Chapter 60: Song Huiyun

The powerful spiritual pressure emanating from the young man in green clearly indicated he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The middle-aged man's face tightened as he frowned and asked, "What do you mean by this, fellow Daoist? Are you with them?"

"I don't know him. It was foolish of him to ambush you, fellow Daoist. However, he didn't abandon his companion and flee, which shows he has a sense of loyalty and righteousness. How about you spare his life for my sake?"

The young man in green spoke slowly, his face expressionless.

The middle-aged man's eyes darted around before he cupped his hands and asked, "How should I address you, fellow Daoist? And to which sect do you belong?"

Owning a second-tier spirit bird and reaching Foundation Establishment at such a young age, he was most likely a disciple of an immortal cultivation sect.

"I am merely a solitary wanderer. Enough with the superfluous talk; fight or make peace, you decide."

The young man in green seemed somewhat displeased.

The middle-aged man hesitated briefly, then cupped his hands and said, "For your sake, fellow Daoist, I will spare his life!"

A satisfied expression appeared on the young man in green's face as he instructed Chen Hu, "Come up quickly! I'll take you out of here."

Chen Hu was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted with great joy. He thanked the young man and began walking towards the giant green eagle.

He seemed to remember something, quickened his steps, and went to Lü Erniang's corpse. He pulled off the storage bag from her waist, put it aside, and then stored her body in his own storage bag.

Lü Erniang was his wife, and he wanted to find a place to bury her so she could rest in peace.

The young man in green observed this scene, a hint of appreciation appearing in his eyes.

Chen Hu climbed onto the back of the giant green eagle. The eagle flapped its wings once, spread them wide, and soared high into the sky.

The cold wind whistled past. Chen Hu hesitated briefly, then spoke, "Thank you, senior, for saving my life. What can this junior do for you? Please instruct me."

The young man in green smiled faintly and said, "You are quite a clever person. I won't bother with idle chatter then. I can give you a Foundation Establishment spiritual item to help you establish your foundation. In return, you will serve me from now on. How does that sound?"

"Is that all?"

Chen Hu paused, an incredulous expression on his face.

"So simple? Heh, do you think Foundation Establishment spiritual items are that easy to come by? Eat this."

The young man in green smiled scornfully and produced a white pill the size of a longan fruit.

Chen Hu took the white pill and, without the slightest hesitation, swallowed it.

"That's forthright, I like it. Aren't you afraid this is poison?"

Chen Hu explained calmly, "If you wished to kill me, Senior, it would be as simple as crushing an ant. Rather than displease you, I'd rather take this pill. Even if it is poison, I won't regret it; I only hope you will allow me to bury Erniang's corpse."

"Heh heh, bold and loyal. I truly didn't misjudge you. Come with me! You will have a chance for revenge."

The young man in green chuckled, and the giant green eagle beneath him increased its speed, disappearing into the distant sky.

***

Five days later, Wang Mingzhan and his party returned to Qinglian Mountain. Wang Changsheng followed Wang Mingzhan to Wang Mingyuan's study.

Wang Mingzhan reported the situation at the Tianhe Minor Assembly to Wang Mingyuan, also mentioning Wang Changsheng's refining and selling of spirit artifacts.

"Third Brother, that's what happened. Changsheng's artifact refining level has already reached that of a first-tier artifact refiner. I believe we should cultivate him as one. If we leave him undirected, wouldn't the resources we've already invested be wasted?"

Wang Mingzhan offered his suggestion kindly.

Wang Mingyuan nodded and said, "Second Uncle originally intended to cultivate Sheng'er as an artifact refiner when he asked him to stay on Qinglian Mountain to cultivate spirit grains. The materials for refining mid-grade spirit artifacts cost at least thirty spirit stones per set. Fifth Sister and Eleventh Brother are currently learning to refine mid-grade spirit artifacts, which incurs significant costs. Our annual profits have greatly increased by selling profound gold ore. Twenty-fifth Uncle, who is stationed in Xianyuan City, suggested dispatching artifact refiners to Xianyuan City. The spirit artifacts they refine could then be sold directly in the shop, saving on labor.

"Currently, our artifact refining shop only sells low-grade and mid-grade spirit artifacts. So, let Sheng'er and Eleventh Brother make the trip there. Fifth Sister will remain with the family."

"Third Brother, wouldn't it be better to have Sheng'er stay with the family? Fifth Sister and Eleventh Brother can refine mid-grade spirit artifacts, but low-grade ones don't sell well, and there are many artifact refining shops in Xianyuan City."

Wang Mingyuan smiled faintly and explained, "We've rented a shop in Baiyun Ridge, Yunzhou, to sell spirit artifacts. The artifacts refined by Fifth Sister will be sold in Yunzhou. We can't put all our eggs in one basket. The reason I'm sending Sheng'er to Xianyuan City is, firstly, the Ascension Conference is approaching, and it's a good opportunity for him to gain experience. Secondly, our artifact refining shop has added a new service: repairing spirit artifacts. We plan to take on jobs repairing low-grade spirit artifacts."

"Repairing low-grade spirit artifacts? They aren't expensive. If a low-grade spirit artifact breaks, who would bother getting it repaired? A few repairs would cost enough to buy a new one."

Wang Mingyuan sighed and said, "Business is tough! There are many artifact refining shops in Xianyuan City. To attract customers, other shops have offered various discounts. Twenty-fifth Uncle suggested that any cultivator who purchases three mid-grade spirit artifacts from our shop can get one low-grade spirit artifact repaired for free. Those who purchase ten mid-grade spirit artifacts will receive one low-grade spirit artifact for free. Additionally, old customers will receive a twenty percent discount on spirit artifact repairs. We hope this will attract more customers."

Wang Changsheng suddenly understood. He then remembered something and asked, "Father, when will we depart?"

"Perhaps in two or three months. For now, stay in your residence and cultivate diligently. Whenever you have time, consult your Fifth Aunt and Eleventh Uncle about artifact refining techniques. I will notify you when we depart. You may leave now; your Sixth Uncle and I have some matters to discuss."

Wang Changsheng agreed, then turned and left.

***

On a mountain ridge covered with red maple trees, the area above the mountainside was shrouded in a thick red fog, making it impossible to discern what lay within.

This was precisely the family stronghold of the Lin Family, Ningzhou's foremost immortal cultivation family.

Song Huiyun hailed from the Song Family of Pingyang County; she was the daughter of Song Ziyang, the former head of the Song Family.

Song Huiyun had been married into the Lin Family for over thirty years. She had two daughters and one son; Lin Yuting was her youngest. Although his aptitude wasn't outstanding, Lin Yuting was sweet-tongued and much beloved by Song Huiyun.

Lin Yuting had long reached marriageable age, but he was a known womanizer with a bad reputation. Song Huiyun had arranged several marriages for him, but the other parties all refused.

Seeing her son in his twenties still unmarried, with children of his peers already running around, Song Huiyun grew increasingly anxious.

One day, she called Lin Yuting to her side.

Lin Yuting spoke with Song Huiyun for a while, amusing her until she laughed heartily.

Song Huiyun gazed at Lin Yuting with doting affection. She took out over a dozen scrolls of paintings and said kindly, "Yuting, here are portraits of several young ladies. Take a look, which one do you like? Your mother will ask your father to send someone to propose marriage. Yuxin has formed a dual cultivation partnership with a descendant of True Monarch Yunxiao of the Purple Cloud Sect. By relying on True Monarch Yunxiao, I'd like to see which family dares to refuse this time."