Chapter 67
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang avoided the topic and instead brought up another matter.
"How many years have the Lineage of Beiyang City continued to exist?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Wanqiu thought carefully and replied:
"Beiyang City has been established for over eight hundred years. The Lineage migrated here at the city's inception and have multiplied for over thirty generations..."
As she was speaking, Lin Wanqiu suddenly realized something. A chill rose from the bottom of her heart and spread throughout her body in an instant. Her pupils shrank sharply, and her gaze toward Xiao Minghuang was filled with disbelief.
"Your Highness, do you intend to..."
Seeing Lin Wanqiu's sudden change in expression, Xiao Minghuang revealed a calm smile on her beautiful face.
Lin Wanqiu opened her mouth, wanting to ask Xiao Minghuang if he planned to eliminate the Wang Family and Liu families and then support a new generation of family heads to take over.
Unfortunately, before Lin Wanqiu could even open her mouth, Xiao Minghuang interrupted her.
I have no such intention.
Upon hearing this, Lin Wanqiu breathed a sigh of relief. The four Lineage in Beiyang City, whose influence was immense. The last time they wiped out the Chen family, it was only because the other three families helped them that the operation was completed quickly and smoothly.
But to try and attack all three at once is probably wishful thinking.
Xiao Minghuang spoke again:
"My plan is to wipe out all three in one fell swoop!"
"City Lord Lin is now a Divine Sea Realm expert. Killing the three family heads without anyone noticing should be a very easy task for him. As for the other small fry, they will be even easier to deal with."
Upon hearing this, Lin Wanqiu fell silent. She was so surprised that she almost forgot that her father had already broken through to the Divine Sea Realm.
All of this is thanks to His Highness's help.
If His Highness were to order Lin Zhengquan to wipe out the three major Lineage, he probably wouldn't utter a single word of objection, and might even do his best to accomplish the task.
What Lin Wanqiu didn't understand was why His Highness wanted to kill the three major Lineage.
Could it be simply because the maids from the Liu and Wang families colluded with the Second Prince?
It would have been fine if they had only targeted the Liu and Wang families, but why did they also have to go so far as to attack the Li Family?
Lin Wanqiu asked, puzzled:
"The maids from the Liu and Wang families are indeed guilty of colluding with the Second Prince, but the maids from the Li Family are innocent. Why must the entire Li Family be eliminated as well?"
Seeing Lin Wanqiu's confused expression, Xiao Minghuang remained calm, took out a storage bag from his sleeve, and handed it to her.
"Before leaving, City Lord Lin gave me some accounts. After Wanqiu has looked at them, she should understand why I did this."
Lin Wanqiu took the storage bag and looked down to examine it.
Inside the storage bag were countless ledgers piled up like a mountain.
These thick ledgers record all the illegal activities that the Lineage have carried out over the years.
From oppressing the people to buying and selling women and children, they ran rampant in the countryside, committing all sorts of evil deeds.
They even dared to embezzle the salaries of an army of 100,000.
It can be said that two-thirds of the spirit stones allocated to Beiyang City by the imperial court each year ended up in the pockets of the three major Lineage.
The major spiritual fields and veins in Beiyang City are also controlled by the three major Lineage. They did not use these spirit stones to build their homes, but instead used them to befriend the Golden Elephant Kingdom in exchange for the Golden Elephant Kingdom not interfering with the spiritual fields and veins controlled by the three major Lineage.
It's fair to say that, apart from colluding with evil cultivators, the three major Lineage have done every other evil deed imaginable.
As for the Chen family's collusion with evil cultivators, it was too secretive and was handled only by the Chen Family Head, so there were no records of it.
Upon seeing the ledger, Lin Wanqiu was filled with rage. She wished she could tear it to shreds and tear the three Lineage to pieces. She never imagined that the three Lineage who had guarded Beiyang City for generations would commit such a dirty deed!
In an instant.
Lin Wanqiu felt no more sympathy for the three Lineage, only deep disgust.
She took a deep breath and said in a low voice:
"Your Highness, rest assured, leave the matter of eliminating the three major Lineage to me. I will certainly not let Your Highness down and will definitely seek justice for the people of Beiyang City!"
Lin Wanqiu's attitude was resolute, her eyes filled with a cold, piercing light.
Hearing Lin Wanqiu's assurance, Xiao Minghuang smiled with satisfaction. She reached out her slender, fair fingers and gently patted Lin Wanqiu's head, softly comforting her.
"Wanqiu, thank you for your hard work."
Xiao Minghuang knew that Lin Wanqiu was a kind girl, and if he didn't present evidence of the three major Lineage's crimes, he probably wouldn't be able to get her to take action to eliminate Lineage without any reservations.
Therefore, before leaving Beiyang City, Xiao Minghuang asked Lin Zhengquan for a ledger containing evidence of the crimes committed by the three Lineage, just in case. He didn't expect to need it so soon.
Xiao Minghuang remembered that before leaving, Lin Zhengquan promised her that if she eliminated the three major Lineage, he would offer her hundreds of thousands of spirit stones, thousands of pills, and some magic treasures at once.
And every year thereafter, he would offer her tens of thousands of spirit stones and hundreds of pills.
Such a number, even far exceeding that of the old retainers at the Divine Sea Realm in the royal family, was enough to tempt her.
As her cultivation level increased, although spirit stones gradually became useless and low-grade pills had weak effects, she could still use these things to exchange for spirit herbs, which she could then give to Ye Ruoshui to refine into high-grade pills, thus helping her cultivation.
However, Xiao Minghuang did leave a way out for the three major Lineage. She said:
"If the three major Lineage are willing to return the hidden spiritual veins and fields, and cease oppressing the people in the future, it's not impossible to spare their lives."
Upon hearing this, Lin Wanqiu shook her head slightly. She knew that these powerful families had their own pride and would not easily bow their heads.
To touch their core interests, a major, devastating battle would be necessary.
"Your Highness, rest assured, I will handle things appropriately..."
As they spoke, Lin Wanqiu asked:
"The maids from the Liu and Wang families colluded with the Second Prince and can be dealt with according to the law. But what about the little maid from the Li Family? Should we keep her here, or send her back to Beiyang City?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice:
"I trust your judgment. I'll leave these matters to you. The competition is approaching, and I need to focus my energy on cultivation!"
"Your Highness, rest assured, I will certainly handle this matter properly!"
Xiao Minghuang nodded. She knew that Lin Wanqiu was insightful and thoughtful, and would definitely find the best solution.
After bidding farewell to Lin Wanqiu, Xiao Minghuang left the mansion and headed to the Imperial Palace.
She still had the Alchemy Notes given to her by the Seventh Elder, and it was time to give them away.
This book tells the story of the Witch Aegsa, who, by impersonating various well-known villainous women in a magical world, grows stronger by manipulating their emotions, turning those bitter and resentful women into her devoted followers.
91. Ten thousand times critical hit! Heavenly Refining Art!
Imperial Palace, Enshrinement Courtyard.
This wasn't Xiao Minghuang's first time here; she entered with practiced ease.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
The guards outside the pavilion all bowed.
Xiao Minghuang waved his hand and walked into the hall.
After what happened last time, Xiao Minghuang no longer needed to announce his arrival and could come and go freely in and out of this place.
Inside the main hall, waves of heat rushed out, and a faint medicinal fragrance filled the air. Xiao Minghuang looked around.
In the center of the main hall, a raging fire burned fiercely in the alchemy furnace.
Beside the enormous alchemy furnace sat a petite figure—it was Ye Ruoshui.
Ye Ruoshui wore an elegant moon-white dress, her long, black hair was simply tied into a ponytail, and her pretty face was exquisitely beautiful.
At this moment, she closed her eyes slightly and continued to pour spiritual energy into the alchemy furnace, being extremely focused, so much so that she did not even notice when someone entered the hall.
Seeing Ye Ruoshui's focused expression, Xiao Minghuang's lips curled up slightly, and a smile appeared in her eyes. She did not disturb her rashly, but sat down to the side and waited quietly.
After about half a cup of tea's time, Ye Ruoshui opened her eyes. She stood up, stretched, twisted her neck, and a bright smile appeared on her face.
At the same time, a surge of pure medicinal power erupted from the alchemy furnace.
Ye Ruoshui immediately ran to the alchemy furnace, took out the pills, and put them into a box for safekeeping.
"I wonder if Her Highness has emerged from seclusion yet. I really want to send these pills to her soon..."
But when she turned her head, she was shocked to see Xiao Minghuang sitting not far away.
"Your Highness!"
A look of surprise immediately appeared on Ye Ruoshui's face.
Xiao Minghuang nodded and walked up to Ye Ruoshui.
"Your Highness has finally emerged from seclusion. I haven't had a moment's rest these past few days; I've been refining elixirs for you..."
As she spoke, she held up the box containing the pills as if presenting a treasure, a glint of anticipation in her eyes.
"These are three Spirit Condensation Pills, please accept them, Your Highness."
Xiao Minghuang looked up and saw Ye Ruoshui with a blush on her fair face, making her look exceptionally beautiful. Her eyes were filled with anticipation as she stared at her intently, afraid of missing any change in her expression.
Xiao Minghuang reached out and took the box, then patted Ye Ruoshui's head, a tender look in his eyes, and whispered:
"Thanks for your hard work."
"It's not hard work."
Hearing Xiao Minghuang's praise, Ye Ruoshui's face turned even redder, as rosy as an apple.
When Ye Ruoshui was refining pills, she inevitably came into contact with furnace ash, and her body got dirty to some extent. Especially when the black furnace ash stuck to her fair face, it was a sight that made people unable to help but laugh.
Xiao Minghuang raised her hand and brushed Ye Ruoshui's disheveled hair aside. Her palm stroked Ye Ruoshui's face, feeling the smooth skin on her cheek, and she couldn't help but touch it a little longer.
Ye Ruoshui's face flushed red, her heart pounding wildly. Feeling Xiao Minghuang's hand on her cheek, she trembled as if she had been electrocuted.
Xiao Minghuang felt something strange coming from her hand, and she knew something was wrong. She quickly let go of her hand.
Ye Ruoshui was disappointed, but a smile still lingered on her face.
"Your Highness, please rest for a while. I'm going to take a bath and change my clothes."
After saying that, Ye Ruoshui ran out.
Watching Ye Ruoshui's retreating figure, Xiao Minghuang frowned slightly. What was wrong with her just now? Why did she act so out of line?
Just now, an impulse suddenly surfaced in her mind, and she couldn't help but touch Ye Ruoshui's head. She had felt the same way when facing Lin Wanqiu a couple of days ago, and this time it was even stronger.
Xiao Minghuang felt somewhat helpless. She wasn't someone who easily lost control of her emotions, but when facing Ye Ruoshui and Lin Wanqiu, she always found it difficult to remain calm.
"It must be... that my cultivation level is too low, making me easily swayed by external things. I should hurry up and improve my cultivation."
Xiao Minghuang sighed softly, rubbing her forehead in annoyance.
A short while later.
A series of light footsteps sounded.
Ye Ruoshui walked out of the room, wearing a moon-white dress that perfectly accentuated her curvaceous figure. Her beautiful hair was simply tied into a ponytail, and her face had a faint blush.
At this moment, Ye Ruoshui looked incredibly charming, like a blooming flower exuding a delicate fragrance.
At this moment, Xiao Minghuang suddenly realized that Ye Ruoshui, this little girl, seemed to have grown up.
In an instant.
She felt a strange feeling rising in her heart again, and dared not linger any longer. She immediately took out the Seventh Elder's notes from her storage bag, flicked them lightly, and pushed them in front of Ye Ruoshui.
"Ruoshui, this is the Seventh Elder's notebook. He promised to give it to you. Please accept it."
After handing over the notebook, Xiao Minghuang didn't linger and immediately turned and walked towards the palace gate.
She dared not stay in the same room with this alluring young girl any longer.
This little girl was like a delicious, sweet peach, constantly tempting her. She worried that if she stayed any longer, she wouldn't be able to control herself.
Ye Ruoshui took the notebook, glanced at it casually, then looked up and saw that tall figure gradually disappearing into the distance, feeling disappointed.