"Oh?" Lin Mocheng's eyes flickered slightly.
"May I ask what brings you here?"
Elian handed over an invitation with a polite smile.
"Two of my clan uncles recently broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, which is a cause for great celebration. Thus, the Chen family has decided to host a banquet to invite all the major families in Yu County."
"I am here to personally invite Lin family's esteemed Daoist friends to attend the banquet."
"Additionally, we would like to renegotiate the distribution of tax revenues from Yuyang Market."
"What?"
Lin Baiqi's expression changed abruptly. He stood up involuntarily but quickly realized his loss of composure and sat down again, his face stiff as he said, "The Chen family producing three Foundation Establishment cultivators in succession is indeed a remarkable achievement. Congratulations."
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Elian quickly stood up and said, "Daoists, as I have delivered the invitation, I must now take my leave to notify the other families."
Lin Mocheng maintained a warm smile and nodded.
"Safe travels."
After saying his farewells, Elian turned and left the hall.
Watching him fly away on his sword, Lin Baiqi's face darkened. He turned to Lin Mocheng and said, "Shall we keep him here?"
Lin Mocheng's eyes also flickered with killing intent, but after a moment of hesitation, he shook his head.
"He came openly to deliver the invitation. If we were to kill him, the reputation we've built over centuries would be utterly ruined. How would we continue to operate in Yu County afterward?"
"Moreover, according to the news from Tianxu Mountain, that old fox Chen Changxuan is no longer the same as before. If he retaliates, we cannot afford the consequences."
The Lin patriarch's expression grew grim as he continued, "In thirty years, the Beast Tide will arrive. Yu County borders the vast wilderness, and the six major families must remain united."
"Sigh!" Lin Baiqi's face was cold, and he said reluctantly, "Had I known, we shouldn't have sold the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade to the Zuo family."
Lin Mocheng's face also turned icy as he said, "I sold the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade to the Zuo family hoping they could exploit the flaws in the Chen family's Heavenly Flame Sword Art to severely wound or even kill that old fox."
"Who could've predicted the Zuo family would be so incompetent? Not only did they fail to kill him, but they also got themselves wiped out."
Lin Baiqi shook his head helplessly.
"The Zuo family's Clear River Technique does counter the fire attributes of the Blazing Sun Void Ascension Technique (Chen Family's cultivation technique) to some extent, but their lack of cultivation made them easy prey for the Chen family."
"There's no point in discussing this further now," Lin Mocheng said grimly.
"The Chen family remains our greatest threat. In the future, if we get the chance, we must secretly weaken them."
Ultimately, the Lin patriarch rejected Lin Baiqi's proposal to detain Elian, unwilling to risk the Lin family's reputation by such an act.
Flying away from the Lin family's main peak, Elian let out a deep breath, realizing his back was drenched in sweat.
The six major families of Yu County were considered a united front. Despite internal rivalries, they worked together to protect their collective interests against external threats.
However, Elian had clearly sensed killing intent during the meeting, something he had not expected.
Although the Chen family harbored resentment toward the Lin family over the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade, they had refrained from acting on it out of consideration for their alliance. He hadn't imagined that Lin Baiqi would even contemplate taking his life.
"I was too careless," Elian thought with a lingering sense of fear.
"I cannot afford such a mistake again."
Much like the Chen family's Qingyuan Mountain, the Lin family's territory had been cultivated over centuries and was filled with protective formations. If activated, even two or three late Foundation Establishment cultivators would find it nearly impossible to escape.
If the Lin family had been willing to sacrifice their reputation to kill him, he would have had little chance of survival.
Of course, the Lin family didn't dare act recklessly. Doing so would make them pariahs in Yu County, and the other families would not tolerate such behavior.
Additionally, Chen Changxuan's strength was now terrifying, equivalent to three late Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even the combined might of Lin's seven Foundation Establishment cultivators might not be enough to defeat him.
Weighing these risks, the Lin family refrained from acting, but Elian learned a valuable lesson.
From now on, he resolved not to enter the heart of another family's territory unless he was absolutely confident of his safety.
Carrying this resolve, Elian delivered invitations to the other four families. This time, he stayed outside their territories, handing over the invitations and exchanging brief pleasantries before leaving.
Three months later.
Qingyuan Mountain was bustling with activity.
The Chen family was in high spirits after producing three new Foundation Establishment cultivators, and the members wore smiles of pride and joy.
Third Elder, accompanied by family members, greeted guests from across Yu County with a beaming smile, busy with the grand preparations.
This banquet was a lavish affair. Besides the five major families, the Chen family invited over a hundred smaller clans in Yu County, as well as some notable rogue cultivators.
The gathering was attended by over two hundred cultivators, including 23 Foundation Establishment cultivators, nearly encompassing all such cultivators in Yu County.
To host the guests, the Chen family spared no expense, serving rare delicacies like first-order spirit peaches, Azure Spirit Fish, and Purple-Striped Geese. The family's hospitality earned praise from the attendees.
The guests also brought gifts, mostly modest offerings such as pills, herbs, or magical tools. The five major families, however, offered more valuable tributes, with the Mu and Meng families providing particularly generous gifts.
The Mu family, known for their prosperous Xuanming Pavilion herbal business, presented a bottle of second-tier pills. The Meng family, being related to the Chen family through matrimony, offered a second-tier treasure, Blue-Patterned Steel.
During the banquet, Elian sat with several Foundation Establishment cultivators. Meng family patriarch Meng Xinghe, with sparkling eyes, looked at Elian with delight.
"Considering my close relationship with Changxuan, may I call you Nephew Elian?" Meng Xinghe asked warmly.
Elian smiled lightly and nodded in acknowledgment.
In Yu County, the Chen and Meng families were like brothers, maintaining ties through marriage for generations. During the Chen family's difficult years, the Meng family had often lent spirit stones to help them through tough times.
After a few cups of spirit wine, Meng Xinghe, slightly tipsy and high-spirited, patted Elian's shoulder and laughed heartily.
"Nephew Elian, I see you're a fine young man and still unmarried."
"My family has a daughter, Meng Wanxing. Though she may not match you, she's quite talented."
Meng Xinghe's tone became half-joking and half-serious as he added, "Why don't I play matchmaker for you two?"
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stonesssss :D