The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

"Brother Wang, could you lower the price a bit more? Thirty mid-grade spirit stones is still a little high," Yun Yunyang said, trying to negotiate.

Thirty mid-grade spirit stones were equivalent to three thousand lower-grade spirit stones.

Although the Yun clan had grown steadily in recent years and accumulated some resources, this price was exorbitant.

The income from the obsidian mined by his second brother, the spirit tools refined by Yanshuang, and the spirit rice and spirit plants cultivated by the clan barely totaled three thousand lower-grade spirit stones a month.

Renting a shop from the Yulin Wang family at thirty mid-grade spirit stones a month would effectively mean working for the Wang family for free. It was clear they were trying to take advantage of the Yun clan.

"Brother Yunyang, this is already the lowest price we can offer," Wang Zhongtian replied.

"I'm only offering this out of respect for the good relationship between our two families. If it were any other family seeking to rent a shop, it wouldn't be as simple as thirty mid-grade spirit stones," he said, leaving no room for negotiation.

Wang Zhongtian knew full well why Yun Yunyang had come.

The Yun Cang Yun clan wanted to develop their business, selling spirit rice, spirit tools, and obsidian, while bypassing the Yulin Wang family and keeping them out of the profits.

Fine, if they wanted to exclude the Wang family, he would ensure they paid in another way.

In the end, he was determined to have a hold on the Yun clan. If they could manage without him, let them try elsewhere—though he knew the Yun clan, still on shaky footing, had no better options.

"Brother Wang, may I take some time to discuss this matter thoroughly with my family? I'll return to you with a decision," Yun Yunyang said after a moment of contemplation, tactfully postponing his answer.

"Of course. I'll await your response," Wang Zhongtian replied, rising with a polite smile and cupping his hands in farewell.

"Farewell, Brother Wang."

"Family matters demand my attention; I regret I cannot see you off," Wang Zhongtian said.

"There's no need, Brother Wang," Yun Yunyang replied with a warm smile, leading Yun Yanshui, Yun Yunlin, and the others away from the Wang estate.

"Humph! So the Yun Cang Yun clan wants to bypass us and grow independently? Do they really think they can pull that off?"

"They've forgotten how much support we've given them in the shadows over the years!"

"They want to rise on their own? Over my dead body!"

After Yun Yunyang and his group had departed, several Wang family elders began mocking and ridiculing the Yun clan.

"Enough! Quiet down. Aren't things troublesome enough already?" Wang Zhongtian said, waving his hand to silence the room.

"How is the patriarch's situation?" he asked, turning his attention to the pressing matter at hand.

"All is well," one elder replied.

"Last night, an intruder tried to sneak into the mountain but was discovered by our clan's cultivators."

"Did you catch them?"

"No. The intruder was a Qi Refinement cultivator. After a brief skirmish, they managed to escape."

"Humph! It must have been someone sent by the Three Families, trying to disrupt the patriarch's seclusion and ruin our plans!" Wang Zhongtian snorted coldly.

"Pass down the order: the clan is to remain on high alert during this period. No suspicious individuals are to be allowed near the estate."

"As long as the patriarch successfully breaks through to the Foundation Establishment stage, our Wang family will no longer have to endure oppression from the Three Families!"

"Yes, Patriarch!"

"Clan leader, Young Master Liyuan has returned," a Wang clansman announced, kneeling respectfully as he entered the hall.

"Has he?" Wang Zhongtian said, delighted. He quickly got up and led his people outside to greet him.

Wang Liyuan was his son and the most talented cultivator in the family. Wang Zhongtian's position as the patriarch of the Yulin Wang family was largely thanks to his son's exceptional abilities.

"Yuanyer!"

As soon as Wang Zhongtian stepped out of the council hall, he spotted his son waiting outside.

"Father," Wang Liyuan greeted with a smile.

"How have you been?"

"Thank you for your concern, Father. Everything is well."

"I heard that soon you'll be heading out with the clan's spirit-root cultivators to explore that immortal abode secret realm?"

"Yes," Wang Liyuan confirmed.

"You must be cautious. I've heard that every major family is sending their spirit-root cultivators to explore that secret realm—including the Three Families," Wang Zhongtian warned.

"Don't worry, Father. I will be careful," Wang Liyuan reassured him.

"To be on the safe side, I went to the cultivation market today. Under Cousin Lijiao's guidance, I attended an auction hosted by the Chuanyin Lu family and purchased an elixir to aid me in breaking through."

"You're ready to break through?" Wang Zhongtian asked, his face lighting up with joy.

The Wang family elders nearby were equally elated, gazing at Wang Liyuan with deep admiration.

They all knew Wang Liyuan's extraordinary talent. At just sixteen, he had already reached the peak of the seventh level of the Embryo Breath realm, surpassing many of his peers.

Even the clan's patriarch had once predicted that Wang Liyuan had the potential not only to achieve Foundation Establishment but also to aim for the Golden Core stage.

"I'm on the verge of breaking through. With the help of this elixir, I should succeed within ten days," Wang Liyuan said with a confident smile.

"Hahaha! Excellent! You've truly brought honor to our family, my son!" Wang Zhongtian exclaimed, laughing heartily as he patted his son on the shoulder.

"Father, when I arrived earlier, I saw a group of people leaving," Wang Liyuan remarked.

"Pay them no mind. They're from the Yun Cang Yun clan," Wang Zhongtian said dismissively.

"I see," Wang Liyuan replied with a nod.

"Father, speaking of the Yun Cang Yun clan, I met a young lady today at the cultivation market. I find her most agreeable," he added.

"Oh? Who is she?" Wang Zhongtian asked, intrigued. His son rarely showed interest in anyone.

"Yun Yanshuang," Wang Liyuan replied.

"I've heard of her. She's said to be the most talented spirit-root cultivator in the Yun Cang Yun clan, currently at the peak of the sixth level of the Embryo Breath realm.

She's also behind the spirit tools the Yun clan has been selling in recent years," Wang Zhongtian noted.

"If my son is interested in her, it's her family's good fortune.

If you two were to marry, you could undoubtedly produce offspring with outstanding talent, which would be a great boon for our Wang family," he continued.

"Go and focus on your cultivation. Prepare for your breakthrough. I'll send someone to the Yun Cang Yun clan with gifts to propose this marriage," Wang Zhongtian said, smiling as he reassured his son.

"Thank you, Father," Wang Liyuan said with a bow before disappearing into the distance.

"Chongyue," Wang Zhongtian called.

"Yes, Elder Brother. What are your instructions?"

"Prepare an appropriate betrothal gift. In a few days, you will personally visit the Yun Cang Yun clan to secure this marriage for Yuanyer.

Make sure Yun Yanshuang marries into our Wang family," Wang Zhongtian ordered.

"Elder Brother, Yun Yanshuang is skilled in artifact refinement and the most talented spirit-root cultivator of the Yun Cang Yun clan. I'm afraid they won't agree to this easily," Wang Chongyue said cautiously.

"Humph! They don't have a choice. If my son wants her, then she will belong to our Wang family," Wang Zhongtian said coldly, dismissing his brother's concerns.

"I understand. I'll personally lead a delegation to negotiate with the Yun Cang Yun clan," Wang Chongyue replied.

Yulin County, Inn

"The Wang family is outrageous! Wang Zhongtian is clearly trying to exploit our Yun clan," Yun Yunlin fumed as he gulped down a cup of cold tea.

He had been present during the meeting with Wang Zhongtian and was fully aware of his manipulative intentions.

"Enough. Say no more. Walls have ears, and we can't afford for this to reach the Wang family," Yun Yunyang warned sternly.

"Brother Yunyang, since we couldn't reach an agreement, it seems our Yun clan will remain under the Wang family's thumb for the foreseeable future.

It will be difficult for our clan to grow and secure more cultivation resources. Do you have any strategies?" Yun Yunlin asked, his earlier frustration somewhat eased.

"None. We'll just have to take things one step at a time," Yun Yunyang sighed.

"If it comes to it, I may have to send Yanshuang and Yantian to the immortal abode secret realm. Perhaps they can secure some fortuitous opportunities there."

"With the Three Families, Seven Sects, and even cultivators from Wu Kingdom participating, it will be extremely difficult for them to gain anything significant," Yun Yunlin said with concern.@@novelbin@@

"Let's not discuss this further for now. Have Shui'er and Shuang'er prepare to return to the clan," Yun Yunyang said with a heavy sigh.

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Deep down, he hoped that the Wang patriarch's seclusion would fail.

If it did, the Wang family would likely crumble under pressure from the Three Families, giving the Yun clan a chance to breathe and escape the Wang family's control.

But if the Wang family grew stronger, life for the Yun clan would only become more difficult.