Emperor’s Domination

Ning Zhu followed Li Qiye as he scouted the entire plain. They eventually came across broken walls and bricks as well. These pieces have been here for who knows how many years?

She could tell that there used to be a metropolis here due to the high-quality and luxurious tiles.

Furthermore, they also found statues everywhere underground. Only some had minor parts exposed.

It must have been an incredible city. As time passed, it fell into a decline and lost its population. Everything else crumbled from a lack of upkeep.

“The plains of the Tang. I have heard about how rich this clan used to be before.” Ning Zhu commented then glanced at Li Qiye: “Armament Mountain wasn’t a thing back then. The forefather of the Tang was renowned because of his miraculous success.”

“Yes, quite rich, Tang Ben.” Li Qiye smiled.

“You’ve heard stories about him, Young Noble?” Ning Zhu found this surprising.

She only knew a little bit about the legends of the Tang. This was her first time in the plain despite having visited Armament Mountain before. After all, the Tang had fallen so there was no need for her to visit. 

“Just coincidentally heard a few things about them. For example, their moneyfall method is wonderful.”

“Yes, Young Noble, I’ve also read about this method from an ancient scroll before.” Ning Zhu replied.

The forefather of the Tang had mediocre cultivation but plenty of money. His “moneyfall” method was unique and incredible.

It wasn’t an unstoppable merit law or anything – just a way to use money. This method channeled the chaos energy and laws inside refined jades. When these jades fell to the ground, they would erupt with an immense force capable of pushing back mighty enemies.

Thus, Tang Ben defeated famous cultivators with his crafty invention. In fact, some in the present day believed that the classifications of refined jades were established by him.

He was a mysterious character. No one knew where he came from, only that he was extremely rich from the very start.

During his clan’s prosperous era, this plain served as the largest financial center in Sword Continent.

Unfortunately, there were no capable successors after his departure. The clan fell into ruins along with the plain. It eventually became a tributary to the newly-risen Armament Mountain.

Ning Zhu found this character interesting because there were many similarities between him and Li Qiye. Both had meager cultivation yet plenty of money.

The difference was that Li Qiye’s source of wealth was known by all. This wasn’t the case for Tang Ben.

Nonetheless, she thought that this might be the reason why Li Qiye chose to visit the plain first instead of Armament Mountain.

“You think I’m a descendant of the Tang?” Li Qiye noticed her gaze and smiled.

“Not necessarily but I’m sure your future will just be as glorious as their golden age.” She shook her head in response.

“I myself don’t know what I will accomplish in the future, so don’t be so confident in me.” He said.

“I trust in you along with my vision and intuition. You’re not one of us, you’re a dragon soaring above the firmament. This is only a temporary stay for you.” She said earnestly with no hint of flattery.

“I’ve told you before, being too smart can cause trouble.” He smiled.

“I understand and will keep this in mind.” She bowed.

“Seems like you know how to deal with me.” He said.

“Of course not, a little girl such as myself can’t hope to control your greatness. Everything is happening according to your plan, I am merely a follower that hopes to ride your coattails.” She humbly articulated.

He only smiled in response.

They eventually reached the center of the plain. There existed an old building, one of the few standing structures of the great city. The surrounding was filled with bricks covered in dirt and weed.

This building clearly belonged to a rich family. It had dozens of individual houses, enough to house several hundred servants.

Now, it looked on the verge of collapsing. Most surprisingly, there were still people living here – not cultivators, only servants.

“Great Immortal, what is the reason for your arrival?” They hurriedly bowed towards Li Qiye and Zhu Ning.

In their eyes, cultivators were immortals capable of traversing the world freely. Moreover, Ning Zhu’s appearance and aura matched one perfectly.

“You own this building?” Li Qiye looked around and saw no one else.

“Great Immortal, it belongs to our master, a member of the Tang. Our branch has inherited everything here.” The oldest servant respectfully responded.

“Do you wish to buy this place, Immortal?” Another clever one asked.

“Oh, it’s for sale?” Li Qiye appeared amused and interested.

“Yes, our master has been trying to sell it.” The oldest servant replied.

To be exact, the descendants of the Tang attempted to sell for a long time now, not just this place but the entire plain.

They wanted to sell to Armament Mountain the most. In their mind, this sect could afford the asking price.

On the other hand, Armament Mountain thought that this plain was not valuable, especially not for that high price.

“Where is your master? The young noble will buy your plain.” The princess said.

“Fairy, the master is at Armament City on business right now. If you wish to buy, please go find the master there.” One servant answered.

The rest became anxious because, despite the low salary, they were still allowed to live here. The new master, on the contrary, might kick them out the door.