Chapter 36 The Envoy of the Marquis of Anchan

An envoy of the Marquis of Anchan?

Ji Ning, Ji Jiuhuo, Ji Yichuan, and the others were all puzzled. Seeing the two large banners on the spacious warship high in the sky, they understood. The warship belonged to the Beishan clan of the Marquis of Anchan, the most powerful and influential force in the entire Anchan Commandery. But they had reported to the Grand Xia Dynasty, intending to transfer the yuan stone mine to the Grand Xia, and had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Grand Xia's envoy.

Why had the envoy of the Marquis of Anchan come instead?

"Let's go up," Ji Jiuhuo said in a low voice.

"Mm."

Everyone responded.

Although it was strange that the envoy of the Marquis of Anchan had arrived, even General Dong, the Grand Xia garrison commander stationed in Yanshan City, was fawningly accompanying them like a grandson. How could the Ji clan dare to offend?

"Let's go." A small boat appeared out of thin air, and Ji Ning and the others boarded it, flying directly upward.

On the high-altitude warship, armored warriors exuded a powerful aura, clearly all accomplished Zifu Disciples. This made Ji Ning and the others feel tense. Truly worthy of the Beishan clan of the Marquis of Anchan, one of the eight hundred marquises enfeoffed by the Grand Xia Dynasty after unifying the realm—an ancient marquisate that had existed for hundreds of millions of years, sending even a random squad of warriors who were all Zifu Disciples.

"Ji Jiuhuo, your Ji clan is in luck," General Dong said coldly. "The young master is waiting for you inside. Go in quickly."

"Thank you, General Dong."

Ji Jiuhuo said with a flattering smile, then led Ji Ning and the others inside.

The Ji clan members walked on the warship's deck, led by the armored warriors.

"Good heavens." Ji Ning swept his gaze and noticed that the warship was covered in complex runes, with a hidden, powerful energy lurking within. "This shouldn't be a magic treasure, but a puppet mechanism!"

The warship's deck rose three stories high.

Following the stairs, Ji Ning and the others ascended to the hall on the second floor. The hall was spacious, and inside stood a young man in black, elegant attire. He stood with his hands behind his back, looking out the window at the endless clouds. Beside him were two maids, and an old man cowered in a corner.

"Dong Fanyu!" Ji Ning was startled. He was one of the Zifu Disciples of the Snowdragon Mountain's Yanshan branch. Although Ji Ning had never seen him in person, he had seen portraits and intelligence reports.

"Where is Perfected Xu Li?" Dong Fanyu was stunned when he saw the Ji clan members enter. "Where are Brother Zidao and the others?"

The Ji clan members paid him no heed.

"Greetings, envoy." Ji Jiuhuo bowed deeply, nearly touching the ground.

Behind him, Ji Ning and the others also bowed in greeting.

The young man in black, who had been standing with his hands behind his back by the window, finally turned around. His face was fair, with a faint smile that made him seem easy to get along with. He swept his gaze and said, "Rise."

The Ji clan members straightened up.

"Hmm?" The young man in black frowned and smiled. "Just you few? General Dong, didn't you say earlier that the Snowdragon Mountain and the Ji clan were fighting at Oxhorn Mountain?"

General Dong quickly said, "Reporting to the young master, it's true that many Snowdragon Mountain cultivators fought the Ji clan at Oxhorn Mountain. Dong Fanyu even said that Perfected Xu Li of the Wanxiang stage went there. Ji Jiuhuo! I ask you, where are the Snowdragon Mountain people? The envoy of the Marquis of Anchan has arrived—do they still dare not show themselves?"

"Reporting to the envoy," Ji Jiuhuo quickly said, "The Snowdragon Mountain people came to kill our Ji clan. We fought desperately and eventually killed all the Snowdragon Mountain attackers."

"Impossible!" Dong Fanyu, standing nearby, shouted, "Perfected Xu Li is a Wanxiang Adept. Your Ji clan has only a few Zifu Disciples—how could you possibly kill Perfected Xu Li? I think you used a great formation to block out external sounds. You knew the young master was coming, but Perfected Xu Li and the others, trapped in the formation, did not."

The young man in black stood there without speaking, just watching.

Ji Jiuhuo said, "Perfected Xu Li is indeed dead."

"Ji Ning," Ji Jiuhuo turned and said, "Take out that magic treasure seal of Perfected Xu Li and show it to Dong Fanyu."

Ji Ning flipped his hand, and a large seal, the 'Earth Suppression Seal,' appeared in his palm. Just by its appearance, the faint pressure it exuded was extraordinary.

Dong Fanyu was stunned and quickly said, "I, I've never seen Perfected Xu Li use a magic treasure seal, but I have ridden in his flying treasure."

"It should be an Earth-ranked magic treasure," the young man in black suddenly said.

Ji Ning flipped his hand again, and a small sailboat appeared in his palm. Although it was only in his palm, Dong Fanyu's face turned pale as he saw it. "Impossible!"

General Dong's pupils contracted, then he smiled and said, "It seems the Ji clan has some impressive methods. According to Dong Fanyu's report, nearly twenty Zifu Disciples like Dong Ziji and Tong Yu died at Oxhorn Mountain. Now it seems even Perfected Xu Li and his group, who went later, also died there."

"Clap! Clap! Clap!" The young man in black suddenly clapped his hands.

"I am Beishan Baiwei," the young man in black said with a smile. "As for why I've come this time, I'm sure you've guessed—it's for the yuan stone mine in your Ji clan's territory. My purpose is simple: transfer the yuan stone mine to my Marquis of Anchan's estate, and we will also give you a thirty percent share."

Ji Jiuhuo was stunned. "But we have already reported to the Grand Xia Dynasty..."

"Don't worry," the young man in black shook his head. "My Marquis of Anchan's estate arrived first. Once the contract is signed, even if the Grand Xia envoy comes, it will be useless. My estate will handle it for you."

The Ji clan members breathed a sigh of relief.

Transferring to the Marquis of Anchan's estate or to the Grand Xia Dynasty made no difference to the Ji clan.

Within the Anchan Commandery, the Marquis of Anchan and the Grand Xia Dynasty held equal status, for this was the marquis's fief. The Marquis of Anchan managed certain affairs, and even the Grand Xia Dynasty could not easily interfere.

"Are you willing?" Beishan Baiwei asked.

"Willing, willing," Ji Jiuhuo quickly said. Ji Ning and the others had no objections either.

"Good." Beishan Baiwei nodded with a smile. "I will now send someone to inspect the quality of the yuan stone mine. Also, all of you may withdraw. Ji Ning, stay."

Ji Ning stay?

The Ji clan members were startled. Dong Fanyu and General Dong had already bowed and said, "Yes." Then they obediently withdrew. Although hesitant, the Ji clan members also obeyed and withdrew.

...

"Ji Jiuhuo, congratulations," General Dong said, cupping his hands on the spacious deck.

"Luck, luck," Ji Jiuhuo said with a smile, then asked in surprise, "Our Ji clan didn't report to the Marquis of Anchan's estate. How did they send an envoy so quickly?"

"How would I know?" General Dong shook his head. "Even if I had sent someone to report, they probably wouldn't have reached Anchan City by now."

Ji Jiuhuo nodded slightly.

The Ji clan members were all worried about Ji Ning, who remained in the hall above. Dong Fanyu, standing nearby, gnashed his teeth in frustration. Even Perfected Xu Li was dead—this made him extremely unwilling.

...

In the hall, only Beishan Baiwei, Ji Ning, and the two maids remained.

"Young master, may I ask why you kept Ji Ning?" Ji Ning said respectfully.

"No need to be formal." Beishan Baiwei sat down directly and pointed to a black chair nearby. "Sit down. Also, my name is Beishan Baiwei. Just call me Baiwei—I hold no official position."

"Thank you, Young Master Baiwei." Ji Ning sat down beside him.

Beishan Baiwei looked at Ji Ning. "You killed the wanted criminal 'Bo Zishan' of the Yinglong Guard at the age of eleven, and you are now sixteen. If I'm not mistaken, the Ji clan's turnaround and the Snowdragon Mountain's loss this time were probably because of you, Ji Ning."

Ji Ning was startled.

This Young Master Beishan Baiwei knew quite a bit—even about his killing of Bo Zishan.

"Don't worry, I didn't investigate you deliberately," Beishan Baiwei said with a smile. "To be honest, this is my first time carrying out my father's orders. Since it's my first time, I naturally had to be cautious. Although this matter seemed simple, I still thoroughly investigated your Ji clan."

Ji Ning was secretly alarmed.

The Beishan clan of Anchan was an ancient tribe that had existed almost as long as the Grand Xia royal family. The offspring of such a clan were indeed different—even when acting as an envoy to a small tribe, they investigated the details in advance, showing their caution.

"Killing Bo Zishan at eleven, and Tong Yu, Xu Li, and others at sixteen," Beishan Baiwei said with emotion. "Even if you used formations, achieving such feats is admirable."

"Desperation and some luck," Ji Ning shook his head and sighed. "We came close to having the entire Ji clan die at Oxhorn Mountain."

Thinking back to the twists and turns of the fierce battles at Oxhorn Mountain, Ji Ning still felt a lingering fear.

"You have luck, but even more strength," Beishan Baiwei said. "A genius like you is wasted in a small place like Yanshan. With such talent, without a powerful master to guide you, it will be hard to achieve much. For example, without top-tier cultivation techniques, it's difficult even to become a Wanxiang Adept."

Ji Ning nodded. "I do plan to travel and seek a master, but I need to wait a while longer."

Beishan Baiwei nodded, then flipped his hand and produced a token. "If you go to Anchan City, you can come find me."

Ji Ning was taken aback.

A token?

Accepting it would mean owing him a favor. But Beishan Baiwei, though of noble birth, was cautious and treated him, a Zifu Disciple from an ordinary tribe, with such courtesy. Such a person was worth befriending.

"Thank you, Young Master Baiwei." Ji Ning hesitated briefly, then accepted the token. The front read 'Beishan,' and the back read 'Black Tiger.' Ji Ning murmured, "Beishan Black Tiger?"

"That is my father's name," Beishan Baiwei said with a smile.

Ji Ning immediately said, "When I go to Anchan City, I will definitely visit you, Young Master Baiwei."

"My men will need some time to inspect the yuan stone mine's quality. Let's listen to some music and wait slowly." Beishan Baiwei clapped his hands lightly, and from behind the side hall's curtain, maids emerged, each carrying or holding musical instruments. Every one of them was stunningly beautiful. Soon, the sound of music began.

At the same time, maids brought delicacies.

After a long while, through casual conversation, Ji Ning's fondness for Beishan Baiwei grew.

Suddenly—

"The Yinglong Guard is handling a case and wishes to arrest the Ji clan for interrogation. I ask the warship's master to grant passage." A cold, sharp voice directly penetrated the hall, echoing throughout the warship. Even Ji Ning and Beishan Baiwei in the hall heard it clearly. Ji Ning turned to look out the window and saw a red-clad youth standing on a red cloud in the distance, staring coldly at them.

...