Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

After listening, Chen Li remained noncommittal. "He Zhangqiu only escaped; he isn’t dead. If he goes back, what do you think he’ll say?"

Li Sanli shook his head, his tone firm. "He won’t get the chance to go back. Patriarch Chen... won’t let him. I know it."

Chen Li smiled. "Sanli Gang Leader, you are a smart man. But your plan comes at a steep price. Forty thousand bolts of silk are worth millions at market price. For you to ask to take away such a fortune, what will you use to persuade me?"

Li Sanli fell silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Wealth is certainly tempting, but some things are more valuable than money."

He looked directly at Chen Li. "Years ago, Hengzhou Gang Leader, Zhenshan, and I were able to rise to power because a mysterious expert happened to pass through. He slaughtered the thousands of Tuo Dragons that had made the gully their lair, as well as the Tuo Dragon King that had become a monster.

"After the expert left, we were fortunate enough to find an object deep within its lair. I am willing to offer this treasure in exchange for Patriarch Chen letting us live."

"What treasure is it?"

Chen Li’s eyes narrowed slightly, his interest piqued. "Where is it now?"

Li Sanli pointed to two dark iron balls that had fallen to the ground beside Jiang Hengzhou’s corpse. "Right there. There are two iron balls, one solid and one hollow. The treasure is hidden inside one of them."

A glint in his eye, Chen Li picked up the two iron balls.

They were heavy and bone-chillingly cold to the touch, seemingly identical.

He squeezed lightly with his fingertips. One of the balls completely crushed, its internal structure dense—it was clearly solid, refined iron.

CLICK.

With a nearly inaudible sound, a fine crack split open down the middle of the other iron ball.

Chen Li gently pried it, and the iron ball split into two halves, revealing a hollow interior.

A black-and-white bead the size of an egg lay quietly inside, emitting a gentle, warm luster.

Chen Li held the bead in his palm and looked at Li Sanli with a questioning gaze.

Li Sanli explained, "This bead has a peculiar property. Not only can it slowly absorb the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi on its own, but it can also store a Cultivator’s Essence Yuan Inner Qi. When the need arises, one can draw out the stored Inner Qi to replenish their own."

As instructed, Chen Li sent a sliver of his Inner Qi into the bead.

Soon, he felt as if there was a vast, bottomless space inside the bead.

The sliver of his Inner Qi was like a stream flowing into the ocean, instantly swallowed by the space within.

With a flicker of intent, he tried to recall that sliver of Inner Qi.

Sure enough, the Inner Qi instantly returned to his body along the same path, completely intact.

"Truly miraculous."

Chen Li nodded.

’If I store my Inner Qi in it beforehand, I could draw on it for replenishment at any time during a grueling battle. It would be an instant boost, potentially even turning defeat into victory. A truly rare support treasure indeed.’

But he quickly sensed something was amiss. He looked at Li Sanli, a faint smile playing on his lips. "This bead is certainly good, but if this is all it does, it hardly seems enough for the three of you to have risen from obscurity, does it?"

Li Sanli answered frankly, "The bead does indeed have another secret. It absorbs Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi on its own, in a twelve-year cycle. Once it’s full, the Primordial Qi inside overflows. Each time this overflow happens, it lasts for several months."

A flicker of reminiscence and emotion crossed his eyes. "The Primordial Qi that overflows from this bead is exceptionally pure. It can be directly absorbed and converted into Inner Qi with almost no need for refinement. Back then, the Tuo Dragon King became a monster by cultivating with this tide of Primordial Qi.

"The three of us also relied on this overflowing Primordial Qi. By cultivating nearby for less than three months, we broke through our bottlenecks, reached Qi Realm Perfection, and stepped into the Spirit Realm in one fell swoop."

A look of genuine shock appeared in Chen Li’s eyes.

’He knew full well how arduous cultivation of the Martial Dao was.’

’Without top-grade Medicinal Cuisine and a superior Inner Qi Heart Method, breaking through to the Spirit Realm was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.’

’For this bead to have such a miraculous effect... its value truly couldn’t be measured in gold and silver.’

"When is the next Primordial Qi overflow?"

Chen Li asked.

Li Sanli said: "It should be next year."

Chen Li said no more. He tucked the bead away and nodded. "I agree to this deal. I’ll trouble you to take the men of the Tuo Long Bang and those forty thousand bolts of silk, and leave Jiangzhou immediately. If I discover that anything you’ve said tonight was a lie, Sanli Gang Leader, you know the consequences."

Li Sanli let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Patriarch Chen. I will obey your command and wouldn’t dare try any more tricks!"

He took out a bamboo-tube-shaped signal flare and pulled the fuse.

A crimson light shot up into the sky and exploded in the night.

Chen Li ignored Li Sanli and began to search the corpses of the several Grandmasters hired by the He Family.

The results were disappointing.

Other than some scattered silver taels and a few Elixirs of unknown purpose, they carried few valuables.

They did, however, all carry thick stacks of silver notes from various money houses. The denominations were huge, and the total sum was staggering.

Chen Li only glanced at them and paid no more attention.

’Exchanging such large-denomination silver notes requires a secret phrase and a matching seal. The He Family could also easily trace them, rendering them worthless.’

He did, however, find a Body Technique Secret Manual on Mo Wuji’s corpse.

But the Secret Manual was in terrible condition. Its pages were caked with dark brown, long-dried bloodstains, obscuring many of the words and diagrams and making them difficult to decipher.

Chen Li quickly flipped through it, frowning slightly.

’The damage is too severe. Whether it can even be practiced is another question entirely.’

He casually put the Secret Manual away, looked at Elder Zhan, and said, "It’s not safe to stay here long. Let’s go."

Elder Zhan nodded in agreement.

With a flicker of movement, the two of them disappeared into the darkness after a few quick leaps.

Not long after, the members of the Tuo Long Bang saw the signal and cautiously returned to the docks one after another.

When they saw the tragic corpses of Gang Leader Jiang Hengzhou and Vice Gang Leader Shi Zhenshan, the Tuo Long Bang members were immediately in an uproar.

Many were overcome with grief and indignation, their eyes nearly splitting from rage as they roared for revenge.

Li Sanli put his bamboo hat back on, concealing the scars on his face and his every expression. His voice was hoarse. "This place is a deathtrap for us now. Take the bodies of our Gang Leader and our brothers. We’re going back to pack our things and leave Jiangzhou at once. We will rise again one day!"

...

A sliver of pale light appeared on the horizon. Dawn was approaching.

Beside the main road stood a simple tea stall, hastily built from thatch and wood.

The stall had clearly not yet opened for the day. The area was deserted, with only a few shabby tables and chairs scattered about in the morning mist.

"Let’s... let’s rest a bit..."

He Zhangqiu gasped for breath, collapsing onto a stool.

Last night, the group had fled for their lives along the main road. Under the desperate cover of loyal Guards, they had finally escaped the pursuit of the Tuo Long Bang.

Over ten elite Guards were lost!

Now, by his side, only Li Yuniang was left.

Once his panic subsided, He Zhangqiu instinctively looked to Li Yuniang, who had kept close to his side.

This woman, normally so alluring and utterly submissive to him, had become his only anchor in the chaos.

"Yuniang..."

Filled with the relief of a survivor, He Zhangqiu grabbed Li Yuniang’s cold, delicate hand. He lowered his voice. "This time... it was all thanks to you. When we get back, I’ll... I’ll beg my father to welcome you into the family with all the proper ceremony and make you the rightful Young Madam of the He Family! I swear I won’t let you down!"

He expected to see Li Yuniang looking at him with tears of gratitude and tender affection.

However, Li Yuniang slowly pulled her hand back, her face devoid of its usual flattery and coquettishness.

In its place was a smile he had never seen before, tinged with pity and mockery.

"Young Master."

Her voice was still soft and alluring, but it carried an icy edge. "Young Master, I’ve heard that promise so many times my ears have grown calluses. The high walls and deep courtyards of the He Family... I’m afraid my fortune is too thin. I have no desire to go inside and suffer."

He Zhangqiu was suddenly stunned, almost thinking he was hearing things.

He stared wide-eyed at Li Yuniang in disbelief, unable to process what was happening for a moment.

Just then, several figures appeared without a sound.

The leader of the group was a woman with a slender figure and a lovely face, but her beautiful eyes burned with bone-deep hatred and cold killing intent.

It was none other than Zhou Shuwei.

Beside Zhou Shuwei stood a handsome young man in his early twenties with sharp brows and piercing eyes—it was Chen Shouheng.

On her other side was an exquisitely beautiful woman with a cold demeanor, dressed in a simple long gown. This was Linglong.

He Zhangqiu’s mind went blank with a deafening BUZZ.

He stared at the three sudden arrivals, then whipped his head around to look at the perfectly composed Li Yuniang beside him.

In an instant, all the pieces clicked into place, connecting every doubt and inconsistency.

"You bitch! It... it was you! You colluded with the Zhou Family? You set this trap for me?!"

His eyes bulging with rage and his body trembling, He Zhangqiu pointed at Li Yuniang and shrieked, his voice sharp and distorted.

Facing his furious accusation, Li Yuniang just sighed softly, her face showing no guilt, but rather a sense of liberated relief.

Without giving He Zhangqiu another glance, she walked straight to Linglong and whispered, "Sister Linglong, from this day forward, Yuniang is like a rootless plant, with no one to rely on. I hope that you... will look after me."

Linglong gave a light, bright smile, but it held a hint of imperceptible indifference. "Don’t worry, Sister Yuniang. You have performed a great service. The master... he won’t treat you unfairly."

Watching this scene, He Zhangqiu’s last shred of hope was completely shattered.

Immense fear and regret washed over him like ice water.

"You... you’ll all die horrible deaths! My father... will never forgive you! The He Family will have you torn to pieces!!"

He Zhangqiu, like a madman, cursed hoarsely.

Zhou Shuwei’s gaze was locked on He Zhangqiu, as if she wanted to eat him alive.

’All of the Zhou Family’s misfortunes were because of this man.’

Her hatred, at this moment, completely erupted.

"He Zhangqiu, die!"

With a sharp cry, her Longsword flew from its sheath. Filled with long-suppressed, overwhelming hatred, her body blurred into a streak of light, aimed straight for He Zhangqiu’s heart.

Although He Zhangqiu practiced martial arts, he hadn’t even reached Spirit Realm Cultivation. How could he be Zhou Shuwei’s opponent?

He was terrified beyond belief and wanted to retreat, but Zhou Shuwei’s sword was as fast as lightning.

SQUELCH...

The Longsword passed through He Zhangqiu’s brocade robe without any resistance and pierced his heart.

The anger, fear, and regret on his face instantly froze.

With a flick of her wrist, Zhou Shuwei withdrew the Longsword, sending an arc of blood into the air.

He Zhangqiu’s mouth fell open, the light in his eyes quickly dimming. His body swayed and then fell heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust as his life was extinguished.

Zhou Shuwei stood over He Zhangqiu’s corpse, her chest heaving. Overwhelmed with emotion, her great vengeance was finally complete.

Chen Shouheng walked forward, gently patted her shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Shuwei, it’s all over. We should go."

Zhou Shuwei nodded.

The group said no more and quickly buried the body.

Li Yuniang silently followed Chen Shouheng, Zhou Shuwei, and Linglong, and they quickly disappeared.

Day broke.