Chapter 171: King of Kings

"What?! Another one?"

Sha Moli was roused from his dim, deep stone chamber. Hearing the news from the person before him, he was instantly stunned, feeling overwhelmingly ashamed, and muttered to himself, "How did this happen again... This... Which number is this?"

"To answer you, Prince, it's already the fifth!" Sha Moli felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He had been cultivating among the Eastern people for two years, consuming several spirit fruits, and finally broke through to the fifth level of Fetal Breath. He had initially thought this was a speed to be proud of, but who would have imagined that the rate at which his wives and concubines became pregnant was even faster than his cultivation speed.

"Now, the first child born here is already walking... It's truly astonishing." Sha Moli also had wives and concubines in the palace of Dongshanyue, but there, under the instructions of Mu Jiaoman, his wives and concubines had struggled to bear children. Who would have thought that upon arriving here, children would pop up one after another?

Sha Moli stumbled out of the courtyard, looking at the group of wives and concubines before him, almost unable to match names to faces. The pregnant concubine walked up smiling; she had conceived before he went into seclusion and was now close to giving birth.

"Perhaps... perhaps... perhaps it's mine..." Sha Moli felt a drum beating in his heart. After months apart, the faces of his wives and concubines seemed new to him. He pulled the pregnant concubine closer, looked at her shy face, and couldn't recall when he had been intimate with this woman.

"Oh, well, never mind. At least the eldest son is definitely mine..." Sha Moli looked towards the woman standing at the front of the group, holding a child who appeared to be one or two years old. The child had slightly narrowed eyes and healthy, wheat-colored skin, clearly a descendant of the Mulu clan.

This concubine had become pregnant when he first arrived in the Eastern people's territory. It was Sha Moli's first offspring, and he cherished the child greatly, thus taking meticulous care. He had also kept track of the time and was certain this child was his own.

"That's the future royal heir!" Sha Moli proudly held the child, playing with him for a bit. Soon, an attendant approached in the courtyard and respectfully announced, "Prince, Young Master Jiao has arrived."

Upon hearing this, the smile vanished from Sha Moli's face. He inwardly grumbled, "Damn it... He must be here to deliver spirit fruits, which means back to cultivation."

Sha Moli wished he could spend more time with his wives and concubines, but being under someone else's roof, he had to abandon any thoughts of idleness. Cursing inwardly, he plastered a smile on his face and quickly went out to greet him, saying, "Young Master has arrived!"

Having lived in the Eastern people's territory for two years, Sha Moli finally had some understanding of their way of speaking. For once, he was polite. Li Yuanjiao quickly entered the courtyard and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Cousin, why are you so polite today?"

"Heh heh." Sha Moli chuckled blankly twice. He had only learned these initial polite phrases and hadn't expected Li Yuanjiao to deviate from the usual script and ask a question in return. He instantly froze, smiling awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

All the wives and concubines withdrew. Sha Moli led Li Yuanjiao into the courtyard, and the two sat down. After a servant brought tea, Li Yuanjiao finally spoke: "Cousin, you've broken through to the fifth level of Fetal Breath. You're one step closer to breaking through to Qi Refining and returning to Dongshanyue to seize the throne. Congratulations!"

Sha Moli chuckled and nodded clumsily, but then saw Li Yuanjiao wave his hand, nonchalantly saying, "Your elder brother, Jimi, has already secured the throne, gathering the tribes and people within the country. None of your other brothers survived. He's currently basking in glory."

"How truly detestable!" Hearing this, Sha Moli was instantly filled with both jealousy and hatred, unable to stop himself from cursing. To his surprise, Li Yuanjiao took a sip of tea and casually revealed, "Your elder brother also has some foresight. That's why he has secured the throne. He immediately sent out merchant caravans, loaded with five or six carts of tributes, and is even marrying off a daughter to maintain family ties. The streets outside are bustling with traffic, all gathered at the edge of the town to watch."

"What?!" This statement was like stepping on Sha Moli's tail; he nearly jumped three feet high. At that moment, not only was he filled with jealousy and hatred, but also terror and panic, momentarily clouding his mind. He gaped, unable to speak.

Sha Moli was currently living a carefree life, not only surrounded by wives and concubines but also having advanced in strength. All these benefits were tied to the Li family. Sha Moli was not insensitive, nor was he a complete fool. He at least knew his value lay in bringing a docile and obedient Dongshanyue under control.

His brother, on the other hand, had never been an easy opponent and likely understood these matters well. That's why he had hastened to submit. Sha Moli felt useless, and how could he not be terrified and panicked? His legs trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Picking up the teacup, Sha Moli took several large gulps before tremblingly setting it down. Although usually not given to strategizing, he did have some wits in crucial moments, otherwise he wouldn't have rushed to escape to the Li family. He immediately stammered, "Young Master... Young Master... Jimi is a greedy person, not... not someone who settles easily. He's definitely not truly submitting; he's waiting for an opportunity..."

"Ah." Seeing how frightened he was, Li Yuanjiao deliberately remained silent for a while. Watching Sha Moli's eyes redden, and sensing the timing was right, he then said earnestly, "Don't worry, Cousin. Your younger brother Jiao understands. You are my true brother. How could Jimi, who killed his brother and murdered his father, truly submit with peace of mind?"

"Yes, yes, yes, he killed his brother and murdered his father, he definitely won't submit with peace of mind!" Sha Moli nearly applauded Li Yuanjiao. This deduction was perfectly logical and brought Sha Moli immense relief. Unexpectedly, Li Yuanjiao's expression turned troubled as he gritted his teeth and said, "It's infuriating that he's too good at disguising himself. Some elders in the family actually believed him. I argued strongly, which is why they haven't handed you over... but..."

"But what?!" Sha Moli was so emotional he was on the verge of tears, deeply moved by his cousin's strong support. However, he didn't expect Li Yuanjiao's tone to shift, hinting at something more, so he hastily questioned him.

"It's just that your cultivation is too slow... it's causing the family to lose confidence."

"Thud!" Sha Moli scrambled to his feet so quickly that the large wooden chair beneath him broke, its leg snapping off, sending it wobbling to the ground. Sha Moli's face turned beet red as he roared, "Damn it! I'm going to cultivate right now!"

"Hold on!" Li Yuanjiao hadn't expected such a strong reaction from the man. He was stunned for a breath by Sha Moli's outburst. Then, he gravely asked, "Are you cultivating the crude methods of the Shanyue people?"

Sha Moli's expression faltered slightly, and he nodded somewhat awkwardly, stammering, "That's right... This method is very slow to cultivate. When breaking through, it merely gathers a wisp of impure qi from the void, which can be absorbed after just over a month of condensation. It's nothing compared to the refined cultivation techniques of you Easterners."

The issue of cultivation techniques had been a pain point for the Shanyue people for centuries. Any Shanyue leader who rose to power and came into contact with the outside world immediately realized they were nothing before cultivators. It wasn't even necessary to be in the same realm; a single cultivator practicing proper techniques could easily defeat three or four Shanyue Qi Refiners, whose methods were crude and whose qi was impure.

"I know your cultivation method is inadequate, so I specifically petitioned my family, hoping they would bestow upon you a proper cultivation technique..."

"What?" Sha Moli's head reeled from the immense surprise, experiencing such highs and lows in a single day that his breathing quickened, and he could barely compose himself. He said hoarsely, "Cousin, for treating me like this, I, Sha Moli, will never forget it. Please don't offend your elders in the family on my behalf..."

"Don't worry," Li Yuanjiao shook his head and said gravely, "As long as you can reach the peak of Fetal Breath within the next few years, I, Yuanjiao, am confident I can persuade the family to grant you a proper cultivation technique and obtain a wisp of Qi for you, allowing you to rival Ganixi of old!"

Sha Moli could no longer compose himself upon hearing these words. His heart surged with emotion, tears streamed down his face, and he nodded vigorously. Bowing deeply towards Li Yuanjiao, he gritted his teeth and declared, "Words cannot express my gratitude for this great kindness! From this day forward, as long as I am in Shanyue, Brother Yuanjiao will be the King of Kings of my Shanyue!"