A premium Qingshi stone vein… and it stretches three hundred meters?
The Zhao Family had simply relinquished it to the Luo Family without a fight?
Hearing Luo Ping's words, Luo Changfeng narrowed his eyes. His sharp gaze bore into the stone floor of the pavilion, yet his thoughts raced far deeper.
Having inherited the memories of his predecessor, he understood very clearly what that vein meant.
Low-tier Qingshi veins, mid-tier ones—the Luo Family possessed both. Even the upper-tier Qingshi vein they owned, which was just about fifty meters long, had already become a cornerstone of their clan's wealth. It accounted for a full thirty percent of the family's yearly profits.
But now… a premium-grade Qingshi stone vein over three hundred meters long?
That wasn't just wealth—it was leverage, power, and temptation wrapped in stone.
Could the Zhao Family truly be so generous? Or was this a prelude to something more sinister?
Could it be… they're simply waiting for me to die?
And then, once the Luo Family's most formidable pillar falls, they'd descend like wolves, carving up what remained?
"No, that's not quite right…" Luo Changfeng muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples.
He realized he had been led down the wrong path—perhaps inadvertently—by Luo Ping's report.
The most urgent matter right now wasn't the Qingshi vein.
It was the sudden and unexplained loss of twenty points of Qi and blood.
He looked up.
"Has anyone in the Luo Family Ancestral Land passed away recently?" he asked, his voice low and weighted.
Luo Ping blinked in confusion, the question catching him off guard.
"No… no one has passed away in the past few days," he replied carefully.
"Then has any woman in the clan been married off?" Luo Changfeng pressed, watching the other man's expression intently.
This time, Luo Ping nodded.
"Indeed… one of the third branch's daughters was married to a merchant family two days ago."
A headache began to throb behind Luo Changfeng's eyes.
So that's it…
If female members of the clan were no longer counted as part of the Luo Family once they were married off, the implications were severe.
The Golden Finger was strict. It recognized blood, legacy, and belonging. If marriage broke that thread…
Then every time a woman left the clan, the Luo Family's total Qi and blood would drop.
And as the Luo Family Ancestor, he couldn't exactly tell Luo Ping to forbid all marriages. What would that sound like?
That no Luo woman could ever marry out?
That husbands must marry into the Luo Family instead?
That was utterly unreasonable, not to mention socially taboo.
He sighed softly.
"…I understand. You may leave now."
Seeing the faint weariness in the Ancestor's eyes, Luo Ping bowed with a hint of concern, then silently retreated from the courtyard.
…
By noon, the sun burned high above Qingshi Town. Its scorching rays cast long, wavering shadows across the dry stone roads. The air shimmered with heat.
Outside the Hu Family estate, Hu Min stood in silence.
"Father… do we really have to go through with this?"
He wasn't whining, exactly—but there was a note of hesitation, of reluctant protest in his voice.
The idea of marrying a sickly woman—one rumored to be half-dead, frail, and haunted—made his stomach churn. He couldn't hide his unease.
Hu Da didn't even glance at him.
"I've already made myself clear," he said coldly. "The interests of the family come first. Always."
He paused, his voice deepening with purpose.
"The Luo Family's ancestor is dying. The conflict between the three Luo brothers is intensifying."
"Once he's gone, those disputes will explode. It will be chaos."
"In that chaos, the Hu Family will have a justifiable reason to intervene."
"And let me tell you—profits from a premium Qingshi vein aren't any less than those we earn from dominating the town markets."
His gaze hardened.
"This is not a request, Min. It's an order."
Behind him, a sizable procession of Hu Family retainers and servants had assembled—carrying heavy boxes of ornate gifts. The dowry items glittered even under the glaring sunlight.
Without waiting for another word, Hu Da stepped forward, robes sweeping behind him.
He led the group in the direction of the Luo Family estate, walking like a man who had already sealed the deal in his mind.
"Ah…" Hu Min remained standing for a few moments longer, watching his father's figure shrink into the distance.
His sigh was long and bitter.
He had no say in this.
He was the Hu Family's Young Master, yes—but he wasn't the only son.
And if he openly defied his father… the consequences wouldn't stop at a rebuke.
He might lose everything.
…
Though Qingshi Town wasn't vast, the territories of its four major families were spread across the cardinal directions. The Hu Family resided in the west, while the Luo Family occupied the north.
Combined with the congested streets filled with refugees, tradesmen, and townsfolk, the procession took nearly half an hour to reach the Luo gates.
A Hu Family servant broke into a quick trot ahead of the group.
"The Hu Family's Head, Lord Hu Da, requests an audience with the Luo Patriarch!" he called out urgently at the gates.
Two Luo guards stepped forward at once.
"The Hu Family?" one muttered in confusion. "Why would they be visiting?"
"Don't stand around guessing. Go report it immediately," the other barked.
Within minutes, Hu Da and Hu Min were granted entry. The rest of their entourage, however, was made to wait outside the estate walls—an unspoken reminder that the Luo Family, despite current hardships, still upheld its ancestral pride.
They were escorted through shaded paths and stone corridors by a quiet Luo servant.
Soon, they arrived at the Luo Family's guest hall.
Inside, Luo Ping sat calmly on the main seat, a steaming porcelain teacup in hand. His eyes lifted slowly as the two Hu men entered.
"I wonder what brings the esteemed Family Head of the Hu Family to our doors today?" Luo Ping asked smoothly, though there was a guarded edge to his voice.
Hu Da gave a faint smile, not waiting to be offered a seat before settling himself into one of the side chairs. He didn't posture like a guest—he postured like a man delivering a proposal.
"A marriage alliance, of course."
"A marriage alliance?" Luo Ping's hand paused mid-air, setting the teacup down with care.
His expression turned serious.
"Yes." Hu Da nodded, steepling his fingers as he leaned forward. "It is clear to anyone with eyes that the Luo Family is in a precarious position."
"The death of your revered ancestor is imminent, no matter how well hidden."
"The disputes between the three Luo brothers… well, the town already whispers of it."
"And now you've acquired a premium Qingshi stone vein over three hundred meters long."
"I can guarantee the Zhao Family is already watching you like hawks, waiting for a misstep."
He paused for effect, letting his words sink in.
"But if our families form an alliance now—if we stand together—then even the Zhao Family will think twice."
"Of course, I won't pretend it's all altruism. We both gain from this. Power. Protection. Profit."
He looked Luo Ping straight in the eyes.
"So tell me, Patriarch Luo—what do you think of my proposal?"