Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 933: The Peers and the Merchant

The grand banquet hall of the Li Clan continued to buzz with conversation. The first phase of the gathering had concluded smoothly. The vassal lords had offered their respects and mingled with the heirs. The atmosphere was festive but a sudden shift in the ambient Qi signaled that there was a change occurring.It was time for the second phase of the banquet. This phase was dedicated to outsiders. These were the clans, empires, sects and organizations that stood roughly on par with the authority of the Li and Zhan clans. They were their rough peers in the cosmic landscape but they had good relationships with.

Before the jade doors opened to admit these titans, a very different conversation was taking place far away. Earlier that morning, in the luxurious central pavilion of the Golden Horizon guild.

Jin paced back and forth across the plush spiritual carpets. He was currently sweating profusely. He wrung his thick hands together and looked completely terrified.

Sitting calmly behind a desk of carved mahogany was his father. Jin Bao was a high ranking member of the Golden Horizon. He wore opulent golden robes and possessed a vast aura of merchant authority. He was sipping a cup of rare spiritual tea and watching his son pace.

"You must attend the joint banquet today." Jin Bao stated calmly. "It is a massive event to two of our large trading partners. The Li Clan and the Zhan Clan are officially presenting their shared bloodline to the cosmos. At the very least, someone of your standing needs to go and represent our guild."

"I cannot go." Jin pleaded while stopping his pacing. "You need to send someone else, Father. I am scared to even be in the same room as that boy."

Jin Bao raised an eyebrow. "Scared? You are a master merchant of the Golden Horizon. We do not fear cultivators. We sell them things and they pay us. What could possibly terrify you about a single young man?"

"You do not understand what happened at the camp." Jin said as his voice trembled slightly. "I lost complete control of my own mind."

Jin took a deep breath and recounted his experience. He told his father about the day Li Yu walked into his premium pavilion. He explained how he had willingly unlocked a display case and given away Whispering Frost. He detailed how he practically forced crates of expensive cultivation pills and a mysterious lotus seed into the boy's hands.

"I even gave him the Sky Talon flying ship for free." Jin confessed miserably. "I threatened to ruin a wealthy clan heir just because he complained about my favoritism. Every time that human youth spoke, my body moved on its own. I was driven by a compulsion I could not fight. If I go to this banquet, he might charm me into handing over our entire regional treasury."

Jin Bao did not yell and he did not scold his son for the lost profits. The older turtle beast cultivator slowly set his teacup down. An ancient intelligence gleamed in his eyes as he stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"A compulsion that overrides your merchant instincts." Jin Bao murmured to himself. "A resonance deep within your bloodline."

This gave Jin Bao some serious thoughts. He knew more of the secret history of their long lived turtle lineage than his son. He knew more about the ancient oaths and the supreme entity that had birthed their kind eras ago. He wondered if this Li Yu could actually be the person that the ancient oaths and prophecies spoke of.

Jin Bao did not explain any of this to Jin as he wasn’t a high enough rank to know yet. Jin Bao kept his face perfectly neutral and was just thinking but then he finally spoke.

"You will still attend the banquet." Jin Bao instructed firmly.

"But what if it happens again?" Jin asked in a panic. "What if I give away everything we have?"

"Then you follow your gut." Jin Bao told him simply.

Jin blinked and stared at his father in complete disbelief. "What?" Jin gasped.

"If your gut tells you to lay all our wealth at Li Yu's feet, then go with it." Jin Bao said with absolute seriousness. "A merchant, especially one of the direct descendents in the Golden Horizon, should always trust his gut. Do not fight it Jin. Embrace it. Embrace it with welcoming and open arms."

Jin stood there completely stunned. His father was the most ruthless negotiator that he knew and he had just given him permission to give away a fortune. Jin swallowed hard and nodded slowly but was completely confused.

Back in the Li Clan banquet hall, the resonant chime of a massive bell silenced the room. The jade doors swung open and the heralds announced the arrival of the empires first.

The Aurelian Spear Kingdom entered the hall. Emperor Jinhai did not attend personally but he sent a grand envoy of his most elite generals. They wore immaculate golden armor and carried themselves with strict martial discipline.

However, they were incredibly polite as they offered deep bows to the head table. They had clearly been briefed by Crown Prince Shen and Ancestor Longwei to show nothing but respect to the Zhan Clan and their descendants.

The Blazing Sun Empire followed them. They were a highly militarized empire that utilized extreme fire laws. Their delegation wore robes the color of burning embers and their presence carried the faint scent of ash. Their leader was a fierce warlord who fought atop specialized demonic horse beasts that the empire exclusively bred.

"Young Master, Li Yu." The Blazing Sun warlord greeted with a fiery smile. "If you ever wish to feel true speed, come visit our empire. We will let you ride a stallion across the sky."

"I would enjoy that." Li Yu replied politely and he was being honest.

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The Stellar Crown Empire arrived next. They were a secretive empire ruled by astrologers and diviners who manipulated astral Qi. Their delegation wore deep purple robes adorned with silver stars.

The lead diviner stopped in front of Li Yu and tried to casually peer into his fate using a subtle Qi technique. The moment the diviner's senses touched Li Yu, terrifying images of his worst nightmare appeared in his mind.

The diviner turned pale and quickly severed the connection. He bowed deeply and stepped away without saying a word. He realized this boy was shielded by forces far beyond his comprehension or this boy was too unique.

The heralds then announced the arrival of the clans.

The Thunderborn Clan entered like a sudden storm. Sparks of lightning danced across their skin and crackled in their hair. They specialized in heavenly lightning laws and absolute speed. They were arrogant and highly competitive by nature.

"We respect strength." The Thunderborn heir said while looking at Li Yu. "Perhaps one day we can test your strength against our lightning speed in a series of competitions."

"I look forward to the challenge." Li Yu answered with a calm nod.

The Profound Tide Clan flowed into the hall next. They specialized in water and gravity laws. Their steps felt incredibly heavy, as if they were walking across the bottom of the ocean. They fought alongside massive oceanic demonic beasts and carried an aura of crushing depths. They presented a beautiful pearl harvested from a deep sea trench as a gift of goodwill.

Li Yu was instantly interested in this clan because he collected aquatic beasts for his Koi Sanctuary. He instantly asked them if it would be okay if he visited their clan in the future. The representative of course accepted with a smile. It was the first time Li Yu showed such enthusiasm in visiting a clan.

Then the herald announced the Eversong Clan.

They were not a peer clan in terms of destructive power. However, they were treated as highly respected allied guests due to their new relationship with the Zhan Clan even though no one really knew the extent of that relationship. Hua Eversong and Gongsun Ming walked into the hall. They looked regal and composed and walking right beside them was Lian.

She wore a beautiful dress of dark blue silk that complemented her fierce eyes. Li Yu smiled when he saw her and Lian caught his gaze. A faint blush touched her cheeks before she offered a polite bow to the head table. Tielan and Canghai welcomed Ming and Hua with warm smiles. It was a clear political statement to the rest of the room that the Eversong Clan was valued.

The sects were the next to be announced.

The Heavenly Sword Sect marched in with perfect and rigid synchronization. They were the traditional orthodox rivals of the Li Clan. They viewed the sword path as a strict religion rather than a flowing art though. Their elders wore plain white robes and carried unadorned straight swords.

They exchanged polite but incredibly tense greetings with the Li Clan elders. The lead elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect looked at Li Yu and evaluated his Qi. He noted the incredible Qi but said nothing. They were too proud to offer excessive praise to a son of the Li Clan.

The Myriad Beast Sect entered right after them. They brought a wild and untamed energy into the elegant hall. They were renowned for their beast taming arts. Some of their elders even possessed physical features that resembled the powerful demonic beasts they partnered with. They smelled of the wild forests and fresh earth.

The beast taming elders sensed the wild energy lingering inside Li Yu. They offered him respectful nods and they viewed him as though he was a beast that was hiding under human skin. The elders couldn’t put their finger on it but they felt a sense of respect when looking at the boy.

Finally the organizations were announced.

The Silent Ledger arrived without a single sound. They were a completely neutral and highly feared organization of mercenaries and assassins. They held no loyalties and cared only for being paid in high tier spirit stones. Their representatives wore plain grey robes that seemed to absorb the light and they blended perfectly into the shadows of the room.

They did not offer any grand speeches or say much of anything at all actually. The lead assassin simply walked up to the table and placed a small wooden box down.

"A gift to mark the occasion." The assassin said in a flat voice. He turned and melted back into the crowd before anyone could reply. Then the Golden Horizon delegation arrived.

Jin walked at the front of the group. He looked incredibly nervous which was completely out of character for him. He was sweating heavily and wiping his forehead with a silk cloth. He approached the head table and forced a wide smile onto his face.

"Young Master, Li Yu. We meet again so soon." Jin greeted with a deep bow. "The Golden Horizon extends its warmest congratulations to you and your families."

"Guild Master Jin." Li Yu replied warmly as he stood up. "It is very good to see you again. I am still incredibly grateful for your generosity at the camp."

The moment Li Yu spoke, Jin felt it happen again. The heavy and warm fog clouded his mind. The compulsion roared to life in his chest and his merchant instincts screamed at him to run away but he remembered his father's words.

‘Trust your gut.’

Jin reached into his opulent robes with shaking hands. He pulled out a massive spatial box made of pure gold. It could hold a much bigger space than any storage ring but it was large and not as convenient.

"Your gratitude is the only payment we require." Jin said as his voice grew suddenly firm and eager. "However, a young master of your standing requires proper funding for his daily expenses. Please accept this.”

Jin went on to list out everything that was in the storage box. He went on and on about all the different items and then finally ended with how many top grade spirit stones was in there. He had practically given away nearly a year's worth of profits from all of the business he had done without even Li Yu asking or saying much.

“Just some minor pocket change to help you settle into your new home." Jin concluded.

The entire banquet hall went dead silent.

Even Patriarch Muchen and Patriarch Zhan Yue raised their eyebrows in complete shock. The items and then finally the spirit stones were a staggering amount. To hand it over as a casual greeting gift was sheer lunacy.

Everyone had one thought. ‘Was this the Golden Horizon they knew? Why is Guilder Master Jin so generous? Wasn’t he the devil?’

Li Yu stared at the golden box in Jin's outstretched hand. He was completely bewildered by the merchant's behavior once again. He looked at Jin and saw the desperate eagerness in his eyes.

"Jin." Li Yu said softly. "This is far too much."

"No, no, it is exactly enough!" Jin insisted loudly. He thrust the box directly into Li Yu's hand and refused to take it back. "Golden Horizon always supports true prodigies and greatness. Enjoy the banquet Young Master!"

Jin quickly turned around and hurried away from the table before Li Yu could force the box back upon him. Jin was sweating even more now but a strange sense of relief washed over his soul. He had trusted his gut and he had survived the encounter. However, moments later he was crying because that box was not only his own personal stash from the last year, it was also that of the regions he managed.

Li Yu looked at the golden box in his palm and then looked over the vast assembly of powers filling the hall. The empires, the clans, the sects and the organizations were all watching him closely. The introductions were finally over.

He put the box away in his Koi Sanctuary and sat back down. He took a sip of his glowing wine and prepared himself for whatever challenges that might be thrown at him next.