Chapter 19 - 18: Stabilizing the Situation

Chapter 19: Chapter 18: Stabilizing the Situation

The Yun Family’s troubles intensified.

The current Patriarch’s elder brother was murdered at one of the family’s mines, and a large quantity of Spirit Stones might have been stolen as well.

For a time, all the Basic-Level Fishermen and Farmers were in a state of panic.

Chen Jianghe did not linger at the Workshop Association. After buying two Qi Nourishing Pills, he went straight back to his fishing boat.

Standing at the bow, his gaze swept over the distant lake. Sunlight scattered across the layers of thin mist, as if coating the surface with a layer of golden sand, creating a dreamlike, illusory scene.

One after another, luxurious, ten-zhang-long fishing boats sailed over, looking like a tide of fish scales on the water’s surface.

These were the fishing boats of the Senior Fishermen and Farmers, much larger than those of the Basic-Level ones.

Most fishing boats in the Inner Waters were ten zhang long. Compared to their Basic-Level counterparts, Senior Fishermen and Farmers enjoyed far better treatment within the Yun Family.

Moreover, there were also the Honored Guest Elders who resided in the Yun Family’s Inner Waters. The fishing boats served as their residences, which was why they were so large.

’First, the Yun Family Ancestor was injured, and his end might be near. Now the Patriarch’s eldest brother has fallen at the Linyun Mine. I imagine these Senior Fishermen and Farmers can’t sit still any longer.’

At the Workshop Association, he had heard a lot of talk about people wanting to leave the Yun Family, worried that a war between the two great Foundation Establishment Immortal Races would spread to the waters of Jingyue Lake.

If the Basic-Level Fishermen and Farmers felt this way, the Senior Fishermen and Farmers were even more panicked.

To become a Senior Fisherman and Farmer, one’s Cultivation generally had to be at the Fourth-Layer Qi Refining or above, and they all had hopes of reaching the Late-Stage Qi Refining.

But this hope was predicated on remaining with the Yun Family.

Only the Yun Family could provide them with a peaceful cultivation environment. Once they left, they would not only lose a stable source of income but also have to worry about all sorts of dangers.

’Tomorrow is the Fisherman and Farmer Assembly. With all these Senior Fishermen and Farmers attending, the Yun Family will have to make an appearance to calm everyone’s restless hearts.’

The Senior Fishermen and Farmers were a core pillar of the Yun Family’s strength and held a high status. Even Direct Descendants wouldn’t provoke them lightly.

Thus, the Yun Family would have to reveal something about the situation to placate the fearful and uneasy hearts of all the Fishermen and Farmers.

Chen Jianghe walked into the boat’s cabin, took out a Qi Nourishing Pill, swallowed it, and began to absorb and refine its medicinal power.

「Six hours later.」

Chen Jianghe’s hands formed a circle, the webs between his thumbs and forefingers touching. He sank his qi into his Dantian, slowly withdrew his power, and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

This time, by taking the Qi Nourishing Pill, he managed to refine eighty percent of the elixir’s medicinal power. As expected, the higher one’s Cultivation, the more medicinal power they could absorb and refine from a Lower-Grade Elixir, greatly reducing any loss.

This single Qi Nourishing Pill was equivalent to nearly two years of arduous cultivation for Chen Jianghe.

At this moment, the Magical Power in his Dantian Qi Sea was abundant, forming a sphere the size of a ping-pong ball. He was another step closer to the Third-Layer Qi Refining.

As long as he had enough Spirit Stones, he was highly confident that taking another Qi Nourishing Pill in a year would allow him to break through to the Third-Layer Qi Refining.

Sitting in the cabin, he glanced outside through the window.

It was 1:00 AM. The crescent moon, like a curved hook, emitted a pale, faint glow. It hung alone in the night sky, without a single star for company.

The fishing boats moored at the port, however, all flickered with candlelight, dotting the lake’s surface like a field of stars and making the crescent moon above seem a little less lonely.

The few inns in the market were brightly lit. Clearly, their guests couldn’t settle their minds, all eagerly awaiting the Fisherman and Farmer Assembly at dawn.

「Another two hours passed.」

It was 5:00 AM. The eastern sky gradually turned a milky white, its blush coloring the vast expanse as the morning sun slowly emerged from a sea of clouds.

The Fishermen and Farmers disembarked and went ashore.

Before long, the port was teeming with a bustling, clamorous crowd. It was packed with people, and not just the Fishermen and Farmers.

There were even Honored Guest Elders, who were rarely seen on ordinary days.

This Fisherman and Farmer Assembly actually had a crowd of a thousand, surpassing the attendance of any previous gathering.

The Steward of the Outer Waters arrived at the assembly. Seeing so many people, his expression turned grave, and he remained silent for a long moment.

Not only were the Senior Fishermen and Farmers present, but even the Honored Guest Elders had come. This assembly was now beyond the scope of what a mere Steward of the Outer Waters like him could preside over.

All eyes were on the Steward of the Outer Waters. Seeing his silence, the sound of whispered discussions from the crowd grew louder.

Among them were more than a few alarmist remarks.

Normally, the Steward of the Outer Waters would have already singled out the speakers and docked three to five years of their pay as a warning to others.

Before long, a strikingly handsome young man walked up to the Steward of the Outer Waters and patted his shoulder.

"Young Master!" Seeing who it was, the Steward of the Outer Waters let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly bowed respectfully.

Immediately, his back straightened, his worried brow smoothed, and his eyes gleamed as he swept his gaze over all the Fishermen and Farmers and Honored Guest Elders, ready to resume presiding over the assembly.

The newcomer was none other than the Yun Family Patriarch’s youngest son, Yun Bufan.

"Seventh-Layer Qi Refining. He truly lives up to his name as the Yun Family’s Master Qilin. Not even twenty-five, and he’s already broken through to the Late-Stage Qi Refining."

"With a Three-Element True Spirit Root, he’ll face no bottlenecks before Foundation Establishment. In ten years at most, he’ll definitely reach the Ninth-Layer Qi Refining."

The moment Yun Bufan appeared, the Senior Fishermen and Farmers and the Honored Guest Elders all began to murmur among themselves.

"The Yun Family’s intention in having this Master Qilin preside over the assembly is obvious."

"Indeed. If all goes smoothly, this Master Qilin will surely break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage within twenty years."

"Two Foundation Establishment members in one family... That’s a sign of a great rise in the family’s fortunes."

"It’s just a shame the Yun Family Ancestor was so gravely injured and his end is near. Otherwise, a family with two Foundation Establishment members would be considered a prominent Foundation Establishment Immortal Race in the entire Celestial South Domain."

"Looking at it now, the rumors might be true. The Yun Family Ancestor really was ambushed by the Bai Family of Qiyun Mountain."

The Bai and Yun Families were mortal enemies. Once Yun Bufan successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, the Yun Family would have two Foundation Establishment Ancestors. That would spell the Bai Family’s doom.

"I don’t think the Bai Family of Qiyun Mountain acted alone."

"..."

Zhou Miaoyun, Chen Jianghe, Yu Daniu, and Gao Peiyao were gathered together, and they also overheard the discussions.

"As long as the Yun Family Ancestor can live for another twenty years, Yun Bufan will be able to achieve Foundation Establishment. That will guarantee the Yun Family’s stability for the next two hundred years."

Zhou Miaoyun’s eyes burned with intensity as she stared at the center of attention, Yun Bufan. She was filled with confidence that this Master Qilin of the Yun Family would achieve Foundation Establishment.

The Yun Family’s continued prosperity was not only beneficial to her future plans but, more importantly, to her own family.

The Zhou Family was by no means a great Cultivation Family. They had fewer than ten Cultivators in total, and the one with the highest Cultivation was only at the Sixth-Layer Qi Refining.

If the Yun Family were to decline, a small cultivation family like the Zhou Family would become a prime target for Tribulation Cultivation Gangs.

It was far more profitable than robbing Loose Cultivators.

Chen Jianghe glanced at Zhou Miaoyun, then at Yu Daniu and Gao Peiyao. He saw that they, too, were looking at Yun Bufan with envy and admiration, and knew they were all thinking the same thing as her.

’What a clever move by the Yun Family,’ Chen Jianghe thought. ’Just by having Yun Bufan show his face at the Fisherman and Farmer Assembly, he can quell the panic in everyone’s hearts without even saying a word.’

Yun Bufan’s aura of talent was simply overwhelming.

As the youngest son of the Yun Family Patriarch, he had no lack of Cultivation Resources and could cultivate straight to the Ninth-Layer Qi Refining without any obstacles.

As for the Foundation Establishment bottleneck?

A Three-Element True Spirit Root naturally had one, but it was nowhere near as solid and unbreakable as the bottlenecks for a Five-Element Mixed Spirit Root or a Four-Element Pseudo Spirit Root.

Even without a Foundation Establishment Pill, other Spirit Medicines could be used as substitutes, and the success rate for achieving Foundation Establishment was still very high.

Of course, Chen Jianghe was also hoping the Yun Family would overcome this crisis. More than anything, he needed a stable environment to continue his own Cultivation.