Li Fucai's Influence

Inside the underground secret chamber, Li Fucai and Li Yan sat facing each other.

"What exactly do you want?"

Li Fucai stared fixedly at Li Yan, as though trying his utmost to see straight through him.

"Hahahaha! What I want—hadn't Master Li already figured it out?"

"I won't help you!"

Ha. This matter is not for Master Li to decide."

"You'll drag my Li Family into an abyss of eternal damnation!"

Li Fucai hammered the table until it rang with bangs, wishing he could swallow Li Yan alive and skin him raw.

Yet the remnants of his reason kept him from acting rashly. Though the man before him had used clever tricks to deal with Black Cloud Stronghold, this venture could not possibly have been so simple. Without extraordinary wit, strategy, and strength, even a plan would never have achieved such a result.

A person like this was every bit as dangerous as Wu Zongren—if not more so!

Moreover, Li Fucai could not deny that some of Li Yan's words had indeed struck a chord with him.

He was a merchant, and merchants were best at seeking profit and avoiding harm. The brat before him was certainly no good person, but compared with him, Wu Zongren was undoubtedly the true scourge.

After a long while, perhaps unable to think of a way to break the deadlock himself, Li Fucai finally said, "Hmph. My troubles have yet to be resolved, and Three Fiends Ridge is still a threat."

"If you can't even deal with Three Fiends Ridge, then I'll pretend you never mentioned what you said today."

After pondering briefly, Li Yan nodded. "Fine. But before that, there are some things I would like to know."

"Hmph. Speak."

"Brother Shangguan said that you could help the Shangguan Family through their crisis. I want to know—what does Master Li intend to do?"

"Hahahahaha! Brat, don't think knowing a few tricks means you can do whatever you please. There is still plenty you don't know."

"Have you heard the old saying? Money can make ghosts turn millstones!"

Master Li truly could help the Shangguan Family weather this crisis, and his method was very direct.

He was highly renowned in the business world and had friends everywhere. All he needed to do was use his own name to have the merchants with businesses in Dongjiang City halt their shipments of goods there, allowing only the Shangguan Family's merchandise to enter. Within half a month, Dongjiang City would be completely unable to do without the Shangguan Family.

As for Dongjiang City trying to force the issue, even the Shangguan Family's shops would close their doors, and Dongjiang City would swiftly fall into the desperate straits of exhausted supplies and empty granaries.

Li Yan nodded in understanding. The method was not far from what he had guessed, but it was even more overbearing than he had imagined. Making other merchants suspend trade—was that not the same as cutting off their financial lifelines?

If they could agree even to that, then there were only two possibilities.

First, Li Fucai possessed the ability to easily seize these merchants by the throat, leaving them no choice but to submit.

Second, he would buy out their goods at higher prices and forcibly keep them under his control.

Of course, it was also possible that he would employ both methods in tandem.

But regardless of which it was, Li Yan now had some understanding of Li Fucai's wealth and influence.

"In that case, Master Li may begin making preparations. I will resolve the trouble at Three Fiends Ridge as quickly as possible."

"You? Hahahahahaha!" Li Fucai suddenly burst into laughter. "Do you know what kind of place Three Fiends Ridge is? Surely you don't think those little tricks of yours will be of any use there?"

Seeing Li Yan's confusion, Li Fucai sneered and began explaining Three Fiends Ridge.

The so-called Three Fiends Ridge was actually three mountaintops shrouded in mist all year round. Eighteen people lived upon those mountains, and the eighteen were as close as siblings, supporting one another. Whether facing invaders or going out to plunder, they always acted together.

Furthermore, every one of those eighteen was an expert. Even the weakest had reached the Ninth Level of Body Tempering, while their strongest leader had attained the eighth level of the Qi Condensation Realm.

For Li Yan alone to try and deal with all eighteen of them was nothing more than a fool's dream.

"Whether I can accomplish it is my concern. But Master Li, when I return, I hope to hear the good news I want."

With that, Li Yan did not linger any longer and turned to leave.

After Li Yan had gone far away, Li Fucai hurriedly stood and picked up the ledger again. He opened it and read it over several times before clutching it tightly in his hand, his body trembling faintly.

After staring at it for a moment, Li Fucai's lips finally curled upward. "Hehehe... Hahahahaha! Hahahahahaha! So that's how it is. So that's how it is..."

"So it was all your handiwork... Grand Commandant!"

Smack!

The ledger was hurled viciously onto the floor, and naked hatred was plainly visible on Li Fucai's face.

After leaving the secret chamber, Li Yan returned to his room. He had not rested properly for two days, and after killing so many people today, his mind was stretched to its limit.

He fell onto the bed and immediately went to sleep, displaying the enviable sleep of youth.

Tianwu City, where Great Wu's Imperial City stood.

"Prosperity blooms beneath the Imperial City's walls; none are richer than the Grand Commandant's household."

This was a jest even children in the Imperial City knew, yet it was not the slightest exaggeration. Within Tianwu City, the Imperial City occupied one quarter of the land, the Grand Commandant's residence occupied another quarter, and only what remained was where the common people lived.

That a single Grand Commandant's residence dared rival the Imperial City itself showed just how astonishing Wu Zongren's power was.

Within the Grand Commandant's residence, beneath the broad daylight, graceful young women draped in gauzy silk surrounded a pool built along the rocks, their alluring forms half-hidden and half-revealed.

If King Zhou's wine pool and forest of meat accounted for ten parts of all evil under heaven, this place possessed seven parts of its essence.

Just then, a woman in the pool suddenly let out a coquettish cry and was dragged straight beneath the water.

In the next instant, a man emerged from the water with the woman in his arms.

His face was like polished jade, and his bearing was valiant and extraordinary. His soaked undergarment outlined his lean, capable body with perfect clarity. It was none other than Wu Zongren.

He landed steadily upon the shore and looked down at the woman in his arms with a wicked grin.

"Ah~ Grand Commandant, you're so bad. You've embarrassed this servant to death~"

The woman in his arms, her face flushed with bashfulness, buried her head in Wu Zongren's chest. Looking at her exquisite features, Wu Zongren's lips curved into a faint, sinister smile.

The next moment, the smile vanished from Wu Zongren's face. With a casual fling of his arm, he threw the woman away, and she cried out as she flew toward the pool.

The instant she hit the water, there came a bang, and the woman suddenly exploded into pieces. The splashing blood and flesh dyed the entire pool scarlet.

Yet at that moment, something strange happened. Something seemed to swim beneath the pool. It circled through the water once, and all the flesh and blood in the pool vanished, while the water returned to its original state.

The women around the pool watched this scene, each one silent as a cicada in winter. Yet no shock showed in their eyes, as though they had long grown accustomed to it.

"How many times have I said it? Don't enter Jade Pool unless you've washed yourselves clean. You women..."

Wu Zongren looked at the women with an expression that seemed to say, Why can't any of you understand?

As he spoke, blood-colored Aura faintly surged around his body. When the Aura dispersed, his clothing had become dry again as well.

Just then, a subordinate's voice reported from outside the courtyard, "Grand Commandant, an urgent message has arrived by carrier pigeon."

"Hmm?"

With a low murmur, Wu Zongren beckoned, and a slip of paper drifted into his hand.

The moment he read it, Wu Zongren's face instantly turned cold, and a vicious glint flashed through his eyes.

"Wu Jiu..."

As his voice fell, a figure abruptly appeared behind Wu Zongren and dropped to one knee. "What are your orders, Master Wu?"

"Dark Cloud Peak has been burned, and Black Cloud Stronghold has been slaughtered. Go investigate."

"Yes."