"Bohai, is that you? Come in!"
Clan Leader Meng Jingshan's aged voice drifted out from the depths of the Spirit Spring.
Meng Bohai walked to the center of the Spirit Spring, deliberately yet casually absorbing the faint spiritual energy of heaven and earth around him.
"Clan Leader Jingshan, Lin Qingbai of the Lin Family came earlier, accompanied by several county yamen constables. From our conversation, I believe they have already discovered Lin Jiangye's corpse."
Only after hearing this did Meng Jingshan emerge from the depths of the Spirit Spring, his body stooped.
"Heh heh, so what if the Lin Family has found Lin Jiangye's corpse? So long as they have not found conclusive evidence, Lin Jiangye's death has nothing to do with our Meng Family, and nothing to do with Hao Ran!"
Meng Jingshan stretched out his wrinkled right hand and gently waved it through the air, shaping the faint spiritual energy of heaven and earth into various forms. In a low voice, he said, "You and Hao Ran need only remember this. Even if the Lin Family clamps down like a dog with its jaws locked and insists that Lin Jiangye's death is connected to our Meng Family, then let them produce the evidence first. Otherwise, we will take them straight to the county yamen and charge the Lin Family with slander!"
Meng Bohai clasped his fists. "Bohai understands. Once I return, I will speak with Hao Ran."
"Ten years ago, a group of evildoers calling themselves the Black Mountain Bandits suddenly appeared within Qingyang County. The three great cultivation lineages of Xinghua Village entered the Tianyang Mountain Range together. When our Meng Family members were ambushed by the Black Mountain Bandits, we fired distress signals again and again, yet never received aid from the Lin and Chen Families."
With deep pain in his expression, Meng Jingshan recalled, "It was only then that I regarded the Lin and Chen Families as the Meng Family's mortal enemies. If one day the Meng Family can take control of Qingyang County Town, I will surely lead the Meng Family as clan leader to rise by trampling upon the ancestral steles of the Lin and Chen Families!"
Meng Bohai nodded lightly at those words.
He understood the meaning behind Clan Leader Meng Jingshan's words.
Ten years ago, the Xinghua Village Meng Family had three cultivators in the Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm. They stood only one step away from taking control of Qingyang County Town.
However, while carrying out the county yamen's orders to encircle and suppress the Black Mountain Bandits, they ventured too deeply and fell into the enemy's trap. They fought to the bitter end, yet never received reinforcements from the Lin and Chen Families.
From that day onward, the Meng Family had completely torn all pretenses of civility with the Lin and Chen Families.
Whether in business dealings or conflicts between clan members, the Meng Family would never yield an inch to the Lin and Chen Families.
Meng Jingshan composed himself slightly and asked, "How did the matter of finding a sales channel for the Six-Pattern Wheat in the rear courtyard go during this trip?"
Meng Bohai replied, "The results of this trip to find a sales channel for the Six-Pattern Wheat were exceptionally good."
After speaking, Meng Bohai briefly organized his thoughts and gave Meng Jingshan a concise account of how he and Meng Haoran had found a sales channel for the Six-Pattern Wheat.
After hearing Meng Bohai's report, Meng Jingshan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Gray Robe Jiang Lao? I have never heard of him. What kind of person is he?"
Meng Bohai answered, "He is a black-market merchant from Chiyang County, not someone using a fabricated identity. He can be trusted. Moreover, entrusting the sales channel solely to him can both increase our resource income and ease some of the market pressure on the Meng Family."
Meng Jingshan smiled. "You handled this matter well!"
Judging from the process Meng Bohai had just described, as long as they continued selling in this manner, the Meng Family would accumulate a substantial amount of cultivation resources within half a year.
At that time, Meng Jingshan could attempt to break through from the Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm, where he had made no progress for many years, into the Foundation Establishment Realm!
"It is not only me, but Hao Ran as well. Gray Robe Jiang Lao said that the reason he agreed to establish a sales channel with our Meng Family at the price of fifteen Spirit Stones per jin of Six-Pattern Wheat was precisely because of the Six-Pattern Wheat cultivated by Hao Ran!"
Meng Bohai explained, "The quality of the Six-Pattern Wheat he grows far surpasses that of the Six-Pattern Wheat on the market. Therefore, all the Spirit Stones our Meng Family harvests now are earned through Hao Ran's daily hard work!"
Meng Jingshan nodded slightly and praised, "That boy Hao Ran truly is not bad. He was exceptionally clever as a child, and after growing up, he stepped onto the path of cultivation and became increasingly steady. He is beginning to resemble his father, Meng Liuhai!"
Meng Bohai smiled and echoed his agreement.
Meng Jingshan then asked, "Bohai, what do you think of that boy Hao Ran?"
"What is there to say? If he is given enough time to grow, then I dare say here and now that his future cultivation realm and accomplishments will certainly far surpass mine and stand shoulder to shoulder with his father, Meng Liuhai!" Meng Bohai replied.
During those two outings, Meng Bohai had seen a trace of Meng Haoran's father in him.
"Bohai, I am already old enough. If I ultimately cannot break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, then this vast Meng Family will fall onto your shoulders."
Meng Jingshan spoke earnestly. "And if you cannot accomplish the task of reaching Foundation Establishment, then this burden will fall upon the shoulders of Hao Ran's generation!"
"Clan Leader..." Meng Bohai murmured.
Meng Jingshan waved his hand, stopping Meng Bohai from continuing. "Each generation brings forth talents, each leading the age for centuries. The Meng Family is steered by me now, but in the future, it will ultimately belong to you and Hao Ran's generation. Therefore, do not pour all the lineage's resources into me. Hao Ran is also a fine choice!"
Meng Bohai understood Meng Jingshan's meaning and nodded. "Bohai will remember!"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Meng Family grounds, within the Meng Family's Spirit Plant Field.
Meng Haoran was casting the Minor Cloud Rain Art, nurturing the Second-Tier Spirit Plant, Six-Pattern Wheat, within this Spirit Plant Field.
As he looked over the vast stretch of lush green Six-Pattern Wheat, his mood brightened considerably.
"In less than a month, this patch of spirit-pattern wheat will ripen. Once I sell it to Gray Robe Jiang Lao in the Black Market, I will earn another huge batch of Spirit Stones!"
Meng Haoran lowered his head and calculated in a low voice, "One jin of Six-Pattern Wheat can earn fifteen Spirit Stones, and since we have established an exclusive sales channel with Gray Robe Jiang Lao, one jin can be sold for sixteen Spirit Stones. How many Spirit Stones can all the Six-Pattern Wheat in such a huge Spirit Plant Field bring in?"
At that thought, Meng Haoran could not help growing impatient with anticipation.
Just as Meng Haoran was dreaming of the future, something suddenly darted out from within the Spirit Plant Field.
It was the Spirit Beast Meng Haoran had raised, the Thunderfire Tiger.
Meng Haoran had also brought this Thunderfire Tiger along with him on this outing.
He knew that Spirit Beasts could not be kept penned up at one's side. Especially fierce Spirit Beasts such as the Thunderfire Tiger needed to develop their beastly nature in the mountains and wilds before they could grow.
When Meng Haoran fixed his gaze on the Thunderfire Tiger's body, he suddenly noticed something unusual.
"What is going on?"
After saying that, Meng Haoran lifted his foot and walked toward the Thunderfire Tiger.
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