Chapter 196: Funeral, Extinction, Heartache, Our Paths Will Cross Again! (III)

Within Crescent Moon Valley or more accurately, it was now the headquarters of the Luo Tian Society. Rows of stone houses and fortresses rose proudly, standing tall against the rugged landscape.

Luo Chen closed the door and turned his head, seeing Qin Liangchen's complicated expression.

Qin Liangchen asked, "Has she taken the Tranquility pill from Steward Miao gave?"

He sighed and replied, "She took it willingly. From now on, she will forget all memories of this period unless she one day breaks through to Foundation Establishment."

Qin Liangchen sighed, "Mi Li is a pitiful woman."

He gazed at Luo Chen's calm profile and couldn't help but asked, "Back then, what exactly did you—"

Halfway through his sentence, he forced a bitter smile.

He shook his head and said, "My mistake. Your answer back then held no weight before a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Why should I bother seeking the truth?"

Luo Chen did not respond. He simply stared blankly at a distant flower, slowly being buried under rubble carelessly dumped by a cultivator.

Qin Liangchen spoke with a tone of melancholy, "Steward Miao slaughtered all those Mi family members before our eyes. It was to remove future threats to Luo Tian Society, but also a warning—to keep us from getting any ideas.

"I thought we could rely on his protection, work in peace, and cultivate diligently. Now it seems, we were merely making deals with a tiger!"

Seeing Luo Chen still lost in thought, he shook his head and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't think too much. At least now, you're freer than before!"

Luo Chen gave a low hum of acknowledgement and walked along the bluestone-paved path toward the deepest part of Crescent Moon Valley.

Behind him, Qin Liangchen sighed and stayed outside the room.

Old Man Mi... There’s only this one bloodline left.

No matter the past grievances, the dead were gone—why should their families be dragged in?

After all, Old Man Mi had shown them kindness before.

***

"President!"

"President!"

The respectful calls rang beside his ears.

Luo Chen acted as though he hadn't heard and slowly walked to the summit of Crescent Moon Valley. He had come up here before, but it had been nothing more than a bare mountaintop.

Now, standing there overlooking the valley, he realized the scenery had long changed. After obtaining the small Five Elements Formation from Miao Wen, the reconstruction plan for Crescent Moon Valley had been adjusted.

Under Duan Feng's supervision, large swathes of trees had been transplanted. Mountains and mineral veins had been redirected, forming an undulating landscape of gold and earth. Cultivators had also diverted the valley’s spring water, creating small ponds both inside and outside the valley.

Moreover, the terrain faced south, aligning with the position of the Li Palace, and the daily activities of cultivators naturally generated a fire element energy.

Thus, Crescent Moon Valley had formed a preliminary flow of the generational five elements [1] layout. Such a transformation was not achieved overnight. For now, it was merely a prototype, requiring continuous improvement in the future.

However, Luo Tian Society had finally secured its foothold. Yet, gazing at this scene, Luo Chen, who should have been joyful, felt nothing of the sort.

In his mind, the image of Miao Wen’s satisfied smile continued to surface.

Keeping the clan alive—to lure out the snake?

Eradicating future threats—killing the chicken to warn the monkey?

These were all expected outcomes of the trip to Jueyun Mountain's Magnetic Essence Valley—just killing three birds with one stone.

Even without these matters, I would never defy him.

Then why did he still use Mi Li as a tool in the end? Did he anticipate that I might tamper with Luo Tian Society later—so he warned me in advance?

Luo Chen squatted on the ground, grabbing small stones and occasionally tossing them, leaving small holes on the mountaintop.

But why was he satisfied? I clearly made no decision at all!

Just Why?

As Luo Chen pondered endlessly, that phrase suddenly resurfaced in his mind.

"You are a smart man!"

"A smart man!"

Luo Chen's entire body stiffened.

After a long while, a trace of bitterness crept to his lips.

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

That's right. What satisfied him was simply that, I am a smart man.

Before the choice to preserve Mi Shuhua’s bloodline was made, Qin Liangchen had instinctively stepped forward to shield her.

Using that as a reference, by the time Luo Chen was caught in his internal deliberations, Miao Wen had already achieved his goal.

At that moment, whether Luo Chen had outright refused to kill Mi Li, or resolutely struck her down with a cruel hand, both would have been the outcomes Miao Wen least desired. Because either choice would have revealed Luo Chen as either a man driven by instinct and emotion—a noble man—or a person purely guided by profit—a vile opportunist.

Neither of those was what Miao Wen wanted to see.

The former was prone to mistakes, driven by emotions, and unlikely to accomplish great things. The latter was quick to betray, as soon as someone offered better benefits than Miao Wen, he would switch sides without hesitation.

What Miao Wen sought was a partner capable of weighing pros and cons, neither rash nor reckless, yet possessing the ability to think independently.

Such a person was easy to control and would not drag him down.

That single line—"Luo Chen, what do you think?"

Had clearly been a test to probe his heart. After laying the groundwork layer by layer, Miao Wen had left, satisfied.

Luo Chen’s face showed a complex expression. After working it all out, he was left with a sense of loss.

He muttered under his breath, "So... this is the kind of person I am."

Having his heart probed, and being shown the result, left him feeling humiliated. Or perhaps it was because anyone would struggle to face their true self.

People instinctively sought to beautify their actions—to justify every decision they had made.

Luo Chen had done the same all this time.

He had always thought of himself as someone who would draw his blade for a friend, never bully the weak, and be relatively kind—within his capabilities.

Yet under the glaring sunlight, all filth was laid bare.

He, Luo Chen, was neither a true gentleman nor a complete scoundrel.

He was merely an ordinary "smart man" among the masses.

Under the oppressive power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he would bully someone as weak as Mi Li. If Miao Wen had turned his wrath on Qin Liangchen, he would have been powerless—likely standing by and watching him die.

So-called kindness... is merely the mercy of the strong!

In front of Miao Wen, he was not the strong one—so he was not kind.

"But!" At some point, Luo Chen had begun trembling all over. His teeth were clenched tightly, veins bulging on his forehead and growled, "None of this was my intention!

"Why... why should others force me into such choices!

"Why should they probe my heart!

"Noble man or scoundrel, smart man or fool—when it comes down to it, it’s all just survival of the fittest! If I were strong enough, being noble or vile would be but a fleeting thought—kindness and cruelty, merely choices at my whim!"

Suddenly, Luo Chen stopped trembling. He loosened his bloodied lips.

He gave a self-deprecating smile.

What was my fault?

Being weak... is the original sin!

If he had been at Foundation Establishment, would Miao Wen have resorted to such a heart-probing test without limits?

He leapt down from the summit—like a drifting waterbird—falling gently through the air.

He muttered, "Letting me see my true self—that is a favor.

"Making me feel this humiliated—that is a grudge.

He narrowed his eyes and whispered, "Uncle Wen... we will meet again in the days to come!"

***

"Luo Chen, what do you think?"

Inside the newly established Gold Hall, Gu Caiyi led ten women, smiling as she looked at Luo Chen. Looking at the row of delicate and charming women standing in line.

For a brief moment, Luo Chen almost blurted out, "Get another batch." He rubbed his chin, then slowly shook his head. "It’s still not right. They’re too servile."

"Servile?" Gu Caiyi looked puzzled. She turned to glance at the women behind her and suddenly realized something.

Most of these female cultivators were her old acquaintances. Some were rogue cultivators from Dahe Market; others had retired from Tianxiang Tower.

Two of the women bore sickly expressions, both at the seventh stage of Qi-Refining. They appeared even more pitiful. They had not always been at the seventh stage. Once, they had reached the ninth stage of Qi-Refining, the same as Gu Caiyi.

However, ever since Tianxiang Tower changed hands, their fate had taken a tragic turn. They had been targeted by a Foundation Establishment cultivator with the surname Hua, who had ravaged their cultivation, causing their foundation to weaken and their realm to drop from the ninth realm to the seventh. If not for the secret help of their sisters, they would likely have died.

Most of these women were from Tianxiang Tower. While their beauty was exceptional, their long history of serving others had left a mark which made them naturally servile.

Luo Chen chose not to point this out. Instead, he spoke lightly, "What we need is reception that makes our customers feel like a spring breeze. Beyond the sales talk, your bearing must be graceful and confident. When dealing with customers, we must treat them equally. We must not be overly servile to the powerful, nor look down on early stage rogue cultivators.

"Remember, only if they are satisfied can we earn spirit stones. The balance is actually quite simple.

"You’ve all been to the Spirit Herb Pavilion, right?" Seeing everyone nod, Luo Chen continued, "All you need to do is be slightly more gentle and approachable compared to the attendants at the Spirit Herb Pavilion."

Hearing that, everyone understood.

Many of the employees at sect-affiliated shops were locals. Yet, once they joined, they inexplicably developed a sense of superiority.

When dealing with those who were poor or plainly dressed, they often showed disdain. They would not curse or insult, but ignoring and neglecting such customers was common.

Hence, being a little more approachable than them would not be difficult.

"Our pill quality cannot compare to theirs, but our service must.

"Besides this, Luo Tian Society will provide you with additional support. For example, a membership system. Our shop will introduce three tiers: Azure Bronze Member, Star Silver Member, and Gold-gilded Member.

"Each tier corresponds to a total spending of one hundred, one thousand, and ten thousand spirit stones, respectively. Under this system, the members will enjoy certain benefits. You must all memorize these and actively promote them."

Luo Chen instilled his ideas into them, bit by bit.

The female cultivators of the Gold Hall carefully noted everything down.

They were not fools. They understood these concepts—it was just that they needed a little guidance. As for the new features introduced by Luo Tian Society, they were quite surprised.

So, there was this much thought behind selling pills?

An Azure Bronze Member would receive a free cup of freshly brewed Fu Zhu milk tea with every purchase.

A Star Silver Member would be accompanied by a dedicated attendant, served tea and snacks, and receive a ten percent discount on pills.

A Gold-gilded Member would enjoy even more benefits—twenty percent off, home delivery, and even holiday greetings.

"But... would anyone really spend ten thousand spirit stones just on Jade Essence pills?" Gu Caiyi asked in confusion.

Luo Chen smiled calmly and said, "Of course there will be. These top-tier members are not for rogue cultivators, but for the major factions."

"But don’t the big factions usually get better Qi-Nourishing pills from the Spirit Herb Pavilion?" she asked.

Suddenly, Gu Caiyi realized something.

Luo Chen was trying to snatch customers from the Spirit Herb Pavilion!

Qi-nourishing pills were indeed effective, but they were expensive! Moreover, the major factions—the ones spending spirit stones on pills—were all late stage cultivators. They did not consume Qi-Nourishing pills or Jade essence pills themselves; they bought them for their subordinates.

As long as the effect was there, it was sufficient. At worst, they could simply increase the quantity. Once the quantity increased, they could enjoy the Gold-gilded Member discounts.

In comparison, buying pills from Luo Tian Society would be far more cost-effective.

Understanding this, Gu Caiyi could not help but marvel inwardly.

Luo Chen had such a talent for business!

Of course, Luo Chen would never say that he had long been familiar with such things in his previous life. He had merely brought over a few ideas and was already putting them to use.

Naturally, there was no shortage of intelligent cultivators. The Spirit Herb Pavilion was not unaware of such tricks.

They simply disdained using them!

It was simple—the pill business was a seller’s market. There was no need to cater to customers or beg them to buy more.

But for the Luo Tian Society, it was very necessary.

As a newly established faction, its sales channels were not open, and its customer base was unstable. These methods were excellent for securing large clients.

Even small customers would develop a favorable impression. If Luo Tian Society launched other products in the future, these customers would be more willing to try and buy them.

Afterward, Luo Chen explained a few more things. Before leaving, he handed Gu Caiyi a small booklet. It contained Luo Chen’s insights on pill sales—how to handle a cultivator’s hesitation, how to persuade them to buy in bulk, and how to encourage them to bundle other purchases.

By the time Luo Chen left the Gold Hall, the group of women inside, led by Gu Caiyi, had resumed practicing their mannerisms and sales dialogues.

Upon stepping out, Luo Chen encountered Qin Liangchen and his wife.

“Are you all ready?” Luo Chen asked.

Murong Qinglian took a deep breath and said, “Everything is ready. Liangchen has been resting at home for a few days. He’s in peak condition, and we’re good on spirit stones.”

Luo Chen glanced at Qin Liangchen and he nodded.

“In that case, let’s go!” Luo Chen said.

Without hesitation, the three activated Wind-Control and flew outward.

Just as they were about to leave the valley, Qin Liangchen let out a soft “huh.”

Luo Chen followed his gaze. On a transplanted parasol tree, a young woman in a white dress was perched on a branch, her pale legs swinging gently. Her delicate oval face bore an unnatural pallor. Her eyes were dazed as she watched the bustling construction site below.

“It seems Mi Li suffered some kind of shock a few days ago, she mentioned she forgot a lot of things.” Murong Qinglian sighed and added, “Perhaps the extermination of the Mi family was just too much for her.”

Luo Chen and Qin Liangchen exchanged a glance, tacitly choosing to remain silent.

The events at Jueyun Mountain were something they would never speak of.

1. 五行相生之相 (wǔ xíng xiāng shēng zhī xiàng) – A phrase rooted in Chinese metaphysical theory. It refers to the state or configuration in which the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Gold, Water) interact in a cycle of mutual generation, promoting harmony and growth. This concept is widely used in Daoist cultivation practices, feng shui, and traditional Chinese medicine to describe a state of elemental balance and positive energy flow. ☜