Li Qi maintained a calm expression, seemingly unperturbed.
But his mind was racing furiously.
Let's analyze this.
Could Liu Ying be Old Horse's name?
Old Horse was the mount of a Song Kingdom general? A horse worth a fortune, coveted by a Tang general who wanted to tame it, but Old Horse escaped?
Now, that Tang general is trying to retrieve Old Horse and has hired numerous diviners.
Previously, Li Qi had been illiterate and didn't know much, but since being pursued by soldiers, he had asked Shen Shuibei many questions about military systems to better judge the strength of soldiers in the future.
The position of general wasn't particularly high-ranking. The Tang army hierarchy consisted of Marshal, Guard General, General, Battalion Officer, and Squad Leader, each level clearly defined.
A squad consists of five people, led by a squad leader.
Two to ten squads form a team, ranging from ten to fifty people, led by a team captain or banner officer.
Several teams make up a battalion, with one hundred to five hundred people, led by a battalion commander.
Several battalions form a garrison, whose size varies but is often a temporary encampment for legions, led by a commandant.
Multiple garrisons support an army.
An army typically comprises at least ten thousand people, and a general leads such a force.
A general must have extraordinary abilities. If Song generals were seventh-rank, then Tang generals should be even stronger, right?
A powerful seventh-rank? Or perhaps… sixth-rank?
Li Qi believed he could now lift two to three thousand catties, easily kill dozens of strong men, and his thick skin made him impervious to blades and spears. With proper preparation, he could easily eliminate ordinary gangs.
But he hadn't reached any rank yet.
He had fought a ninth-rank before, but most of their power was used to sever mountain roots and water veins, and he was injured in his Spiritual Essence when Li Qi ambushed him with a willow branch. Moreover, the battle took place underwater, where Li Qi had the advantage, and Old Horse had removed his armor to enter the water.
With all these advantages, Li Qi barely managed to kill a ninth-rank, almost dying himself. If not for Shen Shuibei shielding him with her flawless body against the underworld's Yin energy, he would have surely perished.
So, what exactly was the level of a sixth-rank?
Was it like the Chief of Biliu Military Preparedness Team, whose sword cut through the Li River?
Being targeted by such a person was not good news.
Should he trust this diviner?
Definitely not. For someone who tried to frame him from the start, Li Qi couldn't possibly trust her.
She claimed to have deduced that Li Qi had found Dragon Steed Liu Ying and killed a ninth-rank soldier based on some clues she knew and seeing him in person.
This might be true, but there must be something she's hiding. At the very least, she must have other clues to make such deductions.
However, ultimately… cooperation might be possible.
Compared to that sixth-rank general, this diviner was obviously weaker, making negotiation feasible.
As long as he remained vigilant, even if negotiations failed, he could still take action.
Having made his decision, Li Qi did not immediately agree but shook his head, "I can find other diviners to do it; I don't need you."
"If you want to sever the causal connection without blood pollution, you need a diviner ranked seventh or higher. Although your status is high, senior apprentice, it's not easy to hire such a diviner, is it?" The blind old woman spoke logically.
"...It seems you know a lot, but I can't trust you after what you've done," Li Qi sighed.
"No problem. Why don't I first gain your trust, senior apprentice? You bring the blade here, and I'll remove its causal traces to prevent others from finding it through divination. Then, you can hear about my son's predicament," the old woman remained composed.
"Alright." Li Qi thought her reasoning made sense.
Given this, it was worth a try.
First, see what they encounter.
If things go south, he could always run away.
Agreeing, Li Qi turned around, "Since we're clear, I won't take advantage of you, elderly lady. Please tell me what needs to be resolved."
The blind old woman bowed deeply, "Thank you, senior apprentice."
She then grabbed the bewildered rich man beside her and bowed together.
"Don't rush to bow. First, tell me what it is," Li Qi said.
"Do you not need me to resolve the blade's causal connection first?" the old woman asked.
"Not necessary. Both sides showing some sincerity makes negotiations easier," Li Qi shook his head.
"Fine, then I'll tell you." The blind old woman nodded and began her story, "The issue started half a year ago."
Li Qi listened carefully to understand the situation.
The issue began half a year ago, but it traced back thirty years.
The rich man was surnamed Wang, originally a landlord around Yixian County.
The Wang family wasn't a large landlord, owning only over a hundred mu of land, cultivating part themselves and hiring tenant farmers for the rest. They lived comfortably, producing several hundred dan of grain annually, eating some and selling the rest, earning seventy to eighty thousand qian each year.
This income matched what the entire Paibo Gang earned in a year, indicating their wealth, considering the gang had two hundred members.
However, seventy to eighty thousand qian certainly couldn't buy such a large mansion.
This three-courtyard mansion would cost at least thirty to forty gold pieces, around four hundred thousand qian.
That's just the purchase price, not including furniture, renovation, or servants.
The Wang family truly prospered when their daughter was chosen by a diviner and taken to Wu Deity Mountain.
Though cultivators rely on talent, she practiced for decades without reaching any rank and eventually returned home.
At this point, the blind old woman glanced enviously at Li Qi.
Sensing her gaze, Li Qi felt puzzled.
His talent… was it too good?
Without any mishaps, he seemed capable of achieving the rank of Zhu within a year, hardly feeling any bottlenecks.
According to the book "Wu," those with poor talent, insensitive to deities and qi, often receive no response from rituals.
Yet, Li Qi never seemed to face such issues, even when he modified some ritual procedures. Deities usually responded to him.
Initially, he thought his talent was decent, but hearing the blind old woman's remarks, his talent seemed… somewhat outrageous.
However, Li Qi kept his thoughts to himself and continued listening to the story.
Although the Wang family's daughter didn't reach any rank, she learned some techniques and used divination methods to bring prosperity to her family upon returning home.
Indeed, the Wang family's fortunes flourished rapidly, becoming wealthy soon after.