Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 348 Chi Family Spiritual Field
There are currently two groups of cultivators in Xiaolan Valley.

One group consisted of local cultivators, primarily from the Chi family, while the other group consisted of externally hired cultivators, led by Jiang Liang.

When Li Xiangming recruited Jiang Liang and settled him in Xiaolan Valley, he hoped that Jiang Liang could lead the Chi family and the visiting cultivators to develop Xiaolan Valley into a spiritual herb cultivation base.

However, Jiang Liang had barely started when he was entangled by the Five Wanderers of Jiming Mountain, which prevented him from achieving anything.

However, with Li Xiangming's successful rescue of Xiaolangu, the area has been free from threats for nearly two years, and Xiaolangu has finally undergone tremendous changes.

The first places to show signs of change were undoubtedly the ordinary villages on the outskirts.

They are no longer chaotic, but have been replanned, with houses arranged in a staggered pattern, streets wide and flat, and even a small square in the center of the village.

Stone sculptures stand in the square, some depicting guardian beasts, others resembling legendary immortals, and many children play and laugh around them.

Walking ahead, Chi Youyan smiled radiantly: "It's all thanks to Brother Jiang! Brother Jiang has implemented a series of reforms in Xiaolan Valley, and it's much better than before."

Li Xiangming nodded. He also noticed that a market had already been set up in Xiaolan Valley.

This indicates that caravans still exist in the valley; otherwise, it would be impossible to obtain such a wide variety of goods.

"The Chi family's residence has also been relocated."

Chi Youyan continued, "Brother Jiang said that the original settlement was too close to the mortal people, which wasn't good. I actually thought it was fine, but Brothers Lai Yong and Lai Yi both agreed, and we've moved there now!"

As he spoke, Chi Youyan pointed to the distant hillside.

Following Chi Youyan's pointed finger, Li Xiangming saw a village rising from the ground, with towering walls and imposing fortifications, resembling a small city.

"It seems Jiang Liang is quite dedicated."

Li Xiangming smiled and continued along the winding mountain road.

However, they hadn't gone far when several people flew out of the village.

Leading them were Chi Laiyi and Jiang Liang.

"Lai Yi greets his benefactor!"

As soon as Chi Laiyi met him, he knelt down on the ground.

Back then, Chi Jingtong tested Li Xiangming by posing as a member of the Yi clan. Although he wasn't sincere, before his death, Chi Jingtong still instructed his descendants to recognize their true identity and consider themselves members of the Yi clan.

Therefore, even though Li Xiangming was just an ordinary sect leader, the Chi family members would still bow deeply to him.

Jiang Liang, on the other hand, simply cupped his hands in greeting and said, "It's been a long time since I've seen Hall Master Li."

In front of the Chi family cultivators, Li Xiangming naturally helped Chi Laiyi up first, patted him on the shoulder, and encouraged him, "Laiyong is working hard in Puyin Mountain, and you have also achieved great success in Xiaolan Valley. Your grandfather would be very pleased to know this."

When Chi Jingtong was mentioned, tears welled up in Chi Laiyi's eyes, and he said with red eyes, "Laiyi still remembers how perilous the Chi family was after Grandpa passed away. Fortunately, we were protected by our benefactor, which led to our prosperity today. All of this is thanks to our benefactor. The entire Chi family is grateful and willing to serve our benefactor like dogs and horses."

Before he could finish speaking, Chi Laiyi knelt down excitedly and kowtowed repeatedly.

The surrounding members of the Chi family, including Chi Youyan, also knelt down.

Li Xiangming narrowed his eyes. "They say the environment shapes a person."

The naive boy who used to hide in the corner and eavesdrop on his conversation with Chi Jingtong has become so shrewd.

It's probably true that the Chi family is grateful to him.

But it's not necessarily true that he was completely convinced of his worth and had no complaints.

It should be noted that Chi Jingtong's chosen patriarch, Chi Laiyong, is still being kept by him on Puyin Mountain, living day and night among demonic beasts, his life hanging by a thread.

Does the Chi family have no objection to this?
Not to mention, Li Xiangming demanded that the Chi family open their doors and allow outsiders like Jiang Liang to enter Xiaolan Valley.

Because the Chi family was weak, they had no choice but to comply.

But no one knows what they are thinking.

Li Xiangming doesn't usually come to Xiaolangu. The last time he came was when he was out for a spring outing with Cao Yanjun.

Now that Cao Yanjun is gone, Chi Laiyi naturally assumes that he came for the spirit field.

Bowing down is an attempt to appeal to emotions.

Although he knew the other party was putting on an act, Li Xiangming was not dissatisfied. Wasn't the Li family also putting on an act in front of Hengyue Gate?
Li Xiangming himself was willing to sell the spiritual vein to Xuanli Zhenren at a bargain price, yet he acted as if he had made a great deal.

Not to mention the Chi family, who are at the very bottom of the cultivation world.
Li Xiangming pretended to be pleased and helped Chi Laiyi up again: "Laiyi, you flatter me. Although I never met your grandfather, I admired him. Now that he is gone, your Chi family is my friend. Friends don't talk about favors."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding members of the Chi family were deeply moved: "Our benefactor!"

Only Chi Laiyi stood there, tears welling in his eyes, stunned.

Li Xiangming didn't look at him anymore, but turned to Jiang Liang and exclaimed, "It's been many days since I last saw you, Brother Jiang. Not only has your charm not diminished, but your cultivation has also improved."

He remembered that Jiang Liang had been trapped at the eighth level of Qi Refining for several years and still could not break through.

Unexpectedly, staying in Xiaolan Valley led to my successful entry into the ninth level of Qi Refining.

This may be related to his resolution of the Lingwu Sect's inner conflict.

Jiang Liang, however, was not pleased. He simply said, "How can you compare to Hall Master Li?"

Li Xiangming admired his character and praised him several times.

Jiang Liang felt embarrassed upon hearing this and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Master Li, you should go into the village first."

Li Xiangming smiled and followed the others into the village.

Once inside, Li Xiangming discovered that the village was all show and no substance. While the exterior was well-maintained, many buildings inside were still under construction, and most of the necessary facilities were missing.

Jiang Liang sighed, "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Hall Master Li. Xiaolan Valley is remote, and it's difficult for caravans to travel there and for supplies to be collected."

Li Xiangming waved his hand and said, "Not at all. In just two years, you have managed Xiaolan Valley so well and built such a large base. This shows your strategic talent. Lingwu Sect's biggest loss is missing out on Brother Jiang."

Upon hearing the mention of Lingwu Sect, Jiang Liang remained silent for a moment before asking, "Hall Master Li came from the north; did you have any news about my sect?"

Li Xiangming pondered. Recently, the entire clerk's office had come out, and he did indeed have the latest intelligence on the Lingwu Sect.

There's something I'm not sure if I should say.

Li Xiangming glanced at Jiang Liang.

Jiang Liang's brow twitched, and he asked, "What is it?"

"Your senior brother He Jing has returned to Lingwu Sect, but he's gotten involved in the sect leadership struggle."

"Wait a moment!"

Jiang Liang asked in confusion, "Isn't the current leader of the Lingwu Sect my second senior brother, Pei Wen?"

Li Xiangming said regretfully, "Most of the disciples of Lingwu Sect were raised by you three brothers, especially He Jing, whose reputation is second only to Master Lingwu. Back then, when Master Lingwu decided to pass the leadership to Pei Wen, He Jing left without saying goodbye, and the other disciples could only accept that Pei Wen would become the sect leader. Now that he has returned, what do you think will happen?"

Jiang Liang's face paled: "You mean..."

"That's right, there's been internal strife within the Lingwu Sect."

Li Xiangming frankly stated: "Some disciples decided to follow He Jing and reclaim the sect leadership that originally belonged to him, which led to a fierce conflict with the current sect leader, Pei Wen. But don't worry, Master Lingwu personally intervened, and the conflict was quickly quelled."

Jiang Liang was somewhat dazed. After a while, he came to his senses and asked, "Where is my senior brother? How is he?"

"He was expelled from the sect by your master, so his life should be safe." Li Xiangming shook his head.

He Jing was too naive. No matter what the grudges were back then, or how unwilling he was, they couldn't withstand the passage of time.

Pei Wen has been the sect leader for five or six years.

Master Lingwu has no reason to abandon Pei Wen.

He Jing thought that once he returned to his sect, he would be able to command a large following, but he never expected that the first and most difficult hurdle would be his own master, Master Lingwu.

It can only be said that He Jing was too impatient. If he had waited until Master Lingwu was a hundred years old, he might have had a chance to take back Lingwu Sect.

But now, all hope has been completely extinguished.

Because his cultivation had been crippled by Master Lingwu.

However, Li Xiangming did not choose to tell Jiang Liang this news.

Among those who attacked He Jing were cultivators from the Li family.

As a friendly neighbor of the Li family, Lingwu Gate has always maintained a very close relationship with them.

Pei Wen inherited the mantle of Master Lingwu and the position of sect leader, so he was naturally considered the legitimate successor by the Li family.

Long before He Jing rebelled, Pei Wen had pleaded with the Li family for help, and Li Qianxiong agreed without hesitation.

After hearing the whole story, Jiang Liang fell into a long silence.

Li Xiangming didn't urge him, and instead summoned Nie Rong, who was stationed there.

While we're at it, let's check on Nie Rong's health.

As a puppet, Nie Rong's body needs regular maintenance, but Li Xiangming, not being a puppeteer, had never paid attention to it. Now he discovered that Nie Rong's cultivation level had not only failed to increase, but had actually fallen to the eighth level of Qi Refining.

"Now we're going to be exposed."

Li Xiangming gave a wry smile. Tang Xueyan had already suspected that something was wrong with Nie Rong's health, and now she had laid it all out on her own.

He called Chi Youyan over and asked, "Has your sister Tang returned to Xiaolan Valley recently?"

Chi Youyan replied matter-of-factly, "Of course, she comes back every two or three months."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming was taken aback.

He looked at Nie Rong's expressionless face and felt a sense of relief.

Tang Xueyan wasn't stupid; she probably already knew about Nie Rong's situation.

They just don't want to verify it with themselves.

For Tang Xueyan, Nie Rong was not only her senior brother, but also a source of fond memories of her sect.

Thinking of this, Li Xiangming felt somewhat guilty.

In order to use Tang Xueyan, he fabricated a beautiful lie to keep her by his side. Now, relying solely on herself, Tang Xueyan probably won't be able to escape the world of this lie.

Even now, if Li Xiangming tells Tang Xueyan in person that Nie Rong is a puppet, she would still willingly stay by Nie Rong's side.

Because of this truth, she had long been mentally prepared.

The only way to break this deadlock is to inject hatred.

As long as Tang Xueyan's hatred for the Mang Sect and Madam Zhen is aroused, she will naturally understand that Nie Rong is dead, and has been dead for many years!

But this undoubtedly hurt Tang Xueyan once again.

Most importantly, Li Xiangming was well aware of Madam Zhen's methods.

Letting Tang Xueyan go to Madam Zhen for revenge is tantamount to sending her to her death.

"Brother Li, what are you thinking about?"

Chi Youyan was unaware of Li Xiangming's thoughts, let alone the deep-seated hatred her Tang sister carried. In her small world, there were only her beloved clansmen, her admired benefactor, and the frustration of failed alchemy attempts and the joy of successful ones.

Li Xiangming gazed into those clear, glassy eyes, and his soul felt somewhat purified. He patted Chi Youyan's head and said, "Let your brother Yi come over here."

"Oh."
-
Li Xiangming's visit to Xiaolan Valley was certainly not a sudden whim.

Led by Chi Laiyi, he visited the spirit fields of Xiaolan Valley and observed the cultivation of spirit plants.

"Currently, the Chi family has cultivated forty mu of spiritual fields, all of which are usable. Ten mu are planted with Qingxian rice, twenty-five mu with evening primrose, and five mu with Tianxiang grass."

Chi Laiyi explained as he walked.

Li Xiangming nodded. The spirit rice formed from the threshing of Qingxian rice is the kind of spirit rice that the Li family usually pays their salary to. Xiaolan Valley can plant a small amount and sell it directly to the Li family.

Evening primrose is the main ingredient of Huangyadan. Not only Qingyang Temple and the Li family are buying it, but other small forces in the vicinity also have demand for it. If it is sold to Pushui Market, even more money can be made.

The Heavenly Fragrance is a key ingredient in the Spirit Feeding Pill, and as the Li family develops its beast-taming skills, their demand for the pill is increasing daily. Currently, the Li family needs to purchase the Heavenly Fragrance from Pushui Market and plant a batch in Xiaolan Valley to alleviate their immediate financial crisis.

These three spiritual plants were all planted according to the needs of the Li family.

With Li Xiangming's help in facilitating sales, finding markets was not a problem.

The Chi family can earn spirit stones simply by planting.

How has your income been these past few years?

Li Xiangming continued to ask.

When it came to sensitive issues, Chi Laiyi was very cautious: "Last year, we only had thirty mu of spirit fields, and we only planted two kinds of spirit plants: Qingxian rice and evening primrose. Among them, Qingxian rice covered fifteen mu, with a yield of 120 jin per mu, and an annual yield of 1800 jin. After being hulled, it yielded about 1200 jin. The Chi family sold 800 jin, earning about 160 spirit stones. We also planted fifteen mu of evening primrose, with a survival rate of about 3%. We harvested a total of 450 evening primrose plants, all of which were sold for about 150 spirit stones."

"Is the survival rate of evening primroses only 30%?"

Li Xiangming frowned and interrupted.

It's worth noting that the survival rate of evening primroses planted in Green Cloud Cave is at least 60%, while in Little Valley it's reduced by half.

Chi Laiyi hurriedly apologized: "Please forgive us, benefactor. The main problem is that the Chi family has no experience in planting evening primroses, and the survival rate has always been low."

Li Xiangming glanced at him, then looked away: "How are the profits?"

Chi Laiyi respectfully presented a cloth bag: "The spirit seeds from last year were all left over from the year before. We don't count the labor involved, but the Chi family purchased a batch of talismans and potions for weeding and pest control. In total, we made a profit of 200 spirit stones last year. The Chi family is willing to contribute 50% to our benefactor. Combined with the previous years, that's a total of 300 spirit stones. We hope our benefactor will accept it."

Li Xiangming took the cloth bag and patted Chi Laiyi on the shoulder: "Thank you for your hard work."

Back then, when the Li family protected the Chi family and lent them spiritual seeds, they only charged 20% of the tax.

Now that Li Xiangming is protecting the Chi family alone, 20% is already the limit.

However, the Chi family considered themselves a servant family and were willing to give up 50% of the profits, so Li Xiangming naturally couldn't refuse.

Although he knew that the 50% profit margin was largely inflated.

Thirty acres of spirit fields only yield a paltry 300 spirit stones, and after deducting nearly 100 spirit stones for costs, who would believe that?

However, Li Xiangming did not intend to get to the bottom of things.

Compared to the Chi family, the spiritual fields cultivated by Jiang Liang and others were what he truly longed for.

(End of this chapter)