“Young Master Xiao, where are we going next?” Ouyang Mingyue caught up with Xiao Jingting and asked.
“We need to find a place to rest for a while,” Xiao Jingting replied vaguely.
“I see that Young Master Xiao has already reached the ninth level of Qi Cultivation. Next, are you preparing for Foundation Building?” Ouyang Mingyue asked.
Xiao Jingting hesitated for a moment and half-truthfully said, “Miss Ouyang is joking. My aptitude is limited, and I can’t get my hands on Foundation Building Pills. Thinking about Foundation Building is as difficult as climbing to the sky.”
Ouyang Mingyue tilted her head, somewhat suspiciously saying, “I saw Young Master Xiao buying two extremely precious spirit herbs. Young Master Xiao, are you perhaps an advanced alchemist?”
Xiao Jingting’s heart skipped a beat. Ouyang Mingyue had such keen observation skills! If Ouyang Mingyue could think of this, others might as well. Xiao Jingting made up his mind to go back and seclude himself for a while.
“Where did you see that? I can refine some Strengthening Pills, but I can’t refine high-level pills. I bought those two spirit herbs to cultivate a special technique,” Xiao Jingting said.
Ouyang Mingyue nodded, “I see!”
“Brother Xiao, the two spirit herbs you bought are both needed for refining Foundation Building Pills. I thought you were going to refine Foundation Building Pills,” Ouyang Mingyue joked half-heartedly.
Xiao Jingting’s face changed slightly. Waving his hand, he said, “Miss Ouyang, you shouldn’t say such things randomly.”
Ouyang Mingyue smiled nonchalantly, “I was just joking. Young Master Xiao, why are you so nervous?”
Xiao Jingting awkwardly smiled, scratching the back of his head, “Miss Ouyang thinks highly of me. I can’t help but be nervous!”
Ouyang Mingyue took out a communication talisman and handed it to Xiao Jingting, saying, “Brother Xiao, this is my messaging talisman. If you need anything, you can message me.”
Xiao Jingting nodded, “Okay, thank you, Miss Ouyang.”
Xu Mu’an looked at Xiao Jingting and said, “Let’s go.”
Xiao Jingting nodded, “Okay.”
Xiao Jingting and Xu Mu’an entered the temporary rented cave. They had already changed their cave. The one they rented now cost five spirit stones a month, but the conditions were much better than the previous one. There was a fire vein in the cave, suitable for alchemy and refining.
Xiao Jingting sat at the table, supporting his chin with one hand and lightly tapping the tabletop with the other.
“What are you thinking?” Xu Mu’an asked, leaning closer to Xiao Jingting.
“I’m thinking about the arrangements for the future,” Xiao Jingting said.
“Didn’t Ouyang Mingyue say? The merchant ship will come every two to three years. We need to seize the time to refine Foundation Building Pills, establish our foundation, and find a way to earn the travel expenses to go to Cloud Island. Before that, we might have to go back home again. Time is running out,” Xu Mu’an said thoughtfully.
Xiao Jingting nodded, “Yes! Shall we start refining Foundation Building Pills now?”
Xu Mu’an shook his head, “No, let’s refine our spiritual power first. The matter of alchemy can wait.”
What Ouyang Mingyue could guess, others could also guess. Xiao Jingting’s purchase of two spirit herbs in succession was quite eye-catching. Although they had been discreet in selling pills, there might still be traces left behind. Coupled with their renting of the fire room, it would only raise suspicions.
Xiao Jingting nodded, “You’re right.” Besides, it takes some time for the spatially-grown spirit herbs to mature.
…
Mo City.
Mu Shuyu performed a spell, and the spiritual plants in the fields grew rapidly.
Xiao Jinfeng walked toward Mu Shuyu and said, “You’ve worked hard.”
Mu Shuyu shook his head. “It’s okay, not hard.” Xiao Xiaofu leaned in Xiao Jinfeng’s arms, calling out in a childish voice, “Father, Father.”
Mu Shuyu looked at Xiao Xiaofu’s innocent and cute face, and his heart softened considerably.
Xiao Jinfeng looked at Mu Shuyu with some concern. “The business in the shop doesn’t seem to be doing well recently.”
The cold drink shop made a lot of money, but for Xiao Jinfeng and Mu Shuyu, who had reached the seventh level of Qi Cultivation, it wasn’t enough.
Xiao Jinfeng later focused on the business of making spiritual wine. Before Xiao Jingting left the Xiao Family, he shared several unique recipes for brewing spiritual wine with Xiao Jinfeng. With those novel recipes, Xiao Jinfeng brewed many unique-tasting spiritual wines, and the business was booming.
Mu Shuyu was a little depressed. “There are still people causing trouble in the middle.”
When Xiao Jingting left the Xiao Family, the family had a thriving momentum. But not long after, the Xiao Family’s business came under attack from various quarters.
When Xiao Qingyan was injured by a demonic beast during a mission and returned, it was discovered that his Qi Sea had been broken, and his cultivation had fallen to the third level of Qi Cultivation.
After investigating, Xiao Linfeng found anomalies in the missions. Xiao Qingyan seemed to have been deliberately targeted.
Xiao Linfeng himself was attacked during his investigation and was also seriously injured.
After many twists and turns, the Xiao Family finally learned that the troubles they were facing were all orchestrated by the Pei Family.
After Xiao Xiaofan won the Spirit Medicine Silkworm through gambling, Pei Song began targeting Xiao Jingting. Later, Xiao Jingting and Xu Mu’an joined forces to kill Pei Song and his helpers. Although they carried out the act cleanly, they couldn’t stop the Pei Family from suspecting Xiao Jingting.
It turned out that several of Pei Song’s followers had long known about his interest in Xiao Jingting’s spirit stones. When Pei Song disappeared, they assumed he was indulging himself somewhere. But when he didn’t show up for a long time, they realized something was wrong.
With a Foundation Building cultivator in the Pei Family and Pei Song being a talent highly valued by the family, the Pei Family was furious when his death was confirmed. They launched various attacks on the Xiao Family.
Although the Xiao Family dominated in Mo City, they were no match for the Pei Family.
After discovering the cause of the attacks, the old patriarch of the Xiao Family, who had been in seclusion, came forward to mediate. To appease the situation, the Xiao Family split, separating Xiao Linfeng’s branch from the main family.
After Xiao Linfeng was injured and his strength greatly reduced, and with Xiao Qingyan encountering trouble, Zheng Peier saw the situation deteriorating and took her two children back to the Zheng Family.
After Xiao Linfeng’s accident, Wang Lu was ambushed during a mission but was saved by the Hou Family.
The Hou Family came forward and warned the Pei Family, greatly improving the situation for Xiao Linfeng’s family.
“I didn’t expect Grandpa to do this,” Xiao Jinfeng said. Xiao Jinfeng had always admired the Foundation Building cultivator in the family, but when he made the decision to separate their branch, Xiao Jinfeng found it hard to imagine.
“There’s nothing strange about it. Grandpa has always put the overall situation first,” Mu Shuyu said.
Xiao Jinfeng nodded, “Yes! Do you think Xiao Qingyan caused the Pei Family incident?”
Mu Shuyu shook his head. “I don’t know! Xiao Qingyan isn’t someone who would actively seek trouble. Even if Xiao Qingyan killed Pei Song, it was Pei Song seeking his own death, not Xiao Qingyan’s fault.”
Xiao Jinfeng clenched his fist. “Exactly!” Strength! This matter was ultimately because Pei Song was greedy and inferior to others.
“I didn’t expect the Hou Family to come forward. I don’t know what relationship Xiao Qingyan has with the Hou Family,” Xiao Jinfeng said, puzzled.
Mu Shuyu shook his head. The Hou Family had been taking good care of them, but recently their status was also somewhat unstable, so they couldn’t spare much attention to their affairs.
Inside Star City, Xiao Jingting had been busy refining his spiritual power. During his cultivation, Xiao Jingting had felt a surge of majestic spiritual power pass by several times. If it weren’t for Xiao Jingting’s soul power surpassing that of ordinary people, he wouldn’t have noticed it at all. Xiao Jingting secretly rejoiced that he didn’t refine pills in the place where he lived.
“Let’s leave here,” Xiao Jingting said to Xu Mu’an.
Xu Mu’an nodded. “Okay.”
Xiao Jingting and Xu Mu’an left Star City.
Once they left Star City, the feeling of being constantly watched disappeared, and Xiao Jingting silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Xu Mu’an looked at Xiao Jingting and asked, “Where are we going now? Are we still refining pills?”
Xiao Jingting nodded. “Of course, we need to refine pills, but we need to find a suitable place.”
Looking at Xiao Jingting’s confident expression, Xu Mu’an asked suspiciously, “Do you have a plan in mind?”
Xiao Jingting nodded. “Yes! We’re going to the Azure Moon Forest.”
Xu Mu’an was a bit doubtful. “The Azure Moon Forest?”
Xiao Jingting nodded. “Yes! Back then, I found a cultivator’s cave in the Azure Moon Forest. It was a Foundation Building cultivator’s cave, very secretive, and there was also a fire vein.” Although the Azure Moon Forest is closed now, with their cultivation at the ninth level of Qi Cultivation, sneaking in wouldn’t be difficult.
Hearing this, Xu Mu’an asked, “Do we need to go back home first?”
Xiao Jingting nodded. “That’s fine too.”
Xiao Jingting drove the carriage, traveling on the road, feeling a bit triumphant.
“We’re almost at Mo City,” Xiao Xiaodong said as he looked at the map.
Xiao Jingting breathed a sigh of relief. “I wonder how things are going at home?”
With his current cultivation, he had caught up with the grandfather of the original owner, so now he could be considered the number one figure in the Xiao Family. Thinking of this, Xiao Jingting couldn’t help but feel a bit complacent. Although his cultivation might not be impressive in big cities, in small places, he could already be called a king.