In the Qian family mansion, a carriage was always prepared for Ji Yuan, available for use whenever needed.
This time, he, accompanied by Xia Dong, took the carriage directly to the entrance of Ming Xin Xuan.
Before the two of them even appeared, a young shopkeeper, along with two maids, hurried out to wait by the carriage.
This was the first time he had received such treatment when he was alone. While he had experienced it before, it was usually due to Qian Ni Shang's influence.
"Oh, isn't this our special honored guest? What brings you out of your meditation room?"
As soon as they entered a private room, Qian Ni Shang, seated behind a mountain of ledgers, couldn't help but tease him.
Her words clearly carried a hint of mockery.
And a subtle undercurrent of resentment.
Ji Yuan, however, remained unfazed. He was indeed a special honored guest, but he wasn't an accountant. Moreover, the contract he signed didn't include any clauses about handling Ming Xin Xuan's internal affairs.
Seeing him sit silently and drink spiritual tea cup after cup, Qian Ni Shang glared at him with annoyance.
"Here!"
She tossed out a Shan He Bag, feigning a look of disdain.
Ji Yuan didn't mind. After taking the Shan He Bag, he began to count its contents meticulously.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Qian Ni Shang, but rather, counting wealth was a matter he considered second only to cultivation.
After a long while, he happily put away the Shan He Bag, his eyes almost overflowing with a smile. It seemed he hadn't expected the gains from this trip to be so substantial.
Putting aside the value of the Shan He Bag itself, the mountains of spiritual materials within were already incredibly valuable. Not to mention the stacks of gold and silver notes, several inches thick.
In addition to that, there were seven magical artifacts of exceptional quality. Any one of them would be enough to incite fierce competition among cultivators of the first or second realm, and even some third-realm cultivators would likely cast envious glances.
According to Ji Yuan's estimation, the contents of this single Shan He Bag were worth at least two million taels of silver. And this was merely a fraction of the wealth accumulated by the Li family over two to three hundred years.
He clapped his hands with satisfaction, then explained his purpose to Qian Ni Shang. She immediately summoned a shopkeeper to exchange the items he presented for what he needed.
In less than the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, Ji Yuan's two objectives for this trip were accomplished.
"Be extra careful in the coming days. There have been quite a few demon cultivators appearing in the city."
After the shopkeeper left, Qian Ni Shang finally spoke.
Just as humans inherently harbored animosity towards other races, most demon races also looked down upon humans. Coupled with the enmity that had accumulated between them over countless years, it was difficult for them to coexist peacefully if they encountered each other.
Furthermore, most demon races were inherently violent. Many would resort to fighting at the slightest disagreement. Yet, despite their relatively small numbers, these beings were exceptionally gifted. In terms of the number of powerful individuals, they were almost on par with humans.
In the Great Yu Dynasty, there were nine great demons whose cultivation had reached the mighty realm, possessing formidable combat power. Each of them had, to some extent, successfully slain cultivators of the same realm on their own.
In contrast, most human mighty cultivators lacked such achievements.
"I've already heard about it from Xia Dong."
Ji Yuan nodded, his expression growing serious.
On their way here, the accompanying young girl had mentioned that there were currently two individuals with the bloodline of Demon Kings in the city. They already acted with utter impunity, and by virtue of their Demon King lineage, they held most humans in contempt.
Perhaps only cultivators who had formed a Golden Core could suppress their arrogance.
It was rumored that these two demonic prodigies would engage in public brawls at the slightest provocation, often with extreme brutality, frequently resulting in death and even innocent civilians being caught in the crossfire.
However, with the backing of Demon Kings, as long as they didn't go too far, the court could only turn a blind eye, fearing that it might ignite a war between humans and demons within the realm.
Those Demon Kings who outwardly submitted to the court harbored ulterior motives, eagerly awaiting an opportunity to provoke conflict and then bathe the land in blood, causing devastation.
The reasons behind this were beyond the understanding and speculation of cultivators like themselves, who were still in the third stage of Foundation Establishment.
"Oh, right. The Master of the Ming Jian Division wants to see you."
Qian Ni Shang seemed to recall something, took out a calling card, and handed it to Xia Dong to pass over.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan's mind immediately conjured the image of Xu Lin. It had been quite some time since he arrived in the prefectural city, and he still hadn't had the chance to meet him. After all, the latter still owed him a favor.
This calling card was carved from yellow jade. Apart from intricate patterns, it bore only three grand, flowing characters—Wang Zhenyuan.
Just by looking at the name, Ji Yuan seemed to see an endless display of sword light surging and a saber pointed directly at the heavens.
The illusion flashed and disappeared. The jade plaque in his hand became unremarkable. It contained no spiritual energy, nor any imposing aura. Apart from its exquisiteness, there was nothing special about it.
"With this calling card, you can visit the Master of the Division at any time."
Qian Ni Shang glanced at him, then lowered her head to continue dealing with the mountain of ledgers before her.
Her meaning was clear: it was a subtle way of asking him to leave.
Ji Yuan chuckled awkwardly, said his farewells, and then, with Xia Dong, got up and left, taking the carriage towards the Ming Jian Division.
Unlike the Prefectural Governor's Mansion, located in the heart of the prefectural city, the Ming Jian Division was situated in a more secluded area, with few residents nearby. It was mostly surrounded by merchant guilds and warehouses.
After about half an hour, the carriage finally arrived outside the Ming Jian Division. However, from about thirty feet away, the horses pulling the carriage refused to move any further.
Helplessly, Ji Yuan and Xia Dong had no choice but to walk towards the large mansion in the distance.
As they approached, a palpable pressure suddenly descended upon them, as if they were facing not a government office, but a primeval beast with its jaws agape.
The grand entrance of the Ming Jian Division was unmanned. In fact, the gates were wide open, as if they weren't afraid of anyone intruding.
But then again, it made sense. As the sharpest blade of the Great Yu Dynasty, the Ming Jian Division's strength ranked among the top five of the entire court's enforcement agencies. Even neighboring countries feared its reputation.
Even a mere county-level office was a formidable stronghold, where ordinary troublemakers would not dare to cause any trouble.
Not to mention that the Master of this Ming Jian Division office possessed combat prowess that ranked among the top five in Lingyang Prefecture. Even a cultivator who had formed a Golden Core would not dare to trespass casually.
"Just go straight in?"
Ji Yuan stood before the gate, hesitated for a moment, and didn't dare to step directly inside.
Hearing this, Xia Dong behind him rolled her eyes. She had never been to such a place before, so how would she know if she could just walk in?
But then again, who would normally come to the Ming Jian Division for no reason? Even if there was a grievance to be redressed, one would usually go to the Prefectural Governor's Mansion or the county government office.
Ji Yuan thought for a moment, then took out the yellow jade calling card, took a deep breath, and then cautiously stepped across the gate.
Even after walking a considerable distance, he couldn't help but worry if he would suddenly be struck down by a flash of saber light.
"Who are you?"
Just then, someone emerged from a side hall, looking at Ji Yuan in the courtyard with a puzzled expression.
He was momentarily stunned, then instinctively looked back, only to see Xia Dong, who should have been following behind him, standing apologetically at the gate with a smile, having not moved an inch.
Upon seeing this, Ji Yuan's face darkened. He would settle this with her later.
"I am Ling Yu, a Daoist. I hold the calling card of the Master of the Ming Jian Division and have come specifically to pay my respects."
He first performed a Daoist salute and then displayed the calling card in his hand.
Although they were several yards apart, the other person was a martial artist in the mid to late stage of the Skin and Tendon realm, and could naturally see the appearance of the jade plaque clearly.
His expression immediately turned serious. He clasped his hands in greeting from afar and then said loudly, "Follow this path straight ahead, and you will reach the Master's residence at the end."
This person informed Ji Yuan that as long as he held the calling card, no one would stop him.
After giving his instructions, he turned and walked towards another part of the courtyard, carrying a stack of thick official documents, appearing somewhat rushed.
"Aren't you coming?"
Ji Yuan turned back, wanting to shout, but then he remembered where he was and lowered his voice.
He then turned around with a hint of annoyance and followed the path indicated by the other person deeper into the Ming Jian Division compound.
After taking a few steps, he heard footsteps behind him, along with a few light chuckles from Xia Dong.
Before long, the two of them arrived at the depths of the compound and stopped before a courtyard gate. As they were pondering how to enter, a voice suddenly sounded in their ears.
"Come in."
He softly said "Apologies for the intrusion" and, with Xia Dong, crossed the courtyard gate, entering a separate courtyard.
This place did not resemble the residence of a powerful cultivator or a formidable Ming Jian Division Master. Instead, it looked like an ordinary civilian home. Besides two or three small houses, there was only a peach tree and a few wooden tables and chairs in the courtyard.
However, in the empty courtyard, there were four or five weapon racks, displaying a variety of weapons such as sabers, spears, staves, axes, halberds, swords, and javelins.
"May I ask if the Master of the Ming Jian Division resides here?"
After surveying the surroundings, Ji Yuan's gaze fell upon a young man, and he quickly stepped forward to ask respectfully.
The young man looked no older than sixteen or seventeen, about five feet tall, barely reaching the chest of an adult man.
He had a delicate face, rosy lips, and white teeth. His long hair was casually tied back, and he wore a white robe with an ancient saber hanging at his waist. At first glance, he exuded an extraordinary aura.
"I am Wang Zhenyuan of the Ming Jian Division."
The young man said with a smile, his eyes occasionally flashing with saber light.
Ji Yuan was taken aback. He hadn't expected the infamous Master of the Ming Jian Division of Luoxia County, whose combat prowess was renowned throughout the prefecture, to be such a delicate young man!
"I am Ling Yu, a Daoist. Greetings, Master of the Division!"
After a moment of stunned silence, he quickly performed a Daoist salute.
Behind him, Xia Dong also hurriedly put away her embarrassed expression and respectfully curtsied.
"I know what doubts you have."
Wang Zhenyuan, the Master of the Ming Jian Division, glanced at the expression on his face and said with a helpless wry smile, "In my youth, full of youthful spirit and relying on my rather good talent, I advanced rapidly.
"By the time I realized it, it was already too late. Because my realm was too high, my appearance remained stuck at the time of my breakthrough and could no longer change.
He had regretted this matter for a long time, consulting countless ancient texts and trying various methods, all to no avail.
A person's appearance is given by their parents and the heavens. If one were an ordinary person, there might be a chance to change it. But as one's cultivation deepened, it became increasingly difficult to alter one's appearance.
At Wang Zhenyuan's current level of cultivation, if he wished to alter his appearance, it would at the very least require him to abandon his cultivation, and at worst, necessitate reincarnation.
Unless, one day, he could attain the realm of a Celestial Being through martial arts.
"There are countless rare treasures in the world, and there must be some that can alter one's appearance."
Ji Yuan offered a slightly awkward agreement.
"Alright, I didn't call you here to discuss my appearance."
Wang Zhenyuan glared at him irritably and casually tossed out a jade ring.
He said indifferently, "This ring, though merely a magical artifact, has the miraculous effect of calming the mind and can also accommodate a rather considerable space within it. It is a rare and good item.
"This time, your strategy has allowed the Ming Jian Division to make a considerable profit. This is my token of gratitude."
Ji Yuan took the jade ring and instinctively infused his vital energy into it. He immediately froze in place, unable to recover for a long time.