Chapter 152: The Ye Family’s Dilemma, Setting Out for Spirit Medicine Valley

The Heavenly Clothes Pavilion had been busy clearing out the Clear Wind Sect’s remnants and moving its workshops.

Qin Xiao had first intended to make the Clear Wind Sect’s grounds his base. But the Spirit Medicine Valley secret realm would open soon, and the place was rather remote. He abandoned the idea and gave it to the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion.

Relations with Chen Lou were already ruined, making things in the city inconvenient. The Heavenly Clothes Pavilion could keep its city headquarters and make Clear Wind Mountain a production center and branch, freeing itself from others’ control.

Ye Tianyi’s father had founded the pavilion as a sideline without giving it much thought. Only as it grew did it become independent.

The Ye Family had once been a great clan, nearly a third-tier force. A disaster more than a hundred years ago had cost it all its strongest fighters. Fortunately, Ye Qiuyue’s strength had caught up, allowing the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion to take the family’s place as Tianyi City’s leading force.

The pavilion had also kept the Ye Family foremost among Tianyi City’s clans. Its resources were helping the family slowly regain strength.

Ye Tianyi’s younger brother, Ye Tianyun, had poor aptitude. He had not reached Soul Formation; he was only at peak Nascent Soul.

Because of this, Ye Qiuyue had kept the Ye Family out of the recent conflict, instead having them secretly send their talented juniors out of the city to preserve the family’s lineage. If the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion had failed, the Ye Family would undoubtedly have faced total extermination.

While the two sides confronted each other, the Ye Family members had been escorting their juniors out of the city. That was why they had not fought.

Now that the Clear Wind Sect was destroyed, the Ye Family had returned.

Now they were doing all they could to help the pavilion move, hoping to earn forgiveness. They might be the Great Elder’s and Pavilion Master’s own family, but they had only looked after themselves during the war. Of course the disciples resented it.

The family could hardly explain itself. Ye Qiuyue and Ye Tianyi had ordered them to protect themselves, but they had still failed to come to the pavilion’s aid.

“Xiao’er, do you think I was selfish too? I made the pavilion’s disciples fight to the death, while the Ye Family withdrew.”

In recent days, Ye Qiuyue had noticed the disciples’ dissatisfaction. Each of them harbored resentment.

No one had thought much about it when the fighting began. Only now did they wonder why the Ye Family had stayed away.

“Well, this was between the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion and the Clear Wind Sect. Whether the Ye Family came made little difference. Think of those minor forces that sided with the Clear Wind Sect. Must we wipe them out too? They had no decisive role; they merely added to its strength. If the Ye Family had Soul Formation cultivators and still stayed away, that would be wrong. But with no one above Nascent Soul, they couldn’t have changed anything.”

Qin Xiao could hardly judge the matter. A force and a family were tangled together; there was no way to sort it all out.

“That is true. The Ye Family and the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion are separate forces. But I was selfish. I did not want the Ye Family’s line to end, so I forbade them to come.”

Ye Qiuyue knew she was in the wrong. But she was a member of the Ye Family and its strongest cultivator; she had to consider its survival. After all, the pavilion had brought this danger upon the family.

“Actually, Master’s Wife, the Ye Family and the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion are already one. However separate you are, outsiders see you as a whole. You prosper together and fall together. Why worry about independence? You might as well unite.” This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.

Qin Xiao’s logic was simple: given their relationship, outsiders lumped them together regardless. What was the point of clinging to independence?

“It is not that simple. If the Ye Family were as strong as it once was, the pavilion could come under it. But our family is weak now. The disciples would not accept being merged into it. And if the family joined the pavilion instead, it would lose its independence. How could I face our ancestors?”

Ye Qiuyue had considered it, but the younger generation of the Ye Family had failed to live up to expectations. The pavilion’s disciples had joined because it was not subordinate to a family. Merging it into the Ye Family would drive most of them away.

That was what made the situation so awkward. Neither merger would work. If the Ye Family were strong enough, the pavilion’s disciples would offer little resistance. But it was weaker than the pavilion. What were they supposed to think?

Once a force grew large, one person could no longer decide everything. Too much was involved. The disciples would follow ordinary arrangements, but they would never agree to become someone’s dependents.

Take the Tianyuan Sect. If Supreme Elder Yao Zhan or Lin Tiancheng declared war on another sect, the disciples would fight without hesitation. But if either had a family and ordered the sect to merge into it, they would certainly refuse. That was the difference.

Every disciple saw their sect or force as home. They belonged to it and would risk their lives for it. But making their home a lesser part of someone else’s household was out of the question—especially when that household was smaller than their own.

Clans also valued their independence. They might accept becoming vassals, but would not agree to be absorbed into another force.

“Qin Xiao, I’m here to pick you up.”

Just as the two were discussing the matter, Ling Ruoxue arrived.

“Pick me up? We’re leaving for Spirit Medicine Valley today? Doesn’t it open tomorrow?”

Qin Xiao asked, looking somewhat puzzled.

“It opens tomorrow, but you need to go today. It’s quite a distance. What if you left tomorrow and missed it? That would be a huge loss. Everyone is leaving today.”

Knowing that Qin Xiao had never been there before, Ling Ruoxue offered an explanation.

“Xiao’er, should I go with you? The Clear Wind Ancestor is dead, but that old dog Chen Shunyi may still cause you trouble.”

Ye Qiuyue was well aware of the Spirit Medicine Valley and remained concerned for his safety.

“Rest assured, Master’s Wife. The Heavenly Clothes Pavilion still needs you to hold down the fort. I’ll be fine.”

Qin Xiao shook his head.

“Senior Ye, you can rest easy. He and Man’er are using spots provided by my Immortal Dao Merchant Association, so they’ll be traveling with us. Chen Shunyi wouldn’t dare make a move; his safety is guaranteed.”

Seeing Ye Qiuyue’s concern for Qin Xiao’s safety, Ling Ruoxue hurried to reassure her.

“Then I will trouble the Immortal Dao Merchant Association with his safety.”

Ye Qiuyue felt reassured. Whatever Chen Shunyi might do, he would not dare offend the Immortal Dao Merchant Association. The source of this chapter is novelping.com.

Shortly after, Qin Xiao took Yun Man along with two bodyguards and departed in company with Ling Ruoxue.

As for Lin Shimeng, Lin Tiancheng had personally dragged her back a few days prior.

She had said she would stay only a few days, yet still had not returned as the realm’s opening approached. Lin Tiancheng had to fetch her himself. His daughter was living proof of the saying that a grown girl could no longer be kept at home.

Lin Tiancheng even wondered whether Qin Xiao had placed some restriction on his daughter. Why else would a girl refuse to come home?

Han Mingyuan had also departed on the fourth day, having received the Immortal Comprehension Fruit gifted by Ye Qiuyue. He naturally understood that Qin Xiao had arranged the transfer behind the scenes, though he kept it to himself.

“Young Miss Ling, I hear Master Ji Ci excels at artifact refining as well as formations. Is that true?”

As they walked toward the city gates, Qin Xiao asked casually.

“Yes. Master Ji Ci is a treasure to our association. You’re lucky beyond several lifetimes that he came to help you. As for his formations, naturally—”

Ling Ruoxue stopped abruptly mid-sentence, suddenly realizing that Qin Xiao was probing her for information.

“Even top-grade—what? You told me how hard it was to find a master, gave me all those excuses and took so much in brokerage fees. And you were just having Master Ji Ci do the repairs? Give me back my fee!”

Qin Xiao knew it. This girl had cheated him out of his Saint Origin Spirit Fruit.

“Oh, don’t be so stingy. Yes, I took a hefty fee, but I also got the Master to help you, didn’t I? We’re even. Surely the favor of inviting him is worth your little fee?”

Ling Ruoxue knew she had been caught. But she had arranged for the Master to remove the restrictions for Qin Xiao. That was no small favor either.

For a moment, Qin Xiao had no answer. A master like Ji Ci was not someone he could invite whenever he pleased.

“That’s right. I’m not taking advantage of you. Work with me more, and I guarantee you’ll get more help.”

Having finally talked her way out of it, Ling Ruoxue breathed a sigh of relief.

A fool with as much money as Qin Xiao was hard to find. She would lose a great deal if he truly became angry.

Once outside the city, Zhang Zuo took out his flying sword and enlarged it. The five of them flew toward Spirit Medicine Valley.