Li Xuanfeng flew leisurely along Guli Road for most of the night before finally arriving at Guanyun Peak. The Xiao family's Guanyun Peak was shrouded in clouds and mist, a pale white haze cloaking the trees and travelers completely from view.
Li Xuanfeng lowered his altitude. Just as he drew close to the mountains, a repulsive force surged through the air, and someone shouted from below:
"Brother over there! Riding the wind is forbidden on Guanyun Peak!"
Li Xuanfeng hastily touched down at the foot of the mountain. He saw a youth of about seventeen or eighteen looking at him with a warm smile. Dressed in flowing, ethereal robes and bearing distinguished features, the youth cupped his hands in greeting.
"May I ask which family from the west you hail from, young master?"
"I dare not accept such praise!"
Li Xuanfeng waved his hands repeatedly. Seeing how courteous the youth was, he replied, "I am Li Xuanfeng of the Lijing Li family! I have come to deliver our tribute."
"The Lijing Li family?"
The youth raised an eyebrow and asked, "Could it be the Li family by Lake Wangyue? I am Xiao Ruyu of the Xiao family. Greetings, honored guest!"
"Indeed!"
Li Xuanfeng remembered Li Tongya's instructions before departing and nodded hurriedly. Xiao Ruyu then asked with a puzzled look, "Might I inquire about Senior Li Tongya...?"
"He is my clan uncle!"
Li Xuanfeng chuckled and continued politely, "Under my uncle's direction, I have come to pay my respects to Senior Xiao Yongling!"
Xiao Ruyu came to a sudden realization and nodded with a smile. "I too received orders from Uncle Yongling to wait here for someone from the Li family! Brother Xuanfeng, please follow me."
With that, he walked down the stone steps. Reaching the base, he smiled at Li Xuanfeng and soared into the air, revealing that he was remarkably a Qi Refinement cultivator as well. Riding the wind, the two flew for a time before descending onto another peak.
A small courtyard stood atop the peak, with two potted plum blossoms gracing the entrance. Xiao Ruyu stepped forward and knocked gently on the gate, calling respectfully, "Clan Uncle! The guest from the Li family has arrived!"
The gate creaked open immediately. A hearty laugh drifted closer from within, and a middle-aged man stepped out. His eyes were somewhat narrow and long, and he wore a snow-white fox-fur coat with a brocade pouch tied at his waist. His features were reasonably handsome. Upon seeing the two, he paused briefly and inquired:
"You are...?"
"I am Li Xuanfeng of the Li family. My second uncle has been tied up with pressing clan matters these past few days, so he sent me to the peak to pay our respects."
After Li Xuanfeng offered this explanation, Xiao Yongling nodded and remarked with some regret, "Not being able to see Brother Tongya leaves me missing him dearly."
With that, he looked over Li Xuanfeng and asked rather curiously, "I wonder what level of cultivation Brother Tongya has attained by now?"
"My second uncle has already reached the third layer of Qi Refinement," Li Xuanfeng answered according to Li Tongya's instructions.
"The third layer of Qi Refinement?"
Xiao Yongling was visibly taken aback. Clicking his tongue in praise, he exclaimed, "Brother Tongya has certainly not fallen behind, reaching the third layer already! The very first time I met him, I knew he was extraordinary, and sure enough, he is!"
Leading Li Xuanfeng into the courtyard, Xiao Yongling filled the teacups before them. He glanced at Li Xuanfeng and remarked with a warm smile, "Your younger generation is truly remarkable as well. You appear to be only fifteen or sixteen, yet you have already attained Qi Refinement. That is truly rare—even in our Xiao family, you would rank among the very best."
"Senior flatters me."
Li Xuanfeng chatted with Xiao Yongling for a bit, exchanging some pleasantries before asking, "Our family's grand array was breached by the Shanyue and has yet to be repaired. My elders instructed me to seek an array master in the commandery to set up a new one. I wonder if Senior might have any leads...?"
"Naturally, I do."
Xiao Yongling nodded and replied, "Arrays are a delicate and intricate matter. Erecting an array of the Qi Refinement level is quite troublesome. Not only must the array patterns be carved, but the diagrams must also be mapped out. It cannot be finished without several days and nights of labor.
"If you wish to set up a Qi Refinement-level array, the cost starts at thirty spirit stones at the very least. If you want an outstanding one capable of warding off cultivators at the peak of Qi Refinement, I fear it cannot be done for less than a hundred spirit stones."
Hearing this, Li Xuanfeng nodded and answered, "My family has taken this into account, and the spirit stones have been prepared."
"Very well, then."
Xiao Yongling took a sip of tea, pondered for a few breaths, and said in a measured voice, "I will reach out to some contacts in the coming days and give you an answer shortly. In any case, there is still more than half a month before the tribute is due, so there is plenty of time."
"Thank you, Senior!"
Li Xuanfeng nodded repeatedly, his joy plain to see. Xiao Yongling shook his head with a chuckle. "What is there to thank me for? Between our two families, there is no need for such formalities! Your fourth uncle and my clan uncle are fellow disciples, and your family helped obtain a Suiyuan Pill for us. Our clans have maintained good relations for decades; a small matter like this is nothing."
Li Xuanfeng exchanged a few more courtesies. After drinking his tea and listening to Xiao Yongling make some small talk, he asked:
"Has Senior ever heard... of what effects ores and minerals might have on mortals?"
"Of course there are effects!"
Xiao Yongling paused for a moment before explaining, "My family governs twenty-two mineral veins, and I once oversaw operations at one of them, so I know a fair bit about this.
"Spiritual materials of metal, stone, lightning, flame, or cold yin often harm the life force of mortals, leading to an exceptionally high toll of death and injury. If they are spiritual materials of the Embryonic Breathing level, it is relatively manageable—rotating work shifts more frequently is sufficient. But materials of the Qi Refinement or even Foundation Establishment level are often fatal upon contact, requiring cultivators to mine them in person."
"So that is how it is! This junior has learned much."
Li Xuanfeng nodded in sudden understanding and respectfully voiced his gratitude. Xiao Yongling then produced a jade slip and said solemnly:
"Brother Tongya once entrusted me to search for a book on his behalf. I have finally found it, so I shall entrust it to you now. Take it back to the Li family when you return home."
Li Xuanfeng paused slightly. Taking the jade slip into his hand, he thought to himself:
*I have never heard my second uncle mention anything about looking for a book... If there were such a matter, how could he have forgotten to tell me? I fear the Xiao family has another motive in mind.*
"My thanks to Senior Yongling!"
Xiao Yongling waved his hand. Li Xuanfeng then inquired about news regarding Li Chijing, but Xiao Yongling shook his head and said:
"Not a shred of news. My clan uncle went south many years ago as well, yet not a single letter has come back. It is exceedingly strange."
Li Xuanfeng felt a flicker of unease in his heart. Xiao Yongling, however, said warmly, "The sights and customs of the commandery seat are quite different from the west. Since there is still more than half a month before the tribute is due, you might as well take a look around."
Li Xuanfeng recognized this as a polite dismissal. Cupping his hands, he took his leave. Stepping out of the courtyard, he probed into the jade slip with his spiritual sense, only to find eight large characters in the title:
*Two Hundred Years of Customs in Linghai Commandery*
Feeling utterly baffled, he could only put the jade slip away for the moment. Bidding farewell to Xiao Ruyu, he rode the wind onward toward the east.
***
Once Li Xuanfeng had departed the courtyard, Xiao Yongling quietly put away the teapot and sighed, "Qi Refinement at fifteen years old... This Li clan truly knows how to raise good stock."
"Your judgment was astute, Clan Uncle," Xiao Ruyu flattered from the side.
Xiao Yongling shook his head and replied in a deep voice, "Back then, it was the Ancestor who personally granted Li Tongya an audience and bestowed pills upon him. It was also the Ancestor who instructed me to befriend Li Tongya and maintain good ties with the Li family.
"The Ancestor's foresight is far beyond our reach. And now he has..."
At this point, he cut himself off and gave a low chuckle, muttering under his breath, "With Old Ancestor and Uncle Yuansi around, it is enough to ensure eight hundred years of peace for our family."
Exchanging a glance with Xiao Ruyu, both men had smiles in their eyes. Xiao Yongling sighed with a complicated expression, murmuring, "Only a figure like our Ancestor could break free from the layered chokehold of the Qingchi Sect. Remaining cautious and tranquil, neither arrogant nor rash—only thus can one preserve the clan's foundation. Back then, what glorious heights Yu Yuxie reached! His talent startled the Purple Palace Ancestor, yet he met his end in Nanjiang."
Having said this, he looked at Xiao Ruyu and said with earnest gravity:
"Ruyu, this is why the Ancestor wants you to temper your cultivation and forbids you from breaking through within five years.
"In this world, it is often the most talented and the most foolish who suffer the most miserable fates."
Chapter 116