Entering the Path of Immortality, Cultivating the Hundred Arts: Chapter 32 - Descendants of the Green Mountains

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Within the Murong family ancestral hall in the Qingling Market, Murong Bubo knelt beside his stern father, his expression tense.
"What exactly happened with Old Liao?"
The Old Liao mentioned by the head of the Murong family was none other than the owner of the Talisman Pavilion, who had been killed by Li Feng. Some time had passed since Old Liao’s disappearance, and the Murong clan head had sensed that something was amiss, prompting him to summon his son for questioning. One look at his son’s face told him that the boy was likely hiding something.
"He’s dead." Murong Bubo, not daring to conceal the truth any longer, answered honestly.
"Dead?" The Murong clan head’s handlebar mustache twitched with rage. "You idiot! Old Liao was loyal to us. If you killed him, where does that leave the reputation of the Murong family?"
"I didn't kill him!" Murong Bubo bowed his head, shrinking away as he rushed to clear his name.
"Then who did?" The clan head knew his son’s character well. If a true outsider had been responsible, his son would have been up in arms long ago. The fact that he had kept it quiet for so long meant he was definitely up to no good.
"An alchemist named Shan Zhang." Murong Bubo confessed everything, from his failed attempt to recruit Li Feng to the subsequent ambush he had orchestrated.
After listening to his son’s confession, Murong Ganglie felt a surge of fury and slapped him across the face several times. "You fool! You couldn't even finish the job properly! How could I have sired such a good-for-nothing disgrace?"
The status and influence of an alchemist were far higher than those of ordinary cultivators. If you offended such a person, you either had to finish them off cleanly or prepare for their ruthless retaliation. Since they had failed to kill Shan Zhang, the Murong family would sooner or later face the consequences. A small clan like theirs could hardly withstand the wrath of a First-Grade Low-Tier Alchemist.
"The Murong family has worked hard for years to grow, and you’ve ruined it all! If I had known it would come to this, I should have..."
Murong Bubo, clutching his swollen, reddened cheek, cautiously ventured, "...shot you onto the wall?"
The moment these words left his lips, he was subjected to another brutal beating from Murong Ganglie. Murong Bubo howled in pain, begging for mercy.
"Father, this isn't even the worst part," he whimpered.
Murong Ganglie stopped, panting heavily. "What? Is there more good news?"
Murong Bubo shook his head. "No, there’s actually worse news. That Shan Zhang... he seems to have advanced to a Second-Grade Alchemist."
Murong Ganglie’s vision blurred, and clutching his chest, he collapsed straight to the floor.

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"Father! Don't scare me like this!" Murong Bubo held his father, slapping his face frantically to wake him. The Murong family had only one Foundation Establishment pillar. If his father fell, the family was truly finished.
After a long while, Murong Ganglie regained consciousness and pointed a weak, trembling finger at his son. "You wretched child, you are the sinner of the Murong family!"
"Father, it’s not as serious as you think," Murong Bubo argued. "The reason we didn't kill Shan Zhang last time was that the men I sent were too weak. At worst, we can spend a fortune to hire a few more Foundation Establishment thugs; we’ll surely find a chance to get rid of him."
Murong Bubo felt his father was being overly dramatic and not as calm and collected as he was.
Murong Ganglie listened to his son’s words, his heart turning to ash. He was completely disappointed in him. "You idiot! Once you fail at a task like this, how could the other side possibly give you a second chance? Moreover, Shan Zhang is now a Second-Grade Alchemist; every cultivator surrounding him is a powerful Foundation Establishment expert."
Only then, under his father’s guidance, did Murong Bubo finally feel a sense of dread. "Then what should we do?"
"What should we do? The only way is for me to cut off your head and go personally to kowtow and apologize!" Murong Ganglie’s face was dark. It was the only way to win a sliver of survival for the Murong family. Without a backer in Anhe City, making a small sacrifice to save the larger whole was a desperate necessity.
Murong Bubo’s face turned pale as he backed away in terror. "Father, I am your own flesh and blood!"
...
Inside the Spirit Plant Hall, Hong Ling descended the stairs after finishing her conversation with Li Feng. Ever since her cultivation had been restored, she had moved into the Spirit Plant Hall. The Biyan Hall was left to be managed by Cui Cui and the others. Secular shops earned little that could truly help the Tianqi clan, so Hong Ling did not intend to waste much time on them.
Li Feng closed his door and immediately initiated a simulation. A heap of troublesome matters awaited his attention. The factions in Anhe City were deeply intertwined, and the personnel involved were complex. A single misstep could lead to disaster. Breakthroughs in cultivation had become secondary; for now, gathering information through simulations was vital.
"Simulate!" Li Feng summoned the system.

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[This simulation consumes 1.2 years of lifespan. Remaining lifespan: 16.2 years.]
[Simulating...]
[Age 20: You search everywhere for materials for Kunyuan Pills and Longevity Pills.]
[The Murong clan head arrives at your door, carrying his son's severed head, to apologize.]
[You obtain Luoshan Grass from the Murong family.]
[Afterward, you discover through various channels that Murong Bubo is still alive.]
[The Murong family has been deceiving you.]
[You are furious and plan to find an opportunity to wipe out the Murong family.]
[Murong Ganglie senses the danger and leads the entire clan to defect to a Second-Grade Low-Tier Alchemist.]
[The Murong family helps this alchemist qualify to compete for the Danju Workshop.]
[You are unable to take action for the time being.]
[Age 21: Jinyanzi leaves Anhe City under the escort of a Foundation Establishment protector from the Tianhe Sect.]
[You and Li Qing track Jinyanzi.]
[The Tianhe Sect protector discovers your tracks, and a battle ensues.]
[Relying on your rich defensive means and your tacit coordination with Li Qing, you successfully slay the eighth-level Foundation Establishment protector.]
[However, due to the protector's delaying tactics, Jinyanzi escapes.]
[You feel frustrated, and Li Qing returns to the Blood Cloud Sect.]
[Age 22: The Danju Workshop finally opens recruitment for a high-grade alchemist.]
[You are invited to compete.]
[With your Kunyuan Pills, you stand out among all the competitors.]
[However, the person in charge ultimately chooses the alchemist supported by the Murong family to oversee the workshop.]
[Through extensive inquiries, you learn that the Murong family spent a fortune bribing the official in charge.]
[Age 23: The Spirit Plant Hall faces suppression.]
[The Tianqi clan struggles to survive within the Qingling Market.]
[Your cultivation shows no signs of breaking through.]
[Age 24: You strive to cultivate.]
[The Tianqi clan provides abundant resources, hoping you will reach the Second-Grade Mid-Tier and change the situation.]
[Age 25: The Murong family continues to look for opportunities to strike at you.]
[You, too, have accumulated deep connections, leaving them no opening.]
[Age 32: Hong Ling arranges several maidservants for you, among whom is Cui Cui.]
[The tear-shaped warm jade given by Lei Peng reacts.]
[You investigate one by one and eventually discover that Cui Cui is a descendant of the ruins' owner.]
[Surprised, you rush to inform Lei Peng of this.]
[Lei Peng promises a favor, telling you to take good care of Cui Cui, and gifts you some precious resources.]
[Running out of time, you wish to use the favor to have Lei Peng destroy the Tianhe Sect.]
[Lei Peng decisively refuses.]
[A thousand-year non-aggression pact exists between humans and demons.]
[Cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage are not permitted to interfere with other factions at will.]