Chapter 65: Oppression

As soon as he entered the Lu family estate, he sensed a pervasive atmosphere of oppression. It was suffocating, yet difficult to describe precisely. The outer residences were terribly cramped, the whole area reminiscent of a slum. This overcrowding was entirely due to the limits of the spirit-gathering formation, whose effects reached only this far.

The faces of every passerby were numb and listless. In all his years in the cultivation world, Lin Yang had never encountered such a scene—not even in the Demonic Sect, where the air was bloody and violent. Here, the Lu family exuded nothing but pure decay.

The eyes of those passing by were dull, devoid of any spark. Even when greeting Lu Yi, their responses were languid and lifeless. The entire family seemed steeped in the busy stench of decay, like a company from his previous life—one where all hope was lost, yet employees were forced to work overtime, their wages withheld.

“Fellow Daoist Lin, please don’t mind them. These are cultivators who have married into the Lu family; they usually work for us,” Lu Yi explained, having noticed the pity in Lin Yang’s gaze.

“Of course, this is none of my concern,” Lin Yang replied, not inclined to meddle. After all, those wishing to marry into the Lu family hoped to become part of the clan.

Yet, they had ended up as slaves. The women forcibly married from outside were likely the children of these very slaves. The Lu family used its strength to oppress all cultivators under their rule.

Surely, word of the Lu family’s exploitation had reached the outside world through those trapped within. Still, it was a mystery why, knowing full well they would be used, people continued to join the family through these arranged alliances.

After following a narrow path for some time, they entered a tranquil forest. Only then did Lin Yang realize that this was the true core of the Lu family. Here, extravagance abounded: spirit stones were used to form cultivation arrays; even the materials for building houses were composed of low-grade artifact-refining resources.

Exotic beasts wandered the grounds, and immortal cranes filled the skies—creatures that required a great deal of spirit stones to acquire and sustain.

There was even the calming incense of the Wuji Sect—the very same incense for which Lin Yang had once spent fifty spirit stones just to obtain a palm-sized censer. Perhaps it was nothing for him, but for the entire Lu family to use such incense, how many spirit stones would that require?

No wonder Lin Yang had been so astonished when the Lu family managed to win the bidding for a Golden Essence Pill. For a Foundation Establishment family with no special sources of income, such a purchase should have been impossible.

It was now clear that the Lu family was nothing more than a parasite, clinging to the itinerant cultivators. They maintained just enough control over them to profit, but kept their numbers limited so they could never rise in rebellion.

“This is the real Lu family. Those within are all direct descendants, cultivators of exceptional talent,” Lu Yi remarked with pride, oblivious to the fact that, in her eyes, those outside were mere slaves, easily replaced.

“Enough. Take me to your patriarch,” Lin Yang said, his patience fraying. He released the full pressure of his late Foundation Establishment cultivation.

“Senior, please forgive my rudeness,” Lu Yi stammered, only now realizing why Lin Yang’s mastery of formations was so profound. She quickly led him to the secluded chamber where the family’s patriarch was in seclusion.

“Please, this way, Senior.” Lu Yi ushered Lin Yang forward, up to a massive palace built into the mountainside. The palace was vast, its construction surely requiring immense manpower and resources.

A sweep of Lin Yang’s divine sense revealed that three Foundation Establishment cultivators and their direct heirs resided within.

His spiritual probe alarmed the most powerful elder of the Lu family, and a great formation activated across the entire mountain. Though it radiated an imposing aura, Lin Yang saw at a glance that it was damaged and posed no threat to him.

“Which esteemed Daoist has graced us with their presence?” the patriarch called, stepping out from the uppermost stone chamber, the lingering aura of dense spiritual energy still clinging to him.

“I am Lin Yang of the Yellow Maple Valley,” Lin Yang announced without preamble.

“So it is Fellow Daoist Lin. I did not know you would visit our humble abode, and beg your pardon for not greeting you sooner,” the patriarch responded warmly. He had once glimpsed Lin Yang from afar in Yellow Maple Valley and knew him as the valley’s most skilled alchemist.

Just a single batch of pills from Lin Yang could match his family’s annual income. If he could establish a good relationship, future commissions for pills might come at a fraction of the usual price.

“As you have just emerged from seclusion, I will not take up more of your time,” Lin Yang said bluntly, eager not to linger in the Lu family estate.

“I will be direct. I wish to purchase the metallic heaven-and-earth treasure you acquired ten years ago. Name your price.”

Lin Yang’s straightforwardness gave the patriarch pause—after all, they had only just met, and he had already skipped the pleasantries. Still, the patriarch did not dwell on it; most skilled cultivators in the four arts had their own eccentricities.

“I see. Since you desire it, I will offer it for ten thousand spirit stones,” the patriarch replied, quoting the base price for such a treasure. He did not mention that it had already been forged into a magical artifact and would require the destruction of that artifact to extract the material.

It was a generous offer, but Lin Yang, wary of unsolicited kindness, resolved to keep the transaction strictly business.

“Patriarch Lu, it would be shameless to take your item for so little. I can pay a higher price,” Lin Yang said plainly.

The patriarch’s expression stiffened—no one enjoyed being contradicted so bluntly—but he dared not show offense. Lin Yang was a prized asset of Yellow Maple Valley; to cross him would invite ruin upon the Lu family.

“So, you believe the price is too low? I noticed you entered with my mischievous granddaughter. I only hope that you might take her as a concubine. She looked at you with such affection just now,” the patriarch shamelessly pressed his agenda.

His reasoning was simple: if Lin Yang took his granddaughter as a concubine, he could easily request alchemical favors in the future. Besides, Lin Yang, a late Foundation Establishment cultivator not yet fifty, had every chance of achieving the Golden Core stage—a sure investment.

“No need for further discussion. I have other places to search for materials. My final offer is twenty thousand spirit stones,” Lin Yang said coldly, leaving no room for negotiation.

Seeing the matter settled, the patriarch could only concede. “Very well, as you wish—twenty thousand spirit stones. I hope next time you might stay longer so we can properly host you.”

“Agreed. Here you are,” Lin Yang replied, producing two storage pouches, each containing ten thousand spirit stones, and tossing them to the patriarch.

The patriarch checked them with his divine sense. “Since you are so busy, I will not delay you further,” he said, tossing Lin Yang a golden shield. A touch confirmed that it was forged from a remarkably hard metallic ore—an excellent metallic treasure of heaven and earth.

“Until we meet again,” Lin Yang said, giving a slight bow before leaving the Lu family estate.

...