Li Yuanxiu stood in the courtyard cradling his sword. Before him, Li Yuanjiao, dressed in black robes, drew his sword and brandished it, each stroke whistling sharply against the cold wind. His knuckles were pale from gripping the hilt, and the heavy green blade brought a sheen of sweat to his brow.
"Jiao'er, how long have you been studying this Mystic Water Sword Art?"
Li Yuanxiu reached out to pat Li Yuanjiao's shoulder, correcting his sword stance, and asked in a gentle voice.
"A little over two years," Li Yuanjiao answered softly.
Li Yuanxiu pointed out a few of his mistakes, and just then, a young boy entered through the gate. Looking somewhat younger than Li Yuanxiu, he clasped his hands toward them, looked up, and said, "Elder Brother, my father asks that you come up the mountain."
"Understood." Li Yuanxiu nodded to Li Yuanyun before turning his head to say, "Go tell the eastern courtyard that I won't be handling affairs for the moment."
Behind him, Li Pingyi was already tall and broad, standing even sturdier than his father, Li Xiewen. At these words, he nodded and went out. Li Yuanxiu took his leave of Li Yuanjiao and followed Li Yuanyun up the mountain.
Li Xuanling was sitting in his courtyard, watching the tea leaves rise and sink in his cup. Li Tongya had instructed him to disclose the matter of the magical mirror to Li Yuanxiu and the others, yet his heart was burdened with sorrow and unease.
Li Xuanling had long known that his child Li Yuanyun possessed no spirit apertures. A few days ago, he had still clung to a sliver of hope—if only the magical mirror chose him, a solution to the lack of spirit apertures might be found.
Yet with that single kneel before the mirror, Li Xuanling had been forced to face reality. Bitter sorrow filled his chest; watching his child run about on the mountain stirred feelings beyond words.
"This child... what is to be done with him..."
As a child, Li Xuanling had seen how his Third Uncle, Li Xiangping, especially doted on Li Jingtian. Now that it was his turn, he truly tasted what it felt like. It was far more than mere affection... to say there was neither guilt nor grief was something Li Xuanling could never believe.
A rap sounded at the door. Li Yuanyun had already led Li Yuanxiu inside. The boy had talked through the entire night with Li Xuanling and learned that he lacked spirit apertures; he had not been able to hold back two bouts of tears. By now, however, no traces of tears remained, and he even wore a cheerful smile, as though trying to comfort his father.
"Greetings, Clan Uncle!"
Li Yuanxiu clasped his hands. Young Yuanyun tactfully withdrew from the room. Watching him leave, Li Xuanling lowered his eyes, turned his head away, and said in a strained voice, "I called you here today because you have already achieved the Xuan Scenery. There are matters in the family you need to know."
Li Xuanling had pondered this deeply before summoning him, carefully organizing his thoughts. He began, "Our family possesses a dharma artifact passed down from our ancestors. It is a blue-gray mirror, far beyond the Foundation Establishment grade, possessing many wondrous uses and extraordinary divine power."
He recounted the magical mirror's abilities one by one, citing examples from past events. Li Yuanxiu listened with growing delight, and only then did Li Xuanling continue: "A few days ago, when your senses were sealed in the courtyard, it was to seek these talisman seeds. Your younger siblings, Yuanjiao and Qinghong, received favor, and talisman seeds were secretly bestowed into their Shengyang Mansions!"
He made no mention of the fact that a talisman seed could be sought for a specific individual, glossing over it to frame the bestowal as entirely dependent on the mirror's favor. Naturally, this was to spare Li Yuanxiu's feelings. Yet the eldest brother of the Yuan-Qing generation seemed completely unfazed, saying with delight, "That is truly wonderful."
Then a flicker of dejection passed through his eyes, and he added quietly, "It is only a pity for Yuanyun."
These words struck straight at Li Xuanling's heartache. He could not help nodding and said in a heavy voice, "Yuanyun cannot cultivate, and there is much he keeps from me, his father... His days ahead will not be easy. I must ask you to look after him, Xiu'er."
Li Yuanxiu nodded solemnly. The two conversed under the lamp for a long time, speaking of the covetous Yu family to the Xiao family that aided them from afar. Many of Li Yuanxiu's insights made Li Xuanling view him in a new light. They spoke deep into the night before Li Xuanling had him swear the Xuanjing Spiritual Oath and saw him out the door.
"With this boy managing the clan, the future will be secure."
Li Xuanling's mood improved considerably. Watching Li Yuanxiu's receding silhouette as he walked down the mountain, he nodded in satisfaction and turned back to his cultivation.
***
After paying his respects to Clan Patriarch Xiao Chuting at home and meeting his clan nephew Xiao Yongling, Xiao Yuansi was finally able to get away. He rode the wind along Guli Road for a time, flying past layer upon layer of sea-like forests until he reached the territory of the Li family.
The crude Lost in the Mist Array that had once guarded Mount Lijing had now been replaced by a rather intricate grand array shimmering with golden light. Xiao Yuansi nodded slightly at the sight. Though the formation was nothing formidable before his current Foundation Establishment cultivation, it showed that the Li family had made progress over these years.
Halting outside the array, Xiao Yuansi began somewhat nervously, "Qingsui Peak..."
He paused, reconsidered, and corrected himself: "Xiao Yuansi of the Lixia Xiao family comes to pay a visit. Please open the mountain gate!"
The people below clearly hesitated for a long while before opening a small gap. Xiao Yuansi withdrew his spell and descended through the opening. Standing before him was a junior he did not recognize, though the young man's face seemed somewhat familiar. The man clasped his hands and said, "Li Xuanxuan of the Li family greets Senior. The elders of my family are in closed-door cultivation. Please come sit in the courtyard."
Xiao Yuansi nodded gently and glanced at him, resisting the urge to ask whose child he was. He took a seat, lifted his teacup, and waited quietly for Li Tongya and the others to arrive.
Just as he was framing his thoughts, Li Tongya arrived at the door. Dismissing the attendants, he left only the two of them in the courtyard. Li Tongya clasped his hands and said respectfully, "Greetings, Senior!"
Xiao Yuansi looked at him with deep emotion, observing the graying hair at his temples, and said softly, "You have aged as well... Where is Xiangping?"
Li Tongya lowered his head, his eyes downcast and bereft of light, as he answered, "By agreement of the two sects, the Shanyue marched east and hunted down Xiangping, forcing him to his death."
Xiao Yuansi had already come weighed down with guilt. These words struck his head like a heavy hammer, shattering his composure. He unfastened the green blade from his waist and held it out, saying in a low voice, "Jing'er... he... is gone."
Though Li Tongya had long known, he could not stop his tears from falling. Taking the sword with both hands, he choked out, "At twenty, Tongya lost his eldest brother. Parents and brothers passed away one after another. Now I have neither parents to look upon, nor brothers by my side!"
Though Xiao Yuansi was now a true Foundation Establishment cultivator, those few words shook him to tears. Remembering his promise to look after Jing'er back when he had refined pills for the Li family, he gritted his teeth and said, "Tongya... Tongya... I—I have failed you."
Li Tongya's brows snapped up, and his voice rang out, "Senior Xiao! I ask you only one thing: how did Jing'er die?"
Xiao Yuansi's face flushed crimson. A tempest raged within him. After several breaths, he finally spoke: "He was harmed by the Chi family... offered up to Nanjiang to refine pills for demonic beasts! My master has been locked beneath the pagoda and has yet to be released. There was nothing I could do..."
"So it was the Chi family!"
Li Tongya knew that the Chi family wielded great authority in the Qingchi Sect; nothing was more natural than for them to commit such an atrocity. Bowing, he said, "Thank you, Senior!"
"I do not deserve your thanks."
Xiao Yuansi shook his head, thoroughly unsettled by the crushing grief in the air. He quickly changed the subject, speaking solemnly: "My junior brother also asked me to bring many things back home. I deliver them all to you today!
"The most precious item among them is this Green Ruler Sword."
Xiao Yuansi pointed to the sheathed Green Ruler Sword in Li Tongya's hands and explained, "My master obtained seven feet of Qingming bronze from Mount Qingchi, supplemented it with thirty-two kinds of natural treasures and spiritual materials, and entrusted the master of Yuanwu Peak to forge it. The moment it was completed, it was already of the Foundation Establishment grade.
"Later, nurtured day and night by my junior brother, the sword intent and the blade came to resonate as one. When he broke through to Foundation Establishment, the Green Ruler Sword gained considerable spirituality. Stored within it is a strand of pure Moon Crescent sword intent, mysterious and profound. Jing'er specifically bid me to bring it home!"
Xiao Yuansi shook his head and sighed, "Yet once it came into my hands, the sword refused to leave its sheath no matter what. Even when summoned with magical power, it appeared dull and lusterless. It seems it has already developed spirituality and refuses to deign to serve me."
Li Tongya looked it up and down. The blade was nowhere to be seen, but the pale white sword tassel swayed gently, quite pleasing to the eye. Applying some force, he indeed found it impossible to draw from the sheath.
"That is the first item," Xiao Yuansi said, casting a sorrowful glance at the sword before continuing. "Second, Jing'er earned some merits in Nanjiang. Hearing that the family lacked an alchemy inheritance, he traded for one. It is here."
With that, he produced a jade slip glowing with a lovely azure radiance, inscribed with small characters. Li Tongya took it and looked:
*Secret Essentials of Pill Refinement*.
Xiao Yuansi brought out a storage bag and placed it into Li Tongya's hands, explaining, "Inside are miscellaneous goods: over a hundred spirit stones, a few Qi Refinement talismans, and a precious Suiyuan Pill, which can increase the chance of successful Foundation Establishment by five percent."
Li Tongya hastily accepted it, not expecting Li Chijing to have planned so thoroughly. He murmured under his breath, "This child..."
Finally, Xiao Yuansi took out two jade slips, one large and one small. Setting the smaller one upright on the table, he said softly, "This is the *Clear Pupil Spiritual Eyes*, a rare ocular technique adept at piercing illusions, though difficult to cultivate. Jing'er originally prepared it for Xiangping upon hearing that he used a bow."
Then, with great gravity, he placed the larger jade slip into Li Tongya's hands and cautioned, "And this is Chijing's sword art, which he recorded into a manual named the *Moon Crescent Sword Scripture*. He said it qualifies as a fifth-rank cultivation method, making it exceptionally precious! You must never let word of this leak out... It bears Jing'er's magical mark, proving that I have never read it!"
Hearing this moved Li Tongya deeply. This was a fifth-rank method—something even Purple Mansion cultivators would covet, let alone Xiao Yuansi back when he had likely not yet reached Foundation Establishment. Li Tongya promptly rose and said with deep respect, "Senior's character moves Tongya to boundless admiration!"
The two looked at each other, everything understood without words. Only then did Xiao Yuansi feel at ease enough to sit back down and take two sips of tea. With only the two of them left in the empty courtyard, Li Tongya asked in a low voice, "May I ask Senior... how long can this matter be concealed?"
Xiao Yuansi set down his teacup, having guessed what Li Tongya was considering. After pondering for several breaths, he replied, "Aside from a few Purple Mansion cultivators, this matter should only be known to me and Chi Zhiyun of the Chi family. Chi Zhiyun spends his days in closed-door cultivation and dislikes socializing. The Chi family acted dishonorably here, so he would hardly advertise it, and I naturally will not speak of it. Keeping it concealed for another fifty years will be no problem."
"Fifty years."
Li Tongya committed this timeframe to memory and thanked Xiao Yuansi. The atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly grew somber; both men parted their lips, but neither could find words.
After drinking his tea, Xiao Yuansi felt restless and uneasy, so he could only speak up: "The State of Yue will see great upheaval. Three of the peak Purple Mansion cultivators of that generation have reached the end of their lifespans. Chaos is bound to erupt hereafter.
"One is a rogue cultivator with erratic movements. Another is that figure among the Shanyue, who has relied on secret arts to prolong his life these past few years, only for something to go awry, leaving him in a rather wretched state. The last is Chi Wei of the Chi family. All three are approaching their ends and trying every means to break through to Golden Core. Though the likelihood is slim, one must remain vigilant."
Li Tongya listened attentively. Xiao Yuansi's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said with keen interest, "Counting the time, six or seven Shejiao Fruits should have grown by now, right? Since I am here, I might as well refine them into pills, saving them from sitting too long and losing their spiritual energy."
"How... how could we trouble you so?"
Caught between polite refusal and acceptance by Xiao Yuansi's eagerness, Li Tongya exchanged a few polite words before waving his hand. Outside the door, Li Xuanxuan received a transmission of magical power and hurried off to fetch the Shejiao Fruits.
***
Xiao Yuansi stayed on Mount Lijing for a few days. Alongside refining pills, he also provided guidance on Li Tongya's cultivation doubts and his future path.
"When the River Unity Qi Formula is cultivated to Foundation Establishment, the resulting immortal foundation is called the [Vast Sea]. It is renowned for its surging, ceaseless magical power and immense momentum. Those who cultivate it can often withstand sieges by multiple opponents, their magical power surging rapidly.
"Years ago, the master of the Lake Wangyue market cultivated this very technique. It took three people of the same realm wielding specialized dharma artifacts to surround and kill him. It is just that this cultivation method is rather blunt; paired with your sword technique, however, the two complement each other perfectly."
Li Tongya nodded, committing the words to memory. Suddenly recalling the disciple from the Yu family who had entered Yuanwu Peak, he asked, "Senior, a disciple from the Yu family beside Lake Wangyue entered Yuanwu Peak. Do you know of him?"
Xiao Yuansi nodded. Tucking away the jade box in his hands, he replied, "Before leaving the Qingchi Sect, I inquired about all the neighboring clans, and the Yu family was among them. That disciple is named Yu Muxian. His talent can only be considered decent, but he possesses considerable gift in artifact refinement, which is why Yuanwu Peak values him.
"Speaking of which, I did hear an interesting piece of news."
Xiao Yuansi gave a low chuckle and said to Li Tongya, "Not only did that Yu Muxian plead with the master of Yuanwu Peak to petition for splitting off a commandery, but he also had the recruitment quota allocated under Yuanwu Peak. Yet Yuanwu Peak has already filled its quota of disciples for these years.
"Which is to say, over the next several decades, unless someone happens to pass by by chance, no one will come to Lake Wangyue to recruit disciples at all!"
Li Tongya pondered for a breath and sighed, "What an ingenious scheme!"
The primary reason the various clans around Lake Wangyue had not engaged in wholesale annexations was that each family was deeply entangled with various peaks of the Qingchi Sect; making a move rashly risked drawing the sect's censure. The Yu family had often suffered headaches over this very issue.
Yet the peak masters merely maintained ties they were obliged to look after; they were not caretakers for these clans. The fate of the Lu family remained fresh in memory. Such entanglements often hinged on the blood relations of just one or two individuals. There were countless cases where the death of one or two clan elders caused their protection to lapse, leading to the extermination of the entire clan.
This underhanded maneuver by the Yu family had cut off the future hope of most clans at its roots. As the older generation withered away, a day would inevitably come when they lost their protection, giving the Yu family the opportunity to reap advantages.
*What is more, preventing the various peaks from recruiting disciples also snuffed out a massive threat,* Li Tongya thought to himself as he took the pills Xiao Yuansi handed over.
*An Jingming's talent is certainly among the best Lake Wangyue has seen in a hundred years. If he entered the Qingchi Sect, the Yu family's path of southward expansion would be completely blocked... Moreover, with such a genius from a neighboring clan entering the sect, the Yu family head probably would not even be able to sleep at night.*
*For such a brilliant scheme... Yu Mugao and Yu Xiaogui surely spent a fortune in gifts to grease the wheels. That father and son are truly difficult to deal with!*
Chapter 159