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

Back in her room, Li Changqing had regained her composure. Moreover, she had begun to speculate about what Chen Yi had just said.

It's highly likely that Chen Yi put her in charge of the Chen family as a way to test whether she truly wanted to stay.

Chen Yi made this decision in person, but that doesn't mean she can really do whatever she wants. In the end, everyone in the Chen family is Chen Yi's man. According to Chen Yi's thinking, it's obvious that he's not afraid that she can really completely control the Chen family, which is why he pretends to be generous and trusting.

"However, it's quite remarkable that a little guy has such skills and temperament."

Chen Yi's style of doing things surprised her several times, but upon closer reflection, she felt that they were just slightly abnormal actions and not enough to change her opinion.

She wanted to completely control the Chen family, and Chen Yi could hardly pose any obstacle to her.

After thinking for a while, she suddenly fell silent. She now needed to consider the purpose of a young cultivator. After this great calamity, she was no longer a top cultivator in the Tribulation Transcending stage.

Is there still a chance to recover my cultivation level?

She doesn't know, and can hardly be sure, whether she can ever reach the heights she once was.

Having experienced the climb once before, she understands better than anyone just how difficult it is to go from the Qi Refining stage to the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage.

No matter how difficult it is, she will definitely continue down this path. For her, there are some things that must be done, and since she hasn't done them yet, there is no reason to stop.

She didn't want to think about anything else in the world.

After pondering alone for a while, she calmed her mind, sat upright on the bed, and began to take the Spirit Condensation Pill. With the Spirit Condensation Pill, she could slow down her cultivation and stop it from declining slowly.

…………

"I'll try cultivating tomorrow; this matter can't be delayed any longer."

In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.

Chen Yi sat alone in the hall. After five days, his injuries had finally fully healed.

Once his injuries were healed, he couldn't afford to waste any more time. Focusing on improving his strength was more important than anything else, and he certainly understood this principle.

Then he thought of Li Changqing and couldn't help but smile.

Li Changqing has been working from dawn till dusk for the past five days, keeping himself extremely busy, and has completely taken over the affairs of the Chen family.

The most important thing recently has been gathering the medicinal herbs and transporting them to the Zidan Sect. Although he has been oblivious to what is happening outside these past few days, he has learned that Li Changqing has set many rules.

These rules were so effective that the missing medicinal materials were almost gathered in just five days.

"It has to be her. She's even served as the Grand Elder of a terrifying sect like the Eastern Divine Sect. Now she can easily handle the Chen family's little affairs."

Chen Yi inwardly praised his wise decision to let Li Changqing take charge.

Liu Shen suddenly appeared and, upon seeing Chen Yi, immediately said, "Patriarch, the Ning family steward has come to visit and wishes to see you. Patriarch, shall we see him?"

Chen Yi's expression immediately became serious. Of the other five families that cultivated medicinal herbs, the Ning family and the Zhang family were the closest to the Chen family, with the three families only about thirty miles apart.

The Ning family steward's sudden visit suggests he wasn't just there for a casual chat.

"Of course we should see her. Also, go and tell Miss Li to come back and listen in from the back of the hall." Chen Yi made a decision immediately.

Upon hearing this, Liu Shen couldn't help but nod repeatedly, saying, "That's right, that's right. Let Miss Li listen in from the back of the hall. That way, whatever dirty thoughts the Ning family steward might have, Miss Li will definitely not be able to hide them from her."

Five days ago, he questioned the patriarch's easy relinquishment of family power and even privately offered some advice, but to no avail.

After five days, he suddenly realized that the head of the family's decision was very wise. He, who had been the steward for more than 20 years, was completely convinced by Miss Li's methods and way of handling things.

Chen Yi observed Liu Shen's words and reaction, and he felt that this was normal.

In just five days, he had won over Liu Shen, the steward, demonstrating the skill and competence that Li Changqing was capable of.

Ten minutes later, Li Changqing appeared in the hall. She looked at Chen Yi and asked directly, "You can see him, so why did you specifically make me listen in at the back of the hall?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi immediately explained, "The Ning family's sudden arrival—what exactly do they want to do, what are their purposes? In the end, it's still up to you to handle it."

Li Changqing paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."

Having finished speaking, he took a step and walked to the back of the hall.

…………

"Ning Zhong of the Ning family greets Patriarch Chen."

Ning Zhong, the steward of the Ning family, is over seventy years old, but he possesses the cultivation level of the fourth stage of Qi Refining. He looks like he is only about fifty years old.

Upon entering the hall, he bowed to Chen Yi, his attitude clearly very polite.

Chen Yi stood up and returned the greeting with a gesture of respect: "Steward Ning, you're too kind. Please have a seat."

Ning Zhong smiled and narrowed his eyes, then sat down in the chair below him and said, "I have come uninvited, and I hope Patriarch Chen will not take offense. It is truly a matter concerning the Chen family, so I had no choice but to come."

Chen Yi's expression turned serious as he asked, "Does this concern my Chen family? Steward Ning, please speak plainly. If it is of utmost importance, the entire Chen family will remember this message from the Ning family."

Ning Zhong quickly waved his hand and said, "Patriarch Chen, you flatter us. The Ning and Chen families are of the same blood and support each other. It is only natural that we should help and benefit each other. The information that the Ning family has received is indeed of great importance to the Chen family."

"To be honest, Patriarch Chen, my Ning family recently received two pieces of news that are quite unfavorable to the Chen family. The first is that Patriarch Chen is posting a notice to find a wife."

"There must have been a female cultivator who has been with the Chen family for some time now, right?"

Ning Zhong stopped talking and looked at Chen Yi.

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow. Ning Zhong's mention of this matter surprised him somewhat, as the Ning family should have no way of obtaining any information related to Li Changqing.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Yi nodded: "Yes, the information the Ning family received is related to the female cultivator I recruited?"

Ning Zhong adopted a serious expression and lowered his voice, saying, "According to the information our Ning family has, the female cultivator you recruited, Patriarch Chen, is very likely a spy deliberately planted in the Chen family by several other families. Patriarch Chen must be wary of this."

Chen Yi: ...

He almost burst out laughing. Could Li Changqing really be a spy planted in the Chen family by other families? Trying to fool someone in broad daylight, huh?

He knew that the other families Ning Zhong mentioned were naturally referring to other families that cultivated medicinal herbs. Chen Yi wasn't surprised that these families wanted to plant spies in the Chen family, since the Chen family was now seen as a piece of easy prey by these families.

As for the claim that Li Changqing was a spy planted by these families, it's clear that the Ning family had ill intentions.

"Is this really true? Fortunately, the Ning family informed me, otherwise I would have been kept in the dark. This news is a matter of life and death for the Chen family." Chen Yi revealed a look of gritted teeth and shock.

Ning Zhong sighed, "You can know a person's face but not their heart. Patriarch Chen still needs to be careful."

Chen Yi nodded quickly: "That's right. Now that we know the female cultivator's identity, how can we not be cautious? Butler Ning, what other news is there?"

He really wanted to hear what the Ning family was planning to do.

"The second piece of news is even more important. The Chen family should be transporting a batch of medicinal herbs to the Zidan Sect in the near future, right?" Ning Zhong didn't say it explicitly, but asked instead.

"That's right. Everyone knows that the Chen family transports medicinal herbs to the Zidan Sect twice a year. Did the Ning family get the news because of this?" Chen Yi nodded.

"It is related to this matter," Ning Zhong replied. "The Ning family has learned that one of those families is very likely to intercept and kill the Chen family's people transporting the medicinal herbs and steal them."

"In this way, the Chen family will be unable to explain themselves to the Zidan Sect and will likely face a huge crisis immediately. If the Zidan Sect is angered, the Chen family may face annihilation."

Chen Yi stood up abruptly, his face ashen, and said repeatedly, "Outrageous! How dare they plot against my Chen family like this? Steward Ning, please tell us clearly, which family is opposing my Chen family?"

Ning Zhong narrowed his eyes. He was very satisfied with Chen Yi's reaction, which was exactly what he had hoped for.

He shook his head and said, "The information the Ning family received is incomplete, and it's difficult to determine which family it is."

"Furthermore, the Ning family learned of these two pieces of news by chance, and they may not be true. The main purpose of informing them is to remind Patriarch Chen to be on guard."

These words were beautifully spoken, yet extremely vague. Ning Zhong realized that such words would only intensify Chen Yi's doubts and anger.

It's impossible for a young kid to stay calm after hearing these two pieces of news.

As he wished, Chen Yi slammed his fist on the table beside him, shattering it, and said viciously, "No matter which family dares to plot against the Chen family like this, the Chen family will naturally fight to the death. Steward Ning, Chen Yi thanks the Ning family for their help. Furthermore, does the Ning family have any way to help the Chen family overcome this difficulty?"

At this moment, Ning Zhong felt a surge of excitement, but his expression remained calm. He said, "Before I came here, the head of my Ning family told me directly that the Ning and Chen families have been neighbors for centuries, and the Ning family will not allow external enemies to deal with the Chen family at will."

"My family head's idea is that the Ning and Chen families can form an alliance and establish a pact. In this way, if the Chen family encounters an enemy, the Ning family will go all out to fight against the enemy together with the Chen family."

"This matter is of great importance, and Patriarch Chen should naturally consider it carefully. If you are interested or have made a decision, you can send someone to the Ning family to inform them."

"The day when the Chen family will transport the medicinal herbs is approaching. Whether to form an alliance or not is a decision that the head of the Chen family should make as soon as possible."

Ning Zhong paused here. The alliance he mentioned was obviously extremely beneficial to the Chen family, and no matter how Chen Yi and the entire Chen family discussed it, they would have no reason to refuse.

Chen Yi remained silent for a moment before finally nodding and saying, "This matter does indeed need to be considered carefully. Steward Ning, I will give the Ning family an answer within five days."

Ning nodded, stood up, clasped his hands and said, "That would be best, Patriarch Chen. The Chen family is going through a difficult time right now, so I won't bother you any longer. I'll return to the family now and wait for Patriarch Chen's decision."

Chen Yi exchanged a few polite words, and after watching Ning Zhong leave, he sat back down in his chair. Li Changqing had already walked out from the back of the hall.

"I am not a spy planted by the other families." She looked at Chen Yi, without explaining further, and simply said this.

Chen Yi waved his hand and said, "I've never considered you a spies. There's no need for further explanation. The most important thing now is, what do you think is the purpose of the Ning family coming here specifically to deliver these two pieces of information?"

Li Changqing raised an eyebrow. Chen Yi's trust in her seemed inexplicable, but she really didn't intend to explain too much.

After pondering for a moment, she said calmly, "First, the Ning family's claim that I am a spy is simply an attempt to sow discord between me and the Chen family. They don't want the Chen family to have another cultivator at the sixth level of the Qi Refining stage. As long as they make the Chen family suspicious and wary of me, they will have achieved their goal."

Chen Yi nodded immediately. He thought so too. The Ning family's move was insidious and vicious. If he didn't know Li Changqing's true identity, he would find it difficult to completely trust Li Changqing after hearing this news.

"Secondly, the Ning family said that some families would steal the medicinal herbs that the Chen family was transporting to the Zidan Sect, so there must be some."

"However, it was definitely the Ning family that made the move. To put it bluntly, these families were just testing the Chen family before, but now, it's just that the Ning family couldn't help but make the first move."

"Thirdly, the Ning family wants to form an alliance with the Chen family. It's not hard to guess their purpose. If the two families become allies, and the Chen family encounters trouble or even faces annihilation, the Ning family will have a legitimate reason to take over the spiritual fields and shops left behind by the Chen family."

In just a few words, Li Changqing gave a complete analysis of the situation. After listening to what Li Changqing said, Chen Yi nodded repeatedly.

At the same time, he couldn't help but admire Li Changqing in his heart. As expected of someone who had lived for more than three hundred years, Li Changqing's analysis was almost indistinguishable from the facts.

He was certain that Li Changqing's analysis was correct, because he had just used the system's identification function to verify Ning Zhong's purpose for coming.

Li Changqing had completely guessed the Ning family's intentions.

"I think your analysis is very accurate. In that case, what do you think we should do next?" Chen Yi asked.

It's one thing if Li Changqing guessed correctly, but the most important thing is how to deal with the Ning family now that they've made it clear they're going to target the Chen family.

The Ning family is stronger than the Chen family. The head of the Ning family is at the mid-stage of the ninth level of Qi Refining. In addition, there are two people at the sixth level of Qi Refining and three people at the fifth level of Qi Refining. There is no need to count the rest. Just these six people alone are enough to make the Chen family unable to cope.

Therefore, if not handled properly, the Chen family will immediately face a huge crisis.

Li Changqing didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at Chen Yi and asked, "Do you really trust me?"

After hearing the news from the Ning family, she didn't think Chen Yi would be completely without any thoughts.

Chen Yi smiled and said, "I truly trust you. If there is even the slightest lie, may my cultivation never advance an inch in this lifetime."

Li Changqing fell silent. To a cultivator, what Chen Yi had just said was an oath that was as poisonous as it could possibly be.

After a moment of silence, she finally spoke: "Alright, my plan is to have Master Fang catch up with the Ning family's steward right now and kill him. Since the Ning family wants to make a move, we should strike first. Only by stirring up the waters can we have more options."

"I just don't know if you have the guts to make this decision."

After saying that, Li Changqing couldn't help but glance at Chen Yi. She no longer doubted Chen Yi's trust in her, although she didn't understand why Chen Yi trusted her so much.

Right now, all she could think about was curiosity—whether this young cultivator dared to take the risk as she suggested.