Chapter 337: 除蠹(一)

Three days passed in a flash. Wang Xun handed the Azure Ruler Sword to the Li family members, saying only, "It's better than I expected; only one-tenth of the sword intent was consumed. Thank you all." Then he flew away as if fleeing, not daring to say another word. The two brothers exchanged glances; it seemed this person truly wished to avoid worldly attachments, only speaking more when he needed something from them.

One of them held the sword, the other a green jade box. They returned to the small courtyard on the mountain in the rain, where all the Li family members were already waiting.

Rain pattered on the mountain, and the courtyard was silent. On the plain, smooth table lay a pile of jade bottles, large and small, some green, some white, exuding spiritual energy.

At the other end, five or six jade bottles were placed by themselves.

"That's roughly it..." Li Yuanjiao finished explaining all the background and implications, then whispered, "Currently, about seventy percent of the elixirs in the market originate from the Green Pond Sect, with only twenty to thirty percent coming from the Xiao and Yuan families. Take a look and see how we should handle this."

All the direct lineage cultivators of the Li family were gathered below. Li Qinghong stood silently at the side, holding her spear. Li Yuanping was deep in thought, head bowed, while several members of the Xiyue generation knelt below, their expressions varied.

Seeing that Li Yuanping and Li Qinghong remained silent, Li Yuanjiao turned his gaze to Li Xicheng, the eldest among those below, motioning for him to speak.

Li Xicheng was lost in thought, staring blankly. Seeing this, he quickly straightened up on his knees, pondered for two breaths, and replied, "From my nephew's perspective, these medicines, though precious, are refined using human lives. Our family has always upheld a righteous family tradition, prioritized the well-being of the common people, and passed down the righteous path. It would be best to abandon these medicines..."

Li Xicheng had made significant progress in managing affairs in Shanyue; he spoke much more fluently. His words implied that these medicines should no longer be used, and he had nothing else to add. Li Yuanjiao simply nodded and looked at Li Xijun.

Li Xijun, in a white robe embroidered with silver trim, looked even more handsome. With red lips and white teeth, he respectfully said, "In my humble opinion, since our family will not use these medicines, we should send all the elixirs to the market stalls. Converting them into spirit stones at a slightly lower price would quickly replenish the family treasury and also generate some buzz. Afterward, we should send people to establish connections with the Xiao and Yuan families. By leveraging our relationships, we can procure medicines directly from them, avoiding the open market. This would complete the matter."

"Good!" Li Xijun had only just spoken for a few tens of breaths, yet he had already presented a comprehensive strategy, which made Li Yuanjiao's eyes light up. Then he saw Li Ximing, who was at the very end, also softly say, "Your nephew has not yet broken through to the Jade Capital realm, so I cannot begin refining elixirs. For this matter, we will still need to rely on the Xiao and Yuan families for several years. Eighth Brother's method is thorough, but I have one doubt about these elixirs."

Li Ximing paused, pondered for a moment, and then looked up, saying, "It is rumored that refining elixirs with vital essence, a practice of the 'Otherworldly Manor and Same Furnace' Daoists, yields significantly more and higher-quality pills. Are there truly only benefits and no hidden dangers? I fear the harm may be far greater than people realize."

As soon as he said this, the three people at the head of the table subtly raised their eyebrows. Li Ximing, having studied alchemy texts, understood the Dao of alchemy better than the others, and continued, "My nephew means that even if... even if these medicines are not related to human lives, we still shouldn't consume them. Who knows what hidden risks or long-term consequences they might have? The elixirs circulating among other aristocratic families are less sought after than those from the Green Pond Sect, yet they are easier to acquire. Why not just procure those?"

"Indeed." The three at the head of the table exchanged glances. Li Yuanping smiled and said, "You may withdraw now."

The three acknowledged and left. The courtyard gate creaked shut, and the formation isolating the interior from the exterior activated. Only then did Li Yuanping smile and say, "The younger generation is making progress."

Li Yuanjiao nodded slightly and remarked, "Although Xicheng's words lacked substance, he is no longer as dull as before. It's always good when one is willing to learn and improve... As for our Xijun, he's a practical one."

Li Xijun's comprehensive strategy truly delighted the three. Li Qinghong, holding her Duoruo spear, looked much more relaxed and softly said, "Ximing is good at strategizing, and Xijun excels at developing plans. This shows how well you've taught them, Brother Ping."

Li Yuanjiao then put away all the medicines on the table. He pondered how to obtain suitable connections with the Xiao family without incurring a debt of gratitude, concluding that the only way was through Xiao Yuansi. Meanwhile, he said with a smile, "Our family has taught by example and by history for three generations, and our family tradition is strict. That's why we have such excellent descendants."

Having been blessed by the Mystic Light of the Dharma Mirror and invigorated by the children of the Ximing generation, the three's moods eased considerably. Li Yuanjiao let out a long breath, picked up the jade box from the table, and finally spoke with a hint of relief in his voice: "This spirit root, the Wanling Flower, is finally a Foundation Establishment-grade spirit root. It still needs to be watered with spiritual spring water. There's a spiritual spring on Mount Huaqian, so it can be cultivated there."

The spiritual spring on Mount Huaqian has a long history. As early as the Wan family era, the formation genius Wan Huaqian used this spring to construct formations. Now in the hands of the Li family, this spiritual spring is mostly used to water spiritual plants, hoping to yield an extra harvest every three to four years, thereby providing some subsidy for the family's annual deficit.

"According to Wang Xun, the Wanling Flower should not be contained in gold or jade vessels," Li Yuanjiao instructed, reminding them. "Once it blooms, it should be plucked with wooden chopsticks and stored in a bamboo box. This flower cannot tolerate human weeping; it withers upon hearing cries. This must also be noted."

Li Qinghong nodded, took it, and solemnly declared, "From now on, I will go to Mount Huaqian to guard and oversee this spirit root."

"What about the two matters we discussed last time?" Li Yuanping promptly replied, hearing his brother ask, "The situation in Shanyue is stabilizing. The Tian family has been very cooperative, and the timing is about right. These corpulent Shanyue nobles were originally lambs to be slaughtered. They pledged allegiance to our family at the opportune moment back then, which is why we didn't act against them. Now, they are becoming increasingly arrogant, even attempting to embezzle spiritual resources. We should execute a portion of them to replenish our family's resources."

Li Qinghong, not experienced in managing family affairs and not skilled in strategy, merely frowned and asked, "Why not just kill them all and send our own people to Shanyue? Why continue to keep these 'mountain pigs'?"

"Sister," Li Yuanping chuckled softly and replied, "If we replace them with our own people, they will be just as greedy, and it would waste the clan's enforcement office's manpower on supervision. Should all the branch families then gain benefits and unite, it would be difficult to eliminate them, and troublesome to uproot them."

"Oh." Li Qinghong frowned upon hearing this, and said in a clear voice, "It's just that during my return to the mountain this time, I saw that the branch families below have nothing to do but marry wives, take concubines, play pot-throwing games, and gamble. I fear this is inappropriate."

Li Yuanping nodded and continued, "Sister can also see the impropriety. These people are merely idle and useless. Behind the scenes, they shamelessly abuse their influence, secretly seize commoner's land, and exploit the people's wealth. Some even collude with merchants, supporting each other with power and money. In the past, their numbers were small, and the clan's enforcement office could suppress them. Now, the family is financially strained, yet there are more and more clan relatives. Cultivators need to focus on cultivating spiritual plants and cannot waste their time on these individuals... This is my second matter at hand."

Then he turned to refill Li Yuanjiao's tea, saying with a smile, "Regarding the matter you mentioned, Brother, I've found an opportunity. I still need to visit the various families on the East Bank."

He pulled a gray map from the table and whispered, "To our north are Mount Huazhong and Mount Yuting, bordering the Yu family. East of Yuting, we border the various families on the East Bank. Two families directly adjacent to ours are named Rui and Pu. Both of these families only have Spirit Breath cultivators, and their ancestors were enlightened by members of the Xiao family. They occupy small, dilapidated mountains, and in conjunction with several surrounding families, they take turns dispatching cultivators to extract the local Spirit Jade veins for the Xiao family."

Li Yuanping paused and explained to his siblings, "Do you still remember the Ding family?"

"Of course." Li Qinghong took a sip of tea and replied, "A minor vassal family of the Yuan family, acting as a buffer between our Li family and them, sandwiched among three families."

"Precisely." Li Yuanping nodded and continued, "The Ding family at least has several Qi Condensation cultivators, and even Ding Xiding, a late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator. The two families (Rui and Pu) originally paid tribute to the Ding family. Later, when our Old Ancestor broke through to Foundation Establishment, Ding Xiding of the Ding family was so intimidated that he came to pay respects, even abandoning their claims over the two families (Rui and Pu) adjacent to ours out of fear. Consequently, these two families no longer paid tribute and sent gifts to our family a few times. Seeing that our family made no moves, they became carefree and happy, enjoying relative freedom these past few years. However, they often engaged in conflicts, attacking each other and plundering mortals."

"Plundering mortals?" Hearing this, Li Yuanjiao had an ominous premonition. Li Yuanping had evidently investigated thoroughly and whispered, "I found it strange too, so I sent people to inquire for a while. It turns out the Xiao family only wanted the Spirit Jade ore and never demanded tribute. However, the Ding and Yu families did, which is why the East Bank families have always suffered from manpower shortages, and their tributes were especially heavy. Mortals are the only resource that doesn't require spiritual energy but yields a significant amount of output..."

As Li Yuanping spoke to this point, everything became clear. After all, it was demon sect territory, and Li Yuanjiao had heard about such matters. Similar dealings involving loose cultivators and the Yu family had occurred, and it had even become common practice. He merely nodded silently.

"I intend to intervene in the East Bank families' territory and support one or two small Spirit Breath or Qi Condensation families. Taking this opportunity, I will conscript over two thousand people from the branch families, choosing those who are secretly dissolute dandies and idlers." Li Yuanjiao nodded in understanding, his narrow eyes showing considerable satisfaction. Li Yuanping's greyish-black eyes, rounder than Li Yuanjiao's and similar to Li Qinghong's, also gleamed with cunning and shrewdness.

"When the time comes, I will deliberately have Xicheng lead these troops. Xicheng is kind and gentle, and cannot bear to reprimand. These good-for-nothing dandies are not disciplined to begin with. Once they cross the border and enter another family's territory, even if they obey orders, how many of them can resist revealing their true colors when attacking a mountain?" He took a sip of tea and softly said, "At that time, we will execute some, dismiss some, and release some. Who among the clan elders or uncles would dare to speak up against such serious offenses? Once this campaign is over, we will have at least forty years of clear and honest governance."

***

Below Yishan City.

"Drip, drip."

Being adjacent to the Southern Frontier, Yishan City received a fair amount of rain. Heavy rain poured down, falling into the blood-soaked ground. Mud and blood mixed, turning the area a grayish-red.

The youth's greyish-black eyes stared at the city wall before him. His clothes were tattered and covered in mud, from head to toe, emitting a foul stench. He blended in seamlessly with the other slave soldiers.

"In another half an hour, we'll be able to leave the city..." Jiang Boqing, using his Golden attribute to traverse, instantly transported Jiang Yan into Yishan City. The old man was in extremely poor condition, almost draining Jiang Yan dry. He had lost most of his cultivation and barely recovered.

Jiang Yan landed in the slave soldier camp within the city, lying on a corpse. He lay rigid for a while before slowly recovering. He looked up and saw the vast white formation covering the sky, knowing it was the foremost city in Jiangnan.

Although his heart was filled with endless doubts, there was no one left to explain. Barefoot and disheartened, he sat in the camp, his heart full of confusion: "They bewitched my father, killed my mother, only to refine these two witch talismans within me. Why did it end up like this?"

Jiang Boqing was dead, and Jiang Yan's heart was filled with both grief and confusion. He dared not think too much, only understanding that if he stayed in this place any longer, he would eventually be discovered.

The grand formation in Yishan City was established by an immortal sect. This formation was impossible to force through. Jiang Yan could only disguise himself as a slave soldier, waiting for half a month in the camp before encountering a demonic beast attack on the city.

"How laughable." Jiang Yan's gaze swept over the emaciated mortals, and he immediately saw through the demon sect's intentions, coldly muttering to himself, "This isn't resistance; it's merely feeding the demonic beasts."

"Clang!" The opening before them had just been created. A formation immediately appeared above, and a mind-bewitching spell activated. All the mortals began to move, rushing out frantically.

"Ahhh..." Jiang Yan, mixed in the crowd, was met head-on by the gaping, bloody maw of a wolf demon. Its white teeth gleamed with a cold light, yet the mortals mindlessly charged forward, causing blood to splatter and viscera to fly everywhere.

He took a detour, not daring to fly, and could only run wildly. Unexpectedly, the demonic beast seemed to spot something rare and turned its head to bite him.

"Damn it!" Jiang Yan was currently injured, but he was not someone this minor demon could bully. He slapped the wolf demon, sending it stumbling, then flew close to the ground, heading south in a sorry state.

***

Above Yishan City.

Liu Changdie had already gone below the city to maintain the grand formation. Li Xuanfeng stood holding his bow. Beside him, Fei Yihe remained silent, quietly observing the surging tide of beasts.

The rest of the cultivators, either holding bows or long spears, all calmed their minds and focused their spirits, as streaks of magical light illuminated their artifacts. These cultivators lacked specialized family techniques; learning swordsmanship or spearmanship only meant cultivating sword aura or spear glint, attaching it to their artifacts. Given the adage "an inch longer, an inch stronger," they naturally all learned the spear to prolong their lives. Moreover, even if one cultivated sword qi or spear qi, spear qi still had a greater range than sword qi, offering more chances of survival. Therefore, apart from a few direct descendants of established families, everyone held a spear.

Everyone was poised for battle, while behind them stood several cultivators in green robes. Most of them were mid-to-late Qi Condensation cultivators, standing with their hands behind their backs, all disciples of the Green Pond Sect, holding the line here.

"Caw!" A large eagle shrieked in the distance, but absolutely dared not approach. Looking at the few carcasses being devoured on the ground, it was clear that Li Xuanfeng had already shot down several, which was why it dared not advance.

After a while, more than a dozen demonic beasts gathered together. Only then did they dare to surge forward simultaneously, lunging towards the city wall.

"They're here!" Li Xuanfeng drew his bow, and the cultivators swiftly changed their formation, protecting him in the center. Wielding their spears, they unleashed spells to block the demonic beasts' attacks for Li Xuanfeng. Dark demonic arts clashed with magical light, producing resounding roars.

"Swish, swish, swish..." In just a few breaths, streaks of golden light burst from Li Xuanfeng's bow. They seemed to possess their own sentience, seeking out the eyes, noses, and mouths of the demonic beasts. Blood splattered across the sky and fur flew everywhere, causing the Green Pond disciples behind them to nod slowly and whisper to the person beside them, "Senior Brother... if not for this person, few of these cultivators would have survived until today."

The person in front of him, who appeared to be of high status, paid him no mind at all. He merely maintained a solemn expression, slowly frowned, and said in a deep voice, "Is that... a slave soldier?"

His gaze was fixed on the area below the city, amidst the countless bloody waves. The slave soldier slapped away a wolf demon and rapidly sped into the distance with incredible speed. The surrounding demonic beasts quickly converged, lunging at him, making him quite conspicuous. Knowing he was exposed, the slave soldier simply took to the wind, soaring like a meteor towards the distant dense forest.

The leading Green Pond Sect disciple sneered, forming a dazzling golden light in his hand, ready to unleash it. Unexpectedly, the disciple who had spoken earlier chuckled, "Senior Brother, why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken!" He waved his green sleeve, turned to the person below, and said with a smile, "That Li family archer, shoot that thing down."