Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Ultimately, Just a Passing Traveler

For now, unable to discern the whole story, Li Jizhou did not dwell on meaningless thoughts.

Due to stockpiling herbs, his life was somewhat strained temporarily, so he planned to spend more time on alchemy and talisman making.

A few days later, Wu Daniu sent his first letter since he left half a year ago.

“Big brother, this letter is not about personal matters. Our patriarch wants to make a deal with you but finds it inconvenient to visit your other courtyard directly, hoping to meet you at Piaoxiang Tower.”

And nothing more.

“Make a deal?”

What he possessed now consisted of talismans, pills.

But why do it so secretly?

Could there be a family rivalry secretly accumulating strength?

Li Jizhou, with his experience from his past life regarding small family feuds, could instantly see some clues.

However, it had nothing to do with him,

as long as he could earn Spirit Stones, the more secretive the deal, the more beneficial it was to him.

He glanced again at Wu Daniu’s letter and smiled knowingly.

This guy probably wrote the letter in front of the Yang family patriarch, though he didn’t say much, he made his stance clear in the first sentence: This matter has nothing to do with me, you don’t need to consider my feelings.

Without much thought, he immediately replied to the letter.

Ten days later, Li Jizhou arrived early at the agreed private room in Piaoxiang Tower, drinking alone.

Soon after, an old man looking travel-worn appeared with an ordinary female cultivator.

With Li Jizhou’s sense now comparable to the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment, he didn’t need to deliberately use Divine Sense to detect,

both were disguised in appearance, and dressed so plainly that they wouldn’t stand out in a crowd.

After the old man entered, he waved to set up a layer of restriction and bowed to Li Jizhou: “Talisman Master Li, it’s been a while.”

Then, he removed his disguise, revealing a familiar face.

It was the second elder of the Yang family, Yang Yuanzhen.

Eleven years ago, he was the person in charge of recruiting for the Yang family during the event at Inverted Mountain.

“Greetings, Elder Yang!” Li Jizhou slightly cupped his hands.

“Pill Master Li, or rather, I should call you Pill Master now, due to urgent matters, I will speak directly, but regardless of the outcome, please keep this matter confidential.”

“Naturally!”

Then, Yang Yuanzhen candidly revealed some matters related to this issue within the clan.

A few years ago, the Yang family had a major conflict with the upstream Qian family over a medicine field between the two families, eventually mediated by Ye Jingyu, the former consecrated son of the Yang family, who invited elders from the Divine Intent Sect to evenly split the medicine field.

Three years ago, during the clan celebration, the Foundation Establishment Ancestor of the Yang family worried about offending the Golden Sun Sect because none of their people attended, and personally discussed matters with the Qian family ancestor, reaching an agreement to permanently cease hostilities.

However, after the recent outbreak of the Three Sects and Five Families besieging Inverted Mountain, everyone learned that the disciples from Golden Sun Sect didn’t attend the clan celebration not for that reason, but because the sect had recalled them for intensive training in preparation for battle.

As a result, the ceasefire agreement at that time became worthless, with potential for conflict to erupt at any moment.

Moreover, the Qian family is supported by the Wen family, a second-rate family in this region. Recently, someone from the Wen family hinted that they might intervene in the struggle over the medicine field between Yang and Qian families.

The Yang family’s high-level finally concluded a possible outcome: the Wen family might incite the Qian family to dispute with the Yang family again, eventually reaping the benefits by monopolizing the medicine field under the guise of having their own Pill Master, only offering the Yang and Qian families some nominal dividends.

At first glance, it seemed effortless to obtain substantial dividends, but within thirty years, the medicine field might end up entirely in the hands of the Wen family.

The current countermeasure by the Yang family senior members is, when the Wen family steps up using this excuse, to unexpectedly introduce their own Pill Master to catch them off guard, thereby protecting the existing medicine field.

However, the status of a Pill Master is esteemed, and most prefer residing in the market. The small and somewhat impoverished Yang family struggles to find a suitable consecrated Pill Master.

Furthermore, outsiders are not as reliable as clan members.

Back when the medicine field was discovered, the Yang family had made efforts, even paying high prices to invite a Lower-Tier Pill Master to stay and teach Pill Skills at the Yang family.

But, whether the person was miserly or inherently unskilled, in three years, they only taught superficial skills, while the clan’s apprentices practiced Fire Attribute cultivations to condense Pill Fire, yet their success rate in pill formation couldn’t be ensured, with ten pills yielding nine wastes, the highest quality never exceeding Middle Grade, and all were just basic entry-level pills.

And half a year ago, the news brought back by Wu Daniu amazed the Yang family about Li Jizhou’s talent in a wide array of immortal cultivation arts, further stirring such thoughts again.

Until a few days ago when the great battle unfurled, they finally made up their minds.

They decided to spend a huge sum to secretly send the younger generation who had already cultivated Pill Fire to be taught by Li Jizhou.

Li Jizhou cared little for the internal affairs of the Yang family.

He only pondered privately about the exact magnitude of the so-called huge sum?

“Elder Yang overestimates me, but currently, residing here, my expenses are substantial, daily aside from cultivating, I must relentlessly draw talismans and refine pills to cover my expenses, truly not daring to rest for even a moment.” Li Jizhou planned to negotiate a bit.

“Five hundred Spirit Stones!” However, Yang Yuanzhen had no intention of bargaining, directly showing his sincerity.

Normally, a Tier One Advanced Level Pill Master accepting disciples would be adequately compensated with three hundred Spirit Stones, however, having learned from past experiences, the Yang family no longer trusts unfamiliar individuals.

Additionally, they meticulously verified the high-quality Qi Condensing Pills refined by Li Jizhou, finding his skills extraordinary, comparable to well-known High-Tier Pill Masters.

Moreover, the Yang family’s internal stance towards Li Jizhou was clear, definitely to make friendly connections.

Li Jizhou was slightly taken aback.

The offer was beyond his expectations.

It clearly showed the Yang family’s determination to train their own Pill Master along with their sincerity!

“Elder Yang’s kind intentions, Li understands, yet Li must say upfront, pill refinement involves talent, nature, Pill Fire, Divine Soul…

Li can promise to teach diligently, but if your clan’s younger generation lacks talent, is impatient, or has unstable Pill Fire, you cannot blame me!” Li Jizhou promptly stated solemnly.

Yang Yuanzhen, hearing this, felt quite assured, immediately responding, “Pill Master Li, no matter the outcome, as long as we have your word, our Yang family owes you a favor. It doesn’t need to be exceptionally high, merely capable of refining entry-level pills at a success rate above fifty percent with Top-Grade quality is sufficient!”

Recently, they were short on Spirit Stones and about to pay rent, teaching a student already mastering Pill Fire and having basic pill refinement methods was very worthwhile for five hundred Spirit Stones!

“Li will certainly do his utmost!”

“Yan’Er, are you not going to greet Master Li?” Yang Yuanzhen eagerly glanced at the silently standing woman beside him.

“Yang Yan greets Master Li…” The woman fleetingly glanced at Li Jizhou, immediately giving the disciple’s salute.

“Hold on!” Li Jizhou quickly interrupted.

“No need for the title of master and disciple between us, let’s just call each other fellow Daoists!”

In this world with Middle Grade Spirit Root qualifications, along with past late-stage Foundation Establishment experience, coupled with the profound Evergreen Skill, now supplemented by talisman making and alchemy, as long as he doesn’t die mysteriously, he is bound to reach Core Formation.

In addition, the longevity-boosting peculiarity of the Evergreen Skill, an eight-hundred-year lifespan is easily attainable.

In the long span of years, who knows how many people he’ll encounter or how many events, yet like the two before him, nine times out of ten people will ultimately perish in the long river of time, silently and unnoticed.

He doesn’t need overly binding ties with them.

They are destined to passersby in his life.

Yang Yuanzhen’s eyelids quivered, hesitated for a moment, then said, “Pill Master Li, fearing prying eyes, we have all come disguised, Yan’Er isn’t showing her true face either…”

“Other matters need not be told to me, I will only instruct her in pill refinement, she just needs to maintain this appearance.” Li Jizhou promptly interrupted Yang Yuanzhen.

“Then… alright, let’s have her claim outside to be Master Li’s maidservant then!” Yang Yuanzhen glanced at the woman, chuckling.

“Yang Yan greets Pill Master Li, forgive the disturbance in the future.” Yang Yan’s pupils slightly contracted, immediately retracting her disciple’s salute, cupping her hands slightly.

“No matter, just hope you fulfill Yang family’s expectations, practice diligently.” Li Jizhou calmly nodded.

“Yang Yan will keep Master Li’s teachings in mind!”

“Haha, good, good, Pill Master Li, here are five hundred Spirit Stones, please accept them!” Yang Yuanzhen, unexpectedly finding things going smoothly, immediately took out a storage pouch and handed it to Li Jizhou.

Smiling slightly at the five hundred Spirit Stones, Li Jizhou was pretty satisfied with the Yang family’s way of handling things.

After the matter was concluded, Yang Yuanzhen resumed his previous disguised appearance and left.

Li Jizhou wasn’t in a hurry, he invited Yang Yan to have a meal before leisurely returning to his courtyard down the mountain.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep