Opportunity

Not long afterward, the Qi family indeed announced a shocking piece of news: Qi Tongwu, the young master of the Qi family's fifth branch, would soon be betrothed to a noble young lady of the Yu family.

At such a time, the Qi family suddenly announced a marriage alliance with the Yu family. Their stance could not have been clearer.

Within the commandery governor's residence, Yu Tongguang held a longsword in his hand. The sword was exceptionally long and broad throughout, its tough edge glinting red. One could tell at a glance that it was no ordinary weapon. Yu Tongguang was not wearing armor; he had changed into loose casual clothes and was carefully wiping the blade in his hand.

"Sir, now that the Qi family has completely thrown in with the local gentry, I fear it will not be easy to move against the Gu family either. Touch one hair and the whole body moves—especially with the drought in this commandery still unresolved and so many refugees about. If this sparks a popular uprising..."

Qingyu frowned. If a popular uprising broke out, it would not be anyone else who suffered the consequences—it would certainly be Commandery Governor Yu Tongguang.

Yu Tongguang laughed loudly. "The great clans and aristocratic families are deeply rooted. Without a natural disaster, how could they possibly be uprooted?"

He lightly swung the massive sword in his hand, yet it seemed weightless in his grasp, carrying an aura of slaughter that could sweep across all directions.

Qingyu frowned as he looked at Yu Tongguang. He could not understand what this commandery governor was thinking. Even if such a strategy succeeded, Fengyang Commandery would be gravely weakened. Governing it well afterward would be difficult indeed.

With a slight furrow in his brow, Qingyu could not help but advise, "Sir, if this is done, then even if it succeeds, I fear it will affect your evaluation in official administration?"

A keen gleam flashed in Yu Tongguang's eyes. His gaze abruptly fell on Qingyu, so bright and piercing that Qingyu felt a chill run through his entire body. Then Yu Tongguang laughed.

"Qingyu, I recall that you have followed this general for quite some time. Ever since this general was merely an assistant commander in the border army, you have remained by my side. It does no harm to tell you a little inside information!"

"After my Ministry of Personnel evaluation, I could originally have gone to some prosperous commandery near the capital, yet I deliberately chose this relatively remote Fengyang Commandery. Do you know why?"

"That is because Fengyang holds a secret—a treasure. As long as I obtain that treasure and present it to the court, to the Imperial Preceptor of Grotto God Abbey, what would it matter if Fengyang Commandery were smashed to pieces?"

"As long as the Imperial Preceptor nods, a mere commandery governor amounts to nothing."

An utterly cold smile appeared on Yu Tongguang's face, with a trace of burning fervor in his eyes.

"An opportunity?"

Qingyu looked stunned.

He truly had not expected that Yu Tongguang had never cared about the balance of power within Fengyang Commandery at all. No wonder he had acted without restraint, utterly unconcerned with retaliation from those local powerful clans.

After performing a round of swordplay, Yu Tongguang slowly sheathed his sword and continued, "Qingyu, have you heard of Prince Mian's governance of the Whitewater River?"

Qingyu nodded. "Naturally. Back then, Prince Mian built four dams to divide and govern the Whitewater River, extensively constructed riverbanks, and opened up ten thousand qing of fertile farmland along the river. He was truly wise and mighty. Unfortunately, in his later years, he became obsessed with alchemy, leaving the people of his fief unable to make a living and earning their curses."

Facing the morning sun overhead, Yu Tongguang's expression was filled with something indescribable. "That is indeed how it was, but you know only one side and not the other. Prince Mian was indeed refining elixirs back then, but not ordinary golden elixirs. He was refining a supreme golden elixir that could greatly replenish one's innate fortune and extend one's lifespan—the Dragon-Phoenix Restoration Elixir!"

"The Dragon-Phoenix Restoration Elixir?"

Qingyu frowned. Though he too was an orthodox cultivator, he had no recollection of it whatsoever. Yet he could imagine that since it was said to greatly replenish one's innate fortune and extend one's lifespan, it must be an object of extraordinary preciousness.

Seeing Qingyu's utterly bewildered expression, Yu Tongguang immediately felt as though he were playing the lute to a cow and lost any desire to continue the conversation.

Yet he knew that the Dragon-Phoenix Restoration Elixir was far from simple. Its two principal divine medicines were the Dragon Pearl and the Phoenix Soul. Once refined, it would possess immense nourishing effects. The increase in lifespan would not be a year or two, but a thousand years.

A thousand years—enough time for even a pig to become a spirit.

Not to mention its effects on cultivators.

When the time came, even if he did not offer it to the Imperial Preceptor and consumed it himself, the benefits would be inexhaustible.

"Unfortunately, I only have the Phoenix Soul in hand, while the Dragon Pearl remains nowhere to be found."

A hint of regret appeared in Yu Tongguang's eyes.

Prince Mian had encountered an accident while refining the Dragon-Phoenix Restoration Elixir and had failed to complete it. At the final juncture, he was met by a rebellion, and both principal medicines were completely lost.

The Phoenix Soul had been seized by Yu Tongguang's line, while the Dragon Pearl might still be in Prince Mian's bloodline.

Why had he purged the many prominent clans and great families within the commandery? First, to prevent those commandery clans from getting in his way at a critical moment; second, because he suspected that they knew some information concerning the Dragon Pearl.

They were all local snakes.

After Prince Mian died back then, it was said that some of his descendants had also scattered among the common people.

The most suspicious among them was the Yu family.

Because Prince Mian's surname had also been Yu.

Yet the Yu family should also have been the least likely to conceal anything from him!

Yu Tongguang pondered with a solemn expression. It seemed that for now, he could only think of a way through the Whitewater Dragon Lord.

The Whitewater Dragon Lord had recently begun stirring restlessly. Perhaps he could obtain an unexpected gain from the Whitewater Dragon Lord.

At that moment, Qingyu suddenly asked again, "Governor, then how should the Zhang family be dealt with?"

Qingyu's expression was extremely solemn.

The person who wielded thunder had already been identified by the commandery governor's residence over the past few days.

It was difficult to imagine that he had come from nothing more than a small local family in Fengxi County. Yet the appearance of that young man from the Zhang family had indeed ruined the commandery governor's plans. The Qi family's shift toward the alliance of local gentry owed no small part to the Zhang family.

Yu Tongguang frowned.

A mere Zhang family amounted to nothing in his eyes.

But a cultivator suspected to come from an orthodox lineage was somewhat troublesome, especially when they had yet to uncover his foundations.

Yu Tongguang was very concerned that these orthodox cultivators might latch onto him.

"There is no need to concern ourselves with him for now. But if he gets in the way again..."

Intense killing intent surfaced in Yu Tongguang's eyes.

With the court's sacred artifacts protecting him, these orthodox cultivators were merely somewhat more troublesome to him.

The Qi family was draped in mourning white, and an air of grief filled the estate.

Qi Yuanwu did not remain in Fengyang Commandery for long. After hastily settling the funeral rites, he returned to Haojing.

After all, he was a commander of the imperial guards and could not remain in Fengyang Commandery for too long. Being permitted to return to Fengyang Commandery to attend Qi Yi's sixtieth birthday celebration was already a favor from the Son of Heaven. If he lingered without returning, impeachment would be unavoidable.

Yet although Qi Yuanwu's performance had been flawless, those with keen eyes still noticed something.

Within the estate, in a secluded courtyard set apart from the rest,

A dense, clear spiritual wind swirled around Zhang Jian. His entire body seemed shrouded in a layer of breeze. The tips of his feet silently left the ground, his eyes calm, his body like a leaf floating amid a gale—light and nimble.

Joy filled his eyes. After the Thunder-Walking Formula had enabled him to cast off the need for a medium, he had finally imprinted the Wind-Walking Technique into his divine sense as well.

He had broken free from the need to use talismans and incantations as a medium for casting techniques.

In a sense, it was also a tremendous advancement.

After playing around for a while, Zhang Jian descended. Just then, his gaze turned nearby as he sensed the Dragon Pearl within his sleeve trembling faintly, as though it wished to break free and fly away.