Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 493 Reason
Li Xiangming fell silent again.

After a moment, he bent down and extended his palm: "Get up."

"This"

Yang Yun hesitated for a moment, then reached out his hand, used Li Xiangming's strength to get up, and stood respectfully beside him.

Li Xiangming sized him up and said calmly, "You'll stay by my side from now on. I need someone to relay orders."

"what?"

Caught off guard, Yang Yun exclaimed in surprise.

"What, you're not happy?"

Li Xiangming raised an eyebrow.

"no!"

Yang Yun quickly shook his head. Which demon-hunting cultivator in Monkey Valley wouldn't want to follow Hall Master Li?

How could he not be happy?

The news was so sudden that it took him a while to calm down. He took a deep breath and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Hall Master Li. I will definitely work hard!"

Li Xiangming smiled faintly, as if he wanted to say something more.

But at that moment, a weak magical power entered his spiritual senses.

"You go down first."

"Yes!"

Yang Yun immediately straightened up, responded loudly, and then quickly disappeared into the forest.

"Master Li!"

A weak voice sounded.

Looking around, Li Xiangming saw Liu Qingzhou staggering towards him—his hair was disheveled, with congealed blood clots in his hair, and there were deep claw marks on his right thigh and left shoulder, each revealing bone; he looked extremely disheveled.

Li Xiangming's eyes showed no pity whatsoever; instead, he coldly said, "You should call me Commander Li."

Liu Qingzhou paused, knelt on the ground, and said hoarsely, "I am guilty. I will accept whatever punishment Commander Li wishes. If Commander Li wants my head, I am willing to offer it for execution."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming erupted, grabbing the other man's collar and shouting angrily, "I only regret that your life couldn't bring back so many brothers!"

After saying that, he shoved Liu Qingzhou to the ground, and his expression gradually returned to normal.

If Yang Yun hadn't interrupted him, he would have really wanted to kill Liu Qingzhou. But Liu Qingzhou's death confirmed the fact that the Yanji Division had suffered heavy losses in the face of the demon beasts.

At that time, the remaining cultivators of the Demon Suppression Camp will surely be terrified of the beast tide's power and their hearts will be filled with panic.

By keeping his life, he could shift all the blame for the previous and subsequent losses onto Liu Qingzhou. This would make everyone believe that it wasn't the beast tide that was powerful, but rather that a few individuals disobeyed orders and acted recklessly due to underestimating the enemy.

Before Liu Qingzhou is executed, the Demon Suppression Camp will hold its breath, hoping to alleviate its fear of the beast tide. Although this may not work, Li Xiangming must make use of everything available.

How could Liu Qingzhou have imagined all this?
Seeing that Commander Li had chosen to let him go, his face was filled with remorse.

Li Xiangming glanced at him and said in a deep voice, "Tell me, who exactly is this person that you'd risk your life to save?"

Liu Qingzhou's face showed even more guilt: "It's my sister. I knew she was nearby, so I came over without thinking much. Who would have thought that more and more demonic beasts would come chasing after us, including even a Bone-Melting Demon Cultivator?"

After listening for a while, Li Xiangming finally understood the ins and outs.

Liu Qingzhou's father was originally a rogue cultivator. Later, by chance, he met an outer sect steward of the Bailu Sect and, on the steward's recommendation, was assigned to guard a local mortal area.

From then on, Liu's father gradually rose to prominence and left the ranks of wandering monks.

However, he lacked the necessary aptitude, so he began to cultivate his descendants. Unfortunately, for thirty years, Liu's father had not fathered any offspring with spiritual roots, until he finally had a daughter in his later years, whom he named Liu Lingzhou.

Liu Lingzhou possessed the aptitude of three spiritual roots, which, in her father's eyes, was undoubtedly a prodigy. Therefore, her father spent all his life savings on Liu Lingzhou and went to great lengths to secure her a place in the Bailu Sect.

Then came the dramatic turn of events: on the eve of Liu Lingzhou's initiation into the Bailu Sect, Liu's father suddenly discovered an illegitimate son, Liu Qingzhou.

Liu Qingzhou is also quite talented, and he's a boy.

Liu's father hesitated immediately, but ultimately, with the idea of ​​having a male heir to carry on the family line, he gave the spot to Liu Qingzhou to join the Bailu Sect.

He just didn't expect that Liu Qingzhou was already very dissatisfied with his actions of starting something and then abandoning it. She was also very proud and knew the origin of her spot. She had a big fight with Liu's father and chose to run away from home.

In the end, it was Liu Lingzhou who became a disciple of the Bailu Sect.

Liu Qingzhou then traveled to various places and became a demon hunter.

According to Liu Qingzhou, he wasn't very close to his sister, but they had met a few times and exchanged communication talismans. He couldn't stand idly by when his sister was in danger, so he left the defense zone without permission and headed north.

At first, he did not bring his entire force, nor did he summon any members of the Azure Frost Demon Hunting Team. Instead, he only brought a few trusted confidants to join Liu Lingzhou.

Unexpectedly, the number of monsters increased dramatically as their numbers grew.

Unable to withstand the pressure, Liu Qingzhou tried to seek help from the Yanji Division behind him, only to be completely outmaneuvered. No matter how many reinforcements Liu Qingzhou summoned, the number of demonic beasts always maintained an overwhelming advantage. After Hu Qidao arrived, even more demonic cultivators like the Earth Mother Hidden Dragon, who had fused with the Bone Realm, emerged from among the demonic beasts, nearly wiping out both capitals.

Li Xiangming's face turned extremely ugly upon hearing this.

Liu Qingzhou's words revealed two extremely important pieces of information.

Firstly, the Mang Sect did not come for the Demon Suppression Camp, but to hunt down Liu Lingzhou, a disciple of the Bailu Sect. It was the successive arrival of the Demon Suppression Camp cultivators that spurred Yin Guangyang into a playful act, leading him to stage a siege and attack on reinforcements.

In other words, the Demon Suppression Camp suffered a completely undeserved disaster.

Secondly, Yin Guangyang, or rather the Mang Sect, could indeed control the actions of the demon beasts to a certain extent. Otherwise, the demon beasts would not have actively blocked Hu Qidao and others' reinforcements, nor would they have used the "piecemeal tactic" to keep Liu Qingzhou seeing hope only to fall into despair.

Combining these two points, Li Xiangming felt a chill run down his spine.

Is the Mang Cult hunting down the Bailu Sect?
Are you kidding me?
Shouldn't it be the other way around?
Moreover, since the Mang Sect can control hundreds of demonic beasts to besiege the Liu siblings, could it affect the direction of the main force of the beast tide?

If that's really the case, the world in Puxian will change drastically!
How is your sister doing?

Li Xiangming asked in a deep voice.

Liu Qingzhou shook his head: "My sister used the Panshan Sword Formation multiple times, but suffered a backlash and is now unconscious. However, her junior brother surnamed Zheng is still somewhat conscious and can be questioned." Li Xiangming frowned and was about to summon the so-called "Junior Brother Zheng" when a fiery red figure swept across the sky.

Li Xiangming quickly looked up and met Li Xiangyu's gaze.

Immediately, a divine sense transmission entered his mind: "A large group of demonic beasts is heading south from the north, less than two hundred miles from here."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming was startled and involuntarily recalled the "grand gift" that Yin Guangyang had mentioned before leaving!
The Earth Mother Hidden Dragon is a spirit pet of the Mang Sect; what Liu Qingzhou and his group encountered was merely an appetizer. Now arriving is the true "Northern Beast Tide," the opponent the Demon Suppression Camp must face with all its might!

Li Xiangming lost all interest in conversation. He flew into the air and shouted, "All cultivators of the Demon Suppression Camp, immediately cease your actions and assemble before me!"

Upon receiving this order, Yin Feng and the others, who were still harvesting materials from the monsters, all set off and gathered around. No one knew the truth, but everyone had their own guesses.

Li Xiangming glanced at them; there were only eighteen people left. If you included the two Bailu Sect disciples, there were exactly twenty.

The main force of the Demon Suppression Camp was still behind.

With only these remnants of his army, he was no match for the beast tide.

Fortunately, he sent Li Xiangyu to guard the north, which bought him some time to retreat.

"Follow me and move south at full speed."

"Yes!"
-
"Young master, they've escaped!"

Two figures emerged from the dense forest, the one who appeared as a pageboy reciting in a low voice.

The other, slightly taller, was a disheveled young man. He remained silent as he walked to the ravaged battlefield, touched the blood and mud on the ground, and seemed lost in thought.

The pageboy gritted his teeth and followed, constantly looking around, afraid that someone might have stayed behind.

"Ah Wang, what do you think of the current strength of the Mang Sect?"

The young man with the disheveled hair stood up and casually asked.

The pageboy was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head repeatedly: "This servant does not know, nor dares to know."

"Oh why?"

The young man asked curiously.

The pageboy glanced at him furtively and replied, "Because it has nothing to do with me. Don't pry into things that don't concern you; that's the little trick of being a servant. Actually..."

"Actually what?"

"Actually, I don't think Young Master should pay attention to this. Of course, I don't mean to belittle Young Master's status. It's just that the Mang Sect is an ally of our Qin family. As a direct descendant of the Qin family, if Young Master shows any hostility towards the Mang Sect—no, even just a hint of distrust—it would shake the trust of those remote clansmen in the Mang Sect. If Master knew, he would probably be very dissatisfied. If Master is dissatisfied, Young Master's position as head of the family will be even further away."

Qin Zhengyi chuckled and interrupted, "I never cared about the position of family head. Even if Master is not satisfied with me, what loss would it cause me?"

Upon hearing this, the page hesitated slightly, but still said earnestly, "Young master, you may not care about the position of family head, but have you ever cared about your clansmen? I think you do, otherwise I wouldn't be working so hard for the family. Among the clansmen, those qualified to inherit the position of family head are none other than the eldest young master, the second young master, the ninth young master, and you, the fourth young master."

"The eldest son is brave but lacks strategy, which led to his setbacks in the battle against the Geng family. Even his protector was killed by Geng Shipeng, causing him to lose face. The second son is just a spoiled brat; his only commendable skill is his cultivation, which he achieved by piling up rare and precious materials. The ninth son is slightly more capable, but his gloomy personality and tendency to kill and punish his subordinates have made him unpopular. This time at Puyin Mountain, he was unfortunately captured alive by Li Xiangming, causing the Qin family to lose face. Only you, the fourth son, are gentle and kind, treat your subordinates well, and are deeply loved by the clan. Your intelligence and talent surpass all others of the Zheng generation, and even your cultivation has always been far ahead of your peers. Who else is qualified to sit in the position of family head besides you?"

The pageboy, his face slightly flushed and visibly excited, said in one breath, "In my opinion, the Ninth Young Master is the first to be eliminated! Even the Eldest Young Master, who was originally a strong contender, has fallen behind. If you don't participate in the election for family head, the Second Young Master will be the only one to take the position. You know the Second Young Master's character and abilities all too well. What will become of the Qin family in the next few decades? Young Master, you're not fighting for this position for yourself, but for the sake of millions of Qin family members!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhengyi turned to the pageboy with a surprised expression: "A-Wang, I've watched you grow up since you were a child. I thought you only knew how to say flattering words, but I didn't expect you to also know how to judge people and analyze situations?"

The pageboy composed himself, cupped his hands and bowed: "How could I not be influenced by what I see and hear while serving you, young master? I just don't usually dare to say such things, so I hope you will forgive me."

Qin Zhengyi looked him up and down, then said with a hint of loss, "You've grown up. You're not the little troublemaker who used to talk back to me anymore."

The pageboy immediately took two steps closer and bowed solemnly, saying, "When I was young, I was ignorant and I was very kind to you, young master. But I will always be I, young master's I."

Qin Zhengyi smiled, then fell silent.

After a long pause, he finally spoke in a deep voice: "You only know that the eldest and second young masters are incompetent and lack character, but you don't know their backgrounds. Although I am a direct descendant of the Qin family, I have no one behind me. In terms of foundation, I am far inferior to them. If I were to compete for the position of head of the family, I would not be competing against the two of them, but against the deeply entrenched forces behind them."

The page couldn't help but ask, "But young master, you are also the son of the family head. As long as the master supports you..."

"My father won't support me."

Qin Zhengyi shook his head: "He will only support the one with the most potential. In the past, it was the eldest son, and now it is the second son."

After a pause, Qin Zhengyi sighed and said, "You don't understand the complexities within the clan. It is precisely because my abilities are stronger than those of the other young masters that I must lie low. If I were to force my way out, those who are dissatisfied with the status quo would flock to me. The Qin family would inevitably fight tooth and nail, severely damaging its vitality. In the end, I still wouldn't be able to become the head of the family, and those who trust and support me would suffer a century of exclusion."

The pageboy clenched his fists involuntarily: "But isn't this just too unfair? You, young master, are so outstanding, yet you're being treated unfairly just because the mistress took you away when you were little?"

"shut up!"

Qin Zhengyi's face suddenly darkened.

The pageboy was startled and hurriedly knelt on the ground, crying, "This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die!"

Qin Zhengyi took a deep breath, his expression returning to normal: "Get up. You don't need to mention the position of family head in front of me anymore. Rest assured, even if the second young master becomes the family head, the Qin family will not decline. If he doesn't do his job properly, the elders will correct him. The clan elders are the true decision-makers of the Qin family."

"Yes!"

The pageboy responded timidly.

Qin Zhengyi, who had been turning around, suddenly hesitated.

At this moment, it seemed that he had lost another friend with whom he could speak his true feelings.

But in the end, Qin Zhengyi still took a step, though his voice became a little colder: "Let's go, let's follow them and see."

The pageboy followed closely behind and asked in a low voice, "Young master, are you still going to follow Li Xiangming and the others?"

Qin Zhengyi grunted in agreement: "Li Xiangming wiped out the entire Night Owl Hall in Puyin Mountain, leaving me all alone as soon as I took office. If I don't vent my anger, won't he laugh at me?"

The page hesitated, "The Demon Suppression Camp has a large number of people, including several Foundation Establishment cultivators. There are only two of us. If we are discovered, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"But he has to have the ability first."

Qin Zhengyi smiled faintly: "Don't worry, Li Xiangming is far more anxious than I am right now. Leading the Demon Suppression Camp to fight against the beast tide would be the stupidest decision he's ever made."

He suddenly thought of something and lowered his voice even further: "I've heard that he and Li Xiangren are known as the two prodigies of the Li family. If these two were to fall together, I wonder how the Li family would react."

　I've seen many comments lately complaining about the lack of updates and the poor reading experience. I've received them. Starting tomorrow, I'll try my best to write more, aiming for 6 words per day, until this major plot point concludes. Thank you all for your support.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)