Taishi Yu, First Armored Leader of the Taishi Family

Taishi Bai was much closer to Li Weiyi than to his other retainers, and valued him highly.

Firstly, it's because of Li Weiyi's extraordinary talent in mental power. In Lingxiao City, there are no more than five geniuses under the age of sixty who have cultivated to his level of mental power.

Zuo Ning is only in her thirties.

Secondly, on the post boat, Taishi Bai had a very good first impression of him. In this era, "kindness" was rarer than Thousand-Year Elixir.

"This matter needs to be traced back to its origin."

Taishi Bai said, "In the past ten years or so, in Lingxiao City, especially within the powerful families of the Imperial Court, many women have given birth to children after drinking from the Mother-Child Spring, but have no father."

Li Weiyi asked curiously, "Was it forced upon us by the Great Palace Master of the Phoenix Pavilion?"

"Once you arrive in Lingxiao City, never discuss anything concerning the Great Palace Master. Remember this!"

After giving these instructions, Taishi Bai continued telepathically, "The Great Palace Master has been confined to her palace for over a decade, and no one knows her current state. With the Second Palace Master and Third Palace Master Mistresses restoring order, Xiao Tian Order is now as worthless as a piece of paper."

"There is no explicit law against drinking from the Mother-Child Spring, but within the Imperial Court, if all the women in a Lineage refuse to drink from Mother-Child Spring, they will be attacked by political enemies who will accuse them of harboring resentment towards the Great Palace Master and having rebellious intentions towards the Imperial Court."

Li Weiyi said, "Isn't that going too far?"

Taishi Bai smiled bitterly, "The Great Ruler, the Great Palace Master, was once a god-like figure in the hearts of countless people. Even now, that remains true."

"In fact, the vast majority of Lineage and the women within Lineage voluntarily drink from the Mother-Child Spring to reproduce."

"But... something happened at the Mother-Child Spring!"

"Recently, there have been frequent reports of women drinking from the Mother-Child Spring and giving birth to Ghost Infant. Even the mothers themselves have become Ghost Mother."

"At first, the news was kept under control, and the Imperial Court secretly suppressed and imprisoned these Ghost Mother Ghost Infant. But the situation escalated, and women who had drunk from the Mother-Child Spring in the past two years began to experience misfortunes, including some with extremely high cultivation levels."

"In recent days, this matter has spread throughout the streets and alleys, and rumors are rampant."

"Some say that what the Great Palace Master found back then wasn't the Mother-Child Spring at all, but the Ghost Infant Spring. Everyone who drank from the Mother-Child Spring will inevitably meet with misfortune sooner or later."

"Some say it was because the Taichang Temple failed in its duty to guard the Mother-Child Spring, allowing the Netherworld of the Departed to take advantage of it."

"Even more so, some say that the Taishi Family is the mastermind, intending to use the Mother-Child Spring to undermine the Great Palace Master's prestige, split the Imperial Court, and plot a rebellion."

Li Weiyi could sense a dangerous atmosphere, like a storm brewing, and a strong sense of conspiracy, even from Taishi Bai's account.

He said, "To dare to criticize the Great Palace Master and to bring up the Taishi Family, there must be someone behind these rumors."

"It's already under investigation."

Taishi Bai looked worried and his face was full of sorrow. "Zuo Ning, you must know that these are extraordinary times. Outside, the Demon Race is wreaking havoc in the East Sea and the Western Territory. Inside, powerful figures from abroad are temporarily residing in Lingxiao City."

"At this critical juncture, to make such a fool of ourselves... no, it's not funny at all. The Ghost Infant incident was aimed entirely at those most loyal to the Great Palace Master and the Imperial Court. Now that we've lost face and the court is in turmoil, given the Second Palace Master's personality, he'll surely slaughter them all."

Who will take the blame?

"If this matter is not resolved quickly, or the truth is not uncovered, the Taishi Family will face a great calamity."

Li Weiyi knew about the Demon Race's plan to attack Lingxiao City, and therefore strongly suspected that it was related to them, which was a triple win.

First, it threw the Imperial Court into chaos, leaving it preoccupied with dealing with the situation and unable to detect the true intentions of the Demon Race and the Rice Cult in attacking Lingxiao City.

Secondly, it further damaged the reputation of the Great Palace Master, causing even the most loyal followers of the Lingxiao Palace to waver.

Third, political enemies will inevitably seize this opportunity to attack the Taishi Family, plunging the Imperial Court into internal strife. The Taishi Family will be marginalized and suppressed, and they happen to control half of the Defensive Formation Lingxiao City and the four major passes... The consequences are predictable.

"That move was truly brilliant, precise and accurate, striking right at the heart of the Imperial Court."

Li Weiyi secretly admired him and asked, "Is the problem with the Mother-Child Spring itself, or has someone tampered with it?"

Taishi Bai gently shook his head. "It's not clear yet. Many secrets are known only to the older generation. Hmm... You don't need to worry too much. The Taishi Family has a transcendent Old Ancestor; it won't fall! Over the past thousand years, we've weathered countless storms."

After passing through the bustling downtown area, the convoy arrived at Yunxiu Ward, where the Taishi Family resided.

The walls of the archway are three zhang high, constructed of glazed stone.

The formation was activated, and the gate opened.

The streets were much quieter, and the buildings on both sides were constructed of special materials, with protective stone beasts guarding the doors and rooftops.

Yunxiu Ward is centered around the Ancestral Mansion of the Taishi Family, and is surrounded by a hundred-mile radius.

The residents of the neighborhood were almost all people closely related to the Taishi Family, with generations of relatives and kinship.

The Ancestral Mansion of the Taishi Family is undoubtedly magnificent and opulent. Its interior encompasses several mountains, with lush trees and exotic birds nesting there, giving it a sense of profound mystery. In Lingxiao City, where land is incredibly valuable, this is true luxury.

One mile into the mansion.

In a white stone square, all the Mind Master got off the bus.

Several senior stewards at the Dao Seed Realm stepped forward, first bowing to Taishi Bai. Then, they took out the array tokens they had prepared beforehand, distributed them to everyone, and arranged their accommodations.

Li Weiyi took the palm-sized jade array plate.

The front of the array sign bears the two characters "Taishi".

The address is on the back: Huanhua Lane, Wei Yi Residence.

The Ancestral Mansion household had many female relatives; it was not a place for these retainers to reside.

Wearing a veil and without any protective tokens, Long Xiangcen was clearly allowed to reside within the manor.

A hearty laugh came from the northeast corner of the square, "Brother Bai, you've finally come to Lingxiao City... Hey, Cousin Xiangcen, it's been two years since we last met, hasn't it?"

The chief scribe, "Taishi Yu," dressed in a Rune-patterned Robe and Green Jade Crown, appeared to be in his late twenties. With a beaming smile, he strode forward to greet them.

He was noble and handsome, with a mole between his eyebrows. He didn't have the aggressive demeanor of a top-ranking expert; instead, he had the carefree air of a spoiled young master.

Behind him followed several retainers, each with an impressive appearance and a powerful aura.

Taishi Yu stood beside Taishi Bai, but his gaze was fixed on Long Xiangcen, scrutinizing her closely, his eyes seeming to see right through her. He smiled and said, "You're even more beautiful than before! In a couple of days, I'll be attending the birthday banquet at the West Sea Royal Mansion, and I'm short a female companion. Xiangcen, would you be willing to accompany your cousin?"

Long Xiangcen smiled reservedly and looked at Taishi Bai.

Taishi Bai, knowing Taishi Yu's character, coldly snorted, "Taishi Yu, the Lineage is in a precarious situation, and instead of solving the problem and taking responsibility, you're attending a birthday banquet. Is this how you act as the head of the family?"

"If something happens at the Taichang Temple, the old man and his men will handle it. Why are you in such a hurry? What good will it do? With the men you brought?"

Taishi Yu smiled, his expression playful, and then he actually walked towards Long Xiangcen.

All the retainers knew about the subtle relationship between Taishi Bai and Long Xiangcen, and that Taishi Yu's words, glances, and actions all infuriated them.

Behind Taishi Bai, two retainers flashed out and stood in front of Taishi Yu.

As retainers of the General's Mansion of Nanyan Pass, they didn't care if they were looked down upon, but they had to stand up for their young master when he was humiliated.

Taishi Yu inherited the Taishi Family's Psychic Power Attainment, placing him among the top ten experts in the entire Lingxiao City within sixty years. With just a flicker of his pupils, without any outward manifestation of spiritual light, the two disciples who had cultivated the Dao Lotus collapsed to the ground, utterly powerless to resist.

Long Xiangcen's heart skipped a beat, and she took the opportunity to move behind Li Weiyi.

"Cousin, why are you avoiding me? Am I that scary?"

Seeing Li Weiyi standing firmly in front of him, Taishi Yu's face turned frosty, and he shouted with a voice imbued with mental power, "Can't you tell the difference between superiors and inferiors? Get out of my way!"

The power contained in this voice was even more formidable than the previous Soul-Seizing Eye.

Like a thunderclap in the ears.

"Whoosh!"

A curved, crimson-gold flame barrier appeared in front of Li Weiyi, like a shield, which neutralized Taishi Yu's Sound Wave mental power. However, it failed to completely block it, and Li Weiyi was forced to take two steps back.

A hint of surprise flashed in Taishi Yu's eyes as he sized up Li Weiyi: "You're no more than forty years old, are you? To cultivate your mental power to this level at such a young age is truly rare. What's your name?"

"Zuo Ning!"

Li Weiyi replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Never heard of him, turns out he's an unknown nobody."

Taishi Yu pondered for a moment, then shook his head. Seeing that Taishi Bai's face was extremely cold and on the verge of exploding, he chuckled and said, "Forget it, let's go to the Danyue Ward Immortal Forest for wine and music!"

After leaving the house.

Taishi Yu's frivolous smile vanished instantly. He used his telepathic power to transmit a message to one of his retainers behind him. "Investigate this Zuo Ning for me. Find out who he is. The world is only so big; where did this peerless telepathic genius suddenly appear out of nowhere?"

He then instructed another retainer, "Keep a close watch on Long Xiangcen. Once she leaves the Ancestral Mansion, make sure you don't miss where she goes or who she meets."

Li Weiyi watched Taishi Yu and the others depart into the distance. "What a formidable Chief Taishi! I couldn't even withstand a single sound from him."

Long Xiangcen, no longer as sullen as before, said with a smile, "He is one of the Ten Talents of Lingxiao City, a top figure in the <Cycle Record>. If you can withstand one of his roars, you'll be famous throughout Lingxiao City!"

Taishi Bai said, "Still the same old him, utterly lacking in decorum. Half of the Taishi Family's reputation has been ruined by him. Now, everyone calls him Lover-History Yu (Love Shi Yu), he's had at least a hundred lovers. Everyone, please go to your lodgings and rest. Tonight, the patriarch will host a banquet at the Ancestral Mansion to welcome you all."

Taishi Bai and Long Xiangcen headed deeper into the ancestral mansion.

Li Weiyi traveled with several Mind Masters who all lived in Huanhua Lane. They chatted happily along the way and got to know each other briefly.

Huanhua Lane is about five or six miles away from the main gate of the Ancestral Mansion. It is a quiet place with three-story buildings.

Each residence is a small courtyard house, combining living rooms and bedrooms, comfortably accommodating six or seven people without feeling crowded, with layouts both above and below ground.

Li Weiyi walked around "Wei Yi Residence" once, then went out and left Yunxiu Ward.

I walked towards Danyue Ward.

The main street of the neighborhood was very wide, more than a hundred feet long. The imperial Imperial Road in the middle was deserted, and only the palanquins of Longevity Realm Giants were qualified to travel on it.

Danyue Ward is a famous bustling area. Immortal Forest, Heavenly Pavilion, Otherworldly Coffin, rice man trade, auction houses, elixirs, magic artifacts, strange insects, talismans... almost every merchant guild has a storefront here.

All the major players with assets worth tens of millions have businesses here.