Chapter 340: The Way of the Thousand-Year Crane

"Zi Jin Palace?"

Li Rui frowned slightly: "You mean a sect called Zi Jin Palace has appeared in the Ten Thousand Mountains?"

"Yes."

Ning Zhongtian nodded.

"This Zi Jin Palace is quite cunning; though it preaches in our Yu Kingdom, its actual location lies deep within the Wu Kingdom's Ten Thousand Mountains."

"If we act rashly, we may provoke the Wu Kingdom's displeasure."

"We'll need to notify the Wu Kingdom first."

Li Rui fell silent.

As Ning Zhongtian had said.

The Zi Jin Palace's location is a no-man's-land—Yu Kingdom won't intrude on Wu Kingdom's territory, yet Wu Kingdom doesn't govern the uninhabited Ten Thousand Mountains either.

"Keep sending scouts. Find out exactly what's going on."

If it were an ordinary faction,

Li Rui wouldn't have cared.

But this Zi Jin Palace is growing louder by the day, even luring disciples from major sects to defect and join them.

The elders came knocking.

Li Rui had no choice but to intervene.

Otherwise, if all those sect elders staged a collective protest, he couldn't handle it.

"Understood."

Ning Zhongtian nodded.

He'd been running around nonstop over this matter lately.

After giving his orders,

Li Rui walked out of the Counselor's Office, hands behind his back, and soon arrived at the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

"Master."

Liang He had been waiting at the entrance of the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

Li Rui smiled and nodded: "Has the person arrived?"

"They're here already, waiting for you in the Gathering Hall."

Liang He said.

"Good."

Li Rui quickened his pace.

Soon, he reached the Gathering Hall.

Inside sat a man and a woman—the man handsome, the woman graceful; at first glance, they looked like a perfect celestial pair.

Perfect match!

"Lord Alliance Leader."

Liu Tong rose instantly, bowed respectfully to Li Rui, then pointed to the woman beside him: "This is Miss Lin from the Tianyuan Trading Association. She has come specifically to pay you a visit."

The woman beside him bowed gracefully:

"Miss Lin greets Lord Li."

Li Rui's eyebrows lifted slightly.

Look at that.

She calls him Lord Li, not Lord Alliance Leader—the difference is significant.

'Clever little girl.'

Li Rui smiled faintly.

He had come to the Heaven and Earth Alliance today precisely to meet this young woman from the Tianyuan Trading Association.

According to Liu Tong,

this girl's background was extraordinary—she could sway most of Tianyuan's business in Yunzhou.

In the past,

Li Rui would never have met her.

But now, he could—because his trip to the capital wasn't wasted; over drinks, he'd gathered plenty of important information, such as a Ministry of Revenue Vice Minister mentioning that the daughter of one of Tianyuan's vice chairmen had arrived in Yunzhou.

He came because he'd already uncovered the truth.

And he had the confidence to stand up to Tianyuan.

The Marquis of Dingyuan is the hidden backer, but as long as she doesn't overstep, no one will interfere.

The Lin clan does plenty of business with Tianyuan.

Of course, only if one has sufficient strength.

"My name is Lin Wan. My father often speaks of your exploits in the capital in his letters, and specifically sent me to pay respects to you, Elder."

Li Rui smiled:

"Merely trivial matters—Miss Lin, you flatter me."

As he'd expected,

Lin Wan had ignored Qinghe before, yet now she suddenly appeared.

Naturally, it was because of the news from the capital.

Presumably, my audience with the Emperor gave certain people the wrong impression, making them think they could profit from me.

Merchants always have sharp noses.

Lin Wan: "I'm acquainted with Brother Liu, so I asked him to arrange a meeting with you, Elder. I've brought a small token—nothing worthy of your attention."

Saying this,

a Tianyuan attendant outside swiftly entered carrying a wooden box.

Lin Wan opened the box and explained:

"Elder Li, these are Pure Calm Talismans from the Capital's Talisman House—they aid meditation and cultivation. Given your heavy duties, they'll help relieve fatigue."

Li Rui gazed with a smile at the thick stack of talismans inside the box.

Pure Calm Talismans themselves aren't cheap, and being from the Talisman House, their price rises by another thirty percent.

Such a thick stack—

the gesture was not small.

'No wonder she's from a wealthy family.'

The gift was flawless—not only valuable enough, but perfectly suited to Li Rui's needs.

In the capital, Pure Calm Talismans might be common, but in remote Yunzhou, sects skilled in talismans are scarce, and none can produce talismans of this quality.

Those from wealthy families, especially direct heirs,

are rarely wastrels.

Raised under their elders' guidance, they conduct themselves with grace and poise—something no humble peasant could match.

Liu Tong is competent,

but compared to this woman, he still falls short—especially in selecting gifts, his taste doesn't match Lin Wan's.

Li Rui gladly accepted Lin Wan's gift:

"You came—why bring gifts? Sit, sit. We're family."

Beside him, Liang He, quick to read the room, took the wooden box from the Tianyuan attendant.

Everyone sat down.

Li Rui then began his polite inquiries: "Miss Lin, are you adjusting well to Yunzhou? It's not as bustling as the capital—surely you find it dull."

Lin Wan smiled sweetly and shook her head: "No, Yunzhou's scenery is excellent—not worse than the capital. Brother Liu has shown me around; I'm practically half a Yunzhou native." Li Rui: "Good. I left the capital in haste; otherwise, I'd have visited your father."

"My father is equally regretful he didn't get to meet you, Elder."

They spoke back and forth,

the atmosphere warm and tender.

It felt like an affectionate elder caring for a promising younger relative.

They talked at length.

Sometimes about Yunzhou's customs, sometimes about the capital's intrigues.

Liu Tong and Liang He couldn't interject—they sat quietly listening.

They chatted for a full hour.

Finally,

not a single word about business had been mentioned!

Lin Wan rose with a smile to take her leave—still not a single word about commerce.

Her composure was impressive.

Liu Tong, as the intermediary, naturally went to see her off.

He wouldn't return soon.

Li Rui and his disciple Liang He remained alone in the Gathering Hall.

"Little He, what do you think?"

Liang He paused thoughtfully: "Miss Lin is truly a product of a great family—her actions are flawless, she's patient and composed. She must be an excellent businesswoman; I've heard her dealings in Yunzhou have excellent reputations."

Li Rui smiled and nodded.

"Correct."

"From now on, you and Liu Tong must be extra cautious—don't get lost in soft pleasures."

"As for business matters, handle them as you see fit."

Liang He brightened: "So Master agrees to do business with the Tianyuan Merchants' Guild?"

"Mm."

Li Rui nodded.

Doing business with the Tianyuan Merchants' Guild was always part of his plan; today's visit was to test whether Lin Wan was trustworthy.

She's a clever girl who knows when to advance and when to retreat.

That's enough.

He had already crossed into the Primordial Realm—he needed vast quantities of cultivation resources.

He couldn't keep relying on friends like Gu Changsheng who handed out gold so freely; elixirs and talismans cost money—not just silver and gold, but hard currency like spirit pills and spirit iron.

Relying solely on beast trade wouldn't let him grow substantially.

He needed to spread his efforts across multiple fronts.

If he didn't do business with the Tianyuan Merchants' Guild, where would he get his cultivation resources? Where would he get gifts for bribes and favors?

These were all massive expenditures.

Without money, he couldn't function.

This was common in the Yu Kingdom's officialdom—how could anyone survive without private wealth? A mere salary wouldn't even cover a single visit to the entertainment quarters, let alone becoming a major client.

So he had to earn money.

More precisely, earn it within the scope of his protection.

Liu Tong saw Lin Wan out of the Tian Di Alliance.

Lin Wan would stay in Qinghe for a while—likely to inspect the beast trade.

Li Rui always focused on the big picture and swiftly became a hands-off manager.

He ate lunch at the Tian Di Alliance at noon.

Then he walked out of the Tian Di Alliance.

Strolling along, he arrived at the Thousand Cranes Martial Arts Hall.

He hadn't even pulled out the waist token sent by He Qianian before the disciples at the gate recognized his identity.

"Lord Li."

They bowed respectfully one after another.

Li Rui was now the undisputed commander of the Anning Guard—these martial hall disciples couldn't stay forever; except for a few true disciples, the rest had to leave within at most ten years.

And once they left, the best option was to join the Anning Guard.

Then Li Rui would be their superior—how could they afford to be anything but respectful?

Li Rui nodded casually.

Then he strode into the Thousand Cranes Martial Arts Hall.

So many affairs had kept him in the capital; since He Qianian told him he could visit the Thousand Cranes Martial Arts Hall anytime, he had never come.

Today, Li Rui finally paid his visit.

He couldn't keep a Earth Immortal waiting too long.

After only a few steps, he saw He Qianian's eldest disciple, Xiao Yu, walking toward him.

"Lord Li, what brings you here? Please, come in."

In the adult world, only interests matter.

Their past minor friction seemed never to have happened.

Li Rui chuckled and clasped his fists: "I'm here to pay respects to Elder He."

Xiao Yu heard this.

He showed no surprise at all—he must have been forewarned by He Qianian—and immediately led Li Rui to He Qianian's courtyard.

"Master, Lord Li of the Anning Guard is here to see you."

Xiao Yu said this outside the courtyard gate.

Soon, He Qianian's booming voice came from within: "Let him in."

With He Qianian's permission granted,

Xiao Yu pushed open the courtyard gate.

Li Rui saw He Qianian bare-chested, lifting a single iron block taller than a man—utterly absurd.

"Nine You Cold Iron?!"

Li Rui instantly recognized the material of the massive iron block in He Qianian's hands.

He sucked in a sharp breath.

Nine You Cold Iron was famed for its weight; two blocks this size were no less than a small mountain.

And yet He Qianian lifted them as if they were nothing.

Mountain-moving!

He Qianian spotted Li Rui entering the courtyard and set down the two iron blocks with effortless ease.

The ground trembled slightly, emitting a deep boom.

He turned his head and snorted:

"You brat, I'm glad you finally remembered to come."

(End of Chapter)