“Would you like to come to Xiling with me and participate in the Grand Assembly of the Hundred Clan as a Xiling monk?”

When Qin Ruqing heard this, she was stunned.

She carefully examined the serious expression of the director of the Celestial Bureau and realized he wasn’t joking.

If she agreed now, the director could finalize the matter on the spot, and she would never be able to return to Nanling.

Well, it’s certainly intriguing.

If it weren’t for her family’s responsibilities in Nanling, she might have accepted.

Aligning herself with the Celestial Bureau wouldn’t be bad at all.

Thinking this over, Qin Ruqing remained composed and replied respectfully, “Thank you for your kindness, Director. However, I was born in Nanling and belong to the Qin family. It wouldn’t be right to leave my family and serve Xiling. Others might see me as disloyal and selfish.”

The Fifth Lingyu nodded in understanding. “I see your point. But it’s rare to meet someone with such a strong personality. It’s a shame to let you go just like that. How about this: you don’t need to leave your family. Just participate in the Grand Assembly as a Xiling monk. Would that be acceptable?”

Of course not.

Qin Ruqing emphasized, “Director, I am of the Qin family, and I must serve them and Nanling. Representing Xiling in the Assembly without a proper reason…”

“Enough!” The Fifth Lingyu interrupted. He wasn’t one to force others. If she wasn’t willing, so be it.

Qin Ruqing’s lips curled slightly.

She gently reassured the somewhat stubborn director, “Xiling is vast and full of talent. With someone as bold as you leading, we will surely shine in the Grand Assembly and make a name across the realms!”

It was the first time the Fifth Lingyu had been turned down after trying to recruit someone, and he wasn’t pleased.

He gave Qin Ruqing a disdainful look and waved her off.

Qin Ruqing didn’t linger either.

She had said what she needed to say and felt she had gained something from this encounter.

She turned and left.

But the peculiar director had a change of heart.

He called Qin Ruqing back, pulled something from his waist, and tossed it to her.

“That guy in Southern Redge is stingy. This ordinary official device is not interesting. Take this instead. Consider it an investment from me. As long as you change your mind before the Grand Assembly, you can come back to me.”

Qin Ruqing held up what was thrown to her—a sheep-fat jade pendant emitting a warm and delicate glow, engraved with the emblem of the Fifth Family.

Well, well, isn’t this like securing a Series B investment? It’s another chip to deceive and manipulate in the future.

Qin Ruqing happily accepted it, thanked the director, and then turned to leave.

At Yang’s main residence…

Yang Wenxu placed an item in front of the Grand Elder.

Without waiting for the Grand Elder to speak, he solemnly said, “This is an Accelerator for cultivation.”

The Grand Elder’s pupils contracted slightly, but with his dark complexion, it was hard to discern his emotional changes.

He took the red cube and studied it, smoothly finding the mechanism to divide it into four parts.

Nodding as he examined, the Grand Elder remarked, “The material is quite special, unlike common materials. It’s forged through a unique method, and it’s a combination spiritual device that can be used separately. The design and construction of this…”

“The skill level of the spiritual device isn’t low.”

After exploring for a while, the Elder noticed the half-spherical cavity inside the cube. This particular design puzzled him. “What is this cavity used for?”

Yang Wenxu pursed his lips. “It’s for inserting Qi Revitalization pills.”

Seeing the Elder’s confusion, he explained calmly, “By placing a Qi Revitalization pill into each cavity, the cube can maximize the effectiveness of the pills.

When separated, each part can be placed at the four corners of the body during meditation, forming a barrier. Within this barrier, cultivation is akin to practicing in a small secret realm.”

After briefly outlining the functions of the accelerator, Yang Wenxu fell silent.

The Grand Elder, his mouth slightly agape, seemed impressed but collected himself after a moment. “Miss Qin has always been generous. Is this what she intends to cooperate with the Yang family for the second time?”

Seeing Yang Wenxu nod, the Grand Elder sighed, “It was wise of you to choose Nanling over Beiling due to the distance. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have met Miss Qin, nor would the Yang family have encountered such an opportunity.”

After a moment of sighing, the Grand Elder became puzzled, “I heard the Qin family is renowned for alchemy. How could they produce such high-level spiritual devices?”

Aside from the difficulty of creating a combined spiritual device, integrating alchemy into it was beyond the capabilities of ordinary craftsmen.

Moreover, not to boast, but in comparison to Xiling, foreign regions’ craftsmanship was significantly inferior.

How did the Qin family find craftsmen of such high caliber?

Yang Wenxu replied, “There’s a mysterious figure who always accompanies Miss Qin, dressed in black robes. Miss Qin introduced him as her friend. I suspect he might be a highly paid consultant hired by the Qin family, and…” lowering his voice, “…it seems he’s from Xiling.”

So, the person in black robes is from Xiling?

The Grand Elder looked surprised, gripping the spiritual device in his hand and scrutinizing it for a while.

Frowning, he said, “The crafting technique seems familiar, but I can’t recall…”

Yang Wenxu wasn’t too concerned about this. “Perhaps they recruited him from one of our Xiling clans. The Qin family is on the rise now, and I believe they will continue to improve. It’s not surprising to attract talented individuals.”

The Grand Elder grunted in agreement, still trying to recall where he had seen this technique before.

Eventually, after Yang Wenxu stared at him for a while, hesitated for a moment, he couldn’t help but say, “Grand Elder, I suspect the Qin family has ties with the Celestial Bureau.”

“Hmm?” The Grand Elder raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Yang Wenxu recounted the events after leaving the teahouse that day and concluded, “The director of the Celestial Bureau is a significant figure. Why would he want to meet a junior? Moreover, Miss Qin hinted that there’s no harm in associating with the Celestial Bureau when presenting the Qin family externally. Shortly after, officials from the Bureau came to greet us personally. Isn’t this proof that Miss Qin’s words are credible?”

Yang Wenxu seemed somewhat excited as he spoke. In fact, he had been eager to share this news with someone for a while now.

The Celestial Bureau!

Miss Qin truly is heaven-sent. Is this the opportunity for our Yang family’s rise?!

Yang Wenxu was lost in thought, his expression already quite ecstatic.

Meanwhile, the Grand Elder pondered, his knowledge wider, and he didn’t believe the Yang family’s luck was so good that they could randomly encounter a family that had connections with the Celestial Bureau.

Such a narrative seemed too fanciful.

Trying to steer towards a more plausible explanation, he speculated, “Perhaps it’s because of the incident with the Qi Revitalization pills that Miss Qin and her group caught the attention of the Celestial Bureau.”

“You see, our newly appointed director of the Bureau is a proactive individual. Just look at the reforms he has initiated shortly after taking office. It’s said that a new official wants to make his mark. Seeing the effectiveness of the Revitalization pills from the Qin family, he might have some plans involving them.”

“If he truly intends to change the current situation in Xiling, simply breaking down barriers won’t be enough. The toxicity issues among Xiling cultivators are a major problem. If he’s a conscientious director, he would certainly consider changing this situation. However, without alchemists in Xiling, he would need to seek assistance externally, but finding such communication isn’t a simple matter…”

The Grand Elder paused here, and Yang Wenxu gradually understood.

Even without the Grand Elder’s guidance, he could guess what would follow. “So, when the Celestial Bureau heard about our family’s recent sale of high-priced Revitalization pills, they must have taken an interest.

Given the Bureau’s capabilities, it would be easy to gather information on Miss Qin and her group, leading to a connection with the Qin family and sparking thoughts of collaboration…”

Alright, this speculation does seem reasonable.

But it’s a bit unsatisfying! He still preferred to imagine that the Qin family had a connection with the Celestial Bureau.

After all, Yang Wenxu had traveled extensively over the years, hearing many strange tales and events.

He was a person who dared to dream and act.

Having seen so many peculiar things, his tastes had also gradually become unconventional.

When suddenly faced with something so straightforward, it didn’t sit quite right with him.

After a while, the refined man insisted, “Even so, for the Qin family to collaborate with the Celestial Bureau is quite prestigious. It’s worth noting that our family has never collaborated with the Bureau before. I wonder what this new director is like…”

The Grand Elder put away the accelerator and gave Yang Wenxu a stern look, saying softly, “If you were more capable, our clan wouldn’t have missed out on collaborating with the Celestial Bureau even once. Besides, can you casually speculate about the director?”

The Grand Elder had seen this new director once before, during the grand ceremony when he first arrived in Xiling, where heads of various noble families and elders went to pay their respects.

To be honest, the Grand Elder’s first impression of this director was that he was too young—not in age, but in the sense that achieving such cultivation at his age indicated exceptional talent.

There were rumors within the noble families about this director, suggesting he was from the main branch of the Celestial Family and was sent down from higher up, likely to achieve some political success before being transferred elsewhere.

The Grand Elder didn’t know how much of this was true, but judging from the director’s demeanor, he believed about seventy to eighty percent of it.

Regardless, such a person was not one they could casually discuss.

Two days later, a new item suddenly appeared on the shelves of Yang’s curious goods store. It had a rather bold name: “Cultivation Accelerator.”

Well, this thing seemed designed to attract attention. “Cultivation Accelerator”—it was clear that the Yang family had recently

Wasn’t there just a Qi Revitalization pill that could accelerate spiritual energy circulation?

At least that had a layer of separation and its effects weren’t dubious.

However, it hasn’t been long since the last auction, and now they’ve come up with this cultivation accelerator, boasting maximum efficiency right off the bat.

Leaving aside whether it’s genuine or not, why does your Yang family keep launching products that seem so repetitive?

Whose idea was this within the clan?

Marketing strategy fail!

Entering Yang’s curious goods store with the thought of seeing what new tricks they could pull off.

Back when the Yang family was still relatively strong, the store indeed used to have some rare items that were hard to find elsewhere in Xiling, thanks to the family’s control over trade caravans.

Whatever rare and much-needed items were in Xiling, their store could usually procure.

However, in recent years, after their decline, the quality of goods in the store had deteriorated.

While they used to be able to acquire advanced pills and rare spiritual materials for sale, now they only shelved ordinary basic pills.

Although there was demand for them, they were just not impressive.

Approaching the counter, there was a small wooden sign proclaiming a grand launch.

Beside the sign, on the counter, lay a tray covered with golden velvet cloth, quietly holding a small red cube.

Is that it?

A crowd had gathered around the counter, where Third Elder of the Yang family was holding up the red cube and introducing it to everyone.

“By splitting open the accelerator, you can divide it into four parts. Inserting a Qi Revitalization pill into each part creates the effect of a small-scale secret realm, directly enhancing cultivation speed. Hey, don’t believe me? Come up and try it!”

The crowd was buzzing with excitement, and someone actually stepped forward to try it.

He sat on the cushion provided by the Yang family, and Yang Wenxu personally inserted the Qi Revitalization pill into the device, placing it around him.

Someone beside him joked, “Last time, the Yang family sold each Qi Revitalization pill for ten thousand spirit stones each. If you count the auction price, it was even more.

Brother, by going up there, regardless of whether it works or not, you’re making forty thousand spirit stones. That’s a real profit!”

The man heard this and was delighted, feeling he had made a good deal.

Yang Wenxu watched the skeptical expressions of the crowd and wasn’t bothered.

He pressed a spot on the accelerator and stood aside, folding his arms.