A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 206 Return
In the mortal realm, in Qingzhou City.

Two short years have passed, yet it feels like a lifetime has gone by.

Shenji Valley was in complete disarray.

Craters were everywhere, remnants of massive explosions.

Clearly, this place has been visited.

This was not entirely unexpected for Li Weizhou.

The Li family emerged out of nowhere and rose to prominence too quickly.

He left behind many magical traces in the mortal world, which inevitably attracted the attention of some old monsters.

However, before ascending to the upper realm, he deliberately spread rumors that he was a spatial innate supernatural being, unlike other ascendants, and had the ability to descend again.

Regardless of whether the various forces in the mortal realm believe it or not, they will ultimately have some reservations when they want to do something to the Li family.

With the skill and wisdom of his eldest uncle Li Delong, second brother Li Chang'an, and fourth brother Li Changning, he should have no worries about protecting himself.

Although the lower realm has strict restrictions on magical power, not allowing it to exceed the three realms of the Mysterious Pass, it does not impose many restrictions on spiritual consciousness.

Looking through the primordial spirit, the entire world was covered in spiritual filth, which was extremely disgusting.

He suppressed his discomfort and sent his divine sense to Qingzhou City. He quickly found the Duke of Huguo's mansion, entered it, and saw his eldest uncle Li Delong and second brother Li Chang'an.

But this display of force...

He raised an eyebrow slightly; his timing was perfect...

With a swift movement, he donned the official robes of the Imperial Punishment Department and vanished from the spot.

……

The atmosphere in the main hall of the Duke of Huguo's mansion was colder than the ice of the twelfth lunar month.

Li Delong sat upright in the main seat, his fingers unconsciously stroking the armrest of the armchair.

The handrail was originally made of fine sandalwood, but now it had been pinched so hard that it had several shallow marks.

Two groups of people stood in the hall. On the left were the guards of the Prince of Shu's mansion, their silver armor embroidered with black python patterns, and the swords at their waists drawn half an inch from their sheaths, their cold light piercing straight into their eyes.

On the right are disciples of the Qingcheng Sword Sect. The hem of their blue Taoist robes is covered in dust, indicating that they have been traveling. The leader, Elder Qingxuan, holds a whisk in his hand, but his face is ashen, as if it were poisoned. His chubby eyes stare at the plaque that reads "Protect the Country and Protect the People" hanging in the hall and sneer.

Li Chang'an stood beside Li Delong, his black martial attire taut, his hand resting on the embroidered spring knife at his waist. He had just returned from the Dayuan Mountain plank road, his robes still damp with mountain dew, which he hadn't had time to wipe off.

The people of the Shu King's Mansion and the Qingcheng Sword Sect are coveting the lucrative profits from the plank road, and now they've gone so far as to stop pretending altogether...

"Lord Li."

Prince Zhao Xu, the heir apparent of the Shu Kingdom, sat in the guest seat, tapping his fingers on the table. His voice was full of impatience as he said, "I will say it one last time: the Dayuan Mountain plank road connects the north and south, and no fewer than a hundred caravans pass through it every day. Your Li family is nothing more than a duke of a state seeking advancement. Aren't you afraid of choking on such a large piece of fat meat?"

Li Delong raised his eyes, his gaze calm yet sharp, and said indifferently, "Your Highness, the plank road of Dayuan Mountain was opened up by my nephew Li Weizhou with his men three years ago, with countless deaths and injuries. Now, half of the profits from the plank road are used to repair the road, and the other half are used to support the road guards along the plank road to prevent bandits from robbing us. The Li family has not taken a single penny, so how can you say it's 'fat meat'?"

"Not a penny taken?"

Elder Qingxuan suddenly sneered, flicked his whisk, and a streak of green light flew past the corner of the table, splitting the teacup on the table in two. He said, "Lord Li, you certainly know how to speak sweet words! Last month, a disciple of my Qingcheng Sword Sect discovered a gold mine by the plank road and was about to start mining when your road guards stopped him. Does that gold mine also fall under your jurisdiction?"

Li Chang'an said coldly, "The gold mine is within three miles of the plank road. If we rashly start mining, it will definitely cause a landslide and destroy the plank road. Elder Qingxuan, as an elder of a sect, do you not even have this basic common sense? Or is it that your Qingcheng Sword Sect simply doesn't care about the lives of the caravans and people on the plank road?"

"presumptuous!"

The Qingcheng disciples shouted and cursed, their hands on their sword hilts, ready to attack, but Elder Qingxuan stopped them with a raised hand. He stared at Li Chang'an and said, "Duke Protector of the Nation, verbal disputes are useless. Today, either the Li family relinquishes half of the control of the plank road, to be jointly taken over by the Shu Prince's Mansion and the Qingcheng Sword Sect, or don't blame us for being impolite. After all, this Great Qian Dynasty is not for your Li family to call the shots."

Zhao Xu nodded and pointed outside the door, saying, "This time, I've brought five hundred guards from the Prince's Palace, along with thirty inner disciples from the Qingcheng Sect. They're all waiting outside the gate to take over the plank road. Even if your Li family has the status of the Imperial Execution Bureau, do you think you can stop us?"

Li Changning frowned and said, "Your Highness, the Great Qian Dynasty is certainly not something that a mere Duke's mansion can decide. But neither is the Shu Prince's mansion. The control of the plank road was a special promise made to the Li family by the current emperor. You, a prince and a clan, are coming here to demand it. Where do you place the emperor's will?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xu laughed triumphantly and said, "If it weren't for the Emperor's decree in the capital, why would I, the young master, come here so casually?"

As he spoke, he took out a bright yellow file from his sleeve pocket.

The moment the file was unfolded, everyone in the hall was drawn to it.

The edges of the file were embroidered with delicate cloud patterns, and dragons and phoenixes were dancing.

In the center is a vermilion seal, engraved with the six large characters "Treasure of the Shou Kang Palace Overseeing the State," the calligraphy elegant yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.

Zhao Xu held a corner of the dossier, shook it triumphantly, and raised his voice a few decibels, saying, "Lord Li, Duke of Huguo, have you seen it clearly? This is the Empress Dowager's decree! His Majesty is currently young, and the Empress Dowager is overseeing the country. All matters, large and small, in the court are decided by the Empress Dowager... including the ownership of this Dayuan Mountain plank road."

He pointed to the imperial edict and read it aloud, word by word: "'The Dayuan Mountain plank road connects the north and south, generating substantial profits. It should be brought under the control of the imperial court, with the Shu Prince's Mansion and the Qingcheng Sword Sect assisting in its supervision. Half of the taxes collected should be sent to the capital to replenish the national treasury.'"

When he read out "assisting in supervision," Zhao Xu's eyes swept over Li Delong, full of provocation. "The Empress Dowager said that the Li family has been guarding the plank road for two years, and it's time for them to rest. Besides, the capital is short of funds these days. We need to defend against the barbarians in the north and repair the river embankment in the south. Every place costs money. Your Li family can't just watch the court suffer and hold onto the plank road, can you?"

Li Delong's face darkened completely.

He was certainly aware of the Empress Dowager's regency. Ever since the young Emperor Zhao Yuanlong ascended the throne, the Empress Dowager had ruled from behind the curtain on the grounds that "the emperor is too young." In the past two years, she had gradually seized power, even taking control of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue.

But he never expected that the Empress Dowager would set her sights on the Dayuan Mountain plank road and even involve the Shu Prince's Mansion and the Qingcheng Sword Sect.

This is not "assisting in supervision," it's blatant robbery!
Li Changning stood to the side, his brows furrowing even more deeply, and said, "Although the Empress Dowager's decree is weighty, the late Emperor once personally promised that the plank road would be managed by the Li family and passed down through generations. Now that Your Majesty has suddenly revoked it, I'm afraid it's against ancestral rules, isn't it?"

"Ancestral rules?"

Zhao Xu scoffed, slammed the imperial edict on the table, and said, "Now, whatever the Empress Dowager says is the new ancestral rule! Besides, Lord Li seems to have forgotten that your in-laws, the Prince Qi's Mansion, have been quite restless lately. The Empress Dowager said that the collateral branches of the imperial clan should prioritize the court. If anyone dares to collude with foreign officials and plot treason, don't blame the court for being impolite."

These words struck like a thunderbolt in the hall.

King Qi, you are an old man. Including the current emperor, you have supported four emperors to ascend the throne.

The highest-ranking prince among the imperial clan, and the leading prince among the eight princes. He was killed by Li Weizhou when the rebel prince initially rebelled. Later, he instructed Zhao Yuanlong to appoint Prince Qi, the Grand General, the Grand Minister of Justice, and Situ Haoran as regents.

It's only been a little over two years, less than three years...

Now, they're actually going to execute the regent ministers.

Logically, this shouldn't have happened, but considering what happened after the Jiazi year Ascension Ceremony at Dayuan Mountain, something significant must have occurred.

Now that things have come to this, I'm afraid...

This plank road really can't be saved.

If they are forced to stay, before the Qi Prince's mansion falls, the Empress Dowager's guillotine will likely be used against the Duke of Huguo's mansion first.

Li Delong felt as if his heart was being torn apart. It wasn't that he was reluctant to part with the plank road, but rather that he felt ashamed for having lost the foundation of the Li family that his nephew, Li Weizhou, had entrusted to him.

Li Chang'an's face was also extremely ugly. However, no one expected that the Empress Dowager would behave so disgracefully...

Seeing the two remain silent, Elder Qingxuan of Qingcheng Mountain smiled, flicked his whisk, and said, "Lord Li, Duke of Huguo, a wise man submits to circumstances. How can your Li family defy the Empress Dowager's decree? If you hand over the plank road today, we can all live in peace. But if you defy the decree, I'm afraid..."

Before he could finish speaking, a series of unhurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

The footsteps were very light, yet they carried a strange penetrating power, causing everyone in the hall to subconsciously hold their breath.

The guards of the Shu King's Mansion gripped their swords tightly, and the Qingcheng disciples also tensed up. But for some reason, they felt stiff all over, and they almost didn't have the strength to lift their hands.

Elder Qingxuan's expression froze, his eyes filled with horror and terror.

The hall door seemed to be gently pushed open by the wind, and a figure in black walked in.

The newcomer was dressed in the official robes of the Imperial Punishment Bureau. The silver-patterned xiezhi on the hem of his robes gleamed coldly in the light. Although the sword at his waist was not drawn, it exuded a chilling sharpness.

He was tall and handsome, and to outsiders, he looked like Li Changning, the fourth son of the Li family.

Only Li Delong and his son Li Chang'an, after carefully examining the situation for a moment, suddenly widened their eyes.

Their eyes were filled with unbelievable surprise!
They actually came back!
They actually... came back!!
Li Delong suddenly stood up, but for a moment he didn't know whether he should reveal Li Weizhou's identity.

After Li Weizhou smiled and nodded to the two men, he turned to look at Zhao Xu. His gaze fell on the bright yellow imperial edict, and his eyes narrowed slightly. The edict spontaneously combusted without any flame.

Zhao Xu hurriedly threw his hand away, looking at Li Weizhou with a fierce but weak expression, and said sternly, "Insolence! This is the Empress Dowager's imperial edict, stamped with the seal of the Regent, and you dare to damage it?! Who are you?"

Li Weizhou smiled and said, "Li Changning from the Imperial Execution Department. Let me ask you a question: how many sons did your father have?"

Zhao Xu's heart began to tremble. The retainer behind him stood firmly in front of Zhao Xu and said in a deep voice, "No matter who you are, daring to harm the bloodline of the imperial family is a crime punishable by the extermination of your entire clan!"

Li Weizhou flicked his finger, and a beam of clear light flashed before everyone's eyes. The Prince's servant fell straight down.

The light, though waning, still shone brightly, passing through Zhao Xu's brow once more.

Zhao Xu couldn't understand it at all; how could Li Changning dare to...?

Li Weizhou waved his hand again, and Elder Qingxuan, a martial arts master, also fell to the ground. He did not kill indiscriminately anymore, but said to the others, "Take them back and tell the King of Shu and Qingcheng Mountain to make their wills as soon as possible. I will be there soon."

The two groups of men stared at Li Weizhou as if he were a demon, seemingly trying to memorize his appearance, before quickly carrying the two corpses away.

After everyone else had left, Li Delong strode forward and embraced Li Weizhou tightly, choking with emotion.

Li Chang'an's eyes also reddened. He stepped forward and patted Li Weizhou's shoulder forcefully, saying, "You're back! San'er, you're finally back!!"

Li Weizhou chuckled and patted Li Delong on the back, then turned to Li Chang'an, his gaze sweeping over the dew and dust on his robes, and said, "Second Brother, did you just come back from the plank road? Sit down and catch your breath, then tell me slowly."

Li Delong then came to his senses and quickly pulled Li Weizhou to sit down. He personally poured him some hot tea and said, "Try it quickly. This is Yunwu tea that was sent by the Prince Qi's Mansion during the New Year..." When he mentioned the Prince Qi's Mansion, his voice became deep and he said, "It's a pity. Now, drinking this tea would probably only make me feel depressed."

Li Weizhou, holding his teacup, asked softly, "Uncle, are you saying that things aren't going well at the Prince Qi's residence?"

"It's more than just not very good."

Li Chang'an plopped down in a chair nearby, tugging at the tight collar of his martial attire, his tone filled with indignation. "The Empress Dowager listens to her family in everything now. After you left, the Grand Minister of Justice also left. The Great Shaman of the Donghu died, and the grasslands have been embroiled in infighting ever since. The Grand General has been sent to the northern frontier to prepare for war, and the Prime Minister Situ can't persuade the Empress Dowager at all. After the Martial God of the Qi Prince's Mansion failed to open the Heavenly Gate and died, the Qi Prince's Mansion's power began to decline."

At the end of last year, during a court meeting, the old Prince Qi objected to diverting state taxes to the royal family for the construction of a villa. The Empress Dowager immediately rebuked him, accusing him of "abusing his age and interfering in state affairs." Since then, the Prince Qi has never attended court again.

Li Weizhou asked curiously, "What about the Imperial Punishment Bureau? Who is the Grand Master now? How is the Fourth Prince doing?"

Li Chang'an smiled bitterly and said, "It's someone no one has ever heard of. The previous Grand Secretary secretly cultivated him, and his methods are very similar to the Grand Secretary's. He ignores everyone. As long as the foreign tribes don't invade the capital and the Eight Princes and Eight Clans don't rebel, the Imperial Punishment Office is not allowed to interfere in court affairs. He even specifically warned the Fourth Prince not to interfere in secular politics."

Li Weizhou sneered and said, "You reported the destruction of my Shenji Valley to the Imperial Punishment Bureau? What did they say?"

Li Delong said guiltily, "Sanlang, your uncle didn't take good care of the house..."

Li Weizhou said "Hey," and comforted him, "It's alright, Uncle, these are all minor matters. I'll take care of them when I have time."

Seeing how relaxed he sounded, Li Delong finally realized what was going on and hurriedly asked, "Sanlang, why are you down here now? How were you doing up there? Have you entered the immortal sect and recognized the immortals as your masters? How is Ximei? What about Yueniang and the others?"

Li Weizhou smiled and took out a video camera, saying, "This is a magical artifact; it can record images. Uncle, you and Second Brother keep an eye on it for now. I'll be right back. Tonight, our whole family will have dinner together."

"good good good good!"

Li Delong readily agreed, while Li Chang'an's heart trembled. He naturally knew what would happen next.

A hereditary prince and an elder of one of the eight major sects were killed without warning.

Given his third brother's tendency to eliminate all threats, what happened next...

I just don't know how he will deal with the Empress Dowager and the Grand Secretary...

……

(End of this chapter)