Chapter 219 - 211: Visiting the Wang Family
It was time for Han Qing’s lesson, but he didn’t show up.
Li Yuan waited for an hour, then left for the Purple Abyss Trading Company.
Shopkeeper Han was behind the counter, flipping through a ledger. When he saw Li Yuan walk in, his expression grew awkward.
"Senior Li..." He closed the ledger and wrung his hands.
"Where’s Han Qing?"
Shopkeeper Han lowered his voice.
"I didn’t let him go."
He glanced at Li Yuan, his tone hesitant.
"Senior, you are a Foundation Establishment Cultivator now. That boy Han Qing is only at the Qi Refining Third Level and can’t even draw a Fireball Talisman properly. For him to continue learning from you... it’s not quite appropriate."
Li Yuan glanced at him.
’The status gap between a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and a Qi Refining Cultivator is a very real chasm in the cultivation world. Shopkeeper Han and I used to be on equal footing as fellow Loose Cultivators, but now that I’ve reached Foundation Establishment, his attitude has naturally changed.’
"It’s fine. Let him continue to come," Li Yuan said. "I’ll teach him as I have been. There’s nothing inappropriate about it."
Shopkeeper Han was taken aback for a moment, then his expression relaxed.
"Then... thank you, Senior. But he won’t have time these next couple of days."
Li Yuan nodded, placed a batch of Talismans on the counter, collected the Spirit Stones, and left the Purple Abyss Trading Company.
When he returned to his courtyard, a Cultivator from the Wang family came to visit, inviting Li Yuan to visit the Wang family tomorrow.
The next morning, Li Yuan left through the south gate of Yunyang Market and followed the main road toward the Wang family’s estate.
The Wang family’s residence was located about forty li southwest of Yunyang Market, a fortress-like manor built against a mountain.
Li Yuan activated his Divine Movement Step to travel and arrived in less than an hour.
The manor was larger than Li Yuan had expected.
Grayish-white stone walls enclosed a courtyard a hundred zhang wide, with Cultivators patrolling back and forth on top. Behind the manor was a low Spirit Mountain with the entrances to a few cave abodes visible on its slope.
At the main gate of the manor, a person was standing and waiting.
It wasn’t Wang De.
It was an elderly man in his sixties, with a gaunt face and an upright posture. He wore a dark gray robe embroidered with faint, dark patterns.
A Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
His spiritual pressure was steady and profound, even deeper than Chen Yi’s.
’The Patriarch of the Wang family.’
When the old man saw Li Yuan approaching, he took two steps forward to greet him, clasping his hands in a salute.
"Li Dao You, I’ve long heard of you. This old man is Wang Ting’an, Patriarch of the Wang family."
’His attitude is extremely enthusiastic. Unlike the solemnity of my first meeting with Ji Huaiyuan, Wang Ting’an’s warmth is more overt, a smile on his face as if he’s welcoming a long-lost friend.’
"You’re too kind, Senior Wang," Li Yuan replied, returning the salute.
Wang Ting’an stepped aside, ushering Li Yuan into the manor.
The interior of the manor was far more refined than its exterior suggested. The main hall was spacious and bright, the tables and chairs were made of Spirit Wood, and several scrolls depicting Spirit Beasts hung on the walls.
A long table was already laden with food and wine.
This was no ordinary meal. There was Spirit Beast Flesh, Spirit Fish, Spirit Rice, and several plates of sliced Spirit Fruit.
There were many varieties of Spirit Fruit, each of a different color, arranged on exquisite white porcelain plates.
Wang Ting’an invited Li Yuan to take a seat, sitting opposite him while Wang De stood in attendance at the side.
"Fellow Daoist, you’ve come a long way. Please, have some refreshments first."
Wang Ting’an pushed a cup of Spirit Tea toward Li Yuan.
The two ate and chatted, the conversation mostly consisting of pleasantries—the Wang family’s recent situation, the changes in Yunyang Market, the excitement of the Immortal Sect Assembly.
Wang Ting’an was an excellent conversationalist, neither overly eager nor letting the conversation die, maintaining a perfect rhythm.
Li Yuan listened as he ate.
’The texture of the Spirit Beast Flesh is good, and the Spiritual Qi concentration in the Spirit Rice is a cut above what I can buy in the market.’
When it came to the Spirit Fruit, Li Yuan picked up a small, dark red fruit and popped it into his mouth. The flesh was crisp and sweet, melting instantly, and a warm wave of Spiritual Power spread from his stomach.
Then he picked up a second one.
This one was pale gold, a size larger than the dark red one, and covered in a layer of fine fuzz.
The moment his fingers touched the fruit’s skin, a panel popped up.
[Equippable Item Detected]
[Item Trait Level: White]
[Note: Item not owned. Unable to equip or view details.]
’A White Trait.’
Li Yuan smoothly tucked the Spirit Fruit into his storage bag, then picked up another one and took a bite.
After they had chatted for a while, Wang Ting’an got to the point.
"Fellow Daoist, the Wang family has a presumptuous request."
He set down his teacup, his tone becoming more formal.
"The Wang family has managed Spirit Fields for many years, and we’ve always used our own Spirit Water Talismans to cultivate them. However, the only Talisman Maker in the family who could draw Spirit Water Talismans passed away last year. Over the past year, the output of our Spirit Fields has dropped considerably."
"The Spirit Water Talisman is a Tier Two Talisman. It is difficult to draw, and a Tier One Cultivator would need the aid of an Array to even produce one or two."
He looked at Li Yuan.
"I wonder if you, Fellow Daoist, have learned to draw the Spirit Water Talisman. The Wang family would like to commission you to supply us with them. The price is negotiable."
"I can," Li Yuan nodded.
"Once my success rate is a bit more stable, I can begin supplying them."
Wang Ting’an’s smile widened.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist. The Wang family will certainly not be stingy on the price."
The two chatted for a while longer before Li Yuan stood up to take his leave.
Wang Ting’an personally escorted him to the manor gate and saw him off with a clasped-hand salute.
After walking some distance and confirming no one was around, Li Yuan took the pale gold Spirit Fruit out of his storage bag.
His fingertip touched the skin of the fruit.
[Equippable Item Detected: Spirit Charm Golden Fruit (Intact)]
[Equip Trait Preview: Cultivation Acceleration (White) — When cultivating, Spiritual Power circulation speed will progressively increase, strengthening over time up to a maximum of 50%.]
[Permanence Condition Preview: Cultivation reaches Late-stage Qi Refining, and one Cultivation Method reaches Great Success (0/2)]
[Current Equipment Slots Full (5/5). Replace currently equipped item?]
’A White Trait. Cultivation Acceleration.’
’Spiritual Power circulation speed will progressively increase during cultivation, up to fifty percent.’
’Permanence conditions: Cultivation at Late-stage Qi Refining, and a Cultivation Method at Great Success.’
Li Yuan’s current Cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment Stage, far beyond Late-stage Qi Refining. His Spirit-Introducing Skill was already at Perfection, far beyond Great Success.
Both conditions were met.
With a thought, Li Yuan unequipped an item from his current equipment slots.
’Equip Spirit Charm Golden Fruit.’
[Permanence Conditions for Cultivation Acceleration (White) have been met.]
[Make permanent?]
’Yes.’
[Permanence successful.]
[Cultivation Acceleration (White) has become a permanent trait.]
[Item consumed.]
The Spirit Fruit in his palm dissolved into a pale golden light and flowed into his body.
He could feel the change immediately. The speed of Spiritual Power circulating in his meridians quickened slightly. This effect would grow stronger with cultivation time, eventually reaching a fifty percent boost.
’I’ve gained another permanent cultivation-accelerating trait.’
Li Yuan reorganized his equipment slots and continued on his way.
As he reached the gates of Yunyang Market, he saw a person waiting just inside.
Chen Yi.
The Primordial Yang Sect elder wore a deep blue robe and stood under a stone pillar by the gate, his hands clasped behind his back.
Seeing Li Yuan enter the city, Chen Yi walked over to him.
"Li Dao You, a word in private."
The two walked along a side street for a short distance before turning into a quiet alley.
Chen Yi stopped and turned around.
"There’s something I need to tell you."
His tone was a shade more serious than when they had been in the assembly hall.
"You should be aware of the conflict between the Wang family and the Li family."
Li Yuan nodded.
"You are a Foundation Establishment Cultivator now, and you just paid a visit to the Wang family."
Chen Yi looked at him.
"Normal interactions are fine, but there is one line you must not cross: do not get involved in the conflict between the Wang and Li families as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator."
He brought his hands out from behind his back and rested them on his chest.
"The conflict between the Wang and Li families is currently contained at the Qi Refining Stage level. Although the two families’ Foundation Establishment Patriarchs can’t stand each other, they haven’t come to an open break. If a Foundation Establishment Cultivator were to directly intervene in a conflict at the Qi Refining level, the nature of the situation would change."
He paused.
"Once a conflict between Foundation Establishment Cultivators escalates, the situation will be very difficult to control."
Li Yuan didn’t object. ’I had no intention of getting mixed up in the affairs of the Wang and Li families anyway.’
"I won’t get involved."
Chen Yi nodded, his expression softening slightly.
"Good. If there’s anything you need, you can bring it to the Primordial Yang Sect. The title of Protector isn’t just for show. The Sect will help where it can."
Li Yuan thought for a moment.
"Evil Stones."
Chen Yi’s eyebrow twitched slightly. "Evil Stones?"
"I need Evil Qi for my cultivation. Evil Stones are the most convenient source of it."
Chen Yi mulled it over for a couple of breaths.
"The Primordial Yang Sect doesn’t have any Evil Stones in stock. There’s too little demand for them; no one bothers to hoard them."
He thought for a moment, then continued.
"But the Ghost Mist Forest has them."
He glanced to the southwest.
"You’ve been to the mine in the Ghost Mist Forest, right? There’s an Evil Stone vein in that mine. The part that was previously opened for Loose Cultivators to mine was just one end of the vein—the shallower section."
He held up one finger.
"The vein has two ends. The shallow end has low-grade Evil Stones and small reserves, mainly for Qi Refining Stage Loose Cultivators to mine. The other end extends deep into the Ghost Mist Forest. It has high-grade stones and large reserves, but the surrounding Evil Qi concentration and the strength of the Demon Beasts are also much higher."
He lowered his finger.
"It’s too dangerous for Qi Refining Stage Cultivators in the deep parts, so it has never been opened to them. But you are a Foundation Establishment Cultivator now. The Demon Beasts in the depths are nothing to you."
He laid out the terms.
"You can mine it yourself, or you can hire people to dig for you. You must turn over thirty percent of the output to the Primordial Yang Sect. The rest is yours."
"You can mine as you please, but you must not disturb the other Cultivators. There are still many Loose Cultivators digging for Spirit Iron at the shallow end, so don’t get into conflicts with them."
Li Yuan nodded.
’The terms aren’t harsh. Turning over thirty percent is standard procedure. The Ghost Mist Forest is nominally under the jurisdiction of the Primordial Yang Sect, so paying a tax for mining is only natural.’
Chen Yi added one more thing.
"By the way, do you know the history of the Ghost Mist Forest?"
"I don’t."
Chen Yi rubbed his chin, as if considering how much to say.
"The Primordial Yang Sect doesn’t have complete records of the specifics. But based on some surviving clues, we speculate that the Ghost Mist Forest was not always like this. A long time ago, that area was the headquarters of a Sect."
He paused.
"A Sect presided over by a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator. Our Secret Realm also originated from this Sect."
’Nascent Soul, a major realm higher than the Golden Core Stage.’
"For some unknown reason, that Sect was destroyed. After its fall, the Spirit Vein at the Sect’s headquarters collapsed, and a massive amount of Yin Evil Qi surged up from underground. It lingered year-round, forming what is now the Ghost Mist Forest."
He glanced at Li Yuan.
"As for whether there are any other remnants deep within the Ghost Mist Forest, who can say for sure."
Li Yuan committed this information to memory.
’The ruins of a Nascent Soul Stage Sect. There might be other remnants deep in the Ghost Mist Forest.’
"Thank you."
Chen Yi waved his hand dismissively and walked away down the alley.
Li Yuan stood in the alley for a moment, thinking, before returning to his courtyard.