Tian Zhongqing quickly jumped down from his seat and hurried to greet him with a smile, "Brother Wen! What brings you here? Is the family head here too?"
"Uncle Tian, you have misunderstood."
Despite his fierce appearance, Li Wen had a gentle disposition and replied in a low voice, "The Jade Court Guards have already been deployed throughout the city. The family head said it is time to close the net, so he sent me to oversee things."
"Good, good, good!" Tian Zhongqing laughed obsequiously and asked, "Brother Wen, does the family head have any other instructions?"
Li Wen nodded and replied, "The family head has agreed. If this matter is resolved, the Tian Family's descendants can return to the twelve towns."
"That's great!" Tian Zhongqing responded, clearly overjoyed. Ever since the Tian Family was sent to Eastern Mount Yue to control the situation, they had been increasingly looked down upon by the people of the East, who saw them as allies of Mount Yue. This disdain was particularly hard to bear in a society that revered the East.
In the Eastern Mount Yue, the Tian Family had a high status, but in Lijing Town, they were treated as inferiors. Despite having two Qi Cultivators, they lacked the backing of the main family and were often looked down upon in secret.
His eldest son had once gone to Lijing Town and, not knowing the local drinking games, was mocked and came back depressed for three months, causing Tian Zhongqing to sigh deeply.
Moreover, being far from the main family in the Eastern Mount Yue, and being the most powerful among the external families, Tian Zhongqing felt like he was walking on a tightrope every day, constantly on edge.
Now, with Li Yuanping's promise, he was overjoyed. All the frustrations of offending Li Jiman and the lords by acting as Li's enforcer dissipated. He thought coldly to himself, I was worried about how to establish myself in Eastern Mount Yue, but now… let's kill! Let heads roll. I'll just wipe my hands clean and leave! Who cares about a few local tyrants?
He immediately gave the order, and the soldiers in the palace began to move. The clanging of weapons resounded, and the palace gates swung open. Carriages and horses drove out right away, riding on the newly built roads.
Rumble…
The noise echoed like thunder between the streets, waking the residents of Mount Yue from their sleep, leaving them bewildered and unsure of what was happening.
————
In another corner of Mulu Town, there was a lively banquet with songs and laughter. Li Jiman sat at the head of the table with a sour expression, watching the lords sing loudly, feeling frustrated.
"Barbarians... What rubbish is this?"
There was no drinking game, pitch-pot, or poetry competition; all the tricks Li Jiman had learned were useless here. They just sang songs and gulped down wine, making him very uncomfortable.
As he was lost in his thoughts, a drunken lord staggered up to him, grinning and slurring, "Great King… do you not think Li Yuanping always looks so pale, as if he is at death's door? Does that not suggest a change might be coming?"
Li Jiman's expression changed abruptly. He was familiar with the main family and often took pride in it. He was also deeply grateful to Li Yuanping for sparing him and held him in the highest respect. How could he possibly tolerate such talk?
Moreover, he vividly remembered how the Tian Family had exploited him. Fear and anger surged within him all of a sudden.
"Hmph!"
Li Jiman threw his cup at the man's face, smashing it and causing him to fall with a thud, blood streaming down his face. Li Jiman cursed, "You scoundrel!"
The hall fell silent. Li Jiman quickly stood up, as if explaining to someone, and shouted, "That is the majesty of a tiger feigning illness, an eagle seeming to sleep! How could lowly people like you understand?!"
As soon as he had finished speaking, everyone fell to their knees. Even the music stopped, and the hall became so silent one could almost hear a pin drop. Li Jiman strained his ears and felt a chill run down his spine instantly.
"Why do I hear the sound of weapons clashing...?"
As he spoke, the people below looked at each other in confusion. Suddenly, a scream pierced through the air.
BANG!
A group of soldiers in white armor burst through the door, wielding weapons with stern expressions. They filed in, ignoring the lords' protests. Some even jumped up, shouting, "Who are you? Do you know where you are?! How dare you act so brazenly here?!"
However, the white-armored soldiers ignored the demands of the lords and simply continued barging through the crowd. Those with cultivation tried to resist but were quickly subdued by the leader. Watching his allies being taken away, Li Jiman stood in shock, unable to believe what was happening.
"Jade Court Guards..?" he murmured in disbelief.
The hall was filled with the sounds of subdued grunts and pleas for mercy. Before Li Jiman could ask further questions, the captives were already being marched out. He stood there, dumbfounded, suddenly left all alone.
The leader of the Jade Court Guards showed a bit of courtesy, lightly cupping his fist in salute.
"Apologies, young master."
"This is..." Li Jiman stammered, feeling as if he had been stripped of everything he owned in broad daylight, taking several moments to find his words.
The leader of the Jade Court Guards respectfully cupped his fist again, his eyes bright as he gestured for his men to withdraw, leaving only two behind. Only then did he explain, "Young master, the Tian Family submitted a cartload of evidence to the Clan Affairs Courtyard, and it implicated many clans in Mount Yue. I am here under orders to arrest them."
"The Tian Family?!"
Li Jiman snapped to attention right away, realizing why the main family had suddenly become so ruthless. His eyes reddened, and he ground his teeth in anger.
"It seems the Tian Family has been plotting this for years, planning to wipe out my followers and turn me into a puppet!" he fumed.
"With the Tian Family controlling Mount Yue unchallenged by the lords, they will become a major threat! This must not happen, Family Head!" he yelled.
Li Jiman, grabbing his robe, hurried closer. The Jade Court Guard, noting his urgency, hesitated and then whispered, "This is indeed an extreme measure. Brother, perhaps you should plead with the family head directly. It is said he intends to recall the Tian Family, but they have persistently refused, spreading slander to remain in Mount Yue."
"Ah! Thank you, brother!" Li Jiman exclaimed, hearing this for the first time. Elated, his face flushed with excitement as he resolved, "Yes… if the Tian Family leaves Mount Yue and returns to the towns, everything will be resolved! I must persuade the family head to make them withdraw!"
Having studied governance for over a decade, he was determined not to be a mere puppet. He hurriedly put on his shoes, ready to rush out of the hall.
The Jade Court Guard, seeing his urgency, hesitated before offering a final piece of advice, "Brother, I have heard the family head has long been troubled by the lack of spirit resources from Mount Yue… He has sent us to investigate many times. If you have any insights, this could be a way to appeal to him!"
Li Jiman's eyes lit up instantly at this timely information. Nodding vigorously, he rushed out but then stopped and turned back.
"Brother, you have helped me greatly today… May I know your name?"
The Jade Court Guard chuckled and replied, "I am Chen Mufeng, I just returned from the market a few days ago. I will need your support in the future, young master."
"Chen Mufeng…" Li Jiman repeated the name, committing it to memory. He thanked Chen Mufeng quickly before rushing out.