"Good!"

Seeing that there was now a way to obtain that Golden Sun Radiant Origin from the west, Li Yuanping was instantly overjoyed. He glanced at the little letter in his hand and inquired doubtfully:

"Where did this come from?"

"Reporting to the Family Head."

That clan soldier replied: 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"It was brought by a traveling merchant dealing in miscellaneous qi on the road."

Li Yuanping nodded in realization, picked up brush and ink and wrote a large "Good," then added words of encouragement and thanks, sealed it with his own Dharma Seal, and tossed it into Dou Yi’s hands:

"Reward him with some Spirit Rice, let him take it back."

In this land, communicating information shouldn’t be this troublesome. Not to mention ancient times—even a thousand years ago, there were things like Sound Transmission Talismans; but for some reason, over the years these talismans either lost their efficacy or grew too costly, and few still use them.

Reining back his thoughts, Li Yuanping turned his focus back to clan affairs.

"Shanyue is easy enough to handle."

Ever since a few days ago when Li Yuanjiao brought up the matter and discussed it at length with Li Yuanping, Yuanjiao soon returned to the mountain to cultivate, while Li Yuanping threw all his attention into figuring out how to resolve these two matters.

Li Yuanping had long been dissatisfied with the Shanyue region and already had arrangements in place, but it was the host of clan youths that gave him a headache.

"If we really follow Elder Brother’s idea... where would we even look for such a place..."

Li Yuanping sorted through the letters on his desk and pulled out intelligence on the nearby families.

The Yu Family had been quiet lately. Yu Mugao buried himself in consolidating the clan: one day executing a group, the next showing mercy to another. Though his brothers were numerous and forceful, they couldn’t win out and were slaughtered like sheep day after day.

"Really dares to kill..."

Looking at the roster at the top, Li Yuanping pursed his lips. Mugao could kill with impunity, but he left behind many hidden dangers. Shaking his head, Li Yuanping set his sights on the eastern families.

Scattered across the East Bank were more than a dozen small clans, most of them little Fetal Breathing and Qi Cultivation lineages. Yet their situation was complex, with tangled rivalries, making few willing to interfere.

The north and east of Wangyue Lake had been Tang Jin Sect territory. The East Bank families were entwined with Tang Jin Sect in countless ways. Though the Tang Jin Sect now waned and lost its land, some sentiments remained—this was but one layer.

Another—those eastern families possessed several mineral veins and Spiritual Springs, all covertly controlled by the Xiao Family from the west, who stationed People of the Xiao Family under the title of Guest Elder to maintain the balance and profit thereby.

This should not have been permitted, but Green Pond Sect simply turned a blind eye. The Xiao Family preferred things broken into pieces, so the arrangement persisted year after year.

Especially with Wangyue Lake adjoining the Xiao Family lands, the buffer zone was exactly these minor families; to the north bordered Tang Jin Sect, to the south Li Family and Ding Family—factions vied back and forth, making the situation sensitive.

All these factors had forcibly preserved the East Bank families: a hundred years of little change. When Jiang Family prospered, tribute went to them; when Yu Family dominated, to them. Now with Yu Family declining and a tripartite balance on the lake, each family looks for a new patron.

"Back when the market was destroyed and the Yu Family waned, our family had a few chances to accept tributaries. Yet we had too few hands and preferred to bide our time, so let the chance slip by."

Li Yuanping thought for a bit, his heart stirring as he considered inwardly:

"Now that our household funds are tight, if we could enter that scene... first, we would gain some tribute, and second, we could foster some power along the East Bank..."

Li Yuanping weighed the feasibility of this, then called to Dou Yi seated below:

"Go to the Clan Head Courtyard and fetch me intelligence on the East Bank families."

Dou Yi nodded hastily and scurried off—just as another person hurried in below, announcing respectfully:

"Reporting, Family Head! There’s a cultivator on the road petitioning for an audience!"

"A cultivator on the road?"

Li Yuanping paused slightly, knowing that anyone announced to the hall was unlikely to be ordinary. He asked:

"What cultivation level? Have they come to request something?"

The clan soldier at the stairs opened his mouth, then replied:

"According to Guest Elder An, likely not a Zifu Golden Core Path cultivator. Dressed in a Taoist Robe with gold-trimmed sleeves, youthful in appearance, but exuding an aura far surpassing Foundation Establishment. As for his purpose—he insists on seeing the Family Head before disclosing it."

An Zhiyan had seen Yu Xiaogui and Li Tongya back in the day and could judge roughly the strength of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Since he said ’far surpassing Foundation Establishment’, Li Yuanping could not help but tense up.

"Not a Zifu Golden Core Path cultivator?! Yet wants to see me?"

Li Yuanping paused again, and said gravely:

"Go remind Brother Jiao—no need to have him come over, just have him watch from the mountain... and have Guest Elder An and the others suppress things together... don’t let this fellow cause sudden havoc."

Li Yuanping’s expression grew dark. He despised unexpected troubles most, and now even though the visitor behaved courteously, if someone powerful enough to surpass Foundation Establishment caused trouble, the Li Family could not bear it.

"Damn it!"

He cursed bitterly, finally exhaling, and murmured:

"Invite him to the side hall to wait a moment."

"Yes!"

Dou Yi and the others shrank out. Only then did Li Yuanping return to his seat, muttering to himself:

"He might not be a Buddhist Practitioner, though he may have transformed his appearance... perhaps he’s a Devil Cultivator... our family’s never met a South River Devil Cultivator, only heard that to all appearances they look like ordinary men. We probably couldn’t recognize one if we tried."

He descended a few steps. After all, for a Foundation Establishment level cultivator to visit, only he was worthy within the Li Family, nor would he risk sending someone else who might get killed and suffer a huge loss.

"If I show fear now, that’ll raise suspicion—better to face him myself."

Li Yuanping walked to the forehall, stepping lightly. Just reaching the corridor, he saw the burly Li Wen following with a golden gourd as large as a man’s head, silent as ever.

Seeing Wen’s mountain-like frame, Li Yuanping did feel a little safer and laughed:

"A true honest brute!"

"Heh heh."

Li Wen chuckled dully. Reaching the side hall, Li Yuanping said softly:

"No need to follow further. Just wait outside."

After all, the gap between Foundation Establishment and Qi Cultivation was too vast. According to An Zhiyan’s description, Li Wen would be dispatched with a single blow—which would only make the family look timid.

Seeing Li Wen nod blankly, Li Yuanping pushed the door and entered.

The side courtyard was austere—just a few wooden desks. Beside a small table sat a young man, Taoist Crown atop his head, plain features, a sword across his knees—it looked to be a peach wood sword.

The lad seemed no more than twenty, dressed in an utterly ordinary Taoist robe, gold patterns embroidered at the cuffs—hard to tell where the style came from. The peach wood sword was plain and dull, no aura of a treasure at all.

"A Foundation Establishment at twenty?"

Li Yuanping inwardly concluded this person had disguised his appearance with Illusion Technique, becoming all the more vigilant.

"The Li Family humbly welcomes Senior’s exalted presence. May I ask what name Senior goes by?"

Li Yuanping stepped forward, face alight with a smile, asking gently, neither obsequious nor overbearing.

"Greetings, Family Head! I hail from Zhao Country, Yinghua County—my name is Wang Xun! Family Head is too courteous!"

Li Yuanping hadn’t expected such a big reaction. The youth jumped up at once from his desk, the peach wood sword on his knees flipping a somersault in the air and hovering lightly. Wang Xun acted as though nothing were amiss and answered politely.

Hearing this reply and tone, Li Yuanping instantly relaxed a little, his gaze sweeping the peach wood sword ever so faintly as he smiled:

"So, a guest from Zhao Country! I am Li Yuanping—a most unworthy host, forgive me for not welcoming you from afar."

"Not at all!"

Wang Xun noticed Li Yuanping hadn’t taken the main seat but chose the side instead—clearly an act of respect. The tension in his expression eased, and he sat down too.

All the boy’s reactions seemed genuine rather than feigned. Li Yuanping’s burden lightened all the more, becoming ever more at ease, and said warmly:

"Tea, please!"

An attendant came to serve tea, setting it before them before quickly withdrawing. Li Yuanping smiled, watching the shy, bashful youth, but kept his vigilance undiminished as he spoke kindly:

"May I ask, Senior... from what lineage do you hail? And if you have something to entrust, so long as it is within my power, the clan shall see it done."

This youth clearly wasn’t used to worldly affairs; after all that, he hadn’t voiced his background. Li Yuanping pressed for details, trying to learn if he was from any great sect or noble house, so as to respond accordingly.

Thus, all smiles, he poured more tea from the Jade Pot as he asked.

The youth seemed to take the question literally, thinking he was being asked about his family genealogy. He bobbed his head eagerly and replied at once:

"I’m from the Yinghua Wang Family, a great-grandson of Xiao Jin Perfected Lord, and son of Perfected Person Yingyuan..."

"Whoosh..."

Li Yuanping felt as if slapped by some unknown force, his head buzzing; his steady hand suddenly quivered, the words stunned him so much that his mind went blank, spilling several drops of water from the pot.

"Xiao Jin Perfected Lord! A Golden Core cultivator!"

He lifted his head in a daze, finding it hard to believe, and stammered:

"Senior... did you say... you are Perfected Lord’s great-grandson, and the son of Perfected Person?!"