40: The palace is quiet, the streets and markets are deserted.

Hearing this, a peculiar light flashed in Patriarch Li Zhenyue's eyes, and he lowered his voice even further:

"Speaking of which, Cloud Dream County is located on the edge of the Lin and Wu families' territories, and used to be a buffer zone between the two."

"Now that a Qi Family has suddenly appeared and occupied the Spiritual Vein... doesn't your Lin Family have any thoughts on the matter?"

Lin Chengzhou's expression remained unchanged as he replied calmly:

"This is a matter for the Clan Leader and Elders to consider; it is not for us to discuss recklessly. We just need to guard the gates well."

Although he spoke thus, a ripple of emotion flickered deep in his eyes.

The three families co-governing Yunliao Market seemed peaceful on the surface, but the underlying tensions, interests, and balances were far from simple.

The Wu Family had been the local power for centuries, their roots deeply intertwined with the remnants of other local forces.

His Lin Family and the Li Family had both settled here as outsiders a hundred years ago; although they had established a firm foothold, there was always a layer of separation compared to the Wu Family.

This new variable in Cloud Dream County could indeed disrupt the original delicate balance.

Inside the stone doors, the moment Qi Yuan stepped over the threshold, he felt himself pass through an invisible, slightly resistant membrane of spiritual power.

The scene before him was entirely different from outside; the clamor vanished, replaced by a profound silence.

More noticeably, the concentration of Spiritual Qi here rose abruptly. With every breath, he could feel wisps of pure Spiritual Qi flowing into his lungs, even denser than the Spiritual Qi in the Grade C Immortal Caves of the Longquan Sect.

He silently estimated that the pure concentration of Spiritual Qi diffusing in this hall alone was enough to support a Qi Refining Perfection Cultivator in attempting Foundation Establishment.

It was clearly leaking from the inner core area.

The reason the two young Cultivators outside still dared to gossip in low voices after Qi Yuan entered the stone doors was—

This building itself was enveloped by a second-grade isolation Formation, shielding all sounds, auras, and even Spiritual Sense probes from both inside and out.

At this moment, within the spacious hall paved with smooth bluestone slabs and decorated with several pots of vibrant spirit plants, there were already over a dozen figures.

Everyone stood quietly or sat on the prayer mats and wooden chairs placed around the hall. There wasn't much conversation, and the atmosphere was solemn.

Qi Yuan scanned the room and quickly spotted an acquaintance—Wu Zhaoyu, the head of the Wu Family.

Wu Zhaoyu looked to be about sixty, though his actual age was likely older. He wore a brocade robe, had a ruddy complexion, a short beard, and eyes that flashed with sharp light. His spiritual power was harmonious and full, clearly at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.

He was speaking in low tones with two people beside him. Both possessed an extraordinary bearing and cultivation levels above the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining; they were likely the heads of the Lin and Li families.

When Qi Yuan had first visited them, the Lin and Li families had only sent managers to receive him, and their clan leaders had not appeared. Today, however, to pay tribute and show respect to the Zhao Family, the leaders of all three families were gathered here.

Foundation Establishment Cultivators often went into seclusion for years at a time, leaving ordinary affairs to their clansmen, so their absence was understandable.

But on an occasion like paying tribute, if the clan leaders did not show up, it would be seen as failing to give the Zhao Family Face.

Most of the others in the hall were likely clan leaders of Qi Refining families who, like Qi Yuan, had come to pay their tribute.

As the crowd saw Qi Yuan enter, particularly noting the Immortal Clan Token at his waist and his Late Stage Qi Refining aura, their gazes lingered on him for a moment.

Their looks held scrutiny, curiosity, or simple observation, but they soon looked away without any intention of coming forward to exchange pleasantries.

Qi Yuan had expected this; a newly established Family with a shallow Foundation naturally had no prior connection with these long-established local powers.

He didn't mind and found an inconspicuous empty prayer mat near the edge.

He sat down peacefully, focusing his mind as he waited for the tribute process to begin... After Qi Xuanjin and Su Wantang parted ways, he did not go far, instead wandering through the slightly cluttered areas on the outskirts of the market city where Loose Cultivators set up temporary stalls.

He deliberately slowed his pace and pricked up his ears, capturing information from the scattered conversations around him.

Sure enough, he heard people whispering that the market city had been much quieter than usual these past few days because the "Tribute Inspection Envoy" from the Zhao Family was about to arrive.

Yunliao Prefecture was located on the border of Southern Yue Province, far from the center of power. Previous Tribute Inspection Envoys had varying temperaments—some were harsh, others easygoing—and no one knew what the personality of the one coming this time would be.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, many Loose Cultivators and small Family Cultivators chose to keep a low profile, staying in the outskirts or simply going into seclusion for a few days.

Qi Xuanjin realized why the market city seemed so deserted.

He wandered to a corner and saw a white-haired, weathered old man guarding an unremarkable stall.

On the stall were scattered a few pieces of dull-colored Ore, a few herbs with weak spiritual energy, and several grey, old objects of unknown use.

Compared to the many empty stalls nearby, this old man seemed somewhat out of place.

Qi Xuanjin grew curious, stepped forward, and squatted down, asking, "Old uncle, I heard that everyone is avoiding the Tribute Inspection Envoy and staying away from their stalls these days. Why are you still here?"

The old man looked up, his gaze sweeping over Qi Xuanjin's simple clothes and his slightly youthful yet steady Face. He gave a chuckle, his voice raspy yet carrying a hint of broad-mindedness:

"Avoid? Avoid to where? The Zhao Family of Southern Yue has ruled for over a hundred years; the days of establishing their authority through thunderous might are long gone."

"Now that the rules are set, as long as one doesn't violate the iron laws, who would bother making things difficult for lowly Cultivators and street vendors like us?"

"Those people hiding away are just cowardly at heart, scaring themselves."

"When seeking the Dao and immortality, if one doesn't even have this bit of courage, what's the point of talking about acting against the heavens or seeking eternal life?"

His words were plain, yet they carried a clarity born from experiencing the vicissitudes of the world.

Qi Xuanjin was stunned, unable to help but look at this ordinary-looking old man in a new light.

In his understanding, even his father, whom he considered highly cultivated, always seemed cautious and meticulous, never having uttered such "heroic" words.

He intuitively felt that this old man was likely not simple, or at least his state of mind was extraordinary.

"What you say is true, old uncle."

Qi Xuanjin agreed, his gaze falling on the stall. "I wonder what these items of yours are..."

A sharp glint flashed through the old man's eyes and vanished. He thought to himself that this young man's Heart-Nature was quite calm.

He cleared his throat and pointed to a pitch-black, pitted stone on the stall, lowering his voice with a hint of mystery:

"Young man, seeing as you're an honest person, I won't hide it from you."

"These things might not look like much, but they were all picked up by me at the risk of my life in the outskirts of 'Miasma Cloud Valley' when I was young."

A look of reminiscence and lingering fear appeared on his Face.

"That place is filled with poisonous miasma and prowling low-rank Yao Beasts—it's very dangerous!"

"This 'black tungsten stone,' don't look at how ugly it is; back then, it was scavenged from what seemed to be an ancient Cultivator's cave. It might have miraculous effects on tempering metal-attribute Magical Artifacts... And this 'Wilting Grass,' sigh, don't look at its weak spiritual energy now; it took a lot of effort to pick."

"It grew by a cold pond, nourished by the pond's Yin Qi and weak earth veins. It's a supplementary ingredient for certain special cold-attribute Medicinal Pills. Those who know their stuff will understand..."

The old man spoke vividly, as if every item had a thrilling adventure story behind it.