Chapter 394: Battle for the Mineral Vein

Chapter 394: Chapter 394: Battle for the Mineral Vein

For the second time, Ji Jingsong bowed to Yi Xiaoyao.

The first time, he had only bowed to the Fusang Sword, not to Yi Xiaoyao himself.

But this time, he was truly bowing to Yi Xiaoyao, addressing him as Young Master.

The faint smile on Yi Xiaoyao’s lips finally broadened, and he quickly stepped forward to help Ji Jingsong to his feet.

"Please rise, Patriarch. The Ji Family has chosen to support me now, while I am still weak. When the day comes that I am powerful enough to rule the Cyan Wilderness, the Ji Family will be credited as the greatest contributor!" Yi Xiaoyao said with a calm smile.

A sharp glint appeared in Ji Jingsong’s eyes as he looked at Yi Xiaoyao. He could tell that the young man before him understood just how arduous his path would be—a path of no return.

Yet, from start to finish, Ji Jingsong saw not a hint of fear or hesitation in Yi Xiaoyao’s eyes.

The Ji Family had always professed its undying loyalty, yet they couldn’t even measure up to this one young man. The thought made Ji Jingsong feel a pang of shame, and he inwardly marveled that the Cyan Emperor had truly chosen the right successor.

"From the moment I first saw you, Young Master, I knew you were no ordinary boy. You have the protection of the Red Butterfly Saint Witch and have been entrusted with a great responsibility by the Cyan Emperor. With that in mind, what reason could the Ji Family possibly have not to step forward and support you?" Ji Jingsong said.

"You praise me too highly, Patriarch," Yi Xiaoyao said with a smile. "And you don’t need to call me Young Master. Xiaoyao is fine."

A smile touched Ji Jingsong’s lips as he nodded. "However, Xiaoyao, while you do bear the Cyan Emperor’s heavy burden, you are still young and lack sufficient strength. Clashing with those powers, both overt and covert, at this moment would be like an egg striking a stone."

"I am well aware of that," Yi Xiaoyao replied with a nod. "For now, I must proceed with caution, step by step. That is why I chose the Ji Family to be my first step, my first foothold."

A look of satisfaction appeared in Ji Jingsong’s eyes. The young man before him was neither arrogant nor rash, but calm and level-headed.

More importantly, Ji Jingsong could see that Yi Xiaoyao radiated confidence, but not a blind or foolish confidence.

This was one of the very reasons Ji Jingsong had agreed. If Yi Xiaoyao lacked confidence, how could Ji Jingsong possibly trust him enough to entrust him with the Ji Family’s fate?

"In that case," Ji Jingsong began slowly, "from this day forward, you, Xiaoyao, shall be the Young Master of the Ji Family. What do you say?"

Yi Xiaoyao nodded slightly. "Thank you, Patriarch."

"Young Master, you mustn’t address me as Patriarch. From now on, call me ’Ji’ in public. When we are alone, you may call me by my given name. That is the proper distinction between a lord and his subordinate," Ji Jingsong said with a calm smile.

Yi Xiaoyao chuckled and shook his head. "I was actually planning to ask ’Ji’ for leniency regarding the matter with Ji Min. Perhaps a more familiar address would be better for that."

Ji Jingsong knew Yi Xiaoyao was joking and let out a resigned sigh and a smile. "You weren’t at fault in that matter to begin with, so what punishment could there be? Besides, I should be thanking you, Xiaoyao, for resolving the Ji Family’s troubles concerning Elixirs."

The two of them looked at each other and broke into a smile.

Afterward, Ji Jingsong began explaining the current political landscape to Yi Xiaoyao. This made Yi Xiaoyao appreciate the difficulty of the path ahead even more, but he remained undaunted.

After Yi Xiaoyao left, Ji Jingsong summoned the family elders for a meeting. This was no small matter; even as Patriarch, he was required to inform the clan’s elders.

Many members of the Ji Family were already aware that the Patriarch had summoned Yi Xiaoyao regarding the incident with Ji Min.

Most of them assumed Yi Xiaoyao would not escape punishment. Ji Min and her followers, in particular, waited resentfully to hear what punishment the Patriarch would mete out.

However, the news that followed was that not only had Yi Xiaoyao escaped punishment entirely, but he had also left the Patriarch’s residence completely unscathed.

Furious upon hearing the news, Ji Min and her group had no choice but to find an elder with whom they had close ties and beg him to plead their case before the council of elders.

That elder sought out the family elders, only to receive a harsh scolding and return with a message.

"From this day forward, Yi Xiaoyao is the Young Master of the Ji Family!"

In an instant, this news swept through the entire Ji Family like a tempest, causing an immense shock.

Traditionally, the position of Young Master in any great family was held by the Patriarch’s son, who would eventually inherit leadership of the clan.

Yet now, an outsider had been appointed Young Master. This wasn’t just confusing to the members of the Ji Family; it was utterly inconceivable.

Of course, these people didn’t realize that Yi Xiaoyao’s status as "Young Master" was a completely different concept from the one they imagined.

They were thinking of a successor who would one day take over the family and become the next Patriarch.

But Yi Xiaoyao was the Young Master *over* the entire Ji Family, including the Patriarch himself.

Above him, there was only the Cyan Emperor.

Only the Ji Family Patriarch and a few key elders knew the truth. Yi Xiaoyao and Ji Jingsong had deliberately allowed this confusion to spread as a means of concealment.

Regardless, Yi Xiaoyao’s status as Young Master was now official, which meant the incident with Ji Min could no longer be pursued. This left Ji Min’s faction both furious and terrified.

They could never have imagined that the person they had tried to kill, the person they had offended, would become the Young Master of the Ji Family.

Even Ji Hao was utterly stunned when he found out. He now stared at Yi Xiaoyao with a perplexed expression.

"Xiaoyao, what in the world did you and the Patriarch talk about?"

Ji Hao couldn’t help but ask. ’How did a simple conversation land you the position of Young Master?’

Yi Xiaoyao gave a slight smile. "Why don’t you guess?"

"Could it be about the competition for the Cyan Essence Stone Vein?" Ji Hao ventured.

Yi Xiaoyao’s eyebrow twitched. This was the second time he’d heard about a competition for a Cyan Essence Stone Vein. Since Ji Hao assumed this was the reason he’d been made Young Master, the matter must be extremely important to the Ji Family.

"I’m surprised. You actually guessed it."

Yi Xiaoyao decided to play along, smiling as he spoke. The truth about the Cyan Emperor was far too sensitive to reveal to Ji Hao.

"I knew it! The Patriarch wants to use you to compete for the Cyan Essence Stone Vein and the allocation of the Saint Son positions."

Ji Hao nodded, not a hint of suspicion on his face. "That makes sense. The combat prowess you displayed during your fight with Ji Min is certainly enough to secure a victory in the competition."

Then, feigning casual interest, Yi Xiaoyao managed to learn the full story behind the Cyan Essence Stone Vein from Ji Hao.

In Great Yu’s Eight Desolates, Elemental Stones of various Attributes served as currency. Yi Xiaoyao had previously seen Flame Sacrifice Fire Dance use Red Elemental Stones to purchase Elixirs; those were Fire Attribute Elemental Stones.

In the Cyan Wilderness, however, they used Wood Attribute Elemental Stones, known as Cyan Essence Stones.

Cyan Essence Stones were not just currency. They also contained incredibly dense Cyan Wood Spiritual Power, which could be used for Cultivation by Cyan Wood Attribute Cultivators.

Not long ago, a Cyan Essence Stone Vein was discovered in Cyan Cloud City, sparking a conflict among the city’s three major powers.

Coincidentally, the Imperial Capital of the Cyan Wilderness was also set to allocate several positions for the Third Generation Saint Son to Cyan Cloud City around the same time.

After some negotiation, the three powers decided to settle the matter with a tournament between the younger generation—those under twenty years of age—from each family. The ultimate winner would not only gain control of the Cyan Essence Stone Vein, but the Third Generation Saint Son positions would also be distributed based on the number of matches won.

However, it was a well-known fact that the Ji Family was the weakest of the three powers, so they had little hope of succeeding in this competition. This was why Ji Hao had connected Yi Xiaoyao’s appointment as Young Master to this event.

After all, as Young Master, Yi Xiaoyao could now legitimately represent the Ji Family in the tournament.

After listening to Ji Hao’s explanation, Yi Xiaoyao’s eyes glinted as he murmured, ’In that case, I suppose it’s time I made a contribution to the Ji Family.’

If they could secure the Cyan Essence Stone Vein, the Ji Family’s resources and power would increase dramatically.

Moreover, only those with the status of a Saint Son were qualified to eventually become the Cyan Emperor.

Therefore, Yi Xiaoyao was determined to secure one of the Saint Son positions for himself.

...