Kill or Keep

Hearing Meng Luohai's question, Meng Haoran replied with a smile, "The most urgent matter for our Meng Family now is to accumulate enough Foundation Establishment Level cultivation resources in the fastest and most reliable way possible."

"I understand that."

Meng Luohai smiled. "Right now, all of us have only one goal: gather every bit of cultivation resources we can, then supply them all to Clan Leader Jingshan so that he can become a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator as soon as possible. Once that happens, the difficulties facing our Meng Family will be resolved."

Ten years ago, the Meng Family had been just one step away from joining the ranks of Qingyang County Town's Ninth-Rank Cultivation Families.

Yet during the campaign to wipe out the Black Mountain Bandits, two of the clan's Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm members had ventured too deeply into an ambush and died, causing the Meng Family to plunge from the height of its power straight into the abyss.

Fortunately, Meng Jingshan, with his Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation, had remained in Xinghua Village Meng Family and single-handedly withstood the suppression of the Lin and Chen Families' clan leaders.

This was also the problem currently facing the Meng Family.

"If members of our Meng Family were to appear directly in the Chiyang County Black Market and reveal the Six-Pattern Wheat we grow, those merchants in the Chiyang County Black Market would certainly scramble to buy it. Then, our Meng Family would accumulate the cultivation resources we need in the shortest possible time!"

At this point, Meng Haoran changed the subject. "But that would not be the most reliable method. Once our Meng Family's Six-Pattern Wheat is displayed before everyone, those Black Market merchants with mysterious backgrounds will definitely investigate our Meng Family in secret. If information about our Meng Family is exposed, they will have something to hold over us. By then, we would not only have to guard against those Black Market merchants, but also against Qingyang County's seven Ninth-Rank Cultivation Families!"

Meng Luohai nodded. "I understand. Hao Ran means to have Gray Robe Jiang Lao shield our Meng Family from the pressure brought by the Black Market merchants!"

"Exactly. Gray Robe Jiang Lao has already gotten a considerable taste of sweetness from us once. This time, our Meng Family gave him more than five thousand jin of Six-Pattern Wheat, all of superior quality. When he returns to the Chiyang County Black Market, he will definitely make another fortune!"

Meng Haoran explained, "With such enormous profits, would Gray Robe Jiang Lao easily tell other merchants where he acquired this Six-Pattern Wheat? Absolutely not! In that case, we only need Gray Robe Jiang Lao alone to sell this Six-Pattern Wheat!"

As they walked, Meng Luohai took up Meng Haoran's words and continued, "The ancients said: one must not harbor the heart to harm others, yet one must never lack the heart to guard against others. Today was my first time meeting this Gray Robe Jiang Lao, yet he already dared to challenge us in a duel. That showed he had both the strength and the ambition. We must be extremely cautious around Gray Robe Jiang Lao!"

Then he turned to Meng Bohai and said earnestly, "Brother Bohai, you and Haoran must be on guard against this man!"

Hearing this, Meng Bohai threw back his head and laughed. "Ha ha, Luohai, rest assured. Clan Leader Jingshan and I have traveled through the Qingyang County Black Market for years, so I naturally know something of the character of its merchants. Whatever Gray Robe Jiang Lao is thinking, I can see through it at a glance! There is no need to worry!"

Leaning closer, Meng Bohai lightly patted Meng Luohai's shoulder and said in a low voice, "Right now, our Meng Family is at a critical time and desperately needs cultivation resources. Even if Gray Robe Jiang Lao harbors other intentions, we can only turn a blind eye. Once we have gathered all the cultivation resources the clan needs, we can cast aside Gray Robe Jiang Lao whenever we wish!"

Meng Bohai looked at Meng Haoran again and smiled. "As long as we gather the Foundation Establishment Level cultivation resources Clan Leader Jingshan needs, and Clan Leader Jingshan successfully breaks through into the Foundation Establishment Realm, we will no longer need to worry too much about Gray Robe Jiang Lao!"

Hearing this, Meng Haoran narrowed his eyes in a smile and looked at Meng Luohai, then said coldly, "As long as Jingshan successfully breaks through into the Foundation Establishment Realm, we may kill or keep Gray Robe Jiang Lao. If we kill him, our Meng Family can find another agent in the Chiyang County Black Market. If we keep him, we can use Clan Leader Jingshan's Foundation Establishment might to forcibly intimidate Gray Robe Jiang Lao. By then, our Meng Family will be free to advance or retreat as we please!"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

After hearing their explanations, Meng Luohai could not help clapping hard and praising them. "Brother Bohai, worthy nephew Haoran, what brilliant methods!"

Since the Meng Family had left themselves a fallback with Gray Robe Jiang Lao, Meng Luohai no longer needed to worry too much.

By the time Meng Haoran and the other two returned to Xinghua Village in Qingyang County, it was already evening.

In order to report the outcome of this mission, Meng Bohai went ahead first to request an audience with Meng Jingshan, the Meng Family's clan leader.

As for Meng Haoran, in preparation for the next sale of Six-Pattern Wheat, he first set aside his other affairs and went directly to the rear courtyard, where he planted the seeds of the Second-Tier Spirit Plant, Six-Pattern Wheat, across all five mu of the Spirit Plant Field.

By the time Meng Haoran finished all this, it was already deep into the night. In order to absorb more high-quality spiritual qi of heaven and earth, he followed Meng Luohai under cover of night to the Xinghua Meng Pavilion in Qingyang County Town.

Early the next morning, while Meng Haoran was cultivating, he heard footsteps outside the door.

Meng Haoran called out, "Who is outside?"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

After knocking on the door, someone said with a smile, "Brother Haoran, it's me, Xiao Ran. I didn't disturb you, did I?"

"It's Xiao Ran! Come in quickly."

Meng Haoran swiftly withdrew from his cultivation state and rose to walk toward the door.

The one who entered was none other than Meng Xiaoran, one of the Meng Family's younger generation.

"Xiao Ran, why are you up so early today? Did you come to see me because you encountered some difficulty in cultivation?" Meng Haoran asked with concern.

By now, Meng Haoran was a favored figure before the Meng Family's upper ranks. Among the younger generation, his cultivation could be considered leading the pack.

Therefore, whenever juniors such as Meng Xiaoran encountered cultivation difficulties, they would almost immediately seek out Meng Haoran to help them resolve those problems.

Meng Xiaoran replied, "My cultivation has been going fairly well lately. Within half a year, I will definitely break through to the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining, but even so, I will still be far behind Brother Haoran."

"No matter. Cultivation is about letting the water reach its channel, advancing steadily and laying firm foundations. There is no need to rush too much."

Meng Haoran smiled and asked, "Xiao Ran, since you did not come here because of cultivation, what is it for?"

Meng Xiaoran scratched his head awkwardly, looked at Meng Haoran, and answered, "It's about that Thunderfire Tiger."

"The Thunderfire Tiger?"

Meng Haoran remembered that he had once given Meng Xiaoran a spirit beast, a Thunderfire Tiger. He asked, "What happened to the Thunderfire Tiger? Is there a problem?"

"Alas!"

Meng Xiaoran let out a heavy sigh. "Brother Haoran, I'll call the Thunderfire Tiger over. Once you see it, you'll understand why I came looking for you today!"

With that, Meng Xiaoran turned around and called out, "Little Xiao, come here!"

.:wap.

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