Li Yaoqing, Ninth-Grade Alchemist!

"I can make money!"

Back in his room, Li Xiang pressed a hand to his racing heart. Having lived two lifetimes, this was his first time negotiating a business deal. The seemingly casual conversation with Boss Qi had drained every ounce of his mental energy!

He had to make Boss Qi believe that the Li Family behind him still existed, while simultaneously acting as if he couldn't reveal a single detail about them. He even had to ensure Boss Qi saw the potential for massive profit.

At the same time, he had to maintain an air of absolute certainty.

If he had cracked under the pressure, the consequences would have been dire. Given the cruelty of the world, if Boss Qi realized there was no Li Family backing him, he might have had Li Xiang snatched on his way to school just to interrogate him about the source of his goods.

Every step was fraught with danger; it was truly a case of "an innocent man is innocent, but his treasure makes him guilty."

But the outcome was good.

"Wait? No."

Li Xiang suddenly realized the crux of the problem. "On my way to school? To hell with school, I've started my own business!"

He stopped dwelling on those thoughts.

He had already handed the task to Boss Qi. As long as there was money to be made, a merchant like Boss Qi would work himself to the bone for him!

Li Xiang quickly turned his attention back to the game.

No matter what.

He had to keep a close watch on the developments in the game. Although the Li Family was still in the Qi Refining stage, the items they produced had a unique market in the current world's Qi Refining stage. In particular, the Beast Blood Fruit produced by the Beast Blood Fruit Tree had become the treasure that would allow him to build his fortune.

[Li Dalong leads the Li Family members and the villagers of Zhien Village on a hunt, returning with a large amount of spoils.]

[Captured monster: Berserk Tiger]

[Obtained spirit herb: Spirit Gathering Grass]

[Obtained...]

On the game screen, Li Dalong had already returned with the Li Family and their prey.

Li Xiang looked at the growing Li Family settlement.

He realized that the Li Family was now self-sufficient and had even formed a stable ecosystem!

The villagers of Zhien Village farmed and raised livestock, providing enough to sustain the fifty monsters currently in the Spirit Beast Garden.

The monsters were bled daily by Li Yaoqing, which provided enough energy for the Beast Blood Fruit Tree to grow Tier 1 Beast Blood Fruit. The tree bore fruit every ten years, yielding about 80 to 100 fruits per harvest.

At this point, after several years of research, Li Yaoqing had begun planting another Beast Blood Fruit Tree.

"To have more Beast Blood Fruit Trees, I need more people to farm more land and raise more livestock."

Li Xiang had an epiphany!

He clearly understood the importance of the Beast Blood Fruit Tree. Not only could it sell for a high price, but as long as he had enough Incense, this thing could even help him break through his current realm!

Li Xiang quickly summoned Li Dalong.

"I await the Ancestor's instructions!"

Li Dalong kowtowed piously toward the spirit tablet flickering with purple light. He didn't believe in gods or Buddhas; he only believed in his ancestors.

As the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python let out a hiss.

Xu Cuihua, standing to the side, quickly translated, "Master, the Ancestor has decreed that we need more people. Only then can we have the population to cultivate more fields and use my Beast Taming Technique to raise more spirit beasts!"

"Dalong understands. The Ancestor is truly far-sighted!"

Li Dalong's eyes lit up as he knelt before Li Xiang's tablet. "Wife, I understand what the Ancestor means. The Ancestor is not as simple as you think!"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

Both Xu Cuihua and Li Xiang, watching from behind the screen, were stunned.

Li Dalong continued, "What the Ancestor wants is not just fields and spirit beasts! His vision is long-term. He sees the blockade Tailin Town has placed on us. If we have a larger population, we can even develop to be more prosperous than Tailin Town!"

"If we do that, we can attract merchants, attract powerful retainers, and we... we can dominate the region and completely crush Tailin Town in the near future!"

Li Dalong looked as if he were possessed. "As expected of the Ancestor! Long live the Ancestor!"

"..."

The peanut Li Xiang had just put in his mouth fell out as his jaw dropped. He pursed his lips after a long moment. "Well... that's not impossible."

The sound of keyboard clacking echoed.

The Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python let out another low hiss, and a Love from the Ancestor descended upon Li Dalong, expressing Li Xiang's approval.

Following this, Li Dalong immediately sprang into action.

He sent the elders of Zhien Village out in all directions. In an era like this, as long as there was food to eat, countless refugees would be eternally grateful.

Li Xiang estimated that it wouldn't be long before Zhien Village saw a surge in population.

Not long after.

Another piece of good news came from the game!

[Qu Xiaoxiao has successfully given birth to a son after ten months of pregnancy. He is named Li Yunlin!]

[Congratulations, you have gained +10 Incense]

Li Xiang discovered that as the Li Family's influence grew stronger, the amount of Incense he could obtain each time increased as well!

A third-generation member of the Li Family was born.

The entire Zhien Village held a grand banquet to celebrate the good news for the head of the household. The Li Family residence was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and the Li Family members gathered around the cradle, rejoicing at the arrival of the new family member, Li Yunlin.

Li Xiang was equally delighted.

This newborn's spiritual roots were superior to everyone else in the Li Family—triple spiritual roots!

Although such spiritual roots were still considered mixed, their cultivation speed was a multiple of the five-element mixed spiritual roots!

In the days that followed, the Li Family continued to develop in an orderly fashion.

Li Xiang watched the growth of a family in silence.

Then, he wore a smile once again.

[Year 23 of the Li Family, the population of Zhien Village reached 1,548.]

[Li Yaoqing, at the fourth level of Qi Refining, had spent years cultivating herbs in the Spirit Beast Garden. Having deeply studied the "special methods for spiritual medicine and cultivation" in the Manual of Qi Refiner Cultivation, she achieved success. By a stroke of luck, she obtained a copy of the Classic of a Thousand Herbs from an old physician in Zhien Village and successfully concocted her first batch of medicinal powder, Blood Coagulation Powder.]

[Li Yaoqing has gained the profession—Ninth-Grade Pharmacist!]

[Inspired by this, her Wood spiritual root value reached 60, and she broke through to the fifth level of Qi Refining!]

"A profession? A pharmacist has appeared!"

Li Xiang slapped his thigh. In the real world, one rarely saw pharmacists anymore; with the development of technology, the profession of pharmacist had been replaced by petri dishes. But that was only one reason; the more significant reason was that becoming a pharmacist was potentially even more complex than becoming an alchemist.

It was said that when spiritual energy first began to recover, pharmacists had once replaced doctors. Powerful pharmacists could even bring the dead back to life, regrow flesh and bone, or kill without leaving a trace!

He abruptly clicked on Li Yaoqing's avatar.

He saw Li Yaoqing standing before the Beast Blood Fruit Tree, excitedly clutching a packet of medicinal powder and darting around a large bronze furnace. "It's done! Ancestor bless me, I've succeeded!"

At only 16, she was in the prime of her youth, yet for some reason, the daughters of the Li Family did not like interacting with outsiders. Li Yaowen, who spent her days reading at home, was like this, and Li Yaoqing was the same.

She wore simple black robes with her hair in a ponytail, and her exposed skin was smudged with dirt. She was not as beautiful as Li Yaowen, possessing instead a simple, pure elegance.

She spent almost all her time in the Li Family's herb garden, tending to the spiritual herbs planted there.

[Li Yaoqing (Second Generation)]

[Profession: Ninth-Grade Pharmacist]

[Realm: Fifth Level of Qi Refining]

[Spiritual Roots: Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Roots]

[Cultivation Techniques: Naqi Technique, Classic of a Thousand Herbs, Gale Step]

[Trait: Plant Affinity]

Li Xiang was also delighted by Li Yaoqing's growth.

As Li Yaoqing grew, many people in Zhien Village with injuries or illnesses began to seek her out for treatment, which gradually increased her reputation and, incidentally, allowed her pharmacist level to steadily rise.

At the same time, Li Xiang gradually realized the importance of Li Yaoqing!

[Your descendant Li Yaoqing has cured the hidden ailment of the villager 'Li Ergou', allowing him to finally consummate his marriage with his wife. The Li Family has gained merit, Incense +1]

Beyond special events, descendants kowtowing, or the birth of descendants, Li Xiang had found another channel to obtain Incense!

Li Xiang glanced at his Incense count.

As time passed, he had accumulated over 3,000 points.

Soon, he would be able to operate a war puppet!

[Year 25 of the Li Family, the Li Family discovered a 'Black Iron' mine in the Silver Iron Forest. Just as they were about to begin development, one Zhien Village cultivator guarding the mine and three guards were killed!]

Special Event!

"Damn it!"

Li Xiang had been overjoyed when the mine was discovered.

Although Black Iron was a common metal, it possessed strong oxidation resistance and was an excellent material for crafting weapons and farm tools in the game world. Li Xiang had even discussed with Li Dalong how to utilize the Black Iron, yet who would have thought it would be snatched away in the blink of an eye!

In the Li Family ancestral hall.

"Ancestor, please calm your anger. Dalong failed to guard the Black Iron mine properly, allowing the Wang Family of Tailin Town to seize it and causing the death of the Zhien Village guards. It is Dalong's dereliction of duty; please punish me, Ancestor!"

[It is not your fault.]

Li Xiang had the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python convey the message.

He narrowed his eyes. "The people from Tailin Town again?"

In truth, the Li Family had encountered people from Tailin Town all along. Aside from the Hu Family, other families generally lived in peace with the Li Family.

But once interests were at stake, frictions like this became unavoidable.

And this time, blood had been shed over the Black Iron Mine!

"As the Li Family continues to grow and prosper, Tailin Town will inevitably view us as a thorn in their side, a festering splinter in their eye. This is something we cannot avoid."

Li Xiang's expression remained calm as he tapped away at his keyboard.

[Go to the Black Iron Mine. Kill four of them, just as they did to us. Leave the other members of the Wang Family alive and tell them to take a message back to their patriarch: invite him to come and talk. We can strike a major deal.]

"Talk... talk business?" With his wife's translation, Li Dalong understood Li Xiang's intent, though he remained somewhat puzzled.

Li Xiang then explained more details to Li Dalong, and his eyes grew increasingly bright.

Soon after.

He walked outside the gates of the Li Family estate, where the relatives of those killed at the Black Iron Mine were already kneeling, their wails filling the air.

Li Dalong looked out at the villagers gathered from Zhien Village.

"For all these years, our Li Family has always protected Zhien Village, and I have always hoped that Zhien Village could remain happy and healthy forever, because we are all honest, hardworking people with kindness in our hearts."

"But in this world, things often go against our wishes, and we can never be certain when someone might bring disaster and tragedy upon us."

"But what I can guarantee is that no matter who they are, they will pay a price they cannot bear!"

"Perhaps today, perhaps tomorrow."

"I, Li Dalong, promise you all that their nightmare has already..."

"Begun!"