Having slept soundly through the night, the exhaustion from his long journey completely vanished, and Yulou woke up early.
After a quick wash, Yulou walked over to the Patriarch's bedroom door.
He harbored a few doubts and concerns in his heart.
How he should interact with Hongi in the future was sothing that required the Patriarch to provide a clear direction.
More importantly, Yulou was not entirely certain how the Patriarch intended to deal with his cheap master.
The fact that Hongi had harbored murderous intent toward him could not be hidden, leaving a rift between them.
Yet, despite this, Yulou still believed Hongi had value—imnse value, at that.
He was, after all, an artificing master capable of refining high-grade spirit tools with thirty-two layers of restrictions.
In the Wunan cultivation world, fighting solo capped one's potential at the Qi Refining stage. If Yulou wanted to go far in the future, he could not do so without the family's backing.
Within the family, by maintaining a good relationship with Yu'an, and with Uncle Rongyuan and Uncle Rongwen positioned above them, they would have their own small faction.
If he took so initiative and convinced the Patriarch to heavily employ and properly utilize Hongi, his cheap master, Yulou's future path within the clan would be much steadier and broader.
In the cultivation world, surviving from a utilitarian perspective was nothing to be ashad of.
So-called hot-blooded passion and excitent usually only existed in fantasy tales.
Yulou was dealing with a master who would turn on him and kill his own disciple at a mont's notice, ancestors who would drain thousands of cultivators dry just to attain the Golden Core realm, and the Immortal Alliance and Ten Sects who squeezed everyone to the absolute limit of exploitation.
He needed calmness, wisdom, patience, and perseverance to go further.
The Wang Clan was a united family, but it was also a massive clan—one with a long heritage and a strict internal governance model.
Yulou did not want to easily enter a sect just to toil like a beast of burden. He had to plan early, utilize the Wang Clan's resources well, and map out his developnt path in advance.
First, achieve sufficient progress in his cultivation within the Wang Clan, and then enter a sect to seek an opportunity for Foundation Establishnt. Stepping firmly through these two stages required early strategic placent.
Reaching the door of the Patriarch's room, Yulou did not knock, choosing instead to stand quietly outside.
Before long, the Patriarch's voice drifted out from within.
"Co in, don't just stand there like a fool."
Seeing Wang Xianmao sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat, Yulou bowed respectfully and spoke softly.
"Patriarch, Yulou has a matter he wishes to ask guidance on."
"Speak!"
Though he did not know why this kid had co to stand guard at his door so early in the morning, the Patriarch was still very eager to be close with the younger generation of the clan.
"Yulou does not know how he should interact with Hongi in the future. I ask the Patriarch to guide ."
He asked how to interact, but in truth, he was testing how the Patriarch intended to handle Hongi.
"Hahaha, didn't you put it quite well yesterday? Each to their own. You two will call him master, and at the sa ti, he is a newly recruited mber of our Wang Clan."
Wang Xianmao clearly had not given excessive thought to the issue of Hongi. His plan was still to have Yulou study the craft diligently under Hongi.
However, Hongi had changed his na to Wang Yushuo and was forced to join the Wang Clan under the restriction of a secret technique. He could neither be considered an outsider nor a direct lineage mber.
Yulou was sowhat confused.
"Then, regarding his Foundation Establishnt..." Yulou asked, doubt lingering in his heart.
'Patriarch, do you really treat Hongi as a child of the Wang Clan, allowing him to continue pursuing Foundation Establishnt?'
"We will talk about that once you two have learned enough of his craft. If Hongi wants to achieve Foundation Establishnt, he has to pass through first.
Only a Purple Palace Grand Cultivator proficient in wood-attributed thods can dispel my Black Vine Soul-Locking Art. Rest assured," Wang Xianmao replied with a touch of pride.
He was a seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivator possessing a divine ability. The Black Vine Soul-Locking Art, developed using his unique divine ability as a core, could not be undone by an ordinary Purple Palace cultivator!
"Patriarch, if our Wang Clan can produce a few more direct lineage Foundation Establishnt cultivators within the next few decades, we could actually give Hongi a chance.
He is an artificing master after all. If we can make him serve our Wang Clan, taking a small risk would be well worth it."
Yulou saw things clearly. If Hongi could achieve Foundation Establishnt, both he and Yu'an would be the greatest beneficiaries. No matter which way the Wang Clan moved in the future, their path would be wide.
After all, with the Immortal Alliance suppressing everything, although the process of Hongi joining the Wang Clan was humiliating, the choice itself was not that terrible.
Toiling like a beast of burden for a sect's Purple Palace cultivator was one thing, but doing the sa for a privately owned, self-starting enterprise like the Wang Clan was another.
The difference lay in the fact that a Foundation Establishnt cultivator in the Wang Clan held shares in the company, whereas a Foundation Establishnt cultivator in a sect was pure exploited labor.
On the other hand, Yulou's question was also a form of testing; he wanted to confirm exactly what the Patriarch had exchanged from the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's rit Hall.
This point was extrely important.
"Mm, it is difficult. Your Uncle Rongjiang is already in secluded cultivation, and there will be results within two years.
Next is the clan's external guest elder, Tie Qinh鶴. He also exchanged half a portion of Foundation Establishnt resources from .
Although Tie Qinh鶴's cultivation base is slightly lacking and his foundational Qi alignnt is insufficient, this is his second ti attempting to break through to Foundation Establishnt, so his success rate is quite high.
As for Wang Rongyuan and Wang Rongwen's tier, they are even further back. It will probably be at least twenty years before they can consider Foundation Establishnt.
We are not lacking in Foundation Establishnt resources. We have to thank Hongi for this; if he hadn't played the fool, where would we have found this extra portion of Foundation Establishnt resources? Hahahahaha."
Yulou understood. The Patriarch had no intention of letting Hongi truly achieve Foundation Establishnt.
Once he reached Foundation Establishnt, he would beco difficult to control.
Putting away those distant thoughts, Yulou said, "It was Yulou who failed to consider things thoroughly."
The Patriarch shook his head. He was satisfied with Yulou in every aspect; the kid's only flaw was that he was too reserved.
They were all family, so why be so formal?
'Is he afraid of ?'
'I am quite approachable, aren't I?'
"No, I am very satisfied with you. Your guess was correct; the matter of the Valley Spirit Sect capturing Hidden Dragon Market is indeed not simple.
It is not that the Valley Spirit Sect colluded with rogue cultivators as you guessed, but rather that Wondrous Peak Mountain encountered a problem—a massive problem!"
How could Wondrous Peak Mountain not encounter problems? Their inner sect disciples had already started acting as rogue cultivators to rob Wang Rongyuan.
Of course, this was also inseparable from Wang Rongyuan's masterfully executed baiting technique at the ti.
"Wondrous Peak Mountain encountered a massive problem?"
That was a sect guarded by three Purple Palace Grand Cultivators. How could a massive problem arise?
"Yes, they wanted to push forward another Purple Palace cultivator. A few years ago, when the Red Lantern rit Hall first opened to outsiders, they exchanged two portions of resources required to strike for the Purple Palace realm.
As a result, those two portions of resources weighed so heavily on the Foundation Establishnt cultivators of Wondrous Peak Mountain that their lives beca miserable, and the Qi Refining cultivators were forced to change their sect allegiance in massive numbers.
The Valley Spirit Sect set their sights precisely on this vulnerability. Knowing that Wondrous Peak Mountain's defensive forces within Hidden Dragon Market were depleted, they emptied their coffers to seize the market."
Yulou was dumbfounded.
Right, right, the common people's tears capsize the boat.
For these sects to harvest their disciples to the point where they were forced to change allegiances in droves, they truly were sothing else.
It seed he and Yu'an had made the right choice by not directly joining a sect.
"Two portions of resources to strike for the Purple Palace realm... It seems Wondrous Peak Mountain is putting all their eggs in one basket, absolutely determined to push forward a new Purple Palace cultivator."
Seeing that Yulou could perceive this point, Wang Xianmao was highly satisfied.
"Indeed. Wondrous Peak Mountain's Supre Elder has a poor relationship with Patriarch Mangxiang. The Patriarch wants to attain the Golden Core realm, and they are terrified.
However, these matters have nothing to do with us. On the contrary, Yulou, I intend to place you in charge of the newly established Hundred Treasures Pavilion. Do you have the confidence to manage it well?"
The Hundred Treasures Pavilion was a new shop specifically targeting Qi Refining cultivators, established by Wang Xianmao after being inspired by the Huang Clan's Hundred Treasures Workshop.
The Wang Clan would purchase another plot of land in Clear Stream Market to establish the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, specializing in premium talismans, spiritual pills, and spirit tools.
After being sheared heavily by the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, the Wang Clan needed to open new revenue streams to et future demands.
If nothing else, just the thought that the Wang Clan would gain at least two new Foundation Establishnt cultivators in the future gave Wang Xianmao a headache.
The Wang Clan's financial foundation was only so large; it could not sustain so many Foundation Establishnt cultivators without opening new streams to increase their inco of spirit stones.
"Shouldn't this perhaps still be left to Uncle Rongsheng? Things are incredibly chaotic over at Hidden Dragon Market right now. Wouldn't it be perfect for him to serve as the manager of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion?"
Yulou naturally wanted to accept this appointnt, as Wang Xianmao clearly intended to temper him.
However, he worried that he might not manage it well and would hold the family back.
Wang Rongsheng had managed operations in Hidden Dragon Market for so many years and possessed seasoned experience, making him far more suitable than Yulou.
Seeing Yulou decline, Wang Xianmao waved his hand and said, "Yulou, there is no need to refuse. The low-priced rooms were highly popular among the rogue cultivators. It is clear that you possess a natural talent for business.
For the next few years, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion will remain under your managent. As for Rongsheng, I have other arrangents for him."
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