Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

Qian Laibao explained, "It’s not that we don’t want to buy your family’s cocoons. The Liu Family sent word to all the silk shops, forbidding us from buying them. They said if anyone buys from you, the Liu Family will cut off their supply."

He sighed. "Our shops may look glamorous, selling fine silks and satins, but in reality, we’re just middlemen. We don’t have our own Textile Workshops. Our supply chains all depend on the major Noble Families. No one dares to offend the Liu Family."

Chen Shouye was silent for a moment before looking up and asking, "Do you know who in the Liu Family specifically gave the order?"

Qian Laibao said, "It was Liu Yuanqi, the young master of the Liu Family’s Third Branch. Their branch has a Textile Workshop in Qingshui County. Our Qian Family also has a shop in Qingshui, and our goods come from them... We really can’t afford to offend them. Please don’t blame me for not being able to help this time, Shouye."

Chen Shouye nodded and cupped his hands toward Qian Laibao. "Brother Qian, I am already incredibly grateful that you’ve told me the truth. How could I possibly blame you? Farewell."

...

Back in Lingxi, Chen Shouye reported everything to Chen Li in full detail: how the Liu Family had organized a blockade on their cocoons, and how no one dared to buy them.

After listening, Chen Li’s face showed no trace of emotion. He spoke to Shouye with a calm expression, "Since no one dares to buy them, we simply won’t sell this year’s fresh cocoons. Shouye, you should return to the county seat for now and take good care of Jinru. Take another ten thousand taels of silver with you before you go. And don’t neglect your Martial Arts."

Li Jinru had gotten pregnant late last year and was now four months along. Although it was still a long time until she gave birth, she had never practiced Martial Arts and wasn’t in the best of health. Her morning sickness during the first trimester had been quite severe.

"Yes, Father."

Chen Shouye acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Once his son had left, Chen Li was alone in the study.

Gazing at the burgeoning spring scenery in the courtyard, Chen Li fell into deep thought.

Ever since their falling out with the Liu Family over the farmland, Chen Li had been cautiously on guard against them.

But he had yet to see any move of retaliation from them.

Even their earlier report to the County Magistrate’s Office about his family growing grain was a half-hearted jab that quickly fizzled out with no follow-up.

It made one wonder if the Liu Family even dared to retaliate.

He never expected, however, that they would be scheming against his family in this manner.

Looking at it now, it seemed his opponent had been playing a long game.

First, they used the Court’s new policy to force his family to switch entirely to planting mulberry trees, and then they cut off all avenues for selling the cocoons.

If he couldn’t sell the cocoons, it wouldn’t matter how much land he acquired—it would all be for nothing.

Worse, he would have to continuously pay for Land Tax, labor, and other expenses, just waiting for a slow death.

From this perspective, the Liu Family’s involvement in the Zhou Family’s affairs might very well have been aimed at his own family from the start.

Chen Li was certain that if his family were to switch back to growing rice now, what awaited them wouldn’t be another half-hearted report, but swift and decisive action from the Government Office.

Cunning! Precise! Ruthless!

What shocked Chen Li even more was his opponent’s unexpected patience.

’How do I break this trap the Liu Family has set for me?’

’Weave it into silk?’

Chen Li frowned slightly.

Ever since he had massively expanded the mulberry plantations last year, he had considered the idea of building his own Textile Workshop in Lingxi.

But the Mulberry Seedlings were newly planted, so cocoon production was still unstable. Moreover, building looms and recruiting and training weavers were all major hurdles.

The looms, in particular, were far more complex and sophisticated than the simple silk-reeling machines used by common folk.

He had long since sent people to inquire. Almost all the craftsmen on the market capable of building proper looms had been "invited" away by the major Noble Families and were now firmly under their control.

Not only were craftsmen hard to find, but training a skilled weaver was no easy task either. It often took two to three years and consumed countless silver coins and a great deal of effort.

Of course, what gave Chen Li the biggest headache was the issue of sales channels.

After all, while craftsmen were scarce, the ten master weavers from the Zhou Family were certainly familiar with looms. If he could just find craftsmen, they could be made slowly over time.

But once all his family’s mulberry fields reached peak production, the raw silk they produced would be enough to weave thirty thousand bolts of silk.

The market for silk was only so large. Besides the Textile Bureau, Jiangzhou and even the surrounding State Counties simply couldn’t absorb that much volume.

Even if he did manage to weave it all, it would most likely just end up piled up in his own hands, unsold.

"Growing grain was so much better..."

Chen Li sighed.

Grain was a hard currency. People could live without wearing silk, but they absolutely could not live without eating.

Even if it didn’t sell in Jiangzhou, he could always transport it to a neighboring State County and sell it there.

After pondering for a while, he still couldn’t come up with a better idea.

’I should process it into raw silk first.’

After some thought, Chen Li decided to first build simpler reeling machines to extract the raw silk for storage.

Fresh cocoons have a short shelf life, usually only one or two months. Even with special treatment, they can be stored for half a year at most.

Raw silk, however, can be stored for several years at a minimum, and up to fifteen years with proper processing.

Immediately, Chen Li arranged for the Steward to find carpenters to build the simpler reeling machines.

Then, he went straight to the training grounds of the villa.

On the grounds, Liu Zongying was watching Sun Shouyi and Chen Shouyue practice their Martial Arts, offering guidance from time to time.

Seeing Chen Li arrive, he nodded slightly. "Patriarch."

Chen Li got straight to the point. "Master Liu San, I would like to ask about someone. Liu Yuanqi of the Liu Family’s Third Branch—do you know which lineage he belongs to and what his family’s situation is?"

Liu Zongying’s white eyebrows rose. "Liu Yuanqi? His lineage, well, they were one of the three collateral branches that betrayed my Eldest Branch back in the day."

Of those three branches, the one doing the best these days is Liu Gongting’s line. That fellow is now the County Captain of Liujang County, though most of his family’s core disciples moved to Liujang County with him.

Next is Liu Gongchang’s line. He’s currently a thousand-household commander in the Jingwu Bureau and holds real power. As for Liu Yuanqi’s family..."

He paused before continuing, "They’re the most pathetic of the three branches. His father, Liu Gongquan, has a Cultivation at the Spirit Realm Third Level and was once an Inner Sect Disciple of the Celestial Sword Sect."

Unfortunately, he later failed to break through to the Divine Hall and now just minds the family’s old business. Liu Yuanqi is his eldest son. Why? Does the Patriarch suddenly ask about him because you intend to make a move against him?"

Chen Li smiled. "Elder Liu, you’re overthinking it. I’ve just had some business dealings recently where I heard his name, so I was curious."

Liu Zongying was old and shrewd; how could he be so easily fooled?

He gave Chen Li a deep look and said, "It’s not my place to ask what the Patriarch intends to do. However, while Liu Gongquan’s own cultivation and strength are indeed at the bottom among the three branches, he married a very capable wife."

His wife has already reached the level of a Divine Hall Grandmaster and has a strong network of connections within the Celestial Sword Sect. If you truly intend to move against his branch, you must be wary of her. Don’t be careless."

A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Li’s eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and smiled. "Thank you for the reminder, Elder. I’ll keep it in mind. I was really just asking casually."

With that, he turned and left.

Watching Chen Li’s retreating back, Liu Zongying snorted. ’Little brat, trying to pull the wool over my eyes? You think this old man can’t see what you’re up to?’

However, his eyes showed no displeasure. Instead, they revealed a hint of indescribable excitement and joy.

If Chen Li was really going to make a move against the descendants of those three traitorous branches of the Liu Family, he would be more than happy to see it happen.

At this thought, his mood inexplicably improved. He turned and saw Sun Shouyi’s stance falter during a move and immediately barked out in a booming voice, "Brat, what are you spacing out for? Who told you to cut like that? Again!"

Sun Shouyi’s face fell. Ever since this Instructor Liu had arrived, his life had become much harder.

After he came to the Chen Family, they hadn’t treated him like a servant, so he rarely had to do any household chores.

He only had to study and practice his Martial Arts every day.

In the past, he could sneak away for a day or two of rest. Now, forget two days, he couldn’t even get two hours off.

...

「Lingxi, evening.」

Widow Wang’s house.

On the table was a large basin of coarse rice, a plate of thinly sliced cured meat, a dish of black salted vegetables, and a pot of boiled cabbage soup with a few drops of oil floating on top.

Widow Wang, an apron tied around her waist, was filling the last bowl of rice and placing it in front of a burly, well-built man.

The man had dark skin and knotted muscles. He sat silently at the table like an iron pagoda.

This man had suddenly burst into her house late one night three months ago.

He had instantly subdued the terrified Widow Wang, who was scared out of her wits.

Just as she thought she was done for and resigned herself to her fate...

...the man had tossed her a heavy silver ingot of snowflake silver, worth a full ten taels. "I need to stay here for a while. This is your payment. Keep your mouth shut. If you dare breathe a word of this, I’ll take your life."

Widow Wang instinctively picked up the silver and bit it.

The hard texture and familiar metallic taste instantly confirmed it.

’It’s real!’

In the blink of an eye, her fear was replaced by immense, joyous surprise.

For a woman like her, widowed for many years and living a hard life, who this man was or what he wanted was completely unimportant. What mattered was the shining silver.

She immediately put on a warm, almost fawning smile and eagerly invited the man to stay.

Although Widow Wang was no longer young and had an ordinary face, she had a full figure and exuded a ripe, mature charm.

With an unmarried man and a widow living under the same roof, it was like putting dry wood next to a raging fire. Within a few days, they had ended up in bed together.

After one particularly satisfying session, Widow Wang learned the man’s name.

Liu Dazhu.

As for his purpose in Lingxi, although he never said, Widow Wang had a pretty good idea.

Every day, without fail, Liu Dazhu had her wander near the old residence of the late Chen Yongxiao. That residence was now the Chen Family Villa, and she knew very well that he was targeting Chen Li’s family, Master Chen’s family.

But she was smart enough not to mention it, and she certainly didn’t dare breathe a word to outsiders.

All she knew was that for every extra day this man stayed, she got to live another good day with plenty of money and a man to comfort her.

Liu Dazhu kept his head down, wolfing down his food.

He ate with wild abandon and at an incredible speed. The large pot of coarse rice visibly shrank; in the blink of an eye, seven bowls were already in his stomach.

Widow Wang sat opposite him, stopping after just one small bowl. She watched Liu Dazhu with a fiery gaze, feeling utterly satisfied with this burly man who had fallen from the sky.

He didn’t have to go out and work in the fields like the other men in the village; he just stayed home with her all day.

His stamina was astonishing, as if he had endless energy. When it came to "plowing the fields," he was more tireless than an old ox.

His only flaw was that he ate a little too much.

However, whenever he would occasionally pull out another silver ingot and press it into her hand, that little bit of resentment would instantly vanish into thin air.

"Finished eating?"

Seeing Liu Dazhu put down his bowl and chopsticks, Widow Wang quickly stood up. Her voice was so syrupy sweet it was practically dripping as she sat down in his lap.

Liu Dazhu wiped his mouth. "Stop clinging to me. Go take a walk over by the Chen Family’s place and see if anything is going on."

"I know, I know!"

Widow Wang shot him a flirtatious glance, then, under the setting sun, swayed her hips and slipped away in the direction of the Chen Family Villa.