Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 443 Seeking Rescue from Flying Fox Cave

"Yu Liu?"

At the Maojing Mine, Li Xiangming stood to one side, quietly listening to Li Xiangting's report.

“That’s right, Yu Feixuan has arrived at the mine, and Ji Hu is receiving him.”

Li Xiangting said in a low voice, his tone tinged with caution, "Yu Feixuan claims to have brought his master's orders and requests to see you."

"My elder brother is still alive, why do you need to see me?"

Li Xiangming asked a question in return, but did not delve into it further.

Although Lee Sang-in served as the head of the police department, like Lee Sang-yu, he rarely participated in family decision-making.

After Li Qianxiao was seriously injured, among the four Foundation Establishment cultivators at Maojing Mine, only the youngest among them could truly be considered the backbone.

Even if Yu Liu finds Li Xiangren, Li Xiangren will eventually have to discuss it with him.

"Let him come."

Li Xiangming rubbed his temples.

"Yes!"

Li Xiangting bowed and took his leave.

The Maojing Mine was bustling with activity, with dozens of cultivators coming and going, carrying sand, gravel, and giant logs. The scene was busy and noisy.

After the Great Burning Sky Ape perished, the beast tide quickly receded.

However, the crisis at the Maojing mine was not over.

Just one day later, another large group of monsters attacked.

Fortunately, these demonic beasts were not led by any demonic cultivators at the Bone Fusion stage, so they were powerless against the Five Elements Locking Gold Formation.

The problem is, if not today, what about tomorrow?

No one could guarantee that a large-scale beast tide would not sweep through Maojing Mine again, so Li Xiangming ordered the fortifications of the mine to be strengthened, turning the ground beneath his feet into a complex defensive position.

At the same time, he ordered people to dig underground tunnels to leave room for retreat in case the mine was lost.

These measures all require a large amount of manpower and resources.

If it were handed over to ordinary people, it would take three to five years before they could even see a trace of completion.

Only the Maojing Mine has a little over a hundred cultivators who possess great power, enabling them to complete these arduous tasks in a short period of time.

"Master Li!"

Suddenly, Master Liaoshen walked over in a hurry.

Behind him, Xu Jin followed closely, looking slightly nervous.

"Have all the monster materials been collected?"

Li Xiangming inquired.

The monsters' attack on Maojing Mine failed, leaving behind piles of corpses.

Ordinary cultivators might find its stench repulsive and avoid it at all costs, but demon hunters revel in it.

Simply put, demon hunters have the ability to determine which demon beast corpses are valuable, and they also have ways to sell those valuable items, such as to the Puyin Mountain Trading House.

To thank his demon-hunting team for following him to Mount Dai, Li Xiangming promised immediately after the battle that all the materials from the captured demon beasts would be distributed fairly to each demon-hunting cultivator according to their merits.

The person in charge of this work was none other than Master Liaoshen.

"It took two whole days and two nights to clean it up."

Master Liaoshen replied, his expression strangely unusual, “Some people are not very clean. Although I have the responsibility to supervise them, I cannot eradicate this situation. I hope Master Li will forgive me.”

"It doesn't matter."

Li Xiangming waved his hand, his tone indifferent.

On the very first day, he divided the demon-hunting cultivators into two groups: one group followed Master Shen to clean up the battlefield, while the other group built fortifications under Xu Buxiu's leadership.

The two groups of people took turns on the second day.

In this way, everyone got the chance to clean up the battlefield.

Master Liaoshen accused the demon hunter of dishonest practices, unaware that this was precisely the result of the demon hunter's deliberate actions.

Why do this?
For Li Xiangming, these monster materials were originally intended as rewards for his subordinates.

Even if the demon hunters took some without permission, it wouldn't harm the Li family's interests. Instead, it would give people the idea that "following Master Li will bring great benefits."

The only thing he needed to take seriously was making good use of the remaining monster materials to cultivate some loyal followers.

Seeing that Li Xiangming didn't care, Master Liaoshen's eyes revealed an expression of appreciation.

Of course, laws and regulations are important!

The Li family said they would clean up the battlefield and distribute the rewards uniformly. Even if they caught a few exemplary individuals who had embezzled funds, they would not leave any grounds for criticism.

However, in order to win people's hearts, the Li family said that they would not take a single penny.

Based on this statement, the Li family's meticulous attention to the materials from demonic beasts inevitably drew criticism.

It's important to understand that the demon-hunting cultivators here aren't the obedient elites trained by the Li family; on the contrary, most of them come from impoverished backgrounds. Only by feigning ignorance can one quickly win their favor and trust.

Even if some upright individuals dislike this behavior, they will only despise those who break the rules, and will never feel resentment towards Li Xiangming, who is in the highest position.

Li Xiangming was unaware of Master Shen's thoughts. Upon seeing him approach, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "Master, do you think the Maojing Mine can still be defended?"

"this."

Master Liaoshen seemed to have some reservations and did not reply immediately.

Li Xiangming then turned to Xu Jin and asked, "What do you think?"

Xu Jin was completely astonished, never expecting that Master Li would question a nobody like him.

His face flushed red instantly, and he became visibly embarrassed, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

Li Xiangming didn't care and lowered his head to ponder silently.

"A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall."

At this moment, Master Liaoshen's voice slowly broke the silence.

Li Xiangming sighed slightly; of course, he didn't want to take any risks.

If he were barefoot, he would have already hidden away in the deep mountains and forests, studying the spiritual spring for enlightenment.

But he is a man with a family fortune, just as he cannot give up Monkey Valley, he now seems to be stuck to Maojing Mine as well.

Before hesitating, Li Xiangting had already returned.

Yu Feixuan followed closely behind, no longer caring about etiquette, and rushed forward to tightly grasp Li Xiangming's hand, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Nephew, it's so... wonderful to see you here!"

Li Xiangming glanced at Yu Feixuan.

Last time at Puyin Mountain, Yu Feixuan had acted as a go-between for him and the Shengyi Sect, his face beaming with joy, but now he looked much more haggard. He couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Yu, could it be that Flying Fox Cave has also been attacked by a beast tide?" Yu Feixuan shook his head repeatedly, then said sorrowfully, "Flying Fox Cave is safe for now, but Master and the cave's elites have all been lured to Lingyue Peak by the Shengyi Sect. Now the demonic beasts are launching a major attack on Lingyue Peak, and our Flying Fox Cave is about to face annihilation!"

Li Xiangming hurriedly asked, "Uncle Yu, do you know the details of the demonic beasts attacking Lingyue Peak?"

Yu Feixuan hesitated slightly, then took out a jade slip from his pocket and handed it to Li Xiangming: "This is information that Master transmitted to Flying Fox Cave using a secret method. Nephew, you can take a look."

Secret method?

Li Xiangming raised his eyebrows.

In the cultivation world, there are many ways to transmit information, such as the most common transmission talismans, flying cranes, and jade slips, etc. Even the magic artifact that Li Xiangming carries with him, the Fish-Dragon Wall Shadow, has a similar function.

But each of these methods has its limitations.

Needless to say, even if the message is recorded in advance, it can only be transmitted when another talisman enters the range; Flying Crane Messenger has a wider range of applications, but it is slow and too conspicuous, with extremely poor confidentiality; As for the sensing jade slip, it can only transmit a vague location.

Advanced magical artifacts like the Fish-Dragon Wall Shadow are indeed more accurate in sensing the location and state of one's Daoist partner, but that's all. Trying to send back a sweet message expressing one's heart is nothing short of a pipe dream.

In general, the cultivation world is highly developed in short-range communication, with inexpensive transmission talismans sufficient for most scenarios. However, these methods fall short when it comes to long-distance information transmission.

The Li family's loss of contact with the Maojing Mine is a typical example.

Therefore, Li Xiangming didn't really believe in Yu Liu's so-called secret method.

Even the Li family, which has the Golden Core inheritance, does not have such methods. Why does Flying Fox Cave have them?

However, he naturally wouldn't expose Yu Feixuan to his face, but he kept it to himself.

The contents of the jade slip are quite complex, mainly divided into three parts.

Before Li Xiangming had even finished reading the first part, his heart was already in turmoil.

The beast tide besieging Lingyue Peak consisted of a total of thirty-seven Bone Fusion Demon Cultivators.

It should be noted that Lingyue Peak was just one target of the monster attack. Yuanmen Town, Maojing Mine, and a large number of cultivation sects and families were also swept away by this beast tide.

These places also diverted some of the Bone-Melting Demon Cultivators.

Could it be that the recent monster riot at Puyin Mountain involved more than fifty Bone Fusion Demon Cultivators?
This number would be a huge headache, not to mention Daishan, even Bailumen would be overwhelmed.

It's no wonder that Shengyi Sect abandoned Yuanmen Town and a large amount of core territory.

The jade slip also mentioned the losses suffered by Flying Fox Cave: more than seven experts in the mid-to-late stages of Qi Refining perished under the iron hooves of demonic beasts, and more than twenty others were seriously injured.

However, the jade slip did not mention the casualties of Shengyimen, only using vague words such as "heavy losses" and "difficult to hold out any longer".

The second part is Master Duyin's instructions to Feihu Cave and Yu Feixuan. The words convey a heavy tone, as if he were making his final arrangements, which made Li Xiangming feel uneasy.

The final part is about Feihu Cave being entrusted by Shengyi Sect to seek help from the Li family of Dangui Mountain.

Originally, Yu Feixuan was heading straight for Danggui Mountain, but on the way he suddenly discovered that a large number of demonic beasts were retreating in the direction of Maojing Mine, so he rushed over and found Li Xiangming and the others.

Yu Feixuan grabbed Li Xiangming's arm, his face full of pleading, even bringing up old grievances: "Nephew, my master and your ancestor are bosom friends. Over the years, Flying Fox Cave has never mistreated the Li family. We even voluntarily gave up the Maojing Mine. This time, your Li family cannot stand by and watch us die!"

Li Xiangming gently patted Yu Feixuan's hand and comforted him, "Uncle Yu, don't worry, I will never stand idly by and do nothing about Senior Duyin and Flying Fox Cave."

"but……"

As he spoke, Li Xiangming suddenly changed the subject and sighed, "The Maojing Mine has just experienced a great battle. My uncle is still unconscious, and my two elder brothers and I are too weak to offer any help, even if we wanted to."

"Of course, I dare not make excuses in front of Uncle Yu. After I report to the family, I will personally lead the Li family's reinforcements to Lingyue Peak. As long as I can rescue Senior Duyin, I will not hesitate to fight against a million demon beasts even if I am exhausted."

Li Xiangming spoke with great passion, as if he were already prepared to do everything in his power to rescue the enemy.

However, the more Yu Feixuan listened, the more pronounced the bitter smile on his lips became.

He himself couldn't even remember how many times he had said these lines.

Hearing this from Li Xiangming's mouth now, a sense of powerlessness welled up within me.

Yu Feixuan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Nephew, Danggui Mountain and Dai Mountain are thousands of miles apart. Wouldn't it be a waste of time to go back and forth? The cultivators of Heng Kingdom and the demon race of Nanbin have a blood feud that is irreconcilable. This time, the demon beasts are attacking Shengyi Sect, and their wolfish ambitions are obvious. It is the time for us cultivators to join forces to resist the enemy and pay tribute to our fallen heroes!"

He paused, his tone becoming even more serious: "Furthermore, the beast tide at Puyin Mountain is unprecedented in scale, threatening to sweep through Puxian County. Puxian is not only the homeland of the Nanbin demon race, but also the foundation of us Heng Kingdom cultivators. If Lingyue Peak falls, the demons of Puyin Mountain will see that Puxian is vulnerable and will surely come out in full force. At that time, powerful demons will run rampant, and the people of Puxian will suffer. How can the Li family remain unscathed then?"

Li Xiangming trembled, seemingly moved by Yu Feixuan's words. He bowed his head and clasped his hands, saying, "Uncle Yu is truly wise and righteous. I am deeply impressed. I will wait until the Maojing Mine construction is completed..."

Yu Feixuan immediately became anxious, grabbed Li Xiangming's hand, and said urgently, "Nephew, the Maojing Mine is a small matter, but Lingyue Peak is in imminent danger. How can you not understand which is more important?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming sneered inwardly.

Maojing Mine belongs to the Li family. What is the relationship between Lingyue Peak and the Li family?
Moreover, if Shengyi Sect were truly on its last legs, then outer cultivators like Master Duyin would probably have already died in battle, so how could they possibly have had the chance to send a message to Yu Feixuan?
For Li Huinan's sake, rescuing Feihu Cave is acceptable!
But it should be done within one's capabilities.

He's no fool to think he'd go to Lingyue Peak now and stare at dozens of Bone-Melting Demon Cultivators.

Yu Feixuan was both anxious and angry when he saw that he could not persuade Li Xiangming.

He knew that relying solely on sentimentality would likely result in his master's grave being overgrown with weeds, and he wouldn't be able to wait for reinforcements from the Li family.

However, he did not have the authority to relinquish core interests on behalf of Feihu Cave or Shengyi Sect.

This job is absolutely insane.

Li Xiangming could see Yu Feixuan's helplessness and roughly understood what had happened.

It is clear that Shengyi Sect received intelligence when the demonic beasts attacked Daishan.

To be on the safe side, they recruited their vassal forces in advance.

Of course, it could also be deception.

Otherwise, given Master Duyin's personality, he wouldn't have led half the sect to Lingyue Peak so eagerly.

Oh, and those three affiliated families of Shengyi Sect that we encountered on the way.

They have most likely been scammed as well.

You should know that they sent out the younger generation who represent the hopes of their families.

It has to be said that Shengyimen's move of acting first and informing later was quite ruthless.

Master Duyin is now trapped on Lingyue Peak, and no one answers his cries for help.

For his own life, he had to find a way to drive back the beast tide.

At this time, Shengyi Sect asked him to seek help from the Li family, and he was naturally very eager to do so, constantly putting pressure on Yu Feixuan.

However, Yu Feixuan's bargaining chips were simply insufficient to persuade the Li family.

The idea that Shengyi Sect could use Feihu Cave to make the Li family fight a bloody battle for no reason is utterly ridiculous.

Li Xiangming waved his hand and instructed, "Xiangting, Uncle Yu is tired. Take Uncle Yu down to rest, and I will personally escort him to Danggui Mountain tomorrow."

"Yes!"

Li Xiangting responded and extended his arm, gesturing for Yu Feixuan to leave.

Yu Feixuan kept his head down and left the Maojing Mine without saying a word.

Seeing this, Li Xiangming looked at Master Shen and said slowly, "I would like to trouble you to inform the other demon hunters to pack their belongings and return to Monkey Valley with me tomorrow."

He had already made up his mind; he no longer intended to guard the Maojing Mine.

(End of this chapter)