Chapter 6: The Weeding Spell

Under the watchful eyes of all, Gao Mingtang’s face turned from white to red, and then from red to purple. He took several deep breaths, barely managing to suppress his anger. In a low voice, he said, “Lord Qian Ye, do you also intend to discuss matters while standing?”

The heads of the various families in the hall turned their gazes elsewhere, not daring to look at Gao Mingtang. Their families were far less significant compared to the Gao family. If Gao Mingtang had to stand by the door, how could they sit there in peace? The pressure from above was like a heavy wave, even those who had always leaned on the Gao family did not dare to rise.

Qian Ye remained calm. “Since I’m late, I’ll just stand.”

Gao Mingtang, in a fit of rage, laughed instead. “Good! Then may I ask, what about those who have yet to arrive, how should they be treated?”

“Before nightfall, if they haven’t come, there’s no need for them to come at all.”

Gao Mingtang sneered, about to retort, but suddenly, a shiver ran down his spine, and his sneer turned into cold sweat.

Gao Mingtang carefully chose his words. “In other words, there won’t be a place for them here…”

“There won’t be a place for them in the city either.” Qian Ye’s eyes remained cold, his tone indifferent.

Gao Mingtang’s heart sank, and he couldn’t help but ask, “My lord, without the support of the various families, how will this vast Tidal City be governed?”

Tidal City, a massive entity, might seem to have suffered heavy losses, but the resources, geographical advantages, and other conditions that originally made it a stronghold had not disappeared. Recovery was only a matter of time. Such a large city had complex interests and interwoven powers. If Qian Ye intended to bring people from Nanqing and other places to control the city, it would not be so easy.

However, Qian Ye, now in a position of power, smiled slightly. “Who says it must be well-governed?”

This time, not only Gao Mingtang, but all the family heads in the hall were taken aback, their faces changing. They were all smart people and immediately understood the implication of Qian Ye’s words. Since the effect didn’t matter, he naturally wouldn’t worry about damaging Tidal City. Whichever family displeased Qian Ye would suffer. As for whether Tidal City would fall into decline and stagnation, what did it matter to him?

Thus, the most important value that the major families felt they held became meaningless. There was nothing left to hold over Qian Ye. Oh, you mean reputation? Everyone in the room was the head of their family, and such empty words were better left unsaid. With Qian Ye’s clear attitude, bringing up this subject would only invite humiliation.

Considering the situation in the East Sea, Qian Ye, now the Lord of Tidal City, naturally had a reputation. If he couldn’t hold the position, would it be more honorable to hand over the foundation or to dismantle the great city? The former was a sign of weakness, the latter of ferocity. Which one sounded better? The family heads knew very well.

Understanding this, the expressions and moods of the family heads varied. Most were lost in thought, while a few showed faint signs of joy. Although Tidal City was large, it could not accommodate too many families. Only with the fall of the powerful families could the smaller ones find their place.

Gao Mingtang’s face changed several times, struggling internally. Looking at the sky outside, he finally bowed deeply to Qian Ye. “I missed the time you set, which is indeed my fault. I now feel a bit urgent, may I leave for a moment?”

“Go ahead.” Qian Ye waved his hand.

Gao Mingtang hurriedly left the city lord’s mansion. A short while later, he returned, and indeed, it took the time to relieve himself. However, everyone knew what he had actually gone to do. Otherwise, there were plenty of restrooms in the mansion; why go outside?

Outside, the sky was gradually darkening, and it seemed that in less than a quarter of an hour, it would be completely dark. Qian Ye sat on the high seat, his eyes half-closed, appearing to be dozing, quietly waiting for the time to pass. The family heads did not speak, each as silent as a meditating monk.

Just as the last rays of sunlight disappeared over the horizon, a screeching brake sound came from outside. Before the sound had stopped, two figures leaped over the wall and appeared at the entrance of the hall. They walked into the hall with steady steps, but the fact that they couldn’t wait to enter through the gate, jumping over the wall instead, revealed their anxiety.

“Lu Dinghan of the Lu family, paying respects to Lord Qian Ye.”

“Sun Chuansheng of the Sun family, paying respects to Lord Qian Ye.”

The family heads once again stirred. The Lu and Sun families ranked above the Gao family in Tidal City, firmly among the top five. They had rushed here, no doubt informed by Gao Mingtang. However, the heads of the largest Wu and Du families had yet to arrive, which was intriguing. It was unclear whether they hadn’t received the message or simply chose not to appear.

The Du family was actually related to Du Yuan, though their main residence and leadership office were not in the same place, so their absence was understandable. The Wu family, on the other hand, held many key positions and had a strong presence throughout half of Tidal City. The family was filled with powerful individuals, and their two daughters were married to Zhang Buzhou’s nephews, making them somewhat related.

With the arrival of the Lu and Sun families, the sky darkened, and the elemental lights in the hall and the mansion began to light up one by one.

Qian Ye finally opened his eyes, straightened up, and said, “Since you’re here, you can stand there.”

These two family heads seemed to have prepared themselves mentally, showing much better composure than Gao Mingtang. Their faces showed no sign of annoyance, and after greeting Gao Mingtang, they stood by his side.

Qian Ye instructed, “It’s about time. Close the gates. No one else will be seen.”

The guards immediately relayed the order.

The main gate and the gatehouse had been smashed by Qian Ye, but the city lord’s mansion was designed like a fortress, with two layers of doors, similar to Tidal City’s gates. The combat-ready layer was made of a one-meter-wide alloy, usually hidden within the walls. After removing a few bricks, the metal door was exposed, looking rather desolate, but the tracks and mechanical conveyors were still intact. Qian Ye had reflected briefly when passing through, deciding not to destroy any future temporary residences.

Now, the two small steam towers whistled, driving the machinery, and the gates slowly closed.

Qian Ye beckoned, and a city guard officer approached, presenting a map. The nearby family heads, with sharp eyes, recognized it as a map of Tidal City.

Qian Ye glanced at the map and said, “Everyone, please wait here for a moment. I have a small matter to attend to and will return shortly.”

Without waiting for the family heads’ reactions, he left.

Silence fell over the hall. The family heads looked at each other, unsure of Qian Ye’s intentions. Even if they had some guesses, they seemed absurd.

In this awkward silence, Qian Ye’s figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of the hall, and in a flash, he was seated on the throne. He casually tossed two heads in front of the family heads, saying, “Are these the two men?”

Upon recognizing the faces, the family heads were instantly shocked, and some even cried out in surprise. Amidst the chaos, some faces showed peculiar expressions. Observing from above, Qian Ye pointed at Liu Minlun and asked, “What is this about?”

Liu Minlun’s face twisted, knowing this was an unpleasant task, but his position left him no choice. Seeing the two heads, he gritted his teeth, rose, and said, “My lord, this man is Wu Chunlei, the head of the Wu family. However, the other one, named Du Xifei, is the younger brother of the Du family head, not the head himself. Du Xiyuan, the Du family head, is not in the city at present.”

Qian Ye’s eyebrows raised slightly. “I see. This Du something-or-other was taken from the Du family head’s wife’s room. I assumed the person in the wife’s room would be the head. It seems I jumped to conclusions.”

The family heads’ expressions were strange, not expecting such a shocking piece of news.

Qian Ye ordered the heads to be removed, saying, “Regardless, it’s still a gain. At least I got the head of the right person. As for Du Xiyuan, if he dares to return to Tidal City, dealing with him is just a matter of time. Alright, let’s not worry about him. It’s getting late, and we should discuss the main matter.”

The family heads straightened up, listening intently. Even the three standing family heads, including Gao Mingtang, leaned forward, afraid to miss a word.

Qian Ye spoke slowly, “I’ve heard that the Great Qin Empire’s military has made many moves in the neutral zone, including in the East Sea. Tidal City, being the largest city in the East Sea, has its own spies from the military, and I know many families are connected to them. What I want now are the heads of all these spies!”

The family heads’ faces changed for the umpteenth time today. Qian Ye’s every word and action was unexpected. Who would have thought that, upon coming to Tidal City, he would not mention resources or profits, but instead, put such a demand first?

This request was neither easy nor difficult. The key was that Qian Ye had recently fought alongside the Empire. Why would he make such a demand? Was he testing their loyalty?

Qian Ye saw through their thoughts. “The Empire is vast, with many factions and powers. The faction that has made moves in the neutral zone happens to be my mortal enemy. I think it’s time to clean up these nuisances. Let’s start with Tidal City.”

Pausing, he looked around at the family heads, saying meaningfully, “I might cooperate with the Great Qin Empire, but never expect me to reconcile with this faction. Understood?”

The family heads were stern, realizing Qian Ye’s determination, but also breathed a small sigh of relief. If Qian Ye were to face the Great Qin Empire, countless people would become cannon fodder, but a personal grudge was different.

Sun Chuansheng, standing by the door, bowed. “Lord Qian Ye, there are some difficulties in this matter. I wonder if I should speak of them?”

Qian Ye replied, “In this hall, none are outsiders. Speak freely.”

Sun Chuansheng said, “The Empire’s military does indeed have a few bases in the city, and we know a few people. But these bases were established with the tacit approval of King Zhang, and one is even a house directly acquired by the royal mansion. If you want to clean them out, does King Zhang know?”

Qian Ye responded calmly, “I am the Lord of Tidal City, and I only need to do what pleases me. What Zhang Buzhou thinks is not important.”

Sun Chuansheng’s face slightly changed. “If that is the case, then I understand.”

Understanding was one thing, but what to do was another. The other family heads were also silent, their intentions—whether to align against the others or wait for changes—uncertain.

Qian Ye nonchalantly said, “I know what you are all thinking. Those two heads should have made it clear that it’s not about getting past Zhang Buzhou. You need to think about how to get past me. If you can’t pass this test, there’s no need to consider Zhang Buzhou.”

This was a naked threat.

Lu Dinghan, the head of the Lu family, stepped forward and said, “Lord Qian Ye, this makes things extremely difficult for us. According to reason, your position as city lord also comes from King Zhang…”

Qian Ye raised his hand to stop him. “This position as city lord is mine, and it’s true that Zhang Buzhou announced it, but it doesn’t come from him. You don’t need to emphasize this now. Or, in other words, are many people pretending not to hear, in defiance of Zhang Buzhou?”

Gao Mingtang, seeing the conversation turning stiff, quickly pulled Lu Dinghan and said to Qian Ye, “My lord, King Zhang is a respected and venerable figure. Doing this seems… not quite appropriate.”

“Whether it is appropriate or not is not important. I only want to see these military personnel disappear from the neutral zone. Everything else is not my concern.”

“Then, drive them out?” Gao Mingtang cautiously asked.

“No, they must be uprooted. Understand?”

The family heads saw the killing intent in Qian Ye’s eyes. Even the Gao, Sun, and Lu families dared not say more, exchanging glances and remaining silent.

Qian Ye scanned the room, saying coolly, “I don’t want any trouble with this matter. Whatever relationships the families of Tidal City had before are meaningless to me. If you cannot accomplish this, I will send troops from Nanqing City.”

Sending troops from Nanqing was a gesture, not related to the military strength of Tidal City or Nanqing, but meant to show Qian Ye’s stance on Tidal City. This was a disaster for the families. The family heads no longer dared to argue, dispersing to make arrangements.

Under the cover of night, several fires broke out in Tidal City, flames soaring to the sky. Several houses were reduced to ashes, with no one escaping.