235: Chapter 218_2 235: Chapter 218_2 Jiang Family Head felt that he was progressing a bit faster than those Elders, but he was distracted and unlike them who were constantly cultivating without any awareness.
He felt that they were too immersed in cultivation, grateful to the ones protecting them.
If it weren’t for this person sheltering them, perhaps they would have already turned to ashes.
Jiang Family Head’s resolve grew ever more firm; in this Cultivation World, without a stronger backing, even first-rate families could decline.
The main issue was the lack of stronger Alchemists, with resources being a mere drop in the bucket.
…
As Jiang Tang stood atop the flying arrow, he was distracted helping out and didn’t idle away the time chatting with Xuanyuan Mengting.
He sensed that this woman, Xuanyuan Mengting, the daughter of the Ten Great Clans, was somewhat proud but did not look down on him.
Before venturing into business, he too was a son of a wealthy family and knew that the rich and powerful looked down on the weak and poor.
In the past, Jiang Tang was of good temperament and did not look down on anyone.
Having come to the Cultivation World and becoming a lower-tier Cultivator, he had not lost his kindness nor his fighting spirit.
Even more so, he kept his pride; the thought of becoming stronger never changed.
What did it matter if there was no ancestral protection?
With spatial assistance, with the Golden Finger, that was enough.
At this moment, becoming someone others saw as a strong figure, he was still not content with his current status.
The eldest ancestors of other families had already reached the level of Spirit Mansion, the highest cultivation among the Ten Great Clans.
At that moment, heirs of some other Noble Clans who had previously contacted him were secretly inviting him to visit their clans as a guest.
Jiang Tang, upon hearing these secret messages, could only respond politely one by one.
You have to eat your food one bite at a time; you can’t become fat with one bite.
Likewise, tasks must be undertaken one by one, and you need to test whether those people are sincere.
The Sword Sect Su Clan, Taoist Sect Zhang Clan, Buddhist Sect Yuan Clan, Poison Sect Tang Clan, Gu Sect Dugu Clan, Knife Sect Lin Clan, Spirit Sect Yun Clan, and also the Medicine Sect all issued invitations.
Jiang Tang agreed to visit the Xuanyuan Clan first and then make his way to their territories for a visit.
The representatives of each clan inviting Jiang Tang, upon hearing his reply, felt that the Xuanyuan Imperial Sect was too cunning.
They had shown such pride before, but now they had acted faster than them in pursuit of top-notch pills.
The competitive ones gathered information and learned that the Xuanyuan Family’s representative who invited Jiang Tang was Xuanyuan Mengting.
Each family then sent their own daughters as representatives to rush to visit the Xuanyuan Clan.
Jiang Tang was brought by Xuanyuan Mengting to a city even more bustling than Immortal Venerable City.
The Xuanyuan Family’s location, with many houses connected to courtyards, was so noble and elegant, such opulent places, Jiang Tang had only seen on TV in ancient wealthy families from his previous life.
To have such an expanse of property in Imperial City, it could probably compare with the Imperial Palace itself.
The foremost among the Ten Great Clans truly was different, Jiang Tang marveled as he followed Xuanyuan Mengting descending from the high skies.
“Jiang Tang, don’t you think our family’s place is nice?
Wouldn’t you like to stay here forever?” Xuanyuan Mengting, seeing the astonishment in Jiang Tang’s expression, tempted him with pride.
“Heh, if you became my girlfriend, and later on this place became my father-in-law’s house, what’s the difference from staying here forever?
Ha ha.” Jiang Tang teased back.
“Ugh…
annoying, you’re so bad.” Xuanyuan Mengting, teased by Jiang Tang, blushed with shyness, sped up a few steps, and wanted to return to her courtyard, forgetting for the moment to bring the guest to meet the Family Head.
“Xuanyuan Mengting, where are you going…?” Jiang Tang followed whichever direction Xuanyuan Mengting went.
“You…
why are you following me?” Xuanyuan Mengting ran a distance and discovered Jiang Tang was still behind her.
The two of them walked through the family’s grounds, occasionally encountering people from the Xuanyuan Clan.
Towards the unfamiliar Jiang Tang following behind, they cast scrutinizing gazes, but many were also aware of the high-level secrets, and it was no secret that Xuanyuan Mengting had gone to bring a guest.
“Xuanyuan Mengting, my girlfriend, are you by any chance leading me to your boudoir courtyard?
Since I’m too tired, you want to let me take a nap, right?”
Faced with so many eyes on him as if watching a monkey, Jiang Tang felt helpless.
The host invited him, yet ran off by herself; in such a game, he could only follow along.
“You…” Xuanyuan Mengting then realized that she had almost led Jiang Tang to her boudoir courtyard.
She stamped her foot, covered her face, and ran even faster.
Jiang Tang’s lips curled into a smile, feeling that Xuanyuan Mengting was just too adorable, and the more he interacted with her, the more interesting he found her.
With such a girlfriend, the days to come would certainly not be dull.
“This is the family hall where we receive guests, you can go in,” Xuanyuan Mengting said before attempting to leave again.
Jiang Tang grabbed her small hand and said to her, “You’ve come all this way, Xuanyuan Mengting, you can’t just leave me behind.
What if I encounter difficulties with your family members?
Better stay with me!”
“Let go of my hand.
Do you know where this is?
Our family members are kind-hearted, don’t talk nonsense; they won’t make things difficult for you, and they might even propose a collaboration with you.”
Xuanyuan Mengting tried to shake off his grasp several times but couldn’t, and her face grew even redder.
“Since that’s the case, let’s go in together!” Jiang Tang unapologetically clung to the little hand, with the owner of the hand failing to escape.
As he was meeting his future father-in-law for the first time in two lifetimes, he was still a young man and felt shy.
Having someone beside him made him feel a bit more settled.
There were guards standing at the entrance to the reception hall, and upon seeing them arrive, they addressed Xuanyuan Mengting with respect, “Miss, the Family Head invites you.”
“Mm,” Xuanyuan Mengting nodded and entered the reception hall.
Upon entering the reception hall, Jiang Tang let go of Xuanyuan Mengting’s small hand, and his gaze landed on the main seat inside the hall, where a middle-aged man was sitting.
His cultivation was at the Ocean Wheel level, which was not inferior to his own.
Several people who looked like elders sat on both sides of the main seat.
They all looked simultaneously at the entrance, and Jiang Tang’s appearance surprised them with his cultivation level—so young yet with such a level of cultivation, just as the rumors from the Martial World described a fortunate encounter.
If their family had young people with such encounters, being ranked as number one among the Ten Great Clans wouldn’t be threatened by anyone.
In the hearts of the Family Head and the elders, Jiang Tang was already considered one of their own, and their determination to win him over intensified.
“Junior Jiang Tang greets all the Xuanyuan family elders,” Jiang Tang said as he entered the guest hall, with Xuanyuan Mengting by his side not introducing him, and since he hadn’t met these people and did not know their statuses, he could only greet them first.
“Haha, good, good, come and sit over here,” the middle-aged man seated in the main seat said with great courtesy.
Jiang Tang sent a secret message to Xuanyuan Mengting, “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your family’s elders, girlfriend?”
“Jiang Tang, the man seated in the main seat is our Family Head, the ones on the left are elders number one to three, and on the right are elders number four to six,” Xuanyuan Mengting whispered, her head lowered as she sat on a stool.
“Hmm, may I ask why the elders have requested my presence?”
Jiang Tang was not playing dumb; some matters couldn’t be taken at face value until they were personally confirmed.
Verbal promises weren’t always reliable; everything was ultimately driven by self-interest.
“Haha, it’s said that Jiang Tang is young and talented, skilled in crafting top-quality pills, isn’t that right?”
Once the Family Head had spoken, everyone’s eyes were on Jiang Tang.
Jiang Tang nodded and said, “Yes, that’s correct.
I am capable of refining top-quality pills.”
“Oh, Jiang Tang, you are truly talented.
May I ask where your family is from?
What other family do you have?
When you went to the North City Immortal Sect, were you truly of Mixed Spiritual Roots?
And did you really advance to Ocean Wheel in just three short years, or perhaps even in a span of just over a month?”
“There’s no one else in my family; my parents and the villagers died in an epidemic outbreak.
Perhaps they’re fortunate enough to cultivate as Ghost Cultivators.
What is recorded at the North City Immortal Sect archives is true, and now I have returned to the Sect and become a titled Elder of the Immortal Sect.”
Jiang Tang made no secret of his parents’ situation, thinking that if one day his parents’ cultivation allowed them to ascend, and if they really were to form a relationship based on mutual benefit, then they might eventually learn of it, and there was no deliberate intent to deceive them.
In the Cultivation World, there were many Ghost Cultivators, but not every Ghost Cultivator was evil, just as not every person in the Cultivation World was good.
“Oh, you have a way to enable your own parents to become cultivators—that’s a good idea.
The reason we’ve invited you here is that we’d like to collaborate with you.
We’d like for you to become one of our titled elders, to help us refine top-quality pills,
or perhaps supply them to us at a more affordable price.
And regarding Xuanyuan Mengting, Jiang Tang, do you like her?”
“Becoming a titled elder is acceptable, but I don’t have the time to teach them how to refine top-quality pills.
As for providing your family with discounted supplies, I can do that.
However, the quantity must be limited; you can’t be allowed to sell the top-quality pills.
As for Xuanyuan Mengting, she is now my girlfriend, and of course, I like her,” Jiang Tang stated clearly, not wanting to be used solely as a pill-refining tool, for money could never be earned in its entirety.