Chapter 126

Six days later, Zhao Qi and Liu Zihao returned to the Yang Family compound.

“Formation Master Liu, welcome back.”

“Honored to meet you, Yang Master. I deeply appreciate this invitation!”

When Liu Zihao saw Yang Lingqing, emotions welled up in his chest and he bowed deeply.

Yang Lingqing stepped forward to raise him up. “You flatter me, Formation Master Liu. Let’s discuss this inside.”

After entering the chamber, Zhao Qi gave Yang Lingqing a brief account before withdrawing and closing the door behind him.

Liu Zihao sat stiffly on the chair, anxiety gnawing at him.

He worried Yang Lingqing might politely decline him after hearing his circumstances.

“Well… that would be understandable,” he thought gloomily. “The Yangs are merely a Gathering Qi family. Even those clans protected by Condensing Essence cultivators shun me now. Her caution makes sense.”

He mentally braced himself for rejection.

Unknown to him, Yang Lingqing viewed the situation entirely differently.

The young matriarch could barely contain her excitement.

A ready-made resident formation master falling into their laps? What fortune!

Like Zhao Qi had reasoned earlier – had Liu Zihao truly committed crimes against the dynasty, he would’ve been purged already.

Still, she exercised caution. Claiming she needed to consult her family, she made Liu Zihao stay overnight while dispatching Zhao Qi to Baishi Town. The guard rushed to seek Gao Hui’s confirmation regarding the dynasty’s stance.

By dawn, Zhao Qi returned with a letter.

Gao Hui had verified through He Shenglai’s intelligence channels: the dynasty confirmed Liu Zihao’s innocence regarding the Moon Watching City incident. Though implicated by his master’s deeds, officials planned to publicly clear his name soon alongside other blameless individuals.

“Yang Master, seize this chance! He’s skilled. We should secure him for the Yang Family.”

Gao Hui’s advice mirrored Yang Lingqing’s thoughts. Now bound to the dynasty, the Yangs could safely recruit this untainted talent.

After Liu Zihao endured a sleepless night, Yang Lingqing came to him. Her opening question sent shockwaves through his heart:

“Formation Master Liu, how many spiritual crystals would void your contract with the formation hall?”

Liu Zihao sprang to his feet. “Yang Master, are you saying…?”

“I recognize your ambitions. Our family may be modest, but we surpass any West Street workshop.” Yang Lingqing gestured earnestly. “Become our resident formation master. The Yang Family will fund all your cultivation needs. Nod your head, and we’ll cancel that contract today.”

Liu Zihao stood rooted in place for a long moment, unable to speak.

He could scarcely believe what he was hearing.

Not only did the Yang Family overlook his past circumstances and want him to upgrade their formations, but they even wished him to stay as their resident formation master!

The Liu Zihao of three years ago would have refused without hesitation.

Back then, he enjoyed tutelage from renowned masters, his future blazing bright with promise.

He had been the most sought-after formation expert across the entire Wangyue territory.

But after these three turbulent years, he had learned how fickle the world could be, seeing through the deceptions hidden beneath polite surfaces.

When the tree falls, the monkeys flee; when the wall crumbles, everyone kicks it down.

Even the formation hall elder who once praised his talent had coldly ignored his plight.

A once-promising young formation master now couldn’t even afford lodging fees at the formation hall, forced to scrape by on North Street among failed Loose cultivators.

The bitter taste of this downfall was his alone to swallow.

Yang Lingqing’s offer struck him like thunder.

Regaining composure, Liu Zihao straightened his robes and bowed formally.

"I’m honored by your trust, Yang Master. Liu Zihao accepts!"

"Excellent!"

Yang Lingqing clapped her hands, moving straight to practical matters.

"What’s the contract termination fee?"

"Four thousand spiritual crystals."

He produced two storage bags. "The family shouldn’t bear full cost. My formation instruments and diagrams could fetch about a thousand if sold discreetly in the marketplace. Master…"

His unconscious shift from "Yang Family" to "the family" went unspoken as Yang Lingqing thrust a storage bag into his grip.

"Why lower prices for cowards? Our goods meet standards – their fears aren’t our concern. Take the full four thousand. Settle it cleanly."

"Master!"

Liu Zihao’s hands trembled around the heavy pouch, tears spilling freely.

"My gratitude! Gold’s plentiful, but true allies are rare. This debt I’ll never forget!"

Sunlight bathed his face as he strode from the room, shoulders squaring with forgotten pride. The determined man walking toward Fish Ridge River Market’s formation hall resembled his former self – the brilliant prodigy from three years past.

At the formation hall’s registry, clerks scrambled to handle last-minute clients before market closure. The skill-ranked roster of formation masters lay open, awaiting new entries.

A newly arrived cultivator flipped through the roster and spotted a suitable candidate. "This Liu Zihao seems perfect. I want to hire him," he declared.

The surrounding crowd immediately gave him strange looks. Someone stepped forward to explain Liu Zihao’s background, causing the requester to wave his hand in withdrawal.

As murmurs spread through the hall, a figure entered the formation hall.

"That’s him!"

"That’s Liu Zihao?"

"Didn’t he lose his residency in the formation hall? Why’s he back?"

Ignoring the whispers, Liu Zihao strode toward the staircase. A junior formation master blocked his path.

"Senior Liu," the junior said, "no seats remain for you upstairs. State your business here."

Liu Zihao shot him an icy glare full of contempt. He’d mentored this very junior in the formation path before – clearly, his kindness had been wasted on ungrateful trash.

"Fine. I want to break my contract with the formation hall. Can you handle that?"

The junior froze. "You… want to cancel your contract?!" he shouted, making the entire first floor fall silent.

The air thickened as dozens of eyes turned to Liu Zihao – some confused, most dripping with scorn and ridicule.

"Correct. Can you authorize this?" Liu Zihao pressed calmly.

The junior stood speechless.

"Hmph." Liu Zihao moved to step around him.

"Hold."

A voice echoed from above. Liu Zihao looked up to see Zou Yu descending the stairs. They shared the same cultivation stage at the sixth level of Gathering Qi, but Liu Zihao’s formation skills had always surpassed Zou Yu’s. This was why Liu Zihao’s name had consistently ranked above Zou Yu’s in the registry.