Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Wang Xun handed the Qingche Sword back to the Li Family, saying simply, "It is better than I expected; I only took one-tenth of the sword intent. Thank you all!"
Then, he flew away as if escaping, not daring to say another word. The two brothers looked at each other, realizing that this person truly did not want to get involved in worldly affairs and had only spoken more because he had a request.
One brother held the sword, and the other carried the jade box. They returned to the small courtyard on the mountain in the rain where the rest of the Li Family was already waiting.
Raindrops pattered down, and the courtyard was silent. On the smooth and simple table were several jade bottles, large and small, green and white, emanating spiritual qi. On the other end, there were five or six lonely jade bottles.
"Roughly, this is the situation..."
Li Yuanjiao explained the series of events in a low voice, "Currently, about seventy percent of the pills in the market come from the Azure Pond Sect, while only twenty to thirty percent come from the Xiao and Yuan Families. Now, consider carefully how we should handle this."
All the direct descendants of the Li Family were present. Li Qinghong stood silently to the side, holding her spear, while Li Yuanping bowed his head in thought. The younger generation, seated on the lower end, had varied expressions.
Seeing that Li Yuanping and Li Qinghong remained silent, Li Yuanjiao turned his gaze to the eldest, Li Xicheng, indicating for him to speak.
Li Xicheng, who had been lost in thought, quickly straightened up. After thinking for a moment, he said slowly, "In my opinion, these pills—though precious—are made from human lives... Our family has always upheld strict family traditions and prioritized nurturing the people. It is best to abandon these pills..."
Li Xicheng, who had gained experience managing affairs in Mount Yue, could articulate better now. He clearly suggested that the pills should no longer be used. Li Yuanjiao nodded and looked at Li Xijun.
Dressed in a white robe with silver edges, Li Xijun appeared more handsome. He said respectfully, "In my opinion, since our family will no longer use these pills, we should sell them in the market at slightly lower prices to convert them into Spirit Stones, quickly replenishing our family's resources while creating some buzz. Then, we should establish connections with the Xiao and Yuan Families to ensure future pill supplies come exclusively from them, avoiding the market."
"Excellent!"
Li Xijun, within a few dozen seconds, had provided a complete strategy that made Li Yuanjiao's eyes light up in both joy and pride.
Finally, Li Ximing spoke softly, "I have not yet broken through to the Jade Capital Stage and cannot focus solely on refining pills. We'll have to rely on the Xiao and Yuan Families for several years... Eighth brother's strategy is thorough, but I have one concern about these pills."
Li Ximing paused for a moment, then continued, "Pills made from blood qi, as rumored, are created using Diverse Mansion Unified Furnace techniques that produce a higher quantity and quality of pills... Are there no side effects or hidden dangers? Perhaps the harm is far greater than people know..."
His words made the three elders raise their eyebrows. Having read alchemy books, Li Ximing understood the risks better than the others. He continued, "My point is, even if we disregard the connection to human lives, we should not consume these pills. Who knows what risks they carry? The pills from the clans might not be as sought after as those from the Azure Pond Sect, but they are easier to acquire... so why not?"
"Indeed."
The three elders exchanged glances, and Li Yuanping smiled as he said, "You may all leave now."
After the younger generation had left and the courtyard gate closed with an isolating formation, Li Yuanping remarked, "The younger ones have truly grown."
Li Yuanjiao nodded slightly and said, "Xicheng, although lacking substance, has become less unsophisticated and is willing to learn and improve, which is good... But Xijun is a practical one."
Li Xijun's complete strategy delighted the three elders. Li Qinghong, holding the Duruo Spear, appeared more relaxed and said gently, "Ximing is thoughtful, Xijun is strategic. It is thanks to your teaching, Brother Ping!"
Li Yuanjiao began to put away the pills on the table, contemplating on how to acquire the right connections with the Xiao Family without indebting them. He thought of seeking help from Xiao Yuansi and said with a smile, "Our family has taught through personal examples and historical lessons for three generations while maintaining strict traditions, which is why we have such outstanding descendants."
With the Profound Light of the mirror enhancing their spirits and the encouragement from the younger generation, the three elders felt much relieved. Li Yuanjiao exhaled deeply, picked up the jade box on the table, and, with a slightly lighter tone, said, "This spirit root, the Wanglin Blossom , is at least at the Foundation Establishment Realm... It needs to be watered with a spirit spring. We have one on Mount Huaqian that can be used."
The spirit spring on Mount Huaqian had a long history. Even during the Wan Family's time, the formation genius Wan Huaqian had used this spring to construct formations. Now, in the hands of the Li Family, the spring was primarily used to water spirit plants, hoping to save a few years' worth of growth and help alleviate the family's annual deficit.
"According to Wang Xun, this Wanglin Blossom cannot be stored in gold or jade. When it blooms, we should pick the flowers with wooden chopsticks and store them in a bamboo box," Li Yuanjiao explained.
"This flower cannot hear crying. If it hears crying, it will wither, so be mindful of that!" he reminded.
Li Qinghong nodded solemnly, taking the responsibility seriously. "I will guard Mount Huaqian for the next few years and watch over this spirit root," she said confidently.
"How are the two matters we discussed previously progressing?" Li Yuanjiao suddenly inquired.
Li Yuanping quickly responded, "The situation in Mount Yue is becoming more stable, and the Tian Family is cooperating well. It seems about time... Those fat Mount Yue nobles were like sheep ready for slaughter. They sided with us at the right time back then, so we did not touch them. Now, they are getting more arrogant and even starting to encroach on our spirit resources... We should kill a few to strengthen our family."
Li Qinghong, not being adept at household management and political maneuvers, frowned and asked, "Why not kill them all and send our own people to Mount Yue? Why keep a bunch of mountain pigs around?"
"Dear sister," Li Yuanping chuckled softly as he explained patiently, "If we send our own people, they would still be corrupt, and we will have to waste manpower to supervise them. If the branch families gain benefits, they might unite, making it harder to deal with them."
"Oh," Li Qinghong responded, frowning. Her clear voice then added, "I just returned to the mountain and noticed that the branch families down there do nothing but marry wives, take concubines, play games like pot-throwing, and keep dogs for racing... That does not seem right."
Li Yuanping nodded and continued, "You are right. These guys are indeed useless, hiding their corruption and shame, secretly occupying people's land, and exploiting them. Some even collude with merchants for power and wealth!"
"In the past, when there were fewer of them, the Clan Affairs Courtyard could suppress them. But now, with the family struggling and more relatives joining, our cultivators need to focus on nurturing spirit plants. We cannot waste time on them. And that brings me to my second matter..."
He then poured tea for Li Yuanjiao and continued with a smile, "Brother, regarding the issue you mentioned, I have found an opportunity. We need to look into the families on the eastern shore."
Taking out a gray map from the table, he explained, "To our north are Mount Huazhong and Mount Yuting, bordering the Yu Family. To the east of Mount Yuting are the families on the eastern shore... Among our neighbors are two families, one surnamed Rui and the other Pu."
"These two families only have cultivators in the Embryonic Breathing Realm. Their ancestors were enlightened by the Xiao Family and occupied small mountains. They united with nearby families to mine the local spirit ores for the Xiao Family." Li Yuanping paused and explained further, "Do you remember the Ding Family?"