He gently set down the vermilion brush and coughed twice, soon to see a man approach from below. Clad in jade armor, he appeared steadfast and honest. Kneeling on one knee, he answered in a deep voice:

"Reporting to the Family Head, out of the thirteen Shanyue clans, based on the charges, two have been eradicated, ten have been detained, and the remaining one has committed no minor infraction."

"Hmm."

There were still some within the Shanyue Clan who knew to restrain themselves, hence two families had survived. Li Yuanping nodded and looked towards the large chest and wooden box that were being moved to the back, and gently asked

"How are the spoils?"

Chen Mufeng listed the names of the Spiritual Objects they had acquired before answering:

"In total, they are worth thirty-five Spirit Stones, all here."

Li Yuanping had him send the items down, and after a bout of coughing, thought to himself:

"When the time comes, I'll send a few Guest Elders to escort it to Guanyun Peak. The finances at home can loosen a bit, and with a few more years of cushioning, the Wanling Flower might bloom, and things should get better."

————

Guanyun Peak marketplace.

A light, cold wind blew, causing the flagpole at the door to sway. The hanging black and red flag fluttered, the Li character sprawled attractively against the sky.

A dozen or so footprints remained on the darkened doorstep, giving it a somewhat pitted appearance. A middle-aged man, bent at the waist and hunchbacked, sat there blankly, stroking his chin while gazing out.

It wasn't until a grey-garbed cultivator paused that he glanced at the man and called out:

"Yun, brother, do you still have elixirs in stock?"

In the prior days, the Li Family shop had released several bottles of elixirs, which were excellent and reasonably priced, causing a mad scramble to purchase them. They sold out within a day, prompting passing cultivators to inquire each time.

"They've already sold out."

Li Yuanyun raised his head and uttered the phrase in a drawn-out tone. The man waved his sleeve and grumbled away.

Li Yuanyun recognized this person, a Fetal Breathing Cultivator who commonly lingered in the marketplace. Although his cultivation level wasn't high, he dared not provoke the Li Family. Though Li Yuanyun himself was merely a mortal, he was from the Noble Family's direct lineage, and even when feeling down, he would dare show his annoyance.

As the man walked off, Li Yuanyun continued to sulk at the steps. Now in his thirties, he looked naturally older, but with the death of his father Li Xuanling, he appeared even more aged.

"Of the Noble Family's direct lineage, yet I have to do this menial work..."

Li Yuanyun had once greatly admired the clan rules for managing family members. Now that these rules directly applied to him, they didn't seem quite as palatable. He just watched the passersby, at a loss.

After waiting for a moment, a black-robed cultivator finally stopped, and the wind chimes at the door tinkled. Knowing this was a Qi Cultivator, Li Yuanyun quickly straightened up and respectfully said:

"Please come inside, senior!"

"Hmm."

His voice was rough, wearing a broad-brimmed hat, his face hung down, invisible. His voice was dark and raspy, causing Li Yuanyun to inadvertently look up.

"Hmph!"

The black-robed cultivator grunted coldly, and Li Yuanyun quickly bowed his head and followed him into the room. In the corner, Li Qiuyang hurriedly looked up and smiled respectfully:

"Senior seems unfamiliar. May I know what business you wish to conduct?"

Hearing Li Qiuyang's tone, Li Yuanyun knew this was most likely an Orthodox Cultivator in the late stage of Qi Cultivation or at the peak, and he quietly stepped back.

The black-robed cultivator made a nodding gesture and stared straight at him for a while, then scanned the room as if appraising the value of the goods on display. His features were shrouded in black gauze and dressed oddly, he murmured:

"Take a look at this item."

With those words, he flicked his finger, revealing a dark jade bead. Li Qiuyang hastily received it and scrutinized it carefully.

About the size of a fist, Li Qiuyang felt a slight tingling and heaviness as he held the bead. It was dark, and nothing could be made out.

After examining it for a while without finding any clues, he probed it with his Spiritual Sense for a few breaths, and in confusion, said:

"This Spiritual Object is quite rare, senior. I have not seen it before. Our shop doesn't handle many Spiritual Objects, so please forgive us... Is this a Qi Cultivation Level Spiritual Object?"

"Hahaha!"

The black-robed cultivator laughed coldly, slapping his longsword on the counter with a loud clank that startled both Li Qiuyang and Li Yuanyun. The cultivator's hoarse voice sounded:

"Running a shop and not recognizing every Spiritual Object! Is this the level of the Lijing Li Family? Laughable!"

No sooner had he spoken than Li Qiuyang's complexion changed instantly, and anger flared within him. He thought:

"It seems he's here to cause trouble!"

Even though the visitor bore ill intent, Li Qiuyang still held back, speaking with a lower, more placating voice:

"Please wait a moment, senior. I will go and call the shopkeeper... He has seen and knows much; he will surely recognize this object."

As he said this, he handed the Treasure Bead back to the man. The black-robed cultivator appeared unthreatened, casually pocketing the bead and gesturing dismissively:

"Scram!"

Li Qiuyang swallowed his anger, while the black-robed cultivator greedily glanced around, eying the furs and spiritual objects in the shop and mumbling to himself with hmphs and hums.

In a corner, Li Yuanyun silently shrank into the darkness, daring not to make a sound, until Li Xuanxuan came clomping down from upstairs, speaking cheerfully:

"I am Li Xuanxuan, the humble shopkeeper of this establishment," he profusely apologized for not greeting the visitor from afar, "sorry for the lack of a proper welcome!"

The black-robed cultivator cast him a glance, placing the treasure bead on the counter with an arrogant air, and asked:

"Do you recognize this item?"

Li Xuanxuan hurried over to take the jade bead, carefully examining it for a while, feeling a sense of familiarity, as if in deep thought, he secretly thought to himself:

"The size of a fist, soft and numbing to the touch, continuously sinking in my hand; jet black, devoid of light or color."

"It seems I have come across a description of this item before..."

He searched his mind and then shivered as if electrified, as though thunder had exploded, grinding his teeth in his heart:

"So, it is this item..."

This jade bead had appeared countless times in Li Xuanxuan's dreams, just as if he had read its description countless times, vividly etched in his memory. In his dreams, he had repeatedly stopped Li Pingyi, only to wake up in agony and crush the edge of his bed in his hand....

Though this item appeared harmless to both humans and animals, it had killed his most proud legitimate eldest son, plunging his life into endless regret, so much so that he recognized it at a glance, even though he had never actually seen it.

"Shopkeeper!"

The hoarse voice of the black-robed cultivator startled him awake, and only then did Li Xuanxuan realize he was covered in cold sweat, standing there dazedly, as all his consciousness snapped back, leaving him feeling chilly all over.

He wiped his face with his sleeve, suppressing the urge to throw the object away, and with a slight smile, placed it back on the counter.

The black-robed cultivator seemed to have grown suspicious, as a pair of fierce eyes shot out from beneath his hat, staring intently at Li Xuanxuan, who said coldly:

"Do you recognize this object, sir?"

Li Xuanxuan relaxed his posture, not daring to speak for a moment as countless thoughts flashed through his mind:

"Why has this person come... It seems clear that he recognizes this item, so why act like this?"

"What does this mean? Xiao family's market... who dares to make trouble here?"

He slowly exhaled, speaking in a gentle voice:

"I do not mean to conceal anything, but I truly do not recognize it..."

"Hmph!"

The black-robed cultivator slammed the counter, about to explode in anger, when he saw Li Xuanxuan hesitate and then say with some uncertainty:

"However..."

"However what?"

The black-robed cultivator's voice was stifled in his throat, he looked at him dissatisfied and growled out loud.

"If I am not mistaken, this item is filled with thunder fire and contains incredible spell techniques, probably of great power."

"Oh?"

The black-robed cultivator seemed surprised, pausing for a moment, apparently interested, and said in a deep voice:

"The shopkeeper does have good eyesight..."

The black-robed cultivator pinched the brim of his hat thoughtfully, watching Li Xuanxuan with interest, making his back grow cold. Seeing his small movements, Li Xuanxuan felt unnerved and spoke in a low voice:

"Isn't it simple? My family has a unique secret technique! If you learn it, you can recognize spiritual objects and ensure safety."

"Let's hear it?"

The black-robed cultivator stared at Li Xuanxuan, a certain greed apparent in his gaze. Li Xuanxuan simply said:

"Please wait a moment, elder."

Without making a sound, he stood up, carefully closed the main door, and glanced outside. Indeed, he saw cultivators at several other shops arguing, all of them at the peak of Qi Cultivating Late Stage, entangled in unceasing disputes, with two already starting to smash up shops.

His heart turned cold. He turned back with a smile, and the black-robed cultivator was staring at him coldly. Li Xuanxuan quickly whispered:

"Elder, you may not know, but our family has a technique called 'Clear Vision Spiritual Pupil,' which is an excellent pupil technique. If you can offer the right price, I can secretly teach it to you!"

"I see!"

The black-robed cultivator was immediately delighted, as such secret manuals and cultivation techniques were extremely rare, usually kept in the minds of family members, and most difficult to obtain. He calculated secretly:

"No matter how much he asks for, I will first coax this technique from him – when things turn to killing... these two, one with mixed Qi and the other at the initial stage of Qi cultivation, will eventually end up in my pocket, won't they?"