Hooligan

By mid-September, Ye An had been cultivating for half a month after experiencing the Lin Lineage's affairs.

[Black Tortoise Sea-Suppressing Art - Qi Condensation Chapter (First Layer): 154/800]

[Black Tortoise Mountain-Suppressing Palm - Part 1 (Initial Glance): 178/800]

The progress is slow and steady, which is very much in line with the cultivation speed of Low-B Grade Root Bone who has no bottlenecks.

The goods carried by the Liu Lineage's transport team are extremely valuable. This batch of goods must be delivered within the stipulated time, otherwise the Liu Lineage will have to pay a considerable amount in compensation, and the entire Lineage's operations will be disrupted.

Therefore, the person sent to lead the team this time was a highly respected elder of the Liu Lineage named Liu Hou, who was over fifty years old and at the Mid-Meridian Opening. He had repeatedly advised Liu Ruyan to marry into the Song Family.

He had managed transportation for the Liu Lineage for over a decade and had encountered many troubles, most of which he had resolved. But this time, he found himself in trouble.

The Liu family's convoy was blocked on the transport route north of Cangwu County for three days.

The other party was just one person, standing in the middle of the road, neither robbing nor killing, but blocking the road with both people and goods.

Liu Hou thought that this kind of person was only after his own interests, so he offered the biggest concessions he could, but they were all rejected by the other party.

If Liu Hou hadn't realized he was no match for his opponent, he would have told him to get lost long ago.

Liu Hou still didn't give up, but no matter how he negotiated, the other party only said, "If you can't get through this road, try another one."

They didn't give any reason; they were just there to cause trouble.

As for taking a detour?

Liu Hou sat by the roadside, the convoy had already eaten most of its rations, and he looked at the shipment.

If they take a detour, it will take an extra half month, which is simply not enough time. Every extra day this batch of goods is stuck here, the more losses the Liu Lineage incurs.

Soon, Liu Hou sent people to investigate the other party's background. The news came back that day: Rogue Cultivator named Meng Qian, who had just broken through to the Qi Condensation and was invited by the Zheng Family.

The Zheng Family is a second-tier Lineage in Cangwu Prefecture, with power comparable to the Liu Lineage.

Their main business is supplying medicinal herbs and excipients, and they have upstream and downstream relationships with the Song Family.

The conflict between the Zheng Family and Liu Lineage has been brewing for a long time, with the core issue being a transportation route in the north of the city. The Liu Lineage has been operating this route for over a decade, while the Zheng Family has always wanted to take it over to expand their supply channels.

The two families had been locked in a stalemate for many years, with the Zheng Family never gaining an advantage until this time when they somehow managed to hire a Qi Condensation Rogue Cultivator artist at a high price.

Although Meng Qian had only recently broken through to the Qi Condensation and his aura was not yet fully stable, Qi Condensation was still Qi Condensation Qi Condensation Martial Artist. Just by standing there, he was enough to deter Lineage like the Liu Lineage, which did not have a Qi Condensation martial artist, from making any rash moves.

Looking at the Liu Lineage members, Meng Qian could hardly hide his joy. He knew that when he was still in the Late Meridian Opening, these second-tier Lineage were polite to him, but not as fearful as they were today.

Only after I managed to break through to the Qi Condensation did I realize that Meridian Opening is Meridian Opening, and Qi Condensation is Qi Condensation.

Humans and ghosts are on different paths; the two are distinct.

Each level is a barrier, and from then on, it's no longer a single world.

The Liu Family Council Hall was packed with people.

The Zheng Family's move precisely targeted the Liu Lineage's greatest weakness.

Some people muttered a curse under their breath, while others remained silent.

For a second-tier Lineage like the Liu Lineage, a martial artist at the Qi Condensation Realm is too much of a burden.

Fortunately, I heard some news recently, and an elder of the family stood up and said to Liu Ruyan.

"I heard... that Guest Elder Ye recently broke through to the Qi Condensation."

All eyes turned to Liu Ruyan.

The message was clear: the Zheng Family could hire a Qi Condensation, and the Liu Lineage also had a Qi Condensation guest, but only Liu Ruyan from the Liu Lineage was familiar with the other party.

"Will Guest Elder Ye come? He's also at the Qi Condensation; what if he doesn't want to offend anyone..."

The words weren't finished, but the meaning was already clear.

It's true that Ye An is Liu Family Guest Elder, but a guest elder is ultimately just a figurehead. No one can be sure whether he's willing to offend a martial artist of the same rank for the sake of the Liu Lineage.

Liu Ruyan remained silent for a long time before finally standing up and saying, "Send the letter to the Four Symbols Sect."

She paused after speaking, but her voice was more urgent than before. "I'll go myself."

Ye An was circulating the "Black Tortoise Sea-Suppressing Art" inside the room, his True Qi slowly flowing along his meridians, when suddenly footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a disciple's voice. "Senior Brother Ye, someone is looking for you."

Ye An finished his practice and opened his eyes. "Who?"

"The Liu Lineage, Liu Ruyan."

Ye An paused for a moment, then got up and went out.

Liu Ruyan stood under the old locust tree at the entrance of the Black Tortoise Hall. The moment she saw Ye An come out, her tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly.

She stepped forward and respectfully said, "I apologize for my intrusion, Master Ye."

"What's the matter?" Ye An knew that the fact that Liu Ruyan had come in person meant that the Liu Lineage was facing a problem they couldn't solve and needed his help.

Soon, Liu Ruyan recounted the whole story, including who Meng Qian was, his background, and so on.

She said all of this in one breath, and every word she spoke was substantial.

As she spoke, she looked up at Ye An, her eyes filled with suppressed anxiety, but she managed to keep that emotion from showing.

She was somewhat worried about this trip, as she had invited Ye An out several times, but he had declined each time due to his advanced cultivation. Now that he had even reached the Qi Condensation, the Liu Lineage could offer him very little.

Liu Ruyan now wields most of the power in the Liu Lineage, so she cannot appear flustered in front of her clansmen, nor can she back down in front of her elders.

When everyone in the council chamber is looking at her, she has to stand straighter than anyone else.

But now, standing under this old locust tree, standing in front of Ye An, she suddenly realized that the layer that had held her up for so long seemed to have been partially removed, revealing only the parts of her that she couldn't let anyone see in the Liu Lineage.

"Let's go take a look." Ye An didn't say much, he just asked Liu Ruyan to lead the way.

Upon arriving at the Northern Transport Road, the convoy remained stationary. When Liu Hou saw Liu Ruyan and Ye An appear together, he stood up and went to greet them.

He first greeted Liu Ruyan, then respectfully bowed to Ye An: "Guest Elder Ye."

Liu Hou suddenly found his previous thought that even if Ye An entered the Four Halls, it would be a long time before he could Qi Condensation. He realized that he was probably getting old.

Meng Qian stood in the middle of the road. He saw Ye An walking over from a distance, and his gaze lingered on Ye An for a moment—he was not old, but his aura was on par with his own.

He thought it might be a Core Disciple or a top student from some sect. He didn't want to offend such a genius, but the gift from the Zheng Family was too precious, so he decided to take the risk.

Ye An walked to the front of the shipment, facing the other party directly.

Meng Qian cupped his hands in greeting, addressing the other party as "brother" despite their significant age difference, saying, "Please leave. I will make amends afterward, and I hope you will not concern yourself with this matter further."

Ye An shook his head, saying, "Once you've taken the benefits, you have to do the work. In this world, loyalty is everything. As Liu Family Guest Elder, I naturally have to do my part since I've received the benefits. Brother Meng, please don't put me in a difficult position."