Chapter 162: Chapter 158: The Feng Family and the Flower Cyan Gang Jade Mine
The Qi Kingdom had no First-class Sects—only a single Second-class Sect and a handful of Third, Fourth, and Fifth-class Sects.
The Second-class Sect was the Ten Thousand Laws Sect, part of the Profound Sects Orthodox Camp, and they certainly weren’t going to welcome Du Youqian with open arms.
Du Youqian had no intention of freeloading off the Ten Thousand Laws Sect, so he headed straight for the Emotionless Sect, a Third-class Sect aligned with the Demon Sect Camp.
After accepting their official banquet and extorting his fill, he swaggered off.
The Emotionless Sect had already prepared the Guardian Envoy’s Mansion for Du Youqian, but he merely said, "I plan to travel the Qi Kingdom, inspecting and observing everything. What would I need a Guardian Envoy’s Mansion for?"
After leaving the Emotionless Sect, Du Youqian did just that, boarding his Flying Boat and beginning his "tour" of the Qi Kingdom.
He wandered about, randomly inspecting over a dozen Evil Pools and ore veins across the Qi Kingdom and extorting what he could from a few minor sects along the way.
「Three months later.」
Du Youqian’s Flying Boat finally arrived at the North Shore Market.
As it happened, the North Shore Market was actually located within the borders of the Wu Kingdom.
However, of the two Fifth-class Sects and five Foundation Establishment Cultivation Clans backing the marketplace, six were from the Qi Kingdom, while only one hailed from the Wu Kingdom.
Therefore, while the North Shore Market was geographically in the Wu Kingdom from a mortal standpoint, from the perspective of the Immortal Sects, it fell under the jurisdiction of the Guardian Envoy of Qi Kingdom.
Standing outside the gates of the North Shore Market, Du Youqian gazed into the distance.
He was looking toward the spot where, more than sixty years ago, a small shop named "Ruzhen Grocery Store" once stood.
The little shop was long gone, of course. But the white-haired, cautious old man at the Fifth Layer of Qi Cultivation from all those years ago had now returned, albeit with a new face.
’The world certainly worked in mysterious ways.’
Having learned of the great Guardian Envoy of Qi Kingdom’s arrival, the leaders of the two minor sects and five Foundation Establishment clans had long been waiting outside the marketplace gates. Now, seeing Du Youqian’s pensive expression, none of them dared to disturb him.
Never mind Du Youqian’s status.
The mere rumor of him suppressing a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Inner Disciple from the Taihe Sect in just three strikes, or the sight of the Kun Cultivator by his side—cradling a sword with an aura so sharp her gaze alone felt like it could inflict a wound—was enough to scare the members of these minor sects and clans into silence.
It wasn’t until Du Youqian snapped out of his reverie and stepped into the marketplace that they scrambled to follow. They showered him with flattery, willingly playing the fool in the hopes of earning a single smile from the great Guardian Envoy.
Du Youqian had no time for the whole "leader’s inspection tour" charade. Despite the eager pleas from the marketplace’s backers to visit some of its famous establishments, he remained wholly uninterested.
He simply kicked out all the tenants from the marketplace’s rental cave residences—sparing only those in Closed Death Gate seclusion—and claimed the one with the most abundant Spiritual Qi for himself.
Then, he began to meet with the leaders of the minor sects and clans one by one.
He exchanged only a few pleasantries with each of them, making it clear he wasn’t there to cause trouble, which put them at ease.
The highest cultivation among the leaders of these minor sects and clans was only Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and none of them seemed particularly noteworthy. Du Youqian quickly lost interest.
It wasn’t until the man from the Feng Family walked in and bowed that Du Youqian perked up slightly.
His gaze fell upon the man, scrutinizing him carefully. Du Youqian’s first impression was, ’This man is utterly treacherous.’
Of course, it wasn’t because of the man’s appearance.
The man was middle-aged with a well-proportioned figure, dressed in the style of a scholar. He was dignified and carried himself with an elegant air.
A thick, neatly trimmed beard adorned his jaw, and when he smiled, fine crow’s feet appeared at the corners of his eyes, giving him an amiable air.
It was said that he was exceptionally charitable, a man whose righteousness soared to the heavens.
He was known for saving people from poverty and illness, and helping those in distress.
Although on the surface he was but a minor Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator, he was actually already at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage and had friends and acquaintances all over the world.
His name immediately surfaced in Du Youqian’s mind.
Feng Siyong.
The current Patriarch of the Feng Family.
The only Foundation Establishment Cultivator currently in the Feng Family.
And Feng Bin’s... paternal cousin-uncle.
’Speaking of which, the Feng Family and I do have a bit of history.’
Back when Du Youqian opened his shop in the North Shore Market, the storefront he rented had been a Feng Family property.
"Greetings, Lord Guardian Envoy! I am Feng Siyong, Patriarch of the Feng Family. If there is anything you require during your inspection tour, the Feng Family will offer its full support!"
Feng Siyong’s voice was resonant and full of masculine vigor.
A man like him could easily win a woman’s favor.
Du Youqian recalled the sordid history between Feng Bin and Feng Siyong, which he had learned a few years ago when he performed a Soul Search on the Tribulation Cultivator Feng Bin.
Thirty-one years ago, Feng Bin had been an unremarkable Qi Cultivation Late Stage cultivator in the Feng Family. With an ordinary Spirit Root and mediocre cultivation, he was not highly regarded.
Following family assignments, he spent his years traveling the trade routes to the Wu and Han Kingdoms, peddling goods in various Blessed Lands and even Loose Cultivator settlements, all for a meager profit.
Because of this, his cultivation was greatly delayed.
In his fifties and still at the Qi Cultivation Late Stage, his hopes for reaching Foundation Establishment were all but gone.
Even if he could reach Qi Cultivation Perfection before the age of sixty, he would never be allocated a Foundation Establishment Pill by the family.
Feng Bin himself had given up on this idea, no longer harboring any illusions.
He just wanted to save up enough for the bride price to marry his fiancée, have a child with a Spirit Root, and raise that child well so they could achieve the dream of Foundation Establishment that he never could...
Until one time.
While traveling for business, he discovered the corpse of a recently deceased Foundation Establishment Cultivator. On the body, he found a priceless Spiritual Artifact Level Flying Sword, a Defensive Spiritual Artifact, some precious Talismans and Elixirs, and a Portable Array...
Feng Bin was shrewder than he appeared.
Upon discovering this stroke of fortune, he told no one. He went straight to a Blessed Land, sold the two precious Talismans and the Top Grade Defense Spiritual Artifact for several hundred Spiritual Jade, bought some valuable Cultivation Elixirs and a Foundation Establishment Pill, rented a cave residence, and began to cultivate.
Several years later, after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm with unstoppable momentum, he decided to return home in glory, planning to give his family, friends, and fiancée a wonderful surprise.
But when he arrived at his fiancée’s residence, what he found was not a wonderful surprise, but a terrible shock...
His supposedly pure and chaste fiancée—the one who wouldn’t even let him touch her hand—was stripped completely naked, straddling his own uncle, Patriarch Feng Siyong. She was grinding wildly, her eyes half-closed, obscene moans escaping uncontrollably from her throat...
Feng Bin fled.
He knew full well that he was no match for his uncle, who was already at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.
If he wanted revenge, he had to keep getting stronger.
Meanwhile, Feng Siyong quickly issued a wanted notice, claiming that Feng Bin had stolen a family treasure and was now a fugitive.
Anyone could bring Feng Bin to the Feng Family to claim a reward, dead or alive.
After killing a few bounty hunters who wanted his head, Feng Bin looted their bodies and made a small fortune.
From then on, an idea took root in his mind: ’Killing people is this profitable? Maybe I should just become a professional Tribulation Cultivator.’
And so, Feng Bin the Feng Family cultivator died, and Feng Bin the Tribulation Cultivator was born.
If that was all there was to the story, Du Youqian naturally wouldn’t have the slightest interest.
The key to the story was that after Feng Bin had just advanced to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, he had once snuck back into the Qi Kingdom, wanting revenge on Feng Siyong.
He figured out Feng Siyong’s routine. On one occasion, when Feng Siyong was having a tryst with the wife of another young family cultivator in a rental cave residence, Feng Bin secretly slipped in to assassinate him.
Unexpectedly, Feng Siyong unleashed the power of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and Feng Bin was almost killed in the counterattack.
He hastily fled the marketplace, only to sneak back in quietly later. He found a rental cave residence and began digging downward to hide.
He knew Feng Siyong must have set up an inescapable dragnet outside and wouldn’t let him flee back to the Wu Kingdom easily. Paradoxically, the safest place was right back in the marketplace—the darkest place is under the candle.
And this digging led to a major discovery.
He actually dug into a small ore vein of Flower Cyan Gang Jade.
Worried that making too much noise would alert the people in the marketplace, Feng Bin didn’t dare dig deep, only conducting a rough survey.
He estimated that the Flower Cyan Gang Jade within the ore vein was worth between 100,000 and 200,000 Spiritual Jade.
If he could mine all the Flower Cyan Gang Jade here, he’d have more than enough resources to cultivate to Foundation Establishment Perfection. Combined with his plunder, he might even be able to afford a Core Formation Spiritual Object.
And so, Feng Bin’s ambition swelled.
Later, after Feng Siyong lost his patience and removed the blockade, Feng Bin escaped back to the Wu Kingdom.
From then on, he no longer worked alone, but gathered a crew and expanded his operations.
In his heart, he even considered leading his crew in a future surprise attack on the marketplace, slaughtering the members of the Foundation Establishment clans, and secretly mining the ore vein after taking control.
Of course, not long after, Feng Bin died at Du Youqian’s hands.
His good fortune had now become Du Youqian’s good fortune.
Du Youqian watched Feng Siyong with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.
Feng Siyong felt a chill crawl up his spine from Du Youqian’s gaze. "Lord Guardian Envoy," he asked tentatively, "is there something on your mind?"
’In his mind, Du Youqian already considered him a dead man.’
It wasn’t to avenge Feng Bin, of course.
Rather, it was because this man’s influence in the marketplace ran deep. If Du Youqian wanted to mine here in secret, the slightest disturbance would surely be noticed.
’For safety’s sake, it’s better to eliminate him first.’
Besides, Du Youqian felt no psychological burden in killing such a person.
For now, however, he needed to keep the man calm. Once the arrangements were in place, he would strike like lightning.
Besides, he needed a legitimate pretext. He couldn’t let the other backers of the marketplace feel a sense of shared crisis and band together for survival.
After a moment of thought, Du Youqian spoke calmly, "Some years ago, when I was stationed in the Wu Kingdom, a Tribulation Cultivator named Feng Bin attempted to assassinate me. I killed him, of course, and announced it to all the sects and Cultivation Clans in the Wu Kingdom. Someone told me back then that this Feng Bin was originally from the Feng Family of the Qi Kingdom, but had betrayed his family. They also said the Feng Family had a bounty on his head."
"Now that I see you, Patriarch Feng, I find myself thinking about it again. I wonder, was that Feng Bin truly from your esteemed family?"
Feng Siyong’s expression didn’t change much. He just offered an embarrassed smile. "Ah, you must find our situation laughable, Lord Guardian Envoy. That Tribulation Cultivator, Feng Bin, was indeed an unworthy descendant of our Feng Family. Alas, every family has its own cross to bear! If he caused you any trouble, please allow me to offer you some compensation."
"Compensation?" Du Youqian sneered. "What would I do with your compensation? However, since your Feng Family put a bounty on his head, and I’m the one who killed him, shouldn’t the reward money go to me?"
Feng Siyong simply assumed Du Youqian was creatively soliciting a bribe and immediately broke into a happy smile. "You are absolutely right, Lord Guardian Envoy! I will go back and make preparations at once. I guarantee you will be satisfied."
