From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 151 The dove takes over the magpie's nest
The main hall of the Lan family.

Yan Yijin sat in the main seat, the seat that should have been occupied by the Lan family patriarch.

Lan Chuanyin stood with his hands clasped below, while everyone else withdrew.

"The key to the Spirit Gathering Array of Qingqiu Mountain is with you, isn't it?"

Yan Yijin got straight to the point; there was no need for him to be polite with a Qi Refining cultivator.

Array key?

Lan Chuanyin paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"Take it out and let me have a look." Yan Yijin's tone carried an unyielding authority.

Lan Chuanyin felt very uncomfortable, but he still took out the key to the Spirit Gathering Array.

He held the fist-sized, round jade in his palm. The jade was crystal clear, and two mountain peaks, one tall and one short, could be seen reflected within it. These were the illusory images of Qingqiu Peak and Fangshi Mountain.

The key to this second-tier spirit-gathering array has already been refined by Lan Chuanyin.

"It really is a second-tier grand formation."

Yan Yijin stared intently at the key-shaped jade, a greedy possessiveness surfacing in his eyes.

There are many skills in cultivating immortality, the most common being alchemy, talisman making, artifact making, and array making. Other skills such as beast taming, spiritual plants, and puppet making are less common.

Among the alchemy, talisman, artifact, and array formations, the most precious is the "magic array."

There wasn't a single cultivator in the entire Yuanli County who could create array plates or set up large arrays.

The second-tier spirit-gathering array on Qingqiu Mountain was not purchased by the Lan family, but inherited from the previous Foundation Establishment family that occupied Qingqiu Mountain. Similarly, the previous Foundation Establishment family that occupied Qingqiu Mountain also inherited it from the family before that.

No one knows how long this second-tier grand formation has been passed down.

Yan Yijin had overheard the value of a second-tier spirit-gathering array: over 100,000 spirit stones, and even if one could afford the spirit stones, it might not be possible to buy one.

He came as a deputy commander of the prefectural camp and resisted the urge to "kill Lan Chuanyin and seize the array key".

"Your Lan family is in dire straits now. Let's discuss a deal, and I'll help you."

Yan Yijin came for Qingqiu Mountain, a second-tier spiritual land.

He was the first Foundation Establishment Immortal Official in his family, setting a precedent for the Yan family. However, his family's foundation was shallow, and they currently only occupied a small, first-tier spiritual land with limited spiritual energy.

Second-tier spiritual lands don't appear out of thin air; they all have owners. The Lan family's current situation presents Yan Yijin with just the right opportunity.

"General Yan, please speak."

Lan Chuanyin thought to himself, "As expected, no one will help for no reason."

"The Lan family will transfer Qingqiu Mountain and the Spirit Gathering Array to me, and all the spiritual plants of your Lan family will also be left behind. I can allow your Lan family's early Qi Refining cultivators to live in Fangshi Mountain as an affiliated Qi Refining family of my family."

Two thousand ordinary clansmen can also be left to manage the spirit fields.

The Yan family was just starting out and hadn't been developing for many years; there were only a dozen or so Qi Refining cultivators in the family. Therefore, Yan Yijin didn't dare to leave all the Qi Refining cultivators from the Lan family behind, and could only keep the less threatening early-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

Otherwise, a situation could easily arise where "the servant becomes too powerful and bullies the master."

"..."

Lan Chuanyin suspected he had misheard; this was far too much of a bullying of the Lan family.

Give Qingqiu Mountain and the Spirit Gathering Array to Yan Yijin, hand over all the spiritual plants, and then leave the clansmen in the early stage of Qi Refining as an affiliated family, and two thousand ordinary clansmen to work in the spirit fields.

What do they take the Lan family for?

He had thought that Yan Yijin would at least give him several hundred spirit stones and offer to protect all members of the Lan family in exchange for Qingqiu Mountain and the Spirit Gathering Array.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Yan Yijin's conditions were indeed excessive, but: did the Lan family have a choice?
He's here to get a bargain.

If it weren't for his status as a celestial official, and his desire to rightfully take over Qingqiu Mountain from the Lan family, he could have seized it directly like those tribulation cultivators.

Furthermore, he couldn't possibly leave all the Lan family members on Qingqiu Mountain, nor could he protect them all, hence his condition.

Although the conditions were excessive, the Lan family could at least reliably preserve their family bloodline and exist as a Qi-cultivating family on Qingqiu Mountain.

If they don't agree, the Lan family's fate will be even more tragic: extermination of the clan, loss of all members, and depletion of all resources.

"General Yan, this matter is of great importance. Please allow me to discuss it with my clansmen."

Lan Chuanyin felt despair.

"Go."

Yan Yijin waved his hand casually, saying that he didn't believe the Lan family had any other choice.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

While the Lan family faced a life-or-death crisis, on the other side of Cangwu Mountain in Tonggu County, the Lü family was also experiencing a life-or-death moment.

Pei Wanchang led the Pei family's cultivators and a large number of officials under the Mountain Forest Supervisor to rush up Cangwu Mountain and surround the Lü family manor.

The nearly 100-acre Lü Family Manor is home to a dozen or so Lü family Qi Refining cultivators and important clan members, including Lü Qingyan and Lü Qingmao.

Pei Wanchang came prepared; almost all the cultivators from his Pei family came out, and he also invited a lot of help.

This time, the Lü family will be wiped out!

"What are you doing?"

"Pei Wanchang, are you crazy? This is Jiang Hao's house, and we are the county magistrate's family members!"

The Lü family was suddenly surrounded and caught off guard.

"The magistrate's family? Magistrate Jiang's surname is Jiang, and yours is Lü. How could you be related? Heh."

Pei Wanchang sneered, holding a scroll in his hand: "According to the records of the Forestry Bureau regarding Cangwu Mountain, I found that the amount of mountain occupation spirit stone tax you pay every year is incorrect."

According to my calculations, you should pay 60 spirit stones as a mountain occupation tax every year, but the statutes say you pay 35 spirit stones every year.

The mountain tax of 35 has been paid for more than 80 years, with 25 spirit stones less paid each year, totaling more than 2,000 spirit stones.

Evading the payment of mountain tax is a serious crime.

As the head of the forestry supervisory office, he was in charge of sacred mountains and lands.

Upon hearing this, the Lü family members' expressions changed: Pei Wanchang's reasons were very convincing, and they could hardly refute them.

Since Lü Yisong was the county magistrate, it was normal for the head of the forestry bureau to undercharge the mountain occupation tax for Cangwu Mountain.

Now that Pei Wanchang is the head of the forestry bureau, he calculates a slightly higher amount for Cangwu Mountain, but it's all within the allowed range. The difference between the higher and lower figures is only twenty-five spirit stones per year. "Where's Jiang Hao? Quickly, call him here!"

Lu Qingyan roared and looked around.

Jiang Hao, who used over four hundred spirit stones from the Lü family to advance to the ninth level of Qi Refining and was promoted to county magistrate, was not present.

The enemy has come knocking on our door, but Jiang Hao is nowhere to be found?
"Jiang Chen and Xuan Ting are not here!"

The Lü family could not find Jiang Hao, nor could they find Jiang Hao's children.

Lu Qingmao stood there, his face ashen. Had his son-in-law betrayed him?

Lu Qingyan forced himself to remain calm; the more critical the moment, the less he could afford to rush. His priority was to stabilize Pei Wanchang and avoid becoming his enemy.

He stepped forward and said loudly, "The mountain occupation tax is calculated by the Forestry Bureau. If Director Pei feels it's inappropriate, is he questioning the previous directors of the Forestry Bureau?"

"That's right, so what? Your Lü family's Lü Yisong is the county magistrate. The previous forest supervisors were afraid of his position, so they reduced the mountain occupation tax for you. That's reasonable, isn't it?"

Furthermore, there is substantial evidence here of Lü Yisong's repeated embezzlement, acceptance of bribes, and placement of military officers in official positions, among other crimes...

The evidence was provided by former county magistrate Jiang Hao!

Pei Wanchang's last words became the straw that broke the camel's back for the Lü family.

The son-in-law they found provided the enemy with evidence to deal with the Lü family!

They're ungrateful bastards who can't be trusted.

"I order you to pay the outstanding mountain occupation tax, totaling 2125 spirit stones. Otherwise, you will be executed on the spot for resisting tax payment!"

Killed on the spot?

The Lü family members were shocked. They had also used various means to deal with the Pei family back then, but they had never managed to wipe them out completely.

Where would they get more than two thousand spirit stones?

"We'll pay the outstanding amount!"

Lu Qingyan gritted his teeth and shouted, he couldn't let the Lu family members die a tragic death.

"Wait a moment, we'll go and gather enough spirit stones right away."

With that, Lü Qingyan led the Lü family's Qi Refining cultivators back to their rooms in the Lü family manor to discuss the matter.

"What should we do? Where are we going to get so many spirit stones?"

"Even if we include all the spiritual plants in the manor, it would be difficult to raise more than two thousand spirit stones."

Previously, the resources prepared for Lü Yisong's breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment bottleneck had depleted the Lü family's resources.

Later, he spent more than 400 spirit stones for Jiang Hao.

"Even if we manage to scrape together enough spirit stones, do you think the Pei family will let us go?"

"They came for the purpose of wiping out the entire family; the spirit stones are just an excuse!"

Some people clearly see that Pei Wanchang has gone to such lengths this time, to the point of no return, that it's impossible for them to live.

"How to do?"

"Damn Jiang Hao!"

"They don't have many people, and they're preparing to break through."

The Lü family members decided to fight to the death and carve out a way to survive.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Jiang Hao gazed quietly at the distant Cangwu Mountain.

Today, he took Jiang Chen and Lü Xuanting out of the Lü family manor and sent them, along with his two mortal sons who had no spiritual roots, to the county town.

Sadly, his daughter Jiang Lin died many years ago.

Jiang Chen, Lü Xuanting, and the others were unaware of Jiang Hao's plan and simply considered it an ordinary family dinner.

"From now on, Cangwu Mountain should belong to the Jiang family."

It was all a scheme between him and Pei Wanchang from beginning to end.

Pei Wanchang's intelligence about the Lü family was all provided by Jiang Hao.

Jiang Hao's claim that Pei Wanchang had connections in the prefectural government was entirely fabricated.

Pei Wanchang never intended to compete for the county magistrate position from the beginning; it was all just a tactic to mislead the Lü family and create a sense of crisis among them.

Just then, he saw the sound of magic being released on Mount Cangwu, and a battle broke out.

Jiang Hao merely observed from afar without taking any action, knowing that the Pei family's strength was sufficient to annihilate the Lü family.

He soon saw a person fleeing in the air, pursued by several others, but the person managed to escape by sheer luck.

"Hmm? The Pei family is truly useless. Even if the Pei family wins against the Lü family, so what? They will surely be trampled under my feet in the future."

Jiang Hao thought to himself as he caught up with the figure.

The figure who managed to escape was Lü Qingyan, the strongest member of the Lü family at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Seeing that he had escaped far away, Lü Qingyan quickly landed and found a secluded ravine to hide.

Just now, in order to cover the other members of the Lü family, he attracted most of the firepower. Fortunately, he was strong and had two high-grade golden light talismans for protection, which allowed him to escape with his life.

"Cough cough~~"

His spiritual energy was completely depleted, so he quickly took out a jade bottle of pills from his body and took out the only remaining Qi-replenishing pill.

Just as he was about to swallow it, a sword beam pierced through his back and emerged from his chest.

"Uh……"

Lu Qingyan turned back unwillingly and saw a familiar face: "Traitor..."

It was Jiang Hao.

After killing Lü Qingyan, he picked up the Qi-replenishing pill that had fallen to the ground, wiped it clean, and put it back into the jade bottle.

They then searched Lü Qingyan and found his storage pouch. As the strongest member of the Lü family, his storage pouch contained most of the family's resources.

(End of this chapter)