If it weren’t for the two of them having a kind of blind faith in their father, they would never have supported him so wholeheartedly.
Fortunately, now the dust has settled—everything will be alright.
Lu Chang’sheng smiled, patted Chang’an on the shoulder, and said, "Ziyou is still over at the small market. I can’t step away right now, so you’ll have to go bring him here."
Lu Chang’an nodded.
He was sharp-minded; with a little thought he realized his father’s concerns.
Though he had passed the White Cloud Cave Mansion’s examination, in reality, he was still just a first-layer Qi Cultivation cultivator. In Platinum Immortal City, the regulations of Supre Profound Sect ensured no one dared to touch him lightly, but outside of Supre Profound Sect, everything was uncertain.
If Lu Chang’sheng got into trouble, no one could save them; but if sothing happened to him, at least Lu Chang’sheng could pick up the pieces.
Lu Chang’an was a reasonable man and naturally approved of this arrangent.
"I’ll go inform Qu Yan."
Lu Chang’an said.
Lu Chang’sheng replied, "You should tell her. By the way, also let her know about my passing the Alchemist assessnt."
Lu Chang’an looked at him, puzzled, not understanding his intention.
"Now that I have a foundation, continuing to use your mother as a shield is a bit risky. If I’m right, the Qu Family has surely been trying to investigate your mother’s background these past few days. If they are the first to bring this conflict to light, it would embarrass all parties and might even make us an enemy."
"If we clarify the situation now, no matter what goes on with your mother, the Qu Family will still treat us as before. The two families may even beco friends."
"Father is right. Your son is enlightened."
Lu Chang’an said solemnly.
Sotis, if a misunderstanding isn’t handled well, a good thing can turn bad. Lu Chang’an’s approach could truly be called forward-thinking.
Sure enough, Lu Chang’sheng’s arrangent quickly paid off.
Just as he suspected, days ago, after Qu Family mother and daughter split with Lu Chang’sheng, they had people go investigate the matter.
But Fuyun Mountain was much too far; to get at the truth would take so ti.
During the inquiries, Qu Yan’s mother, Wan Yu, stumbled on so unexpected news.
"Is this true?"
"I don’t know. I just overheard so Zhu Family folks ntion it in passing, but I figure it involves so of their family secrets, which is why they didn’t say more to ."
A Qu Family cultivator replied.
The Qu Family held considerable power in Platinum Immortal City as well.
Their ancestor was a late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivator, a fad figure in the city. Though they couldn’t compare to the Gu Family or White Cloud Cave Mansion, they still had quite a reputation.
"Keep digging; we can afford to wait," Wan Yu said in a low voice.
Once the others left, her face turned serious.
The Qu Family was a big clan, and as its pillar, Patriarch Qujiang naturally had more than one concubine.
Each concubine essentially represented her own faction.
For example, behind her stood the Wan Family’s group, living under the shadow of the family patriarch’s prestige.
Whichever side won more of the patriarch’s favor held more sway.
But at his age, beauty didn’t tempt him much anymore; it would all co down to cultivation in the end.
That was why she felt uneasy sitting still, wanting to strengthen her branch’s foundations.
At first, she never placed her hopes on Qu Yan, only figuring Qu Yan fancied that male cultivator and wanted a fling—nothing more.
She hadn’t expected that, in trying to dig up his background, she would stumble upon a surprise.
Fuyun Mountain was an even greater force than Supre Profound Sect. If she could tie their branch to a Fuyun disciple, it could greatly benefit the patriarch himself.
So she went with the flow, turning a casual affair into a political marriage.
But the way things were developing left her caught off guard.
"I hope this news isn’t true, or else—"
Wan Yu’s face grew icy cold.
As the late-stage Qi Cultivation patriarch’s favored concubine, she certainly wouldn’t allow an ordinary cultivator to deceive her.
If that truly happened, there would be a reckoning.
Ti passed swiftly. Unable to wait on Fuyun Mountain’s reply any longer, Wan Yu shifted her focus to the Zhu Family.
Just as Lu Chang’sheng was eting Lu Chang’an, she was piecing together bits of intelligence, gradually confirming the truth—her face grew colder and colder.
"Truly, ignorance knows no fear."
Wan Yu walked out, gathered several family cultivators, and, fuming, hurried off toward the market shops—first things first, apprehend Lu Chang’an.
But upon arriving at the store, she ran into Lu Chang’sheng instead.
"Lady Qu? What a coincidence!" Lu Chang’sheng’s gaze swept subtly over the group. He imdiately guessed that Nangua’s business at Fuyun Mountain had been blown, so he opted to strike first. Smiling, he said, "I just sent Chang’an to invite Miss Qu Yan and you to my alchemist banquet."
Wan Yu was so full of anger that she was montarily stunned, but Lu Chang’sheng quickly followed up, "I just passed the White Cloud Cave Mansion’s Alchemist assessnt today."
Wan Yu and her relatives were taken aback.
"Con—congratulations, Daoist friend! So you have such gifts—I really am amazed!"
Wan Yu’s expression swiftly shifted; a gentle smile replaced her anger as she approached Lu Chang’sheng, a hint of playful reproach in her voice.
"You should have notified first, Daoist friend! See, I didn’t prepare anything, how rude of ." With that, she reached for the tea on the shelf, realized it was all mundane tea, put it back, opened her own treasure vault immortal insect, and took out a pouch of spirit tea shrouded in white mist.
Lu Chang’sheng just smiled and said no more.
The alchemist issue had been brought up—he was sure they’d be wary now and would look into it later.
No need to clarify things further right now.
Soon, Lu Chang’an and Qu Yan returned to the shop.
At a glance, he saw the group chatting happily, and felt even more admiration for Lu Chang’sheng.
He knew better—those cultivators with forced smiles sitting behind Wan Yu were hardly bystanders.
"Father handles matters so skillfully; there’s much I could learn from him," Lu Chang’an thought.
There was no hostility in sight, only amicability.
Wan Yu, for her part, acted as if she knew nothing about Li Nangua, chatting with Lu Chang’sheng as if nothing were amiss.
She never once ntioned the marriage between Qu Yan and Lu Chang’an.
Lu Chang’sheng understood—Wan Yu would surely verify his alchemist status before acting, so he paid it no mind.
······
After parting with Qu Yan and the others, Lu Chang’an set out to return to Little Cold Valley’s marketplace.
Lu Chang’sheng, for his part, tidied up his things and moved into the courtyard at White Cloud Pharmacy.
"Nangua’s situation is tough, so I have to run things here carefully!"
Walking down a jade-paved corridor, rare flowers and exotic plants all around, with white cranes dancing in the gardens—
no less impressive than Master Lu’s Elegant Bamboo Garden.
And this was just White Cloud Pharmacy. The real mountain gate of White Cloud Cave Mansion—who knows how spectacular it might be?
This alone showed that alchemists truly lack for nothing.
And so, Lu Chang’sheng settled in at White Cloud Pharmacy.
······
The next day, Steward Mo ca by to ntion the Entry Ceremony.
Lu Chang’sheng promptly readied himself, donned his White Cloud Alchemist Robe, and accompanied Steward Mo out of Yun’an Institute, heading toward the mountain gate.
They switched guides partway.
This new one was a mid-stage Qi Cultivation cultivator in charge of receiving newcors. As Steward Mo explained Lu Chang’sheng’s background, the cultivator glanced at him in surprise, saying, "So you’re that Lu Chang’sheng?"
"That’s !"
"A sha—compared to your cultivation, your bone age is rather high."
The man’s eyes glimred faintly with magical power—the sign of opening his Dharma Eye.
Lu Chang’sheng’s heart sank a bit.
Using Dharma Eye openly was a kind of trespass; this person clearly looked down on him to so degree.
"You have keen insight, Daoist friend."
Lu Chang’sheng watched as the cultivator removed a talisman, drawn with a mysterious design.
It was a sword talisman.
The cultivator wasted no more words. Channeling magical power into the talisman, it suddenly flared with light, revealing a giant sword the length of a zhang.
"Step on—it’ll carry you to the sect."
Lu Chang’sheng did as told, leaping onto the sword. In the next mont, the sword shot forward like a white rainbow, vanishing on the spot.
"Just mid-stage Qi Cultivation and you can control sothing like this—impressive!"
Watching the scenery flash by below, Lu Chang’sheng’s heart surged with excitent; he found himself yearning more than ever to reach mid-stage Qi Cultivation.
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