"Ai."
Lu Sisi sighed again and again, answering, "What fault could they have had? Their only true fault was that their strength fell short. In that earth-shattering battle over Lake Wangyue, Lingyu Gate lost one Purple Palace and six Foundation Establishment cultivators. The sect was left with only a single Foundation Establishment cultivator and a mere handful of stragglers. Naturally, they were wiped out.
"The Three Sects claimed that Lingyu Gate's strength had become too frail and that their Purple Palace legacy was in peril of dying out, so they demanded that Lingyu Gate hand over their legacy for the Three Sects to hold in trust, and that Lingyu Gate's disciples cripple all cultivation arts derived from it. At the time, Lingyu Gate had already lost nearly all of their territory. If they agreed to such a humiliating demand, Lingyu Gate would be no different from being wiped out anyway. Naturally, they refused, and so they were destroyed."
After listening intently, Li Tongya nodded in silence and remarked, "If they only sought to seize the legacy, why press them so relentlessly?... Lingyu Gate was unyielding indeed. I wonder, what became of that legacy?"
"It vanished."
"Vanished?"
Li Tongya froze for a moment. Then he heard Lu Sisi continue:
"When Lingyu Gate was destroyed, out of the sixty-one jade slips, that Purple Palace legacy alone went missing. Thus, the Three Sects, the Seven Gates, and numerous clans have all been searching for it... Over two hundred years have passed since then, yet no word of it has ever surfaced.
"The cultivators laying siege to the Lake Wangyue market today came precisely because they received word concerning remnants of Lingyu Gate, seeking to find this Purple Palace legacy."
At these words, Li Tongya's heart jolted violently as he recalled what Zhang Yun had said back in the serpent demon cave dwelling.
"The River Daling Classic, lost after the destruction of Lingyu Gate, requires a secret art to unlock..."
Could that River Daling Classic be the very Purple Palace legacy?!
His heart pounded, but Li Tongya forced himself to remain calm. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Listening to Lu Sisi ramble on, he recalled the secret art on that jade slip and mused silently:
"Without Lingyu Gate's secret art, I cannot open that jade slip either. I can only keep it hidden at home for now and search for a method later."
"Brother Tongya! Have you reached a decision regarding this betrothal?"
Lu Sisi's call snapped Li Tongya back to his senses. Li Tongya gave a slight shake of his head and answered, "It is still early to say."
A gloom shadowed the depths of Lu Sisi's eyes. Setting down his teacup, he smiled and asked, "North of Mount Huazhong, there is a clan known as the Yu family. Brother Tongya, do you know of them?"
Li Tongya nodded and said in a grave voice, "I have heard of them. Even when Wan Huaqian was still alive, the Wan family never dared push north precisely because the Yu family was there. They have since pledged allegiance to Qingchi Sect, and they have kept to themselves over the past few years."
"Precisely."
Lu Sisi took a sip of tea and explained, "This Yu family is overseen by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and they boast more than ten Qi Refinement cultivators—scarcely inferior to the prominent clans of Lixia Commandery. Their strength is formidable. It is only because they newly joined Qingchi Sect that they do not dare draw attention to themselves, which is why there has been no movement from them for so long."
"What does Senior mean to say...?"
Li Tongya looked puzzled. Lu Sisi's voice turned stern and resolute:
"Frank men do not mince words! There is no need for Brother Tongya to drag out the time. If this betrothal is settled, our clans will be as brothers. If it is not, your Li family will remain a tiger crouching at our flanks. Once I die, even if my Lu family must invite the wolf into our house, we will do so to seize a sliver of survival!"
Li Tongya's expression shifted at once, and his tone hardened. "Senior, what is the meaning of this!"
"Naturally, we would present Mount Huaqian to the Yu family. At worst, my Lu family will roam into the Xunlin Plain—at least there would be a chance to live!"
Lu Sisi slammed his teacup down, his voice equally grim. "Either enter a marital alliance with my Lu family and pledge not to encroach upon our lands, or wait for the Yu family to march south, seize both Mount Huaqian and Mount Huazhong, and bottle your Li family up inside these mountains!"
At these words, Li Tongya fell into silence. He cast a low, searching gaze at Lu Sisi, and seeing the old man's resolute expression, he knew this was no jest. He asked, "Brother Lu, you press me so relentlessly—are you not afraid that I might detain you here and turn around to destroy your clan?"
"Hahahahahaha!"
Lu Sisi let out a loud laugh, then straightened his expression. "You would not dare. While my younger sister lived, she cultivated on Moon Lake Peak. Before she passed, she entrusted our clan to the Moon Lake Peak Master, so a shred of old goodwill still lingers. If you were to kill me, even that younger brother of yours inside the sect would suffer severe repercussions. You, Li Tongya, may swallow my lands, but you will not exterminate my family!"
Li Tongya cast a cool glance at him and asked in a low voice, "Which son do you wish to marry her to?"
"Either of the two young masters—Brother Tongya may choose!"
Lu Sisi waved a hand with an appearance of magnanimity. Li Tongya looked at him, silently pondering:
"It is merely a temporary expedient. The younger generation of the Lu family are all useless; even this pledge will only grant them a lingering respite. As long as I steady this old fellow first, there are far too many ways to dismantle the Lu family...
"Xuanfeng is Xiangping's son, and his talent is exceptional. I cannot gamble with his future; I can only do Xuanling an injustice..."
After a few moments of silence, he spoke:
"Then it shall be Li Xuanling. Li Xuanling is my only son. Having him take her as his wife is ample proof of my family's sincerity."
Lu Sisi nodded repeatedly. Li Tongya fixed him with a fierce glare and sneered, "Since we have laid our cards on the table, Senior should know that while I can leave your clan untouched, my Li family must expand after all! Senior Lu had best think of a way that satisfies both sides; otherwise, this matter will not be settled so easily!"
Seeing Li Tongya speak in this manner, Lu Sisi believed him a bit more. He pondered for several moments, then gritted his teeth and said, "After I die, the Li family is entirely free to take the An family's Mount Huazhong. My Lu family will not intervene!"
Li Tongya curled his lip inwardly, dismissing the gesture in his heart:
"Does your Lu family even possess the strength to intervene and stop us? To use an inevitable outcome as a promise—what a fine calculation."
Disinclined to tangle with him further, Li Tongya smiled and said, "Then it is a deal. But first, I wish to see the legitimate daughter of your Lu family."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Lu Sisi nodded repeatedly. Behind him, the woman who had remained silent all this while lifted her veil, revealing a dignified, lovely face and bright, spirited eyes. Seeing Li Tongya look over, she lowered her brows and said softly, "Lu Wanrong of the Lu family greets Senior."
Li Tongya examined her closely. The young woman was remarkably attractive and possessed spirit apertures; she was well qualified to be Li Xuanling's wife. Only, there would hardly be any room for mutual affection now—an injustice done to both of them.
"Then let the betrothal be set."
With that light, casual remark, Li Tongya settled the rest of these two young people's lives. Lu Sisi was overjoyed, promptly fixing the betrothal gifts and the date. Li Tongya's expression was somewhat conflicted as he looked at the man before him, who was over one hundred and eighty years old, and said softly:
"Senior has truly expended every ounce of your heart and strength for your clan. For your family to have you is a blessing for the entire household."
Evidently, Lu Sisi had not expected Li Tongya to say such words. He stood stunned, visibly moved. Opening his mouth, he hesitated for several moments before replying:
"The youngsters at home are dull-witted, and this old man simply cannot set his heart at ease. At my advanced age, having to scrape through death just to seek life for the clan—I have made a laughingstock of myself!"
Li Tongya shook his head. Lu Sisi wore a complicated look, speaking falteringly:
"I only hope that Brother Tongya... will never have to face a day like mine. Only then will you truly know how bitter it is!"
Chapter 118