Father and Son of the Yu Family

Li Tongya was only forty-five years old this year, younger than most of those present, yet his cultivation at the fifth stage of Qi Refinement was already exceptional. By contrast, even the hundred-and-eighty-seven-year-old Lu Sisi, whom everyone naturally addressed as Senior, was merely at the seventh stage of Qi Refinement. Cupping his hands in salute toward the various clan heads, Li Tongya sheathed his longsword and drifted back to his seat. Yu Xiaogui's expression eased slightly, and he nodded. "The Li family's sword arts are truly peerless on this lake, far superior to those of my Yu family. Today, this junior of ours has certainly broadened his horizons." These words attributed Yu Mujian's inferiority in skill to the Li family possessing better sword arts, rather than the Yu family being inferior to the Li family. Hearing this, Li Tongya smiled faintly, letting him say as he pleased. He wished only to keep an even lower profile so the various clans would focus entirely on guarding against the Yu and Fei families. 'After all, Lu Sisi doesn't have many years left to live. The An and Lu families have been allies for generations. Once Lu Sisi passes away, the delicate balance and courtesies between the three families will be shattered in an instant. That will be my Li family's opportunity. Before then, the calmer the situation remains, the better. We must not invite unnecessary complications.' Having achieved the Yu family's objective and tested Li Tongya's sword cultivation, Yu Xiaogui waved his hand and made an excuse to take his leave. The various clans present also departed one by one. Li Tongya deliberately avoided Lu Sisi, returning alone toward the southern shore. Riding the wind into the air and soaring across the clear, transparent lake, Li Tongya pondered in silence, muttering to himself: "Yu Xiaogui has reached Foundation Establishment. He is ruthless and rash, and riding the rising tide of the Yu family gives wings to a tiger—he is a troublesome opponent... Then there is that Yu Mugao, equally ruthless yet cautious, even more difficult to deal with than his father. The days ahead are bound to be difficult." After flying southward for a while, Li Tongya landed on a small islet. Having waited for a dozen breaths, he indeed saw a middle-aged man in a brocade white robe approaching from the distance. Smiling broadly, the man touched down on the islet, carrying an air of graceful elegance and dashing refinement. It was none other than the head of the Fei family. "Brother Tongya! What a coincidence! I am Fei Wangbai, a cultivator of the Fei family. I have long looked forward to meeting you." Fei Wangbai looked to be in his forties, but in truth he was already over a hundred years old. With the jade pendants at his waist chiming softly, he looked Li Tongya over. Seeing that the man before him was composed, restrained, and quite dependable, the smile on his face softened even further. "The pleasure is mine. Senior is too courteous." How could Li Tongya dare to presume so much as to treat a Foundation Establishment cultivator as an equal brother? He hurriedly addressed Fei Wangbai as Senior. Fei Wangbai stroked his beard and said with a chuckle: "Aside from an elderly rogue cultivator on the western shore, there are only three Foundation Establishment cultivators on this lake. The Yu family accounts for two: Yu Xiaogui in early Foundation Establishment and 'White Jade Hand' Yu Yufeng in late Foundation Establishment. I am merely a nobody who broke through to Foundation Establishment twenty years ago—how could I be worthy of being called Senior!" The intention behind Fei Wangbai's words was obvious, and both understood it clearly. Seeing Li Tongya smile faintly, Fei Wangbai continued: "Among the Yu family's younger generation, Yu Mujian is brave, strong, and values camaraderie, reaching Qi Refinement by forty. Yu Mugao and the others are sharp and cold-blooded—none of them are fools. It makes the rest of us envious indeed..." "Junior understands." Li Tongya nodded. After pondering for a breath, he shifted the topic and said in a grave voice: "In Senior's view, with the situation along Guli Road so chaotic nowadays, can the Yu family's market open smoothly?" Fei Wangbai shook his head and said with a smile: "That will be no easy feat. I have a Foundation Establishment cultivator friend in the commandery, and I heard him say a band of bandits has been roaming Guli Road. It would be fine if Yu Yufeng personally oversees things, but if Yu Yufeng encounters some trouble and leaves the market, something will likely go wrong." Li Tongya's mind instantly cleared, understanding the scheme of Fei Wangbai and his associates. Yet he had no wish to get entangled in unnecessary troubles. Fearing that Fei Wangbai might misunderstand, he hurriedly said: "It is a pity that my sword arts are too conspicuous and might attract enmity. Otherwise, I would have liked to lend a hand." "No need for that." Fei Wangbai chuckled. Hearing Li Tongya offer help without specifying whether it was to aid the Yu family or the bandits, he knew the Li family supported the matter as well. He finally laid all his cards on the table, nodding: "The Yu family is formidable now. If the other families cannot produce another Foundation Establishment cultivator, I fear they will be whittled away over the next century and perish one by one. Though the Li family has the protection of a sword immortal so that the Yu family dares not lay a finger on you, worldly affairs are unpredictable. One must remember that without the lips, the teeth are cold..." Li Tongya cupped his hands, no longer speaking in riddles, and said solemnly: "There will be ample opportunity for cooperation between our two families in the days ahead. My Li family is in the south, while the Fei family is in the north—geography makes us natural allies. I am no short-sighted man; why would I sit by and watch the Yu family grow unchecked?" The two smiled at each other, took their leave, and returned to their respective homes. *** Meanwhile, after the cultivators aboard the vessel had dispersed, the Yu family scion Yu Mugao led his two clan brothers—one tall, one fat—into the cabin. High in the spacious main cabin sat a large chair, upon which Yu Xiaogui sat upright with his head bowed. Seeing Yu Mugao enter through the doorway, he said in a low voice: "Come here." Yu Mugao took several steps forward. Seeing Yu Xiaogui staring at the wooden floor with a somber expression, he was suddenly asked: "What was the origin of Mujian's sword? Have you sent someone to look into it?" "I had my doubts as well and questioned Fourth Brother long ago." Having anticipated this, Yu Mugao replied, "That sword is a Qi Refinement-grade magical artifact, originally acquired by the Ancestor when wiping out Lingyu Gate. The blade is plain, and the materials used are unremarkable. There are no secrets behind it." "Oh?" Yu Xiaogui's brows relaxed. Lifting his hand slightly, he muttered, "It seems I overthought it." "That Li Tongya—" "That Li Tongya..." Father and son spoke simultaneously, then abruptly paused. Yu Xiaogui nodded in approval, his gaze upon Yu Mugao filled with satisfaction. Lifting a finger resting on the chair, he said: "Speak!" Yu Mugao nodded, then said in a deep voice: "This Li Tongya is steady and reserved, keeping his blade concealed. He is like... like a black-striped rat snake coiled in a corner. Father, do not be fooled by his quiet demeanor and respectful manner; this man is by no means easy to deal with. If we underestimate him, I fear we will suffer greatly." Yu Xiaogui looked up in some surprise and gently set down the teacup in his hand. He took Li Tongya seriously as well, but Yu Mugao's evaluation of Li Tongya was much higher than he had expected. After pondering for several breaths, he asked: "How do you think we should deal with him?" "While he has yet to achieve Foundation Establishment, we should use overwhelming force to crush him—lure him out and secretly slay him! As long as nobody finds out, with this variable eliminated, Lake Wangyue will sooner or later belong to us!" Yu Mugao spoke through gritted teeth, a ferocious look on his face. But Yu Xiaogui shook his head, his expression somewhat strange, and said sternly: "You always tell me that I act too rashly, yet in this matter, you are far more reckless. Behind Li Tongya stands Sword Immortal Qingsui, a prodigy of the Qingchi Sect! How could we slay him so casually? If the sect investigates and uses a Heart-Questioning Talisman, where will that leave our Yu family? I fear our vitality would be severely depleted!" Yu Mugao's expression froze. Grudgingly nodding, he cupped his hands and said: "I was rash!" "Even if we cannot deal with Li Tongya, we must curb the Li family's rising momentum." Yu Xiaogui refilled his tea and said with a smile, "Once the matter of the market is settled and our hands are free, we will plot to kill a few Li family juniors to sever their lineage—just as the Ancestor dealt with the Wan family back then. Scheming secretly for decades, by the time Wan Huaqian realized what was happening, he could no longer manage both ends and was forced into secluded cultivation to forcefully break through to Foundation Establishment, only to end up dead with his clan in decline." "Precisely!" Yu Mugao was all smiles as well, muttering: "The Li family today is the Wan family back then, and our Yu family is even stronger now. Back then, we covertly pressured the Wan family's Qi Refinement cultivators while secretly protecting the Ji family... Now it is the turn of the An and Lu families..." "By the way, Gao'er, there is one matter I need to ask you." Yu Xiaogui suddenly put down the teacup in his hand and said in a grave voice, "I heard that a prodigy has emerged in the An family named An Jingming, who reached Qi Refinement at the age of fourteen. How outrageous!" Yu Mugao's expression also turned solemn, and he said in a low voice: "Rest assured, Father. I have already sent men to keep watch on him. The moment An Jingming leaves the An family, I will receive word immediately. The An family will have no opportunity to produce a Foundation Establishment cultivator." Yu Xiaogui finally nodded and said with a broad smile: "With you handling things, my mind is at ease."