Chapter 109: Chapter 18: Queenly Demeanor

Yang Yuyan was a few years older than Li Jizhou, and fourteen years ago, when she went to study pill skills with Li Jizhou, she was already at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Level.

With a Middle Grade Spirit Root, it was said that she had hopes of reaching Foundation Establishment before forty.

But in recent years, due to the suppression from the Wen family, and the attacks from the Qian family and the Zhao family, the Yang family was exhausted in dealing with them.

Ever since Yang Yuyan returned from studying under Li Jizhou, her alchemy skills improved significantly. In the initial two years, when she only refined basic pills, she created an additional asset of 500 to 600 Spirit Stones annually through alchemy.

In recent years, by refining Middle Level pills, she created an additional asset of over a thousand Spirit Stones for her family annually.

Their family finances were already sufficient to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill,

but even if Spirit Pearl Mountain Market had one, they couldn’t get in line.

As for purchasing from other, further Immortal City markets, the risk was too great.

If any direct descendants of the Yang family who were suitable for Foundation Establishment and met the conditions wanted to go to other markets, they might be intercepted and killed by the Qian family and the Zhao family midway, with no chance of producing another Foundation Establishment cultivator.

“Elder Li, you still shine with your old charm!”

Since taking over as the clan leader, Yang Yuyan hadn’t smiled in a long time.

But today, the smile on her face never ceased.

“Patriarch Yang remains youthful, exuding elegance, with a noble demeanor!” Li Jizhou watched Yang Yuyan with a smile.

Seeing the woman who had been by his side for four years and debated the Dao with him for two years in the Spirit Pearl Mountain Market, she too appeared ageless, and having taken charge of major family affairs in recent years, she appeared more graceful and dignified, with hints of a queen’s majesty.

With the Yang family’s old ancestor by her side, Yang Yuyan swallowed her fierce words, gently biting her lower lip, her smile growing deeper.

“Elder Li, your esteemed presence at our Yang family during this time is a great honor. The Yang family will remember your great kindness,” said the old ancestor of the Yang family, fully displaying his elderliness, genuinely grateful to the point of tears in his remarks.

Nowadays in this Spirit Pearl Mountain territory, it is evident to all that the Wen family and the Yang family do not get along.

If they’re not stepping on them when they’re down, it’s already considered compassion; who would intentionally engage with them?

Moreover, given Li Jizhou’s current status, even if he came to the Yang family at this time and left without doing anything, it would be a tremendous grace to the Yang family.

“Friend Yang, your words are too heavy. I’m merely revisiting an old place.” Li Jizhou was particularly sensitive to the Yang family’s old ancestor, who had guarded the Yang family for over a hundred years, and sensed that he had less than twenty years left to live.

However, he didn’t reveal his purpose for this visit immediately.

He still needed to further understand the current situation of the Yang family.

Only ensuring that selling them this Foundation Establishment Pill wouldn’t impact his future steady plans would he take action.

After exchanging greetings, Li Jizhou straightforwardly expressed his intention to stay for a few days.

This made both the old ancestor of the Yang family and Yang Yuyan extremely excited.

The old ancestor of the Yang family immediately volunteered to move out of the core ancestral land of the Spirit Vein, offering it to Li Jizhou to stay temporarily.

And Yang Yuyan moreover arranged a reception within the clan to welcome and celebrate Li Jizhou’s arrival.

——-

While the Yang family was welcoming and celebrating Li Jizhou,

the heads of the Zhao family and the Qian family rushed in haste to the Wen family.

“Master Wen, that pill-munching Pill Master seems to have come with ill intentions?” Zhao Kunwu looked at the head of the Wen family with a face full of apprehension.

When he saw the Miaodan Tower advertisement that day, he was in shock for a long time.

He still remembered how he consoled his son back then, saying that this boy had inferior talent and practiced Evergreen Skill, though his skills were exceptional, he had cut off his path to immortality and couldn’t achieve Foundation Establishment. Let him bask in glory for a while, and when he turns into bones, you can sing on his grave.

However, after more than a decade, his son Zhao Qian had long turned to bones.

But Li Jizhou successfully reached Foundation Establishment, becoming famous all over the world.

Unsurprisingly, Li Jizhou could live for another hundred years.

Even if he died, Li Jizhou would still be alive.

This stirred up the same worry in his heart as Zhao Qian had back then.

“Indeed, Master Wen, he is now an Honorary Elder of the Golden Sun Sect, and his status is no longer something our two families can contend with.” The head of the Qian family was also full of worry.

Wen Xiangdong, who took over as the head of the family two years ago, had a somber expression at this moment.

He remembered how, back then, he even gave Li Jizhou some extra allowance to pursue Qi Yuan.

The little cultivator who was beneath his notice back then was now someone he had to be wary of.

After a moment of silence, he waved his hand casually: “No need to worry, with our Wen family backing you, nothing will happen. He’s just a pill-munching Loose Cultivator whose potential has been exhausted.”

“That’s good, just good, then… what should we do?”

Wen Xiangdong frowned slightly: “Make a gesture, go and make a statement with the Yang family, and let peace be the priority in future dealings!”

“…” Zhao Kunwu and the head of the Qian family were momentarily stunned.

Wen Xiangdong’s brows furrowed more tightly, and he said impatiently: “He himself is not to be feared, but this guy is skilled in maneuvering. After all, he is nominally an Honorary Elder of the Golden Sun Sect, and has made many connections in the Immortal City…”

Hearing this, Zhao Kunwu and the Qian family head nodded repeatedly: “What Master Wen said is quite right. This guy reached Foundation Establishment by pill consumption, with limited potential, and scarce magical power, not a threat. We are merely showing face to the Golden Sun Sect and to the experts in the Immortal City.”

——–

“Big brother, you really haven’t changed a bit, still as young as ever!” After the feast, Wu Daniu finally found an opportunity to bring his dozens of wives and concubines and over twenty offspring to pay respects to Li Jizhou.

Ever since Wu Daniu barely evaded death at the hands of Zhao Qian and the Wen family, his Dao heart completely shattered.

Over the years, his cultivation never advanced, still stuck at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Level, and barring any surprises, this would be his life’s end.

“Haha, I’ve always been broad-minded, free from worldly affairs, and practiced the Health Cultivation Skill, so it’s rather normal.

However, Daniu, it’s been ten years since we last met, and you’ve aged quite a bit.”

Looking at Wu Daniu before him, Li Jizhou sighed inwardly.

Aged a year or two younger than Li Jizhou, yet he now had half a head of white hair, prominent wrinkles on his forehead, with half of his energy and spirit gone.

Upon hearing this, Wu Daniu merely smiled wryly: “Ah, big brother, I truly regret those past actions. Every time I open my eyes, the livelihood of this massive family weighs on me so much that I cannot eat.

Additionally, with a few boys testing to have Spirit Roots, I also have to fight for cultivation resources for them,

truly… it’s like being an ox or a horse!”

Now, Wu Daniu genuinely envied Li Jizhou’s solitary life, living unburdened, with no attachments.

He also better understood Li Jizhou’s consistent attitude towards him.

Not expecting help from others nor liking people to bring troubles to him, that’s living freely.

Besides, he also understood why Li Jizhou chose to remain unmarried.

Now, all those wives and concubines he was once proud of no longer held any interest for him.

No matter how beautiful a woman is, sleeping beside her every day will eventually lead to boredom.

Back then, he might still have had the heart for it.

Now, seeing the hints from his wives and concubines made his legs go weak.

When the heart is unwilling, it is truly a torment.

Li Jizhou, upon hearing this, merely smiled slightly, without saying much more.

To comfort him by saying everything would be alright was merely self-deception.

The current outcome was the result of every choice made in the past, and there is no regret medicine in this world.

Among Wu Daniu’s children, the eldest was already twenty-five, but his favorite remained his second son, Yang Ziling, who was twenty-four this year. He was born in the second year after Wu Daniu married in, and was the first of his offspring to be detected with Spirit Root talent, receiving Wu Daniu’s love for a long time.

Initially, he was also allocated more resources and now had reached the Qi Cultivation Third Level.

Additionally, he barely attained a Middle Grade Spirit Root.

However, due to the Yang family being suppressed in recent years, his resources were also reduced significantly.

Among the other three children, one girl and two boys also had Spirit Roots, but all were Lower Grade; now in their teens, they had yet to set foot into the Qi Cultivation Stage.

“Nephew pays respect to Uncle Li!” After speaking with Li Jizhou, Yang Ziling presented himself with tact and gave Li Jizhou a bow.

The last time he saw this child was eighteen years ago, and back then, he was chubby and had a lot of spiritual energy, his little mouth sweet, even wishing him longevity.

Li Jizhou nodded, randomly giving him a small bottle of primary Qi Condensing Pills refined by the Bai Yi and Black Xuan assembly line.

The other three children each received a bottle as well.

Finally, Li Jizhou patted Wu Daniu’s shoulder and gave him another look.

His lifespan was less than thirty years, ten years shorter than a normal Qi Cultivation Fourth Level cultivator.

This might well be their last meeting.

Li Jizhou, however, was at peace with this; at the moment he awakened to Innate Wisdom this life, he already foresaw such an outcome.

After bidding farewell to Wu Daniu, Li Jizhou stayed alone at the Yang family’s ancestral mansion, waiting quietly.

Until the moon hung high on the willow treetops, the array outside the courtyard trembled slightly, and Yang Yuyan, dressed in a grand red robe, entered elegantly and majestically…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep