A public notice was posted seeking a wife, and a female saint from the Immortal Sect was found.

The entire Chen family compound is divided into an outer courtyard, an inner courtyard, and a back courtyard. In addition, the small courtyard where Chen Yi currently lives is a separate small courtyard within the larger compound.

In addition to the guest building on one side of the courtyard, this completes the overall layout of the Chen family's residence.

This is already quite a large size, but the number of people in the compound is not that many.

Aside from Liu Shen, the steward who was always busy, there were only eight servants. However, the Chen family now only had Chen Yi as their sole heir, so they didn't need many servants.

"Now that you've moved in, if you feel you need more maids or more staff, just let Steward Liu know," Chen Yi instructed Li Changqing after leading him around the courtyard and introducing him to several servants.

Li Changqing was always very attentive; she remembered everything Chen Yi said, from introducing the Chen family mansion to describing the Chen family servants.

Upon hearing this, she waved her hand and said, "No need. I can handle the trivial matters of daily life myself. I also need a quiet environment when cultivating, and having more maids would be inconvenient."

She had clearly sensed that Chen Yi's attitude was unreasonable, but she did not intend to spend time trying to figure out his purpose.

During this time, she had learned quite a bit about the Chen family. The only person in the entire Chen family who posed a slight threat to her was Zhou Fang, but Zhou Fang had no reason to be hostile to her or to be wary of her.

During this time, she chatted with Zhou Fang several times, and through Zhou Fang's private observations of her, it became clear that the Chen family's greatest support now valued her to some extent.

It's impossible for a young cultivator like Chen Yi to be so cunning or capable of setting a trap to ensnare her.

Ultimately, Chen Yi is too young. Being young means he lacks experience and is naive in dealing with people. Even if he has any ulterior motives towards her, he has no chance of outmaneuvering her.

When they first met, Chen Yi remarked on her stunning beauty. Perhaps he was attracted to her looks, or perhaps it was for other reasons. But whatever the reason, Chen Yi posed no threat to her, nor could he possibly gain any advantage from her.

It wasn't that she looked down on Chen Yi; her past experiences and understanding of the Chen family's situation were enough for her to easily take control of the entire Chen family in the future.

Chen Yi will never know her past, never know her true identity, and never understand what she wants to do or what she wants to achieve.

Since the information they possess is not equal, Chen Yi has no chance of succeeding, no matter what his intentions or plans are. Therefore, her efforts to investigate Chen Yi seem superfluous.

"Let's go, let's go check out the herb garden, and then go to the shops in the market," Chen Yi's voice rang out.

The Chen family's three medicinal herb gardens were about three miles from their residence. When the two appeared in the gardens, Liu Shen hurriedly came to greet them.

Before Liu Shen could speak, Chen Yi said, "Steward Liu, you go about your business. I'll accompany Miss Li for a stroll."

Liu Shen nodded quickly. Since the patriarch wanted to spend time alone with Miss Li, he naturally wouldn't disturb him.

Chen Yi didn't plan to show Li Changqing the entire thirty-acre medicinal herb garden. Instead, he mainly introduced the scale of the garden and the types of medicinal herbs planted.

The two walked slowly, and some of the old workers or laborers who were working immediately bowed to Chen Yi when they saw him.

Chen Yi then introduced Li Changqing's identity. Although he didn't say it explicitly, his attitude made it clear to everyone that the family would soon have a matriarch.

It took the two of them about two hours to leave the herb garden and head to the market.

The market town is dozens of miles away, but the Chen family has several fine steeds that can travel a thousand miles a day. So, a round trip of dozens of miles doesn't actually take much time.

Chen Yi had intended to suggest that the two of them ride together on a spirit steed, but after thinking about it, he ultimately decided not to.

Haste makes waste. Take it slow and steady. Don't try to take small advantages. If you're going to take advantage of something, take something big next time.

The shops in Qingyang Market mainly sell medicinal herbs and also buy them. After all, the Chen family is in this business. In addition to supplying the Zidan Sect, the profits from these shops are also a major source of income for the Chen family.

The shop itself wasn't anything special; the main reason for coming here was to introduce the shop's manager to Li Changqing.

After leaving the shop, the two did not linger in the market, but returned directly to their families.

"Patriarch Chen, I've spent the whole day with you and learned more about the Chen family. I have some things I'd like to say," Li Changqing said on the way back.

Chen Yi slowed down the spirit horse a bit, then looked at Li Changqing and said, "Miss Li, please feel free to speak your mind."

Li Chang nodded and said, "The Chen family's three medicinal gardens mainly grow three kinds of medicinal herbs, and they are all the main ingredients for refining Spirit Condensation Pills. If we can recruit an alchemist, we can refine Spirit Condensation Pills ourselves."

"The value of medicinal herbs is far less than that of elixirs. If we could refine elixirs ourselves, the shop could sell them, and the profits would be at least dozens of times greater than they are now."

"Has Patriarch Chen considered these things?"

Li Changqing's words were indeed what she was thinking. If successful, she believed it could greatly enhance the Chen family's strength in a short period of time.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Li Changqing's words made sense, but they also inadvertently revealed a flaw that didn't match her claim of being a rogue cultivator.

A true independent cultivator would never suggest that the Chen family recruit an alchemist, because they simply couldn't afford to, and an alchemist wouldn't even consider a small family like the Chen family.

Ultimately, alchemists are far superior to ordinary cultivators. They need to have talent in alchemy, and it is much more difficult for them to improve their rank than for ordinary cultivators to improve their cultivation level.

Given the Chen family's resources, they would have difficulty recruiting even a basic alchemy apprentice, let alone an alchemist.

Without revealing his true intentions, Chen Yi replied very seriously: "I'm not afraid of Miss Li laughing at us, but recruiting alchemists is too costly, and our family cannot afford it at present. If we had any secret manuals on alchemy, we could try to train an alchemist ourselves. However, secret manuals on alchemy are even more valuable and rare than cultivation methods, and our family cannot afford them either."

Li Changqing raised an eyebrow. Chen Yi's words made her immediately realize that what she had just said seemed inconsistent with her identity as a rogue cultivator. However, since Chen Yi did not show any unusual behavior, she did not dwell on the matter.

She did possess the alchemy manuals that Chen Yi mentioned, and they were written by a top-tier first-grade alchemist. However, she naturally couldn't share these with Chen Yi.

"That's true. The price to pay for recruiting alchemists is too high," Li Changqing said, which filled in the small loophole he had mentioned earlier.

She then changed the subject, her voice tinged with a hint of wistfulness: "These past few days, and what I've seen today, have shown you great respect from the entire Chen family. Steward Liu has gone to great lengths for the Chen family, and Master Fang has also spared no effort in his support of the Chen family and you. To be honest, I'm quite envious."

Chen Yi was stunned for a moment, not understanding what was so remarkable about these things that someone of Li Changqing's background and status would be moved by.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Master Fang has known my grandfather for nearly a hundred years. Steward Liu has also been in the Chen family for twenty or thirty years, as have all the master craftsmen. They have been in the Chen family longer than I, the head of the family, have lived for. All they want is peace and stability. I am the head of the family, but the family also belongs to them."

At this point, Chen Yi suddenly remembered something and continued, "I remember you said that you had no parents since childhood and were fortunate to be guided by your master to embark on the path of cultivation. From now on, the Chen family will be your home, and Master Fang and the others will treat you well."

Li Changqing smiled and said, "I have never experienced these things before. I have no parents and my master has passed away. During my time in the Chen family, I feel that these ordinary days are particularly real, and they have touched me. I hope you will forgive me, Patriarch Chen."

Just as Chen Yi was about to speak, a thought struck him, and he silently asked himself, "Is it true that Li Changqing said he was orphaned at a young age and that his teacher had passed away?"

The next instant, the system panel appeared before my eyes, displaying text on it.

[Authentication Result: Authentic]

Li Changqing lost his mother at the age of one and his father at the age of three. Just as he was about to starve to death, his master discovered him and took him in as a disciple.

[His master was a true disciple of the Eastern Divine Sect. During a sect exchange, he offended an important figure from the world's number one sect, the Tai Xuan Sect, and was ultimately killed.]

[Li Changqing was twenty years old at the time. From then on, he only knew how to cultivate. He narrowly escaped death sixty-two times in secret realms or ruins, vying for cultivation opportunities.]

[By working with all his might, he rapidly improved his cultivation, and with ordinary talent, he ultimately achieved the position of Grand Elder of the Eastern Divine Sect within three hundred years.]

Li Changqing's sole goal in life is to first control the Eastern Divine Sect, and then use its resources to break through to the next two realms. At that time, he will go to the Tai Xuan Sect to avenge the murder of his late master.

The enemy who killed his master has long since become the sect leader of the Tai Xuan Sect. For Li Changqing, revenge is extremely difficult, and his hopes are slim.

After reading the words displayed on the board, Chen Yi subconsciously glanced at Li Changqing and suddenly understood why Li Changqing had just been feeling sentimental.

He could hardly imagine that Li Changqing would have survived time and time again over three hundred years, risking everything as a woman, with the sole purpose of avenging her master who had died three hundred years ago.

"Living too purely can actually lead to a bad life. It's been three hundred years..." Chen Yi sighed inwardly.

Given Li Changqing's previous strength and status, she was already among the top in the world, enough to allow her to live a carefree life. Yet, she chose a path that she might not be able to achieve even if she devoted her entire life to it.

Chen Yi immediately understood that if he truly wanted Li Changqing to have more children and stay wholeheartedly in the Chen family, it would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.

She's too naive; to put it bluntly, this girl is stubborn.

However, precisely because of this, if she develops feelings for the Chen family, she will inevitably remain loyal to them from then on.

Having figured all this out, Chen Yi muttered to himself, "I was indeed a bit too stubborn. If I try my best and can really have a few kids with her, then my life will be pretty much settled."

With a multitude of thoughts swirling in his mind, Chen Yi forcibly suppressed them and finally said, "Your feelings are touching, which proves that you still think the Chen family is decent. I'm quite pleased about that, and I wouldn't laugh at you."

At this point, Chen Yi added, "Let's go back to the family first."

…………

Evening, in the small courtyard.

Chen Yi and Li Changqing were sitting in the hall, as was Liu Shen.

Before Liu Shen arrived, Chen Yi had already given Li Changqing ten bottles of Spirit Condensation Pills. He knew that Li Changqing's cultivation level was still slowly declining, and with the Spirit Condensation Pills, he could stabilize his cultivation.

"Master, Miss Li, is there anything you need?" Liu Shen asked as soon as he arrived.

Li Changqing looked at Chen Yi. Before Liu Shen came, Chen Yi not only gave her pills, but also said that he had something to discuss with her. However, she did not know what Chen Yi wanted to discuss.

Chen Yi nodded and said, "It's not an order, but something I need to tell you and Miss Li."

After thinking for a moment, he continued, "From today onwards, Miss Li's status in the Chen family is the same as mine as that of the head of the family. Everyone in the Chen family must obey her orders."

Upon hearing this, Li Changqing remained silent, feeling slightly uneasy.

Liu Shen was also stunned, but unlike Li Changqing, he felt that the patriarch's instructions were somewhat unnecessary. After Miss Li became the patriarch's wife, it would be only natural for him to follow Miss Li's orders, and there was no need for such special instructions.

Regardless of what the two were thinking, Chen Yi continued, "My injuries have not fully recovered, and I still need to try to cultivate for a while to see if I have a chance to break through."

"Therefore, all matters that require my decision within the family, whether it is dealing with the difficulties and targeting from the other five families that cultivate medicinal herbs, transporting medicinal herbs to the Zidan Sect, or the arrangement and transfer of personnel within the family, are all arranged by Miss Li."

"In other words, Miss Li is equivalent to me, the head of the household. Steward Liu, you must remember this: if Miss Li and I disagree on the same matter, then you should listen to Miss Li and not worry about saving face for me."

At this point, Chen Yi finally stopped.

Li Changqing took a deep breath. Even she was surprised and somewhat bewildered.

Chen Yi's arrangement was very unreasonable and felt more like he was talking nonsense.

Once again, she couldn't understand Chen Yi's purpose in doing this; the little guy always acted in a strange way.

Liu Shen was completely numb, and his lips were trembling.

What's up with this?

The family is abandoned? They're handing over all power before even getting married?

If we really do as the head of the family says, then from now on the head of the family will be inferior to Miss Li.

For a moment, Liu Shen was filled with doubts. The only reason he could think of was—could it be that the head of the family was afraid of his wife? In just two days, he had already succumbed to Miss Li's charms?

That's very possible, otherwise it would be inexplicable.

Chen Yi smiled, but made no offer to explain.

He really thought he was just bored today and took Li Changqing around, and the reason he did this was precisely for this arrangement.

The Chen family learned of Li Changqing's existence, and Li Changqing met with all members of the Chen family.

Li Changqing's thoughts could not be kept from him, and he was not afraid that Li Changqing would sell out the Chen family.

Entrusting the Chen family to Li Changqing's management is, in fact, the most direct and effective way to integrate Li Changqing into the Chen family.

Secondly, given Li Changqing's knowledge and abilities, the other five families who have been targeting the Chen family should just wait and see. He also has ways to understand what Li Changqing is thinking, so that he can avoid being easily controlled by Li Changqing.

As for those five families, can they really withstand Li Changqing's schemes and attacks?

Impossible. All five families will be dealt with sooner or later. There's no other possibility.

"From now on, Li Changqing will have to think about everything concerning the family, while I only need to think about how to win her over."

Chen Yi muttered to himself, feeling a little guilty. This person had already had a hard life, and he was adding to their burden; it was rather inhumane of him.

However, since Li Changqing wanted to scheme against the Chen family, he might as well not bother. The Chen family is yours to manage.

Ultimately, this decision is merely an attempt by Chen Yi to let Li Changqing lead the Chen family forward, so that perhaps one day, the Chen family will also belong to Li Changqing.

He had told Li Changqing not long ago that he was the head of the family, but the Chen family also belonged to Master Fang, Liu Shen, and those old masters.

In the future, it could naturally belong to Li Changqing as well.

After thinking for a while, Chen Yi glanced at Li Changqing and suddenly realized that her expression was somewhat similar to Liu Shen's, with a bewildered look on her face.

Chen Yi was secretly pleased. Being old doesn't necessarily mean being a cunning old fox, and besides, Li Changqing lived too innocently.

After his series of moves, Li Changqing was clearly stunned for a moment.