Taking Control of the Qi Family

Who could have imagined that in the span of a few moments, Zheng Yi, this newly arrived Soul Devouring Sect Inner Sect Disciple, would pull off a dramatic reversal and turn the tide against the wind? With nothing but a Soul Devouring Banner, he had brought down Qi Yuanzong and the others of the Qi Family Main Lineage in one fell swoop.

It could be said that the upper ranks of the Qi Family Main Lineage had been swept clean. The Qi Family, a Qi Refining family that had ruled the Ba Dong Town Mine in name for over a century, was finished.

The situation had changed too quickly. Qi Lin's calves were still trembling, his throat working as he swallowed, his fat face slick with greasy sweat.

But what shocked him even more was what he had just heard.

This disciple of the higher sect had actually asked whether he was willing to become the Qi Family's patriarch?!

What kind of question was that?

Had he truly been frightened stupid and begun hearing things?

Surely not. He was a Qi Refining Stage Three cultivator, after all.

He still possessed the most basic degree of composure.

"This subordinate is willing."

A slick and worldly man like Qi Lin would seize any opportunity and claw his way upward with his life on the line.

Hearing Zheng Yi's words now was no different from hearing heavenly music and wondrous words. It was as though enlightenment had been poured into his head, and he shuddered.

Then his knees buckled, and without the slightest hesitation, he knelt and prostrated himself before Zheng Yi. "From this day onward, this lowly life of Qi Lin's belongs to you, my lord!"

"If my lord tells Qi Lin to go east, Qi Lin will never dare go west. If my lord tells Qi Lin to ascend to the heavens, Qi Lin will never dare dive into the sea."

"From this day onward, the entire Qi Family will follow my lord's commands as faithfully as a horse follows its master's head. We will never harbor a second heart..."

Qi Lin's fat face quivered wildly with excitement, his eyes reddening as he desperately expressed his loyalty.

He was willing to follow Zheng Yi's every step, striking wherever Zheng Yi pointed.

In truth, Zheng Yi's thoughts were not that complicated.

He still needed to remain in the Ba Dong Town Mine area for two or three years, perhaps even longer. In a sense, this place counted as one of his bases.

Since that was the case, having a local tyrant like the Qi Family that obeyed in public while defying him in private would not be a good thing for him.

Since Qi Yuanzong and the others were not easy to tame and had also embarked upon the road to death, he might as well go all the way and grant them their wish.

In any case, the Qi Family was merely a minor Qi Refining family. Removing it would not hurt his bones or shake his sinews. Since they would not obey, he would simply replace the person in charge.

As for who became the Qi Family's patriarch, it was all the same to him. It held no great meaning.

What he needed was an obedient dog, not a wolf with treacherous bones.

The Qi Family of Ba Dong Town meant only one thing to him: they needed to obey his orders alone and manage the sect's mineral vein for him. Everything else was a trivial matter.

The demonic sects prized acting without restraint. If people refused to obey orders, then replace them with another batch. What could be simpler?

He held proof that the Qi Family deserved death. Even if word of what he had done reached the sect, no one would be able to criticize him.

As for exposing a little of his strength, the mountains were high and the emperor far away. No sect disciples had witnessed it firsthand, so it would be easy to cover up and whitewash.

Did they really think the gifts he had offered to the Internal Affairs Hall had been accepted for nothing?

And there would be an endless stream of offerings in the future.

Unlike ordinary Inner Sect Disciples, with the Apocalyptic World at his back, he did not lack cultivation resources and therefore did not care about spending Spirit Stones to grease the wheels.

Had he not relied on Spirit Stones to pave his way and complete his reversal from a Rogue Cultivator to a demonic sect Inner Sect Disciple? What else had he relied on but the charm of money?

With money, even ghosts could be made to turn millstones.

That was not merely an empty saying.

Cultivators were people too, and where there were people, there were shared weaknesses in human nature.

Zheng Yi had been a fairly successful businessman in his previous life. How could he fail to grasp the weaknesses of human nature?

The only thing Qi Yuanzong had misjudged was Zheng Yi's strength.

That was not entirely Qi Yuanzong's fault. Who could have imagined that an anomaly like Zheng Yi would appear among the Soul Devouring Sect's Inner Sect Disciples?!

His cultivation was clearly not high—he was merely a newly advanced Qi Refining Stage Four Inner Sect Disciple—yet he possessed a Soul Devouring Banner considered top-tier even within the Qi Refining Stage. He had even refined it into his Lifebound Artifact, and it contained forty-nine Netherworld Soldier Vengeful Spirits. He had simply used overwhelming force to create a miracle, flattened them all, and stewed them in one pot.

The Qi Family had been even less prepared for Zheng Yi to turn hostile without any discussion at all. They had not even had time to prepare a backup plan before the upper ranks of the main lineage were caught in one net.

One careless move, and the entire board was lost!

"Hmm?!"

Seeing Qi Lin's fawning attitude, Zheng Yi nodded noncommittally.

If one wished to be a servant, one needed the awareness and attitude of a servant.

The Cultivation World of the Da Yi Immortal Domain was exceedingly cruel, and cases of vicious servants bullying their masters were not uncommon. Zheng Yi would not play at treating worthy men with excessive courtesy, either.

People like Qi Lin could climb upward whenever given a pole. Once you failed to display sufficient suppression and authority, they might instead look down on you in their hearts.

Qi Lin was slick and decisive in his actions. Once a man like him rose to power, he would certainly carry out a massive purge of the Qi Family's main household.

Zheng Yi was not the only one who understood the principle of cutting weeds and pulling out the roots. Everyone else understood it as well.

With Qi Lin leading the entire Qi Family, his strength was insufficient, so he would inevitably have to rely on Zheng Yi. Otherwise, his life might even be in danger.

And Qi Lin should have no trouble clearing out the remnants of the Qi Family's former main lineage. At the very least, they would no longer continue to trouble Zheng Yi's cultivation.

That was Zheng Yi's true objective.

The reason he had chosen this assignment and come here was to escape disputes and struggles.

With an entire Apocalyptic World at his back, the cultivation resources he possessed surpassed even those of the talented disciples from great sects.

Even if the Apocalyptic World's level could not compare with that of the Da Yi Immortal Domain, that entire world contained countless strange ghostly entities—enough to support him in reaching an extremely great height.

Now, it seemed that Qi Lin was indeed the best choice for Zheng Yi to take control of the entire Qi Family.

Qi Lin bore hatred toward the Qi Family Main Lineage. With him in power and Zheng Yi stationed here, the Qi Family would become Zheng Yi's vanguard and lackeys.

Moreover, Qi Lin had a slick temperament and was highly capable in handling matters. Otherwise, he would never have been entrusted with managing this mine. That was excellent; he could handle certain matters Zheng Yi could not conveniently show his face in.

"Thank you, my lord."

Seeing Zheng Yi nod in agreement, Qi Lin bowed repeatedly in gratitude. When he raised his head again, his small eyes gleamed as they darted about. His slightly bent body had straightened as well, as he tried his hardest to adapt to the new identity of Qi Family patriarch.

"Enough. Take me down to the mine."

"I would like to see exactly what the Qi Family has been hiding within this Black Iron Essence mineral vein."

"The Nine Yin Gathering Evil Vein Termination Array—heh, what an extravagant undertaking..."

Zheng Yi did not care in the slightest about Qi Lin's transformation. All he cared about was whether Qi Lin could handle matters for him.

If he could not, or if he handled them poorly, Zheng Yi would not mind replacing him again.

"My lord, this way, please!"

Qi Lin hurriedly suppressed his emotions and resumed his slick expression, striving to maintain a humble smile on his face.

Yet deep in his eyes, reverence for this disciple of the higher sect still showed through.