The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

"Brother Tianming!"

Yun Yunyang, accompanied by Yun Yunrui and several other key members of the clan, personally stepped outside the estate to greet the visitors.

Sun Tianming had arrived with his son, Sun Fenglin, and a few prominent members of the Sun family.

"Brother Yunyang, it's been a while," Sun Tianming greeted with a warm smile.

"Please, come inside, Brother Tianming," Yunyang replied, gesturing toward the family's ancestral hall as they exchanged pleasantries along the way.

Once seated, Sun Tianming wasted no time. "Brother Yunyang, I've come with great news to share with you."

"Oh? And what might that be?" Yunyang asked, his expression calm and unhurried as he sipped his tea.

"It concerns Yunzhang Mountain. Surely you've heard some rumors about it by now?"

Yunyang said nothing, merely raising his cup for another sip.

"My scouts report that there may be an obsidian vein hidden deep in the mountains. We've already begun a search for it.

Given that the Yunzhang Yun family and the Lan Lin Sun family are neighbors, I thought it only right to inform you of this opportunity.

After all, wealth is best shared. Together, we can advance, endure hardships, and thrive.

So, I've come today to discuss this with you and see how the Yun family plans to proceed," Sun Tianming said, a polite smile on his lips.

"Obsidian? A Yellow Grade, second-tier spiritual ore, I hear," Yunyang remarked, his tone nonchalant.

"Exactly. So, what do you think, Brother Yunyang? Are you interested?"

Yunyang sighed, setting his teacup down. "Brother Tianming, you're well aware of my family's situation.

We're a fledgling clan with limited manpower, still in the midst of developing our territory.

To address this, I even sought the help of Lord Lu from Yunzhang County to recruit five thousand laborers to support our efforts.

As for the obsidian vein, I've heard it's buried deep within the mountains, hidden and elusive. Without special methods, finding it would require a tremendous amount of manpower and time—resources my family simply cannot spare at the moment," he explained, a look of genuine difficulty crossing his face.

Sun Tianming nodded thoughtfully. On the way to the Yun estate, he had noticed the newly constructed housing outside the estate, bustling with many able-bodied commoners. Coupled with Yunyang's words, it seemed plausible that the Yun family truly lacked the capacity for such an undertaking.

"Truthfully, my family also lacks the specialized means to locate the vein with certainty. But this vein is of great importance to the Sun family. If we can find it, it will bring immense wealth to our clan.

Thus, I cannot bring myself to abandon the search," Tianming admitted earnestly.

"I came here hoping to propose a collaboration. If our two families combine our efforts and resources, we stand a much greater chance of success.

If we find the vein, we can mine it together and split the profits fifty-fifty. What do you think, Brother Yunyang?"

Yunyang's face remained pensive as he listened. After a brief pause, he shook his head with a sigh.

"Brother Tianming, my second brother and his team have already ventured into the mountains to search.

But the forest is vast, dense, and treacherous. Even with the combined efforts of our two families, finding the obsidian vein is no small task.

The manpower, energy, and time required would be immense—a cost my family simply cannot bear," Yunyang said regretfully, declining the offer once more.

In truth, had the Golden-Eyed Beast not been discovered, Yunyang might have seriously considered Tianming's proposal. A partnership with the Sun family to share the costs and risks of the search would have been logical.

But with the Golden-Eyed Beast in their possession, the calculus had changed. The Yun family now had a far more efficient means of locating the vein without expending excessive resources or sharing the profits.

Why bear the burden of a costly collaboration when they could achieve the same goal with far less effort?

"Are you sure you won't reconsider, Brother Yunyang? Finding the vein would benefit both our families immensely," Tianming pressed, his tone sincere but persistent.

Sun Tianming couldn't shake a sense of unease.

He felt certain Yun Yunyang was hiding something, yet nothing in Yunyang's words could be faulted.

"Brother Tianming, your kind invitation is much appreciated, but I truly cannot burden my family with the costs of searching for the obsidian vein.

If we had the means, I wouldn't have recalled my second brother and his team from Yunzhang Mountain recently," Yunyang said with a weary smile.

"Ah, well, if that's the case, I won't press the matter further," Tianming sighed, shaking his head with a wry laugh.

"However, should you reconsider, please don't hesitate to send someone to my family. I still hope we can collaborate someday," Tianming added.

"Your words are noted, Brother Tianming. When my family is strong enough and has the resources, I will gladly seek your cooperation," Yunyang replied, his tone courteous but firm.

"Haha! Then I look forward to that day," Tianming said with a hearty laugh. He clasped his hands in farewell and left with his son and retinue.

As they rode away in the carriage, Sun Fenglin turned to his father.

"Father, it seems the Yun family truly has no intention of expending the resources to search for the obsidian vein," he said.

"Do you believe that?" Tianming replied with a wry smile.

"But Yun Yunyang's words were flawless. There wasn't a single inconsistency," Fenglin said, frowning in thought.

"That's exactly what makes Yun Yunyang so dangerous," Tianming said, his expression darkening.

"An obsidian vein is a treasure that neither our Sun family nor the Yun Cang Yun family can ignore. For my family, it's worth any price. Do you truly think the Yun family would remain indifferent?"

"Then why did they withdraw their people from Yunzhang Mountain?" Fenglin asked, confused.

"That is the part I cannot fathom," Tianming admitted, furrowing his brows.@@novelbin@@

He had come to the Yun estate hoping to glean some clue from Yunyang, but Yunyang's impeccable words and actions had revealed nothing. His statements, laced with half-truths, were impossible to dissect.

"What if I send someone to infiltrate the Yun family and investigate?" Fenglin suggested cautiously.

"Don't act rashly!" Tianming said sharply.

"The Yun family has two spiritual root cultivators and is backed by a mysterious figure in the cultivation world. If you send spies into their estate and they're caught, it would destroy the relationship between our families.

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Until our Sun family is strong enough, we cannot afford any conflict with the Yun family," he warned.

"I understand, Father," Fenglin replied, lowering his gaze.

"Even without their cooperation, we must continue the search. This obsidian vein is our family's only hope to rise above our current status.

You, Fenglin, and your brother Fengxuan need cultivation resources to advance your training. Finding this vein will provide the spirit stones necessary for your growth," Tianming said earnestly, placing a firm hand on his son's shoulder.

"Someday, the Sun family will be yours to lead. Don't let me down."

"Rest assured, Father. Fengxuan and I will do everything in our power for the future of our family," Fenglin said, his voice resolute.

From the doorway of the Yun ancestral hall, Yun Yunrui watched the Sun family's departing entourage, his brows furrowed in thought.

"Sun Tianming is a suspicious man. I suspect he may have pieced together something from our conversation," Yunrui said, his tone cautious.

"What could he discern from a simple conversation?" Yunyang replied with a chuckle. "I merely repeated what he already suspected and what his scouts had reported, leaving no room for doubt or contradiction."

"Haha! Brother Yunyang, your skillful diplomacy is unmatched. Your words, blending truth and falsehood, left Sun Tianming with nothing to grasp.

If I didn't already know the truth, I wouldn't have seen through your intentions either," Yunrui said with a laugh.

"Alright, enough flattery. Go help Brother Yunfeng select some capable people. Once Brother Yunshan has crafted the necessary tools and materials, we'll need to organize the five thousand laborers to begin channeling the water," Yunyang instructed.

"Understood. I'll see to it immediately," Yunrui said, bowing as he departed.

At the Forge's Private Workshop

"Remember, channel your spiritual energy into the furnace to ignite spiritual flames.

Maintain the flame at a stable temperature to refine the spiritual ore properly," Yun Yanshui said, watching the roaring furnace as he held the Golden-Eyed Beast cub in his arms.

He spoke to his sister, Yun Yanshuang, who stood beside him, carefully practicing the infusion of her spiritual energy into the furnace.

"If the flames burn too hot, they'll destroy the spiritual essence of the ore.

If the flames are too low, the impurities in the ore won't be removed, making it impossible to proceed to the next step of forging," Yanshui explained, his tone serious.

"Got it, Brother. I'll control the output carefully," Yanshuang replied, her expression focused as she worked to stabilize the furnace flames under her brother's guidance.