A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 207 Exterminate
A banquet was held at the Prince of Shu's residence.

On the jade table, a silver plate filled with fresh abalone reflected the candlelight, and the amber-colored "Drunken Flowing Clouds" Western Region wine rippled in the jade cup. Even the servants who served were dressed in bright brocade robes and stood with their heads bowed under the eaves.

The wealth of the King of Shu is evident.

Most of the people at the banquet were relatives and friends of the Prince's Mansion, and they were all whispering about the plank road on Dayuan Mountain.

That's not a plank road at all, it's clearly a golden river flowing with gold!

Even if nothing else is transported, simply transporting grain produced in the fertile land of Chengdu to the north via the plank roads would yield several times the profit.

Not to mention goods like salt and iron, which are all highly profitable businesses.

In the past, the Li family controlled the plank road, and there was no problem transporting people's livelihood and goods. The food needed by the people and the army could pass through for free.

However, apart from grain, all other goods were subject to taxation.

The taxes were used to repair the plank road.

After all, the boardwalk is damaged by heavy snow in winter and torrential rain in spring and summer every year, and repairs are not easy.

Paying taxes is a minor issue, but the real problem lies in the fact that many goods that the imperial court prohibited from being privately sold, such as salt, iron, and alcohol, were the most profitable items.

Transporting them to the grasslands is an incredibly lucrative business.

However, under the control of the Li family, these goods were not allowed to pass through.

The hatred of cutting off someone's money is worse than killing their parents.

Even though these powerful figures had never even met the Li family...

At the head of the table, Prince Zhao Jiye of Shu wore a dark blue robe with a dark pattern of pythons, and a jade belt inlaid with pearls around his waist. His fingertips caressed the rim of his cup, and when his gaze swept over the people at the table, he exuded the composure and imposing presence unique to a prince.

"I am well aware of the matters regarding the Dayuan Mountain Plank Road."

Zhao Jiye spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but it overshadowed the whispers at the table: "The young master has brought the royal family's retainers, and with the help of the martial saint of the Qingcheng Sword Sect, plus the Empress Dowager's decree, even if the Li family has the name of the Imperial Punishment Bureau, they can't cause any trouble."

Wang Ren, the liaison sent by the Empress Dowager's maternal family, the Wang family, stood up, raised his glass, and said, "Your Highness is truly farsighted! That plank road is like a golden river every day, and earning 300,000 taels of silver every month is no problem. In the future, if the Shu Prince's Mansion and the Wang family join forces, we will take 70% of the profits from this north-south trade route!"

The governor of Shu Prefecture also stood up, bowing even lower, and said, "I have prepared the documents. Once His Highness has taken down the plank road, I will personally check the list of merchants to ensure that every penny of tax revenue goes into the royal treasury and that no villains will be allowed to take advantage of the situation."

Zhao Jiye didn't reply, but simply gestured for the two of them to sit down.

His gaze fell on the window, where two large red lanterns hung, specially for the "victory celebration," but he didn't rush to light them.

"When profit is the primary concern, stability is essential."

He said calmly, "The plank road was granted to the Li family by the late emperor. Although it was 'temporary,' if we want to take it, we must do so legitimately. Once Xu'er returns the evidence of the Li family's 'disobedience,' I will petition the Empress Dowager to 'reclaim the plank road from the court.' At that time, you will naturally receive your due benefits." As he spoke, he looked at an old Taoist priest from Qingcheng Mountain and asked, "That man said before he left that he could come down from the upper realm. How much of that is true?"

That man dared to kill the King of Wei, whose fate seemed sealed, with a single sword stroke in front of the entire court of officials, turning the world upside down with a flick of his wrist.

None of the princes in the royal family were not wary of that madman.

The old Taoist priest from Qingcheng Mountain, with his sage-like demeanor, smiled and shook his head, saying, "Your Highness, please rest assured. Ascending to the Spirit Realm is already an incredibly difficult task. But descending from the Upper Realm is ten times more difficult. That one... it's almost impossible for him to come down. He's just saying this to scare people and protect the Li family here. Besides, even if he could descend, his power would only be suppressed to the Martial God Realm. If that's all, we're not unprepared."

The King of Shu nodded slightly and said, "I think so too... Well, whether it's true or not, I expect the Li family should be safe for the next ten or twenty years. But even so, taking back the plank road needs to be done legitimately and we can't rush it. Even if that person really comes down one day, I will act in accordance with the imperial court's decree."

During the banquet, everyone readily agreed, praising the King of Shu for his profound wisdom and for deserving of such high rank...

Just then, the candlelight under the eaves suddenly flickered.

The servant tending the candles was startled, but then froze, for he realized it wasn't the wind that was moving...

Just as the chief secretary of the Prince's mansion was about to ask a question, a figure in black stepped in and landed on the white jade floor tiles in the center of the hall.

The official robes of the Imperial Punishment Office, with their silver-patterned xiezhi (mythical beast) gleaming coldly in the candlelight, belonged to Li Weizhou.

The room fell silent instantly; even the clinking of glasses ceased.

Zhao Jiye didn't get up, or even look up. His fingertips continued to caress the jade cup, and his tone became colder as he said, "People from the Imperial Execution Department? Do you think you can trespass on my royal residence?"

Li Weizhou didn't answer, but simply raised his hand, and a flash of light appeared, and a broken jade pendant landed on the green jade table.

That was Zhao Xu's jade pendant, made of warm jade specially supplied by the Shu Prince's Mansion. Now it was cracked into several pieces, with dried dark red bloodstains still clinging to the cracks.

Zhao Jiye's gaze fell on the jade pendant, his pupils contracted slightly, and after staring at it for a long time, he still did not lose his composure, but his voice became a little hoarse as he asked, "What have you done to my son?"

"died."

Li Weizhou's voice was calm as he said indifferently, "Because he deserves to die."

Zhao Jiye finally put down the jade cup, his fingertips pressing on the table, leaving a shallow mark on the jade table. Li Weizhou was amazed; it was incredible that a prince could possess the strength of a martial saint.

Learning martial arts is not something that can be achieved simply by having talent; it also requires immense hard work and a great deal of effort.

To reach the level of a Martial Saint, one's mental fortitude must be extraordinary.

Zhao Jiye looked at Li Weizhou with a deep gaze and slowly said, "You are not Li Changning, you are Li Weizhou!"

As soon as this statement came out, the whole hall was shocked!

The old Taoist priest from Qingcheng, in particular, knew more about it and could hardly believe it.

However, one cannot disbelieve it.

Because he realized that the young man stood there casually, and he had no courage to draw his sword.

He knew Li Changning; he was a man of exceptional talent, possessing the skills of a Martial Grandmaster and remarkable swordsmanship.

But Li Changning was absolutely incapable of doing that.

But how could he possibly come down?
Li Weizhou sighed and said, "You're really ruthless. Knowing you were doomed, you still dragged so many people down with you. What, do you only die when someone is sacrificed for you?"

As soon as the words were spoken, two figures darted out from the back hall.

They were two late-stage Martial Grandmasters from the Imperial Academy, both clad in protective armor made of black iron. With their hands on long swords, they attacked Li Weizhou simultaneously from both sides.

"You trespassed into the Prince's residence and dared to utter such arrogant words! You're courting death!"

Li Weizhou didn't move, but his fingertips shimmered with golden light. With a flick of his finger, the light flew towards the two of them.

The two elders were still in mid-air, not even close, when, right before everyone's eyes, their throats were slit, and blood gushed into the air like a fountain, then fell onto the white jade floor tiles like suddenly blooming blood flowers. Two Martial Grandmaster level experts, dead right before their eyes.

The guests in the hall turned pale with fright, and when they recalled what had been said earlier, they all trembled with fear.

Wang Renqiang, a member of the Wang family, forced a smile and said, "Lord Li... Duke, I am the Empress Dowager's own nephew, one of our own. The Empress Dowager has mentioned to us many times that it is all thanks to your help, Duke, that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor are where they are today..."

"And then, you were sent to seize my Li family's assets?"

Li Weizhou raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Wang Ren's pale face. His tone was devoid of any warmth as he sneered, "Then your Wang family is truly an ungrateful, heartless scoundrel."

Wang Ren trembled all over, his legs buckled and he knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly, saying, "Lord Duke, spare my life! It was my fault! The Prince of Shu forced me! I was just a messenger, I did nothing!"

Li Weizhou chuckled, too lazy to say anything more. A flash of light appeared at his fingertips, and a beam of light pierced straight through Wang Ren's brow.

Wang Ren's scream was stuck in his throat, his eyes wide open, and he finally collapsed heavily to the ground, blood gushing from between his eyebrows, staining the brocade robe on his chest red.

The entire hall erupted in madness. This was the Empress Dowager's own nephew, someone even the Prince of Shu treated with deference, and yet he had been killed just like that…

Seeing that the situation was not good, the old Taoist priest of Qingcheng quietly reached for the peach wood sword at his waist. It was a magical weapon made of ten-thousand-year-old peach wood from Qingcheng Mountain, and it was a divine weapon that had truly killed a martial god.

Taking advantage of Li Weizhou's momentary lapse in attention, he suddenly drew his sword and thrust it towards Li Weizhou's back, the blade still imbued with Taoist fire, attempting a desperate last stand.

"You wicked creature! How dare you descend to the mortal realm and wreak havoc on the common people!"

The old Taoist roared, his sword carrying a scorching aura, about to strike.

Li Weizhou didn't even turn his head, but simply raised his hand and flicked it backward. A stream of water-based spiritual energy transformed into an ice shield, instantly blocking the peach wood sword. The Daoist true fire was extinguished by the cold air, and the sword broke with a "crack." Immediately afterward, the ice shield transformed into an ice spike, piercing the old Daoist's chest in the opposite direction.

The old Taoist priest looked down at the ice spike on his chest, blood gushing from his mouth, muttering in disbelief, "How is this possible... How could you use your magic in the mortal realm..."

Li Weizhou turned around, looked at him lying on the ground, and said in a calm voice, "There aren't many we can use, but it's enough to kill you all."

The guests in the hall were already terrified. Some tried to crawl under the tables, and some tried to jump out of the windows to escape, but Li Weizhou killed them all without sparing a single one.

A wealthy merchant, dependent on the Prince of Shu, whose trousers were already soaked, pleaded in a trembling voice, "Your Excellency! I only came here to drink! I know nothing! Please spare my life!"

Li Weizhou glanced at him and scoffed, "How could you possibly give up?"

The wealthy merchant's face turned deathly pale instantly, and he could no longer utter a word. Li Weizhou flicked his fingertips with spiritual energy, and a wind blade swept past, causing the merchant's head to roll to the ground. His eyes were still staring at the celebratory lanterns hanging at the door, filled with resentment.

At this moment, King Zhao Jiye of Shu finally stood up. His dark blue python robe surged with spiritual energy, and his aura as a Martial Saint erupted, causing the candlelight in the hall to crackle. In his hand was a long spear made of black iron, with the words "Suppress Shu" engraved on its shaft. It was a family heirloom of the King of Shu, obtained from the Spirit Realm.

"Li Weizhou!"

Zhao Jiye's voice was filled with boundless rage as he roared, "You killed my son and beheaded my retainer! Even if it means the destruction of this Shu Prince's mansion, I will fight you to the death!"

He thrust his spear at Li Weizhou with a sudden, whistling sound, carrying the pressure of a peak Martial Saint, even distorting the surrounding air.

This shot was the culmination of his life's cultivation and his final act of dignity.

Li Weizhou didn't even dodge to the side. Facing the spear's sharp edge, he exclaimed in admiration, "In the mortal realm, there are actually such magical artifacts."

He didn't see it in the imperial treasury in the capital, so there must be an even more hidden treasury.

He raised his hand and grabbed the spear shaft, channeling his spiritual power into it, and the black iron spear instantly became covered in cracks.

Li Weizhou gave a slight tug, and the black iron spear snapped in two. He grasped the tip of the broken spear and thrust it back into Zhao Jiye's chest.

Zhao Jiye groaned, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He stared at the broken spear in his chest, his eyes filled with resentment, yet he still stood tall and declared, "I am a Prince of the Great Qian Dynasty… Even in death, I will not tolerate your… insolence…"

Li Weizhou didn't speak again, but simply drew his broken spear. Zhao Jiye fell heavily onto the jade table, knocking over the silver plate and jade cup containing the abalone. Amber wine mixed with blood flowed down the corner of the table, staining the red carpet on the ground.

He laughed and cursed, "It's as if I'm the villain. Get this straight, it's you bunch of hypocritical dogs who want to seize my Li family's business and harm my Li family's children. Letting you die peacefully is already me being merciful."

Having said that, a surge of Five Elements spiritual energy transformed into countless tiny sword shadows, sweeping past the guests who had participated in the scheme: the officials who had attached themselves to the scheme, the greedy merchants, and the royal family's confidants...

Screams rose and fell, and blood splattered all over the white jade floor tiles, the green jade table, and even the red lanterns under the eaves.

The once luxurious banquet hall was instantly transformed into a living hell.

When the last sword shadow disappeared, there was no one left alive in the hall.

Only the candlelight was still burning, reflecting the corpses and blood scattered on the ground, making it look particularly gruesome.

Li Weizhou walked outside the hall and gazed at the night sky above the Shu Prince's residence. In the distance, the faint sound of patrolling guards could be heard from the streets.

He raised his hand and waved, a burst of fiery spiritual energy swept across, igniting the brocade curtains in the hall.

The raging fire quickly engulfed the banquet hall, and also consumed the sins of the Shu King's Mansion.

He turned and drifted away, heading towards Mount Qingcheng.

Having finally descended to the mortal realm, he wanted to make the entire mortal world understand just how great the price would be for plotting against the Li family.

……

Four quarters of the You hour.

Aunt Cao asked anxiously, "Why haven't they arrived yet? Master, are you trying to fool me?"

Second sister-in-law Guo, holding the camera, laughed and said, "Mother, how could you flatter me? Look, this is a celestial treasure! Tsk tsk tsk, Yue Niang and the others are flying on swords, they've truly become immortals! Look at Xi Mei, how happy she is! Heavens, it's only been two years since I last saw her, and she's grown even more beautiful! She's become such a fairy!"

Cao's anxious thoughts calmed down a bit, and she smiled, "Who says otherwise? Ximei was already beautiful, and now she's even more so. Sigh, I wonder when I'll see her again. I really miss these two children..."

Seeing that Cao's mood had darkened again, Guo complained, "You only think about those two siblings, but not about Yue Niang and the others? Oh dear, I always said that a daughter-in-law is an outsider!"

Li Delong and Li Chang'an both laughed. Today, they met in secret, without any servants to serve them. The four of them personally prepared the meal.

Not to mention outsiders, even Li Chang'an's son, Li Rui, was not allowed to come to see him because he was worried that Li Weizhou might not keep his mouth shut. They would have to see Li Weizhou's opinion later.

Just as the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were bickering and laughing, a figure suddenly appeared out of thin air in the house.

Cao and Guo were initially startled, but upon recognizing the newcomers, they were overjoyed.

Li Weizhou asked with a smile, "Auntie, how are you doing?"

……

(End of this chapter)