Golden Light (This new book is still in its infancy, so please add it to your collections.)

Swallow Tower, Taibai.

Swallow Tower stood six stories and ninety feet high, with vermilion doors, ornate windows, and upturned eaves.

It was an asset of the Xie Lineage, bringing in over ten thousand taels each year.

At that moment, in a private room on the fifth floor, Xie Yushi, who had only recently left the Qin Family, stared coldly at Wang Gang, Wu Li, and Li Hui of the Li Family, who had not shown himself earlier.

"I need an explanation."

Under Xie Yushi's gaze, the others remained silent.

Their eyes were fixed on a gentle, refined old man in white robes in the center of the room.

Jiangzhou's renowned physician-Zhou Tianji.

Or rather...

An adviser to Commandery Governor Qi Mingshu.

"Based on the healing medicines we have learned the Qin Family purchased during this period, along with information supplied by those within the family who sense that the great tree is about to fall, Qin Lian's injuries are beyond saving. He will certainly die within a month."

Zhou Tianji gave his answer.

"Certainly die? It's already been over a month, yet he's still as lively as a dragon or tiger!"

A middle-aged man beside Xie Yushi spoke.

He was also an elder of the Xie Lineage, named Xie Baoyu.

He was also the Xie Lineage's strongest fighter.

"If you hadn't sworn to it so solemnly, why would our Xie Lineage have stepped forward and gone up Dragon Abyss Mountain with you at such a sensitive time?"

His expression was cold and fierce.

He felt as though he had been tricked aboard a pirate ship.

"Ever since the Qin Family took control of Taibai, they have meddled in everything-salt, iron, medicinal herbs, grain. Sooner or later, they will devour every industry in Taibai and wipe the plates clean."

Zhou Tianji calmly regarded the aggressive Xie Baoyu. "Wasn't your Xie Lineage also stripped of the Mind-Cleansing Spring? That is essential for growing Clear Spirit Tea!"

"Second Master Xie, we are not enemies. The Qin Family has lorded it over Taibai for ten years. Even the Commandery Governor's Office resents them, and every aristocratic clan and wealthy household in the region must watch the Qin Family's face before acting. The lineages have suffered under the Qin Family for far too long."

Wu Li said, "Now that we have a chance to uproot the Qin Family, we should stand united."

"The Blood-Burning Sword Art has always damaged one's foundations. Surely you all know that? Qin Lian unleashed thirty-three strikes in his deadly battle with the Blood Demon, exhausting his vital energy. How could he hold on? His actions today were nothing but a bluff."

Zhou Tianji spoke with unruffled composure.

"I'm only worried Qin Lian is feigning injury... trying to lure us into the jar..."

Xie Yushi weighed his words.

"Feigning injury? Using the life of a Black Ranking grandmaster to deceive our few families?"

Zhou Tianji scoffed. "Do you think too highly of us, or too little of the weight a Black Ranking grandmaster carries? An unranked grandmaster and a ranked grandmaster are two entirely different things!"

One...

Could claim the title upon achieving Qi Refining into Gang.

The other, however, had the backing of the Great Shang Dynasty and the cultivation world.

Hearing this, Xie Yushi realized that his words had been ill-judged.

Feigning injury really would have been too absurd.

Strong as Qin Lian was, surviving Zuo Qiudao alone would have been extraordinarily fortunate. Slaying this Black Ranking grandmaster with his sword was nothing short of a miracle.

If he could slay the Blood Demon and remain completely unscathed...

He would already have entered the Grandmaster Heaven Ranking and become Taibai's undisputed leader.

"In fact, your probing this time was not without results."

Zhou Tianji smiled. "Qin Lian appeared, and every one of you returned unharmed. That alone is the greatest gain."

"What do you mean?"

Wu Li frowned.

"On this visit, the Qin Family could not possibly have failed to guess your intentions. Yet in the end... after meeting the head of the Qin Family, you returned safely... That does not fit his overbearing ways."

Zhou Tianji said.

At these words, the several true qi experts who had studied Qin Lian's temperament in depth all felt something stir.

"Something's wrong!"

"He didn't even strike us once. That isn't how Qin Lian does things!"

"'Qin Wudi,' who has always been forceful, who dared draw his sword and fight Blood Demon Zuo Qiudao to the death, suddenly turned mild... There's only one possibility..."

After comparing their observations, their eyes lit up.

He was failing.

Strong outside, hollow within!

Fierce in appearance, timid at heart!

This conclusion left the families both startled and delighted.

Zhou Tianji took in their reactions. "I know you fear Qin Lian still has some strength left. If you truly remain uneasy, you may wait another month. In a month, no matter how precious the medicines the Qin Family uses to keep him alive, he should be dead."

He smiled. "The Qin Family's younger generation has yet to mature, none of his peers are fit for great responsibilities, and the older generation is nothing but withered bones in a tomb. Time is on our side."

"A month? We can't wait a month!"

A trace of ruthlessness flashed through Wang Gang's eyes. "If Qin Lian catches his breath after this grievous injury, our families will never have a chance to rise."

"Zuo Qiudao, the flow of medicinal herbs, our planted agents' reports, today's probing-since everything shows that Qin Lian cannot hold on, we should act decisively."

Wu Li swept his gaze across the others. "Ten days! How about our three families strike together in ten days?"

Zhou Tianji had mentioned "a month" precisely to goad them into action. He had not expected these people to be so timid that they still wanted to wait another ten days.

They truly feared Qin Lian like a tiger!

They would never accomplish anything great.

Still, this was exactly what the Commandery Governor's Office wanted.

Qin Lian of the Qin Family...

His talent was too great, his future boundless.

Yet instead of staying put in Chunyang, he had come to Mount Tai Prefecture.

He had to be eliminated as soon as possible!

Otherwise, in another ten years, once the Qin Family's younger generation matured and filled the gaps in their ranks, Mount Tai Prefecture might truly become the Qin Family's Mount Tai Prefecture.

"Then allow me to celebrate your victory in advance."

As the Qin Family's sea-calming needle, "Qin Lian" had his courtyard at the summit of Dragon Abyss Mountain, with a superb view. In particular, from the viewing platform to the right of the building, all of Dragon Abyss Mountain lay within sight, along with Taibai City across the river several miles away.

Qin Lian was walking around the courtyard, looking about.

"This furniture, so classically elegant."

"This house, with its carved railings and jade masonry."

"These surroundings, full of birdsong and fragrant flowers."

He touched things here and looked around there.

"Dragon Abyss Mountain stretches for dozens of miles around. This whole vast tract belongs to my Qin Family."

Back in his own era, he could have worked his entire life without any hope of owning a mountain like this.

This wage worker from Blue Star suddenly began to identify with his role as head of the Qin Family.

"Fine mountains and waters still need strength to protect them!"

In Great Shang, the imperial family shared the realm with the sects.

The reason was that the martial sects were strong enough!

And so...

"Perfected swordsmanship, movement methods, fist and foot arts, internal cultivation, and skills."

Qin Lian digested what "Qin Lian" had learned.

Gradually, he began performing a fist routine.

It was the Five Elements Fist.

The Qin Family's inherited fist art, practiced with effortless familiarity by every member of the family.

Since it was not a particularly profound fist art, after a few rounds of adjustment, Qin Lian was already performing it convincingly, approaching perfection.

A few more rounds, and a star lit up within the golden light in his mental world.

Qin Lian focused on sensing it...

[Five Elements Fist perfected. The five elements harmonize, generating life without end. Heaven's Way bestows its reward. Root bone +1.]

The star revolved, scattering into a wash of starlight that swept through Qin Lian's body.

At the same time, he perceived certain aspects of his own condition with incomparable clarity.

[Root bone: 47 → 48 (top-tier)] [Comprehension: 39 (superior)]

"Such outstanding aptitude. No wonder he was already unrivaled in Taibai at thirty-three."

But Qin Lian soon realized that the increase in root bone was not the main point.

"The golden light's true marvel..."

He swiftly put every fist art, sword art, and movement method the original owner had mastered into practice, including his qi refining methods.

Five Elements Breathing Method, Pure Yang Qi Refining Art, Great Void Visualization Diagram.

Shadow-Sweeping Sword Art, Shocking Swan Sword Art, Dragon-Capturing Hand, Thunder-Rushing Sword, Nine Heavens Sword Forms, Great Void Sword Qi, Blood-Burning Sword Art.

Grass-Flying Art, Vertical and Horizontal Art.

In an instant...

Stars lit up one after another within his mental world.

Looking at these stars, and the information each one conveyed...

Qin Lian's eyes shone brilliantly. "The golden light's true power is that it lets me clearly see my cultivation progress in every skill and cultivation method! And... Never Regress!"