Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 572 Yan Xianlin

A narrow crevice opened in the damp cliff.

Yan Fuzhao carried a lantern and walked in front.

The woman behind him, holding Yan Baoshu's hand, complained, "Sanlang, you shouldn't have let that person see Shen."

Yan Fuzhao sighed slightly: "Since they have already come to us, what reason do we have to refuse them? Forcibly turning them away will only cause unnecessary trouble."

“But we’ve put a lot of effort into Shen.”

The woman's tone became noticeably harsher: "Don't forget, your sister just became Liao Shen's Daoist partner! What will happen to your sister once that person takes Liao Shen away?"

Yan Fuzhao stopped abruptly, his eyes revealing a complex expression: "I don't want Ziyan and Hongzhu to be alone either, but you haven't been to Changyang Valley and don't understand the Li family's status in Pudong. We've only been established in Puxian for a short time, so we can't go against them, can we?"

Upon hearing this, the woman gradually fell silent.

Yan Fuzhao glanced at her and comforted her, "Liaoshen is a man of his own mind. He promised Ziyan that he would stay in Sifang Valley and may not leave with that person."

"A man's promise, huh?" the woman scoffed immediately.

Yan Fuzhao had no choice but to stop talking and focus on finding the way. Before long, he passed through the crack and came to a lush bamboo forest.

A straight path was cleared from the bamboo forest, leading to a bamboo house in the distance.

"father!"

Yan Fuzhao stopped in front of the bamboo house and called out softly.

"Come in."

A response came from inside the house.

Yan Fuzhao pushed open the bamboo door and saw an elderly man with half-gray and half-white hair walking into the living room from the room. He quickly and respectfully cupped his hands and said, "Your son greets Father."

The woman behind him also stepped forward, bowed, and called out, "Father!"

Yan Xianlin glanced at the two of them and frowned: "Didn't I say that you didn't need to come over unless it was important?"

Just as Yan Fuzhao was about to speak, the woman interrupted, "Father, outsiders have entered the valley and want to take Shen away."

"Liao Shen?"

Yan Xianlin's expression changed slightly: "Where is Gao Can? Where is he?"

The woman paused for a moment, then replied, "It seems she went to Gushe Ridge on Shen's orders."

After saying that, she realized something and said anxiously, "Oh no! Gao Can went out with Xu Jin. Xu Jin led the way for that Li family member, which means Gao Can is also in the Li family's hands..."

"You lost Gao Can?"

Yan Xianlin slammed his fist on the table and shouted sternly, "Gao Can is a descendant of the Spirit Clan, with extraordinary talent, a hundred times more important than Shen Zhong! I have repeatedly ordered you to take good care of him, but you have let him leave the valley. What, now that you two are in charge, you've even ignored my words?"

"Children don't dare."

Yan Fuzhao immediately knelt down and said with a wry smile, "We also want to keep Gao Can in check. The child is interested in embroidery, so Shunying personally taught him. However, he has only been in Sifang Valley for less than a month, and our words are ultimately not as effective as Liaoshen's. Liaoshen regards him as a capable subordinate and has repeatedly sent him to gather intelligence on the monsters. We really can't stop him."

Mei Shunying chimed in, "Yes, Father. Liao Shen and Zi Yan are destined for each other, so we can still use some methods. But Gao Can is simple-minded and has no desires, so we can only slowly play the emotional card."

"enough."

Yan Xianlin waved his hand, interrupting the two, his face showing extreme impatience. However, he did not scold them further, but instead fell into deep thought.

The scene fell silent for a moment.

After a long pause, Yan Xianlin finally spoke: "Since the other party is a member of the Li family, they must be planning to take away all the cultivators of the Demon Suppression Camp, including Shen. You were not prepared, and now you want to stop them? I'm afraid it's too late."

Mei Shunying immediately became anxious: "We can't let the Li family take them away! We went to great lengths to win them over, how can we let the Li family get away with it? Besides, if they leave, our Yan family will miss a great opportunity."

The Yan family is a newly emerging cultivation family in Pudong.

Do not!
It cannot be described as a clan; it can only be called a "family."

That's why the Yan family took it so seriously when Shen led about thirty people to Mount Luyang.

These people have lost all fighting spirit. They are unwilling to return to the Demon Suppression Camp to fight the beast tide, let alone go back to their life of hunting demons.

But the Yan family doesn't mind!
Even if a cultivator is down on their luck, they are still a cultivator!
It is an excellent candidate for propagating spiritual root seeds.

Marrying Yan Ziyan to Shen was just the first step in the Yan family's plan! The Yan family's ultimate goal was to completely tame these people over ten, twenty, or even a hundred years, especially the exceptionally talented Gao Can, who would become an unshakable pillar of the Yan family!

Yan Xianlin looked at Mei Shunying. He knew that this daughter-in-law was shrewd and could help Yan Fuzhao in every way, which was why he felt at ease entrusting the household to the two of them. But now, Mei Shunying was being far too naive.

Only if the Li family abandons these people can the Yan family possibly recruit them for their own use.

If the Li family won't let go, what right does the Yan family, with its resources, have to compete for the person?
Even if Shen stays in the Yan family because of Zi Yan's presence, the others will be willingly taken away.

This is evident from the fact that Xu Jin took the initiative to lead the Li family members—Liao Shen was indeed the superior of the defeated soldiers of the Demon Suppression Camp, but the Li family was the true master of the Demon Suppression Camp.

He didn't care when others left, but Gao Can was the only one who left...

Yan Xianlin sighed. Gao Can was no longer there, so even if he wanted to use some clever tricks, there was nothing he could do.

"father……"

Seeing that Yan Xianlin remained silent, Mei Shunying couldn't help but remind him.

Just then, a faint noise came from outside. The three of them looked towards the door and saw a slender girl walking towards them in a daze.

"Zi Yan?"

Mei Shunying hurriedly stepped forward to greet her, led her into the house, and asked, "What exactly is Liao Shen's attitude?"

Yan Ziyan said blankly, "He wants to go back to the Demon Suppression Camp."

"what?"

Mei Shunying's face changed drastically, and she angrily retorted, "My Yan family has treated him so well, how dare he abandon you? I'm going to find him right now..."

"Don't!"

Yan Ziyan reached out and pulled her sister-in-law closer, giving a bitter smile: "His mind is made up, and I don't want to put him in a difficult position."

"Are you still speaking up for this heartless man?"

Mei Shunying's anger intensified, and she flung Yan Ziyan's arm away.

Yan Fuzhao frowned and asked, "Ziyan, Liaoshen doesn't seem like a person who breaks his promises. Just because the Li family summoned him, he's going to leave without a word?"

Yan Ziyan was silent for a moment before replying, "He believes that the Demon Suppression Camp's disastrous defeat in Calabash Valley was his responsibility."

Upon hearing this, Yan Fuzhao and Mei Shunying exchanged bewildered glances.

The Yan family, though living in seclusion, were certainly aware of the life-threatening event of the beast tide that had befallen Pudong.
The news that the Li family's demon-suppressing camp had suffered heavy losses in the face of the beast tide had already spread throughout Pu County. Not to mention cultivators, even ordinary villages and towns had many rumors about it.

But the defeat of the Demon Suppression Camp was directly related to Liao Shen?

Just as the two were about to press for more information, Yan Ziyan shook her head and said, "He's here, you should ask him."

As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps came from outside the bamboo house, followed by a deep voice that pierced through the door: "Your son-in-law, Liao Shen, has come to bid farewell to his father-in-law."

Farewell?

Mei Shunying's anger had not subsided, and a new anger arose. She pushed open the bamboo door.

Before she could even step out the door, Yan Xianlin coldly said, "Come back! I am still alive, do you think you have the right to make decisions here?"

Mei Shunying froze instantly, her face turning red and then white.

Yan Xianlin ignored her, slowly got up, initially taking small steps, but quickening his pace as he went. Once outside, he took three steps at a time, leaving several lingering afterimages in the corridor.

"My father-in-law."

Upon seeing Yan Xianlin, Liao Shen instinctively spoke.

The next instant, he was struck as if by lightning, spitting out blood as he flew backward.

He had only flown halfway when a hand as strong as iron shot out like lightning, intercepting him mid-air and slamming him hard into the ground.

Even the compacted, hard soil was blasted open, creating a deep pit several feet in diameter.

Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, Yan Xianlin knelt on one knee at the edge of the pit, his eyes like those of a hawk: "Liao Shen, do you think my daughter is some cheap plaything? Or do you think the Yan family is easy to bully?"

"father!!"

Yan Ziyan witnessed this scene, her face paled, and she rushed towards Shen.

Unexpectedly, Yan Xianlin suddenly turned around, his fierce aura like a tiger pouncing on its prey. Yan Ziyan's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground halfway. Yan Fuzhao and Mei Shunying behind her rushed forward and held her in their arms, but neither of them dared to say a word.

(End of this chapter)