Chapter 57 : Chapter 57

Chapter 57: Promotion to a Level 2 Family

【Congratulations, Host. The system mission has been completed. System rewards are now being distributed.......】

Inside the seclusion chamber, the System’s warm and kindly voice suddenly rang out in Li Xingge’s mind.

At last, it had come.

Li Xingge had been waiting a long time for this.

【Congratulations, Host. You have obtained three first-tier Spirit-Gathering Arrays. The Host may decide where to place the Spirit-Gathering Arrays.】

【Congratulations, Host. You have obtained one first-tier clan-protecting grand array. The clan-protecting grand array has already been deployed automatically and will activate on its own when foreign enemies invade.】

【Congratulations, Host. You have obtained one hundred Body Tempering Pills!】

【Congratulations, Host. The fortune of all members of your family has increased! It can bring your family members good luck and opportunities, and can also affect their cultivation and growth.】

【Congratulations, Host. You have obtained one Innate Cultivator Experience Card!】

【Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the lower-level cultivator cultivation speed increase buff. The buff has automatically taken effect!】

Just when Li Xingge thought this round of system announcements had ended,

the System’s voice rang out once more:

【Congratulations, Host. The System has detected that your family’s fortune now meets the requirements for promotion to a Level 2 family. Do you wish to advance?】

Li Xingge answered without the slightest hesitation, “Yes.”

【Family level promotion in progress.......】

At the moment the System announced the family’s promotion, brilliant multicolored light suddenly bloomed across the sky above all of Qingfeng Valley. Faintly, it even seemed that a dragon’s roar could be heard. This was the manifestation of fortune rank advancement.

【Congratulations, Host. Your family level has successfully advanced to: Lv 2】

【The System has detected that the Host’s family level has risen to Level 2. Family promotion rewards are now being distributed!】

【Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the special physique 【Innate Stainless Dao Body】. Those who possess this physique will greatly increase their cultivation speed, their comprehension will rise to the highest level, and they will encounter no bottlenecks before the Divine Palace Realm!】

【Congratulations, Host. You have obtained a growable fortune divine artifact: 【Hundred Ghost Banner】. The Host may seize the souls of others and draw them into the Hundred Ghost Banner for your use. Available slots within the banner: 0/100. The souls taken in may not exceed the Qi-Blood Realm.】

【Congratulations, Host. You have obtained one volume of the Basic Alchemy Manual. After fully mastering the Basic Alchemy Manual, one may advance to become a first-tier alchemist.】

【Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the Top Profound-Grade cultivation art 【Clearheart Art】, as well as its paired Top Profound-Grade martial technique 【Clearheart Sword Art】.】

【Congratulations, Host. You have obtained five Mid Profound-Grade cultivation arts and five Mid Profound-Grade martial techniques, one each in saber, spear, sword, fist, and leg.】

【Congratulations, Host. Three clan members with seventh-grade talent and ten clan members with eighth-grade talent will be born within the family!】

【Congratulations, Host. You have obtained five top-grade Qi-Blood Pills. These are second-tier top-grade medicinal pills, capable of increasing the success rate of breaking through into the Qi-Blood Realm by 50%.】

【Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the comprehension increase buff. (Lv 1: can increase the comprehension of family members by 10%)】

【Congratulations, Host. The family cultivation increase buff has automatically risen to Lv 2. (All clan members’ cultivation speed increases by 20%)】

【Congratulations, Host. The Many Sons, Many Blessings Buff has automatically risen to Lv 2. (The birth rate of newborns within the family rises to 20%) New effect: (The chance of twins being born within the family is 5%)】

Hearing that long series of system notifications, Li Xingge could not help drawing in a sharp breath. And after seeing clearly what rewards the System had granted, he involuntarily swallowed.

This was a comprehensive strengthening of both himself and the family in every aspect.

System, you truly are incredible!

Li Xingge gave the System a thumbs-up.

At the same time, above Qingfeng Valley, countless specks of multicolored starlight—too fine for the naked eye to clearly perceive—drifted down like snowflakes, merging into the bodies of every Li Clan member and quietly strengthening their spirit, essence, and physical constitution.

And Li Xingge, after obtaining the Innate Stainless Dao Body and the Top Profound-Grade cultivation art, also could not wait to begin cultivating.

The instant he entered cultivation, Li Xingge felt his mind grow clear and his thoughts become perfectly unobstructed. Compared to before, his cultivation speed had increased severalfold.

Sure enough, hard work and talent still could not compare to having cheat-like advantages.

......

“Grand Elder, there are still two remaining Song Clan survivors who slipped through the net. Their identities are somewhat special, so they are difficult for us to handle.”

Li Xuanzhong, the Enforcement Hall elder responsible for hunting down the remnants of the four families, reported this to the Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder raised a brow in surprise. “What is going on?”

“One of those two remaining survivors is our Baihe County’s County Lieutenant, and the other is the County Magistrate’s adviser. The two of them escaped our pursuit and have now hidden themselves inside the yamen, refusing to come out.”

Li Xuanzhong said with a bitter smile.

The Grand Elder frowned slightly. If that were the case, then the matter truly would not be easy to handle.

The Li Clan had not yet grown arrogant enough to storm into the yamen and kill people. That would amount to the grave crime of rebellion.

Although the Great Zhou Dynasty had declined, a dead camel was still larger than a horse. If the imperial court truly took the matter seriously, it could casually wipe out hundreds or thousands of families like the Li Clan with a single breath.

After pondering for a long while, the Grand Elder said gravely, “I will personally make a trip to the county yamen and negotiate with the County Magistrate.”

.......

Inside Baihe County’s county yamen,

County Lieutenant Song Tianshou and adviser Song Tao were kneeling before County Magistrate Gu Zhiting, wailing and sobbing with tears and snot streaming down their faces.

“County Magistrate, you must uphold justice for us! The Li Clan holds no regard for the law. In broad daylight, they openly attempted to murder officials of the imperial court. They clearly hold neither the imperial court nor you, County Magistrate, in any regard at all!”

Gu Zhiting sat comfortably in a grand armchair, leisurely sipping freshly brewed tea. Looking at the two wretches kneeling before him in miserable condition, mockery and ridicule flickered through his eyes.

These two men had once relied upon the Song Clan’s influence and strutted about with their noses in the air, never putting him in their eyes.

Who could have imagined that they too would have such a day?

Of course, though he was gloating inwardly, none of it showed on his face.

He merely swept out his sleeve and feigned fury. “This Li Clan has gone too far.”

Seeing the County Magistrate apparently angered, the adviser’s eyes lit up. He hurriedly said, “County Magistrate, this Li Clan has slaughtered great families and harmed common people under your rule. This is plain rebellion! If you were to submit a memorial to the imperial court and have them dispatch a great army to annihilate the Li Clan, that would be a tremendous merit for you!”

The County Lieutenant chimed in as well. “What the adviser says is absolutely right, County Magistrate. With such merit, perhaps you might even be promoted further!”

Seeing how desperately the two were trying to entice him, Gu Zhiting sneered inwardly. These two bastards were practically rattling their abacus beads in his face. Did they really think Gu Zhiting was a fool?

Most likely, the instant his letter was sent out, word would spread the very next moment that the county yamen had been overrun by bandits and that County Magistrate Gu Zhiting had heroically died for his country.

“I understand both of your feelings very well. But these are troubled times, and the imperial court is deploying troops in all directions. It truly cannot spare the men. Besides, there is no conclusive evidence that the Li Clan is plotting rebellion. To falsely accuse a worthy family for nothing would harm the imperial court’s image of wise virtue.”

Gu Zhiting said, deliberately muddying the waters.

How could the County Lieutenant and the adviser fail to see that Gu Zhiting was only trying to fob them off? They inwardly cursed him as a coward. Just as they were about to continue speaking, a yamen runner entered and leaned close to Gu Zhiting’s ear, whispering a few words.

A grave expression appeared on Gu Zhiting’s face. He nodded to the yamen runner and said, “Please ask the guest to wait a moment longer. I will be there shortly.”

“Yes, County Magistrate.”

The yamen runner withdrew.

For some reason, a sudden sense of dread rose in the hearts of both the County Lieutenant and the adviser. They hurriedly clutched Gu Zhiting’s legs and pleaded, “County Magistrate, for the sake of our years as colleagues, you must save us!”

“You are both officials of the imperial court. Conducting yourselves in this manner truly disgraces the face of the court.”

With that, he shook the two men off and strode toward the guest hall.

Inside the guest hall, the Li Clan’s Grand Elder, Li Xuantong, had already been waiting for quite some time.

Seeing the County Magistrate arrive, Li Xuantong was the first to rise and cup his fists in greeting. “Li Xuantong, Grand Elder of the Li Clan, greets County Magistrate.”

Gu Zhiting hurriedly waved a hand and said with a smile, “Grand Elder Li is a rare guest indeed. Since you have come today, what business brings you here?”

Li Xuantong went straight to the point and made no effort to hide it. “I ask that County Magistrate hand over those two remaining Song Clan remnants.”

Seeing Li Xuantong act with such force, Gu Zhiting narrowed his eyes, displeasure rising in his heart. He said coolly, “The yamen is an important seat of government. Where would there be any Song Clan remnants here?”

Li Xuantong let out a light laugh and gently clapped his hands. Under Gu Zhiting’s puzzled gaze, a Li Clan cultivator stepped forward carrying a chest and placed it before him. Gu Zhiting opened the chest, and the dazzling gold inside made it impossible for him to look away.

Once the chest was closed again, Gu Zhiting reluctantly dragged his eyes away from it and pretended to be angry. “Grand Elder, what are you doing?”

“Five hundred taels of gold. A small token of regard.”

The Grand Elder said with a smile.

Gu Zhiting replied, “They are in the rear courtyard.”

“There is one more matter. The post of County Lieutenant is about to fall vacant. A junior of my Li Clan is very willing to serve the imperial court.”

Gu Zhiting shook his head. “The post of County Lieutenant is an eighth-rank office. I only have the right to recommend. The right of appointment lies in the prefectural yamen.”

The Grand Elder chuckled softly. “The prefectural side is something my Li Clan will naturally handle. County Magistrate need only submit the name of my Li Clan’s young man.”

Gu Zhiting’s heart trembled, and after a moment he nodded.

Seeing that every objective of this visit had already been accomplished, the Grand Elder rose to his feet and cupped his fists. “County Magistrate is burdened with many affairs. This old man will not continue to trouble you. Please stay here.”

With those words, he turned and departed.

Watching the Grand Elder’s retreating back, the smile on Gu Zhiting’s face gradually faded, and only a deep sense of helplessness remained.

One Song Clan had fallen, and now an even more overbearing Li Clan had risen.

How much longer would he have to continue as this puppet?