned out to be a Tribulation Immortal, the most useless Immortal type in the Immortal Realm! I became a useless being and a burden on the family. They were unwilling to waste time on me, and everyone found me annoying. They all bullied and insulted me. Anyone could command me to do things. I was treated even worse than a servant. That’s right. My family has treated me so well! How am I not grateful to them!”

Luo Qian finished speaking. Not wanting to pay any more attention to the man, he turned around and entered his cave.

Du Lengning went towards him, opening his mouth as if to say something. Luo Qian seemed to have not seen him and walked past him with his head down.

Du Lengning shook his head and followed him in.

Outside, the valiant immortal said loudly, “Luo Qian, I have delivered my message. It’s up to you whether you go or not. If you want to turn your back on the family, then never claim to be a member of the Qian family again, lest you disgrace the Qian family!”

“Old Luo, who’s that? He looks young, but he has protective gem fires. He must be a Fifth-Order Immortal at least, right?” asked Du Lengning cautiously.

Luo Qian lowered his head, closed his eyes, and sat in his chair motionlessly. After a long time, he said, “That’s part of an immortal artifact, the ‘Cloud Parting Armor,’ that he is wearing. His true strength is actually below yours.”

Du Lengning blurted out, “How do you know that?”

Luo Qian didn’t answer him this time, but said silently in his heart, Because that Cloud Parting Armor was originally prepared for me…

Du Lengning left Fushan cave full of doubts. He scoured through all the information in his mind but could not remember knowing about a Qian family in the Immortal Realm. However, a family that owned an immortal artifact could not be unknown in the Immortal Realm. He then had an idea.

Didn’t the guy wearing the Cloud Parting Armor say that his grandfather’s 3,000th birthday was in three days? Such an important day must be a big deal. I just need to find out which family in the Immortal Realm has recently held a banquet, and I will know all about this Qian Family.

After Du Lengning returned to Faraway Hall, a senior disciple came to his door before he could warm the chair he was sitting on. “Junior, Master has requested that you see him when you return.”

Du Lengning hurriedly went to his father.

Du Zhongping, the head of Faraway Hall, was a monastic man with a gaunt face. His long beard under his jaw split into three parts. He was dressed in a black Taoist robe all the time. Although Faraway Hall owned the largest garment workshop in the Immortal Realm—Faraway Garment Hall—Du Zhongping had been wearing the same simple Taoist robe for decades. The third most miserly man in the Immortal Realm had definitely earned his title.

“Father.” Du Lengning was truly in awe of his father. He was always proper and respectful whenever he was in his presence, never daring to step out of line.

Du Zhongping—who was cleaning up a seven-headed immortal reishi—casually pointed. “Take a seat first.”

Seven-headed immortal reishis were meaty mushrooms with seven heads growing on one body stem. It was extremely precious and the best material for alchemy. Du Zhongping must have gotten one from somewhere. He carefully put it into a jade box, sealed the lid, and put it away. He then said to Du Lengning, “In three days, the patriarch of Huzhong Dimension’s Bolan family is holding a banquet in honor of his 3,000th birthday. I have already prepared a gift. You will go to Lake Territory to attend the banquet with me. You’re not young anymore; you have to learn to deal with some things.”

Du Lengning was shocked. Stammering, he asked, “Is he the one who presides over one of the Immortal Realm’s Nine Dimensions, the Huzhong Dimension? The Bolan family Patriarch?”

Du Zhongping glanced at his son strangely. “Who else? Is there a second Bolan family in the Immortal Realm?”

Du Lengning took a deep breath and asked, “Father, what is their surname?”

The masters of the Immortal Realm’s Nine Dimensions were all Frontiers officials. Each family had a specific title. Over time, their titles replaced the families’ original names. Therefore, Du Lengning only knew of the Haichao family and the Bolan family but did not know their original surnames.

“The surname of the Bolan family is Qian, the Qian from Qiankun1.”

A loud thud resounded in Du Lengning’s brain. Luo Qian is a member of a dignified family? How did he end up in his current state? During the conversation between him and the person wearing the Cloud Parting Armor, he mentioned that the family had abandoned him. It seems like the grievances and internal struggles of the affluent families are crueler than what’s stated in the rumors!

He was originally a little envious of those immortal young masters of affluent families. However, he now sincerely felt that his current family was the best. Although it wasn’t even in the Immortal Realm’s top 50, their small family was warm and close. Regardless of whether it was Eldest Uncle or Third Uncle, they all treated him like their own son…

Luo Qian sat cross-legged on the stone bed and meditated, but he simply could not calm his mind. The figure in front of his eyes moved, and the tinkling silver bell-like laughter echoed in his ears. It felt as real as it had been all those years before.

What else was there on Earth that could make a prodigal return?

Luo Qian’s parents died when he was young. They died from injuries sustained after going berserk during dual-cultivation. Of course, Luo Qian didn’t know this until after he arrived in the Immortal Realm. After they died, the youngster had no family, which meant nobody guided him or reined him in. He was at the age of rebellion. Ignorant and fearless, he resolved to follow his hooligan classmates and started mixing in secret societies.

Because this society had something called social welfare, Luo Qian was forced to complete junior high school and high school. Yes, forced. Social welfare was the only fig leaf for this increasingly indifferent society. Whether Luo Qian liked it or not, there were people who needed it—whether as a political achievement or as a psychological comfort for donors.

One fateful day, he threw stones at a boy from a hostile faction, causing him to bleed. As the boy fled in a panic, a slender figure said timidly to him, “Thank you…”

Luo Qian had never thought that he would be a hero saving a damsel in distress. Before the girl turned around, all he was thinking about was the ‘benefit of society.’

However, a rule he had faithfully adhered to for four years was completely overturned after that slightly fearful thanks. Lightning struck, and Luo Qian met his first love.

A man in love seemed to grow up overnight. He began learning how to think about the future. He also learned how to think about problems from the perspective of two people and how to look at his own past. That year, his form teacher—who everyone thought had brought the school’s infamous prodigal back on track with his hard work—was honored as an outstanding teacher in the school.

Luo Qian grinned as he looked at the photo of his form teacher on the big red list. The man, who looked like a good man, thought about nothing but grades all day long. He had wished for all the students with bad grades to leave his class and go home, lest they pull down the class’s performance. He worked hard, but he didn’t think about how he could save the young man who had gone astray. He simply kicked the young man, who had lost his way, out from school and onto the street directly.

It was love that changed Luo Qian. Zhou Xin entered his life timidly, causing his entire life to then turn over like an hourglass.

Standing by the Huangpu River, imitating the classic scenes from Titanic, lighting 600 candles positioned into two hearts side by side, making burning hearts, their first kiss under the Christmas fireworks…

Luo Qian could vividly remember every single detail of their time together.

Life was sweet until that face suddenly appeared in front of Luo Qian. “The family needs you. The blood in your body has already determined your relation.” With just this sentence, Luo Qian was forced to leave the Human Realm. He didn’t even have the opportunity to say goodbye to his lover.

It was not until five years later that Luo Qian found out that he could descend to the Human Realm. However, by then, Zhou Xin had someone else beside her. Luo Qian stood silently in the dark, watching them walk lovingly, arm in arm, under the shadow of the street lamp.