Shangguan

Yun Long and Ning Shaojie's figures streaked across the official road like two blurred shadows.

Yun Long had glanced at the flying spell the Ning Family purchased through official channels, but its effect on his speed was limited, and he couldn't be bothered to waste time cultivating it.

As a result, Ning Shaojie also refrained from using any flying spells, following Yun Long at his full speed.

Ning Shaojie's emotions were clearly still unsettled, his breathing slightly heavy, and he kept glancing at Yun Long, who was as steady as a mountain beside him.

Yun Long's gaze was fixed on the distance, the silhouette of Donghu City still invisible in the night.

However, he already had a clear understanding in his heart.

The Yun Family today was no longer the same as when they first arrived, completely ignorant of the area around Wanfang Lake.

They had gained a considerable understanding of not only Sanshui County but also the broader Nanchuan Commandery.

Within Sanshui County, there were exactly five families with cultivators at the late Qi Refining stage.

Fortunately, none of these five families possessed an Ancestor at the Foundation Establishment stage.

This was thanks to the Great Xia Dynasty's system, which, though seemingly strict, maintained a delicate balance.

The Dynasty had an ironclad rule: only one Foundation Establishment family was allowed per county.

If a second force were to produce a Foundation Establishment cultivator, they would be politely "invited" to leave the county and develop elsewhere.

This rule was undoubtedly a stroke of immense luck for the cultivation families in Sanshui County.

This was because the cultivation resources within Sanshui County were not particularly abundant, and their quality was rather mediocre.

Those high-and-mighty Foundation Establishment families naturally disdained such a barren land and couldn't be bothered to scheme or foster any proxies.

Looking across the entire Nanchuan Commandery, the situation was much the same; no family forces possessed a Golden Core True Person.

The true overlords of the commandery, aside from the official forces representing the Great Xia Dynasty, were only the Qingyun Sect.

The Qingyun Sect had profound foundations. Rumor had it that not only did they have Golden Core True Persons, but deep within their sect, Nascent Soul Old Monsters were in seclusion, making them the undisputed titans of the Nanchuan Commandery's cultivation world.

His thoughts retracted, Yun Long focused on the present Sanshui County.

The term "Sanshui" referred to the three major lakes within the county.

Wanfang Lake was the current foundation of the Yun and Ning families.

The Liu Family, on the other hand, occupied Autumn Moon Lake.

As for the other major power, the Nangong Family, they held sway over Tianguang Lake.

The conflict that arose in Donghu City with the Ning Family this time was with the Liu Family of Autumn Moon Lake.

The Liu Family Patriarch, Liu Changhong, had recently broken through to the late Qi Refining stage.

He was a newly emerged late-stage cultivator, instantly making the Liu Family the fifth dominant power in Sanshui County.

In addition to this new Patriarch, the Liu Family had an Elder, Liu Yunpeng, who had also cultivated to the Mid-Grade Qi Refining stage.

The one who led people into Donghu City to pressure the Ning Family was this Liu Family Elder, Liu Yunpeng.

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

However, when facing Liu Yunpeng, who was also a Mid-Grade Qi Refining cultivator with the same cultivation level, he appeared somewhat outmatched.

Not to mention that in terms of overall family strength, the Ning Family was even more inferior to the Liu Family.

Ning Yongrui's solitary struggle was an expected outcome.

The matter was not that simple.

If the Liu Family had merely clashed with the Ning Family solely for the Dragon Whisker Golden Tail Spirit Fish of Wanfang Lake, given Liu Yunpeng's strength and the Liu Family's momentum, Ning Yongrui would likely have chosen to endure and concede, rather than escalating to the point of desperately requesting aid from the Yun Family.

The Liu Family's target had not been the Ning Family from the very beginning.

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

Yun Long maintained his usual serene expression, his breathing long and steady, as if he were merely taking a leisurely stroll after dinner.

Wanfang Residence, the Ning Family's current industrial base in Donghu City, responsible for the transfer and transaction of various resources from Wanfang Lake, now exuded an unusual sense of killing intent from behind its doors.

Before even getting close, Yun Long's steps paused slightly.

His gaze fell upon an elder standing by the entrance of Wanfang Residence, his hands clasped behind his back.

The elder wore a simple gray robe, his white hair like snow, gently swaying in the night breeze. His face, however, did not appear particularly aged; instead, it held a refined, youthful aura despite his white hair.

He simply stood there, his presence perfectly blending with the surroundings. If not for Yun Long's extraordinary cultivation technique and sharp divine sense, he would have almost overlooked him.

This person was clearly not a Mid Qi Refining stage cultivator. His breath-concealing technique was far superior to the Ning Family's.

Ning Shaojie followed Yun Long's gaze and also noticed the old man, but his mind was filled with confusion.

He did not recognize this person.

Just then, a gentle voice, imbued with a peculiar power, directly echoed in Yun Long's sea of consciousness.

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

"This old man is the County 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 he shared the same name as the other.

This was a genuine County Guardian with proper rank, vastly different from the low-grade, local guardians like Ning Yongrui.

"I came here quietly today, intending to visit fellow Daoist Yun and discuss the path of cultivation together. I didn't expect to encounter such an interesting situation."

Shangguan Long's voice carried a hint of a smile, as if he found the current scene quite amusing.

"Fellow Daoist Yun, please go ahead. I won't disturb you any further."

"I'll come in later."

Shangguan Long even projected his voice towards Yun Long, revealing a playful expression that clearly conveyed his immense confidence in him.

Yun Long remained unfazed and gave a slight nod in response.

Seeing Yun Long staring at the old man and seemingly communicating with someone, Ning Shaojie felt increasingly uneasy.

Just as he was about to ask, the white-haired old man suddenly turned his head, flashed a smile at him, and raised a finger to his lips, making a clear "shushing" gesture.

Ning Shaojie's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly swallowed the words he was about to speak.

He didn't recognize the old man, but anyone who could draw Yun Long's attention and was such a mysterious figure was definitely not someone he could casually question.

Ning Yongrui's years of meticulous training had finally paid off; he possessed some discernment.

Yun Long no longer lingered and strode towards the closed vermilion gate of Wanfang Residence.

Ning Shaojie quickly followed.

Pushing open the gate, the courtyard was brightly lit but the atmosphere was oppressive.

In the center of the courtyard, directly opposite the entrance, stood a large bluestone water vat.

The fish tank was filled with clear water, and ten or so small, golden fish with peculiar dragon whiskers and golden tails swam leisurely within.

These were the Dragon Whisker Golden Tail Spirit Fish that Wanfang Lake currently had left for sale.

Beside the water vat, Ning Yongrui stood with an ashen face, his right arm trembling slightly. The skin beneath his sleeve was red, clearly indicating he had suffered a significant loss in the previous covert skirmish.

When he saw Yun Long appear at the entrance, a flicker of light ignited in his bloodshot eyes, and his tense body seemed to relax slightly.

The Yun Family, Yun Long.

This excessively young family leader was the Ning Family's greatest source of confidence at the moment.

Ning Yongrui knew clearly that the future of the Yun Family was beyond anything a secluded cultivation family like the Liu Family could imagine.

Today, even if no one from the Liu Family had appeared, perhaps tomorrow the Nangong Family, or another family with late Qi Refining stage cultivators, would come to probe the Yun Family.

The Liu Family had merely acted a step sooner.