Chương 68: Qing Wushi

"How bad is it?" Qing Wushi turned to his great-nephew, Qing Hetong, and asked.

"It's not as bad as it was through the Desolate Mountains, but the spiritual stones are still being consumed twice as fast compared to back home, perhaps a bit more," Hetong answered.

"We're very close to the capital, Elder Wushi," Qing Donghe, the so-called 'Emperor Qing,' broke in with a flattering smile.

"It's fine," Qing Wushi said, waving him off. Compared to the Desolate Mountains, this part of the journey didn't make much difference to their consumption; he had just asked casually.

"This journey will really empty our coffers," Elder Wuchang said from beside him. He was the only other Elder besides Qing Wushi who had come along for this journey south. The other Elders in the family had other important matters to attend to and couldn't get away on such short notice. Even Qing Wushi himself and Elder Wuchang were only able to get away after more than a year of preparation. Crossing the Desolate Mountains wasn't a casual trip.

While they had always known about the two Shadow Foxes, the message from Qing Donghe still took them by surprise. The Shadow Foxes were important, sure, but centuries had passed without any news, and most of those involved in the incident had long since passed. Qing Wushi himself was just a young boy back then, and only heard rumors about the incident through his fellow clansmen. It wasn't until many years later, when he himself joined the upper echelons of the family, that he came to know the full story.

Two Shadow Foxes, from the Shadow Fox Tribe in the distant Heaven-Reaching Forrest, had been spotted and were being hunted down by the Green River Sect. The foxes were only at the Foundation stage, but the Shadow Fox Tribe was a tribe with a Golden Bloodline. Beasts with such a bloodline were incredibly rare, at least in the area of the Green River Sect. The Qing family had joined the hunt, both because it was an order from the sect, and also because they hoped to get their hands on the beasts themselves.

As luck would have it, the foxes actually escaped to the south, toward the Desolate Mountains. The Qing Elders back then were the ones who had noticed, and instead of telling the sect, they had followed on their own, hoping to get the reward for themselves. But how could it be so simple? The Shadow Foxes were injured, but still not something the Elders of the Qing family could fight against. The Bloodline Ability of the Shadow Fox Tribe made them almost impossible to guard against.

Almost all who crossed the Desolate Mountain in pursuit of the foxes died, and the remaining survivors chose to give up, accepting that they weren't strong enough to take advantage of the opportunity. But thankfully, the Elders back then had some foresight. They left behind a few Qing family members in this area, and gave them a means to make contact should an opportunity to kill the Shadow Foxes ever appear.

These days, most people in the Qing family had forgotten about it, and even the Elders rarely thought about it. They didn't know how long the Shadow Foxes' lifespan was; even if centuries had passed, it could still be centuries more before they died. When Qing Donghe's message reached them, it had created quite the scene. Having the bodies of two Shadow Foxes was truly an unexpected windfall. The only issue was gathering enough spirit stones.

Crossing the Desolate Mountains wasn't easy even for someone at Qing Wushi's level. It really was best to use a flying ship to avoid any mishaps. That would also allow them to bring more people along, giving the younger generation a chance to broaden their horizons. But emptying their treasury still made several Elders hesitant that the effort was worth it. Thankfully, the Family Head had silenced all objections and set the preparations for the journey in motion.

He had also pointed out something that no one had thought about. In these desolate lands, where basically not a trace of spiritual qi could be found, there had been a family with a Founding Bloodline. The Elders back then had even fought with them. What was interesting was that they didn't cultivate spiritual qi, but innate qi, practicing some kind of body cultivation. Their bloodline should be quite the rarity in the Green River Sect's sphere of influence.

With that knowledge, the Family Head gave them a second objective for their journey: bringing back people with desirable bloodlines.

'From what I've seen so far, the people here truly do not disappoint.'

"Elder Wushi?" Elder Wuchang asked.

"Sorry, I got distracted." Qing Wushi said. He saw that the others had retreated, leaving only him and Elder Wuchang there, so he answered without concern, "Yes, the coffers are empty, but they should fill up quite nicely once we return." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"We can't sell the Shadow Foxes," Elder Wuchang said.

"If someone finds out we have them, it will only invite trouble. And while they hold value for us Elders, they don't offer much benefit to the younger generation. With their resource allocation cut in half many times over, I'm afraid we won't see another Foundation cultivator for a long time."

'Isn't it just temporary? We can afford to neglect one generation if it means increasing the strength of the Elders.' Qing Wushi didn't say it out loud, though. He knew Elder Wuchang wouldn't agree.

"Don't forget that the Shadow Foxes aren't the only thing we'll come home with," Qing Wushi said. Elder Wuchang frowned, "It's a dangerous game, kidnapping people and selling them for their bloodline. The Sword Sect will eradicate us if they find out."

"The Sword Sect is a long way from us. Their word doesn't carry weight if they can't reinforce it," Qing Wushi said.

"You never know. We could be unlucky to be discovered by some traveling disciple. If he has influence within the sect, it's all over," Elder Wuchang said.

"You've always been too cautious. If we don't dare take risks, someone else will, and they'll overtake us," Qing Wushi said.

"Besides, we're not actually going to sell them, are we? We're just going to offer suitable marriages to people looking to strengthen their bloodline. And a small reward for our match-making isn't too much to ask for, is it?" Elder Wuchang rolled his eyes and didn't bother responding. Qing Wushi didn't engage further either. He stared out at the horizon, seeing the landscape gradually unfold as the flying ship soared forward.

"Is that it?" Qing Wushi called out to Donghe and asked, having spotted something.

"It is indeed the capital of our Qing Empire, Elder Wushi," Donghe responded with a nod.

"Good," Qing Wushi said, "Nothing better have happened to those beasts. I still can't believe you left them unattended."

"It was my mistake, but rest assured that the beasts are secure. Only members of our Qing family have been told about their whereabouts, and they are all guarding them closely," Donghe said.

"Well, let's hope so," Qing Wushi said. This so-called Emperor hadn't sent the message back to the family from his own residence, but from a place called the Black Beast Mountains. Qing Wushi and the others didn't know the layout of these lands, so they had just headed to where the message had originated. But who would have guessed that the Emperor himself had waited there for them to arrive?

Qing Wushi thought it would have been much better for him to look after the Shadow Foxes and let a subordinate guide them in his place.

'Nothing to do about it now. Let's just hope this 'Emperor' hasn't been taken for a fool by one of his subordinates.' The flying ship soon arrived at the capital of the Qing Empire, and Qing Wushi felt that this family line hadn't brought shame upon the Qing name. They had managed to gain control of such a large piece of land despite having been here for only two centuries, and that was while an enemy Foundation cultivator still lived in the northern Lishen Empire.

Qing Donghe had even managed to snag both the Shadow Foxes right from under his nose, from what Qing Wushi had been told. Even if he had used the Qing Elders as intimidation, it was still quite impressive. Donghe seemed to have promised to help the Lishen Emperor in reclaiming this land in exchange for the beasts, though. Qing Wushi had initially not wanted to bother with it, but Elder Wuchang had argued that they should keep their word if they could. Qing Wushi didn't want to argue, so he agreed.

It would be easy enough to accomplish while they were here. Besides, it would give the younger generation some experience. Not to mention that the battlefield was bound to be filled with people of powerful bloodlines. Qing Wushi would probably have sent people there even without the promise to the Lishen Emperor.

'I would have loved to get my hands on a few descendants of that Lishen Emperor, but he would definitely not accept it. And having to fight a Foundation cultivator is not worth it.'

'There should be plenty of interesting bloodlines even without his lineage.' The flying ship flew straight over the city, and slowly landed in the palace, causing quite the commotion down on the ground. Donghe hurriedly disembarked to calm everyone down and issue orders to prepare their reception.

"Take us to the beasts; everything else can wait," Qing Wushi said, appearing next to Donghe with two quick steps.

"Of course, straight away," Donghe replied. Elder Wuchang naturally followed, and the three of them made their way down underground. Qing Wushi had to admit that the security was high, at least for this place.

"They are inside this room," Donghe said as they reached the end of the underground hallway. He took out a talisman and placed it on the door, unlocking it. Qing Wushi and Elder Wuchang looked at each other in surprise.

"You drew that talisman? You've inherited the Qing Bloodline so well?" Qing Wushi asked.

"I don't know how much has been passed on to me, but whatever it is, it has been incredibly helpful," Donghe said.

"Very good," Elder Wuchang said with a smile, "You've already accumulated great merit, and with your talent, your future is bound to be bright." Qing Wushi agreed, and made a note to treat this little Emperor more politely in the future. Inside the underground cellar, two giant black foxes lay, making Qing Wushi breathe out a sigh of relief. Even if he knew they were here, he couldn't fully relax until they were in his hands.

"One each? Just in case something happens to either of us?" Qing Wushi suggested.

"Sure," Elder Wuchang agreed. The two of them approached the beasts, and put them in their storage rings. Qing Wushi smiled slightly at Donghe's shocked expression.

"Donghe, could you prepare a list of the families with the most powerful bloodlines in this place?" Qing Wushi asked.

"Of course," Donghe said.

"Good," Qing Wushi said, turning to leave the room, planning to find somewhere to rest after the long journey. He would send out the Qing family members who hadn't left for the war to search for the families on the list once he had reviewed it.

"Right, one more thing," Qing Wushi suddenly recalled, "Do you know of any famous swordsmen? Has anyone comprehended sword intent?"

"Sword intent?" Donghe repeated, "I've never heard of anyone like that, but it's possible I've missed it, I suppose. I'll have someone look into it."

"Please do," Qing Wushi said. He had received a call for help from some of the people helping in the war. Apparently, a sword genius had appeared on the battlefield, killing two members of the Qing family before escaping. Qing Wushi wasn't desperate enough for someone who had comprehended sword intent to turn around and head back; it wasn't even certain the man had comprehended sword intent thanks to a trait. Still, a genius like that shouldn't be wasted in a place like this.

Qing Wushi would see if they could find him after they were done here. If not, it wasn't the end of the world. This place had more people with strong bloodlines than they could ever hope to bring back.