Chapter 235 The Wu Family's Regret

Sun Hu immediately put away the alchemy manual and treasured it.

Undoubtedly, his grandson had already considered things very far ahead for them, and the kindness he showed them made him feel ashamed.

He had only scraped together some gold for his grandson's expenses at the very beginning... and that was just what he was supposed to do.

Many times in the dead of night, or when talking to his adopted daughter about the past, he felt deep regret.

He regretted that when his grandson was young, he avoided seeing him because of his resentment towards Zhong Guanlin, and was unable to watch him grow up.

Your little grandson must be very cute, right?

But it was all too late.

However, no matter how many emotions Sun Hu felt inside, he didn't show it on his face.

If his grandson is willing to treat them well, and he always acts ashamed, wouldn't that just annoy his grandson?

·

All sorts of thoughts, in just a moment.

Sun Hu solemnly agreed, "Your maternal grandfather and aunt will definitely handle this well. As for your father's side..." He still asked carefully, "The Zhong family and your father's children with his other wives and concubines?"

Zhong Cai understood that his grandfather wanted to confirm his meaning, so he nodded and smiled, "My stepfather really treats me like a son, my stepmother treats me well, and Lan'er and Yun'er respect me and Lao Wu. Lao Wu and I have to take care of them. As for the other members of the Zhong family, they're just so-so, not very close relatives."

Sun Hu laughed and said, "Then Grandpa, please have your aunt help take care of them too."

Zhong Cai laughed.

His maternal grandfather still gets annoyed whenever he hears the word "stepfather," so he always makes his aunt deal with his stepmother.

Zhong Cai laughed and said, "It doesn't need to be too special, just the same as before. At most, we'll see about their descendants. Lan'er and Yun'er don't have much talent. If they don't get married in the future, we'll see if their stepmother will have any more children."

Sun Hu already understood his grandson's meaning, and he knew exactly what to do next.

Sun Liu listened attentively, seemingly deep in thought, and quickly decided how to proceed in the future.

·

The grandfather and his grandchildren chatted for a while longer.

Sun Hu and Sun Liu raised some questions about cultivation, which were all resolved by Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan.

The two suddenly realized their mistake and both gained something from it.

Gradually, it was getting light.

Zhong took out two boxes and handed them to Sun Hu and Sun Liu respectively.

"Grandpa, Aunt, Old Wu and I should be leaving now! We'll be a bit conspicuous once it gets light." He said with a grin, "We'll come back to visit you when we get back from our travels!"

Sun Hu and Sun Liu both knew that these were resources sent to them by their grandson and his wife.

Just like with that alchemy booklet before, their grandson and granddaughter treated them so well that they always felt a little embarrassed. At first, they would refuse, but over the years, their grandson and granddaughter would always give them something from time to time. Later, they realized that instead of being so pretentious, it would be better to happily accept it and cherish it, which would make their grandson and granddaughter happier.

So this time, both father and daughter smiled and thanked her happily.

At this moment, Wu Shaogan took out a small array plate and handed it to Sun Hu.

Sun Hu took it and asked, "What's this?"

Wu Shaogan said, "We can confirm whether Acai is safe."

Zhong Cai leaned against Wu Shaogan and said happily, "That's it!"

·

It turns out that while Zhong Cai was actively making various preparations, Wu Shaogan also took the time to refine such an array plate.

Its function is quite special. As long as a drop of Zhong Cai's blood and hair are added during the refining process, and Zhong Cai's soul travels back and forth within the finished product, and the refining is carried out multiple times... the resulting array plate can determine whether Zhong Cai is dead or alive.

·

Sun Hu and Sun Liu both showed surprise.

Zhong Cai explained to them carefully: "The verification process is a bit complicated. Grandpa needs to drip his blood into the array first. After the array plate absorbs it, you can infuse it with Xuan power to activate it. After that, you don't need to drip blood again for each activation; you can just infuse it with Xuan power."

"If the array plate becomes cold after activation, it means I am dead. If it becomes hot, it means I am alive. If it is only about the same temperature as a cultivator's body, it means I am seriously injured... But as long as it doesn't get cold, my life is not in danger."

Sun Hu and Sun Liu listened very carefully, especially Sun Hu, who immediately completed the entire process before and after the activation.

Sure enough, the array plate immediately became quite hot!

It's really useful!

Sun Hu breathed a sigh of relief and felt much more at ease.

In this way, once his grandson goes out to travel, he can simply activate this array whenever he has any concerns.

As long as my grandson is still alive and well, that would be the best thing.

Because Sun Liu is not Zhong Cai's blood relative, she cannot activate the array plate herself, but she can rest assured as long as she asks her adoptive father.

·

All the pleasantries and gifts were exchanged.

Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan stood up and formally bid farewell to the two men.

Sun Hu and Sun Liu did not try to stop him, but stood by the window and watched as Wu Shaogan embraced Zhong Cai and disappeared in an instant, turning into a dark shadow.

The two looked at each other for a long time, until the sky was starting to lighten, before closing the window and sitting down on the tatami chairs.

Sun Hu and Sun Liu tacitly took out the boxes that had been given to them before, opened them, and prepared to take stock of the resources before putting them away properly.

The box has two layers. In the first layer, there are several booklets.

The father and daughter each flipped through it.

The booklets mainly contain cultivation methods and secret techniques suitable for two people respectively.

Sun Hu has only reached the Enlightenment stage so far, and with his Yellow Rank and Middle Qualities, his highest level will be the Suspended Illumination stage. Therefore, his cultivation techniques and secret skills are all at the fourth level.

Sun Liuhuang possesses top-tier aptitude, capable of cultivating to the highest level of the Palace Building realm, thus her booklet reaches the sixth rank.

The father and daughter exchanged a glance, both sighing with emotion.

With these techniques and secret methods, they no longer needed to spend a lot of time seeking cultivation methods.

Moreover, in addition to the ones suitable for the two of them, each also has a set of third-tier cultivation techniques and secret skills, which seem to be quite universal and should be applicable to cultivators of any attribute or physique.

This is for ordinary hunting party members.

The West Tiger Hunting Group then gained another layer of strength.

·

The father and daughter then each opened the second layer of the box.

This consists of many squares, each paired with a paper roll.

—It's about the same as what the Zhong family got.

Then, the father and daughter learned from the note's description that these were pills used for cultivation and prolonging life...

If nothing unexpected happens, Sun Liu's cultivation should go smoothly. Even though his cultivation speed will be slower because he is in a small place, he should still be able to gradually reach a relatively high realm.

The life-extending pill is mainly to give her a safety net—what if her comprehension isn't good enough and she spends too much time breaking through?

Sun Hu is different; his potential is already set.

Therefore, logically speaking, the limit of lifespan is probably just that.

With the longevity pill, he could live to be eight hundred years old, and then extend his life by another three hundred, two hundred, and another three hundred...

Ordinary cultivators who have achieved fusion would not outlive him.

He could even outlive Tsukimiya!

·

Sun Hu and Sun Liu's pupils contracted!

Neither of them dared to utter a single word, swallowing all their shock.

With trembling fingers, they restored the box to its original state and placed it among their best-kept mustard seed treasures.

Then, the father and daughter took a deep breath.

Cai'er, you really think of them so much!

They understood even more now why Zhong Cai and his wife had come in person before their travels… Perhaps it was because the Longevity Pill was too precious and inconvenient for others to carry…

·

Zhong Cai leaned against Wu Shaogan's chest, feeling the strong winds blowing from both sides, which was quite refreshing.

He couldn't help but shout, "Old Wu, run! Old Wu! Hurry!"

Wu Shaogan: "..."

In an instant, I was transported back to the days when I carried A-Cai and flew up and down the valley, and he was also ordered around by A-Cai in the same way.

However, as Wu Shaogan recalled the events in his mind, his body also honestly embraced Zhong Cai, and he decisively sped up!

Because the two were at a very high level, many cultivators couldn't see them at all, only sensing a gust of wind passing by... but when they looked closely, they found nothing.

·

Neither of them glanced at the Wu family's house.

And the Wu family...

It remains a level-five power, and still a top power in Kunyun City.

After these years, the Wu family members gradually dared to go out more often, and they seemed to have regained some of their energy and spirit.

But in reality, very few members of the Wu family lived a truly happy life.

Some members of the Wu family, who had long-standing internal conflicts, were not happy about certain situations within the Wu family, because they dared not express such feelings too much, and because they themselves were also implicated.

The two patriarchs of the Wu family are still in seclusion and rarely appear in public.

Originally, after the patriarch went into seclusion, the clan head would take charge, and many elders of the Xuanzhao clan would handle affairs. The clan head would manage clan affairs in an orderly manner, and if clan members were bullied or fought with others, strong members of the clan could step in.

But things are different now. The original patriarch is no longer the patriarch, and although the successor has tried very hard, his abilities are limited. He can only maintain the clan's basic operation, and there are still many areas where he falls short... In the end, he can only barely keep the clan from falling into chaos. This is mainly due to the prestige of the ancestors.

When the tribespeople go out, they almost always keep their tails between their legs; at the very least, they can no longer be as carefree and triumphant as they used to be.

After all, there really are no strong individuals left in the clan to handle affairs.

If the clansmen get into any major trouble with other forces, and the other side issues a summons, the Wu family can certainly ask their ancestor for help... but there are quite a few summons in Kunyun City, and they can't ask their ancestor for help every time, can they?

Interrupting the ancestor's seclusion and preventing him from cultivating and striving for a breakthrough would not benefit the Wu family in the slightest!

Most of the time, the Wu family members could only endure it on their own.

They had to restrain themselves from being as arrogant as before, restrain themselves from displaying the prestige of a top-tier family, restrain themselves from engaging in conflict, restrain themselves from the ridicule and mockery of the Wu family by cultivators from other forces, and restrain themselves from all the humiliating external things...

·

Many members of the Wu family harbored resentment.

Many members of the Wu family secretly harbored regrets.

In particular, over the years, people have intermittently mentioned in their ears how much benefit the Zhong family has gained, both openly and secretly.

The Zhong family, which was once a weak force that the Wu family had to sacrifice to marry their members to the Wu family's "useless" people with a single word, has now gained many opportunities to grow and expand because of the members of their family who married into the Wu family and the "useless" people who were abandoned by the Wu family!

The Wu family had produced top geniuses for two consecutive generations, but they were abandoned, humiliated, and even abused by the Wu family when their luck was temporarily thwarted. They then left the Wu family and received great fortune...

The Wu family was poisoned to such an extent because of their crimes, and they threw away their two lifelines early on, leaving them in a state where no one would help them.

What's even more frustrating is that, besides these two, the clansmen who married into the Zhong family should also belong to the Wu family, and he had already shown his talent as an alchemist!

However, the former head of the family underestimated the Zhong family's admiration and concern for the Wu family's former genius, and ended up offending that person.

The so-called "marriage to a young master because of love" was clearly a cover-up by the Zhong family because they were unwilling to give up their beloved daughter. Who the hell could have known that it wasn't an excuse, but the truth?

This is absolutely outrageous!

If they had known earlier, treated that alchemist better, and respected the young master even more because of that alchemist... then at least this couple wouldn't have ignored the Wu family.

Given Master Zhong's alchemy skills and status, wouldn't it be easy for him to extract many useful pills from his master for the Wu family?

That would not only easily clear the remaining toxins from the bodies of the clansmen, but also eliminate the need for the two ancestors to worry about their cultivation. Even if they only have a little over a hundred years of lifespan left, they could still receive a lot of resources to help them reach the Palace Building Realm!

By then, the Wu family will be a level six power!

The entire Kunyun City might benefit from this and gradually rise in status... How powerful and prestigious would the Wu family become!

only……

Every time the smarter members of the Wu family thought of this, their expressions would shift from joyful anticipation to immediate resentment as they returned to reality.

The decisions made by the former head of the family were far too harsh!

If it weren't for what the couple did, the Wu family wouldn't have lost such a good opportunity!

It's as if such terrifying geniuses have appeared one after another in their room!

Why, why couldn't we keep even one?!

They're all so cold-hearted!

Countless resentments were directed at the couple.

Although the couple were still alive, they were deeply filled with remorse.

Three top geniuses who have entered the eighth level of power... they are their descendants, and it should have been the glory of their branch of the family.

No one can be sure what kind of peak Wu Shaogan, Zhong Cai, and Wu Dongxiao will climb in the future, nor can anyone be sure where their limits lie.

Wu Shaogan and Wu Dongxiao, uncle and nephew, were able to make a quick comeback even after being crippled—did their time between being crippled and recovering exceed a year? Zhong Cai, who was so unremarkable and supposedly determined to be a low-grade alchemist at birth, quickly became an alchemist after getting married—did it take her more than a year to go from learning alchemy to becoming a second-grade alchemist?

That's too fast, really too fast.

The main reason why the Wu family members gradually harbored deep hatred for the former family head and his wife, and why the couple increasingly regretted their actions, was that... the time it took them to rise from the depths of despair was far too short.

If the Wu family had been even slightly willing to make a show of kindness, even just for a year or two, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

It was as if three treasure mountains existed in the Wu family for a time, but then vanished in the blink of an eye.

·

Unfortunately, it was all too late.

Many members of the Wu family dream of great glory, but upon waking, they are filled with regret.

Not a single member of the Wu family showed them any kindness when they were both down on their luck.

Although some people later sent Zhong Cai precious medicines and other gifts, by then Zhong Cai had already become an alchemist, so it was no longer a matter of helping someone in need. How could they feel any affection? They would only feel the benefits.

Countless members of the Wu family wished they could go back to the past and be on good terms with the two of them.

They had heard that Wu Dongxiao was rescued by Wu Shaogan and Zhong Cai, and that they had taken him to participate in the Azure Dragon assessment... In other words, as long as they befriended Wu Shaogan and Zhong Cai, they would also befriend Wu Dongxiao.

Those three now look like a family.

On the contrary, the other relatives of those three people, even their closest parents and siblings, were of no importance to them.

·

When news of Zhong Cai becoming a Level 5 Pill King at less than forty years old, and his master becoming a Pill Emperor long ago, reached Kunyun City, the West Tiger Hunting Group and the Zhong family were overjoyed, while the Wu family was ten times more disappointed.

Even the Wu family patriarchs who were in seclusion coughed up blood after receiving the news, especially the male patriarch who was still recuperating from his injuries.

if……

If the Wu family had treated Wu Shaogan well, then Zhong Cai, who cherishes him, could have easily given them some top-grade level 5 healing and cultivation pills, and they wouldn't be in such a sorry state.

At the same time, news also came that Wu Shaogan had merged with the Azure Dragon and had once held the top spot on the Azure Dragon Ranking, unchallenged. Considering Wu Shaogan's age... it was incredibly stimulating, making countless members of the Wu family extremely depressed.

A fifth-level Pill King! The top of the Azure Dragon Ranking!

Moreover, those two even trained Wu Dongxiao, who reached the third level in both alchemy and cultivation!

How old are these three?

Thirty-something, twenty-something...

The Wu family members couldn't sleep at that time.

It's too late.

It was all too late.

No one could have predicted all of this.

But it was too late...

The Wu family's spirit and energy have visibly deteriorated once again.

From that time onward, many members of the Wu family found it difficult to recover.

If some members of the Wu family were still working hard, trying to stand up on their own... then after these few pieces of news came back, the grief and indignation in their hearts could no longer be suppressed.

What's the point of even trying?!

Just thinking about how I'll regret missing out on so many resources every time I have a chance to break through makes me so anxious, how can I possibly break through then!

Even more so, many intelligent members of the Wu family knew that when they encountered bottlenecks in their cultivation, they would think of the shortcuts they could have taken, and their minds would become unsettled; even if they managed to calm themselves down, when they felt the dangers of cultivation, they would think that with the support of those few people, there would be no need to take the risks at all...

Many members of the Wu family have completely lost their drive.

Without their sharpness, cultivators will find it even more difficult to break through in their cultivation.

·

Amidst the gloom and frustration within the Wu family, two elders and a young boy quietly gathered together.

They didn't make a fuss.

Because they each possessed a Level 3 Soul Fusion Pill, which had been specially brought in by the West Tiger Hunting Group.

Wu Tianxin, the great-grandfather who was in charge of the clan's elixir trading.

Wu Shaowei, a junior whom Wu Tianxin cherishes, is Wu Shaogan's cousin.

Wu Tianqi, the great-grandfather who was in charge of resource transactions among the clan.

After comparing their own experiences, the three of them had mixed feelings.

Wu Tianxin maintained a friendly attitude throughout, and after Zhong Cai became an alchemist, he was the first to have Wu Shaowei send him second-grade medicinal herbs as a congratulatory gift.

When delivering the medicinal herbs, Wu Shaowei congratulated Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan on their wedding.

Wu Tianqi... he only mentioned that the wood was available at the auction when Zhong Cai asked about it.

And so, the three of them each received a pill.

After a long silence, Wu Shaowei said with a wry smile, "The Wu family has truly made a grave mistake."

Wu Tianxin and Wu Tianqi both closed their eyes, shook their heads and sighed softly.

...They would keep the matter of the elixir to themselves and would not tell anyone.

·

On the other end.

After being carried out of Kunyun City by Wu Shaogan, Zhong Cai felt extremely happy.

The two did not rush to leave, but instead went to the mountains outside the city.

They have so many memories there.

Yesterday I was in a rush to see my elders and explain some things, and they hadn't had a chance to reminisce yet.

The two of them won't be back for many years to come, and if something unexpected happens, they might never be able to come back in their entire lives!

So let's take this opportunity to revisit our past memories.

Let's relive those carefree and happy days from the past...

·

In the valley, Wu Shaogan carried Zhong Cai and flew around aimlessly. Qingyu fluttered its wings around them, chirping, while Qinghui also took to the air—although this was driven entirely by the circulation of energy within its body and could only last for a short time, it could still play and fool around with them.

The two lay in the open in the valley, enjoying the gentle breeze and bright sunshine.

They also played on the ground. At this time, it was no longer Qinghui rushing into the air, but Qingyu flapping its wings and jumping around with its little claws.

Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan often rolled around together, teasing and tickling each other.

Before long, the two of them would be rolling around in a mess, then look at each other and burst into laughter.

They grew up playing together like this a long time ago.

·

After having enough fun, the two went back to the place where they first met.

Wu Shaogan went hunting, and Zhong Cai set up a campfire. Then the two of them roasted meat by the campfire.

Zhong Cai still had oil all over his mouth, while Wu Shaogan looked perfectly normal. He even deliberately acted as if he were unfamiliar and even a bit old-fashioned as when they first met. Then Zhong Cai pounced on him and rubbed oil all over his mouth as well.

The two were very affectionate and lively.

This is a look back at the past.

Compared to before, their friendship is no longer the pure bond they once had, but rather an unwavering love that transcends life and death.

They will spend countless years together from now on...

Never to be separated from.

·

The two avoided all the cultivators who went hunting in the mountains—a skill they had honed since childhood—and relived all the pleasant experiences they had had in the past.

I must say, it really does have a unique charm.

After about three to five days, the two finally felt they were ready and prepared to leave Kunyun City.

No matter how many years it may be before I return, these few days of memories are enough.

·

The two took out the flying boat and boarded it.

The flying boat was very fast, quickly heading towards Canglong City.

Besides Kunyun City, the two had some other experiences... but relatively speaking, there's not much need to revisit them.

After all, that wasn't the time when they were childhood sweethearts!