Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 120 - 111: Profit-Sharing Struggle

Lu Sisi and Li Tongya rode the wind and landed to the east of Lidao Entrance, where a group of disheveled villagers had gathered on the Lu Family's territory. They had cut down a great stretch of forest and constructed dozens of scattered shacks, with neatly piled lumber prepared for building the mine.

"The Green Crow Mine grows atop ordinary iron ore deposits. Occasionally, amidst the tunnels, chunks of Green Crow can be found. As mining goes deeper, it often requires the use of the Vein Searching Technique to survey the exact direction, which is inseparable from the assistance of the An Family."

No sooner had Lu Sisi finished speaking than Li Tongya nodded in agreement. Indeed, possessing a heritage was most coveted. It's no wonder that every family hid their secrets, and in face of danger, they would destroy them promptly; indeed, these were the tools of their trade.

The two had just stopped when a group of mortals immediately knelt down below. Lu Sisi pointed to the hillside beneath their feet and explained:

"The An Family has estimated that this mine tunnel is narrow, requiring only a thousand or two workers. It can produce around a hundred pieces of Green Crow ore each month, which should sell for about thirty Spirit Stones apiece in the county. It will cost some labor but is a highly profitable business."

Li Tongya nodded, calculated the distance to Wangyue Lake, and cautioned:

"This place is only three hundred miles from Wangyue Lake, where there is a market and Loose Cultivators come and go. We'll need to cloak it with a Formation to disguise it as an ordinary small town."

Lu Sisi agreed quickly, knowing that while Li Family in the west couldn't be kept in the dark, deceiving some Loose Cultivators was not a problem. He immediately said with a smile:

"My young friend is right. My Lu Family still has one or two Array Plates. Leave it to us to conceal the entrance of the mine."

After the two had discussed for a while, the bald man from the An Family landed nearby, gave a cupped fist salute to Li Tongya with a smile, and said:

"We had a brief encounter years ago without introducing ourselves, but now we finally meet again."

With that, he raised both hands, his face full of a warm smile that showed none of the ruthlessness from the discussions about annihilating the Li Family just a few months prior. His smile was genuinely cordial as if greeting an old friend not seen for years.

"I am An Zhiyan of the An Family. I've long admired you."

Li Tongya quickly returned the greeting with a clasped fist and said with a smile:

"Li Tongya has met Brother An."

Lu Sisi laughed heartily, gave An Zhiyan a knowing look, and said seriously:

"Now that our young friend has also looked over the vein, it's time to discuss the division of profits."

An Zhiyan nodded repeatedly and said urgently:

"The direction and inspection of this vein all use my An Family's Vein Searching Technique. In the future, mining will certainly require our family's efforts. It was agreed that we would take a forty percent share, and we cannot settle for less!"

Lu Sisi chuckled, saw that Li Tongya had remained silent, and tentatively said:

"To properly mine this vein, we need everyone's cooperation. How about my Lu Family takes forty percent as well..."

Li Tongya watched the two people's back-and-forth and knew that this matter required his intervention. With a slight smile, he spoke solemnly:

"The majority of this vein lies within my Li Family's territory, with only a few branches within Lu Family's land. Splitting it evenly is too unfair. It's better to divide it based on the ore volume on each family's land."

As soon as these words were spoken, both Lu Sisi and An Zhiyan faltered, their expressions turning sour. An Zhiyan took a deep breath, mustered a smile, and asked:

"What does Brother Li mean by that?"

Li Tongya nodded at An Zhiyan, placed his right hand on the Longsword at his waist, and said gently:

"The An Family has worked hard to develop the mine, and naturally, you should be allocated a share. Let's do it this way: the Li Family will take fifty percent, and the An Family, thirty percent."

An Zhiyan was momentarily stunned, his mouth opening but no words coming out, while Lu Sisi raised his eyebrows and said in a low voice:

"The Li Family has quite the appetite. Surely you jest?"

Li Tongya shook his head and said with a smile:

"It is the senior who jests. You two are harmonizing to claim eighty percent of the vein; is it because you think I am young and easy to speak to, expecting me to meekly agree?"

After speaking, he adjusted his Green Peak sword nonchalantly and continued:

"Sooner or later, we'll have to settle this by force anyway. Let's see the truth in action."

Lu Sisi exchanged a look with An Zhiyan, knowing their ruse wouldn't work and they would have to fight it out. Lu Sisi nodded, and the Jade Ruyi in his hand already rose into the air.

An Zhiyan was caught between a rock and a hard place when he saw the bright white light emanating from the longsword in Li Tongya's hand. It was as if the arc of the Moon Que Sword had already enveloped both of them, causing his brow to furrow as he shouted:

"How outrageously arrogant!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he summoned a Green Crow Staff from his hand, raising his head to meet the Moon Que Sword Arc coming from Li Tongya's hand.

The two confronted the attack hurriedly, but the Sword Qi in Li Tongya's hands had been accumulating for a long time. The sharp Sword Qi instantly broke through the Pure Spirit True Essence on their two Magic Artifacts with a clang akin to metal striking metal, sending them several feet to the right and left.

Li Tongya, seizing the advantage, did not let up, and two streaks of Mysterious Water Sword Qi immediately shot out towards them. Wave after wave of Mysterious Water Sword Qi battered them relentlessly, leaving them no chance to counter.

Li Tongya had not used the Moon Que Sword Arc when attacking the Ji Family earlier, causing Lu Sisi and the other to misjudge his strength. With their Magic Artifacts sent flying, they could only dodge clumsily.

Barely able to recall their Magic Artifacts, they were already at a disadvantage against Li Tongya, capable only of parrying without the chance to counterattack. Thus they awkwardly defended themselves.

Having received the Deep Sea Long Whale Script, Li Tongya's Mana was profound. With each breath, he exhaled white vapor, and for a good fifteen minutes, he forcefully pressed the two adversaries, until the less cultivated An Zhiyan's face began to pale slightly. Finally, Li Tongya ceased his assault, saying in a low voice:

"Do you two wish to continue?"

An Zhiyan's complexion visibly regained its color, and with a wave of his hand and bowing his head in silence, Lu Sisi, too, clenched his teeth as his expression changed, replacing it with a smile and saying:

"I had not realized Brother Tongya's swordsmanship was so impressive. We were presumptuous. The Li Family rightfully deserves these five parts."

Their words were now filled with much more respect, no longer addressing Li Tongya as a junior but as Brother Tongya. An Zhiyan also laughed heartily, and the three seemed as if they had merely sparred a little, the atmosphere harmonious and warm. Li Tongya nodded and replied in a gentle tone:

"My Li Family will indeed take these five parts, and you may divide the rest as you see fit."

His True Yuan remained abundant, as he had spared the others any loss of dignity and did not want to reveal his unusually profound True Yuan by forcing them to exhaust theirs. Observing the two discussing, Li Tongya estimated his current strength and thought to himself:

"These two are much stronger than the Qi Cultivators in Shanyue, but they are far from matching Jin Yu Sect's Zhang Yun, and even now, Zhang Yun might not be a match for me. Had I known the backgrounds of their families more clearly, I might have annexed them both with little trouble..."

After a bout of argument, the two split the remaining five parts between them, agreeing that each family would send Fetal Breathing Cultivators for oversight and rotate Qi Cultivators to guard the site, finally settling the matter.

In the end, the Lu Family would set up the Formation, the An Family would send someone to prospect, and since the Li Family had the most people, they would provide the majority of the miners.

Li Tongya secretly nodded, quite pleased with the outcome. After all, many refugees fleeing from Shanyue were overpopulating the villages; this vein was just the place for those Shanyue refugees, an optimal solution.

However, Lu Sisi watched Li Tongya with a smile that veiled his worries, his mind filled with the memory of that dazzlingly bright sword when drawn from its sheath, he pondered inwardly:

"Such might cannot be from a sword technique beneath the Third Grade, it must be at least Fourth Grade!"

Thus, he said with a forced smile:

"Brother Tongya, your swordsmanship is truly incredible! Might I ask... from which school does this tradition come? What is the name of this sword technique?"

Seeing Lu Sisi swallow his pride to ask to such an extent, Li Tongya could only frown and say in a deep voice:

"It is a spell passed down by my father, called the Moon Que Sword Technique."

He stopped speaking then and did not mention that the sword technique had only one move.

An Zhiyan suddenly became serious, glanced at Lu Sisi's troubled expression, and silently came to a conclusion, thinking:

"The rumor that the previous generation of the Li Family had a Foundation Establishment Cultivator is true, no wonder Li Tongya has such rich and clear orthodox True Yuan. It runs in the family! This sword technique is also extraordinary; it's a lethal skill for catching an opponent unawares."

But Lu Sisi thought deeper, his concern growing. Looking at Li Tongya's youthful face of about thirty or forty, he felt both shocked and fearful, realizing:

"Li Tongya surely cannot be more than fifty years old, yet I am already over a hundred and seventy, and my descendants are not capable of management. Once my generation is gone, Huaqian and Huazhong will readily fall into others' hands, and the rise of the Li Family is merely a matter of time!"

"This man is unlike others, incredibly cautious, with overwhelming strength - he's unlikely to meet an early demise. We must leave a path for our descendants!"

For now, he felt nothing but despair, his heart heavy with a sense of desolation. The joy of acquiring the Green Crow Mine had completely dissipated, leaving his old eyes cloudy. Seeing Li Tongya about to take his leave with a respectful bow, he hurriedly forced a smile and spoke:

"Brother Tongya! We have offended you greatly today. I will call upon you in a day or two to offer my apologies!"

Li Tongya was taken aback, his expression somewhat puzzled, but he simply nodded and replied respectfully:

"You are too kind, Elder Lu."