The woman's strong and capable arms moved steadily up and down as she carefully tended to the pale green, delicate seedlings in the field.
Not far away, a faint buzzing seemed to hover in the air, prompting her to glance up.
"Not sure where the master found these spirit bees, but they're quite obedient... Though I wonder if they're useful," Xiong Li murmured with mild curiosity, as if the thought had sparked another idea.
Then, with a hint of boredom, she turned to Fang Ze and said in a low voice,
"Our master's getting more and more reclusive these days…"
"They say he hasn't left Changcui Mountain more than a few times since that upheaval at Tengyun Market… and that was over a year ago now."
"To stay holed up on this mountain for so long… The master truly knows how to endure solitude. Could it be because the alliance leader still held a grudge against him refusing to join the battle back then? Maybe that's why he dares not leave the formation."
At these words, Fang Ze instinctively glanced around.
Before he could say anything, the burly woman waved impatiently.
"Oh, come on! After all these years you're still this jumpy? The master should be resting at the mountain peak right now. Why would he come to the spirit fields? Relax!"
"Ahem… Better safe than sorry, right?" Fang Ze replied a bit awkwardly, though he visibly relaxed. Then, with a touch of excitement, he added,
"I heard from the Lan family that it's pretty much true. Ever since that incident, the alliance's attitude toward Changcui Mountain has completely shifted. Forget about any benefits they say the Lan family's been dragged down with him!"
"For over a year, the other factions in the alliance have been squeezing them dry every chance they get. Now they're practically cutting all ties with the master!"
"Tch! Those old snakes. Back when they were clinging to the master, they couldn't flatter him enough. And now look at them so shameless!" Xiong Li said indignantly. "Especially that young lady of theirs… If the master hadn't saved her and reclaimed this mountain, she'd probably be rotting in some ditch by now. And yet now she acts all distant and cold toward him…"
She opened her mouth as if to curse, but didn't dare finish.
Fang Ze's eyes flickered slightly before he replied,
"That's not quite fair. Lady Lan served the master faithfully for a long time. If she's now making other plans for the sake of her family… isn't that understandable too?"
Xiong Li shot Fang Ze a disdainful look.
"Hmph! Didn't expect you to be aiming for a swan either."
Fang Ze's face turned red at once.
"Aunt Xiong, how could you say that…"
He took a couple of breaths before changing tone,
"Did you know the Lan family's young master has been taken under the wing of that formation master from the Tu family? He's going to be his disciple…"
"Now that the Lan family's connected to the Tu family, they don't need the master's protection anymore!"
His voice dropped, laced with meaning.
"With the support of Pingyang Mountain and the Tu family, who knows if the master will even be able to stay on Changcui Mountain in the future… Maybe this mountain will bear the Lan name again soon."
Xiong Li's face immediately changed, alarmed as she asked cautiously,
"Are you serious?"
Back then, the Tu family had surrendered quickly, offering great wealth and the talents of Tu Zhiyong, a skilled formation master, earning favor from Pingyang Mountain. He'd more or less replaced Li Ye in usefulness.
In the past year, under the influence of Xu Pingyang and Xie Yushu, the alliance had nearly completely isolated Li Ye. Old allies had cut ties, and in terms of interests, people wouldn't dream of offering him benefits just avoiding dumping trouble on him was already doing him a favor for the sake of his former prestige.
Between the two formation masters, Li Ye and Tu Zhiyong, their positions had completely flipped in just a year…
Now that the Lan family had latched onto Tu Zhiyong, their fortunes were vastly improved.
Seeing Xiong Li's change in tone, Fang Ze couldn't help but show a smug smile as he boasted,
"The apprenticeship ceremony is coming soon. Rumor is the Lan family might even invite the master to attend. You'll see then if I'm telling the truth or not."
Then, with a hint of seriousness, he added,
"Aunt Xiong… for the sake of our old ties, don't say I didn't warn you. Whether you and I can keep working here in the future will depend on whether we choose the right side… Don't make the wrong call."
"I…"
Xiong Li couldn't help the panic in her voice. But after a moment of silence, she lifted her head and forced a smile even brighter than before.
"Old Xiong here knows what's at stake. Fang Ze, I'll be counting on you to look out for me. If I can stay on, I'll be sure to repay the favor!"
"No problem at all!"
Fang Ze laughed heartily, finally allowing himself a bit of swagger.
.....
"The old men of the Lan family do know how to go whichever way the wind blows…"
Not far away, Li Ye, who had seamlessly blended into the formation's concealed boundary, gently held an Emerald Bee in his hand. Hearing the two below talking, he couldn't help but nod in approval.
Of course, he wasn't so idle as to eavesdrop on two-spirit farmers gossiping all day.
He had simply been working on his bee-controlling gu when he happened to catch wind of their conversation through the insect's senses and came over out of curiosity.
As for the Lan family, they meant next to nothing to him now. Hearing all this only made him want to laugh he felt no other emotion.
As for Lan Xinyi… in Li Ye's eyes, she was much more clever than those old men of the Lan family. Even if she intended to cut ties with him, she wouldn't be foolish about it.
But if she truly disappointed him, Li Ye wouldn't show the slightest mercy.
That said, neither the Lan family nor the Tu family were truly the focus here.
Lately, Xu Pingyang has been becoming more and more active. The entire alliance's power structure was shifting, and the interest realignment seemed to be nearing its end amid all the internal disputes.
It appeared Pingyang Mountain had finally remembered Li Ye existed and was preparing to "resolve" him to eliminate any future trouble.
Li Ye stood there quietly for a while, thinking it all through.
Seeing that the two below, while disloyal in words, were still diligent in tending to the spirit plants and hadn't slacked off, he turned and headed back up the mountain.
His cultivation had already reached the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining. He had attempted to break through multiple times, and now the moment was near he was on the verge of a breakthrough.
With the situation outside becoming increasingly unstable and malicious intent aimed his way, it was all the more reason to cultivate hard and push forward.
Just as Fang Ze had said, the very next day, Lan Xinyi came up the mountain in person and handed Li Ye an invitation.
Li Ye read the contents word for word, then chuckled lightly and placed the invitation back into Lan Xinyi's hand.
"I have no intention of going down the mountain. I won't be attending. Please deliver this on my behalf instead…"
Speaking calmly, Li Ye casually pulled a formation flag from his storage pouch.
"This is a formation artifact I crafted. It can provide some assistance during array setups just a small token from me."
Lan Xinyi's temperament had matured greatly. She now carried an aloof elegance, and though she was still young, she already exuded a faint air of authority, as if she were a head of the household.
Standing before Li Ye now, she showed no trace of the closeness or playful charm she once had.
She pinched the formation flag in her hand, quietly amazed by its craftsmanship. Feeling the refined quality of the magic tool, her gaze toward Li Ye grew even more complex.
"Li… Li-lang, why put yourself through this…"
"If you're willing to humble yourself before Pingyang Mountain, with your skill in formations, surely the alliance leader would be willing to tolerate you…"
Li Ye saw the worry in her eyes and simply smiled and shook his head.
"If only it were that simple… Forget it. You should go back now."
Looking at the unbothered and carefree man in front of her, Lan Xinyi opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find the words. In the end, she just sighed softly and turned to leave.
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