Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

A day later, a man and a woman, both Foundation Establishment Cultivators, arrived at Yang Zhenshan’s cave abode.

”Ninth Grade Guest Elder Hong Fuxiu pays respects to Pill Master Yang!”

Hong Fuxiu, just as her name suggested, wore crimson robes, long sleeves like silk. Her face was charming, her figure graceful; her eyes were like burning rosy clouds, bright and brilliant yet not vulgar, making one feel, with just a single glance, as if their very soul were about to be melted by that blaze of beauty.

Such a stunning female cultivator was rare; even Yang Zhenshan couldn’t help but take an extra look.

”Ninth Grade Guest Elder Kou Ta pays respects to Pill Master Yang!”

Kou Ta looked to be in his forties, his frame extremely burly, a full two heads taller than Yang Zhenshan. Standing before Yang Zhenshan like a ferocious beast, he exuded an oppressive aura that made one’s heart chill and courage tremble.

Guest Elders of the Ten Thousand Treasures Store could be divided into two types: one was in Pill and Artifact and talisman arrays, responsible for production; the other was responsible for combat.

Compared to Alchemists, Artifact Refiners, Talisman Masters, and Array Masters, the status of combat Guest Elders was slightly lower.

This was not only the case in the Ten Thousand Treasures Store; in truth, it was so everywhere.

So long as one had attainments in any of the four fields of Pill and Artifact and talisman arrays, wherever one went, one would be looked upon with favor.

Still, any Foundation Establishment Cultivator whom the Ten Thousand Treasures Store recruited as a Guest Elder definitely had their own special skill.

The two before him were both at Mid-stage Foundation Establishment. Though they were only Ninth Grade Guest Elders, their strength was certainly not to be underestimated.

”Hehe, this old man Yang Zhenshan greets the two fellow Daoists!”

”Please, both of you, come inside!”

Yang Zhenshan courteously returned the greeting, then led the two of them into the main hall.

He did not know these two; they looked very unfamiliar and were likely Guest Elders who had only joined the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion in the past few years.

Once they were seated, Yang Zhenshan smiled again. ”Since the two of you have accepted the assignment, you should also be clear about the duties of this task.”

”We have already looked into the specific contents of the mission,” Hong Fuxiu said.

Yang Zhenshan nodded slightly but still went over the concrete situation. ”The Sea of Spirit has not been very peaceful of late. The Yang family has no small number of holdings in the Sea of Spirit and requires some manpower stationed at various locations.”

”This time, inviting the two of you is also to have you sit in guard over Yang Family Town.”

”The two fellow Daoists need not do much—simply remain in Yang Family Town. Under normal circumstances there’s no need for you to act. Only when Foundation Establishment Cultivators or Divine Soul Realm Martial Artists invade Yang Family Town will the two of you need to step forward and delay them for a period of time.”

Hearing this, Hong Fuxiu’s face blossomed with a bright smile. ”Pill Master Yang may rest assured. With the two of us here, we will definitely not allow outsiders to intrude into Yang Family Town!”

”That’s right. If anyone dares make trouble in Yang Family Town, I’ll be sure to make him suffer!” Kou Ta’s voice was extremely loud. As he spoke, the slabs of flesh on his face trembled, making him appear exceedingly fierce.

Yet his attitude toward Yang Zhenshan was very amicable, even carrying a hint of ingratiation.

”Hahaha, with the two fellow Daoists here, I can set my mind at ease! There’s no time like the present—let’s set out for the Sea of Spirit in a bit!” Yang Zhenshan said with a laugh.

”No problem!”

The two agreed readily.

Afterward, Yang Zhenshan packed up briefly and then left White Cloud Immortal City with the two of them.

They traveled aboard a Flying Boat, making their way forward while chatting idly.

After talking for a good part of the journey, Yang Zhenshan finally learned of the two’s background.

Kou Ta and Hong Fuxiu were a Dao couple who had supported each other for nearly a hundred years, relying on one another as they advanced from the Qi Refinement Realm to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

However, they were not cultivators of White Cloud Immortal City, but came from the Wanhua Mountain Range.

Deep within the Wanhua Mountain Range stood a great city called Qinglin Immortal City.

Qinglin Immortal City sat on the banks of the Water Flood River. The Water Flood River got its name because there was said to be a Third order Jiao Long within its waters. It was said that the first City Lord of Qinglin Immortal City had been a friend of this Third order Jiao Long and, only after receiving the Jiao Long’s consent, had he established Qinglin Immortal City on the riverbank.

But this was only a legend; as for when Qinglin Immortal City had actually been founded, it could no longer be verified.

And whether there truly was a Jiao Long within the Water Flood River—no one knew anymore.

This Qinglin Immortal City was one of the larger Immortal Cultivator settlements deep within the Wanhua Mountain Range, and the Ten Thousand Treasures Store also had a branch in Qinglin Immortal City, just like the Ten Thousand Treasures Store in White Cloud Immortal City.

Kou Ta and Hong Fuxiu were Guest Elders of the Qinglin Immortal City branch of the Ten Thousand Treasures Store; they had only come to White Cloud Immortal City a year ago.

As for why they had come to White Cloud Immortal City instead of remaining in Qinglin Immortal City, Yang Zhenshan had asked, but the two were somewhat vague, merely saying they had offended someone.

Yang Zhenshan guessed that they had offended some manager within the Ten Thousand Treasures Store; otherwise, they would not have gone far afield to White Cloud Immortal City.

But this was their own affair, and it was not Yang Zhenshan’s place to pry.

”I heard that in recent years White Cloud Immortal City has been in constant conflict with some Demon Clan within the Wanhua Mountain Range. I wonder if this is true?”

Aboard the Jade Cloud Boat, with nothing better to do, Yang Zhenshan casually asked.

This matter had been circulating for several years, and White Cloud Immortal City had indeed mobilized quite a bit of strength to venture deep into the Wanhua Mountain Range. But as for the exact situation, Yang Zhenshan was not very clear.

Hong Fuxiu nodded slightly. ”This actually isn’t much of a secret. In the northern part of the Wanhua Mountain Range, it’s already common knowledge; it’s just that within White Cloud Immortal City, people aren’t very clear about it.”

”The ones who clashed with White Cloud Immortal City are the Earth-shaking Tiger clan. It’s said that it began when someone hunted the Earth-shaking Tigers’ young, causing the Earth-shaking Tigers to attack one of White Cloud Immortal City’s external workshops!”

”Later on, the conflict between the two sides grew ever more intense, and by now it has already become an irreconcilable mess.”