The Ai Family was willing to breach their contract and sever all business dealings—even the upper echelon of the Xiao Family, no matter how foolish, could guess they must have offended someone.

The Grand Elder’s brows furrowed even tighter.

The Ai Family prioritized business above all else, emphasizing harmony and profit.

To suddenly sever all business dealings and even pay ten times the breach penalty—there must be enormous power pushing from behind!

Our Xiao Family!

Who the hell did we offend!

The Grand Elder was on the verge of collapse.

Of course, he never considered that Jun Changxiao might be pulling strings behind the scenes, because this eighth-rate sect absolutely had neither the qualifications nor the ability to make the Ai Family abandon their business relationship with his family.

What a pity.

It really was Sect Leader Jun.

After leaving the medicinal shop, this fellow didn’t return immediately. Instead, he wandered around the marketplace, buying some seasonings and vegetable seeds for Dudu, and purchasing some crystal cores as well.

He didn’t set off for home until dusk arrived.

“If Family Head Ai has good judgment, by now he should have already severed all business dealings with the Xiao Family.”

“Losing a quality supplier—even though your Xiao Family can still purchase from other shops, you’ll definitely lose many customers, and your profits will inevitably plummet.”

“And then there’s the mine vein.”

“Without this industry, you’ve cut off half your economic lifeline.”

“How can a family without money continue to develop?”

“Kekeke.”

Sinister laughter echoed through the mountain wilderness, frightening wild beasts into scattering in all directions.

……

By the time he returned to the sect, night had already fallen.

“Hm?”

Jun Changxiao had just arrived back at the courtyard when he saw Zhou Hong sitting at the entrance. He asked with confusion: “Why aren’t you practicing your sword techniques? What are you sitting here for?”

“Whoosh!”

Zhou Hong leaped to his feet and urgently said: “Sect Leader, please teach me the Soaring Sword Divine Manual!”

This fellow was truly persistent—he’d been squatting at the entrance waiting all day, not even leaving once to take a piss.

“If you want to learn, fine.”

Jun Changxiao said: “But you must make a contribution to the sect.”

He wouldn’t simply give whatever someone wanted just because they were a good seedling—they had to earn recognition first.

Take Ye Xingchen, for example. With absolute strength, he had defeated the Haoran Gate disciples and raised the prestige of the Iron Bones Clanging Sect, so Jun Changxiao had generously given him the First-Grade Cold Edge Sword.

The system hadn’t automatically matched the sword technique as a sect cultivation method, which meant this item couldn’t be casually given to disciples for practice.

It wasn’t that it couldn’t be automatically matched—the sword technique’s level was simply too high.

Disciples with inadequate spiritual roots, even if everyone had a copy, could only learn a tiny bit of superficial knowledge.

“Sect Leader.”

Zhou Hong asked: “How can I obtain contribution!”

Jun Changxiao considered briefly, then said: “Before long, this seat will be taking disciples out for field training. You’ll come along too. If you perform well, I can reward you with the Soaring Sword Divine Manual.”

“Excellent!”

Zhou Hong agreed without hesitation.

Sword cultivators value two things above all else—one is the sword itself, one is sword techniques. For these, losing their life doesn’t matter.

After returning to his study.

Jun Changxiao opened the Pill Refining Pavilion interface, beginning the automatic matching of medicinal ingredients and fire sources, then started refining with a series of “ding ding ding” sounds.

This time there weren’t many medicinal ingredients, so he wasn’t refining many types of pills either.

However, he had accumulated quite a few Healing Pills, which made Jun Changxiao secretly calculate whether he should give more to the Ai Family to take to auction.

No good.

Rare things are precious—he had to control the quantity to sell them at a good price.

……

The next day, at dawn.

Beautiful divine music began playing on the training grounds.

Jun Changxiao led the disciples in dancing together from the front. After finishing, he went to the medicine garden.

After receiving the medicinal seed packets and examining them, Elder Wei said with surprise: “Sect Leader, these are all high-quality medicinal seeds from the Ai Family.”

Jun Changxiao said: “With Elder Wei’s abilities, you naturally need high-quality seeds to showcase your talents.”

“The Sect Leader flatters me.”

Elder Wei said: “High-quality seeds have longer growth cycles.”

“How long?”

“Given the spiritual energy currently gathered in the medicine garden, at least two months.”

“What about the results?”

Elder Wei pondered briefly, then said: “Much better than the first batch of medicinal ingredients.”

“Really?”

Jun Changxiao’s heart leaped with joy.

The first batch of medicinal ingredients refined into Qi Gathering Pills that had ten times the spiritual power. If these high-quality ones matured and were used for refining, wouldn’t they be even more wonderful?

“Elder Wei.”

Jun Changxiao said: “I have a Body Tempering Pill here. Please take it and consume it.”

If he wanted the sect disciples to grow stronger quickly to face the one-year agreement with the Holy Spring Sect, he had to rely on Qi Gathering Pills. Simply collecting medicinal ingredients from outside to refine would definitely fall short of demand, so Elder Wei was crucial.

“Just a bag of old bones.”

Elder Wei shook his head with a smile and said: “What pills would I eat at this age?”

Jun Changxiao said: “This pill, once consumed, can strengthen your body and health. Elder Wei, please don’t refuse.”

“Very well.”

Elder Wei accepted the pill and swallowed it.

When the medicinal effect took hold and his muscles, blood, and strength were greatly enhanced, he said with disbelief: “Young man, this pill of yours is quite miraculous!”

Jun Changxiao said: “Elder Wei, I have many more miraculous pills. If you join the Iron Bones Clanging Sect and take the position of Medicine Hall Master, you can eat them as you please.”

For an herbalist who was so meticulous in cultivating medicinal ingredients, he wasn’t satisfied with just hiring him—he hoped to recruit him into the sect and make him a member of the Iron Bones Clanging Sect.

Elder Wei shook his head and said: “An old fellow with half his body in the grave—why would I still think about joining a sect?”

Jun Changxiao said seriously: “Elder Wei, you must understand, there exists in this world a kind of person whose body is old but whose heart is not.”

“Body old but heart not old?”

Elder Wei laughed self-deprecatingly and said: “I have no dreams, no goals. Living on borrowed time, both my body and heart have grown old.”

Jun Changxiao said: “People living in this world must constantly strive forward. Elder Wei, you’re too pessimistic.”

“Ah.” Elder Wei sighed deeply and said: “Young man, when you’ve experienced many things and suffered many setbacks, you’ll understand—going through life, you can’t help but be pessimistic.”

He turned and walked away, his back appearing even more aged and weathered.

“Elder Wei!”

Jun Changxiao called out: “I don’t care what you’ve experienced or what kind of setbacks you’ve suffered. I only want to tell you—as long as a person is still whole, they should strive forward, not give up on themselves in despair.”

Elder Wei stopped in his tracks and smiled: “Young man, are you lecturing an old man who has walked more roads than you’ve eaten grains of rice?”

Jun Changxiao said earnestly: “I only don’t want Elder Wei to continue sinking into depression. I hope you’ll live happily—even if not for yourself, then for your departed relatives and brothers!”

Elder Wei’s form suddenly trembled, his withered hands quivering slightly.

As expected, he’d guessed right!

Jun Changxiao said: “Elder Wei’s research into medicinal ingredients has reached the pinnacle of perfection. In your youth, you must have strived hard. Since that’s the case, why not pull yourself together again and join hands with me to accomplish a great enterprise!”

“Join hands to accomplish a great enterprise…”

These words echoed constantly in his ears, coming not only from Jun Changxiao, but also from another person.

Elder Wei’s cloudy eyes gradually grew moist.

“Child.”

His voice trembled as he said: “That last sentence of yours—someone said the same thing to me several hundred years ago.”

Jun Changxiao said: “It seems I’m not the only one who understands Elder Wei.”

“Exhale!”

Elder Wei drew in a breath and said sorrowfully: “The person in this world who understood me is already gone.”

“I understand.” Jun Changxiao said.

Elder Wei said: “Young man, tell me—what is your great enterprise?”

Jun Changxiao said earnestly: “To make the Iron Bones Clanging Sect the strongest sect, to make the sect’s name resound throughout the Falling Star Continent!”

“Your great enterprise is much grander than his.”

Elder Wei murmured, then turned around with a smile and said: “However, it suits my taste perfectly.”

“Elder Wei agrees?”

“If the Sect Leader doesn’t disdain this bag of old bones, I’m willing to contribute my meager strength to the Iron Bones Clanging Sect.”

……

The next day.

Jun Changxiao summoned the disciples and solemnly announced the establishment of the Iron Bones Clanging Sect’s second hall—the Medicine Hall. Elder Wei would serve as Hall Master, overseeing medicinal ingredients and medical treatment.

Sun Bukong and the others were assigned as Medicine Hall members.

After being appointed Hall Master, Elder Wei returned to the medicine garden and sat alone in the pavilion, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds above, murmuring: “Old friend, was this decision of mine right…”