"This is Sister Miaoyun, the second young lady of the Zhou Household in Shixia Town. Like us, she works as a fisher-farmer for the Yun Household."
"Not only is Sister Miaoyun at the fourth level of Qi Refining, she's also a low-grade talisman master."
Shixia Town lay three hundred li north of Mirror Moon Lake, and was also under the Yun Household's rule.
The Zhou Household was a Qi Refining aristocratic clan in Shixia Town, but it was not the only one, and its strongest member was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining.
Otherwise, why would the dignified second young lady of an immortal-cultivating aristocratic clan come to the Yun Household to work as a mere fisher-farmer?
Clearly, even the direct descendants of some weaker Qi Refining aristocratic clans needed to venture out themselves to secure cultivation resources.
"I am Chen Jianghe. Greetings, Fairy Miaoyun." Chen Jianghe cupped his hands.
"Yu Daniu. Greetings, Fairy Miaoyun."
An unusual look appeared in Yu Daniu's eyes. Clearly, he had not expected Gao Peiyao to bring someone else along.
Today was the day they were forming their alliance. How could an outsider be present?
"Greetings to you both, fellow Daoists."
Zhou Miaoyun smiled and bowed gracefully, showing none of the airs of a young lady from a lineage.
"Since Brother Jianghe and Brother Daniu have come, it seems you agree with what I said and are interested in forming a mutual aid alliance."
Gao Peiyao fluttered her long lashes, invited everyone to sit, and poured tea. "Sister Miaoyun is also interested in joining our alliance. What do you two brothers think?"
By now, Gao Peiyao had effectively become the organizer of their little alliance.
"Fairy Miaoyun comes from a lineage, has a higher cultivation level than ours, and is also a talisman master. If Fairy Miaoyun joins the Mutual Aid Alliance, we'll be the ones basking in her reflected glory," Chen Jianghe said with a smile.
Gao Peiyao had brought her, and her cultivation and background were both better than theirs. With her sitting right in front of him as well, he could hardly voice a refusal.
Besides, Gao Peiyao was the one who had proposed the Mutual Aid Alliance in the first place. Naturally, bringing someone in was also a matter of looking after her own interests.
At present, the benefits Chen Jianghe could bring Gao Peiyao fell far short of what Zhou Miaoyun could offer.
If he disagreed with Zhou Miaoyun joining, his only option would be to withdraw from this little alliance himself.
"Yes, yes, exactly."
With Chen Jianghe having stated his position, Yu Daniu hurried to agree.
"Thank you both, fellow Daoists."
Zhou Miaoyun nodded in thanks.
Her spiritual root aptitude was poor. She too had a Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Root, and being a woman on top of that, she received little regard in the Zhou Household.
The cultivation resources she could receive were limited, which had also driven her to leave home and seek opportunities with the Yun Household.
Of course, becoming a senior fisher-farmer was not the path she intended to take.
Her purpose in coming to the Yun Household was to make a breakthrough in the Talisman Dao, become a mid-grade talisman master, and become a guest retainer of the Yun Household.
She had joined the Mutual Aid Alliance organized by Gao Peiyao because she valued Gao Peiyao's aptitude and future potential.
Given her own spiritual root aptitude and talent in the Talisman Dao, she could see her future's end at a glance.
At the very most, she would reach the late Qi Refining stage and become a mid-grade talisman master.
Even reaching the late Qi Refining stage depended on becoming a mid-grade talisman master first. Otherwise, she simply would not have enough resources to cultivate to the late Qi Refining stage.
Gao Peiyao had good spiritual root aptitude. Once she reached the late Qi Refining stage in the future, she could offer considerable help, perhaps changing that ending Zhou Miaoyun could already see at a glance.
"Since everyone agrees to establish the Mutual Aid Alliance, let's discuss its terms and rules next."
Everyone nodded.
"Peiyao, you proposed the Mutual Aid Alliance, so I imagine you already have a draft in mind. Why not tell us first so we can consider it?" Chen Jianghe said.
"All right, I'll speak first. If anything is inappropriate, please point it out, Sister Miaoyun and brothers."
Gao Peiyao nodded, then said, "The original purpose of forming the Mutual Aid Alliance is for us to support one another and walk farther along the Immortal Dao."
"For now, the core of our mutual aid will be to aim for the late Qi Refining stage. Whoever in the alliance reaches the sixth level of Qi Refining first, the rest of us should do our utmost to help them buy a Calamity-Breaking Pill to break through. And whoever breaks through to the late Qi Refining stage should do their best to help the other allies reach the late Qi Refining stage too."
Having finished, Gao Peiyao looked at everyone.
"I agree." Zhou Miaoyun was the first to nod and state her position.
Chen Jianghe thought it over briefly before expressing his agreement as well. For him, reaching the sixth level of Qi Refining was only a matter of time.
Those with a Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Root would encounter a bottleneck when breaking through to the mid Qi Refining stage. It took at least ten years of honing, and as many as fifteen or twenty.
With sufficient funds, they could use Qi-Nurturing Pills to break through the bottleneck.
Likewise, the bottleneck encountered when attempting to reach the late Qi Refining stage was even greater, requiring the purchase of a Calamity-Breaking Pill to help with the breakthrough.
Seeing that neither Chen Jianghe nor Zhou Miaoyun objected, Yu Daniu also agreed.
Seeing everyone agree, Gao Peiyao gave a satisfied smile and continued, "Alliance members will need to abide by four requirements.
"First, we'll hold a small gathering once a year at a fixed location to exchange cultivation insights and trade what we have for what we need at equal value. Hmm, let's tentatively choose the Welcoming Inn.
"Second, changes have occurred in the Yun Household. To guard against possible upheavals in the future, if one ally is in trouble, the other three must provide support so we can weather the crisis together.
"Third, members with higher cultivation should help members with lower cultivation as much as possible, but that help will not be free.
"Fourth, the Mutual Aid Alliance will consist of the four of us for now. If anyone else joins later, at least three of us must approve."
Gao Peiyao had laid out one core principle and four requirements for the Mutual Aid Alliance.
Chen Jianghe and Yu Daniu exchanged a glance and both nodded.
The core principle of the alliance and the requirements for its members that Gao Peiyao had described were all based on equality and mutual benefit.
No one would become dependent on anyone else.
Nor would anyone stand a head above the others.
At this particular point in time, the rules governing the alliance members benefited Chen Jianghe and Yu Daniu the most.
They were the weaker party, the ones who needed support.
Zhou Miaoyun had the highest cultivation, at the fourth level of Qi Refining. She could not reach the sixth level of Qi Refining in the short term, so she would not need help yet.
Although Gao Peiyao was at the Qi Refining, Second Layer, just like Chen Jianghe and Yu Daniu, her aptitude was somewhat better, and she also had the resources Old Gao had left behind. She would soon surpass them.
Most importantly, the Yun Household had suddenly suffered an upheaval. If the waters fell into chaos in the future, they would have an ally at the mid Qi Refining stage.
One who was also a talisman master.
There were some benefits to that, at least.
Of course, Chen Jianghe and Yu Daniu would benefit in the early stages, but in the long run, Gao Peiyao and Zhou Miaoyun stood to gain more.
Those two had the greatest hope of breaking through to the late Qi Refining stage.
"I approve of the one core principle and four requirements Peiyao has proposed," Chen Jianghe was the first to declare.
His spiritual root aptitude was poor, but his lifespan was long. This Mutual Aid Alliance would offer him more help in the later stages.
"I agree."
"I agree."
Zhou Miaoyun and Yu Daniu stated their agreement in turn.
"Good. Then we'll establish the Mutual Aid Alliance based on this one core principle and these four requirements, and swear a Heart Demon Oath not to act against them."
Her expression solemn, Gao Peiyao was the first to swear, taking a Heart Demon Oath.
Afterward, Zhou Miaoyun, Chen Jianghe, and Yu Daniu all took Heart Demon Oaths as well.
(End of chapter)
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