Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 199 - 185: Exploiting the Nobility

"My lord... what... what is going on here!"

Sitting at the head seat, Li Feiruo looked towards the clan elders at the lower seats with a smile brimming with warmth. These elders, with their hair grayed from age, all displayed anxious expressions as they repeatedly said:

"We exerted ourselves against Qi Mu! How come our clan members have all been captured... this... to say this is the remnants of Qi Mu, it's really a misunderstanding!"

Li Feiruo frowned slightly and beckoned the elders to come forward, whispering:

"Each of you has made great efforts, Feiruo keeps it all in mind. I heard early in the morning that members of a few clans were taken, and I hurried to ask the Family Head!"

The elders looked at each other and could only bow with clasped hands, saying:

"Thank you, my lord! But this matter of the remnants of Qi Mu..."

Li Feiruo waved her hand, her face revealing a helpless expression, and explained:

"This matter is under the charge of Young Master Yuanjiao. This man is domineering and lawless, even the Young Master fears him somewhat. Naturally, I am powerless as well..."

"Unfortunately, this man's mother is from the Mu Jiaoman clan, and Mu Jiaoman is his uncle. When Qi Mu killed his brother and father, Young Master Yuanjiao naturally hated him to the bone. He is also cruel and greedy; if your offspring have fallen into his hands, they are bound to be skinned!"

Upon hearing this, the clan leaders who had come to demand an explanation were all startled. The younger ones were still anxiously clueless about what to do, while a few of the elders exchanged glances and heaved a sigh of relief, thinking to themselves:

"This is extortion, seeking to profit from us, not truly after our lives..."

Li Feiruo watched with a smile, as an elderly man with a head full of white hair stood up. Highly esteemed among the clans and having spent most of his life mingling in official circles, he naturally understood what Li Feiruo wanted, and after coughing, he said with a slow, methodical bow:

"My lord, Upper Sect dispatched troops of justice to support the king, and the Wutu Clan once served the false king. Now that we have renounced the darkness for light, we are nevertheless terrified and are willing to offer up our controlled Spiritual Fields and more than thirty Spiritual Objects. We ask for nothing else but to serve Upper Sect and hope that in front of Young Master Yuanjiao, you could speak well of us."

This old fellow was also decisive; knowing that he could not keep his Spiritual Fields for sure, he offered all he had in one breath, including more than thirty Spiritual Objects, most of which were Fetal Breathing Realm Shamanic Instruments and Spiritual Objects. Although these items could not match Immortal Cultivator's Magic Artifacts and Elixirs, they were sufficient to bolster the resources for the lower-level cultivators of the Li Family.

"The Clan Leader is truly generous."

Li Feiruo nodded in satisfaction, for these Shamanic Instruments and Spiritual Objects were the accumulation of the clans over many years. Even if they had been established in these lands for a long time, offering more than thirty pieces was indeed bleeding them dry. Glancing at the people below, the clan leaders exchanged looks and started calling out:

"Our clan is willing to offer twenty-five Spiritual Fields... and fifteen Spiritual Objects…"

"My clan is willing to offer fifteen Spiritual Fields and twenty Spiritual Objects..."

After Li Feiruo listened to all of them, she finally said with a smile:

"Gentlemen, please calm down. Feiruo is well aware of the situation. Go back first and wait for my news; I will plead with Young Master Yuanjiao and get back to you all later."

Seeing that Li Feiruo had started to dismiss them, the elders hesitantly withdrew. Once they were gone, Li Feiruo at the head seat called someone over and instructed:

"Send someone to follow up and collect the Spiritual Fields and Spiritual Objects. Make sure to account for each family's offerings and record them in a register to be sent to Young Master Yuanjiao. He has his own ways to decide who to kill: kill more from those who offer less, spare more from those who offer more. Within three days, these old fellows will naturally come looking for me."

"Yes."

The attendant at her side heard the order and withdrew. Li Feiruo, with a smile still on her face, picked up the brush in her hand, drew a circle on the cloth in front of her with some greed in her eyes, and thought to herself:

"It's intoxicating, the feeling of having great power and pressuring others... I wonder if I could secure an official position of some kind once back in the town..."

————

In Mu Jiaoman Town's palace.

While building his palace, Mu Jiaoman had constructed numerous dungeons to detain those who were contrary to him. As Mu Jiaoman's rule became more stable, the dungeons grew emptier. Now that Shamo Li had risen to power, the dungeons quickly filled up again, to the point that cells originally meant for one person were now crammed with three or five people, making them overcrowded and reeking of filth and urine.

Li Yuanjiao lifted the long whip in his hand and stepped on the blood-stained face beneath his foot. With his expression shifting unpredictably, he flicked his whip in the air, producing a loud snap before lashing the person at his feet, eliciting a pained scream from them. Li Yuanjiao said in a low voice:

"Repeat that again."

"Mu Jiaoman is Ganixi's brother, the two... share the same father... different mothers, Ganixi's... mother was a slave... fled into the forest and gave birth to him..."

Li Yuanjiao fell silent for a while, then another lash struck the man, he said sternly,

"How many Spiritual Objects are there in the clan? How many Spiritual Fields? Do not think to hide anything, the Wutu Clan has more than just you."

"This servant... this servant is just a mortal... really doesn't know ah!"

The man trembled with pain, pleading continuously for mercy. Li Yuanjiao waved his hand dismissively, lashed him several more times, and an attendant handed over a small note. Li Yuanjiao glanced at it and snorted coldly,

"You are indeed a man who has done all sorts of evil, it's not just pain of the flesh you will suffer, you can't blame me for this."

No sooner had he finished speaking, his Cultivation Level of the second layer of Fetal Breathing burst forth, not waiting for the man to plead for mercy, the empowered strike exploded the man's head, red and white splattered all around, trickling onto the ground.

"The Young Master reports, the lord has sent over a roster."

Li Yuanjiao turned his head to receive the fabric scroll, glanced over it from top to bottom, and had a count in his mind. He ordered quietly, and clan soldiers dragged another man out from the prison, wailing and begging for mercy. It was then that Li Yuanjiao raised his whip, when a voice surged with Mana called out,

"Hold on, Brother Yuanjiao!"

Li Yuanjiao curled his lip and saw Shamo Li rush in hastily, speaking somewhat awkwardly,

"Brother Yuanjiao... I know you're indignant... but these people from the six major clans have no small relations with our Qi Mu clan, could you do your brother a favor and..."

"So it's Brother Shamo Li."

Li Yuanjiao tossed the whip in his hand aside, his tone becoming pleasant,

"Brother has just ascended to the throne, and there are many affairs to deal with within the country. A trifle like this is best left to me, there's no need for you to trouble yourself with another visit."

Shamo Li chuckled, indeed after he took power, he was busy inheriting the throne, and the reports about the throne he received day by day were all trivial matters. Not a single key issue reached his hands, leaving him unspeakably uncomfortable. He had come here after the six major clans had sent lavish gifts, also wanting to probe Li Yuanjiao's intentions and find out when the Li Family would leave.

Seeing Shamo Li smiling awkwardly without speaking, Li Yuanjiao explained,

"I'm doing this also to help Brother eliminate adversaries and establish authority. You can trust this matter to me, little brother knows what he's doing..."

Shamo Li, already indebted to Li Yuanjiao's favor, found himself at a loss for words even more so now, he could only sigh and ask softly,

"May I know when Brother Yuanjiao will return to Lijing Town? That way, I can arrange the time to show proper hospitality as a landlord."

Li Yuanjiao laughed heartily, speaking softly,

"If the six major clans cooperate, it will only take a month to clear up the remnants of the Qi Mu, and we will set off to return east. But if the six major clans are sluggish and confront us, it could take many months or even half a year!"

Shamo Li's expression brightened upon hearing this, knowing that once the Li Family finished exploiting the six major clans they would leave. Calculations formed in his mind, he agreed loudly,

"I've got it! I've got it!"

Li Yuanxiu patted his shoulder, his voice warm,

"I understand your suffering, Brother. Yuanjiao too acts upon orders. Our presence here really puts you in a difficult position. As long as these six major clans cooperate, I will petition the elder ancestor to return east as soon as possible and will certainly not linger on brother's territory any longer than necessary!"

Shamo Li, eager to see the Li Family gone, and no longer caring about the interests of the six major clans, felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, nodded gratefully and said in a heavy voice,

"Brother Yuanjiao is truly noble; I will do my best to cooperate with brother."