Moreover, the salary of an Honored Guest Elder is even more substantial, reaching as high as five hundred Spirit Stones per month. Additionally, they have the same privileges as internal members of the Jiang family, gaining access to regular resources within the family.

Of course, the most core resources are certainly out of reach, after all, Honored Guest Elders are still considered outsiders.

Guest Peak is home to one Chief Honored Guest Elder and three Honored Guest Elders.

In the roster Li An received, he was to manage a total of thirteen Honored Guest Elders in the "Black Tortoise Hall," covering a comprehensive range of roles.

Most of the visitors tonight were these "subordinates."

"Reporting to the Honored Guest Elder, these are our experts from Black Tortoise Hall. Brother Chen Rong is a physician with excellent medical skills, and Sister Wang Yue is an alchemist..."

Everyone sat around facing each other, and a particularly attractive woman actively and warmly introduced the situation to Li An.

This woman was named Sun Jinxue, a Puppet Master and Talisman Master, and seemed to hold a rather high status among the group.

Everyone presented a gift, and Li An reciprocated.

The conversation was lively, filled with cordial pleasantries.

Everyone departed.

"Daoist Sun, please stay,"

Li An called out to Sun Jinxue.

"Does Honored Guest Elder Wu have any requests?" Sun Jinxue looked at him with bright, expressive eyes, smiling graciously.

"Do you know Feng Yuancheng, Lu Song, and Zhang Meng?"

These three did not come to visit!

"Fellow Daoist Feng is also a Talisman Master, with significant accomplishments; he was highly regarded in Black Tortoise Hall. There were even rumors that he would become the new Honored Guest Elder..."

Sun Jinxue did not hide anything and directly told Li An.

Li An understood immediately!

His "parachuting" in might have taken the position from Feng Yuancheng, which is why the latter didn't come.

"Thank you, Daoist Sun, for clarifying."

"You're too kind, Honored Guest Elder,"

Sun Jinxue smiled sweetly, "By the way, Honored Guest Elder, I've recently asked Alchemist Wang Yue for help in refining a batch of Spirit Awakening Pills, but I'm still missing a Second Grade 'Iris Spirit Flower.' Could you assist in purchasing it? I'll provide the necessary Spirit Stones, and once the pills are complete, you'll have half of them. How about it?"

Li An's interest was piqued.

Ordinary Honored Guest Elders buying materials from the Jiang family have no access to internal prices, which would be more expensive.

But asking him to help out with the purchase comes with half a furnace of Spirit Awakening Pills in return... This was clearly a gesture of goodwill, a pledge of allegiance!

"Alright. Thank you."

Li An also smiled, "If you need anything in the future, just let me know."

Sun Jinxue was overjoyed.

...

Over the next two days, Li An carefully understood the situation within Black Tortoise Hall.

It was more complicated than he had imagined.

Feng Yuancheng originally belonged to another True Core Elder—Jiang Ridong. Logically, Feng Yuancheng should have been promoted to Honored Guest Elder.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ribai had no power on the Guest Peak side.

However, later, with the appearance of Ruo Li, Jiang Ridong's descendants were removed from core candidate selection.

Simultaneously, Jiang Ribai took the opportunity to overcome obstacles, pushing the otherwise unestablished Li An to rise.

The reason was his great contribution to welcoming Ruo Li!

Eventually, the Patriarch nodded in agreement with Jiang Ribai's proposal.

That's how Li An was able to come over.

A minor position change at the grassroots level might have been a reflection of upper-level power struggles!

Moreover, Li An's identity within the Jiang family was well-known, as he was born a bandit but now had a shield of protection, having welcomed back an important descendant of the Jiang family and once being a guide for the genius Ruo Li.

One might say, as long as Ruo Li remained in favor, Li An could continue to navigate the Jiang family with ease.

This was also why Sun Jinxue and others were keen to show goodwill to Li An.

Feng Yuancheng had already lost his position, but Li An held potential for the future.

"Just right, this batch of Spirit Awakening Pills can allow me to advance smoothly to Late-Stage Foundation Establishment, and then after a few years of cultivation to reach Perfection, I can propose to the family to borrow a place for Core Formation..."

Now that he has the backing and a foothold within the Jiang family, achieving Core Formation is only a matter of time.

After all, if he could form a core, it would certainly be a boon for Jiang Ribai, enhancing his influence within the clan.

Meanwhile, it is only natural to eliminate dissenters in passing according to Jiang Ribai's wishes...

In a few days, he would first plan the downfall of Feng Yuancheng!

Once in charge of a Cultivation Clan, Li An was already well-versed in these Ghostly Realm tactics. Although Feng Yuancheng had been a Honored Guest Elder in the Jiang family for a few years, he was just a Loose Cultivator by background. In this domain, Li An could easily play him to death.

...

On the third day, Li An went to visit the other two Honored Guest Elders and the Chief.

These three naturally had their own backgrounds within the clan.

The Chief was in seclusion, so Li An did not meet him.

The Hall Master of Cyan Dragon Hall, Han Jice, was a Fake Pill expert, reportedly able to refine Rank Three Magical Artifacts.

Although he met Li An, he was rather aloof, which was understandable, given that neither his cultivation nor his skills were within Li An's reach!

Li An was merely being polite, going through the motions before leaving.

"White Tiger Hall's Honored Guest Elder, Tan Xue, Spirit Beast Healer..."

Waiting outside the residence of the White Tiger Hall Honored Guest Elder, Li An was quite curious about this Tan Xue.

Spirit Beast Healers were extremely rare.

Similar to the mundane world's "veterinarians," Spirit Beast Healers could treat the injuries of spirit beasts.

Given that the Jiang family, known for beast taming, shouldn't lack such talent, that Tan Xue could achieve the rank of Honored Guest Elder indicated she must be extraordinary.

"Please come in—"

The doorman who went to report back respectfully led Li An inside.

Entering the living room.

Seated at the head in white was a woman; she raised her eyes to look at Li An.

Upon seeing this woman, Li An's heart was instantly shaken!

This is...

The woman before him was clearly Tan Qingxue!

How was this possible?

The last contact Li An had with her was when he wrote to her asking her to seek refuge in a marketplace by the Liuyang River, after which he never saw Tan Qingxue again.

But Tan Qingxue should have long since died of old age!

After all, Li An was now two hundred and forty-eight years old.

Tan Qingxue never had the opportunity to reach Foundation Establishment; with her Qi Refining Stage cultivation, two hundred years would be the limit of her lifespan.

However, Li An and Tan Qingxue had been very close, and he was extremely familiar with her aura. Confirmed by the Life Nourishing Immortal Skill, Li An was certain that the person before him was Tan Qingxue.

Tan Xue, Tan Qingxue, only one character different.

"Wu Honored Guest Elder?"

Tan Xue smiled slightly.

Li An quickly calmed himself, suppressing the doubts in his heart, and returned to a normal expression, "Greetings, Honored Guest Elder Tan!"

"Please sit, Wu Honored Guest Elder. With you standing, I feel embarrassed to remain seated."

Tan Xue's smile was bright and charming. Li An sat down, slightly dazed, recalling the parting at the Qingyang marketplace in the past.

At that time, Tan Qingxue wanted a child very much, as something to rely on in her later years, but Li An was focused on the Dao, tightly sealing his Dragon Essence. Despite her many pleas, Li An did not grant her even a drop.

Eventually, Tan Qingxue left. On the day she left, she wore light makeup and a white dress, saying just one thing to Li An:

"I hope that when you reach greater heights on the immortal path, you'll remember that there was once a woman named Qingxue who accompanied you."

"Farewell, Junior Brother Li."

Through the years, Li An had actually forgotten her.

He never expected to see her again here.

Though his heart had minor ripples, Li An quickly regained his composure to analyze things carefully.

After the great tribulation of the Profound Yang Sect, it seemed Tan Qingxue had undoubtedly encountered a fortuitous event!

Now, Tan Qingxue was already a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Late-Stage Foundation Establishment.

"Watch out for her eyes,"

Shangguan Xiaoxiao's voice came faintly from within Li An's Spirit Platform: "If you're not careful, you might inadvertently reveal everything to her."

Li An was immediately alert.

"I am new here and not very familiar with matters on Guest Peak. From now on, I hope Honored Guest Elder Tan can guide me. A small gift, a token of my respect—"

Li An stood up, handing over a gift box, but he felt deep regret.

To secure his position in the Jiang family, he had revealed his ability to make talismans, choosing to present talismans as gifts to the esteemed elders and guests on Guest Peak.

The box he gave to Tan Qingxue contained two Tier Two Breaking Charms.

Had he known it was Tan Qingxue, he should have casually given something like a Beauty Pill instead.

After all, since Tan Qingxue once lived closely with him and now had unknown encounters, who knows if she might find something amiss...

"You are too kind, Wu Honored Guest Elder."

Tan Qingxue smiled slightly, taking the box with both hands and offering a gift in return, clearly prepared.

"By the way, I've heard that the Jiang family's Cyan Flame Divine Sparrow egg was personally retrieved by Wu Honored Guest Elder from the Ten Thousand Miles Abyss?"

She suddenly asked again.

Li An felt a slight tension in his heart, for Tan Qingxue knew such detailed information!

It seemed Tan Qingxue's position within the Jiang family was not simple.

"Yes, actually, the divine egg was initially obtained by Elder Jiang Rihua's grandson, Young Master Jiang Ruolin, I merely helped carry it along a part of the way..."

"Then, does Wu Honored Guest Elder know whether the mysterious Evil Qi in the divine egg was present from the start or appeared later?"

She looked intently at Li An's face.

Li An suddenly felt a slight nervousness in his heart!

At that time, on the cliff of the Ten Thousand Miles Abyss, he had injected a great deal of Evil Qi with his own hands...

...

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