The man before him had the broad shoulders of a wolf, the slim waist of a wasp, sword-like eyebrows, and piercing starry eyes. His heroic aura made him seem like a natural leader. This was none other than Ma Yingjie, the young patriarch of the Ma family.
Ma Yingjie prided himself on being wise and benevolent, strict with himself but lenient toward others, aspiring to be a great leader of his clan. In Qi Tian's past-life memories, Ma Yingjie eventually fulfilled this ambition.
During the Royal Court Struggle, the Ma family ultimately submitted to the Hei family, but they managed to secure a foothold in the Royal Court's blessed land, gaining substantial benefits. After Ma Yingjie inherited the clan leadership, the Ma family flourished further.
Though he never led them to become a supreme-tier clan, he laid a strong foundation for his successor, Ma Hongyun. Ma Hongyun's repeated ascensions to the throne of the Royal Court were largely due to the solid groundwork Ma Yingjie had left behind.
However, if Ma Yingjie were merely talented, Qi Tian wouldn't be particularly interested in him. What truly mattered was that Qi Tian needed a convenient identity to operate under.
Ma Yingjie, though still somewhat inexperienced, already wielded considerable authority within the Ma family. While Ma Zun held immense prestige—perhaps even surpassing the clan leader—he remained detached from worldly affairs and had little involvement in clan management.
Had Ma Zun remained his original self, he wouldn't have cared for politics, merely stepping forward in times of crisis. But Qi Tian had ambitions for the Royal Court, and choosing Ma Zun's identity meant leveraging the Ma family's strength.
And Ma Yingjie was the key to this strategy.
Qi Tian knew that in the future, he would inevitably need to make use of Ma Yingjie.
"Congratulations, Uncle! You've acquired over two hundred thousand Terrorclaw Horses." Ma Yingjie bowed and expressed his congratulations.
"Hm." Qi Tian nodded calmly.
Seeing this, Ma Yingjie's face showed admiration. He thought to himself, As expected of Uncle—calm and composed in both triumph and adversity! I must learn from him.
He continued, "Our Ma family has annexed the Fei clan, eliminating our greatest obstacle in the upcoming Hero Conference. Once we suppress the Cheng clan, we can claim the position of Tianchuan Alliance Leader and challenge for the Royal Court's throne."
"This time, we seek to seize the alliance leadership. Uncle, we hope you can step forward to suppress the Cheng clan and minimize our losses." Ma Yingjie sincerely requested.
The Ma family's strength had grown significantly, their military might flourishing. Among those attending the Tianchuan Hero Conference, only the Cheng clan posed a significant threat.
Without Ma Zun, the Ma family's forces would only be 50% stronger than the Cheng clan, and taking them down would require a great price. But if Ma Zun made an appearance, the situation would change drastically.
A person's name carries weight, just as a tree casts a long shadow.
Ma Zun's renown in Beiyuan was still formidable.
If Ma Zun appeared with fifty thousand warhorses, many mid-tier clans would immediately pledge allegiance.
The purpose of the Hero Conference was to showcase power, attract subordinate clans, and form an allied army to strengthen the faction.
Many smaller clans, unable to compete for the Royal Court's throne but seeking refuge from the harsh Beiyuan winters, would look for a major faction to align with.
With so many warhorses, the Ma family could minimize the sacrifice of their kin!
For the sake of their clan's prosperity, even more factions would join them. With a reinforced army and Ma Zun's warhorses, they would gain absolute superiority.
Under such circumstances, the Cheng clan, prioritizing their survival, would have no choice but to surrender swiftly.
"You and your father are leading the Ma family to challenge supreme-tier status. As a member of the Ma family, I will naturally do everything in my power to assist." Qi Tian solemnly declared.
Ma Zun, a slave-path Gu Master cultivated by the Ma family, had little interest in politics but held deep affection for his clan.
Although Ma Yingjie had anticipated his uncle's support, hearing Qi Tian's personal commitment still filled him with excitement.
Qi Tian then requested that Ma Yingjie keep him informed of any significant developments.
It seems Uncle is deeply invested in our Ma family's affairs. I must not disappoint him! Ma Yingjie thought, feeling honored, and immediately agreed.
Afterward, Ma Yingjie consulted Qi Tian on matters of the slave-path before excusing himself to attend to his numerous responsibilities as the young patriarch.
---
Qi Tian sat alone, contemplating.
Everything is progressing smoothly. Ma Yingjie hasn't suspected anything. Though he interacted with Ma Zun frequently, he is still young—deceiving him isn't too difficult.
Ma Shangfeng, the clan leader, is more experienced and might notice some inconsistencies. But at most, he would have some doubts—he would never suspect that Ma Zun has been completely replaced.
With his identity secure, Qi Tian felt relieved and proceeded to examine the intelligence reports delivered by Ma Yingjie's message Gu.
The Eastern Tribes subdued the Zhao family early, becoming the dominant force in the Grassland Prefecture, now absorbing other tribes…
In Mengqiu, the Tu clan is launching an overwhelming assault; the Lü family is struggling to hold out…
In the Unicorn Region, Yelu Sang is displaying unmatched martial strength, crushing all opposition in rapid succession…
In Yutian, the Hei family's Hei Loulan and the Liu family's Liu Wenwu remain in a deadlock…
So far, events are unfolding much as they did in my past life, Qi Tian mused.
The legendary Wolf King, Chang Shan Yin, has reappeared, leading the Ge clan in a three-way battle, further complicating the turbulent Yutian region…
This last piece of news didn't surprise Qi Tian. He had been keeping an eye on Fang Yuan's movements.
Yueya Lake was a prime location—rich in water and grass, teeming with beast groups and Gu colonies. Many clans gathered there before the Hero Conference, making it a tangled web of competing forces.
However, with the approaching winter storms and the Hero Conference looming, all factions were in a state of careful maneuvering, wary of making reckless moves.
Fang Yuan needed a decisive victory to reestablish the name "Chang Shan Yin" and integrate himself into Beiyuan's grand chessboard.
Of course, alone, he lacked the strength to take on three factions.
In truth, after parting ways with Qi Tian, Fang Yuan quickly encountered the Yan clan's plea for help. As in the original timeline, he assisted them in dealing with the Water Demon Hao Jiliu but betrayed them at the crucial moment, allowing the Ge clan to annex the Yan clan.
This provoked Liu Wenwu's in-laws, the Bei, Pei, and Zheng clans, into seeking revenge against Fang Yuan and the Ge clan.
Fang Yuan had initially been at a disadvantage, but Qi Tian had aided him.
Qi Tian temporarily loaned him the Star Gate Gu through the Toast and Exchange Gu and informed him about the existence of the Starfire Gu, allowing Fang Yuan access to the Fox Immortal Blessed Land.
Additionally, Qi Tian instructed the Fox Immortal to grant Fang Yuan access to Soul Mountain's Guts Gu, enabling him to expand his soul to the thousand-man level and provided him with a supply of resources.
With these enhancements, Fang Yuan's strength surged. He launched a counterattack, defeated the three clans, and proceeded to Onion Valley—where he would "acquire" the Night Wolf Emperor.
Qi Tian had clear reasons for supporting Fang Yuan:
To take, one must first give.
By empowering Fang Yuan, he ensured that the latter would attract Hei Loulan's investment. This allowed Qi Tian to sell his stockpiled wolves at premium prices to the Gu Immortals backing Hei Loulan.
At the same time, Fang Yuan's increased strength meant he could play a pivotal role in Qi Tian's Royal Court ambitions.
As for Fang Yuan escaping his control?
Qi Tian was confident in his grip.
Fang Yuan lacked the crucial second aperture Gu. His primary aperture housed the Time-path Immortal Gu, Spring Autumn Cicada, making ascension far more challenging. Moreover, his resources were entirely dependent on Qi Tian.
This was no simple charity—it was an exchange.