CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 31: SPOILS OF WAR

It was Fu Changsheng’s first time stepping into Li Family’s territory. He saw that Niushou Mountain had been artificially dug into Moon Lake, and the lake water connected with the outside Changliu River, while the Li Family was built on the island in the lake.

The island was rich in spiritual qi.

In the mountains, they had developed ninety acres of spirit field, which was forty acres more than the Fu Family, indicating that the spirit vein of Niushou Mountain had been cultivated from Tier One Low-Grade to Tier One Middle-Grade.

Forty bodies of the Li Family were laid out in front of the council hall.

The Shangguan Family’s law enforcement team had already split into several groups, heading towards the Li Family’s mortal town. Any direct relatives who were cultivators would be executed, while the others, regardless of gender or age, would be exiled to the mining areas, and henceforth, their descendants would never be allowed to step out of the mines, living eternally as mining slaves.

Inside the council hall.

Shangguan Chen sat at the head seat, and upon seeing Fu Changsheng enter, he pointed to the lower right side, smiling:

"Young Friend Fu, thanks to the information you provided, we were able to annihilate the Li Family traitors in one fell swoop. According to the Great Zhou Laws, your Fu Family will be awarded thirty merit points. When I return to the clan, I will report this to the Court."

Fu Changsheng’s heart welled with joy.

For the Fu Family to be promoted to Ninth-Grade, besides the previously mentioned requirements, such as needing two Foundation Establishment cultivators, it was also crucial to accumulate one hundred merit points.

Adding the ten merit points accumulated by their ancestors.

They were already close to halfway there, with hope for promotion.

Becoming a Ninth-Grade Noble Family would mean receiving a fiefdom. Like the Shangguan Family, they could rightfully collect offerings from the non-graded noble families below them. Most importantly, their territory would have the Noble Family Jade Seal of the dynasty, holding down the luck of the dynasty, making the path of cultivation smoother.

Fu Changsheng quickly stood up, bowed, and expressed his gratitude.

Shangguan Chen continued:

"The Li Family’s spirit vein will have a new noble family take over, but since your Fu Family accomplished great deeds, you should be rewarded. Elder Feng’s suggestion is to grant the Yanyang Woodland on the west of the Li Family to your Fu Family. Do you accept?"

The Yanyang Woodland of the Li Family was well-managed, providing an annual income of at least one thousand spirit stones, a prospering legacy for future generations.

How could Fu Changsheng not be pleased?

He hadn’t expected the Shangguan Family to be so generous, and once again cupped his hands in gratitude.

Shangguan Chen asked a few more questions, then waved his hand, as he needed to readjust the Li Family’s Mountain Protection Array.

Fu Changsheng followed Shangguan Hongyu to the door. Seeing the ground full of Li Family corpses, he tentatively asked:

"Miss Shangguan, the Li Family colluded with the Southern Barbarians, causing the deaths of my Fu Family elders. May I take the Li Family members’ bodies to the ancestors’ graves for a memorial?"

These corpses were originally supposed to be taken back to the Shangguan Family to close the case.

Seeing Fu Changsheng’s red eyes, Shangguan Hongyu hesitated for a moment, then said:

"Alright, you can take these bodies away."

After speaking.

She retrieved a pill bottle from her sleeve and handed it to Fu Changsheng:

"This is a spoil of war I received this time. It is of no great use to me, so you take it."

The pill bottle was emblazoned with the words "Barrier-Breaking Pill".

It was used by mid-stage Qi cultivators to break through bottlenecks.

He was already on the verge of breaking through to the fourth layer of Qi cultivation, and consuming this pill would allow him to easily advance to the fifth layer of Qi cultivation.

Fu Changsheng couldn’t bear to refuse, and immediately thanked her:

"Miss Shangguan, should you ever need anything, please feel free to command, Changsheng will certainly oblige without hesitation."

Shangguan Hongyu had long repaid the life-saving grace she owed him.

Fu Changsheng cast a technique on the forty corpses, a flash of dawn light enveloped them, and the corpses shrunk continuously, being stored into a storage bag from Li Family’s Niushou Mountain, and he directly returned to the Fu Family.

The Fu Family members, upon learning not only of the thirty merit points won but also obtaining the Yanyang Woodland, were elated. The group arrived at the ancestral graves in the back mountain, placed the Li Family corpses before the ancestors’ graves, and Fu Changsheng solemnly declared:

"Grandfather, the Li Family traitors have been completely exterminated. As for the Celestial Dragon Tribe, I will also swiftly eradicate them to avenge the blood feud of annihilation from years ago!"

After speaking.

Fu Changsheng held incense, bowing three times.

When he straightened up.

A familiar voice sounded in his mind again:

"Ding"

"You have avenged the fallen family members by successfully rooting out the nemesis, the Li Family, and have gained sixty-six clan contribution points."

Fu Changsheng’s heart leaped with joy.

With this, he could draw the lottery once more.

However.

Before that, he planned to retreat into meditation to break through, waiting until he ascended to the fifth layer of Qi cultivation.

After everyone had come forward to pay their respects.

Only then did Fu Changsheng wave his sleeve, and the ghost Autumn Cicada from the Hundred Ghosts Banner flashed out. With her mouth slightly open, the souls of the Li Family members floated up one by one, being absorbed into her belly.

The members of the Fu Family, seeing this scene, couldn’t help but look at Fu Changsheng with more respect. No wonder the patriarch was able to single-handedly kill Li Qitai, who controlled the Thousand Layers Peak.

After absorbing the forty souls.

The blood-red hue on Autumn Cicada faded somewhat.

Seeing this, Fu Changsheng was delighted.

He immediately patted the Spirit Beast Bag.

A flash of cyan light.

Little Cyan Snake rose upright, its mouth wide open, with a swirl of cyan light forming a small vortex, into which the bodies on the ground were sucked in one by one, and then were thoroughly swallowed by Little Cyan Snake.

"Burp"

Little Cyan Snake burped. Its newly reached Tier One Late Stage cultivation had now stabilized completely.

Nothing was spared, neither the flesh nor the souls.

The sight left the Fu Family members with goosebumps. Previously everyone had hidden themselves in the grass behind Niushou Mountain, unable to see clearly. Now, seeing it with their own eyes, the overwhelming impact was disturbing for his older and third brothers, though his fourth sister and others seemed excited:

"Patriarch, I saw you summon a group of Silver-Spotted Poison Snakes behind Niushou Mountain earlier. Could you give me a few to raise?"

Fourth sister Fu Changli inherently felt a closeness to demon beasts.

Fu Changsheng had thought that a girl like her wouldn’t like something as slimy as the Silver-Spotted Poison Snakes, but hearing her words, he chuckled:

"They’re in the moat at the foot of our mountain. You can take as many as you can rear."

However.

To be safe.

Fu Changsheng still released Little Cyan Snake:

"Before taming those poison snakes, let Little Cyan stay by your side for a while."

"Thank you, Patriarch!"

Fourth sister Fu Changli happily held Little Cyan Snake in her hands. Little Cyan Snake, usually distant from strangers, let her play with it, even looking extremely comfortable.

Fu Changsheng confirmed once more that his fourth sister possessed a talent for Beast Taming.

He planned that once their cultivation increased, they could go explore the outer parts of the Eastern Wilderness.

Once the group returned to the council hall.

Fu Changsheng said:

"Elder brother, I’ll leave it to you to handle taking over the Yanyang Woodland. As for guarding the forest, my fourth sister will be responsible. She has the Cyan Wolf Demon by her side, enough to guard that forest. Besides, the environment there is more suitable for the young Purple-horned Deer."

"Yes, Patriarch."

Fu Changsheng gave a few more instructions.

As he was about to go into seclusion, to prevent any unforeseen events, he advised everyone, as before, to avoid going out as much as possible. He temporarily entrusted the Invisibility Cloak to his elder brother Fu Changren.

After handling all matters.

Fu Changsheng closed the secret chamber, adjusted himself to his optimal state, and began consuming the Barrier-Breaking Pill.

...