Surprisingly Enough(NOT), Common Sense Is Overpowered in a Cliché Cultivation World (Patreon)

69. Wei Family~

Red Moss City was not a large city; it was primarily known for locally grown red moss, being one of the biggest suppliers of the ingredient.

The group did not take detours considering Wei Ling's health, so it did not take long for them to arrive at the city.

"Cousin Ling, what happened to you?" A man wearing a white robe appeared in front of the group as they quickly passed through the gate.

"Wei Niang." Wei Ling was surprised at the unexpected appearance of her cousin.

Being able to be the leader of the entire city, the Wei Family was naturally large. Since every Wei Family mortal was given a reward for giving birth to a child with spiritual roots, the family branch extended quite a lot.

Wei Niang was the son of her uncle, who had the second-highest cultivation in the family. Wei Niang and Wei Ling had competed from childhood to become the heir of the family, so they didn't see eye to eye. It showed with the grin that Wei Niang had on his face, seeing Wei Ling's condition.

"I was ambushed..." Wei Ling's face was sickly pale, and the cost of the escape talisman was extreme blood loss.

"Oh Heavens! They sure did a number on you." Wei Niang didn't seem sad seeing this; rather, he seemed happy.

"Oi! You are being a massive prick right now. Leave the girl alone." As one might expect, the one who spoke up was none other than the protagonist whose bully radar was going haywire.

"p-prick? You-" Wei Niang, like every other arrogant young master, had never been insulted in the face like that. "Who even are you?"

"Hmph! We are from the Pure Qi Sect!" Luo Jing proudly stated before turning to Xiao Fan, "Also, just like this trash said, you are being a massive prick to Miss Wei."

"Hello, pot meet kettle." Xiao Fan cut in with a snort. If Luo Jing wanted to flock his feathers, he would do his best to prevent it. Who told him to call him trash every fudging time?

"You-" Luo Jing glared at Xiao Fan.

"What? You want me to beat your sorry ass?" Xiao Fan smirked; his hands had been itching to teach this arrogant guy a lesson ever since the day they first crossed paths.

"You guys. Not again. Can't you both not butt heads every few seconds? Ning, say something too." Murong Shuo placed his hand on his head; he was getting a headache due to how immature these two were being.

"So, you want me to be the referee?" Ning kindly volunteered.

Murong Shuo realized he had chosen the wrong person to ask the question.

"Not you too..."

Amidst the bickering, everyone realized they were forgetting something. They had forgotten about Wei Niang, whose face looked unsightly being treated as a joke.

"Hmph! you guys-" Wei Niang breathed deeply, swallowing the harsh words. Instead, he spoke in a deep tone, "I am leaving."

Wei Niang walked away in anger, his steps quick to get away.

"Thank you, brother Xiao Fan, for standing up for me. Wei Niang could be a pain to deal with." Wei Ling glanced at Xiao Fan with dreamy eyes.

"No need. I just hate bullies." Xiao Fan played the straight man quite well.

"I also helped." Luo Jing naturally quipped at this.

"You too, brother Jing."

*Smirk*

Luo Jing smirked upon hearing that and glanced at Xiao Fan provocatively. Xiao Fan just raised one of his brows, not understanding why Luo Jing was being proud here.

All the while, Ning was fulfilling his role as a mob, happy to just watch some entertainment.

...

"This is heaven..." The sensation of warm water gently caressing his skin elicited a sigh of pure pleasure from Ning.

Traveling might sound appealing, but the constant battles with monsters and the endless stretches of running quickly turned it into a tiresome chore. In such a demanding environment, even a simple bath became a rare luxury.

Gradually releasing the accumulated stress from the arduous journey, Ning understood the importance of destressing in a world filled with constant challenges. It worked wonders in maintaining a semblance of a healthy mind—well, as healthy as one could hope for in this insane world.

As he basked in the soothing waters, Ning's thoughts shifted.

"Just as I suspected, it seems I cannot escape the plot," he muttered, feeling the accumulated filth vanish under the touch of the evergreen dew.

Reflecting on his recent encounters, Ning couldn't deny that he was being inexorably drawn into the unfolding plot.

Avoiding the plot.

It's something easy to say, but difficult to do. Many transmigrators have failed to do this exact thing since ancient times. They don't look for the plot, but the plot itself finds them, eventually dragging them into it.

Ning, despite his best efforts, was no exception.

Observing the current trend, he realized it was not favoring him, especially considering the frequent intersections between his path and the protagonist's.

So, seizing this moment, he wanted to see how deep the rabbit hole goes. For the sake of his peaceful life.

Well, for now, even if things take a turn for the worse due to the influence of the protagonist, he will manage somehow. If he couldn't, he could only collapse crying as a wreck of a human being before offing himself. Just kidding.

"hehe." His humor was as dark as usual.

I mean, who doesn't like dark humor? Even my blind grandma sees it's funny.

...

..

"Ning! Patriarch Wei is calling us. Let's go," came Xiao Fan's voice.

Ning stopped his depressive thoughts and cheered himself up, quickly finishing up.

"Also, I better stop blind jokes...I just don't see the point."

...

"Thank you for saving my daughter," the middle-aged man, patriarch of the Wei Family, Wei Xing, cupped his fist and bowed. Gratitude flowed from his sincere expression, a reflection of the immense relief he felt for the safety of his cherished daughter, Wei Ling.

"Patriarch Wei, there is no need to bow. We merely did what was expected," Murong Shuo and the others responded hastily, understanding the weight of the patriarch's gesture.

The patriarch of the Wei Family had already reached the realm of perfection in Qi condensation, so he could be called a strong man around these parts, so seeing him bow stirred a subtle unease among those present.

"I have only Wei Ling left after losing my wife. Allow me to express my heartfelt thanks properly," Patriarch Wei's sincerity was palpable; his daughter was the beacon of his life, and the mere thought of losing her inflicted deep pain.

"Yes. Thank you for saving me," Wei Ling added, bowing slightly. She appeared visibly better after taking a few medicinal pills.

"This..." The group could only accept the gratitude amidst the solemn atmosphere.

"It's not much, but please accept this token of my gratitude." Patriarch Wei handed each of them a pouch, its contents revealing low-grade spirit stones, approximately totaling around 1000, as estimated by Ning.

"Don't refuse. This is the promised reward," Wei Ling urged, her gratitude shining through.

"Thank you," came the restrained acknowledgment as each person accepted the pouch, maintaining the dignity befitting inner sect disciples.

Observing this, Patriarch Wei smiled warmly before continuing, "After your long journey, you must be hungry. I've arranged a modest feast as a gesture of gratitude. We can discuss the mission over dinner."

"Yes."

...

Although billed as a small banquet, the accumulation befitting a cultivation family governing an entire city was not to be underestimated. The spread was abundant with spiritual delicacies, from the spiritual rice to the succulent flesh of rare beasts.

Ning scooped out the succulent flesh of a lobster and ate it. While, not as delicious as the carp, food nourished with spiritual energy tasted way better than other mortal food.

If Ning had not become an alchemist then he would have surely become a spiritual chef instead.

"This is delicious, Patriarch," everyone complimented, adhering to the common courtesy of praising the specially prepared banquet.

"I am glad you like it," replied Patriarch Wei, a smile gracing his face as he observed the six guests relishing the food.

Paying attention to their eating habits, he gleaned insights into their personalities: Pan Xue's boisterous appetite, Murong Shuo's dignified pacing, Ning's elegant composure, Luo Jing's casual ease, Liao Ting's slow and graceful movement, and Xiao Fan's unrestrained approach.

"Not only does it taste good, but my realm is also showing signs of advancing," Ning noted between bites.

Ning could feel that digesting this spiritual food, coupled with his hard practice, was enough for him to reach the Great Circle of the fifth stage. It could be seen that the Wei family indeed did not hold back from this spiritual banquet.

For Ning, the banquet's greatest boon lay in the opportunity to gather crucial information about the mission.

Who had attacked Miss Wei? What was their strength? Information was the bedrock for strategic preparation.

Patriarch Wei sighed, delving into the intricacies of the matter. "This incident is linked to a recently discovered small spiritual lake. Despite its size, the spiritual lake can cultivate a formidable spiritual field. Ordinarily, such resources belong to the ruling force, but a cultivation alliance of casual cultivators is contesting our Wei Family's claim."

"The leader of the alliance has the cultivation of a great circle of the ninth stage of Qi condensation, while it is slightly lower than my peak stage, their members faintly outnumber ours. So, we decided to resolve this issue by hosting a competition between the two parties to decide the ownership of the spiritual lake. Each party will send thirteen participants, and whoever wins the most will obtain the ownership."

"But who would have thought these people were despicable, trying to eliminate the young member of my family to get an advantage in the competition?"

"Yes, they even managed to somehow discern my route and ambushed me," Wei Ling added, her eyes narrowing with natural indignation.

"I implore you, fellow Daoists, to participate in the tournament under the banner of the Wei Family. Your victory will be rewarded," Patriarch Wei declared with the dignity befitting his status.

The six exchanged glances, a unanimous agreement resonating among them. "Please, leave it to us."

...

The six of them were swiftly accommodated in the Wei Family residence. Wei Ling personally guided each guest to their respective rooms.

"Brother Ning, this is your room," Wei Ling opened the door to one of the guest rooms and presented it to Ning. It was a standard room, furnished with a bed, cupboard, and a table.

"Thank you," Ning nodded, expressing his satisfaction with the accommodations.

"U-um, you are familiar with Brother Xiao Fan, right?" Wei Ling asked with an uncharacteristic shyness.

Surprised by Wei Ling's demeanor, a playful grin formed on Ning's face. "Yup, he's my friend. Did he offend you in some way? He can be rather crass sometimes..."

"No, he's very nice. I just wanted to ask what Brother Xiao Fan likes to eat," Wei Ling defended Xiao Fan's honor as if it were a matter of great importance.

"Oh? I see what's going on. Xiao Fan is quite the player," Ning remarked, raising one of his eyebrows.

Truly, Xiao Fan didn't take long to rizz up the jade beauty. As expected of the "rizzagonist."

"I just wanted to thank him for his help..." Wei Ling's voice became small towards the end.

"He likes barbecue. He would be happy if you make that for him," Ning offered some advice with a grin. "Work hard, Miss Wei. You have tough competition. Xiao Fan is quite famous in the sect."

"It's not like that..." Wei Ling mumbled before nodding. "I will prepare some for him."

"You should. As they say, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach," Ning teased, thoroughly amused.

"Hngh! I am going back. Thank you for your help," Wei Ling ran away, her face red, but a smile was evident.

Observing the scene, Ning couldn't help but smile. "I am truly too good to Xiao Fan."

Yup, Ning was totally not helping because it would be quality entertainment. Anyone saying otherwise would be lying.

He was just acting as a wingman for his bro...

,,,

Thanks for reading~

Merry Christmas~