Cultivators of Other Surnames

An Zheyan cupped his hands gently and answered in a placid tone, "Kill Yu Mugao." "Oh?" Li Tongya scoffed inwardly. A faint smile surfaced on his face as he said softly, "If Brother Zheyan has come for this matter, then please see yourself out." "Ling'er, see our guest out." Seated in the place of honor, Li Tongya called out. Li Xuanling, who had been standing silently in the corner, took a step forward. An Zheyan hurriedly waved his hands and blurted, "Brother Tongya, hear me out!" Li Tongya had never intended to throw him out rudely in the first place. Hearing him speak up, he turned his head to look at him. An Zheyan pressed on hurriedly, "Brother Tongya! Although your noble clan is shielded by a Sword Immortal and none dare look down upon you, the Yu family has long harbored the ambition to sweep across Lake Wangyue! Even if they do not dare devour your noble clan openly, their underhanded maneuvers will never cease! Yu Mugao wouldn't dare strike at you directly, Brother Tongya, but he is more than capable of enlisting guest elders, rogue cultivators, or disciples from outside sects to ambush and murder the disciples of your clan in secret. He will not rest easy until all the outstanding younger generation of your noble clan are cut down in their prime... "The Sword Immortal possesses profound cultivation, yet he resides far away in Nanjiang. The Yu family also has backing within their sect. As long as no evidence is left behind, could Sword Immortal Qingsui truly fly tens of thousands of li just to act over the inexplicable demise of a nephew or two?" An Zheyan laid all these matters out on the table so brazenly that Li Tongya's brow furrowed deeper and deeper. In a steady voice, he said, "Brother Zheyan seems remarkably well-informed about the Yu family." These words failed to move Li Tongya; instead, they stirred mounting suspicion in his mind. Having lived as neighbors for so many years, both sides had planted numerous informants in each other's territories, and Li Tongya had heard plenty about An Zheyan's dealings. He mused inwardly, *Yu Mugao is ruthless by nature, and he is indeed capable of doing such a thing. But this An Zheyan has always been selfish and stingy, never one to consider the greater picture. How is it that he has acted so contrary to his usual character today, uttering words like these?* Seeing Li Tongya lower his head without replying, An Zheyan thought he was swaying. Striking while the iron was hot, he said, "A man may harbor no intent to harm a tiger, but the tiger always intends to devour the man! Even though your noble clan stays peaceably within your own domain, if the Yu family wishes to maintain their current hegemony over Lake Wangyue, they must suppress your clan. Unable to find an opening against you, Brother Tongya, they will surely plot against your clan's younger generation!" Li Tongya shook his head and offered an excuse in a grave voice: "Yu Mugao and Yu Mujian both possess fine aptitude. Not only is Yu Xiaogui of the Yu family a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but there are also several at peak Qi Refinement in the Xiao generation. They have no reason whatsoever to fear my Li family. I stand by what I said: if Brother Zheyan has come for this matter, there is no need to speak further. Please take your leave." Seeing that he remained utterly unmoved, An Zheyan showed neither anger nor haste. He said in a low voice, "Every word I have spoken is the absolute truth, as you well know in your heart, Brother Tongya. If your noble clan does not believe me, wait a few more years, and you will understand my warning." With that, he cupped his hands, caught the wind, and took his leave. Li Tongya stood where he was for a moment. Li Xuanling stepped forward hesitantly and murmured, "Father, I find his words rather reasonable. We should remain on our guard." Frowning, Li Tongya sat back in the seat of honor. The more he thought, the stranger it seemed. After pondering for several breaths, he replied, "Those aren't words An Zheyan could come up with. I'm afraid this was An Jingming's idea." Recalling Yu Mugao's temperament and considering how close the An and Yu families appeared to be, Li Tongya felt somewhat vexed. He whispered, "With Yu Mugao's disposition, he is certainly capable of doing such things. Not only against our family—An Jingming is likely on his mind as well. That is why they are so desperate to find allies to deal with Yu Mugao." Standing nearby, Li Xuanling frowned and replied, "Yet that man stays within the Yu family day in and day out. Even when he ventures out, he is protected by peak Qi Refinement cultivators. How could he be so easy to kill? Doing so would only mean offending the Yu family for nothing." Li Tongya nodded and said gently, "It was an impractical notion to begin with. Instruct the clan disciples not to leave home from now on. We shall wait until the Xiao family's schemes reach their conclusion before discussing anything further. When the time comes, we can borrow the Xiao family's strength so the Yu family cannot go on throwing their weight around day after day." Li Xuanling took note of his instructions. Li Tongya glanced at the sky and urged, "Now that I have the Sheyuan Pill, I can attempt to enter seclusion to break through to the ninth layer of Qi Refinement. Although only two or three years have passed since I broke through to the eighth layer, making this a bit rushed, there is no other choice. After all, I must attempt to achieve Foundation Establishment before turning sixty..." Li Xuanling gritted his teeth, a thick, inseparable gloom surfacing in his eyes. Organizing his words for a long time, he finally said with trepidation, "Your son has heard that breaking through from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment offers only a slim chance of survival. Right now, Father's late-stage Qi Refinement cultivation serves as the pillar of our family. Your son fears..." Li Tongya froze for a moment, then sighed softly. Looking at his eldest son, who had already become a father himself and whose upper lip was covered in a full mustache, he felt a touch of gratification. He replied, "Throughout my life, your father's cultivation has relied on consuming only three medicinal pills and a strand of talisman qi. The rest was achieved entirely through bitter, unceasing cultivation. I have never ingested precious herbs or spiritual treasures like the disciples of the Three Sects and Seven Gates. Breaking through is indeed a matter of a single chance of life against nine parts of death..." Seeing the worry in Li Xuanling's eyes, Li Tongya smiled. "Yet the reason I have toiled diligently on the path of cultivation day and night without rest is precisely so I could attempt Foundation Establishment before the age of sixty, gaining that extra ten or fifteen percent chance of success. If our Li family wishes to take another step forward, we must have a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Across this vast Lake Wangyue, only Foundation Establishment cultivators have any say. "With the prestige of your Fourth Uncle, our Li family will remain safe for fifty years. This is the prime opportunity to attempt Foundation Establishment. Even if my breakthrough fails and my body perishes, with my Dao undone, the Yu family will not dare harm our clan. Instead, they will greatly lower their guard." "Your son understands." Li Xuanling cupped his hands. Li Tongya nodded slightly, stepped out of the courtyard, and rode the wind south toward Meichi Peak. Deeply anxious, Li Xuanling watched the retreating silhouette riding the wind, secretly wishing that the day Li Tongya entered seclusion to attempt Foundation Establishment would arrive a little later. *** Lijing Town. The largest and most luxurious courtyard in Lijing Town was not Li Xuanxuan's residence at the foot of the mountain. In terms of area and splendor, Li Xuanxuan's courtyard would have to be ranked far behind. The residences of the clan uncles and clan elders were among the very best; below them were the four families—Chen, Liu, Ren, and Tian—and only then did it come to Li Xuanxuan's turn. For the past few years, Chen Donghe had been stationed on Mount Huaqian, cultivating with the help of the mountain's spiritual spring, and had not returned to the Chen family in all that time. He had never expected the Chen residence to have grown to such an extent. With more than three hundred people under its roof, one might not even find where someone lived without a map inscribed with their names. The moment he arrived before the courtyard, a crackle of firecrackers burst by his ears. People stood flanking both sides of the entrance. His only surviving elder brother, now in his fifties and the grand master of the manor, was waiting for him respectfully at the gate. A young boy clad in a padded jacket stood before the doors, gazing up at him. Sweeping his spiritual sense over the boy, Chen Donghe knew at once that this was the child with a spirit aperture who had prompted the family to summon him home. "How old are you now?" "Eight." Chen Donghe looked at him closely. The boy bit his lip, staring straight back at him. Chen Donghe asked again, "What is your name?" "Chen Mufeng." Chen Donghe rose to his feet, only then noticing his elder brother stepping forward. His tone was obsequious and frighteningly distant: "We invited the Immortal Master back this time in the hope that the Immortal Master might guide this child... The Chen family would be eternally grateful!" With that, he fell to his knees with a thud. A whole crowd of people followed suit, kowtowing as cries of pleading washed over like a tide. Watching the boy's demeanor, Chen Donghe paid no mind to the crowd around him, thinking to himself, *I cannot take this child under my own wing; that would leave an opening for others to criticize. Finding him a decent master will serve as an explanation to the Chen family.* He helped his elder brother up and said in a heavy voice, "Though I cannot guide this child personally, I can find him a fine master..." The old patriarch froze, his expression flickering with uncertainty. He asked hesitantly, "Is this fine master surnamed Tian... or surnamed Liu?" Chen Donghe rarely interacted with cultivators of other surnames down the mountain, so the question took him aback. Then realization dawned, and he thought, *Over the past few decades, the Li family has accumulated thirty or forty cultivators of other surnames. Most are at the first or second layer of Embryonic Breathing, but three or four have reached the fourth layer... There must be factions among them, and this matter concerns the Chen family's allegiance...* Seeing Chen Donghe's reaction, the old patriarch panicked slightly. Squeezing a smile onto his wrinkled face, he stammered, "It is not that we doubt the Immortal Master's decision or wish to be brazenly picky. It is only that our family wishes to know the name of this master... so we know which fold we are entering." Chen Donghe waved his hand and said with a warm smile, "Rest assured, Brother. This person is surnamed Li." "Surnamed Li?!" The old patriarch was instantly overjoyed. He grinned broadly, revealing several decayed teeth, and laughed. "Surnamed Li is wonderful! Surnamed Li is wonderful!" Chen Donghe chuckled, took Chen Mufeng by the hand, and rode the wind into the sky, leaving a crowd on the ground staring upward in envy. Chen Donghe flew over the town for a time while the child in his embrace trembled with fear. He touched down inside an empty courtyard. Chen Mufeng staggered a few steps. As Chen Donghe released his hand, he saw a man standing with folded arms before a stone door. His hair was grizzled and his back was held straight. Seeing Chen Donghe, he showed a look of surprise and cupped his hands. "Greetings, Brother Donghe... How rare. Have you come looking for Shamoli?" "Not at all." Chen Donghe cupped his hands with a smile, pulled the boy before him, and said softly, "I have come specifically for you, Brother Qiuyang." Li Qiuyang stepped forward and sat down on a stone stool in the courtyard, yet his spiritual sense remained projected outward, still keeping watch over the stone door where Shamoli was in seclusion. He chuckled. "Speak your mind, Brother Donghe!" Chen Donghe nodded and said gravely, "I made a trip back to the Chen family. A child with a spirit aperture appeared among them, and they wished for me to lead him onto the path of cultivation. But it is inconvenient for me to guide him myself, so I was hoping to entrust him to you, Brother." "Oh?" Li Qiuyang lowered his head and did not agree right away. He studied Chen Mufeng's face for a moment, seeing that the boy appeared obedient. Then Chen Donghe spoke again, transmitting his voice via magical power: "I have heard that none of Brother Qiuyang's sons possess spirit apertures, which will make things difficult in the future... Why not take in this child, instruct him diligently through the bond of master and disciple, and later marry one of your daughters to him? When you pass away a century from now, your descendants will have someone to shelter them..." These words struck right at the heart of Li Qiuyang's deepest worry. A smile bloomed on his face, and he nodded repeatedly, saying in a deep voice, "Since you put it that way, Brother, I will accept this child." Chen Donghe laughed heartily, patted the boy's back, and said with a smile, "Call him Master." "Master!" The boy was indeed sensible and called out in a crisp voice. Li Qiuyang immediately took his hand with great warmth and inquired about his birthdate and name. Chen Donghe watched with a smile until the two finished, then said in a soft voice, "There is one matter I would like to ask Brother Qiuyang about." "Please, go ahead." Li Qiuyang looked up. Chen Donghe produced two small cups and a gourd from his storage bag, filled the cups with clear wine, and asked in a low voice, "I have cultivated on Mount Huaqian for many years and know very little about the cultivators of other surnames in our clan. I wonder... could Brother Qiuyang enlighten me?" "So that's what this is about!" Li Qiuyang raised his cup and was about to take a sip, but glanced at the shut stone door and ultimately set the jade cup back down. He smiled and said, "Our clan currently has twenty-eight Embryonic Breathing cultivators of other surnames, along with six Embryonic Breathing cultivators of the Ye lineage who took the surname Li. Most are only at the first or second layer of Embryonic Breathing, hardly worth mentioning. Only a few who began cultivating earlier and possess decent aptitude are worth noting." Li Qiuyang glanced at Chen Mufeng beside him. Seeing the boy listening with pricked ears, he nodded slightly and continued seriously, "The first is at the fifth layer of Embryonic Breathing, surnamed Tian. He is from the maternal clan of the Clan Head's... of the Great King's wife." The mention of the Great King plunged both men into silence. Both of them had gone through life and death alongside Li Xiangping, and back in the Shanyue territory, they had always addressed Li Xiangping as the Great King. "After the Great King passed away in the Shanyue lands, the Clan Mistress died of sorrow within a few years, causing the Tian family's standing to slide considerably. However, this man possesses decent aptitude. He is forty years old now; while his chances of breaking through to Qi Refinement are slim, the possibility still exists. "Presently, he oversees the cultivation of the spirit rice in town, and quite a few people support him in secret. He can be considered a faction of his own. "Next are the Liu and Ren families, both at the fourth layer of Embryonic Breathing. Neither stands much of a chance of breaking through to Qi Refinement, but each counts as their own faction." Sipping his wine, Chen Donghe frowned and murmured, "Does the family know of this?" "That I do not know." Li Qiuyang shook his head. Sweeping his spiritual sense inside and outside the courtyard, he said in a low voice, "This matter ought to fall under the Clan Rectorate's purview. I avoid such affairs like the plague, so how would I dare meddle? Which disciple of the Li family doesn't fear the Clan Rectorate?" Chen Donghe came to a sudden understanding. Offering an apology, he pondered for several breaths before asking, "Is the friction among them intense?" "In the past, it was manageable." Li Qiuyang's voice dropped even lower. The faint wrinkles at the corners of his eyes became noticeable in the dim light. He whispered, "After all, each family has its own interests. Each parcel of spirit fields yields differently, and the stipends provided vary accordingly. In the past, those people only vied for the fertile fields to slack off, while not a single soul was willing to take the barren ones. "Ever since Young Master Xiu took charge of the clan's affairs, the factions have grown increasingly at odds. Many have been squeezed out into barren fields due to mutual strife, forced to till the land with much toil and little reward..." "I see." Chen Donghe nodded slightly, thinking to himself, *I'm afraid this must be reported to the family so Xuanling and the others can make a decision, lest it brew bitter consequences over time.* With that, he bade farewell to Li Qiuyang, rode the wind out of the courtyard, and flew toward the mountain. He left Li Qiuyang standing in the courtyard, staring silently in the direction he had gone. Only after a long while did Li Qiuyang smile. "He'er is just the same as always!"