Chapter 21: Integrating Forces

Seeing Senior Si Yuanbai disappear into the horizon on the flying shuttle, Li Xiangping stood up, picked up the wooden slip on the table, untied the cloth strip on it, and spread it out to look.

"Qingyuan Wheel-Nurturing Method, First Grade."

He browsed through it roughly. This technique was a cultivation method for the Great Breath realm. Just as he was reading it with a frown, he heard Li Tongya give a light "eh":

"Naturally, it cannot compare to that mirr... my family's technique."

Li Xiangping just wanted to mention the mirror, but feared that Senior Si Yuanbai would return, so he had to change his words.

"Is that Senior Si Yuanbai really a Peak Master of the Qingchi Sect? Chi'er just followed him like that, it's a bit too rash."

Li Tongya said with a bitter smile:

"What other way do we have? If he were some evil cultivator, he could have kidnapped people, why bother to chatter with us and leave behind techniques and certificates?"

Li Xiangping nodded, picked up the second wooden slip on the table, and spread it out to look:

"Tianyuan Qi Refining Technique, Qi Refining Stage cultivation technique, Second Grade."

Li Tongya also picked one up and read to himself:

"Li Xia Secret Notes."

After reading a few more sentences, he couldn't help but be overjoyed and said to Li Xiangping:

"These secret notes record many cultivation common sense, the distribution of forces in Li Xia County, and the trading markets for loose cultivators, which is exactly what we urgently need now."

Li Xiangping took the wooden slip and looked at it, and replied thoughtfully:

"So techniques are divided into nine grades, with the first grade being the worst and the ninth grade being the best. Techniques, elixirs, and magic tools correspond to the realm, but I don't know what grade my family's technique is."

Seeing his brother concentrating on reading the secret notes, Li Tongya picked up the pale green jade seal left by Senior Si Yuanbai and silently urged his magic power.

"Under the governance of Qingchi."

A few pale golden characters appeared on the jade seal, and then the characters slowly disappeared, replaced by a bright white "Li" character and a small map.

"Lijing Village, Lichuan Mouth, Jingyang Village, Lidao Mouth."

Li Mutian narrowed his eyes and identified them for a while, reading out the names of these villages one by one. These four villages were exactly the villages from Guli Road to the foot of Mount Dali that Senior Si Yuanbai mentioned.

"With the endorsement of the Qingchi Immortal Sect, my Li family also has enough strength, so we don't need to hide anymore, let's cultivate our forces openly!"

"These villages are my Li family's."

Li Xiangping, who was reading with his head down, suddenly looked up and said calmly:

"Let's start from tomorrow night."

————

Chen Erniu got up early in the morning and saw the Li family's tenants moving like fish through the village, pulling people from house to house.

"Aunt Li! Tell your Li brother, go to the back of the village after working in the fields tonight, Uncle Tian has something important to discuss!"

"Ah! Alright..."

"Brother Liu! The Li family invites you..."

For a time, it was chaotic, and everyone was full of doubts. It was not easy to wait until dusk, and Chen Erniu hurried to the back of the village after eating.

As one of the largest households in the village, the Li family had a strong appeal. Chen Erniu looked up and saw that all the large and small households in the village had arrived, and even the middle-aged man Xu Wenshan, who was the leader of the refugees a few years ago, was standing respectfully behind Li Xiangping.

"Damn it, I'm late."

Chen Erniu cursed in a low voice. Now this Xu Wenshan had also become a tenant of the Li family. He spoke well and knew how to behave. He led a dozen refugee households to huddle together for warmth, and had vaguely replaced him, Chen Erniu, as the leader of the tenants, which made Chen Erniu gnash his teeth.

Looking around, he didn't see Li Mutian, but saw Li Xiangping stand out and say with a smile:

"Sorry to disturb you all, but now there is good news to tell everyone."

Watching everyone listening attentively, Li Xiangping continued:

"Last night, an immortal from the Qingchi Immortal Sect passed by here. Seeing that my younger brother Li Chi had outstanding talent, he took him to the Immortal Mountain to study immortal techniques."

As soon as these words came out, it was like a giant stone thrown into a calm lake, shocking everyone. People looked at each other, staring at Li Xiangping blankly as if listening to a story.

"Congratulations."

It was the teacher Han Wenxu who sighed and congratulated him in a loud voice.

Han Wenxu came from the city and was well-informed. After hearing Li Xiangping mention the Qingchi Immortal Sect, he understood in his heart that this matter was mostly true. Chi'er must have had spiritual apertures and was taken away by the immortal cultivator of the Qingchi Sect.

"Everyone has their own fate."

Han Wenxu sighed softly and said for Li Xiangping:

"Chi'er being able to enter the Immortal Sect is the blessing of the whole village."

Han Wenxu had lived in the village for more than twenty years, practicing medicine to save people and teaching to solve puzzles, and was already an authority in the village. Once he spoke, Li Xiangping's words finally had some credibility. Most of the villagers still couldn't help but whisper to each other.

Li Xiangping looked indifferent, revealed a jade seal in his hand, and urged his magic power. Four golden characters appeared.

"Under the governance of Qingchi."

"God!"

Seeing this divine means, everyone was in an uproar. Many people knelt down and kowtowed, shouting loudly. Chen Erniu was also shocked and looked at the top with surprise.

Li Xiangping watched the "Li" character finish appearing, put away the jade seal, looked at the crowd below, and said loudly:

"The immortal also bestowed immortal techniques, ordering my Li family to guard Lijing Village, Lichuan Mouth, Jingyang Village, and Lidao Mouth."

After speaking, he pinched lightly in his palm, and brilliant golden light appeared from his palm. He flicked his wrist lightly, and the golden light whistled out, disappearing into the continuous forest, with a roar, stirring up flocks of birds.

As soon as this Jin Guang Technique came out, the people kneeling below suddenly knelt down in a row. Even the head of the Liu family, Liu Linfeng, knelt down tremblingly, staring blankly at him.

"You don't need to be like this, we are relatives and fellow villagers, Xiangping cannot afford it."

Looking down at the kneeling crowd, Li Xiangping remained unmoved and said lightly.

Chen Erniu listened to Li Xiangping's voice, pressed his head tightly against the ground, and was in a mess in his shock, with only a few large characters left in his mind.

"The sky is going to change."

————

Li Tongya walked slowly out of Lichuan Mouth, and Li Yesheng behind him held cloth in one hand and a charcoal pen in the other, scribbling something crookedly.

"Lichuan Mouth suffered from that drought more than ten years ago, and it still hasn't recovered. There are only a hundred households, which is really pitiful."

Li Tongya said as he walked, turning his head to tell Li Yesheng.

"Brother, we cleared out the large households in Lichuan Mouth and averaged the land. The villagers have no rent to pay. This one-tenth land tax is very loose!"

Li Yesheng replied respectfully, put away the charcoal pen in his hand, handed it to the villagers following behind, and bowed and said in a low voice:

"After all, we need to send someone to be in charge, but our Li family really doesn't have anyone who can read and write and can be brought out."

"No need to worry."

Li Tongya waved his hand, pinched a Cleansing Technique in Li Yesheng's envious eyes, brushed off the dust on his body, and replied slowly:

"Father and Xiangping will arrange it." ===== CHAPTER 22 =====