Qiong Feng Pavilion.

This was the name Gu Feng gave to his luxurious residence.

In reality, this mansion was built directly atop an excellent Cave Heaven Blessed Land.

Within the three-thousand-mile Imperial City of Heroic Spirit City, only his Cave Heaven Blessed Land was constructed with such opulence. The Cave Heaven Blessed Lands of other families' cultivators were merely cave dwellings, at most with a pavilion, all exuding an immortal aura.

Only Gu Feng's was resplendent and full of the stench of money.

***

Gu Feng was lying in his study, flipping through the jade slips of family records.

It wasn't that he had changed his ways and become diligent in study and cultivation; he was searching for a special method to solve his own problems.

"Boom~~! Boom~~"

Suddenly, a series of urgent bell tolls rang out!

"Ouch! Be gentle!" Gu Feng exclaimed, tossing aside the jade slip.

The maid who was massaging Gu Feng was startled and applied a bit too much force. She quickly bowed and apologized, "So sorry, young master, I beg the young master for punishment."

These maids were ordinary people from mortal families, fortunate enough to be noticed by the Gu Family of Heroic Spirit City, brought into the Imperial City, and taught some basic cultivation methods, thus stepping onto the path of immortality.

But they knew their place. For someone like Gu Feng, even if he killed them out of boredom, no one would say he was wrong!

Such were the rules of the cultivation world!

People are like fish on the chopping block!

"Forget it, get up." Gu Feng waved his hand, annoyed by the sudden bell tolls outside.

Gu Feng was very familiar with this bell sound. Whenever there was a major event in Heroic Spirit City, the meeting bell in the city center would ring! Perhaps a family member had caused trouble, or perhaps a powerful cultivator from another part of the Eastern Region Divine Continent had arrived at the Imperial City!

In any case, it was definitely something big!

Leaving the study, Gu Feng walked into the courtyard and looked up at the sky, seeing countless sword lights flying in one direction.

Jiu Long suddenly appeared beside him like a ghost and said coldly, "The City Lord has emerged from seclusion."

A cultivator stumbled into the courtyard, saluted Gu Feng, and hurriedly said, "Young master! The City Lord has ordered all young cultivators in Heroic Spirit City above the eighth stage of Qi Refining to immediately proceed to the meeting hall for a discussion!"

"Oh, that has nothing to do with me!" Gu Feng nodded, preparing to return to the study to continue searching the records, looking indifferent.

He had started cultivating at the age of three, and after sixteen years, he was only at the third stage of Qi Refining! Above the eighth stage? That was a long way off!

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Young master..." The messenger cultivator looked embarrassed and mumbled, "The City Lord also instructed that all members of the Sequence of Ten Sons in the family must be present..."

Gu Feng paused, then sighed deeply.

The elders and members of the Sequence in the Gu Family, especially those of his uncle's generation, always looked down on him, constantly mocking and ridiculing him. He really didn't want to attend such gatherings!

No one knew their child better than a father, and Gu Liantian was well aware of his lazy nature.

The City Lord, his father, specifically mentioned that all members of the Sequence of Ten Sons must be present, fearing that Gu Feng would find it too troublesome to come!

Gu Feng had a vague feeling that this family meeting was likely aimed at him!

"If it's meant to be, it can't be avoided." Stretching lazily, Gu Feng took out a large crystal from his ring storage and tossed it to the messenger cultivator.

The messenger cultivator caught the crystal, which turned out to be a medium-grade spirit stone! He was overjoyed and quickly bowed in gratitude.

Such a spirit stone was enough for a mortal family in the outer city to live comfortably in Heroic Spirit City for ten years.

"Manager Wu!"

"I'm here." Hearing the bell, Manager Wu was already on standby.

Adjusting his sleeves, Gu Feng waved his hand and said, "Let's go! Accompany this young master to the City Lord's mansion in the Imperial City!"

Jiu Long looked at Gu Feng and suggested, "Do you need me to take you there by sword?"

Manager Wu, with his Golden Elixir cultivation, naturally had no problem flying by sword, and there was no need to mention Jiu Long. Only Gu Feng found it truly awkward.

"No need!" With a flick of his folding fan, Gu Feng raised an eyebrow and said, "Let those guys wait!"

***

Heroic Spirit City Imperial City.

City Lord's mansion.

It was also where the Gu Family's Ancestral Hall was located.

In the meeting hall.

Gu Liantian sat in the City Lord's seat, with the elders and cultivators of the uncle generation of the Gu Family seated on either side of the hall.

Nine young men and women stood respectfully to the side, the Sequence of Chosen from the Gu Family.

Each had a look of displeasure on their face.

Without exception, they were all waiting for Gu Feng to arrive.

Gu Feng's residence was a full three miles from the City Lord's mansion. Traveling by sword would only take a few breaths, but he deliberately dawdled. He could have let Jiu Long take him, but he chose not to, taking nearly half an hour to arrive.

"Sorry, sorry." As soon as Gu Feng entered the City Lord's meeting hall, he immediately stood at the head of the Sequence group and quickly bowed, "The journey was long, and my legs were weak. I apologize for keeping you all waiting, uncles!"

Manager Wu obediently stood outside the meeting hall, while only Jiu Long followed him in. He cupped his hands to Gu Liantian on the high seat and then stood quietly beside Gu Feng, exuding an aura of authority.

"Hmph! Useless!" A young man behind him snorted coldly, his face full of disdain.

Gu Feng glanced at him. This guy was named Gu Kun, ranked second in the Sequence, the grandson of his third uncle. He had shown extraordinary talent since childhood, starting cultivation at three, breaking through to the sixth stage of Qi Refining at ten, and now, at eighteen, he had reached the fourth stage of the Golden Elixir.

Gu Feng held the first position in the Sequence, which Gu Kun resented. In his view, he was the future of the Gu Family. How could a good-for-nothing at the third stage of Qi Refining be above him?!

"Oh, isn't this little Kun?" Gu Feng laughed strangely, leaning in with concern, "Why are you groaning? Feeling unwell? Tell Uncle Feng about it?"

"You!" Gu Kun was momentarily speechless. In terms of generational rank, Gu Feng was indeed his uncle.

"Enough! Everyone is here, let's begin the meeting!" Gu Liantian said after a moment of contemplation, "I called you all here today to discuss two major matters.

After glancing at everyone below, Gu Liantian said solemnly, "Three days ago, the Divine King of the Eastern Region sent an Immortal Messenger to deliver the Divine King's decree. Our Eastern Region is on the brink of war with the Southern Plains. The Divine King orders that all cities under the Eastern Region's jurisdiction increase their monthly tribute by thirty percent starting next month."

The Divine King of the Eastern Region was the supreme existence in the entire Eastern Region, ruling over twelve imperial cities and a territory spanning 113,238 miles from west to south, with unfathomable cultivation!

The so-called monthly tribute was the spirit stones that the City Lords of each city had to pay to him monthly, essentially protection money! Gu Feng understood it as taxes.

To pay the monthly tribute, the City Lords would demand spirit stones from the major sects under their jurisdiction, and these sects would, in turn, collect money from ordinary cultivators or mortals affiliated with them. It was like big fish eating small fish, small fish eating shrimp, and shrimp eating mud.

After hearing Gu Liantian's words, the meeting hall erupted in an uproar!

An elder stood up and said, "City Lord, the 236 sects under Heroic Spirit City's jurisdiction are already struggling. The spirit stone mine near Mount Sunset began to decline in output months ago. Now, with the monthly tribute increasing by thirty percent, the cultivators of Heroic Spirit City will surely complain!"

Gu Liantian sighed and said slowly, "How could I not know? But the Divine King's decree is sacred, and as cultivators of the Eastern Region, we must be loyal to death. Does anyone have a good plan?"

Gu Feng raised an eyebrow, sensing that his father was asking the uncle generation for money!

Everyone in the hall was a dragon among men, many of them old monsters who had lived for hundreds of years. How could they not understand the implication? They all chose to remain silent, and a few old fellows even closed their eyes and quietly circulated their energy.

Seeing this, Gu Liantian was furious. These old foxes had hoarded countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for their cultivation, yet at this critical moment, they were all pretending to be poor.

After some thought, Gu Feng had a plan but remained silent for the time being.

Faced with these pillars of the Gu Family and Heroic Spirit City, Gu Liantian was helpless. Though he was the City Lord, he couldn't forcefully demand, as it would tarnish his reputation. He waved his hand and said, "Since there are no good plans, we will discuss this matter later.

The second matter!"

Changing the subject, Gu Liantian said in a muffled voice, "An elder has proposed removing Gu Feng from the Sequence to uphold the honor of our Gu Family's Sequence. What do you all think?"

With a cold laugh in his heart, Gu Feng rolled his eyes. What was meant to come would eventually come!