Chapter 349: The Rui Clan

In these hills lies a Qi Refining-level Spirit Jade vein, jointly controlled by five Embryonic Breath families who mine it for the Xiao clan; they are known as the Five Spirit Jade Families.

After walking a few more miles and entering the territory of the Rui clan, which borders the Li clan, they saw two small plots of spirit fields. The remaining troops scattered, jumping into the fields to pull up the rice, leaving only about a hundred men behind him.

"This is spirit rice!"

Four squads of clan soldiers had already passed through, yet this spirit rice had remained untouched. Now, in the blink of an eye, it was being trampled to nothing. Li Li Xicheng reined in his horse and stood, shouting a symbolic reprimand.

Although Li Li Xicheng cherished the clan's younger generation and often supported them with money and grain, he only helped those brothers who possessed genuine talent. He held no fondness for these fops who tarnished the family name. As he rode slowly along the small path, he thought to himself:

"The lazy and stupid ones ran off on the road, and now another batch of greedy and stupid ones has been sent over. That leaves..."

As he held his long spear and mentally tallied the numbers, a troop of soldiers approached from the front and said respectfully:

"Young Master, the formation has been broken. Please, ascend the mountain!"

Li Li Xicheng nodded, observed the terrain, squeezed his horse's flanks, and asked in confusion:

"Since they have raised such a large mine as the Spirit Jade vein, why is the earth's pulse and spiritual energy here so barren?"

The spirit fields here were so poor that even a minor branch of the Li clan wouldn't bother to plant them, yet the Rui clan used them for spirit rice. The scarcity of spiritual energy in the territory was evident. Li Li Xicheng only thought:

"Forget two harvests a year; it probably takes seven or eight years for a single harvest! No wonder the five families near this Spirit Jade mine haven't produced a single Qi Refining cultivator in all these years."

Rui Clan Peak.

The great formation on the Rui clan's small peak had long since shattered with a roar. It wasn't even the Li clan who broke it; Chen Chen Mufeng had attacked it symbolically a few times and shouted the Li clan's name, and the other side had hurriedly opened the formation.

Remembering the instructions from home, Li Li Xicheng first went to the summit to inspect the spirit spring.

The spirit spring on Rui Clan Peak was a pool of clear green, slightly cold, with a lower spiritual energy content than the one on Wan Huaqian Mountain back home. Unsure if it was suitable, he filled a small jade bottle to take back for examination.

Having arranged the most important matter, Li Li Xicheng stepped into the Rui clan's main hall, his boots crunching on the snow.

Before him stood a young man in armor, holding a long halberd—it was Chen Chen Mufeng. After breaking the mountain, he had been waiting there for Li Li Xicheng. He stood in the hall with two rows of clan soldiers holding blades, the atmosphere chilling.

Chen Chen Mufeng was the nephew of Chen Donghe and the disciple and son-in-law of Li Ye Qiuyang. Although the Chen clan didn't have many members with spiritual apertures, those who did were outstanding. Chen Chen Mufeng was only twenty-seven and already possessed the cultivation of the fifth layer of Embryonic Breath, the Jade Capital Wheel.

Although he had only recently broken through and his cultivation wasn't yet stable, he had hopes of reaching the Qi Refining realm by thirty. He was immediately valued and promoted by the Li clan, making him a hot commodity within the clan.

As soon as Li Li Xicheng entered, the Rui clansmen scrambled down, kneeling in unison before him. The white-haired elder at the head held a jade seal high, his head bowed as he said:

"The Rui clan respectfully welcomes the Great House's general. We humbly offer the green seal, willing to serve as dogs and horses for the powerful clan, to run errands and serve, never to rebel..."

This old man of the Rui clan appeared to be the one with the highest cultivation in the family, yet he was only at the fourth layer of Embryonic Breath—not even as strong as Chen Chen Mufeng. He dared not offend the Li clan, which had Foundation Establishment masters and many Qi Refining cultivators, so he held the "Under the Governance of Mount Qingchi" jade seal high.

Chen Chen Mufeng had worked as a servant in the marketplace and, after returning home, had led men to slaughter the East Shanyue nobles, becoming a general. He was experienced and, watching the Rui elder's lips move, saw that he was clearly well-versed in surrendering. He said with some disdain:

"The words are certainly pretty!"

"Eh."

Li Li Xicheng did not respond to him. He looked around and saw two small piles of spirit rice to the side; they looked like offerings, pitifully few—not even as much as his own clan's stipend. He glanced at them and moved on.

However, on the floor, arranged on jade plates, were dozens of white, powdery, tender-looking things that looked quite cute. There were also five or six jade bottles, overflowing with blood energy.

Although Li Li Xicheng had spent several years in the East East Shanyue and understood many spiritual objects, he had rarely encountered the secret dealings of cultivators. He asked with slight confusion:

"What is this?"

The Rui elder hurriedly presented them. The fleshy things were tender and cute. He said respectfully:

"This object is called 'Rice Meat.' The Yu clan... the Yu thieves used to demand this as an offering."

Li Li Xicheng watched for a moment, feeling inexplicably creeped out. He waved him away. Chen Chen Mufeng, who had already learned about it, looked grim and whispered in his ear:

"The so-called 'Rice Meat' is raised using rice; it refers to mortals. It should be refined using secret techniques. And 'Blood Hash' is just a refined term for blood energy."

Li Li Xicheng's face turned pale, but he had good self-restraint and said nothing. The Rui elder looked at their expressions and immediately realized he had flattered the wrong person. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and say:

"This humble one did not know the noble clan disliked such things. I fear I have offended you; I beg the lord to forgive me! This humble one is called Rui Rui Qiongcuo. My ancestors... my ancestors were enlightened by the Xiao clan."

Rui Rui Qiongcuo was trying to pull in a backer. Chen Chen Mufeng glanced at him and ignored him as well.

The Rui clan and the several families around this Spirit Jade mine had all been enlightened by the Xiao clan in their early years to mine minerals for them. To put it nicely, they were vassals; to put it bluntly, they were mine slaves. Surrendering was just surrendering; they didn't find it shameful.

The Xiao clan hadn't given them any proof, but the Li clan naturally couldn't annex the vassals of their own backer. Seeing Li Li Xicheng remain silent, Chen Chen Mufeng also stood still.

Rui Rui Qiongcuo's heart was pounding. After all, it was common knowledge that the Xiao clan had been attacked, and he didn't know the extent of their casualties. This made the old fox, who was usually very shrewd, feel uneasy:

"The Li clan... is also supported by the Xiao clan. Perhaps nothing will happen?"

Just as he was thinking this, another person came up from outside the hall. The Rui elder, who hadn't cultivated spiritual sense, only heard Chen Chen Mufeng, who held the long halberd, respectfully call out "Master." Assuming it was a Qi Refining cultivator, he hurriedly lowered his head, not daring to speak.

The person who arrived was Li Ye Qiuyang. After all, these small clans were at most Embryonic Breath cultivators, so there was no need to trouble the Li clan's direct Qi Refining members; they only sent Li Ye Qiuyang and others.

Li Ye Qiuyang tightened his robes, still covered in snow, looking thoughtful. He held a pale green, diamond-shaped mineral in his hand and said softly:

"I followed the clan's orders and went to investigate the Spirit Jade mine jointly excavated by the five families."

"Thank you for your trouble, Clan Elder."

Li Li Xicheng responded. Seeing Li Ye Qiuyang's hesitant expression, he silently put away the mineral and said in a deep voice:

"Since the Rui clan has entered the Li clan's fold, there should be constraints. You must no longer use humans as spiritual materials to make 'Rice Meat' or 'Blood Hash.' My family takes this matter most seriously. I ask the Rui clan not to test the law with their own bodies."

This matter was not glorious, and now that Li Li Xicheng had stated it so bluntly, Rui Rui Qiongcuo couldn't hold his head up. He was submissive and secretly lamented:

"So overbearing... When the Yu clan was here, they demanded blood energy as an offering. Now that the Li clan has replaced them, they've banned Rice Meat. Every noble family has its own temper. But my earth's pulse is barren; if I don't harvest some of the old, weak, sick, and disabled as medicine... what else can I do!"

Although the five families had good things like the Spirit Jade mine on their land, the spiritual veins and energy seemed to have been gathered away by the mine itself. A large area was barren land with extremely poor spiritual energy. It was too difficult for the Rui clan to grow spirit rice and spiritual objects, so they could only survive by various means...

Li Li Xicheng looked at his submissive appearance, organized his thoughts, and continued:

"My family's head knows your situation. We don't want your offerings for nothing. We allow the Rui clan to send people to our territory, under Mount Yuting Peak, to plant rice and study. My family will only take a twenty percent rent."

The old man was stunned for a full breath. The cunning in his eyes was gone, replaced by deep bewilderment. He looked at Li Li Xicheng's face and said somewhat dazedly:

"Go under Mount Yuting Peak, plant rice..."

The Rui elder muttered twice, his eyes reddening. He hurriedly asked:

"May I ask how much offering the Noble Clan intends to collect?"

"Taking your family's spirit spring water and that twenty percent rent counts as the offering!"

Li Li Xicheng waved his hand. The Rui elder still looked incredulous, staring blankly.

Rui Rui Qiongcuo naturally knew how fertile the noble families' land was and how abundant their spiritual energy was. He had once harbored greed, but when he was managing the family, the Ji clan was at its most prosperous, and Ji Ji Dengqi was particularly overbearing; it wasn't his turn to covet it.

Later, the Ji clan left and the An clan came; the An clan left and the Li clan came. With things like the 【Bai Bai Jade Hand】 and the 【Moon Palace Sword】, they were even more powerful; they could destroy his family with a single breath.

As for secretly selling the mine... the Xiao clan's pulse-seeking techniques were profound. They knew exactly how much ore was missing from the mine and how much was handed over to them. Once exposed, it would be a disaster that would destroy the entire clan.

The Rui clan hadn't thought about fleeing this poor place, but the Xiao clan sent people every year to collect ore, and the Rui clan really didn't dare to move. They could only struggle on year after year.

Now that there was hope, decades of bitterness welled up in his heart. For a moment, tears streamed down his face, and he said respectfully:

"Thank you, Young Master!"

Seeing the Rui elder bowing to the ground, looking deeply moved, Li Li Xicheng was slightly surprised.

The order had been given by Li Brother Yuanping. He hadn't thought that much about it. The Li clan was short-handed, and there were large areas of empty spirit fields under Mount Yuting Peak. It was just the difference between leaving them idle and renting them out.

"That's enough."

The Rui elder had become a kowtowing machine. Li Li Xicheng ordered someone to help him up. The old man's face was covered in tears; he seemed truly moved.

The Rui clan's gratitude was of no use to the Li clan, but Li Li Xicheng was a good-natured person. Seeing the old man's moved appearance, he was in a good mood and said some comforting words. On the other side, Tian Tian Zhongqing also brought people over.

The Pu clan was similarly full of thanks and sent over two Embryonic Breath cultivators.

"Then let's return home."

Li Li Xicheng settled everything, warned the Rui clan repeatedly, and had a copy of the Rui clan's cultivation technique transcribed. A careful look revealed it was indeed common goods that the family already had, so he had no choice but to lead the troops back to the clan.

————

Li Li Xicheng returned with over a hundred men. The Mount Yuting Guard had executed over a thousand for disobeying military and family law, and the rest were stripped of their clan names and released to the East Shanyue. The clan was cleansed.

This charge was firmly established. Li Brother Yuanping not only didn't have to bicker with this group of clan elders and uncles, but he also took the opportunity to rectify the family style. With this major matter settled, his steps felt lighter.

"It's just that this group of clan elders and uncles aren't stupid; they've been seen through. My reputation will inevitably be unpleasant."

Sitting at the wide table, Li Brother Yuanping picked up a small letter and frowned.

This letter was written by An Jiyan, who was stationed at Wan Huaqian Mountain. The Rui clan's spirit spring had been sent over long ago, filling seven or eight jade bottles, but the old monkey had resolutely thrown them all out of the cave one by one.

An Jiyan had gestured with the old monkey like a monkey for a long time before understanding that the Rui clan's spirit spring was too cold and contained some gold poison. If it were poured down like this, it would likely destroy the spirit root.

"This!"

Li Brother Yuanping broke into a cold sweat upon hearing this news and silently rejoiced. If it weren't for the old monkey's oversight, wouldn't this Foundation Establishment-level cash cow have been wasted in vain?

Silently recording a merit for the old monkey in his heart, Li Brother Yuanping thought about whether to send someone to investigate the spring water while calling up Li Ye Qiuyang, who claimed to have an important matter to report.

Li Ye Qiuyang looked serious, took a pale green mineral from his storage bag, and whispered:

"Reporting to the Clan Head, we checked the minerals that the five Spirit Jade families claimed were Spirit Jade and brought back samples."

After speaking, he handed over the mineral. Li Li Yuanjiao took it and looked; it was pale green and eye-catching, carrying some golden light. This mineral was a Qi Refining-level spiritual object and could harm the human body. Fearing it would hurt Li Brother Yuanping, Li Ye Qiuyang had already sealed it with magic.

Li Brother Yuanping couldn't make heads or tails of it, but Li Ye Qiuyang already said solemnly:

"This is not Spirit Jade; it is Cuiyuan Copper Essence. It is a very rare spiritual object. I only learned about it while chatting with Xiao clan cultivators."

"Cuiyuan Copper Essence is a Qi Refining-level spiritual object that requires Embryonic Breath cultivators to mine. Its nature is cold and fierce, most damaging to the body. Mining it without breaking through to Qi Refining hinders one's path and lifespan, making it increasingly difficult to break through in the future."

"The five Spirit Jade families mined it year after year without knowing. The copper essence also contaminates the spirit fields and harms spiritual objects. The reason the entire five Spirit Jade families couldn't grow much spirit rice or spiritual objects is because of this thing."

Li Brother Yuanping felt a chill down his back and suddenly realized. He put down the copper essence and nodded:

"So that's it... No wonder the five Spirit Jade families remained at Embryonic Breath for so many years and never produced a few Qi Refining cultivators. No wonder the Xiao clan wanted to enlighten other clans. Firstly, the Mount Qingchi Sect strictly forbids crossing peaks and connecting counties, fearing it would irritate the Mount Qingchi Sect; secondly, they were reluctant to send their own people to mine it."

After just a little consideration, the doubts in Li Brother Yuanping's heart were explained. He muttered:

"No wonder the spring water had gold poison; it was likely contaminated by the Cuiyuan Copper Essence."

He felt much more relaxed and asked:

"Have the cultivators of the Rui and Pu clans been arranged?"

"They have been arranged. We marked the territory under Mount Yuting Peak to plant spirit rice."

Li Ye Qiuyang replied. Li Brother Yuanping picked up a vermilion brush, wrote a few words on the small letter sent by An Jiyan, handed it to him, and said softly:

"Please trouble the Clan Uncle to forward it to Wutuo Peak."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 350 =====