Chapter 193: Counterintelligence

Li Yuanxiu strode quickly into the main hall, with Li Yuanjiao following closely behind. They saw several clan uncles waiting anxiously, looking flustered and constrained. They spoke in hushed tones:"Young Clan Head... my son was rash, please allow him to return home...""Precisely! Young Clan Head, one must consider personal feelings when managing a family..."

Li Yuanxiu's gaze swept over them, immediately recognizing them as the elders of the clan members who had behaved atrociously and abused soldiers and civilians in Dongshan. He simply cupped his hands and said in a deep voice:"It is not that your junior is being overly strict; it is simply that a few of these brothers went too far. Some found pleasure in massacring soldiers, others bullied the wives and daughters of others, and some even impaled infants on spears and danced with them... Can any of you elders truly condone such actions?!"

The men were startled by his words. They exchanged glances, stammering for a few moments. Li Yuanxiu sighed softly and continued:"Establishing clan justice and regulating clan members was the Old Ancestor's dying wish, and it has never been altered throughout these many years. Moreover, this matter has already reached Uncle Tongya's ears, and he is quite shocked and enraged... Your junior is willing to help, but is powerless. If any of you elders can obtain Uncle Tongya's order, your junior will release them immediately!"

The "Old Ancestor" in Li Yuanxiu's words naturally referred to Li Mutian; the establishment of the Clan Justice Bureau was something Li Mutian had repeatedly emphasized before his death. He also invoked Li Tongya's authority to pressure them, immediately rendering them speechless. They sighed and withdrew.

Li Yuanxiu watched them leave, then chuckled, shaking his head as he entered the rear hall. Li Yuanjiao, amazed, praised him from behind:"To suddenly encounter such an imposing group and silence them within moments, Brother, that is truly a remarkable skill."

"It's merely a small trick." Li Yuanxiu chuckled softly, saying in a quiet voice, "In this world, the strong are ultimately revered. Using power to suppress others is the most convenient method. Our means of governance merely borrow influence from powerful elders; without that influence, no matter how much you talk, it will be useless."

The two walked into the rear hall, chatting and laughing. Incense burned in the hall, filling it with swirling smoke. A man stood respectfully in the center, clad in leather armor and looking spirited. He cupped his hands to the approaching pair and smiled:"Tian Zhongqing greets both sirs."

"Hmm." Li Yuanxiu responded, walking to the head seat, and stated directly:"There is a man under your jurisdiction in Huaqian Town named Ma Haiji. He is a spy for the Yu family. Are you aware of this?"

"Your subordinate was not aware!" Tian Zhongqing was greatly shaken by these words. His pupils slightly dilated, and he quickly knelt down, hastily saying, "Your subordinate is poor at judging character..."

"Ah." Li Yuanxiu waved his hand, stopping him directly, and said softly, "This is not your fault. I intentionally allowed this person. Dealing with these spies isn't a matter of simply killing them. It seems far more reassuring to keep them under control than to eliminate them. They can even be useful at critical moments."

With that, he waved his hand, and immediately a clan soldier came forward, handing Tian Zhongqing a bamboo scroll containing a secret letter. Li Yuanxiu chuckled lightly and said, "I want the Yu family to know what is in this letter. Among the several spies, this person's name is the most unpleasant, and he is the most gullible. We will use this Ma Haiji."

Tian Zhongqing nodded repeatedly. Li Yuanxiu then gave him detailed instructions, admonishing him, "The deed must appear natural, making Ma Haiji believe he stumbled upon it by accident."

Tian Zhongqing listened carefully, then quietly excused himself. Li Yuanjiao, still casually sitting on the steps, watched the man leave before speaking:"Brother, Yu Mugu is not easily fooled. Regardless of whether he believes it or not, this man named Ma will most likely be abandoned by the Yu family after being used. Do you have a plan for how to deal with him?"

Li Yuanxiu nodded and smiled, "If someone comes to our house as a spy, do you think there's any reason for them to leave unscathed and live a rich life? Once his message is out, we will make his life worse than death." He picked up a brush, exchanged a glance with Li Yuanjiao, and smiled as he drew a circle on the silk cloth. Li Yuanjiao raised an eyebrow, a strange expression on his face, and said, "Tian Zhongqing, Xu Gongming, both are capable talents. After all, the clans have many people; a few impressive individuals are bound to emerge."

Li Yuanxiu's gaze fell, fixed on the smoothly drawn circle beneath his brush. He said softly, "Capable talent is sufficient. We don't need figures like An Jingming. Our pond is shallow; it cannot sustain dragons."

Of the four towns under Huaqian Mountain's jurisdiction, Huaqian Town at the foot of the mountain was the most prosperous. In recent years, many courtyards had been built there, and people wearing coir raincoats moved busily in the sparse spring rain, making it quite lively.

"Your humble subordinate has come to pay a visit. Please inform Brother Zhongqing!" Ma Haiji waited outside the courtyard for a while, enduring the lingering spring rain. A servant creaked open the door, and seeing him, respectfully said, "Oh, it's Master Ma. Please come in."

Ma Haiji nodded, walked into the courtyard with his hands behind his back, stepped over the threshold, and removed his coir raincoat. There was no sign of Tian Zhongqing in the main courtyard, not even a single servant. The empty courtyard made him raise an eyebrow as he asked, "Where is Master Zhongqing?"

"Master received an urgent letter early this morning and went out with some men, leaving only me to look after the house. Please wait a moment; I will bring you tea." Tian Zhongqing was naturally frugal, with only a few close servants at home, so such a situation was not uncommon. Ma Haiji nodded at this. The servant quickly assented and hurried off.

However, Ma Haiji's eyes lit up when he heard the words "urgent letter." He sat down on the wooden chair, looking at the bamboo scroll used for letters, which was gently rolling on the table in the breeze. He mused, "I wonder if I can glean some information."

Ma Haiji had fled here ten years ago. He was eloquent and good at arithmetic, which earned him a position in the granary, working under Tian Zhongqing. However, he had another identity: Ma Haiji's true surname was Yu, from a branch of the Yu family that had long since fallen into decline by his generation. Fortunately, he was astute and recommended, which allowed him to become a spy and infiltrate the Li family.

His gaze lingered on the bamboo scroll on the table for a moment. Ma Haiji felt somewhat restless. He had been here for ten years, only able to transmit fragmented pieces of information, and had yet to make any significant move. He was almost forgetting his true surname. "If this news is important enough, perhaps I can return home in splendor, without having to mess around here anymore..."

In truth, life in the Li family was not harder than in the Yu family. To be fair, with the support of hundreds of thousands of mountain Yue people, the lives of the Li family's common folk were much better than those of the Yu family's. Although the Yu family was supported by various clans, their wealth primarily benefited the upper-class cultivators, while the common people below them still starved.

Ma Haiji glanced around for a moment, then quickly stepped forward, crouching by the corner of the table to examine it. The wax seal on the bamboo scroll had already been broken off, and it was empty inside, most likely taken by Tian Zhongqing. "What a pity," Ma Haiji sighed, then sat back down, crossing his legs. His gaze swept across the floor, where only a piece of white cloth was caught under the table leg, gently fluttering in the soft spring breeze.

"Hmm?" Ma Haiji's eyes immediately brightened. His mind was already agile, and with a slight shift in thought, he instantly knew what the white cloth was. "Tian Zhongqing must have received an urgent and important letter, and left the courtyard in a hurry, without securing the letter inside the scroll properly. The strong spring wind must have blown this letter under the table!"

Ma Haiji was overjoyed. He leaned in and glanced at it, seeing that the ink had already blurred, leaving only a few faint words: "An Jingming... has broken through to the eighth level of Qi Condensation..."

"Master! Your tea is here!" This sudden call startled Ma Haiji to his core. He plopped back into his chair, took the offered teacup, his mind filled with thoughts of immediate escape. Seeing the servant retreat, he finally let out a long sigh, wiping his face, and recalled the process. He secretly thought, "I did it flawlessly... I must leave quickly!"

(End of chapter)