Chapter 763: External Support

The Yi family mansion was draped in white, enveloped in sorrow due to the death of the family head.

Inside the mansion's main hall, however, the atmosphere was quite somber.

Yi Qiushui sat at the head of the main hall, with Yi Qianji beside her. Below them were many figures, clearly indicating that all the key members of the Yi family had gathered.

Zhou Yuan was seated at the lowest position. He had initially intended to rest alone but couldn't decline Yi Qiushui's persistent invitation, so he came to observe.

His gaze swept across the hall, then settled on the area to Yi Qiushui's lower left. Three people were there: a distinguished-looking middle-aged man and a young man and woman.

The young man was tall and handsome, possessing a notable demeanor.

Beside him was a slightly younger girl in a red dress. She was pretty and exuded youthful vibrancy.

From Yi Qiushui's earlier introduction, these three were not members of the Yi family. Instead, they were from the Black Hawk Merchant Guild in Xuanzhou City. The middle-aged man, Liu Tianying, was the guild master.

The Black Hawk Merchant Guild was also a top power in Little Xuanzhou, no less influential than the Yi or Qiu families.

The young man and woman were Liu Zhixuan and Liu Ming, Liu Tianying's eldest son and youngest daughter, respectively.

It was clear that the Black Hawk Merchant Guild had an excellent relationship with the Yi family. Otherwise, they would not have appeared at the Yi family mansion at such a sensitive time, without any reservations.

"Uncle Liu, I apologize for troubling you to come so late," Yi Qiushui said softly, her beautiful eyes slightly red as she looked at Liu Tianying.

Liu Tianying waved his hand and said, "Old Yi and I are close friends; there's no need for such pleasantries. You must know why I'm here, don't you?"

Without waiting for Yi Qiushui's reply, he frowned slightly and continued, "Niece Qiushui, now is not the time to initiate a dispute over the provincial governorship with the Qiu family. If you just wait a little longer, as long as Elder Yi promotes your appointment as the new provincial governor within the Heavenly Abyss Region's Council of Elders, it should be confirmed. Why give the Qiu family this opportunity now?"

Yi Qiushui shook her head and replied, "Uncle Liu, although Grandfather holds a position as an elder in the Heavenly Abyss Region, the Qiu family is certainly prepared this time. From what I've learned, they've paid a hefty price to enlist the support of a prominent figure within the Council of Elders, so Grandfather's efforts to promote me will also face obstacles."

Hearing this, Liu Tianying's expression grew solemn.

"The most important thing now is to deal with the provincial governorship dispute seven days from now. If we win, our Yi family will naturally achieve a great victory, and Grandfather's promotion efforts in the Council of Elders will proceed smoothly," Yi Qiushui stated calmly.

Yi Qianji sighed, his face grave, and said, "Winning this provincial governorship dispute won't be easy. For this, Qiu Long even recalled Qiu Ling, who was cultivating in seclusion at the Heavenly Spirit Sect. It's clear he intends to go all out."

The mention of Qiu Ling's name caused the young people in the hall to look grim. Over the years, that name had brought considerable pressure to the younger generation of Little Xuanzhou.

"Tch, it's just Qiu Ling. What's there to worry about? Sister Qiushui, in the provincial governorship dispute, each side fields five people, and aren't there two slots for external assistance among those five?"

"Hehe, what about my brother? In all of Little Xuanzhou, only you, my brother, and Qiu Ling have managed to open eight Divine Mansions." As everyone fell silent, a clear, sweet laugh suddenly rang out.

Everyone looked over to see the girl in red, beside Liu Tianying, cheerfully promoting her brother.

Liu Zhixuan, standing beside the girl in red, shook his head somewhat helplessly. Then he looked at Yi Qiushui and chuckled, "Qiu Ling is indeed a formidable opponent, but if you need me, Qiushui, I would go through fire and water for you."

His unreserved words immediately drew some quiet chuckles from the hall.

Yi Qiushui's fair, oval face held a faint smile, as if she didn't quite grasp the underlying meaning of Liu Zhixuan's words.

Seeing this, Liu Zhixuan, who had been watching her intently, felt a slight disappointment. Yet, his eyes remained bright and fervent. He knew how difficult it was to win over this "high mountain flower" of the Yi family, but he had never given up over the years.

"Niece Qiushui, Zhixuan also entered the late Divine Mansion stage recently. If the Yi family needs him this time, he can indeed take up one of the external assistance slots," Liu Tianying said with a smile.

He was aware of his son's feelings for Yi Qiushui. He was also very satisfied with Yi Qiushui, so naturally, he didn't mind helping to push things along.

Yi Qianji nodded and said to Yi Qiushui, "Zhixuan's strength is considerable; he might not be any worse than Qiu Ling. With his help, you will have a much easier time."

Yi Qiushui pondered for a moment and ultimately did not decline Liu Zhixuan's offer. After all, to contend in the provincial governorship dispute, their Yi family truly had to go all out.

"Then I thank you, Brother Liu," she said to Liu Zhixuan, genuinely grateful.

Liu Zhixuan smiled, but felt a hint of helplessness inside, because Yi Qiushui's way of addressing him always maintained a certain distance.

"Our Yi family has two more qualified Divine Mansion experts, both in the late stage. The slight regret is that they have only opened six Divine Mansions in the late stage," Yi Qianji added.

"You're still missing one person. Do you need to find another external helper? If so, our Black Hawk Merchant Guild can help you make arrangements," Liu Tianying asked.

Upon hearing this, everyone fell into thought. Since this provincial governorship dispute was at the Divine Mansion realm, they naturally needed to find the strongest Divine Mansion experts available.

However, with the Qiu and Yi families clashing so intensely, many well-known late-stage Divine Mansion experts in Little Xuanzhou would likely be hesitant to get involved. If their strength wasn't sufficient, inviting them would be pointless and merely waste a valuable slot.

Zhou Yuan, who was seated at the far end as if forgotten, remained silent. He simply held his teacup and quietly savored the tea. Although he favored Yi Qiushui becoming the provincial governor, he wasn't inclined to volunteer himself. Such matters were ultimately troublesome, and he preferred to avoid them if possible.

However, while Zhou Yuan was lost in thought, he felt a pair of bright eyes settle on him.

He pursed his lips in mild exasperation. Lifting his eyes, he met Yi Qiushui's gaze from the head of the hall.

Yi Qiushui looked at Zhou Yuan with a slight smile on her lips. In the depths of her clear eyes was a hint of anticipation.

However, facing her expressive gaze, Zhou Yuan's expression remained unchanged as he continued to drink his tea. It was as if he didn't understand Yi Qiushui's intention.

At this moment, the others in the hall also noticed Yi Qiushui's gaze. They all followed her line of sight and saw Zhou Yuan, who was seated at the very end.

As for Zhou Yuan, Yi Qiushui had briefly introduced him earlier, so they knew he had once repelled Xu Feng, a notorious figure in Little Xuanzhou, indicating he possessed some capability.

However, participants in the provincial governorship dispute were surely the elite among late-stage Divine Mansion experts. Even Xu Feng wouldn't qualify to participate, so wouldn't Zhou Yuan, a mere mid-stage Divine Mansion cultivator, be unreliable?

What left them most speechless was that Zhou Yuan, despite Yi Qiushui's gaze, remained seated without any reaction. His intention was quite clear: he had no desire to get involved.

Consequently, some of the younger Yi family members secretly curled their lips in disdain. This person might have some skill, but he was too timid. Was he afraid of offending the Qiu family?

The atmosphere became slightly awkward.

"Just a mid-stage Divine Mansion cultivator, yet he puts on such airs," a clear voice rang out amidst the awkwardness. It was Liu Ming, who was looking at Zhou Yuan and huffing softly.

She was slightly displeased with Yi Qiushui's attitude towards Zhou Yuan. After all, when her brother offered help earlier, Yi Qiushui hadn't shown much anticipation. Why was she now giving such importance to a seemingly ordinary mid-stage Divine Mansion youth?

With such strength, how could he possibly qualify to participate in the provincial governorship dispute?

In Liu Ming's eyes, Liu Zhixuan was absolutely at the pinnacle of the younger generation in Little Xuanzhou. He was no less impressive than Qiu Ling. As for this Zhou Yuan, compared to her brother, the difference was like that between a firefly and the bright moon.

Liu Zhixuan also looked at Zhou Yuan; he had no other intentions, just a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Zhou Yuan ignored Liu Ming's mocking words and continued to drink his tea in silence.

Yi Qiushui, however, suddenly smiled. She didn't seem annoyed by Zhou Yuan's attitude. Instead, she bit her red lip, thought for a moment, and then said, "Brother Zhou Yuan, why don't you name your price?"

As soon as she spoke, Zhou Yuan immediately gave a light cough and put down his teacup. Then, under the dumbfounded gazes of everyone present, he pulled out a piece of paper, on which various valuable materials were clearly listed.

"Qiushui is straightforward. If the Yi family provides these items, I'll be your external assistance."

His voice was firm and decisive.

In the hall, everyone gazed at the seemingly pre-prepared list of materials and fell into a long silence.

They weren't entirely sure of this person's true strength, but his audacity seemed truly extraordinary among Divine Mansion cultivators...