Visit ended
The next morning Nie Li, Nie En, and Nie Hai convened for a discussion at Nie Li's study again. Elder Nie Wei left the house with his grandson immediately after breakfast to deal with some of his matters. Nie Wen returned to the school. Unlike Nie Li, he wasn't accustomed to skipping classes.
Nie Li showed them the artifact.
"This is 'Kong Ming's throne '. An artifact that belonged to an expert from the Sacred Empire Era."
"What does it do? Except for being a big old throne of course," Nie En asked curiously.
"It accelerates the owner's cultivation. Useful even for Black gold rank demon spiritualists." Nie Li responded.
"What? How much?" Nie Hai asked. At the higher levels, the cultivation became harder. Pills also became useless. There were more powerful elixirs before the Age of Darkness, but they weren't available anymore. So any artifact that could accelerate the cultivation speed was priceless.
"Are you asking its price or how much it can accelerate the cultivation?" Nie asked.
"Acceleration speed. How much faster is it?" Nie Hai asked.
"Somewhere around 20 percent. It also trains the soul force even without meditation."
"Are you sure you want to sell it?" asked Nie Hai looking at the throne with longing.
"Yes, I want to sell it to the Sacred Family."
"The Sacred Family?" asked Nie En perplexed.
"Does it have some harmful side effects?" asked the patriarch now looking at the artifact warily.
"No, it has some additional features but nothing directly harmful"
"Then why do you want to sell it? Especially to the Sacred Family!" asked Nie En completely confused. "Didn't you tell us that they are colluding with the Dark Guild?"
"Yes, exactly for that reason I want it in the hands of the Sacred Family. I told you that there were some additional features. I can't tell you what are they now, but they would be very useful in our fight against them." Nie Li didn't want to tell them about the surveillance system.
"But the main function is completely harmless. You can use it yourself until we sell it. Maybe you will be able to reach the 2-star Gold rank by then" Nie Li said to the patriarch. "Oh, that reminds me. I got access to some powerful cultivation techniques." He took out his grimoire of techniques. This immediately distracted the patriarch and the elder. They had already heard that Nie Li gave their younger clansmen new, better cultivation techniques. They were also very interested in those but didn't want to act too shameless by asking one for themselves.
He passed two high-grade soul crystals to the patriarch and the elder. He always carried some because they were essential for his sensor artifacts. He could test them with the help of a special technique but it would have raised some unnecessary questions.
The patriarch poured his soul force into the crystal. Seeing the results Nie Li wasn't surprised. His soul attribute and soul form matched those of Nie Wen. These kinds of things were usually hereditary.
"Hmm, wind attribute, jade snake form. It's exactly like Nie Wen's." Nie Li murmured. He wanted to give them some second-class techniques and be done with it. Because they were too old to achieve the full potential of their techniques. But if it was the technique that he had already released he could use it. "I think I can give you the same technique then. But under one condition, you can't pass it to anyone else."
The patriarch nodded. Nie Li wrote down the Floating Jade technique because it wasn't included in the grimoire and passed it to him. Nie Hai gratefully took the parchment.
Now it was the turn of the elder Nie En. He was embarrassingly looking at the crystal. "I think it's a bit too much for me. A primary soul crystal would be enough." He was not a demon spiritualist, but a fighter. Even though his fighter rank was quite high (3-star Gold rank), his soul force was still at the bronze rank.
"I don't have any primary soul crystals, but here is an intermediary one." Nie Li passed it to Nie En.
Seeing his results Nie Li sighed relievedly. He was worried it would be something like Heavenly Marks Physique like his cousin Nie Yu or an attributeless and formless soul like his. But it was quite an ordinary soul. Nie Li passed him a second-class technique. Even if it was a lower class than the patriarch's he was younger so he would get more out of the technique.
"If it won't be a problem I wanted to ask the elder Nie En to stay here. I think I can help him to get his demon spiritualist rank closer to his fighter rank. He had already trained his body. It won't take long for him to reach at least the peak of the Silver rank, maybe even step onto the Gold rank." Nie Li said.
"Oh, How long will it take?" asked the patriarch curiously.
"A week at most." Nie Li replied making Nie En excited.
"Can you do that with other Fighters in the clan?" the patriarch was pragmatic.
"It's going to be an expensive procedure consisting of rare resources and very pricey and exclusive elixirs. I don't think it would be worth using it on someone with low cultivation. It would be better for them to cultivate naturally." Nie Li replied. "I am offering it to the elder Nie En because of his high cultivation and I want him to stay here and protect these properties until I reach the gold rank myself."
"I think it's okay for the elder Nie En to take care of the family business here for some time. And another gold rank demon spiritualist in the clan would be very useful as well" Nie Hai said. He was sure of Nie En's loyalty. So it won't bring any infighting in the clan. And it won't matter in the long run. Youngsters like Nie Li and Nie Wen will surpass them in the near future.
It would also allow them to keep an eye on Nie Li and keep him out of trouble. Losing such a genius in some accident or malicious attack would be a great tragedy for the clan. His plans to appoint Nie En as grand elder could wait for some time. And with his cultivation rising there would be less opposition to the appointment.
"So how we will sell it to the Sacred family?" asked the patriarch returning to the first matter. "If we put it in the auction we can't be sure it would be them who will buy the throne. And if we offer it directly to them it may look suspicious."
"They will approach you again after you return to the clan. I am sure they already know that you are visiting me. They will want to know about the marriage offer." Nie Li continued.
"There you can showcase the new artifact that was brought from the Ancient Orchid City Ruins. As I said it's harmless, so you can use it yourself without worrying. Of course, they will want to test it themselves. And you will allow them to do so out of goodness of your heart. When they will hear that you are planning to put it in the auction they will offer to buy it from you."
"They may not believe that we are selling such a useful artifact." Nie hai refuted.
"Well, you can blame one good-for-nothing youngster that's refusing to marry and listen to his elders. That the money went to his head. And offer them to buy it at a price of 50 million. Not a yaolinbi less. They will buy it because it's the only way for Shen Hong to reach the Legend Rank in a reasonable timeframe."
If they won't buy, then they will sell it in the auction. It will go even higher there. It may be even bought by that person from the Dark Guild.
"Then maybe we shouldn't sell it to him." Asked elder Nie En.
"It won't matter. It should take him at least a couple of years until he reaches the legend rank. It will be pointless by then." Nie Li replied unconcernedly.
And Nie Li would be watching the state of his cultivation in real time. If necessary he will cut the tree by the roots.
"That's all you wanted to show us, or is there another artifact to show us?" the patriarch asked. If Nie Li wasn't worried, he would believe him. The kid had shown that he knew what he was doing so far.
"Yes, that's all." Nie Li sighed. "But I wanted to talk about the elder Nie Wei."
The patriarch frowned. He knew that this matter may come up, but didn't want to deal with it so soon. He knew he couldn't easily refuse Nie Li considering he was practically bankrolling the clan.
Nie En's face was neutral. Even though he was loyal to the patriarch he knew that Nie Li was in his right to demand some kind of punishment. The elder Nie Wei acted completely out of line.
"What do you want to ask?" Nie Hai asked.
"I will not ask something outrageous. I just think that the grand elder shouldn't think in the categories of my branch, his branch, your branch. We cannot afford to be divided in these difficult times. I ask the elder Nie Wei to be removed from his position of the grand elder." Nie Li said.
"I think it can be arranged. When elder Nie En finishes his mission here, he would return to the clan and replace the Elder Nie Wei in his position as the grand elder." He wanted to remove Nie Wei from his position when they returned to the clan using Nie Li's matter anyway. But after Nie Li asked about it he can't agree to it immediately. Or he would look weak.
So by asking about it, Nie Li allowed the elder Nie Wei to keep his position for some time.
Now it was the turn of Nie Li to frown. He wanted to say something but stopped himself. It won't be long anyway. With his parents here with him, it won't matter. And he doubted that elder Nie Wei would act too outrageously after his fiasco here.
They finished their talks and the patriarch and Nie En left, taking the throne artifact with them. And Nie Li returned to the task of inscribing the last of the protection barriers. He hadn't forgotten about it even with the guests at home.
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The next day the patriarch and two elders prepared to leave. The elder Nie Wei decided to leave his grandson here. With Nie Li's permission, he joined the property guards with the other silver rank fighters. Nie Li would judge him by his own behavior, not his grandfather's. So everything would be up to him.
Nie Li had another private meeting with the patriarch and the elder Nie En and asked to send some disabled members of the clan that got hurt in the defense of the clan, and were struggling to meet their ends now.
Nie Li had one old neighbor that lost the use of his legs in some fight years ago. Now he lived with his widowed daughter and a small granddaughter. The clan helped them but it was not an easy life for them. There must be some other people like them. And Nie Li had a perfect sedentary job for them and he can find some kind of occupation for their immediate families as well. Maybe he will be able to heal some of them.
Nie Li also gave the patriarch and elder cell phones for communication. He made them in the form of a crystal orb. Nie Li removed most of the smartphone functions leaving only the main functions like voice and holo call. That would be enough for the old men like them.
Elder Nie En would return with Nie Li's family and other people he asked. So the first high-ranked visit to Nie Li's house ended.