Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 207 - 193: Counterintelligence

Li Yuanxiu strode into the main hall, followed closely by Li Yuanjiao. There, they saw several clan uncles waiting anxiously, their faces showing panic and their body language restrained. They whispered in low voices:

"Young Master, my son acted rashly. Please let him return home..."

"Exactly! Young Master, when managing the family, we must show some compassion..."

Li Yuanxiu swept his gaze across the room and knew immediately that these were the elders of some clan brothers who had been acting recklessly in the Eastern Shanyue, allowing soldiers to engage in insulting and joyful activities. He merely clasped his hands together and said in a deep voice:

"It's not that I am being harsh, but what several brothers have done is excessive. There are those who take pleasure in slaughtering soldiers, those who bully other people's wives and daughters, and even those who dance with babies skewered on spears... Can the elders really bear to witness this?!"

Startled by his words, they exchanged glances and mumbled a few incoherent replies. Li Yuanxiu let out a soft sigh and continued:

"Setting up the Clan Head and regulating the clan members was the will of our ancestor, which has remained unchanged for many years."

"Moreover, this matter has reached the ears of Uncle Grandfather, and the adult is quite alarmed... Even if I wanted to help, it would be beyond my power. If the elders could obtain an order from Uncle Grandfather, I would release them immediately!"

In speaking of the ancestor, Li Yuanxiu was naturally referring to Li Mutian, whose repeated admonitions before his death were the foundation for the establishment of the Clan Head Courtyard. Invoking Li Tongya's authority over the men, he instantly rendered them speechless and they left with sighs.

Watching them depart, Li Yuanxiu smiled and shook his head before entering the inner hall, followed by Li Yuanjiao who was utterly impressed and voiced his admiration:

"To encounter such a menacing group abruptly yet manage within moments to leave them at a loss for words, big brother truly has skillful methods."

"Merely little tricks."

Li Yuanxiu chuckled softly and murmured:

"In the end, the world respects the powerful the most. Pressuring others with strength is the most convenient. Our methods of governance are nothing but leveraging the might of our powerful elders. Without this leverage, no amount of talking would be of any use."

The two of them laughed and entered the back hall, where incense was being burned and the smoke curled in the air. Standing respectfully in the center was a man clad in leather armor, full of vigor. He greeted the approaching pair with a clasped hand and a smile:

"Tian Zhongqing pays his respects to the two noblemen."

"Hmm."

Li Yuanxiu hummed in response, moving to the head seat and spoke directly:

"Under your jurisdiction in Huaqian Town there is a man named Ma Haiji, a spy from the Yu Family. Are you aware of this?"

"Your subordinate is unaware!"

Shaken by these words, Tian Zhongqing's pupils dilated slightly as he hurriedly knelt to the ground, exclaiming:

"Your subordinate has failed to recognize people clearly..."

"Eh."

Li Yuanxiu waved his hand to stop him, speaking softly:

"This isn't your concern. I deliberately let him be. Dealing with these spies isn't about simply killing them off. It's much more reassuring to watch and manage them, and they can even be put to good use at critical moments."

With a hand gesture, clan soldiers brought forth a bamboo tube containing a secret message, which was handed back to Tian Zhongqing. Li Yuanxiu chuckled and said:

"I want the Yu Family to be aware of the matters within this letter. Among the spies, this Ma Haiji has the most unpleasant name and is also the easiest to deceive, so let's use him."

Tian Zhongqing nodded repeatedly, and Li Yuanxiu went on to detail the plan, instructing:

"Make it look natural. Let Ma Haiji believe he inadvertently witnessed it."

After carefully listening, Tian Zhongqing softly excused himself to leave. Li Yuanjiao, who was still sitting casually down the steps, watched the man leave before speaking:

"Brother, Yu Mugao is not easily deceived. Whether he believes it or not, this Ma will likely be discarded by the Yu Family after being used. Do you have a method to handle this?"

Li Yuanxiu nodded, smiling:

"To come to my Family as a spy, can he really expect to leave in one piece and live a life of wealth and honor? Once the word gets out, we'll make his life a living hell."

Li Yuanxiu lifted his brush and exchanged a glance with Li Yuanjiao, smiling as he drew a circle on the cloth. Li Yuanjiao raised his eyebrows, his expression indiscernible as he spoke:

"Tian Zhongqing and Xu Gongming are both talents we can utilize. After all, with a large population, there will inevitably be a few formidable figures."

Li Yuanxiu's gaze lowered to the smooth circle he had drawn, and he said softly:

"Talents we can utilize are sufficient. We don't need people like An Jingming. My Family's pond is shallow; we cannot nurture a Flood Dragon." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

————

The four towns under Huaqian Mountain, with Huaqian Town at the foot of the mountain being the most prosperous. Over the past few years, many courtyards have been constructed, and people bustled about in straw raincoats in the sparse spring rain.

"This humble official has come to pay a visit; please inform Brother Zhongqing!"

Ma Haiji waited outside under the drizzling spring rain for a while before a servant, with a creak, pushed open the door. Seeing him, the servant respectfully said:

"It turns out to be Sir Ma. Please come inside to talk."

Ma Haiji nodded, entered the courtyard with hands clasped behind his back, stepped over the threshold, and took off his straw raincoat. There was no sign of Tian Boqing in the main courtyard, not even a single servant or maid, which made the empty yard seem all the more desolate. He raised his eyebrows and inquired:

"Where is Lord Zhongqing?"

"The Lord received an urgent letter early this morning and left with his men. Only I remained to look after the house. Please wait a moment; I will serve you some tea."

Tian Zhongqing lived a frugal life, having only a few servants in his home. Situations like this were not unusual. Hearing this, Ma Haiji nodded in acknowledgment. The servant exclaimed repeatedly and hurried off.

However, the mention of the "urgent letter" immediately captured Ma Haiji's interest. He perched on the wooden chair, eyeing the bamboo tube used for carrying letters that rolled gently in the breeze, and thought to himself:

"I wonder if I could get ahold of any information."

Ma Haiji had fled to this town ten years ago to escape troubles, and because he was eloquent and good at calculations, he managed to earn a position managing the granary and worked under Tian Zhongqing.

But he had another identity; his real surname was Yu, a branch of the Yu Family. His branch had fallen on hard times by his generation. Luckily, his shrewdness and recommendation from others earned him the role of a spy, allowing him to infiltrate the Li Family.

His eyes lingered on the bamboo tube on the table, and Ma Haiji could scarcely contain himself. During his ten years here, he'd only ever transmitted bits and pieces of information, never anything significant. He'd almost forgotten his own surname.

"If this message is important enough, perhaps I can return to my hometown in brocade clothes, no longer having to skulk around here..."

In truth, life in the Li Family was not tougher than in the Yu Family. To be fair, supported by hundreds of thousands of Shanyue, the common people of the Li Family lived much better lives than those of the Yu Family. Although the Yu Family was also supported by various families, it was their upper-class Cultivators who were wealthy. The people at the bottom still starved to death.

Ma Haiji looked around for a while, then hastily stepped forward, crouched by the table to check, and indeed, the wax seal on the bamboo tube had been broken. It was empty inside. Most likely, Tian Zhongqing had already taken the letter.

"What a pity."

Ma Haiji sighed and sat back down, resting his feet. His eyes swept across the floor and stopped at a piece of white cloth stuck under the table leg, fluttering gently in the soft spring breeze.

"Hmm?"

Instantly, Ma Haiji's eyes lit up. Being naturally quick-witted, it didn't take him long to realize what the white cloth was.

"Tian Zhongqing must have received an urgent message of great importance. In his haste to leave the yard, he didn't secure the message tube properly. The brisk spring breeze must have blown the letter under the table!"

Overjoyed, Ma Haiji leaned over for a closer look and saw the ink on the paper already smeared, leaving only a few legible words."

"An Jingming... has broken through to the Eighth Layer of Qi Cultivation..."

"Sir! Your tea has arrived."

This call startled Ma Haiji out of his wits. He plopped back down on the chair and gratefully took the tea bowl, his mind racing with the thought of fleeing immediately. After seeing the servant leave, he let out a long sigh, wiped his face, and recalling what had happened, he told himself:

"I did it flawlessly... I should leave at once!"