"Very well." Martial Emperor nodded and stepped into the void, departing toward the North.
With Martial Emperor gone, the rest of the group returned to Merit City.
Inside Merit City, from the commoners to the retainers, everyone held Li Xinnian in the highest esteem.
The cultivators of the entire Azure Cloud Prefecture followed his orders implicitly.
After this trip to Westfall Prefecture, Li Xinnian rubbed his temples wearily.
All the affairs of Azure Cloud Prefecture now rested on his shoulders. With the Wu Tribe incident arising, he was busier than ever.
Especially since his elders were all away handling external matters, he had to provide them with support:
Old Ancestor Dalong needed corpses in the Underworld; Old Ancestors Tianyue and Kuanghua needed sources of troops; and Old Ancestors Yaotie and Yaoqing needed refining materials...
"Suppressing Nangong Xianliu on behalf of the Silver Moon Branch can be counted as resolving a troublesome matter."
Li Xinnian murmured, then actually let out a chuckle. "Resorting to direct action is indeed the simplest method to solve a problem."
...
North, Silver Moon City.
This region was strewn with jagged, grotesque rocks.
Even the massive city itself was formed from peculiar mountain stones, with its buildings appearing as if they had been chiseled directly out of giant boulders.
Only those familiar with Silver Moon City knew that the city was, in fact, a single massive mountain. The people here were like ants who had hollowed out its interior.
When night fell, the city would be dotted with scattered lights, appearing exceptionally beautiful.
Inside an ancient castle constructed from hard stone, Li Xinjue, dressed in simple attire, gazed down at the sprawling Silver Moon City below, a look of annoyance on his face.
"Sigh... the Nangong family is truly a nuisance."
"Two years ago, the Patriarch sent the Nangong family to Silver Moon City.
He stated that the Nangong family was to assist me in mining mineral resources and that we should attempt to use their business acumen to gradually take control of the entire city.
"But in just two short years, the members of the Nangong family have become increasingly greedy.
They have even attempted to meddle in the affairs of my entire Silver Moon Branch, going so far as to propose intermarriage...
Based on my brief understanding of the Nangong clan, if we were to actually intermarry, it is an open question whether the Silver Moon Branch would bear the surname Nangong or Li in the years to come.
'Did the Patriarch send the Nangong family here to assist me, or to test me?'"
Li Xinjue was filled with worry.
Years ago, when he was driven from Northern Border City to Silver Moon City by his father, he had felt an intense guilt.
Over the years, he had constantly yearned to achieve some merit to atone for his past mistakes.
His own mother's attempt to seize power had also made him particularly suspicious by nature. Moreover, the Nangong family were in-laws to the Patriarch.
Even though he possessed the means to suppress the Nangong family, he hesitated to make a move.
As he was lost in thought, a Dark Crow flew down from the clouds.
A wave of joy rose in Li Xinjue's heart.
He received the Dark Crow and saw that it bore a message from Northern Border City.
It was a letter from First Mother Shu Wandong and his niece, Li Zhijing.
Seeing that there was no handwriting from his father, a trace of resignation flashed across Li Xinjue's face.
Upon opening the letter, he found the First Mother inquiring about the situation with the Nangong family.
His niece also added that if necessary, she could bring a detachment of Asura soldiers.
A trace of warmth flashed through Li Xinjue's eyes.
Just then, a grandson from the clan ran over and said anxiously, "Grandfather, the Nangong family ancestor, Nangong Xianliu... has been injured!"
"What?!!" Li Xinjue narrowed his eyes slightly.
That Nangong Xianliu was a merchant through and through; he had been restless even back in Azure Cloud Prefecture.
Now that he had come to the Northern Border to stir up trouble, for him to be seriously injured within just two years—to the extent of regressing a minor realm—was far too coincidental.
It was like a signal!
"Gather our family members." Li Xinjue said, waving his hand.
A short while later.
The room was packed with the descendants of the Silver Moon Branch.
These were all Li Xinjue's posterity; after two hundred years of multiplying, there were now over three hundred of them.
They spent their years mining for ore in the mountains and underground.
Living beneath the surface year-round, every single one of them had pale skin, wore the simplest clothing, and possessed an incredible capacity for hardship and endurance.
Li Xinjue looked around at his many descendants.
"The Main Family in Azure Cloud Prefecture sent someone to injure Nangong Xianliu."
Hearing this, the clansmen exchanged glances, as if they had just heard something intriguing.
Li Xinjue's expression was dark.
"For over two hundred years, our branch has established a firm foothold in Silver Moon City, yet the Nangong family has never tasted our methods."
"From today onwards, I want the Nangong family to learn their place and strictly stick to being merchants."
"Do it covertly, and be careful. We are not their match. Remember, do not engage them head-on; wait for the Asura Army from Northern Border City to arrive and assist us."
"As for those who have really gone too far these past two years... send them to the afterlife."
As Li Xinjue's voice fell, the many descendants of the Silver Moon Branch nodded in unison.
"Yes!"
To the outside world, these members of the Azure Cloud Li Clan were merely miners who spent their years digging in the mountains.
Yet, they silently returned to their rooms and donned the night-stalking suits worn only by members of the Dark Division of the Hall of Heavenly Principles.
Equipped with breath-concealing pills and poisons sent by Old Ancestor Yaoqing, the "Hidden Edge's Sword" sent by Old Ancestor Yaozu, and hidden weapons crafted by Old Ancestor Yaotie, they vanished into the air.
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