The Lü Family Settles In

Five days after the aptitude test, an old man and a child arrived at the main southern entrance of Sanglu Valley.

He held a letter in his hand, stamped with the decree of the character "Qing".

"Ancestor, is this where we will live from now on?"

The little boy, just ten years old, stood on tiptoe to peer into the valley before them, a shrewd glint in his eyes.

"Yes. From now on, our Lü family will enter this place and rely on the main family to live."

The old man was advanced in years, his face heavily lined with the marks of time.

His eyes were sunken, and a deep, inescapable weariness clung to his gaze.

But at this moment, clutching the envelope and looking into the valley, his eyes revealed a trace of relief and comfort.

At least the Lü family will have something to rely on from now on, the old man thought.

His name was Lü Lianshun, the ancestor of the Qinghe Lü family.

He was at the fourth level of Qi Gathering and eighty-seven years of age.

The Lü family had originally been an independent family with three cultivators, possessing considerable strength in Qinghe.

But later, Lü Lianshun's younger brother, Lü Lianping, was conscripted by the Wangchao to suppress a rebellion in the east. He had yet to return, his fate unknown.

Then, during the Fengling expedition, his young nephew, Lü Liang, had perished while exploring an ancient tomb.

Under such circumstances, only the old man was left to bitterly support the Lü family.

When the Yin ghosts caused chaos, Tian Yu had come to his door asking for help. But at that time, the Lü family could barely protect themselves; how could they spare the energy to care about the lives of the Qinghe commoners?

Lü Lianshun had made many attempts to forge a path for his family.

But a cultivator of his age would not be accepted by any Sect or the Wangchao, and the great families looked down on him. He faced dead ends everywhere.

Throughout this process, the Lü family's condition grew worse by the day. As life grew harder, voices of discontent multiplied within the household. Seeing conflicts and friction slowly arise, Lü Lianshun could forcibly suppress them with his cultivation, but he could not stop their hearts from drifting apart.

A cultivator at Qi Gathering Perfection possessed a lifespan of one hundred and twenty years. He was at the mid-stage of Qi Gathering, affording him only one hundred and ten. He had just over twenty years left.

If he passed on, what would become of the Lü family? Lü Lianshun dared not think about it.

Worse still, given the Lü family's current foundations, even if a talented descendant appeared, he could not afford to nurture them.

Just as he was battered and exhausted, the Yang family's visit revealed a turning point.

After listening to Yang Lingqing's words, he did not hesitate for a moment. He immediately nodded in agreement, willing to follow the Yang family.

Later, during the encirclement of the evil cultivators, he had practically risked his old life, charging to the very front just to earn the Yang family's trust.

Fortunately, his efforts bore fruit. The Yang family had established a new branch and needed an independent family to settle within it.

Although they would be reduced to a vassal clan of the Yang family, they would also receive the Yang family's protection.

Just like the Liang family of Liuye Town. They had originally been reduced to a single cultivator at the first level of Qi Gathering holding down the fort. Unable to survive in Liuye Town, they had been forced to the point of relocating the entire family.

Now, living beneath Songshan, their days were far more comfortable than those of the Lü family.

Zhao Qi, following Yang Lingqing's arrangements, had made a trip to the Lü family.

Upon hearing they could settle in Sanglu Valley, Lü Lianshun knelt in gratitude on the spot, crying out, "I thank the Family Head for this great kindness!"

Coincidentally, the Lü family had also produced a promising seedling with the aptitude for cultivation at this critical juncture.

It was the child he now held by the hand, named Lü Fangxuan.

This child was the most shrewd and intelligent of his generation in the Lü family. He knew how to read expressions, was articulate, and was easily liked.

To repay the main family's grace in taking them in, Lü Lianshun brought Lü Fangxuan to Songshan to call upon Yang Lingqing.

He wanted to send Lü Fangxuan into the Yang family first, to cultivate under the Yang family's ancestor.

After exchanging a few words with Lü Fangxuan, Yang Lingqing agreed. She wrote a letter, directing him to proceed to Sanglu Valley and act as a cultivation companion for Yang Shu.

"Fangxuan, I know your heart is high, but remember this well: from now on, the Lü family is a vassal of the Yang family."

Lü Lianshun spoke with earnest gravity, "Within the main family, you must rely entirely on Young Master Shu. You must consider the main family's interests. You absolutely cannot commit any act that oversteps your bounds. Do you understand?"

"Fangxuan will remember the Ancestor's teachings."

"Ah, that is good. Come, follow me inside."

Lü Lianshun led Lü Fangxuan into Sanglu Valley, failing to notice that although the child readily agreed, a flickering light in his eyes suggested he harbored other thoughts.

Songshan, Yang Family Restricted Grounds.

"Senior Sister Lingqing, do you truly want that Lü family child to be Yang Shu's cultivation companion?" Zhao Qi asked with some concern.

"What? Do you feel it is inappropriate?"

Zhao Qi shook his head. "I naturally wouldn't question your decision, Senior Sister. But having interacted with that child a few times, I felt his words didn't quite match his heart. He appears obedient on the surface, but hides deeper schemes within."

Hearing this, Yang Lingqing let out a soft laugh.

"Heh, isn't that even better?"

She raised her eyes, gazing into the distance toward Sanglu Valley, and said, "Cultivation is dull and tedious, and managing a family is full of vexations. This will give Yang Shu something to do and help pass the time."

How could Yang Lingqing not know that Lü Fangxuan harbored his own thoughts? But she did not care.

Because compared to Yang Shu-who had managed to play the fool since childhood-this child's temperament and methods were far inferior. He would serve perfectly as a whetstone for Yang Shu to practice his edge.

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