The Breaking Clan

"Okay, Aunt Xue." Li Xun replied and headed outside.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's reception hall.

When Li Xun entered, the first thing he saw was a plainly dressed youth.

The youth was thirteen or fourteen, looking nervous as he sat stiffly in his chair.

"Hello, are you here to sell books?"

Afraid of frightening the youth, Li Xun greeted him gently.

"Y-yes. Is the purchase request you posted real?"

Seeing that the one questioning him was a child of around seven or eight, the youth was still somewhat nervous, but he relaxed considerably.

"It is, but it depends on whether the medical book you bring is something I haven't already collected."

Li Xun slowly walked over to the youth and said, "If I already have your book, then I'm very sorry."

"How can you determine that? What if you finish reading it and say you have no use for it?" The youth froze, then revealed a suspicious expression.

"It's actually very simple. If your book is of no use to me, I'll take out a book identical to it, or one containing roughly the same records."

"That will prove that I'm telling the truth."

Over the past year or so, many people had come to sell books under the banner of rare lone copies.

Yet their contents were all much the same.

In response, Li Xun had devised this arrangement.

The youth was stunned for a moment before nodding. "That method is fair."

After hesitating for a moment, the youth took a handmade book from his clothes and carefully placed it on the table.

"This book... my grandfather made it himself. It comes in two volumes, upper and lower. This is one of them."

"My grandfather is very skilled at making medicine. I think... it should be worth... three hundred... no... two hundred Gold Soul Coins?" the youth said uncertainly.

"You stole it?" Noticing the youth's expression and tone, Li Xun narrowed his eyes and asked.

"I-I... took it." The youth's face flushed red at Li Xun's question, and he spoke in a low voice.

"It's fine, it's fine. Don't be nervous. I don't care where the book came from. As long as it's useful to me, I'll take it."

"Besides, knowledge doesn't disappear just because someone buys a book. Don't worry."

"Your grandfather surely remembers all of it." Realizing that he had struck a sore spot, Li Xun hurriedly comforted him.

Afraid that the youth would be too embarrassed to stay and would grab the book and run, Li Xun quickly stepped forward and took the book into his hands.

Perhaps Li Xun's words had worked, as the youth's emotions settled somewhat. "Take a look and see how much it's worth."

Li Xun nodded, then opened the book. When he saw the signature on the title page, his eyes lit up.

"Written by Yang Wudi."

Li Xun suddenly looked up at the youth. "You're from the Breaking Clan? What is Senior Yang Wudi to you?"

"..."

"He's my grandfather..."

Hearing that the other party knew his elder, the youth could not help feeling a little awkward.

The Breaking Clan had declined for a long time after the Clear Sky Sect sealed off its mountain.

Back then, the Clear Sky Sect offended Spirit Hall and then ran away, forcing them to keep their heads down as well.

He had thought that so many years had passed that even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would no longer remember his clan.

Who would have thought that this boy before him would immediately conclude that he was from the Breaking Clan upon seeing the book?

Upon hearing his confirmation, Li Xun smiled.

An ordinary person certainly would not reveal their identity over a name alone.

After all, there were plenty of people with the same name.

But Yang Wudi, combined with a book on medicinal herbs, was different.

Li Xun carefully held the book in his hands and slowly flipped farther through it.

"Aromatic Silk Beauty, Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Eight Petal Immortal Orchid, Sacred Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng, Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass."

"Together with the Autumn Water Piercing Road and Ninth Grade Purple Ganoderma I collected before, as well as the Narcissus Jade Bone and Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower recorded in the imperial archives."

"I've already collected more than half the records of medicinal herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. This upper volume even records two immortal-grade herbs that Tang San didn't know about, along with methods for making some useful medicines. What a bargain."

Li Xun slowly closed the book and looked toward the youth. "I haven't asked your name yet."

"My name is Yang Qianjun," the boy said slowly.

"My name is Li Xun. Since you're a few years older than me, I'll call you Brother Yang."

"Brother Yang, this book is extremely valuable to me. I can give you one thousand Gold Soul Coins for it."

"That is the highest reward I offered for the task I posted earlier."

After speaking, Li Xun took a Silver Card from his storage pouch and handed it to Yang Qianjun. "Brother Yang, with this Silver Card, you may withdraw one thousand Gold Soul Coins from any Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect business."

Yang Qianjun's eyes widened at the sight of the card.

It was not that he doubted its authenticity. After all, he had seen cards used to store Gold Soul Coins in his grandfather's hands before.

He simply had not expected his grandfather's books to be worth so much.

He knew his grandfather's knowledge of pharmacology was exceptional, which was why he had priced them at two hundred Gold Soul Coins.

Even then, he had been waiting for the other party to bargain.

Who would have thought that this boy named Li Xun would offer one thousand gold coins right away?

One Gold Soul Coin was enough to cover a family of three's expenses for an entire year.

Although Soul Masters spent somewhat more, it could still support them for a long time if it was only used for food and daily necessities.

"Th... thank you."

Yang Qianjun wiped his hands and carefully accepted the Silver Card, examining it closely.

This was his first time touching a Money Card.

Seeing Yang Qianjun like this, Li Xun could not help feeling puzzled.

Logically, even if the Breaking Clan had fallen on hard times, they should not have been reduced to the point of being unable to afford food.

Yang Wudi could make medicine. Selling medicine alone should have been enough to support their livelihood.

Otherwise, Tang San would not have given him the position of Medicine Hall Master in the Tang Sect.

"Brother Yang, forgive my presumptuousness, but has your Breaking Clan encountered some difficulty?"

"If you need help, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is willing to lend a hand."

Li Xun spoke after a moment of thought.

Yang Wudi was very strong.

Strong enough that, at level eighty-two, he could fight the level ninety-two Snake Lance Douluo without falling behind.

Li Xun had long wanted to find an opportunity to make contact with him.

If possible, he also wanted to follow Tang San's example: give him an Immortal Grade herb and draw him into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

No matter how he calculated it, this deal would not be a loss.

"N-No, my family may not be wealthy, but we don't lack food or clothing."

"It's the Speed Clan. Their lives have been rather difficult lately, but they're too embarrassed to ask my grandfather for help."

"I just wanted to help them." Yang Qianjun spoke somewhat awkwardly.

"Brother Yang, is there someone you like in the Speed Clan?" Li Xun teased.

Yang Qianjun's face turned bright red the instant he heard Li Xun's words.

The Single Attribute Four Great Clans were closely connected and often helped one another.

The Speed Clan in particular.

This clan had few means of making a living and often found themselves unable to afford food.

Of the other three clans, the one they mainly helped was the Speed Clan.

And Bai He, the Speed Clan's clan head, was proud and extremely concerned with saving face.

Even when he encountered difficulties, he often said nothing. This only made things harder for the younger members of the Speed Clan. If their clan head would not ask for aid, they could only endure hunger alongside him.

Seeing this, how could Li Xun not understand what was going on?

Yang Qianjun must have been unable to bear watching his lover suffer, yet he did not dare tell Yang Wudi.

He feared that if Yang Wudi went to provide aid, Bai He would lose face and punish his lover as a result.

Thus, he could only find a way to secretly support his lover.

"However, it wouldn't be convenient for me to intervene in the Speed Clan."