The siege on the Li family of Mingxinxuan continued until late at night before gradually subsiding.
Dozens of Li family remnants were still at large, but few would likely survive until dawn before being apprehended by the thousands of imperial soldiers and over two hundred constables in the city.
Some might even be captured by various factions within the prefecture city, either taken to private dungeons for interrogation or handed over to the authorities.
This night was destined to be one of sleeplessness and interrupted cultivation for many.
After Chi Yu Xie Hu and the three third-realm members of the Li family were slain, Qian Ni Chang immediately went to Mingxinxuan and joined forces with the Zhuang family, also a co-owner, to seize control of all the Li family's assets and shares.
Throughout the entire night, over fifty senior accountants from the Qian and Zhuang families were kept busy calculating all of the Li family's assets within Mingxinxuan.
Hundreds of shop assistants were dispatched to secure the Li family's various businesses, and numerous honored guests, bearing tokens from the two families, were sent to the four corners of Luoxia Prefecture to mobilize forces belonging to the two families and replace the Li family's control over local industries.
The beneficiaries of the Li family's downfall were not limited to the Qian and Zhuang families; the greatest profits were reaped by the Prefect's Mansion and the Mingjian Division. The former confiscated all of the Li family's external assets, while the latter obtained the astonishing wealth accumulated over two to three hundred years within the Li family's residences.
As for the thirteen factions drawn into the scheme and the various powers within the prefecture city, they all received some financial gain, more or less.
The vast Li family was, in a very short period, completely carved up and left with nothing.
Had it not been for the appearance of Ji Yuan, perhaps the Qian family would have met a similar fate one day in the future.
This was not to say that his stratagems were unfathomably brilliant; he merely leveraged a few crucial points, and the subsequent developments were the inevitable outcome of the interplay between various factions.
Among them, Li Wenqing, the illegitimate son of the Li family patriarch and the Official Assistant of the Prefect's Mansion, could be considered to have rendered meritorious service.
Not only did he purge the resentment in his heart and achieve his revenge, but he would also rise rapidly in prominence beside the Prefect, becoming one of his most trusted confidants.
"Who would have thought that all of this today originated from a young Daoist priest in Qianyu City?"
In a secluded courtyard within the Prefect's Mansion, Fan Sulu, holding his wine cup, said with a sigh.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan, seated opposite him, couldn't help but wear a wry smile. If not for the circumstances, he would have preferred not to be involved, lest he become entangled in karma.
However, the outcome was rather satisfactory. Even if he had incurred some karma, it was not substantial and would gradually dissipate with time.
"I merely did a few things that could be considered relatively clever at critical moments. The overall situation was the result of the collective efforts of Li Wenqing and various factions."
Ji Yuan sighed helplessly. If he were to admit it, even though only the two of them were present, karma would still gather from the unseen forces and fall upon him.
Fan Sulu had no words for Ji Yuan's cautiousness and could only drink his wine.
"However, with you showing up in the middle of the night, those factions gathered outside the Qian family are likely to have come for nothing."
He put down his wine cup, a smile appearing on his face.
The thought of those factions receiving the news, inferring Ji Yuan's role in the affair, gathering outside the Qian family only to find that the main person was absent, amused him greatly.
Yet, Ji Yuan could not bring himself to laugh. Instead, he felt it was a troublesome matter. Meeting these people would entangle him in karma, while avoiding them would put pressure on the Qian family.
The Qian family alone could not withstand the various forces within the city!
This was precisely why he had appeared at the Prefect's Mansion in the dead of night to share drinks with this Third Young Master Fan.
Surely, there was no force in Luoxia Prefecture that would dare to forcefully enter the Prefect's Mansion, right?
"But in this way, you've missed out on a fortuitous encounter."
Fan Sulu lamented, "Those who came to visit brought many gifts. It is estimated that the gifts from each faction are worth at least one or two spiritual artifacts."
The number of factions gathered outside the Qian family at this moment was estimated to be at least twenty to thirty.
Among them were certainly the thirteen factions that had originally ventured to Qianyu City, plus some who were well-informed. Saying twenty to thirty was conservative.
"Can I still make it back now?"
Ji Yuan asked with a grave expression, pondering seriously.
Seeing his solemn demeanor, which showed no sign of jesting, Fan Sulu couldn't help but twitch his lips.
However, Ji Yuan eventually dismissed the idea. While returning now would yield a surprisingly valuable gift, it would also entangle him in too much karma, making it ultimately not worth the cost.
After all, given his current situation, he was not lacking in wealth. Rather, he needed to shed karma as much as possible to secure an environment conducive to peaceful cultivation.
"I am now quite looking forward to our future cooperation."
Fan Sulu said with a serious expression, as if recalling something.
This time alone, he had profited handsomely, having seized several of the Li family's most inconspicuous yet wealthiest businesses.
Not only had he suffered minimal losses in manpower, but he had also gained a substantial amount of wealth. Most importantly, his actions were sufficiently covert, and no one had noticed his subtle maneuvers.
To gain such immense profit with almost no effort naturally made him anticipate future collaborations.
After all, although he was the Prefect's son, his primary source of wealth was usually gifts from his father. If he relied solely on his modest land holdings, earning three to four thousand taels of silver in a year would be considered quite good.
And this amount of silver was likely insufficient for his monthly expenses, and even slightly socializing outside would cause the required silver to multiply.
"As long as Third Young Master maintains good relations with the Head Manager, large sums of money will naturally flow into your coffers."
Ji Yuan smiled slightly. Although he made no promises, what he said was indeed factual.
With the connection to the Prefect's Mansion, Mingxinxuan's business in Luoxia Prefecture would undoubtedly improve. As an intermediary, Fan Sulu would naturally reap many benefits from it.
This was a mutually beneficial matter. In the past, the path was not found. Now that the line to the Prefect's Mansion had been established, with the business acumen of the people at Mingxinxuan, they would naturally exploit the conveniences to the fullest.
"However, I do have something here that I hope Third Young Master can assist me with."
Ji Yuan paused, then roughly explained his intention to acquire the Rank 4 demon core.
He even promised to exchange it for a piece of a broken pill.
Upon hearing this, Fan Sulu's eyes lit up. He immediately rose and left the small courtyard, not even hesitating to use his magic to fly towards his father's residence.
It was no wonder he was so flustered. After obtaining the second piece of broken pill, he had fallen into an extremely awkward situation.
If he consumed it, it would inevitably be discovered, and he would have to face his father's wrath. If he did not consume it and presented it to his father, although he would receive many benefits, his life would be limited to the second realm without an extraordinary opportunity.
Even if he could not sustain the immense consumption, his cultivation might even regress!
Now, with the third piece of broken pill, all problems were resolved. With one piece each, both father and son would have the opportunity to break through their current realms.
The Prefect would also gain an additional 120 years of lifespan as a result!
Seeing this, Ji Yuan felt a great deal of relief. If not absolutely necessary, he did not wish to owe such a significant favor to Qian Ni Chang and the Qian family.
As for Zhao Yuansong, it was much simpler. A piece of broken pill that was of little use to him, at most useful for offering to his sect for rewards, was better used to gain Ji Yuan's favor.
Not to mention that he also provided a considerable amount of wealth and several spiritual artifacts obtained from Qian Ni Chang, which served as the cost of purchasing this piece of broken pill.
Overall, neither of them suffered any losses; both had made a substantial profit.
Not long after, a streak of light suddenly flew across the sky, and within moments, it landed in the courtyard where Ji Yuan was.
As the light dissipated, Fan Sulu and a middle-aged man appeared before him.
"I am Ling Yu, a humble Daoist. Greetings, Prefect!"
Ji Yuan quickly rose and respectfully performed a Daoist salute.
According to the laws of the Great Yu Dynasty, registered Daoists of a certain rank were exempt from kowtowing to imperial officials below the rank of Prefecture Governor.
Fan Yuqing nodded and, getting straight to the point, inquired about the matter of the broken pill.
"If the Prefect is willing, I wish to exchange a piece of broken pill for the demon core of that Chi Yu Xie Hu."
Ji Yuan said solemnly.
Under normal circumstances, the value of a Rank 4 demon core was comparable to a reasonably good spiritual artifact.
After all, although spiritual artifacts were precious and possessed immense power, capable of rivaling a cultivator who had formed a Golden Core when fully restored, a considerable number had accumulated over the long years.
Even if one wanted to forge a spiritual artifact, it would merely require immense wealth.
Compared to a Rank 4 demon core, this price was already extremely low!
It should be known that demonic beasts possessed naturally formidable physiques, and their qi and blood were incredibly potent, making their innate combat power stronger than human cultivators of the same realm.
It was only by virtue of their numerous Daoist techniques, potent spiritual artifacts for protection, and the rapid reproduction and cultivation speed of humans that they could suppress the myriad races and become the protagonists of this world.
To kill a Rank 4 demonic beast, at least three to four powerful cultivators of the same realm were required to join forces. Even then, there was a possibility of the beast escaping or taking one or two cultivators down with it before dying.
The feat of Prefect Fan Yuqing slaying a Rank 4 demonic beast with a single sword yesterday was an extremely rare occurrence.
On one hand, he benefited from advantageous terrain and human support, with dozens of formations augmenting his power, as well as spiritual artifacts and the destiny and merit of the prefecture assisting him.
On the other hand, this Chi Yu Xie Hu had only just broken through to the fourth realm and had not yet fully familiarized itself with its own power or stabilized its current realm.
If not for these factors, the city would have long been devastated, and only the Head of the Mingjian Division could have killed it!
This was why the value of a Rank 4 demon core was so immense, and in the eyes of some cultivators, the value of specific demon cores could double or triple the original amount.
However, for Fan Yuqing, a piece of broken pill that could help him break through his current bottleneck and extend his lifespan by 120 years was several times more valuable than the Rank 4 demon core.
After all, even if the Rank 4 demon core were sold, the proceeds would not be enough for him to break through his realm.
The value of such spiritual items was even higher than that of demon cores; even powerful Golden Core cultivators would find it extremely difficult to acquire them even if they exhausted their wealth.
Despite this, Fan Yuqing showed hesitation after a period of contemplation.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan's heart tightened. His greatest fear was that the other party would engage in price gouging and demand more benefits before agreeing.
"This item is indeed more valuable to me than the demon core, and it is rare to find one in a thousand years."
Fan Yuqing sighed. "However... there's a minor problem!"
He flipped his palm, and a dense bloody light emanated, revealing a demon core exuding an astonishing spiritual pressure slowly rotating in his palm.
Ji Yuan looked down in confusion and saw a deep crack on the demon core, almost reaching one-third of its depth.