Chapter 276: Jade Court Guard

Li Xuanxuan paused, letting Li Tongya absorb the good news, and then continued, "With this jade well, there is no need for large-scale construction. Although Second Uncle has achieved the Foundation Establishment Realm, our family's roots are shallow, and we have too few Qi Cultivators to guard our territory adequately. Could the

Guardian of the Courtly Path

be distributed to cultivate some reliable cultivators?"

"That's a good suggestion!" Li Tongya's eyes lit up instantly. The jade well for refining Courtly Frost Armor Qi was not something easily made, requiring extensive research and knowledge of runes. Having this jade well on Mount Yuting would save him considerable effort.

After a moment of thought, Li Tongya replied, "Select some loyal disciples with spiritual orifices that have a clear background. This technique can help quickly condense six chakras and cultivate Qi Cultivators. Do not distribute it lightly, else we risk losing control."

Li Xuanxuan nodded and said, "I plan to select six loyal individuals to begin training, and they will be assigned to the Clan Affairs Courtyard for law enforcement duties. However, I have yet to decide on a name for this division."

Having held authority for decades, Li Xuanxuan naturally understood such intricacies. He smiled and stepped forward, presenting a brush and ink with both hands.

Li Tongya chuckled and took up the brush, saying, "You certainly have thought of a name! You are just waiting for me to write it down."

After a moment's contemplation, he wrote three words with decisive strokes and explained, "I have read both the

Aged Courtly Path Scripture

and the

Guardian of the Courtly Path

. The Dao foundation of the former is called

Jade Court General

, while the latter's Dao foundation is called

Court Guard.

Let us call them the Jade Court Guards!"

————

Meanwhile in Eastern Mount Yue...

The rays of the morning sun rose gently from the east, illuminating the many thatched cottages and fences. The common folk were just waking from their dreams, some preparing to hunt, others to farm. In recent years, Eastern Mount Yue had been ravaged by war, with corpses littering the land.

The members of the Li Family, along with Shamoli, had worked hard to restore order, bringing many Easterners and related systems and regulations to restrain officials and nobles. It was only in these recent years that things began to improve.

A creaky carriage rumbled along the muddy road, drawing the attention of Mount Yue's inhabitants. Shamoli sat steadily in the carriage with a songstress on each leg, both leaning against his chest. He stroked the shoulders of the women absentmindedly, his thoughts drifting far away.

"Serpent dragon, such a grand spectacle..."

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Although the Li Family controlled Eastern Mount Yue thoroughly, Shamoli, being a Qi Cultivator, was well aware of the disturbance from the previous night. He had seen the light from the east and witnessed the two serpent-shaped spells rising and falling, making him rather uneasy.

"Could it be a fight with the An Family? Li Tongya is a peak Qi Cultivation Realm swordsman; defeating An Zheyan should not be a problem, as long as it does not involve the Yu Family..."

Shamoli knew that both the Yu and Li families had affiliations to the sect, but the Yu Family had two more Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, making them far stronger than the Li Family. If they fought, the Li Family might not be able to withstand it.

"If the Li Family falls, how can I... the king of Mount Yue...stay safe?! Even preserving my life would be difficult!"

Though oppressed by the Li Family, Shamoli lived comfortably. His greatest hope was for the Li Family to weaken, not perish. He had heard of the Yu Family's ruthless actions; and if they attacked, Shamoli would have no choice but to pack up and become a rogue cultivator.

"Shamoli! Shamoli!"

As Shamoli was lost in his thoughts inside the carriage, the curtain was suddenly lifted, and a young man with short eyebrows and narrow eyes climbed in.

Shamoli's face briefly showed displeasure but he forced a smile, saying, "Ah, it is Brother Tian Rong. What brings you here?"

Tian Rong's lingering gaze on the songstresses displeased Shamoli. But Tian Rong caught himself and averted his gaze, saying, "This Mount Yue region is quite dull, except for the entertainment you have here."

Tian Rong, the son of Tian Youdao, was among those sent to Mount Yue. As a profligate son, he naturally gravitated toward Shamoli. Initially, Shamoli believed he had established a connection with the Tian Family and was overjoyed, treating Tian Rong with great hospitality.

After only three days, Shamoli realized that Tian Rong was an utter piece of trash, with a foul temperament and equally bad behavior. The words that came out of his mouth were so outrageous that even Shamoli, a man of modest education from Mount Yue, found them unbelievable. He wished he could chase Tian Rong out of the palace.

Despite Tian Rong's uselessness, he was the only son of Tian Youdao, so Shamoli didn't want to make an enemy of him. He tried to avoid Tian Rong by leaving on a carriage, but Tian Rong was oblivious and followed him all the way here, leaving Shamoli at a loss.

Shamoli could only sigh to himself, listening to Tian Rong's nonsensical and vulgar talk, thinking to himself,

I've heard that Tian Youdao is quite formidable, and is even an elder in the Li Family. How did he end up with a son like this? The world is indeed unpredictable...

As Shamoli was dozing off to Tian Rong's drivel, his ears suddenly perked up when he heard a loud voice outside.

"Tian Zhongqing pays respects to the Great King."

An opportunity to finally interrupt Tian Rong had presented itself, Shamoli straightened up immediately. Overjoyed, he unceremoniously cut off Tian Rong.

"Please come in!"

Tian Zhongqing, though not as outstanding as the main family's cultivators, was considered a fairly talented individual among the external cultivators in the Li Family.

Whoosh!

The thick curtain was lifted, revealing the bright sunlight outside. Tian Zhongqing, with his upright features and composed demeanor, did not think highly of this barbarian but still gave him due respect, politely greeting him.

"Great King!"

With a quick glance, he noticed the sneaky-looking Tian Rong in the corner. Tian Zhongqing was taken aback at the sight of him, and a wave of burning anger surged in his heart as he exclaimed, "What are you doing here?!"

Tian Rong quickly shrank back, remaining silent. Shamoli's expression quickly turned awkward, and since he despised Tian Rong deeply, he did not bother to create an excuse for him.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Tian Zhongqing immediately understood the situation, thinking angrily to himself,

I told him not to get too close to Shamoli... He has completely ignored my words!

Tian Zhongqing's heart pounded in fury, wishing he could slap Tian Rong to death right then and there. However, Tian Rong was Tian Youdao's only son, and Tian Youdao had not only been a great benefactor to Tian Zhongqing, but was also the pillar of the Tian Family. Tian Zhongqing had no choice but to suppress his anger.

He cupped his fist to Shamoli and said, "The family head summons you. Please come to Mount Lijing for an audience!"

Shamoli was immediately alarmed, trembling as he asked, "May I ask... what is this about?"

Tian Zhongqing shook his head and replied, "Just an audience."

With that, he cupped his fist again, waved his sleeve, and jumped out of the carriage, walking away. The more Tian Zhongqing thought about it, the angrier he became, but his anger soon turned to fear as he thought,

My mistake led to our clan being sent west, but it might not be a bad thing... However, this Tian Rong is going to get us into trouble sooner or later.

Tian Zhongqing waited for a moment, but Tian Rong did not come out. Listening closely, he could still hear Tian Rong's complaints and Shamoli's impatient responses inside the carriage. Tian Zhongqing's anger flared up again, and he muttered harshly, "This brat will surely bring about nothing but disaster in the future!"