Building a long-lasting family lineage starting with genealogy

Chapter 166 Xu Mingyuan's Scheme, Market Transactions
“Mingxuan, you should all listen to my father’s arrangements. My Ge family is a prominent clan, how can we be stingy in such matters? If word gets out, it will only make us a laughing stock among other noble families.”

Xu Mingyuan smiled faintly, "Brother Xuanhong is right. It is truly kind of Patriarch Ge to have put in such a good consideration."

"That's how it should be."

Ge Yanhua smiled faintly and casually put it into his storage bag.

"So, what brings you gentlemen to my Moon Lake County? Are you merely sightseeing?"

Xu Mingyuan sat back down and said, "These two are juniors in the clan. They are quite talented. We brought them out to broaden their horizons and see if they can discover any opportunities."

Legend has it that my Zhou family's Foundation Establishment ancestor from Yuehu County discovered an ancient cultivation cave during his travels and gained many fortuitous opportunities.

Ancient cultivation caves are not so easy to come by.
Ge Yanhua thought to himself, "In the entire Guangling Prefecture over the past few hundred years, only a handful of people have ever had this opportunity."

As expected of a newly established Qi cultivation family, their vision is short-sighted.

The only way for cultivation families to grow and prosper is through continuous accumulation of resources and the cultivation of outstanding descendants generation after generation.

Upon hearing this, Ge Xuanhong advised, "Be careful when seeking opportunities outside. Some rogue cultivators have ulterior motives, and you may even encounter people from powerful families."

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Xuanhong. We will be careful." Xu Mingyuan smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute. Then he added, "By the way, Brother Xuanhong, where is the cultivation market in Guangling County? We are planning to go there to buy some spiritual herbs and trade some pills."

Ge Yanfeng stroked his short beard and said, "You're planning to buy cultivation pills? But high-grade pills aren't always available for sale."

Upon receiving Xu Mingyuan's telepathic message, Xu Deling smiled faintly and said, "We have no shortage of cultivation pills, but we do have some high-grade pills that we plan to trade for other cultivation resources such as spiritual herbs, magic tools, and talismans."

"Ling'er, don't say too much." Xu Mingwei said lightly, "Being away from home is different from being at home. Being outspoken is not a good habit."

Xu Deling nodded and said, "Understood, Father."

Ge Yanhua was quite surprised to hear this. After exchanging a glance with Ge Yanfeng, he said, "Your daughter is still young. Why blame her? She will grow up after a few more experiences."

"I hope so," Xu Mingwei said calmly.

"I just heard that you all have some extra cultivation pills on hand?" Ge Yanhua asked with a smile.

Xu Mingyuan said, "My Xu family is a newly established family of cultivators. There are not many cultivators in the family, and we happen to have someone who knows how to refine pills, so we occasionally have a surplus of pills."

"Being able to refine high-grade pills clearly makes one a master alchemist," Ge Yanfeng said. "No wonder your Xu family has risen so quickly. Although my Ge family also has its own alchemists, we have never produced a master alchemist."

"Is there not a single alchemy master in the entire Guangling Prefecture?"

"No, the Wei family once had its own alchemy master, but his time was up a few years ago, and the Feng family recruited a rogue alchemy master instead."

"If this continues, won't the Wei family be at a disadvantage and possibly be swallowed up by the Feng family?"

“Not so,” Ge Yanhua said. “We may be at a disadvantage now, but that may not be the case in the future. The Wei family made some rumors a few years ago.”

It seems that a member of a remote branch of the Yan clan was taken as a disciple by a master alchemist and brought to the imperial city.

His family members were all brought to the host's house and treated as direct descendants.

However, the exact details are unclear.

“The Wei family, the Wei Dao?” Xu Mingyuan recalled that Xu Chuan had mentioned that Yun Zhongzi of the Pill Hall had taken in a personal disciple who also had the surname Wei.

"Is it really such a coincidence?"

"What a coincidence!" Ge Yanhua asked curiously when he heard Xu Mingyuan whisper.

Xu Mingyuan smiled faintly and said, "It's nothing. I wonder when Patriarch Ge will send someone to take us to the market town of Guangling County."

“Xuan Hong, you have suffered serious injuries. You should rest at home first. Third brother, you should take the Xu family fellow Daoists there.”

"Yes, Patriarch," Ge Yanfeng said, clasping his hands in greeting.

Then, the head of the Ge family turned and left.

Xu Mingyuan's eyes flickered slightly as he thought to himself, "The Feng family may know that someone from the Wei family has been taken in as a disciple by a master alchemist, but they certainly don't know that person will most likely become the chief alchemist of the Pill Hall in the future."

If this news gets out, the Feng family will either try to curry favor with the Wei family or strike first.

The fact that the Wei and Feng families have been able to remain unscathed for so many years suggests that their overall strength and resources are roughly equal.

Given the choice between dominating a prefecture and sharing the world with others, most people would choose the former.

It wasn't that they didn't want to annex the other side, but rather that they feared the casualties would be too great and attract the attention of others.

If a member of the Wei family were to become the chief of the Pill Hall in the future, even if the Pill Hall did not participate in the struggle between aristocratic families, as long as Wei Dao was willing to make a promise for him, many Foundation Establishment aristocratic families would probably be willing to lend a helping hand to the Wei family.

"The Wei family has the potential to become a third-rank or even second-rank family in the future. If my Xu family can lend them a helping hand in times of crisis, our future trade with Guangling County will be secure."

Xu Mingyuan immediately made a decision in his heart.

Regardless of whether the methods are despicable or not, as long as the Xu family can obtain the greatest benefit, that's all that matters.

Like independent cultivators, they don't care whether someone comes from a prestigious family or is a fellow practitioner; they will plunder anything that is beneficial to their cultivation.

Moreover, the Wei and Feng families have always been two opposing camps that have been fighting for years, and Xu Mingyuan only wanted to ignite this fuse.

As for the conflict between Su and Zhou, the idea of ​​helping the Zhou family destroy the Su family is not applicable in Guangling County.

The two factions in Guangling County have been formed for over a hundred years. All the Qi cultivation families have sided with the Wei and Feng families, sharing both prosperity and adversity.

Even if a full-blown war breaks out between the two sides, it will certainly be a long-term conflict.

It's probably impossible for either side to completely annihilate one faction at the moment, but they can severely damage its elites or promising family members.

As this hatred deepens, one day Guangling County will be left with only one noble family.

In addition, Xu Mingyuan also intended to give everyone except Xu Mingwei some experience.

Half an hour later.

Guangling County Market Town.

Ge Yanfeng acted as a guide, introducing the market to the Xu family.

“Out-of-town cultivators have no roots in the market, so they can only set up stalls like independent cultivators.” Then he added with a faint smile, “Of course, if you don’t mind, you can also place your pills at my Ge family’s pill shop.”

Out of consideration for Mingxuan's friendship with Xuanhong, only a small rental fee will be charged.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ge. We won't trouble the Ge family with this matter. However, if the Ge family is interested in trading pills with my Xu family, then we can discuss it."

“I cannot make a decision on this matter; I need to consult my elder brother.”

Xu Mingyuan nodded slightly and said, "We've been too kind. We'll take our leave now."

Ge Yanfeng watched the group leave, his eyes flickering, lost in thought.

Xu Dezhao and Xu Deling are quite curious about their surroundings, and they have become more lively without the Ge family around.

Xu Mingshu also accompanied the two of them.

Xu Mingyuan then used divine sense to inform Xu Mingwei about Wei Feng's affairs, the defense of the Pill Palace, and his own plans.

After a moment's thought, Xu Mingwei agreed with his approach.

Even if the Wei and Feng families didn't have a prior conflict, it could be fabricated.

Of course, creating something out of thin air is not only troublesome, but also easy to be discovered and targeted by both sides, which is not worth the effort.

After a while.

Xu Mingyuan said, "Third brother, you and I will set up a stall to sell pills, and fourth brother, you, Dezhao, and Ling'er will sell magic artifacts together. Experience what it's like to be a rogue cultivator."

"What about the eldest brother?" Xu Mingxuan asked curiously.

"My elder brother has his own things to do."

The group immediately split up and took action.

"Second Brother, how do you plan to sell these pills?" Xu Mingxuan asked curiously. Xu Mingyuan glanced at him with a faint smile and said, "You'll find out soon enough."

The two sat on the floor.

A gray cloth was placed beside him, and three porcelain vases were placed on the cloth.

Soon a wooden plaque was brought out, and Xu Mingyuan wrote two lines of text on it.

First line of large text: Trading a mid-grade Qi-Nourishing Pill can yield a high-grade pill. Once sold out, leave now!
The second line of smaller text reads: Whole bottle transaction, thirty spirit stones or equivalent spiritual medicine, spells, secret techniques, and may include two random high-grade pills.

Ah, my second brother is still the same second brother.

As expected, this gimmick led to an increase in the number of cultivators who stopped there.

Many people asked how many spirit stones were being sold individually.

Two spirit stones and one pill, nothing special, but no high-grade pills were included.

Many people are weighing which option is more cost-effective.

Soon, a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining bought a bottle and then randomly selected a superior-grade Jade Dew Pill for healing and a superior-grade Qi-Nourishing Pill.

"A high-grade Qi-nurturing pill, not bad."

Then he left, completely satisfied.

In less than half an incense stick's time, all three bottles of mid-grade Qi-Nourishing Pills were sold out, yielding a total of sixty spirit stones, one hundred-year-old spiritual herb, and more than twenty spiritual herbs that were several decades old.

The two immediately packed up their stall and went to the other side of the market to continue setting up their stall.

Once sold out, they leave and relocate to another spot.

After three consecutive times.

Xu Mingxuan and Xu Mingyuan then stopped setting up their stall.

"Second brother, you are amazing. In the blink of an eye, you have earned more than 120 spirit stones, two hundred-year-old spirit herbs, several spirit herbs ranging from ten to forty years old, and a high-grade wind-type spell called 'Mysterious Wind Barrier'."

Xu Mingyuan waved his hand and said, "This is nothing more than a minor matter. Look where Ming Shu and De Zhao are."

Xu Mingxuan immediately made a hand seal and cast a spell, saying, "This way, it doesn't feel far."

A short while later, the two found the stall where Xu Mingshu, Xu Dezhao, and Xu Deling were setting up their stall.

"How was the harvest?" Xu Mingxuan asked.

Xu Deling sighed, "Second Uncle, it's so hard being a rogue cultivator. We haven't sold a single low-grade magic weapon, and my elder brother's voice is almost hoarse from shouting."

Finally, someone showed up, and they relentlessly tried to haggle over the price, wanting to buy it for only eight spirit stones! They were dreaming!

By the end of her speech, Xu Deling was fuming, and her black hair almost stood on end.

"Second brother, third brother, how was your harvest?" Xu Mingshu asked.

"Hehe, we sold nine bottles and earned over a hundred spirit stones, a hundred-year-old spirit herb, and a high-grade wind-type spell. Second Brother said that too much is as bad as too little, so we don't need to sell any more pills these next few days."

"Is it an hour?" Xu Deling asked blankly, exchanging bewildered glances with Xu Dezhao.

Xu Mingxuan looked up at the sky. "It should be about time."

"As expected of my second brother!" Xu Mingshu exclaimed.

"No, I must sell one today!" Xu Deling seemed to have lost his temper.

"Little Ling'er, your aunt supports you!" Xu Mingshu looked at Xu Mingyuan and said, "Second brother, please help Little Ling'er think of a way."

Xu Mingyuan smiled slightly, "Tell your second uncle about these magical artifacts."

Xu Deling immediately named three magical artifacts.

One is a pair of double snake scissors, a small scissor-shaped ritual implement with snake-shaped patterns on its surface.

Upon hearing Xu Deling say that this low-grade magic weapon, when fully activated, could approach the power of a mid-grade magic weapon, Xu Mingyuan and Xu Mingxuan were immediately impressed by Xu Deling's weapon-refining abilities.

The other two items are a brooch, an automatic low-grade defensive magic weapon, and a hairpin, a low-grade ambush magic weapon, which makes very little noise even when activated with magic power.

"They are all good magic weapons, but they seem to be somewhat special. They can be left in the clan for future generations, or as a reward for recruited Qi Refining stage cultivators."

"Don't worry, Second Uncle, Ling'er is confident in replicating these magical artifacts."

"Then so be it. But these magical artifacts are your masterpieces, Deling, so don't sell them cheaply. Let your second uncle handle it."

Xu Mingyuan immediately erected another wooden sign, which read: "A master craftsman's latest work, only three pieces left, while supplies last."

Sure enough, soon people stopped to ask questions because of the reputation of being a master weapon refiner.

"The work of a master craftsman? Which master craftsman?" the rogue cultivator asked.

Xu Mingyuan smiled faintly: "The master doesn't allow me to reveal her name, after all, it's just a practice piece, not her famous work."

The rogue cultivator seemed skeptical, "Fellow Daoist, these are all low-grade magic artifacts, which is really hard to believe."

“I observe that you are only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, which is perfect for you. Although it is a low-grade scissors, its maximum power is close to that of a mid-grade scissors. If it weren’t for its low grade, do you think the master would be willing to sell it like this?”

"Close to mid-grade?"

Xu Mingyuan immediately activated the Twin Snake Scissors, and two beams of sword light shot out, forming the shape of scissors, which greatly increased its power, far exceeding the power of an ordinary low-grade magic weapon.

The commotion was quite significant, even attracting people from the surrounding area.

"How is it? I have not yet refined it, yet I can still unleash such power. If I were to refine it completely, its power would naturally increase even further."

"How many spirit stones?" the rogue cultivator immediately asked.

"Thirty-two spirit stones, no bargaining, or an equivalent amount of spirit medicine, spells, and secret techniques. Whoever pays first gets it."

Before the rogue cultivator could speak, thirty-two spirit stones flew over and landed on the stall.

"I want this."

The double snake scissors flew up and landed in his hands.

Everyone looked over and discovered a woman walking towards them.

She wore a gorgeous, wide-sleeved dress with a cloud-patterned design, her eyebrows held a hint of spring, and the rouge at the corners of her eyes was applied just right—any more would be gaudy, any less would be bland.

The jade belt cinched her waist, creating a breathtaking arc. When her toes lightly touched the blue bricks, it was as if a feather was stained with cinnabar, tickling everyone's hearts.

The pale pink peach blossom between her eyebrows was the finishing touch, making her every move full of charm and captivating.

"Feng Yuzhen!"

Someone shouted, and the people around them quickly backed away, not daring to approach.

Feng Yuzhen arrived at the stall, glanced at it, and said with a charming smile, "It's rare to find all these are women's magical artifacts. What is the purpose of this brooch?"

"It can automatically deploy a defensive light barrier when attacked. When attacked by Qi Refining Level 5 or above, the light barrier will break and cannot be activated again for a short period of time. Thirty-six spirit stones, no bargaining."

"And what about this jade hairpin?"

Xu Mingyuan smiled faintly and casually infused his magic power into the jade hairpin, which floated in the air with only a faint ripple.

Feng Yuzhen immediately understood and nodded, saying, "That's right."

"The jade hairpin costs 28 spirit stones, no bargaining."

"I don't have that many spirit stones on me. Could you give me a discount?"

The voice was like a seductive whisper, reaching Xu Mingyuan's ears. However, apart from the slight ripples in his heart when they first met, his eyes remained calm at this moment, like a stagnant abyss.

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(End of this chapter)