Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 245: Spoils of War and...Battle Contract!

"Oh?"

Tang Xiaotang's eyes lit up upon hearing the name. "Lin Huan?"

Among the two major Lin factions, Lin Huan, the current patriarch of the Youzhou Lin Clan, was renowned alongside Lin Qun, the former patriarch of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, both being Eighth Heaven Great Confucian scholars at the Perfection Stage. In terms of reputation and talent, Lin Huan was even more esteemed than Lin Qun.

By comparison, Lin Che, the current patriarch of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, who cultivated the Three Discourses on Governance, was slightly inferior to both of them.

At present, throughout the Tang Empire and beyond, the youngest Eighth Heaven Great Confucian scholar was unquestionably Chu Yu of Suzhou.

Chu Yu was the daughter of Chu Xiuyuan, the patriarch of the Chu Clan, born in his later years. Though young, she held an exceptionally high seniority in her lineage, making her peers with figures like Lin Qun and Lin Che, despite being far younger, still a considerable distance from reaching a hundred years of age.

As for the youngest Eighth Heaven Perfection-Stage Confucian cultivators, three names were widely recognized, all under two hundred years old:

1. Chu Zhe, Chu Yu’s third brother, widely regarded as the future leader of the Chu Clan of Suzhou.
2. Fang Jingsheng, the contemporary patriarch of the Fang Clan of Jingxiang, also known as Ninth Master Fang.
3. Lin Huan, the current patriarch of the Youzhou Lin Clan.

Of these, Fang Jingsheng and Lin Huan were the most famous.

Among all Lin Clan scholars in the world today, Lin Huan was the undisputed strongest—just a single step away from breaking into the Ninth Heaven of Confucianism.

Many eagerly anticipated whether she or Fang Jingsheng would be the first to ascend.

Yet now, her path forward had been severed by Xu Yuanzhen?

Such incidents were rare, but not unheard of throughout history.

A well-known example was Li Qingfeng, the former Tianshi of Tianshi Mansion, who, during an internal conflict, suffered injuries from a Reincarnation Curse and a Longevity Gu.

The Reincarnation Curse plagued him ceaselessly.

In such a state, regardless of his original potential, he never dared to attempt the tribulation from Eighth to Ninth Heaven—it would have meant certain death.

In a sense, his son, Li Zhengxuan, faced a similar situation.

However, in Li Zhengxuan’s case, it wasn’t due to hidden injuries but mental instability after losing the Tianshi Sword.

If he attempted the tribulation from Seventh to Eighth Heaven without recovering the sword, there would be only one outcome—instant annihilation.

And now, Lin Huan had been inflicted with an unhealable injury by Xu Yuanzhen.

Under normal circumstances, this might not hinder her daily cultivation.

But if she attempted to break into the Ninth Heaven, it was simply impossible.

Over time, the injury could even further erode her cultivation and mental state.

Should that happen, even if she one day managed to heal, she might lose the ambition and sharpness needed to reach her original potential.

Lei Jun nodded. "Since Senior Sister is saying this, she must be confident—at the very least, highly confident."

Tang Xiaotang smirked. "Xu Yuanzhen didn’t go for the kill this time, huh? But not bad, heh heh."

Her tone carried a hint of disdain, but her face was all smiles.

"Merciless," Lei Jun commented.

Tang Xiaotang then asked, "That old fox from the Ye Clan of Jinzhou has left. What’s happening in Youzhou now?"

Lei Jun replied, "I heard Elder Huang from Pure Yang Palace is also heading there. Meanwhile, Chu Yu from the imperial court and Prince Huayang have both arrived in Youzhou. Apparently, they are in a standoff, attempting mediation. We’ll need to wait a bit longer for further updates."

Prince Huayang, Zhang Rui, like Prince Xunan, Zhang Mu, was a member of the imperial family.

His martial prowess, however, surpassed that of Zhang Mu—he was an Eighth Heaven martial expert, second only to Prince Zhao of the Northern Frontier among the Tang imperial household’s top fighters.

That said, his lineage was more distant from the throne, and he had never shown any interest in imperial power.

After the Empress ascended to the throne, Prince Huayang Zhang Rui became one of the few imperial relatives she truly trusted.

This time, he was sent by imperial decree to accompany Chu Yu to Youzhou.

Tang Xiaotang raised an eyebrow. "Mediation? This is the perfect opportunity—what the hell are they thinking?"

Lei Jun replied, "There might be other reasons. Given Her Majesty’s stance toward aristocratic clans, she’s unlikely to ‘add water when there’s too much flour or add flour when there’s too much water.’ Even if she intends to balance power, now wouldn’t be the time."

Tang Xiaotang’s eyes glowed. "So if I head north now, I can still make it in time?"

Lei Jun shook his head. "Our sect’s main base is empty right now. And besides…"

He gestured toward the ruined Jiangzhou Lin Clan ancestral land. "We’re already here—shouldn’t we clean up first?"

The Jiangzhou Lin Clan had ruled over their territory for many years.

Despite their recent catastrophe, there were bound to be hidden reserves left behind.

Lei Jun wasn’t interested in looting.

But as the saying goes—since we’re here…

He certainly wouldn’t leave these resources for the Lin Clan to rebuild.

As for handing them over to the Tang imperial court?

That was unnecessary.

For the Tang Empire, the greatest gain was not seizing wealth—it was the elimination of the Lin Clan as a regional powerhouse.

For years, Jiangzhou had nominally respected Tang’s rule but had effectively operated as an independent state.

In contrast, in Xinzou, where Mount Longhu’s influence was paramount, the imperial court had managed to maintain a stronger presence.

Even before Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang descended to Jiangzhou to coordinate with Yuan Mobai and others, Tianshi Mansion’s leadership had already reached a consensus:

After Jiangzhou fell, Tianshi Mansion would not claim territory or replace the Lin Clan’s rule.

From a mortal governance perspective, Jiangzhou would be absorbed into direct imperial control.

Tianshi Mansion only needed to ensure its spiritual and cultural influence remained strong—enough to bolster recruitment and maintain economic prosperity.

With the Lin Clan’s interference gone, the southern midsection of the Grand River would be under Mount Longhu’s sphere of influence, securing the Tianshi Mansion’s future.

More importantly, the Lin Clan’s hidden spiritual sanctuaries and sacred sites were the real targets of Tianshi Mansion’s interest.

Of course, those could wait.

For now, the Lin Clan’s ancestral land needed clearing out first.

The Results

Lei Elder was quite pleased.

Tang Tianshi was not.

Because she didn’t find much that suited her.

"The Jiangzhou Lin Clan’s terrain and scholarly traditions were deeply tied to the essence of mountains and rivers. Given the situation, this outcome isn’t surprising," Lei Jun consoled her.

Tang Xiaotang smacked him on the back of the head. "Quit acting smug!"

Lei Jun smiled.

He had gained valuable spoils.

Among them:

• Black Tortoise Heavy Iron – An exceptionally rare divine metal, nearly impossible to find.
• Starflow Frost – A Confucian sacred relic, essential for many major ritual ceremonies, but exceedingly scarce.
• Heavenly River Crystals – Not actually from the celestial river, but from the cascading Kuanglu Falls, formed over a thousand years.
• Mountain Spirit Jade – A highly nourishing treasure from Kuanglu’s sacred peaks, rich in spiritual energy.
• Mystic Light Refined Gold – As rare as Black Tortoise Heavy Iron, often measured in inches, but found in bulk here.

Among these, Lei Jun could personally use at least three or four.

The Black Tortoise Heavy Iron and Mystic Light Refined Gold were ideal for forging new sword pellets, since his Magnetic Sword Pellets were now outdated for his growing power.

More intriguingly, Starflow Frost could enhance Confucian telepathic calligraphy techniques—which gave Lei Jun new ideas for improving his own Heavenly Vision and Earthly Listening Talismans.

That… would be a project for Mount Longhu.

Moreover, a treasure like Starfall Frost would also be useful for his fellow disciple, Chu Kun.

As for Heavenly River Condensed Crystal, it might be something his master, Yuan Mobai, could study. Since his master was researching the transformations of Yin-Yang Water and Fire, this crystal was precisely the kind of spiritual material that could come in handy.

As for the Mountain Spirit Jade, its applications were much broader—nearly everyone cultivating in Tianshi Mansion of Mount Longhu could make use of it.

For Lei Jun, this spiritual jade, formed from the essence of the great mountains, contained both Earth-element spiritual energy and immense life force, capable of nurturing all things.

Not only could he use it in his daily cultivation, but it could also serve as material for refining Daoist artifacts.

Lei Jun had long planned to re-forge the Upper Qing Golden Bamboo after reaching the Upper Three Heavens Realm, elevating it from a Daoist tool to a true magical treasure.

Having been nourished by Kui Ox Blood, the Upper Qing Golden Bamboo had already developed a solid foundation.

If he added Mountain Spirit Jade to further refine and cultivate it, the resulting magical treasure would undoubtedly be of far greater quality.

Beyond Mountain Spirit Jade and Starfall Frost, the Jiangzhou Lin Clan's Ancestral Land held many other spiritual resources, such as Mountain-Water Essence Crystals, Essence-Gathering Stones, Black Pine Dust, and Cloudbound Hemp.

Among them, Mountain-Water Essence Crystals and Essence-Gathering Stones were valuable resources for cultivators, available in substantial quantities—enough for the disciples of Tianshi Mansion to benefit from.

Meanwhile, Black Pine Dust and Cloudbound Hemp were the finest ink-making and papermaking materials of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan.

Though Confucian Ink and Confucian Paper differed greatly from Daoist Talisman Ink and Talisman Paper, the main ingredients—Black Pine Dust and Cloudbound Hemp—were universal.

The Jiangzhou Lin Clan traditionally used them to craft Confucian Ink and Paper, but by altering the auxiliary materials and employing different crafting techniques, they could also be used to create top-grade Daoist Talisman Ink and Paper—something that had historical precedent.

The only reason Tianshi Mansion hadn’t pursued this resource before was that the Jiangzhou Lin Clan had tightly controlled its production and export.

But now, this was a massive financial gain.

As for the future, with the Jiangzhou Lin Clan no longer able to maintain a foothold there, material circulation would become much easier without a hostile force obstructing it.

This whole situation truly embodied the saying: "One cannon shot, a fortune of ten thousand taels of gold."

Lei Jun sighed inwardly at the irony.

Just then, he felt something stir in his mind.

"Oh?"

"There’s news from Youzhou."

Tang Xiaotang immediately turned her gaze toward him.

The conflict in Youzhou had ultimately not escalated further.

Thanks to the mediation of Prince Huayang, Zhang Rui, and Chu Yu, both sides had temporarily ceased hostilities.

"The Ye Clan's Patriarch, Ye Yan of Qingzhou, has also arrived in Youzhou," Lei Jun said in a low voice.

"Additionally, it is said that Pure Yang Palace’s Elder Grandmaster, Huang Lao Zhenren, is still in poor health."

Tang Xiaotang raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Really?"

Previously, the Empress had decisively issued a decree, summoning Huang Xuanpu, the former sect master of Pure Yang Palace, out of seclusion, which had made Ye Moquan, the Patriarch of the Jinzhou Ye Clan, hesitant to act.

Ye Moquan had initially considered personally visiting Pure Yang Palace to probe Huang Xuanpu’s condition.

However, before he could make a move, he suddenly received word that Xu Yuanzhen had pursued Lin Huan all the way back to the Jiangzhou Lin Clan's Ancestral Land.

Upon hearing this, Ye Moquan immediately changed course and headed north.

At the same time, Huang Lao Zhenren, entrusted by the Empress, also made his way to Youzhou without hesitation.

Yet, once again, events took an unexpected turn.

Xu Yuanzhen had astonishingly crushed the Lin Clan’s Ancestral Land within a short time, despite it being a stronghold the Lin Clan had painstakingly built for generations.

Ye Moquan had rushed to intervene, barely arriving in time.

But in the end, Lin Huan was still wounded by Xu Yuanzhen.

Later, when Huang Xuanpu and Ye Yan reached Youzhou, mediation by Chu Yu and Zhang Rui successfully prevented what could have been an even greater conflict than the Southern Wasteland War.

Although Huang Lao Zhenren appeared unaffected on the surface, rumors suggested his injuries were more severe than he let on.

If he were forced to fight, he might expose his condition, worsening his injuries—or even putting himself at grave risk.

At the same time, despite both Ye Moquan and Ye Yan, two Ninth Heaven Grand Scholars, standing together, neither was fully confident in taking action.

Xu Yuanzhen’s mysterious method of quickly annihilating the Lin Clan’s stronghold had instilled fear in both Ye Moquan and Ye Yan.

While the "Barbarian Horde" technique was designed to destroy stationary Confucian Ancestral Lands, rather than Confucian cultivators who could move, the scholarly noble families still feared Xu Yuanzhen might possess other unknown means.

No one knew how many "Barbarian Hordes" she actually had.

"The Tang Imperial Court intervened to mediate. After injuring Lin Huan, Senior Sister didn't continue pressing the Youzhou Lin Clan," Lei Jun said, raising an eyebrow. "But she didn’t just let it go either…"

Xu Yuanzhen had now shifted her target to another clan, another individual—Ye Moquan of the Jinzhou Ye Clan.

The Four Great Surnames and Six Prominent Clans had already begun uniting their forces.

Although it was the two Lin Clans that had gone to block the Gate at the Great Black Mountains, the entire noble family network was stirring beneath the surface.

Moreover, Xu Yuanzhen had been eyeing that old fox in Jinzhou for quite some time.

So, she invited a revered elder to “offer guidance”.

A Daoist Ninth Heaven Great Ascension cultivator versus a Confucian Ninth Heaven “Peace Under Heaven” Grand Scholar.

Ye Moquan hadn’t fought anyone in years, and Xu Yuanzhen was much younger.

He could refuse the challenge, but doing so would severely damage his reputation.

And if Ye Moquan stubbornly refused, Xu Yuanzhen could always send a "Barbarian Horde" to Jinzhou's Ye Clan Ancestral Land.

"Now that they've seen what 'Barbarian Horde' can do, there's no way that old fox will fight her in his own territory."

Tang Xiaotang smirked.

She and Lei Jun had meticulously planned the simultaneous strike on both the Northern and Southern Lin Clans, ensuring they were caught completely off guard.

Had Lin Che and Lin Huan known in advance how devastating ‘Barbarian Horde’ was, they would have undoubtedly abandoned their ancestral land, choosing to preserve their people at the cost of their home.

At the very least, they would never have initiated the Grand Ancestral Ritual while remaining inside.

Their greatest strategic advantage—their Ancestral Land—had become their downfall.

If not for this, it wouldn’t have been so easy for Lei Jun to target and eliminate multiple elders of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan one by one.

And if Ye Moquan hadn’t arrived in time, the casualties in Youzhou would have been even greater.

By then, Lin Huan’s fate might have been far worse than just being injured.

Had they known about the true effects of "Barbarian Horde" beforehand, neither Ye Moquan nor the other noble families would have allowed their territorial advantage to turn into a death trap.

Even if they had evacuated their people early, the destruction of their ancestral land and the severing of their scholarly lineage would still have been a devastating blow to any noble house that had stood for thousands of years.

Restoring a severed scholarly lineage was an immensely difficult task—one that could take generations, if not longer.

Unless there was no other choice, who would willingly accept such a fate?

"That old fox from Jinzhou took Senior Sister’s challenge," Lei Jun said with a strange expression. "But he set the duel for next summer."

It immediately reminded him of those novels he used to read on Blue Star, where the protagonist and the villain would agree to a battle in a few years' time, allowing both sides to grow stronger before their final clash.

And in this case… who exactly was the villain?

"Buying time to study how to counter 'Barbarian Horde,' huh?"

Tang Xiaotang scoffed. "Does he not realize that Senior Sister has just entered the Ninth Heaven Great Ascension Realm? The more time he gives her, the stronger she’ll be by next summer."

Lei Jun nodded. "Senior Sister already agreed to the challenge."

After a brief pause, he continued, "As for the aftermath, we can leave that to the imperial court."

The battle for Jiangzhou was already decided.

There was no need to explain much—Lin Che, Lin Chou, and the others would simply take all the blame.

The accusations were already prepared:

Colluding with Vast Void Temple rebels.

Collaborating with Eastern Sea demon clans to cause chaos.

Tianshi Mansion of Mount Longhu, acting under imperial decree, had righteously suppressed the rebellion.

"Since it's a mediation, naturally, they won't completely wipe them out. The Youzhou Lin Clan will be considered 'misled' by Jiangzhou, and having already paid the price, they won’t face further punishment—only a warning for the future."

Lei Jun read through the official report.

"As for the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, Lin Yuwei and others will be credited for 'correcting past mistakes' and allowed to maintain their family name—though they must relocate elsewhere."

Most of the Lin Clan members who had escaped Jiangzhou were from Lin Yuwei’s branch, a secondary lineage.

Now, with the main branch effectively destroyed, they would establish a new household, no longer considered a secondary branch.

Tang Xiaotang pouted. "That cunning fox, Chu Yu, always playing the long game..."

Lei Jun smiled. "Let’s head back to the mountain first. We can ask Senior Sister for the details in person."

Regardless, their trip to Jiangzhou had been a tremendous success.

Their spoils of war were vast, brimming with spiritual energy.

So much so that the Shrunken Storage Pouches and Geographical Compass Boxes could barely contain them, as the sheer volume of treasures made it difficult for the storage artifacts to function optimally.

"What a pity…"

Lei Jun sighed.

"Between the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar and the True-One Altar, only two of the Tianshi Treasures can be transferred."

Now that he had stepped into the Upper Three Heavens Realm, the Tianshi Seal had fully separated from his soul, allowing him to properly wield it.

One of its many functions was to receive the Tianshi Sword, sent by Yuan Mobai from Mount Longhu.

However, this required the connection between the sect’s two altars—the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar and the True-One Altar—while the Tianshi Seal remained under an active master’s control.

Thus, when the Tianshi Seal had been lost, it had been impossible to summon it.

Now, while he could retrieve the Tianshi Sword, he still couldn’t locate the Tianshi Robe.

But that didn’t matter.

Having Yuan Mobai stationed at Mount Longhu while sending the Tianshi Sword to Jiangzhou was already a major advantage.

Of course, the official story wouldn't reveal the full truth.

For now, Lei Jun had no intention of publicly announcing the return of the Tianshi Seal to Mount Longhu.

Thus, Elder Lei would have to take the blame himself for its previous "loss."

In the following days, rumors spread throughout Tianshi Mansion and beyond.

One key piece of news stood out:

Lei Jun had emerged from seclusion, successfully breaking through to the Seventh Heaven Realm, officially becoming an Upper Three Heavens elder of the Talismanic Branch.

Shortly afterward, he had secretly departed Mount Longhu with the Tianshi Sword, rendezvoused with Tang Xiaotang in Jiangzhou, and together, they had defeated the Jiangzhou Lin Clan.