Chapter 111: Profit Sharing Dispute

Lu Sisi and Li Tongya flew on the wind and landed east of Lidaokou. On the Lu family's territory, a group of dusty village militiamen had already gathered. They had cleared a large area of forest, built dozens of scattered small huts, and neatly stacked trimmed timber, all ready for the construction of the mining site.

"This Black-Azure ore grows atop ordinary iron deposits. Within the mine, a few pieces of Black-Azure are occasionally interspersed. As excavation deepens, we often need to use vein-seeking techniques to pinpoint its exact location, and this cannot be done without the An family."

As soon as Lu Sisi finished speaking, Li Tongya nodded. It was clear that an inherited legacy was the most valuable asset. No wonder families guarded their secrets so closely, even destroying them when danger arose; these were truly their lifeblood.

As the two came to a stop, a group of mortals immediately knelt below. Lu Sisi pointed to the small hill beneath their feet and explained:

"The An family estimated that this mine is small, requiring only one to two thousand workers. It can yield about a hundred pieces of Black-Azure ore per month, which should sell for around thirty spirit stones in the commandery. It's simply a matter of labor, a highly profitable venture."

Li Tongya nodded, then, estimating the distance to Wangyue Lake, he reminded them:

"This location is only about three hundred *li* from Wangyue Lake, which has a market town frequently visited by rogue cultivators. We will need to set up a formation to conceal it, disguising it as an ordinary small town."

Lu Sisi quickly nodded. While the mine's westward extension couldn't be hidden from the Li family, concealing it from a few rogue cultivators posed no problem. He immediately chuckled:

"You are right, young friend. My Lu family still possesses a couple of formation arrays. Just leave it to us; we can easily conceal the mine entrance."

After their brief conversation, the bald man from the An family also descended, landing beside them. He cupped his hands and smiled at Li Tongya:

"We met briefly a few years ago and parted ways without me properly introducing myself to Brother Tongya. Now, we finally meet again."

With that, he raised both hands, a warm, friendly smile on his face. There was no hint of the ruthless demeanor he had displayed just a few months prior when discussing the Li family's downfall. His smile was truly cordial, as if he were an old friend unseen for years.

"I am An Zheyun of the An family. It is an honor to finally meet you."

Li Tongya quickly clasped his fist and smiled:

"Li Tongya greets Brother An."

Lu Sisi chuckled heartily, winked at An Zheyun, and then said gravely:

"Since you've also inspected the mine, young friend, it's time we discussed the profit sharing."

An Zheyun nodded repeatedly and said eagerly:

"The vein's orientation and exploration both utilized my An family's vein-seeking techniques. Future mining operations will also heavily rely on my family's survey work. It was agreed that we would receive forty percent, and that share cannot be diminished!"

Lu Sisi chuckled, and seeing Li Tongya remain silent, he probed:

"To properly mine this vein, everyone's cooperation is essential. How about your An family takes forty percent, and my Lu family also takes forty percent..."

Li Tongya watched the two playing off each other, knowing he would have to intervene to settle the matter. He smiled faintly and said in a deep voice:

"More than half of this mine lies within my Li family's territory, though a few branch veins extend into the Lu family's land. An equal division between the two families would be quite unfair. Instead, I suggest we allocate the shares based on the mineral quantities found within each family's respective territories."

At these words, both Lu Sisi and An Zheyun froze, their expressions turning grim. An Zheyun took a deep breath, forced a smile, and inquired:

"What do you mean, Brother Li?"

Li Tongya nodded towards An Zheyun, placed his right hand on the long sword at his waist, and said softly:

"The An family's efforts in mining the vein are commendable, so naturally, a portion will be allocated to Brother An. How about this: my Li family takes fifty percent of the mine's output, and the An family takes thirty percent."

An Zheyun froze instantly, his mouth agape, unable to speak. Lu Sisi, however, raised an eyebrow and whispered:

"The Li family has quite an appetite. Surely you must be joking?"

Li Tongya shook his head and chuckled:

"It is Senior who is joking. The two of you, by conspiring, want eighty percent of the mine. Are you perhaps trying to take advantage of a junior who is young and easily swayed, thinking that I would simply acquiesce?"

With that, he casually raised his Qingfeng sword slightly and said nonchalantly:

"In any case, we'll have a confrontation sooner or later. Let's settle this with our own skills."

Lu Sisi and An Zheyun exchanged glances, knowing they couldn't trick him and would have to fight. Lu Sisi nodded, and the jade ruyi scepter in his hand immediately ascended into the air.

An Zheyun was caught in a dilemma when he saw the long sword in Li Tongya's hand flare with brilliant white light. A crescent-shaped sword arc instantly enveloped both of them. He frowned deeply and exclaimed loudly:

"How utterly arrogant!"

With that, he summoned a Black-Azure long staff into his hand and looked up, moving to meet Li Tongya's Moon Gap Sword Arc.

The two hastily advanced to meet him, but the sword qi in Li Tongya's hand had been building for a long time. The sharp sword qi instantly shattered the clear spiritual true essence on both artifacts, producing two metallic clangs and sending them flying several feet away, one to the right and one to the left.

Having gained the upper hand, Li Tongya showed no mercy. Two streams of Dark Water Sword Qi immediately shot out, assailing them. He unleashed Dark Water Sword Qi relentlessly, one after another, striking them until they had no power to retaliate.

Li Tongya had not used the Moon Gap Sword Arc when he attacked the Ji family with these two, so Lu Sisi and An Zheyun momentarily misjudged his strength. Their artifacts were knocked away, leaving them defenseless, forcing them to frantically dodge.

With great difficulty, they managed to recall their artifacts, only to find Li Tongya still held the upper hand. They could only parry, with no opportunity to counterattack, and thus awkwardly continued to defend themselves.

Li Tongya, having received the "Heavy Sea Long Whale Seal," possessed profound magical power. With every breath, he exhaled white mist, forcefully suppressing and fighting the two for a quarter of an hour. Seeing An Zheyun, who had a lower cultivation base, turn slightly pale, he finally stopped and whispered:

"Do you two wish to continue?"

An Zheyun's complexion visibly regained its color. He waved his hand and lowered his head, remaining silent. Lu Sisi also gritted his teeth, his expression slowly changing, before putting on a smiling face and chuckling:

"I hadn't realized Brother Tongya's swordsmanship was so astonishing. We were presumptuous. The Li family truly deserves fifty percent."

His words became much more respectful; he no longer presumptuously addressed Li Tongya as "young friend," but now called him "Brother Tongya." An Zheyun also chuckled heartily. The three of them seemed as if they had merely engaged in a minor spar, and the atmosphere became amicable and harmonious. Li Tongya nodded and said gently:

"My Li family accepts this fifty percent. You two can decide how to divide the remainder."

His true essence remained abundant, and he had shown the two some courtesy by not forcing them to deplete their true essence, not wanting to expose his unusually profound true essence. Looking at the two who were now discussing, Li Tongya also had an estimation of his current strength, thinking to himself:

"These two are much stronger than the Mountain Yue Qi Refinement cultivators, but they are nowhere near Zhang Yun of the Golden Feather Sect. Furthermore, Zhang Yun might not even be my match now. If I hadn't failed to thoroughly investigate the backgrounds of these two families, directly annexing them both would not have been out of the question..."

The two argued for a while, then equally divided the remaining fifty percent. They then agreed that all three families would dispatch Foundation Establishment cultivators to guard the mine, and that Qi Refinement cultivators would take turns overseeing it. Only then was the matter concluded.

The final outcome was that the Lu family would set up the formation, the An family would send people for exploration, and the Li family, having the largest population among the three, would provide the majority of the miners.

Li Tongya secretly nodded, quite satisfied with the current outcome. After all, there were many refugees fleeing from the Mountain Yue, and the villages were overcrowded. Having such a mine to accommodate these refugees was perfectly ideal.

Lu Sisi, however, watched Li Tongya with a faint smile, his heart heavy with worry. His mind was consumed by the image of that brilliant white sword light upon drawing the blade, and he secretly pondered:

"Such power! This is definitely not a low-tier sword art; it must be at least a fourth-tier sword art!"

So he said, somewhat brazenly:

"Brother Tongya, your swordsmanship is truly astonishing! May I ask... from which school is this inheritance? What is this sword art called?"

Seeing Lu Sisi humble himself to this extent and clasp his hands to ask, Li Tongya could only frown and say in a deep voice:

"It is a cultivation method passed down by my father, called the Moon Gap Sword Art."

After speaking, he fell silent, not mentioning that the sword art consisted of only a single form.

An Zheyun's expression immediately turned solemn. He glanced at Lu Sisi's troubled face and made a judgment, thinking to himself:

"The rumors about the previous generation of the Li family having Foundation Establishment cultivators are actually true! No wonder Li Tongya's true essence is so profound and clear, cultivated through proper methods; it turns out he has a deep family background in cultivation! And this sword art is even more formidable, a deadly skill for killing by surprise."

Lu Sisi, however, thought more deeply. The worry in his eyes deepened as he looked at Li Tongya's young face, appearing to be in his thirties or forties. His heart was filled with both shock and fear, and he thought to himself:

"This Li Tongya absolutely cannot be over fifty years old, yet I am over 170. My descendants lack the skills to manage affairs. After our generation passes, Huaqian and Huazhong mountains will undoubtedly fall into others' hands. The rise of the Li family is now only a matter of time!"

"This person is unlike others; he is exceptionally cautious and powerful. He will likely not die prematurely. We must secure a path for our descendants!"

Despair deepened in that moment, and a profound sadness filled his heart, completely dispelling the joy of acquiring the Black-Azure mine. His old eyes were clouded. Seeing Li Tongya about to bow and take his leave, he quickly offered a fawning smile and said:

"Brother Tongya! I have offended you greatly today. This old man will visit again in a few days to apologize!"

Li Tongya was momentarily stunned, his expression somewhat peculiar. He nodded slightly, cupped his hands, and said:

"Senior Lu, you are too kind."