Chapter 39

For these past few months, Song Qingming had never been at peace in his heart because of the matter of picking up Liu Tianlong's storage bag. This time coming to Qinghe Marketplace, apart from purchasing the materials and elixirs he needed, he also wanted to take the opportunity to inquire about Liu Tianlong's situation to see if he was really dead.

He was, after all, a young man in his early twenties, and his state of mind had not yet reached the level of sophistication of those old and experienced cultivators. The wealth he had obtained for no reason made him feel inexplicably guilty from time to time. During the period when he walked out of the Fuyun Mountain Range, sometimes he was even afraid that he was in a dream, and that he would return to the time when he had just left Qinghe County after waking up.

It was just a pity that he still didn't get the answer he wanted from Fourth Uncle, and the Liu family's shop was abnormally closed again, which made him feel worried again. After eating in the afternoon, Song Qingming said goodbye to Song Changqiu and his wife and left Qinghe Marketplace with a heavy heart.

In the Lu family courtyard in Qinghe Marketplace, Lu Yuanfeng looked at the message spirit talisman he had just received, his face somewhat ugly as he paced alone in the courtyard.

Lu Yuanfeng was the Foundation Establishment cultivator appointed by the Xiaoyao Sect to garrison Qinghe Marketplace. He had been garrisoning Qinghe Marketplace for nearly thirty years, and Qinghe Marketplace had always been calm and peaceful without any major mistakes. He didn't expect to receive a message of accountability from the Elder of the Xiaoyao Sect's General Affairs Hall today, which truly made him somewhat displeased in his heart.

A flash of spiritual light flickered in Lu Yuanfeng's right hand, and he quickly cast a magic formula. A streak of golden light instantly shot out from his hand and flew toward the outside of the courtyard. Before long, a white-clad cultivator with a mature appearance walked quickly into the courtyard.

Seeing the person arrive, Lu Yuanfeng quickly said:

"Wencai, I just received news from Uncle-Master Guangling of the sect. The Liu family on Mount Jingyuan privately mined the Five Elements spiritual fruit tree in the sect's territory behind the sect's back. You take a few people to the marketplace first to seal the Liu family's shop, and keep the Liu family cultivators under surveillance."

After hearing this, Yuan Wencai replied with embarrassment: "Master, the Liu family's shop in the marketplace has been closed for nearly half a month. I'm afraid the people have already withdrawn long ago. Liu Tianlong has always been honest and dutiful in the past. How could he be so bold this time to dare to pay attention to the Five Elements spiritual fruit tree? Isn't he looking for death?"

"Forget it. It seems Liu Tianlong had already thought of this. You arrange for someone to notify the Huang family about this matter and let them send someone to accompany us to Mount Jingyuan tomorrow." Lu Yuanfeng said with his hands behind his back and a faint expression.

"Master, I don't know how the sect intends to deal with the Liu family this time. Does this matter need to be notified to Fifth Junior Brother?"

"Liu Tianlong must die. Uncle-Master Guangling's letter mentioned that all other Liu family cultivators should be sent to Mount Huoyan to mine ore for thirty years. Don't tell Huo Lin about this for now. I will naturally protect the people who should be protected. Mount Jingyuan will temporarily return to the sect's management. When the time comes, see if nearby families can accept some of the mortals under the Liu family's jurisdiction, and move the rest directly to Qinghe Marketplace." Lu Yuanfeng's tone was somewhat desolate, and then he waved his hand to signal Yuan Wencai to retreat.

Yuan Wencai was the first disciple Lu Yuanfeng took in after Foundation Establishment. He had always been very loyal to this master and had been trusted by Lu Yuanfeng, having followed him to garrison Qinghe Marketplace for nearly thirty years.

The reason he asked this was entirely because his Fifth Junior Brother, Huo Lin, happened to have a wife who was a female cultivator from the Liu family. The two had always been affectionate. With the Liu family in trouble this time, he was afraid it would implicate the two of them. Seeing that his master Lu Yuanfeng already had a plan in his heart, Yuan Wencai then walked out with peace of mind.

——

Qinghe County, Du family on Baoshi Peak

In the Du family's discussion hall, the Du family clan leader, Du Shaoying, looked at the several Du family elders before him with a look of anger on his face.

"Shaokang, tell me, what exactly is going on with Yucheng? You have all returned, so how did he suddenly join the Xiaoyao Sect?" Du Shaoying looked at Du Shaokang, who was somewhat trembling before him, and asked with displeasure.

Speaking of Du Shaokang, he was also unlucky. On this trip to the Fuyun Mountain Range, he was responsible for leading the team. One of the Du family cultivators who was lost happened to be relatively close to the clan leader Du Shaoying. He was left speechless by Du Shaoying's questioning as soon as he returned.

Du Yucheng, a younger generation member whom the family didn't pay much attention to, Du Shaokang had originally thought he had died after being involved in the pool. It wasn't until he returned that Du Shaokang learned that the soul mark left on the clan genealogy was still bright. Learning that he was still alive, Du Shaokang felt somewhat happy in his heart.

It wasn't until today that he heard the news from the Du family cultivators within the Xiaoyao Sect that Du Yucheng had already joined the Xiaoyao Sect and become an inner-sect disciple. Du Shaokang was shocked on the spot. He truly didn't know whether Du Yucheng had gone crazy or if the person who recruited him into the Xiaoyao Sect had water in their brain.

Large sects like the Xiaoyao Sect had always been relatively strict in recruiting disciples. Generally, cultivators from civilian backgrounds who joined the sect had to start as low-status outer-sect miscellaneous disciples. One or two hundred such disciples were recruited every year, and the competition was very fierce.

Only those with backers within the sect or those recommended by major vassal cultivation families could directly become inner-sect disciples. However, the requirements were relatively high: they must be cultivators with three spiritual roots or above, or people with very talented cultivation skills. Otherwise, if they entered and became outer-sect miscellaneous disciples, it would be better to cultivate in the family.

Du Yucheng's spiritual root talent was not high, and he had no particularly powerful cultivation skills. He didn't know what exactly the Xiaoyao Sect had taken a fancy to in him. Du Shaokang pondered for a long time but still couldn't understand. Facing Du Shaoying's questioning at this moment, he could only shrink his head and be speechless.

On this trip to the Fuyun Mountain Range, although the Du family's harvest was okay, losing two cultivators for no reason had a great impact on the family. There were not many Du family cultivators to begin with, and suddenly losing two young cultivators made it no wonder that the clan leader Du Shaoying would be so angry.

It was just that although they knew Du Yucheng had joined the Xiaoyao Sect, they didn't know the inside story. Du Yucheng had now become an inner-sect disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect and had a glimmer of hope for Foundation Establishment. His status could be said to have undergone a earth-shaking change, which also made the Du family members not know how to face him in the future.

Mount Jingyuan Liu family, Liu Tianlong sat on the sickbed, with several Liu family elders sitting in front of the bed, and everyone had a look of panic on their faces.

In a few months, although Liu Tianlong's injuries had recovered quite a bit, he always carried a look of decay on his face. After experiencing this trip to the Fuyun Mountain Range, it was as if his essence blood had been exhausted, instantly turning him into an old man who was on the verge of death.

Liu Tianlong coughed lightly, sat up straight, gathered his spirits, and asked softly to a Liu family elder beside him: "Tianquan, have the people in the marketplace been arranged to withdraw?"

"Clan leader, rest assured. The shop in Qinghe Marketplace has already closed for business. Ten days ago, Mengcheng and the others had already withdrawn, leaving only mortals to guard the shop." Liu Tianquan hurriedly replied to this respected clan leader.

Liu Tianlong had served as the Liu family clan leader for nearly forty years. When he took over as clan leader, the Liu family was still in decline. The various forces around the Liu family were all eyeing this former Foundation Establishment family with hostility. Liu Tianlong relied on his extraordinary courage to quickly stabilize the family's decline and let the Liu family slowly recover quite a bit of vitality. Over the years, he had always been deeply loved by his clan members in the clan.

Liu Tianlong nodded and said: "A few days ago, news came from the Xiaoyao Sect through Mengchen that someone offered a Water Spirit Fruit tree to the Xiaoyao Sect and became an inner-sect disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect. It should be the one we discovered this time. Our trip to the Fuyun Mountain Range this time is afraid to have been exposed."

"Could it be those few people who were involved in the pool by the Black-Feathered Python that day? That person was truly lucky. Not only did he not die, but he actually found the location of the Water Spirit Fruit tree. Sigh..." Another Liu family elder sighed and said.

Liu Tianlong thought about it and said: "It should be. Among those involved in the pool that day, I later sent people to check. There were three people in total. Wu Ziyuan of the Wu family had already died in the pool. Song Qingming of the Song family also returned a month later. Only Du Yucheng of the Du family disappeared and hasn't returned to this day. The one who went to the Xiaoyao Sect should be this person. My storage bag must have fallen into this person's hands, which allowed him to guess the location of the Water Spirit Fruit tree."

"Damn the Du family. I didn't expect that we, the Liu family, had worked hard for decades, but in the end, it benefited them. If we had known this, we might as well have directly offered this Water Spirit Fruit tree to the Xiaoyao Sect." This Liu family elder's eyes became redder as he spoke, and he already hated the Du family to the bone in his heart.

Liu Tianlong gave a bitter smile: "The fact that we failed today is not entirely our own problem. Man proposes, God disposes. It is also because the Liu family's luck is not good. I have already let Mengxin leave Mount Jingyuan. The family cannot implicate her. In the future, she can only rely on herself."

(End of chapter)