Selling Beast Blood Fruit

As Li Yaozu and Qu Xiaoxiao got married, the entire Li Family was filled with joy.

Even Zhien Village, outside the Li Family, joined in the celebrations. Everyone was happy for the Li Family.

But the Li Family didn't let the occasion slow their development!

[Li Family, Year 21. Li Dalong noticed cultivators from Tailin Town lingering outside Zhien Village every day. He knew Tailin Town hadn't forgotten what had happened before. Sensing danger, he asked the Ancestor what they should do.]

"We can't let up on our development."

Li Xiang drew a deep breath. After the entire Li Family in the real world had fled, he took the game more seriously than ever. "Right now, the Li Family is basically isolated and surrounded by Tailin Town. If we dare take even one step in Tailin Town's direction, the Hu Family will probably seize the opportunity to gather people from the town and attack us."

"In that case, I'm not even sure we'd stand a chance in a fight."

At last, Li Xiang clicked on the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python's portrait and typed in a message.

"Hiss~ Sss~"

The Temple Guardian Beast hissed.

Xu Cuihua was kneeling before Li Dalong. She immediately understood what the Temple Guardian Beast meant. "The Ancestor says that hardship can spur our progress. As members of the Li Family, we must never stop moving forward. We should look for a way through. The Hu Family has blocked one path to our development, but we have more than one path!"

At this, Li Dalong's eyes lit up.

He kowtowed repeatedly. "Thank you for your guidance, Ancestor. I understand!"

"Wife, gather our people. We can't trade with Tailin Town or buy pills from them, but we have the entire Silver Iron Forest behind us! And with the Temple Guardian Beast protecting us, we can venture deeper than before, and more people can fight alongside us!"

Before long,

Li Xiang saw Li Dalong assemble all the Li Family's current fighting forces!

By now, the people of the Li Family had changed beyond recognition.

Li Dalong had been steadily eating Beast Blood Fruit and had reached the eighth level of Qi Refining. Even after getting married, Li Yaozu was still a reckless workhorse, and had reached the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Everyone else had made progress too.

Li Yaotie had the best aptitude of all. At thirteen, he was at the third level of Qi Refining and built like a bull—more rugged than even Li Dalong. Bare-chested, he carried a massive iron hammer on his back.

Li Yaoqing rode a giant eagle wherever he went. He was also at the third level of Qi Refining.

Only Li Yaowen, now six years old, still hadn't become a cultivator, even though her spiritual root seemed decent enough. She was a young girl from a proper cultivation family, yet she couldn't even fight a chicken. Her only redeeming qualities were her ever-increasing beauty and her growing knowledge.

She had also developed a trait, but it was a negative one.

[Weak and Sickly]

Li Yaowen hardly ever joined in any battles. As always, she stayed home in peaceful leisure, holding a book and reading poetry, serving as the cheer squad.

Besides the members of the Li Family and their magical beasts,

Zhien Village had also assembled a team of eighteen!

In the past two years, four cultivators had emerged in Zhien Village. The rest were hunters who had trained for two and a half years. They had all contributed to the village's construction and had been rewarded by the Li Family with Beast Blood Fruit.

Li Dalong had never made any demands of them, but they had long since pledged themselves to the Li Family in silence.

"Hiss~ Sss~"

As the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python emerged from the Li Family's main courtyard, Li Dalong held the Ancestral Tablet in his hands and leaped onto the python's head, raising his right hand high.

"Move out!"

Watching the Li Family set off for the Silver Iron Forest, Li Xiang let out a long breath.

The Li Family had developed rapidly lately. They even had a village of their own, with several hundred villagers working for them, and their buildings had grown more and more splendid. But Li Xiang could see that this was only prosperity on the surface!

Zhien Village was no match for anyone. Even as cultivators, those who had never seen blood were little more than paper tigers.

This trip into the Silver Iron Forest was also a chance to train the troops and test their progress.

And, while they were at it, they could gather a great deal of resources, slowly strengthen the Li Family, and break through Tailin Town's blockade!

Before long,

Li Xiang saw the Li Family fighting through the Silver Iron Forest. Li Dalong had been an experienced hunter for years, and he was extremely cautious. Even with a large group at his back, he proceeded carefully, spending a whole week guiding the villagers as they hunted magical beasts.

Everything went smoothly. With the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python protecting them, there was little danger on the outskirts of the Silver Iron Forest.

Li Xiang finally relaxed.

Just then,

someone knocked on the door.

"Master, Boss Qi has arrived."

Yuexian's voice sounded from outside.

Li Xiang glanced at the screen again and narrowed his eyes. "The descendants in the game are working so hard. I can't let them down as their Ancestor!"

"Yuexian, invite Boss Qi in. Prepare some milk tea."

"Gulp~"

In the cozy living room, a fat, middle-aged man sat across from Li Xiang. The sparse "hair" on his head barely covered his bumpy scalp, which gleamed with oil.

The man was Boss Qi, a famous businessman in the villa district. He lifted his cup of milk tea and took a sip.

Then his brows furrowed. The taste seemed strange. Hmm... He took another sip.

"Young Master Li, I heard you wanted to discuss business with me." As Boss Qi spoke, his attention remained fixed on the milk tea.

Seeing that expression,

Li Xiang raised an eyebrow. In the past, the man wouldn't have spoken to him like this. He'd probably heard that the entire Li Family had fled.

"You could also think of it as me doing business with you."

Li Xiang's calm, unassuming reply immediately caught Boss Qi's attention.

The oily middle-aged man's cheeks jiggled as he fixed his gaze on Li Xiang, beaming. "I knew it! The Li Family is so powerful and well-established. How could something suddenly happen and force you all to flee? Looks like the Li Family must have had some strategic reason for moving its business elsewhere?"

Having lived two lives, Li Xiang could tell Boss Qi was testing him!

Li Xiang gave no answer.

The Li Family really had fled, but even so, he could still wave the Li Family's banner. After all, no one knew what had happened to them!

He chuckled softly. "Boss Qi, that's quite a lot of questions. Surely a nobody like me can still do business with you?"

"Of course, of course!"

Boss Qi grinned. "Please, Young Master Li. What would you like to discuss?"

"I didn't say discuss. I said look."

Li Xiang tossed Boss Qi a Storage Ring.

When Boss Qi took the ring, a red fruit appeared in his hand. He sensed the spiritual energy inside and furrowed his brows. Then the watch on his left wrist lit up and scanned the Beast Blood Fruit.

His expression froze. "This... This is a species we've never seen on our planet! Each fruit contains a hundred points of spiritual energy, which the body can store and absorb. But... there's nothing but blood energy inside. It must have been grown with blood. That's a little illegal, Young Master Li."

"Huh? It's illegal? I'm the most law-abiding person around. If it's illegal, then forget it. Oh, well."

Li Xiang smiled as he held out his hand.

At that, the corner of Boss Qi's mouth twitched. He'd wanted to use the excuse to bargain, but who knew Li Xiang wouldn't take the bait!

"Haha... Young Master Li, don't be so serious. It's a little questionable, sure, but it's within the rules. I've been in business for years. I know how to handle it."

"Good. My family told me this stuff is a blessing for Qi Refining cultivators. One fruit isn't much, but a few—or even more—would have a greater and greater effect. Tsk, rich kids could eat these all the time. Even with terrible aptitude, they might break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm before they're even adults."

Li Xiang grinned. "Boss Qi, what do you think it's worth?"

As Li Xiang explained what the fruit did and how much it was worth,

Boss Qi gripped his milk tea cup. He felt as though he'd already been wrapped around the finger of this young member of the Li Family!

"Do you have more?" Boss Qi didn't waste words. He knew there was no point dragging things out with a shrewd boy like Li Xiang. He might only end up at an even greater disadvantage. "If Young Master Li trusts me, I can find buyers for you. I'll take twenty percent."

"Twenty percent?"

Li Xiang's expression turned cold. He slowly reached out his hand. "Three percent, or no deal."

"Fifteen!"

"Three percent. I have more."

"Ten!"

In the end, after Li Xiang's negotiations, they settled on a five-percent commission. Boss Qi could only smile wryly. "Young Master Li, your new clan head has done business with me before too. I thought you'd be like him, but I guess I was wrong. From where I'm standing, Li Zhengdao is a complete pig."

At that, Li Xiang clenched his fists. He realized that Li Zhengdao had done business with Boss Qi when he took the family and fled!

Keeping his expression unchanged, he said, "Oh? So he did business with you? He never mentioned it to me."

"The new clan head—he's not nearly as good as you'd be."

Boss Qi shrugged and slipped the Storage Ring into his pocket with a smile. "Young Master Li, I'll start by selling these twenty for you. It'll be a good way to get our partnership going. I'm sure we'll make a fortune."

"Fine."

Seeing Boss Qi about to leave, Li Xiang said, "Boss Qi, hold on a moment. There's something else I'd like you to look at."

"Oh?"

Boss Qi raised an eyebrow. He was becoming more and more convinced the Li Family hadn't fled at all. Instead, they must have found a planet rich in resources and planned to develop it in secret. Li Xiang was the Li Family's representative, quietly building them up for some grand scheme!

Before long,

Li Xiang came out of his room carrying... a bird's nest!

Boss Qi scanned it with his watch too. His expression grew more and more astonished. "A new... new species with spiritual energy???"

"Mm."

Li Xiang understood Boss Qi's expression. With the development of interstellar exploration, new species weren't unusual, but magical beasts were still magical beasts—and they were rare in the universe.

"Boss Qi, I'm sure you understand how valuable this is. I don't want you selling it to some perverted magical-beast scholar," Li Xiang said with a smile. "But you have to bring me enough Spirit Stones. Understand?"

"I understand."

Boss Qi recovered from the shock of seeing a new species and let out a long breath. "Don't worry, Young Master Li. I'm not about to waste this heaven-sent fortune. Everything will be handled in secret. No one will find out you're doing business on this planet. And as for your future Spirit Stone expenses, I'll find a way to cover them."

"Boss Qi, please."

Li Xiang smiled as he showed Boss Qi out, then finally let out a breath of relief. "I can finally support myself. Now I can play the game in peace!"

He hurried back to his room, ready to keep an eye on the Li Family's progress.

Outside the door,

Boss Qi rubbed his face. "Damn it, I knew the Li Family hadn't fled. No wonder they left Li Xiang behind. That kid's sharp as a tack, like he's lived for centuries. I couldn't get a single thing out of him."

"All this new stuff is even newer than the pills the Li Family's pharmaceutical company used to sell. We can break into a new market and make a fortune! And these two creatures called Baili Pigeons, tsk... The Li Family's really going to take off in secret this time!"