Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 128 The Cao Family
"Let's see what Uncle Eleven has to do."

Li Xiangming said helplessly that the two of them immediately gave Li Xiangru healing pills, but he was unconscious and unable to refine the pills at all.

Li Xiangming had to control the flying boat, and Li Xianghua had no magic power left, so he couldn't help him even if he wanted to.

Li Xiangru can only rely on himself.

If we can hold out until we reach Danggui Mountain, with the medical skills of my eleventh uncle, Li Chengpei, we might be able to survive this ordeal.

With this in mind, Li Xiangming kept maneuvering the flying boat, trying to make it go faster.

Suddenly, Li Xiangming noticed a group of human cultivators huddled together.

"They're from the animal trapping facility!"

Li Xianghua slowly said that most of the people in the animal trapping room were separated from the police station, and he was very familiar with them.

"They must have come for us."

After muttering something, Li Xiangming lowered the flying boat.

"Xiangming, Xianghua, are you alright?"

The man in charge of the animal trapping room was named Li Xiangchuan. He was only one year younger than Li Xiangren and was very experienced.

"Third Brother, what happened at Puyin Mountain?"

Li Xiangming, disregarding pleasantries, asked anxiously.

"We don't know much either. All we know is that Puyin Mountain is in chaos, with monsters everywhere and many rogue cultivators being attacked. Since Xiang Ru is not here, I have ordered the people from the Beast Capture Bureau to withdraw completely from Puyin Mountain."

"But someone just informed us that you are still in Puyin Mountain and have been attacked by the Burning Sky Violent Ape. We are coming to provide support immediately."

"Your presence is of no use."

Li Xiangming shook his head, roughly knowing that it was Tang Xueyan who notified the animal trapping center.

Even if the animal trapping house could catch up, what then? Wouldn't they still be chased away by the Sky-Burning Ape?
Li Xiangming didn't expect the people from the animal trapping house to come and help, including Nie Rong and Tang Xueyan; staying behind would only be a burden.

He dared to take the risk because he had a number of second-tier talismans prepared for the Blackwater Serpent, as well as the Green Cloud Flying Boat.

Without these things, even a Qi Refining Level 8 cultivator wouldn't have the qualifications to get close to the Burning Sky Violent Ape and buy time.

"In short, we escaped, but Fourth Brother was seriously injured. We need to send him back to Tailai Peak first."

"Is the person in charge alright?"

Upon hearing that Li Xiangru was seriously injured, the other members of the animal trapping house could no longer contain themselves.

Li Xiangming could only comfort him, saying, "Eleventh Uncle is a miracle worker; he'll be alright. One of you should stay and come back with us; the rest of you should evacuate Puyin Mountain and await orders from home."

"Xiang Gong, please take good care of Xiang Ru."

Given the urgency of the situation, the sooner Li Xiangru returns to Tailai Peak, the greater his chances of survival.

Li Xiangchuan dared not be negligent and selected someone to cooperate with Li Xiangming.

"Yes."

Li Xiangong boarded the Green Cloud Flying Boat, and Li Xiangming arranged for him to assist Li Xiangru in refining the elixir.

At the same time, it was learned that the turmoil in Puyin Mountain was very sudden, and the animal trapping house had only been discovered a few hours earlier.

Nobody knows what's going on.

"Fortune and misfortune are intertwined!"

Li Xiangming and Li Xianghua exchanged a glance, both having their own thoughts.

If those people hadn't coveted the stalactite elixir, or if they had left the deep pool a day earlier, this wouldn't have happened.
-
Mount Qingliang is shrouded in mist and clouds, with verdant pines and cypresses providing shelter, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere.

However, the atmosphere was completely different in the Cao family's secret room.

More than ten high-ranking members of the Cao family gathered together, sitting upright, to discuss important matters.

"Our Cao family sent envoys to Pu County with the intention of probing Bailumen's attitude and then examining the delicate situation between the two counties."

Cao Minghui, the head of the Cao family, said in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, revealing a hint of worry, "However, the fact that Master Xuanling is avoiding us is quite intriguing."

"Perhaps the White Dew Sect is concerned about our relationship with the Pure Heart Sword Sect."

The young master of the family, Cao Fuyu, offered his own insights.

"Not entirely. According to Fu Yi's letter, since Dahuang Town lured the Mang Sect into its trap, its defenses have been extremely tight, and spies sent by various families in Zhangning Prefecture have repeatedly run into obstacles." "This shows that Bailu Sect and Hengyue Sect are still at odds. They may not be leaning towards Suxin Sword Sect, but they are certainly not as clearly divided as before. As for our Cao family, they are a layer away from us, so there's no way they would refuse to see our envoys."

“Master Xuanling is arrogant, so it’s not impossible that he might neglect Fuyi.”

"It's one thing to treat them coldly on ordinary days, but now that Pu County is suffering from famine, Bailumen is overwhelmed with work and can barely take care of itself. I heard they've even abandoned the people under their jurisdiction. In this situation, they still refuse to have anything to do with our Qingshui County. Their motives are truly hard to understand."

Some people shook their heads.

Discussions rose and fell, and the atmosphere in the secret room gradually heated up.

At this moment, an elderly man with gray hair and beard interrupted the conversation from the head of the table: "Alright, Fuyi is an envoy, let's hear Fuyi's opinion."

Cao Minghui raised his head slightly: "Fuyi believes that Bailu Sect is worth getting close to."

"It's rare for the White Dew Sect and the Eternal Moon Sect to have a falling out, with the White Dew Sect seemingly showing signs of wanting to establish their own sect. If our Cao family can cleverly intervene, we might be able to weaken the Eternal Moon Sect's power."

Cao Minghui continued, "At that time, Zhangning Prefecture will inevitably sever ties with Pu County, and Qingshui County will also usher in new development opportunities."

These words sparked whispers among the crowd.

In the four prefectures of Linan Road, there is a major Golden Elixir sect in each prefecture. They are constantly vying for power and are not on good terms with each other.

The competition between the Suxin Sword Sect in Ling'an Prefecture and the Hengyue Sect in Zhangning Prefecture is particularly fierce due to their adjacent geographical locations.

In particular, the two enclaves in Shun'an Prefecture were adjacent to each other.

For decades, Qingshui County and Pu County have had little interaction, which indirectly illustrates the huge potential for cooperation between the two.

Even if they can't completely align Bailu Sect with Suxin Sword Sect, breaking the stalemate between the two counties would be a huge business opportunity for the Cao family.

“In Puxian County, our foundation is still shallow, and I’m afraid we can’t do much.”

Cao Fuyu frowned.

“We can establish a foundation here. Pushui Market is a hub for merchants and the economic center of Puxian County. If we can set up a business here, we can not only expand the Cao family’s business empire, but also enhance our voice in Puxian County.”

An elder suggested.

“That’s right, we can start with the trade of spirit pets. Puyin Mountain in Puxian County is rich in demonic beasts. We can buy local demonic beasts, transport them back to Qingliang Mountain to tame them, and then resell them to the Suxin Sword Sect or the sects and families in the two counties. We can definitely make a lot of money,” another person added.

"At the same time, we can also secretly monitor the movements between Bailu Gate and Hengyue Gate in Pushui Market so that we can respond flexibly."

Another person said.

After several discussions, the elders of the Cao family have devised several feasible plans.

Suddenly, someone mentioned, "Isn't Yan Jun in Pu County? Fu Yi mentioned that she seems to be involved in the trade of spirit pets."

"Yes, in that sense, we are not entirely without a foundation."

Everyone nodded in agreement, then looked at Cao Minghui, awaiting his decision.

Cao Minghui thought for a moment and slowly said, "I think there is great potential. The situation in Wumu Mountain is too chaotic. Our Cao family has not taken the initiative in it. The Fusheng incident is a precedent. If we can open up Puxian County and shift our focus to Puyin Mountain, our business will definitely reach new heights."

"However, Bailumen's attitude is crucial."

Some people worry that without Bailu Gate's permission, the Cao family's business will be difficult to continue, not to mention that the Cao family has ulterior motives.

"There's no need to worry about that. Although Master Xuanling didn't meet with Fuyi, Ding Taijiang did show up. This shows that Bailu Sect hasn't completely rejected our Cao family. Small-scale skirmishes are still possible, and we won't be sending too many people in the early stages anyway."

The Cao family has not interfered in Pu County for so many years because the Bailu Sect and Hengyue Sect are too close.

The Cao family of Qingliang Mountain are staunch allies of the Suxin Sword Sect.

Entering Pu County rashly might displease the Suxin Sword Sect and make it difficult to gain the support of the Bailu Sect.

Of course, the biggest reason was that Pu County had not been unsealed before, the number of cultivators was very small, and the spirit pet business was stagnant. The Cao family did not care about such a small profit.

The situation is very different now. Even though Bailu Sect does not agree to completely open up Puxian County, countless rogue cultivators still sneak into Puxian County from Dahuang Town every year.

These rogue cultivators will eventually enter Puyin Mountain and bring out the demonic beasts inside.

Therefore, the Cao family, renowned for their beast taming skills, naturally did not want to miss this opportunity.

Just then, the relationship between Bailu Sect and Hengyue Sect deteriorated, and the Cao family entered Pu County under the guise of winning over Bailu Sect, so as not to arouse suspicion from Suxin Sword Sect.

Seeing this, Cao Fuyu asked, "Who does the patriarch intend to send?"

Cao Minghui pondered: "Fuyi is familiar with the situation in Puxian County, so no one else is more suitable."

(End of this chapter)