Pingyi Cai Family (4K)

The last magical item was a small box of translucent gelatinous substance.

At first glance, it looks like aspic.

Its surface is faintly glowed with an almost invisible purple light, and inside, one can vaguely see tiny starlight flickering on and off.

Xiao Chen naturally didn't recognize the thing either, but it wasn't hard to tell that it was a man-made spiritual object.

Because he wasn't afraid of being poisoned, he picked it up and examined it directly.

It's not easy to discern the purpose of this thing yet, but he can sense that it contains abundant Wood Spiritual Power and a very rich vitality.

This indicates that it is at least a Fourth-tier Mid-grade Spiritual Material, and Wood Attribute.

"Interesting, but what's this thing used for?"

If he obtained an ordinary Wood Element Spiritual Material, Xiao Chen would simply absorb and refine it for cultivation.

But this thing looks quite special; it might be a treasure.

So he decided to keep it for now, figure out its specific function, and then decide how to use it.

After finishing tidying up, Xiao Chen circled around again, casting the <Breathless Shadowless Curse>.

After confirming that no one was chasing him, he began to think about what to do next.

He originally just came to watch the show out of curiosity, but he never expected it to turn out like this.

Fortunately, we can deduce the information from what we retrieved from the Storage Ring, especially from the contents of those two letters.

That Red-bearded Man was indeed a cultivator from the Rebellious Immortal Alliance.

Theoretically speaking, Xiao Chen could even go to the wanted poster at the entrance of the market and accept the reward money.

Of course, he wouldn't go so far as to reveal his identity just for Spirit Stone.

"In that case, the problem with the Gui Yun Sect shouldn't be too serious."

Xiao Chen thought about it. After all, the Rebellious Immortal Alliance was a wanted criminal organization. Even if they wanted to take revenge on him, they certainly couldn't collude with the Gui Yun Sect.

They might not even dare to contact Gui Yun Sect to verify the situation, otherwise they might be dealt with first.

If that's the case, then Xiao Chen wouldn't have been put on Wanted Notice.

But now he has probably offended the Rebellious Immortal Alliance.

I just don't know how long it will take them to find out that today's incident is related to me.

There should have been no witnesses at the scene, and they left relatively quickly.

The only clue is the Magic Trace left behind during the battle.

Be extra careful during the next operation, and avoid using the <Crimson Sky Mountain Severing Palm> unless absolutely necessary.

To prevent the other party from directly locking onto you based on the Magic Trace.

"In that case, it doesn't seem to affect my decision to go to the Cai Family again."

Xiao Chen had originally planned to find a business partner, and although he encountered a minor mishap, it didn't seem to delay things.

While the Rebellious Immortal Alliance and the Cai Family might not be irreconcilable enemies, they certainly wouldn't be in cahoots.

After making up his mind, he took a long detour again.

Then we went to Pingyi City, which is near Fangshi.

Although people usually refer to the Pingyi Cai Family, this large city, home to tens of thousands of cultivators, is not exclusively controlled by the Cai Family.

Only the large mansions in the East City, South City, and central parts of the city belonged to the Cai Family family.

The shops in the west of the West City are mostly owned by other Lineage, while the North City is a gathering place for many independent cultivators.

When Xiao Chen arrived in Pingyi, it was evening, and he saw that the North City was the most lively place, where most of the cultivators had gathered.

The East City and South City parts of the city were almost deserted, clearly very quiet.

This is not good news for the Cai Family.

Nobody goes to their place, and naturally nobody buys their spiritual items.

As a result, it becomes very difficult for them to earn many Spirit Stone.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the Wilderness Cultivators may not seem to have many Spirit Stone. Those who have the ability to come to the city are all relatively wealthy.

Moreover, although a single cultivator may not have many Spirit Stone, if they can accumulate over time, it can amount to a considerable sum.

Xiao Chen noticed, in particular, that today's trading seemed exceptionally brisk.

Many monks crowded onto the only three main streets in the North City, haggling fiercely with the street vendors.

He leaned closer and listened, and found that most of the cultivators were preparing to go out.

Pingyi is about 3,000 li away from Gui Yun Market. If the journey is safe and there is no need to worry about Bandit Cultivator, you can travel at full speed.

Most low-level cultivators can catch up in just two days.

Therefore, many cultivators chose to go out tonight to purchase some necessities, and then set off early tomorrow morning to participate in the Double Jade Assembly.

"Luckily I arrived quickly enough, or I would have missed the deadline."

Since none of the independent cultivators had left, Xiao Chen guessed that the Cai Family probably hadn't set off either.

He still had time to finalize the cooperation agreement beforehand.

"Fellow Daoist, may I ask how to get to the Cai Family?"

Xiao Chen casually grabbed a rogue cultivator and asked for directions, "It seems like no one lives in that big courtyard in the middle of the city."

He had already checked it with his Divine Sense.

The front and back gates of the courtyard were tightly closed, and even though it was already evening, there were no lanterns lit inside.

It seems like no one lives there at all.

Shouldn't the Cai Family have gone to Gui Yun Market before the lower-level cultivators even set off?

"The Cai Family?"

The rogue cultivator was taken aback for a moment, then replied enthusiastically, "Senior, you may not know this, but the Cai Family now all live near their Ancestral Home Outside City."

"It's said they chose that place because of its better feng shui."

"These large courtyards in the city have been empty for over a hundred years."

"Aside from occasionally sending servants back to clean and take care of it, it hasn't been inhabited for a long time."

Um?

What the hell is this feng shui?

Xiao Chen immediately sensed something was off. Could there be a problem with the feng shui of the city?

Besides, everyone here is a cultivator, so what were you doing when you were building courtyards in the city?

Besides, even if the feng shui is found to be wrong after the repairs are completed, for such a large Lineage, demolishing and rebuilding wouldn't require much effort.

There must be some hidden story behind this.

"Let's check on the Cai Family's situation first."

Xiao Chen turned and arrived at a restaurant in the west of the West City.

Soon they saw an elderly Golden Core cultivator sitting in a corner, drinking alone.

He immediately leaned over and used two jars of Spirit Wine to coax two relatively reliable pieces of gossip out of the other person.

The first point concerns the feng shui of the Cai Family.

According to this elderly man who has lived for over three hundred years and witnessed the rise and fall of the Cai Family.

Starting two hundred years ago, members of the Cai Family family frequently died unexpectedly.

Moreover, the situation spiraled out of control, and at its worst, three people died within just ten years.

At that time, the important members of the Cai Family still lived in the city, while the various Branch Lineage were located in the East City and South City.

At that time, rumors were circulating in the market that the Cai Family must have had a problem with their feng shui, which was why their descendants could not prosper.

It's important to understand that at that time, the Cai Family was already facing a major crisis: the lineage of Nascent Soul True Lord was ending.

There is an urgent need to cultivate a new Nascent Soul True Lord from among the clansmen.

Under those circumstances, the previous generation of Master Cai persisted for seventy years, during which time the courtyard was renovated twice.

But eventually, more than 120 years ago, he led his Direct Lineage descendants to move out of the city and return to their ancestral home on the outskirts of the city.

Later, many more members of the Branch Lineage followed.

The second point is that in recent years, many cultivators have noticed that the Cai Family seems to have lost its former prestige.

They spend most of their time near their ancestral home and rarely go out.

They even stopped sending members of their Branch Lineage clansmen to guard some of the Spirit Field and spirit mines that were far from their ancestral home, and instead leased them directly to outsiders.

Some of the bolder cultivators would secretly sublet their properties without any regard for consequences.

"I'm afraid it won't work."

The old man sighed softly, shook his head, and took a sip of the Spirit Wine: "Don't underestimate me just because I'm half-buried. I might still be able to watch one more good show."

He still has a hundred years Lifespan.

If things continue like this, we might actually witness the downfall of the Cai Family.

However, now that Xiao Chen has arrived, the situation is naturally different.

After confirming that the Cai Family was indeed in decline and on the verge of collapse.

He immediately went to the Cai Ancestral Home in the suburbs, intending to have a good talk with Master Cai.

"No way, what is this thing?"

However, as soon as Xiao Chen approached, he noticed that a Pale Yellow Light Screen was shrouding the Cai Family Ancestral Home.

From a distance, it looks like an inverted bowl, protecting the entire ancestral home.

It was Fourth-tier Defensive Formation that had already been activated!

Although it doesn't look like it's fully activated yet, it's only in a semi-activated state.

However, according to Xiao Chen's understanding, even to maintain such low-consumption operation, it would inevitably consume a lot of Spirit Stone and spiritual materials.

Over time, the old Array Foundation will need to be replaced and maintained, and the Formation Pattern will need to be re-engraved.

These are all significant losses!

Under normal circumstances, only when a sect is established does it need to use the Mountain Protecting Grand Array for a long time and borrow Spirit Vein to bear part of the loss of Spirit Stone.

Most cultivation Lineage don't have this habit; it's simply a waste of money.

Even if I were to use it, I wouldn't use Fourth-tier Grand Array; there's no need for it.

However, the Cai Family made an exception and activated the Linked Grand Array left by their ancestors, which clearly indicates that they were under considerable pressure.

"Very good!"

For Xiao Chen, the worse off the Cai Family was, the more they needed outside help, and the more likely they were to agree to cooperate with him.

He immediately strode to the door and said, "I am Golden Light Rogue Cultivator, and I have come to pay a special visit to Master Cai. Please inform him of my arrival."

The four servants standing at the door were all taken aback upon hearing this.

Why are there still customers?

You should know that for three or four years in a row, no Golden Core cultivator have taken the initiative to visit their home.

Aside from some Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the guests were usually old friends invited by the Clan Elder.

The Clan Elder would often wait at the door to greet them, so there was no need for them to announce their arrival.

The four of them looked at each other, completely bewildered for a moment.

Then a quick-witted one immediately bowed and replied, "I will go and inform them right away. Please wait a moment, senior."

After saying that, he dashed off through the side door to the backyard.

"Golden Light Rogue Cultivator?"

Master Cai was processing Spirit Herb in the backyard when he heard this, and he couldn't help but frown slightly, trying to recall which fellow Daoist it was.

No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't recall ever meeting such a fellow Daoist.

So he simply went out to greet them, wanting to recognize them.

"Quickly open the Main Gate and invite Daoist Jinguang in."

Before Master Cai even arrived, his voice preceded his arrival, directing the servants to push open the half-closed Main Gate.

He then came out and saw Xiao Chen waiting at the door.

It would have been better if he hadn't looked; once he did, all the polite words he had prepared were immediately swallowed back.

Something's not right!

This Daoist Jinguang looks incredibly young.

Judging by his appearance alone, he doesn't look more than fifty years old.

My family has been facing increasing difficulties in recent years, and we now have almost only a few old friends left.

When did I meet such a young True Person?

A hint of confusion flashed in Master Cai's eyes—Who are you? Do we know each other?

However, he certainly didn't ask that question. Instead, after a pause, he stepped aside and raised his hand to welcome him, saying, "Please come this way, fellow Daoist, and have a seat in the front hall."

After saying that, he led Xiao Chen through the corridor to the reception room, where they sat down as host and guest.

Two boys immediately served the Spirit Tea.

Master Cai held the Spirit Tea, slowly skimmed off the foam, and took a small sip.

Then he dismissed the maids around him and began to examine the Fruit Plate on the table.

At this moment, he actually had many questions in his mind, but he held back and waited for Xiao Chen to speak first.

This was actually a little trick by Master Cai.

If someone takes the initiative to visit you, they must have come with some purpose in mind.

In that case, he can first listen patiently to what the other party has to say, and then carefully consider how to handle the situation.

This allows them to gain the upper hand in the dialogue by striking back after the opponent has made their move.

It has to be said that Master Cai's actions did surprise Xiao Chen.

He had initially thought the other person would ask him who he was and why he had come.

Then one can smoothly say that this trip is to save the Cai Family, getting straight to the point.

Unexpectedly, after the two sat down, the other person stared at the Fruit Plate in front of them, seemingly considering which one to eat first.

There was no response for several breaths.

What a strange person.

Xiao Chen then took the initiative to speak, "Sir, you probably don't recognize me, so let me introduce myself first."

"I am a rogue cultivator from the Far East Land, nicknamed Golden Light Rogue Cultivator."

"I've come today for no other reason than to discuss a deal with the old gentleman."

"A deal that concerns the future of the Cai Family. I wonder if the old gentleman would be interested?"

trade?

Upon hearing this, Master Cai immediately understood Xiao Chen's identity.

He explained why a strange Golden Core True Person had suddenly come to visit; it turned out to be just another ambitious person who had emerged after witnessing the decline of the Cai Family.

Since that's the case, then he doesn't need to give the other party a friendly look.

Although the Cai Family is not as powerful as before, it is still one of the Four Great Families in the Ze Realm Blessed Land.

This isn't a place where just any Golden Core True Person could have ulterior motives.

Master Cai's face darkened, and he was about to reprimand him.

However, before he could even speak, he suddenly felt a powerful Divine Sense sweep over him, cleaning up the entire front hall.

"It's best to keep the rest of the conversation from being overheard by unrelated individuals."

Xiao Chen smiled and said, "After all, this is a matter of great importance, so I personally checked it to prevent anyone from overhearing."

"The old gentleman shouldn't mind, right?"

The moment Master Cai was scanned by Divine Sense, his mind tightened and the hairs on his body stood on end.

The newcomer is Nascent Soul True Lord!

His right hand gripped the teacup tightly, while his left hand quietly slipped into his sleeve to hold a small Formation Flag, which finally put him at ease.

A smile crept onto his previously stern face, "What you say makes sense, senior. I don't mind at all."