Cultivation System: Stronger with Age

At this moment, he suddenly realized something. After he and Lin Jiao had left the tavern, Yan Yunfei and Guan Zhong were discussing something in low voices. The two of them were likely extremely resentful towards the Feng Family due to the day's events and were planning to join forces with some Martial Cultivators to hijack a large batch of medicinal materials being transported by the Feng Family and the Black Tiger Gang!

A dozen breaths later, Lin Xuankong's eyebrows rose.

Conspiring to hijack a large batch of medicinal materials from the Feng Family, the Guo Family, and the Black Tiger Gang? Are these two planning a heist that will shock the entire Great Marsh Prefecture?

However, if this succeeds, it would deal a significant blow to the Feng Family, the Guo Family, and the Black Tiger Gang. This is indeed an excellent opportunity...

I just don't know how many medicinal materials the Feng Family and the Black Tiger Gang will be transporting this time. If it's only a few thousand units, it wouldn't be very interesting. But if it's tens of thousands, it might be somewhat interesting and worth my intervention...

「...」

Inside the hall of a small building within the Feng Family Mansion, Feng Zhushi, who had returned to the mansion, looked up at the middle-aged man in purple before him and said, "Sorry you had to see that, Brother Yun Kui! I never expected that dozens of Martial Cultivators would dare to come and demand payment!"

Guo Yunkui, dressed in a purple robe, leisurely took a sip of tea. "Brother Zhushi's display of prowess this time must have terrified those petty individuals. In the future, even if the Feng Family makes a grand show of wanting to repay debts, no one will dare to come!"

Feng Zhushi remarked coldly, "Did they really think my Feng Family is so easy to bully? They're just a bunch of despicable individuals obsessed with money, yet they don't even recognize their own meager abilities!

"I just saw that Lin Xuankong from the Yin Talisman Sect was among the crowd. He bet on an Exorcism Hand at twenty-two times the odds... Now, he's probably dreaming of taking twenty-two pieces of Exorcism Equipment from my Feng Family. What a ridiculous and pathetic old fool!

"If I weren't trying to avoid an immediate war with the Yin Talisman Sect, I could kill ten Second Layer Martial Cultivators like Lin Xuankong with a single streak of azure light!"

Guo Yunkui shook his head and said, "No need to pay attention to such ants! Did any news come back from the men Brother Zhushi sent out yesterday?"

Feng Zhushi shook his head. "No news yet. There are some issues with manpower! You know, in two days, our three families will mobilize two thousand elite Martial Artists to transport medicinal materials. This shipment is enormous, with hundreds of thousands of units of Qi Replenishing Soup ingredients, and it's our top priority for the near future!"

Guo Yunkui frowned. "This matter is indeed crucial. It concerns the supplies for the Black Tiger Gang and our two families for the next six months! Moreover, among these medicinal materials are fifty exceptionally precious Zhengyuan Grass!"

Feng Zhushi said, "I will lead the escort this time. Besides the two thousand elites, I will also bring ten Middle and Late Stage Fourth Layer experts, both to deter any troublemakers and to ensure everything goes off without a hitch!"

Guo Yunkui raised his eyebrows. "Deter troublemakers?

"Is there anyone in the Great Marsh Prefecture so unafraid of death that they'd dare to rob such critical resources from our three families? Two thousand elite Martial Cultivators, ten Late Stage Fourth Layer experts, and one Early Stage Fifth Layer expert. With such a force, even if several Late Tier Four Demons appeared, they would merely be contributing their flesh and blood to us!

"As for other forces, even if ten or eight Little Sect Leaders or Little Gang Leaders show up, they'd just be courting death!"

Feng Zhushi nodded slightly. "If some short-sighted Martial Cultivators or Demons come looking to die, it wouldn't be so bad. It would at least liven up an otherwise boring journey!"

At this point, the two looked at each other and laughed softly.

Feng Zhushi's narrowed eyes formed a line, carrying an undeniable confidence!

After a moment of light laughter, Guo Yunkui suddenly lowered his voice, "Brother Feng, I have another suggestion..."

「....」

「Two days later, in the morning,」

Near the meeting hall of the Yin Talisman Sect, Lin Xuankong, who was about to enter, suddenly heard someone call his name. He turned to see Zhao Yufei.

Zhao Yufei, usually so aloof in public, gave him a gentle smile and beckoned. Soon, they walked to a secluded spot in a grove of trees within the sect's grounds.

There was a look of expectation in Zhao Yufei's eyes. "Have you prepared everything for the proposal?"

Lin Xuankong nodded. "Marriage is a major affair; of course, it needs careful preparation. We need to choose an auspicious day for the proposal. I've been looking at dates recently; it should be settled within a few days!"

Zhao Yufei nodded, but soon she remembered something and furrowed her brows, saying somewhat wistfully, "Recently, I've occasionally mentioned you to my father. I've subtly praised you as a high-ranking Silver Jade Steward in the Yin Talisman Sect, very steady and reliable in your work, and likely to be promoted to Silver Jade Steward or even Grand Chief Steward in the future. As a result... my father is very interested in you!"

Lin Xuankong was surprised. "Isn't that a good thing? Why the frown?"

Zhao Yufei sighed. "My father intends to befriend you. He said your status is acceptable, and if he were to befriend you, given your respective ages, he would have to call you Brother Lin!"

Zhao Yufei's father calling me Brother Lin?

He mentally winced.

Yufei's efforts to pave the way at home don't seem to be as effective as mine!

Zhao Yufei said wistfully, "Also, what about your wife? When can I meet her?"

Lin Xuankong raised his eyebrows. "I am the master of the Lin Family. If I say I'll marry you, then I'll marry you!"

At his words, Zhao Yufei couldn't help but feel a warmth in her heart. She moved closer to Lin Xuankong and gently leaned against him.

At that moment, the sound of distant drums, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!, suddenly echoed.

Lin Xuankong and Zhao Yufei exchanged glances and quickly walked out of the grove.

By this time, Jiang Yuran, Gao Yunchao, Wu Liangye, Ma Jiang, and others had already emerged from the meeting hall. Along with numerous Stewards, they leaped onto the fifth-floor rooftop of the General Manager's Tower and gazed into the distance.

Lin Xuankong and Zhao Yufei also leaped up and looked into the distance.

They saw, on a street seven or eight miles away, columns of men and horses emerging from the Feng Family Mansion. They were all elite Martial Cultivators from the Guo Family, the Feng Family, and the Black Tiger Gang.

These Martial Cultivators were all tall and imposing. More than twenty of them, carrying Exorcism Equipment, rode upon exceptionally majestic Exotic Horses.

Leading the large contingent of Martial Cultivators was none other than Feng Zhushi, the eldest son of the Feng Family, who had easily defeated Yan Yunfei two days prior!

Jiang Yuran observed them closely, her brow furrowed. "That's the two thousand elite Martial Cultivators from the Feng Family, the Guo Family, the Black Tiger Gang, and their affiliated sects. Most of them are Second Layer Martial Cultivators or above. They must be heading to the medicinal material production areas to transport a large batch!"

Lin Xuankong watched for a few moments. Recalling what Yan Yunfei and Guan Zhong had discussed two days ago, he felt a stir in his heart.

Gao Yunchao then spoke, "This joint transport of medicinal materials by the Feng Family, the Guo Family, and the Black Tiger Gang involves the largest number of elites they've ever mobilized. With Feng Zhushi, a Fifth Layer powerhouse, leading them, this batch of medicinal materials must be enormous and critically important to these three families!"

Jiang Yuran frowned and said, "Hmph! These three families, along with the Spirit Snake Gang and others, monopolize medicinal materials. Countless Martial Cultivators hate them to the bone! They're transporting a large batch this time; it would be perfect if thousands, or even tens of thousands, of Martial Cultivators banded together and ambushed them!"

Hearing this, many of the Yin Talisman Sect's Stewards couldn't help but chuckle.

Gao Yunchao shook his head slightly and sighed. "With Feng Zhushi leading two thousand elites, including the four Grand Chief Stewards from the Black Tiger Gang's Hill City Branch...

"Furthermore, both the Guo and Feng Families have several Mid-grade and Late Stage Fourth Layer Martial Artists in full Battle Armor among them. Against such a lineup, unless several Middle or Late Stage Fifth Layer experts intervene, it would be incredibly difficult to challenge them!

"In the current Great Marsh Prefecture, where the Black Tiger Gang, Feng Family, and Guo Family dominate, besides our Yin Talisman Sect and the Huang Family, what other Middle or Late Stage Fifth Layer Martial Cultivators would dare to openly oppose these three major powers? Who would dare to hijack their convoy?

"Even that solitary Conical Hat Guest probably wouldn't dare to single-handedly challenge the combined might of these three families!"

Grand Steward Jiang Yuran wanted to retort, but when she considered that she had only recently entered the Early Stage of the Fifth Layer... Even if she herself went, she might not be a match for Feng Zhushi, who had been a Fifth Layer expert for years. Thus, she could only remain silent.

The other Stewards and Grand Chief Stewards of the Yin Talisman Sect were far weaker than Jiang Yuran; they all frowned, rendered speechless.

In the crowd, only Lin Xuankong's eyes kept flickering. With such a grand display by the Feng Family, Guo Family, and Black Tiger Gang, the amount of medicinal materials being transported must be immense...

As for those two thousand elites? Are they really that strong?

If I were to use the Ruyi Profound Gold Rod this time, the three families would definitely be in for a very unpleasant surprise. This would absolutely be a major incident, enough to divert their attention!