Jiang Fugui returned the spirit stones, holding his great-grandson as he walked home, surrounded by the bustling market where immortals and mortals intermingled.
A young boy, half-grown, cried and tugged at his clothing, asking, "Great Ancestor, are we really finished?"
"Yes, we are done for."
Jiang Fugui nodded without hesitation.
"Millions of spirit stones, dozens of sects under the Pill Alliance, and the myriad factions involved in cultivating spiritual medicine, transporting, and procuring—all have become a chaotic mess."
He couldn't help but sigh, his somewhat chubby face showing hints of weariness.
"It all started with our Jiang family. I had warned them repeatedly, but as soon as I was gone, everything fell apart."
Jiang Fugui had always known that the Daoist Sect was extremely poor at managing finances; after all, such a governing machine had never existed before.