Chapter 191: with translation of chapter title

Cloud Upper Realm.

A five-colored stream of light transformed into a long rainbow and fled; within that fleeing light was, surprisingly, a young early Golden Core cultivator with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, extraordinarily handsome.

Having the 'Mystic Demon Phantom Form' makes it much easier to conceal one's appearance when traveling.

Within the fleeing light, Yunhe touched his cheek and muttered to himself.

He family of Nanxiu Island

He silently recited the goal of this journey.

This family originally had a decent status on Nanxiu Island, belonging to the upper-middle tier, after all there were two Golden Core cultivators in the clan: one mid-stage Golden Core and one early-stage Golden Core. However, due to some unknown reasons, the mid-stage Golden Core ancestor of the He family, He Yao, went missing, leaving only the elderly early-stage Golden Core cultivator to struggle alone.

Naturally, Yunhe wasn't just idly waiting in Yun Gong City; in his spare time he still tried through various channels to learn about the He family of Nanxiu Island.

It's actually a family that started from a spirit farmer. That He family ancestor went from a mere spirit farmer to the present large He clan—indeed a notable figure.

But after so many years, only an elderly early-stage Golden Core ancestor remains, which makes things easy to handle.

Wait a minute. I'm here for a fair trade; why compare battle strength?

Yunhe was somewhat speechless at his own first reaction.

But it is precisely because the Golden Core ancestor went missing that the He family now interacts with the outside world less frequently.

Nanxiu Island lies due south of Yun Gong City; this place enjoys ample sunshine and abundant rainfall, making it an excellent land for cultivating spirit plants.

Although Nanxiu Island is not as large as Yun Island where Yun Gong City is located, it is still much larger than the Jiao Island Yunhe previously visited.

The He family resides at the southernmost tip of Nanxiu Island, behind a range of overlapping mountains.

Upon close inspection, one can see that the surrounding mountains are covered in layered terraces, which can be considered fertile land stretching for thousands of miles.

Even though it has now developed into a larger cultivation clan, they haven't forgotten their original trade—not bad.

Looking at the spirit farmers toiling in the terraces, the spirit farmers pruning branches, the spirit beekeepers raising spirit bees, Yunhe couldn't help but recall his life back at the River Stream Market.

That day.

The cultivators laboring in the fields suddenly saw a stream of light streaking across the horizon.

Then came a terrifying aura that made these cultivators feel their breath catch and their strength threaten to dissipate.

Fortunately, after the opponent merely released that aura, they took no further action.

It's a Golden Core ancestor!

Feeling this aura, the gathered Qi Refining cultivators all turned deathly pale with fright.

At that moment, an earth-yellow stream of light flew out from the scattered houses in the distance, revealing a cultivator with an aged face, a head full of gray-white hair, wearing an earth-yellow robe, his expression showing undisguised wariness and a hint of dread deep in his eyes.

Although he looks old, he is not as decrepit as Yunhe imagined; at least he should still have thirty or forty years of lifespan left.

His cultivation is indeed early Golden Core, which must be the sole remaining ancestor of the He family.

I am He Wen; may I ask who you are?

He Wen surged with power, his body's treasure ready to be unleashed at any moment, eyeing the suddenly arrived Yunhe warily.

There's no way around it; the He family is no longer what it once was. As the family's sole remaining Golden Core ancestor, He Wen already feels immense pressure, and the family's power and influence are constantly being eroded. Now another Golden Core cultivator has suddenly appeared—even if also early stage—He Wen cannot help but stay on guard.

Greetings, Fellow Daoist He; I am Bee Daoist, and I have come here with no other purpose than to make a trade with you. Yunhe said, smiling and clasping his hands.

Bee Daoist?

He Wen thought it over and was certain he had never heard that title.

But that's not the point.

He still hadn't relaxed his guard and asked in a deep voice:

Trade? What trade?

Yunhe smiled slightly, 'I need Golden Ear Grass; I've heard the He family of Nanxiu Island cultivates large amounts of spirit herbs, so they surely have Golden Ear Grass. As for what to exchange, anything goes—spirit stones, elixirs, even treasures can be discussed.'

Golden Ear Grass?

He Wen stared, took a deep look at Yunhe, then inhaled deeply and said:

A distant guest is still a guest; this place is not suitable for discussion. Please, Fellow Daoist, follow me.

Saying that, he flicked his sleeve, turned, and fled toward the He family residence.

Yunhe glanced around meaningfully, then without much hesitation followed him inside.

A Golden Core family like the He family surely has its own mountain-protecting formation.

But Yunhe also came prepared.

He had already probed the He family's formation before revealing his aura; it is undoubtedly a third-rank grand formation.

He also arranged in advance the Tian Du Gu Corpse and some of the Chiying Golden Winged Bees outside the formation's range.

Without discussing how much time the He family would need to activate such a grand mountain-protecting formation, whether it would be enough for him to deal with He Wen or escape.

Even if the mountain-protecting formation were activated, he has confidence to break it.

Not for any other reason.

Because such a mountain-protecting formation can resist external or internal attacks, but struggles against a combined internal and external assault.

Moreover, knowing he might enter the He family's formation, he had already spent a large amount of spirit stones to purchase a 'Formation-Breaking Pearl'.

With this pearl, the activation speed of the He family's formation will be very slow, giving him plenty of time to do many things.

The reason he didn't let the Tian Du Gu Corpse substitute is because the He family once had a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator; who knows what means they might have to identify the Tian Du Gu Corpse's corpse-refining identity.

Of course, these preparations are merely backup plans.

He came with sincerity to buy things, not to mess with the He family; he only hopes they won't cause more trouble.

Given the He family's current situation, it's clearly unwise to make many enemies; instead, they should broaden their good connections.

He family main hall.

Fellow Daoist, having come from afar, please try this 'Bitter Fragrant Tea'; this tea is a specialty of my He family, I hope you won't disdain it.

He Wen sat in the host's seat; seeing Yunhe enter without hesitation, he followed into the He family's encampment, and at the same time his mind was greatly eased and his attitude improved considerably.

Thank you.

Yunhe's spiritual eyes flashed; after confirming the tea was fine, he lightly took a sip.

Indeed, the tea lived up to its name—bitter and astringent on the tongue, yet soon a rich, sweet aftertaste came, and he even faintly felt a fluctuation of magical power.

His eyes brightened slightly.

"Good tea."

"Hahaha, Bee Fellow Daoist, as long as you like it, that's fine." Listening to Yunhe's comment, He Wen looked quite happy.

Afterwards they chatted briefly, merely exchanging pleasantries while probing each other's background.

"Fellow Daoist He, I don't know about this 'Golden Ear Grass'..." Yunhe steered the conversation back to the point.

"This..." He Wen's face showed difficulty.

"How so?"

"Fellow Daoist, you should know this 'Golden Ear Grass' is no ordinary spiritual herb; it was mostly with my nephew, but now..." He Wen let out a bitter laugh.

The disappearance of another elder of the He family is no secret.

Moreover, He Yao, who is at mid‑Golden Core, is actually the junior of He Wen, who is at early Golden Core—something Yunhe didn't know.

"I suppose Fellow Daoist He must have some as well; please share a portion, for this is quite important to me." Yunhe said sincerely.

His earnest expression made it seem as if he hadn't said anything, merely stating his stance, yet it felt as if he had said everything.

"Alas, since it's important to Bee Fellow Daoist, I can only spare a little of the He family's remaining Golden Ear Grass for you." He Wen sighed.

He Wen sighed, as if he had made the decision after a struggle.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist!" Yunhe's face lit up; he clasped his hands and asked, "What does Fellow Daoist wish to exchange for? Or Spirit Stones? As long as the price is right, I will not refuse."

Upon hearing this, He Wen's expression shifted slightly as he probed, "Bee Fellow Daoist, are you a loose cultivator?"

"Indeed. I was born a loose cultivator and managed to reach Golden Core by luck; I'm ashamed to admit it." Yunhe narrowed his eyes imperceptibly, lifted the spiritual tea, took a small sip, and said.

"Then, Fellow Daoist, would you consider settling somewhere? Though my He family isn't a major cultivation clan, we do have some foundation. You need Golden Ear Grass for alchemy, right? If you're willing to become a guest elder of my He family, I'll give you all the Golden Ear Grass—nothing else needs to be said."

Yunhe was speechless.

"Fellow Daoist He, I'm accustomed to being a loose cultivator; although Golden Ear Grass is important to me, I won't risk my life for a few spiritual herbs."

If He Wen truly thought that grasping the Golden Ear Grass meant grasping his lifeline, that would be presumptuous.

"No."

He Wen's expression grew solemn.

Leaning forward slightly and lowering his voice, he said: "Fellow Daoist, you may not know, but my He family can steadily produce a hundred years' worth of the Golden Ear Grass you need."

"Hmm?"

"Steady production?"

Looking at He Wen, who spoke half‑sentence yet appeared utterly confident, Yunhe raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised.

Could the He family have planted a large batch of Golden Ear Grass?

Even so, Yunhe needs at least a hundred years' worth of Golden Ear Grass; unless the He family plants a huge amount and continually replants each year.

But that's unrealistic, as Golden Ear Grass has high environmental demands.

Yet seeing He Wen's confident demeanor, it didn't seem feigned.

Yunhe couldn't help but fall into contemplation.

If he could steadily obtain Golden Ear Grass, and also steadily acquire third‑rank demon beast inner cores, he could continuously refine Spirit Ear Pills.

With ample Spirit Ear Pills supporting him, his cultivation base would surely rise steadily; perhaps in a few decades he could break through to mid‑Golden Core.

Seeing Yunhe lost in thought, He Wen gave a gentle smile.

"Fellow Daoist, why not give it proper thought? You could stay a few days at my He family before deciding—no rush."

"That works."

Yunhe gave a slight nod, glanced at He Wen with a hint of meaning, and said.

The two chatted a while longer.

"Someone! Take Bee Fellow Daoist to the guest room to rest!"

He Wen then said to Yunhe:

"Bee Fellow Daoist, rest first; I'll fetch what you need and deliver it to your lodging."

Soon, two rather pretty He family maidservants entered, respectfully guiding Yunhe away.

Leaving the He family hall, Yunhe's smile faded, his brows slightly furrowed, and a flash of cold light flickered in his eyes.

He opened his palm and saw a few grayish‑white worms wriggling faintly, seeming somewhat restless.

"I really just wanted to buy something; don't play with fire."

And after Yunhe left, He Wen remained seated in the chief seat, the smile on his face gone.

He summoned another person.

This person had late‑Foundation Establishment cultivation, appeared steady, but seemed not young either.

"Greetings, Elder Ancestor."

"Hui'er, go investigate this Bee Daoist as quickly as you can." He Wen said lightly.

"Yes!"

Without hesitation, He Hui turned and hurried away.

He Wen expressionlessly lifted his teacup, took a sip, and after a moment spoke slowly.

"Yao'er, is this person truly an early‑Golden Core cultivator?"

Though clearly no one was around, he seemed to be speaking to someone.

"Granduncle, this person's cultivation is indeed early‑Golden Core, but for some reason he feels very dangerous to me."

A hoarse, low voice echoed in the hall.

Translation: A hoarse, low voice sounded in the hall.

"Danger?" He Wen frowned.

Translation: "Danger?" He Wen frowned.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, pondered for a moment, then spoke in a deep voice:

Translation: He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, pondered for a moment, then paused and said in a deep voice:

"We deliberately leaked some information, taking on great risk; this was essentially a gamble. Fortunately we won, and the visitor is a lone cultivator. Having won one round, we might as well go all in! The He clan cannot afford a break in Golden Core cultivators!"

Translation: "We deliberately leaked some information, taking on great risk; this was originally a gamble. Fortunately we won the bet, and the visitor is a loose cultivator. Since we've already won one round, we might as well go all in! The Wang Clan cannot afford a break in Golden Core succession!"

He Clan cannot have a gap in Golden Core cultivators!

He still has more than thirty years of lifespan, yet in those thirty years it is unlikely for any later generation of the He family to attain Golden Core.

Translation: He still has over thirty years of lifespan left, but within those thirty years, it will be hard for another Golden Core cultivator to appear among the younger generation of the He Clan.

Without the protection of a Golden Core cultivator, the He family would face predicaments that are easy to imagine.

Translation: And without the protection of a Golden Core cultivator, the He Clan will face what can be imagined.

Thus, before them lies only one possible course of action.

Translation: So now, before them, there is only one possible way.

Although inviting a guest elder is indeed an option, the core issue remains that He Wen has only thirty-plus years of lifespan; if he were to leave, it would be uncertain whether the He family would retain its surname.

Translation: Although inviting a guest elder is indeed an option, ultimately the problem lies in He Wen having only over thirty years of lifespan; if He Wen leaves, it's uncertain whether the He Clan will still bear the He name afterward.

In the cultivation world, it is not uncommon for a guest to surpass the host.

Translation: Guests overpowering hosts is not uncommon in the cultivation world.

"Alas, it's all because my nephew acted hastily, falling for the schemes of the Liu and Wang families." That voice sounded again.

Translation: "Alas, it's all because my nephew acted hastily and fell for the schemes of the Liu Clan and the Wang Clan." That voice sounded again.

"Things have come to this; there's nothing more to say. Now only you and I, uncle and nephew, joining forces can give our He family a sliver of hope!" He Wen's voice was firm and powerful, his resolve already set.

Translation: "Things have come to this; there's nothing more to say. Now only you and I, uncle and nephew, joining forces, can give our He Clan a chance to seize a sliver of survival!" He Wen's voice was firm and powerful; he had already made up his mind.

"Very well, I'll follow the granduncle's arrangements; my nephew will go make preparations first."

Translation: "Alright, I'll follow the grand uncle's arrangements; nephew will go make preparations first."

He Wen nodded slightly, lowered his hands to his chin, and in his murky eyes a cold glint flickered.

Translation: He Wen nodded slightly, hands lowered to his chin, his murky eyes glimmering with a cold light.

After a while, he suddenly said:

Translation: After a while, he suddenly said again:

"Order Wan'er, Tao'er, and Jie'er to go to Yun Gong City to gather supplies; they are not to return without my command!"

Translation: "Attendants, order Wan'er, Tao'er, and Jie'er to go to Yun Gong City to gather supplies; they are not to return without my command!"

(End of chapter)