Childhood Friendships Bear Fruit

The knocking was much more urgent than usual, so it must be something important.

"It's Uncle Fu, come in."

Uncle Fu is Xu Yunxin's housekeeper and his only confidant.

Uncle Fu pushed open the door and went straight to Xu Yunxin's bedside. He didn't even bother to wipe the sweat from his forehead and called out in a panting voice.

"Young Master, it's over!"

Holy crap, the young master is finished!

The young master is better now than ever.

Having just activated the system and undergone a transformation by a strange warm current, Xu Yunxin could even vaguely sense the airflow around him and the five-colored light spots that he couldn't perceive before.

"Don't rush, Uncle Fu, tell me slowly."

Xu Yunxin handed over an old handkerchief, gesturing for Uncle Fu to wipe his sweat as he spoke.

Uncle Fu is also a cultivator with the eighth level of Qi Refining.

If it can make him run so hard he's out of breath, then this matter must be extremely important.

Uncle Fu paused for a moment before taking the handkerchief, then said urgently, "Young Master, just now at the clan meeting, the eldest branch said that you made a fool of yourself in front of the Taoist masters and the officials of Wancheng, disgracing the family and destroying the family's spiritual plants. They want to remove you from the family register and expel you from the Xu family!"

"Holy crap!"

Wow, that was fast!

The eldest son's family is taking this opportunity to completely eliminate this unruly illegitimate son!

Once he is expelled from the family, there will be no need to go to great lengths to deal with him.

In this dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, he, reduced to a nobody among rogue cultivators, would likely have no say in his own death, even if he wanted to.

What deep-seated hatred, what great grudge!

This is meant to make an example of someone.

Xu Yunxin's mind raced, and he gritted his teeth, determined to go find the clan leader.

Then Uncle Fu said, "Fortunately, Young Master Hua stepped in to mediate, saying that the Xu family had never had such a precedent before, and that when you, Young Master, made your covenant with the spirit, there were signs of divine favor, which is clear evidence that the heavens are looking out for the Xu family, and that's how the eldest branch of the family was able to be suppressed."

Xu Yunxin, still holding his breath, heard Uncle Fu continue speaking.

"The eldest branch of the family, citing that you, young man, have already advanced to the first level of Qi Refining and are of age to manage the clan's affairs, wants to send you to 'Qingxi Town in the Thousand Lakes Wasteland' at the southernmost tip of Wancheng to develop the clan's business!"

"Is there any more?"

"That's all."

"Uncle Fu, don't worry. As long as you're not expelled from the family, you'll be fine."

Xu Yunxin breathed a sigh of relief.

Uncle Fu's eyebrows twitched with anxiety: "Young Master, our Wancheng is right next to the Southern Wilderness. The southernmost 'Thousand Lakes Wilderness' has already gone beyond 'Jingtu' and deep into 'Barbarian Lands.' It's extremely dangerous there; going there is suicide! Why don't you go find Young Master Hua again? At least we can change the location to 'Jingtu'!"

Xu Yunxin naturally knew that going to the "Thousand Lakes Wasteland" was dangerous, but he was wrong to forcibly change the spirit contract partner, and he also destroyed the family's first-tier spirit plant, the Golden Buddha Tree.

There is still a small pit about half a meter in size in the front yard of the reception hall.

The value of this first-tier spiritual plant alone is around three hundred spirit stones.

Moreover, the golden Buddha fruit it produces each year can be sold for another twenty spirit stones.

The losses caused are truly enormous.

Moreover, he set a precedent.

If later generations of the clan follow suit and bring out some messy stuff to the Spirit Contracting Assembly, they will be in trouble!

If it weren't for the fact that the most talented young master of the second branch of the Xu family spoke up for him, and that he really did attract a celestial phenomenon, he would not only have been expelled from the family, but would probably have had to sign a blood pact and be sent to mine or farm to make up for the spirit stones that had damaged the family property!

As for going to see Yunhua from the second wife again, Xu Yunxin felt it wouldn't make much sense, and he didn't really want to go.

"Uncle Fu, is the clan meeting over?"

Xu Yunxin stood up as he spoke.

"It's over, young master."

When Uncle Fu saw Xu Yunxin get up, he assumed that he was going to find Yunhua from the second branch of the family. He quickly took out another loan agreement from his pocket and said, "Young Master, the first branch of the family is saying that you damaged the clan's property when you signed the spirit contract, and they want you to pay 1,000 spirit stones in compensation."

"A thousand!?"

Xu Yunxin never expected that the eldest son's family would be so shameless; they were trying to kill him!

"In the end, the clan chief made the decision and set five hundred, to be deducted from your monthly allowance and annual tax over three years, until they are all gone."

Xu Yunxin grinned as he looked at the loan agreement; it was exactly what he wanted, with everything included.

The price is fair; at least he wasn't ripped off.

Reaching out to take the loan agreement, Xu Yunxin instructed, "Uncle Fu, please take stock of your assets, sell off anything bulky and impossible to carry, and purchase some necessities..."

Xu Yunxin looked at Uncle Fu's hesitant expression and asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Uncle Fu, just say what you want to say."

Uncle Fu pulled out a brocade bag from his pocket and handed it over, saying, "Young master, there's no need to check. The house is family property, and we can't take anything with us. The only things we can take are the clothes we're wearing and this."

Xu Yunxin took a deep breath and asked directly, "How many spirit stones are left?"

Without hesitation, Uncle Fu replied, "There are also nine spirit stones and one hundred and twenty-four grains of spirit sand."

"Originally there were twenty-one, but a month ago, the young master wanted to prepare for the contracted spirit, so he spent twelve spirit stones to buy two bottles of 'Yellow Sprout Pill'."

Fortunately, we had some start-up capital.

Xu Yunxin quickly calculated in his mind that these nine spirit stones would not be enough.

Not to mention the carriages and luggage for the trip to Qingxi Town, the spiritual rice that he and Uncle Fu need to eat every day can only be bought at most a dozen or so bags.

He was fine at the first level of Qi Refining, but Uncle Fu was at the eighth level of Qi Refining. He would consume a bag of spirit rice every ten days. Even if all the spirit stones were used to buy spirit rice, it would only last for three months at most.

Moreover, they also need to buy some essential magical artifacts and talismans just in case.

Xu Yunxin also wanted to buy some more semi-spiritual plant seeds.

Although he was short of money and had taken on new debt, he had successfully activated the World Tree species. With the Druid as his cheat code, he was not worried about a bleak future.

"Uncle Fu, take these spirit stones and use them as you see fit. Buy the essentials first, and buy a month's worth of spirit rice. I'll figure out what to do with the rest."

After arranging for Uncle Fu to go shopping, Xu Yunxin decided to go see his nominal second brother, Xu Yunhua.

In my memory, his relationship with Xu Yunhua was very complicated.

Xu Yunhua was exceptionally talented from a young age, possessing the highest level of talent. His cultivation speed was incredibly fast, which led to him being ostracized by the eldest son's family and other direct descendants.

Xu Yunxin was unwilling to be like the other illegitimate sons, willingly degenerating into a lackey following behind the legitimate sons, and thus alone and isolated.

And so, two lonely people became childhood playmates and had a wonderful time together, but the difference in their status as legitimate and illegitimate children was insurmountable.

As they grew older, the two gradually drifted apart.

A moment later, Xu Yunxin arrived at the six-courtyard house where the second wife lived.

After explaining their purpose, the doorman went to greet them briefly and then returned.

Before he could even enter, the doorman greeted Xu Yunxin with a forced smile and said loudly, "Eighth Young Master, Second Master has instructed that you have many studies to attend to and are too busy to see guests. Please leave."

Xu Yunxin didn't insist. After expressing his gratitude again, he prepared to leave.

Just as he turned around, the doorman stepped forward and tugged at Xu Yunxin's sleeve, then furtively looked around.

Then, with swift movement, he handed a small bag to Xu Yunxin and whispered, "Don't tell anyone, it's from the young master."

Before Xu Yunxin could react, he slammed the courtyard gate shut with a loud bang.

Xu Yunxin clenched the small bag in his hand, easily sensing what was inside.

Ten spirit stones, a pill bottle, and a stack of spirit talismans.

Despite living in a grand six-courtyard house, and despite Xu Yunhua's exceptional talent, his monthly allowance was only one spirit stone.

Those with good natural talent spend more on cultivation. Although they often receive rewards, those who have no shortage of spirit stones often find it harder to save them.

Xu Yunxin remembered that Yunhua always spent whatever money he had in his pocket, either buying toys, magical artifacts, talismans, or supplementary food for spirit beasts.

These ten spirit stones were probably obtained by Yunhua through some means.

What's more, there was also a bottle of "Huangya Dan" and a thick stack of talismans inside.

These combined are worth at least twenty-five spirit stones.

True friendship is like water, pure and simple; it is in times of trouble that true feelings are revealed.

The saplings they planted by chance in their childhood have quietly borne fruit without them even realizing it.