Her presence today was a sign of the clan’s respect and importance placed on her daughter.

Achieving first place on the Golden List and even having the three rings wasn’t just about talent; it directly related to the clan’s potential and future—an existence that could rejuvenate the family!

However, since Qingqing was already an elder with high status, no additional favors could be granted.

Instead, the focus would shift to her mother.

Similarly, Ruyu’s presence followed the same reasoning.

It could be anticipated that in the future, to support the main branch, the clan would assign Ruyu more important tasks and train him towards becoming the future junior clan leader.

With both children having bright futures, Luo Xian felt her life was complete, with no more regrets.

After celebrating, serious matters were discussed.

The Ancestor said, “I heard you encountered an assassination attempt during the conference?”

The room fell silent.

Everyone in the clan knew about the attempt but lacked details.

The Fourth Elder, known for his sharp tongue, spoke before Qin Ruqing could respond, directly criticizing the Fang family: “The Fang family’s vision is limited. They seem more anxious and fearful than our Qin family. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have acted so hastily just from hearing a rumor.”

Publicly attempting an assassination during the conference was both foolish and malicious.

With the Fourth Elder leading, the others began to scold the Fang family.

Qin Ruqing found it amusing to see the shift from fear and retreat from the Fang family to now openly mocking and despising them.

It was a sign of progress.

“The clan elders need not worry,” Qin Ruqing began, continuing the discussion.

Angrily, someone said, “The schemes of the Fang family’s small-minded people didn’t succeed. I even used some tricks to expose their evil deeds to the people of the Four Domains, so they really got a taste of their own medicine.”

“That’s right! The Fang family are masters of acting. They’re all hypocrites. It’s only fair that the people of the Four Domains see their true colors!”

“I’m so pleased to see them embarrassed. This is truly satisfying!”

“No wonder we had several groups of scouts coming to the Southern Ridge recently. It must be because of this!”

Hmm?

Qin Ruqing picked up on a key point: “Several groups of scouts… Which groups, and what were they looking into?”

The Second Elder stroked his beard and explained, “Naturally, they were investigating your past achievements as the top of the Golden List, and they also looked into Qirong and Lu Wei. Besides that, they were inquiring about our Qin family’s old dealings with the Fang family.”

The ancestor looked at Qin Ruqing and said gently, “The Qin family has done its best to keep things under wraps. Whatever they’ve managed to find out, the people of the Southern Domain already know. It’s not a big deal.”

Qin Ruqing nodded. “Sometimes letting out some family secrets isn’t such a bad thing; it can even serve as a deterrent.”

She smiled, glanced around the meeting hall, and raised her voice deliberately: “At least now, when people in the Eastern Domain mention the Qin family from Yingzhou, they no longer automatically think of us as a guilty family. Their first reaction is hesitation, wondering if there might be hidden truths in the Yingzhou war, and if the Fang family might have issues.”

“Ancestor, there are already many people who support and believe in our Qin family.”

So, you don’t need to be troubled about this anymore.

The clan no longer needs to feel embarrassed about the past migration from Yingzhou.

Some emotional clan elders even had tears in their eyes.

The Qin family had been through so much. It was surprising to see this day come.

The ancestor looked at Qin Ruqing with a mix of relief and complexity, sighing, “You’ve done well.”

The ancestor’s character didn’t allow him to express such sentiments openly, but it was clear from his demeanor.

Qin Ruqing blinked and intentionally changed to a lighter tone: “Now that we’re finally home, let’s not talk about the Fang family’s misfortunes. Let’s talk about something happier!”

She called for Qirong and Lu Wei to bring out the storage bags. “Come, take a look at what we’ve gained this time.”

Gains.

At the mention of this, everyone in the hall perked up.

Qin Ruqing first took out a red, snake-like fruit and held it up for everyone to see.

She announced loudly:

“This is a Yuan Ying Fruit.”

Ancestor Wenxuan couldn’t help but gasp.

In this world, some rare treasures are known only to a few, while others, due to their essential and rare properties, are well-known.

The Yuan Ying Fruit was one such item.

Its name was famous, and it was well-known for its effects, especially since its name contained the character “Ying” (infant), indicating its impressive properties.

Before the elders could respond, Qin Ruqing added with a smile, “Also, I have two of them.”

“Two?”

This surprised even the Ancestor. “Even first place in the Golden List wouldn’t get two Golden Elixirs, would it?” It seemed like she was treating them as if they were being handed out in bulk.

Qin Ruqing explained, “One of these is the reward for being first in the conference, and the other is a gift from the Celestial family. They were impressed by my talent and sought to ally with me, so they gave me quite a few things.”

The name “Celestial” carried significant weight wherever it was mentioned, and being sought after by an Celestial family was a noteworthy honor.

The elders were delighted, thinking that it made sense for Qin Ruqing, being of Celestial caliber, to be courted and given such benefits.

It all seemed reasonable and thus, they were just happy.

Only the Ancestor looked at Qin Ruqing with a flicker of concern in his eyes.

Qin Ruqing then produced a misty purple object and introduced it, “This is Divine Silk. It can enhance the Soul Essence, which, as you all know, is crucial for cultivation.”

“Enhancing the Soul Essence? I heard that those who practice the Nascent Realm technique focus on the Soul Essence, which is a matter above the Golden level! And with the two Golden Level Items, doesn’t that mean we have all the resources needed for reaching the Nascent Realm Stage?!”

Why is cultivation harder the higher one goes?

Naturally, it’s due to limited talent and the difficulty of higher-level cultivation, but also because high-level resources are scarce.

Advanced cultivation resources are incredibly hard to find.

There are often internal conflicts within families or external battles just to compete for these resources.

This is almost a routine occurrence.

Now, with the Qin family having all the resources for the Nascent Realm stage, it doesn’t just mean they could possibly produce a Nascent Realm practitioner, but at least it means they’ve laid a solid foundation.

Qin Ruqing said no more.

She revealed these items publicly today to boost the morale and confidence of the Qin family.

She placed the misty purple object and one Golden Elixir in front of the Ancestor with a beaming smile and said, “Ancestor, I’ve prepared all the cultivation resources for you. Everything is ready, just waiting for you to begin. You can focus on your cultivation now!”

— If our Ancestor is the greatest Ancestor! Qin Ruqing hadn’t forgotten this important mission.

Since she hadn’t yet reached the Golden Core stage herself and would soon undergo Celestial-level training, she didn’t need these auxiliary items as much.

Thus, giving them to the Ancestor was the best arrangement.

Of course, she couldn’t reveal all her treasures.

The most valuable items were still kept hidden.

Qin Ruqing kept two thousand strands of Divine Silk for herself and one Yuan Ying Fruit.

She had already sorted through the rewards, keeping what she needed and what her parents and brother needed.

The remaining items were considered for the family to boost morale and unify everyone.

The ancestor looked at the items with a complex expression but did not refuse them.

She understood Qin Ruqing’s intentions and, given the significance of these resources, it was hard to refuse such a generous gift.

She also harbored thoughts of one day avenging the Fang family.

Thus, whether for herself or the family, she accepted the gift.

After handing over the items, Qin Ruqing took out a pile of goods from the Feng family.

They had given a storage box full of valuable items, though not of the Yuan Ying Fruit’s caliber.

Qin Ruqing selected the most precious item from the pile.

“Feng Shui Fruit.”

“There are five 1,000-year-old Feng Shui Fruits, which can extend one’s life by twenty years each. There is also one 10,000-year-old Feng Shui Fruit, which can extend life by a hundred years.”

Qin Ruqing announced this, observing the shocked expressions of the people present with a hint of deep meaning in her eyes.

For ordinary Qi Cultivators, a lifespan of about 150 years is typical, and even Foundation Establishment cultivators rarely reach 250 years.

A twenty-year increase in lifespan is significant, providing a substantial chance to advance in cultivation—those with poor talent could still hope to improve with age.

A 10,000-year-old Feng Shui Fruit was even rarer, directly increasing lifespan by a hundred years.

The items Qin Ruqing presented were like a morale booster for the clan elders.

They were understandably excited and asked, “How did you get so many Feng Shui Fruits? How are they going to be divided?”

Qin Ruqing casually responded, “These Feng Shui Fruits were also a gift from the Celestial Families. I kept two 1,000-year-old ones for myself, and the rest will go into the clan’s treasury. Elders can exchange them based on their contributions.”

With two 1,000-year-old fruits kept aside, there were three remaining 1,000-year-old fruits and one 10,000-year-old fruit.

The elders saw no problem with this; after all, Qin Ruqing’s own family needed them too.

Leaving so many was already quite generous and considerate.

The most important part was that these fruits could be exchanged for contributions!

Although the required contributions would be astronomical, at least there was hope.

The elders’ eyes lit up, especially the Grand Elder. Despite his high status and Peak Qi Refining Stage, his advanced age had almost extinguished his hopes.

Now, seeing the Feng Shui Fruits, a glimmer of hope was rekindled.

Qin Ruqing smiled inwardly, offering a clear path to promotion.

As long as the elders worked hard, stayed united, and served the family well, they would naturally gain rewards.

Accumulating contributions for Feng Shui Fruits was better than engaging in internal conflicts!

She encouraged everyone to unite, even if it was for personal gain.

Sometimes, such incentives were more effective than familial bonds.

The meeting ended on a high note.

While the ancestor remained the highest authority in the family, Qin Ruqing, aside from her position as the Sixth Elder, was becoming the spiritual leader of the clan.

With her presence, the Qin family was assured a bright future, a chance to clear their name, return to the Eastern Domain, and rise to prominence.

The joyous atmosphere lasted until Qin Ruqing and the ancestor were alone.

As usual, they had discussed only positive matters publicly and saved the serious issues for private conversations.

Reaching the Bamboo Pavilion in the Quiet Shadow Residence, the ancestor set up a barrier and then turned to Qin Ruqing with a serious tone:

“You, my child, what kind of agreement did you make with the Celestial Families? How did you end up with so many benefits?”

There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

The ancestor couldn’t imagine what Qin Ruqing might owe in return for all these rewards.