Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Wang Xun returned the Qingchi sword to the Li family members' hands, saying only:
"It went better than I expected. Only ten percent of the sword intent was lost. My thanks to you all."
With that, he rode the wind away as if fleeing, not daring to utter another word. The two brothers looked at each other in bewilderment. It seemed the youth truly refused to taint himself with mortal ties; earlier, he had only spoken at length because he needed something from them.
One holding the sword and the other carrying a green jade box, the two returned in the rain to the small courtyard on the mountain, where the rest of the Li family was already waiting.
Rain pitter-pattered on the mountain, but the courtyard was deathly quiet. Atop a smooth, unadorned tabletop sat a pile of jade bottles, large and small, green and white, shrouded in dense spiritual qi.
At the other end stood five or six jade bottles, set apart in isolation.
"That is roughly the situation..."
Having finished explaining the origins and consequences of the matter, Li Yuanjiao said in a low voice, "At present, seventy percent of the pills in the market town originate from the Qingchi Sect, while only twenty to thirty percent come from the Xiao and Yuan families. Consider this and tell me how we should handle it."
All the direct-line cultivators of the Li family had gathered below. Li Qinghong cradled her spear to one side without saying a word, while Li Yuanping hung his head in deep thought. Several members of the Xi-Yue generation knelt below, their expressions varied.
Seeing that neither Li Yuanping nor Li Qinghong was speaking, Li Yuanjiao turned his gaze toward the eldest of the younger generation below, Li Xicheng, gesturing for him to speak.
Li Xicheng had been daydreaming in a daze. Seeing this, he hurriedly straightened his posture on his knees, pondered for a couple of breaths, and replied:
"In your nephew's view, though these pills are precious, they are refined at the cost of human lives. Our family has always prioritized strict clan discipline, cherished the common people, and passed down our lineage through righteous ways. It would be best to abandon these pills..."
Having overseen affairs among the Shanyue, Li Xicheng had indeed made considerable progress, speaking far more fluently than before. Between the lines, his point was simply that the pills could no longer be used—there was nothing deeper to it. Li Yuanjiao merely nodded and looked toward Li Xijun.
Li Xijun wore a white robe embroidered with silver trim, appearing even more handsome with his vermilion lips and pearl-white teeth. He said respectfully:
"As I see it, since our family will not use these pills, we should send them all to our shop in the market town to exchange for spirit stones at slightly below market price. This will swiftly replenish the clan treasury while generating publicity.
"Afterward, we send someone to open up a channel with the Xiao and Yuan families, relying on our connections to smooth things over. From then on, we procure pills solely from those two families without relying on the open market. That will settle the matter."
"Good!"
Within dozens of breaths of stepping up, Li Xijun had already delivered a complete plan, making Li Yuanjiao's eyes light up. Then Li Ximing, sitting at the far end, spoke softly:
"I have yet to break through Yujing and cannot begin refining pills, so we must rely on the Xiao and Yuan families for a few years. Eighth Brother's method is thorough and sound. I have only one doubt regarding these pills."
Li Ximing paused, thought for a breath, and looked up:
"Refining pills with blood qi is rumored to follow the path of 'different crucibles, same furnace,' drastically increasing pill yield and quality. But could there truly be only benefits without hidden repercussions? I fear the harm is far greater than anyone realizes, merely concealed from the world."
When he said this, the three sitting above raised their brows slightly. Having studied alchemical texts, Li Ximing understood the Dao of Alchemy far better than the others. He continued:
"What I mean is, even... even if it were not for the fact that these pills involve human lives, we still should not consume them. Who knows what latent risks or traps lie within? The pills produced by noble families are not nearly as sought after as those from the Qingchi Sect, making them easy to acquire in trade. Why take the risk when a safe alternative is right there?"
"Well said."
The three above exchanged glances, and Li Yuanping smiled. "You may step down for now."
The three complied and left. The courtyard gate creaked shut, and the array isolating the inside from the outside whirred to life. Only then did Li Yuanping smile and say, "The younger generation has matured."
Li Yuanjiao nodded slightly and said, "Though Xicheng's words lacked substance, he is no longer as dull and wooden as before. A willingness to learn and improve is always good... As for Xijun, he is a man of action."
Li Xijun's well-rounded proposal had genuinely delighted the three of them. Cradling her Duruo Spear, Li Qinghong looked much more relaxed, saying softly, "Ximing has great foresight, and Xijun possesses strategic acumen. It is thanks to Ping's good teaching."
Li Yuanjiao then put away the various pills on the table. He pondered how to secure a proper channel with the Xiao family without racking up favors; turning it over in his mind, going through Xiao Yuansi seemed the only way. Aloud, he said with a beaming smile:
"For three generations, our family has taught by personal example and by history, upholding strict family discipline. That is why we can produce descendants such as these."
Blessed by the mysterious light of the magical mirror, and buoyed by the promising youngsters of Ximing's generation, their moods lightened considerably. Exhaling a long breath, Li Yuanjiao picked up the jade box on the table, a touch of relief finally entering his voice:
"This spirit root, the Wanling Flower, is after all a Foundation Establishment-level spirit root. It requires watering from a spiritual spring. Mount Huaqian has one; we can plant it there."
The spiritual spring on Mount Huaqian had a long history. As far back as the era of the Wan family, the array prodigy Wan Huaqian had used it to construct formations. Now in the Li family's hands, the spring was mostly used to irrigate spiritual plants, hoping to shave off three or four years and harvest an extra crop to offset the family's annual deficits.
"According to Wang Xun, this Wanling Flower cannot be held in metal or jade. Once it blooms, pluck it with wooden chopsticks and store it in a bamboo box." Li Yuanjiao instructed, adding a reminder: "This flower cannot bear the sight of weeping—it withers at the sound of tears. Take special care of that."
Li Qinghong nodded as she took it, saying solemnly, "I shall go to Mount Huaqian to guard it these coming years and watch over this spirit root."
"How are the two matters we discussed last time progressing?"
Hearing his elder brother's question, Li Yuanping replied promptly:
"The situation in Shanyue is stabilizing by the day, and the Tian family is cooperating very well. By my count, the time is nearly ripe. Those fat-headed, big-eared Shanyue nobles were lambs for the slaughter to begin with; we only left them untouched back then because they surrendered to us promptly.
"Now they grow increasingly arrogant, even daring to embezzle spiritual items. We shall execute a batch to replenish our household coffers."
Li Qinghong had never managed clan affairs and had little knack for political machination. She merely frowned and asked, "Why not slaughter them all and send our own people to Shanyue? Why keep raising this herd of wild boars?"
"Eldest Sister," Li Yuanping chuckled softly and replied, "if we replace them with our own people, they will embezzle all the same. We would also waste the Clan Rectory's manpower keeping watch over them. When that happens, once the various branch lines reap the benefits and band together, executing them would be difficult, and uprooting them would be just as troublesome."
"Oh." Li Qinghong knitted her brows, her clear voice ringing out: "Yet upon my return to the mountain this time, I saw that the branch families down below have nothing to do. They spend their days taking wives and concubines, playing pitch-pot, and racing hounds. Surely this is not well."
Li Yuanping nodded and continued:
"Even Eldest Sister sees the problem. If these fellows were merely mediocre and idle, that would be one thing, but behind our backs they use clan prestige to act dissolutely and shamelessly. They secretly encroach upon commoners' lands, fleece the populace, and some even collude with merchants to trade power for wealth.
"In the past, when their numbers were small, the Clan Rectory could suppress them. But now the family's finances are tight, yet clan members multiply. Our cultivators need their hands free to cultivate spiritual items; their time cannot be wasted on these people... That brings me to the second matter on my hands."
With that, he turned to refill Li Yuanjiao's tea and said with a smile:
"Regarding what Brother mentioned, I have found an opportunity. We must turn our eyes toward the clans on the eastern bank."
He produced a gray map from the table and said in a low voice:
"To our north lie the two peaks of Mount Huazhong and Mount Yuting, bordering the Yu family. East of Mount Yuting borders the clans of the eastern bank. Two clans border ours: one surnamed Rui, and one surnamed Pu.
"Both families have only Embryonic Breathing cultivators. Their ancestors were enlightened by members of the Xiao family. They occupy ramshackle little hills, banding together with several neighboring families to take turns sending cultivators to mine the local Lingbi ore vein for the Xiao family."
Li Yuanping paused, explaining to his brother and sister:
"Do you still recall the Ding family?"
"Naturally," Li Qinghong took a sip of tea and replied. "A vassal of the Yuan family, a small clan serving as a buffer with our Li family, wedged between the three families."
"Correct." Li Yuanping nodded and went on:
"The Ding family at least possessed several Qi Refinement cultivators, including Ding Xiding in the late Qi Refinement stage. Originally, both the Rui and Pu families paid tribute to the Ding family. Later, when the Old Ancestor broke through to Foundation Establishment, Ding Xiding was so frightened that he came in person to pay his respects, abandoning even those two neighboring clans because he dared not claim them.
"Thus relieved of tribute, those two clans sent gifts to our family a few times. Seeing that we made no moves, they grew carefree and merry. They have lived quite leisurely these past few years, though conflicts frequently break out between them as they battle one another and abduct mortals."
"Abducting mortals?"
Hearing this, Li Yuanjiao felt an ominous premonition. Li Yuanping had evidently investigated thoroughly and lowered his voice:
"I found it strange as well, so I sent people to make inquiries for a time.
"It turns out the Xiao family only demands the Lingbi ore and never asks for tribute, whereas the Ding and Yu families do. Hence, since ancient times, the clans on the eastern bank have suffered severe manpower shortages under heavy burdens of tribute. Mortals are the only resource that requires no spiritual opportunity yet yields substantial output..."
Once Li Yuanping said this, everything became self-evident. This was demonic sect territory after all; Li Yuanjiao had heard of such practices before. Rogue cultivators and the Yu family had engaged in similar trade, and people were almost accustomed to it. He merely nodded in silence.
"I intend to intervene in the lands of the eastern bank's clans, propping up one or two minor Embryonic Breathing or Qi Refinement clans. Using this opportunity, I will conscript over two thousand people from our branch lines. I have already selected the criteria—specifically the petty, thieving playboys and idlers."
Li Yuanjiao nodded in sudden realization, his long, narrow eyes filled with satisfaction. Li Yuanping's grayish-black eyes were rounder than Li Yuanjiao's, resembling Li Qinghong's, but likewise sparkled with cunning and shrewdness.
"When the time comes, I will intentionally assign Xicheng to lead these troops. Cheng'er is kind-hearted and gentle, unwilling to scold or rebuke. Those playboys are rotten to begin with; once they cross the border into foreign territory, never mind whether they obey orders—when they charge up the mountains, how many of them will resist revealing their true colors?"
He sipped his tea and said softly:
"When that happens, we execute a batch, dismiss a batch, and exile a batch. Faced with such grave crimes, which clan elder or clan uncle would dare utter a peep? Once this campaign ends, we can guarantee at least forty years of clean governance."
***
Beneath Yishan City.
*Drip, drop.*
Bordering the Southern Border, Yishan City saw quite a lot of rain. Torrents fell into the blood pooling across the ground, mingling mud and gore into a grayish-red morass.
A youth's grayish-black eyes stared at the city wall before him. His clothes were tattered and caked with mud; from face to feet, he reeked foully, blending seamlessly among the crowd of slave-soldiers.
"In another half-shichen, we will be able to leave the city..."
Jiang Boqing had traversed through space using his golden nature, hurling Jiang Yan into Yishan City in a single breath. The old man had been in terrible shape, nearly draining Jiang Yan dry. Jiang Yan had lost seventy to eighty percent of his cultivation and barely survived.
Landing in the slave-soldier camp inside the city, Jiang Yan had fallen atop a corpse. He lay stiff for quite a while before gradually recovering. Looking up, he saw the white great array blotting out the sky and covering the earth, recognizing it as the preeminent city of Jiangnan.
Though endless questions plagued his heart, answers were now beyond reach. Sitting barefoot and despondent in the camp, Jiang Yan was consumed by confusion:
*You bewitched my father, murdered my mother, all to refine these two shamanic talismans inside my body... Why then did it end like this?*
Jiang Boqing was dead. Jiang Yan's heart was torn with grief and bewilderment. He dared not overthink, knowing only that if he lingered here any longer, he would sooner or later be discovered.
The great array in Yishan City had been erected by an immortal sect; forcing his way through was utterly impossible. Jiang Yan had no choice but to disguise himself as a slave-soldier. He waited in the camp for a full half-month before an attack by demonic beasts finally arrived.
"How laughable."
Sweeping his gaze over the emaciated mortals, Jiang Yan instantly saw through the demonic sect's designs, thinking coldly to himself:
*This is no defense. They are simply using them to feed the beasts.*
*Clang!*
The opening before them had barely swung open when array patterns surfaced above it. The mind-beguiling array activated, and the mortals took stride, charging out like madmen.
"Aaaagh—"
Mingling among the crowd, Jiang Yan was met head-on by the gaping bloody maw of a wolf demon. Its stark white teeth glinted with cold malice, yet the mortals threw themselves into it in a mindless stupor. In an instant, blood sprayed and filth splattered in every direction.
He swerved around it, not daring to ride the wind, and could only sprint with all his might. Unexpectedly, as if spotting something rare and exquisite, the beast whipped its head around to snap at him.
"Damn it!"
Jiang Yan was injured, but he was not about to be bullied by a petty demon. He slapped the wolf demon until it stumbled, then skimmed close to the ground on the wind, fleeing southward in disheveled haste.
Astride the walls of Yishan City.
Liu Changdie had long since descended below the city to maintain the great array. Li Xuanfeng stood holding his bow, while Fei Yihe beside him said nothing, quietly watching the surging horde of beasts.
The rest of the cultivators held either bows or long spears, concentrating their breath and focusing their minds as rays of magical light illuminated their magical implements.
These cultivators possessed no family heritage. Whether learning the sword or the spear, they could only cultivate sword glow or spear glow to coat their implements. Since an extra inch of length meant an extra inch of strength, naturally they had all chosen the spear to survive a few days longer.
What was more, even if one cultivated sword qi or spear astral energy, spear astral energy covered a wider area than sword qi, offering better odds of survival. Thus, aside from a few scions of prominent families with ancestral arts, nearly everyone held a spear.
The company held their weapons ready, awaiting the clash. Behind them stood several green-robed cultivators, mostly at the mid-to-late Qi Refinement stage, standing with hands clasped behind their backs—all Qingchi disciples stationed here to anchor the line.
"Skreee!"
In the distance, giant eagles screeched, yet refused to come anywhere near. A glance at the several carcasses being devoured on the ground showed that Li Xuanfeng had likely shot down several already, deterring them from advancing.
After a while, over a dozen demonic beasts converged together. Only then did they dare swarm forward in unison, hurtling toward the battlements.
"They're coming!"
As Li Xuanfeng drew his bow, the cultivators scrambled into formation to shield him in their midst. Leveling their spears, they unleashed spells to fend off the pouncing beasts. Black demonic arts clashed against glowing spells, ringing out with thunderous booms.
*Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—*
In mere moments, streaks of golden radiance surged from Li Xuanfeng's bow as if possessed of their own sentience, boring straight into the eyes, noses, and maws of the beasts. They blasted blood into the air and sent fur flying everywhere. Watching this, the Qingchi disciple behind him nodded slowly and whispered to the man beside him:
"Senior Brother... if not for this man, I fear few among these cultivators would have survived to this day."
The man in front appeared to hold considerable status. Paying no heed to his remark, he wore a grave expression, slowly knitting his brows as he said in a solemn voice:
"Is that... a slave-soldier?"
His gaze was locked onto the foot of the city. Amid the sea of carnage, that slave-soldier had slapped away a wolf demon and was dashing away at unbelievable speed.
The surrounding beasts swiftly converged and pounced toward him, making him remarkably conspicuous. Knowing he was exposed, the slave-soldier simply took to the wind, plunging like a shooting star toward the dense woods in the distance.
The leading Qingchi Sect disciple sneered. A glittering golden light formed in his hand, and he was just about to unleash it when the disciple who had spoken earlier chuckled:
"Senior Brother, why use a butcher's cleaver to kill a chicken?"
He flicked his green sleeve, turned toward the people below, and said with a leisurely smile:
"You there, that Li family archer—shoot that thing down."
Chapter 337