Hearing Lu Ming's righteous words, Zhou Xuan couldn't help but shake his head and laugh. “You really are a slippery fellow, kid. This is clearly about getting revenge for your Thunderfire Hall, yet you make it sound like I'm the one who owes you a favor?”
“It's all the same,” Lu Ming replied with a smile.
Zhou Xuan pondered briefly before saying, “It is not that I do not wish to eradicate these vile thieves. It is just that they rely on the Peach Miasma. Whenever they face an encirclement, they flee deep into it, making it impossible to locate their lair.”
“If the Peach Mountain Bandits were that easy to eliminate, they wouldn't have existed for so long.”
“However, I will declare martial law in Qingyuan Ward from now on and step up external patrols. They probably won't dare to show themselves again anytime soon.”
Lu Ming could tell that Zhou Xuan also had no good way to deal with the Peach Mountain Bandits. Whenever they were pursued, they would hide deep within the Peach Miasma Mountains, where even a Divine Ability Master could not find their lair.
“Ward Master, the Peach Mountain Bandits' sudden appearance this time is rather suspicious. We suspect someone is scheming behind the scenes,” Lu Ming said, his eyes darting.
“Are you saying you suspect the Golden Gang Sword Hall of colluding with the Peach Mountain Bandits?”
Zhou Xuan naturally understood what he meant. “The Ward Office has always stood aside regarding competition between the Divine Ability Halls in the ward. You have your own rules and ways of resolving conflicts. As for your claim that the Golden Gang Sword Hall is colluding with the Peach Mountain Bandits, that indeed violates the rules. Once proven, none of the Divine Ability Halls in Qingyuan Ward would tolerate them. Unfortunately, you have no evidence.”
“And I cannot punish the Golden Gang Sword Hall based on your suspicion alone.”
Lu Ming nodded. Of course, he was not naive enough to think that a few words from him would prompt Zhou Xuan to act against a Grade 3 Divine Ability Hall backed by a True Primordial Energy Master. However, taking advantage of their newly closer relationship, he wanted to plant a seed of suspicion in Zhou Xuan's mind first.
Thus, he did not press the matter further and took his leave.
Zhou Fuling watched his departing back, her bright eyes blinking. She said to Zhou Xuan, “Fourth Uncle, he has learned your alchemy divine ability, so he is technically a nominal disciple. Why didn't you help him?”
Zhou Xuan replied in annoyance, “He tricked you into letting him call you senior sister, and you really treat him as a junior brother now? You're already taking his side over mine?”
Zhou Fuling stepped forward, hugging Zhou Xuan's arm with a bright smile. “I am teaching you how to invest. Lu Ming's talent in both divine abilities and the Dao of Alchemy is excellent. He might achieve great things in the future. Since you already hold this nominal title, showing him some favor now costs you nothing if it fails. But if it succeeds, won't it bring a thousand-fold return?”
“There are countless geniuses in the world. How can one invest in every single one of them?”
Zhou Xuan paused, then continued, “Besides, it is not as if I did nothing. I gave him a hint: if they can find evidence of the Golden Gang Sword Hall colluding with the Peach Mountain Bandits, I, as the Ward Master, can naturally punish them in a perfectly justifiable manner.”
“Normally, the Ward Office would never interfere in the competition between Divine Ability Halls. Doing this much is already my limit.”
After saying that, he tapped Zhou Fuling on the head and scolded her.
“Alright, your alchemy homework for today isn't finished yet. Go and get it done immediately.”
...
By the time Lu Ming left the Ward Office, the sky had already darkened. He immediately rushed back to the Thunderfire Hall without stopping.
When he arrived at the entrance, he happened to see Lu Qingyan escorting a woman who looked like a maid out of the hall. Lu Ming found her familiar, and after a moment of thought, he remembered she was Li Yan's personal maid.
“Father, who was that?” Lu Ming jumped down from his carriage after the maid departed.
“Matriarch Li Yan found out about the medicinal garden and sent her maid to inquire. She also informed us that the Li family's collection of Moon Spirit Grass is scheduled in five days. At that time, all the medicinal gardens in Qingyuan Ward that grow Moon Spirit Grass will go to the Li family to deliver their goods for selection,” Lu Qingyan said with a sigh.
Lu Ming frowned. “The Peach Mountain Bandits timed their raid on our medicinal garden perfectly, specifically preventing us from making the delivery.”
This meant they not only knew the exact growth of the Moon Spirit Grass in their garden but also clearly knew the Li family's delivery schedule. This was a blatant attempt to cut off the Thunderfire Hall's resources—or more precisely, to cut off Lu Ming's cultivation resources.
After all, the profits of the Thunderfire Hall would ultimately be used to purchase cultivation resources for Lu Ming.
Lu Qingyan nodded, his voice cold. “I heard that a medicinal garden under the Golden Gang Sword Hall is also participating in the Moon Spirit Grass supply. Perhaps some of the herbs they offer will even be ours.”
A flicker of anger rose in Lu Ming's eyes. This Lin Changkong was truly an insidious bastard.
“What did Aunt Li say?” Lu Ming asked.
“Matriarch Li Yan had her maid convey that if we do not have mature Moon Spirit Grass this year, we can use unripe ones to make up the numbers first, and she will find a way to cover the difference on her end,” Lu Qingyan said with a complex expression.
For Li Yan to go this far, she was truly doing everything in her power to help the Thunderfire Hall.
“Aunt Li is truly a good person,” Lu Ming said, somewhat moved.
“However, your grandfather refused. Although Li Yan is the matriarch of the Li family, she doesn't make all the decisions alone. There are still elders who manage affairs together. If we use this method to deceive them and the elders find out, they might use it to criticize her. It would only bring her unnecessary trouble,” Lu Qingyan explained.
“Is Grandfather back?”
“Yes, he returned not long ago.”
Hearing this, Lu Ming quickly walked into the courtyard with Lu Qingyan. Upon entering the front hall, they saw Lu Jin sitting at the head of the room with a grim expression, puffing on his pipe, while Lu Jinglei paced back and forth anxiously nearby.
The table next to Lu Jin was piled with Moon Spirit Grass.
However, all of them were unripe.
“Those beasts didn't leave a single mature stalk behind. Fortunately, they were in a rush, so the fields weren't destroyed. There are still many unripe Moon Spirit Grass stalks left. After activating the Azure Light Restriction, I harvested some and brought them back,” Lu Jin said in a low voice, tapping his pipe on the table as he saw Lu Ming and Lu Qingyan enter.
“Ming'er, I assume your father has already told you what Li Yan suggested.”
“However, I turned her down. If we really can't do it, we will just give up this year's revenue from the Moon Spirit Grass. Even though she has good intentions, we cannot cause trouble for her in this manner.”
Lu Ming nodded. “Grandfather is right. If we used that method, others would inevitably look down on us.”
“Then, we won't be going to the Li family to deliver the goods in five days?”
Lu Qingyan pulled a pill from his robes. It was the Dharma Inscription Pill Lu Ming had given him a few days ago. He smiled and said, “Fortunately, I couldn't bear to use this Dharma Inscription Pill and kept it. Ming'er, you should take it back.”
Lu Jinglei also took out a Dharma Inscription Pill and handed it over without a word.
Since they had lost the revenue from this batch of Moon Spirit Grass, they would just have to tighten their belts again.
Lu Ming did not take them. Instead, he cast his gaze over the unripe Moon Spirit Grass and smiled. “Father, Second Uncle, don't worry just yet. In five days, we might not necessarily fail to deliver the goods.”
Lu Qingyan and Lu Jinglei were both stunned. Then, they saw Lu Ming extend his palm. In the center of his hand, a mysterious, vibrant green flame filled with boundless vitality began to burn slowly.
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