Minerals

On the eighth day after Elder Yu's departure, Gao Hui saw He Shenglai off, then paid another visit to the Yang Family.

The moment he saw Yang Guanfeng, he hurriedly rose and cupped his hands, his face full of apology.

"Yang Family Patriarch, I am truly sorry about what happened before. An official one rank higher can crush those below him to death. I hope you can forgive me."

He Shenglai had used his power to force his way into the Yang Family Forbidden Ground and even exposed the Yang Family's foundations. It had truly been an unscrupulous thing to do, leaving Gao Hui, who had accompanied him, embarrassed and ashamed as well.

"Town Chief Gao, there is no need for this. That man's conduct had nothing to do with you."

Yang Guanfeng smiled and waved his hand. "Bending when necessary and stretching when possible is the way to survive in this world. When I traveled in my youth, I endured even greater humiliation and hardship. Looking at the outcome, sacrificing a little face to preserve what truly matters is worthwhile no matter how one counts it."

Yang Guanfeng's words left Gao Hui slightly stunned, and his opinion of this Patriarch immediately rose several notches.

"What Yang Family Patriarch said is very true. Gao has learned much."

Once the two had taken their seats, they began discussing serious business.

It concerned the mineral deposits around White Stone Town.

Because the Beast Tide had breached the town, many Lineages within White Stone Town had been completely wiped out. Three mineral deposits were now sitting idle, guarded only by the town's soldiers.

"Three? Didn't you say there were only two before?" Yang Guanfeng asked.

"I came today precisely to tell Yang Family Patriarch about this matter."

As Gao Hui spoke, he took out a letter and handed it over.

Without even opening it, Yang Guanfeng said, "A letter from Wang Xiong?"

"Yang Family Patriarch is indeed sharp-minded. You guessed correctly at once."

Gao Hui nodded. "You surely know the Wang Family's situation as well. Wang Xiong is now the only one left, all alone and still carrying injuries. He no longer has the spirit to rebuild the Wang Family, so he has entered my service."

Yang Guanfeng nodded and slowly opened the letter.

"Brother Guanfeng, greetings. Wang is deeply ashamed. My clansman Wang Lie truly acted on my orders, and in the end he brought suffering upon himself. I have nothing to say. I can only blame myself for letting greed cloud my mind..."

"After the Beast Tide disaster, the Wang Family exists in name only. I alone remain, a lone man with no family, and can no longer accomplish anything..."

"I have now entered the town chief's service and am willing to offer up all the town's shops and the mineral deposits outside the town. I only hope Brother Guanfeng will remember the friendship of our travels in days past and resolve the knot between our two families..."

It was a letter written in Wang Xiong's own hand, and its contents were not complicated.

The friendship of their travels mentioned within referred to the time when the two had traveled through the Dynasty together in their youth. They could be said to have shared some friendship.

It was also through that period of travel that Wang Xiong had witnessed Yang Guanfeng's decisive nature and thunderous methods.

After reading it, Yang Guanfeng asked Gao Hui, "Does the Wang Family truly have a child in a sect?"

"They do."

Gao Hui nodded. "I do not know the specifics either, but according to information from within the Dynasty, Wang Xiong's youngest son should have been taken away by Solitary Moon Mountain. That is also why I took him in."

Solitary Moon Mountain?

Hearing that name, Yang Guanfeng could not help frowning.

Elder Yu had previously brought back information about that sect.

Solitary Moon Mountain encouraged its disciples to fight each other. Its killing intent was heavy, and its traditions carried a somewhat sinister bent.

For some reason, Yang Guanfeng suddenly had a premonition.

Wang Xiong's youngest son being secretly taken up the mountain by that sect was likely not necessarily a good thing.

However, that was no longer something he needed to worry about.

"What does Yang Family Patriarch think?"

Yang Guanfeng held the letter in his hand without answering immediately.

The shops in town were nothing more than worldly gold and silver, but mining mineral deposits could yield Refined Ore—a solid means of earning Spirit Crystals. There was absolutely no reason to refuse.

"If I remember correctly, the Wang Family's mineral deposit should lie at the border between White Stone Town and Qinghe Town, should it not?"

Yang Guanfeng tucked the letter into his sleeve. "After the Beast Tide disaster, White Stone Town's walls were breached and it suffered severe damage. Its influence is far less than before. Wang Xiong appears to be giving away the mineral deposit, but in truth, he merely fears that he cannot protect this last remaining piece of his family fortune. He might as well offer it to my family as a favor. It is quite a well-calculated move."

"Hahaha, as expected of Yang Family Patriarch. You immediately saw the key to the matter."

Gao Hui straightened himself and smiled. "That is indeed the case. Wang Xiong's cultivation is still intact. If that mineral deposit were near White Stone Town, he would never hand it over so readily. I am delivering this letter for him only because he has become a guest official under my command. Whether this succeeds or not is for Yang Family Patriarch to decide. There is no need for any concern."

Yang Guanfeng nodded to show his understanding.

To be honest, this mineral deposit greatly tempted him, but before taking it, he still needed to confirm one matter.

"Town Chief Gao, which family is currently eyeing the Wang Family's mineral deposit?"

"The Zhang Family of Sanglu Valley, south of Qinghe."

Gao Hui answered, "I have inquired into it. Their patriarch is named Zhang Tianqi, a Sixth Level of Qi Gathering cultivator. His cultivation is comparable to Yang Family Patriarch's. However, aside from their patriarch, the Zhang Family also has three Qi Gathering Cultivators."

Before coming to the Yang Family, Gao Hui had already used the Dynasty's information channels to investigate all this clearly.

From his perspective, and for the sake of White Stone Town's interests, he naturally hoped Yang Guanfeng could take over the Wang Family's mineral deposit.

The town walls had largely been rebuilt, but damaged streets still remained. If they wanted to restore the town quickly, all kinds of ore were indispensable resources.

Among the several mineral deposits outside White Stone Town, the Wang Family's had the highest output.

If it fell into the Zhang Family's hands, the price of purchasing ore would certainly be raised considerably.

But he also understood that the final decision in this matter still depended on the Yang Family's attitude.

The Yang Family had already contributed both money and effort to rebuilding the town, so Gao Hui now did not dare force the matter.

This visit was both to deliver the letter and convey intelligence. It depended on how Yang Guanfeng chose to decide.

"What are the realms of those three?"

The moment Yang Guanfeng asked that, Gao Hui's heart brightened. There was hope!

"One is at the Fifth Level of Qi Gathering, one at the Second Level of Qi Gathering, and one at the First Level of Qi Gathering."

He immediately explained the Zhang Family's specific situation.

After hearing this, Yang Guanfeng nodded. "Can this matter be delayed for a while longer?"

"Before I came, those above had informed the Qinghe Town chief that they would not go too far before the town's reconstruction was complete. However, if that mineral deposit remains without anyone stationed there for too long, the Zhang Family will likely begin mining it by force."

"Mm, I understand. Thank you for making the trip to my family, Town Chief Gao."

Yang Guanfeng rose. "My Yang Family will take the Wang Family's mineral deposit. At the soonest, three months; at the latest, five months. I will personally go and resolve this matter."

Hearing this, Gao Hui let out a long breath and hastily rose to salute him, deeply moved in his heart.

He had not held much hope for this trip. After all, the top cultivators of the two families were at comparable realms, while the Zhang Family had more cultivators than the Yang Family, making their overall strength slightly greater.

The Yang Family had only just survived the Beast Tide and was now at a time when it needed to recuperate and rebuild. It would have been perfectly reasonable for them not to act.

Now that Yang Guanfeng had truly agreed to take this matter on, Gao Hui was genuinely delighted.

As thanks, Gao Hui took out a gift.

He removed a small bottle from his storage pouch and handed it to Yang Guanfeng.

Yang Guanfeng examined it, and his eyes immediately lit up.

"This is Sun-Seeking Water?"

"Indeed. Yang Family Patriarch, please accept it as thanks for this matter, and also as an apology for the day I entered your Forbidden Ground."

"Hahaha, Town Chief Gao, you are too courteous."

Yang Guanfeng laughed happily.

Sun-Seeking Water could nourish spirit plants. A single small bottle could increase the speed at which the Yang Family's Four-leaf Spirit-Nesting Grass condensed spirit liquid by around twenty percent.