Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 429 Zhao Jindou's Encounters
"Maybe!"

Li Xiangming read it softly.

After returning from Puyin Mountain, he was basically certain about the monster uprising, so he immediately sent a message home to request support, and at the same time notified Qingyang Daoist to invite him to come to Monkey Valley to take charge.

In order to keep track of the movements of the Burning Sky Violent Ape, he also sent the Divine Wind Demon Hunting Team to the edge of Puyin Mountain to gather information, and arranged for the powerful Golden Eye Demon Hunting Team to provide support.

But after waiting for most of the day, the Blazing Sky Ape still did not appear.

Could it be that the Blackwater Serpent's innate divine power made the Burning Sky Violent Ape back down?
After thinking about it for a while, Li Xiangming felt it was unlikely.

Xiao Hei's cultivation level is only at the late stage of Spirit Awakening. If he were to use his own demonic power to strike the Burning Sky Violent Ape, it would probably be of little effect.

Only the torrents that swept across the mountains and plains might cause trouble for the Burning Sky Violent Ape.

But it's just a hassle!

The Blazing Sky Ape was not afraid of this. Li Xiangming still remembered this guy. He was extremely vengeful. Back then, he chased after Li Xiangru and Li Xianghua and almost caused the Li family to lose two heroes.

In short, Li Xiangming found it very strange that the Burning Sky Violent Ape hadn't chased after them.

Even if the Sky-Burning Ape didn't chase after him, he couldn't pretend nothing had happened.

His biggest worry now is that the great demon will unleash a beast tide.

It should be noted that Monkey Valley only has one illusion array, and under the sweeping tide of beasts, it has absolutely no chance of holding on.

The possibility of a beast tide breaking out is not only real, but very high.

However, he was unwilling to give up Monkey Valley and return to Angelica Mountain.

Of those demon-hunting cultivators and traveling merchants who were forced to leave, how many would be willing to wait until the beast tide was over before returning to Puyin Mountain?

Without these people, Monkey Valley would be an empty shell, and the Demon Hunting Guild and Puyin Mountain Hall that he had painstakingly established would collapse overnight.

This is the loss he cannot accept the most!
After much deliberation, Li Xiangming decided to wait and see.

He hasn't even seen a trace of the monster yet, and he's just running away. That's incredibly cowardly.

However, he couldn't just wait around.

The purpose of gathering the four demon-hunting teams—Crimson Flame, Mad Lion, Vicious Dog, and Mysterious Cat—is to have them deploy defenses and build fortifications around Puyin Mountain.

If a beast tide were to break out, the Divine Wind Demon Hunting Team, located on the edge of Puyin Mountain, would bring back intelligence immediately, while the Golden Eye Demon Hunting Team would cover their retreat.

As long as they can retreat to the new defensive line formed by the four demon-hunting teams, they can catch their breath and avoid being isolated and helpless.

This new line of defense will also give Li Xiangming some time to make subsequent decisions.

Li Xiangming couldn't recount all the details, but upon hearing about the disappearance of the great demon in the "forbidden zone" of Puyin Mountain and the Burning Sky Violent Ape's pursuit of the Azure Frost Demon Hunting Team, all four team leaders had their own guesses, and their expressions became unusually solemn.

Seeing this, Li Xiangming comforted him, saying, "The situation is unclear right now, and it's not good for us to go deep into Puyin Mountain to gather intelligence. But Pu County hasn't seen a beast tide for thirty years, so whether there really is one is still uncertain. You should take this matter seriously, but don't worry too much. In particular, be careful to keep it a secret and don't let the news of the beast tide get out, so as not to throw us into a panic."

"Yes!"

Chi Laiyong and the others nodded in agreement.

Li Xiangming scanned their faces one by one. Among these people, Li Jihu, needless to say, always listened to him; Chi Laiyong was his direct subordinate, and as long as the Chi family was under his protection, they would definitely obey him; even Long Yang had received his favors, and under the temptation of the Foundation Establishment Pill, he was completely obedient to him.

Xu Buxiu was the only one with whom he had little connection.

They're just using spirit stones to win people over!
Although he felt obligated to help others, the amount he received wasn't particularly generous, and he was still somewhat worried that Xu Buxiu's vicious dog-hunting team might fail him at a crucial moment.

But to his relief, Xu Buxiu's expression remained calm throughout.

Even upon hearing about the beast tide, he remained unmoved.

Li Xiangming was relieved and left the rest of the arrangements to Li Xiangfeng, while he himself went ahead and returned to Monkey Valley.
-
In Monkey Valley, the sun shines brightly and the spring breeze is gentle.

The streets were crowded with people, and in the middle was a flower path made of petals. The path stretched from Chunyi Tower to the valley entrance, exuding a sweet fragrance.

As the sound of gongs and drums rang out, a group of dancers in colorful costumes flitted among the flowers like butterflies, followed closely by a band. The sounds of gongs, drums, and string instruments intertwined, creating a delightful spectacle.

Behind the band was a magnificent float. The float was intricately carved with patterns, draped in red silk, and adorned with flowers and ribbons. A young woman of about sixteen, dressed in a gorgeous phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, adorned with a golden hairpin and surrounded by pearls and jade, wore light makeup. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn water, and her lips like a touch of vermilion—she was breathtakingly beautiful.

As she passed by, all the demon-hunting cultivators around her stared intently.

Many people shouted even louder.

"Miss Wan'er!"

"My Wan'er!!"

The monks' shouts were extraordinary.

Before long, the entire Monkey Valley was engulfed in a deafening frenzy of celebration.

"The top courtesan of Chunyi Pavilion is actually Xia Wan'er from Pushui Market?"

In the corner, a woman in a long red dress looked surprised.

Beside her were two other people, one a burly man and the other a one-eyed old man.

Upon hearing this, the burly man said with concern, "Master, the Li family's ability to poach Xia Wan'er shows their considerable wealth. Chunyi Tower will soon be able to establish itself, and our planned 'Xiang Manhuai' will have missed the opportunity."

The woman in the red dress glanced at him and said, "It's all because you guys aren't doing your job. If you knew the Li family had Chunyi Pavilion, why would I have bothered with anything?"

The burly man's face flushed slightly: "I never expected the Li family to suddenly close the valley and then suddenly establish so many businesses."

"Excuse."

The woman in the red dress still snorted in dissatisfaction.

The strong, muscular man quickly bowed his head and apologized, "It is my incompetence; I beg the master to punish me."

"Punishment?"

The woman in the red dress chuckled, her slender white fingers gently lifting the muscular man's chin as she slowly said, "Then I'll have to think about it carefully."

The burly man's face turned ashen, cold sweat beaded on his back, and he dared not utter a single word.

Just then, someone moved closer and stopped five steps away.

"So it's Chairman Feng!"

The woman in the red dress turned her head and smiled faintly.

The newcomer was dressed in palace attire, with a slightly heavy pink hue. She glanced at the muscular man with a strange look, then smiled and said, "I dare not accept such praise. I hope that Fairy Lingluo will take good care of Madam Feng in the future at the guild hall!"

"So, the Puyinshan Guild Hall agrees to my joining?"

The Fairy of Silk and Silk raised her eyebrows.

Madam Feng nodded: "That's right. In the past, you definitely wouldn't have had a chance, but now, the guild is in charge of Chairman Zhang. Chairman Zhang always listens to Hall Master Li, and Hall Master Li is very willing for powerful guilds like yours to develop in Monkey Valley."

The Fairy of Silk Robes looked at her strangely.

In Monkey Valley, the name of Master Li could be heard everywhere, demonstrating his immense prestige. Seeing her lost in thought, the burly man beside her quickly took out a gift box and presented it to Madam Feng: "Thank you very much for your help, Chairman Feng. This is just a small token of my appreciation."

Madam Feng accepted the gift box, her smile growing even brighter.

Suddenly, she thought of something and said in a low voice, "Our Puyin Mountain Association has two leaders. The first is Leader Zhao Jindou, and the second is the current leader, Zhang Zhi'ang. You can speak normally in front of Leader Zhang, but remember, do not have any contact with Zhao Jindou."

"Oh?"

Fairy Lingluo asked curiously, "Has Zhao Jindou become so disliked that even people and dogs hate him?"

Madam Feng was taken aback, not expecting Fairy Lingluo to use such words to describe Zhao Jindou. She smiled awkwardly and said, "Not really. This man has been missing for a long time. He suddenly appeared in the valley yesterday, and many small merchants who had received his favors went to greet him. But as the saying goes, he's a thing of the past! After all, he is already the former head of the association. We, the higher-ups of the association, need to avoid him so as not to offend Head Zhang."

"I see."

Lingluo Fairy nodded gently. After Madam Feng left, she immediately beckoned to the strong man beside her and said, "Lei Meng, go find Zhao Jindou right now and invite him to come see me."

Lei Meng was surprised: "Didn't Chairman Feng just say that we shouldn't have any contact with that Zhao Jindou?"

"What does she know?"

Fairy Lingluo disagreed: "Zhang Zhi'ang is currently in power and has the support of the Li family. How high can our status be if we enter the guild? On the other hand, Zhao Jindou has lost his position as the head of the guild, but his popularity remains undiminished. If he can get our support and regain the top position, it can bring ten times or a hundred times the return to the Lingluo Chamber of Commerce."

"Master's brilliant plan."

Lei Meng suddenly realized what was going on, cupped his hands in greeting, and hurriedly took his leave.

The one-eyed old man on the other side frowned and said, "Master, Monkey Valley is, after all, the Li family's territory. It would be unwise to fight them openly or covertly."

Fairy Lingluo smiled and replied, "Uncle Fan, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Even if things get really bad, you'll still be there to protect me as I leave the valley, won't you?"

Upon hearing this, the one-eyed old man closed his eyes and said nothing more.
-
Spring Breeze Tower is about 48 feet tall and has five floors. It is one of the few tall buildings in Monkey Valley.

The first floor is the largest and is where guests frequently visit.

The fifth floor is an attic.

Although it is an attic, Chunyi Tower is not used to store miscellaneous items like ordinary people do. Instead, it is decorated as a luxurious room with windows on all sides, offering a panoramic view of Monkey Valley, which has a unique elegance.

The rooftop is covered with glazed tiles, shimmering and colorful, reflecting the light and shadows and creating the illusion of more than a dozen graceful figures dancing, which is truly amazing.

What's even more wonderful is that the Wansui Glass can absorb sunlight and cold air. No matter how high the sun shines or how cold the wind blows outside, the temperature in the attic always remains a pleasant springtime.

By the window, Zhao Jindou silently watched the procession of the courtesan parade disappear into the distance, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Once upon a time, Monkey Valley was a desolate place, only the Sun brothers, who lingered near Qingyang Temple and caused trouble, regarded it as a temporary place to stay.

Since the Li family entered Puyin Mountain, Monkey Valley has undergone visible changes.

Although on the surface, Monkey Valley's industries and product range are relatively basic, its visitor traffic has already barely reached the level of a traditional market.

All the demon-hunting cultivators who remained in Puyin Mountain moved their camps to the vicinity of Monkey Valley.

Puyin Mountain is vast, and the areas near it are full of habitable hills and valleys. Over the years, some settlements have been formed by humans, but their scale and development potential are no match for Monkey Valley.

This is the impact of first-mover advantage.

In the next ten or even a hundred years, it is unlikely that there will be a market outside of Puyin Mountain that can surpass the size of Monkey Valley!

Turning his gaze away, Zhao Jindou turned to Li Xiangming, who was sitting alone in a corner, and flattered him, "The monkeys are dancing in peace and prosperity, all thanks to Hall Master Li!"

Li Xiangming seemed not to hear, and slowly raised his wine glass to drink.

"Master Li?"

Zhao Jindou stepped forward.

Li Xiangming glanced at him and replied indifferently, "If Chairman Zhao is unwilling to speak frankly, I have nothing to say."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jindou looked embarrassed. After hesitating for a long time, he finally knelt down on the ground in despair and pleaded, "I beg Hall Master Li to save my life!"

"It's just a leg injury. Although there are no doctors in the valley, it won't be a problem to get one or two pills from Guanyin Temple to heal external injuries and sell them to you. Chairman Zhao, there's no need to worry!"

Li Xiangming spoke in a calm tone, but he emphasized the word "sell" with particular force.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jindou felt even more bitter.

Several months ago, he accompanied a caravan to transport spirit herbs, and he didn't have many spirit stones on him to begin with.

After the spirit herb was stolen, he fled in panic and promised Gao Yuan many benefits, which led Gao Yuan to lead him into Puyin Mountain. Then he traversed through many mountains and forests, walking from the upper section of Puyin Mountain all the way to the middle section of Puyin Mountain.

Why take the treacherous path of Puyin Mountain?

Zhao Jindou had no choice.

He had long known that the mastermind behind the theft of the spiritual herbs was the Shengyi Sect.

But he held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that Shengyi Sect wouldn't waste too much energy on someone as insignificant as him.

Therefore, they wanted to use the power of the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Group to catch Shengyi Sect off guard, and first transport a batch of spirit herbs back to Zhenhun Sect to obtain spirit stones.

With this sum of spirit stones, he could make ends meet.

It doesn't matter if the remaining spiritual herbs are transported back slowly.

To ensure everything went smoothly, he even used a long sleeve dance and song to lure several fellow merchants who were escorting the spirit herbs ahead of him. Seeing that they were all safe and sound, the Golden Bucket Merchant Guild's caravan slowly set off.

However, he never expected that Shengyi Sect's target had always been him alone.

Even letting go of the small batches of spiritual herbs in the first two trips was a feint; it wasn't until the third large batch of spiritual herbs was brought back that Shengyi Sect seized the herbs with overwhelming force and launched a deadly pursuit against him.

Given this situation, his return to Monkey Valley from Dainan would be like a lamb entering a tiger's den.

"Are you saying that Shengyi Sect is deliberately targeting you?"

After listening to Zhao Jindou's account, Li Xiangming couldn't help but show surprise.

Zhao Jindou may have considerable influence in Daishan, but he is ultimately just a traveling merchant. If Shengyi Sect really feels threatened, they can simply send a Foundation Establishment cultivator to search for him for several months and assassinate him. Why bother with elaborate plans?

Zhao Jindou's face was somber: "The original intention of Shengyi Sect was indeed to crack down on the caravans that provided spiritual herbs and supplies to Zhenhun Sect. It's just that some people colluded with foreign enemies and focused their attention on me."

"To be honest, Master Li, there was an outer sect elder in the Soul Suppressing Sect named Xie Fang who once did me a favor. Therefore, I served him. During that time, I offended a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator named Bu Kang. Unexpectedly, several years later, Bu Kang successfully established his foundation and also became an outer sect elder of the Soul Suppressing Sect."

"But thanks to Elder Xie's protection, this man dared not retaliate against me, and I also avoided him, coming to Puyin Mountain to do business. Over the years, I have achieved some success and gave Bu Kang a generous gift. When Bu Kang saw me, he indeed no longer showed me the same disdain as before, so I thought that the conflict between us had been resolved. Little did I know that Bu Kang was a villain. He accepted the gift but still harbored resentment. He even disregarded the interests of the sect and colluded with Shengyi Sect to try to kill me."

"I dare not linger in Dainan, nor can I stay in Daibei. I even dare not reclaim the properties I purchased in the Zhenhun Sect. My spirit stones are also running low. I am truly a tiger fallen into the plains. This time, I risked my life to cross Puyin Mountain, just to return to Monkey Valley and beg Hall Master Li for help!"

After saying this, Zhao Jindou burst into tears, his voice filled with anguish.

Li Xiangming looked at the other person again and again, but he couldn't tell whether the other person was genuinely expressing their feelings or deliberately trying to gain his sympathy.

However, his sympathy was not so cheap.

Li Xiangming coughed a few times and continued to ask, "How did you know that Bu Kang was colluding with Shengyi Sect?"

(End of this chapter)