Chapter 409: Settling (I)
"Yu Xiaogui is dead."
Li Yuanjiao had heard many rumors and lived through the death of his family's ancestor. With a quick glance, he instantly grasped the situation at hand.
The two families had a blood feud, and Li Yuanjiao, feeling no sorrow, sighed in relief that the turmoil was finally settling.
"Fei Wangbai fell to an unknown swordsman. He fell with just a single attack... Yu Xiaogui met his end at the hands of my granduncle, armed with only a Huashang Fruit and his Qingche Sword... It took just a single strike too. The Three Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators of the lake are now all dead…"
The Azure Pond Sect would not ease its grip on prestigious clans just because their Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators had fallen. The tributes that were due would still be demanded under the guise of honoring past legacies. These families would still be labeled a prestigious clan for another fifty years so that the sect could drain all their remaining resources before discarding them for good.
Should a few more Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators emerge in the Li Family or annex additional territories, their required tributes would undoubtedly increase, mirroring the substantial offerings made by the Yuan Family, who paid far more than the Li Family.
The scene of Yu Xiaogui's death was strikingly magnificent, with jade scattered all across the ground. Li Yuanjiao observed in silence, then left the cave to survey the Yu Family's territory for a while.
Under the Yu Family's governance, conditions had significantly improved over the years. Now, at least, their subjects led decent lives. Despite Yu Mugao's sinister and brutal nature, his bold reforms to the clan system and his elevation of commoners not born into the family all led to positive progress.
Understanding the situation, Li Yuanjiao put away the mirror. As the familiar stone wall of his cave dwelling came back into view, he murmured, "Chi Buzi's visit has indeed unsettled my family… The long-term consequences of it are still unclear."