Chapter 46

After sleeping soundly through the night and shaking off the fatigue of travel, Yulou rose early.

After a simple wash and rinse, Yulou went to the door of the clan chief’s chamber.

He had some questions and concerns.

How to get along with Hongmei in the future—this was something the clan chief needed to guide him on.

More importantly, Yulou was unsure how the clan chief intended to handle his own cheap master.

Hongmei’s intent to kill him could not be hidden, creating a rift between Yulou and Hongmei.

Yet despite this, Yulou still believed Hongmei was valuable—extremely valuable.

He was a Master of Alchemy capable of crafting top-grade magic treasures with thirty-two sealing layers.

In the Wunan cultivation world, the upper limit for solo practitioners was Qi Refining; if Yulou wished to go far in the future, he could not do so without his clan’s support.

Within the clan, by maintaining good relations with Yuan, and with Uncle Rongyuan and Uncle Rongwen above him, he had built his own small faction.

If he took the initiative to have the clan chief assign Hongmei to a key role and make full use of this cheap master, Yulou’s future path within the clan would be steadier and longer.

In the cultivation world, surviving through utilitarianism was not shameful.

Passion and Rexue were often only found in fantasy tales.

Yulou faced masters who would instantly turn and kill their disciples, ancestors who drained thousands of cultivators to achieve Golden Core, and an Immortal Alliance and Ten Sects that exploited and oppressed without mercy.

He needed calmness, wisdom, patience, perseverance... to go further.

The Wang clan was a united family, but also a large one, and one with a long heritage and strict internal governance.

Since Yulou did not wish to easily join a sect and become a servant, he needed to plan ahead, make full use of the Wang clan’s resources, and map out his development path early.

First cultivate thoroughly within the Wang clan, then enter a sect to seek Foundation Establishment opportunities—these two steps must be taken firmly, and they required advance planning.

Arriving at the clan chief’s door, Yulou did not knock; he simply stood quietly outside.

Soon, the clan chief’s voice came from within.

“Come in, don’t stand there like a fool.”

Seeing Wang Xianmao seated cross-legged on a mat, Yulou bowed first, then spoke softly.

“Clan Chief, Yulou has a question to ask.”

“Speak.”

Though unsure why this boy had come to stand guard at his door so early, the clan chief still wished to draw closer to the younger generation.

“Yulou does not know how to get along with Hongmei in the future; I humbly ask for your guidance.”

He asked about getting along, but was really probing how the clan chief intended to deal with Hongmei.

“Hahaha, didn’t you say just fine yesterday? Keep things separate—you call him Master, and he is also a newly recruited member of the Wang clan.”

Wang Xianmao clearly had not given Hongmei much thought; his plan was still for Yulou to study diligently under Hongmei.

But Hongmei had changed his name to Wang Yueshuo, forcibly joined the Wang clan through a secret technique, and was neither an outsider nor a direct descendant.

Yulou did not understand.

“Then what about his Foundation Establishment...?” Yulou asked, troubled.

Clan Chief, do you truly intend to treat Hongmei as a Wang clan scion and let him proceed with Foundation Establishment?

“We’ll see once you’ve learned enough. If Hongmei wishes to achieve Foundation Establishment, he must pass through me.”

“Only a Purple Mansion cultivator skilled in Wood Dao can break my Black Vine Soul Lock Technique. Don’t worry.”

Wang Xianmao answered with a hint of pride.

He was a seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivator with unique abilities; his personal technique, the Black Vine Soul Lock, could not be broken by ordinary Purple Mansion cultivators!

“Clan Chief, if our Wang clan can produce a few more new direct-line Foundation Establishment cultivators in the coming decades, we could give Hongmei a chance.

He is, after all, a Master of Alchemy; if we can make him serve the Wang clan, a little risk is worth it.”

Yulou saw clearly: if Hongmei achieved Foundation Establishment, both he and Yuan would be the greatest beneficiaries—no matter how the Wang clan moved forward, their paths would be wide open.

After all, under the Immortal Alliance’s overwhelming dominance, Hongmei’s forced entry into the Wang clan may have been humiliating, but it was not a bad choice.

Serving a sect’s Purple Mansion cultivator as a servant is serving; serving as a servant in the private enterprise that is the Wang clan is still serving.

The difference is: Wang clan Foundation Establishment cultivators hold shares in the company; sect Foundation Establishment cultivators are pure servants.

On another level, Yulou’s question was also a probe—he wanted to confirm exactly what the clan chief had redeemed from the Red Lamp Merit Hall.

This point was crucial.

“Hmm, difficult. Your Uncle Rongjiang is already in seclusion; results will come within two years.

Next is the clan’s outsider Elder Tie Qinhao—he also took half a share of Foundation Establishment resources from me.

Tie Qinhao’s cultivation is weak, and his root qi is unbalanced, but this is his second attempt at Foundation Establishment, and his success rate is high.

The likes of Wang Rongyuan and Wang Rongwen are further behind; they won’t even be considered for Foundation Establishment for at least twenty years.

We have no shortage of Foundation Establishment resources. This time, we must thank Hongmei—if he hadn’t been so foolish, where would we have found this extra share? Hahaha.”

Yulou understood: the clan chief had no intention of letting Hongmei truly achieve Foundation Establishment.

Once he achieved it, he’d be harder to control.

He set aside his distant thoughts and said:

“Yulou was thoughtless.”

The clan chief shook his head. He was satisfied with Yulou in every way—this boy’s only flaw was being too reserved.

We’re family; why be so reserved?

Are you afraid of me?

Am I not quite approachable?

“No, I’m very pleased with you. You guessed right—the fall of Wolongfang was not simple.

It wasn’t that Gu Shen Sect colluded with bandit cultivators, as you suspected—it was Miaofeng Mountain that had a problem, a big problem!”

How could Miaofeng Mountain not have problems? Their inner sect disciples had begun robbing Wang Rongyuan as bandits.

Of course, this also owed much to Wang Rongyuan’s brilliant fishing tactic at the time.

“Miaofeng Mountain had a big problem?”

That was a sect with three Purple Mansion cultivators in residence—how could it have a big problem?

“Yes. They wanted to push another Purple Mansion cultivator forward. Early on, when the Red Lamp Merit Hall first opened to outsiders, they redeemed two shares of Purple Mansion advancement resources.

The result? These two shares crushed the Foundation Establishment cultivators under them, and forced countless Qi Refining cultivators to switch sects.

Gu Shen Sect saw this weakness—the depleted defense at Wolongfang—and launched a full-scale assault to seize it.”

Yulou stared, dumbfounded.

Good, good, good—floodwaters overturning boats are the tears of the common folk.

These sects could force so many disciples to abandon their homes and switch sects—they were truly extraordinary.

He and Yuan had done right not to join a sect directly.

“Two shares of Purple Mansion advancement resources—Miaofeng Mountain must have gambled everything to produce a new Purple Mansion cultivator.”

Seeing that Yulou grasped this, Wang Xianmao was satisfied.

“Yes. The Supreme Elder of Miaofeng Mountain and Master Mangxiang had a poor relationship; the Master sought Golden Core, and they were terrified.

But these matters have nothing to do with us. Instead, Yulou—I plan to appoint you as manager of the newly established Baibao Pavilion. Do you have the confidence to handle it?”

The Baibao Pavilion was a shop newly established by Wang Xianmao, inspired by the Huang clan’s Baibao Fang, specifically targeting Qi Refining cultivators.

The Wang clan would purchase another plot of land in Qingxi Fang to establish the Baibao Pavilion, selling only high-quality talismans, elixirs, and magic treasures.

After being exploited by the Red Lamp Merit Hall, the Wang clan needed to open new revenue streams to meet future needs.

Not to mention, just imagining the Wang clan gaining at least two more Foundation Establishment cultivators made Wang Xianmao’s head ache.

The Wang clan’s resources were limited; they could not afford so many Foundation Establishment cultivators. Without new income from spirit stones, it was impossible.

“This... perhaps Uncle Rongsheng should take it? Wolongfang is in chaos now—he’d be perfect as manager of the Baibao Pavilion.”

Yulou certainly wanted the appointment—Wang Xianmao clearly intended to train him.

But he feared he might fail and drag the family down.

Wang Rongsheng had managed for years in Wolongfang; his experience far surpassed Yulou’s.

Seeing Yulou decline, Wang Xianmao waved his hand.

“Yulou, don’t refuse. Low-priced rooms are popular among free cultivators—clearly, you have talent in business.

For the coming years, the Baibao Pavilion will remain under your management. As for Rongsheng, I have other plans for him.”