Chapter 78: Chapter 78: I’ve Always Been Here

Half a year ago, the Yang family’s Second Elder secretly met with Li Jizhou.

He informed him that, unsurprisingly, the Qian family had once again clashed with the Yang family over the medicinal fields.

However, they had long anticipated the reasons and the outcome of this matter, so there was not much concern. He inquired about Yang Yuyan’s progress in Alchemy.

He instructed Li Jizhou not to mention this to Yang Yuyan for the time being, allowing her to continue secretly staying with Li Jizhou until the Wen family intervened as a peacemaker to take her back.

A month ago, Wu Daniu sent a letter informing Li Jizhou that Zhao Qian from the Zhao family had allied with the Qian family.

Due to his stance, the relationship between Wu Daniu and Zhao Qian had reached a freezing point.

In response, Li Jizhou made no comment.

These matters were irrelevant to him; he would never get involved.

However, it’s worth noting,

that during this year, there have been some changes in the alliance between Spirit Pearl Mountain and the market.

Cultivators who often come to the market to purchase goods have been encountering robbers outside the market.

The market claims that the robbers are fugitives from Inverted Mountain, and has begun a strict crackdown.

Li Jizhou, combining information from various reports and the Yang family and Qian family’s conflict over the medicinal fields, vaguely senses that these robbers might not be that simple.

“A family of five Foundation Establishment Ancestors in the Wen family; I fear that Spiritual Bamboo Garden alone can’t sustain them…”

Regarding this speculation, Li Jizhou was rather pleased.

While the Wen family was eager to expand, the other four Tier Two cultivating families in the market alliance weren’t fools.

Moreover, there was the presence of the old and prestigious Wang family in this area.

This stable situation was what the powers above wanted to see,

and anyone who wished to disrupt this stability,

would have to face multi-faceted attacks.

“If things keep developing like this, the Wen family’s underground Anomalous Fire in the Spiritual Bamboo Garden might actually have great hope!” Li Jizhou nodded to himself.

In his past life, living in the Liang Kingdom for a brief two hundred and eighteen years, he witnessed the downfall of several Qi Cultivation families.

Although Qi Cultivation families couldn’t compare to Foundation Establishment families, all things cycle, and the great path remains the same.

After all, he has plenty of time, and his mindset is calm, unforced.

Another year later,

Just as he had expected.

More cultivators who came to the market for purchases encountered robber attacks, and market traffic declined.

Various shops within the market united to pressure the market management.

They even began to criticize many shortcomings of the joint management approach, requesting that the five families take turns in individual management.

By this time, the Wen family still hadn’t stepped forward.

They returned the favor by nominating the weakest of the five managing families in the alliance to start independent management.

Subsequently, the outside robbers became more rampant.

That family lost many of its internal elites.

Another year later, the Wen family finally took over independent management of the market after three refusals.

By this time, Li Jizhou had spent a full seven years in the Spirit Pearl Mountain market.

Since awakening Innate Wisdom, it had been fifteen years!

His cultivation, from Qi Cultivation Fifth Level three years ago, had broken through to Qi Cultivation Sixth Level, nearing the threshold of Late Stage of Qi Cultivation.

His Talisman skills had reached the pinnacle of Tier One, unable to advance further.

His Pill Fire had stabilized into Top-Grade Pill Fire, allowing him to refine Tier One Advanced Level pills, such as Breaking Rank Pill for the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation bottleneck.

His Array path also progressed steadily, with Tier One Middle Level arrays possible under sufficient material conditions.

He had thoroughly mastered both Medical and Poison skills, and was now essentially able to refine the Clear Wind Bright Moon Pill entrusted by Pharmacist Zheng. He could consider anonymously sending the pill to the Wutong Immortal City auction house within the next twenty years as suggested by Pharmacist Zheng.

In terms of Body Refining, he stably reached Second Level, unaffected by the Magical Power sneak attacks from Late Stage of Qi Cultivation cultivators.

During these two years, Yang Yuyan and Li Jizhou’s interactions grew increasingly frequent, and her Alchemy skills improved rapidly, now surpassing the Yang family’s expectations.

She could refine Tier One Middle Level pills with a forty percent success rate and had a thirty percent chance of producing Top-Grade pills.

These were remarkable accomplishments for a beginner Pill Master.

Compared to Li Jizhou’s previous life’s self-taught exploration, she was at least ten years ahead!

This was greatly attributed to Li Jizhou’s guidance.

“Brother Ji, I’ve already received word from the clan; I might be returning to the family soon.” Yang Yuyan lay against Li Jizhou’s firm chest, her voice soft.

“No wonder you’ve been so clingy these past few days!” Li Jizhou laughed as he gently tapped Yang Yuyan’s delicate nose.

“Brother Ji… is there a possibility…” Yang Yuyan once thought she could be carefree and not ask for love lasting forever, but after three years of daily interactions, sharing a bed, she found herself hoping.

Li Jizhou heard her but only gave a slight smile, tenderly brushing aside her hair stuck to her forehead, without answering.

Silence speaks louder than words.

“What I mean is, in the future, if you have spare time, please visit the Yang family often; our doors are always open for you! I… will always be here!” Yang Yuyan instantly understood, her expression briefly dimmed before she smiled again, speaking in a different tone.

“Certainly!”

Three days later,

The Yang family’s Second Elder led several elite clan members in a joint visit.

Wu Daniu was among them as well.

The struggle between the Yang family and Qian family over the medicinal fields had reached its finale, and Yang Yuyan could finally be presented as the trump card.

“Miss?” After inviting Wu Daniu and Yang Yuanzhen into the courtyard, Wu Daniu was shocked when he saw Yang Yuyan, without disguise.

He had rarely seen the eldest miss during his fifteen years in the Yang family.

It was widely said that the eldest miss remained secluded in the ancestral shrine, personally taught by the Ancestor.

No one ever expected Yang Yuyan to be here.

Wu Daniu looked at Yang Yuyan, then at Li Jizhou, feeling dazed for a moment.

Especially seeing the usually stern eldest miss speaking gently to Li Jizhou, he felt like he was dreaming.

It wasn’t until Yang Yuanzhen and Yang Yuyan entered the inner courtyard to demonstrate their Pill Skills that Wu Daniu mysteriously approached Li Jizhou.

“Brother, you and the eldest miss…”

“We are just ordinary friends; don’t spread rumors!” Li Jizhou recalled rumors from the Yang family years ago, warning Wu Daniu seriously.

“But… brother, rest assured, I, Wu Daniu, am no rumor-monger!” Wu Daniu, seeing Li Jizhou’s serious expression, quickly nodded.

Li Jizhou smiled and patted him on the shoulder, saying nothing more.

Since the Yang family’s three-hundred-year celebration, due to his connection with Li Jizhou, Wu Daniu had been heavily utilized by the Yang family.

He hadn’t gone to the battlefield in the recent conflict with the Qian family, instead managing the safest logistical support in the rear.

Moreover, in recent years, he had married many wives and concubines, fathering eleven children over seven years.

He looked fatter, dressed in luxurious silk clothes, truly resembling a man of wealth and status.

Furthermore, last year, he received the Yang family’s gift of a Breaking Rank Pill, successfully advancing from Qi Cultivation Third Level to Qi Cultivation Fourth Level.

From his speech, Li Jizhou could tell that Wu Daniu was content with his current life.

His past dream of reaching the level of the Yang family’s Foundation Establishment Ancestor had dissipated amidst family affairs.

This was the best outcome for an ordinary cultivator.

An hour later, Yang Yuanzhen, seeing the Mid-Level Upper Grade pill in his hand, was wide-eyed.

This far exceeded the Yang family’s expectations from four years ago.

Back then, they only hoped Yang Yuyan would achieve a fifty percent success rate with beginner pills; now, she could produce Upper Grade pills with Mid-Level ones!

“Yan’Er, with you, the Yang family has hope for prosperity!” Yang Yuanzhen was ecstatic.

“Pill Master Li has shown great kindness to our Yang family. How should we repay him?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep