On the eighth day after Elder Yu departed, Gao Hui saw off He Shenglai and once again visited the Yang family.

Upon seeing Yang Guanfeng, he quickly stood up, his face full of apology as he cupped his hands in greeting.

"Patriarch Yang, I am truly sorry about what happened earlier. As the saying goes, One Rank Higher in Office Can Crush a Man. I hope you can forgive me."

He Shenglai had used his authority to force his way into the Yang family's Restricted Grounds, exposing the family's foundations. This was truly an unkind act, leaving Gao Hui, who had accompanied him, feeling deeply awkward and embarrassed.

"Town Chief Gao, there is no need for this. That man's actions have nothing to do with you."

Yang Guanfeng smiled and waved his hand. "Knowing when to bend and when to stand tall is the way of survival. When I traveled during my youth, I endured far greater humiliations and hardships. Looking at the outcome, to Lose Face to Preserve Substance is always worth the trade."

These words made Gao Hui pause slightly, and his estimation of this patriarch rose considerably.

"What Patriarch Yang says is profound. I have been taught a good lesson."

The two men took their seats and began to discuss formal matters.

The topic centered on the mineral deposits surrounding Baishi Town.

Because the Beast Tide had breached the town, many of Baishi Town's families had been completely wiped out. Three mineral veins currently sat idle, guarded only by the town's soldiers.

"Three? Did you not say there were only two before?" Yang Guanfeng asked.

"I came today precisely to inform Patriarch Yang of this matter."

As he spoke, Gao Hui withdrew a letter and handed it over.

Without even opening it, Yang Guanfeng asked, "A letter from Wang Xiong?"

"Patriarch Yang has a sharp mind. You guessed it immediately."

Gao Hui nodded. "You must already be aware of the Wang family's situation. Now only Wang Xiong remains, a lone man nursing his injuries. He no longer has the spirit to rebuild the Wang family, and has already sought refuge as a guest in my estate."

Yang Guanfeng nodded and slowly opened the letter.

"To my esteemed brother Guanfeng, I, Wang Xiong, write in trepidation. My clan brother Wang Lie acted on my orders and ultimately brought ruin upon himself. I have no excuses, only that I was momentarily blinded by greed..."

"Following the calamity of the Beast Tide, the Wang Family exists in name only. Left entirely alone, I can no longer accomplish anything..."

"Now that I have pledged myself to the Town Chief's household, I am willing to offer up all my shops within the town and the mineral deposits outside the city. I only hope that Brother Guanfeng, in consideration of our past travels together, will resolve the knot of enmity between our two families..."

This was a personal letter penned by Wang Xiong, and its contents were straightforward.

The mention of their past travels referred to the time during their youth when the two had journeyed together through Wangchao for a period, forging a certain measure of friendship.

It was precisely during this shared journey that Wang Xiong had witnessed Yang Guanfeng's decisive nature and thunderous methods.

After finishing the letter, Yang Guanfeng looked to Gao Hui. "Does the Wang Family truly have a child in a Sect?"

"They do."

Gao Hui nodded. "I don't know the exact details, but according to internal intelligence from Wangchao, Wang Xiong's youngest son was taken away by Lone Moon Mountain. This is also the reason I chose to take him in."

Lone Moon Mountain?

Hearing this name, Yang Guanfeng couldn't help but frown.

Elder Yu had previously brought back news regarding this Sect.

Lone Moon Mountain encouraged vicious competition among its disciples. It possessed heavy Killing Intent, and its sect customs leaned toward the sinister.

For some reason, Yang Guanfeng felt a sudden premonition.

Wang Xiong's youngest son being secretly taken up the mountain by such a Sect might not necessarily be a good thing.

However, that was no longer his concern.

"What are Patriarch Yang's thoughts?"

Holding the letter in his hand, Yang Guanfeng did not answer immediately.

The shops within the town dealt only in worldly gold and silver, but excavating mineral deposits yielded refined ores-a solid, undeniable avenue for earning Spirit Crystals. There was absolutely no reason to refuse.

"If I remember correctly, the Wang Family's mineral deposit should be located at the borderland between Baishi Town and Qinghe Town, correct?"

Yang Guanfeng tucked the letter back into his sleeve. "Following the Beast Tide, Baishi Town's walls were breached and the damage was severe; its influence is far less than before. Wang Xiong's move appears to be a generous offering of the mineral deposit, but in truth, he simply fears he cannot protect this final piece of family property. Offering it to my family as a favor is quite a clever calculation."

"Hahaha, as expected of Patriarch Yang. You spotted the crux of the matter immediately."

Gao Hui sat up straighter and smiled. "Indeed. Wang Xiong's cultivation realm is still intact. If that mineral deposit were closer to Baishi Town, he would never have surrendered it so willingly. I only stepped forward to deliver this letter because he is now a guest official under my roof. Whether you accept or not is entirely up to you, Patriarch Yang. You need not have any reservations."

Yang Guanfeng nodded in understanding.

To be frank, the mineral deposit was incredibly tempting, but before claiming it, he needed to confirm one thing.

"Town Chief Gao, which family is currently eyeing the Wang Family's mineral deposit?"

"South of Qinghe Town, the Zhang Family of Sanglu Valley."

Gao Hui replied. "I have made inquiries. Their Patriarch is named Zhang Tianqi, a cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Gathering, possessing a cultivation base equal to yours. However, aside from their Patriarch, the Zhang Family has three other Qi Gathering cultivators."

Before coming to the Yang family, Gao Hui had already used Wangchao's intelligence channels to uncover these details clearly.

From his own perspective, considering the interests of Baishi Town, he naturally hoped Yang Guanfeng would take over the Wang Family's mineral deposit.

The town's walls were largely rebuilt, but the damaged streets still needed repairs. To recover as quickly as possible, various ores were indispensable resources.

Among the mineral deposits outside Baishi Town, the Wang Family's had the highest yield.

If it fell into the Zhang Family's hands, the cost to purchase those ores would undoubtedly soar.

But he also understood that the final decision rested entirely on the Yang family's attitude.

The Yang family had already contributed both wealth and effort toward the town's reconstruction, so Gao Hui dared not force any demands upon them now.

This visit was meant both to deliver the letter and pass along intelligence, leaving the final judgment to Yang Guanfeng.

"What are the realms of those three?"

At Yang Guanfeng's question, Gao Hui's heart leapt. There was hope!

"One at the fifth level of Qi Gathering, one at the second level, and one at the first level."

He immediately laid out the Zhang Family's specific strength.

Hearing this, Yang Guanfeng nodded. "Can this matter be delayed for a time?"

"Before I arrived, the higher-ups notified the Town Chief of Qinghe Town. Until our town's reconstruction is complete, they will not push things too far. However, if the mineral deposit remains unguarded for too long, the Zhang Family will likely begin mining it by force."

"En, I understand. Thank you, Town Chief Gao, for making a special trip to my home."

Yang Guanfeng stood up. "My Yang family will accept the Wang Family's mineral deposit. In three months at the earliest, or five months at the latest, I will personally head out to resolve this matter."

Hearing this, Gao Hui let out a long sigh of relief. He quickly stood and bowed, deeply moved.

He had not held much hope for this trip. After all, the top cultivators of both families were evenly matched in realm, yet the Zhang Family boasted more cultivators, making their overall strength slightly superior to the Yang family's.

The Yang family had just weathered the Beast Tide and needed time to rest and recover. It would have been perfectly reasonable for them to refuse.

Now that Yang Guanfeng had actually agreed, he was overjoyed.

As a gesture of gratitude, Gao Hui produced a gift.

He retrieved a small bottle from his Storage Bag and handed it to Yang Guanfeng.

Yang Guanfeng took it, and upon inspecting the contents, his eyes lit up.

"This item... is it Sun-Seeking Water?"

"Exactly. Patriarch Yang, please accept this as a token of thanks for this matter, and also as an apology for my intrusion into your Restricted Grounds that day."

"Hahaha, Town Chief Gao is far too polite."

Yang Guanfeng laughed heartily.

Sun-Seeking Water could nourish Spirit Plants. This single small bottle would boost the speed at which the Yang family's Four-Leaf Spirit-Holding Grass condensed Spirit Liquid by roughly twenty percent.