Household Head Li, We Can't Help It if Frozen Water Spirit Items Have Gone Up in Price

"Yuyu Realm"

Observing Brightness Terrace.

Li Zhengchen sat upright in the seat of honor, his gaze as calm as water as he discreetly studied the eight people seated below him in order.

The eight wore different clothes and came from different sects and clans, but only the two seated at the head of the group truly carried any weight.

The man on the left was named Chen Po. He wore a crimson ritual robe embroidered all over with a hundred insects in dark gold thread.

A closer look revealed that the insects were not lifeless figures. They were slowly wriggling across the robe.

He came from the Hundred Fei Sect and was True Person Mingxin's third disciple. He followed the Remaining Fire Dao lineage and had forged the Immortal Foundation Shrouding Cold Smoke.

The man on the right was Luo Yongying. He wore a deep blue ritual robe patterned with ripples. His face was youthful, his sharp edge plain to see between his brows, and a touch of arrogance accompanied every glance.

He was a direct descendant of the Luo Household of Tiger Leaping Cliff on the Lesser Cold River, another Purple Mansion immortal clan. He cultivated the Abyssal Water Dao lineage and had only recently emerged from seclusion after forging the Immortal Foundation Mistaken Layered Haze.

The waters at Tiger Leaping Cliff ran swiftly, and Frozen Water spirit items occasionally surged out of the river with the torrent. But the Luo Household did not cultivate the Frozen Water lineage, so these spirit items were of no use to them. They had long sold them to the Li Household, and the two households had done business for many years.

The six behind them, meanwhile, were all from minor sects and schools, unworthy of mention. They had merely been swept along by these two disciples of Purple Mansion factions to make up the numbers.

Seeing that all the visitors came from households that supplied Frozen Water spirit items, Li Zhengchen understood at once.

Our subject territory on the Lesser Cold River was just plundered by Devil Cultivators, and its spirit items and Spiritual Qi suffered grievous losses. The news has only been out for a few days, and these people have already caught the scent and come looking. They're shameless beyond compare.

He suppressed his feelings and raised a hand with a smile.

"Everyone, please have some tea."

The visitors needed no urging. Each picked up a cup from the table and took a sip. A cool sensation spread from the tips of their tongues and flowed down their throats; in mere moments, their limbs and bones all felt a little more at ease.

Chen Po raised an eyebrow and was the first to speak.

"Excellent tea! It enters the mouth cool as an icy soul, yet reaches the belly warm and gentle as a spring. It must be Cold Soul Spring Emergence from the banks of the Lesser Cold River, yes? A pity it grows only on the cliffs beside the river. The yield is so scarce that even a single ounce is hard to find elsewhere."

He set down his cup and smiled meaningfully.

"Household Head Li, your clan's territory on the Lesser Cold River was only just plundered, yet you can still bring out such immortal tea for your guests. That truly can't be easy."

Li Zhengchen smiled faintly, his expression composed.

"It was not so bad. Our True Person arrived in time, and those petty villains fled at the first sign of him. Those Devil Cultivators nearly lost their lives. How could they have had the mind to plunder spirit items? It was nothing but a false alarm."

He made it sound effortless, leaving not a drop to leak through.

Luo Yongying set down his cup and raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of a smile that was not quite a smile.

"True Person Yuhong is vigorous despite his age, his might even greater than in years past. Truly admirable. It's just that I've heard a few rumors..."

He deliberately paused, then smiled.

"I heard that the Devil Cultivators plundered every Frozen Water spirit item your clan produced on the Lesser Cold River, and didn't even spare the condensed Spiritual Qi. Is there any truth to that?"

Li Zhengchen looked puzzled. Meeting Luo Yongying's gaze openly, he said slowly,

"Oh? According to our Li Household's investigation, the ones who plundered us were Devil Cultivators hiding deep within the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. They have kept to themselves for years and have never had dealings with cultivators of the Chu Kingdom. Where did you hear this, Third Young Master?"

Where had the news come from?

If he said it was hearsay, he, the young master of the Luo Household, would seem frivolous. If he said he had learned it from the Devil Cultivators, that would be even harder to explain.

Luo Yongying's expression stiffened slightly. He had only just forged his Immortal Foundation and was enjoying his moment in the spotlight. He had volunteered to visit the Li Household, intending to throw his weight around while they were in trouble and build some prestige before his household elders. He had never expected to be taken to task over his very first remark.

He stared blankly for several breaths. Most of his earlier high spirits had vanished, and his tone turned cold as he said irritably,

"Our Luo Household only heard the rumors as well. That's why we came with several other households to express our concern. If your clan was having difficulties, we thought we might help."

Chen Po spoke up at just the right moment to support him.

"Exactly, exactly. Household Head Li, we all mean well. Our two households have worked together for many years, trading what each has for what the other lacks and sharing good fortune and misfortune alike. If your clan is in difficulty, you need only say so. As the saying goes, a close neighbor is better than a distant relative. How could old friends like us stand by with folded arms?"

Li Zhengchen did not believe a word. By his reckoning, Zhengjun would be back from the Great Scarlet Realm shortly. He could not be bothered to entangle himself with these people, so he said,

"The first month of spring is nearly upon us, and the ice on the Lesser Cold River will soon melt. Before long, it will be time to gather Frozen Water spirit items again. Since you have all come together today, why not speak plainly about what you have in mind?"

Chen Po was somewhat surprised by Li Zhengchen's directness.

In their eyes, everyone in the Li Household was extremely shrewd. Ever since rumors had spread that Yuhong's lifespan was nearing its end, they had become even more cautious, fighting over every fraction. They were rarely this straightforward.

Looking troubled, Chen Po sighed.

"Since that is the case, I'll speak plainly. As you know, Household Head Li, the winters these past two years have been unusually long, with one cold wave after another. Both the upper and lower reaches of the Lesser Cold River were affected, and the freeze lasted more than two months longer than usual. Frozen Water spirit items are delicate to begin with; the slightest change in water temperature or current affects their formation. This year's yield has been truly dismal. There's even less to say about downstream lineages like ours. Apart from the reduced yield, our clans lack the means to gather them. Even if we wanted to fish more out of the rapids, we have the will but not the ability."

Luo Yongying picked up the thread, regret on his face but a trace of schadenfreude hidden in his tone.

"In good years, we used to have a little left over. But judging by this year's outlook, we can barely meet the cultivation needs of our own Luo Household's younger generation. I'm afraid there will be even less to spare for your clan."

The two sang in harmony. When they finished, they picked up their tea and sipped at leisure, though their eyes stole glances at Li Zhengchen's face.

Li Zhengchen remained impassive and said nothing, refusing to take the bait.

Seeing that Li Zhengchen would not respond at all, Chen Po had no choice but to bring the conversation around himself.

"However, our households put our heads together. Your clan now cultivates Frozen Water as its main path, and many of your younger members follow it. On top of that, you've been plundered by Devil Cultivators, leaving you with no harvest to tide you over until the next. We may be outsiders, but we see it and worry for you. We can't just stand by and watch the Li Household struggle, can we?"

He paused, a look of solemn resolve appearing on his face, as though he had made a momentous decision.

"So our households discussed it all night and decided to ask the few juniors in our own families who cultivate Frozen Water to bear some hardship. We'll save the spirit items and give the Li Household first claim! We can't let the children's Dao Paths be delayed, can we?"

The words sounded grand and righteous, but Li Zhengchen sneered all the more inwardly. He knew there was no chance of such a thing.

He showed none of it on his face. He merely nodded, exchanged a few polite remarks along those lines, and praised the two households for their loyalty.

When the pleasantries were done, he changed tack and went straight to the point.

"We appreciate your generosity. In that case, what do you have in mind for the price?"

Now that they had finally reached the point, Chen Po left the matter alone, as though he had not heard.

Luo Yongying took over and spoke lightly.

"With the yield sharply reduced, prices will naturally rise as the water lifts the boat. That's only to be expected. Moreover, we're sacrificing the share meant for our own youngsters' cultivation. Our clans must give the children an explanation, and some compensation is unavoidable. So our households discussed it, and we're not asking much-merely double the original price."

Only double?

Li Zhengchen sneered inwardly. The price hike was outrageous, robbery while the house was on fire, yet they spoke as though they were so righteous!

Even so, though he knew full well what they were doing, he did not lose his temper on the spot.

There was no other reason: no matter how high the price rose, the Li Household still lacked these spirit items.

Those Devil Cultivators had timed their raid precisely, while the neighboring Purple Mansion factions had watched from the sidelines. To make matters worse, it had happened in a year of reduced Frozen Water yields. Natural disaster and human calamity had struck together, yet the Li Household could not afford a delay.

Many of the younger generation cultivated Frozen Water. If their supply of spirit items was cut off, their Dao Paths would inevitably be obstructed.

Although Zhengjun had said the Great Scarlet Realm had Frozen Water spirit items, how many were there? What grade were they? Was there any primordial Qi needed to break through to Qi Ingestion? All of that remained unknown.

After a brief moment of thought, Li Zhengchen decided to go along with them for now and keep the situation steady.

"Everyone, in a poor year, some increase in price is only to be expected. Our Li Household is not unreasonable. But doubling it is a change we absolutely cannot accept. The price needs further discussion. Otherwise, with an insufficient budget, our Li Household will have to adjust the related spirit items under its own name as well. When the time comes, every household's dealings will be affected, and that will be good for no one."

The households traded what each had for what the others lacked, exchanging spirit items frequently.

Chen Po and Luo Yongying exchanged a glance. They had never expected the Li Household to agree to a doubled price outright.

As long as the Li Household accepted the premise of a price increase, they would have achieved their goal. It meant they had indeed found the Li Household's weak spot and had it in their grip.

Once it was in the jar, there would be plenty more to negotiate afterward.

"Naturally, we..."

Chen Po put on a broad smile and was about to take over the conversation and slowly bargain over the price, when Li Zhengchen abruptly rose and cut him off.

Li Zhengchen had sensed a summons from the True Person. Zhengjun must have returned!

What the hell was he still negotiating for? He immediately feigned anxiety, cupped his fists, and said,

"Everyone, there's an urgent matter in the clan. Please excuse me! We'll talk another day!"

With that, heedless of everyone's surprise, he hurriedly rode the wind away.