That was a woman dressed in a beautiful silk garment, but her expression was bitter and worried.
She repeated it in a hoarse voice.
"My daughter is sold for ten taels of silver."
The young daughter stood by her mother's side, looking no more than two or three years old.
The woman had a sign around her neck displaying her daughter for sale, as well as the motherly love she was willing to part with.
Mother and daughter stood at the entrance of the marketplace, the young daughter looking bewildered, stupidly complying with her mother as she repeated it.
"My father is a cultivator, I will have spiritual root."
"My father is a cultivator..."
In Qingxi Lane, a place predominantly inhabited by cultivators, paying ten taels of silver for a little girl who might have spiritual roots was actually a reasonable price.
Such situations of selling children are often caused by the men, that unknown cultivator, who has been away for a long time, possibly died outside.
However, in general, cultivators would not buy such a young girl because, after all, it is only at the age of thirteen that one can detect the quality and type of spiritual roots.
Ten years of raising her is too troublesome.
"Don't look back, follow me!"
Wang Rongyuan tightened the reins of his cyan stallion and whispered to the two young men behind him.
"Yes, uncle."
As a cross-time traveler with innate wisdom, Wang Yulou was much more astute than his cousin Wang Yuanan. He immediately turned back his gaze and looked at other things within Qingxi Lane.
"Uncle Rongyuan, with just ten taels of silver, we can buy a baby who might have spiritual roots. Our Wang family is not short of silver that ordinary people use. Why don't we buy one?"
Wang Yuanan asked in confusion.
"Who knows what kind of situation the girl's father is in?"
Have you forgotten the family knowledge that your little sons have learned?
Recite it for me, the household rules that the initiating phase cultivators must follow when traveling outside!" Wang Rongyuan looked solemnly at Wang Yuanan.
Within the family, Wang Rongyuan is renowned for his martial prowess and firm resolve. He has profound cultivation and holds the position of a family elder in the family's transmission hall.
It was precisely because of his formidable strength that he took on the task of bringing the two young Wang family members from the Yuxi Generation to Qingxi Lane.
At this moment, when he spoke, his authoritative manner was enough to make even Wang Yulou feel a chill in his heart.
Wang Yuanan, Wang Yulou's cousin, was so frightened that his face turned pale. He stammered and replied in a broken voice, trying to explain his innocence.
"Travel only on main roads, associate only with those of the same social class, and negotiate for a 90% discount in trade."
"In case of an emergency, retreat to the crowd and let your fellow cultivators take the initiative. Be cautious in trusting others, believe only half of what you hear."
"Always keep a thousand-mile charm with you on your legs, guarding your entire body......guarding your entire body..."
Under his uncle's pressure, Wang Yuanan, who had never been far from the clan lands before, was so scared that his mind was in a whirl.
For a moment, he even forgot half of the family's teachings on cultivators' precautions when traveling outside during the initiation period.
"Slap! Slap!"
The reason why cultivators at the Qi Practicing stage are called "Qi Practicing cultivators" is because they all practice and store a mouthful of spiritual Qi in their dantian.
Seeing Wang Yuanan, this little fellow, dare to forget the family's instructions for traveling outside, Wang Rongyuan immediately attracted a stream of spiritual Qi and turned it into a large, pale-green slap, hitting the left and right cheeks of Wang Yuanan's nose with a loud thud.
The control capability over spiritual Qi by high-level Qi Practicing cultivators far exceeded Wang Yulou's imagination. Wang Rongyuan's two slaps, which can be said to simultaneously possess both punitive and safety factors, are a far cry from the usual methods.
The sound of the slap was crisp and loud, pleasant to the ears, and it sent chills up Wang Yulou's scalp.
At the same time, Wang Rongyuan also controlled the force, making sure not to hurt Wang Yuanan.
"Uuuhhhh, Uncle, I was wrong. Don't beat me anymore......uuhhhhh..."
Leaving his parents and the clan land where he grew up, Wang Yuanan, whose temperament was always lively, leaped higher than the sky on their journey.
Now, Wang Rongyuan's two slaps with the large palms have snapped him out of his wild dream.
"Rongwen and your mother have spoiled you too much, and you even dare to forget to keep your body safe for your journey on the Dao of immortality!"
Frowning in exasperation at Wang Yuanan, Wang Rongyuan then turned his gaze to Wang Yulou.
"Yulou, you'll have to keep reminding him in the future. This kid, sigh!"
Wang Yulou, who had been transported from the 21st century of Huaguó, naturally understood the hopes that his uncle Wang Rongyuan had for himself and Yuanan.
This elder of the family doesn't have any special penchant for slapping people with a large palm; it's purely out of frustration.
"Yes, uncle, we must keep our entire body safe to ensure a successful journey, Wang Yulou will never forget!"
Saying this, Wang Yulou also kicked Wang Yuanan on the shin.
With his elder brother's reminder, Wang Yuanan also came to his senses and promised repeatedly.
"I will also definitely not forget, I will definitely not forget!"
The little guy, Wang Yuanan, learned from Wang Yulou and made a show of his commitment, allowing Wang Rongyuan to feel somewhat reassured.
Although Wang Yuanan is a bit of a wild child, Wang Yulou is cautious. The two should be able to support each other in Qingxi Lane without much trouble.
After all, there are elders of the Wang family in Qingxi Lane, and it's not just these two little guys.
"Hmph, you two, wait for me here while I take care of the cyan stallion and the cart."
Wang Rongyuan led the cyan stallion and walked into the stable yard around the inner and outer periphery of Qingxi Lane.
-----------------
"Does it still hurt?"
Watching his younger brother's swollen cheek, Wang Yulou asked with concern.
"Can it not hurt? Even if you hit me, it would still hurt!"
Covering his face, Wang Yuanan's eyes were full of tears, and he looked extremely upset.
They grew up together and had a good relationship, so he had no objections to Wang Yulou's concern, but he just felt too aggrieved.
"It's just forgetting half a sentence of the family regulations, why do I have to get a big nose punch as a reward?"
Father, mother, I miss you!
"Hmm, Uncle Rongyuan is just concerned about you. Every time Big Brother Yuming in the family school talks about his younger brother, he gets tears in his eyes."
"We these little initiates during the Qi Practicing stage, after leaving the protection of the family, can only be careful and cautious."
Wang Yulou, feeling a bit both sad and amused, reminded.
His younger brother had truly been spoiled too much by his parents.
The mention of Yuming brother refers to the second of the Yuxi Generation, a Qi Practicing level cultivator, who is located in the family's clan land and teaches classes to other family members with spiritual roots.
His younger brother, Yu Liu, was assassinated by a robber cultivator in a residence within a secular town during his journey to study outside the family lands due to his youthful temperament and desire for pleasures of the flesh.
As a small tribe with foundation-laying cultivation, Wang Family is only considered minor in comparison to major clans like the Purple Palace Sect and the Great Clan's Left Path within the Wu Nan Basin.
But......for scattered cultivators who live day to day without a secure future, the things on the Wang family's descendants, are already enough for them to take risks.
"Brother, look over there, there's a cultivator without clothes."
However, Wang Yulou's concern is unnecessary.
Yuanan this little dog saw a beautiful female cultivator, his face immediately no longer hurt.
Healer!
On the surface, Wang Yulou seems to be somewhat disgusted, but there is also a sense of satisfaction in his heart.
Yuanan this little guy still has some dignity, and there is something good when he hasn't forgotten Wang Yulou -- it's not for nothing that he has cared for him.
Following Yuanan's gaze, Wang Yulou noticed the female cultivator standing by the stall in the marketplace.
Despite it being the beginning of March, this cultivator seems to be quite hot, wearing only a silken yellow-colored bustier top and a short robe below, with the skirt barely covering the hips.
The stall sells some stones, metals, all of which are things used for refining weapons. It's not clear where the wandering cultivator got them from, but the female cultivator is negotiating prices with the stall owner.
"Don't look around recklessly; she might be practicing charm arts. If you get tricked, when I become a Qi Practicing cultivator, I'll cry in the family school for you."
Pulling Wang Yuanan, Wang Yulou turned his ugly face away from the female cultivator's buttocks.
"You'd better be careful. I'm also a double-spirit-root cultivator, although it's just gold and earth, it's a bit weaker in refining talent than your water and fire, but stronger in combat!"
The pig-headed kid stubbornly replied and, as he spoke, he couldn't help but twist his head back towards the female cultivator again.
Passionate female cultivator hard-controls pure-hearted Xiao Chunan.
A female cultivator without clothes, there are no such things in the family!
At the age of thirteen, the boy has started to think about matters of the heart. This is why the family immediately sent them to different places to cultivate after their spiritual roots were measured.
To study techniques that the family doesn't have, it's best to find a rare and excellent cultivation partner along the way, to help the Wang family become stronger and bigger!
Seeing his younger brother act so pig-headed, Wang Yulou used all his strength, using his second-level Qi Practicing cultivation to firmly press down on the infatuated Xiao Chunan.
"Brother, you're taking advantage of your cultivation level to bully me....."
Wang Yulou shook his head and said, after everyone has tested their spiritual roots and started Qi Practicing cultivation together, you only have one layer and can I blame you?
"I think you really need to be careful, Yuanan, there are many temptations outside other than these."
The colorful world is dazzling, without a strong character you'll fall sooner or later. Ah, Yuanan, what will you do in the future?"
"Hmph, maybe she has practiced charm arts, yes, that must be it."
A man's stubbornness knows no bounds, and Yulou didn't even want to bother with this foolish younger brother.
However, he didn't show any disdain, Wang Yulou thought that Wang Yuanan's character was very normal, after all, not everyone has the same background as him, being transported with innate abilities.
-----------------
The area of the Wu Nan Basin, which spans over 20,000 miles in length and width, is approximately equivalent to the size of the European and Asian continent in Wang Yulou's previous life.
In the basin, there are three families and seven Left Path sects, collectively known as the Ten Sects.
Below the Ten Sects, there are thousands upon thousands of various cultivator families and small and medium-sized sects.
Qingxi Lane is located in the northwest of the Wu Nan Basin and is under the jurisdiction of the Left Path Red Beacon. It is a market catering to Qi Practicing cultivators.
With foundation-laying cultivation practitioners in permanent residence for centuries, the reputation is good and the business is thriving.
Inside Qingxi Lane, at the edge of the market, the stable yard was bustling with people today as well.
Practitioners at the Qi Practicing stage can ride magical artifacts to fly, but using them requires constant consumption of spiritual energy, and flying in the sky is too conspicuous.
Therefore, even if a Qi Practicing cultivator is traveling, they often only cover ground quickly rather than flying aimlessly in the air.
However, the Wang family actually has its own store, inn, and courtyard in Qingxi Lane. Not only can they park a cyan stallion, but they could park ten without any issue.
Wang Rongyuan specifically came to the Qingxi Lane Stable Yard and what he was doing wasn't just about parking horses.
After arranging the cyan stallion and the cart, he quietly entered the animal-related store inside the Stable Yard.
The shop owner was also a Qi Practicing cultivator, who looked like a monster with a twisted face. In short, no one would recognize him. At the moment, he was lying on a chair enjoying the massage given by an infatuated female cultivator.
"Old Wang?"
Seeing Wang Rongyuan enter, he waved his hand to send the female cultivator away and sat up on the chair, asking.
"I asked myself why I heard crows calling all day long, I knew you wouldn't come here for good, tell me~"
Wang Rongyuan sat down across from the shop owner with a flourish, pouring himself some tea as if he were a regular customer.
"A dog's mouth can't spit pearls. Old Ghost, have you found anything about what I asked you to look for?"
After drinking some B grade Gu family Spiritual Tea, Wang Rongyuan looked at the named "Old Ghost" information broker.
"Umonti Trios said they don't know, the bandit leader of Xiangshui Tan said there was news, but they wanted fifty spirit stones first to tell you."
The Red Leaf doesn't cost any money, but he also practices cultivation; he needs the thing himself..."
Wang Rongyuan nodded, silently pouring himself another cup and continuing to drink.
After counting on his fingers the most well-known robber cultivators nearby, the named "Old Ghost" Qi Practicing shop owner shrugged and said.
"Old Wang, that's just the situation."
The rumors about the foundation-laying period Wu Long Guan cultivator's corpse have only been heard once, but we've been looking for it for five years in and around Qingxi Lane, among small families, wandering cultivators, and robber cultivators.
There's been no other information at all, it might as well not exist."
Wang Rongyuan poured another cup of spiritual tea and said.
"Keep looking. If we find it, I just need his refining technique manual, I'll copy one for myself. The rest of it is all yours."
Old Ghost shook his head in confusion.
"How can we, as scattered cultivators, have a chance when even the people of Wu Long Guan can't find it themselves?"
Moreover, those robber cultivators are raised by major families. If a major family gets the corpse, they will certainly not sit back and let the refining technique manual leak."
Noticing that there was no more spiritual tea in the teapot, Wang Rongyuan stood up and prepared to leave.
"Keep looking, cultivators and robbers are different, major families have different priorities, if the corpse is found, it will definitely go through the hands of cultivation and there will be opportunities."
Staring at Wang Rongyuan's back as he left, Old Ghost let out a small whistle.
Could it be that the foundation-laying elder in the Red Beacon of the Wang family knows something special?
While thinking, he picked up the teapot.
"Damn, damn!"
Old Ghost's voice was so loud that Wang Rongyuan outside the door could hear it. He smiled slightly and hastened his pace of leaving.
Gu family's eighth-grade spiritual tea?
Drink it all up!
Not finishing it means the five spirit stones you gave me for the information will be wasted, right?
If there's no information at all, drinking your tea is already very generous!
-----------------
"Let's go, first we'll have a meal. We also have businesses in Qingxi Lane, it's your first time here, let me show you around."
Wang Rongyuan patted Yulou's shoulder, then kicked Yuanan's buttocks.
"Let's go, we'll be late for the master's greeting."
You're always partial, aren't you?
Yuanan felt wronged in his heart, but he dared not say anything.
"Uncle, why does it seem like there are so many people in Qingxi Lane? I remember Brother Yuming said there are only a few thousand cultivators here."
Following his uncle's side, Yulou whispered a question.
"Yes, it's good that you noticed there are more people here than expected, Yuanan, learn from your brother Yulou."
A large number of people usually means there have been changes, and something special is happening.
When walking outside, one must pay attention to six directions and ten directions, and listen to eight directions."
Wang Rongyuan first pointed at Yuanan, and then explained.
"Two years ago, the Red Beacon changed its leader, and the new leader comes from a big merchant family in Wu Nan. He's quite good at management and has set up a new business plan for all the markets under the Red Beacon."
"One of the things is that the Red Beacon's Merit Hall will send a branch to rotate and station in various markets under its umbrella, making it easier for scattered cultivators and small families to trade."
"Which is why there have been more cultivators in Qingxi Lane recently, because the Merit Hall branch will be here every half month. Many large market stores will also pay a spirit stone to follow the branch over."
Originating from a merchant family, the new business plan.
As someone who has worked every day from nine to nine as a beast, Yulou can taste something is wrong.
What is the Red Beacon?
Before he could think more, Wang Rongyuan led him and his brother into a restaurant named 'Zhiwei Inn'.
"It's our honored elder, Wang Rongyuan, the eldest of the Wang family! He's here!" The runner-up who saw Wang Rongyuan immediately ran over with a smile, shouting at the same time.
"What are you yelling about?"
Wang Rongyuan disliked this empty formal greeting and farewell, scolded the runner-up, and then led Yulou and Yuanan into the back hall.
A middle-aged man in a purple brocade robe, looking quite plump, greeted Wang Rongyuan with a deep bow.
"Elder Wang Rongyuan, you came without telling me, and I didn't have time to prepare any good dishes."
This smiling, chubby man was Tang Nianqiu, the person in charge of the Wang family's business at Zhiwei Inn, a surname cultivator.
With a strength at the initial stage of Qi Practicing and breaking through the "Shi Jing Dan" to achieve it, there is no further possibility of advancement.
In theory, as a Qi Practicing cultivator, he should be of the same rank as Wang Rongyuan and not show such politeness.
However, Wang Rongyuan is only 70 years old, and he has already reached the advanced stage of Qi Practicing, making him one of the few foundation-laying talents in the Wang family.
The difference is huge.
"No need, these are Yulou and Yuanan. They will be studying the art of Zhe Dao in Qingxi Lane, and there will be times when they meet difficulties, then..."
Before Wang Rongyuan finished speaking, Tang Nianqiu became very excited and looked at Yulou with admiration.
"Oh? This must be Yuanan. No wonder he is our Wang family's qi lin, elder Rongwen has a good son!"
I am Yuanan!
That's bad, I've become a substitute!
Yuanan's puffy cheeks turned red like a bright red lantern, and Yulou could only stand awkwardly to the side and grin.
"Hahaha, you've made a mistake! This is Yulou, and that one is Yuanan!"
"Yuanan, Yulou, come, meet your uncle Tang Nianqiu."
Wang Rongyuan couldn't help but laugh and introduced them.
Resisting the urge to take just a glance at Yuanan's pork head, suppressing his doubts, Tang Nianqiu spoke smoothly, covering up his own big embarrassment.
"Oh, both of you are the phoenix of the North Kingdom's household. I'm too shortsighted, I'm too shortsighted."
The best disciples stay at home, the ones who are not as good go to the sect, and the worst ones go out to guard the family's industries and expand the clan.
Yuanan and Yulou both have double-root talents, making them cultivation seeds with great chances to enter the foundation stage in Wu Nan's cultivation world!
How could the Wang family bear to send them to the sect, to be like beasts of burden for the children of the sect family?
"All right, let's have dinner first. Let's start with half a pot of Gu family's spiritual tea, and then two jin of spiritual rice. By the way, what kind of spiritual food is prepared today?" Wang Rongyuan said.
"Less heavy meat dishes, there are three Jiugong 'Yunyang' waterfowl, one pair of eighth-grade 'Gangbei' spiritual pork, and other... There are some Jiugong 'Muling' donkey that was slaughtered a few days ago, only missing three parts of the tail, the rest are all left."
Spiritual vegetables are not lacking, there are all the necessary ones. What do you think?”
Tang Nianqiu is the big manager of Zhiwei Inn, so he is naturally very clear about what kind of spiritual materials Zhiwei Inn has.
Wang Rongyuan paused for a moment and said.
"The duck isn't chewing well, and the eighth-grade pork ribs that these two kids can't bite off. So, let's have braised donkey board intestines, then a clear stewed donkey meat, and finally see what kind of good spiritual vegetables there are, make a quick stir-fry. How many spirit stones in total?" Wang Rongyuan asked.
"Ah~ Elder Wang Rongyuan, are you treating me like an outsider? How could I possibly charge..."
"The family rules also don't allow the elderly to eat for free, I'm eating for free today, and then again when Elder Rongwen comes, the rest of the year what will be left for Zhiwei Inn?"
Okay, just say how many spirit stones, don't give me any discounts!"
Yuanan: Uncle, if you have any objections to me, you might as well say them directly!
"Four and a half, please..."
Tang Nianqiu's eyes were rolling around, thinking that he should at least find a way to remove a zero.
"All right, give them five. Quickly bring the dishes, these two little brats have been running with me for over a day to get to Qingxi Lane, they're hungry!"
Wang Rongyuan took out five pieces of small oval chicken egg-sized low-grade spiritual stone from his chest, indicating to Tang Nianqiu not to stall.
Seeing the spiritual stones, Tang Nianqiu acted as if he were embarrassed and quickly pocketed them, then smiled and said.
"Elder Wang Rongyuan, you sit up there, the two small phoenixes also sit up there. Upstairs, haha."
Wang Rongyuan walked upstairs without looking back, Yuanan foolishly followed with his pig-like face up.
Yulou bowed to Tang Nianqiu again and then followed them up to the second floor.
After the three left, Tang Nianqiu, standing at the same spot, put away his smile, shook his sleeves, and went to the back kitchen to order the dishes.
-----------------
"Elder Tang is generally reliable. He is a disciple of Xianhe, and has been with the Wang family for nearly a century."
"Oh, you should call him Xianhe Uncle Grandpa. But, you're all young and haven't seen his grandeur back then."
Wang Rongyuan's eyes showed a touch of sorrow, as if he saw his uncle grandpa's commanding presence in those days.
Wang Xianhe, one of the three foundational cultivators in the Wang family from the Xian character generation, had passed away for over twenty years, so Yuanan and Yulou had never seen him.
The family hierarchy of cultivation families is not calculated according to the generation of one's biological parents, but rather according to every hundred years, a new generation is used.
It seemed that Yulou and Yuanan were only a month apart, but in reality, Yulou was the great-grandfather of Yuanan's bloodline.
"The clan school taught us that Ancestor Xianhe was skilled in the ways of animal husbandry for his entire life, transforming our Wang family's ninth-grade wooden category spiritual creature wild donkeys into eighth-grade stupid donkey stock, and arranging his disciples to be the managers of Zhiwei Inn. It should indeed be so."
Yulou deeply admires Ancestor Xianhe, as he spent his entire life lifting the foundation of our family by a whole level, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he has benefited ten thousand generations.
In the Wu Nan cultivation world, the biggest difference between family, sect, and individual cultivators lies in whether they have mastered spiritual creatures and how many they have mastered.
Each spiritual creature can continuously produce corresponding spiritual plants, spiritual mines, and so on, which is essentially the cultivational version of productive materials.
It is precisely because they have held onto a sustainable spiritual creature that produces stubborn donkeys, that the Wang family can have a fixed basic income, thus experiencing ups and downs and enduring for over a dozen generations in the Wu Nan cultivation world.
"Yuanan, learn more from Yulou. The things taught by the clan school all have great principles, see the small and know the great, Yulou has learned that, you... "
Wang Rongyuan looked at Yuanan and sighed with disappointment.
"Uncle, Yulou is just smarter, but I'm not dumb either. I'm also a double-root type!"
Upon hearing Yuanan's words, Yulou couldn't bear it and turned his head away.
The two have grown up together, studied at the same clan school, and come to Qingxi Lane to learn Zhe Dao techniques together.
Blood thicker than water, sincere and deep friendship.
Yulou couldn't bear it.
Brother, you're not helping.
Wang Rongyuan didn't speak either. His deep blue palm was summoned again.
Let's hit first and ask questions later!
The left and right diagonal palm, with a faint cyan color, was shown by Wang Rongyuan as an example of the exquisite control of spiritual energy possessed by Qi Practicing cultivators.
The strength is just right, not to knock someone out.
"Slap!"
"Ahh!"
"Slap!"
"Ahh!"
"Slap!"
"Uncle, stop hitting me, I know I made a mistake."
"Slap!"
"Wu Wu Wu, I want to go home..."
That year, Yuanan was just thirteen years old and left the Wang family mountain where he had grown up since he was small.
Upon leaving, he was immediately greeted with a set of ten affectionate punches from his uncle.
No matter who it is, he can't help but hold back!
"Alright, do you want to go home?"
Are you applying to me, as the third elder of the family's transmitting sect, to change the path assigned to you by the clan?"
Looking at the sobbing Yuanan, Wang Rongyuan coldly asked.
"Uncle Rongyuan, Yuanan has no such intention. He knows nothing and is still a child!"
Yulou was startled and quickly defended Yuanan, explaining.
"He is still a child."
The implied meaning of this statement is well understood, it sounds insensitive, but it's really effective!
"It's because he knows nothing that he can't be harmed!"
Wang Rongyuan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said.
"You two are the rare double-root talent in the Yu generation, more gifted than triple-root or quadruple-root talents, and more composed than single-root talents."
The clan spent a lot of money to find a teacher who could teach the art of Zhe Dao, based on your spiritual roots, hoping that you two would excel and bring a new tradition of Zhe Dao to the clan.
"But if you don't understand anything and risk your life outside, it's better to return to the clan and become a simple cultivator."
Upon hearing that he would be assigned to raise donkeys, Yuanan dared not cry anymore.
The best stay at home to carry on the family's learning, the ones with slightly less talent go to the sect to seek opportunities, and the least talented ones stay in external businesses or wander around as individual cultivators—there's also a faint chance of changing one's destiny.
The absolute worst is to be kept at home to raise donkeys, perhaps never being able to breakthrough the Qi Cultivation period, which is a common fate for those with fourth-level spiritual roots and even better for those with fifth-level spiritual roots!
"Uncle, Yuanan knows he made a mistake. He doesn't want to go back. He knows he made a mistake."
With his cheeks swollen and sniffling, Yuanan moped about, admitting his mistake in a dejected manner.
"What did you do wrong?"
Under Yulou's worried gaze, Uncle Rongyuan ultimately gave Yuanan a chance.
Yulou is too aware of it. Just now, Uncle Rongyuan was serious.
The Wang family's code of conduct is there. Disks that are not smart or too restless lack the value of cultivation!
"The path of cultivation is vast and obscure, and spiritual gifts are like floating reeds. The heart towards cultivation is as solid as stone, and with five irregularities, one can still become a cultivator."
Yuanan quietly recited the family's edict.
"Our Wang family has been in existence for over 1200 years. We've seen and dealt with geniuses as numerous as the fish in the river."
"But the most outstanding one is the Godlight Realm founder, who was born at the same time as Yuan Zong Xuan Ying."
At the dawn of his Qi cultivation, Yuan Zong Xuan Ying went on a hunt for demonic beasts in the West Sea and had a chance encounter with Shen Guang Realm founder, who was also at the Qi cultivation stage.
At that time, the Shen Guang Realm founder had been stuck at the early Qi cultivation stage due to his five spiritual roots for many years.
A thousand and two hundred years have passed, and most of the so-called single-root geniuses known by the Wang family have died at the Purple Palace Pass. Even if time has passed, none of them have achieved cultivation of the Golden Body.
The number of those who have broken off the cultivation path and faded into obscurity with double-root talent is incalculable. I am a double-root type!"
You brat, how dare you be complacent because of your double-root talent?
"Is your cultivation heart, which is proud of having double-root talent, lazy because of it?"
The story of Shen Guang Realm founder is the one that Wang clan sect always likes to tell the young men in the clan.
Because the origin ancestor of the Wang clan, Wang Xuan Ying, had witnessed Shen Guang Realm founder, who was unable to break through to the early stage of Qi cultivation due to the patchiness of his five elements.
"If you have five spiritual roots, don't despair. Shen Guang Realm founder has already achieved cultivation of the Golden Body!"
"If you have double-root talent, don't be complacent. How many double-root talents can't even break through the foundation stage!"
Just like the family's edict said, the path of cultivation is vast and obscure, and one's connection to cultivation is like a floating reed. Talent and gifts are like floating reeds.
In the mixed world of sects and clan, with numerous cultivators in the cultivation realm.
Only with a firm cultivator's heart can one go further.
Even if there are patches of five elements, it's not necessarily impossible to achieve cultivation of the Golden Body!
"I won't be complacent! I won't be lazy!"
Under the pressure of being assigned to raise donkeys, Yuanan's brain worked overtime, showing a sparkle of his Uncle Yulou's three-fifths style.
"Hmph! You..."
Tang Nianchao's appearance interrupted Wang Rongyuan's speech. This managing director of Zhiwei Inn actually brought the teapot up to the second floor himself.
"Aww, Uncle Rongyuan, the tea you requested - a pot of Gu Shi's spiritual tea - the finest new tea. Take your time, enjoy."
Seeing Tang Nianqiu's warm hospitality, Wang Rongyuan got up and pulled his arm, inviting him.
"Nianqiu, you're being too generous. Come, sit down and eat with us. These two youngsters will definitely need your help in the future."
As the managing director of Zhiwei Inn, Tang Nianqiu naturally had no reason to sit down and eat with the guests. He politely declined, saying.
"Uncle Rongyuan, I'm also a member of the Wang family. I'm just so happy to see all of you today. You go ahead and enjoy your meal. Yuanan and Yulou can ask for anything they need in the future, and I will definitely give them my full support!"
Seeing this clever managing director leave, Wang Rongyuan looked at Yuanan, who was still sniffling, and said.
"Drink tea!"
Yulou, being quick-witted, picked up the teapot and poured a cup for his uncle first.
"Please, uncle Rongyuan."
Then he poured another cup for Yuanan.
"Yuanan, Uncle Rongyuan is just hoping that you will be more alert."
"Now that we have come to Qingxi Lane, there are many more talented clansmen from the clan of divine realms here, as well as experienced cultivators who have reached the foundation stage. We need to be more alert."
"The clan spent a lot of money to hire a teacher for us. We should learn the art of Zhe Dao quietly and return home as soon as possible."
Saying this, Yulou gave Yuanan a sign with his eyes.
"Stupid brother, don't you hurry to take advantage of this opportunity?"
Fortunately, Yuanan is not really stupid. He understood the meaning behind Yulou's gesture and stood up with the tea, saying.
"Uncle Rongyuan, it was wrong of me, and it worried you."
"I will be more careful and work even harder in the future. I will never be complacent or lazy!"
"I offer tea instead of wine to toast you. Please spare me!"
Wang Rongyuan couldn't help but laugh and scold as he glanced at these two adorable clowns.
"You two little fellows, where did you learn this bullshit politeness? We're all family, and I can't help but be angry."
"As a soil and wood spirit root, when I was young, I studied arrays. The teacher of arrays and our Wang family had a mediocre relationship, deceiving me for ten whole years."
Soil and wood?
Yulou immediately noticed.
Sure enough, learning soil and wood roots is a dead-end, and the same goes for a different world!
For cultivators, the art of Zhe Dao is often their core productivity in navigating the cultivation world. Without the support of a family, individual cultivators regard their art of Zhe Dao as important as their lives.
Wang Rongyuan has suffered enough, and he hopes that these two boys will not repeat his own mistakes.
Saying this, he looked at Yuanan.
"Ah, this time, your father and I have contacted a master of refining alchemy who is renting a shop in our family's Qingxi Lane. His expertise in fire alchemy has reached the realm of mastery in the Qi Cultivation stage."
More importantly, his focus is on refining weapons made of metal and stone, which aligns with your gold-earth spiritual root.
It looks like we're getting two people's learning rights for the price of one, but this one piece of money... well, never mind. Let's eat!"
"Once children of the Wang family reach the age of thirteen and are found to have spiritual roots, they will be 'differentiated' for a reason."
During the Qi Cultivation stage, a small cultivator can only absorb a certain amount of Qi into their body each day, which is related to their talent. For example, Yulou can only practice for three hours each day; any more would reach the upper limit for double-root talents.
Yuanan's talent is indeed better than Yulou's. He can practice for three hours and half an hour more each day.
By sending out small cultivators with moderate talent from the family early on, they can use the remaining time, outside of their three-hour daily cultivation practice, to learn different arts of Zhe Dao.
After mastering the arts of Zhe Dao to some extent, it's almost time for practice or has already practiced, it's time to return to the family and practice the truly hardcore secret techniques for cultivation stage.
Moreover, for Yulou and other small cultivators, they have not learned the family's legacy arts of Zhe Dao and secret teachings. So even if they go out to study, it won't cause the family's legacy to flow outside.
Therefore, sending family cultivators out to study arts outside the family, and to learn as much as possible, is actually a win-win situation.
Of course, this is the cultivation path available only to the most promising spiritual seeds of the Wang Clan. Only a few among a generation may have this opportunity.
After all, just the tuition fees for the two Yuls, are high enough to make Wang Rongyuan feel like his flesh is aching just thinking about it.
It's too expensive!
"This is the first time I've eaten the meat of our family's spiritual donkeys. It really tastes great!"
Yulou took a bite of the stewed donkey meat, and immediately the aroma filled his mouth. As the donkey meat entered his stomach, the spiritual energy scattered and opened up, and he subconsciously wanted to draw in Qi to refine it.
But soon, he found that the donkey meat naturally transformed into his spiritual energy without him having to control it.
Even just a single bite of donkey meat was equivalent to his half-hour cultivation.
Yulou unconsciously looked at Yuanan and saw that the pigheaded kid had stopped crying and was also lost in the aftertaste of the spiritual food.
Delicious! And very delicious! In short, just delicious!
"Ha ha, it's not that the family doesn't want you to eat it. The spiritual energy generated by the spiritual food is the same as the spiritual energy that your spiritual roots can carry."
For a double-root cultivator, three hours of cultivation is equivalent to three hours of cultivation. Eating materials worth at least four or five spirit stones is also equivalent to three hours of cultivation.
"When you practice cultivation and become Qi Cultivators, each family member will have a monthly quota for spiritual materials. At that time, you can eat as much as you want!"
Seeing the two kids enjoy themselves, Wang Rongyuan smiled and started to explain.
As descendants of the Wang family, all the cypresses, the Wang Clan has gone through all kinds of ups and downs over the years. It is the gradual growth of one generation of young people after another that has gradually grown up, shouldered the burden, and developed the family to what it is today.
Yulou has a wise and cautious demeanor, a heart as deep as a pool, but he also places great importance on family loyalty. He is a good child who can bear the weight of the family's responsibility.
Yuanan... He's not perfect, but at least he knows his mistakes and is willing to improve. Hmm, that's acceptable.
Yulou beside him quickly calculated in his heart.
A cultivator with double spiritual roots without bottlenecks needs to spend 18 years to reach the Qi Cultivation stage, which is roughly thirty-odd years old.
Based on the time it took for the twenty-plus Foundation-level cultivators in the family's history to go from Qi Cultivation to Foundation-level cultivation, an average of seventy-seven years, and an average foundation age of one hundred twelve years - still stuck before the golden age of foundation cultivation at one hundred twenty years.
From the data, it looks like the Wang family's resource allocation model for family descendants is quite reasonable!
The Wang family is not yet rich enough to afford the spiritual food for their QI refining disciples.
Furthermore, if we start counting from the ancestors of the source, Yuan Ying, and take every three Foundation-level ancestors as a group, the average age of foundation cultivation for each group is continuously decreasing.
From the original one hundred twenty-three to the latest group of one hundred and eight, the numerical focus is continuously decreasing.
This indicates that the Wang Clan's resource allocation model has been constantly improved over the course of more than a thousand two hundred years, and the total amount of resources is also constantly increasing!
No wonder they have been able to pass on their lineage for a thousand years. Even though they are just a run-of-the-mill family in the clan of immortals, they do have something to offer!
"Uncle Rongyuan, please drink your tea. We two can't drink too much, my absorbed spiritual energy is already close to the limit for today's spiritual energy intake."
Yuanan looked at the clever Yulou, his molars grinding behind his teeth, he now just wanted some kind of treasure, could immediately return to the beginning, snatch away Yulou's licking thoughts.
Everyone is a descendant of Uncle Rongyuan, why are you so competitive?
"Oh, haha, you guys drink. Finish the meat and vegetables."
"I'm not short of this amount of spiritual energy. The Gu family's spiritual tea, though, is sold mixed with ordinary tea, but this pot is all true nine-grade spiritual tea."
A family uncle who had secretly drunk enough eight-grade spiritual tea replied like this.
Yuanan felt deeply embarrassed upon hearing this.
What a great Uncle Rongyuan!
Indeed, I am too young and immature.
---
After the meal, Wang Rongyuan casually walked in the eight-directional step, leading the two so-called Wang family cypresses to their true destination—the House of Refining Edge.
The House of Refining Edge is opened by a master of fire alchemy cultivation in the Qi Cultivation stage, Zhong Tianshuo, the Red-haired Monk.
The Red-haired Monk has a cultivation level of Qi Refinement 10 layers and has mastered an art of fire alchemy refining weapons, which he acquired from unknown sources. He is most skilled in refining stone and metal weapons.
In terms of the skill in refining stone and metal weapons, Zhong Tianshuo is quite famous in the nearby markets, making him a top-tier refining master among Qi Refinement cultivators.
"Brother, do you think our uncle is violating our family regulations by walking so arrogantly? It seems too arrogant."
The pigheaded kid next to Yulou whispered softly.
Yulou furrowed his brow and noticed that Yuanan's condition was severe.
"Child, there are some things that cannot be said. Do you understand?"
"Choke! Choke!"
Wang Rongyuan coughed twice, changed his showy eight-directional step to a normal walk, and adjusted his expression, naturally assuming a frugal immortal's demeanor.
"I'm not because of the future of the Wang family, I'm too happy, accidentally became a bit arrogant."
"Yuanan, you damn dog, when you're managing me, remember the family code very well. Good, very good!"
I hope you can also follow the family code yourself in the future, Yulou, keep an eye on him, and if you find anything that violates the family code, record it for me!
"When I see you again, you will report it to me alone, and I will handle it accordingly!"
Yulou replied respectfully.
"Respectfully comply with your uncle's decree!"
Walking behind the two, the pig-headed kid's face turned as red as cooked vegetables. He even wished he could give himself a slap....
He pitifully looked at Yulou, made a crying face.
Yulou gently patted his shoulder and gestured with open hands - crying won't help!
Brother, there's no way, you're too lively and foolish, you can't become an immortal.
"Here it is, this is it. How about the master I picked for you with the family head? Is his shop nice?"
The House of Refining Edge is located on the edge of Qingxi Fair, but it is actually the best location, because it is adjacent to the seven-grade Qinyun Qingxi—a seven-grade spiritual artifact!
To put it this way, this shop near Qinyun Qingxi, can bring in two hundred and forty pieces of inferior spiritual stone as rental income for the Wang Clan every year!
Wang Rongyuan's annual family salary is only a hundred spiritual stones!
Moreover, these two hundred and forty spiritual stones are only the basic rental fee for using nine-grade Qinyun Water and borrowing dispersed spiritual energy for cultivation, similar to a basic package.
If the tenant wants to use more Qingxi spiritual artifacts, such as spiritual vibrations, they need to continue paying more money—additional value-added services. The payment is received by one of the ten main factions of Wu nan, the Red Light Guiding Beacon!
This is also the reason why there are Foundation cultivators stationed in Qingxi Fair for a long time!
Standing in front of the House of Refining Edge, Yulou couldn't see the seven-grade Qinyun Qingxi behind the shop, but he noticed that a red lantern was hanging on the door of the House of Refining Edge.
"The red lantern......Could it be?" He looked at his uncle.
"Yes, it's the token of the Red Light Guiding Beacon. It represents the protection and sponsorship of the Red Light Guiding Beacon, serving both as a form of protection and deterrence and as a symbol of trust."
Wang Rongyuan touched his beard and nodded with a smile.
In these days, if you want to be a dog for the Ten Zongs, you can't have any skills!
The dogs of the Ten Zongs are all formidable when let out, each one a notable power.
"Follow me, we will go in."
Taking out a law token made of flower color mirrored silver from his chest, Wang Rongyuan directly led the two little guys past the shop's restrictions and walked into the House of Refining Edge.
"Old Zhong, I've brought you a disciple." He shouted loudly.
Yulou's gaze was already attracted by the numerous colors of various metals, amber, jade stones, and magical artifact embryos inside the House of Refining Edge.
Just like the men of this world who like guns and cannons in their previous life, after being reborn into this immortal world, Yulou's favorite things include magical artifacts.
Magical artifacts, the treasures of protecting the path.
One could say that no cultivator does not like good, high-quality magical artifacts.
"Mr. Wang, when are you planning to return the shattered eight-grade Qingxi water jade you promised to give me last time?"
A deep voice with a slight accent echoed, sounding to be about thirty years old.
Later, a big fat man with red eyebrows and embroidered red clothes came out from the rear of the House of Refining Edge, it was Zhong Tianshuo, the Red-haired Monk.
The red embroidered clothing on that man had spiritual light flowing around it. When Yulou looked at it, he could see the surging flames.
The flames flickered as if they had magic, captivating the attention of both Yuanlou and Yuanan brothers.
"Gather!"
His word brought the law, and the flames on the red embroidered clothing vanished immediately. Zhong Tianshuo frowned and waved his hand, continuing to speak.
"No chairs, just talk while standing."
"Brother Tianshuo, about the horse racing last time, I didn't expect the old man at the animal drug shop to be so arrogant, and he promoted his so-called family-secreted magical beast medicinal pill to all the horse owners."
So this......Ah, right?” Wang Rongyuan explained awkwardly with a smile.
The Wang family now has two foundation cultivators: one is a true disciple of the Red Light Guiding Beacon, and the other joined the Red Light Guiding Beacon as an outer hall official after reaching the foundation cultivation stage.
In theory, any one of these two foundation cultivation ancestors could easily kill Zhong Tianshuo.
Wang Rongyuan did not need to be so polite.
But... the Wang family does indeed need Zhong Tianshuo's secret teachings in fire alchemy and refining stones, they need it very much.
The family secret transmission is not comprehensive enough. Red-haired Monk's transmission has the value of supplementing Wang family's cultivation secrets. It is also easy to obtain, almost indispensable.
Many people also have similar transmissions, but they don't sell them, nor do they pass them on to outsiders. The Wang family wants to buy them but can't.
With a need for help from others, and the fact that Wang Rongyuan indeed caused Zhong Tianshuo great loss in the last bet on horses, he had to bear it and try to make amends.
"What is it right?
Mr. Wang, the shattered eight-grade Qingxi water jade is what you promised to compensate me for!
Given them, I will accept them and teach them for ten or eight years without a problem!
No, then take them and go find a place elsewhere!"
Upon hearing Zhong Tianshuo's words, Yulou's heart sank subconsciously.
This Red-haired Monk is not an ordinary character. Although he is only a Qi Cultivation cultivator, he can still be so arrogant in front of foundation-level cultivators.
Hearing Zhong Tianshuo's words, Wang Rongyuan's smile instantly paused.
He could easily resolve this matter with many methods, but their family is eager for the fire alchemy and refining stones heritage in Zhong Tianshuo's hands, so many methods cannot be used, and even some threats are not suitable to say.
Troublesome.
Troublesome.
Very troublesome!
"I will definitely not play around with the eight-grade Qingxi water jade beads. The reputation of the Wang family in Anbei is still loud, and Red-haired cultivation friend can rest assured."
Neither soft nor hard, the measure is just right, but Zhong Tianshuo doesn't buy it.
"So, where is the eight-grade Qingxi water jade beads?"
Wang Rongyuan really had no choice, so he said.
"It's not that we haven't found a suitable refiner to refine it yet, you just wait until it's finished being refined over there, and I'll give you the shattered beads."
Rest assured, Cultivator Zhong, does Wang Rongyuan have the reason to deceive you?
In fact, one must fulfill the bet. Zhong Tianshuo just wants to try a few shots.
After all, that's the shattered eight-grade Qingxi water jade!
Seeing Wang Rongyuan giving such an assurance, Zhong Tianshuo believed him, just that.....
Upon hearing that the Wang family has an eight-grade Qingxi water jade, he became even more attracted to it!
"Come to me for refinement! What do you want to refine into, Brother Wang, we have been good friends for a long time. I will refine it for free for you!"
"Facial Expressions"
Just now, it was still Mr. Wang, but now it has been upgraded to "Brother Wang." The Red-haired Monk understands the art of disguises.
"This......I will talk to the clan leader later, and I will definitely recommend you to him. You are the master of Yulou and Yuanan, and we are all our own people."
Seeing that Wang Rongyuan was not budging, the Red-eyed Monk ceased his persistence and turned to look at Yulou and Yuanan, saying.
"Alright, let them draw a spell and see. If their talent is too poor, don't waste my time."
Before refining the weapon, one must first refine the symbol. If one is unable to refine symbols, it is impossible to inscribe restrictions on the weapon prototype.
Come, draw your symbols on these two pieces of jute cloth and see what kind of talent for symbol refinement you two have.
The Wang family paid for a inheritance to send two disciples, but the Red-haired Monk is actually not satisfied with it.
Trying to get something for free, are you?
"Today, I must send one away so that we can continue to talk about conditions and finally get our hands on the shattered Qingxi water jade!"
Driving his spiritual qi, several red lines stretched out from Zhong Tianshuo and spread from different corners of the House of Refining Edge, pulling up chairs, jute cloth, white fluff pen, and arranging them in front of the two brothers.
Seeing this scene, Wang Rongyuan involuntarily took a deep breath.
This person's control over spirits?
It's interesting.
"Come on, you should both know how to draw an inviting spirit symbol, I'm in a hurry!"
After saying that, Red-haired Monk continued chatting with Wang Rongyuan.
"You shouldn't have hobnobbed with that old ghost. He's a bad person, and last time he sold my daughter a purple marten, but in the end, it grew into a purple-haired mouse!"
Wang Rongyuan naturally had confidence in the two boys drawing spells; they had started practicing since half a year ago.
It's just an invoking spirit symbol, something that can be done with ease~
"Don't worry, Brother Zhong, I just gave him a scolding today."
His scream was so loud, hey, it was really a resounding one. Unfortunately, you didn't hear it."
Wang Rongyuan put his hands in front of his chest and said proudly.
"Oh? Scream? You must have done a number on him."
Upon hearing that Wang Rongyuan had helped him vent his anger, Zhong Tianshuo immediately showed respect.
It's no wonder that Wang Rongyuan is a talented young man, he is indeed powerful.
Only the families loyal to the Red Light Guiding Beacon dare to be so bold in Qingxi Fancy, even Zhong Tianshuo himself doesn't dare to be so arrogant.
"Yes, but unfortunately you weren't there. He howled so loudly that people could hear him a few tens of li away."
Wang Rongyuan restrained his laughter, pretending to be arrogant and boasting with Zhong Tianshuo.
Old ghost: I damned your grandmother, you drank half an ounce of eight-grade Gu family spirit tea! Half an ounce! All of them are eight-grade ones!
"Huh... Is this your thing?"
"Yuanan, what's wrong? Is it drawn well?"
"Does he have any malignant diseases?"
"Oh, I scolded him on the way, no problem. If he's disobedient here, just beat him."
Yuanan's face twitched, and he almost spat out the ink when drawing the spell.
However, he has been fiercely refining the inviting spirit symbol recently, even missing his cultivation practice because of it. That's why he is a level lower than Yulou.
So, even with the very hellish distractions outside the scene, they did not affect him.
While Yulou, on the other hand, was fully concentrating on drawing an invoking spirit symbol from the beginning to the end.
Just when the inviting spirit symbol was about to be completed.
In Yulou's mind, there appeared a ghostly white Ruyi, with one end brimming with gold, like a progress bar.
He felt a slight movement in his heart, and the golden accumulation of Ruyi transformed into scattered stars, dispersing and disappearing.
The action of drawing an invoking spirit symbol became much more exquisite. It seemed plain and ordinary, yet effortlessly smooth and flawless.
The third last stroke.
The penultimate stroke.
Counting down...
Invoking spirit symbol, completed!
How can a time traveler not have a Golden Finger?
The jade ruyi in the mind appeared only after Yulou detected the spiritual root.
The function is not complex. It accumulates experience points during the process of drawing symbols. After drawing about fifty symbols, a small tube of golden light can be accumulated.
These golden lights can be regarded as a sort of small safety net.
After consuming it, a major failure can become a minor failure, a minor failure can become a success, and a success can become perfect.
How will it be if a major bonus is triggered with a full tube of golden light when the painting is already successful? Yulou hasn't tried it yet.
During the first two months of half a year of practice, he kept failing and couldn't accumulate golden light effectively.
Later, he had to practice cultivation and had the golden finger to rely on, so Yulou became a little slothful and focused his energy on spiritual energy cultivation.
After all, this is a world where one can refine their essence. Cultivating essence is precisely the kind of thing where one strives for every single day and every single night!
As for whether this safety mechanism can be applied to weapon refinement, Wang Yulou is very looking forward to it, but he also dares not look forward to it, fearing his expectations may come to nothing.
Refining weapons is costly, the process is complex, and the final product's quality will determine its value by a huge margin.
If the safety mechanism could be applied to weapon refinement, that would be great.
In that case, his future, as well as the future of the Wang Clan's immortal sect, may undergo drastic changes!
"Uncle Rongyuan, Elder Hongmei, I've finished drawing the invoking spirit symbol!"
After drawing the last stroke, Yuanan happily raised his jute cloth and looked at Wang Rongyuan and Elder Hongmei, but......
The two Qi Refining elders had already given up on him and turned their attention to the jute cloth in front of Yulou.
"What is this?"
People who understand the trade don't need a shock element. Wang Rongyuan smiled as he waited for Elder Hongmei to speak.
Elder Hongmei rubbed his belly and shook his head.
"I'm old now. I let a little kid beat me in this, and I don't think I could draw such a level of invoking spirit symbol. Yulou, is that right?"
Yulou looked at the invoking spirit symbol in his hand and said, somewhat overwhelmed, "That's right."
"Yes, Wang Yulou, Elder Hongmei, this is the best invoking spirit symbol I've drawn since I started practicing. I often waste them in my daily practice."
Yulou smiled naively and explained the reason for his perfect invocation spirit symbol.
"Yuanan did well too; he's practiced quite a bit. Brother Zhong, take a look."
Yuanan looked at Wang Rongyuan with some confusion and almost shed tears of gratitude.
Uncle, you really still love me!
Wang Rongyuan: The Wang family has spent so many spirit stones! You must successfully become a master!
Pick up Wang Yulou's invoking spirit symbol, it's ordinary above, excellent below, indicating that he has put in some effort.
Elder Hongmei looked at it again and again, and finally sighed.
"Elder Wang, I'll take both of them on. Just regarding the matter of the shattered Qingxi water pearl, I hope you can give it more thought."
Since there are such talented individuals in front of me, Elder Hongmei doesn't want to say lies.
"Of course, of course!"
Wang Rongyuan smiled so brightly that his face glowed. He hadn't expected Yuanan to be so spirited.
He may seem careless, but he takes his work seriously.
"Today, I'll take them back first for a bath and incense, and tomorrow morning, I'll invite three or five like-minded people. We'll have a splendid ceremony for the apprentice-making ritual!"
Elder Hongmei glanced at Yulou and then at the pig-headed Yuanan. He wanted to say that the apprentice-making ceremony could be skipped, but then he thought it was still necessary to hold one.
These two should be the only two disciples I've taken since I began seeking the path, and it is reasonable to hold a ceremony as a witness.
"But, I'm not too familiar with the apprentice-making ceremony. Could you please handle it, Wang Brother?"
"Of course, of course!"
-----------------
"You being able to join Zhong Tianshuo's sect makes me very satisfied, and I believe the leader of our tribe would also be pleased."
On the way back to the inn with his little nephew, Wang Rongyuan said smilingly.
"Uncle Rongyuan, is Elder Hongmei really that formidable?"
Yulou was perplexed, and Yuanan also looked very curious.
"You wouldn't understand. He might have obtained the inheritance of the Golden Stone Forging Fire Art from Xuji Fire Law. Do you remember his control level of spirit just now?"
His cultivation is about the same as mine, but his control over spirits is higher than mine. To speak of age, I think we are about the same."
Under the moonlight, Wang Rongyuan sighed regretfully.
Cultivating essence, cultivating essence, every immortal practitioner yearns for a further breakthrough.
Being a peer, Wang Rongyuan has already fallen behind Hongmei. How could he not feel despondent?
If my opportunity were better...
If I hadn't been duped by that cheap master as a foolish young boy?
If I had a higher understanding...
"His eyebrows may be the result of spiritual Qi manifesting externally. Uncle Rongyuan, from this perspective, you have more potential than him."
Yulou consoled his own uncle.
"Hey, you young man, you still want to surpass me."
He rubbed Yulou's head and smiled, "The main thing is done, and my heart is also at ease. Let's joke around, Wang Rongyuan."
"I wonder who between you two will reach the foundation cultivation stage first. After all, you were born in the same month and year, grew up together, and now are going to be disciples of the same master."
"You two, work hard~"
Yuanan wanted to say that it was definitely me, but his face was already puffy enough, so he chose to keep quiet.
Yulou, you'll see! By then, I'll make sure to have you call me senior!
"Hmm?"
Immortals have keen eyesight. When they reached the inn of the Wang family located in Qingxi Alley, across the road, Wang Rongyuan and Yulou both noticed the mother and daughter they had seen at noon.
The mother was still standing there, the tag around her neck was still there. She hopelessly leaned against the railing of Qingxi Alley, with her feet by her exhausted daughter who had fallen asleep.
Ten taels of silver, which is only a small amount for an immortal.
But the vast majority of people choose not to give a cent.
The Wu nan cultivation world, not many people have the luxury of retaining a sense of warmth.
As long as one has not become an immortal, one is still human, and even one may not be able to protect oneself!
Yulou looked at his uncle, and Wang Rongyuan was silent for a moment before nodding.
"Go ahead, I'm watching over you."
Yulou took the silver piece handed to him by his uncle and walked towards the mother and daughter.
In the evening Qingxi Alley, there were still many people, but they were much sparser than when they arrived.
If he doesn't save them, in this marketplace for immortals, the mother and daughter won't survive for much longer.
"Here, ten taels of silver."
Wang Yulou gave the woman a small golden bean, and the exhausted woman opened her eyes.
"Thank you, immortal master. Thank you, immortal master."
"I am not an immortal master."
Yulou sighed and shook his head with a trace of melancholy.
A household that accumulates good will surely have its blessings.
That's all.
He's just a struggling immortal practitioner who's seeking the path to immortality. How can he be called an immortal master?
"Just a moment, I have something to give her."
Under Yulou's perplexed gaze, the woman took out a bag of silver from her bosom.
She put the golden bean Wang Yulou gave her into the bag, and then tied the whole bag to her daughter's hand, who was still sleeping.
"Forgive me, forgive me, this little immortal master is a good person."
The mother wept bitterly, embracing her daughter who was about to leave.
She lowered her head, lifted the little girl up, and raised her in front of Yulou.
She didn't want to part with her daughter, but she was even more unwilling to let her daughter suffer with her.
"My family needs many people. I am the son of the Tea King Gu family, and you can also come."
"No, without me, it will be better for her. She will have spiritual roots. Her father is a cultivator. She must have spiritual roots, right?"
Yulou replied with a heart that was hard to bear.
"Yes, she will have spiritual roots."
He didn't want to, he didn't want to shatter a mother's greatest blessing to her child.
Child, Mom doesn't have spiritual roots, but you will have them, you definitely will!
"Let her cultivate well and become an immortal, immortal master. You are a good person; you will become an immortal too."
The mother of this mortal body and muddy womb, who had finally looked at her daughter who was about to leave, wiped away her tears that could not be held back.
She turned her back resolutely, her steps unsteady, as if escaping, and disappeared into the night of Qingxi Alley.
Yulou touched the small money bag made of silk, filled with silver, and hugging the child, stood there for a long time without moving.
There were no lamps on the side of the road in Qingxi Alley, but tonight, there was a brilliant full moon in the sky.
Wang Yulou looked up, and his eyes were filled with tears.
The moon is brighter in my hometown, the moon is brighter in my hometown.
He misses his mother.
