Open a group to change your life

Chapter 23 The Yu Family's Invitation

On the morning of January 7, 2026, Yu Xueji, after six days of cultivation, was packing her luggage. She was going home today.

"Knock knock knock".

Liang Junjie heard a knock on the door. When he opened it, he saw a charming and lovely, yet mature and elegant young woman. Who else could it be but Yu Xueji?

"Xueji, why are you dressed so nicely today? Come in and have a seat?"

Liang Junjie made way for her to come in.

"No need, I wanted you to come home with me... My grandfather said he wants to meet you..."

As Yu Xueji spoke, her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"Old Master Yu wants to see me...?" Liang Junjie hesitated for a moment, then recalled the appearance of Yu Guojun.

Soon, Yu Guojun's aged yet resolute face appeared in Liang Junjie's mind.

"Okay, wait a moment, I'll change my clothes."

Liang Junjie nodded to Yu Xueji, then ran back to his room to find clothes.

Half an hour later, in the Yu family's private car, Liang Junjie sat calmly in the back seat, together with Yu Xueji.

"Why are you dressed so formally...?"

Yu Xueji couldn't help but ask.

At this moment, Liang Junjie was incredibly mature and composed, dressed in a suit and tie, holding a large mobile phone, looking every bit the successful man.

"Meeting the parents should be formal, of course~" Liang Junjie smiled slightly, his tone full of gentleness.

Yu Xueji pinched his arm hard. "What nonsense are you talking about? Who said you could meet my parents! I'm not yours..."

Yu Xueji didn't say what came next, because she herself wasn't sure what her relationship with Liang Junjie was now.

They ate, drank, and slept in the same house, trained under the same master, fought together, and even slept in the same bed... They even playfully held hands and hugged each other unintentionally...

Thinking of this, her face flushed and tears welled up in her eyes.

Liang Junjie calmly looked at Yu Xueji's face, which was turning red. He didn't tease her, but instead touched her face.

"Okay, okay, no, no."

The Yu family's residence was not far from Liang Junjie's house, and they arrived quickly.

When Liang Junjie, dressed in a suit and tie, stepped out of the car, the butler, Uncle Wei, who had been waiting outside for a long time, looked at Liang Junjie and the young lady beside him with a strange expression.

"Miss, welcome back." Uncle Wei greeted Yu Xueji first, then smiled at Liang Junjie.

"This must be Mr. Liang, right?"

Liang Junjie nodded.

"Please follow me, both of you."

Uncle Wei led the way, while the two men followed behind.

Liang Junjie looked around and discovered that the plants planted in this manor were all spiritual plants with spiritual power.

"As expected... the Yu family has cultivators... but why hasn't Xueji cultivated before? And Old Master Yu doesn't have any cultivation at all..."

Liang Junjie suppressed his curiosity, because they had already arrived at the Yu family's palace-like building.

Yu Guojun sat upright in the main seat, with two bodyguards beside him, and two middle-aged men and a woman sitting on either side of him.

The old man from the Jade Kingdom had sharp eyes and looked Liang Junjie up and down several times. In particular, when he saw the Water Flower Cloak on Liang Junjie's body, which was invisible to ordinary people but could be sensed by cultivators, a look of understanding flashed in his eyes.

"Sit down." The old man's voice was loud and clear as he pointed to the empty seat below him.

Liang Junjie sat down as instructed, keeping his back straight. Yu Xueji sat quietly in the chair next to him.

"Young man of the Liang family," Yu Guojun said bluntly, "I heard that you and my Xueji are getting along quite well now? And you've even... learned something special together?"

Liang Junjie nodded: "Yes, by chance, I became a disciple of the same sect as Yu and learned some methods to strengthen my body."

"Strengthening the body?" Yu Guojun smiled, picked up his teacup and took a sip. "A 'strengthening the body' method that can make even Uncle Wei feel a slight pressure is no ordinary method."

Uncle Wei, the butler standing behind the old man, bowed slightly.

Liang Junjie observed that Uncle Wei did indeed have a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy, roughly equivalent to the third level of Qi Refining.

Liang Junjie didn't respond, waiting for the old man to continue.

Sure enough, Yu Guojun put down his teacup and said slowly, "Since you young people are getting close now and have shared common interests, this old man has an idea. Liang Junjie, what do you think about marrying into our Yu family? In the future, the Yu family's resources will naturally be tilted towards you."

*Pfft—* Liang Junjie nearly choked on his own saliva. He coughed twice and waved his hands repeatedly, "Grandpa Yu, you...you've gone too far with this joke. Yu Xueji and I are just classmates, fellow disciples. This...marrying into my family? It's inappropriate, absolutely inappropriate!"

Yu Xueji, standing beside him, was already blushing furiously, stamping her feet in embarrassment and anxiety: "Grandpa! What nonsense are you talking about! Who, who wants him to marry into the family! I... I don't want to! If you keep this up, I'm leaving!"

Seeing that his granddaughter was really anxious, Yu Guojun laughed and waved his hand, "Alright, alright, if you don't want to, then forget it. I was just saying it casually."

There was no anger on his face; clearly, what he had just done was more of a test.

"I knew you young people had a lot of ideas these days." Yu Guojun leaned forward slightly and tapped his fingers on the armrest of the mahogany chair.

"Let's get down to business. I know you're cultivators now, different from us ordinary mortals. So, I'll discuss a business deal with you in a mortal way."

"Business?" Liang Junjie became wary.

"Yes, business."

Yu Guojun pointed to the large expanse of greenery outside the window.

"The flowers and plants in my garden are very delicate, especially some of the rare varieties that my old friends brought back from the deep mountains. Ordinary gardeners can't take care of them; they wilt easily. I've heard that some spirits of plants are best at taking care of these things."

A bad feeling rose in Liang Junjie's heart: "You mean...?"

Yu Guojun looked at him with a smile: "Behind the old industrial park in the west of the city, isn't there an abandoned nursery? In the last six months, things have been a bit unsettled there. There are always green lights at night, and some people say they've seen tree branches move on their own."

"I sent people to investigate, but they didn't find anything special. However, they came back saying it felt particularly comfortable, and the air was better than elsewhere. I'm wondering if some trees or flowers have grown into something special?"

He paused, then gave a typical businessman's smile: "Help me 'invite' it back. No need for fighting, just talk it out and invite it to stay with me. Food and lodging included, plenty of spiritual energy."

"There seems to be a faint ley line beneath my garden. It helps me tend to these flowers and plants, and in return, I provide them with a place to live and thrive. It's a win-win situation. How about it, are you in?"

Liang Junjie: "..."

He opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words. Capture a tree spirit that seems to have gained sentience… to be a gardener? To tend to the greenery? Isn't Old Master Yu's thought process a bit too bizarre? Is this how cultivators use their martial prowess?

Yu Xueji was also stunned. She tugged at Liang Junjie's sleeve and whispered, "My grandfather... sometimes has some rather unusual ideas."

Liang Junjie took a deep breath and looked at Yu Guojun's expression, which seemed to be discussing an ordinary flower purchase contract, and suddenly found it a little funny.

"Old man..."

Liang Junjie tried to make his voice sound normal, "How can you be sure I can 'invite' them? What if they have a bad temper, or are highly skilled in cultivation..."

"I'm not sure," Yu Guojun said matter-of-factly, "but you're cultivators, you're bound to have more ideas than an old man like me. Besides..."

He glanced at Yu Xueji. "Xueji, aren't you also practicing? You two can go together and look after each other. The reward will be negotiable afterward. I heard you need spirit stones for cultivation? Although my Yu family doesn't have those, we do have some gold, jade, antiques, and medicinal herbs. We're sure to find something you can use. Even if you don't need them, you can still buy quite a few things with the money, right?"

Liang Junjie sighed. This logic... was simply irrefutable. He glanced at Yu Xueji, who was also looking at him, her eyes showing a mixture of eagerness and helplessness towards her grandfather.

"How about it, Liang family lad? Do you want to take this 'greenery maintenance outsourcing business'?" Yu Guojun asked again calmly.

Liang Junjie remained silent for a few seconds, then finally sighed and slumped his shoulders slightly.

"...Okay. But we need to check the situation first."

He wanted to see what kind of tree spirit was so unlucky as to be targeted by an old mortal who wanted to capture it and use it for gardening.