A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 17 Eight Kings and Eight Clans
"How do we find a Hu person to drive the carriage?"

Inside the swaying carriage, Qi Erniang looked at Li Weizhou and asked with a smile.

She was wearing a slightly worn crimson narrow-sleeved jacket with dark blue trim on the collar and cuffs, paired with dark blue cotton narrow-legged trousers with the cuffs tied with matching ribbons.

Her entire style has changed; she's become less glamorous and more dashing.

But the scent of rouge still filled the carriage with a sweet fragrance.

Li Weizhou casually remarked, "They're suited for the job; they're good at driving." Then, with a hint of worry, he asked, "Sister, is it really that dangerous outside the city?" He glanced at Qi Erniang.

Otherwise, why would he change into an outfit so suitable for fighting?
"Hahaha!"

Qi Erniang almost died laughing, and scolded, "What courage do you have?"

He had originally intended to mock Li Weizhou for being overly cautious and afraid of death, but then he suddenly remembered that his parents had been killed inexplicably, and the joke turned into sympathy.

She gently comforted him, "It's not that serious. Dressing like this is just for convenience when going out. Of course, it's also convenient for responding to emergencies. But most of the time, nothing will happen. You know how demanding the conditions are for martial arts practitioners. You need to have the aptitude and the necessary qualifications. How many people can there be?"

Li Weizhou wasn't so easily fooled: "I've already asked Uncle Song. Those with the aptitude for martial arts are strong from a young age. When a farming family has such a child, they'll save up money to send him to the Ji'an Hall in the city for a bone analysis. If the aptitude is excellent, Ji'an Hall will immediately register him and send him to the capital or even the capital to learn martial arts. Our fourth son is one of those. As for those with average aptitude, martial arts sects and major merchants will also be vying to take them in. By signing a contract of servitude, the family can get a large sum of money. With hundreds of millions of people in the Great Qian Dynasty, how could they be short?"

Qi Erniang felt ashamed and rubbed her forehead, saying, "I forgot about your fourth son... But as you said, your fourth son has a top-notch physique, one in ten thousand. It's a sure thing that he will become a master of the middle three realms in the future, and he can even look forward to the upper three realms. He has a bright future, so even the county magistrate will give your family face. Ordinary martial artists in the Jianghu will not make enemies with your family, so don't worry."

Perhaps because they had already left the city, the carriage was quite bumpy. Compared to the steady Qi Erniang, Li Weizhou was swaying from side to side. He braced himself on the bench and said, "How can I be at ease? I don't know if my fourth son will live up to expectations... It's better to have a good older sister. So, it's better to rely on yourself than on others."

Qi Erniang was amused again and said, "With that mouth of yours, I wonder how many girls you'll charm to death in the future. Your fourth son is someone else, but I'm not?"

Li Weizhou said earnestly, "In terms of kinship, we're pretty much the same, but my sister and I have an additional layer of cooperation; we're a community of shared interests. For a long time, I could only do my job peacefully when my sister was around. And as long as I'm here, my sister will never lack money. So, we're truly family."

Qi Erniang said with a gentle look in her eyes, "If only I had met you ten years ago, my life wouldn't have been so miserable."

Li Weizhou said softly, "All encounters are predestined. Sister has suffered so much, it's time for her to enjoy the sweetness. This is what they call 'after hardship comes happiness'."

Qi Erniang didn't say anything more, but her gaze towards him softened even more.

Even if these words sound more like wishes, perhaps they resonated with her.

Looking back on the time since they met, Li Weizhou has gained some things, but he has given even more.

It's not just about emotional appeals; the tangible wealth and jewelry involved in such parties are incredibly powerful for women.

Of course, age definitely plays a role in this.

You see, even on Earth in another timeline, the toughest career women, when dealing with men their own age, are all about physical confrontations and sharp, cutting remarks, can't be called gentle and tender when faced with younger, more affectionate men, especially those ten or twenty years older than them. They're more like gentle as a dog.

Spread your legs when told to, bend them higher when told to...

Having no money, no house, no car—these are no longer disadvantages, but rather advantages!

Compared to those gigolos who only know how to take, Li Weizhou is on a higher level. He is generous, doesn't take advantage of others, speaks sweet words, and always looks sincere.

No wonder he was able to plant a seed of love in the heart of Qi Erniang, who was known as the "Yaksha" (a demonic figure).

As soon as he finished speaking, the carriage stopped, and the Hu man driving it said in a loud voice, "Young master, madam, we have arrived at the patrol station."

Hey, that scoundrel is quite the smooth talker.

Li Weizhou stepped off the carriage and then reached out to let Qi Erniang take his arm to get off.

This behavior not only made Qi Erniang smile after being stunned, but even Li Chang'an, who came out to greet them, twitched his lips.

Where the hell did they learn these crazy tricks?
"Manager Qi, a rare guest indeed."

Li Chang'an was only twenty-two this year, but he was much more experienced. Li Weizhou called out "Second Brother" as a greeting, and Li Chang'an winked at his cousin without making a sound. He raised his hand and gave a thumbs up, saying, "I went to look for you yesterday. Why are you resting so early? Sanlang, your body hasn't fully grown yet. You need to take care of yourself."

"..."

Li Weizhou said expressionlessly, "Thank you for your concern. Second brother, get to the point."

Li Chang'an coughed lightly, glanced cautiously at Qi Erniang who was standing to the side with a half-smile, and said, "Didn't you ask me to help you look at land? It would be best if it had a valley. Coincidentally, there was a murder case in Fu Family Village a few days ago. I took some men there and asked around. It just so happens that someone knows of a suitable place."

Less than three miles from Fujiazhuang, there is a piece of gravelly wasteland, with Dayuan Mountain behind it. Two not-so-high peaks enclose a valley filled with loose rocks. It basically meets your requirements, the only drawback being the lack of water.

However, we could build a water cistern to collect snow and rainwater. If you don't mind, let's go take a look now.

Qi Erniang asked, "Is this Fu Tianxing's house?"

Li Chang'an nodded and said to Li Weizhou, "Fu Tianxing's younger brother, Fu Tianshou, has a slightly inferior natural talent compared to the fourth brother. He's only a top-tier student among those with average natural talent, and he was taken in as a closed-door disciple by the head of the Tiandao Sect in Jinzhou Prefecture. That's why Fu Family Manor has been getting increasingly powerful in recent years. As a result, a murder occurred in the manor. Fu Tianxing's youngest son died under mysterious circumstances, and his second wife claims that his eldest son killed him. The manor is in complete chaos. So, are you willing or not?"

Li Weizhou nodded and said, "If it's suitable, we'll go take a look." He then asked, "His family is powerful, why would they be willing to sell land?"

Only a spendthrift would sell off ancestral property, like a son selling his grandfather's land.

Li Chang'an chuckled, "The Fu family seems inclined to befriend us, though it's possible they're only befriending the fourth son. And they're probably just taking advantage of us brothers. If we were in the city, they certainly wouldn't sell us a single penny of their property. But outside the city, even though I'm an eighth-rank inspector, the Fu family doesn't take me seriously. Spending money to acquire a mountain village right under their noses is like giving them free money. Third Brother, have you thought this through?"

Li Weizhou looked at Qi Erniang and said, "Sister, is the Fu family a troublesome problem?"

Qi Erniang smiled and said, "Their family owns two hundred acres of paddy fields next to Dayuan Mountain, irrigated by spring water. That spring water is quite special, very unique, and is very suitable for growing a kind of rice called Rouge Rice. In the entire Yongzhou, only this piece of land can grow the best Rouge Rice. The Rouge Rice grown by the Fu family is all to be offered as tribute to the Prince of Jin's mansion. With such a backer, you can dream about it. However, your fourth son's master is also a high-ranking and powerful figure. The Fu family is just a farm owner, so it won't matter."

Li Chang'an said, "Actually, it's not a big problem. It's just a barren valley, and there was no forced sale. Besides, no one is after their rouge rice paddies. Who would deliberately go against the Prince of Jin's mansion? Let's take a look first, and if it doesn't work out, we can look elsewhere."

Li Weizhou pondered for a moment and said, "Then the Prince of Jin's residence..."

Qi Erniang smiled and said, "There's no need to worry about that. The Eighth Prince's power is directed outwards, not inwards."

Li Weizhou was puzzled, but Li Chang'an, who knew a little more, said, "Eight princes versus eight clans?"

Qi Erniang nodded and said, "The vast land of the Great Qian Dynasty has eight hereditary princely mansions, guarding the eight directions. Corresponding to these are the eight martial arts sects that made great contributions to the founding emperor in establishing the dynasty."

After the dynasty consolidated its rule, these eight sects were all granted fiefdoms in the famous mountains and rivers of the border regions, gathering martial arts to form sects. Firstly, to defend the Great Qian against the infiltration of enemy countries from all directions, and secondly, each sect had to send its direct disciples to become mountain envoys, obeying the orders of the Imperial Capital Mountain Guard, to suppress all lawless people and demonic cultists in the Great Qian's martial arts world.

The prohibition against martial arts practice within the 1,800 prefectures and counties of the Great Qian Dynasty was jointly implemented by the disciples of the Eight Sects and the Mountain Guards. However, to prevent the Eight Sects from becoming too powerful, the Great Ancestor established eight hereditary royal mansions, sharing fiefdoms with the Eight Sects both on and off the mountain.

Practicing martial arts requires vast resources. Leaving aside the disputes between the royal families over rare and precious materials, and the competition for the Qi-Nourishing Pill business, the competition for disciples with superior aptitude alone has led to numerous open and brutal power struggles between the various royal families and sects. For five hundred years, these have almost all become blood feuds. Yet, with the imperial court involved, they dare not indiscriminately kill each other.

Therefore, even someone as noble as a king or nobleman cannot do whatever they want.

Li Weizhou exclaimed, "The Great Ancestor was truly a clever man. Sister, is the Heavenly Blade Sect one of the eight major sects? The Fu family is so powerful, how did they manage to get involved with both sides?"

Qi Erniang scoffed, "What are the Eight Sects of the Heavenly Blade Sect? They're just a dog under the command of the Prince of Jin."

"

Li Weizhou smiled and said, "Since that's the case, I understand."

Li Chang'an chuckled and said, "Would your brother harm you? Let's go, let's go and see first."

The patrol soldiers led the horses and followed Li Weizhou's carriage southward...

……

(End of this chapter)