All sorts of emotions flickered across Huiyao's face until his expression ultimately softened as he forced himself to laugh.
"Fine; I can simply relocate those people to other islands and treat it as a friendly exchange!"
"Good," Li Yuanjiao replied, narrowing his eyes and saying nothing further.
Huiyao reluctantly swore the Profound Scenery Spiritual Oath, and only then did Li Yuanjiao remove his hand from the hilt of his sword.
Li Yuanjiao gave his younger sister a signal, and Li Qinghong produced a storage pouch, placing it into the demon's hands. When Huiyao accepted it, his expression became more sincere. After exchanging a few more words, he hurriedly excused himself, cradling the jade box in its arms.
He flew out of the formation in a daze. It took him some time to register the fact that he had just been manipulated into taking an oath. Cold sweat trickled down his back and his mind was reeling.
Upon opening the storage pouch again, he discovered numerous spirit ores. The jade box in his hand felt icy, stirring feelings of excitement within him. Huiyao silently transformed back into his original form and dove deep into the sea.
As soon as Zong Yan respectfully sent Huiyao out of the formation, Li Qinghong sneered.
"As expected, they all fear power and lack morals. Trying to tempt them will just make their appetite grow; raise a fist, and they'll be silent immediately."
Li Yuanjiao nodded in agreement and said, "Nevertheless, they should be given what they deserve. These lap dogs may be useless but it's easy for them to sabotage us. I'm just worried they may lead enemies here."
As soon as they finished speaking, Zong Yan came rushing back on the wind. He kneeled and prostrated himself before the siblings respectfully and said, "Greetings, my lord and my lady! From now on, Zongquan Island shall follow your lead!"
Li Yuanjiao nodded slightly, observing Zong Yan's behavior. He was more adept than most, so Li Yuanjiao said softly, "Have you always been this humble all the time?"
Zong Yan sighed, yet his respectful expression remained unchanged as he cupped his hands and replied earnestly, "Of course! By humbling myself and calling him Grandpa to gain his favor, I can save a few people on the island from dying."
Li Yuanjiao fell silent, while Li Qinghong cast a silent glance at him and remarked softly, "Everyone says that the Eastern Sea is a dark place, but you are much brighter than the so-called orthodox Daos in the mainland."
Zong Yan humbly denied the compliment. Meanwhile, Li Yuanjiao pulled several bags of Spirit Paddies from his storage pouch, placing them before the hall with a clatter. He then took out several pills and handed them all to Zong Yan.
"You can use these resources for now and distribute the Spirit Paddies to the cultivators on the island. There's no need to consume blood qi from now on anymore."
Zong Yan kneeled and bowed deeply, his voice choked with emotion as he stammered, "Understood!"
In the eyes of the Li Family, these Spirit Paddies were just a drop in the bucket, but in this remote sea area, where they could not be grown, they were considered rare resources for Zong Yan and the others.
Clutching the items, he respectfully retreated. He checked a few of the pills, inhaling their fragrant scent, and felt his eyes watering. He hurriedly dragged a boy out from the side hall, shaking him excitedly as he exclaimed, "Good boy, let's go home!"
The boy took two unsteady steps forward, causing Zong Yan to burst into laughter. He lifted him into his arm, then rode the wind as they sped away toward the distant town.
In the hall, Li Yuanjiao and the others smiled as they watched Zong Yan leave. Li Qinghong remarked, "This is truly a remote sea area that remains oblivious to the prosperity of the mainland... Ten Embryonic Breathing Realm spirit items? What kind of request is that? When our family was an Embryonic Breathing Realm family, our tribute to the Azure Pond Sect was already far more than that!"
Li Yuanjiao sighed, shaking his head.
These spirit items from the mainland will be recognized. I should exchange them for overseas spirit items in the market first to avoid raising any suspicions with that demon.
As for the Wanglin Blossom...
I've already inquired about it. Aside from being sold overseas by the Han Family, there are several others in the north. A couple can also be found in the sea. We only have to give one every five years, it shouldn't be an issue, especially involving the Han Family...
Initially, Li Yuanjiao could not think of anything that would attract that demon's attention, so he made Huiyao swear a spiritual oath and made it accept bribes from his family. With this, he could no longer oppress them with the Serpent Dragon Palace's prestige. This was already a worthwhile exchange.
"Now that this is settled, I will return and look after our family now," Li Qinghong announced.
Li Yuanjiao glanced at his sister, then said, "Kongheng and I will escort you all the way to Lake Xian. Don't worry about troubling us. After the round trip, I plan to enter seclusion to prepare for a breakthrough to the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm."
"All right!" she agreed.
————
The formation on Mount Qingdu radiated a light green glow as always. Li Chengliao took a few steps on the water, crossed the lake, and landed in the town.
The Jade Court Guard, Chen Mufeng, had been waiting on the shore for quite some time. With Li Xicheng's recent ascension as the head of the family, Chen Mufeng had also gained the power and resources he had long desired.
He had now reached the fifth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, which was pretty impressive.
The young master before him was the future pillar of his lineage. Though Li Chengliao rarely visited Qingdu, Chen Mufeng had made time in his busy schedule to meet him. He greeted Li Chengliao with a smile, and Li Chengliao returned the gesture slightly, murmuring, "Battalion Commander."
"Greetings, young master."
At present, Li Chengliao was at the fourth heavenly layer of the Embryonic Breathing Realm. While it wasn't quite time for him to descend the mountain, his father, Li Xicheng, had found a betrothed for him, prompting him to make the trip to meet her.
As the eldest of his generation, Li Chengliao enjoyed a noble status in the family. Many prominent families were vying for his attention, but Li Xicheng had already chosen a girl from the Liu Family.
The Liu Family had been in decline for some time, but they had recently produced a talented girl named Liu Lingzhen. She broke through to the third stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm at just fifteen, making her a genius in the town.
Despite her talent, the Liu Family lacked the resources for proper training, making it a considerable achievement for her to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the prominent families on her own.
With such talent and her humble background, Li Xicheng was thrilled and consulted with the Liu Family to arrange an engagement for Li Chengliao.
The decision had been finalized, and Li Chengliao had seen the girl's portrait. She was indeed beautiful and talented, so he had no objections. However, he felt it necessary to meet her in person to determine whether she was astute or simply a pretty face.
Following Chen Mufeng into the main hall, they turned a few corners and entered the side hall. Two cups of tea had been placed on the table, but no one was present.
"Hmm?"
Li Chengliao frowned slightly and seemed to be taken aback while Chen Mufeng was embarrassed. He quickly apologized, "I'll go and check... Perhaps something has happened."
"No worries. Please do as you please, Battalion Commander," Li Chengliao assured him. As Chen Mufeng turned to leave, another Jade Court Guard rushed in, kneeling on one knee as he announced grimly, "Reporting to my lord..."
Although he spoke softly, Li Chengliao, yet to develop his spiritual sense, could only catch a few vague words.
"It's useless... The Xu Family... refused to come after all... The news has been blocked..."
Li Chengliao's frown deepened as he swirled the teacup on the table, glancing at Chen Mufeng's back. He noticed the middle-aged man clenching his fists tightly, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to suppress his voice.
"Gather all the court guards for me!" he ordered.