Gift of Peaches

After Wang Changsheng returned to town, he had Wang Qingshan gather the clansmen working at the Quarry, on the grounds that they might have been infected with Corpse Poison. They were strictly forbidden from contacting outsiders, and their food and clothing were delivered by designated personnel.

Wang Qingshan naturally complied, gathering the clansmen working at the Quarry in a large courtyard and assigning people to bring them meals.

According to Wang Qiucai's report, the clansmen at the Quarry had not secretly kept any Mystic Gold Ore. It was not that they did not want to, but that they simply could not get any off. They had burned it with fire for an entire day and hacked at it with blades, yet they could not chip off even a single piece of Mystic Gold Ore. They had no idea how Wang Youliang had managed to obtain a piece.

As the sun sank behind the western hills, the afterglow of the evening clouds spilled across Green Stone Town. Fifteen men dressed in plain clothes rode swift horses into Green Stone Town.

There were quite a few outsiders in Green Stone Town. To avoid drawing attention, Wang Changge and his group switched to horseback after arriving in Peaceful County, spurring their horses onward until they reached Green Stone Town.

Leading them was Wang Changsheng's Seventh Uncle, Wang Mingzhong. Wang Mingzhong was thirty-two this year and had already cultivated to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer. He had a great chance of attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Aside from Wang Changge, the remaining thirteen men were all from the Qing Generation.

Wang Changsheng briefly told Wang Mingzhong how he had discovered the Profound Gold Mine. Naturally, he did not mention that he had chopped off a piece of it.

After hearing Wang Changsheng's account, Wang Mingzhong praised him, "Well done, Changsheng. You've rendered great service this time. Come, take us to the Quarry. Changge, Qing Xuan, have the clansmen at the Quarry drink the Forget-Worry Water and make them forget what happened today."

Dust-Forgetting Water was a Tier 1 Spirit Water. After drinking it, one would forget everything that had happened within a day, with no lingering aftereffects.

Wang Changge agreed and departed to carry out the order.

By the time the group reached the Quarry, the sky had already darkened.

Strangely, the originally pitch-black Stone Wall had vanished, as though the Profound Gold Mine had never appeared at all.

The moment their group approached the Quarry, Wang Yaojing emerged from a nearby Cave.

"Fifth Uncle-Grandfather, I came on Third Brother's orders with fourteen able-bodied men, and we brought mining tools as well. Where is the Profound Gold Mine? Let's begin mining now!" Wang Mingzhong asked impatiently.

Upon learning that a Profound Gold Mine had been discovered in Green Stone Town, Wang Mingzhong had immediately hurried over with his men.

Wang Yaojing frowned. "Didn't you bring a Formation? Mining at night is one thing, but if we mine during the day, other cultivators could easily spot us."

"We brought the formation equipment for a First Grade Middle Rank Two-Phases Spirit Concealing Formation. These are the finest concealing Formation Flags in our Lineage. Those below the Foundation Establishment Realm should be unable to detect it."

Formations could be arranged with raw materials or with formation equipment. Formation Masters were the most precious talents in the Cultivation World, and the Wang Family could barely make ends meet. Where would they find spare resources to train Formation Masters?

Formation equipment was extremely expensive. The equipment for a First Grade Lower Rank Formation started at one thousand Spirit Stones. This Two-Phases Spirit Concealing Formation had been purchased by the Wang Family at an Auction for three thousand five hundred Spirit Stones. It had sat in the storeroom for a century without much chance to be used. Now, it finally came in handy.

Wang Mingzhong took out more than a dozen White Formation Flags. Each flag was only about a foot long, its surface inscribed with dense formation patterns that shone with dazzling spiritual light.

"Set up the Formation first. Then we'll survey the scale of the Mystic Gold Mine before beginning a planned excavation. I'll remove the Phantom Charm first."

The Phantom Charm was a First Grade Lower Rank illusion talisman. It could conjure false scenery and was enough to deceive the naked eyes of mortals, but cultivators could break it with the basic low-grade spell Heaven's Eye Technique.

Wang Yaojing formed a hand seal with one hand. Yellow light flashed across the Stone Wall, and after a blur, a foot-long Yellow Talisman fell away from it, exposing the jet-black Stone Wall beneath. Specks of Golden Light faintly shone from it, conspicuous beyond measure.

Pfft!

With a soft sound, the Yellow Talisman ignited without wind and burned into ashes.

"Yes, Fifth Uncle-Grandfather."

Wang Mingzhong strode quickly before the black Stone Wall. With a flick of his wrist, the eighteen Formation Flags in his hand shot outward, formation patterns lighting up one after another across their surfaces.

Go.

Wang Mingzhong lightly pointed toward the black Stone Wall. The eighteen Formation Flags spun around and around, transforming into eighteen dazzling streaks of spiritual light that vanished into the ground near the Stone Wall.

The next moment, the Stone Wall blurred and disappeared.

"Qinglin, Qing Lei, go into the Cave and survey it. First, determine the scale of the mine. Let me remind you all of one thing: this Profound Gold Mine belongs to the Lineage. Work diligently, and the Lineage will reward you according to your merits. Whoever dares to conceal Mystic Gold Ore will be severely punished if I discover it," Wang Mingzhong said sternly.

"Yes, Seventh Granduncle."

The twelve clansmen answered in unison and entered the Cave one after another.

Hearing this, Wang Changsheng's heart tightened. He had to dispose of that piece of Mystic Gold Ore as soon as possible.

"Changsheng, come here. Let Seventh Uncle show you what good things I brought you. I forgot to give them to you earlier," Wang Mingzhong said with a smile, waving Wang Changsheng over.

Wang Changsheng answered and quickly walked over.

Guilt gnawed at him like a thief with a guilty conscience, and he did not dare meet Wang Mingzhong's eyes.

Wang Mingzhong took three pale green peaches from his Storage Pouch and handed them to Wang Changsheng with a smile. "These three Azure Silk Peaches were picked fresh this year. You've suffered these past three years, so take them and eat them. I remember that every year, whenever the Azure Silk Peaches were about to ripen, you would run to Seventh Uncle's residence. You would not say a word, just stand beneath the Peach Tree and stare longingly at the Spirit Peaches above. Even when Third Sister-in-law came to take you home, you refused to leave. Only after I picked an Azure Silk Peach for you would you agree to go back."

"Haha, he's done that plenty of times," Wang Yaojing said with a hearty laugh, teasing him.

Azure Silk Peaches were First Grade Lower Rank Spirit Fruits that ripened once a year. Before Wang Changsheng left Azure Lotus Mountain, whenever Seventh Uncle's Azure Silk Peaches ripened, he and his younger siblings would go to Wang Mingzhong's home to help. They would not leave until Seventh Aunt gave each of them an Azure Silk Peach.

Remembering those old events, Wang Changsheng was deeply moved. He felt intensely ashamed of secretly keeping the Mystic Gold Ore.

He wanted to take out the Mystic Gold Ore, but he feared being reprimanded by Seventh Uncle and Fifth Uncle-Grandfather.

His expression appeared calm, but within his heart, heaven and man waged a fierce battle.

"What? Think it's too little? There are only these three. The rest of the Azure Silk Peaches were given to Changming and Changchen," Wang Mingzhong said with a light chuckle when he saw Wang Changsheng standing there blankly.

Hearing this, Wang Changsheng became even more hesitant.

"Changsheng, you were the first to discover the Profound Gold Mine. Did you secretly mine a few pieces?"

Wang Mingzhong asked casually.

"This nephew mined one piece."

After hesitating again and again, Wang Changsheng took out that piece of Mystic Gold Ore. He felt much more at ease.

Wang Mingzhong and Wang Yaojing were not surprised, nor did they blame him.

Wang Mingzhong accepted the two pieces of Mystic Gold Ore, stuffed the three Azure Silk Peaches into Wang Changsheng's hands, patted him on the shoulder, and sighed. "Changsheng, you've suffered these past three years. Take this bottle of Qi Refining Pills as well. Consider it a reward for handing over the Mystic Gold Ore."

He took out an Azure Porcelain Bottle and handed it to Wang Changsheng.

"Thank you, Fifth Uncle-Grandfather. It is only right to serve the Lineage," Wang Changsheng said gratefully, putting away the medicinal pills.

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