Li Yuanping

Lu Jiangxian withdrew his gaze from the myriad spectacles of mortal life at the foot of the mountain, letting his divine sense recede into the mirror. He settled beside the white-jade stone table. A gentle breeze tugged at his robes as he slowly sat down, letting out a soft sigh, a faint trace of sorrow showing on his face. "Four pairs of fathers and sons, three families plotting murder, generations of entanglements... Such is the world. You fear me, and I fear you, driving people to harm others, until it ends in a vendetta where every household wears mourning white... "Immortals fighting desperately for their lives, superior sects carrying out massacres, human elixirs, blood sacrifices, devouring of kin; great clans crushing one another, and common folk craning their necks for slaughter." Doubts filled Lu Jiangxian's heart, and he murmured quietly, "The great conflict between immortal and demonic paths in antiquity... what was its ultimate outcome, that this world has been reduced to such a state?" Gathering his thoughts, Lu Jiangxian turned his attention to a far more pressing issue. "My seven emotions and six desires are growing fainter and fainter..." He had lost his physical body. For the first dozen or so years, it had not been so bad—a lingering momentum had carried him through, still allowing him to feel emotional tremors, and having spent much of those early years drifting between waking and slumber, the problem had not felt severe. In recent decades, however, Lu Jiangxian had spent more time awake than asleep, devoting himself to studying shamanic arts. Fewer and fewer things could stir any ripples in his heart, leaving him increasingly indifferent and unfeeling. Yet it was thanks to this emotional blunting that he had been able to remain inside the magical mirror day after day for decades, looking on with cold detachment as family after family rose and fell. Truth be told, Lu Jiangxian could have intervened to save Li Yuanxiu, but myriad considerations had stayed his hand. *The magical mirror has a grand origin, and my previous incarnation was at some unknown, unfathomable realm, yet I have fallen to such a state today. The enemies' strength must be truly terrifying... Talisman qi can perform divinations and deductions, so the enemies' divinatory prowess surely cannot be far behind. I cannot afford the slightest exposure...* A gentle pale-silver light illuminated Lu Jiangxian's hand, circling in his palm. This was the remnant power of deduction he had obtained from Liu Changdie years ago. Lu Jiangxian had spent three years using it to calculate the risk of his own exposure, and he had finally gleaned some answers. *The essence of Taiyin Mysterious Light is extremely pure moon essence, originating from Taiyin itself. If I use Taiyin Mysterious Light to slay enemies, there is virtually no risk of being traced through divination. But using shamanic arts against foes is far more dangerous; the greater the power unleashed, the easier it is to attract prying eyes.* *If I were to personally manifest outside the magical mirror, heaven and earth would change color, thunderclaps would roar, and immortals from all ten directions would be alerted...* Lu Jiangxian weighed the thoughts in his mind. The best course remained to stay quietly within the magical mirror, waiting as the Li family members rose and perished across generations. Allowing the power accumulated by the talisman seeds to grow ever stronger was the safest approach. *Earlier, I thought a sect would accumulate talisman seeds faster than a family... But after seeing the Qingchi Sect and the Tangjin Sect, I realized sects are hardly any better. They are merely clans dressed in different robes...* Spirit apertures were tied to bloodlines, practically guaranteeing that people within a sect would intermarry until their lineages intertwined, ultimately turning the sect into an autocracy ruled by one or a few families. While a sect might gather resources faster in the beginning, it lacked the stability of a clan whose members all shared a single common ancestor. When the grand tide turned toward ruin, a sect could easily fracture into factions of different surnames, leaking secrets in the process. Lu Jiangxian possessed a virtually endless lifespan, so he naturally preferred the prudent path. Even if it meant lagging slightly behind in speed, he refused to brook the slightest risk of exposure. *Looking back now, decades ago when I didn't know the origin of the magical mirror, I revealed far too much before the Li family... Li Mutian watched me closely for over a decade and likely picked up on some clues. Fortunately, the old man has passed away.* Lu Jiangxian extended a translucent hand and waved it lightly through the air. Three round, white pearls appeared, casting a soft gleam in midair, looking quite wondrous. *Once Li Tongya breaks through to Foundation Establishment, I will manifest these three talisman seeds. Li Tongya is cautious and deliberate; without needing much explanation, he will naturally link his cultivation breakthrough with the increase in talisman seeds, which will also ward off unnecessary suspicion.* *** Lijing Town. "Where is Xiu'er?" Behind layered curtains, soothing incense burned. A richly dressed woman slowly arched her brows. Her dignified, elegant brow furrowed slightly as she fixed her gaze on the figure kneeling below. "I asked you, where is Xiu'er?" The person kneeling was clad in a gray robe beneath a short coat. Trembling slightly, he raised his eyes for a fleeting glance before quickly ducking his head down again, answering in a shaking voice, "Mistress, the Master dispatched the young master on an errand some days ago... saying there was important business..." The woman straightened her posture. Her belly was swollen; she was clearly close to giving birth. Looking down at the man crawling on the floor, she let out a cold chuckle and said in a low voice, "Do you take me for blind and deaf? Just because I haven't managed the household affairs these past few months, do you really think I'm so easily fooled? Wherever Xiu'er goes, he always reports to me first... Since when would he leave without saying goodbye!" This woman carried an aura of noble elegance; she was none other than Li Xuanxuan's principal wife and the mother of Li Yuanxiu. Currently heavily pregnant, she had not stepped foot outside the inner courtyard. Everyone had hoped to keep the truth from her, but the weeping echoing from all quarters and the absence of Li Yuanxiu, who had not paid his morning respects for dozens of days, could not be concealed forever. Seeing the servant remain silent, an ominous premonition took root in her heart. To have raised a child like Li Yuanxiu, the woman was sharp and perceptive by nature; merely observing the expressions of the servants and relatives was enough for her to guess seventy to eighty percent of the truth. Anxiety surged through her at once, and she commanded coldly, "Speak." Pinned down by her relentless questioning, cold sweat poured down the servant's back and his legs shook violently. Finally, he answered, "The Young Patriarch was assassinated... and passed away." The woman caught her breath. She had anticipated that some misfortune had occurred, but never that it would be so absolute and final. A muffled groan escaped her lips. Shaken by the violent surge of grief, a sharp pain tore through her abdomen. Gritting her teeth, she gasped, "Ugh... Where is Li Xuanxuan?! How could he call himself a father... Entrusted with such a fine son of mine, only to let this happen... Li Xuanxuan! Li Xuanxuan!" "The Patriarch, he..." The servant lowered his head, only to see the woman before him slumping limply. In an instant, panic overtook him, and he cried out, "Mistress! Mistress!" *** "Waaah—" The Li family's white mourning fabrics had hung for months, still fluttering beneath the eaves, when a newborn's cry finally broke through the courtyard. Li Xuanxuan held his wife's hand, using his magical power to stabilize her breathing. The midwife emerged carrying a frail infant and offered her congratulations, "Congratulations, Master, it is a boy." Li Xuanxuan took the baby into his arms to look. The infant was tiny and thin, his brow wrinkled and dry. He let out a feeble whimper, then softly clamped his little mouth shut, lying entirely motionless. Had his nostrils not been twitching faintly and his breath detectable through spiritual sense, Li Xuanxuan would have feared the child had stopped breathing altogether. "You have suffered so much," Li Xuanxuan said in a low voice to comfort his wife. Having only just lost his eldest son, he now held another. For a moment, tears streamed down his aged face. Countless emotions surged in his chest, defying words. He held the infant, gazing at him for a long time, until all his unspoken thoughts condensed into a soft sigh. In a low murmur, he said, "I have spent most of my life stumbling through mediocrity, only to realize that in this mortal realm, there is nothing else worth seeking—one desires nothing more than peace and safety." Reaching out, he gently smoothed the child's damp, downy hair, then held the baby up for his wife to see. In a gentle, tender voice, Li Xuanxuan said, "Let his name be Yuanping. Li Yuanping."