The Two Depart

Xiao Chuchou spoke gently, but his words sent a shiver through Li Tongya’s heart. His thoughts raced at lightning speed. Looking at the old man's smiling face, he said respectfully, "Our families have interacted for so many years that Tongya is naturally somewhat familiar with your noble clan's circumstances. Ancestor Chuting took great care of me in the past, and this junior is endlessly grateful." Seeing that Li Tongya answered evasively while tactfully invoking Xiao Chuting, Xiao Chuchou noted that although Li Tongya did not state anything outright, he had conveyed his meaning tactfully. He nodded and said softly, "Then there is no need for me to say more. Our two families rely upon one another. If you attain Foundation Establishment in the future, send word to my Xiao family, and we shall arrange a marriage alliance so we can better support one another." Xiao Chuchou was direct. Li Tongya had a steady temperament and was Li Chijing's older brother. In earlier years, he had received guidance and kindness from Xiao Chuting, and he also had good relations with Xiao Yongling, maintaining a correspondence through letters over the years. Because of this, the Xiao family trusted him. If Li Tongya achieved Foundation Establishment, the Li family would have the standing worthy of the Xiao family’s backing. If he failed to break through and his cultivation turned to dust, their connection would end with the personal friendship between Xiao Yuansi and Li Chijing. Li Tongya understood this completely and felt a surge of joy. A pragmatic man by nature, he took no offense at Xiao Chuchou's candid words, thinking to himself: *In the Xiao family, Xiao Chuting is now a Purple Mansion cultivator, Xiao Chuchou is in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, and they also have three late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, plus five in the early and middle stages. Among the clans under the Three Sects and Seven Gates, they are already preeminent, rivaled only by a handful like the Yu family of Linghai Commandery and the Chen family of Yuyang Commandery.* *Even if the Xiao family breaks away from the Qingchi Sect before long to become an independent Purple Mansion clan and cannot bypass the Qingchi Sect to meddle in Lake Wangyue’s affairs at will, they will still be a powerful backer. The Xiao family also needs our clan as a shield on Lake Wangyue to distribute their medicinal pills and magical instruments. A mutually beneficial partnership is naturally ideal.* With that in mind, Li Tongya cupped his hands with a solemn expression. Well aware of the Xiao family’s intentions, he said in a deep voice, "I am humbled by Your Reverence's high hopes! My Li family will certainly serve as a shield for your noble clan and guard Lake Wangyue." "Now, there is no need for such formalities!" Xiao Chuchou chuckled and nodded repeatedly. He quickly helped Li Tongya up, grasped his hand with a smile, and his aged voice echoed softly in the courtyard: "We are merely supporting each other, my young friend. No need to be so polite." After a polite exchange, they resumed their seats. Xiao Chuchou and Xiao Yuansi chatted about recent major events. Their tone gradually mellowed, and the intervals between remarks grew longer. Sensing that they were preparing to take their leave, Li Tongya quickly sent a voice transmission with his magic power. Having received the message outside, Li Xuanxuan walked slowly into the courtyard and presented four jade boxes. "Junior has four spiritual herbs here. I would like to trouble Senior to take a look at them..." As Li Tongya made the polite request, Xiao Yuansi set down his teacup. Exceptionally skilled in alchemy, he took the jade boxes and grasped their contents at a glance. He said softly, "These four spiritual herbs are all common Qi Refinement items. Based on the pill formulas I know, three of them can only serve as secondary ingredients, while one is a primary ingredient." "If you trust me, sell the secondary ingredients to our family, and leave this primary ingredient with me to refine pills. We will split the harvest as usual, and once the pills are ready, I will have someone deliver them to your noble clan." Li Tongya had naturally been waiting for these words. He cupped his hands: "Then I will trouble Senior with this matter!" Li Tongya handed the four jade boxes over to Xiao Yuansi. Xiao Yuansi explained the uses and values of each of the four spiritual herbs, counted out twenty spirit stones as payment for the three secondary ingredients, and chatted a bit longer. Then the two Xiao cultivators rose to take their leave and headed back toward the Xiao family. Soaring up and passing out of the formation, the pair bid farewell to Li Tongya and flew on the wind for several hours. Only then did Xiao Chuchou speak: "Yuansi, Rulian is already nineteen years old. How about having her marry into the Li family?" Xiao Yuansi pondered for a moment before replying in a low voice: "I fear that might not be suitable. If we form a marriage alliance, she ought to marry someone of the Li family's Yuan generation. Rulian shares the same generation rank as the Xuan generation, but the men of the Li family's Xuan generation already have primary wives. Marrying into the Yuan generation would disrupt generational seniority. It would probably be better to choose someone from the Gui generation." Xiao Chuchou nodded and said in a grave voice: "Then Guiluan it is. Her age happens to be young enough; waiting a few years for Li Tongya to break through to Foundation Establishment will just about align with the right time." *** Li Pingyi's mustache had grown quite thick, and he was now in the prime of his youth. Shaking out his sleeves with an air of gravity, he strode into the compound and nodded to his wife, who came out to greet him. His primary wife whispered: "Husband, you've arrived at just the right time. We were just looking for you. Aunt has been waiting for quite a while." Hearing this, Li Pingyi hurried into the courtyard and saw Li Feiruo sitting off to the side with a smile. She was dressed in ordinary Eastlander attire, having set aside the sumptuous elegance she had worn during her time among the Shanyue, which gave her an even gentler appearance. She chuckled: "Yier is truly a busy man. Getting to see you is no easy task." Li Pingyi gave an awkward smile and replied: "Regarding the matter Aunt asked about, I have already consulted the Young Patriarch." "Oh?" Li Feiruo immediately perked up, listening intently. Li Pingyi smiled and continued: "Aunt, you know the affairs of the Shanyue well. After careful consideration, the Young Patriarch has decided to dispatch you to Lichuankou in the far west to oversee the affairs of a town, conduct trade with the Shanyue, and manage the influx of Shanyue refugees crossing the border. This is what Aunt excels at most. Within three days, you will receive the official transfer notice." "That is wonderful." Li Feiruo was overjoyed and said softly: "I am grateful for the clan's trust. I will certainly not disappoint." Having gone among the Shanyue in her teens, Li Feiruo was decisive by nature and born to manage affairs. If forced to sit idly at home to support a husband and educate children, she would never have been able to endure it. Now that she had work to do, she felt eager to jump in, turning over the political landscape in her mind. After Li Pingyi chatted casually with her for a while, a clan soldier hurried up from below and whispered a few words into his ear. "Milord, word came from the mine. A spiritual pearl was unearthed from a cave. Lord Xu made a trip to the mine and secretly brought it back." Li Pingyi raised his brows, a look of pleasant surprise dawning on his face. Seeing this, Li Feiruo smiled faintly and gracefully took her leave. Li Pingyi courteously saw her out of the courtyard before turning back to ask: "Xu Gongming is a cultivator of the third layer of Embryonic Breathing himself. Even if he couldn't identify the specific spiritual object, could he not even gauge its approximate rank?" The clan soldier shook his head and answered: "Lord Xu only said that the aura within it was vast and boundless—definitely beyond the Embryonic Breathing level." "Where is it?" Li Pingyi asked. The clan soldier replied: "Lord Xu is waiting outside the courtyard, and he brought the pearl along." "Good. Come with me to see the Young Patriarch." Li Pingyi led the man out of the courtyard. His side courtyard was built right beside the Clan Rectory. After walking for just a short while along the bluestone path, he entered the Clan Rectory. Taking the wooden box from Xu Gongming, he went alone past the front hall and the central chamber, through a dimly lit passageway. Li Yuanxiu sat at the head of the room, holding a wooden slip and reading it carefully. "Young Patriarch." Li Pingyi presented the wooden box with both hands and explained the circumstances from start to finish. Having listened, Li Yuanxiu nodded and said softly: "Bring it over so I can take a look." Li Pingyi opened the box and took out a lustrous, pitch-black pearl about the size of a fist. Li Yuanxiu reached out to take it. Upon touching it, he felt a faint tingling numbness, and it weighed heavy in his hand. He examined it for a while but found no clues. Raising his brows, he murmured: "I suspect it might be a Qi Refinement spiritual object. Uncle Qiuyang and Uncle Donghe have both gone to Mount Huaqian, and I don't know whether Father and the others have gone into seclusion..." "Then again, the Foundation Establishment senior of the Xiao family came to visit just this morning and left only a moment ago. Granduncle surely hasn't entered seclusion yet." Li Yuanxiu lifted the pearl and said gently: "Send this spiritual object over to Granduncle shortly and ask the venerable elder to take a look."