Entering the Immortal Path, Practicing the Hundred Arts Chapter 48: Forced Matchmaking

Luo Hu received the Kunyuan Pill with a radiant smile.

"Master Shan, congratulations. In this final round, you are the only one to produce a Tier 2 medicinal pill."

"Of the other three alchemists, two attempted to refine Tier 2 pills, but both ended in failure."

"The sole remaining person refined a low-grade Tier 1 pill, which is completely incomparable to yours. The results of the competition will be made public tomorrow."

Li Feng had anticipated this long ago and remained unsurprised, offering a simple word of thanks.

In the distant stands, the spectators who had been waiting for a long time saw Li Feng emerge from the arena and immediately swarmed forward.

Everyone's mouth was filled with congratulatory phrases, and there were even quite a few wealthy patrons who wanted to present valuable gifts on the spot in order to forge a connection.

Li Feng did not stand on ceremony and accepted them all.

In any case, he was currently presenting himself under the identity of an elder of the Spirit Plant Hall, and as for these favors, the Spirit Plant Hall would naturally take care of repaying them.

"Thank you all for your kind affection. Master Shan has expended a great deal of energy in alchemy and needs to rest. The Spirit Plant Hall will host a banquet to celebrate another day, and we kindly request your presence."

Hong Ling appeared at the appropriate moment and put a stop to Li Feng's actions.

The Spirit Plant Hall could not afford to owe this many favors.

Li Feng returned to the Spirit Plant Hall accompanied by Hong Ling.

Hong Ling's mother had been waiting for a long time.

"Greetings, Matriarch!" Li Feng saluted.

Compared to last time, the beautiful matron lacked a trace of the oppressive aura of someone in a position of authority, and instead possessed a touch of gentleness.

She stepped forward personally to help Li Feng up.

"Master Li, you are an elder of our Spirit Plant Hall; there is no need for such formality."

Li Feng only chose to reply with what the other party wanted to hear: "Without the support of the Tianqi Clan, I could not have reached the heights I am today. The proper etiquette must still be observed."

These words pleased the matron greatly.

What she most wanted to see was for Li Feng to develop a sense of belonging to the Tianqi Clan.

"Master Li is no longer young; it is about time you considered settling down."

Sensing the hidden meaning behind her words, Li Feng glanced at Hong Ling beside him, whose beauty was breathtaking.

To win him over, this matron was truly willing to make a heavy investment.

The matron continued, "You and Ling'er are a well-matched pair, a talented man and a beautiful woman, and she holds deep affection for you..."

"Matriarch, I already have someone in my heart; how could I dare to delay Sister Hong?" Li Feng interrupted the matron.

"It is of no consequence. It is normal for a cultivator to have multiple wives and concubines. Since Ling'er holds you in her heart, how could she mind such things?"

Hearing her mother speak thus, Hong Ling felt a complex swirl of emotions within her.

However, upon thinking of Li Feng's future prospects and the immense benefits he could bring to the Tianqi Clan, she suppressed all her conflicting thoughts.

"Matriarch, matters of the heart cannot be forced. Sister Hong is so exceptional that I truly dare not harbor any presumptuous desires."

Li Feng still wanted to find other excuses to decline.

Getting too close to a woman like Hong Ling would make it very easy to expose the secrets he carried.

Yet Hong Ling stepped forward and said, "Affection can be cultivated, and I believe that with my identity as a spirit planter, I can help Fellow Daoist Li go further in the art of alchemy."

The matron immediately followed up with a smile: "Since we are all family now, the form of address should be changed."

Hong Ling's beautiful eyes shifted, and her red lips parted slightly: "I am a few years older than you. If Fellow Daoist Li does not mind, would it be alright for me to call you younger brother Feng?"

"This..."

Watching the two of them echo each other and box him into a corner, Li Feng felt a sense of annoyance, but he could not let it show.

Since things had reached this point, it would not do for him to make it too awkward.

"Sister Hong treats me like family, and I also regard Sister Hong as my own elder sister. You may address me however you wish."

After the three of them finished tangling over this matter, the matron promptly brought up the competition.

She had also been paying attention to the tournament, and naturally knew the twists and turns that had occurred.

"I heard that during your match, the two Tier 2 alchemists from the Mo family and the Ashen Sword Manor had a brief exchange with Master Li and then both withdrew from the competition?"

The reason the matron had been in such a rush to pair the two of them together was precisely out of fear that Li Feng might transfer his allegiance to other factions.

At a time like this, Li Feng was a highly sought-after prize.

Li Feng had long since prepared a countermeasure and explained calmly, "Master Tian of the Ashen Sword Manor wanted to ask me to refine two Kunyuan Pills to extend his ancestor's lifespan, which is why he withdrew from the contest."

"Master Mo of the Mo family felt he had little hope of winning the competition, so he decided to do me a favor."

The matron nodded. "So that's how it is. It seems the Spirit Plant Hall must send someone forward to thank them both for their goodwill."

Her intention was to strike first and firmly bind Li Feng to the chariot of the Tianqi Clan.

"Master Li, rest well. Tomorrow, once the handover procedures for the Alchemical Residence Workshop are completed, you will be able to move into the estate."

The mother and daughter escorted Li Feng upstairs and then returned to the Exquisite Pavilion.

With outsiders gone, the gentle expression the matron had worn previously vanished entirely.

"Ling'er, for the revival of our clan, the two of us have no choice."

"Having said that, Li Feng is not bad either. Though he is young, his mind is extremely mature."

"With your assistance in the future, the probability of him becoming a Tier 3 alchemist is very high. He is worth the Tianqi Clan placing its bets on him."

Hong Ling's expression turned serious as she agreed with her mother's words.

"Rest assured, Mother, I am willing to sacrifice everything for the clan."

The matron gently stroked her daughter's delicate cheek, feeling a deep ache in her heart.

"You have been wronged!"

"What are you saying, Mother? Ever since I was young, I have enjoyed everything that ordinary people could not experience; naturally, I must shoulder the heavy responsibility of reviving the clan."

The matron quickly composed her emotions and continued, "Li Feng is someone who knows how to conceal himself well. We can only believe half of what he said earlier; presumably, there are already quite a few factions secretly trying to win him over."

"If possible, try your best to bear a child or two for him."

In the realm of immortal cultivation, during the early stages of development, many cultivation families would choose this method to deepen emotional bonds with non-blood-related individuals.

As long as they were not merciless evil cultivators, this tactic yielded remarkable results.

Hong Ling bit her lower lip gently and nodded heavily. "Understood, I will!"

The day for announcing the competition results arrived swiftly.

Luo Hu personally delivered a celebratory plaque.

The entrance of the Spirit Plant Hall was packed with crowds of onlookers, bringing a rare bustling liveliness to the Qingling Market.

Li Feng officially assumed his post, accompanied by Hong Ling at his side. Amidst their shared smiles and pleasantries, the two appeared extremely close for all to witness.

Although Li Feng disliked this, he could say nothing in the face of it.

Upon entering the grand and imposing estate, Li Feng could not help but feel a myriad of emotions.

Through various twists and turns, he had unexpectedly become the master of this estate.

Luo Hu led the way the entire time, introducing the layout of the estate while remembering to offer a reminder.

"Master Shan, you haven't forgotten about meeting the three supervisors, have you?"

"It has been on my mind the entire time; I dare not forget."

After Li Feng replied, Luo Hu smiled and said, "Master Shan need not be nervous; it is just a normal interview process."

"Although the three supervisors have unpredictable tempers, as long as you perform properly, they will not make things difficult for you."

Hearing this, Li Feng deliberately put on a deferential attitude.

"I kindly ask for your guidance, Senior."

Luo Hu wore a slightly troubled expression. "This ought to be a matter strictly between Master Shan and the three supervisors, and I shouldn't speak too much about it, but who am I to resist when I feel such an instant rapport with Master Shan?"

While offering a matching smile, Li Feng discreetly slipped a storage bag into Luo Hu's hand.

Inside the bag were twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones, which Hong Ling had bestowed upon him yesterday in the name of the Tianqi Clan.

Having accepted the bribe, Luo Hu no longer beat around the bush and revealed the inner workings of the matter.

"Master Shan, if you want to pass the interview, you must at least cede sixty percent of the profits to the three supervisors. I wonder if you are willing to part with it?"

Li Feng shook his head with a smile. "It's not a matter of whether I'm willing or not, but sixty percent simply exceeds my expectations."

"I originally intended to reserve thirty percent for Senior. Seen in this light, the Spirit Plant Hall would only have ten percent of the profits left for itself, which is truly not worthwhile."

"If that's the case, I can do without the lease rights to the Alchemical Residence Workshop."

With that, Li Feng turned around as if to leave.