Three months later.

Lan Chang'an sat cross-legged, exhaling a long breath.

After practical testing, taking pills, the mana growth was indeed a few points faster.

However, the increase was limited by the Evergreen Technique's ability to draw in the Qi of the ages.

Once exceeding a certain "threshold", adding more Qi Nourishing Pills would be useless.

The cycle of time, day and night, year after year.

This would not change due to pills. At least, ordinary pills would not work.

In contrast, if Li Ergou had a stable supply of elixir pills, cultivating with the same low-grade spiritual root, his progress would be slightly faster than Lan's.

"However, the pills greatly saved me time from sitting in meditation," Lan Chang'an concluded.

Now, he only needed to meditate for an hour or two each day. This way, he had a lot of free time.

Lan Chang'an considered whether he should juggle some time-consuming side-works in the future.

For example, he could study the art of talismans, learn alchemy, and cultivate body refining on the side.

Or cultivating some hobbies.

"First, I need to get out of being a parasite." he thought.

...

Walking out of the house, Lan Chang'an saw a letter in the gatehouse of the courtyard.

It was signed by Lin Yi.

Lan Chang'an opened the envelope.

In the letter, Lin Yi said that after parting last time, he and Zhang Tieshan went to that haunted house to exterminate the ghost, without any incidents, and captured and killed the vicious ghost.

The materials left behind by the ghost, as well as the spiritual items from its hiding place, were worth more than a hundred spirit stones.

Zhang Tieshan was very generous and gave Lin Yi forty percent of the spoils.

At the end of the letter, Lin Yi regretted that Lan Chang'an did not participate, otherwise he could not only have a share of the gains, but also make friends with a promising disciple of the sect.

After reading the letter, Lan Chang'an smiled.

The letter Lin Yi sent might not be without the intention of showing off, complaining that Lan did not join them last time.

Lan Chang'an had no regrets nor envy.

He took out paper and a brush, and wrote a reply to Lin Yi, congratulating him on the opportunity and chatting about some everyday matters.

"May the Immortal Path be ever flourishing."

At the end of the letter, he left a blessing full of positive energy.

...

A few days later, it was the middle of the month.

It was time for the monthly trade fair within the Purple Moon Manor.

Lan Chang'an came to the September Building for the second time.

This time, he sold the basic talismans he had refined.

It was not so much selling, but more like displaying them.

Being able to refine basic talismans meant he was already a student of the talisman path.

Although he only sold three basic talismans for one spirit stone,

Lan Chang'an's identity as a talisman apprentice had already been noticed by the attentive cultivators of the Mu family.

"That Miss Mu is not here this time."

Lan Chang'an's purpose in coming out to display was to convey a message to the core members of the Mu family.

In this way, becoming a first-rank talisman master would be a natural progression.

He bought the talisman tools and materials from Mu Xiuyun, who was a key witness.

Of course, it didn't matter if Mu Xiuyun wasn't there.

As long as he became a first-rank talisman master, there would be a trail to follow.

"Young Master Lan, the young miss wishes to see you."

Just as Lan Chang'an finished buying some talisman materials and walked out of the September Building, a maid came after him from behind.

She was quick to react!

Lan Chang'an remained calm and followed the maid into the backyard of the September Building.

A young lady in a long turquoise dress, graceful and jade-like, was tending to the flowers.

From the side, one could see Mu Xiuyun's dark eyebrows like distant mountains, a typical eastern beauty's profile.

"You can draw basic talismans? What's your success rate?" Mu Xiuyun's voice was like a clear mountain stream as her bright beautiful eyes fell on Lan Chang'an.

"For basic talismans, my success rate is sixty percent," Lan Chang'an was not overly modest.

For those with decent talisman talent, basic talismans were easy to learn.

"Sixty percent?" Mu Xiuyun did not ask further. She took out a set of talisman drawing materials and placed them on the table, gesturing for Lan Chang'an to demonstrate.

Lan Chang'an did not stand on ceremony either. He picked up the talisman brush, prepared the cinnabar ink, and neatly drew three basic talismans.

Two were successful, one failed.

With Lan Chang'an's previous life's third-rank talisman master attainments, deceiving a first-rank talisman master was naturally easy.

Mu Xiuyun nodded: "Good talent."

"By the way, I nearly succeeded in refining a first-rank low-grade talisman last time," Lan Chang'an added with seeming regret.

"A first-rank talisman, you nearly succeeded?" Mu Xiuyun couldn't help but be moved, her starry eyes seemed to have fluorescent light flowing through them.

"Yes, just a little bit away from succeeding."

"Draw one for me to see."

"Okay."

Lan Chang'an picked up the talisman brush again.

Mu Xiuyun gently moved closer, observing by his side, her dark fragrance trailing and a faint fragrance wafting from her sleeves.

Shhh!

When Lan Chang'an drew about seven or eight tenths of the first-rank talisman, his spiritual sense suddenly broke off, and a wisp of blue smoke rose from the talisman paper.

"Your mana lacked precision and could not be sustained," Mu Xiuyun commented.

"Thank you for your guidance, Miss," Lan Chang'an acted as if greatly honored.

"This book 'Nine Essentials of the Talisman Path' is a gift for you. Study it carefully when you return. If you have any questions, you can come and ask me."

Mu Xiuyun took out a book from her storage bag.

Lan Chang'an accepted the kindness and thanked her again.

"By the way, Miss. If I become a first-rank talisman master, can I freely cultivate the talisman path in the Mu family, without needing to take a wife and have children?"

Before leaving, Lan Chang'an laid it out plainly.

He felt that the Mu family's young lady seemed like a good person, graceful and beautiful, gentle and considerate, and appeared to sincerely want to cultivate the talisman path.

Mu Xiuyun showed a hint of surprise, pondering: "When you become a first-rank talisman master, I will speak for you before my father."

"Thank you for your trouble, Miss." Lan Chang'an cupped his hands in salute and left.

Watching his departing back, Mu Xiuyun pondered for a moment, her red lips slightly pursed:

"Even without me, the Mu family will have a decent person to take charge in the talisman path in the future."

...

After returning, Lan Chang'an did not plan to seek guidance from Mu Xiuyun.

Although doing so would make it more reasonable for him to become a first-rank talisman master, and bring him closer to the young lady.

"If not necessary, it's best to have less dealings with a beauty like Mu Xiuyun."

Lan Chang'an understood the principle that beautiful women bring calamity.

An outsider in the early Qi-Refining stage getting too close to the young lady would only invite trouble.

...

Half a year later.

The meditating Lan Chang'an suddenly looked towards the neighboring courtyard, sensing an unstable fluctuation of mana.

"This brat! Even after taking a wife and having children, his cultivation surprisingly hasn't fallen much." Lan Chang'an murmured to himself.

In the neighboring courtyard, Li Ergou was the first to advance to the third layer of Qi-Refining. Li Ergou was simple-minded, and with the rewards and resources from the Mu family to nurture him, his cultivation progressed smoothly.

The Earth Rock Scripture that Li Ergou cultivated was not particularly powerful, but as long as he cultivated diligently and was given sufficient resources, he would be able to advance relatively quickly.

A few days later.

After consolidating his realm, the delighted Li Ergou came running to visit Lan Chang'an's place.

Lan Chang'an had put up a "Closed for Cultivation" plaque in advance, causing Li Ergou to leave in frustration, without being able to show off.

"Counting back, it has been almost four years since I came to the Mu family." Lan Chang'an thought inside his room, his mind calm like water, with any slight restlessness passing away with the the wind.

He did not become unsettled just because Ergou had surpassed him.

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"It's worthy of being a cultivation technique that cultivates the temperament and spirit."

The state of mind was very important in the middle and late stages of cultivation.

The Evergreen Technique had beneficial effects in this aspect, which was precious. It might help with the tribulation of heart demons at the Nascent Soul Realm.

...

One year later.

Accompanied by a trace of the Qi of the ages, the Evergreen mana within Lan Chang'an flourished with a lush verdant intent.

"Five years of time, the third layer of Qi-Refining!" A slight ripple arose in Lan Chang'an's heart, but it quickly calmed like still water.

Five years from the first to the third layer of Qi-Refining was considered normal for an ordinary low-grade spiritual root.

But compared to his meteoric progress in his previous life, it was far behind.

There was also another important factor - age!

Lan Chang'an was now twenty-three years old, two years older than Li Ergou and three years older than Zhao Siyu.

Zhao Siyu was probably already at the fifth layer of Qi-Refining by now.

"A twenty-three year old at the third layer of Qi-Refining, by conventional evaluation, has limited future potential."

"But I am cultivating the Ancient Trees Evergreen Technique, which prolongs my life for twenty years at the early stage of Qi-Refining, giving me a lifespan of one hundred and forty years, and at the late stage of Qi Refining, my lifespan is as much as one hundred and eighty years."

Perhaps because the cultivation technique absorbed the Qi of the ages, Lan Chang'an could sense his own longevity.

Compared to a hundred and eighty years, twenty-three years old was still a youthful age, with a long future ahead.@@novelbin@@

Bloop!

Lan Chang'an extended a finger to draw a water mirror towards him, in which the reflection showed a fair-skinned, handsome and gentle youth with jet black eyes.

Coupled with the white robe, he had the air of a peerless noble. The calluses on his hands from martial training were also gone.

"Is this the rejuvenating effect of the Evergreen Technique, or is it the incerase in lifespan?" Lan Chang'an looked almost identical to five years ago, his skin even more delicate.

He silently circulated the Evergreen Technique, filling his body with an aura like rotten wood, making his formerly jade-like complexion less apparent.

After consolidating his realm and leaving seclusion,

The first thing Lan Chang'an did was sell first-rank talismans!

At the third layer of Qi-Refining, he was now a first-rank talisman master!

...

Initially, members of the Mu family held doubts.

But soon after, under Mu Xiuyun's personal examination, Lan Chang'an successfully refined a first-rank fire talisman.

Lan Chang'an's identity as a first-rank talisman master was officially confirmed.

...

"That kid... became a first-rank talisman master?"

On Moonheart Island, in a quiet room, the cross-legged Mu Maode looked at the note in his hand, somewhat caught off guard.

The five-year agreement with Lan Chang'an was about to expire.

Mu Maode was preparing to pressure Lan Chang'an into taking a wife and having children in the Mu family.

Unexpectedly, Lan Chang'an had now become a talisman master, disrupting his arrangements.

The talisman path, although not as prestigious as pill refining or artifact forging, still ranked high among the hundreds of arts of cultivation.

A first-rank talisman master in his early twenties was a rare talent, enough for the Mu family to extend an olive branch.

Mu Maode felt a headache coming on. How should he handle Lan Chang'an now?

Lan Chang'an's five-year agreement with Mu Maode had already expired.

After becoming a first-rank talisman master, Lan Chang'an planned to discuss the terms with the Mu family.

However, half a month passed and neither Mu Maode nor the Mu family elders made a statement.

But on this day,

Mu Xiuyun's maid came with word that the young lady had invited him out to discuss the talisman dao.

The location was the Willow Pavilion by Fenyue Lake.

"Miss My has invited me?"

To be honest, Lan Chang'an did not want to get too close to Mu Xiuyun.

Especially a private rendezvous between a lone man and lone woman could easily arouse suspicion.

...

Half an hour later.

Lan Chang'an arrived at the willow-shaded shores of Fenyue Lake, where a nearly overhanging pavilion building came into view.

"So this is the Willow Pavilion?" Lan Chang'an glanced at the plaque.

"Master Lan, please go up to the third floor."

A crisp, melodious girl's voice drifted down from the pavilion above.

The third floor of the pavilion was like a sky garden, facing the brilliant waves of Fenyue Lake.

Lan Chang'an had thought this would be a private tryst but the facts proved he had thought too much. Besides the plainly-dressed, gentle and elegant Mu Xiuyun, there was also a blue-robed young lady with an exquisite melon-seed face, willow brows and almond eyes, with a charming, radiant beauty.

Lan Chang'an felt she looked familiar.

He soon recalled that this was the red-robed girl beside Mu Xiuyun the first time he went to Nine September Building.

"This is Mu Yinglan, you've met her before." Mu Xiuyun smiled and introduced her.

Lan Chang'an had heard Li Ergou talk about Mu Yinglan.

This girl had quite a reputation. Among the Mu family's young female disciples with spiritual roots, her looks and bearing were second only to Mu Xiuyun.

"Master Lan." Mu Yinglan gave a curtsy, her voice soft and gentle.

"Miss Mu."

Lan Chang'an returned the courtesy, feeling puzzled in his heart.

The last time they met, two or three years ago, Mu Yinglan had not shown him a good attitude. This time, it was as if she was a different person.

Dressed up elegantly, gentle and charming.

Noticing Lan Chang'an's probing gaze, Mu Yinglan's fair face blushed slightly.

However, she was not the type to be a little housewife, her bright eyes boldly looked towards Lan Chang'an.

Meeting again today, her attitude was completely different.

Mu Yinglan's almond eyes brightened.

Not only was Lan Chang'an handsome, but he had a special temperament - aloof and serene, making people feel comfortable.

In recent days, after pressure from the family elders and persuasion from her senior sister Xiuyun, Mu Yinglan had reluctantly agreed.

Seeing him today, she felt he was not bad at all.

Although his cultivation was not outstanding, as a young talisman master he was handsome and refined, truly talented and attractive.

"Master Lan, I left an ancient talisman manual downstairs, I'll come back up shortly."

Mu Xiuyun apologized and hurried downstairs.

Left alone were just Lan Chang'an and Mu Yinglan.

Even if Lan Chang'an was slow, he should understand now.

"Master Lan, Yinglan will brew tea for you."

Mu Yinglan smiled sweetly, her fair skin and long legs gliding gracefully as she busied herself.

Lan Chang'an wanted to say something but stopped, until Mu Yinglan brought him a cup of clear tea with an expectant look on her face.

Blowing away the steam, Lan Chang'an took a light sip.

"Master Lan, how do you maintain yourself so well? Do you have a secret method?"

Mu Yinglan asked curiously, blinking her eyes.

Lab Chang'an was in his twenties but still had the appearance of a youth, his skin translucent and flawless.

Among cultivators, some possessed age-defying arts, a topic of great interest to female cultivators.

"Perhaps it's because my state of mind is good, and I cultivate a wood-type skill?"

Lan Chang'an was well-prepared for such questions.

This was not the mundane world - having an ageless appearance was not strange in the cultivation world, so he did not need to worry about being taken for dissection.

Besides longevity pills, many techniques had age-defying effects, especially wood-type techniques.

The relatively common Ancient Wood Technique was about 70-80% similar to the Ancient Trees Evergreen Technique.

For nourishing life and preserving youth, their power was mediocre.

Even if Lan Chang'an deliberately exuded mana, the feeling he gave off was just that of an ordinary wood-type technique.

Mu Yinglan's bright eyes sparkled, intending to use this topic for deeper conversation.

"Miss Mu, please excuse me, I have an urgent matter."

Lan Chang'an smiled apologetically and hurriedly left.

"Urgent matter?"

Mu Yinglan was stunned.

Her pretty face immediately flushed red, her bosom heaving irregularly.

Lan Chang'an had obviously made an excuse to leave.

"This Lan fellow! Who does he think he is looking down on? I did you a favor by coming here!"

Mu Yinglan was deeply angered.

She had originally looked down on Lan Chang'an.

Only after pressure from the family and Lan Chang'an becoming a talisman master did she reluctantly agree to Senior Sister Xiuyun's matchmaking attempt.

Her immensely proud temper flared up!

Crash!

The tea cup shattered, the table and chairs splintered into pieces.

Hearing the noise from downstairs, Lan Chang'an quickened his pace and fled from the Willow Pavilion in a flash.

"Why? Does he not wish to marry a Mu family girl?"

The plainly-dressed Mu Xiuyun stood at the second-floor window, pondering in puzzlement.

At Lan Chang'an's age and potential, there was little hope for the Foundation Establishment. As an orphan, he should not be so averse to marrying into the family. He might look down on mortal women, but Mu Yinglan had a spiritual root and great looks, with no lack of pursuers.

If he married Mu Yinglan, Lan Chang'an could receive nurturing from the family - techniques, pills, guidance from the elders - his future would be smooth sailing.

"Sister Xiuyun, it's not that this girl didn't cooperate. That Lan fellow must not be interested in women."

Mu Yinglan came over fuming.@@novelbin@@

"Not interested in women?"

Mu Xiuyun was astonished. Could this be the real reason?

But recalling her two or three encounters with Lan Chang'an,

When facing her, he would occasionally reveal a subtle appreciation for beauty.

As a woman, she had a keen intuition about this.

"He pisses me off! That Lan is older than me but has lower cultivation, yet he dares insult me like this."

Mu Yinglan could barely swallow her resentment, growing more upset the more she thought about it.

"Don't do anything rash!"

Mu Xiuyun's starry eyes narrowed in warning.

Mu Yinglan was at the fourth layer of Qi-Refining. If she was bent on revenge, Lan Chang'an would likely suffer.

"I'm not that stupid! Lan Chang'an is a first-rank talisman master. If I make a move against him, the elders will severely punish me."

"I, Mu Yinglan, vow to find a man ten times stronger than him, so he can only look up to him in the future!"

...

"The Mu family really went to great lengths to try recruiting me as a son-in-law."

Returning to his courtyard residence, Lan Chang'an felt somewhat wry amusement.

The Mu family's "matchmaking" efforts had ended in failure.

Fortunately, the Mu family did not insist forcefully. After all, a twisted melon is not sweet.

Several days later,

Family head Mu Maode personally summoned Lan Chang'an for half an hour of discussion.

The two sides smoothly reached an agreement.

Going forward, Lan Chang'an would not marry a Mu family girl, but could still enjoy the normal treatment of a family member.

He would receive a certain quota of spirit rice, pills, and other supplies each year.

Of course, he would have to fulfill obligations by refining a certain number of talisman papers for the Mu family annually.

The Mu family would provide the materials, and with Lan Chang'an's attainments in the talisman dao, he could only profit in this deal.

In this way, Lan Chang'an officially took up residence at Fenyue Mountain Villa, beginning a new phase of his cultivation journey.

...

Three years flashed by in the blink of an eye.

Inside the private courtyard.

The Evergreen mana within Lan Chang'an circulated through his limbs and body, carrying an endless, azure aura of renewal.

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"Eight years."

Lan Chang'an felt amazed at how quickly time had passed - he had been with the Mu family for eight years already.

Through these years of observation.

In the cycle of the seasons, the power of the Evergreen Technique was growing, but at an extremely slow pace.

At least, it was slightly stronger than common skills like the Origin-Opening Scripture or Earth Rock Scripture.

It really did seem that the longer one lived, the stronger one's spiritual power became!

In the last three years of cultivation, Lan Chang'an had crossed over half of the third layer of Qi-Refining. He estimated that in another year, he would reach the peak of the third layer. During the Qi-Refining stage, he had no bottlenecks to overcome.

Cultivating to the peak of the third layer was equivalent to the time required to break into the fourth layer of Qi-Refining, in other words, going from the third to the fourth layer would take four years of time.

Meanwhile, Li Ergou next door had reached the peak of the third layer half a year ago, the reason he had not broken through was because of the existence of the bottleneck.

Going from the third to the fourth layer, entering the middle stage of Qi-Refining, was a major hurdle.

With Li Ergou's ordinary talent, how easy could it be to break through?

Either he had to slowly grind away over time, or rely on bottleneck-breaking pills, such bottleneck pills were quite rare in the Mu family and required to exchange for them.

merit contributions

...

"Big brother Lan, let's go hunt some birds!" Li Ergou shouted from outside in the early evening.

"Why are you hollering so happily? You haven't caught a single bird these past few days." Lan Chang'an teased. Since he had nothing to do anyway,

"Alright, I'll go play around with you today."

"Awesome! With Big brother Lan on the hunt, we're sure to bag something tonight." Li Ergou was overjoyed.

The "birds" they spoke of referred to a type of "fish hawk" that had recently been plaguing Fenyue Lake.

These fish hawks were semi-spirit beasts cultivated in later ages, specialized in eating the spirit fish of Fenyue Lake. They had caused the spirit fish population in the lake to sharply decline. Rumor had it that these fish hawks were products of the "Beast Taming Zhou family".

In his eight years of cultivation with the Mu family, Lan Chang'an sensed a sign of coming instability. This stemmed from the enmity between the Mu family and the Zheng family. Ten years ago, the two cultivation family had come to blows over the ownership of a first-grade purple copper mine, with both sides' Foundation Establishment patriarchs being injured.

Later, one of the seven major families, the Beast Taming Zhou family intervened to mediate a truce, having the two family's split the discovered purple copper mine.

As the arbitrator, the Beast Taming Zhou family took 30% of the proceeds.

Some time ago.

Underneath the first-rank purple copper mine, it was suspected that the accompanying "purple heart copper" was found, which is an excellent material for refining top-grade magic weapons.

The two families, at peace for years, took up arms again and deployed more personnel to the mine region.

Over the past two years, at some unknown cost, the Zheng family had secured support from one branch of the Beast Taming Zhou family, selling many of their spirit beasts. The fish hawks were one such product.

Although the fish hawks did not threaten Qi-Refining cultivators, with their ability to fly and dive underwater, they secretly hunted the spirit fish of Fenyue Lake every night.

The Zheng family employed such tricks in an attempt to divert the Mu family's attention to the rear areas. Their true goal was still the "purple heart copper" from the mines.

To counter the harassment from the fish hawks, the Mu family issued a bounty for family members who killed the fish hawks in exchange for contribution points.

Li Ergou struggled to accumulate contribution points to exchange for bottleneck-breaking pills. That was why he actively went "bird hunting".

...

"The accompanying purple heart copper, the fish hawk harassment...the conflict between the Mu and Zheng family may escalate."

On the way to Fenyue Lake, Lan Chang'an's gaze was deep.

"Let's wait and see! A relaxed, harmonious place for cultivation like the Mu family is not easy to find."

"If the Mu family's Foundation Establishment patriarchs cannot withstand it, or are killed, I will definitely have to run away."

Li Ergou remained unaware that his most trusted Big Brother Lan Chang'an beside him was contemplating a plan to flee.

Every night, there were no shortage of Mu family cultivators coming to Fenyue Lake to "hunt birds".

Mostly young cultivators in the early stages of Qi-Refining.

The Mu family's capable adult cultivators were mostly stationed at the purple copper mine.

The fish hawks at their doorstep were only semi-spirit beasts, posing little threat to Qi-Refining cultivators.

This low-risk task that could earn contribution points was gladly taken up by family members, including some mortal martial artists.

However, these semi-spirit fish hawks were not easy to catch.

First, the shores of Fenyue Lake spanned hundreds of miles, and there were a limited number of cultivators, making it impossible to fully guard everywhere.

The fish hawks possessed a degree of spiritual intelligence and only acted during night.

Second, the fish hawks could both fly and dive underwater skillfully, with better eyesight than humans.

Although the fish hawks were no match for Qi-Refining cultivators, they only targeted the spirit fish in the lake.

Human cultivators would be detected by the fish hawks before getting close, making it difficult to catch them whether in the air or underwater.

"Let's split up to search."

Lan Chang'an paused at the lakeside and suggested.

"Okay! Let's see who catches a bird first."

Li Ergou was full of enthusiasm, plunging into the lake water with a "plop".

"No wonder he can't catch any birds."

Lan Chang'an did not enter the water, instead using a lightbody technique to circle around the shores of Fenyue Lake.

Occasionally, he would stop to observe the reedy areas by the water's edge.

With several hundred years of experience across two lifetimes, Lan Chang'an understood a little about the art of tracking.

After completing a circle, Lan Chang'an stopped under a shaded tree by the lakeside.@@novelbin@@

Leaning against the trunk, he cycled the Evergreen Technique, suppressing his aura. His presence was greatly reduced, as if he had become an extension of the tree's branches.

Half an hour later.

In the night, a brown-gray waterfowl with a thick neck and pointed beak silently descended from the sky.

This fish hawk looked around, preparing to dive into the water.

Swish! Smack!

A stone shot through the air like a thunderbolt, striking the fish hawk's belly.

The fish hawk screeched as its belly exploded in a bloody hole, falling into the lake.

"One."

Lan Chang'an walked on the water, picking up the fish hawk's corpse.

Using a water purification technique, he rinsed away the blood, sealed the body in a bag, and stored it in his storage pouch.

After finishing all this, Lan Chang'an changed locations again. Continuing to lie in wait like a fox stalking rabbits. Over the course of the night, Lan Chang'an caught four fish hawks. Li Ergou got nothing.

"Big Brother Lan, can you give me some pointers?" Regarding hunting birds, Ergou was completely convinced of Lan Chang'an's expertise.

"Can you do these three things?"

"First, analyze the fish hawks' living habits to find the best ambush spots."

"Second, can your hiding spot evade the fish hawks' eyes?"

"Third, can you attack fast, accurately, and lethally in one decisive strike?"

After hearing the three points, Li Ergou felt utterly dejected.

Leaving aside whether he could do the first two. In recent days when he luckily encountered fish hawks, his casting speed and accuracy were so poor that by the time he launched a fireball, the fish hawks had already fled far away.

Lan Chang'an dealt with the fish hawks by launching his concealed weapon with the martial art Flame Flick without aura fluctuations.

Over the next few days, every night Lan Chang'an could hunt down a few fish hawks.

The rumors of an "bird hunting expert" had just started spreading…when Lan Chang'an withdrew and lay low.

This kind of low-risk, high-reward activity was fine to do occasionally. Lan Chang'an feared that if he kept it up, he might provoke enmity from those commanding the fish hawks.

...

Each fish hawk could be exchanged for five contribution points. In just a few days of work, Lan Chang'an had exchanged over a hundred points.

"Adding the hundred contribution points I earned from extra talisman drawing over the past two years, I've accumulated over two hundred total. Enough to exchange for better quality magic weapons at the Refining Pavilion."

After returning to the family, Lan Chang'an calculated in his mind. Now that the dispute between the two cultivation families had resurfaced, it was important to prepare for the worst, to strengthen his self-defense capabilities.

Previously, when Li Ergou wanted to buy fish hawk corpses from Lan Chang'an to earn contribution points for bottleneck-breaking pills.

Lan Chang'an had refused. While he and Li Ergou were good friends, it wasn't to the point of being parents.

Since becoming a talisman master, over the past three years Lan Chang'an had lived quite comfortably in the Mu family. For the talisman drawing materials the Mu family provided him annually, he maintained a normal level of quality and success rate on the surface. Any excess materials became additional income for him. Every few months, Lan Chang'an would go to September Building to sell some talismans.

His financial situation steadily improved.

Now, Lan Chang'an had saved two to three hundred spirit stones.

This was because Lan Chang'an was cautious, fearing drawing too much attention. He had quite a stockpile of unsold talismans in his storage pouch that he had not fully liquidated.

...

Time rolled to the middle of the month again.

With ample funds, Lan Chang'an went to September Building.

September Building was just a small-scale trading venue within the family, not a high-end place. One could not buy mid-grade magic weapons there. For mid-grade magic weapons, one had to go to the family's Refining Pavilion and exchange contribution points.

Lan Chang'an spent a long time browsing at September Building before purchasing two relatively good low-grade magic weapons. One was a "Dark Gold Blade" and the other was "Seven Ingenious Needles".

The Dark Gold Blade was a standard offensive magic weapon made of a durable material, considered a fine product among the low-grade weapons.

The Seven Ingenious Needles was a set of seven needle-like artifacts, each as long as a chopstick but much thinner and sharper.

"Has the family conflict caused magic weapons prices to rise?"

For these two decent low-grade magic weapons, Lan Chang'an spent over two hundred low-grade spirit stones. Ordinarily, an average low-grade magic weapon would only cost sixty or seventy spirit stones.

...

The next day, Lan Chang'an went to the family's Refining Pavilion. He spent two hundred contribution points to exchange for a mid-grade defensive magic weapon called the Bedrock Shield.

The staff managing the Refining Pavilion repeatedly tried to dissuade Lan Chang'an:

"An early Qi-Refining cultivator will have difficulty controlling a mid-grade magic weapon. With those contribution points, you'd be better off exchanging for bottleneck-breaking pills."

This staff member made a fair point. Low-grade and middle-grade magic weapons corresponded to the Qi-Refining stage. Superior-grade and top-grade magic weapons corresponded to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Even at the middle stage of Qi-Refining, one could only control one mid-grade magic weapon or two low-grade magic weapons simultaneously. One's mana and spiritual doubly limited the restrictions of using a magic weapon.

Lan Chang'an insisted on exchanging for the mid-grade Bedrock Shield magic weapon, using the excuse that he was saving it for later use.

In truth, Lan Chang'an's spiritual sense was comparable to the late Qi-Refining stage, sufficient to control a mid-grade magic weapon. However, it could not be used for too long due to the limitation of mana.

....

Purchasing three magic weapon in one go, Lan Chang'an returned and refined them, greatly increasing his sense of security.

The handkerchief magic weapon he obtained from killing the Purple Rose Fairy back then had also been refined by Lan Chang'an previously using his mana.

Besides magic weapons, Lan Chang'an also stockpiled dozens of high-quality talismans! All were mid-grade or superior-grade first-rank talismans.

Even a late Qi-Refining cultivator would feel uneasy facing so many powerful talismans.

After finishing storing everything.

While continuing his cultivation, Lan Chang'an also monitored the situation between the Mu and Zheng family.

First were the fish hawks.

Over the past few days, the Zheng family had suddenly recalled the fish hawks. Reportedly, the Zheng family's losses from the fish hawks were quite large, making it no longer worthwhile.

The timing coincided with when Lan Chang'an, the so-called "bird hunting expert", stopped hunting them.

Next was the situation at the mines.

The mines were quite distant, located amidst the mountain ranges between the two family's territories. The information was not very accurate.

Lan Chang'an heard that the two family's younger cultivators were in a standoff in the mining tunnels, with more than one elder from each side overseeing them.

...

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Several days later,

Li Ergou brought some good news.

His second son "Mu Ershun" had been tested and confirmed to possess a low-grade spiritual root.

Li Ergou was overjoyed. Among that batch of spiritual seedlings, he was the first to produce an offspring with a spiritual root.

Li Ergou's eldest son was named Mu Yifan and was already over seven years old, just an ordinary person. His second son Mu Ershun had just turned six.

He also had a three-year-old third son and a one-year-old daughter.

"Congratulations!" For this occasion, Lan Chang'an even attended Li Ergou's celebratory banquet.

"This fellow, he sure is capable." The other spiritual seedlings in attendance felt quite bitter about it.

Not long after, Li Ergou received a reward from the family head. A Pure Qi Pill - exactly the bottleneck-breaking pill he had dreamed of.

Being the first to produce an offspring, and the first to have an offspring with a spiritual root, Li Ergou reaped the rewards from both.

"This kid's luck is truly not bad." Lan Chang'an felt moved.

He had originally thought that since Li Ergou was held back by a bottleneck, he would use his advantage of re-cultivation to reach the middle stage of Qi-Refining first.

...

Ten days later.

Li Ergou emerged from seclusion, having advanced to the fourth layer of Qi-Refining, becoming one of the younger middle Qi-Refining cultivators in the family.

The newly advanced Li Ergou was full of vigor and confidence. He held another banquet celebration.

Those other spiritual seedlings felt vexed, having to bring gifts again. But they did not dare offend Li Ergou either. At the middle Qi-Refining stage, he was now a major figure in the family.

At the banquet, Li Ergou announced one matter.

He would be changing his name to "Li Changqing". This new name seemed inspired by Lan Chang'an's.

Being at the middle Qi-Refining stage, the vulgar name "Ergou" (meaning "second dog") was rather unbecoming. Everyone understood Li Ergou's thoughts.

"Li Changqing..."Lan Chang'an found it hard to get used to Ergou's sudden name change.

"Big Brother Lan, how do you like my new name?" The newly named Li Ergou was exhilarated, drinking heavily and getting quite drunk.

During the banquet, Lan Chang'an wanted to speak up but held back. He had intended to tell Li Ergou that immortal cultivator's real name and dao names could not be changed casually. This involved matters of luck and even fate.

Some names resonated harmoniously with the cultivator, like a fish in water. Names that didn't fit would have conflicting destinies.

...

Half a month later.

"Big Brother Lan..." Li came over, wailing loudly.

Lan Chang'an was alarmed: "What happened?"

After inquiring, Lan Chang'an learned some bad news.

Over at the mining area, the Mu family and Zheng family had clashed, suffering significant casualties. The Mu family urgently needed to replenish their manpower and was conscripting younger capable cultivators from the family. Targeting primarily those of the middle Qi-Refining stage.

Unluckily, Li had just recently advanced to the fourth layer of Qi-Refining and was drafted by the family.

"Big Brother Lan! If I die, I hope you can help look after my wife and children..."

Li begged through his tears and snot.

Who could have imagined that Li Ergou, previously so full of vigor, would now be overwhelmed with sorrow.

Lan Chang'an sighed at the impermanence of life.

Even when one is at the height of glory, one must never become arrogant.

"You don't need to be so pessimistic," said Lan Chang'an.

"Big brother Lan, I know my own combat ability. Going to the front line mining area, life and death is uncertain," said Li Ergou bitterly.

He had no confidence in returning alive, which was why he sought out his most trusted person Lan Chang'an to entrust his will.

"Actually, you have one advantage."

"What advantage?" Li Ergou was puzzled.

"You have a clear self-awareness and know your own strengths."

Li Ergou lacked courage, was weak in combat, and had no real battle experience.

"Big brother Lan, it's come to this point, and you're still mocking me?"

"For you, this may not be a bad thing for survival."

"Cultivators fear overconfidence the most, arrogantly looking down on their peers and disregarding ordinary cultivators. Many talented cultivators have capsized in the ditch due to carelessness," Lan Chang'an sighed, taking out two talismans from his storage bag and handing them to Li Ergou.@@novelbin@@

"These are healing and wind speed talismans, big brother can only help you up to this point."

After all, they had known each other for eight long years. Perhaps this would be the last time he saw Li Ergou.

Lan Chang'an was not too stingy, giving him two middle-grade talismans. Nowdays, in the Mu family, he was considered a senior first-rank talisman master, occasionally refining mid-grade talismans.

"Thank you, big brother," Li Ergou accepted the talismans, still looking at Lan Chang'an expectantly.

"Alright, I promise you," Lan Chang'an sighed. "If it really comes to that, I will do what I can to provide some care for your wife and children."

Only then did Li Ergou break into a smile, a heavy weight lifted from his heart.

Before parting, he couldn't help but ask:

"Big brother Lan, should I not have changed my name?"

Before changing his name, Li Ergou had smooth sailing and knew no troubles.

But after changing his name to "Li Changqing", he had one foot in the abyss.

"Destiny, fortune, profound mysteries - who can truly understand?" Lan Chang'an shook his head, unable to answer.

After all, in his previous life, he was merely at the Core Formation Realm, not a great cultivator. There were too many things in the cultivation world that he could not comprehend.

...

The next day, Li Ergou left Feiyue Villa, following the young and middle-aged cultivators of the family to the Purple Copper Mining Area.

Lan Chang'an watched his departing back.

After pondering for a long time, he looked towards the center of Purple Moon Lake, where the outline of the "Moonheart Island" was faintly visible.

That was where the Foundation Establishment Ancestor of the Mu family resided.

Lan Chang'an's soul was extraordinary, and he was also able to let the soul brand that was lit up in the first life of the Nine Seal Stele add to it, raising his spiritual sense by one level.

He could sense that the Mu family's ancestral patriarch was still present, but his aura was growing weaker by the day.

Years ago in Jin Yun Valley, Lin Yi had inquired about rumors, saying that the Mu family's Ancestor would not live more than ten years.

According to Lan Chang'an's remote perception, the estimation wasn't far off, probably three to five years remaining.

This judgment was not solely based on his soul sense, but also the keen perception of the aura of time and longevity from the Ancient Trees Evergreen Technique.

Lan Chang'an's bottom line was that as long as this Foundation Establishment Ancestor could remain stable, he would maintain a wait-and-see approach and not rush to leave.

"But in three to five years, if the Mu family does not produce a new Foundation Establishment cultivator, they will definitely not be able to protect the second-grade spiritual vein. At that time..."

Lan Chang'an withdrew his gaze, silently planning several contingencies in his heart.

...

Two months later.

No news came from Li Ergou at the front lines.

Since the mining area was quite distant, as an outsider, Lan Chang'an received relatively limited information.

However, there were occasional injured cultivators returning, while younger Mu family cultivators were sent to the front lines. The tense situation eventually affected Lan Chang'an.

"Go and guard the herb garden?"

On this day, as Lan Chang'an was handing over a batch of talismans, he received an arrangement from the higher-ups of the Mu family.

With his cultivation not even reaching the middle stage of Qi-Refining, the family would not send him to the front lines unless absolutely necessary as a talisman master. But apart from the mining frontline, the Mu family also had some assets that needed guarding. Such as the herb garden, spirit fields, and water resources.

The Mu family had an herb garden located in a mountain valley two hundred miles away from Purple Moon Manor. Since it was relatively close to the family's residence, guarding the herb garden was comparatively safer.

"The herb garden is located on a spiritual ground with a spirit-gathering formation. You can cultivate and make talismans there, while also helping the family guard the herb garden." The family steward leading Lan Chang'an to the herb garden explained.

Lan Chang'an had no reason to refuse. Since Li Ergou had gone to the frontlines, it was reasonable for him to do some logistical work in the herb garden.

Due to the short distance, Lan Chang'an rode his black golden blade and flew directly to the herb garden. He was accompanied by two or three young Mu family cultivators at around the second layer of Qi-Refining.

The mountain valley where the herb garden was located had a natural energy formation that gathered the essence of the sun and moon, suitable for growing medicinal herbs. The entire herb garden spanned thousands of acres, protected by a first-grade formation.

Apart from the divided planting areas, there was a small village-like area with houses built near a stream in the herb garden.

Upon entering the herb garden, each person was assigned a separate wooden cabin.

The conditions were definitely not as good as Purple Moon Manor.

"Lan Chang'an."

Hearing someone call his name, Lan Chang'an turned to look. It was a one-armed youth with a familiar face, his body wrapped in bandages in several places.

"Mu Yunfei?" Lan Chang'an recalled the identity from the handsome youth's face.

Eight years ago, Mu Yunfei had escorted their group of spirit seedlings back home and distributed spirit stones to them along the way.

The two were considered to have fought side by side before.

Back then, with his first layer of Qi-Refining cultivation, Lan Chang'an had killed a Zheng family cultivator at the third layer of Qi-Refining, earning Mu Yunfei's praise.

"Brother Yunfei, your arm, could it be from the frontline mining area..."

Lan Chang'an was slightly surprised.

"Yes, I need to recuperate for a year. The family master asked me to also look after the herb garden in the meantime. After all, this is an important location for the family, and the elder who previously guarded it has gone to the front lines." Mu Yunfei's voice was low and slightly hoarse. He was no longer the family's rising star from eight years ago.

Mu Yunfei was two years older than Lan Chang'an, at the peak of the sixth layer of Qi-Refining, considered one of the family's young elites.

Lan Chang'an thought silently: "Even the injured are being deployed on duty. It seems the Mu family is really lacking manpower."

...

A few days later, Lan Chang'an had adapted to life in the herb garden.

The spiritual energy in the herb garden could not compare to Purple Moon Manor.

However, the rich spiritual essence of plants and trees here complemented Lan Chang'an's cultivation of the wood-based Ancient Trees Evergreen Technique. Therefore, his cultivation speed was no slower than at the Feiyue Manor which had a first-grade spiritual brance underneath it.

During these days, Lan Chang'an became familiar with Mu Yunfei and inquired about the situation at the front line mining area.

Deep within that Purple Copper Mining Area, they had indeed discovered deposits of the "Purple Heart Copper".

Purple Heart Copper was not included in the original agreement between the two families to evenly split the resources.

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Moreover, the distribution of Purple Heart Copper was very scattered and the quantity was relatively small, making it easy to hoard privately.

Nowadays, cultivators from both families were using their own means to mine the Purple Heart Copper, occasionally resulting in conflicts.

"Didn't the Beast Taming Zhou Family, who acted as the adjudicator back then, step in to stop this?" Lan Chang'an curiously asked Mu Yunfei.

"The Beast Taming Zhou Family?" Mu Yunfei sneered. "They're clearly biased towards the Zheng Family! A pair of Zheng Family's spiritual root bearing sisters married the young master of one of the lineages of the Zhou family."

The Beast Taming Zhou Family, as one of the seven great families, had an Core Formation Realm residing in the family, with nearly ten Foundation Establishment cultivators. Their forces were vast, and the branching factions within the family were also rather complicated.

Fortunately, it was only one of their branches that was being pulled in by the Zheng Family, otherwise the Mu Family would have to directly surrender.

The reason Mu Yunfei said the Zhou Family was biased was because the Zheng Family had more young and middle-aged cultivators, and their ancestor still had twenty to thirty years of lifespan remaining in a better state.

If the Zhou Family did not uphold fairness, with such a protracted attrition, the Zheng Family would have the opportunity to gradually encroach and swallow up the Mu Family's assets.

"You don't have to worry, my Mu family and the Maple Leaf Huang family are liaising, there is a possibility of a joint marriage. The Huang Family has three Foundation Establishment cultivators and are a very powerful force."

Seeming to notice Lan Chang'an's concern, Mu Yunfei revealed this information.

"The Maple Leaf Huang Family, join marriage?"

Lan Chang'an pondered thoughtfully.

It seemed both the Zheng and Mu Families were trying to rally powerful allies.

...

"Be nimble with your hands and feet! Pluck those Misty Orchid herbs, Master Ge is waiting to refine pills."

On this day, as Lan Chang'an was chatting with Mu Yunfei, an impatient raspy voice came from the herb field area not far away.

"Who is that?" Lan Chang'an glanced towards an old man in an ancient robe with puffy eye bags in the distance. He had not noticed before that there was actually a seventh layer Qi-Refining elder in the herb garden.

"That's the pill refiner 'Ge Yi', one of the four guest elders of the family. Since we urgently need spirit pills recently, Elder Ge has been staying at the herb garden for easier access to materials for refining pills." Mu Yunfei introduced with respect shown on his face.

It dawned on Lu Chang'an that it was a Senior Alchemist, no wonder he had such a fierce temper, barking orders at a few young Mu Family cultivators like commanding his grandsons.

After Pill Refiner Ge left, Mu Yunfei lowered his voice and said: "Elder Ge has a bad temper, you should be careful around him and not provoke him. Elder Ge is an old acquaintance of the old ancestor, even the family head has to defer to him to some extent."

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Yunfei."

Lan Chang'an nodded.

He was at the herb garden to assist in the defense and cultivate low-profile. He did not need to interact with Elder Ge.

...

Being in the rear area of the herb garden, it remained peaceful without any disturbances.

Lan Chang'an cultivated calmly there for over half a year.

On this day, as he sat cross-legged in his room, absorbing the spiritual essence of plants and trees through his cultivation, Lan Chang'an suddenly opened his jet-black eyes.

"The peak of the third layer of Qi-Refining."

Since he was re-cultivating, he basically had no bottlenecks in the Qi-Refining stage. This meant he could advance to the middle stage of Qi-Refining at any time.

Lan Chang'an considered whether he should hold back first and not advance to the fourth layer of Qi-Refining.

Because within the family, the young and middle-aged cultivators at the middle stage of Qi-Refining would mostly be summoned to the front line mining area.

But after thinking it over, he decided not to hold back.

Firstly, advancing to the middle stage of Qi-Refining mana would increase significantly. For Lan Chang'an, who was re-cultivating, his strength would rise by a large margin.

Secondly, this was also a test.

If even a talented talisman master like himself would be summoned to the front lines, it meant the situation had reached a desperate stage. If that were the case, Lan Chang'an had no reason to remain in the Mu family.

If he truly wanted to leave, coupled with the methods from his previous life and top quality talismans, it would be difficult for a late stage Qi-Refining cultivator to catch up unless the Foundation Establishment ancestor stepped in.

A few days later, Lan Chang'an smoothly broke through the bottleneck and advanced to the fourth layer of Qi-Refining. This was the advantage of re-cultivation.

For an ordinary low-grade or mid-grade spiritual root without bottleneck-breaking pills, being stuck for one to two years, or even three to five years, would be considered normal. Of course, this was just a bottleneck at a minor realm.

For a major realm bottleneck like the Foundation Establishment Realm, with Lan Chang'an's current life aptitude, he would need to rely on Foundation Establishment pills as well to be on the safe side.

"Twenty-seven years old, fourth layer of Qi-Refining."

"From eighteen years old, it took two years to reach the second layer of Qi-Refining; three years to reach the third layer; four years to reach the fourth layer..."

The progression of the Evergreen Technique was indeed quite slow.

Before he knew it, Lan Chang'an had been cultivating in the Mu family for nine years.

During this period, he cultivated low-profile and avoided trouble, so he did not encounter any major issues.

What Lan Chang'an did not know was that Zheng Feng, the ugly woman of the Zheng family, had been trying to take revenge on him all these years. But she never had the opportunity. Because in these nine years, apart from that three-year appointment, Lan Chang'an had never left the Mu family's residence.

Zheng Feng was almost driven to internal bleeding from frustration.

...

Lan Chang'an's breakthrough to a minor realm caused fluctuations in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, which could not be concealed from the cultivators in the herb garden's residential area. Unless one went out to find a place to break through, it was impossible to hide one's cultivation realm.

"Congratulations Brother Chang'an on advancing to the middle stage of Qi-Refining." After leaving seclusion, Mu Yunfei was the first to offer congratulations.

"Brother Yunfei is too kind. At my age, advancing to the fourth layer of Qi-Refining is merely dull mediocrity," Lan Chang'an smiled, not exactly being modest.

The fourth layer of Qi-Refining at twenty-seven years old meant his potential was considered quite poor, with little chance of establishing a foundation in the future. Normally, one would need to reach the late stage of Qi-Refining before thirty to have a decent hope of establishing a foundation. With Lan Chang'an's current pace, it was impossible for him to reach the seventh layer of Qi-Refining before thirty. However, he had a lifespan of a hundred and eighty years in the Qi-Refining stage, so there was no need to rush.

"Brother Chang'an started late, but your cultivation has always been improving steadily, which is already admirable," said Mu Yunfei, his expression turning slightly gloomy.

Lan Chang'an could tell that Mu Yunfei had been stuck at the sixth layer of Qi-Refining for many years without being able to advance to the late stage. Compared to Lan Chang'an's slow but steady progress, this kind of stagnation was truly disheartening.

"With Brother Yunfei's tenacity, if you exchange for a bottleneck-breaking pill in the future, you will definitely be able to break through the bottleneck," Lan Chang'an offered a word of consolation.

Bottleneck-breaking pills for the late stage of Qi-Refining were rare in the Mu family, and even those with contributions had to queue up. Moreover, with Mu Yunfei missing an arm, each realm breakthrough in the future would be more difficult than normal.

...

Over the next few days, Lan Chang'an wandered around the herb garden to relax.

There had been occasional battles in the front line mining area for half a year, but luckily it had not escalated further. At least, no Foundation Establishment cultivators had appeared. The elders of both families were relatively restrained as well.

Two months ago, Li Ergou returned to the family to recuperate as an injured cultivator. Li Ergou's injury was quite peculiar. His leg was broken, but it was not caused by an enemy attack. Instead, he accidentally broke his leg while retreating from a lost battle. The only true combat injury he sustained was some minor flesh wounds.

Half a month ago, Li Ergou came to the herb garden specifically to thank Lan Chang'an and pleaded to purchase superior-grade wind speed talismans.

For ordinary talisman masters, the probability of producing superior-grade talismans was very low, so Lan Chang'an expressed difficulty and said he would sell them if he had any in the future.

According to Li Ergou, he was fortunate to have Lan Chang'an's top-grade wind speed talisman, as its effect exceeded expectations. However, it was also because the speed was too fast that Li Ergou accidentally broke his leg while retreating back to the main camp.

Fortunately, Li Ergou gained half a year to recuperate from his injuries, during which he could return to the family to reunite with his wife and children.

...

Half a month later, a family steward came to the herb garden to summon Mu Yunfei to the front line mining area.

After a year of recuperation, Mu Yunfei had only recently recovered from his injuries.

"Take care, Brother Yunfei," Lan Chang'an cupped his hands, feeling a tinge of pity in his heart. His injury had just healed, yet he had to go to the front lines again...

Mu Yunfei showed no resentment as he prepared to leave with the steward.

"No need to rush, there's something I need to announce," the steward said with a smile, his gaze falling on Lan Chang'an.

"From today onwards, the duty of guarding the herb garden will be taken up by Lan Chang'an."

"Guarding the herb garden?" Lan Chang'an's eyelid twitched, not expecting this at all. Why would the Mu family let an outsider like him take up the duty of guarding the herb garden?

"Lan Chang'an, do not decline. This is the result of the family head overruling all objections," the steward smiled.

"The family head has a high evaluation of you: 'Calm in the face of danger, prudent in thoughts'!"

Lan Chang'an had underestimated Mu Maode's boldness. Mu Maode knew Lan Chang'an's loyalty was not sufficient, and if he forcibly conscripted him to the front lines, it might backfire.

But the family was truly lacking manpower. Mu Maode appreciated Lan Chang'an's alertness displayed previously, as the younger generation within the family lacked such a nature. In this family crisis, wasting such talent would be a pity, so he might as well place Lan Chang'an in an important position.

During the years Lan Chang'an had been in the Mu family, he did not cause any trouble and cultivated while maintaining a low-profile, earning the acceptance of the Mu family in terms of character.

Mu Maode chose to take a gamble. He didn't know what kind of fate this helpless gamble would bring to the Mu Family..

...

"Brother Chang'an! I believe you can take over my position and guard the herb garden well," Mu Yunfei looked at him with trusting eyes.

Previously, the duty of guarding the herb garden was temporarily taken up by Mu Yunfei.

"Don't worry! The herb garden is in the backyard of the Feiyue Manor, and there's also Elder Ge here overseeing the pill refining side of things." The steward added reassuringly.

Having reached this point, Lan Chang'an could not decline. Previously he was only assisting in the defense, now he had become the leader. The biggest difference was that he could no longer slack off. Compared to Mu Yunfei and Li Ergou who had to go to the front lines and fight, this was still acceptable.

Nine years ago, the Mu family had taken Lan Chang'an in and provided him with access to their spirit vein and cultivation grounds. The Mu family had shown him kindness. Within reason, undertaking certain duties was only fair.

This kind of cultivation family that had a righteous ethos and could tolerate foreign surnames to inhabit it was not easy to find in the cultivation world.

"It's a good thing I didn't take a wife in the Mu family," Lan Chang'an thought, free of any attachments and able to run away at a moments notice. The Mu family could not control him.

Li Ergou's situation was different. With his wife and children in the Mu family, he had fully integrated into the Mu family over the past decade, making it difficult for him to separate from this large collective. Seeing the family in a crisis, Mu Yunfei and Li Ergou had no choice but to step up, even knowing they might have to sacrifice themselves.

...

One month later, Lan Chang'an had adapted to the duties of guarding the herb garden.

A few young Mu family cultivators in the early stages of Qi-Refining followed his arrangements. They had to inspect the formation arrays daily, and someone had to be on guard and patrol at night.

Of course, Lan Chang'an was not the highest authority in the herb garden, he was also subject to checks and balances. There were two people in the herb garden with higher status than him.

One was an elderly man with blurry vision at the fifth layer of Qi-Refining, a senior member of the Mu family's spiritual planting master.Looking at how difficult it was for him to walk, his longevity was nearing its limit, so his combat ability could not be counted on.

The other person was naturally Pill Refiner Ge Yi. At the seventh layer of Qi-Refining and a first-rank superior-grade pill refiner, his status was exalted. This man had an arrogant temperament and bad temper. In the few dealings Lan Chang'an had with him, Ge Yi was overbearing and uncivil.

Lan Chang'an tried his best to avoid him.

"Junior Lan! Why haven't you sent that two-hundred-year-old Snake Heart Grass over yet?" Ge Yi walked over with an unhappy expression.

"According to the rules, taking rare medicinal ingredients over two hundred years old requires approval from the family head," Lan Chang'an replied lazily as he lay on the grass sunbathing.

Since Ge Yi did not treat him with respect, Lan Chang'an saw no need to be polite either. The puffy eye bags and sunken eye sockets on Ge Yi's haggard face took on a sinister look in his anger.

Talking to him while lying down?

No cultivator in the Mu family had dared to be so disrespectful towards him over the years.

"This is a special period! The front lines urgently need spirit pills, there cannot be any delays..."

Recalling that Lan Chang'an was an outsider family member, only a mid-grade talisman master without much leverage, Ge Yi suppressed the anger in his heart.

"Fine! If you want you can go and get it yourself, I won't take the responsibility," Lan Chang'an said indifferently. This Pill Refiner Ge Yi often took medicinal herbs without following the rules, especially in this hectic period.

No one knew just how many herbs he had pocketed for himself. But relying on his friendship with the Foundation Establishment ancestor, the elders who previously guarded the herb garden had all treated him with courtesy.

"You lazy brat! Neglecting your duties day after day, I will definitely report you to the higher ranks of the family," Ge Yi left with a harsh reprimand before storming off in anger, going to get the precious medicinal herbs.

"Could it be that the Mu family head wanted me to act as a check on Elder Ge?" Lan Chang'an felt helpless at this outcome. He had already been low-profile and steered clear. But being in this position, there was bound to be conflict with Ge Yi.

"This old man, he must have pocketed some medicinal herbs for himself."

Soon after, Lan Chang'an saw Ge Yi taking not just the two-hundred-year-old Snake Heart Grass mentioned earlier, but several other rare medicinal ingredients.

After fetching the herbs, Ge Yi returned to his large courtyard and began to refine pills behind closed doors.

"Forget it, what does it have to do with me."

Lan Chang'an didn't want to meddle in other people's affairs. After all, the herbs that were being coveted weren't his anyway.

That old man's sickly appearance was not a sign of longevity. At most he could drag on for twenty or thirty more years before Lan Chang'an could dance on his grave.

Lan Chang'an avoided his sharp edges and had little interaction with him. 

However, there are some things that couldn't be avoided just by trying to stay out of it.

...

Several days later at dawn.

"Who did this!"

Lan Chang'an was in meditation when he was awoken by the sudden shout.

"Everyone gather!"

Elder Ge Yi's furious voice echoed through the residential area of the herb garden. Ge Yi's authority in the medicine garden was undisputed by anyone.

Around twenty people trickled in sparsely, including guards, herb growers, and mundane laborers. Ge Yi stood in front of a medicinal field, pointing at a messy patch of trampled herbs under his feet. In his hand was a mushroom-shaped remnant of a medicinal herb. From its shape, it seemed to have been gnawed on by some animal.

"This morning I came to collect some supplementary medicinal ingredients, and saw this situation." Ge Yi's gaze from under his swollen eye sockets carried a cold, oppressive feeling. He scanned the crowd, his eyes finally resting on Lan Chang'an's face.

"Lan Chang'an, what were you doing last night? Explain this situation."

"Last night I was meditating and resting. I'm not aware of what happened here, it still needs investigating." Lan Chang'an told the truth.

The medicinal field was quite large, he couldn't possibly guard it day and night. But since he wasn't on guard duty last night, and losses occurred in the field, he bore undeniable responsibility as the resident guard.

"Hmph! Dereliction of duty!"

Ge Yi exuded the spiritual pressure of the seventh layer of Qi-Refining. The Mu family cultivators present didn't dare let out a breath.

"Fine! You'd better investigate and get to the bottom of this! I'm refining pills and need those ingredients. If there are any lapses, I'll take you to Moonheart Island to see the Mu family's ancestor!" Ge Yi was like an exploding powder keg, his voice near a roar.

"See the ancestor?"

The Mu family cultivators immediately looked dumbfounded.

"Could the pill that elder is refining..."

"Exactly!" Ge Yi said proudly. "Among the spirit pills I'm refining, two are needed by the venerable ancestor."

Lan Chang'an ignored his threat and squatted down to inspect the trampled medicinal field.

His brow gradually furrowed. From the appearance of the damaged herbs, it seemed they had been destroyed and eaten by some demonic beast or spirit animal.

Spirit beasts were prohibited in the medicine garden. If it was a demonic beast, how did it infiltrate the garden's spell formations without alerting anyone?

"Elder Ge, my initial assessment is that it was a rat-like demonic beast, or a spirit animal being controlled, that sneaked into the herb garden." Lan Chang'an stated his speculation.

"Lan Chang'an, don't try to excuse yourself by blaming it on some spirit beast infiltration. This incident was due to your dereliction of duty, you can't avoid responsibility."

Ge Yi coldly snorted, unsatisfied with Lan Chang'an's response.

Lan Chang'an remained silent. As the resident guard, it was indeed hard to shirk responsibility.

Should he blame his subordinate Mu family cultivators under him? That would only further isolate him. As an outsider family member, his authority was insufficient to begin with.

"Oh no! Elder Ge, Warden Lan, a four-hundred-year-old blood spirit mushroom is missing!"

A cry of alarm came from one of the herb growers inspecting the field.

"A four-hundred-year blood spirit mushroom!"

An uproar erupted on the scene. This was an extreme loss. A four-hundred-year blood spirit mushroom was an extremely rare spirit herb, the entire Mu family didn't have many.

Lan Chang'an's expression changed slightly. An incident involving such a high-level ingredient had become quite serious.

He looked at Ge Yi with puzzlement. If this was a frame-up, the method was far too simple and crude. Of course, simple methods didn't mean they were useless.

"It seems this incident can't simply be explained as a spirit beast infiltration or 'failure to guard properly'." Ge Yi's icy gaze swept across everyone present.

"There must be someone in the medicine garden stealing from the inside!" A stone stirred up a thousand waves as the Mu family members were shaken.

Several family member's eyes unconsciously glanced towards Lan Chang'an. After all, Lan Chang'an was an outsider. Before he came, the medicine garden had always been peaceful.

"From now on, no one may leave the medicine garden. Let the family elders dispatch someone to investigate." Ge Yi issued his order.

The Mu family cultivators had no objections. Even without Ge Yi's instructions, several Mu family cultivators were already watching Lan Chang'an to prevent his escape.

Lan Chang'an didn't try to run. Whoever fled at this point would be under suspicion and become a target.

Finally, everyone elected the elderly fifth-layer Qi-Refining spiritual planting master to return to the clan and report the incident.

This elder herb planter was a Mu family senior near the end of his life but had diligently worked his entire life, trusted by all.

To clear any doubts, before leaving the elder publicly allowed everyone to search him.

"This whole incident is very strange..." Lan Chang'an fell into contemplation.

Could it be that just because he was an outsider with no backing, Ge Yi decided to frame him? To pin the coveted stolen ingredients on him?

Lan Chang'an had checked and there was no stolen property on him or in his hut. In order to frame someone, there had to be evidence, right?

If the Mu cultivators came to investigate and found no stolen goods or clues on Lan Chang'an... then there would be doubts about this whole situation!

The Mu family elders weren't fools, they would inevitably start to suspect Ge Yi.@@novelbin@@

Of course, it was also possible that a third party was trying to sow discord within the Mu family by muddying the waters.

...

Around noon.

The elder herb grower returned.

He was accompanied by investigators dispatched by the Mu family elders.

It was a man and a woman.

The graceful, gentle female figure was none other than the Mu family young lady - Mu Xiuyun.

The other, a scrawny man in a large cloak with a black hound following at his feet, only had the third layer of Qi-Refining, likely someone who specialised in investigation and reasoning within the family.

"Elder Ge, father is away on business, so I've brought someone to investigate today. We'll definitely arrive at a just conclusion." Mu Xiuyun gave a graceful curtsy, her voice gentle and melodious.

"No problem! Under special circumstances, that's understandable." Ge Yi stroked his beard with a smile, his tone amiable.

In truth, the Mu family's top fighting forces were currently occupied at the mines. Many internal affairs were being handled by Mu Xiuyun.

Mu Xiuyun's starry eyes turned towards Lan Chang'an with a hint of worry, about to say something.

"Woof! Woof..."

The scrawny man's black hound spirit pet grew restless, constantly trying to run outside the medicine garden.

"Hmm? Something's not right!"

Lan Chang'an's nostrils flared, but he only smelled normal medicinal herb aromas.

"My head... feels dizzy..."

At this point, several lower-cultivating Mu family cultivators began to sway unsteadily, with brownish spots appearing on their faces.

"Young Lady, be careful! There's poison—"

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The scrawny man's body trembled.

His black hound spirit pet, after running a short distance, suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed.

"Who released the poison!" Mu Xiuyun's slender body swayed as she cried out in a clear voice, scanning everyone present.

However, she saw the mu cultivators collapsing and swaying to the ground.

Only elder Ge Yi remained unaffected, revealing a sinister smile. 

"The young lady has a treasure that protects against poison?" Ge Yi gloated, glancing at the small sachet on Mu Xiuyun's waist that had now turned black and was emitting wispy black smoke.

Thump! Thump!

Aside from Mu Xiuyun, all the Mu family cultivators present were poisoned and collapsed to the ground. Those with low cultivation vomited blood and died on the spot. Those with better constitutions and higher cultivation were just knocked unconscious or paralyzed.

"What kind of poison did this old man release? There's not even a trace of a scent." Lan Chang'an and the black hound both detected the abnormality at the same time. He was just about to use a secret technique to expel the poison and consume an antidote pill, but he found that as soon as the strange toxin entered his body, it was rapidly dissolved and devoured by the mana of his Ancient Evergreen Technique.

Could the Ancient Trees Evergreen Technique have detoxifying effects?

No, it was more like toxin dissolution. 

This was an unexpected boon.

To avoid becoming Ge Yi's primary target, Lan Chang'an pretended to be poisoned and collapsed.

"Traitor! So it was you—" Mu Xiuyun's expression turned icy cold, her silver teeth clenched tightly.

Swish!

She forcefully channeled her magic power, a silver luminous haze shooting out from her sleeve like lightning towards Ge Yi. 

Within the silver haze, the outline of a silver ruler could vaguely be seen.

This was a middle-grade magic weapon.

"Hehe, Young Lady Mu, your sachet couldn't fully block the 'Marrow Corroding Powder'. With just the sixth layer of Qi-Refining, even at peak state you'd be no match for me." Ge Yi said nonchalantly as he waved his sleeve.

A barrier of green inscribed patterns formed, shielding him. This was a mana force shield that only late-stage Qi-Refining cultivators could cast.

"Pong!"

The silver luminous haze exploded, the radiance of the ruler artifact dimming, its force spent.

It was inconceivable that Mu Xiuyun's artifact strike couldn't even break through Ge Yi's force field.

"Elder Ge, what are you trying to do? Why betray the Mu family?" Mu Xiuyun grunted, a faint brownish tinge appearing on her fair complexion. She inwardly cursed, as the toxin's invasion hampered her ability to fully exert her magical power.

"Heh! I originally just wanted to kill everyone in the medicine garden and make off with a batch of precious herbs. But with Mu Maode recently going to the Maple Leaf Huang family to discuss a marriage alliance, making you, his daughter, an important bargaining chip..." Ge Yi unhurriedly explained, waiting for the poison to further take effect on Mu Xiuyun.

"Tsk tsk, such an unmatched beauty, I really can't bear to ruin the flower in full bloom. Missy, if you surrender obediently, and allow me to take you captive, I'll spare your life."

Gazing at the elegant and exquisite Mu Xiuyun, Ge Yi curved his lip in a mocking smile.

Shua! Whoo!

His withered palms opened, black lines materializing that rapidly inflated into a dense black net spanning several yards, expanding as it stirred up a gray whirlwind that rushed towards Mu Xiuyun.