Chapter 26: The Cultivation Clan Behind the Scenes

By the banks of the Changning River.

Dozens of painted pleasure boats were moored here, forming a serene cluster, enjoying a rare moment of tranquility. During the day, the courtesans rested, and the vessels underwent maintenance.

In one of these boats, two men sat drinking together, admiring the view of the Changning riverbank through the window.

"Who would have thought that after committing such a major crime, we wouldn't just stay in the city, but actually drink and make merry? Old Zhang, this trick of 'hiding in plain sight' is truly brilliant."

"Come to think of it, if the spiritual energy in this mortal realm weren't so thin, I would truly want to stay here forever. The scenery is beautiful, the beauties are fine, and the wine is even better."

The speaker was a burly man with a thick beard, gulping wine straight from a jug with unrefined gusto. "Only here have I realized what it feels like to be a master. Every time I see the awe in those people's eyes, I feel that my trip here was not in vain."

"Worldly glory is fine, but how can it compare to the longevity of a cultivator? Besides, if the clan hadn't provided us with Spirit-Nourishing Pills to cultivate our dantians, we wouldn't even be able to afford the energy to use a single spirit art right now. You want to be a master? You'd be lucky if you weren't slaughtered like a pig."

A young man dressed as a scholar, with handsome features, toyed with his wine cup, his tone suddenly pregnant with meaning. "I recall that in the Yue Kingdom, there is a martial organization called the Immortal-Slaying Alliance that specializes in hunting us cultivators. Many rogue cultivators who entered Yue were targeted and butchered simply because they were too high-profile. Our actions this time have been so grand that I fear we have already caught their attention."

The bearded man poured himself two more gulps of wine and sneered, "That group of rogue cultivators are just losers, to be killed in return by a bunch of ants. Even if their magic power is lacking, can't they at least run?"

The scholar smiled with a hint of irony: "Many ants can bite an elephant to death; even in the cultivation world, there is no shortage of examples where cultivators were slain by mortals due to a moment of carelessness. Only by becoming a Foundation Establishment master can one truly be considered transcendent and indifferent to mortal means."

"Foundation Establishment... what a pity that it is so difficult." The burly man’s throat bobbed as he thought of the prestige of such masters, his eyes filled with longing. "I am thirty-two this year, yet only at the fifth level of Qi Refining. I don’t even know when I’ll reach the late stage of Qi Refining, let alone Foundation Establishment."

"Once this mission is complete and the clan rewards are distributed, we will have a chance to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining. As long as we reach that stage, we will have a glimmer of hope for Foundation Establishment." The scholar encouraged the man, and by extension, himself.

The burly man perked up. "True, the clan's rewards are generous this time; we might just have a chance. But Old Zhang, you have wide connections and are related by marriage to the steward. Do you know why the clan sent us to start a rebellion in the Yue Kingdom?"

If I recall correctly, this Yue Kingdom is the territory of the Jiang family. The Jiang ancestor is a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, just one step away from the Golden Core stage. If they find out we are the ones pulling the strings, our Lin family is no match for the Jiangs."

Mortal territories cannot be occupied by just anyone; after all, even a small mosquito is still meat. They were long ago partitioned by powerful neighboring cultivation families as their private domains. For instance, the Yue Kingdom is the ancestral land of the Jiang family of Shangyang City.

It is rumored that the first-generation ancestor of the Jiang family was a native of Yue who entered the cultivation world from the mortal realm. He eventually attained the Tao through martial arts, becoming a second-tier body-refining cultivator, and built a massive legacy with his iron fists, establishing the prestige the Jiang family has enjoyed for hundreds of years.

Although the Lin family is not weak—their ancestor being a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator—they are still a notch below the Jiangs. If caught red-handed, they would all be made scapegoats.

The scholar scoffed, "If not for such risks, do you think a mission with such generous rewards would fall to us, the collateral branch members? If it were just about showing off in front of mortals and killing a few people, the mission would have been snatched up by the Lin family’s main branch long ago."

The burly man’s expression darkened, his tone sour: "Damn it, isn't it just because they were born into the right family?"

"Being born well is a skill of its own. But we aren't here to be mere scapegoats. After all, the person presiding over the affairs in Yue is the Second Young Master. He is the future Golden Core seed of the Lin family, with a limitless future. Unless absolutely necessary, the family will not abandon him. If I hadn't known the Second Young Master was coming, I wouldn't have touched this mission." The scholar stroked his small mustache, looking quite smug about possessing such secrets.

The burly man scratched his head in annoyance. "One moment you say it’s dangerous, the next you say the Second Young Master is here. What is this mission really about?"

The scholar tapped the table, and the burly man immediately understood, pouring him another cup of wine. "Fine, you’re the master now, drink up."

"Haha..." The scholar took a smug sip and said, "This matter is even more confidential than the Second Young Master's presence. I tell you this because we are partners now and must support each other. You must not reveal this to a third party."

The burly man hesitated. "Not even to Lin Wenjun?"

At the mention of that name, the scholar shook his head. "That man may seem humble before us, but he is reckless and arrogant at his core. He acts with too much flare; he will cause trouble sooner or later. Along the way, do you know how many women he has defiled? He specifically targets the daughters and wives of local prominent households. Things that could be solved with silver, he insists on doing by force. We won't be traveling together much longer."

The burly man nodded in agreement. "I heard he used to be a slum-dweller, scarred by a rich merchant’s daughter, which left him mentally twisted. Back in Guangnan Commandery, the Governor’s wife was tortured to death by him."

The scholar shook his head in disdain. "He was the one who offered his own daughter to gain favor so he could enter the Lin family to cultivate, yet he became paranoid and insane because of it. And now that he’s in the mortal realm, he only dares to unleash his true nature to bully the weak. Heh, he’s just a pathetic worm."

The burly man now understood the hidden truth and felt a touch of contempt for his companion. "Speaking of which, he went to the Prince's Mansion to scout and contact our hidden agents; why hasn't he returned yet? Has he set his sights on another girl? Damn it, if that kid ruins our mission, I’ll wring his head off!"

The burly man looked fierce, then waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it, let’s not talk about him. Old Zhang, you still haven't told me what’s really going on."

The scholar asked, "You know the Jiang ancestor is exceptionally powerful, a quasi-Golden Core master, but do you know how long he hasn't appeared in public? It has been ten years."

"Now that you mention it, I haven't heard news of the Jiang ancestor in recent years." The burly man was startled. "Could it be that he has passed away?"

But he quickly shook his head in denial. "I remember when I was eight, it was the Jiang ancestor's hundredth birthday, and I followed the elders to watch the festivities. It has only been twenty-some years; how could his lifespan be nearing its end?"

The scholar sneered, "The world is unpredictable; how do you know he didn't encounter a tribulation? It is precisely because the clan cannot confirm his status that we were sent here."

"The Yue Kingdom is the Jiang ancestral land; its status is paramount. If problems arise here, the Jiang family must react. If we truly discover a weakness and reveal their exhaustion, then Shangyang City will belong to the Lin family. And with the Yue Kingdom as a resource for his cultivation, plus the support of the Lin family, our Second Young Master might actually have a chance to shed the 'seed' from his title. And we, the old retainers who followed him, will naturally rise with him—we might even be granted a Foundation Establishment Pill."

The burly man was dazzled by the future the scholar painted. Before, he was just drinking and bragging, but now he saw a genuine glimmer of hope. He immediately pledged his loyalty: "Old Zhang—no, Brother Zhang! I’m not the brightest, but from now on, I follow you. If you tell me to go east, I’ll never go west!"

The scholar smiled. "Old Yu, that’s too heavy a word. From now on, we brothers will support each other and rise together."

Just as their bond deepened and they were on the verge of swearing brotherhood, a figure stumbled in.

"Quick, help me detoxify, I’ve been hit!"

The person was none other than the red-robed youth who had almost snatched the Princess at the Prince's Mansion. His face was now gray-black, his aura withered, and a cyan talisman pasted on his chest turned to ash in an instant.