Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 68 - 65: You Have to Pay More

Elder Wu Jinghong’s proposal left Wu Canglang silent for a long time.

The failure to borrow resources from Hanyue Gate, as well as Elder Tianyang’s intentions toward their clan’s daughter, Wu Qi, were no longer secrets. Everyone in the Wu Family, from top to bottom, knew about it.

More than half of the Elders were furious about this. After all, Wu Qi had already reached Foundation Establishment and had the potential to advance even further.

If Wu Canglang were to reach the end of his Lifespan in the future, she was fully qualified to compete for the position of the next Patriarch.

Therefore, the Wu Family would never let her marry out. Even if she were to find a Dao Companion, the man would have to marry into their family.

Thus, Elder Tianyang of Hanyue Gate’s proposal to take Wu Qi as a concubine was undoubtedly humiliating and would never be accepted by the Wu Family under normal circumstances.

However, the situation the Wu Family now faced was grim. If they couldn’t borrow enough resources, it would be impossible to overcome the imminent crisis.

"...Is there no other choice?"

A moment later, Wu Canglang’s slightly bitter voice broke the silence.

Wu Jinghong sighed. "Given the family’s current situation... we can’t offer any more bargaining chips. Even our few allies are now thinking of switching sides."

"If we can’t defeat the Ling Family soon, our situation will rapidly deteriorate, and it will be impossible to recover!"

"This..."

Wu Canglang stopped in his tracks, frowning in silent contemplation.

In truth, looking only at the conditions Elder Tianyang had offered, one couldn’t say he was stingy.

The other terms were one thing, but the key was his willingness to act on the Wu Family’s behalf once, free of charge. This was a promise capable of changing the Wu Family’s fate.

After all, the Ling Family currently had no Pseudo Core master. Even with a slight advantage in the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they likely stood no chance against the full might of a Pseudo Core master.

"So be it,"

After a period of painful deliberation, Wu Canglang gritted his teeth and finally made the difficult decision.

"The family is facing a crisis of life and death. All clan members should be prepared to contribute and sacrifice for the family. Wu Qi... is no exception!"

"CRACK!"

The sound of a teacup shattering came from behind the painted black jade screen.

A slightly pale Wu Qi emerged, her bright, wide eyes filled with disbelief.

"Uncle, you actually... How could you do this?"

She had actually arrived long ago but had simply remained hidden.

Wu Canglang glanced at his niece, his brows tightly furrowed, and said slowly,

"Wu Qi, this can’t be helped. Without Elder Tianyang’s intervention, the family’s decline will be irreversible."

"Perhaps in a few years, this great foundation on Longhuan Island will belong to the Ling Family."

"So... we must ask you to endure this injustice!"

Wu Qi’s face turned deathly pale. She stammered, "You’re making me go sleep with that disgusting old fiend? He doesn’t even have many years left to live!"

"Young Mistress, isn’t that for the best?"

Wu Jinghong said in a low voice, "Once Elder Tianyang’s Lifespan ends and he passes away, you will regain your freedom. You can continue to serve the family then."

Wu Qi flew into a rage, glaring fiercely at Wu Canglang and shouting,

"Then why don’t you sacrifice your own daughter? Does it have to be me?"

"Because their aptitude is poor! They wouldn’t fetch a good price!"

At this, Wu Canglang dropped the pretense, his voice becoming incredibly cold.

"Elder Tianyang specifically asked for you. This is your opportunity!"

"To be able to sacrifice for the family is a great honor. Since you’ve enjoyed the family’s resources and training, you should always put the family’s interests first!"

"You... you bastard..."

Wu Qi swayed, overcome by a deep sense of powerlessness.

’To think that I’m already a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, someone who could be a pillar in many Small Clans, yet I still can’t escape the fate of being a sacrificial pawn.’

With Wu Canglang’s mind made up, it was unlikely anyone in the family would speak up for Wu Qi, not even her own parents. After all, they weren’t even at Foundation Establishment and had no say in the matter.

Wu Canglang sighed again, his tone softening slightly.

"Wu Qi, don’t blame your uncle for being heartless. To ensure the survival of our Wu Family’s foundation, this is the only resort!"

"How about this: once Elder Tianyang helps us destroy the Ling Family, Zenxin Island will be your personal domain. In the future, after my Lifespan ends and I pass on, the position of Patriarch can also be yours. That should be acceptable, right?"

Wu Canglang hadn’t become Patriarch just yesterday; he was well-versed in the art of making empty promises.

’I could even convene a meeting of the high-ranking Elders to publicly establish Wu Qi as the heir to the Patriarch’s position. That would placate her and make her willing to marry Elder Tianyang.’

’At the same time, it gives the family leverage with Elder Tianyang: This is the Wu Family’s most outstanding daughter, the heir to the next Patriarch. Now that she’s becoming your concubine, you ought to add some more benefits, right?’

’If you want to sleep with the Wu Family’s next Patriarch, you’ll have to pay extra!’

This was Wu Canglang’s calculation. Since the matter was unavoidable, he had to maximize the benefits and squeeze as much as possible from Elder Tianyang to justify the Wu Family’s sacrifice.

As for Wu Qi’s own wishes, they were no longer important. If she was still alive by then, she could naturally return to continue serving the family.

If she died, then of course, none of it would matter.

...

「Zenxin Island.」

Ling Changqing had been at the clan headquarters for over three months. While spending time with Tang Qiu Yao, he didn’t forget to frequently practice Opening the Furnace and Refining Pills.

The constant practice allowed him to accumulate a wealth of experience, and his skill in the Alchemy Dao improved at a visible rate.

Thanks especially to his powerful Luck and Fortune, Ling Changqing’s success rate in Alchemy was abnormally high, with failures being few and far between.

Normally, when a Rank One Alchemist was Opening the Furnace and Refining Pills, not only was the success rate low, but the quality of the refined Elixirs was also hard to guarantee.

Duds and low-quality elixirs were common, while the number of standard-quality elixirs was quite limited, leading to a great waste of precious Medicinal Herbs and raw materials.

The reason Pill Masters were so rare was because the cost of training them was too high.

The resources required to train a somewhat talented Pill Master Apprentice into a qualified Rank One High-grade Alchemist could produce two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, or possibly even more.

However, this rule didn’t seem to apply to Ling Changqing. While the quality of the Elixirs he refined wasn’t spectacular, they could at least all be classified as standard-grade. He produced very few low-quality elixirs, meaning that almost none of the raw Medicinal Herbs were wasted.

This both shocked and delighted Tang Qiu Yao and the other high-ranking Elders, giving them a much deeper appreciation of Ling Changqing’s importance.

’To have such an outstanding performance during the Qi Cultivation Stage... what kind of breathtaking genius will Ling Changqing be once he becomes a Foundation Establishment Cultivator?’

It wasn’t that no Elder suspected Ling Changqing might be hiding a secret, but as long as Tang Qiu Yao and Ling Qiyue remained silent, no one dared to make any untoward moves against him.

As for the refined Elixirs, Ling Changqing turned most of them over to the Clan Treasury, converting them into contribution points for himself. In any case, he knew Tang Qiu Yao wouldn’t let him get a raw deal.

Ling Changqing chose to keep the small remaining portion to ensure he had enough for his daily Cultivation needs.

One day, Ling Changqing had just finished processing a batch of Spirit Medicine and Spiritual Herbs. Before he could decide what to do next, a tense-looking Tang Qiu Yao gracefully walked in.

"Senior Sister, what happened outside?"

Ling Changqing asked in surprise. He rarely saw Tang Qiu Yao with such an expression.

"The Wu Family... has formed a marriage alliance with Elder Tianyang of Hanyue Gate!"

Tang Qiu Yao’s words instantly caused Ling Changqing’s expression to change drastically.

Compared to the various small powers in the current Feiyu Sea Region, Hanyue Gate was an undisputed behemoth.

If the Wu Family had truly established a connection with a high-ranking Elder from Hanyue Gate, the situation would indeed become very disadvantageous for the Ling Family.

"What exactly is going on?"

Ling Changqing stepped forward and took Tang Qiu Yao by her jade-like arm, and the two sat down on a soft couch nearby.

"Have some tea, Senior Sister."

Ling Changqing raised his hand slightly, magically pulling the Azure Jade Tea Bowl from a nearby table and handing it to her.

Tang Qiu Yao took the tea bowl and sipped from it gracefully before speaking softly.

"That Elder Tianyang from Hanyue Gate is a Pseudo Core master with not much Lifespan left, but he’s lecherous to the core..."

Before long, Ling Changqing had learned the full story.

"She’s just being married off as a concubine, and the Wu Family still has the gall to call it a marriage alliance? They’re completely shameless."

Ling Changqing was left speechless.

For one thousand five hundred Middle-grade Spirit Stones and four Foundation Establishment Pills, the Wu Family was willing to send their own clan’s daughter to be someone’s concubine. It was utterly devoid of honor.

Tang Qiu Yao’s delicate brows knitted together. "The status she marries into isn’t important. The key is that after obtaining those resources, the Wu Family can produce several more Foundation Establishment Cultivators."

"Moreover, if that Elder Tianyang is still alive when the Wu Family goes to war with us, he will most likely intervene in a personal capacity."

"That is indeed a problem."

Ling Changqing nodded. The combat power of a Pseudo Core master, even one on the verge of dying from old age, was not something an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator could stand against.

If the opponent also had some powerful techniques or even a temporarily borrowed Magical Treasure, the Ling Family would face unbearable pressure.

"How much more time can we buy?"

Ling Changqing asked. Now that the Wu Family had gained such a powerful backer, they would probably consider launching an all-out war against the Ling Family before long.

"A year at most, perhaps even less!"

Tang Qiu Yao frowned. "Once their newly advanced Foundation Establishment Cultivators have stabilized their Realms, going to war will be the logical next step."

After all, that lecherous Elder Tianyang didn’t have much time left. If they delayed for too long, he might lose his ability to act, and the Wu Family would suffer a great loss.

"A year is too short."

Ling Changqing sighed, frowning in silent contemplation.

The resources he and his Senior Sister had gathered from their trip out to sea needed to be refined into Elixirs and then used to strengthen the family. That entire cycle would take more than a year.

Besides, Ling Qiyue had not yet come out of seclusion. If the Wu Family’s Cultivators came knocking, it was uncertain if Tang Qiu Yao and the other Foundation Establishment Elders alone could hold them off.