Cultivation Starts from Farming-Chapter 478 - 261: Saving Lives; Rune_3

"Runes carved on the puppet?"

Miao Jun’s expression changed slightly, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.

"What is it, Daoist Miao is unwilling?"

Xu Ping sharply caught Miao Jun’s hesitation, let out a cold snort, and an incisive aura spread out instantly, as if it could slice through the air.

"This person... is so powerful!"

Miao Jun clearly felt the sharp aura emanating from Xu Ping, and his heart was suddenly filled with shock and fear.

No wonder this person could instantly cut down an Early-Stage Golden Core Cultivator with a single sword; just his aura alone exerted immense pressure upon him.

"Daoist Yan, you misunderstand."

Miao Jun immediately showed a bitter smile, attempting to ease the tension,

"If it were any other item, I would certainly present it with both hands without hesitation, but these runes are an ancestral legacy, and the ancestral instructions strictly prohibit passing them on!"

Xu Ping frowned slightly, feeling somewhat troubled in his heart.

He indeed had a keen interest in those runes, but if Miao Jun resolutely refused to hand over the runes, he couldn’t just go on a killing spree merely for them and slay Miao Jun.

After all, he still wanted to continue cultivating steadily on Cangyue Mountain and didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble.

"Daoist Miao, I truly value these runes highly."

Xu Ping’s gaze was fixed on Miao Jun, his expression earnest, "Besides, you’ve witnessed my strength."

"Surely you know, having me as a friend is much better than having me as an enemy."

Upon hearing this, Miao Jun fell into deep thought.

His mind was a whirl of thoughts; the runes carried far more than meets the eye.

In reality, these runes were not only strictly forbidden from being passed on by ancestral rules but also entangled with a secret guarded by the family for many years.

The Miao family had spent hundreds of years painstakingly researching, barely figuring out some mysteries of these runes.

There were certainly greater opportunities hidden within them.

In the past, regardless of the circumstances, Miao Jun would never disclose even a hint of these runes.

But now, the situation had undergone drastic changes.

Without warning, the Ten Thousand Dragons Commerce Association suddenly made a lethal move against them, raising suspicion in Miao Jun’s mind. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

He vaguely suspected that something might have happened to his backers within the Seed Puppet Sect.

If that were the case, then the future of the Purple Mountain Association would be precarious.

Moreover, while these runes involved the core secrets of the family, trying to derive even more valuable insights from them was exceedingly difficult, almost impossible.

After a long period of contemplation, Miao Jun’s gaze returned to Xu Ping, with a tinge of anticipation and sincerity, he slowly said, "Daoist Yan, I have a proposal."

"If you are willing to join the Purple Mountain Association and become an Elder Patron, I will present these runes with both hands."

"To become an Elder Patron?"

Xu Ping felt a peculiar sensation in his heart.

After all, he had already joined the Purple Mountain Association under the alias of Li Feiyu.

Should he join the Purple Mountain Association again as Yan Ruchen, wouldn’t that be akin to "having his cake and eating it too"?

"In that case, I shall join the Purple Mountain Association." After a moment’s consideration, Xu Ping nodded in agreement.

On one hand, the mysterious runes held considerable allure for him, and obtaining them would provide immeasurable advancement in his Puppetry.

On the other hand, since he was already part of the Purple Mountain Association as Li Feiyu,

joining again as Yan Ruchen seemed not to be a major issue, not a world-shaking matter.

"However, let me make it clear: although I choose to join the Purple Mountain Association, I won’t fight to the death for it."

Xu Ping added gruffly, looking calmly at Miao Jun.

"Rest assured, Daoist Yan, we won’t require you to risk your life. Just lend a hand to the Purple Mountain Association at critical moments, and that will suffice." Miao Jun nodded promptly, agreeing.

He already knew that merely some runes and the position of Elder Patron were not enough to make such a powerful Golden Core Cultivator risk his life for the Purple Mountain Association, having enough self-awareness.

Then, Miao Jun enthusiastically invited, "Daoist Yan, Hundred Spirit Mountain is the residence of our Purple Mountain Association; why not visit my cave residence so we can discuss the benefits of being an Elder Patron in detail?"

"Alright."

Xu Ping readily agreed, nodding his head.

After all, now that he had decided to become an Elder Patron of the Purple Mountain Association, visiting their residence was just a logical move.

...

...

An hour later.

Under Miao Jun’s guidance, Xu Ping arrived at Miao Jun’s cave residence.

After they sat down, Miao Jun poured Xu Ping a cup of Spirit Tea.

The Spirit Tea released a rich aroma as it was poured into the cup.

Miao Jun took a gentle sip of tea and casually asked, "May I ask which part of the Wind Country Daoist Yan hails from?"

"Our Purple Mountain Association has some business relationships in various parts of the Wind Country; perhaps we have left traces in your area."

Xu Ping was already prepared, and said calmly, "I am a Loose Cultivator from the Wind Country, always traveling and cultivating throughout the land, seeking opportunities to break through."

Miao Jun continued asking a few more questions, trying to extract more useful information from Xu Ping’s answers.

However, Xu Ping’s responses were always brief and to the point, generally benign, without revealing much substantial information.

Seeing this situation, Miao Jun wisely refrained from probing further, fearing it might offend Xu Ping and damage their hard-won relationship.