Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Arrival at Fengling

The next morning, the teams of cultivators from the three towns gathered at the south gate of Baishi Town.

In total, there were twelve cultivators: four from Baishi, three from Willow Leaf, and five from Qinghe.

Among them, the leaders from Baishi and Willow Leaf were both at the third level of Gathering Qi.

Although Qinghe Town had the most cultivators, their leader was only at the second level of Gathering Qi, while the remaining four were at the first level.

“The Lin Family of Willow Leaf Town, Lin Yu, greets you, Friend Lingrui.”

Upon spotting Yang Lingrui, the Lin Family cultivator, who was in his early thirties, took the initiative to approach and greet him.

Over three years ago, Yang Lingrui successfully condensed his Qi Palace, and the Yang Family held a banquet to welcome guests from the entire town.

He had attended the banquet with his elders and had a brief encounter with Yang Lingrui.

“In just three years, he has achieved the third level of Gathering Qi; although his aura is still somewhat unstable, such talent is indeed remarkable,” Lin Yu thought to himself.

Before leaving home, his elders had instructed him that in addition to exploring the ancient tomb, it was crucial to build a good relationship with the Yang Family, as this would greatly benefit the future development of their family.

Yang Lingrui smiled and nodded in response: “Greetings, Lin Dao Friend; it has been a long time. Your cultivation has also improved significantly; it seems the fourth level is not far off.”

“Oh, it’s just the accumulation of a few years; it can’t compare to your achievements, Dao Friend,” Lin Yu waved his hand while feeling slightly alarmed.

He had consciously suppressed his own aura, not expecting Yang Lingrui to be so perceptive as to see through his true level with just one glance.

“Lv Family of Qinghe, Lv Liang, greets the two seniors.”

While the two talked, Lv Liang took the opportunity to step forward and pay his respects.

He was the leader of the Qinghe team, and although he was already in his forties, he had to address the two younger individuals as seniors.

This was the custom among cultivators, where one’s status was based on cultivation level rather than age.

In this circle, trying to act superior solely based on age wouldn’t work.

“Is it just you from Qinghe this time? Is the Zhang Family still in seclusion?” Lin Yu asked.

Lv Liang quickly replied, “Yes, the mayor has visited Sanglu Valley multiple times but has been unable to enter the Zhang Family.”

“How strange; with the Zhang Family’s strength, even without their Master, having three cultivators should make them a top power in the region. Why would they act this way?”

Lin Yu felt puzzled.

The Zhang Family exerted a level of influence in Qinghe similar to that of the Yang Family between the two towns.

In the current situation, they should have been fully capable of expanding their influence, just like the Yang Family had done.

Why were they now so intent on keeping to that valley, even forgoing the opportunity to explore the ancient tomb?

Yang Lingrui remained silent, quietly listening as the two discussed the Zhang Family.

They were unaware that Zhang Chen had already died, which was why they found the Zhang Family’s actions confusing.

The Yang Family had also discussed this matter internally and reached two conclusions.

One was based on the fact that Yang Lingrui had killed Zhang Chen, which might have made the Zhang Family feel threatened. Additionally, since Zhang Tianqi had been ordered to withdraw, the Zhang Family likely chose to seal themselves off for self-protection.

The other theory centered around the treasure that Zhang Chen had possessed.

Old Yu examined the treasure closely. The forging technique seemed ancient, unlike any from recent times, but the quality was quite new.

This indicated it wasn’t a relic passed down from the Zhang Family but rather something obtained from elsewhere.

Considering the Zhang Family’s seclusion in Sanglu Valley, Yang Lingqing speculated that there might be some hidden secret in that valley, which explained why the Zhang Family had stayed there for so many years without expanding, even when the situation was favorable.

At that moment, the two individuals conversing turned to look at Yang Lingrui in unison.

There was some conflict between the Yang Family and the Zhang Family regarding the mining rights, and the surrounding families were somewhat aware of the situation.

Thus, when the Zhang Family chose to close off their valley, it was natural for people to suspect the Yang Family.

“You two don’t need to look at me. The distant mine to the north was abandoned by my family when the bandit troubles began, and it has been left unguarded ever since. We have had no contact with the Zhang Family for a long time,” Yang Lingrui said with a smile, shaking his head. “So, regarding this matter, my family is just as confused.”

Upon hearing this, the two understood as well, since the Yang Family’s withdrawal from mining labor was not a secret.

Moreover, they had encountered a bandit attack on the way, and it had been the troops from Baishi who came to the rescue.

As the three talked, Zhao Qi stood quietly behind Yang Lingrui.

He kept his head lowered, listening intently to the conversations of the other cultivators.

Old Yu had informed him before leaving that with his cultivation level, he would likely be of little help to Yang Lingrui in a fight.

Thus, he had three tasks for this trip: first, to protect himself; second, to observe and assist Yang Lingrui in identifying anything overlooked; and finally, to gain experience.

“Ha ha ha, friends, thank you for your patience.”

After everyone had become familiar with each other, Gao Hui appeared at the right moment, distributing the map and handing over the representative seal of Baishi Town to Yang Lingrui.

“The journey ahead is long; please take care. I wish everyone good fortune and blessings,” Gao Hui said.

“Thank you, Mayor Gao, for your kind words.”

The group then set off towards Fengling Town.

At the same time, the teams of cultivators from other towns also began their journey towards Fengling Town.

Among them, the most powerful was Cuixi, the first town under the rule of Moon Watching City.

Cuixi Town was the closest to Moon Watching City, the largest in scale, and the most populated.

This was not only impressive, but there was also a Li Family residing within Cuixi.

The Li Family had an Elder at the twelfth-level Gathering Qi, unmatched below the Condensing Essence stage.

Originally, the imperial decree was to send the Elder eastwards to quell chaos, but due to the Li Family’s sect background, the arrangements were finally changed to send two late-stage Gathering Qi cultivators instead, allowing their Elder to remain and stabilize the family’s foundation.

This time, the Li Family sent three cultivators: one at mid-stage Gathering Qi and two at early-stage Gathering Qi.

The mid-stage cultivator was Li Cheng, who was familiar with Old Yu and had previously received items from the Yang Family at the marketplace.

His cultivation had improved since then, reaching the peak of the sixth level of Gathering Qi.

This journey was not only to explore the ancient tomb but also to seek an opportunity for his own breakthrough.

Half a month later, the cultivators from the seven towns arrived sequentially at Fengling Town.

Mayor Duan Yong had specially built a courtyard outside the town for their rest.

“Young Master Li! Welcome, welcome!”

The team from Cuixi was the last to arrive, and Duan Yong personally came out to greet them.

“Mayor Duan, it’s good to see you again,” Li Cheng said, cupping his hands in greeting, jokingly adding, “Are you getting used to Fengling Town? No troubles adapting, I hope?”

“Ha ha ha, Young Master Li still enjoys teasing me! There’s nothing to get used to; having a stable place to settle beats everything else. What could I possibly be dissatisfied with?” Duan Yong laughed heartily.

Their exchange showed that they were old acquaintances and had a close friendship.

“Let’s walk and talk. What’s the situation with the ancient tomb?”

“No problem! Friends, it has been a tough journey, please follow me.”

As they walked toward the courtyard, Duan Yong began explaining the situation regarding the ancient tomb.

The tomb had been discovered a month ago, and by the time Duan Yong went to investigate, the entrance had already appeared.

“I interrogated the group of tomb raiders several times and confirmed they had no backing, but the restrictions at the entrance are quite formidable. My Fengling Town alone cannot break them,” Duan Yong said.

Li Cheng pondered before responding, “Given that the tomb is located here, doesn’t the sect on the mountain have any intentions?”

“People from Solitary Moon Mountain have indeed come by, and they are quite high-level in Condensing Essence. However…”

Duan Yong’s expression turned somewhat awkward, hesitating to continue.

Seeing his expression, Li Cheng understood, “I see. They looked down on it, didn’t they?”