Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 1115 The Immortal City's Structure
"The inner city? You know about the inner city?" Yang Zhengshan looked at the servant with some surprise.

"Hehe, I've only heard a few things secondhand, I don't know if they're true or not!" the servant chuckled.

Yang Zhengshan chuckled and casually said, "Let's talk about the outer city!"

Hearsay is certainly not as reliable as his own knowledge.

Although this was his first time in Wanbao Immortal City, it didn't mean he knew nothing about it. In fact, he knew a lot about the Wanbao Sect. Don't forget that he had two friends from the Wanbao Sect, Zhongli Yue and Zhongli Xiayi.

Both of them had mentioned Wanbao Sect to him before and had revealed a lot of information about it to him.

Therefore, he was quite familiar with the internal situation of Wanbaozong.

In contrast, he knew very little about the outer city of Wanbao Immortal City, only that there were five immortal clans in the outer city, and that these five immortal clans all had a deep connection with Wanbao Sect.

Have you ever heard the saying, "Sir, have you ever heard this saying?"

"What?"

"The Sun family in the East City refines immortal pills, the Bai family in the South City forges spiritual weapons, the Liu family in the West City welcomes guests, the Qin family in the North City guards the eight passes, and the Zheng family in the Central City has a road leading to heaven."

"What does it mean?"

"It means exactly what it says: the Sun family is good at alchemy, the Bai family is good at weapon crafting, the Liu family has made friends with heroes all over the world, and the Qin family commands the city guards and guards the eight passes, which are the eight gates of the Immortal City!"

"The Zheng family has connections to the highest levels; it's said that the Zheng family's ancestor was a distinguished guest of the Wanbao Sect!"

The servant lowered his voice, looking mysterious.

Yang Zhengshan found it amusing. Five immortal clansmen and five Golden Core cultivators were all honored guests of the Wanbao Sect. He dared not say how high their status was, but he was certain that they all held a considerable position in the Wanbao Sect, and their relationship with the Wanbao Sect was very close.

Therefore, the statement that the Zheng family in Zhongcheng has a road that leads to heaven is inaccurate. Perhaps the Zheng family and the Wanbao Sect have some unknown relationship.

As for the rest, nothing particularly special.

The Sun family excels at alchemy, while the Bai family excels at weapon crafting. This is quite normal; every immortal clan has a few exceptional strengths.

The Liu family has made friends with heroes from all over the world, which is probably related to their personalities. Perhaps the Liu family's Golden Core Ancestor was a generous person who liked to make good connections.

The Qin family is quite interesting. They actually control the city guards of the outer city. When he entered the city earlier, he saw cultivators patrolling the city walls, including many Foundation Establishment cultivators and ordinary soldiers who were all Golden Body Realm warriors.

Moreover, the number of city guards is quite large, estimated to be tens of thousands.

The fact that the Qin family could command the city guards of the outer city was enough to demonstrate Wanbaozong's trust in the Qin family.

"Besides these five great immortal clans, are there any other forces in the outer city?" Yang Zhengshan continued to ask.

"Well, there are many forces in the outer city, and we could talk about them for three days and three nights without finishing. For example, in our southern city, there are hundreds of immortal cultivation families, as well as many sects, merchant guilds, and so on."

"Hehe, take our Immortal Fate Inn for example. Our owner is the Yuan family, one of the most prestigious families. More than twenty members of the Yuan family have joined the Wanbao Sect. Some of them work at Wanbao stores in other places, some work in the Immortal City, and some work within the sect. That's why our owner was able to open an inn in such a good location!"

The servant betrayed his master without any principles, but this information is actually not important; he could easily find out by asking around.

He probably thought it wasn't important information, which is why he told Yang Zhengshan without reservation.

Yang Zhengshan nodded slightly, not caring about these things.

Wanbao Immortal City is the base of Wanbao Sect, and all the forces, large and small, within the city must have some connection with Wanbao Sect.

Not only in Wanbao Immortal City, but throughout the entire Wanshui Wilderness, many forces can be associated with the Wanbao Sect.

Don't underestimate these relationships; they are the foundation upon which the Wanbao Sect rules the Wanshui Plains.

It could even be said that the vast majority of immortal cultivation forces in the entire Wanshui Wilderness are vassals of the Wanbao Sect. They not only need to provide the Wanbao Sect with low-level resources, but also form a protective barrier for the Wanbao Sect to prevent the invasion of other forces.

If we consider the Wilderness of Ten Thousand Waters as a dynasty, then the Wanbao Sect is the imperial court, the five great immortal clans are equivalent to the six ministries, handling various mundane affairs for the Wanbao Sect, the immortal cultivator families in Wanbao City are like small government offices, all supporting the Wanbao Sect as the imperial court, and the powerful families and clans of the Wilderness of Ten Thousand Waters are like the county and prefectural governments in various places, governing the localities for the Wanbao Sect and providing tax revenue.

Although these powerful families did not need to pay tribute directly, Wanbaohang's commercial plunder was far more effective than directly collecting taxes.

Simply put, the entire Wanshui Wilderness serves the Wanbao Sect.

Afterwards, Yang Zhengshan asked many more questions, which the servant answered one by one.

Although this servant was not of high status, he knew quite a lot. Even though most of what he knew was hearsay, he still provided Yang Zhengshan with a lot of information, giving Yang Zhengshan a clearer understanding of Wanbao Sect, Wanbao Immortal City, and Wanshui Wilderness.

Finally, Yang Zhengshan felt that was enough, so he rewarded the servant with another spirit stone before letting him leave.

For the next few days, Yang Zhengshan wandered around the city every day, visiting the south city, then the west city, then the east city, then the north city. Finally, he even entered the second city wall and took a stroll around the Immortal Clan Workshop.

In fact, there are not only the five major immortal clans in the Immortal Clan Workshop, but also many immortal cultivation families. These immortal cultivation families are also the core forces of Wanbao Immortal City.

Most of them are descendants of Golden Core cultivators, meaning that their ancestors included Golden Core cultivators.

Therefore, they were entitled to live within the second city wall.

After several days of learning, Yang Zhengshan also gained a deeper understanding of Wanbao Immortal City.

how to say?

Wanbao Immortal City is excellent; it's an ideal place to live for both established immortal cultivation families and independent cultivators.

There are abundant resources and opportunities here. As long as you have talent and are willing to work hard, you have a chance to stand out from the crowd.

However, Wanbao Immortal City also has its drawbacks, namely, the competition is extremely fierce.

The higher you go, the fiercer the competition becomes.

A martial artist with innate talent can easily find a job in the city, and a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage can also survive well in the city as long as they have some skills.

However, it is not easy for a family of immortal cultivators to gain a foothold in the city, because all the properties in the city are owned by someone else. If they want to own a property of their own, they need to fend off the covetousness of countless people.

Moving from the outer city to the second city wall, namely the Immortal Clan Quarter, is even more difficult. The simplest way is for a family to have a Golden Core cultivator, at which point the Myriad Treasures Sect will naturally invite the family to reside in the Immortal Clan Quarter. Apart from this method, other methods are almost negligible.

This created a hierarchy of contempt: the Immortal Clan looked down on the Immortal Clan families within the Immortal Clan Marketplace, the Immortal Clan families within the Immortal Clan Marketplace looked down on the Immortal Clan families outside the city, and the Immortal Clan families outside the city looked down on the Immortal Clan families outside the city.

In fact, besides the five major immortal clans, there are some people at the top of the pyramid in Wanbao Immortal City, namely the immortal clan disciples from Wanbao Sect.

There are also immortals within the Wanbao Sect, such as the Zhongli family.

Compared to the Zhongli family, the five great immortal clans seem rather insignificant.

The Zhongli family holds a very high position within the Wanbao Sect. Their ancestor, True Monarch Duobao, is one of the sect's high-ranking officials. Moreover, the Zhongli family has two young Golden Core cultivators, which is enough to ensure the Zhongli family's continued prosperity within the Wanbao Sect.

Yang Zhengshan had initially considered whether he could bring the Yang family into Wanbao Immortal City, but after learning more about the situation, he abandoned the idea. The reason was simple: the power structure within Wanbao Immortal City was extremely stable, making it difficult for outsiders to disrupt.

Even if Yang Zhengshan could establish himself in the Immortal City with the help of the Zhongli family, he would still face a lot of trouble.

The five great immortal clans would never allow an outsider to enter the immortal city and compete with them for their interests, and the Wanbao Sect would probably not want an unfamiliar immortal clan to enter the immortal city either.

Although the Zhongli family is powerful, they cannot act unilaterally within the Wanbao Sect.

Besides, there's not much point in the Yang family entering Wanbao Immortal City. If it's just about doing business, the Yang family can buy shops and do all sorts of business in the city at any time. There's no need for them to squeeze into such a complicated society.

Of course, if it were just about doing some small business in the Immortal City, there would be no need for Yang Zhengshan to personally appear. Yang Zhengshan's purpose in coming here was to reach a cooperation agreement with Wanbao Sect, or rather, to reach a cooperation agreement with Wanbao Trading Company.

Wanbao Sect and Wanbao Trading Company cannot be equated. Wanbao Trading Company is just a trading company of Wanbao Sect. Although Wanbao Trading Company is the main business of Wanbao Sect, Wanbao Trading Company cannot represent Wanbao Sect.

Yang Zhengshan stayed in Wanbao Immortal City for half a month before taking out the communication talisman to activate it.

The communication talisman transformed into a beam of light in his hand and immediately flew towards the inner city.

However, the light did not enter the inner city, but stopped in front of the inner city gate.

The message light seemed to be drawn by something, swaying as it entered the city gate and then disappeared.

Clearly, the inner city's formation intercepted the message, but this wasn't a problem; it was just normal procedure.

Don't forget, the core of Wanbao Sect is in Baijing Cave Heaven. Communication talismans cannot enter the cave heaven, so Wanbao Sect has arranged for someone to receive messages at the inner city gate.

After sending the message, Yang Zhengshan waited in the courtyard of the Xianyuan Inn.

He prepared tea and waited for Zhongli Xiayi's arrival.

However, he waited for most of the day but Zhongli Xiayi did not arrive. Instead, a strange guest came.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator who looks very young.

The formation in the courtyard was activated, and Yang Zhengshan waved his hand to open it, letting the young Foundation Establishment cultivator in.

"Junior Zhongli Jue pays respects to Senior!"

Zhongli Jue was probably around twenty years old, but his actual age was not that old, probably around eighty. However, he had the cultivation level of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, which was enough to show his outstanding talent.

He was tall and straight like a bamboo shoot, wearing a moon-white brocade robe with silver thread cloud patterns embroidered on the hem. As he swayed with his steps, a faint golden light flowed between the patterns, giving him a clear glow.

Her hair was tied with a black jade hairpin, the head of which was carved with small snow lotus flowers. The petals of the snow lotus were adorned with tiny star crystals, and they shimmered with a soft luster in the sunlight. A dark silk sash was tied around her waist, from which hung a warm jade pendant the size of a pigeon's egg. The pendant was engraved with intricate spiritual patterns, which should be a protective magic item.

His face was handsome yet unassuming, with a straight nose and pale lips. When he looked up, his gaze was clear yet contained a calm confidence, and every gesture he made carried the ethereal and noble air of a celestial cultivator, everything about him seemed so natural and perfect.

Seeing his appearance, Yang Zhengshan was reminded of Zhong Lixiayi.

Zhong Lixia always dresses up in a splendid outfit, with exquisite makeup and gorgeous jewelry.

Looking at Zhong Lijue in front of him, there is no doubt that they are a family, all sharing the same style.

"Zhongli Jue, are you a disciple of Fellow Daoist Xiayi?" Yang Zhengshan asked.

"I am Aunt Xiayi's nephew."

"Nephew? Zhongli Yue is your father?"

"Uh, no, Zhongli Yue is my uncle!"

Yang Zhengshan stroked his beard, thought for a moment, and said, "Your father is Zhongli Xian!"

“Exactly!” Zhong Lijue’s face showed an unnatural expression.

Zhongli Yue, Zhongli Xian, and Zhongli Xiayi are siblings.

Zhongli Xian was the second oldest, several decades younger than Zhongli Yue, and more than two hundred years older than Zhongli Xiayi.

This brings us to their father. He was not particularly outstanding; he was just an ordinary member of the Zhongli family. Before his death, his cultivation level was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

But he has a good son, a good daughter, and a good-for-nothing son.

The best son is Zhongli Yue. Zhongli Yue is the real genius. He was outstanding from a young age. He reached the Foundation Establishment stage in his thirties, the mid-Foundation Establishment stage in his sixties, the late-Foundation Establishment stage at the age of one hundred, and the Golden Core True Monarch at the age of one hundred and eighty-three.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe Zhongli Yue as a monster.

Compared to Zhongli Yue, Zhongli Xian was quite useless. Zhongli Xian had no spiritual root and could only cultivate martial arts, but he did not achieve much in martial arts. When he died, he was only a Golden Body Realm martial artist.

Zhongli Xiayi was the result of her father's long life. Foundation Establishment cultivators have a lifespan of three hundred years, and when Zhongli Xiayi was born, her father was already two hundred and eighty years old.

Zhongli Xiayi was chosen by Duobao Zhenjun at birth and was trained from a young age until she grew up and reached the Foundation Establishment stage before being released from the sect by Duobao Zhenjun.

Zhong Lixia's previous performance was mediocre, not because she lacked talent, but because her talent was suppressed.

In order to make her fit the Myriad Miles of Clouds Robe more perfectly, True Lord Duobao suppressed her talent, causing her to remain in the Foundation Establishment stage for more than a hundred years.

With his elder brother Zhongli Yue in front and his younger sister Zhongli Xiayi behind, Zhongli Xian, the second son, was in a very awkward position.

This is also why Zhong Lijue acted very unnaturally when Yang Zhengshan pointed out his identity.

He probably felt embarrassed for his father as well.

Yang Zhengshan noticed his embarrassment and laughed heartily, "So it's nephew Zhongli! Come, come in and sit down!"

He greeted him warmly, and Zhongli Jue bowed and entered the main hall.

“Back in Taoyuan Mountain, Brother Zhongli mentioned your father. He said he hadn’t done a good job as an elder brother and hadn’t taken good care of his brothers!” Yang Zhengshan poured him some tea.

"Thank you, senior!"

Zhongli Jue politely accepted the tea, but after hearing Yang Zhengshan's words, he immediately looked up in surprise, "Uncle also mentioned these things to the senior!"

"Yes, he mentioned it to me a few times," Yang Zhengshan said calmly.

He didn't lie to Zhongli Jue. Zhongli Yue had indeed mentioned Zhongli Xian to him, but he only said that they had three siblings, and never said anything about feeling guilty.

Zhongli Yue probably didn't have much affection for his brother Zhongli Xian. He was a chosen one of heaven and devoted his energy and time to cultivation, so he wouldn't waste his feelings on someone insignificant.

Compared to that, his feelings for Zhongli Xiayi were deeper, because he had watched her grow up, and she was more like his daughter.

(End of this chapter)