Chapter 69: Analysis

Li Qi's expression was calm, as if nothing had happened.

But his mind had already begun to race.

Let's analyze this.

Dragon Steed Shadow, could it be the old horse's name?

Was the old horse the mount of a Song Kingdom General? Was it a horse worth a thousand gold pieces, coveted by a Tang Nation General who wanted to take it back and tame it, but it escaped?

Now, that Tang Nation General is trying to find the old horse and has hired a large number of Diviner.

Previously, Li Qi was illiterate and didn't know much, but he wasn't idle. Ever since he was chased by the soldier, he had asked Shen Shuibi many questions about military systems, to help him judge the strength of soldiers in the future.

The position of General is not actually that high. The Tang Nation's army is roughly divided into: Marshal, Guard General, General, Officer, and Squads, with clear distinctions between layers.

A squad consists of five people, with a Squad Leader.

Two to ten squads form a team, ranging from ten to fifty people, with a Team Leader or Flag Officer.

Several teams form a battalion, a battalion of one hundred to five hundred people, with a Commandant.

Several battalions form a prefecture, the number of people in a prefecture is not fixed, but it is mostly set up for temporary stationing of military groups, with a Commander.

Several prefectures support the formation of an army.

An army, so-called, has at least ten thousand people. A General is the leader of an army of at least ten thousand people.

A General, capable of leading an army, must be exceptionally strong. A Song Kingdom General can be Seventh-Rank… so a Tang Nation General should be more powerful, right?

A strong Seventh-Rank? Or… Sixth-Rank?

Li Qi felt that he could now lift two to three hundred thousand pounds of boulders, easily kill dozens of strong men, and his thick skin was impervious to blades and spears. If he was prepared, eliminating an ordinary Gang would be easy.

But he hadn't even entered the Ranks yet.

He had fought a Ninth-Rank, but that was purely because the opponent's main strength was used to cut off mountain roots and water veins, and he was also ambushed by Li Qi with a willow branch, injuring his Spirit Soul. Moreover, it was underwater, where Li Qi had the geographical advantage. He even voluntarily removed his armor to go into the water.

With so many advantages stacked up, Li Qi was only able to kill a Ninth-Rank, and he almost died afterward. If Shen Shuibi hadn't used her body as a shield, using her pristine body to block the Yin Qi from the underworld, he would have surely died.

So, what level is Sixth-Rank exactly…

Is it like the Commander of the Li Prefecture Military Preparedness Team, who could cut off the Li River with a single strike of his blade?

Being targeted by such a person is not a good thing.

So, can this Diviner be trusted?

Definitely not. Li Qi would never trust someone who immediately threw such a bombshell at him.

The other party said that based on some clues she knew, plus seeing him with her own eyes, she deduced that he had picked up Dragon Steed Shadow and killed a Ninth-Rank soldier.

This might be true, but there must be something hidden. At the very least, she must have other clues, otherwise she couldn't have deduced these things.

However, ultimately… they can cooperate.

Because compared to that Sixth-Rank General, this Diviner is clearly weaker, which makes cooperation possible.

As long as he remains vigilant, even if they can't agree… he can still resort to force.

Thinking these thoughts, Li Qi had already made up his mind.

But Li Qi didn't agree directly. Instead, he shook his head: "I can find other Diviner to do it. I don't need you."

"If you want to sever the Karma connection without using blood defilement techniques, then you can only invite a Diviner of Seventh-Rank or higher, Senior Brother. Although your status is high, it's not easy to invite such a Diviner, is it?" The Blind Old Woman spoke very clearly.

"…It seems you know a lot, but I can't trust you after what you did before." Li Qi sighed.

"No matter, how about this old woman first gain Senior Brother's trust? Senior Brother, please retrieve that blade, and I will first remove the Karma clues on that Tang blade to prevent others from divining and finding it. After that, Senior Brother can listen to me recount the strange things my son encountered, how about that?" The old woman remained composed.

"Alright." Li Qi had to admit, he felt what the other party said made a lot of sense.

Since that's the case, he might as well try.

First, see what he's dealing with.

If it really doesn't work, then he'll run.

Since they had agreed, Li Qi simply turned around: "Since that's the case, I won't take advantage of you, old woman. Why don't you tell me what it is you want me to solve?"

The Blind Old Woman quickly bowed: "Thank you, Senior Brother."

Then, she grabbed the bewildered wealthy man beside her and together they bowed to Li Qi.

"Don't rush to bow, tell me what it is first," Li Qi said.

"Does Senior Brother not need me to resolve the Karma connection of that blade before we talk?" the old woman asked.

"No need. It's easier to talk if both of us show some sincerity," Li Qi shook his head and said.

"Alright then, I'll tell you." The Blind Old Woman nodded and began to narrate: "The matter began half a year ago."

Li Qi listened carefully, wondering what was going on.

The incident started half a year ago, but its origins trace back thirty years.

This wealthy man, surnamed Wang, was originally a landlord near Yi County.

The Wang family wasn't a big landlord, only owning over a hundred mu of land. They cultivated some themselves and hired tenant farmers for the rest. Their life was quite prosperous, earning several hundred piculs of grain each year. After eating some and selling the rest, they had an income of seventy to eighty thousand coins annually.

This family earned about the same as the entire Paibo Gang in a year, which shows their wealth, considering the Paibo Gang had two hundred people.

However, seventy to eighty thousand coins certainly couldn't buy such a large house.

This current three-courtyard mansion would cost at least thirty to forty gold, or about four hundred thousand coins, just to buy it.

This is just buying it, not including furnishing, decorating, or hiring servants.

The Wang family truly prospered when their daughter was noticed by a Diviner and taken to Shaman God Mountain.

However, cultivators ultimately rely on talent. After cultivating for several decades, she still couldn't enter the Ranks, so she could only pack her things and return home.

As she said this, the Blind Old Woman looked enviously at Li Qi.

Li Qi noticed her gaze and was also a little puzzled.

Is his talent… a bit too good?

If nothing unexpected happened, he seemed to be able to enter the Ranks as a Invoker within a year, and he barely felt any Bottleneck.

According to the Book of Zhu, people with poor talent, who are not sensitive to deities and Qi, often perform sacrifices over and over again as a Invoker without getting a response.

But he, it seems, never fails to get a response. Even if he arbitrarily modified some ritual content, the deities would mostly respond to him.

Before, he only thought his talent wasn't bad, but after hearing what this Blind Old Woman said, his talent seems… a bit outrageous.

However, Li Qi didn't show it. Instead, he kept his questions to himself and continued to listen to the story.

Although the Wang family's daughter didn't enter the Ranks and returned home, she had, after all, learned some spellcraft. After returning home, she used the Diviner's divination methods to seek wealth for her family.

Sure enough, the Wang family's fortunes soared, and they quickly became wealthy.