A Sect from a Spirit Vein

Chapter 89: Chapter 86: In Yuqing Mountain

”Stop! Don’t run!” Jiang Baitao shouted loudly as she chased a small civet cat, rushing out from an uninhabited courtyard.

Though the civet cat was small, it was nimble and ran swiftly, always darting through various gaps between houses, tables, and chairs. Baitao couldn’t keep up and could only shout in frustration, her voice echoing across the summit of Lotus Peak.

During the chase, both the person and the cat had already passed the summit’s buildings, and Baitao saw a faint mist rising ahead, startling her. She yelled, ”Stop! In front is the Mountain Protection Grand Array, do you want to die?!”

But the civet cat didn’t understand human words and dashed forward ferociously.

Seeing the little cat about to touch the Array’s boundary, Baitao suddenly covered her eyes and screamed sharply.

Suddenly, the sound of rushing water arose, and a bright blue Water Whip swirled up, binding the cat and delivering it to Baitao’s front.

”Sister!” Baitao cried out joyfully, hugging the struggling cat tightly to her chest.

Jiang Qingfeng shook her head helplessly, ”You’re a cultivator, even when chasing a cat you could use talismans. Didn’t I give you plenty of Wood and Earth Element talismans? You could have used Wood Vine to catch the cat.”

Baitao stuck out her tongue, ”I forgot.”

Qingfeng said irritably, ”Always messing around and can’t even use talismans properly. You’re punished to not go beyond the array to play. Once you can use talismans correctly, we’ll talk.”

”Oh, sister, don’t do that, you’re the best...” Jiang Baitao desperately hurried over to plead, but Jiang Qingfeng remained stern and ignored her. After a futile amount of pestering, Baitao stomped her foot angrily, holding the cat as she ran off.

Qingfeng sighed helplessly, Baitao, this little girl, was getting more and more mischievous. Fortunately, she hadn’t given her the pass token for the grand array, otherwise, she would surely sneak down the mountain peak to play all the time.

Previously, because Baitao was really bored, Jiang Qingfeng allowed her an hour daily to play outside the array. The external cultivators at the Zhou Family on the mountainside were all familiar with Baitao, knowing she was the most doted little disciple of the Yunshan Sect at the summit, and dared not neglect her, often keeping her entertained. This cat was brought to her by someone unknown.

Speaking of which, more than half a month has passed.

Since the junior brother left the mountain, she adhered strictly to the gate, never leaving it except to visit the Zhou Family and personally deliver Lu Qian’s letters to Zhou Chao.

I wonder how the junior brother’s visit to the Danxia Sect went? Was the journey peaceful?

Lost in thought, she suddenly heard a cough from behind, ”What trouble has Taotao gotten into again?”

”Elder Zhou, why are you out?” Jiang Qingfeng recognized the visitor as Master Xuan Ji, who had already fully awakened. He was now taking spiritual medicine daily as per the prescription, his face still pale and walking somewhat wobbly, but no longer needing to stay bedridden all day.

Up ahead, he only had to follow Honored Guest Fang’s advice by abstaining from using divine sense, recuperate for a year, and would completely recover. However, after this ordeal, Jiang Qingfeng could clearly feel Master Xuan Ji looking older, with deeper wrinkles on his face.

”If I don’t walk around, this old body will rust,” Master Xuan Ji gazed sentimentally at the Mountain Protection Grand Array before him. Even without divine sense, with his rich experience, he could roughly discern the array containing dominating power, ”Lu the Kid is truly remarkable to have set up this Foundation Establishment Level grand array with his own power. I really didn’t misjudge...”

Both fell into silence. With Lu Qian away, everyone suddenly felt without a reliable guiding force, directionless in everything, and coupled with the subtly shifting Zhou Family situation, unease crept into their hearts.

Lu Qian, Lu Qian, when can you come back?

Carrying the same thought was Zhou Chao, who kept vigil at his father’s sickbed.

He came here again, dismissing the servants, and pasted Silence Talismans around, babbling endlessly about what had recently transpired to the unresponsive Zhou Bing.

After receiving Lu Qian’s letters, he followed the strategies within, appearing relaxed but maintaining vigilance, outwardly calm but inwardly urgent.

On the surface, he eased tensions with elders from various branches, inviting them to banquets and at the table, sincerely apologized, diverting some resources to the branches.

During the banquet, he opportunistically suggested, as compensation, bringing cultivation seeds from all branches to the main house’s spirit vein at the summit for concentrated cultivation. But the four elders each had their excuses and declined.

Just as Lu Qian predicted, the branches have grown restless, otherwise why would they refuse? Merely fearing these cultivation seeds might be held hostage for control, becoming hostages.

Following Lu Qian’s advice, acting drunk, he sobbed loudly, revealing his father’s critical condition, fearing he can’t last beyond a month.

”With this news, the branch elders would surely be pleased, lowering their guard and more inclined to wait for his father’s passing, not acting prematurely to dethrone him.”

In the following days, Zhou Chao noticeably felt the elders’ attitudes soften significantly towards him. Even the Grand Elder proposed visiting his father, to which Zhou Chao agreed wholeheartedly.

”If they want to visit your father, agree quickly, lest you appear afraid. Just uncertain about your father’s condition, whether it requires some cover-up.”

Unbeknownst to Lu Qian, even without disguise, his father had already withered to just bones, devoid of life. At this rate, Zhou Chao himself wasn’t sure if his father honestly could last a month.

These outward actions created a facade, buying him some time. Secretly, Zhou Chao meticulously selected from among the main family of cultivators, based on lineage, past experience, disposition, and character, identifying more than a dozen utterly reliable individuals, and began carefully reviewing the family ledgers for these years.

Publicly, accounts appeared spotless, with clear entries. Fortunately, Lu Qian offered corresponding methods.

Lu Qian’s initial thought was to clandestinely control some mortal servants among branches serving the authority figures, gathering information from these servants.

But Lu Qian wasn’t aware, the Zhou Family is a cultivation clan, those serving Zhou Family cultivators are ordinary clan members bearing Zhou Family blood. Each branch’s attendants are their own clan members, making control difficult.

Luckily, under Zhou Chao’s investigation, he discovered an alternative approach.

He already instructed his confidants to undertake measures, expecting responses in a few days.

Through all these successive complications, Zhou Chao felt utterly exhausted, clearly realizing his inadequacy. Without Lu Qian’s letter guidance, he would never have managed. With his ability and personality, he would only openly audit accounts and gather evidence, directly confronting conflicts; if so, the Zhou Family would have descended into chaos long ago.

Zhou Chao sighed deeply, let him charge into battlefields, to manage affairs wearing out mentally and physically, he felt happy. But handling internal conflicts, resolving schemes and intrigues, stabilizing hearts and situations, was truly arduous.

Do I truly lack the talent to be Patriarch? Can the Zhou Family truly flourish in my hands?

He stared blankly at his unconscious father, muddled by anxiety.