70: Where sharpness resides, the vessel bears its weight.

By the time Qi Yuan left Yunliao Market on his sword, the sky was completely dark.

The outlines of the mountains and rivers beneath him were hidden in the heavy night, with only scattered dots of light like stars fallen into the mortal world.

The thoughts in his mind, however, had not settled.

Wu Zhaoyu's final words had seemed like a simple request to keep an eye on the gateway of Cloud Dream County and pay more attention to the movements in the neighboring Linchuan Prefecture.

The tone had been peaceful, but that faint sense of urgency and extra concern allowed Qi Yuan to detect an unusual flavor in the request.

He had personally witnessed the matter of the Bai Family in Linchuan Prefecture.

An established Foundation Establishment Family had collapsed.

Cloud Dream County was located at the border of the two prefectures, so it was indeed possible for it to be affected.

It was only logical that the Wu Family wanted him to keep a closer watch.

But... was that all?

Although the Wu Family managed the market city alongside the Lin and Li Families and appeared prosperous, their actual situation was delicate.

While at the Wu Residence today, although Wu Zhaoyu hadn't said it explicitly, Qi Yuan could feel his caution.

For an outsider Family to gain a foothold in a local area and even share in the profits, they would certainly face no small amount of exclusion and suspicion.

The Wu Family's 'enthusiasm' toward him was likely more complex than simply valuing the location of Cloud Dream County.

"Strength..."

Qi Yuan silently repeated those two words.

In the end, everything came down to strength.

The courteous treatment from the Wu Family today was built upon the fact that he had demonstrated potential in Talisman making, spirit plant production, and the stable value he could potentially bring.

If he were useless, the other party would likely find even a single glance to be a waste of effort.

He shook his head and stopped overthinking. There was too little information at present, and baseless speculation was useless...

Inside the Wu Residence, in the study.

Wu Zhilan refilled her father's tea and couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"Father, why do you value that Qi Yuan so much? Although he has some skills, he is from a newly established Family with shallow foundations after all."

Wu Zhaoyu picked up the teacup, blew away the floating leaves, took a sip, and said slowly:

"His skills are steady and he is a sensible person; that in itself is rare.

What is even rarer is the location of his Qi Family."

He set down the teacup and traced an invisible line on the table with his finger:

"Cloud Dream County may seem like a remote corner, but it is actually wedged into the gap between the spheres of influence of our Wu Family and the Lin Family.

If the Qi Family can gain a foothold there and gradually grow, they will be like a perfectly placed chess piece. Many matters will then have room for maneuver."

Wu Zhilan frowned:

"Our Wu Family has been in the Zhao territory for a hundred years, yet our tributes increase every year, and more than half of the market city profits are handed over. We still have to be careful everywhere, as if walking on thin ice.

Meanwhile, those Lin and Li Families just sit there and divide the spoils. How unjust!"

"Watch your words."

Wu Zhaoyu glanced at his daughter, his own eyes holding a trace of helplessness.

"When one is under another's roof, one must bow one's head.

It is only natural for the Zhao Family to be wary of outsiders like us.

Precisely because of this, we need to manage our affairs even more cautiously and forge good ties widely.

The Qi Family is one such 'tie'. If there truly is a change in Linchuan Prefecture, Cloud Dream County will be the first to be hit.

At that time, by lending a hand to the Qi Family, we will have a pretext to intervene without giving others cause for gossip.

In all things, one must have a legitimate justification."

He sighed, looking out at the heavy night through the window:

"In this world, Cultivator Families may seem carefree, but in reality, every step is filled with thorns.

Having one more friend is always better than having one more enemy.

Qi Yuan is a man who knows how to hide his brilliance and understands when to advance or retreat. He can be drawn in as an ally. At the very least, do not let him lean toward the Lin Family."

...Ten-odd days later, at Green Cloud Mountain, in Qi Yuan's Immortal Cave.

Inside the quiet room, Qi Yuan sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, a long spear lying horizontally before him.

The spear was about seven feet long, its entire body a dark, near-black bluish-gray. That was the natural color of the Cold Abyss Alligator. After repeated tempering with earth fire, the Impurities were gone, leaving only the toughest core.

The bone patterns flowed naturally, with faint traces of water light quietly running along the lines.

The spear tip was not a common blade, but rather a slightly curved, three-sided pyramidal spike like an alligator's tooth.

A point of cold light condensed at the tip without dissipating; that was the result of incorporating gold essence.

The middle section of the spear shaft was wrapped in a dark brown vine-like material, woven tightly—this was the transformed 'Sinking Water Ironwood Core'.

Near the end of the shaft, several complex light blue Talismans were engraved, currently restrained and lightless.

But Qi Yuan could feel the surging power of the water spirit contained within—that was the inscribed 'Surging Wave' technique.

His fingertips lightly brushed over the spear shaft.

That Master Tie Feng's craftsmanship was indeed exquisite; Wan Tang had recommended him well.

This spear not only perfectly preserved the water-attribute characteristics of the Cold Abyss Alligator bone but also used gold essence for the finishing touch.

With ironwood as the sinew, it combined hardness and flexibility, further supplemented by the technique inscriptions. Among Medium Grade Rank One Magical Artifacts, it could be called superb.

Those forty Spirit Stones were well spent.

He still remembered when he went to pick up the goods, the young shop assistant at the artifact workshop had whispered to him:

"Family Head Qi, Master spent an extra three days of earth fire for this spear of yours.

Just the auxiliary materials for harmonizing the gold essence and the bone material cost quite a bit. Forty Spirit Stones really didn't leave any profit; we might have even lost a little..."

Qi Yuan naturally knew the quality of the goods.

Tie Feng's temper was a bit blunt, but his mind was pure and he prioritized his craft. He was someone worth befriending.

A slight and hesitant sound of footsteps came from outside the Immortal Cave, stopping at the door for a long time without movement.

Qi Yuan's Spiritual Sense had already sensed him—it was Xuan Qing.

This child had been somewhat silent since returning. It seemed he was still anxious over the matter of Old Man Hu Cha.

Qi Yuan sighed softly in his heart.

Before and after his Transmigration, he had been an only child and had never experienced this kind of emotion where brothers looked out for each other.

Seeing Xuan Qing protect his younger brother so fiercely, he felt both gratified and a complex sense of melancholy.

"Come in," he said.

The stone door opened slightly, and Qi Xuanqing walked in with a hint of restraint on his face, bowing in greeting: "Father."

"Mm," Qi Yuan acknowledged, his gaze falling on him. "What have you learned from this outing?"

Qi Xuanqing was silent for a moment before saying, "I was reckless and caused trouble for Father. In the future, I will certainly think thrice before acting and only move after a plan is set."

Qi Yuan's tone was peaceful.

"The path of Cultivation is dangerously unpredictable; only by being cautious can one go far.

But when it is time to be decisive, one must not hesitate.

Regarding this matter, I know you were not in the wrong, and your final handling of it was decisive enough."

Qi Xuanqing looked up, a flash of surprise in his eyes. He hadn't expected his father to say such a thing.

Qi Yuan said no more, raising his hand to send the long spear beside him through the air to stop in front of Qi Xuanqing:

"Catch."

Qi Xuanqing caught it instinctively. It felt heavy in his hand, and the icy touch along with the majestic water spirit power within the spear shaft made his heart tremble.

"This is... for me?"

His voice was slightly dry.

"Since you like using spears and have already achieved a Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, that black iron spear's grade is too low."

Qi Yuan said,

"Nurture it well and practice diligently."

Qi Xuanqing gripped the spear shaft tightly.

He naturally knew what it meant for a Magical Artifact to have an inscribed technique—the difficulty of refinement increased sharply, and the price was far beyond artifacts of the same grade.

Not only had his father not blamed him, but he had even gone to such lengths to prepare this for him... Between the two of them, his father's gaze always seemed to fall more on his younger brother, Xuan Lin.

Since childhood, Xuan Lin had been kept by their father's side to identify spirit plants, prepare Talisman ink, and learn various skills to increase the Family's income.

It wasn't that Qi Xuanqing didn't envy that patient and meticulous teaching.

He had always thought that his father's attitude toward him was roughly 'I know, let him be'.

As long as he didn't cause trouble and Cultivated well, it was enough.

After all, he wasn't like Xuan Lin, who could draw Talismans and look after the spirit fields for the Family from an early age.

Xuan Lin's azure spirit sword had also been obtained through his contributions.

A surge of burning emotion blocked his throat. He opened his mouth but couldn't speak for a moment. He simply lowered his head deeply, held the long spear tight, and said solemnly:

"Thank you, Father! I will certainly not fail Father's expectations!"

Qi Yuan watched the light from the ever-burning fluorite in the Immortal Cave reflect on the youth's face. He also sighed in his heart, finally only saying:

"The cultivation of techniques cannot be forced; everyone has their own natural talents."