Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 444 Announcement
Monkey Valley.

Taibai Restaurant.

In the corner, a young man with a light stubble stood up and politely poured a bowl of wine for the bald, burly man opposite him: "Brother Hu, why is the restaurant so lively today?"

Without a word, Hu Qidao picked up his wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp. Then, wiping his mouth, he smiled and said, "Brother Zhou, you should get out and about more often. If I hadn't called you today, would you still be holed up in that pit meditating and cultivating?"

The young man surnamed Zhou smiled sheepishly and cupped his hands, saying, "I just wanted to accumulate more magical power. I hope Brother Hu will forgive my foolishness."

"Diligence is a good thing; we cultivators should prioritize the path of cultivation!"

Hu Qidao nodded approvingly, but then shook his head, saying in a serious tone, "However, Puyin Mountain is currently in turmoil. If you continue to ignore what's happening around you, you'll suffer a great loss sooner or later!"

"Is there unrest in Puyin Mountain?"

The young man surnamed Zhou's expression hardened, and he hurriedly clasped his hands in greeting, asking, "Please enlighten me, Brother Hu."

Hu Qidao grunted, but did not answer immediately. Instead, he glanced around.

Since Monkey Valley closed, the area has been completely transformed, with many new buildings added and even old shops renovated.

Taibai Restaurant is one of them.

The Li family, with their abundant wealth, renamed the original shop Qingyunju and added Yueyingxuan and Yugouge.

The three storefronts are built along the river, connected in a crescent shape, echoing each other.

What's even more ingenious is that the Li family has put a lot of thought into the layout and positioning of each storefront.

For example, the spirit wine and spirit food sold at Qingyunju are mostly related to increasing cultivation; Yueyingxuan is close to Chunyilou and often has popular girls performing; Yugouge has a passage leading directly to Baishengfang, where wine is cheap and there is a way to have fun, so it is always bustling with activity.

However, today, the number of visitors to Yugou Pavilion was three times higher than usual.

Hu Qidao's gaze swept over the dense group of demon-hunting cultivators, and he sighed softly, "A beast tide has swept over Daishan. In the past few days, refugees have come to Monkey Valley, telling all sorts of stories, causing widespread panic. The Demon-Hunting Guild, under pressure from the crowd, sought confirmation from the Li family. The Li family agreed to release some inside information today, which is why so many people have come."

"Dai Mountain? A beast tide?!"

The young man surnamed Zhou gasped.

Mount Dai is located north of Monkey Valley. Ordinary people may not be able to cross those towering peaks, but for cultivators or demon beasts, it is just a matter of time.

If a large-scale beast tide breaks out in Daishan, Monkey Valley will be affected sooner or later.

He couldn't sit still any longer and asked urgently, "Where did the beast tide come from?"

"Puyin Mountain".

Hu Qidao glanced at him indifferently.

"what?!"

The young man surnamed Zhou exclaimed in surprise, and suddenly stood up from where he had just sat down.

Daishan is some distance from Monkey Valley, but Puyinshan is right across from Monkey Valley!

If the monsters of Puyin Mountain were to swarm out, Monkey Valley would likely be reduced to ruins before it even had time to react.

The young man surnamed Zhou felt a chill run down his spine when he thought about how he had been so focused on his cultivation lately, and even considered going into seclusion.

But then he frowned and asked in confusion, "That's not right. If there really is a beast tide, why are you all so calm?"

He clearly remembered that when he entered Monkey Valley half an hour earlier, there were people coming and going in the valley, but there was no sign of panic.

Looking around at the demon-hunting cultivators drinking, eating meat, and chatting, it hardly looks like they've received news of an approaching beast tide.
"We haven't even seen a shadow of the monster, so we can remain calm."

Hu Qidao picked up the porcelain bowl, took a sip, and continued, "The Demon Hunting Guild sent the Iron Eagle Demon Hunting Team into Puyin Mountain to investigate, but they didn't encounter any large groups of demon beasts even after traveling a long distance. The Mad Lion Demon Hunting Team has also been active in Puyin Mountain for the past two weeks without any major problems. The facts are clear. Do you think it's that simple for people from Daishan to stir up trouble with just words? Do they really think the Li family is a pushover?"

Upon hearing this, the young man surnamed Zhou did not relax; instead, his expression became even more serious.

If the news of the beast tide was false, why would Hu Qidao specifically ask him to come out? Moreover, the fact that a group of demon-hunting cultivators flocked to Taibai Restaurant today was clearly not without reason.

Seeing his serious expression, Hu Qidao dipped his finger in the wine and wrote a name on the table.

After reading it, the young man surnamed Zhou hurriedly wiped it away with his hand and asked in a low voice, "Is Hall Master Li not at Puyin Mountain?"

Hu Qidao glanced at the other man with surprise, then nodded: "You're quite clever, kid. Master Li's whereabouts are unpredictable, and even if he's not in Puyin Mountain, it doesn't necessarily mean anything. But the Golden Eye and Crimson Flame demon-hunting teams have also lost most of their members, and they are both closely related to the Li family."

At this point, Hu Qidao leaned down to the young man surnamed Zhou and said, "Some members of the Qing Shuang Demon Hunting Group revealed that Hall Master Li had a conflict with the Burning Sky Violent Ape in Puyin Mountain, and then Hall Master Li and many of his demon hunting cultivators disappeared."

"Now news of a beast tide has come from Dai Mountain, isn't that a coincidence?"

The young man surnamed Zhou blurted out, "The beast tide originally planned to attack Monkey Valley, but was stopped by Hall Master Li, so it had no choice but to turn to Dai Mountain to cause trouble! Hall Master Li... Hall Master Li went to support Dai Mountain!"

"maybe."

Hu Qidao put down his wine bowl. "We lowly cultivators can only see a part of the whole picture; how could we possibly know the details? However, the demonic beasts of Puyin Mountain are indeed behaving strangely. An intelligence broker named Wei Fei has revealed some information..."

"Wei Fei?"

The young man surnamed Zhou muttered something under his breath, but finding no recollection of it, he stopped thinking about it. After a moment's hesitation, he lowered his voice and said, "Brother Hu, I plan to join the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Group."

"You've advanced to the fourth level of Qi Refining?"

Hu Qidao raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.

Each demon-hunting group recruits some newcomers with low cultivation levels and trains them gradually.

But they don't accept just anyone!
The strict standard set by the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Group is that the cultivation level must reach the fourth level of Qi Refining.

"Ah."

The young man surnamed Zhou nodded reservedly, "I've had some insights these past few days and just broke through yesterday. I happened to be invited by Brother Hu, so I rushed out to get some fresh air."

"Good."

Hu Qidao smiled, but a ripple of emotion stirred within him.

He wasn't envious of the other person's cultivation level, but rather marveled at the smoothness of their path.

Although he had already cultivated the magic power of the seventh level of Qi Refining, he failed twice in three years to break through to the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Whenever I think about it, I can't help but feel a pang of sadness.

"Brother Hu, Brother Hu?"

The young man surnamed Zhou called out several times before Hu Qidao came to his senses and forced a smile: "Brother Zhou, what's wrong?"

The young man surnamed Zhou lowered his voice, his tone tinged with eagerness: "I've inquired about it. The new leader of the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Group, Chi Laiyong, is a young man who acts unconventionally. He entrusts even new members with important responsibilities. Moreover, Leader Chi has an excellent reputation and never accepts 'tribute' from his subordinates. They have close ties with the Li family and often receive favor from the Demon Hunting Guild and the Puyin Mountain Hall. I personally believe that joining the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Group has great potential. Why don't you come with me, Brother Hu? That way, we can look out for each other."

Hu Qidao frowned and shook his head, saying, "Brother Zhou, you know my temperament. I'm used to working alone and can't stand the treacherous atmosphere in the demon-hunting group."

"Brother Hu!"

The young man surnamed Zhou earnestly advised, "If you don't join the demon-hunting group, you won't get the protection of the demon-hunting guild. If you really run into trouble, you won't even have a place to voice your grievances. I know this better than anyone. Even if you don't encounter those unpleasant things, being in a group is always better than being alone, right?"

He paused, a hint of helplessness in his voice: "Take monster materials for example. Although the Puyin Mountain Trading Post claims to be fair and impartial, it always prioritizes cooperating with the big monster hunting groups. By the time it's our turn, the big clients behind the trading post have already left satisfied, and in the end, we can only sell the materials we have at a low price. Haven't we suffered enough from this kind of loss yet?"

Hu Qidao was well aware of the hardships faced by the "lone wolf".

He looked at the young man surnamed Zhou, who was speaking earnestly, and hesitated to say anything.

Just then, a plump middle-aged monk slowly walked out from behind the counter.

The surrounding demon-hunting cultivators quickly made way for them, whispering amongst themselves.

"It's Manager Li!" The young man surnamed Zhou didn't have time to say anything more to Hu Qidao and hurriedly squeezed into the center of the crowd.

Li Qiansu stood before the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the densely packed throng, a slight hesitation creeping into his heart.

He knew that once this intelligence was released, it would cause a huge uproar.

But this was Xiangming's requirement—Xiangming was the person in charge of the Li family in Puyin Mountain, and he had to abide by it both publicly and privately.

"Xiangji, go."

Li Qiansu patted the young man beside him, his tone tinged with helplessness.

Li Xiangji smiled wryly, carried a stack of notices to a rough and ancient stone pillar, and posted the notices one by one.

In an instant, the surrounding demon-hunting cultivators surged forward like a tide.

"A beast tide of Daishan?!"

"Shengyi Gate is besieged?!"

"Dozens of Bone-Merging Demon Cultivators?!"

"The Li family has abandoned the Maojing mine?!"

The notices were snapped up almost instantly, but the information within them spread rapidly.

The entire Jade Hook Pavilion erupted in chaos, with exclamations, questions, and curses mingling together, creating an extremely disorderly scene.

"How could that be?! Mount Dai is only a thousand miles away from us. If the beast tide moves south, wouldn't we be..."

"Even the Shengyi Sect, with its protective mountain array, couldn't hold out. Where can we rogue cultivators escape to?"

"The fact that the Li family has abandoned even the Maojing Mine is enough to prove that the beast tide is unstoppable!"

Panic spread like a plague. The demon hunters turned pale, and some even turned to flee.

The same scene also played out at Qingyunju.

A burly man dressed in black, looking anxious, walked through the crowded hall and headed straight for a quiet room on the second floor, pushing the door open and entering.

"So careless and sloppy, what kind of behavior is this?"

The Fairy of Silk and Silk leaned against the soft screen couch, her brows furrowed slightly, her tone carrying a hint of displeasure.

Lei Meng immediately lowered his head: "Your subordinate apologizes."

But then he looked up and said urgently, "A beast tide has indeed occurred at Dai Mountain, and this has been confirmed by the Li family..."

"Why panic!"

Lingluo Fairy said calmly, "Those demon-hunting cultivators don't know, but didn't we already make that deduction? It's a beast tide in Daishan now, not Monkey Valley, so we won't die for the time being."

Lei Meng was taken aback, then smiled wryly, "I admire your composure even when Mount Tai collapses before you. However, our Lingluo Merchant Guild has invested heavily in Monkey Valley. The purchase of the cave dwelling alone cost two thousand spirit stones, and the subsequent renovations and the setting up of the spirit-gathering array have also consumed a considerable amount of spirit stones. Fortunately, these works have only just begun..."

"But no matter what, if a beast tide occurs in Dai Mountain, Monkey Valley will definitely be in a state of panic. At that time, a large number of demon-hunting cultivators will leave, and our business will suffer a great loss. If the situation is more serious and the beast tide attacks Monkey Valley, we may lose everything!"

Upon hearing this, Fairy Lingluo lost her composure and gritted her teeth, saying, "No wonder the Li family sold a hundred cave dwellings so readily; they were waiting for me here! I already found out that the Spirit Serpent Merchant Guild in Puyin Mountain Guild Hall is the same as the Spirit Serpent Merchant Guild in Pushui Market. The Li family is the Spirit Serpent Merchant Guild's backer; this is blatant revenge!"

Lei Meng nodded repeatedly: "That's right, the Li family already knew about the beast tide. According to Madam Feng, the Li family's demon-hunting team went to Daishan half a month ago, but deliberately created a false impression of peace and prosperity in Monkey Valley. This is a conspiracy!"

"The Li family doesn't want to lose Monkey Valley either."

The one-eyed old man, who had been standing silently behind the screen, interjected, "The Li family is now making the news public because, on the one hand, they can no longer keep it a secret, and on the other hand, the beast tide in Daishan is so large that the Li family is willing to give up the Maojing Mine!"

At this point, he looked at Fairy Lingluo with a serious expression: "If the Li family can give up the Maojing Mine, they can also give up Monkey Valley. Master, you should make plans soon!"

The Fairy of Silk Robes rose, her expression shifting between light and shadow.

Several years ago, she saw the potential of Pudong. She spared no effort in order to gain a foothold in Pudong.

The Lingluo Merchant Guild has only just begun its operations in Monkey Valley; are they going to give up now?
In Changlin's room, Li Xiangru brought over a censer of sandalwood incense.

Wisps of smoke rose slowly from the corridor, their fragrance soothing and dispelling the stuffiness and distractions in the room.

The elders' originally gloomy expressions softened slightly.

Li Qianxiong sat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over the dozen or so people standing or sitting in the room, and slowly began to speak: "Let's leave aside the matter of the Maojing Mine for now. Now that Xiangming wants to guard Monkey Valley, what are your thoughts?"

The room was silent; no one answered.

After a moment, Li Chengweng spoke first, his tone tinged with sarcasm: "The Maojing Mine is protected by the Five Elements Locking Gold Formation, yet it was abandoned; Monkey Valley has no natural defenses, so why bother?"

"Ninth Brother, don't go too far!"

Li Chenglu suddenly stood up, glaring angrily: "The Maojing Mine is located in Daishan and has long been surrounded by the beast tide. Even with the formation, how long can it hold out? Xiangming abandoned the mine precisely to preserve the life force of my Li family!"

Li Qianshi followed closely behind and said in a deep voice, "Exactly! If Xiangming, Xiangren, and Xiangyu all perish on Dai Mountain, who will bear the responsibility?"

"Humph!"

Not to be outdone, Li Chengweng slammed his hand on the table and retorted, “You people from the fourth branch of the family, of course you’ll speak for Xiangming! Have you ever considered how important the Maojing mine is to the Li family? Without the income from Maojing, the Li family’s finances have plummeted by 30%! Not to mention, in order to transport Maojing back, the Li family spent a full five years building a road between Danggui Mountain and Dai Mountain; in order to smelt Maojing, the Li family repaired Yiyuan Peak three times, spending countless sums of money; in order to find buyers for Maojing, they even moved half of Shijin House to Dai Mountain! Have you ever calculated these costs?”

Li Chengzhi glanced at Li Chengweng and echoed, "Old Ninth is right. The loss of Maojing Mine is a major blow to our Li family. Xiangming's decision to abandon the mine without the family's permission was indeed somewhat reckless."

What is lost may not be irretrievable.

Li Qianxiong frowned slightly: "The monsters don't mine, nor do they steal the crystals. After the beast tide passes, we can easily reclaim the mines. The question now is, is Monkey Valley worth holding onto?"

"Monkey Valley has no natural defenses; I don't think it can be defended."

Li Chengdian stated his position directly, "Moreover, Xiangming's decision to abandon the Maojing Mine but insist on holding onto the less valuable Monkey Valley inevitably raises suspicions of favoritism."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in Changlin's room changed instantly.

Li Qianshi's face was extremely ugly, but he had no words to say.

Xiangming's high position at such a young age is bound to attract criticism.

When he took action against the Huang family without authorization, it caused a stir in the family. Several elders took the opportunity to put pressure on the family head, and in the end, the fourth branch had no choice but to compromise and transfer Xiangming to the remote Puyin Mountain.

It is regrettable that Xiangming gave up the Maojing mine, but given the threat of the beast tide, his family cannot be too harsh on him.

At least the head of the family had already tacitly accepted this decision.

However, Xiangming's biggest mistake was demanding that his family stay and guard Monkey Valley to the death.

Which is more important, Monkey Valley or Maojing Mine?

The answer speaks for itself.

Xiangming's actions were tantamount to handing over his secrets to the other clan elders.

He was both anxious and angry!
This child doesn't seem to have considered his identity or the influence he wields within the family.

The other three branches suppress Xiangming, which is equivalent to suppressing the fourth branch.

In order to maintain Xiangming's status and resources, the fourth branch of the family had to give up benefits time and time again.

This put immense pressure on him, as the representative of the fourth branch of the family, and Li Chenglu, the head of the branch.

"Xiangming, you've always been sensible. What is it about Monkey Valley that makes you value it so much?"

(End of this chapter)