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Chapter 24: Turning of the Tide
𝘧𝑟𝓮𝓮𝓌𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝓵.𝒸ℴ𝑚Mu Family's Herb Garden.
The next day, Lan Chang'an moved into the former residence of Pill Master Ge.
This residence originally belonged to the guards stationed at the herb garden, but Ge Yi had occupied it due to his superior status.
Before leaving, Mu Renlong had searched Ge Yi's residence but didn't find anything valuable left behind.
Lan Chang'an moved in for privacy and the spacious space. It was convenient for him to draw talismans, study alchemy, and cultivate his spirit pet.
Beneath the basement of the residence was a concealed small tunnel that an adult could not pass through. This was the Earth Burrowing Rat's exclusive passage.
Over the next two days, the additional personnel sent by the Mu Family gradually arrived.
Apart from ordinary farmers and servants, there were only six cultivators. After observing them, Lan Chang'an inwardly shook his head, summing them up in eight words: Old, weak, sick, and disabled, yin prevailing over yang.
There were four young cultivators at the first and second layers of Qi-Refining, three of whom were little girls.
An old woman at the fourth layer of Qi-Refining with blurred vision, her life nearing its end, was responsible for tending to the herbs.
There was also a youth with a limp, dark skin, and a walking stick.
Oh, this limping youth was Li Ergou.
Two months ago, Li Ergou had broken his leg on the front lines and was given half a year of recuperation time by his family.
Coincidentally, the herb garden was short-staffed, so he was transferred here to recuperate.
"Brother Lan, you truly live up to your reputation as a renowned martial artist, joining forces with the Young Lady to fend off that seventh layer Qi-Refining traitor!"
Upon meeting, Li Ergou exclaimed endlessly, inquiring about the details of that day.
Those few young girls in the early stages of Qi-Refining had pure gazes filled with admiration, as well as a hint of gossipy curiosity.
Joining forces to fend off?
Lan Chang'an nodded slightly: "It was mainly thanks to the Young Lady; I was only providing a distraction on the side."
The Mu Family's external propaganda aligned with Lan Chang'an's expectations.
He had some guesses as to the specific reasons.
Firstly, it wasn't ideal to reveal details about the Mu Family's daughter being in a coma to outsiders.
This could lead to speculation and harm their reputation.
It was better to simply state that the two of them joined forces to defeat Ge Yi.
Secondly, it could elevate the Mu Family's daughter's reputation and establish her merit within the clan.
Since Mu Xiuyin had higher cultivation and was the Young Lady, it would be easier for outsiders to understand her being the main force behind defeating Ge Yi.
"Oh right! Brother Lan, these are letters from Zhao Siyao and Lin Yi."
Li Ergou handed over two letters.
Over the past year that Lan Chang'an had been stationed at the herb garden, any letters from outside had been sent to the clan's headquarters.
Major forces primarily used servants, messengers, and carrier pigeons for correspondence. At the top of a cultivation sect, there were more advanced means of communication.
......
Lan Chang'an first read Lin Yi's two letters.
The first letter congratulated Lan Chang'an on becoming a first-rank Talisman Master. It mentioned the conflict between the Mu and Zheng Families, implicitly indicating that he didn't think highly of the Mu Family and asked Lan Chang'an to to be cautious.
The second letter, sent last month, stated that Lin Yi had organized a secular force called the 'Hidden Immortal Pavilion'.
This force mainly served cultivators, with a small number of scattered cultivators as its backbone, it absorbed secular martial arts experts and gathered various kinds of intelligence, searching for cultivation resources and treasures left behind in the mortal world.
In the future, the Hidden Immortal Pavilion was considering doing business for wandering cultivators, acting as errand runners for sect disciples and establishing connections.
"The idea is not bad," Lan Chang'an pondered.
In the letter, Lin Yi invited Lan Chang'an to join, offering him the position of Deputy Pavilion Master.
If Lan Chang'an declined to join, Lin Yi wouldn't force himself.
At the end of the letter, Lin Yi requested that Lan Chang'an sell him a batch of basic talismans and low-grade first-rank talismans at a reasonable price to aid the Hidden Immortal Pavilion's initial development.
Naturally, Lan Chang'an would not refuse. Previously, Lin Yi had also helped him, such as gathering information about the Mu Family and introducing him to the wandering cultivators' exchange market.
In his reply, Lan Chang'an agreed to provide Lin Yi with twenty basic talismans and ten low-grade first-rank talismans at the bulk purchase price of a shop in the marketplace.
As for joining the Hidden Immortal Pavilion, Lan Chang'an did not agree. However, maintaining a cooperative relationship was fine.
This would allow Lan Chang'an to have another channel for obtaining intelligence from the lower levels of the cultivation world.
......
Next, he opened Zhao Siyao's letter.
Zhao Siyao inquired about Lan Chang'an's recent situation and mentioned her general circumstances in the sect. Zhao Siyao also knew that he had become a Talisman Master and expressed her delight in the letter.
"Seventh layer of Qi-Refining? Preparing to compete for the core disciple position?"
Lan Chang'an caught a key piece of information.
The core disciples of Golden Cloud Valley had to be under forty years old, with only thirty spots available.
Most of them were eighth or ninth layer Qi-Refining experts. Zhao Siyao was planning to try for a spot after reaching the eighth layer of Qi-Refining.
In Jin Yun Valley, the biggest advantage of being a core disciple was having priority over ordinary disciples in obtaining Foundation Establishment Pills.
Lan Chang'an did not have high hopes for Zhao Siyao.
Firstly, Zhao Siyao's aptitude was not significantly superior to the core disciples. Core disciples generally had at least a middle-grade spiritual root, with a few possessing a high-grade spiritual root.
Secondly, Zhao Siyao did not have any advantages in terms of background, even though her ancestors included cultivators. It wasn't even comparable to disciples whose parents were wandering cultivators.
In the cultivation world, the "reliance on connections" phenomenon was severe. Without the assistance of powerful elders, one would lag far behind in resources from the start.
Zhao Siyao's only advantage was her exceptional beauty and temperament, which made her stand out among female cultivators.
However, this kind of beautiful female disciple, if she didn't attach herself to a disciple with a background, sometimes it would bring trouble instead.
......
In his reply to Zhao Siyao, Lan Chang'an included three middle-grade talismans, one of which was of prime quality, best among the same grade.
These three talismans more than repaid the ten spirit stones he had borrowed from her in the past. By using talismans to repay the debt, Lan Chang'an not only maintained their relationship but also showcased his value to Zhao Siyao.
Only an experienced first-rank Talisman Master could potentially refine a prime quality middle-grade first-rank talisman, and the chances were very low.
"With Zhao Siyao's intelligence, she may be hoping that I would help her out in the future by mentioning her intention to compete for the core disciple position in advance." This letter could be a prelude of sorts.
Should he help Zhao Siyao?
Lan Chang'an believed that he could make an appropriate investment, because this would be a low-risk, high-return investment.
At her current stage, Zhao Siyao had yet to truly grow and develop, making it an opportune time to lend a helping hand. Once she became a core disciple, her chances of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage would be significantly higher than ordinary cultivators.
Suppose Lan Chang'an supported Zhao Siyao with 100 spirit stones, with Li Ergou and Lin Yi each lending 50 spirit stones.
A total of 200 spirit stones would not be a small amount for a late Qi-Refining cultivator, approaching the value of a middle-grade magical weapon, but what if Zhao Siyao successfully established her Foundation in the future, would 200 spirit stones matter? It would simply be a congratulatory gift.
At that time, Lan Chang'an and the other two would have a Foundation Establishment expert as a backing. If they wished to establish their own Foundations in the future, they would have the support of a powerful cultivator.
Even if Zhao Siyao failed to establish her Foundation, the loss of those spirit stones would not be a significant blow to Lan Chang'an's current wealth.
Moreover, as long as she did not perish during her Foundation Establishment attempt, the borrowed spirit stones...would still have to be returned.
......
After the personnel at the herb garden was replenished, Lan Chang'an instructed those few young Mu Family girls on patrolling, raising alerts, and using formations.
These girls, who had just emerged from being spirit root disciples, did not understand many things. Lan Chang'an often had to teach them step-by-step.
Fortunately, in this life, Lan Chang'an had cultivated the Evergreen Technique, maintaining a good temperament without losing his temper.
"Did you hear? The family head has returned, and the marriage alliance with the Maple Leaf Huang Family fell through!"
"Fell through? What happened?"
During their break, the three young Mu Family girls gossiped.
"Originally, our Mu Family wanted to marry the Young Lady to Huang Yu, the young master of the Huang Family, to push cooperation between the two families. However, the Huang Family was extremely arrogant and refused to give the Young Lady the status of a first wife, at most giving her the position of a concubine wife."
"Outrageous! The Young Lady is so accomplished and even a Talisman Master... The Huang Family showed no sincerity at all."
"Well, the Huang Family has three Foundation Establishment experts, and their young master has a high-grade spiritual root, so they do have reason to be arrogant."
......
With his keen senses, Lan Chang'an overheard the girls' gossipy chatter.
Having been born into a cultivation family in his previous life, he could understand the Huang Family's actions.
He even vaguely guessed at the Huang Family's scheme...but there was nothing he could do. The Maple Leaf Huang Family was far more powerful, and the Mu Family was currently in a precarious and weakened state. The status between the two families was completely unequal.
The surrounding cultivation families watched the conflict between the Mu and Zheng Families with cold detachment. The scales of victory were tipping in favor of the Zheng Family.
......
However, ten days later, an astonishing piece of news arrived.
Elder Zheng Yuanhua of the Zheng Family had met with a mysterious death!
Zheng Yuanhua, at the ninth layer of Qi-Refining, was one of the top Qi-Refining experts of the Zheng Family.
The Mu Family rejoiced, seemingly confirming the accuracy of the news. The Mu Family had inside agents within the Zheng Family, though of low status.
For a family elder like Zheng Yuanhua, there would typically be a soul token within the clan. If he died outside, the family would immediately be notified.
Lan Chang'an suspected that there was a certain lag in this news.
"How did Zheng Yuanhua die? I heard that even his body wasn't found?"
Lan Chang'an felt perplexed. The Beast Taming Token and flying boat in his storage pouch had come from this person, so he was quite concerned.
Based on Lan Chang'an's experience, it would be difficult to kill Zheng Yuanhua, at the ninth layer of Qi-Refining, without the combined efforts of two or three experts of the same level or a Foundation Establishment expert striking directly.
Defeating someone and killing them were two different concepts.
With his death, the situation had reversed!
The Mu Family took a hardline stance at the frontline mining regions. Although the Mu Family's young and middle-aged cultivators were no match for the Zheng Family, they now held a clear advantage in terms of high-level elder class combat power.
Zheng Yuanhua's position was equivalent to Mu Renlong in the Mu Family, which speaks volumes.
Soon after, news arrived from the frontlines.
The ancestors of the Zheng and Mu Families had restarted negotiations and reached an agreement.
Both sides ceased hostilities. The Zheng Family made concessions, agreeing to jointly supervise and evenly divide Purple Copper ore's byproduct ore, Purple Heart Copper.
......
On this day, Lan Chang'an stood atop a mountain peak, gazing into the distance at Moonheart Island in the center of Feiyue Lake.
"He's back."
He sensed the aura of the Mu Family ancestor returning from afar.
This confirmed the news from the frontlines.
The conflict between the two cultivation families seemed to be coming to an end.