Immortality Starts With Face

The early afternoon sun beat down upon us with an insistent, oppressive warmth, a typical summer's day in the foothills surrounding Qingshan Town.

The air, well-saturated with the moisture and smells of the nearby wetlands, felt like a wet, slimy soup on our skin.

Beneath our feet, the muddy dirt road – if one could even dignify this rutted, stone-strewn track, more suited to goats than civilized travel, with such a term – was uneven, a treacherous tapestry of loose scree and moist clay.

The path caused City Lord Zhang Wei to occasionally stumble, his somewhat portly frame jiggling despite his not inconsiderable Foundation Establishment cultivation. Alas, my new friend was a man more accustomed to the cushioned seats of his yamen and outright flight than to "slumming it" on such rustic, ankle-twisting hikes. His brocaded robes, a rich sapphire blue embroidered with silver clouds that shimmered with every movement, were already showing faint, embarrassing dustings of ochre along the hem.

Lin Ruolan – my favorite loyal attendant – walked a respectful half-step behind me, her movements as economical and graceful as ever. She took her job very seriously too: her gaze, dark and observant, missed nothing, cataloging the terrain, the angle of the sun, the subtle shifts in the wind. Her simple, practical attire of a senior household servant, a muted grey that allowed her to blend into the background, was a stark contrast to the City Lord's finery, yet she moved with an innate dignity that far surpassed his somewhat flustered efforts.

Big Sis Yue, on my other side, seemed entirely in her element. She moved with the coiled, predatory readiness of a panther – her hand never far from the black spear strapped to her back, its palpable aura of a dangerous mid-grade artifact seeming to drain the very light out of its surroundings. Her eyes, sharp and assessing as a hawk's, scanned our surroundings for possible threats – taking in the shadowed gullies, the dense thickets where unseen things might lurk, the rocky outcrops that could conceal an ambush – a habit, no doubt, ingrained from her years spent navigating the perilous, beast-infested landscapes of the Frontier with only her Spear artifact for company.

...And she was grinning from ear to ear, apparently happy to embark upon a new adventure, however boring and underwhelming it may have seemed thus far

City Lord Zhang Wei puffed slightly as he navigated a particularly uneven patch of ground, his round face flushed a rather alarming shade of puce.

"...and so, Young Master Jiang," he continued his earlier speech, his voice a curious blend of genuine, almost paternal friendliness and a politician's ingrained, professional skepticism,

"...while I wholeheartedly applaud your ambition, your commendable desire to invest in the future prosperity of our humble Qingshan Town, I must confess, this particular venture… it perplexes me, truly it does. The fees you so readily paid for this tract of utterly barren land, a heavens-forsaken patch of rocks and weeds by any sensible measure, not to mention the additional, frankly exorbitant sum for the mining rights… well!"

He chuckled, a wheezing, slightly breathless sound that ended in a cough, and he paused to mop his brow with a fine silk handkerchief.

"My friend, don't take this the wrong way, but… there is a reason why Qingshan is a poor town. Many a mineral prospector worth their salt -- and a good many outright charlatans besides -- have scoured these very foothills for generations! They've dug. They've divined with their amusing little copper rods. They've even employed those peculiar, six-legged earth-dowsing insects from the Southern Wastes – the ones the savage tribes have trained, that supposedly sniff out hidden lodes deep in the earth!"

He paused for emphasis.

"And what did they find? The consensus, sadly, has always been the same: there's nothing here! Not even a decent lode of common bog iron, let alone anything of spiritual value that might enrich our coffers."

He paused again, taking a deeper breath, the scent of his expensive floral perfume momentarily overpowering the earthy aromas of the hillside.

"And you understand, my friend," he pressed on, his tone becoming a shade more formal, the politician reasserting himself, "as the humble City Lord of Qingshan, my authority, alas, only extends to granting development rights for mundane, non-spiritual ores and metals. Should any spirit ores, by some unforeseen miracle, be discovered in this desolate stretch – not that I would hold out any great hope for that, mind you – the matter of development would, by Imperial decree, have to go through the Regional Governor's office in Yuhang City for approval. Now,"

-- he waved a placating hand, --

"given your esteemed family's rising influence, I don't foresee any insurmountable trouble in securing a prospecting contract should the need arise. But frankly, I simply don't believe there's anything out here worth the parchment it would be written on, let alone the considerable effort and expense… of..."

His voice trailed off.

His eyes, which had been politely fixed on me, widened, his jaw slackening.

He had stopped mid-stride, his embroidered slipper teetering on the edge of a loose rock.

Even Big Sis Yue, usually so attuned to her surroundings, followed his gaze, a flicker of surprise in her normally impassive eyes.

Ruolan, too, paused, her head tilting slightly.

We had just rounded a dense thicket of thorny scrub and gnarled, wind-twisted Mistwillow trees. And there, nestled against the flank of an otherwise unremarkable hillside… was a building.

But "building" felt like an insultingly pedestrian term.

This was a structure of breathtaking, unexpected majesty.

Its facade was crafted from what appeared to be pristine white marble, so polished it seemed to glow with an inner luminescence, catching the harsh sunlight and scattering it in dazzling, almost blinding, refractions.

It wasn't ornate in the traditional sense – there were no gaudy carvings of dragons or phoenixes, no ostentatious flourishes.

Instead, its beauty lay in its clean, powerful Greco-Roman-inspired lines, in its perfect symmetry, and in the sheer, audacious scale of the construction. The massive structure rose several stories high, its thick marble columns standing tall and proud… and it seemed to merge seamlessly with the hillside, as if a giant had carved a palace directly into the living rock.

Though manifested by the System overnight, this was no hastily erected shack. This was architecture as a statement of power and artistry.

And why, I thought with an internal smirk, couldn't even industrial buildings look amazing?

City Lord Zhang's mouth opened and closed a few times, like a beached carp.

"By the… by the sacred ancestors!" he finally managed, his voice a hoarse whisper. "When… when did that get here? This land was barren dirt and scrub not a week past! To erect such a… and so quickly… the resources… the manpower…"

He looked from the gleaming white edifice to me, his face a comical mask of disbelief, awe, and dawning suspicion.

I allowed a small, enigmatic smile to play on my lips.

"My friend," I said, my voice calm and level, "you -- as they say -- ain't seen nothing yet!"

I gestured towards the massive, intricately carved doors of the marble structure.

"Shall we?"

...

We entered.

And saw that the interior was even more astonishing.

If the exterior hinted at palatial grandeur, the inside screamed of impossible, futuristic industry – yet all rendered with an artist's eye for aesthetics. We stepped into a vast, cavernous space, the air pleasantly cool, carrying the faint, clean scent of ozone and something else – something metallic and new.

The chamber was dug deep into the hillside, extending back far
further than the exterior suggested, the distant walls lost in carefully managed shadows. High above us, the ceiling arched, supported by massive pillars of the same white marble, each one subtly fluted to allow for cable or scaffolding connections.

Light, bright and clear as a summer noon, emanated from glowing spirit-stone-powered panels set into the ceiling, bathing the entire space in an even, pleasant illumination. What I manifested here was, in essence, an industrial warehouse – but one unlike anything this world had ever seen (or, likely, even conceived of).

The floor was a seamless expanse of polished grey stone, so clean one could have eaten from it.

And all around us, arranged with meticulous order, were all manner of machinery and devices that defied easy description in this world.

For instance, there were what looked like squat, powerful carts with articulated lifting arms (spirit stone-powered forklifts, of course!).

There were intricate pulley systems with massive cranes, their hooks gleaming, hung suspended from reinforced beams.

And long, segmented tracks – inactive conveyor belts – snaked across the floor, some disappearing into darkened tunnels leading to unknown adjacent rooms, or to mysterious destinations located deeper in the earth.

Dominating one wall were huge, circular openings – colossal ventilation shafts – from which a gentle, cool breeze emanated, driven by spirit stone-powered fans whose blades whirred with a barely audible hum, keeping the air fresh and constantly circulating.

It was a symphony of near-silent, waiting machinery, a testament to a level of engineering that was simply alien to this continent and era.

Perhaps, even to this world.

And, at the very center of this vast chamber, a focal point of undeniable power and presence… stood the elevator.

Of course, it wasn't an elevator in any sense my companions would have understood. Rather, it was a colossal platform of gleaming, reddish-hued metal, its surface smooth and seamless, reflecting the light panels above like a burnished copper mirror.

Most everything here would be made of Titanium, I'd decided. It was a "mundane" metal according to the System – and therefore, a substance easily manifested in vast quantities with negligible belief requirements – and yet, its unfamiliar color and flawless finish likely gave it the appearance of some incredibly rare and expensive spirit alloy.

I briefly wondered how its high melting point, corrosive resistance, and durability would stack up to some of the true "spiritual" materials in this world.

The elevator platform was a perfect square easily the size of two lianqiu chang – ancient fields used for military drills – laid side by side.

It was more than large enough to transport siege engines.

Or a small army.

A small army of siege engines, even!

City Lord Zhang simply stared, his earlier incredulity now dwarfed by a profound, fearful awe. His gaze darted from the silent forklifts
to the motionless cranes, to the colossal elevator platform, his mind clearly struggling -- and noticeably failing -- to categorize. To comprehend what he was looking at.

Yue's hand had tightened upon her spear, not in aggression, but in a kind of wary respect for her surroundings. Her eyes, narrowed and intense, were taking in every detail.

Analyzing.

Assessing.

Even Ruolan's composure had cracked: her lips were parted, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she tried to absorb the sheer impossibility of what she was seeing.

The quality of the craftsmanship, the precision of the construction, the sheer, audacious scale of everything – it was probably overwhelming to them.

Just as I'd hoped it would be.

"Remarkable," Zhang Wei breathed, his voice hushed. "the artisans who wrought all this… they must have been masters beyond imagining. Such designs! Such… ingenuity! What wonders are these machines capable of?"

I chuckled softly.

"No, no, my friend! All of this is merely the foyer, the… entrance hall, if you will. This isn't what I truly wanted to show you." I gestured towards the massive titanium platform.

"Come! The real marvels lie… below."

They reluctantly followed me onto the elevator, their footsteps echoing strangely on the metallic surface.

I walked to a discreet control panel set into a low, marble plinth near the edge of the platform. A complex array of symbols glowed faintly on its surface. I went through a short sequence of hand seals – to appropriately direct the security formations – and pressed my palm against a specific glyph.

The symbols on the panel flared with a bright, green light.

Then, I pressed a button with the prominently-displayed downward arrow.

With a barely perceptible hum – a deep, resonant thrum
that vibrated up through the soles of our feet – the massive platform began to descend.

And it wasn't a gentle descent!

It was rapid: a swift, stomach-lurching drop, not unlike something one might experience on a particularly daring roller coaster ride.

A loud, rather undignified yelp escaped Lin Ruolan's lips, and she instinctively grabbed onto my arm, her fingers feeling surprisingly strong, even against my Diamond Body.

City Lord Zhang, too, let out a strangled gasp, his face paling to a sickly green, his hands flailing for a moment before he steadied himself against one of the subtle safety railings that had shimmered into visibility around the platform's edge.

Even Yue looked uncomfortable. Her stance widened, her knees bent slightly as if bracing for impact, and her grip on her spear shaft tightened until her knuckles were white.

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Only I remained unperturbed, a faint, amused smile playing on my lips.

"It's a bit of a drop to get down to the good part, so let's relax and enjoy the ride!" I said, my voice calm and reassuring above the rising whoosh of displaced air. "All will be revealed soon!"

We continued to plunge downwards, faster and faster.

The light from the warehouse above dwindled rapidly, replaced by an inky darkness. The only illumination now came from the glowing control panel and the faint, ethereal light of the shimmering safety railings.

The air grew cooler, carrying the scent of damp earth and something else – something ancient and… mineral.

The silence, broken only by the rush of our descent and the occasional nervous gulp from the City Lord, was profound.

Down, down, and down we went.

In a blink of an eye, we'd traveled nearly nine li – about three miles – straight into the bowels of the earth. And, just as the darkness began to feel oppressive, a new light bloomed below us – faint at first, then rapidly intensifying.

With a final, almost gentle sigh, the elevator shaft opened up.

And, just like that, the darkness was banished – replaced by a spectacle of such breathtaking, otherworldly beauty that it stole the breath from my companions' lungs.

We had emerged… into a cavern.

But "cavern" was an insult to its sheer, mind-boggling immensity.

No, it was no mere cave, but an entire subterranean world, a vast Cathedral sculpted by… well, the System, with a bit of help from ol' Feng and my imagination.

The roof soared so high above us that it was soon lost in a shimmering, multi-hued mist.

Giant columns – the fusion of colossal stalactites and stalagmites that would have taken countless millennia to form naturally – rose like the pillars of some forgotten god-king's palace, each one pulsing with a soft, internal luminescence.

The cavern stretched away in all directions, its far reaches fading into a luminous haze. Even with our superhuman sight, we could not see its end. It was obvious that this subterranean wonderland extended beneath the entirety of Qingshan Town, and – very likely – a good deal beyond it as well, a secret world beneath the world, hidden just beneath the residents' unsuspecting feet. And, what a breathtaking world it was!

Everything glowed!

The very air seemed to thrum with a gentle, yet pervasive, spiritual power.

Clusters of what were clearly spirit stone deposits -- with visible surface-level specimens ranging in size from a child's fist to a grown man's torso -- studded the walls and ceiling like miniature stars, emitting soft, pulsating light in shades of ethereal blue, deep indigo, and regal purple.

Here and there, veins of emerald green, rose pink, and diamond white light also pulsed within the rock, hinting at even richer – or more interesting – deposits.

Veins of what looked like spirit jade, attuned to various elemental affinities, snaked through the cavern walls like frozen lightning – some were of a fiery crimson, others a deep oceanic blue, yet others the vibrant green of new spring leaves.

In places, pools of water, so clear they were almost invisible save for the light they captured and refracted, had carved out basins within the jade itself, each pool glowing with its own distinct, elemental hue. Azure. Vermilion. Gold.

And everywhere -- clinging to the walls, sprouting from ledges, and carpeting sections of the cavern floor -- were spirit fungi of every imaginable shape, color, and type, their caps and stems glowing with vibrant, psychedelic light – electric blues, fiery oranges, phosphorescent greens. Their unique fragrance, signifying an unknown -- but undeniable -- alchemical potential, was palpable in the air.

A collective, ragged gasp went around the platform.

Zhang Wei was clutching his chest, his eyes bulging, his mouth agape.

Ruolan's hand was still gripping my arm, but her earlier fear was forgotten, replaced by an expression of pure, unadulterated wonder.

Yue's spear was, for once, forgotten as well: she stood transfixed, her head tilted back, her explorer's eyes, wide with a child-like awe, taking in the sights. I could tell she lived for experiences like this one.

"By the… by the merciful heavens…" Zhang Wei finally choked out, his voice trembling. "How… is this possible? Such a place… beneath Qingshan? All this time…?"

"The spiritual Qi here," Yue murmured, her voice filled with a rare reverence, "it's… different. So much healthier, more… compatible than what I've experienced even in the richest spirit regions on the Frontier. It feels… good."

"The sheer wealth…" Zhang Wei whispered, his eyes darting from one glowing spirit stone cluster to another, his mind, no doubt, already performing frantic calculations. "Even if all of these spirit stones are only low-grade, and even after the Emperor's taxes and the Governor's… considerations… the prosperity this would bring to Qingshan… We would surely become a major cultivation hub – perhaps even bigger than Yuhang City itself -- inside a decade!"

I smiled serenely.

"Indeed, my friend. And I have seen what I am quite certain are at least mid-grade deposits deeper within this cavern system."

I smirked at the familiar chimes in my mind, signifying my companions' belief -- and corresponding manifestation -- of said mid-grade deposits as I spoke.

"But, my friends," I added, my voice resonating slightly in the vast space, "you still haven't seen anything yet!"

As the elevator finally glided to a silent halt on the cavern floor, I launched into the performance I had mentally rehearsed.

"This place," I announced, gesturing expansively, "is – as far as I have been able to determine – the long-lost abode of a powerful cultivator faction from the Ancient Era. It was sealed away by potent concealing formations, illusions woven with such mastery that they rendered this entire subterranean world invisible and undetectable to all conventional methods of prospecting. That is why it remained hidden for so long, despite Qingshan Town existing for over a thousand years above it."

"These formations," I continued, "could only be disengaged – or so the fragmented records I uncovered suggest – by someone possessing a rather… special spiritual constitution, a certain resonance with the ancient energies woven into the wards."

I paused for dramatic effect, letting their minds grapple with the implications.

"As fate would have it," I gave a modest, almost self-deprecating shrug, "I happen to possess just such a constitution. The primary concealing formations have been… persuaded to deactivate, and the lesser security wards are now under my sole and complete control," I finished, a subtle note of pride in my voice.

I led them off the platform, down a naturally formed pathway that seemed to have been intentionally widened and smoothed. They followed me, still marveling at the sights, their heads constantly turning, trying to take in the sheer, overwhelming scale and beauty of the place.

After a short walk, we reached what appeared to be a solid wall of rock, indistinguishable from the rest of the cavern.

"Now," I said, pulling out a small, jade pill bottle from my sleeve. Inside were pills the color of frosted moonlight.

"We are about to go into one of the likely many special, elementally-aligned areas. You must take care. The air beyond this point will be saturated with immensely concentrated Frost Qi."

I paused for dramatic emphasis.

"And when I say concentrated, I mean 'potent enough to flash-freeze even a Foundation Establishment cultivator in mere moments.' But, worry not! After all, what I now hold in my hands are the legendary 'Nine Yin Hoarfrost Resilience Pills'," I intoned with due gravitas.

"They are a little something I... whipped up... just for this occasion. A rare concoction that will temporarily grant you immunity to the ambient Frost. You will each need to take one. I, of course, have no need for such things, being quite protected already."

They exchanged nervous glances. After all, the idea of an environment that could overwhelm an average Foundation Establishment cultivator was no joke!

But, each of them trusted me implicitly by now.

One by one, my companions took a pill and swallowed it. Almost immediately, a faint, rather attractive frosty luminescence -- like moonlight on fresh snow -- appeared on their skin.

Satisfied that the pills worked, I stepped up to the rock wall and, once again, performed a complex series of hand seals, my fingers weaving intricate patterns in the air. With the final seal, I pressed my palm against the stone.

There was no sound, no tremor, but the "solid" rock before us suddenly shimmered, wavered like a heat haze… and then dissolved as if a mere mirage, revealing an intricately carved passageway beyond.

The entrance was framed by a magnificent carving of coiling frost serpents, their scales rendered in exquisite detail, their eyes inlaid with chips of aquamarine that seemed to glitter with cold light. The walls and ceiling of the passage beyond were adorned with breathtaking murals depicting more frost serpents, these ones feasting upon luminous, ice-blue lotus fruits amidst a landscape of frozen mountains and strange, crystalline trees.

"Remarkable," Yue breathed, tracing a finger along the carving of a serpent's scale. "This artistry style is… unlike any I've ever seen, even in the abandoned ruins down South. And these walls… they look to be made from pure Frost Jade!"

We walked down the passage, the temperature dropping noticeably with every step. The air grew bitingly cold, but the pills were working: my companions felt only a refreshing coolness on their skin.

Lord Zhang felt the need to chime in: "Yes, the walls here are indeed made of frost-attuned Jade, which is admittedly quite potent in attracting the water and frost elements, but surely only this much can't possibly be enough to be a thre—"

His comment died in his throat. We had traversed a sharp bend in the passageway… and emerged upwards into a wonderland of ice and light. We now found ourselves at the entrance to a smaller, perfectly spherical cavern.

But, if the main cavern had been grand, this one was an ethereal jewel box of concentrated power. The walls, the floor, the domed ceiling – everything was composed of natural, unblemished Frost Jade rendered in luminescent shades of Cyan, Azure, and Aquamarine – pure and translucent, glowing from within with an intense blue-green light. The very air crackled with berserk concentrations of Frost Qi so potent that it even shimmered visibly to the naked eye, creating dancing motes of tiny icy lights.

In the exact center of this breathtaking grotto was a large, circular pond. Its mesmerizing aquamarine blue-green contents -- more liquified Qi than mere water at this point -- did not freeze despite the insanely low ambient temperature. Instead, the pond remained liquid while steaming with a cold, white mist.

The pond was vast, easily over a thousand bù (i.e., over 1666.66 meters or 5468 feet) in circumference.

And floating serenely upon its mystical surface, their petals like sculpted ice touched with the faintest blush of lavender, their golden stamens glowing like captured stars… were the lotuses.

Hundreds of them.

So many that they couldn't easily be counted, each one radiating an aura of incredible age and purity.

"Behold. Nine Nether Snow Lotuses," I announced softly, letting the name hang in the frigid, sacred air.

"Oh, and don't mind the guardians," I added casually, as if discussing well-behaved pets. "We are all perfectly safe here as long as the security formations haven't been activated. They may look scary, but are actually quite tame to visitors and will never attack unless provoked. Or directed."

"G-guardians?" City Lord Zhang squeaked, his voice cracking, his eyes darting around nervously. "What guard— AIEEE!"

His question was answered by a sudden, tremendous upheaval in the center of the mist-wreathed pond. The glowing aquamarine water roiled, and then, with a sound like a glacier calving, an absolutely colossal head – easily the size of a small house – breached the surface.

It was a Frost Serpent, its scales a similar iridescent azure as much of the jade cavern, its eyes vast, intelligent orbs of glowing, greenish light. It regarded curiously us, its massive head slowly turning, plumes of frosty mist snorting from its nostrils.

Big Sis Yue reacted instantly, a blur of motion.

She suddenly appeared in front of Ruolan and Lord Zhang, her spear practically materializing in her hand, its tip already glowing with a dangerous, condensed darkness. Her stance was low, powerful, ready to unleash devastating force.

But there was no danger.

The massive Frost Serpent simply examined our small group with a calm, curious intelligence for a long, silent moment… and then, with a slow, deliberate movement that barely disturbed the mystical lotuses floating around it, it sank back down into the Frost-Qi-rich depths, once again disappearing beneath the swirling mist.

Yue slowly relaxed her stance, though her eyes remained fixed on the spot where the serpent had vanished.

"That beast," she said, her voice tight with residual tension, "its aura felt like it was in the Foundation Establishment realm, though it was hard to tell at what stage."

The unspoken implications were clear.

In this world, those beasts who have felt and adopted to metabolizing Qi were known as spirit beasts. And, as a rule, those spirit beasts capable of cultivating beyond the initial stages of Qi Gathering are known to be far stronger individually than cultivators of the same realm. To bring down even one such creature that made it past Foundation Establishment... would require a full hunting team of Foundation Establishment experts. Yue was not-so-subtly implying that we would be no match for it should that Serpent prove hostile.

"Indeed," I confirmed calmly. "And there is more than one of them in this pond. They seem to enjoy the ambient Frost Qi, you see! But, whoever bred them and placed them here ensured they weren't aggressive towards guests. Only those whom the defensive formations mark as intruders need to be worried."

I paused, as if considering.

"…And, of course, they'll defend themselves if attacked unprovoked."

City Lord Zhang looked about ready to have a coronary. His face was ashen, his breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps. His limbs were visibly trembling from the adrenaline.

Big Sis Yue shot me a look that clearly said, We will be having a very long talk about this later, Little Li.

"Oh, chill out, everyone!" I said, my tone light, projecting an aura of complete control and safety. "This is all perfectly safe, I assure you!"

To demonstrate, I casually walked to the edge of the pond, extracting yet another pill bottle from my storage ring – this one containing "treats" I've manifested just for this occasion.

"Xiao Bing!" I called out, using a pet name.

With a gentle ripple, another one of the serpents – a slightly smaller one with pinkish-purple scales – glided back to the surface near me.

It was still enormous, of course, but its demeanor was almost… docile. I held out the treat – a special alchemical pill containing a gratuitously concentrated burst of frosty Qi goodness along with refined sugar – and it delicately took the offering from my hand with its massive, fanged snout… then allowed me to gently pet the smooth, cold scales.

So cute!

My companions stared in wide-eyed wonder, not knowing whether I was brave or insane.

+++

The journey back up the colossal elevator shaft was undertaken in a profound, almost stunned silence. The City Lord, having somewhat recovered from the shock of seeing a Foundation Establishment-level Frost Serpent up close, simply stared blankly ahead, occasionally shaking his head as if to clear it of an impossible dream.

Ruolan was quiet, her gaze thoughtful, frequently darting towards me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher.

Big Sis Yue maintained her composure, but even she seemed to be grappling with the sheer scale of what she had witnessed.

As we finally stepped back into the sun-drenched, mundane reality of the marble staging area above, the contrast was indeed jarring.

Lord Zhang finally found his voice, though it was hoarse and shaky.

"I... I had no idea!" he stammered, looking back towards the elevator platform as if expecting the ground to swallow him whole again.

"Such wonders… right beneath my feet! This whole time! Beneath Qingshan of all places!"

He shook his head again, a dazed expression on his face. Then, a look of something like acceptance settled over him.

"My friend… the special spiritual constitution you mentioned, and the fact that you were the one to find this, to unlock its secrets… it must be fate. Heaven's will! There is no doubt you were destined to uncover this… And…"

He turned to me, his eyes now shining with a new, fervent light.

"My friend," he repeated, his voice regaining some of its customary political smoothness, though still laced with awe, "I will be honored to work together with you to help develop this… this treasure. I will do everything within my power to assist with the official petitions for the spiritual mining rights. Qingshan Town… no, this entire region, will prosper beyond our wildest dreams!"

He paused, a shadow briefly crossing his face, a flicker of guilt in his eyes.

"Although," he added, his voice dropping conspiratorially, "many vultures will undoubtedly descend once word of this goes public. As long as you obtain the mining rights officially through the Governor's Office, pay your taxes diligently… ensure the necessary 'administrative fees' are appropriately… disbursed – and, most importantly, remain in the good graces of Her Highness, Princess Xueyue, then nobody short of the Imperial family itself would dare try to muscle in on your rightful claim."

"However," his expression turned genuinely troubled, "if Her Highness, for reasons of state or personal preference, were to become greedy or displeased with you, pushing for someone else to take over… there would be very little, I fear, that a humble City Lord like myself could do to protect your interests in that case, despite our friendship."

I waved a dismissive hand, projecting an air of utter unconcern.

"Your support is appreciated, my friend. We shall navigate those political waters when we come to them."

Internally, however, I couldn't be more pleased.

This whole elaborate charade, I mused, was all constructed for one primary purpose: plausible deniability.

Misdirection.

The discovery of such a vast, untapped resource beneath Qingshan will inevitably trigger a gold rush -- or rather, a spirit stone rush. It will draw in traders, cultivators, adventurers -- and, yes, vultures -- from all corners of the Empire. The town will boom, its population will swell, and commerce will flourish. As the largest landowner and one in control of most of the businesses, my wealth and local influence shall rapidly exceed imagination…

But none of that matters.

All that frenetic activity, all that sudden, inexplicable prosperity focused on the 'enigmatic ancient cavern,' will serve as a magnificent smokescreen, drawing attention away from the truly
impossible: the System-driven successes and self-refreshing inventory of my own Jiang businesses. Away from the true source of my personal power and towards a plausible explanation for it.

If you give people an obvious, shiny mystery to fixate on, they are far less likely to scrutinize the smaller, quieter – but far more shocking -- anomalies already in their midst. Let them marvel at the 'lost legacy of the ancients.' Let them speculate about the hidden routes and untold riches present many li below ground, and consider the 'fated encounter' that led to their discovery.

Let them fight over the scraps of wealth found here.

Misdirection.

Sleight of hand.

Overwhelming potential enemies with a cascade of information, a dazzling array of possibilities, a thousand-thousand false leads. You wish to suppress me? To uncover the source of my strength? Very well, I shall give you a million obvious secrets to investigate first! Let's see how you can derive the truth then!

Besides, I thought, a predatory smile touching my lips, the more mysterious my origins, the more profound the perceived sources of my 'resources' and 'backing,' the more carefully those who might seek to oppose me will be forced to tread. This whole elaborate theater was designed to keep everyone else off balance, to make them hesitate, to make them fear the figurative and literal depths from which Jiang Li draws his strength.

And, by the time they realize all of this was a mere smoke screen…

What they believe will no longer matter.