Chapter 18: Message

The Qingyun Mountain Range is located in the eastern part of Qingyun County, stretching for hundreds of miles with over a hundred peaks of various sizes. Qinglian Mountain, one of the few spiritual mountains in the Qingyun range, gets its name from its resemblance to a green lotus.

Though not particularly rugged or grand, Qinglian Mountain enjoys spring-like weather year-round and is covered in exotic flowers and plants.

The Wang family's ancestral residence is situated on Qinglian Mountain. From halfway up to the peak, extensive complexes of pavilions have been built, housing hundreds of Wang family members.

At the peak, there's a sprawling mansion, and within it, a quiet courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, there's a pond about ten *zhang* across, where several green lotus plants grow.

A winding pebble path leads directly to a two-story blue pavilion.

Inside the pavilion, a middle-aged man with a square face, dressed in a long blue robe, was poring over books at a desk.

This middle-aged man was Wang Mingyuan, the current head of the Wang family.

Wang Mingyuan was forty-nine years old. He possessed a four-spirit root, but his fair dealings led most elders to elect him as family head, entrusting him with all family matters.

The Wang family currently had one hundred and forty-four cultivators. An elder had recently passed away.

Managing all the family's affairs was not easy; Wang Mingyuan had to attend to every aspect, which delayed his cultivation. He was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, and his aptitude was not good, so even with diligent practice, his chances of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage were very low.

"Oh, another loss this month?" Wang Mingyuan set down the book, frowned deeply, and rubbed his eyes, his face looking a bit tired.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

A knock came from outside the door, followed by a woman's voice: "Husband, I've made some food. Are you free now?"

Wang Mingyuan's furrowed brows relaxed. He said, "Qing'er, you're not a stranger. Just come right in."

"I was just afraid of disturbing your work! You, the great Head of the Wang family, are busy with a myriad of tasks every day. How dare a woman like me interrupt?"

A beautiful middle-aged woman in a blue skirt walked in, holding a tray with a plate of green pastries and a bowl of white porridge.

This middle-aged beauty was Liu Qing'er, Wang Changsheng's mother.

Liu Qing'er set down the tray and placed the pastries and porridge in front of Wang Mingyuan.

"Green Lotus Cakes, Lotus Seed Porridge... Qing'er, you haven't made these for me since Sheng'er went to Ping'an County to serve as the Heavenly Master."

Wang Mingyuan smiled faintly, picked up a pastry, and put it in his mouth.

Liu Qing'er came up behind Wang Mingyuan, placed her delicate hands on his shoulders, and began to massage them.

"Do you still remember your son, Sheng'er? I thought you were so busy with your myriad tasks that you'd forgotten about him," Liu Qing'er playfully chided.

Wang Mingyuan gave a wry smile. "How could I? He's my only son; how could I forget him? In another year, when his term is up, I'll transfer him back. Will that satisfy you?"

"Do you think I came here to talk about that? Fourth sister-in-law told me that zombies have appeared in Ping'an County. If she hadn't told me, how long were you planning to keep it a secret from me?"

"I've already sent Fifth Uncle, Changge, and Changyu to Ping'an County as reinforcements. Sheng'er won't be in danger, so don't worry," Wang Mingyuan said, patting Liu Qing'er's delicate hand resting on his shoulder, trying to reassure her.

Liu Qing'er raised an eyebrow, about to say something, when an urgent call came from outside: "Third Uncle! Third Uncle!"

Hearing this, Liu Qing'er swallowed the words she was about to say.

Wang Mingyuan hastily picked up his ceramic bowl and quickly finished the white porridge.

As soon as he set the bowl down, Wang Changge and Wang Changyu rushed in.

Seeing them, Liu Qing'er's expression tightened, and she asked anxiously, "Changge, Changyu, weren't you going to Ping'an County? Why are you back so soon? Has something happened to Sheng'er?"

Wang Mingyuan remained silent, but a hint of worry appeared in his eyes.

"No, Ninth Brother is safe and sound. We returned on orders from Fifth Granduncle to report something very important."

Wang Changge deliberately emphasized the words "very important matter."

"Changge, what important matter can't be discussed in front of me? I've been married into the Wang family for over twenty years; am I an outsider?" Liu Qing'er was displeased.

Wang Changge gave an awkward smile and explained, "That's not what I meant, Third Aunt. These were Fifth Granduncle's exact words, and Seventh Sister and I are just following orders. Please understand, Third Aunt."

Wang Changyu's eyes darted, and she quickly stepped forward, sweetly saying, "Third Aunt, I saw Ninth Brother! Let me tell you about his situation!"

Liu Qing'er's expression softened, and she walked out with Wang Changyu.

"What significant matter is it that you couldn't even say it in front of your Third Aunt?" Wang Mingyuan asked, frowning.

Wang Changge's expression grew serious, and he quickly stepped forward, whispering, "Third Uncle, a Profound Gold ore vein has been discovered in Qinglin Town, Ping'an County. Um, Ninth Brother discovered it. Fifth Granduncle wants you to send more people to Qinglin Town to mine the Profound Gold."

"What? Profound Gold? Is that true?" Wang Mingyuan exclaimed, his breathing becoming heavy.

"Absolutely true. I brought back a piece of Profound Gold ore."

Wang Changge took the ore from his storage pouch and handed it over.

"I know nothing about artifact refining materials, Changge. Go quickly and ask your Third Aunt to come back. Although she's only an artifact refining apprentice, she's familiar with identifying many different materials. Let her confirm it."

Wang Mingyuan actually knew the ore in his hand was Profound Gold, but he wanted an excuse to appease Liu Qing'er's dissatisfaction.

No one would have felt comfortable hearing what Wang Changge had just said.

After marrying into the Wang family, Liu Qing'er rarely left Qinglian Mountain. She worked tirelessly with other Wang family women, raising silkworms, weaving clothes, farming, supplementing the household income, and raising her children. Wang Mingyuan didn't want his wife's feelings to be hurt by a few unintentional remarks from his nephew.

Wang Changge left as ordered and quickly brought Liu Qing'er back.

"Why call me back? Be careful, I might reveal your Wang family's secrets," Liu Qing'er said, still a bit displeased.

Wang Mingyuan put on a stern face and said solemnly, "Alright, the two juniors are here! Mind your words. A Profound Gold ore vein has been discovered in Qinglin Town, Ping'an County, and Sheng'er discovered it. Qing'er, you worked at the Divine Weapon Pavilion for ten years and are knowledgeable. Quickly check if this is Profound Gold. If it is, Sheng'er will have performed a great service."

Hearing that her own son had discovered a Profound Gold ore vein, Liu Qing'er forgot her anger, took the ore, and examined it carefully.

Her lips moved slightly, and with a soft "whoosh," a cluster of crimson flames materialized in her palm. A large area of crimson flames enveloped the ore.

Time passed, but the ore showed no sign of melting.

Liu Qing'er took out a blue dagger, injected it with spiritual energy, and struck the ore.

"Clang!"

With a dull clang of metal against metal, a faint white scratch appeared on the ore's surface.

"Yes, it is Profound Gold ore. We just don't know the scale, but even a small Profound Gold vein would be enough to help us through our difficulties," Liu Qing'er said, her expression tinged with excitement.

"Excellent! Our ancestors bless us; the Wang family is saved! Changge, besides yourselves, how many people know about this?" Wang Mingyuan asked solemnly.

Wang Changge thought for a moment and replied truthfully, "Also Fifth Granduncle and Ninth Brother. Oh, and some family members without spiritual roots know a little; they were the first to mine the Profound Gold ore. The ore was found in a quarry, but they didn't know it was Profound Gold. When Seventh Sister and I left, Fifth Granduncle was personally overseeing the quarry, and Ninth Brother gathered the informed family members, strictly forbidding them from contacting outsiders."

"Good. None of you are to reveal a single word of this to outsiders. I'll immediately call Fourth Brother and the others for a meeting to dispatch people to Qinglin Town as soon as possible."

"Yes, Third Uncle."

Wang Changge exchanged a glance with Wang Changyu, who understood perfectly. They left together, leaving Wang Mingyuan and Liu Qing'er.

"I knew Sheng'er was capable! He's discovered a Profound Gold ore vein and performed such a great service. You can transfer him back now, right?" Liu Qing'er said, her face full of anticipation.

"A country has its laws, and a family has its rules," Wang Mingyuan said with some difficulty. "Sheng'er will be greatly rewarded for his great service, but it won't be too late to transfer him back after his term is up. There's only one year left anyway. Transferring him back early could easily invite criticism, which would make it difficult for me to manage family affairs later."

Liu Qing'er glared at Wang Mingyuan and retorted testily, "Alright, alright. Every time I ask you to transfer Sheng'er back, you use the same excuse, always afraid of inviting criticism. In your heart, there's only the big Wang family, not our small family. You can sleep in the study this month! Anyway, you'll manage just fine without us two."

With that, Liu Qing'er stormed out.

Seeing this, Wang Mingyuan could only offer a wry smile, his mouth filled with bitterness.

Of course he wanted to transfer his son back, but as the family head, he first had to ensure the family members' respect and obedience to effectively manage affairs. For this reason, he held himself, his wife, and his children to strict standards.

It was precisely because of his fairness in handling matters that his prestige among the family members was high, allowing many of his commands to be carried out smoothly.