As Ji Wuqing sat down, silence blanketed the room like a thick fog. Neither he nor Li Zhenghai spoke for a long while only the quiet clink of teacups occasionally echoed in the private room. After nearly a cup of tea's time, Ji Wuqing finally broke the stillness.
"Fellow Daoist Li, did you enjoy the auction?" Ji Wuqing asked with a light smile, his tone casual, even friendly.
Unfortunately, Li Zhenghai was in no mood for pleasantries. His eyes remained cold, and his voice was flat.
"Fellow Daoist Ji, if you have something to say, speak plainly. I don't have time for flowery words."
Ji Wuqing let out a faint sigh, his smile tightening. With a flick of his wrist, he tapped his storage bag, summoning forth the very same exquisite black box from earlier. He placed it gently on the table between them.
"This item... was never meant to be sold," he said softly.
At those words, Li Zhenghai's brows furrowed deeply, his spiritual sense flickered toward the box instinctively. Within its quiet containment, the faint echo of sword intent still pulsed restrained, yet defiant. He inhaled slowly, eyes narrowing.
"Ji Wuqing," he said, his voice laced with restrained irritation, "our Li Family has never meddled in the affairs of the market or your sect. We seek only stability… so long as no one disturbs our peace."
Ji Wuqing remained calm, unaffected by the underlying warning in the words. "Please don't misunderstand. I'm not here to threaten or coerce. In fact, I'm here to give you this item… freely."
Li Zhenghai cut him off coldly. "But?"
Ji Wuqing blinked, seemingly caught off guard, but quickly composed himself. "What do you mean, Fellow Daoist Li? There is no 'but.'"
He pushed the black box forward. Its presence weighed heavily on the air.
Li Zhenghai didn't immediately reach for it. Instead, his gaze locked onto Ji Wuqing's, his expression unreadable.
After a breath, he spoke. "There are no such things as free meals in this world. Not even from a righteous sect."
After a long pause, he finally picked up the box and placed it in his storage bag.
"Very well. Tell me,What does your sect want from me?"
He had known Ji Wuqing for over a decade. The man was a rigid guardian of the Cloud Market, known for his impartiality and loyalty to Cloud Sword Sect. That he was personally delivering such a valuable item signaled involvement from much higher up.
Ji Wuqing's smile faded. His voice dropped low, serious. "Fellow Daoist Li… the Cloud Sword Sect has decided. We are preparing for war against a demonic sect."
Li Zhenghai stiffened. The weight of that declaration wasn't lost on him. The other two family members in the room Li Tianshi and Li Bairan shared his shock.
"How large is the scale of this war?" he asked, hopeful it might be a limited skirmish.
Ji Wuqing's next words dashed that hope.
"Core Formation Realm cultivators may be involved."
Li Zhenghai exhaled sharply, the news heavy. "As far as I know, there are only three demonic sects in our Cloud Province. Bone Mirror Sect, Black Hand Cult, and the Corpse Refining Sect. Which one are we dealing with?"
Ji Wuqing answered methodically. "The Bone Mirror Sect has recently declared themselves an unorthodox sect and relocated outside the province. They've merged with the Thousand Mirror Sect."
He paused.
"As for the Black Hand Cult… they haven't shown themselves in a century not since the Beast Tide nearly annihilated them at that time."
Li Zhenghai closed his eyes for a brief moment. He already knew the answer before asking. "Then it's the Corpse Refining Sect."
Ji Wuqing said nothing, but his silence confirmed everything.
Li Zhenghai looked grim. "I suppose asking for information without involvement is no longer on the table?"
A wry smile appeared on Ji Wuqing's lips. "Fellow Daoist Li, the moment you accepted that black box, your name was already written among our allies."
Regret flashed across Li Zhenghai's face. He had known the item came with strings, but not that they'd be wrapped this tightly.
A bitter chuckle escaped Li Zhenghai. "I should have known. Even so, I wonder why I didn't thought of that."
Ji Wuqing tilted his head slightly, puzzled by the depth of Li Zhenghai's concern.
The truth was, the Li Family possessed an impressive foundation. One of their ancestors, though never advancing beyond the peak of Foundation Establishment Realm, had been a Third Rank talisman master.
That connection had secured the Li Family's alliance with a Supreme Elder of the Cloud Sword Sect.
Even today, the sect took care to maintain favorable ties with the Li Family. Ji Wuqing also knew that within the Li treasury were likely several powerful talismans, perhaps even a genuine Third Rank one.
Li Zhenghai seemed to read his mind.
"I know what you're thinking," he said slowly, "and yes, our foundation is deeper than most assume. We even have an unclaimed favor from the Cloud Sword Sect, granted by the Supreme Elder himself."
He paused, his voice heavy with both pride and bitterness.
"But in this cultivation world, strength is the ultimate truth. The Li Family has existed for over a thousand years. We were the ones who first helped build this market, alongside your sect. Back then, we swore allegiance to the Cloud Sword Sect. But our dream has always been to one day break free of that chain… and rule this market as equals, not vassals."
"That dream never died. Even at our peak, we only had six Foundation Establishment cultivators. Still far from enough."
He turned to Li Tianshi and Li Bairan. "When our ancestor realized he could not achieve that dream through force, he focused instead on crafting talismans. He forged ties with your sect and earned that priceless favor."
"Why? Because he believed that when the time came, that favor would help us break our fate… and stand beside your sect as equals."
He turned back to Ji Wuqing, whose eyes now showed a hint of shock.
"That's why we've always feigned ignorance about petty local conflicts. We've focused on developing our bloodline, not chasing scraps."
"You don't need to worry," he added after a pause. "Your sect's higher ups are aware of our ambitions."
Ji Wuqing's brows furrowed. "And… they've agreed?"
Li Zhenghai only smiled faintly, offering no further explanation.
"Enough of my family's story. Let's get back to the present. Now, let's discuss the Corpse Refining Sect. Spare me the introductions and tell me everything you know."
Ji Wuqing nodded, expression turning grave once more. He began his explanation.
.....