FreeBooksOnline Chapter 172 - 148: This is Extortion
Chapter 172 - 148: This is Extortion
Outside the Scripture Pavilion, the giant beasts summoned by the Five Elements Monster Talismans were still running rampant. Only after receiving Fang Qingyuan’s command did they change direction and head toward the Scripture Pavilion.
These five Five Elements Monster Beasts were not mindless, rigid creations. They had been imbued with a sliver of intelligence when they were made, allowing them to understand simple commands.
Although a single beast couldn’t defeat a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, that wasn’t their intended purpose. The primary function of the Five Elements Monster Beasts was to charge at the head of an army, disrupt enemy formations, and drain the power of their arrays.
The array in the Li Family’s Scripture Pavilion was small but exquisite. Compared to the Mountain Protection Array, which had to shield the entire mountain range, the Scripture Pavilion’s array only needed to protect a single building occupying an acre or two.
Generally speaking, a Scripture Pavilion was the final sanctuary for any sect or clan. Thus, the Li Family had spared no expense on the Scripture Pavilion’s array, investing no less than they had in the outer Mountain Protection Array.
Watching the remarkably resilient array around the Scripture Pavilion withstand the assault of the Five Elements Monster Beasts, Fang Qingyuan frowned and asked:
"How many Cultivators escaped inside?"
Hearing Fang Qingyuan’s question, She Xi Yu quickly replied from the side:
"One Foundation Establishment Cultivator and over twenty at the Qi Cultivation stage. Other than them, the Li Family’s second Foundation Establishment Cultivator is nowhere to be seen."
"According to our intelligence, weren’t both Foundation Establishment Cultivators at home? How is one missing?"
She Xi Yu was just as baffled. But as things stood, the matter of the missing Foundation Establishment Cultivator had to be set aside. The priority was to break through the protective barrier of the Scripture Pavilion before them.
Fang Qingyuan watched the progress of the assault on the Scripture Pavilion. At this rate, it would take fourteen to sixteen hours, and they still might not break through.
A moment later, Liao Wenlamp approached Fang Qingyuan’s side with a delighted expression and reported:
"Mountain Master, we’ve found over forty top-grade Spirit Stones in the Li Family’s main and secret vaults. We also found various Magical Artifacts, spiritual materials, and Spiritual Medicines. There are also many Spirit Plants growing in the medicinal gardens and nurseries, though most aren’t mature yet. I’ve estimated the value of everything, and all told, it comes out to a hundred top-grade Spirit Stones."
Hearing this, Fang Qingyuan felt a surge of satisfaction. ’This makes it all worthwhile—the immense cost in wealth and favors, the thousand-li journey to fight this battle.’
As shareholders in Jiuye Square, the Li Family had been collecting their portion for years, receiving a hefty dividend annually. Add to that the income from their shops in Jiuye Square and the illicit money from collaborating with figures like the Wen Brothers, and a net worth of one hundred top-grade Spirit Stones wasn’t actually that much for them.
The Li Family also had a large clan to support. The resources consumed by just their two Foundation Establishment Cultivators each year were no small sum.
After reporting on the financial gains, Liao Wenlamp’s expression grew somewhat troubled. He asked cautiously:
"What should we do with the mortals belonging to the Li Family? Should we follow the rules of White Mountain?"
The so-called "rules of White Mountain" were to kill half and leave half—a bloodbath to eradicate them root and stem.
Hearing Liao Wenlamp’s suggestion, Fang Qingyuan said irritably:
"What ’rules of White Mountain’? This is the Southern Border, and we are the Beast Taming Sect! We’re a prestigious sect; we have a reputation to uphold. Unrestrained slaughter would only bring shame upon our Yuanling Mountain if word got out."
Despite being chided by Fang Qingyuan, Liao Wenlamp just kept grinning, not looking embarrassed in the slightest. He took it as a sign that Fang Qingyuan considered him one of his own.
"So, how many mortals does the Li Family have?"
"No fewer than one hundred thousand!"
"That many!?"
Fang Qingyuan was taken aback by the number of Li Family mortals. ’If a single Li Family has a population of one hundred thousand, doesn’t that mean the entire Jiuye Square must have over a million people?’
The entire population under the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect’s rule was only about five million. His own Yuanling Mountain, even with the addition of Liao Wenlamp’s clan, had a population of just twenty thousand.
But on second thought, Fang Qingyuan realized this was normal. ’Jiuye Square is near the Barbaric Wilderness, but it has enjoyed a long period of peace. They weren’t caught up in the Wei Family’s migration, so they were spared all that upheaval. The Southern Border Beast Taming Sect has only been here for a little over a decade. A large portion of the original population was taken to White Mountain by the Wei Family, a loss of foundation that will take many years to recover.’
Fang Qingyuan’s interest in the Li Family’s mortals was suddenly piqued. To him, Spirit Stones were easy enough to come by, but a large mortal population was a rare asset.
’Why not take this opportunity to poach some of their mortal population for my Yuanling Mountain? It would strengthen Yuanling Mountain’s foundation. A larger population means more Cultivators will naturally emerge in the future.’
Before Fang Qingyuan could think it through, a warning message arrived from a scout. Outside the Li Family’s Mountain Gate, several hundred Cultivators had arrived and formed a military phalanx. They appeared to be reinforcements from Jiuye Square.
So, Fang Qingyuan ordered his men to press the attack here, then led She Xi Yu out of the Li Family’s Mountain Gate to face them.
Fang Qingyuan went outside with a few dozen men, flying the banner of the Beast Taming Spirit. Opposite them was a joint force from the other Foundation Establishment Clans of Jiuye Square. They belonged to the same square as the Li Family and had long ago signed a mutual defense pact. Now that the Li Family was in trouble, they were naturally obligated to come to their aid.
However, the ones attacking the Li Family were not some minor sect with no backing. It was the Southern Border’s hegemon, the Beast Taming Sect. Although Lechuan himself wasn’t leading the charge, the mere presence of Yuanling Mountain’s forces was enough to make these reinforcements from Jiuye Square hesitate to act rashly.
Seeing Fang Qingyuan emerge, seven or eight figures flew out from the several-hundred-strong reinforcement army. They stopped before Fang Qingyuan’s formation and, only after receiving permission, approached him.
The leader was an old man at the late-stage of Foundation Establishment. By his side were other Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators. Upon seeing Fang Qingyuan, they all began to question why he was attacking the Li Family.