"A flood dragon is of the dragon kin, able to lead fishes in flight, plunge into the abyss and lurk in deep pools, soar through clouds and mount the mists—it is a marvelous symbol."
Li Xuanxuan stroked the beard on his chin and nodded with a smile. Holding the child, he looked him over from left to right. Seeing that the infant was wrinkled all over, his damp hair sticking loosely to his brow, he carefully laid him back into the small crib.
He had fathered three sons and two daughters by now. His legitimate son, Li Yuanxiu, was already three years old, and the oldest of the other children was already five. Mu Yalu hailed from a Shanyue lineage of hereditary shamans, and any child she bore had a high probability of possessing spirit apertures, so he naturally valued this child somewhat more.
"Double blessings have arrived at our door today, which is truly a fine thing. Have Xie Wen send some goods down the mountain and tell everyone to gather and make merry."
Li Xuanxuan gave the orders and kept watch beside Mu Yalu's bed for a while. Once the woman fell asleep, someone from the construction work up on the mountain came to summon him as the family head. He could only tuck in her quilt and head up the mountain with his hands clasped behind his back.
Though he now had many family chores to handle, he had never slackened. He often went to Li Tongya to learn talisman arts and studied them day and night in private. Having practiced talisman arts since age seven, and having broken through to the fifth layer of Embryonic Breathing a few years ago, he was finally able to draw talismans with his own hands. Blessed with Li Tongya's insights into talisman arts, he found the work quite manageable, and these days kept him busily contented.
***
The celebrations at the foot of the mountain were lively and bustling for several days. Leaving behind a few attendants, the Lu family withdrew the rest of their retinue. Construction up the mountain proceeded smoothly on schedule. Because Mount Lijing had many visitors and roving eyes during these days, Li Tongya could not put his mind at ease about the magical mirror in the backyard, so he moved from his Meichi Mountain cave dwelling into the backyard to cultivate.
Sitting behind a gauze curtain, Li Jingtian tilted her head in thought with brush poised in hand, her long hair coiled up. From time to time, she wrote on the silk scroll before her, murmuring under her breath:
"Seventh month: entered into marital ties with the Lu clan; the second daughter of the seventeenth son of the Lu family married the eldest legitimate son of the second branch; Lady Mulu of the first branch gave birth to a son, named Jiao."
Reaching this point, Li Jingtian paused her brush slightly and added a small note beside it:
"Some say: 'Mu Jiaoman of the Eastern Shanyue's Mulu clan is related by blood to the former Shanyue lord, Jianixi.' This may be so, though I personally deem it an erroneous rumor."
To compile this family chronicle, Li Jingtian had once inquired with Ahui La. Ahui La had mentioned a rumor that Mu Jiaoman and Jianixi shared some paternal cousin relation. She had not believed it at the time, musing to herself:
*Jianixi was a ruthless hero after all, while Mu Jiaoman falls far too short of him. In no way does it look as though they share blood ties. Yet Mu Yalu and Mu Jiaoman are brother and sister, and this matter concerns the bloodline of the main line. Even if it is only a rumor, it must be recorded nonetheless.*
Dipping her brush into the inkstone beside her, Li Jingtian recalled that she had yet to meet the child and thought of going down the mountain shortly to see him. Turning her thoughts to the calendar, she calculated that her own wedding with Chen Donghe was also drawing near.
While Li Jingtian sat absorbed in compiling the family chronicle behind the gauze curtain, Li Xuanfeng stood in the courtyard, where red silk still hung. Traces of firecracker smoke lingered in the air, mingling with the crisp morning breeze to feel remarkably refreshing. In the seat of honor, Li Tongya held a jade slip, gazing at the faint patterns upon it in silence for more than ten breaths before speaking softly:
"*Two Hundred Years of Customs in Linghai Commandery*?"
"Precisely."
Li Xuanfeng nodded and cupped his hands. The long arrows in the quiver at his waist made a few crisp clacks, and the pitch-black bow behind him, as tall as a man, was particularly imposing. He said in a deep voice:
"Senior Xiao Yongling said that this must be delivered into your hands! Your nephew did not dare peek at it privately, so I brought it all the way to you without opening it."
Li Tongya closed his eyes and read for a while. Setting the jade slip gently on the tabletop, he said warmly:
"Linghai Commandery lies south of Lixia Commandery and is one of the five commanderies ruled by the Qingchi Sect. This *Two Hundred Years of Customs in Linghai Commandery* mainly introduces several hereditary clans of Linghai Commandery. The foremost among them is the Yu family of Linghai. The Yu family had a son named Yu Yuxie, a rare genius who cultivated a method called the *Panqi Jade True Method*, only to perish in Nanjiang."
From the dense, intricate text of the jade slip, Li Tongya had accurately extracted the key information. Mentioning 'perish in Nanjiang', he frowned slightly as though some uncomfortable conjecture had crossed his mind. Falling silent, he handed the jade slip to Li Xuanfeng, gesturing for him to read it as well.
Li Xuanfeng hurriedly took it, closed his eyes, and pondered for a long while. After skimming through its contents, a thoughtful look crept onto his face as he replied:
"This *Two Hundred Years of Customs in Linghai Commandery* actually records major events throughout the State of Yue over the past two centuries. Your nephew has noticed a few anomalies as well.
"Several of the Seven Gates and these few immortal clans all experienced shifts regarding the Purple Palace. Among them, Lingyu Gate's Purple Palace cultivator died and the sect was exterminated within days, which is understandable. The others, however, are rather bizarre. This Chen family lay within Jinyu Gate's territory; when the ancestor in their family broke through to the Purple Palace, he immediately carved out eight towns to declare independence on the spot. Not only did Jinyu Gate fail to pursue the matter, they even sent congratulatory gifts! And this Changxiao Gate—its master, Master Changxiao, came from across the sea, declaring he wished to choose a place to establish a lineage, and at once a sect offered up several towns..."
Pausing, Li Xuanfeng looked up in surprise and murmured:
"It seems... it seems almost too casual!"
"Without reaching the Purple Palace, one is ultimately nothing more than a plaything to these high-and-mighty great cultivators!"
Li Tongya sighed softly. Having weathered decades of upheaval and witnessed several bargains and intrigues between Purple Palace cultivators, he had long deduced a fair bit of these great cultivators' inner thoughts.
"Sects and territories, disciples and commoners—these have always been bargaining chips in their hands. Purple Palace cultivators possess long lifespans and are accustomed to the cruelty of the world. Only their fellow Purple Palace cultivators are worthy of their regard.
"Furthermore..."
Li Tongya pondered for a few breaths and said in a grave voice:
"Aside from that battle to wipe out the Immortal Mansion's inheritor, Li Jiangqun, I have never heard of any Purple Palace cultivator falling in combat. More often than not, they die only when their lifespans run out. I fear ordinary Purple Palace cultivators can do nothing against each other, which explains what happened with the Chen family's ancestor. After all, had Jinyu Gate moved against the Chen family, and that Chen family Purple Palace cultivator rode the wind to vanish between heaven and earth, would Jinyu Gate's disciples ever dare step out of their mountains again?"
Li Xuanfeng listened attentively, nodding repeatedly, only to hear Li Tongya murmur:
"Now that Xiao Chuting has attained the Purple Palace, and Xiao Yongling has delivered this *Two Hundred Years of Customs in Linghai Commandery* into our hands, I fear it may be a subtle hint..."
With that, he put the jade slip away and shook his head.
"In any case, strengthening ourselves is what matters most right now. The Qi Refinement cultivators in our family are still too few. If our territory expands, I fear we will not be able to hold the ground."
Li Xuanfeng nodded respectfully and answered:
"At present, the strongest in Embryonic Breathing among us is merely Brother Xuanxuan. The fifth layer of Embryonic Breathing still requires years of accumulation to reach Qi Refinement; it is not that simple."
Li Tongya's progress had been slow of late. Having advanced too quickly in previous years, he dared not consume medicinal pills to boost his cultivation now, leaving him still at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement without much progress. Hearing this, he also shook his head and said warmly:
"This cannot be rushed either."
"Your nephew has one more matter to report."
Li Xuanfeng lowered his head and said:
"Situated in this remote borderland, we often lose touch with the commandery, and much of our news arrives half a beat too late. Why not purchase some properties in the commandery and dispatch several clan members to manage them? It will broaden their horizons and keep them from idling about the family, stirring up trouble for no reason."
"A good thought."
Li Tongya nodded with a smile upon hearing this.
"You have considered this thoroughly."
Li Xuanfeng scratched his head and gave a hearty laugh, explaining:
"This way, if the Xiao family has any news that is not urgent, they can entrust clan members in the commandery to bring it home, preventing delays without making others make extra trips.
"Second, with the Lake Wangyue market collapsed, our family's talismans and ores still need a place to circulate. Talismans aside, the Shanyue do not smelt metal and stone; they prefer using spiritual wood for crafting, so raw ore sells for dirt-cheap among them and can only be taken to Guanyun Peak to sell. With clan members keeping watch, they can notify us the moment the Guanyun Peak market opens."
Li Tongya also found this quite sensible and sent someone to summon Li Xuanxuan. Li Xuanfeng, harboring a desire to visit that young woman in the commandery from time to time, felt a pang of guilt. After chatting a few more moments, he took his leave of Li Tongya and headed out to guard the mine.
Chapter 127