This Golden Cage was only about the size of a human head, the cage itself vertical with seventy-two bars, and at the front a tiny opening, quietly covered.
Yu Su shook the cage in his hand, placed it on his palm, opened a small door at the side of the little cage, and with one hand pointed at Yu Chengyi sprawled prostrate on the ground, said with a laugh:
"This man still has five brothers. Taoist Fellow, please act and fetch their heads!"
Li Qinghong, Fei Tongxiao, and the others felt a light wind rush toward them, their robes fluttering, their faces cold as frost. Yu Su's might was overwhelming, and they dared not use spiritual sense to probe the Golden Cage, only silently waiting below.
People to the left and right whispered to each other:
"Is that a Foundation Establishnt Magical Instrunt? There are magical artifacts like this?"
"Who knows? Maybe it's a Zifu-level artifact… Green Pond doesn't have only that one Absolute Frost Greatsword, the Zifu Perfected Persons haven't acted for decades—it might belong to one of them…"
Just a few words in rely a few seconds, and then a violent wind roared, five bloody heads fell from the air, rolling into a little heap on the ground. Li Qinghong swept her spiritual sense over them and finally saw that there was a mass of fierce wind swirling in midair, sucking back into the cage like a whale drawing water.
'A spirit monster? Or so magical function of the artifact…'
Yu Su waited a few seconds, closed the cage door, and only then looked at the heads, full of unwillingness and confusion, that had been swept over by the wind. Frowning, he said:
"With the Yu Family suffering such a blow, consolidating the Yu clan shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Yu Chengyi stamred a reply or two, still hesitating about sothing. The Guest Elder behind him tugged his sleeve, and only then did Yu Chengyi stumble out:
"Thank… thank you, Upper Immortal."
Yu Su glanced at him and said:
"Muxian does have such nephews and juniors."
He slipped the Golden Cage back up his sleeve, stretched out his hand as he spoke, and commanded:
"[Jade Smoke Mountain]!"
The Yu Family all turned pale, a commotion below, Yu Chengyi's face changed drastically. Kneeling, he shuffled forward two steps, shivering as he begged:
"Senior! Jade Smoke Mountain is our clan's treasured heirloom! I…"
"Bring it here!!"
Impatience flashed across Yu Su's eyes and brows; he flicked his sleeve, hitting Yu Chengyi so he stumbled back several steps, only barely holding back the urge to beat him to death, cursing:
"Dog-like thing! Still dawdling… Hand over the artifact! Keeping it in your family is a waste—better to give it to Muxian!"
'That's right… In Green Pond's eyes, people like us are nothing but dogs…'
As these words ca out, all the noble families felt chill and grief, knowing that while Yu Su spoke courteously, he already saw them as weeds under his feet. Watching Yu Chengyi wail on the ground, not one dared to voice a word.
The Yu Family below brought forth the Foundation Establishnt Magic Artifact, Jade Smoke Mountain. Yu Su took the [Jade Smoke Mountain], raised it lightly, and studied it for two seconds.
Jade Smoke Mountain was bright white and translucent, about the size of a fist, carved exquisitely and delicately. Cranes and ancient pines were completely rendered, cranes and pines lifelike, but curiously, there was a faint line along the mountainside, emitting a cyan glow. Yu Su imdiately frowned, muttering:
"There really is a mark… Li Tongya is quite sothing; this is made of [Upper Brilliant Mysterious Jade]…"
After studying a while, Yu Su raised his head and spoke plainly:
"The matter is settled. Everyone, present your tributes."
The noble families all nodded repeatedly, piling up the tribute. Yu Su himself did not move, but those he brought picked through the offerings, skimming off a layer or two with each touch, demanding the people make up the shortfall.
The folks of Wangyue Lake already knew he was a greedy wretch who picked every feather clean; they silently made up the difference. Yu Su cast a few glances at them, the Golden Cage in hand swaying lightly, and spoke softly:
"If there are no major changes in the future, it will always be coming. Friends, please have the tributes ready in advance next ti; no need for this back and forth."
And with that, all the Green-robed Disciples soared away on the wind, one after another landing on the Rosy Cloud Boat. Yu Su stood at the prow, gazing down at the crowd with disdain, slowly disappearing over the horizon.
Everyone's faces fell at once. The great noble families fared a bit better; the rest looked terrible, resentfully watching Yu Su's cloud boat depart but daring not utter a word.
As the Green Pond Sect's Rosy Cloud Boat left, the other families on the east bank who paid tribute in submission to the Li Family all flocked around, the sounds of complaints and pleas rising one after another.
"Senior! Please, let the tribute be lighter this year!"
The Head of the Pu Family was over eighty, only Fifth Layer Fetal Breathing in cultivation, dressed in coarse clothes, not even a single magic artifact on him, yet still addressed Li Qinghong as Senior, his face full of bitterness.
"Senior… the various peaks of Green Pond Sect rotate every seventy years. It's only halfway through now; there are more than thirty years of hardship left—what are we to do!"
His Lingbi Five Families had been affected by Erald Copper Essence; their lands could hardly grow spirit rice. The Rui Family had defected and left misery behind; the remaining four families were the most destitute among the East Bank, already at the breaking point.
All they could do now was look on hopefully, praying she would say sothing favorable.
Rui Qiongcuo, on the other hand, was relieved. His Rui Family had defected; outwardly it was still a family, but secretly it was already an external branch of the Li Family, living quite comfortably. The little bit of tribute from being a Fetal Breathing Clan was no hardship at all.
For now, he just watched his forr rivals complain, sly satisfaction in his heart, standing respectfully behind Li Qinghong.
The cultivators all began to speak at once. Li Qinghong could only plant her spear on the ground with a clang, a harsh sound that made them all shut their mouths.
Knowing Yu Su's greedy nature, Li Qinghong hadn't brought the [Du Ruo Spear] with her; in her hand was just an ordinary inferior-grade qi-cultivation artifact, yet still she shattered the stone tiles on the ground to black powder with a single blow.
"If any of you Taoist Fellows face hardship, go discuss it with my Family Head. The Li Family won't wring you dry for tributes so your families are destroyed. There are ways to resolve this."
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