Shangguan

Yun Long and Ning Shaojie sped along the official road like two blurred shadows.

Yun Long had examined the flight spell the Ning Family had purchased through official channels, but it offered little improvement to his speed, so he could not be bothered to waste time cultivating it.

As a result, Ning Shaojie did not use the flight spell either, instead doing his utmost to keep up with Yun Long.

Ning Shaojie's emotions had clearly yet to settle. His breathing was slightly heavy, and he kept glancing at the mountain-steady Yun Long beside him.

Yun Long's gaze was fixed on the distance, where the outline of Donghu City remained invisible in the night.

Yet he already had a clear grasp of the situation.

The current Yun Clan was no longer the newcomer that had known nothing of the area surrounding Wanfang Lake.

They had gained a considerable understanding of all Sanshui County, and even the broader Nanchuan Commandery.

Within Sanshui County, there were exactly five Lineages overseen by Late Qi Refining Stage cultivators.

Fortunately, none of those five possessed a Foundation Establishment Realm Ancestor.

That was thanks to the Great Xia Dynasty's system, which seemed harsh but in truth maintained a delicate balance.

The Dynasty had an ironclad rule: within a single county, only one Foundation Establishment Family could exist.

Should a second force produce a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it would be politely "invited" out of the county to seek development elsewhere.

For the Cultivation Families of Sanshui County, this rule was undoubtedly a blessing from heaven.

The cultivation resources within Sanshui County were simply not abundant, and their quality was nothing worth mentioning.

Those lofty Foundation Establishment Families naturally had no interest in such barren land and could not be bothered to scheme behind the scenes or prop up any proxies.

Looking across all of Nanchuan Commandery, the situation was largely the same. No family force was overseen by a Golden Core True Person.

The true overlords of the commandery, apart from the official powers representing the Great Xia Dynasty, were Qingyun Sect alone.

Qingyun Sect possessed deep foundations. Rumor had it that it not only had Golden Core True Persons, but that Nascent Soul Old Monsters cultivated in seclusion deep within the sect. It was the undisputed Mount Tai and Northern Dipper of Nanchuan Commandery's Cultivation World.

His thoughts returned and focused on the Sanshui County before him.

The so-called "Three Waters" referred to the county's three great lakes.

Wanfang Lake was where the Yun Clan and Ning Family had established their current foundations.

The Liu Family occupied Autumn Moon Lake.

As for the other great power, the Nangong Family occupied Tianguang Lake.

The ones who had clashed with the Ning Family in Donghu City this time were the Liu Family of Autumn Moon Lake.

The Liu Family's patriarch, Liu Changhong, had only recently broken through to the Late Qi Refining Stage.

He was a newly advanced late-stage cultivator, and had made the Liu Family one of Sanshui County's five great powers in one stroke.

Besides this newly advanced patriarch, the Liu Family also had its First Elder, Liu Yunpeng, who had likewise cultivated to Mid-Grade Qi Refining.

The one who had led people into Donghu City to pressure the Ning Family this time was precisely Liu Yunpeng, the Liu Family's First Elder.

Ning Yongrui's five-inch Three-Nine Snow Cold Qi naturally held every advantage against ordinary Low-Grade Qi Refining cultivators.

But against Liu Yunpeng, who was likewise at Mid-Grade Qi Refining and had the same cultivation level as him, it was somewhat unable to do what his heart desired.

Not to mention the overall strength of their Lineages; compared with the Liu Family, the Ning Family was inferior by far more than a single degree.

Ning Yongrui could not hold up a lone tree. It was only to be expected that he would suffer losses.

Things were not that simple.

If the Liu Family had merely clashed with the Ning Family over the Dragon Whisker Golden Tail Spirit Fish of Wanfang Lake, then given Liu Yunpeng's strength and the Liu Family's momentum, Ning Yongrui would most likely have chosen to endure and yield. It would not have escalated to the point where he needed to send the Yun Clan an urgent plea for aid.

From the very beginning, the Liu Family's target had been more than just the Ning Family.

Sweat had already gathered on Ning Shaojie's brow, and his chest heaved violently, yet he gritted his teeth and followed Yun Long into Donghu City.

Yun Long still wore that expression as still as an ancient well, his breath long and steady, as though he were merely taking an ordinary walk after dinner.

Wanfang Residence, the Ning Family's business stronghold in Donghu City, handled the transfer and trade of all manner of resources from Wanfang Lake. Yet an unusual killing intent seeped from behind its doors.

Before he even drew near, Yun Long's steps paused slightly.

His gaze fell upon an old man standing with his hands behind his back beside Wanfang Residence's main gate.

The old man wore a plain gray robe. His snowy white hair fluttered gently in the night wind, yet his face did not appear particularly aged. Instead, he possessed the elegant air of white hair and a youthful face.

He merely stood there casually, but his aura blended perfectly with the surrounding environment. Were it not for Yun Long's mysterious cultivation method and keen Spiritual Sense, he would almost have overlooked him entirely.

This man was clearly not a Mid Qi Refining Stage cultivator. His aura-concealing spell was also far superior to the Ning Family's.

Following Yun Long's line of sight, Ning Shaojie noticed the old man as well, but his mind was filled with confusion.

He did not recognize him.

Just then, a gentle voice carrying a strange power rang directly within Yun Long's sea of consciousness.

"Fellow Daoist Yun, a pleasure to meet you."

"This old man is the guardian of Sanshui County, Shangguan Long."

Yun Long's eyes narrowed slightly.

Shangguan Long was one of the Shangguan Family's three Late Qi Refining Stage cultivators, and shared the same name as him.

This was a legitimate guardian with official rank, as different from Ning Yongrui's miscellaneous guardian of a single town as clouds were from mud.

"I came quietly today intending to visit Fellow Daoist Yun and discuss the Immortal Dao together. Who would have thought I would encounter something this interesting?"

There was a trace of amusement in Shangguan Long's voice. He seemed quite interested in the situation before him.

"Fellow Daoist Yun, go in first. This old man will not disturb you while you handle your business."

"I will go in afterward."

Shangguan Long even gave Yun Long a look from afar that was somewhat mischievous, yet plainly filled with tremendous confidence in him.

Without betraying anything, Yun Long gave a slight nod in response.

Seeing Yun Long stare at the old man as though communicating with someone, Ning Shaojie felt that something was increasingly amiss.

Just as he was about to ask, the white-haired old man suddenly turned his head, grinned at him, and held one finger to his lips in a clear gesture for silence.

Ning Shaojie's heart tightened, and he instantly swallowed the words that had reached his lips.

He did not know this old man, but someone who could make even Yun Long take notice, and who was so mysterious, was certainly not someone he could casually question.

Ning Yongrui's painstaking cultivation over the years had not been in vain. Ning Shaojie still possessed this much discernment.

Yun Long did not linger any longer and strode toward Wanfang Residence's tightly shut vermilion gates.

Ning Shaojie hurriedly followed.

Pushing open the gates, they found the courtyard brightly lit, but the atmosphere oppressive.

In the center of the courtyard directly facing the entrance stood a massive greenstone water vat.

The vat was filled with clear water, within which fourteen small golden-tailed fish, entirely golden and bearing strange dragon whiskers, swam leisurely.

These were the only Dragon Whisker Golden Tail Spirit Fish Wanfang Lake had left that could be put up for sale.

Beside the water vat stood Ning Yongrui, his face livid. His right arm trembled faintly, and the skin beneath its sleeve was flushed red. Clearly, he had suffered no small loss in the earlier hidden confrontation.

When he saw Yun Long appear at the entrance, a glimmer of light suddenly lit up in his bloodshot eyes, and his tightly drawn body seemed to relax slightly.

The Yun Clan. Yun Long.

This excessively young Lineage leader was the Ning Family's greatest source of confidence now.

Ning Yongrui knew clearly that the Yun Clan's future was beyond anything a Cultivation Family like the Liu Family, entrenched in one corner, could imagine.

Today, even if the Liu Family had not stepped forward, perhaps tomorrow the Nangong Family, or another family with Late Qi Refining Stage cultivators, would come here to test the Yun Clan.

The Liu Family had merely arrived one step earlier.