The Mo Clan of Yancheng

On a bluestone in the valley lay a red-faced man in yellow robes, half one leg burned to charcoal and his body riddled with injuries, barely clinging to life.

"You're not dead yet, are you? Tell me—what's your name?"

Yan Qingshan came to the man's side and spoke blandly. The dying man was red all over like a thoroughly steamed shrimp, his breath weak and faint, looking as though he was about to perish at any moment.

The man struggled to speak. His injuries clearly were extremely severe. "Ugh... Mo, Mo, Mo... Ran..."

A cold smile appeared at the corner of Yan Qingshan's lips. "Mo Ran, a member of the Mo Clan. Peak Dou Shi cultivation. You can't be without status in the Mo Clan. Good, very good. This saves me some trouble. Your life is safe for now!"

Mo Ran's throat moved as he let out a muffled groan. Though he was nearly unconscious and his mind muddled, he could vaguely sense that Yan Qingshan did not seem to mean him well.

Yancheng was a major strategic city in the eastern provinces of the Jia Ma Empire. It was an unavoidable route from the empire's interior to the eastern provinces, making its strategic location exceptionally important. This city, known as the largest in the eastern provinces of the Jia Ma Empire, was garrisoned by heavy imperial forces year-round.

Within Yancheng, the empire's military possessed the strongest armed force, but the true ruler of the city was not the military. It was the Mo Clan, which controlled and monopolized sixty percent of Yancheng's industries.

No matter the world, monopolies were always the most profitable. Sixty percent of an entire city's industrial profits belonged to the Mo Clan. After deducting necessary taxes and the money needed to grease the right palms each year, the remaining profits allowed the entire Mo Clan to expand and develop continuously. It gradually became the standout power of the eastern provinces, and in recent years, it had begun to attract unwanted attention.

Though a tall tree caught the wind, the Mo Clan was clever. They had forged ties with the Misty Cloud Sect. With the Misty Cloud Sect as their backer, even the imperial family would not casually trouble the Mo Clan. This only allowed the Mo Clan to expand even further. By now, the Mo Clan was the undisputed number one force in the eastern provinces, the local tyrant of Yancheng.

If not for the other three families in the eastern provinces restraining its growth, the Mo Clan would likely have long since expanded its sphere of influence into other major cities.

At noon, with the sun hanging high overhead, the enormous city exuding a faint ferocious aura resembled an ancient Ferocious Beast crouching upon the earth. Eastern Yancheng was the foremost city of the eastern provinces and had once been a heavily fortified imperial stronghold, guarded by troops throughout the year.

At Yancheng's gates, dozens of fully armed soldiers stood on either side of the city walls, their sharp gazes constantly sweeping over the passing pedestrians.

Although the empire's interior had enjoyed peace for a long time, Yancheng was a strategic pass defended by heavy forces. The army stationed here could be called the empire's elite. Whether in bearing or discipline, they were far beyond what places like Wutan City and Stone Desert City could compare to.

A carriage slowly approached Yancheng's eastern gate. Driving it was a young man in a green robe, seemingly only fifteen or sixteen years old. His features were quite clean and handsome. His face was somewhat dark, but rather than diminishing his temperament, it gave him a touch of wildness.

"You may enter the city!"

The soldiers guarding the gate did not make things difficult for him. After briefly inspecting the carriage and finding only a severely injured person whose face could not be seen, along with two girls, one older and one younger, they let the carriage pass.

Yan Qingshan smiled as he prepared to drive the carriage into the city when the sound of galloping hooves suddenly came from behind. Several men and women rode swiftly toward them on fine horses, sending dust and gravel flying along the way and infuriating quite a few people.

However, when their angry gazes fell upon the figure leading the riders, they forcibly swallowed their rage.

Among the group was a young woman in tight red clothing who was rather attractive. Her exquisite figure was displayed to perfection by her fitted dress, and her pretty face bore a few traces of spoiled arrogance as well as a lively charm that made her quite pleasing to the eye.

Though she was pleasing to look at, the behavior of this woman and those behind her was truly unpleasant. Without even glancing at the soldiers by the gate or anyone else, they charged straight into the city on horseback.

The guarding soldiers were helpless and unwilling, yet not one dared stop them. They did not even dare stand in their way, because they knew full well what these young scions of great families were like. If you were too slow to dodge and got struck, not only would you receive no compensation, but they might even hold it against you. Worse still, even your superior might not be able to protect you.

The clattering hoofbeats gradually faded away, and only then did dissatisfied murmurs and quiet discussions rise from the crowd. From their talk, Yan Qingshan learned more.

"Damn it, isn't she just relying on being a young miss of the Mo Clan? What's she acting so proud for?"

"Exactly. The Mo Clan only has its current status because it kisses the Misty Cloud Sect's feet and acts like their dog. What the hell are they?"

"They're already dogs, yet they still swagger around and cause trouble everywhere. Aren't they afraid that one day, if they don't serve their masters to their liking, the Misty Cloud Sect will kick the Mo Clan aside? Then you'll be the ones in trouble."

Most of their words carried disdain and dissatisfaction toward the Mo Clan. The Mo Clan had gained its current status by offering vast wealth to the Misty Cloud Sect, and its monopoly over sixty percent of the city's industries naturally left many people resentful.

Being someone else's dog was hardly a good reputation. There were indeed many outer disciples of the Misty Cloud Sect, but a family that went as far as the Mo Clan was truly unprecedented.

The Mo Clan's practice of squeezing local wealth to offer up to the Misty Cloud Sect was actually quite rare. Few families were willing to curry favor with a higher-ranking power in such a manner. Not only did it earn them no good name, it also made others look down on them. More importantly, it was highly detrimental to their own development.

The wealth of a single city was limited. If you handed over most of it to cultivate connections and make offerings, how much would remain to develop your own forces? The Mo Clan's control over sixty percent of Yancheng's industries was already its limit. If it wanted to further expand its influence within Yancheng, the imperial family would never agree.

As for expanding outward, its reputation was terrible because of its near-plundering methods, and practically no smaller power was willing to join it.

The other three major families of the eastern provinces were even more dissatisfied with its methods. They had joined forces to curb the growth of the Mo Clan's power, leaving the Mo Clan with the empty prestige of being the foremost family of the eastern provinces while its influence remained trapped within Yancheng, unable to advance an inch.

Of course, choosing this side was not without benefits. At the very least, if the Misty Cloud Sect developed smoothly, they, as an outer affiliate of the sect, would certainly receive no small amount of benefit. In the original story, if Xiao Yan had not suddenly appeared and killed Mo Cheng, the Mo Clan would nearly have used the Misty Cloud Sect's momentum to force the other three major families into submission.

Yan Qingshan followed the crowd into the city. Along the way, he noticed that many shops and storefronts bore signboards with the character "Mo." The Mo Clan's reputation as Yancheng's local tyrant was no empty boast.

A single Mo Clan of Yancheng could wield such power and had nearly become an influential force in the eastern provinces. From this, one could see just how immense the Misty Cloud Sect's hidden influence was within the Jia Ma Empire.

Within the Jia Ma Empire, many forces appeared to stand at the summit, but the ones truly occupying the peak were only three: the Misty Cloud Sect, the imperial family, and the Alchemist Guild, locked in an ultimate contest.

Among these three major powers, the Alchemist Guild held an exceptional status and rarely interfered in the empire's internal affairs, serving only as a balancing and restraining force. The ones truly clashing in secret were the imperial family and the Misty Cloud Sect.

As the empire's number one sect, the Misty Cloud Sect had produced countless experts over the years. Many of those experts, much like the Mo Clan, possessed their own family powers spread throughout the empire, influencing every aspect of it. These were the Misty Cloud Sect's hidden forces.

Take the Mo Clan of Yancheng as an example. Originally, the Mo Clan had merely been one of Yancheng's more prominent families. But after gaining the Misty Cloud Sect's support, it continuously developed and expanded, becoming a colossal force that monopolized sixty percent of Yancheng's industries.

The consequence of the Mo Clan's methods was a loss in tax revenue and benefits for the imperial family, while the Misty Cloud Sect gained immense offerings from it.

The empire's overall productive wealth was a figure that did not fluctuate greatly. When the Misty Cloud Sect grew stronger and took more, the imperial family received less. Their struggle was over the division of this great cake—after all, everyone wanted a bigger share.

However, the affairs of the Misty Cloud Sect, the imperial family, and the Mo Clan had little to do with Yan Qingshan. He had no interest in involving himself in such troublesome matters. After entering the city, he chose an inn to settle the carriage before beginning his own plan.

Under the starry night sky, a crescent moon hung overhead. At the Mo Clan, located in the center of Yancheng, patrol after patrol of warriors guarded the Mo Clan's headquarters with extreme vigilance.

The Mo Clan headquarters resembled a tightly fortified bunker. Along its towering walls, patrol and defensive posts were stationed every few dozen meters.

Every guard and patrolman was at least a Dou Zhe. Dou Shi led the teams, while Da Dou Shi oversaw the shifts. Even a Dou Wang would likely be unable to infiltrate the place without alerting anyone.

The Mo Clan's council hall was brightly lit, as though many people were discussing matters within. Seated in the place of honor, Mo Lan, the Mo Clan's patriarch, glared at a man kneeling halfway below him and roared, "Mo Lin, at a time like this, what are you still hiding? The Grand Elder has been missing for so many days. Where exactly did he go?"

"P-Patriarch, I truly don't know!"

Mo Lin was the man kneeling on the ground. As the trusted confidant of Grand Elder Mo Cheng, he had usually been quite disrespectful toward this patriarch. But today, he truly lacked the nerve to put on airs.

Mo Lan's roar was filled with boundless fury. "You don't know? You are the Grand Elder's most trusted confidant, and you don't know? The honored guest from the Misty Cloud Sect will arrive soon. What do you expect me to do?"

"Patriarch, Patriarch, I truly have no idea!"

Mo Lin dropped to his knees with a thud and repeatedly kowtowed. The many elders and high-ranking members of the Mo Clan beside him could not bear to watch, yet no one spoke up for him. The Mo Clan's current situation was truly troublesome. The Misty Cloud Sect had sent word that an honored guest would soon arrive to meet Outer Elder Mo Cheng and discuss major matters concerning the eastern provinces.

Yet at this critical moment, the Mo Clan's Grand Elder Mo Cheng was nowhere to be found. Nearly ten days had passed without any news of him. How could they not be anxious?