Starting as a centurion, he fought his way through the chaos of the world.

Chapter 119 Hidden Dragon in the Abyss
"Bai Xian'er greets Your Excellency."

The woman stood up and said calmly.

She was as cool and aloof as water; while not unapproachable, she wasn't particularly warm either.

A maidservant who was following beside them brought over a gift list.

Lu Ming didn't look at it, but simply asked her to hand it over to Zhang Meng.

Then, he sat down and said.

"I wonder what brings you here, young lady?" He didn't mind the other person's coldness.

Such powerful families have existed for generations.

It has a very profound cultural heritage.

Even if he only occupies six states, aside from the Great Yu royal family, they might not be very respectful to Li Yan.

As the two drew closer, Lu Ming could clearly sense that the woman's cultivation level had likely reached the late stage of the Foundation Establishment realm.

The foundation of this top-tier family is truly unfathomable.

This is just a junior disciple.

"Now that you, my lord, rule over six states, my Bai family is under your jurisdiction, so of course we must come to pay our respects."

When Bai Xian'er spoke.

She turned her head and looked at Lu Ming with some curiosity.

This was the first time she had met someone so direct, who immediately asked her what she wanted.

After all, the men she had met in the past were not like this.

They were all very careful, afraid of upsetting themselves.

"I'm a rough man, young lady, please get straight to the point." Lu Ming didn't buy into the beauty in front of him.

"You are indeed quite different, sir. I won't waste any more time on that. Actually, I've come here on orders from my family, hoping to cooperate with you."

Bai Xian'er's tone relaxed.

It looks very light and agile.

Lu Ming raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Cooperation? Miss Bai, please explain in detail."

"My lord, my Bai family is under your rule, and you have demonstrated sufficient strength. Therefore, my Bai family can provide you with some resources. We hope that you can help our Bai family with some tasks when necessary."

And we'll guarantee the safety of the Bai family. What do you think?

"What resources?" Lu Ming asked directly.

Throughout history, when the world fell into chaos, the shadow of powerful families was always behind those who rebelled.

Although he is still an official of the imperial court, he now controls six prefectures, and he knows that those powerful families will definitely come looking for him.

Unexpectedly, it was the Bai family who came directly to the door.

It should be noted that there are quite a few powerful families in the six states, at least four or five.

But now.

Other families with slightly weaker strength did not come; instead, the Bai family, a true powerhouse, came out first.

Lu Ming wouldn't believe there wasn't something fishy going on here.

"The Bai family is willing to provide you with one hundred spirit stones every year as your cultivation resources. The other four aristocratic families will each give you one million taels of silver every year as military expenses. What do you think?"

Bai Xian'er said solemnly.

Lu Ming's face remained expressionless, but he felt a surge of anger within.

These families are really treating themselves like bumpkins. One million taels of silver per family per year isn't even enough to cover their monthly expenses for elixirs.

Only the Bai family's hundred spirit stones are somewhat meaningful.

After all, he doesn't have any spirit stones right now.

If a general under your command reaches the Qi Refining Realm, the speed of their cultivation will be significantly different with the assistance of spirit stones.

Therefore, he didn't immediately turn against him; instead, he wanted to find out how to obtain the spirit stones.

"Isn't one hundred spirit stones a bit too little?"

Lu Ming asked tentatively, after all, he knew that spirit stones were precious, but he didn't know their specific value.

“My lord, my Bai family takes great risks to do business in the outer realms, and the spirit stones we receive each year are very few. We can only offer you one hundred spirit stones, which is already our best effort. Any more would be too much for us to bear,” Bai Ling’er said softly.

Lu Ming remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

After all, he really didn't understand spirit stones and could only wait until he came into contact with them more gradually.

He always chooses to remain silent when it comes to areas he is not good at.

But I always feel like there's something fishy going on here.

Moreover, it was unexpected that several prominent families in the coastal areas were all closely related.

It is clear that the Bai family is the main force.

No wonder even those immortal sects and rebel kings dared not take action against these aristocratic families.

If things really turn sour.

Whether the former can win is another matter entirely.

After all, besides the powerful families, their enemy was the imperial court.

"This is something we can consider. Is there anything else?"

"Besides this matter, my Bai family has invited you, sir, to attend my grandfather's 300th birthday celebration in half a month. Some prominent families from the Southern Frontier will be there, and we hope you will grace us with your presence."

As she spoke, Bai Xian'er placed a gilded invitation card on the table.

After pondering for a moment and finding nothing amiss, Lu Ming said, "I will definitely go in half a month."

"Then thank you for your honor, sir," Bai Xian'er said.

He then got up to say goodbye.

Lu Ming did not personally see them off, but simply had Zhang Meng escort them to the door.

After the other party returned, he said calmly, "Have Bai Yan come here."

He wasn't very familiar with these family members.

Bai Yan is much better.

Therefore, whether or not to cooperate with these families depends on what they have to say.

"Yes, sir," Zhang Meng replied and then withdrew.

A moment later, Lu Ming was drinking tea in the front hall when he saw Bai Yan hurriedly walk in.

He first bowed and said, "Greetings, Commander!"

Then, I found a place and sat down.

Lu Ming's personal guards quickly brought over the tea.

Bai Yan now seems to have lost the carefree spirit he once had.

There was always a hint of weariness in his eyes.

Clearly, he hasn't had an easy time during this period.

"You've had a tough time these past few days," Lu Ming sighed.

Bai Yan smiled wryly and said, "In this world, I am powerless and have no strength to even kill a chicken. Being able to follow you is already the best outcome. It is better than being forced to work by other rebel kings."

Clearly, he understood as well.

In times of chaos, those rebel kings who occupy a region are not as easy to talk to as the imperial court, which gives them the opportunity to refuse.

Lu Ming shook his head and changed the subject. "You know the Bai family of Yuzhou, right? They just came to me and said they want to cooperate with me. They want me to protect their safety and do some things for them when necessary."

They'll give me 100 spirit stones every year, and they'll also bring in four other aristocratic families, each contributing 1 million taels of silver annually. Do you think we can cooperate?

Actually, the silver doesn't matter; the main problem is the spirit stones, because we don't have a way to obtain them.

"Does Your Excellency intend to use the Bai family to open up channels for obtaining spirit stones?" Bai Yan grasped the key point instantly.

Lu Ming nodded.

After thinking about this, Bai Yan said, "Cooperation is fine, and ensuring their safety is also acceptable. After all, you are the governor of six states, and stabilizing the six states is what you hope to see. However, these costs are not enough to do things for them."

Although I've heard that the Bai family made similar promises to the Prince of Zhenhai in the past, we are not comparable to a rebel army like the Prince of Zhenhai.

"Haha, you and I are thinking the same thing. I can guarantee safety, since our goal is to stabilize the six states anyway. But working for them is absolutely out of the question. Don't even mention a hundred spirit stones, even if you gave me the entire Bai family, it wouldn't be enough. The Bai family's actions are really quite disgraceful."

However, there's no harm in taking the silver and spirit stones; consider it protection money. I'll explain things to them later.

Lu Ming said with a smile.

Then he continued, "I'm going to the Bai family in a few days. They say it's their patriarch's 300th birthday. Do you know what cultivation level the Bai family head is now?"

"I don't know either, but as far as I know, they seem to have an ancestor who is still alive and has a very strong cultivation level."

As he said this, a hint of seriousness appeared in his eyes.

Lu Ming nodded.

"I understand, I will be careful about this."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Bai Yan withdrew.

Lu Ming's fingers tapped lightly on the table, lost in thought.

At this time.

At this time, Bai Xian'er also led a group of people out of the city.

She sat in the carriage, her aloof face revealing no emotion.

Her stunning beauty and perfect figure would make even a woman's heart flutter.

Especially her innate aura, which makes her seem like an immortal being.

The maidservant sitting beside her asked cautiously, "Miss, will Lord Lu agree to our request?"

"Back then, the King of Zhenhai was only worth four million taels of silver and fifty spirit stones, which was more than enough. If you want more, he has to show greater value to you, otherwise he's just worth a price," Bai Xian'er said calmly.

The maid lowered her head and didn't say anything more.

In the following days, Yuzhou saw a large influx of people, all disciples of prominent families from various prefectures in southern Xinjiang, who came to offer their congratulations to the Bai family.

Lu Ming was very accommodating to this.

After Hu Fei issued them temporary residence permits, they decided to let them pass.

He himself, along with a squad of personal guards, headed towards Yuzhou.

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.

When Lu Ming arrived at the Bai family's clan city, he was also somewhat surprised by what he saw.

The city wall was towering, more than thirty meters high, and there were armored soldiers patrolling on it. They were all quite powerful, and they were all at the Blood Transformation Realm.

After Lu Ming took out the invitation.

One of the gatekeepers instantly put on a smile.

"Please come in, sir!"

Upon entering the city, I found it teeming with people.

And they should all be doing very well.

Just look at the clothes they wore; they were all gorgeous brocade robes.

Moreover, many of these people possess cultivation skills.

Among the weaker ones who had just entered the realm, there were quite a few with True Essence and罡气 (罡气 is a type of internal energy). They were all members of the Bai family.

Is this the foundation of a large family?

Lu Ming felt inexplicably uneasy.

The Bai family's residence is easy to identify because the red carpet stretches from the city gate all the way to the Bai family's main gate.

The branches on both sides were covered with luminous pearls the size of longan fruits.

This ensures that the roads are as bright as day after dark.

Such extravagance!

Yet one family gave him a million taels of silver; they really were treating him like a beggar.

The pearls embedded in this one tree alone are probably worth more than a million taels of silver.

When Lu Ming arrived outside the Bai family mansion, he found it to be even more luxurious.

The size of this manor alone is probably comparable to that of a small county town.

The interior is filled with courtyards and magnificent pavilions.

After Hu Fei gave the gift list to the butler,

They then entered the front hall.

Many of the family disciples were chatting in small groups.

One could tell from their words that the Bai family lived a life of luxury.

"Third Miss, your pendant is so beautiful. I wonder how much money it cost."

A woman dressed in gorgeous clothes and with a bewitching appearance stood in the middle of the crowd. She was the third young lady of the Bai family. Although she was born out of wedlock, she was quite favored by the head of the family.

Therefore, the other family members who attended the birthday banquet did not dare to underestimate him; on the contrary, many of them went up to flatter him.

"What silver? My elder sister found this in the outer realms from a powerful immortal sect. It cost two hundred spirit stones to buy it back. It is said to have the effect of calming the mind and condensing qi."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming's lips twitched involuntarily.

A woman born out of wedlock can casually spend two hundred spirit stones on a single piece of jewelry.

Giving yourself 100 spirit stones a year? That's incredibly disrespectful.

However, he tried his best to suppress his anger.

Anyway, he takes the money but doesn't do anything, just getting spirit stones for nothing.

Just as Lu Ming was trying to comfort himself, Bai Xian'er appeared.

In no time, many young masters and ladies from prominent families came up to greet him.

The other person stood out in the crowd like a proud peacock.

Then, she seemed to see Lu Ming and slowly walked towards him.

"The Governor's presence is truly an honor for the Bai family," Bai Xian'er said.

But his attitude remained normal.

As for Lu Ming, he was fully prepared to take advantage of these aristocratic families for free, and instead said, "Miss Bai is too kind. It is a joyous occasion for the old master to celebrate his birthday."

"Of course I want to share in the joy."

Bai Xian'er nodded. "Then, I wonder what your decision is, sir?"

"Can the young lady make the decision?" Lu Ming asked.

In his view, for such a big matter, at least an elder from the Bai family should talk to him about it.

Bai Xian'er replied, "Xian'er has always been in charge of external affairs, so naturally I can make the decision."

"Alright, if you can make the decision, then I'll be frank. Cooperation is fine, and protecting the Bai family's safety is also fine, but I can't agree to work for a powerful family for the time being."

After all, Mr. Lu is now an official of the imperial court.

I hope Miss Bai will understand.

Lu Ming didn't give a definitive answer, after all, he wanted to get the spirit stones first.

One hundred spirit stones are enough for me to set up ten small spirit-gathering arrays.

Since I've already decided to get it for free, let's get the spirit stones first.

"Then let's do as you say. When you leave this time, you can go directly to the butler and take the supplies with you."

Bai Xian'er pondered for a moment before speaking.

Clearly, she believed Lu Ming wouldn't refuse, so she prepared the supplies in advance.

I just didn't expect the other party to bargain.

However, she wasn't worried. She knew that with time, she could gradually get the other person to listen to her.

"Then thank you very much, Miss Bai," Lu Ming said with a smile.

"My lord, you are too kind. Many disciples from prominent families in the Southern Frontier have come today. Let me introduce them to you first; they may be of some use in the future."

Bai Xian'er couldn't help but let out a slight smile.

Lu Ming nodded and did not refuse. Since he was going to act, he should go all the way.

Therefore, he followed Bai Xian'er over there.

"This is the eldest son of the Li family in Huangzhou," Bai Xian'er said, gesturing with one hand.

Looking at the dashing man in front of him, Lu Ming instantly knew the man's background. Baili Fei had given him a lot of information about people from aristocratic families.

The Li family of Huangzhou is a second-class aristocratic family, and there is also a cultivator in the family.

Li He was an outstanding disciple in his family, and it is said that he had a close relationship with the Prince of Yunjiang in Huangzhou.

"Brother Lu is so young, yet he already holds such a high position. I'm truly envious. I just don't have your luck," Li He said with a forced smile.

His voice carried a hint of sarcasm.

The current imperial court is in decline, and now the Grand Preceptor Lin Hongdu is besieged in the southern border region.

The Li family, being based in Huangzhou, naturally wouldn't give Lu Ming any face.

If the Bai family hadn't been located within Lu Ming's territory and hadn't genuinely intended to exploit him, they might not have invited Lu Ming at all.

"Hehe, you're too kind. When it comes to luck, I can't compare to you. You've been living a life of luxury since you were little. When we were kids, we were just happy to have enough to eat."

Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone to the battlefield to risk their lives.

Lu Ming said with a smile.

This left Li He speechless for a moment, as the other party was clearly implying that he was lucky to have been born into a good family.

In the past, this was his pride.

But now, I have nothing to say.

"My lord, this is Sun Yan, the eldest son of the Sun family in the desolate state." Xian Ling'er noticed Li He's embarrassment and quickly spoke up to defuse the situation.

Lu Ming looked over and saw that he was also a well-dressed young man.

The desolate state is not far from Lu Ming's territory, separated only by the Huang state and the Dan state. It is currently occupied by the Desolate King and is at war with Lin Hong.

The Sun family was also a second-rate aristocratic family.

Sun Yan glanced at Lu Ming indifferently, merely cupped his hands in greeting, then turned to Bai Xian'er and smiled, "Sister Xian'er, I have some things to attend to. I'll go for a walk over there with Brother Li first."

After saying that, he gestured for Li He to proceed.

Clearly, these scions of noble families didn't think much of Lu Ming, judging from their words and actions.

I only went through with it because of Bai Xian'er.

Lu Ming also appeared very magnanimous, simply smiling faintly.

After going through the motions and quickly eating something, I got up to say goodbye.

He didn't even participate in the birthday celebration.

Of course, it's four million taels of silver and one hundred spirit stones.

He didn't take a single penny less.

Bai Xian'er stood at the door, watching his departing figure, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

"I feel like I misjudged him," she murmured to herself.

The maid standing nearby said, "Miss is overthinking it. None of these family disciples gave him a kind look. Our Bai family is already doing him a favor."

Bai Xian'er remained silent.

They turned back to the mansion.

When Lu Ming entered the governor's office in Yuzhou, his expression turned grim.

Hu Fei added, "My lord, I will immediately gather the army and capture those aristocratic disciples."

Her usually fair complexion was now somewhat flushed.

Her phoenix eyes were also bloodshot.

Clearly, this general under Lu Ming was truly enraged.

After all, a subject dies when his lord is disgraced.

In his heart, Lu Ming had long since become his master.

"Is this enough to make you angry? If you want to achieve great things, you must not show your emotions. Turning against them now will only give those powerful families something to prepare for."

"Given the resources of my six states, we really can't afford to offend so many powerful families right now," Lu Ming said, taking a sip of tea.

If we turn against the Bai family now, firstly, we don't know their true strength, and secondly, it's uncertain whether we can defeat them.

There are also a large number of rebels outside, eyeing the area covetously.

Therefore, we cannot fight now.

However, a cold light also gleamed in his eyes at this moment.

"When will that be the right time?" Hu Fei said helplessly.

He lowered his head after being told off by Lu Ming.

"Wait, wait for an opportunity to invade the southern border. When that happens, I will let these aristocratic families know what it means to be loyal to me and perish against me."

After speaking, he glanced around, as if he had thought of something: "Where's Baili Fei?"

When he came out this time, Baili Fei also came along. His main role was to explain the news about the disciples of those aristocratic families to him on the way here.

"I just heard that Old Master Baili was so angry that he vomited blood, so Brother Baili rushed back."

Hu Fei said in a low voice.

Lu Ming frowned. "Why is this happening?"

"The Bai family hosted a banquet for almost all the prominent families in the Southern Frontier, but they didn't invite anyone from the Baili family. The old man there was embarrassed and, I heard, cursed them before he vomited blood."
"Would the Bai family be short of gifts from the Bai family?" Hu Fei hurriedly asked.

Clearly, he also knew something about how the Baili family was stingy and didn't get along with other aristocratic families.

After hearing this, Lu Ming nodded and said, "The point is not the gift, but the strength. How could the old man not understand? Saying this is just being stubborn."

There was a hint of emotion in his voice.

Then he continued, "How is the war in the Southern Frontier? Grand Tutor Lin Hong, is there any news from Marquis Yundu?"

This presents him with an opportunity to strengthen his power.

If one day he were to occupy the southern border, all the powerful families would have to grovel at his feet.

Thank you so much to the generous Linlin for the 500 7-point reward, and thank you to all the other generous contributors for the monthly tickets!



(End of this chapter)