He slowly unfolded the letter.
Within it was a list of names: Mi Shufeng of the Mi family, Feng Chunlin of the Feng family, Jiang Chenghuan of the Jiang family, Ancestor Tianye, Heavenly Master Jinshou of Longevity Mountain, Xuan Ji of the Black Tortoise Sect, Jin Yu of the Artifact Sect, Wuyazi of the Skyveil Sect, Ye Xiu of the Myriad Arts Sect… and many, many other people of Azure Cloud.
And then, a long list of official positions!
Min Youguo frowned, then handed the letter to the Emberwing Guard.
"Little Black, go," he said. "Take this letter, have a memorial drafted based on its contents, and bring it back. I will personally affix my seal."
"This…!" As the Emberwing Guard took the letter, his expression changed drastically.
"My lord, the Li family is seeking official positions for the people of Azure Cloud! They want all the official posts in both the Eternal Sun and Duravia Prefectures! The Prefecture Lord of the Duravia Trade Prefecture… a position of that stature is to be given to Jiang Chenghuan of the Jiang family?"
"Region Prince of Broadridge Region for Mi Shufeng? Region Prince for Feng Chunlin? Region Prince for Ye Xiu… This is…"
The Emberwing Guard hesitated, thinking it over, but still ventured, "My lord, you aided the Li family because you sensed Prince Qian's treasonous intentions long ago. But now, with the world in such great chaos, for the Li family to obtain the territory of two prefectures… isn't that far too much power? Won't they…"
"Are you worried they'll rebel?" Min Youguo smiled.
"Yes." The Emberwing Guard said bluntly, "Besides, they have grown far too close to Prince Yu."
"They will not rebel," Min Youguo said with a smile. "Little Black, you still don't understand. Li Dalong is not so foolish. Quite the opposite—by demanding so much, he is, in fact, sending me a message. He's telling me that in this chaotic world, his Li family intends to stand firmly on the side of our Azure Dynasty, and that they will not be like those other fence-sitters."
Little Black blinked his eyes. Even after following the Imperial Preceptor for so many years, he ultimately failed to understand such political twists and turns.
Min Youguo continued, "In this age of great chaos, by demanding so many official posts for the people of Azure Cloud, he is making a statement to the entire world: they have chosen the Azure Dynasty. He also wants to tell me that he is a man who is easily contented. As long as he is well-fed, there is no need to worry. On the contrary, if he had conquered the Duravia Trade Prefecture and demanded nothing in return, that is when I would truly need to worry."
As he spoke, Min Youguo gazed at the reports of the Wu Clan and Sea Clan invasions, and at the simmering rebellions in the various prefectures. His expression grew distant.
"An age of great chaos..." he murmured. "If the world back then had been as it is now, I would never have ceded those regions. Times were so difficult then, yet the Li family still stood on the side of the Human Race. So, what does it matter if I let them continue to develop in peace?"
...
Within the Grotto-Heaven of Merit City.
The Li family members gathered together. They were, after all, constantly busy with affairs far from home, but they would not be leaving again until after Xingchen's child was born.
As soon as they were home, the clansmen went to the Ancestral Hall to offer incense to the Old Ancestor.
After his descendants had left one by one, Li Wei sat upon the sacrificial altar, watching with great appreciation as Li Xingchen received a caning from Li Dalong.
"Go out and make your way in the world, did you? And what exactly did you make of yourself?!"
Li Dalong gritted his teeth. The rattan cane had been broken from the body of the Old Tree—the kind that wouldn't grow back even in a hundred years. It had even been sent to the Heavenly Light Grotto for Li Yaotie to refine for a time.
Its hardness was now no different from that of a supreme-grade spirit artifact.
Watching Li Xingchen howl under the whipping, Li Wei's face twisted; he reckoned that cane must be excruciatingly painful.
Li Dalong cursed as he struck, "Ventured out to sea, did you? Went from the south of the city to the north, did you? Today, right here before the Old Ancestor's spirit tablet, I'll teach you the meaning of family discipline!"
The caning was vicious. By the time it was over, Li Xingchen's back was covered in welts.
He walked out of the Ancestral Hall with a miserable expression on his face.
Li Dalong then went looking for Li Chang'an, cane still in hand. After all, 'the fault of the son is the failure of the father to teach,' and Li Dalong was nothing if not traditional.
The moment he stepped outside, Li Xingchen saw Li Xinghuo leaning against the Old Tree.
Within their generation, Li Xinghuo was his only true peer.
He stretched his aching body and grinned at Li Xinghuo, who was once again clad in the armor of a general of the Asura Army.
"Xinghuo, that armor of yours looks incredible!" he said. "The Asura Army… that sounds so impressive. Your status on the Northern Border must be very high, right? Come on, tell me all about it."
He really did have a bold and straightforward nature.
Li Xinghuo gave a bitter smile. "What's so impressive about it? The Northern Border isn't what you think, and being the Commander of the Asura Army isn't as great as you imagine. The situation over there is like a grim reaper constantly at my heels. A letter arrived a few days ago, and I have to go back soon. I was hoping to stay home a little longer."
"So soon?" Li Xingchen's eyes went wide. "Then just don't go!"
Li Xinghuo shook his head.
"Then let's go eat some seafood!" Li Xingchen suggested with a grin. "Hehe, let's go to the Eastern Sea."
His long years as a pirate had truly forged Li Xingchen's carefree and casual nature.
Li Wei watched the two young men from behind, filled with a myriad of emotions.
He recalled when they first met in the small fishing village; they were such similar youths back then.
The Li Xinghuo of those days had been sunny and cheerful. But the affairs of the mortal world always push a person forward, and before you know it, you've become someone else entirely.
The person you once were is left behind forever in a time to which you can never return.
Li Xingchen, on the other hand, hadn't changed at all. He remained as carefree as ever—perhaps he was simply born for the life of an adventurer: free, unrestrained, and full of turbulence.
Afterward, Li Wei silently returned to the Ancestral Hall and went toward the Heaven-Piercing Coffin.
The spoils from the campaign in the Duravia Trade Prefecture had been substantial, and they were all stored within this supreme-grade Spirit Treasure.
Prince Qian was also imprisoned inside.
---
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