Watching Li Jiman hurry out of the hall, Chen Mufeng swept his gaze over the scattered remnants of fruit, leftover dishes, and gold and jade goblets. Stepping forward, he fixed his eyes on the high seat at the very front.
"The Shanyue King is nothing more than a puppet."
Though the words left his mouth, his feet subconsciously climbed the steps. He rested his slender hand upon the elaborately carved bench without uttering another sound.
The Chen family had always possessed good innate talent, and Chen Mufeng had already attained the fifth layer of Embryonic Breathing. Aside from a handful of direct descendants in the main branch, no one could keep up with him, making him rather proud of himself.
"The bloodline of the main family is noble, so naturally I cannot compare to them. But the likes of Tian Zhongqing and Xu Gongming merely have a few years on me... In terms of talent and background, who among them can truly match me...?"
He was in the prime of his youth, the season of his greatest ambitions, filled with boundless aspirations as he stared transfixed at this seat of authority.
*Swish.*
As Chen Mufeng stared lost in thought at the long bench, a troop of white-armored cultivators suddenly parted the curtain and entered. One of them said respectfully,
"Young Master, everyone has been taken into custody. What are your orders...?"
As if struck by an electric shock, Chen Mufeng jerked his hand back from the seat. Clearing his throat, he replied,
"Let us go."
***
Lijing Town.
Clad in brocade robes, Li Yuanping held a vermilion brush, making annotations. A stack of wooden slips sat neatly arranged on his desk. Lifting his head slightly, he saw Li Wen stride in with broad steps before bowing low like a crumbling mountain of gold and a collapsing pillar of jade, speaking in a muffled voice:
"Family Head, the Jade Court Guard has secured control over all the Shanyue tribes. Li Jiman has driven his carriage at full tilt and arrived in town."
"Mm."
Li Yuanping acknowledged him, rubbing his chin in silence. Li Wen stood up and waited attentively below. After a short while, hurried, chaotic footsteps echoed outside, and a man came rushing into the hall.
The man had light brown skin and wore ornate robes. Clutching his garments with both hands, he bolted in at full pelt, hurriedly arriving before the dais. Dropping to his knees with a loud thud, he cried mournfully:
"Family Head, the Tian clan harbors wolfish ambitions! They seek to monopolize the Shanyue lands and use them as their foundation... If they are allowed to seize it, I fear it will breed disaster!"
"Jiman?"
Li Yuanping frowned slightly and said in a grave voice:
"The Tian clan is the maternal kin of our uncle's branch, utterly loyal and steadfast. How could you say such a thing!"
His expression soured with a flicker of anger. Shoving the small mountain of wooden slips off the desk, they clattered across the floor and rolled before Li Jiman. In a chilly voice, he demanded:
"The evidence of the Shanyue tribes' crimes is right here—every count backed by witnesses and material proof! What do you have to say for yourself?!"
These pieces of evidence had naturally been gathered by the Clan Rectory, each and every one solid and undeniable; they had simply been submitted under the guise of an offering from the Tian family. Though Li Jiman was unaware of the inside story, he knew all too well what kind of scum those nobles were, so he did not dare look at the slips at all. He could only plead piteously:
"Family Head! Although the Shanyue tribes are naturally tyrannical and violent, they have always served as a fine counterweight against the Tian clan. If they are wiped out like this and the Tian clan is left unchecked, the Shanyue realm will be entirely at their mercy—and that is a seed of ruin!
"I have studied history: the Jiang family of Lake Wangyue relied on external clans, only to be torn apart and usurped by the Yu clan. The lessons of the past are still fresh in our minds..."
Li Yuanping looked at him quietly, appearing somewhat swayed, and asked in a low voice:
"What would you have me do?"
"I beg the Family Head... to recall the Tian clan!"
Li Jiman prostrated himself, his face flushed crimson. Li Yuanping let out a soft sigh, glanced at the attendants standing on both flanks, and commanded:
"All of you, dismiss!"
The armored guards rustled as they filed out. Only then did Li Yuanping sigh deeply and hurry down the dais to help him up, speaking warmly:
"Jiman, why do you act like this? You are a member of our Li family. Naturally, the Tian clan cannot compare to you!"
Li Jiman could not react for a moment, but then saw Li Yuanping whisper:
"The Tian clan has deep roots in the Shanyue territory, tying your hands and feet. I have seen it all along!"
With a sincere, earnest countenance, he said:
"Yet the Shanyue tribes are vicious, greedy, and cruel—hardly good folk either. If neither obstacle is cleared away, how could the Shanyue realm ever fall securely into your hands, my good brother?"
Li Jiman's expression froze. After a full three breaths, sparks of overwhelming joy burst across his face, and he blurted out:
"Family Head! This... Your foresight runs so deep; I am nowhere near your equal!"
"Now, now."
Li Yuanping took him by the hand, warmly leading him up the steps as he said gravely:
"The Tian clan holds considerable ties within our family yet committed no offense. If we did not feed them the Shanyue tribes, how could we transfer them away without cause?"
Li Jiman nodded repeatedly. Li Yuanping smiled and continued:
"I have already issued the order to reassign the Tian clan. Once this night passes, the wolves will be dead and the tiger relocated. The Shanyue realm will be cleared completely, leaving everything for you to shape as you see fit!"
"Family Head!"
Li Jiman was deeply moved and murmured:
"You thought of me at every turn, yet I was utterly blind to it... I am ashamed..."
Li Yuanping shook his head and instructed:
"I will spare a portion of the noble cultivators for you to command... You have studied statecraft for over a decade. Next, promoting commoners, equalizing land distribution, securing spirit fields, nurturing upright scholars... none of this should require my teaching, should it?"
"Naturally!"
Brimming with confidence and excitement, Li Jiman answered:
"Ruling by guilt is better than ruling by merit. In this way, we can escort the convicted nobles to cultivate grain, and give me a little time to nurture cultivators. In less than five years, the Shanyue's output will increase by more than thirty percent!"
This was precisely the promise Li Yuanping had been waiting for. Overjoyed, he shared some intimate words with him. Li Jiman withdrew, expressing his gratitude over and over. Downcast when he had arrived, he departed with his head held high and chest puffed out.
Once he had vanished beyond the hall, the smile on Li Yuanping's face slowly faded. Leaning back, he rested his head in his hand, picked up his vermilion brush, and sank into thought.
*Li Jiman is a clever man. The Tian family's move was too abrupt, and our own actions to wipe out the tribes were too decisive. Sooner or later, his suspicions would fall on me... Better to bring it into the open myself, dispel his doubts, and do him a favor in the process...*
He gently set down the vermilion brush and coughed twice. A man came forward from below, dressed in jade-colored armor and looking steady and honest. Dropping to one knee, he reported in a deep voice:
"Reporting to the Family Head: of the thirteen Shanyue clans, two were exterminated according to their crimes, nine were taken into custody, and the remaining two were left untouched."
"Mm."
A few of the Shanyue clans had indeed known how to exercise restraint, which was why two had survived. Li Yuanping nodded and looked toward the large crates and wooden boxes being carried in behind, asking softly:
"How was the harvest?"
Chen Mufeng read through the inventory of spiritual goods before answering:
"A total value of thirty-five spirit stones. It is all here."
Li Yuanping had the goods taken away. After a bout of coughing, he mused privately:
*When the time comes, I will dispatch a few guest elders to escort these goods to Guanyun Peak. That will ease the family's finances once more. If we can buy a few more years of breathing room, the Wanling Flower might bloom, and things should turn around.*
***
Guanyun Peak Market.
A gentle, chilly wind blew past. The pole standing before the entrance swayed slightly, fluttering the large black-and-red banner hanging from it, where the character "Li" rippled prominently in the air.
Upon the pitch-black threshold were more than a dozen depressions worn down by footsteps, giving it a pitted, uneven look. A middle-aged man sat hunched and stooped upon the threshold, resting his chin on his hands, staring vacantly ahead.
Not until a grey-robed cultivator paused, glanced at him, and called out:
"Brother Yun, does your shop have any pills left in stock?"
A few days earlier, the Li family shop had put out a dozen bottles of medicinal pills. High in quality and reasonably priced, they had drawn a scramble from the crowds and sold out in less than a day, leading nearly every passing cultivator to inquire about them.
"Long sold out."
Li Yuanyun raised his head, drawling his response. The man waved his sleeve and walked away, grumbling under his breath.
Li Yuanyun knew this man: an Embryonic Breathing cultivator who often hung around the market. His cultivation was low, and he could not afford to provoke the Li family. Though Li Yuanyun was a mortal, he was a member of the clan's direct line, so when his mood slumped, he dared to give the fellow a sour face.
As the man swept his sleeves and left, Li Yuanyun continued to wear a sullen expression on the steps. He was in his thirties now and already looked aged; with the death of his father, Li Xuanling, he appeared even more withered.
*A direct descendant of a prominent family, yet reduced to doing these menial service chores...*
Li Yuanyun had once been the most enthusiastic admirer of the clan rules governing members. Now that those rules fell upon his own shoulders, it no longer felt quite so satisfying. He could only gaze at the passing crowd, at a total loss.
After waiting for a time, a black-robed cultivator finally came to a halt. As the wind chimes before the doorway chimed softly, Li Yuanyun knew this was a Qi Refinement cultivator. He straightened up at once and said respectfully:
"Senior, please step inside!"
"Mm."
The cultivator's voice was hoarse. Wearing a conical bamboo hat with a veil draped down, his face remained hidden. His tone was murky and rasping, causing Li Yuanyun to involuntarily look up.
"Hmph!"
The black-robed cultivator gave a cold grunt. Li Yuanyun hastily lowered his head and followed him inside. From the corner, Li Qiuyang hurriedly looked up, offered a polite smile, and said respectfully:
"Senior looks unfamiliar. May I ask what business brings you here today?"
Hearing Li Qiuyang's reverent tone, Li Yuanyun realized this was most likely an orthodox cultivator of late-stage Qi Refinement or even peak Qi Refinement, and quietly stepped back.
The black-robed cultivator gave a slight nod, stared intently at him for a moment, and then swept his eyes around the room as if appraising the value of the shop's inventory. With his features hidden beneath black gauze and his attire strange and eccentric, he muttered in a muffled voice:
"Take a look at this."
With a flick of his finger, he produced a pitch-black jade bead. Li Qiuyang hastily caught it and inspected it closely.
The bead was roughly the size of a fist. As Li Qiuyang held it in his hands, he felt a faint tingling numbness, and it weighed heavy in his palm. It was completely black, revealing nothing to the naked eye.
Li Qiuyang examined it for a while without finding any clues. Probing it with his spiritual sense for several breaths, he asked in bewilderment:
"Senior, this spiritual object is truly rare; I have never seen anything like it. Our shop does not take in many high-level spiritual items, so please forgive my ignorance... Is this a Qi Refinement-grade spiritual item?"
"Hahaha!"
The black-robed cultivator sneered and slammed his longsword onto the counter with a loud crash, startling both Li Qiuyang and Li Yuanyun. In a raspy voice, the cultivator mocked:
"You run a shop and cannot even recognize basic spiritual items! Is this all the Lijing Li family amounts to?! Laughable!"
At these words, Li Qiuyang's expression shifted drastically. Secret anger surged in his chest as he thought:
*It seems he's here to pick a fight!*
Even though the man clearly harbored ill intent, Li Qiuyang held his temper and said meekly:
"Please wait a moment, Senior. This humble one will fetch our shopkeeper... He is well-traveled and knowledgeable, and will surely recognize this item."
Holding it with both hands, he returned the precious bead. Appearing utterly confident and fearless, the black-robed cultivator pocketed the bead and waved his hand dismissively:
"Get lost!"
Swallowing his anger, Li Qiuyang withdrew. The black-robed cultivator looked around greedily, his gaze lingering on the beast pelts and spiritual materials in the shop, humming and muttering to himself.
In the corner, Li Yuanyun shrank into the shadows, not daring to make a sound, until footsteps pattered down from upstairs and Li Xuanxuan descended, saying with a beaming smile:
"This humble one is Li Xuanxuan, privileged to serve as the shopkeeper here. Pardon my tardiness in greeting you!"
The black-robed cultivator gave him a sidelong glance, slapped the bead back onto the counter, and demanded arrogantly:
"Do you recognize this item?"
Li Xuanxuan hurriedly stepped forward and took the jade bead. Examining it closely, a sense of familiarity crept over him. Lost in thought, he reflected:
*Fist-sized, numb to the touch, heavy in the hand, pitch-black, devoid of light or color...*
*It seems I have read a description of such an object before...*
As he searched his memory, he shuddered as if struck by an electric shock, as though thunder had erupted in his mind. Gritting his teeth, he thought:
*So it is this thing...*
This jade bead had appeared in Li Xuanxuan's nightmares countless times, as vivid as if he had read its description over and over. In his dreams, he had tried time and again to stop Li Pingyi, only to wake in agony, splintering the edge of the bedstead in his grip...
Though it looked harmless, it had blown his most prized eldest son to pieces, plunging the rest of his life into boundless remorse—so much so that despite never having seen it in person, he recognized it at a single glance.
"Shopkeeper!"
The black-robed cultivator's raspy voice snapped him awake. Only then did Li Xuanxuan realize his face was drenched in cold sweat, having stood frozen on the spot. As his senses rushed back, a chill ran through his entire body.
Lifting his sleeve, he wiped his face. Reining in the urge to hurl the object away, he forced a faint smile and set it down on the counter.
The black-robed cultivator seemed to grow suspicious. A pair of sinister eyes gleamed from beneath the conical hat, fixing directly upon Li Xuanxuan as he asked coldly:
"Does the esteemed master recognize this item?"
Li Xuanxuan straightened his posture, not daring to speak right away as countless thoughts flashed through his mind:
*Why did this man come here...? By the looks of it, he clearly knows what it is, so why do this?*
*What does this mean? Who would dare make trouble in the Xiao family's market?*
He slowly exhaled and said gently:
"To tell you the truth, this humble one's eyes are dim; I truly cannot identify it..."
"Hmph!"
The black-robed cultivator slammed the counter and rose, just about to erupt, when Li Xuanxuan paused and added with slight hesitation:
"However..."
"However what?"
His roar stifled in his throat, the black-robed cultivator glared at him in dissatisfaction and barked sharply.
"If my assessment is correct, this item gathers thunder and fire within, housing a marvelous spell of immense power."
"Oh?"
The black-robed cultivator showed a hint of surprise. Pausing for a full breath, he seemed to take an interest, saying in a low voice:
"You have quite the sharp eye, Shopkeeper..."
Pinching the brim of his bamboo hat, the black-robed cultivator looked at Li Xuanxuan with intrigued amusement, sending a chill down Li Xuanxuan's spine. Observing these subtle gestures, Li Xuanxuan felt danger at every step and whispered:
"Is that not simple? My family possesses a secret technique! Once mastered, one can identify spiritual objects and guard one's own safety."
"Do tell?"
The black-robed cultivator stared at Li Xuanxuan, revealing a trace of greed. Li Xuanxuan merely said:
"Please wait a moment, Senior!"
Calmly rising to his feet, he pulled the entrance doors shut and glanced outside. Sure enough, outside several neighboring shops, cultivators were brawling and arguing—each of them late-stage or peak Qi Refinement figures locked in relentless disputes, and two shops were already being trashed.
His heart sank into dread, but he turned back with a broad smile. Seeing the black-robed cultivator staring coldly at him, Li Xuanxuan hurriedly whispered:
"Senior may not know, but my family possesses a method known as the *Clear-Sight Spiritual Pupil*, a top-grade ocular technique. If Senior can offer a suitable price, I will secretly pass it on to you!"
"So that's how it is!"
The black-robed cultivator was instantly overjoyed. Cultivation manuals and secret techniques were the hardest treasures to come by since they were locked away in people's minds and notoriously difficult to loot. He plotted inwardly:
*No matter how much he asks, I'll coax this manual out of him first. Once the killing and chaos erupt... between these two, one cultivates miscellaneous qi and the other is only at the early stage of Qi Refinement. Won't whatever I pay end up back in my own pocket anyway?*
Chapter 339