Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 390 Accident
Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming was speechless.

Hua Lun, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, was surprisingly interested in making money, traveling all the way to Pudong just to monitor Jiang Liang and the Spirit Serpent Merchant Guild's fulfillment of their contract.

From this perspective, Jiang Liang is far from gaining his trust.

But this is not surprising, as Jiang Liang's public identity is that of a businessman.

How many people would wholeheartedly trust a businessman, especially one of unknown origin?

What is the value of these orders?

Li Xiangming asked softly.

Jiang Liang listed them off as if they were his own treasures: "Let's not talk about the six orders that our chamber of commerce has already completed with Hua Lun. There are three orders that haven't been completed yet. One is worth 200 spirit stones, one is worth around 500 spirit stones, and the other is worth nearly 800 spirit stones! Contracts have been signed for all of them. Hua Lun is collecting spirit herbs, and I told him that I also need to collect spirit stones."

"Three orders totaling 1,500 spirit stones?"

Even Li Xiangming was startled and couldn't help but question him.

Jiang Liang retorted, "Where do you think the Thousand-Jun Grass came from? Without these orders, Hua Lun would never have taken me to Suyun Ridge!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming rubbed his temples.

I spent 3500 spirit stones in the past two months.

Anyone who hears this will be shocked, right?
It's no wonder that Hua Lun came personally; if it were him, he would also be careful to protect Jiang Liang, this cash cow.

"Does Hua Lun have so many spiritual herbs?"

Li Xiangming had to question this.

A spirit herb worth 3500 spirit stones is already an astronomical figure.

Jiang Liang explained, "It's definitely not just him. Judging from the scale of his transactions with Baicaofang, he couldn't possibly raise so many spiritual herbs in such a short time. I suspect he'll go to the other elders of Bailu Sect."

Li Xiangming understood.

According to Jiang Liang, Hua Lun alone protected more than a dozen affiliated forces. In addition to offering him spiritual herbs every year, these small forces were also responsible for planting the spiritual plants he ordered.

That's why Hua Lun had the confidence to cooperate with the Li family to open Bai Cao Fang.

But Bai Lu Men was not the only one who did this.

After all, Puxian was a wild and undeveloped place, and everyone had just moved there and was unfamiliar with the area.

How can we possibly be well-fed if we all rely on the Bailu Gate for our livelihood?
In order to gain greater benefits, the powerful figures of Bailumen had already made their plans when they first established themselves in Puxian County.

On one hand, they used the power of the White Dew Sect to oppress the surrounding smaller forces, and on the other hand, they subdued these smaller forces in their private capacity, and finally coerced and lured these smaller forces to work for the White Dew Sect.

In this way, Bailumen integrated the power of Pubei and consolidated its position.

Meanwhile, powerful figures like Hua Lun also made a fortune.

The only ones who are unhappy are the small, exploited groups.

However, in the cultivation world where strength reigns supreme, what can they do?

Hearing this, Li Xiangming sighed slightly, "It seems that the Bailu Sect is far more domineering than our Li family."

Allowing elders within the sect to secretly cultivate their own followers is not a good choice in itself.

Not to mention that, on this basis, Bailumen allowed Hua Lun and others to coerce and exploit these vassal forces.

Perhaps this led to the formation of a sound system for distributing benefits within the Bailu Sect, satisfying all elders and disciples.

However, as time goes on, Bailumen in Pubei will inevitably lose the support of the people.

The human heart is a truly wondrous thing. It can make people grovel before fists, and it can also make them rise up in resistance against swords.

From Li Xiangming's perspective, Bailumen's actions were definitely lacking.

However, Bailu Sect also has its own special situation. Unlike the Li family, which is proactive, Bailu Sect members, from Xuanling Zhenren to inner sect elders like Hua Lun, down to ordinary disciples, are unwilling to relocate to Pu County.

However, due to pressure from Hengyue Sect, they chose to compromise. In order to appease the discontent within the sect, Bailu Sect eventually evolved into what it is today.

Li Xiangming wasn't interested in the White Dew Sect's system. After learning a little about Hua Lun's situation, he said, "I'll figure out a way to deal with the spirit stones. By the way, did you receive the letter I sent?"

Jiang Liang nodded and said, "Don't worry, we're buying everything according to your instructions. Twenty percent of it is specifically for refining Huangya Dan, fifty percent is various herbs needed for common healing pills on the market, and the remaining thirty percent is a mix of all sorts of things, but the quality is not a problem. I personally follow up on every single deal."

"That's good!"

Li Xiangming breathed a sigh of relief.

If the purchased spiritual herbs cannot be sold in a short period of time, thus tying up 3500 spirit stones of working capital, he would feel like vomiting blood.

But the cultivators of Daishan and Meiling were working desperately, and there was a great market for healing herbs.

If it could be refined into a healing elixir, that would be even more profitable!

The large orders that Jiang Liang secured may not necessarily be a bad thing.

Let's see what happens next!
If handled correctly, the Serpent Merchant Guild could actually make a fortune.

After pondering for a moment, Li Xiangming put those thoughts aside for the time being and continued to ask, "What is the situation at Suyun Ridge? How did Hua Lun's vassals obtain the Thousand-Jun Grass?"

Jiang Liang replied, "There is a force called Shenfeng Valley in Suyun Ridge. It is said that it was also moved from Hao County. The valley master, Mao Zhengshou, has an ordinary cultivation level, only at the seventh level of Qi Refining. Therefore, he submitted to Hua Lun early on and planted spiritual herbs for him."

"Since cooperating with Baicaofang, Hua Lun has tasted the sweetness of success and has repeatedly ordered Shenfeng Valley to increase its production of spiritual herbs. However, most of Shenfeng Valley's annual income goes to Hua Lun, and there is not enough left for them to share. Where would they find the surplus to develop new spiritual fields? In order to deal with Hua Lun, Mao Zhengshou suddenly had a brilliant idea and decided to open up Shenfeng Valley and recruit more disciples."

"Accepting many disciples?"

Li Xiangming frowned and said, "I remember that spiritual root seeds are scarce in Pu County. The situation in Pubei might be better, but they still can't take in many disciples, right?"

Jiang Liang nodded: "You're right. Shenfeng Valley knows this too. They don't recruit disciples properly at all. In the end, those who join are all ordinary people."

"mortal?"

This time, Li Xiangming was genuinely surprised.

Jiang Liang's expression turned somewhat unpleasant: "Mao Zhengshou has no bottom line at all. He forged spiritual root qualifications, then used cultivation techniques to deceive these mortals, making them believe that they had a chance to enter the Dao. In the end, he sent these people to the depths of Suyun Ridge to search for spiritual herbs all over the mountains."

"Although Suyun Ridge is far less dangerous than Puyin Mountain, any demon beast or even wild beast is not something that ordinary people can easily deal with. Every time these ordinary people enter the mountain, more than half of them are lost."

"Even if they are lucky enough to survive, they will have to go into the mountains a second or third time. In short, almost no one can live indefinitely, so no one will discover the truth that they cannot enter the Dao. Shenfeng Valley relies on deception and concealment to continuously gather up the mortals in the vicinity, and they will not let go of even old men in their seventies or eighties."

"It did have an effect. Shenfeng Valley, relying on their sheer numbers, harvested a large quantity of spiritual herbs. Now you understand the origin of the Thousand-Jun Grass, right? Those mortals, after receiving the booklet from Shenfeng Valley, followed the clues. But they always have moments of mistaken identity, and the Thousand-Jun Grass was one of those they mistakenly picked. However, Shenfeng Valley couldn't recognize it either, only knowing that this thing possessed spiritual power, so they treated it as an ordinary spiritual herb and handed it over to Hua Lun."

Li Xiangming was stunned.

He never expected that the origin of the Thousand-Pound Grass would be so ordinary.

It was found by chance deep in the mountains.

Perhaps even those mortals who have found the Thousand-Pound Grass will not be able to find it a second time?
But soon, Li Xiangming felt a surge of excitement.

Shenfeng Valley gave Hua Lun two Thousand-Jun Grasses before and after, and now they have found another one that Jiang Liang has taken.

This is enough to prove that Suyun Ridge is the origin of Qianjun Grass. Like other spiritual herbs and medicines, Qianjun Grass also varies in age. Since mature Qianjun Grass can be found in Shenfeng Valley, there must also be immature Qianjun Grass. All of these together, there must be more than just three or five plants.

There are still many more Thousand-Jun Grasses waiting for him in Suyunling!
No, if Suyun Ridge can support the Thousand Jun Grass, why can't Danggui Mountain?

Li Xiangming's breathing gradually became rapid.

He glanced at Jiang Liang, but said nothing.

Jiang Liang still doesn't know the effects of the Thousand-Jun Grass. This isn't because Li Xiangming doesn't trust him, but because the matter is extremely important. If it were to be leaked, not only Jiang Liang, but the entire Li family wouldn't be able to bear the consequences.

As for transplanting the Thousand-Jun Grass, he had to do it himself.

Li Xiangming slowly exhaled, closed the jade box, put it into his storage bag, and changed the subject, saying, "Brother Jiang, after the cooperation with Hua Lun ends, I will send you more manpower. You must transport all the spirit herbs stored in Pushui Market back to Danggui Mountain as soon as possible. After that, I will send you to Daishan and Shengyi Sect to negotiate. Now we have business opportunities, goods, and connections. Whether we can earn spirit stones and how much we can earn depends on you."

"I see."
-
Li Xiangming actually had a lot more to say to Jiang Liang. He was extremely anxious about the news of the Thousand Jun Grass and wished he could rush to Suyun Ridge immediately.

But in the end, he suppressed all his thoughts and left Fengming Tower accompanied by Cao Yanjun.

It was midday, and the sun was blazing. Li Xiangming looked up slightly, feeling as if he had been transported to another world.

He spent ten lonely years in Green Cloud Cave, gazing at the sun countless times, fantasizing that he could attain enlightenment and ascend to become one of the legendary immortals.

Although the dream was too far away, at least he had taken a crucial step.

"Resonance?"

Cao Yanjun called out softly.

Li Xiangming snapped out of his daze, smiled at her, and then, under the watchful eyes of two rows of solemn-looking disciples of the Guardian Hall, stepped onto the high platform that the Li family had built for him.

Below the high platform, cultivators were everywhere.

Li Xiangming glanced at them and realized there were no fewer than a thousand people!
Among them were representatives of various forces in Pudong, as well as members of the Li family and non-Li family cultivators who had entered the Service Institute to serve the Li family.

Of course, most of them were independent cultivators who had no connection with the Li family but came because of its reputation.

"I'm sure you all already know my name, so I won't introduce it again. This time, I'm fortunate enough to achieve Foundation Establishment, thanks to the cultivation of my family, the support of my fellow cultivators, and my own profound good fortune. It's really not something I can tell outsiders! However, the cultivation world has a long tradition of holding Foundation Establishment ceremonies, and my elders in the family strongly urged me to do so, which I dared not disobey. I am deeply grateful for your kindness and for coming from afar despite the hardships, which adds to the glory of this ceremony and makes Dangui Mountain feel honored. I would like to express my gratitude to you all here and wish to celebrate this grand event with you all!"

Li Xiangming, dressed in a plain robe, exuded an air of grandeur, and his clear, resonant voice instantly attracted everyone's attention.

"It's the Li family's newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivator!"

"very young!"

"He seems easy to talk to."

"Whether it's physical appearance or not, sigh, comparing people is just infuriating!"

The scene was somewhat chaotic, with countless eyes sweeping back and forth over Li Xiangming. Li Xiangming remained unfazed and began introducing the Li family of Danggui Mountain, while also giving Changyang Valley a shout-out.

Finally, a member of the Li family brought up an exquisite incense burner. Li Xiangming took three slender sticks of finely refined incense from the burner, placed them on the burner, lit one, and said with a faint smile, "Without further ado, over the next three days, I will share my insights and experiences in Foundation Establishment and some reflections on cultivation on this stage. If any fellow Daoists are interested, please stop and listen. If you feel that what I say is inappropriate, you may directly raise your objections, or come up on stage to discuss with me. To be able to sit and discuss the Dao with you all is truly a great pleasure in life. Everyone, please!"

"it is good!"

"Fellow Daoist Li, please go first!"

The audience instantly became lively, with many faces showing excitement.

They came all the way to Changyang Valley, not to curry favor with the Li family.

According to the conventions of the cultivation world, a grand ceremony is held for every cultivator who breaks through to a higher realm.

This is not only to celebrate taking another step forward on the arduous journey, but also to seek opportunities to communicate with like-minded people.

After all, you can't create something amazing by working in isolation.

Only through communication and intellectual exchange with others can one spark new inspiration and perhaps even reach the legendary state of enlightenment, thus paving a smooth path on one's own path.

Of course, the Foundation Establishment cultivators on the stage would only communicate with other Foundation Establishment cultivators, and would never invite Qi Refining cultivators, to avoid the comical situation of talking at cross purposes.

Nevertheless, most low-level cultivators still yearn to participate in such a ceremony.

The reason is simple: the paths taken by our predecessors are almost all recorded in books.

But the words in the book are cold and lifeless; where is the vividness of real people?
Witnessing the true appearance of a Foundation Establishment cultivator and hearing them preach is something every Qi Refining cultivator dreams of.

In reality, no one will shout that we are destined to meet and then impart all their knowledge.

Even within a master's school, there's always a hidden skill when teaching disciples.

Let alone outsiders?
Only in special settings like the Foundation Establishment Ceremony can ordinary cultivators, especially independent cultivators, have the opportunity to glimpse the direction of their future amidst the eloquent discussions of numerous Foundation Establishment cultivators.

At least in this step, Foundation Establishment cultivators will not hold back.

How much the audience can benefit depends entirely on their understanding.

Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, Li Xiangming stopped delaying and got straight to the point.

Nearly a thousand cultivators immediately fell silent, and the entire venue was immersed in a tranquility, with only Li Xiangming's deep and powerful voice echoing.

After an unknown amount of time, a commotion suddenly broke out in the audience. A middle-aged cultivator with a yellow turban on his head struggled to squeeze in, shouting, "The Li family is not to be trusted! They are not to be trusted!"

"what's the situation?"

"Is this man crazy?"

"Stay away from him, don't get caught in the crossfire!"

In an instant, everyone scattered, allowing the middle-aged cultivator who had suddenly appeared to push his way to the front. He ripped off the blood-stained yellow cloth from his forehead and shook it repeatedly, saying, "The Li family exploits the spirit farmers and oppresses us demon-hunting cultivators. What good are the disciples of such a mean and unscrupulous family, even if they reach the Foundation Establishment stage? You all owe them a debt of gratitude, and in the blink of an eye, you'll be forced to serve the Li family like slaves!"

"Exploitation of the Grenfell?"

"Oppressing demon-hunting cultivators?"

People around them were talking about it.

The murmurs grew louder and louder, and soon reached the front of Fengming Tower.

Li Qianxiong, who had been watching the ceremony, immediately lost his composure. He glared at Li Xianghua beside him and said, "Is this the job of your Shouyu Hall?"

To ensure the smooth running of today's Foundation Establishment Ceremony, the Li family spared no effort in dispatching the entire Guardian Hall to Changyang Valley to work alongside Li Qianshi's Service Bureau in security.

But things still went wrong.

He was naturally very dissatisfied with this.

Li Xianghua's expression was also very unpleasant. He actually had his own difficulties. The number of disciples in the Guardian Hall was limited, and they could barely manage to protect some important figures and facilities. But if they really had to screen thousands of guests and understand their intentions, let alone the Guardian Hall, even if they mobilized all the Li family members, it wouldn't be enough.

However, Li Qianxiong didn't care about any of that and launched into a tirade of abuse.

Li Xianghua gritted his teeth and walked towards the Yellow Turban cultivators who were causing trouble, but before he could take two steps, Li Qianxiong stopped him again: "Things have come to this point, even if you kill them, what then? Outsiders will just say that our Li family is trying to cover up the truth."

(End of this chapter)