The following day, midday.
The long-awaited cultivation had Xu Yuan absorbing the strange energy composed of life origin, yin origin, and Source Qi from the array scripts like a sponge.
Having not cultivated for several months, spending an entire night plus half a day had only allowed him to complete Qi-intake, replenishing the Source Qi depleted within his body.
Having accomplished this, Xu Yuan did not continue on to cultivate his origin.
Back when he cultivated using Source Qi, he could draw freely upon the inexhaustible supply of Source Crystals in the Prime Minister's Manor, cultivating without reservation. Now, however, he could no longer afford such abandon.
Though he could cultivate indefinitely, the hundred yin ghosts and aberrant ghosts imprisoned in the cavern beneath his room as kindling had reached their limit.
The rate at which they converted Source Qi into yin origin and life origin was slightly slower than his cultivation speed. A single night of breathing and absorption had already exhausted several days' worth of accumulated life and yin origin.
Still, the cavern below was likely just a preliminary testing ground; only if it proved successful would they proceed with further expansion.
With that in mind, Xu Yuan prepared to head out and find Xu Changge, intending to have his eldest brother order the servants to bring over more yin ghosts and aberrant ghosts.
The warm winter sun filtered through the window lattice into the room, illuminating motes of dust drifting visibly in the air.
Getting out of bed, Xu Yuan dressed himself and pushed open the chamber door.
Yet the moment he stepped outside, he froze in surprise.
Why had his old man returned?
In the elegant pavilion beside the courtyard's small pond sat a middle-aged man with graying temples.
He wore his signature black dragon robe, his expression calm and unreadable, staring fixedly at the hanging-bell tree in the yard.
After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan suppressed his original thoughts and walked briskly toward the pavilion.
Stepping inside, Xu Yuan sat directly across the stone table and called out softly, "Father, you've been staring at that hanging-bell tree. Is there a story behind it?"
Xu Yinhe slowly drew his gaze back from the hanging-bell tree. As his eyes settled on Xu Yuan, a faint, almost imperceptible smile flashed beneath the surface. "There is indeed a story, though it is all ancient history now."
Hearing this, Xu Yuan also glanced at the hanging-bell tree planted in the courtyard.
Beneath the warm sun, the branches were bare, its lush foliage having shed entirely with the onset of winter.
This tree was no spirit plant, but rather an ornamental species commonly seen throughout Great Yan.
In the height of summer, its lush leaves would rustle in the breeze, producing a pleasant chiming reminiscent of wind bells, hence its name.
A look of curiosity surfaced in Xu Yuan's eyes as he asked, "What story?"
Xu Yinhe did not conceal it, his voice carrying a reminiscent smile. "A story concerning your mother."
Xu Yuan's eyes flickered.
Just like any child, anyone would be curious about the romance between their parents.
All the more so when it concerned the past romance of a man as peerless and transcendent as his old man.
Thinking of this, a smile curved Xu Yuan's lips. "Father, you and Mother didn't make your lifelong vows under this hanging-bell tree, did you?"
"......"
At those words, the man with graying temples looked once more toward the massive tree that would take three men to encircle.
In the sunlight, he vaguely glimpsed the immortal silhouette of that departed soul back when she was still a young girl.
His sharp eyes narrowed slightly, and Xu Yinhe slowly closed them. A soft smile lingered at the corners of his lips, his voice faint and gentle. "Mm. Yes."
"......"
Seeing his father's expression, Xu Yuan slightly lowered his eyes, a faint smile gracing his face, though he pressed no further.
Silence lingered in the pavilion for a dozen breaths before Xu Yinhe's steady voice broke the reminiscing calm: "Is your cultivation going smoothly?"
Xu Yuan smiled. "The array Xinyao developed is incredible. I can cultivate normally now."
Xu Yinhe glanced toward the wing room. "It should still be insufficient, though."
Xu Yuan blinked, then relaxed, nodding. "The output of yin origin and life origin is indeed not enough to sustain further cultivation."
Xu Yinhe gave a slight nod. "Xinyao is meticulous and cautious. To prevent any mishaps, she did not carelessly mobilize too many yin ghosts and aberrant ghosts."
Xu Yuan instantly grasped the meaning behind his father's words.
Everything had already been prepared; they were merely waiting for him to test it out before proceeding with the expansion.
His father was always like this, arranging everything seamlessly down to the smallest detail.
The thought flickered through his mind, and Xu Yuan suddenly recalled the promise he had made to that girl Xu Xinyao the previous night. He spoke in a low voice, "Father, this array actually still needs improvement."
"Oh?"
Xu Yinhe raised an eyebrow slightly, a measured touch of surprise surfacing in his eyes.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan immediately delivered the lines he had prepared. "Xinyao mentioned that although the array's completion rate is high, it remains a half-finished product."
Xu Yinhe nodded, gesturing for him to continue.
With that, Xu Yuan chuckled softly. "The array is simply too large. If I wish to cultivate, I have to stay confined to this wing room long-term. In Xinyao's conception, the array can be streamlined until it is entirely portable."
Xu Yinhe looked at Xu Yuan with a meaningful gaze, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes, and nodded. "True enough. What do you want?"
"......"
Xu Yuan felt his heart skip a beat.
To be fair, he felt as though he had once again been seen right through by his old man.
Even so, he braced himself and murmured, "I hope Father can allocate some formation script masters and artifact refiners to Xinyao."
Xu Yuan did not specify how many, sensing that his father likely already understood what he intended to do.
"Mm," Xu Yinhe hummed ambiguously, then said in a measured tone, "Five Grade A Superior formation script masters and five Grade A Superior artifact refiners each. That should suffice."
Well then.
His old man truly knew what he wanted, and seemingly didn't oppose it either.
Thinking of this, Xu Yuan licked his lips and probed, "Then the funding..."
"I will instruct Hua Hong to allocate Xinyao an equipment quota of five hundred thousand taels."
"Only five hundred thousand taels?" Xu Yuan froze. That was not what he had expected.
Xu Yinhe cast a sideways glance at him. "Why, do you find it too much?"
Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched, and he immediately broke into a hearty chuckle. "No, no, it's just right."
"Hmph, good then."
Xu Yinhe chuckled under his breath and slowly rose to his feet. "Let it be so. I have other matters to attend to."
Seeing this, Xu Yuan also stood and bowed respectfully. "Yes, Father."
Xu Yinhe looked at his third son and suddenly said, "Xinyao's temperament is overly gentle, and Changge is poor at expressing himself. As an elder brother, you must show more patience and care."
As the words fell, a gentle breeze swept past, and the middle-aged man's figure vanished without a trace.
After standing in the pavilion for a while, Xu Yuan shook his head and slowly sat back down.
His father had indeed come specifically to check on Xinyao's state through him...
Yet if he cared so much,
why didn't he just do it himself?
Chapter 474