Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 176 Arrangement
Above the clouds, the wind rises and the clouds surge.

Li Xiangming and the Cao family uncle and nephew rode in a green cloud flying boat, traveling through the sky.

Cao Yanjun suddenly spoke up: "So, you're the one who bought 'Green Cloud'!"

Li Xiangming turned his head and looked at her, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Miss Cao also took a fancy to this flying boat?"

He knew that this flying boat had attracted a lot of attention in the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.

Cao Yanjun rolled her eyes. It was she who pointed out the shortcomings of the Green Cloud Flying Boat in the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, which dissuaded many people who wanted to buy it.

Their purpose was clear: they wanted to buy the cheap Green Cloud Flying Boat.

However, she was short of money at the time and wanted to save up some spirit stones before making any plans.

Unexpectedly, Master Xin of Tianji Pavilion was so eager to make a move that he repeatedly lowered the price, selling 'Green Cloud' like cabbage.

She was saddened for quite a while when she first heard the news.

Unexpectedly, he ended up sitting on the Green Cloud Flying Boat he had been longing for, and Cao Yanjun couldn't help but feel a little self-deprecating.

Upon hearing this, Cao Fuyi laughed loudly: "I never expected you two would have this connection."

Amidst the laughter, Cao Fuyi's eyes shone brightly as he sized up Li Xiangming: "Young Master Li, you've already reached the eighth level of Qi Refining, haven't you?"

Whether in Yuyuan or Danggui Mountain, he was never able to see through Li Xiangming's cultivation level.

However, Li Xiangming's use of magic power when controlling the flying boat just now revealed his true cultivation level.

"Yes."

Li Xiangming readily admitted that his cultivation level was no secret among the demon-hunting groups outside Puyin Mountain.

Demonstrating one's strength at the right time can not only deter those with ill intentions, but also make cooperation smoother.

If he weren't at the eighth level of Qi Refining, he wouldn't have been able to gather Zhao Jindou and other itinerant merchants.

Cao Fuyi exclaimed, "You're so promising at such a young age; you're better than me."

He had cultivated Taoism for decades but had only reached the seventh level of Qi Refining, making him appear somewhat overshadowed in front of Li Xiangming.

Moreover, Li Xiangming not only possessed profound cultivation, but he had also forced back the evil people of the Mang Sect, demonstrating his formidable abilities.

Li Xiangming replied modestly, "Not at all. Fellow Daoist Cao went south to Pu County, traveled around, established a foothold, and expanded his business. He is the true pillar of the clan."

Upon hearing this, Cao Fuyi was delighted and stroked his beard, saying with a smile, "Speaking of which, I also benefited from Yan Jun's influence. Yu Garden was all arranged by her. Without Yu Garden, I might not have been able to find your Li family to cooperate with."

"Miss Cao is intelligent and capable; she is a blessing to the Cao family," Li Xiangming praised.

Cao Fuyi chuckled, a teasing glint in his eyes: "My Yanjun is not only smart and capable, but also possesses a beauty that could rival the most beautiful women in history. So, Young Master Li, are you tempted?"

Li Xiangming looked at Cao Yanjun and saw her blush and turn away shyly. He couldn't help but smile awkwardly: "Miss Cao is so beautiful that anyone who sees her would be tempted."

"Haha, you're quite honest."

On a whim, Cao Fuyi kept asking Li Xiangming about his background and experiences, showing a strong desire to bring the two together.

Li Xiangming made excuses and changed the subject, managing to escape unscathed.

Time flew by, and the three of them arrived at Puyin Mountain.

"Let's rest at Monkey Valley first."

Li Xiangming led the people to the animal trapping station.

Li Xiangchuan returned home to recuperate from his injuries, while Li Qianzhong was unfortunately killed in battle.

The two men's teams were each assigned to Li Xiangfeng and Li Xiangting respectively.

"Master, you're finally back!"

When Li Xiang saw Li Xiangming, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Three months ago, the patriarch was furious and personally led everyone into Puyin Mountain to eradicate the Illusionary Nether Butterfly. However, after the Illusionary Nether Butterfly was beheaded, Li Xiangming still hadn't returned to the beast-catching room.

Li Qianxiong did not appoint any new managers, but only verbally appointed Li Xiangfeng and Li Xiangting to temporarily take charge of the animal trapping room.

That's not a problem, since the two of them have been in the beast-catching room for a long time, so arranging work to capture monsters is no problem.

But Li Xiangming left behind a mess.

That is the Puyinshan Guild Hall.

Originally, Zhao Jindou and others, with the cooperation of the animal trapping house, were chasing and intercepting Zhang Mazi.

They were about to drive him out of Puyin Mountain.

At this critical juncture, Li Xiangming left, leaving the animal trapping facility leaderless.

With Li Qianxiong getting involved and organizing the beast-catching guild to hunt demons in the mountains, the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall was overlooked.

Take Taibai Restaurant for example. The advertisements that originally belonged to itinerant merchants were all replaced by news of the Li family's various demon-hunting achievements.

The astute traveling merchants immediately sensed something was wrong and tried every means to find out Li Xiangming's whereabouts.

They then learned that Li Xiangming had been suspended from his post and sent home, which threw the traveling merchants into chaos.

Did they go to such lengths to help Zhao Jindou deal with Zhang Mazi for Zhao Jindou's sake?
No, it was so that I could stay and eat at the Li family's kitchen.

The owner of this stove has run away, and no new owner has come.

Is Puyinshan Guild Hall still worth cherishing?
As expected, the merchants' attitudes changed collectively, and even Madam Feng, who had always been on good terms with Zhao Jindou, began to shirk her duties.

Zhao Jindou was so angry that he kept yelling and came to find Li Xiangfeng every few days.

However, Li Xiangfeng's prestige was far less than Li Xiangming's. Even if he gathered the traveling merchants together and repeatedly gave them instructions, he could not change their perfunctory attitude.

Meanwhile, Zhang Mazi was also very perceptive and quickly noticed that Zhao Jindou's forces were showing signs of weakness.

Unwilling to withdraw from the Puyinshan market, he immediately decided to go all out, mobilizing all resources to secretly plan a counterattack.

Unable to find all the other traveling merchants, he focused on Zhao Jindou, driving down the price of Huangyadan, Zhao Jindou's most frequently sold product, causing Zhao Jindou to lose money on every Huangyadan he sold.

If he doesn't sell, Zhao Jindou will have to sever ties with his former customers and essentially hand them over to someone else.

Enraged, Zhao Jindou put pressure on Li Xiangfeng, demanding that the animal trapping center help him find a way to suppress Zhang Mazi, or else he would withdraw from the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall.

Li Xiangfeng would not be threatened by Zhao Jindou.

But he knew that everyone in the association was watching how he would handle the situation.

If the Li family cannot help Zhao Jindou, then there is no need for the Puyinshan Guild Hall to exist.

Unfortunately, Li Xiangfeng wasn't good at business matters, and the few ideas he came up with were all mediocre.

Seeing the guild hall falling apart, Li Xiangfeng was extremely anxious.

He knew all too well how much effort Li Xiangming had put into this organization.

Fortunately, at this time, Li Xiangming returned to Puyin Mountain.

After understanding what had happened, Li Xiangming pondered for a moment and said, "Let's put the matter of the guild hall aside for now. With me here, Zhang Mazi can't cause any big trouble. You have more important things to do now."

As he spoke, Li Xiangming informed them of the Cao family's visit.

"This concerns the cooperation between our two families. The patriarch has given a strict order to ensure their safety at Puyin Mountain. You will each lead two teams to select a few places where monsters have been captured recently, and then focus on clearing out any monsters within a hundred miles that pose a threat."

"The route must be carefully planned to ensure no accidents occur. You must continue patrolling until you deem there is no danger. At that time, I will inform Uncle Qiansu and have him urge the surrounding demon-hunting groups not to act rashly."

"Yes!"

Li Xiangfeng breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to getting involved in business battles, he was better at dealing with monsters.

(End of this chapter)