"Since they are offering their goodwill, how can we refuse it?" Ji Yuan said with a smile.
Qian Nishang, who was adding tea beside him, understood immediately and began to ponder how to best utilize this offer. Ordinary wealth like gold and silver was naturally not within consideration. As one’s level increased, such things lost much of their value.
If one were to convert gold and silver into spirit stones, spirit coins, or even other spirit materials, it would not only be undignified but also somewhat inappropriate. Firstly, the cost-effectiveness was far from worth it. Secondly, Mingxin Pavilion was their own establishment, so there was no need to act in such a manner. Furthermore, whatever was utilized now would have to be returned twofold in the future.
"Have your subordinates gather all the materials needed from here, whatever they have, take it all!" Ji Yuan unhesitatingly produced a jade slip, which contained the spirit materials required for the Divine Observation Heavenly Heart Pill, two other pills, and the Profound Heaven Dew Pill. With the increasing popularity of these four pills in Feiyun Prefecture, the corresponding spirit materials had been restricted by various forces. He could take this opportunity to gather a large batch for himself.
Following that, Ji Yuan produced several more jade slips, all containing lists of various spirit materials. These were for refining pills, crafting artifacts, setting up formations, and even for creating the Genesis Spirit Spring. After all, the Zhuang family had delivered such benefits to his doorstep, it would be a waste not to make full use of them. As for how much he used now and how much he would have to return later doubled… to be honest, Ji Yuan didn’t take it to heart at all. The Zhuang family would not truly use this matter for blackmail or make any demands based on it. Things that could be voiced were relatively insignificant in value, whereas things left unsaid could yield greater benefits.
"This is truly a lion's roar!" Even with Qian Nishang's vast knowledge, upon a cursory scan of the jade slips with her divine sense, she couldn't help but utter a few exclamations. At the same time, she already had an idea forming in her mind about how to leverage the benefits provided by the Zhuang family.
"But speaking of which, if the Divine Profound Sect intended to attack the Qian family, why would they send these mountain and marsh rogue cultivators to their deaths?" Shangguan Wuxiang asked, his expression puzzled. Originally, they had thought it was a ruse to feign ignorance or to stall for time. Now, upon closer consideration, there were doubts everywhere. Although these mountain and marsh rogue cultivators had all achieved breakthroughs through pills or certain spirit items, their individual strength was extremely weak, and they were far from being the opponents of cultivators of the same realm in one-on-one combat. Yet, they were still a force that could not be overlooked, and had many important uses. There was no reason for them to be so easily sacrificed. But the cultivators of the Divine Profound Sect, or rather the people behind these mountain and marsh rogue cultivators, had done just that. If they said there was no deeper meaning behind this, no one present would believe it.
"According to your descriptions, those cultivators were not from Luoxia Prefecture," Qian Nishang said with a solemn expression. Although Mingxin Pavilion was merely a merchant guild, its intelligence network, excluding the imperial court, was among the top five. They had a general grasp of the Three Realm cultivators within the prefecture, whether they were mountain and marsh rogue cultivators or any other kind. However, as hard as she searched her memory, she couldn't find any Three Realm cultivators that matched the descriptions. This left only two possibilities: either they were visiting cultivators, or newly ascended Three Realm cultivators. As for whether they were hidden assets of some force, that was almost impossible. No matter how deeply hidden, there would always be some traces revealed.
"We don't need to concern ourselves with that for now," Ji Yuan changed the subject, his tone serious. "The most pressing matter is to find the whereabouts of the Divine Profound Sect's people and to discover who they are collaborating with." Someone who could help those who had brazenly violated the imperial laws in the city to retreat safely must have considerable influence within the Prefect's Mansion. Among them, the Prefect and his son could be directly ruled out. Both of them had consumed residual pills snatched from the Divine Profound Sect, and the importance of such an item to them was self-evident. Otherwise, they wouldn't have dispatched Three Realm cultivators across vast distances merely for a piece of information back then. Even if the Divine Profound Sect could visit them without holding a grudge, the Prefect and his son would absolutely not dare to cooperate with them with peace of mind; they would most likely sell them out directly. There was nothing that could bring greater peace of mind and eliminate future troubles than to directly eliminate the threat.
"Li Wenqing should know something," Qian Nishang suddenly thought of someone. That person was the Chief Clerk of the Prefect's Mansion, and formerly the illegitimate son of the Li family patriarch. After the destruction of the Li family, this person gradually faded from everyone's attention. Moreover, after so many years, his lifespan was nearing its end, and rumors had it that he intended to retire from his post in recent years. However, regardless of his current status, as someone who once ranked among the top five in the Prefect's Mansion, even if his power was not what it used to be, he could not be underestimated.
"It's not suitable for us to appear directly," Ji Yuan pondered. The surroundings of Mingxin Pavilion were undoubtedly filled with informants. It was even possible that the Divine Profound Sect's people were lurking in the vicinity, observing them. Even with special means, it would be difficult to guarantee that they wouldn't be discovered. Unless he unleashed his life-bound flying sword and traveled stealthily through the void, there was a slim chance of remaining undetected.
"Alas, I suppose I'll have to make the trip myself," Ji Yuan sighed. It seemed this was the only way. Otherwise, if it were possible, he truly didn't wish to meet Lord Li Wenqing. After all, the destruction of the Li family was indirectly caused by him. And even though Li Wenqing harbored deep enmity towards the Li family, he was still a member of the Li family, and it was hard to say what thoughts he might harbor. However, it seemed that he was the one with the greatest chance of evading the various potential informants surrounding them.
"Despite being on our home turf, we are still so passive," Cui Yinghong shook her head, a hint of frustration in her eyes. In her opinion, since they held the home advantage, they should at least be on the offensive, if not decisively eliminating the enemy. However, it seemed they had lost the initiative and dared not split up. They were afraid that a single misstep might allow the enemy to seize an opportunity and deliver a fatal blow. After all, setting aside the secretly cooperating forces, the strength of the five Three Realm cultivators of the Divine Profound Sect was already formidable. Anyone present, if found an opportunity to be ganged up on by them, would find it difficult to guarantee a safe retreat, even with Ji Yuan's abilities or Elder Hong Tian's power. And given that they dared to act so unscrupulously within the prefectural city, aside from areas covered by great formations, there was no longer any safe haven to be found.