Chapter 577: Support

After seeing Qiao Wuyong off, Fang Xing flipped through the "Art of Concealing Qi" while playing with the Flying Squirrel Sack, finding quiet delight in it.

Suddenly, he sensed something and turned toward a figure in the bamboo grove: "Old Lv… you're here? So the caravan has left."

"Yes, Qiao Wuyong isn't bad—he gave us a real bargain this time."

Old Lv's face wrinkled into a broad smile.

Fang Xing knew full well: merchants always seek to squeeze out the last copper coin; their willingness to offer discounts to Poison Dragon Slope was almost certainly due to knowing his strength.

In short—it's all about human relations and social games.

"Hmm, then why are you here?"

Fang Xing frowned.

Old Lv was old, his cultivation low, and he had never trained any spiritual vision technique—he hadn't sensed Fang Xing's true realm.

After mastering the Art of Concealing Qi, even Iron Luo the Hermit might fail to detect it.

"I came just to beg a cup of tea… you don't mind, do you, Fang Daoist?"

Old Lv smiled.

"Of course I welcome you."

Fang Xing immediately brought out tea utensils, and the two sat facing each other amid the bamboo.

Old Lv held his teacup, gazing at the steam rising from the brew, his gaze growing distant: "Before I knew it, I've lived on Poison Dragon Slope for five years… I no longer need to set up a stall at Yunlai Market. Thinking back, it feels like yesterday."

"I've always admired your boldness, Old Lv."

Fang Xing sipped his tea casually: "Not just for opening up the land, but also last time when you rallied everyone to help Iron Luo break through to Qi Sensing Seventh Layer…"

For that, Old Lv had even humbled himself to borrow a sum of talisman money from Fang Xing to afford the spiritual pills.

Moreover, he had secretly asked Fang Xing to guide the qi flow toward a spot better suited for Iron Luo's cultivation.

"Bah… I was backed into a corner."

Old Lv's expression turned solemn: "Back then, we hadn't even secured our footing. Just look at how the Black Snake attacked us right after we began clearing the land… there were hidden dangers everywhere. If not for you stepping in, we'd have either retreated in disgrace or lost several Daoists from the start."

Growth is like a snowball—if you suffer heavy losses early on, Poison Dragon Slope would never have developed this well.

"My whole life has been walking on thin ice… Even after the Black Snake became our guardian, I still felt I couldn't reach the other shore—I had to gamble everything to help my younger brother break through."

Old Lv sighed: "Because of this, my third brother, fourth sister, and fifth sister have all grown distant from me… Especially my fifth sister—she's devoted herself entirely to Yunyun and ignores all outside matters."

"I see Song Daoist has raised Yunyun well—do you plan to send her to Green Wood Ridge someday?"

Fang Xing asked curiously.

"Perhaps… or maybe she'll marry into a powerful clan and find a suitable husband."

Old Lv said: "I fully support that. If we gain the backing of a great aristocratic family, our foundation on Poison Dragon Slope will truly be secure."

Fang Xing smiled inwardly—he knew the old man was finally getting to the point.

"Do you know… the Fei family is about to change patriarchs?"

Old Lv repeated the news Qiao Wuyong had shared, then added: "Three candidates are vying for the position: Fei Wu, Fei Cai, and Fei Shentong…"

Fang Xing immediately thought of the herb garden overseer: "You mean… you're planning to intervene?"

"Why not?" Old Lv chuckled: "We have two Qi Sensing Posterior-Level combatants on Poison Dragon Slope—only the Bone Alliance surpasses us among the Five Families of Qingli."

The Bone Alliance was a sect of cultivators practicing the same White Bone Skull Art; since acquiring the Burial Ground, they had forged two Qi Sensing Seventh-Layer "White Bone Skulls," making them the strongest among the Five Families of Qingli.

Well, that's assuming you automatically exclude the Fei family from the calculation.

"Do you really think you know your own weight? We're just Qi Sensing cultivators—how can we influence the succession of a Dao Foundation aristocratic family?"

Fang Xing scoffed, his gaze sharp: "How much are you willing to invest?"

Old Lv had no choice.

His daughter Xiao Cui had married into Fei Cai's branch—they were already one family.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been granted such easy access to rescue the Dragon Ginseng last time.

"Even the Fei family has few Qi Sensing Posterior-Level experts—counting hidden ones, no more than a dozen."

Old Lv said: "This isn't about replacing a Dao Foundation Ancestor—it's not a major event for the Fei family. Their Dao Foundation Ancestor is always idle and refuses to interfere; many elders remain neutral. Each candidate's faction has only one or two, maybe three Qi Sensing Posterior-Level cultivators—why can't we influence it?"

"Fine. So what's your plan? Kill the other two candidates?"

Fang Xing shot back.

"Are you mad?" Old Lv jumped: "That's suicide—do you think the Dao Foundation Ancestor is dead?"

"This succession isn't about ability or virtue—those are too vague to judge. It's all about contributions to the family. We provide two Qi Sensing Seventh-Layer combatants to help Fei Cai complete several family missions—that's already a massive contribution."

"Two Qi Sensing Posterior-Level combatants… you're eyeing our island guardian beast?" Fang Xing suddenly understood.

"You'll need to negotiate with the guardian beast," Old Lv said with a nervous smile.

In truth, five years ago, the Five Cloud Friends had briefly considered discarding the Black Snake after using it—but after seeing how close it was to Fang Xing, they abandoned all such thoughts.

They even feared Fang Xing might use the Black Snake to eliminate all five families one by one.

That's why they had so strongly supported Iron Luo—out of sheer anxiety.

"The Black Snake can't leave Qingli Marsh. My suggestion is: let Iron Luo go alone." Fang Xing shook his head: "The Black Snake must guard our base—what do you think?"

"But—" Old Lv tried to argue further, but saw Fang Xing lift his teacup, clearly signaling dismissal.

He gritted his teeth and left the bamboo grove.

…

East Peak.

Council Hall.

Iron Luo, Lin Xu, Hu Liuniang, and Song Yunqian were all present. Seeing Old Lv stroll in with his hands behind his back, they hurried forward: "Big Brother… how did it go?"

"He didn't agree to everything—only to let the Black Snake defend Poison Dragon Slope while my second brother is away."

Old Lv said.

"Hmph. I told you—outsiders can't be trusted," Lin Xu snorted.

No error in one word, one sentence, one detail!

Clearly, their past relationship wasn't as bad as outsiders claimed.

This was clearly meant to deceive external enemies.

That enemy could be the other four families—or someone on Poison Dragon Slope itself.

"Enough. Didn't we all already expect this outcome to be most likely?"

Hu Liuniang smiled, speaking fairly: "This is fine. With my second brother away, the household lacks a Qi Sensing Posterior-Level cultivator to guard it—I'm always uneasy."

"Then I have nothing more to say," Lin Xu sighed.

Old Lv turned to Iron Luo: "Second brother, this time it's up to you."

He didn't tell Fang Xing that his ties to Fei Cai ran deep—so deep that their fates were now inseparable.

So this time, he had to act.

…

Night.

Bamboo shadows swayed.

Fang Xing stood beneath a "Three Saints Oak," stroking its bark. His Druidic perception sensed the tree's joy in growth—and a faint, naive emotion.

"Ordinary spiritual trees find it nearly impossible to awaken sentience—unless transformed into a Treeman…"

"But that's a power only a Gao Jie Druid possesses."

At this moment, in his state of unity with nature, Fang Xing faintly sensed the entire hundred-mu bamboo grove had become his domain.

Within this domain, every flower, blade of grass, and living creature offered vague awareness.

Even nature itself would alert him to intruders within the grove.

"A Druid's Ecological Garden, fully upgraded, is nearly as powerful as a Mage's Tower…"

At advanced stages, Druids too can construct their own "Mage Tower"—in truth, a Legendary Ecological Garden.

And depending on whether their focus is animals or plants, they gain different abilities.

If plant-based, the core might be an unimaginably colossal tree, summoning multiple Treemen and providing vast resources.

If animal-based, they can breed legendary beasts—or even induce beneficial mutations in supernatural species.

Rumor says some fallen Druids, obsessed with strange domains, deliberately create radiation zones in their gardens to spawn grotesque, bloodthirsty flora and fauna.

Regardless of type, every Ecological Garden possesses perception and suppression abilities over enemies.

In truth, it's a scaled-down version of a "Divine Realm."

As Fang Xing marveled, his expression suddenly shifted.

Nature told him a familiar presence had entered the bamboo grove.

He walked a short distance and saw a slender figure—it was Song Yunqian: "Song Daoist, why visit at this hour?"

"I only came to warn you—this Fei family succession isn't simple. Not just us on Poison Dragon Slope, but also Green Water Wang Clan and the Burial Ground Bone Alliance are involved…"

Song Yunqian said: "The Wang Clan backs Fei Wu; the Bone Alliance backs Fei Shentong. The Wang Clan is close to us—if they learn your second brother is leaving, they might strike. After all, the original alliance was only for the early clearing years—those are over now. And your third brother holds a grudge against you."

"Thank you for the warning."

Fang Xing smiled: "And what do you want in return?"

"I? I only wish to see Yunyun grow up safely," Song Yunqian sighed softly.

After Song Yunqian left, Fang Xing turned to return to his room—then paused, half-amused, half-irritated: 'What is this? Six people, seven groups? Just finished a meeting and someone's already snitching?'

He rolled over—and saw the door open, a fragrant breeze rushing in…

…

(End of Chapter)