Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 376 Support
"what?"

In the main hall of the Chi family, Chi Laiyong knelt on the ground, his body trembling.

Li Xiangming, who was at the head of the table, was furious and shouted, "Didn't I tell you to just give Zhao Jindou a perfunctory talk and then return to Puyin Mountain?"

Chi Laiyong said with a mournful face, "I have already tried to persuade Commander Lü, but Zhao Jindou promised him great benefits and also promised to personally accompany the caravan. Commander Lü thought the risk was not high, so he decided to go again."

"Nonsense!
Li Xiangming launched into a tirade, hurling insults at Lü Mao.

Lu Mao believed that Zhao Jindou, as the head of the Chamber of Commerce and with immense wealth, would not stoop to risk his life.

Little did they know that Zhao Jindou had reached a dead end; if he couldn't bring back the spiritual herb, he would suffer worse than death.

In addition, he came from a background of traveling merchants, and his current wealth and status are all self-made. Although he is afraid of death, he is never lacking in adventurous spirit.

And is it so hard to understand to personally accompany a caravan?
Lü Mao used this to assess the risks of escorting the caravan, which resulted in a huge loss for the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Team, and he himself lost a leg.

"How many people survived?"

Li Xiangming was still furious.

Chi Laiyong replied in a low voice, "There were twelve of us when we went, and six came back, including veterans of the demon-hunting team like Commander Lü and Lin Hao, all of whom were seriously injured."

"So, the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Group is no longer worthy of its name?"

Li Xiangming interrupted him coldly.

"Indeed."

Chi Laiyong, huddled up, answered cautiously, "Those who stayed behind at Puyin Mountain, seeing what happened to Commander Lü and the others, all quietly left the demon-hunting group."

Li Xiangming closed his eyes, then opened them: "Where are the goods you transported and Zhao Jindou?"

"The goods have all been stolen, and Zhao Jindou's whereabouts are unknown."

At this point, Chi Laiyong quickly added, "The situation was too chaotic at the time, I really don't know, but there were several late-stage Qi Refining cultivators protecting him."

Li Xiangming's expression shifted between light and dark. The person who robbed and killed the goods was most likely a disciple of the Shengyi Sect.

Once Zhao Jindou's spiritual herbs fall into the hands of Shengyi Sect, his planned spiritual herb business will be greatly affected.

However, getting angry won't help at this point.

He anticipated this outcome from the moment he decided to send out the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Team.

The reason he flew into a rage was more to show the belated Yong.

After all, Chi Laiyong was also a member of the demon-hunting team, and he was also attacked and almost didn't make it back.

If he, as the decision-maker behind the scenes, doesn't react to this at all, wouldn't that be disheartening?
Of course, he couldn't take responsibility for this; he could only shift the blame to Lü Mao.

Letting out a slow breath, Li Xiangming continued, "The Mad Lion Demon Hunting Team has my share of effort, and so has yours. Would you be willing to take over as the team leader and continue to lead the Demon Hunting Team forward?"

Chi Laiyong's voice sounded slightly hesitant: "I'm afraid the others won't submit to me."

"You can rest assured about that. We're out hunting demons not for brotherhood, but to earn spirit stones. If you have money and connections, you'll naturally attract followers."

Li Xiangming stood up and scrutinized him: "The Li family is generous in supporting you, but the key is whether you can shoulder the responsibility of being the head of this regiment."

Chi Laiyong pressed his head to the ground and respectfully replied, "Laiyong is willing to take responsibility and is willing to give his life for his benefactor."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming remained silent for a moment before finally speaking: "You've been away from home for so long, your position as head of the family might not be secure. Are you aware of this?"

Chi Laiyong paused for a moment, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, but finally replied in a deep voice, "Laiyi has managed the family very well. I am willing to relinquish the position of family head and focus on running the demon-hunting team."

Li Xiangming smiled, walked over to Chi Laiyong, helped him up, and patted him on the shoulder. "There's no need for that. I won't interfere in your Chi family's affairs, but you should prioritize the Chi family and the Demon Hunting Group."

Upon hearing this, Chi Laiyong immediately knelt down again: "Laiyong has lived in Puyin Mountain for a long time and is no longer suitable to manage the family. The position of family head must be held by Laiyi. Please grant me permission, my benefactor!"

Li Xiangming nodded slightly: "Since you are so determined, then I am relieved. Take my warrant to Li Xiangfeng, and he will support you. The Puyin Mountain Guild and the Demon Hunter Guild will also make a show of support for you."

"Lu Mao's injuries are severe, and his prestige will inevitably plummet. How many old acquaintances he can win back depends on your abilities. I hope you can take over the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Team completely and not waste this hard-earned reputation."

"I understand, thank you for your support, my benefactor!" Chi Laiyong kowtowed three times.

Upon seeing this, Li Xiangming's eyes flickered.

Chi Laiyong was far more ambitious than his younger brother Chi Laiyi, and also knew how to be more patient.

Losing his position as head of the family would undoubtedly be a heavy blow to him.

However, taking command of the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Team was also a powerful temptation for Chi Laiyong.

Because the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Group is far stronger than the Chi family, they can do more for him.

If combined with the spirit fields of Xiaolan Valley, it would be enough to accelerate the development of the Chi family to a new level.

Even if Chi Laiyong harbors resentment towards himself, he will not rebel at this moment. Instead, he will devote all his energy to the demon-hunting team.

Perhaps the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Group can reach new heights under his leadership.

Thinking about this made Li Xiangming angry.

He supported Lü Mao for many years and assigned him many tasks, but most of them involved hunting specific monsters, and the difficulty was not very high, because the powerful monsters were assigned to the Shenfeng and Jinguang monster hunting teams.

At most, they would use the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Group to smuggle supplies from Puyin Mountain to the Geng family.

Although this matter is extremely important, no accidents have occurred so far because both parties have kept it secret.

It can be said that since eliminating Ge Yi's gang, the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Group has been free of threats. They have resources, connections, and intelligence. For several years, they have been expanding and thriving, even Zhao Jindou expressed his envy.

Li Xiangming naturally assumed they had grown stronger and that Lü Mao was a capable leader, so he sent them to Daishan. However, he never expected Lü Mao to be so incompetent, directly causing the downfall of most of the demon-hunting team.

"correct."

Seeing that Li Xiangming was distracted, Chi Laiyong reminded him, "Miss Tang also wants to see you."

"Tang Xueyan? Let her in."

Li Xiangming raised his eyebrows.

A short while later, a woman dressed in a plain-colored long dress walked in. She was pale, with dark circles under her eyes, and looked quite haggard.

"Miss Tang, thank you for your hard work on this trip."

Li Xiangming smiled and personally brought over a bowl of tea.

As a member of the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Team, and with her cultivation reaching the late stage of Qi Refining, Tang Xueyan naturally participated in the mission to Dai Mountain, making her survival all the more remarkable.

Moreover, Tang Xueyan was someone he had begged to join the demon-hunting group, so his attitude was naturally much friendlier.

However, Tang Xueyan didn't give him a friendly look, refusing even the tea, and coldly said, "I want to leave the Demon Hunting Group."

"Oh?"

Li Xiangming asked in surprise, "Miss Tang, could you please tell me the reason?"

Tang Xueyan shook her head: "There's no reason, I'm just fed up. Now that your Li family's words in Puyin Mountain have become law, why should a mere woman like me continue to serve the Demon Hunting Team?"

Li Xiangming returned to his seat and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips.

The Mad Lion Demon Hunting Team was nearly wiped out. Although Tang Xueyan survived, she was inevitably disheartened and it was understandable that she wanted to leave, since she had forced herself into the life of demon hunting rather than enjoying it.

However, the departure of one of her senior members, who was at the late stage of Qi Refining, will definitely have a significant impact on Chi Laiyong's reorganization of the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Team.

Li Xiangming glanced at Chi Laiyong, who was looking down and seemingly lost in thought, and sighed, "If Miss Tang is willing to leave the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Group, I will certainly agree. But if I may be so bold as to ask, where does Miss Tang plan to go in the future?"

Tang Xueyan remained silent, clearly indicating that she had no such plans.

Li Xiangming immediately stood up: "In that case, Miss Tang should stay in Xiaolan Valley. Nie Rong is not in good health and needs someone to take care of him."

(End of this chapter)