Top-level Qi Luck: Leading My Clan to Cultivate

Three people stepped into the Yuxi Restaurant, where many were enjoying their drinks and casual conversations in the bustling hall.

Upon seeing Lin Tianming and his two companions enter, a Qi Refining Cultivator at the Third Level approached to greet them.

"Please come in, honored guests. Do you wish to reserve a private room, or would you prefer to dine in the main hall?"

Lin Tianming chuckled. He had come here precisely to gather intelligence; opting for a private room—which often had prohibitions against eavesdropping—would defeat the purpose.

Looking at the dozens of tables in the hall, almost all occupied by Qi Refining Cultivators discussing various gossips and happenings of the market.

Lin Tianming felt a surge of covert delight, yet he maintained a calm demeanor and casually replied:

"Just in the main hall will be fine!"

The young man had hoped to serve a few cultivators in a private room, so he could earn a larger hosting commission. He didn't expect they would choose the main hall.

"These three clearly have the cultivation of the Late Stage of Qi Refining, yet they picked the most ordinary seating area. Could it be that they are strapped for cash?"

"There goes my chance for a tip!"

The young host thought regretfully, but he didn't let any displeasure show on his face. With a smile, he personally led Lin Tianming and his party to pick out a table.

The three chose a seat by the window and sat down, after which Lin Tianming took out three Spirit Stones and handed them to the young host.

"Serve us a table of your specialty dishes, and bring some of your finest Spiritual Wine!"
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Seeing Lin Tianming offer a tip, the young man's spirits soared. Taking the Spirit Stones, he scampered off to prepare their meal.

In no time, a table of exquisite foods was brought before them.

"Please enjoy, fellow Daoists. Should you need anything, simply call on me!" said the young man.

Lin Tianming nodded, and the young man tactfully left.

Before them were several jade plates filled with the aromatic meat of Spirit Beasts, complemented by three flasks of Spiritual Wine.

The three chatted idly, eating their food, while Lin Tianming pricked up his ears, attentively listening to all the topics being discussed in the hall.

At that moment, not far from them, a table occupied by four Qi Refining Cultivators burst into conversation as they heartily drank Spiritual Wine.

One of the men in a white robe set down his wine cup and whispered:

"Fellow Daoists, have you heard? The Lingxiao Tower to the south of the commercial district is closing down."

Hearing this topic, Lin Tianming covertly observed their every move and hung on their every word.

"Lingxiao Tower is closing down?"

"Impossible, right?" a man in a gray robe questioned.

Another in a blue shirt shook his head, expressing disbelief:

"I've heard that Lingxiao Tower belongs to the Gao Family of the Qingfeng Mountain Range. It's been open for over a hundred years, and business has always been good. Why would they close?"

The man in the white robe spoke with an air of calm, his voice barely audible.

"That's where you're uninformed. A rumor has it that the Gao Family engaged in a fierce battle with Wei Zhou of the Qingfeng Mountain Range. The Gao Family was defeated, suffering heavy casualties. Now they want to sell off their properties quickly and move their family out of Wei Kingdom to escape the pursuit and assassination attempts from the Wei Zhou families."

The comment left the man in the blue shirt with a changed complexion, exclaiming in surprise:

"The Gao Family's strength was considerable before. Even with heavy losses, do they really need to leave the market? After all, no matter how powerful the Wei Zhou families are, they wouldn't dare to cause trouble in the market, breaking its rules, right?"

The white-robed man unconvinced, then proceeded to explain.

"This has to do with the strategic location of the Qingfeng Mountain Range. The Wei Zhou families are powerful; either one is no weaker than the Gao Family. I've heard each has five Foundation Establishment members. Their territories control the vital passages, and even if the Gao Family holed up in the market, their stores would run out of treasures to sell soon enough. It's better to cash in early and start anew elsewhere; there might be a chance for a comeback."

"Indeed, as long as we have the green mountains, we needn't worry about firewood. Dragging it out will only weaken them further!"

Realizing the rationale after the white-robed man's explanation, the man in the blue shirt switched gears.

"In the past few decades, the Wei Kingdom has been fairly tranquil, with no large-scale clan wars, a rare period of peace."

Upon hearing this, the white-robed man's expression shifted, then he said:

"Have you all forgotten? Just a few years ago, the Luoyun Mountain Range went through a gruesome battle!"

As these words fell, a Qi Refining Cultivator at another table nearby suddenly turned to look at the white-robed man.

This Fifth Level Qi Refining Cultivator stood up, clasped his hands together in greeting, and eagerly inquired:

"I am Chen Xiu, a Loose Cultivator. This is my first visit to Qianchuan Market. I would be very interested to hear about the great battle you mentioned. Could you please share the story?"

The man in the white robe chuckled, feeling that since the incident had happened several years ago and many in the market were aware of it, there was nothing to hide.

Then, the sociable man in the white robe called Chen Xiu to take a seat, and began to speak:

"Several years ago, a great battle erupted among the major families in the Luoyun Mountain Range. The Jin and Wu families were annihilated, and the Sun Family suffered heavy losses,"

"It was about a month after the battle in the Luoyun Mountain Range that the news reached Qianchuan Market, causing a huge sensation at that time."

"Who would have thought that the Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain, unbeknownst to most, had so deeply hidden their strength, boasting six Foundation Establishment Cultivators, who took the initiative to annihilate all members of the Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family."

"You must know, the Jin Family was previously the strongest in the Luoyun Mountain Range, also having several Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and yet they were all wiped out."

Chen Xiu was astonished to hear this, and replied:

"Logically, it should have been an evenly matched situation; at the very least, it shouldn't have led to a clan's annihilation. And to think that the Jin Family, which ranked first for so long, was so easily defeated?"

"Heh heh..."

The man in the white robe sneered and said:

"This Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain is no minor clan, and definitely not an easy target. You should know that the Lin Family ancestors include a Golden Elixir Expert!"

"What, a Golden Elixir Expert?"

Chen Xiu exclaimed, his breathing suddenly becoming rapid.

Foundation Establishment Cultivators were already beyond their reach, let alone Golden Elixir Experts. For them, Qi Refining Cultivators, it was an almost impossibly distant realm.

He was stunned for a moment before he calmed down, then he lamented:

"The Jin Family really had bad luck, stirring up trouble with a family that had a Golden Core Cultivator among its ancestors, and in the end, they failed to steal the chicken and lost the rice!"

The man in the white robe remained calm, adding a comment.

"Indeed, a family that has produced a Golden Core Cultivator is not one to be trifled with, and even in decline, it is not so easily obliterated!"

...

Although their voices were not loud, Lin Tianming, sitting a few tables away, could still hear everything clearly.

Afterward, they stopped discussing the Luoyun Mountain Range and switched to some mundane topics.

Before they knew it, half a day had quickly passed.

Throughout the afternoon, Lin Tianming and his two companions never left Yuxi Restaurant, staying inside, drinking and chatting while also gathering information.

After an afternoon of waiting, the three of them had gained quite a bit, with the most useful piece of information being that the Gao Family's Lingxiao Tower was changing hands.

Besides that, they also heard some rumors, but the veracity of those was hard to ascertain.

As dusk approached, Lin Tianming raised his cup and spoke to Lin Tianfeng and the other:

"Brother, you and Second Brother go back to our lodgings first; I and Fifteenth Grandfather have some important matters to attend to!"

Lin Tianfeng looked puzzled but did not ask what the matter was.

"Go ahead, Tian Hong and I will wait a while longer before heading back together later in the evening," offered Lin Tianfeng.

"Alright..."

Lin Tianming nodded, downed his Spiritual Wine in one gulp, then threw down several dozens of Spirit Stones, saluted Lin Tianfeng and the other with a fist, and then left Yuxi Restaurant.

Yuxi Restaurant and the Welcoming Establishment were both in the business district, not far apart, separated by just one street.

Before long, Lin Tianming arrived at the entrance of the Welcoming Establishment.

There was still a little time before his meeting with Lin Shilu, so Lin Tianming stood on the street, observing the surrounding environment.

Although it was in the same area as Yuxi Restaurant, the Welcoming Establishment had a better location and was clearly a cut above in class.

Yuxi Restaurant was a place where Qi Refining Cultivators would go, whereas the Welcoming Establishment was frequented by Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Besides that, the special offerings of the meals and the decorative atmosphere were also quite different, obviously catering to different crowds.

After a quarter of an hour, Lin Shilu appeared in his sight.

"Tianming, we're hosting this time; let's go inside and wait!"

Lin Shilu instructed, then led him towards the Welcoming Establishment.