Highsun City's Li Family Chamber of Commerce.
With the great war in Deston Prefecture currently ongoing, the Li Family Chamber of Commerce was raking in a fortune every day.
Outside the chamber, an endless stream of visitors could be seen, which at one point caused their entire inventory to sell out.
The medicinal pills and Dharma artifacts continuously produced by the Azure Cloud Prefecture's "Artifact Sect" and "Pill Sect" sold out completely.
Some cultivators, not knowing where they had heard the rumor that the Azure Cloud Prefecture refined "Human Pills," even approached the shopkeeper seeking a connection to acquire them.
The shopkeeper was a descendant of the merchant lineage from the Imperial Capital.
His cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment realm, yet he had a Nascent Soul realm cultivator protecting him closely, and he enjoyed the backing of the mighty figures in Highsun City.
After finishing his business matters, he hurried to the magnificent top floor of the chamber of commerce to bow and make his report.
Inside the wing room, there was a Spirit Gathering Array, within which sat three people.
Before Li Xinnian's eyes were Great-Uncle Changsheng, who had been slumbering upon Grandpa Old Tree ever since Xinnian was a child, and Great-Aunt Changyao, who perennially oversaw the Hall of Heavenly Principle · Shadow Division.
Toward this Great-Aunt, Li Xinnian was exceptionally respectful.
The senior members of the clan doted on Great-Aunt Changyao even more than they did on him; even when she caused absolute havoc in the Hall of Heavenly Principle · Shadow Division and beat up all the older seniors there, the clan elders didn't utter a single word of reprimand.
Great-Aunt possessed a fiery temper, yet her strength was incomparably formidable.
Ever since the battle in the Immortal Domain, she had never once used her archery skills again.
No one knew just how profound her cultivation had become now that she was in the Divinity Transformation realm.
As for Great-Uncle Changsheng, this great-uncle had always been mysterious.
Li Xinnian only knew that his great-uncle had spent the majority of his life lying on the old tree.
Do not be fooled by the fact that Great-Uncle only exuded the aura of the peak Nascent Soul realm; his methods were heaven-defying.
Thinking back to his childhood, it was also this great-uncle who, time and time again, tricked him out of his small personal treasury, which instilled in his heart a degree of vigilance against the people of the world.
"Great-Uncle, Great-Aunt, I went to see Ba Siyu."
Li Xinnian said respectfully,
"The Deston Prefecture is overseen by the Imperial Protectors, one of the Imperial Capital's One Hall, One Pavilion, Two Departments, and Four Guards.
Only during times of national peril do the Imperial Protectors descend in person.
The three cities of Deston Prefecture—Dawnspire City, Highsun City, and Sunfall City—are overseen by three mighty Body Integration realm experts of the Imperial Protectors, and Mahayana realm cultivators have also appeared."
"What kind of person is this Ba Siyu?"
Li Changsheng asked casually.
Back in the day, he had to handle the affairs of the Heavenly Principle Hall even in his sleep.
Now that everything had been handed over to the younger generation, Li Changsheng felt a profound sense of relief.
It was just a pity that at his advanced age, he still had to travel about and exert himself.
Lying here in the Chamber of Commerce with people constantly coming and going all around left him trembling with anxiety; he was currently glancing left and right, figuring out which way to flee should an incident occur.
Li Xinnian replied,
"He carries himself with a magnanimous air, yet is incredibly meticulous.
He appears greedy, yet is lavish with his wealth.
To my eyes, this person's shrewdness runs incredibly deep; he cannot be trusted.
However, I have already secured an idle city-guarding post for our Azure Cloud Prefecture's incoming army, meaning they will not have to engage in the brutal slaughter outside.
Ba Siyu gave his promise, which shows he is still extending a fair amount of care toward our Azure Cloud Li family."
As Li Xinnian respectfully presented the "Dragon and Phoenix Sword" to his Great-Aunt, he said,
"I have probed him. Ba Siyu has some knowledge of the incident at the Shadowfell Prefecture border pass.
He suspects that Min Tiange is scheming for a fortuitous opportunity to reach the Mahayana realm.
Over the past five years, the Wu tribes have invaded the Dynasty and charged into the Central Plains, resulting in countless deaths.
Those people's spiritual energy has returned to the origin of heaven and earth, and this is exactly where Min Tiange's opportunity lies."
"The Wu tribes are not to be underestimated, either.
The Nirvana Sage Elder had scoured the entire Shadowfell Prefecture, turning the land upside down in search of a certain item.
I suspect that his invasion into Shadowfell Prefecture is, in fact, a secret struggle against Min Tiange.
Unwilling to become Min Tiange's chess piece, he intends to snatch away the opportunity that Min Tiange has spent years plotting to obtain."
Hearing this, Li Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly.
Among the world's cultivators, just how many fed upon the common people?
Back in the day, his maternal grandfather, Feng Qingyang, had this exact idea; Tian Xing did, and so did the old ancestor of the Zhao clan.
Every single one of these people appeared glamorous and honorable on the outside, yet they were worse than the fiends in the Thunder Fire Demon Cave.
"I also ran into Yun Manlou."
Li Xinnian smiled faintly. "He thinks Ba Siyu can offer him a path to survival, but unfortunately, it is the most agonizing path of survival."