Chapter 17 Wang Family Ridge

Chapter 17: Wang Family Ridge

Back in his room, Wang Hao was unaware of the conversation between the two. Had he known, he would have cried out in protest.

In all honesty, Wang Hao wasn't putting on a show of hardship. Over the past few years, he had been diligently practicing spells, and it was inevitable that his Taoist robe would get damaged from all the bumps and scrapes. It wasn't that he couldn't afford a new one; he simply hadn't gone out recently. Who would have thought they'd run into him just then?

Wang Hao was pondering the matter of a gift. Of course, he didn't strictly have to give one, but wasn't he asking for a favor?

The Golden Silk Spirit Apricots in the farm had already borne fruit several times. To upgrade the red soil plots, Wang Hao had sold several batches, but there were still several hundred left in storage. However, the Wang family already had these; they weren't novel. Moreover, it would be hard to explain where he got them if he presented them.

Then there were the Crimson Blood Ginseng plants growing on the red soil plots. The oldest ones in one plot had reached fifty years of age, making them top-grade Tier 1 spirit herbs. But again, they weren't rare enough; they were too common.

In the end, Wang Hao chose a Snow White Lotus. It was only forty years old, but this type of spirit herb was rare. One hadn't been seen in Qingniu Market for years. A fifty-year-old specimen could easily sell for over a hundred Spirit Stones, almost comparable to common low-grade Tier 2 spirit herbs.

Only now did Wang Hao feel that what he possessed was too limited, wasting six precious red soil plots for nothing. This strengthened his resolve to leave the market town. In cultivation, one could lay low, but resources had to be fought for!

On the day agreed upon with Wang Wenmei and her brother, Wang Hao prepared to set out. To prevent the Golden-Eyed Duck from causing trouble on the journey, he decided to feed it first.

Wang Hao released the Golden-Eyed Duck and took out several pieces of demonic beast meat, tossing them on the ground. The duck devoured them in a few bites but wasn't satisfied yet, letting out loud quacks.

Wang Hao threw it several more pounds of demonic beast meat before it seemed content. However, unlike its usual restless self, it appeared drowsy.

"Is this a sign of advancing?" Wang Hao murmured to himself. Spirit beasts advancing were different from cultivators; basically, they just needed to "eat" enough.

Wang Hao took out a Crimson Essence Grass from his storage. It was a common spirit herb used in refining certain foundational and vitality-nourishing pills. Wang Hao didn't have such pill formulas now, but for spirit beasts, consuming it raw could still unleash over seventy percent of its efficacy.

He brought it to the duck's beak. The duck opened its large mouth, swallowed the whole herb, and comfortably closed its eyes.

Seeing it was in good condition, Wang Hao paid it no further mind, put it back into the Spirit Beast Pouch, and headed towards the Wang family shop.

Wang Yanfeng was already waiting, along with Wang Wenmei and her brother. The two siblings had originally come to the market town to deliver invitations to various families; having completed their task, they naturally returned together.

The four exchanged greetings and boarded a carriage pulled by Wind-Chasing Horses. All four were Qi Refining cultivators who couldn't fly on swords yet. The Wang family wasn't wealthy or powerful enough to equip Qi Refining clan members with flying boats or flying spirit beasts, so a carriage was their only option.

However, these Wind-Chasing Horses were top-grade Tier 1 spirit beasts themselves. They were very fast—capable of covering a thousand miles in a day—and possessed excellent stamina.

The Wang Family Ridge where the clan resided was only five thousand miles away; they would arrive in less than five days.

Along the way, Wang Wenmei was quite sociable, telling Wang Hao much about the Wang family's stronghold. Wang Hao wasn't an unfriendly person either; back and forth, their relationship grew closer.

It was said that Wang Family Ridge was originally called Crouching Tiger Mountain and was the territory of a top-grade Tier 2 demonic tiger. Later, it was slain by a founding ancestor of the Wang family. After establishing their clan there, they renamed it Wang Family Ridge. Its spiritual vein was top-grade Tier 2, capable of supporting two or three Foundation Establishment cultivators and several hundred Qi Refining cultivators without issue—though any more would strain it.

The Wang family now had three Foundation Establishment cultivators; the spiritual vein was probably nearing its limit. They might take some action soon—though this was just Wang Hao's speculation.

This was Wang Hao's first long journey; he was quite curious about the outside world. Watching the scenery and chatting along the way kept things from being boring.

At one point, Wang Wenzhi asked Wang Hao about improving cultivation speed. Wang Hao told him about the Spirit Gathering Array and mentioned he could refine pills himself, which explained his rapid progress. The siblings hadn't ventured out much themselves and were easily convinced by his explanation.

Wang Yanfeng wasn't so easily fooled; maintaining a Spirit Gathering Array and consuming spirit pills wasn't cheap—not something an ordinary person could afford. However, he assumed it might be savings left by Wang Hao's mother or perhaps given by Wang Yanzhao, so he didn't press further.

Wang Family Ridge resembled a giant semicircle in shape—nearly thirty miles long and ten miles wide—with higher terrain in the south sloping down to lower ground in the north. Its highest point stood over four hundred zhang tall!

A mountain gate was set up at its foot. The Wang family had sent out invitations a year ago; with the date approaching now, guests had already begun arriving at Wang Family Ridge. The family dispatched people to receive them at the foot of the mountain to avoid any discourtesy.

A middle-aged cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refining stood guard at the mountain gate with four young men.

Seeing the carriage approach from afar on the main road, the middle-aged cultivator said, "Guests are arriving! Straighten your attire! Look sharp! We represent our clan."

A cyan-colored Wind-Chasing Horse pulled its carriage swiftly along the road. Four cultivators sat atop it—it was indeed the group led by Wang Yanfeng.

"Eldest Brother! Don’t bother yourself—it’s me!" Wang Yanfeng called out from afar.

Hearing this voice brought forth laughter from the middle-aged man. "So it’s Eighth Brother! I thought we had other guests!"

"Oh? What? Is Eldest Brother disappointed to see me?"

"You rascal! Daring to tease your eldest brother after going out training for a few years!" His gaze swept over the carriage occupants until landing upon the young man beside Wang Yanfeng. "And who might this be?"

"This is Second Brother’s eldest son—Wang Hao," Wang Yanfeng said as he pulled him down from the carriage. "Wang Hao—this is your Eldest Uncle, Wang Yanzhong! Hurry up and pay your respects!"

Yet the warmth within the scene froze abruptly. Wang Hao's face unconsciously turned cold. This was the very person who, years ago, took his father, Wang Yanzhao, away from the market town without leaving any message behind for his mother, Qin Xiuer.

Although Wang Hao hadn’t inherited the original host’s emotions entirely, he still held the utmost contempt towards such individuals. Even if disapproving of the marriage arrangement, couldn’t they at least explain clearly to the woman involved?

Wang Yanfeng also shuddered, suddenly remembering what transpired back then. He slapped his forehead regretfully. "Eldest Brother! I just remembered I have matters to report! We’ll head off first—you keep busy!"

Giving a meaningful glance towards the siblings, Wenmei and Wenzhi immediately grabbed onto Wang Hao, pulling him back onto the carriage without another word. With a heavy crack of the whip, they urged the horse forward.

Only after losing sight of the gate did they slow their pace. Wang Yanfeng sighed deeply. "Wang Hao... about the matters back then, Eighth Uncle is unclear, nor will I comment upon them. But seeing Second Brother’s intention, he wants you to acknowledge your ancestors and return to the lineage. If you want to live within the clan, you must..."

Wang Hao waved a hand, stopping him. "Eighth Uncle, I understand. But I never thought of returning to the clan nor living within the Ridge."

He came here solely for the subsequent chapters regarding the Red Lotus Illusory Wood True Scripture. Everything else was truly beneath his notice.

Frowning deeply, Wang Yanfeng's expression turned grave. "Sigh... This matter is better discussed between you and Second Brother then... Giddyap!"

The carriage halted upon reaching a plaza halfway up the mountainside. The plaza area was quite spacious; invited guests attending the Foundation Establishment ceremony all disembarked here. In the center stood a massive bluestone inscribed with three large characters: 'Wang Family Ridge'.

Further up lay the clan’s restricted areas where horses were forbidden. One could only see courtyards built following the mountain contours while the summit was shrouded in mist, rendering the view beyond unclear.

A bluestone staircase led directly towards the summit, lined alongside numerous pavilions following the mountain terrain amidst bamboo groves, streams, and waterfalls, creating a unique charm worthy of even a "5A" scenic rating back on Earth.