Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 430 alludes to Punan
Zhao Jindou wiped away his tears and sighed, "Bu Kang is one of the people in charge of Zhenhun Sect's procurement of spiritual herbs this time. This fellow claimed that Zhenhun Sect was short of manpower and that the handover of spiritual herbs would be time-consuming and laborious, so he demanded that we merchants inform Zhenhun Sect of our travel routes so that Zhenhun Sect could prepare in advance. We have been cooperating with Zhenhun Sect for many years and have no suspicions. Only I was worried that Bu Kang would make things difficult for me, so I sent him a gift in advance."

"However, I still played a trick and deviated from the planned route. Only Jiashi Pass was a place with a strategic location and no way to avoid it, and Shengyimen happened to be lying in ambush at Jiashi Pass."

At this point, Zhao Jindou gritted his teeth: "Although Jiashi Pass is a necessary route, its terrain is extremely complex and not suitable for an ambush. I barely managed to escape in the end. If Shengyi Sect had known my route, they would never have ambushed me here. But they did. There is only one possibility: Shengyi Sect learned of the route I reported to Zhenhun Sect, but they couldn't find me, so they had no choice but to send people to hide at Jiashi Pass and wait for me."

"There are at least a handful of merchant guilds that purchase spiritual herbs for the Soul Suppressing Sect, but only my Golden Bucket Merchant Guild has been targeted time and again. Needless to say, this is Bu Kang's doing."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming frowned.

To outsiders, the Zhenhun Sect and the Shengyi Sect are already indisputable mortal enemies.

But the disciples and even the elders below still colluded?

After thinking for a moment, Li Xiangming asked again, "What about your backer? Elder Xie, who is in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage?"

Zhao Jindou smiled bitterly: "Elder Xie perished at Yuquan Ridge, otherwise Bu Kang wouldn't have dared to attack me."

Li Xiangming said "Oh," and then asked, "So what are your plans for the future?"

"Please, Master Li, take me in!"

Zhao Jindou had a long face.

He has most of his wealth in Dai Mountain. If he doesn't return to Dai Mountain, with only three or five spirit stones on him, his life won't be any better than that of a rogue cultivator.

Moreover, without returning to Daishan, the Jindou Chamber of Commerce will be leaderless, and coupled with the great calamity it has suffered, it will soon disband on its own.

This is not the most serious!
If the chamber of commerce is gone, it can be rebuilt; if there aren't enough people, recruitment can be done.

But if he doesn't show up, his orders in Daishan will soon disappear.

On the surface, he still seems to know just as many people.

There is still a chance to turn things around.

But Dai Shan's clients, seeing him disappear, would never be foolish enough to wait; they would find new customers. Once these clients' orders have changed hands, getting them back to him would be ten times, a hundred times, more difficult!
If he loses these orders and the trust of his customers, all his hard work over the past ten years will be for naught.

This is what he fears most.

But he still dared not return to Daishan.

Even if they sneaked back, they dared not make a sound.

Mount Dai is no longer his final resting place.

He needs to find a new backer.

Seeing Zhao Jindou's appearance, Li Xiangming sighed deeply.

If Zhao Jindou had a background in the Zhenhun Sect, even if it was just a small family, even if that family only had two or three minor cultivators in the early or middle stages of Qi Refining, Bu Kang wouldn't have acted so decisively.

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but rather that he had some concerns.

But Zhao Jindou was ultimately just a traveling merchant.

Would the Soul Suppressing Sect really value a traveling merchant that much?
It's impossible even if you think about it.

It was only because of Elder Xie's influence that the higher-ups gave Zhao Jindou some opportunities.

When news of Elder Xie's death spreads, everything will change.

Before Bu Kang was a fragrant, unattended, and delicious cake.

It just so happens that Bu Kang knows that Shengyi Sect is cracking down on caravans that transport spiritual herbs for Zhenhun Sect, and he has the channels and authority to do so. Wouldn't it be a logical step for him to kill Zhao Jindou and seize his business?
Zhao Jindou was a clever man all his life, and Li Xiangming didn't believe he couldn't have thought of this.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the saying "I have no choice in the matter."

Zhao Jindou's entire legacy, built up over half a lifetime, is all in the Zhenhun Sect. How could he possibly give it all up, even abandoning his wife and children, just to escape Bu Kang?

Alas! Hesitation only leads to disaster. Zhao Jindou ultimately ended up losing both his money and his family.

After learning all this, Li Xiangming put down his wine glass and said slowly, "President Zhao, we are old acquaintances. I can't just sit idly by while you're in trouble. But you're too late. You must have heard about the reform of the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall. I'm in a difficult position now."

Li Xiangming was well aware of Zhao Jindou's demands.

The so-called "taking in" is not as simple as just providing a house.

Instead, they returned to the Puyinshan Guild Hall!
Some people may wonder, isn't Zhao Jintou the leader?
That happened several months ago.

After learning of Zhao Jindou's disappearance, the Puyinshan Guild Hall had no intention of letting him return. Within just a few days, they removed him from his position as guild leader and replaced him with Zhang Zhi'ang.

Of course, Li Xiangming also contributed a great deal in this process.

It wasn't that he was deliberately targeting Zhao Jindou, but rather that this guy had been secretly colluding with the Zhenhun Sect all along, so he naturally couldn't help but feel uneasy.

His long-held idea was to elevate Zhang Zhi'ang to the position of leader so that he could better control the association.

However, Zhao Jindou was indeed capable of winning over the people around him, and since the guild hall was still in the development stage, he thought it over again and again before temporarily giving up the idea.

Today, the Puyinshan Guild Hall has been completely renovated.

Everyone is seizing and consolidating their own interests in the process of reform.

Zhao Jindou's sudden appearance in Monkey Valley was bound to cause a stir.
Zhang Zhiang was the first to feel anxious.

Between the two leaders, who is the real boss of the association?
Li Xiangming didn't need to guess; he knew that Zhang Zhiang was jumping up and down in anger at that moment.

If Zhao Jindou is allowed to return to the Puyinshan Guild Hall as its head, Zhang Zhi'ang will surely break with him.

Would Zhang Zhi'ang be satisfied with just giving Zhao Jindou an ordinary seat?
And won't!
The newly appointed leader still felt threatened, while Zhao Jindou also felt unhappy, ultimately leaving Li Xiangming pleasing neither side.

Can he just do something like that so casually?
Seeing that Li Xiangming was trying to shirk responsibility, Zhao Jindou burst into tears: "Could it be that Heaven is going to kill me? I only wish to have a place to stay, so that I can have a hope of bringing my wife and children back in the future."

As he spoke, Zhao Jindou cried and wiped his nose, creating a very touching scene.

The dancers who were gracefully dancing in the room all looked bewildered. One or two of them lost their steps but dared not stop and had to force themselves to continue, which in turn disrupted the movements of the others.

Li Xiangming immediately waved his hand, and the dancers breathed a sigh of relief, repeatedly apologizing as they withdrew.

"President Zhao, why go to such lengths?"

Li Xiangming looked at Zhao Jindou, speechless.

His original intention was to give the other party a warning, but he didn't expect the guy to go to such lengths to play the victim.

However, having already put on such a show, Zhao Jindou no longer cared about saving face. At this moment, he clung to Li Xiangming's leg and pleaded with teary eyes, "Please have pity on me, Hall Master Li."

Li Xiangming pretended to hesitate for a long time before slowly saying, "I will sponsor you to rebuild the Jindou Chamber of Commerce and share your goods with you, allowing you to operate in the Punan area. Are you willing?"

"Punan?"

Zhao Jindou was stunned for a moment.

Li Xiangming poured him a glass of wine and analyzed, "I remember all the contributions you made to the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall. But Dai Mountain and the middle section of Puyin Mountain are not far apart. Your activities at the guild hall will easily attract the attention of both sects. You should know that some of them are stationed near Monkey Valley to recruit demon-hunting cultivators!"

“Punan is different, far beyond the sphere of influence of the two sects. More importantly, Punan also has Puyin Mountain, and a group of demon-hunting cultivators. In our original plan, the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall should have included these people. It’s just that the guild hall’s capacity is limited now and it can’t take care of Punan. I hope that your Golden Bucket Chamber of Commerce can shoulder this important task and open a branch of the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall in Punan.”

"A branch of the Puyinshan Guild Hall?"

Zhao Jindou swallowed hard.

Deep down, he knew that Li Xiangming would never let him regain the position of leader.

Because Zhang Zhi'ang was the mouthpiece for the Li family, while he wasn't!

Suppose he could establish a Puyin Mountain Guild Hall in Punan, or even build a Monkey Valley, wouldn't that be ten or a hundred times better than condescending to serve under Zhang Zhi'ang?
But achieving this is not easy; he knows nothing about Punan.
"Don't worry, if you need anything, just come to me."

Li Xiangming patted Zhao Jindou on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Even if things don't go well at first, you still have Monkey Valley to rely on, don't you? With me here, no one will dare to touch you in Monkey Valley, not even if Bu Kang comes in person!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jindou was deeply moved. He grabbed Li Xiangming's arm and said earnestly, "Hall Master Li! I knew it... With Hall Master Li's words, I, Zhao, can rest assured."

"Zhao is willing to go to Punan."

"Smart move."

Li Xiangming smiled and personally saw Zhao Jindou off.

By luring Zhao Jindou to Punan, he could not only avoid the internal strife at the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall, but also make it a hidden move against the Qin family.

The Qin family and the Li family are enemies, yet they live in the south, far from Danggui Mountain.

To this day, the Li family still cannot grasp the true strength of the Qin family.

We can only make inferences based on their performance on the Nanbin battlefield and intelligence from the Geng family.

In contrast, the Qin family has already gained a certain intelligence advantage over the Li family by bribing and inducing their retainers to rebel.

The Li family was naturally anxious about this.

Li Qianxiong established the Embroidered Uniform Guard precisely to break this situation. However, establishing an intelligence agency requires enormous funds and manpower, as well as ample time to build an intelligence network. The Embroidered Uniform Guard's reach cannot extend to Red Stone Valley in the short term.

Since that's the case, why not let Zhao Jindou give it a try?

Zhao Jindou was a traveling merchant with a legitimate identity, so even if he entered Red Stone Valley, no one would suspect him.

Even if we take a step back and assume he is suspected...

But you should know that this guy's roots are in the Soul Suppressing Sect, not in the Li family of Dangui Mountain.

Therefore, for Li Xiangming, sending Zhao Jindou to Punan was the best option.

Zhao Jindou is capable, and with support, he has a high probability of rising to prominence in Punan.

At that time, under the cover of the Golden Bucket Chamber of Commerce, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will be able to quickly establish an intelligence network to monitor every move of Redstone Valley.

As for whether Zhao Jindou will honestly serve the Li family?
Li Xiangming was not worried about this.

Bu Kang must be deeply concerned about Zhao Jindou's disappearance, and if given the opportunity, it wouldn't be unreasonable for him to personally eliminate this scourge.

With this sword hanging over their heads, they weren't afraid that Zhao Jindou would disobey them.

He just mentioned Bu Kang, and that wasn't just a promise.

As I was deep in thought, footsteps suddenly sounded from behind the screen.

Li Xiangming looked over and saw a young man in a white shirt with a solemn expression walking over.

"What happened?"

Li Xiangming asked softly.

Jiang Liang frowned: "Are you aware that the Lingluo Merchant Guild has appeared in Monkey Valley?"

Li Xiangming nodded: "I know, it was I who approved their joining the Puyinshan Guild Hall."

"why?"

Jiang Liang asked, puzzled, "They want to acquire the Spirit Serpent Merchant Guild! Who knows what they're up to by coming to Monkey Valley this time?"

"It's simply because they saw the potential of Monkey Valley."

Li Xiangming said dismissively, "In Pushui Market, I might give them some leeway, but in Monkey Valley, what makes the Lingluo Merchant Guild think they can compete with us? You don't need to worry about that. Just focus on doing a good job with the spirit herb business at Shengyi Gate."

Jiang Liang remained silent for a long time. In his view, the Spirit Serpent Merchant Guild had already made Monkey Valley an important business base, while the Lingluo Merchant Guild and the Spirit Serpent Merchant Guild were competitors and had grudges against each other.

Li Xiangming should never have allowed the Lingluo Chamber of Commerce to grow and expand in Monkey Valley.

But Li Xiangming is not only the major owner of the Ling Snake Merchant Guild, but also the master of Monkey Valley.

Monkey Valley needs spirit stones, industries, and commodities!
The powerful Lingluo Merchant Guild will undoubtedly bring new prosperity to Monkey Valley.

The two of them are now considering things from different perspectives.

Unable to influence Li Xiangming's decision, Jiang Liang nodded and said, "Information from Daishan says that our caravan was attacked by a large group of demonic beasts and suffered considerable losses."

"Daishan?"

Li Xiangming's expression changed slightly.

Since the two factions began to clash frequently, the demonic beasts of Dai Mountain have rarely appeared, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire.

Back when he borrowed the road through Daishan to go to Qingshui County to fetch his bride, he encountered very few demonic beasts, but he saw many robbers of cultivators. So why would there be a large-scale attack by demonic beasts on the passing caravan this time?
Recalling the unusual activity at Puyin Mountain, Li Xiangming frowned.

He seemed to have a hunch.
-
Daishan, Yuanmen Town.

The towering city walls, stained with blood, exuded a strong stench of blood under the scorching sun.

On the wall, countless monstrous beasts, like ants swarming, surged toward the city wall.

Their sharp claws left deep scratches on the city wall, as if trying to tear the sturdy wall apart. Their low roars were deafening and chilling.

"Quick! Go this way!"

On the city wall, people were waving flags and shouting.

Several burly men dressed as farmers rushed nervously to the crenellations of the city wall and dragged the corpse down. Meanwhile, armored soldiers waiting on the side quickly took their place, thrusting out their spears, and a ferocious mountain ape fell down with a thud.

Just then, a dark shadow suddenly leaped up from the nearby battlement; it was another mountain ape.

"Danger!"

Someone shouted anxiously.

The armored soldiers couldn't react in time and were fiercely pounced on by the mountain apes and knocked to the ground.

Soon, the mountain ape raised its powerful arms and tore the soldier in two. Its scarlet eyes glared around, and the soldiers who were still holding the nearby battlements were all terrified and retreated.

Meanwhile, the able-bodied men in plain clothes who served as the reserve force crawled on their knees, some of them so weak in the legs that they could no longer run that they lay on the ground, emitting continuous wails.

"Help!"

"The city has fallen! Run!!"

The commotion here instantly triggered a chain reaction.

The other able-bodied men who were still carrying stones to throw down from the city walls saw this scene and immediately shrank back and squeezed into the narrow staircase.

Even the archers in the inner wall arrow towers slowed down their shooting speed.

Seeing the situation on the verge of collapse, roars echoed from the city wall: "Fuck you, kill them all, kill them all! Soldiers, go up there first!"

The soldiers were still in a panic, and no one dared to approach the nine-foot-tall monster.

"Beast looking for death!"

Suddenly, a sharp shout rang out, followed by the glittering golden Buddhist beads.

The nine-foot-tall ape bled from all seven orifices in an instant, clearly indicating it was no longer alive.

"It's a Celestial Master!"

The soldiers cheered, but more monster heads emerged from the city walls.

"Everyone, I'm here to lend you a hand, don't be afraid!"

A monk in a yellow robe put his hands together in prayer and spoke in a loud voice.

Behind him were seven or eight imposing men.

"Follow me, everyone!"

With the immortal master present, the soldiers became noticeably braver, constantly thrusting their spears forward.

The attack resumed on the arrow towers.

Before long, a pile of monster corpses lay at the city gate.

"Master Liaoshen, there's more to come!"

Commands continued to be issued from the city tower.

Master Liaoshen dared not be negligent. He hurried along the city gate, dealing with most of the monsters that jumped onto the city wall.

However, the monsters' attacks were exceptionally fierce, wave after wave, without stopping.

The soldiers guarding the city were exhausted, and Master Liaoshen's prayer beads shone brightly. Each wave of the beads took the life of a monster, but new monsters kept coming, as if there was no end in sight.

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of the retreat signal finally came from the city tower.

"The monsters have retreated!"

"We held it!"

The surviving soldiers began to cheer, but many more collapsed silently to the ground.

Master Liaoshen moved to the top of the wall and looked down. Sure enough, the monsters retreated like a tide.

He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief; all that back and forth had almost exhausted him.

"Thank you for your hard work, Master!"

Xu Jin jumped down from the city wall and sincerely bowed in gratitude, saying, "If it weren't for your help today, Master, the hundreds of thousands of people in Yuanmen Town would probably be doomed."

Master Liaoshen waved his hand: "It's all for the people, this is what I should do."

(End of this chapter)