"Thank you, Senior!" Xiao Ruyu thanked as he cupped his fist, but he did not wish to owe a favor to the Li Family over a few thousand mortals.

Shifting the conversation tactfully, he chose his next words with great thought and care.

"However, before leaving, my elders specifically instructed that the closer the two families are, the more such minor details must be clearly settled to avoid any potential future complications. Keeping this in mind, I dare not take advantage of your generosity…"

Seeing him handle the matter so cleanly and with such propriety, Li Tongya regarded him even more highly.

"What do you suggest then?"

"For every batch of mortals delivered to Lixia Prefecture, our Xiao Family will compensate one Spirit Stone for every thousand mortals."

Xiao Ruyu's offer was considered generous. After all, with the Azure Pond Sect setting a precedent, all families looked up to the sect's actions. Without proper regulation, the mortals under their control were merely seen as resources to be exploited. Save for a few cultivators with special needs who might value them, most looked down upon them.

"Alright, let's settle it that way then!" Li Tongya said in agreement.

Xiao Ruyu nodded, then brought up another matter, "There's also another reason for my visit… The Guli Road hasn't been maintained over a long time, with many paths becoming overgrown and hazardous due to roaming beasts. This has led to a disruption in communication between families and only those who have attained the Qi Cultivation Realm can traverse the prefecture freely, which poses a significant inconvenience! Our Xiao Family wishes to restore the Guli Road, establishing relay stations at the borders of each family's territory. In areas where there are gaps, the Xiao Family will fill them. This way even the Embryonic Breathing Realm cultivators and commoners can travel for trade, thus benefiting all families along the Guli Road."

"Oh?"

Li Tongya was surprised that the Xiao Family would undertake such a thankless task.

He pondered briefly before speaking.

"For the Xiao Family to lead this effort benefits my Li Family greatly, and naturally, I have no reason to disagree. However, if I may be so bold, why would your esteemed family bother with such a thankless task?"

Li Tongya was never one to meddle unnecessarily but given the long-standing friendship between their families and the kindness shown by Xiao Yuansi and Xiao Chuting to the Li Family, he attempted to dissuade them.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior." Xiao Ruyu simply smiled.

On his way through Guli Road, he had met with many families, all of whom had readily agreed, though they probably were laughing behind his back. Only Li Tongya cared enough to offer advice, and Xiao Ruyu was grateful for that.

He then went on to explain, "The Xiao Family collaborates with many clans in alchemy and smithing, supporting a third of the cultivators within Lixia Prefecture's influence… This is crucial for our family's expenditures. If we lose access to medicinal herbs and spirit minerals, it would be a significant loss. We're interested in the spirit resources along Guli Road… and I'm afraid I can't reveal more. I hope you understand."

This explanation along with Xiao Chuting's quiet achievement of the Purple Mansion Realm allowed Li Tongya to connect the dots in his mind. He had his suspicions but chose not to press any further.

"That's fine," he replied after a moment of contemplation.

After discussing and arranging the distribution of the relay stations, Xiao Ruyu respectfully took his leave.

Li Xuanling escorted him out of the courtyard, watching him ride the wind eastward before returning to the courtyard. He saw Li Tongya sitting silently with a tea bowl in hand and after a moment of silence, he inquired, "Father, the Xiao Family has connections with Mushroom Forest Plain and the families of Linghai Prefecture, with long-term trade relations. Are they perhaps afraid someone will cut off the trade flow from the east..? Who has such power to prevent the families from dealing with the Xiao Family?"

Li Tongya put down his tea bowl and shook his head in response.

"The Xiao Family is probably planning to break away from Azure Pond Sect and stand on its own."

"What?!"

Li Xuanling was stunned, then his expression quickly turned to alarm. He said hoarsely, "This... They actually dare to do that knowing that the Azure Pond Sect currently has three early-stage Purple Mansion Realm, one mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm, and even a peak Purple Mansion Realm cultivator like Chi Wei...?"

"The Xiao Family is waiting for Chi Wei to pass away," Li Tongya said matter-of-factly, narrowing his eyes. He had analyzed the situation in his head and was feeling fairly certain of such a speculation.

Narrowing his eyes, he then said softly, "With Xiao Chuting having reached the Purple Mansion Realm, they have the standing to come to the fore… Didn't the Chen Family also declare independence on the spot when a Purple Mansion Realm elder emerged among them? Among the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators of Azure Pond Sect, only Chi Wei has the power to eliminate Xiao Chuting on the spot. Once Chi Wei dies, it's only natural for the Xiao Family to break away from Azure Pond Sect, taking over this battered Lixia Prefecture—backed by Mushroom Forest Plain and Moongaze Lake. The Azure Pond Sect might even have to present congratulatory gifts to them."

"Purple Mansion Realm..." Li Xuanling murmured, sighing deeply. "The families and the three sects and seven gates are just tools in the hands of those in the Purple Mansion Realm..."

"Once they break away from Azure Pond Sect, which family in the prefecture would dare to trade with the Xiao Family across borders? Naturally, the Xiao Family will have to look for new sources and targets for dumping their goods, hence moving westward, restoring the Guli Road, and targeting the scattered families around Mushroom Forest Plain and Moongaze Lake without a large prefecture city."

Having finished his lengthy explanation, Li Tongya felt more assured in his deductions, left pondering to himself.

But how should our Li Family preserve itself and seek benefits amidst such upheaval..? Diverting trouble eastward, thus changing the current situation in Moongaze Lake where the Yu Family dominates alone.

————

Li Yuanjiao stood in the courtyard with a sword in hand, facing a girl with her hair tied up. Her almond eyes were fixed on the sword in his grasp. After circling each other in the yard for a while, Li Yuanjiao noticed her agile footwork, likely focusing on swift and unpredictable moves. He thrust his practice wooden sword toward her face, closing the distance.

The girl countered with her wooden spear, retreating a few steps and using her left hand to parry Li Yuanjiao's sword. She chuckled and said, "You're really cunning, Brother Jiao."

"Hmph."

Li Yuanjiao snorted lightly, also stepping backward and putting away his sword. "There's nothing cunning about it. It's just that your spear technique is solid enough to block a few of my moves, Qinghong!" he scoffed.

Li Qinghong giggled, aware that she had been at a disadvantage earlier, and conceded, "It's naturally easier to learn with a family sword technique. I've even sought the best spear teacher from the mountain foot, yet I'm still struggling..."

"Why bother with a spear when there's a family sword technique to practice? Spear techniques are easy to start but hard to master without proper guidance. You could spend a lifetime failing to get anywhere," Li Yuanjiao frowned, gazing intently at her with a serious expression.

Li Qinghong, however, placed her spear against the wall and explained, "The thought of practicing the sword technique gave me a headache! Father brought various weapons for me to choose from, and they said longer weapons have an advantage, so I chose the spear. Father was very pleased and encouraged me to keep at it."

Seeing that it was Li Xuanling's decision, Li Yuanjiao abandoned the idea of persuading her to switch to swordsmanship. Hanging up his wooden sword and straightening his robe, Li Qinghong also leaned her spear against the corner and began to undo her hair. The practice had left a rosy tint on her face, lending her a feminine charm.

A respectful voice came from outside after a double knock on the door.

"Young Master, Madam is calling for you!"

"Got it," Li Yuanjiao replied, seeing an old servant at the door with his head bowed. He was the one who usually served his mother.

"Did something happen?" Li Yuanjiao asked, slightly worried.

"Some people from Eastern Mount Yue came saying that... Mu Jiaoman had passed away due to serious injuries last night," the servant replied after a brief moment of hesitation.

Li Yuanjiao's eyes sparkled, showing no emotional disturbance over the death of this uncle he had never met. Instead, he was visibly excited. Seeing Li Qinghong laughing beside him, he turned and asked, "What's so funny?"

Li Qinghong, though not fully aware of the details, sensed intuitively that this was a good omen.

Suppressing a smile, she looked up at him cheekily as she replied, "Nothing much… just that it's good news!"

"Hehe." Li Yuanjiao giggled, then hurried out of the courtyard, bursting with excitement.

"The nine towns and twenty-six tribes of Eastern Mount Yue will soon all belong to our family!"