Chapter 18: The Emergence of a Faction

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[Li Yaotie (Second Generation)]
[Occupation: Ninth-Rank Artifact Refiner]
[Realm: Qi Refinement, Fifth Layer]
[Spiritual Roots: Mixed Five-Element Spirit Roots]
[Skills: Qi Absorption Technique, Mighty Hammer Method]
[Traits: Robust Bones, Iron in Aim]
[Iron in Aim: When forging metal weapons, crafting speed +100%, weapon proficiency +100%!]

...

“Third Young Master, you... you actually refined a magical artifact?!!”
At the blacksmith shop in Zhi’en Village, four veteran blacksmiths cheered for Li Yaotie amidst the heat radiating from the furnace.

“What kind of magical artifact is this damn thing?”
If Li Yaoqing became an herbalist following his own path, then Li Yaotie relied purely on luck. He disdainfully tossed aside the newly forged iron sword. “You haven’t seen truly powerful treasures—I have!”

“That thing is made entirely of metal, as tall as several houses. Not even Qi Refiners or Foundation Establishment masters can break its iron shell. It emits a blue light that lets it fly. Its whole body is covered with weapons; its shoulders can release true Qi, and it can even create divine swords from thin air!”

As he spoke to the blacksmiths, Li Yaotie’s eyes shone with admiration. He recalled the war automaton used by the ancestor that day—such a towering figure, capable of killing the three elders of the Wang family with a single strike!

That day, he realized what true masculine romance was!

“My goal isn’t to refine these kinds of artifacts. They only increase my forging experience. Only those powerful automatons are my true target!”

“Clang!”
With the strike of a heavy hammer, sparks flew.

Li Yaotie used tweezers to hold a steel plate and slowly approached behind him.

Behind him stood a wooden automaton model!

He carefully placed the black-iron steel plate on the wooden figure’s shoulder and fastened it with chains.

...

“Dreaming of forging a war automaton?”
Watching the conversation between Li Yaotie and the craftsmen in the game, Li Xiang was at a loss for words, only hoping Li Yaotie would one day succeed.

Li Xiang understood now.

The characters in this game each had their own thoughts and chose their own paths as they grew. The four children of the Li family’s second generation were all different. Li Yaozu resembled Li Dalong more, a worthy heir to the family head.

The reclusive Li Yaoqing became an herbalist, advancing further on the path of cultivating spirit plants, now a renowned divine doctor in Zhi’en Village.

Li Yaowen, a frail girl, faced a difficult road, but with age, her wisdom grew—like the last time she solved a case, easily pinpointing the key issue.

Li Yaotie, meanwhile, opened a forging shop in Zhi’en Village, leading four blacksmith masters to craft the entire faction’s weapons.

[Year 28 of the Li Family.]
[Li Dalong led the villagers of Zhi’en and Li family descendants into the Silver Iron Forest, reaching its central region. They heard a beast’s roar. A terrifying presence deep within the forest warned the Purple Thunder Celestial Python: if it ventured further, it would not hesitate to kill all humans under its protection!]

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“We can’t go any deeper. The temple guardian beast said the demon king inside is already angry!”

Xu Cuihua solemnly translated for the Purple Thunder Celestial Python, and the group had no choice but to halt their exploration of the Silver Iron Forest.

The demon king’s strength was on par with a human Golden Core cultivator!

“Is it really impossible to enter?”

Li Xiang exhaled deeply. The Purple Thunder Celestial Python had previously warned the Li family about the forest.

It seemed the demon king had spared the Li family out of some respect, but now their frequent incursions endangered its habitat.

“Well, it’s about time. We’ll just explore the outskirts gradually.”

Li Xiang didn’t mind.

Years of development had elevated the Li family’s overall strength once again!

Now, Zhi’en Village had a population of three thousand.

For reference, even Tailin Town only had around forty thousand people before the famine, and now likely less than half remained.

Looking at the Li family’s domain:

Spanning over ten thousand square meters, it featured elegant pavilions, flying eaves, and green tiles—refined yet grand. The ground was paved with blue bricks, surrounded by green trees and flowers, while four-meter-high walls bore carvings of dragons and phoenixes.

Beyond lay the Spirit Beast Park, where they raised magical beasts. It had become the Li family’s backyard. In the distance stood towering Beast Blood Fruit trees, like giants guarding the surroundings. Occasionally, spirit beasts leapt among the branches, with birds crying out.

Further beyond was the Spirit Herb Garden and some simple houses.

The herb garden had relocated from inside the Spirit Beast Park due to the growth of another Beast Blood Fruit tree, which had crowded out the herbs’ habitat. Li Yaoqing oversaw the new garden.

Those houses sheltered over a dozen young men and women recruited from Zhi’en Village to help cultivate medicinal herbs, giving Li Yaoqing more time for her work and possibly training new herbalists for the village.

Outside the entire Li family estate was Zhi’en Village itself.

Its inhabitants spread around the Li family like guardians.

The village houses were neatly arranged, streets paved with bricks, and a unique trade system had formed. Vendors shouted their wares, but more common were farmers carrying water buckets heading to fields outside the village. Nearly every household cultivated land—having endured a severe drought, the villagers understood the vital importance of food.

“Ha!”

In the village center, a group of youths practiced martial arts, while nearby, young people trained with bows and arrows.

The instructor shouted: “Back in Tailin Town, noble clans kept their cultivation methods secret. But here in Zhi’en Village, thanks to Lord Li’s great kindness, you’ve been taught the Qi Absorption Technique.”

“The opportunity is before you. Work hard and aim to lift a 300-pound stone, draw a triple-stone bow, and hit a target thirty zhang away within this year. Then you’ll have the chance to join the Third Young Master’s guard!”

“From then on, you can receive spirit herbs or even sacred fruits from the Second Young Miss!”

Upon hearing this, the youths trained even harder.

Atop a tall tower in the Li estate:

Now 23 years old, Li Yaozu gazed approvingly at the practicing youths in the distance. “This year, my guard will gain another thirty members.”

“Big Brother, no more.”

Beside Li Yaozu, a maid pushed a wheelchair with a stunning woman seated, holding a scroll and reading aloud: “The family guard requires a salary every season.”

“Each member receives ten doses of the ‘Body Tempering Powder’ developed by Second Sister, plus tax exemptions. The rest depends on favors here.”

“You have a 150-member guard, enough to maintain order in Zhi’en Village. Expanding further would deplete our resources.”

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“Besides, the family has fifty female attendants who also need salaries...”

Li Yaozu scratched his head irritably. “Ah, I get it! So what do you suggest? We can’t enter the Silver Iron Forest, Father is secluded in breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, and I realize managing a family is so difficult! After six months of leadership, all I’ve done is train troops—no useful achievements!”

“Big Brother, if you want results, maybe... we should ask the ancestor.”

Li Yaowen smiled beautifully.

...

Li Xiang continued watching the Li family’s progress, filled with pride. The family had now taken shape.

Though they could no longer develop the Silver Iron Forest, their growth remained steady and methodical.

The Li family’s guards included over a dozen cultivators.

Especially Li Yaotie—though he dreamed of forging war automatons, he never delayed crafting weapons for the family!

He led Zhi’en’s blacksmiths, working day and night to produce equipment; even tailors were rushing orders.

Now, the guards mostly wore black-iron chainmail. Under sunlight, the black-iron armor looked imposing. Each guard wielded a black-iron long knife and carried a triple-stone bow made from black iron and beast sinew.

Over a hundred guards firing triple-stone bows at once—probably even Foundation Establishment masters would think twice about blocking that volley.

As Li Xiang watched the family’s development, a box appeared on the screen—

[Your descendants have a question for you.]

The Family Cultivation Simulator was becoming more user-friendly; whenever family members sought him in the ancestral hall, time automatically slowed, and he received a reminder.

He quickly switched views.

“Yaozu and Yaowen?”

Now Li Dalong had reached Qi Refinement Ninth Layer and had entered closed-door cultivation, vowing not to emerge until he broke into Foundation Establishment. Li Yaoqing and Li Yaotie were workaholics, spending almost all their time on alchemy and forging, only appearing at the Li estate when truly necessary.

As for Xu Cuihua, she was currently riding a spirit beast in the Spirit Beast Park.

“Hiss~ Sss~”

The Purple Thunder Celestial Python awakened in the ancestral hall with a hissing sound.

The siblings knelt before the ancestral tablet. “Greetings, ancestor!”

Li Yaowen said, “Ancestor, I have a bold idea and wish to seek your guidance.”

“Oh? An idea?” Li Xiang raised an eyebrow. So far, he had always directed the family’s actions; this was the first time someone proposed something to him.

He typed and spoke.

With the temple guardian beast’s hiss in the background, Li Yaowen continued:

“Since we can’t develop the Silver Iron Forest further, perhaps we should change direction and trade with Tailin Town. After all, over the years, we have stockpiled large quantities of beast pelts and collected many useless spirit herbs from the forest, filling our warehouses.”

“Ah?”

Li Yaozu’s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at his sister. “Sis, we’ve already fooled them once. Tailin Town won’t fall for it again, right?”