Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Banquet Invitation
Wang Hai frowned. "What I’m worried about now are the letters we exchanged with the Blood Saber Stronghold. If the Ye family got their hands on them and gave them to the City Lord’s Mansion, we’d be in trouble."
"Brother, you can relax," Wang Cong said with a laugh. "When I contacted the Blood Saber Stronghold, the letters I used didn’t bear our family’s seal, nor did they explicitly state our family’s identity. Even if the City Lord’s Mansion gets them, they can only guess. As long as you deny everything, there’s nothing they can do to the Wang family."
"That’s good," Wang Hai nodded.
Just then, a voice announced from outside the assembly hall. After being called in, a man knelt on one knee. "Patriarch, the City Lord’s Mansion has sent someone to summon you."
Wang Hai gave a bitter laugh. "Just as I feared. The incident from a few days ago just ended, and now I have to go to the City Lord’s Mansion again."
"Patriarch, then what should we do about the Ye family...?"
"Don’t do anything for now. I need to carefully investigate what kind of relationship the City Guard and the Alchemist Association have with the Ye family. The attitude of those two is just too strange."
While the Wang and Zhou families were fretting over how to explain themselves to the City Lord’s Mansion, the Ye family was flourishing.
At the family dinner that evening, as usual, everyone was present.
"Xuan’Er, these past few days, our Ye family has acquired quite a few manors. Now, we can say that our Ye family controls seventy to eighty percent of Cyan Mountain Town’s medicinal herb market." Ye Batian was all smiles.
In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since the Blood Saber Stronghold incident.
Over the past half-month, the Ye family had used all sorts of methods. Coupled with receiving the title of an honorary family, they enjoyed significant advantages in certain policies, causing the family’s business to develop faster and faster.
Everyone in the Ye family was swamped with work, with almost no time to rest.
"Grandpa, if I were you, I’d spend more time in secluded cultivation. On the Celestial Profound Continent, only martial strength is the strongest backer. Otherwise, no matter how well you run our Ye family’s business, it will all be nothing but a fleeting illusion."
"Heh heh." The old Patriarch chuckled awkwardly. "Xuan’Er, I know what you’re saying, but I’m old now. This cultivation of mine has more or less peaked at the Second Layer of Earth Martial Artist. Even if I continue to cultivate, there isn’t much potential for growth."
Ye Xuan shook his head. "Grandpa, didn’t I give the family a Cultivation Technique? As long as you cultivate according to that technique, I guarantee that within a month, you’ll have a chance to break through to the Third Layer of Earth Martial Artist."
"Are you serious?" The old Patriarch jumped to his feet.
He knew that his grandson had become incredibly mysterious recently, his methods unpredictable. So far, everything he had said he could do, he had accomplished.
But the claim that he could break through to the Third Layer of Earth Martial Artist in a month still shocked the old Patriarch to his core.
"It’s just the Third Layer of Earth Martial Artist. Look at you, making a fuss. Getting so excited over such a small matter?" Ye Xuan’s tone was nonchalant. "If you break through to the Martial Sect realm in a few years, are you going to tear down the house?"
Breaking through to the Third Layer of Earth Martial Artist was the level of Blue Moon City’s top experts, yet in Ye Xuan’s eyes, it was merely a small matter. The old Patriarch’s face turned pale hearing this. When he heard the last sentence, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Martial Sect, you mean a Tier Five Martial Sect? That’s the level of the kingdom’s strongest experts! Me? How is that possible? I don’t have that kind of talent!"
Ye Xuan smiled. "Grandpa, of course you don’t have that kind of talent. But with the Cultivation Technique I gave you, it’s not entirely hopeless."
To increase the family’s strength, Ye Xuan had provided a Profound-grade Cultivation Skill suitable for cultivating an earth-type martial soul. A technique of this level was a priceless treasure that couldn’t even be found in the Liuyun Kingdom’s national treasury.
"Father, the Cultivation Technique Xuan’Er provided is truly amazing. Lately, I feel like my Profound Qi is on the verge of breaking through to the Second Layer of Earth Martial Artist," Ye Zhanxiong whispered from the side.
"What?" The old Patriarch grabbed Ye Zhanxiong’s ear and scolded, "Why didn’t you tell me sooner, you brat? No wonder I’ve seen you running off to the cultivation room so often lately, neglecting the family business. So you were secretly taking advantage! Starting tomorrow, you’re in charge of the family business. I’m going into seclusion."
"Ahem, Father, I received an invitation from the City Lord’s Mansion today for the Ye family to attend a banquet they are hosting in seven days. For such an important event, of course you need to go."
"A banquet at the City Lord’s Mansion? Not going, not going." The old Patriarch was now adamant. "Nobody is stopping me from going into seclusion. For this kind of thing, just let Xuan’Er go. He seems to be heading to Blue Moon City anyway."
Ye Zhanxiong immediately placed the invitation in front of Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan picked it up and took a look.
It turned out that at the end of every year, the City Lord’s Mansion would host a grand feast. This feast was mainly a social gathering organized by the City Lord’s Mansion to thank the various families and factions of Blue Moon City for their contributions throughout the year.
At the same time, the City Lord’s birthday also happened to fall on this day, so the banquet was also a birthday celebration for the City Lord of Blue Moon City.
Such a banquet only invited the prominent families and factions within Blue Moon City. Given the Ye family’s previous status, they would never have been considered.
But this year, because the Ye family had wiped out the Blood Saber Stronghold and been granted the title of an honorary family, they had earned the right to attend.
Ye Xuan smiled. "First Uncle, since the City Lord’s Mansion sent someone all the way to Cyan Mountain Town with the invitation, that shows their sincerity. What’s more, this banquet is also the City Lord’s birthday celebration. Our Patriarch definitely has to go. Besides that, I’m taking Father to Blue Moon City to find a way to heal his injuries. So, including my father and me, that leaves two more spots. Anyone in the family who wants to go can. An occasion like this is a good opportunity to network with the influential figures of Blue Moon City. First Uncle, you all should seize this chance."
"What?" Hearing Ye Xuan’s words, the old Patriarch suddenly shot to his feet, exclaiming excitedly, "Xuan’Er, are you confident you can heal Zhanyun’s injuries?"
Ye Xuan’s father, Ye Zhanyun, also looked ecstatic.
Ever since Ye Xuan had told him his injuries could be healed, Ye Zhanyun had been in a state of excitement for days.
For the past half-month, he had been following Ye Xuan’s instructions, exercising daily and undergoing treatments like medicinal baths. He felt his body growing younger, and some of his atrophied and aged muscles were even starting to recover.
However, he couldn’t feel any recovery in the broken meridians inside his body, which made him quite anxious. Now, hearing Ye Xuan say this, he was overcome with excitement.
Ye Xuan smiled faintly. "After half a month of conditioning, Father’s body has been sufficiently prepared. It shouldn’t be a problem now. The reason we have to go to Blue Moon City is that Cyan Mountain Town has too few resources. Many of the things needed to treat Father’s injuries can only be found in Blue Moon City."
"But Grandpa, I also think it’s necessary for our Ye family to move our residence to Blue Moon City in the near future."
"If the Ye family wants to compete with the Wang and Zhou families and become a great family, we must go to Blue Moon City to develop. Otherwise, if we stay in Cyan Mountain Town, no matter how much we grow, we’re destined to remain nothing more than minor local landlords, petty tyrants who will never achieve anything great."
Ye Xuan’s words stirred something in Ye Batian.
He had considered this before. After all, once any great family rose to prominence, they would move their residence to Blue Moon City. There were no cases of them continuing to stay in the countryside.
It was just that while the Ye family hadn’t been weak before, they were still far behind some of the families in Blue Moon City. Plus, Cyan Mountain Town was their home base, so Ye Batian couldn’t be bothered to move.
Now, with Ye Xuan’s help, the Ye family had developed extremely quickly. It was indeed a good time to consider relocating their residence.
After all, moving to Blue Moon City wasn’t just a change of location. As Ye Xuan had said, Cyan Mountain Town was a small place with far too few resources.
For one thing, if they wanted to buy Second Grade potions or Pills, or even get a martial soul tested, there was no place to do so. They had to go to Blue Moon City. This severely restricted the development of the Ye family’s next generation.
And once the Ye family’s business grew larger, moving the residence to Blue Moon City would also make negotiations with major merchant associations and other families much more convenient.
Thinking of this, Ye Batian nodded. "Xuan’Er, I will take this to heart. Once the Spring Profound Festival is over this year, the Ye family will move its entire household to Blue Moon City. However, we must leave someone behind to guard our residence in Cyan Mountain Town. And before we move, we must make sure the Li and Liu families lose the ability to ever threaten our Ye family again."
"Zhanxiong, this time when you, Xuan’Er, and Zhanyun go to Blue Moon City, you can also take the opportunity to see if there are any good residences available. If the price is right, you can buy one."
Ye Xuan nodded. The old Patriarch was still very thorough in his considerations.
The next morning, Ye Xuan, along with his father and the others, quietly left Cyan Mountain Town and headed for Blue Moon City.
On this trip, besides Ye Xuan and his father Ye Zhanyun, there was also his First Uncle Ye Zhanxiong, Fourth Uncle Ye Zhanzhen, and Fifth Uncle Ye Zhantian.
These men were the backbone of the Ye family’s second generation and the hope for its future. Having them attend an event like the City Lord’s banquet would also help the Ye family better integrate into Blue Moon City.
As for Ye Zhantang, who was originally the strongest, he was excluded. There was nothing to be done about it—after all, his political leanings had been a bit of a problem when facing the Wang family.
Three days later, the Ye family’s group finally arrived at Blue Moon City.
"So our Ye family will be developing in Blue Moon City from now on?"
Gazing at the magnificent city before them, Ye Zhanxiong and the others felt their hearts surging, their blood boiling with excitement.
It wasn’t their first time in Blue Moon City, but the thought that their Ye family would soon have a place here was still thrilling beyond measure.
Compared to Blue Moon City, Cyan Mountain Town was just a backwater village.
Luo Zhan was also feeling a surge of emotion.
Just over a month ago, when he had left Blue Moon City with Ye Xuan, he had been nothing but a crippled First Layer Earth Martial Artist.
