Control of the Family

Three days later.

In a tavern in the Rogue Cultivator Market.

"Fellow Daoist Wei, thank you for your help with purchasing the shop this time. The Chen Family is deeply grateful."

"Thank you for your assistance, Senior."

Chen Xianhe and Chen Daoxuan raised their cups and toasted Wei Sihai with smiles.

"Not at all, not at all. We're all friends. It was nothing, nothing!"

Wei Sihai hurriedly raised his cup, chuckling.

Over the past three days, the "minor matter" of the Merfolk Tribe attacking Guang'an Prefecture had long since subsided.

Within the Rogue Cultivator Market, the topic of discussion had gradually shifted from that battle to Guang'an Sword Immortal Zhou Mubai.

As cups were passed back and forth.

The atmosphere at the table gradually grew lively.

A little drunk, Chen Xianhe could not help sighing. "Guang'an Prefecture immortal city really is a place where every inch of land costs an inch of gold. I never imagined that even shops in the Rogue Cultivator Market would sell for such exorbitant prices!"

"Exactly!"

Wei Sihai strongly agreed.

He had spent the longest time scraping by in Guang'an Prefecture's Rogue Cultivator Market, so he felt this most deeply.

"Actually, the shops in the Rogue Cultivator Market are still manageable. A medium-sized storefront costs at most a thousand Spirit Stones. The truly outrageous ones are the shops in the Core Commercial District."

Speaking of the absurd prices of shops in the Core Commercial District, Wei Sihai shook his head.

Hearing this, Chen Daoxuan asked casually, "Are the shops in the Core Commercial District very expensive?"

"Expensive?"

Wei Sihai smiled. "The shops there can no longer be described by the word 'expensive' alone. Though their listed prices are only ten times higher than those in the Rogue Cultivator Market.

"The truth is, you cannot buy a shop there even if you have money. They are all controlled by great cultivation clans like the Zhou Family, Yang Family, and Wu Family.

"For ordinary cultivators and small clans to get a foot in the door would be harder than scaling the heavens."

Perhaps he had drunk a little too much, for Wei Sihai gradually became more talkative.

Coupled with the resentment he had long harbored toward the great cultivation clans, he actually began pouring out his grievances to Chen Daoxuan and Chen Xianhe.

"Take the tavern beneath our feet, for example. It belongs to the great cultivation clan, the Wu Family. In the Rogue Cultivator Market, more than ninety percent of the taverns, inns, brokerages, and shops are controlled by great cultivation clans.

"In the Core Commercial District, that proportion reaches an outrageous one hundred percent.

"We Rogue Cultivators and the descendants of small clans clearly make up the largest numbers, yet we receive the least. How unfair is that!"

By the end, Wei Sihai slammed his cup heavily onto the table.

Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

After a long while.

Chen Xianhe finally said quietly, "Brother Wei, you're drunk."

At those words, cold sweat immediately broke out on Wei Sihai's back, and his drunkenness vanished by seventy or eighty percent.

Loudly condemning great cultivation clans here was no wise thing.

Although nearly all Rogue Cultivators harbored dissatisfaction toward the great cultivation clans, not one dared openly pour out such bitterness.

Because every Rogue Cultivator with that kind of nerve had vanished without a sound.

Seeing this, Chen Daoxuan quickly brought up another topic, avoiding the awkwardness of a cold table.

Half an hour later.

The banquet ended, and night had already fallen.

Chen Daoxuan and Thirteenth Uncle Chen Xianhe walked back to the inn side by side, silent all the way.

After returning to the inn.

Just as Chen Daoxuan was about to cultivate, Chen Xianhe knocked on his door.

"Thirteenth Uncle, is something the matter so late at night?"

"Yes. Let's go inside and talk."

Hearing this, Chen Daoxuan quickly gestured for him to enter.

Once the two entered the room, Chen Daoxuan considered for a moment, then cautiously set up a Soundproofing Formation.

"Daoxuan, now that the matter of the shop has been settled, I will remain there to oversee it. I'll leave the family matters to you from now on."

As he spoke, Chen Xianhe's expression grew complicated.

Chen Daoxuan's rate of growth had far exceeded his imagination—not only in personal strength, but also in Artifact Refining.

Over the past few days, Chen Xianhe had long since realized that Chen Daoxuan was not the First Grade Lower Rank Artifact Forger he claimed to be, but an experienced High-grade First-tier Artifact Forger.

Though he did not know why his nephew had concealed his abilities before him, from another perspective, Chen Daoxuan was only sixteen and already understood the principle that the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be battered by the wind.

That proved he was far more mature than Chen Xianhe had imagined.

Thinking of this, Chen Xianhe felt somewhat more at ease about handing the family's great authority to Chen Daoxuan.

After saying this.

Chen Xianhe took a Seal from his Storage Bag.

The Seal was entirely black, and its Spiritual Aura was intense. It was actually a High-grade First-tier Magical Artifact.

"This is the Chen Family's Clan Leader's Seal. Now, I am handing it over to you."

Chen Xianhe passed over the black Seal and spoke solemnly.

"Mm."

Chen Daoxuan accepted the Seal and nodded seriously.

After settling this matter.

Chen Xianhe then asked, "By the way, how has the matter of procuring supplies gone?"

"Everything has been prepared. Once the goods are loaded onto the ship tomorrow, we can return to Twin Lakes Island."

Chen Daoxuan paused. "This time, we withdrew a total of 8,743 Spirit Stones from the Clan Treasury. Of that, I spent 100 Spirit Stones privately on a Water Spirit Pearl, 500 Spirit Stones on an inheritance for refining the Wind Thunder Formation Disk Magic Artifact, 1,000 Spirit Stones on purchasing the shop, and 6,721 Spirit Stones on procuring various supplies. I still have 422 Spirit Stones remaining."

At this point, Chen Daoxuan gave a bitter smile. "That is everything our family owns."

Hearing that this journey had drained the Chen Family's savings of three hundred years, even though Chen Xianhe had been mentally prepared, his heart still ached.

Seeing Chen Xianhe's unsightly expression, Chen Daoxuan hurriedly comforted him. "Thirteenth Uncle, these are necessary expenses for the family's development. Besides, we will certainly earn it all back tenfold, even a hundredfold, in the future!"

Hearing this, Chen Xianhe sighed. "Let us hope so."

As though remembering something, Chen Xianhe took out a jade bottle from his Storage Bag. "Oh, right. This is a small gift I bought for you in the Core Commercial District a few days ago. Take it."

Chen Daoxuan curiously accepted the jade bottle. When he opened it, a dense medicinal fragrance wafted out.

Seeing this, Chen Daoxuan quickly sealed the bottle again.

"Qi Gathering Pills!"

They were actually First-tier Middle Rank Spirit Pills that assisted Qi Refining cultivators in cultivation—Qi Gathering Pills.

According to what Chen Daoxuan knew, a single Qi Gathering Pill sold for as much as fifty Spirit Stones, nearly equivalent to a First Grade Lower Rank Magic Artifact.

Yet this jade bottle contained a full ten of these costly Qi Gathering Pills!

"Daoxuan, back then, the family clearly had the means to buy you a Meridian-Opening Pill, but I did not buy one for you. Have you ever resented me for it?"

"Why would Thirteenth Uncle say that? Daoxuan has never thought so!

"A Meridian-Opening Pill costs as much as five hundred Spirit Stones. If it were me, under circumstances where the family's expenses exceeded its income, I would not buy such an expensive Spirit Pill for a junior either."

Chen Xianhe shook his head. "But do you know? A few days ago, when I saw you use the Chasing Wind Sword Art at the Great Accomplishment stage, I regretted it.

"Five hundred Spirit Stones may be a great deal, but I delayed a genius cultivator of the family by five years in his cultivation!"

Chen Daoxuan did not know how to respond to that.

"Daoxuan, I can tell that the road you will walk in the future will lead farther than mine, farther than that of any ancestor of the Chen Family. But Thirteenth Uncle wants to ask one thing of you."

As he spoke, Chen Xianhe looked at Chen Daoxuan with reddened eyes.

"Please command me, Thirteenth Uncle!"

"No matter what the future brings, do not abandon the family, all right? Because this is your root!"

Hearing this plea, an indescribable emotion flooded Chen Daoxuan. His heart turned sour, and so did his eyes.

With reddened eyes, Chen Daoxuan nodded heavily. "No matter what the future brings, Daoxuan will never abandon the family!"

"Good, good."

A gratified smile appeared on Chen Xianhe's face.