Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 371 Missing
The Li family made more than thirty demands on the Five Scattered Sects, but the most important ones were the following three.

The first point is that it officially becomes a protected sect of the Li family, or what can be called an affiliated force.

The Li family has a responsibility to provide some protection to the Five Scattered Sect when they are harmed without actively provoking a conflict. In return, the Five Scattered Sect must offer tribute worth no less than 200 spirit stones every year.

Secondly, special trade rules were established with the Five Scattered Gates.

This means the Li family has the right to purchase all cultivation resources produced by the spirit fields of Jiming Mountain, including but not limited to spirit rice and spirit herbs, at market prices. Only if the Li family refuses to purchase, or purchases less, can the Five Scattered Sect sell the remaining cultivation resources elsewhere.

The third point stipulates that the Li family has the right to recommend disciples to the Five Scattered Sects, and the number of recommendations shall not be less than five per term.

The Five Scattered Sect will accept disciples recommended by the Li family unconditionally, except for those with spiritual roots.

Without a doubt, these three conditions are extremely demanding, far exceeding the bottom line of a normal sect.

However, becoming a vassal was something that Granny Lai and the others had already anticipated.

It was actually surprising to them that they could rent Jiming Mountain so easily before.

The offering of two hundred spirit stones was certainly painful, but it was better than losing the spirit pool altogether and letting all the five people's efforts go to waste.

As for prioritizing the sale of the spiritual fields' produce to the Li family, this may sound hard to accept.

In reality, the spirit fields of the Five Scattered Sect are just for show. In two years, less than ten acres have been cultivated, and only two or three acres have been planted with spirit plants, all of which are the most common Jade Spring Rice.

Even so, the Five Scattered Sect's lack of experience in this area resulted in poor growth of the Jade Spring Rice.

If they can survive until the rice matures and there is enough rice to harvest, then they'll be lucky to make money.

Granny Lai, who was in charge of the spirit field, dared not even imagine it.

Currently, the Five Scattered Sect's finances are entirely supported by the spirit stones donated by its five members who sold their pots and pans.

Of course, slaughtering monsters and picking spiritual herbs also brought some income to the Five Scattered Sect.

But all of this income depends on the Li family's Changyang Valley.

For at least the next five to ten years, the Five Scattered Sects will be extremely eager to obtain access to the Li family's resources.

For them, success is simply being able to sell the products from the spirit field.

As for who to sell it to, it's not time to consider that yet.

Therefore, the five independent individuals gritted their teeth and agreed to the condition.

What they found unacceptable was the transfer of a portion of the disciple slots to the Li family.

Although the disciples of the Five Scattered Sect are all "bought" from the Li family, they are merely menial disciples and could be dismissed at any time.

Even if the five scattered men were to kill them instead of dismissing them, they would feel no remorse whatsoever.

Since there was no emotional foundation between the two sides, these menial disciples were willing to go to the island only to obtain a passable Dharma manual so that their incomplete path of cultivation could be completed.

The Five Wanderers were not stingy with this, but even if they were willing to offer some guidance, the handymen disciples, limited by their aptitude and age, had no chance of helping the Five Wanderers rise to prominence.

How could the Five Scattered Sect possibly treat them well?

In Zhang Can's and others' vision, the future Five Scattered Sect would definitely be centered around a genius disciple like "Nangong Mu," with other inner and outer disciples each displaying their strengths, so that the foundation of the sect could be built.

But now, the Li family wants to put sand on this foundation.

Once the disciple recommended by the Li family joins the sect, will the Five Wanderers teach him or not?

If we don't teach them, we won't be able to explain it to the Li family, and we'll be supporting a bunch of idle people.

If I were to teach him, I wouldn't be able to claim any credit for his recognition.

If these disciples achieve something in the future, the first to thank will be the Li family, and only then will they thank the Five Scattered Sect.

Who wouldn't feel uncomfortable doing this?

If the Li family were to interfere and continue to control these disciples, then it wouldn't be long before the Five Scattered Sect were completely controlled by the Li family.

The Five Wanderers were naturally very dissatisfied with this.

However, Li Xiangming's attitude was tough, and he seemed determined to get what he wanted.

In addition, the Foundation Establishment cultivator Qingyang Daoist, whom Li Xiangming had finally managed to win over, turned out to be an old acquaintance of Li Xiangming.

Faced with two Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Five Scattered Sect had no right to refuse.

Even these five spots were the result of their persistent and reasoned arguments.

After signing the silk, Granny Lai forced a strained smile: "Is Master Li satisfied now?"

Li Xiangming carefully put the silk into a specially made jade box and replied calmly, "You should feel lucky that you can still stay here to cultivate after provoking the Qin family."

The price the Li family paid to force the Qin family to retreat on their own was considerable.

Not only did they agree to more than ten trade agreements with the Geng family, but they were also willing to go to great lengths to procure high-level war materials such as magical artifacts and talismans for the Geng family.

The two sides even signed a lease agreement, in which the Li family would lease a certain number of pills and talismans to the Geng family every month, with the agreement to return them after the war, while the Geng family would lease a piece of the northern part of the lower Puyin Mountain to the Li family.

However, the ownership of Puyin Mountain is in the hands of demonic beasts.

Neither the Li family nor the Geng family ever truly controlled Puyin Mountain.

When outsiders came in to hunt demons, both families could only watch helplessly.

Therefore, the Geng family's act of leasing part of Puyin Mountain to the Li family was nothing short of thuggish.

The pills and talismans that the Li family rented out were genuine.

And these things are disposable consumables.

Once you use it, it's gone.

Is it possible for the Geng family to return it in the future?

Li Xiangming felt the chances were slim; even if he were to repay it, it would be a long time.

This is a complete loss for the Li family.

Ultimately, however, the elders approved the agreement, since it was not a normal business practice.

The Li family's desire for the Geng family to curb the Qin family's expansion will inevitably come at a price.

In comparison, the two hundred spirit stones that the Five Scattered Sect offered as tribute were utterly insignificant.

Li Xiangming glanced at the five people one by one. Seeing that they were in low spirits, he took out a topographical map of Jiming Mountain and handed it to them.

Grandma Lai took it first, glanced at it, and found that the drawing was very exquisite, but the ink was still wet, obviously it was just drawn, and there were several special marks on it.

"what is this?"

The Flower Monk asked a question,
Li Xiangming pointed to the special markings on the map and replied, "These places are suitable to serve as the core of the formation. Jiming Mountain does not have a mountain-protecting formation, and the formation plates you bought are not up to standard. In a while, I will have a formation master come and set up the formation. You should take good care of these places and not damage them easily."

The Flower Monk withdrew his gaze and cautiously asked, "What is the cost of this formation and who owns it?"

Li Xiangming glanced at him and said, "The expenses will be covered by my Li family, and the formation will naturally belong to the Li family as well. The Five Scattered Sect is yours, and Jiming Mountain is my territory. However, in order to facilitate the operation of the formation, the formation flag can be entrusted to you for safekeeping."

The five wandering men looked at each other in bewilderment. Granny Lai asked again, "What kind of formation is this?"

"It is highly likely that the Six Harmonies Return Formation will be set up at Jiming Mountain, while another Wind Control Spirit Barrier Formation will be set up outside the island."

"Two second-tier formations?"

Grandma Lai and the others exchanged glances, all of them filled with surprise and delight.

If these two formations had been in place beforehand, even if the Qin family members reached the Foundation Establishment stage, they would have been able to maneuver around them and even force them to retreat, greatly enhancing the safety of the Five Scattered Sect.

However, second-tier formations are simply too expensive.

They picked and chose at Pushui Market, and finally only bought a second-hand second-order array plate, which they set up outside the island. As a result, due to the limited coverage area, they did not notice Li Xiangming and his group who landed on the island from other directions.

This made Zhang Can extremely regretful.

Because he bought the array plate himself, and he also paid for most of the cost.

I didn't expect it to be so disappointing.

Now that the Li family is willing to pay for setting up two second-tier formations on the island, he feels both happy and uneasy.

Li Xiangming, unaware of Zhang Can's thoughts, briefly explained some precautions regarding the formation and then gestured slightly on the blueprints with his finger, offering guidance on the Five Scattered Sect's planning.

After a long while, Li Xiangming finally left. Watching his retreating figure, Zhang Can hesitated, wanting to say something but holding back.

“If you have something to say, say it, and if you have something to say, let it go.”

When Grandma Lai saw Zhang Can's expression, she couldn't help but scold him.

Zhang Can sighed heavily: "I used to think that those scions of noble families were ignorant and incompetent, and that they only benefited from having a good ancestor and were able to cultivate faster than others. Now I realize how foolish I was."

Becoming vassals of the Li family was a heavy blow to the five of them.

Because they were used to being undisciplined, they were unwilling to be subordinate to others.
But now, all five of them are bound by a small Five Scattered Sect.

On the one hand, Li Xiangming proposed that they establish the Five Scattered Sect; on the other hand, he spared no effort in exploiting and subservient to the Five Scattered Sect. In the end, however, he also considered the Five Scattered Sect's interests, setting up formations and offering advice to help the Five Scattered Sect operate better.
All of these things left Zhang Can, who was originally a rogue cultivator, feeling completely lost.

But one thing he was very clear about was that Li Xiangming was confident that he could completely control the Five Scattered Sect, which was why he adopted a combination of a big stick and a carrot.

Clearly, the Li family has been scheming against the Five Scattered Sect, both now and in the future.

But he didn't know how to resist, let alone how to lead the Five Scattered Sect to rise.

For a time, Zhang Can was exhausted and missed the days when he was a rogue cultivator.
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"Master, we will return to Danggui Mountain first, and bid you farewell."

After reaching an agreement with the Five Scattered Sect, Li Xiangming once again sought out the Green Sheep Taoist to bid him farewell.

The Green Sheep Taoist stroked his beard and hair: "I plan to come to your family's Yiyuan Peak to refine pills next month. I wonder if that would be convenient?"

"Yiyuan Peak?"

Li Xiangming's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "Daoist Master, are you going to refine the Herbal Elixir?"

"Exactly."

Qingyang Daoist nodded.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming immediately relayed Liu Xiongyu's request.

"One hundred spirit stones for one Herbal God Pill?"

Qingyang Daoist was slightly surprised. Although this Herb God Pill was valuable, its price was incomparable to that of healing elixirs with outstanding effects, such as the Ice Vein Pill and the Yellow Dragon Pill.

He had investigated the Herbal Elixir in Pushui Market, and one pill cost just over thirty spirit stones.

However, they are extremely rare, and often you can't buy them even if you want to.

Liu Xiongyu's offer of one hundred yuan demonstrates the severity of his injuries and his urgency.

"I'm afraid the old Taoist priest's skills are too shallow to earn this money."

Qingyang Daoist sighed. Although he could refine the Thousand-Jun Pill, the success rate was not guaranteed. The Grass God Pill was another completely new type of second-tier pill, and he didn't have much hope for it.

Even when speaking to outsiders, he never refers to himself as a second-tier alchemist.

"It doesn't matter."

Li Xiangming smiled lightly: "Chief Liu has connections everywhere. Even without the Herb God Pill, he should be safe and sound. As for alchemy, Daoist, you don't need to feel any burden. Yiyuan Peak is ready to serve you. If you lack any spiritual herbs, just take my letter to the alchemy and artifact room, and they will be supplied at fair prices."

Qingyang Daoist glanced at Li Xiangming and nodded.

Although he handed over the pill formula to protect himself, the formula did not disappear from his mind.

At the same time, he received strong support from the Li family.

This is an acceptable ending.

After a few casual words, Li Xiangming immediately stopped lingering, and the group secretly slipped out of the Yellow Springs Swamp to meet up with Li Qianshi.

The journey was smooth sailing until they returned to Tailai Peak, when Li Xiangming sensed a slightly tense atmosphere.

Lee Sang-jeong, who had been waiting in the outer courtyard, immediately came to greet them.

"what happens?"

"Xiangcheng has disappeared!"

Li Xiangzhen said in a low voice, and took out a jade pendant, handing it over: "This is something Brother Xiangcheng has always wanted to give you, but you weren't home."

Li Xiangming took it and placed it between his eyebrows.

A moment later, he opened his eyes and looked at Li Xiangzhen: "Has anyone else seen this jade pendant?"

"It seems the patriarch has seen it."

"understood."

Li Xiangming put away the jade pendant and turned to leave.

Li Xiangzhen was stunned for a moment. Li Xiangcheng was a descendant of the fourth branch of the family. When his elder brother was instructing Li Jihu and others in cultivation, Li Xiangcheng often participated, and he was also present.

It could be said that he and Li Xiangcheng were practically playmates, which is why he was so anxious when he heard that the other had gone missing.

The fact that the elder brother and Xiangcheng were close is known throughout the clan.

Upon hearing this devastating news, he remained calm and composed, seemingly without the slightest concern.

He scratched his head and decided to go to the guest room for his shift.

These are things he has no say in.

On the other side, Li Xiangming, while playing with the jade pendant in his hand, made his way to Changlin Room.

There were already several people in Changlin's room, but they were all of the Xiang generation, with Li Xiangru as the leader.

"Xiangming, you're back?"

When Li Xiangru saw Li Xiangming, he immediately smiled and made room for him in a chair.

"Thank you, Fourth Brother."

Li Xiangming sat down and placed the jade pendant in his hand on the table beside him.

Li Xiangru glanced at him and asked hesitantly, "You've come for Xiangcheng's matter?"

"Xiangcheng should be heading to Baolong Valley."

Li Xiangming spoke softly.

Li Xiangru frowned: "Xiangming, you may not know this now that you've just returned, but Baolong Valley is now a place of great trouble. If Xiangcheng appears at the Chen family at this time, he may be in danger."

Li Xiangming turned to him, "I wonder if Fourth Brother could clear up my doubts?"

Li Xiangru hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Do you remember the last time the Chen family and the Huang family fought over a piece of spirit wood? The Huang family sent someone to ask for help, but my family thought the Chen family had it in the bag, so we suppressed the matter."

"Unexpectedly, in a short time, the Chen family came to ask for help. According to the Chen family, the Huang family found powerful allies who not only reclaimed the spirit wood but also plundered all of the Chen family's surrounding properties. The next target is very likely the Chen family's stronghold, Baolong Valley."

What's the family's attitude?

Li Xiangming interrupted calmly.

"This"

Li Xiangru looked at Li Qianxiong, who sat at the head of the table.

Li Qianxiong sighed and replied, "I know you're worried about Xiang Cheng. I've already sent someone to find him. The Chen family is indeed close to my Li family, but not long ago, I refused the Huang family's request on the grounds of insufficient manpower. If we were to recklessly assist the Chen family now, how would the other affiliated forces view our Li family?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming felt a surge of nameless anger.

He wasn't angry about the patriarch's decision. Although the Chen family and the Li family had been on good terms for many years, the Chen family wanted to develop independently, while the Huang family had joined the Li family. Whom did the Li family favor? It goes without saying.

The reason we didn't help the Huang family last time was simply because the benefits offered by the Huang family weren't tempting enough. A mere tribute wasn't enough to make the Li family lose the Chen family as a "friend."

But unexpectedly, the Chen family proved to be so disappointing, allowing the Huang family to launch a counterattack right to their doorstep.

Now the Li family is in a dilemma again; they can't help them, and they can't not help them either.

However, Li Xiangming did not have the opportunity to participate in this dilemma, as the Li family quickly chose the Huang family.

Needless to say, besides the envoy from the Chen family, there must have also been an envoy from the Huang family visiting the Li family, and the benefits that the Huang family gave to the Li family far exceeded those of the Chen family.

Since the Huang family is qualified to replace the Chen family's position and has submitted to the Li family, what is there for the Li family to hesitate about?

Such an obvious thing, yet Li Xiangcheng, on whom he had placed high hopes, failed to see clearly and instead lost his mind, running alone towards Baolong Valley, disregarding his life. How could he not be angry?

(End of this chapter)