Squeezing the Nobility

"My Lady... what... what is the meaning of this?!" Seated at the head of the hall, Li Feiruo looked down with a gentle smile at the gathering of elderly ministers before her. Their hair was frosted with white and their faces were fraught with anxiety as they clamored in succession: "We all did our part against Qimu! Why have our clansmen been seized now... Claiming they are Qimu's remnants—this is truly a misunderstanding!" Li Feiruo knitted her brows, beckoning the elderly ministers closer before lowering her voice: "You all contributed greatly, and Feiruo has kept that in mind. The moment I heard early this morning that people from several clans had been arrested, I rushed over to consult the Clan Head!" The elderly officials exchanged glances, having no choice but to cup their hands and say: "Our thanks to My Lady! But as for these remnants of Qimu..." Li Feiruo waved her hand, putting on a helpless expression as she explained, "This matter falls under the purview of Young Master Jiao. That master possesses a domineering and lawless temperament; even the Young Patriarch is somewhat wary of him, so he is naturally powerless to intervene..." "To make matters worse, his mother hails from the Mulu clan, making Mu Jiaoman his maternal grand-uncle. Qimu murdered his brothers and slew his father, so Young Master Jiao naturally despises him to the marrow of his bones. On top of that, he is cruel and rapacious by nature. If your descendants have fallen into his hands, they are bound to be stripped of a layer of skin!" At these words, the clan lords who had come demanding an explanation were all taken aback. While the younger ones fretted in anxious confusion, several elders exchanged glances and breathed a collective sigh of relief, thinking inwardly: *They are looking to extort us and make a fortune off our backs, not to actually claim our lives...* Watching them with a faint smile, Li Feiruo saw an elder with a head of snow-white hair step forward from the group. Held in high esteem among the clans, having navigated the corridors of power for most of his life, he naturally understood what Li Feiruo was after. He cleared his throat and unhurriedly cupped his hands, saying: "My Lady, the superior clan dispatched a righteous army to enthrone our Great King. Though my Wutu clan once served the false king, we have now forsaken the dark to embrace the light, yet we remain fraught with dread. We are willing to yield the spirit fields under our jurisdiction along with over thirty spiritual items, asking for nothing more than to serve the superior clan. We only hope My Lady will put in a good word for us before Young Master Jiao." The old fox was decisive indeed. Knowing the spirit fields were impossible to keep, he surrendered all of them in a single breath, tossing in more than thirty types of spiritual items to boot. Most were shamanic artifacts and spiritual materials suited for the Embryonic Breathing Realm. Though they could not compare to the magical artifacts and spirit pills of immortal cultivators, they were more than enough to enrich the reserves of the Li family's low-ranking cultivators. "The old patriarch is noble and righteous." Li Feiruo nodded in satisfaction. These shamanic artifacts and spiritual items represented decades of accumulated wealth; even for a clan entrenched in this region for generations, over thirty items was a massive bloodletting. Glancing at the others below, she saw the clan patriarchs exchange looks before crying out one after another: "We are willing to yield twenty-five fang of spirit fields... and fifteen spiritual items..." "Our clan is willing to offer fifteen fang of spirit fields and twenty spiritual items..." After hearing them all out, Li Feiruo finally smiled and said, "Calm yourselves, everyone. Feiruo has noted all of this down. Please return and await my word. I shall plead for leniency before Young Master Jiao, then get back to you all." Seeing that Li Feiruo was already seeing them off, the men had no choice but to hesitate and file out the door. Watching them leave from the head of the hall until every last one was gone, Li Feiruo beckoned an attendant over and instructed: "Send men to follow up and secure the spirit fields and spiritual items. Tally up every family's concessions clearly, compile them into a roster, and deliver it to Young Master Jiao. He will have his justification to kill: execute more from whoever offers less, and release more from whoever offers plenty. Within three days, those old fellows will surely come seeking me again." "Yes." The attendant by her side bowed and withdrew. Smiling, Li Feiruo picked up a brush and covetously drew a circle on the silk cloth before her, musing inwardly: *Holding immense power and crushing others through sheer authority is truly intoxicating... I wonder if I can secure an official post once I return to town...* *** The palace of Mulu Town. When Mu Jiaoman built his traveling palace, he constructed numerous dungeons to imprison dissidents. As his rule grew more secure, the cells grew increasingly vacant. Now that Shamoli had taken the throne, however, the dungeons suddenly filled to the brim. Cells that once held a single inmate were crammed with three to five people, packed to bursting amid overflowing filth and excrement. Li Yuanjiao raised the long whip in his hand, stepping on the blood-soaked face beneath his boot. His expression shifted between light and shadow. With a flick of his wrist, the whip cracked like thunder in the air before lashing across the body beneath his feet, drawing a shrill scream of agony. Li Yuanjiao muttered in a low voice: "Say it again." "Mu Jiaoman... was Jianixi's younger brother... They had... the same father... but different mothers... Jianixi's... mother was a slave... who fled into the forest to give birth to him..." Li Yuanjiao fell silent for a moment before landing another strike on the man. In a heavy voice, he asked: "How many spiritual items does your clan have? How many spirit fields? Do not try to conceal anything—you are not the only member of the Wutu clan." "This humble one... this humble one is merely a mortal... I truly do not know!" Trembling from the agony, the man begged frantically for mercy. Li Yuanjiao waved his hand dismissively and lashed him several more times. An attendant beside him presented a small note. Li Yuanjiao glanced over it and sneered coldly: "You happen to be an incorrigible villain yourself. In that case, your punishment will not be as simple as physical agony. You cannot blame me." With that, his cultivation at the second layer of Embryonic Breathing erupted. Before the man could beg for mercy, a strike augmented by Dharmic powers blasted the man's head apart. Red and white matter sprayed everywhere, pooling across the floor. "Reporting to the Young Master, My Lady has sent the roster over." Li Yuanjiao turned his head and took the silk cloth, scanning it from top to bottom. With an understanding of the figures, he issued an order, and the clan soldiers dragged another wailing, pleading prisoner from the cells. Just as Li Yuanjiao raised his whip, a voice amplified by Dharmic powers called out from the doorway: "Brother Jiao, wait!" Curling his lip, Li Yuanjiao watched Shamoli rush in hurriedly, looking rather embarrassed as he said: "Brother Jiao... I know you are filled with resentment... but the people of these six great clans all share deep ties with my Mulu clan. Could Brother Jiao show your elder brother some face..." "Ah, it is Big Brother Shamoli." Tossing the whip aside, Li Yuanjiao smiled warmly and said, "Big Brother has newly ascended the throne and has countless state affairs to attend to. It is best to leave trivial matters like this to me. Why bother making an extra trip yourself?" Shamoli chuckled awkwardly. Ever since taking over, he had indeed succeeded the throne with great fanfare, yet day after day, the reports submitted to his throne were trivial, fragmented errands. Not a single matter of genuine consequence ever reached his hands, leaving him uncomfortable and at a loss for words. He had come this time because the six great clans had plied him generously with gifts, and he also wished to test the waters with Li Yuanjiao to see when the Li family would depart. Seeing Shamoli laughing awkwardly without responding, Li Yuanjiao explained: "I am doing this to eliminate dissidents for you, Big Brother, and to help establish your authority. Rest assured and leave this to me; your younger brother knows where to draw the line..." Shamoli had already been indebted to Li Yuanjiao's favor, so he was rendered even more speechless. He could only sigh and softly inquire: "I wonder when Brother Jiao plans to return to Lijing Town? I would like to arrange some time to fulfill my duties as a host." Li Yuanjiao laughed aloud and said in a low voice: "If the six great clans cooperate, Qimu's remnants can be dealt with within a month, and we shall set off east for home. But if the six great clans drag their feet and play games with me, it could take several months or even half a year!" Hearing this, Shamoli looked visibly delighted. Knowing the Li family would depart once they finished squeezing the six great clans, he made his calculations and hurriedly said: "I understand! I understand!" Li Yuanjiao clapped him on the shoulder and said gently: "I understand your plight, brother. Yuanjiao is merely carrying out orders as well; our presence here has truly put you in an awkward position. As long as the six great clans cooperate, I will submit a petition to our forebear to return east early, and we definitely will not linger on my brother's territory any longer than necessary!" Shamoli wished for nothing more than to see the Li family leave as soon as possible, so how could he care about the interests of the six great clans? Feeling a wave of relief, he nodded gratefully and said gravely: "Brother Yuanjiao is truly noble and righteous. I will do everything I can to cooperate with you, brother."