“In the third month of spring, the Yu family concealed a spell within a precious pearl and placed it among the Qingwu ore. Unearthed by servants, it was presented to Young Master Xiu. Thereupon, thunder and fire burst forth, the building collapsed, and Xiu thus perished.”
Li Yuanyun had grown considerably. His dark hair was now bound up, giving him the look of a youth. Raising his head, he looked at the half-burnt wooden slip, a bitter soreness stinging his eyes. He continued writing:
“Wails of grief arose from among the common folk, and every household donned white mourning robes. Thus was revealed the vicious cruelty and sinister malice of Young Master Gao of the Yu family.”
Li Jingtian was pregnant, leaning wearily against the low table with her eyes half-closed. Chen Donghe had long since returned to the mountain to care for his wife. Sitting in the twilight, he peeled two mandarins, the pale golden sunset falling across the middle-aged man's white robe in bright patches of amber light.
“Aunt, please take a look.”
Li Yuanyun presented the finished silk scroll. Li Jingtian glanced over it and said softly, “It is good.”
Li Yuanyun took it back and inspected it twice before laying down the brush. Picking up the half-burnt wooden slip, he looked at it again. The characters upon it were charred black, leaving only scattered strokes. He gingerly turned it over; on its side, a few intact characters remained in an inscription:
“...Gifted to Younger Brother Yun.”
As Li Yuanyun stared at the wooden slip in his hands, Li Jingtian took the mandarin Chen Donghe handed her and asked softly:
“Yun'er, given the current situation, our family lacks someone to take charge of affairs. Do you wish to go down the mountain and take on some duties...?”
Li Jingtian's words were direct. Li Yuanyun knew she was asking whether he had any intention of becoming the family patriarch. He shook his head and replied:
“Your nephew has no such desire. For one, I dislike managing affairs. For another, Brother Jiao is there; he possesses a spirit aperture and is far more suited than I am.
“Mortals are simply too frail before immortal cultivators. If a mortal were placed in charge of practitioners in Embryonic Breathing and Qi Refinement, I fear it would damage our family's prestige.”
Once Li Yuanyun voiced his concerns, Li Jingtian nodded slightly and replied gently, “That is true.”
She looked at Li Yuanyun as he lowered his head to read, and continued, “Still, you are coming of age. If you stay on the mountain all year round, you will likely never meet a woman who catches your eye...”
With that, she turned to Chen Donghe, who was obediently peeling mandarins at her side, and asked, “Are there any spirit aperture bearers of suitable age down the mountain?”
Chen Donghe looked up, thought for a moment, and replied warmly, “None. Those younger have not yet grown up.”
Li Jingtian pondered for a few breaths and let the matter drop, leaning against the table and wearily closing her eyes. Li Yuanyun and Chen Donghe both fell silent. For a time, the courtyard was washed in golden twilight, filled only with the even sound of her breathing.
***
“Patriarch.”
Li Xiewen still wore a white mourning band around his forehead. He cupped his hands toward Li Xuanxuan beside him and said in a low voice, “The Shanyue have sent an envoy.”
“Oh?”
Li Xuanxuan raised his brows. His face still appeared to be that of a man in his thirties, but his expression was laden with fatigue, making him look considerably older. He pondered for a breath and asked, “How are Shamoli's children whom he left with the Li family?”
Li Xuanxuan and Li Xiewen were old partners. Though Li Xuanxuan had not managed the family's affairs for some time, he fell back into the routine with practiced ease. Li Xiewen had prepared himself before coming up the mountain, so he answered respectfully without hesitation:
“The children are all only three to five years old, so nothing can be told yet. They are studying alongside the clan children in the academy.”
“I understand. Have him come up.”
Li Xiewen bowed and withdrew. Li Xuanxuan sat back down, ground fresh ink, and spread out talisman paper to resume drawing talismans.
Handling affairs on the mountain nowadays required a fair amount of travel up and down, and one had to pass through the Sun Dial Profound Light Formation, which was quite troublesome. After Li Xuanxuan finished the talisman before him, he waited for another incense stick's burn before Li Xiewen finally led the man into the small courtyard.
Li Xuanxuan was not yet done with his second talisman, the bright red brush tip tracing lines across the pale yellow talisman paper. The envoy dared not make a sound, prostrating himself on the ground and waiting in trembling apprehension. Only then did Li Xuanxuan lift the brush, letting out a breath of relief and nodding in great satisfaction.
Li Xuanxuan's success rate in crafting talismans was currently two to three out of ten. Achieving two consecutive successes was rare indeed, and he mused inwardly:
*Ever since breaking through to Qi Refinement and cultivating the Dongquan Limpid Spirit Formula, drawing talismans has become increasingly smooth. This method aligns remarkably well with talisman crafts!*
Only then did he raise his eyes to look at the envoy. Seeing the man clad in white beneath an outer coat of coarse sackcloth, Li Xuanxuan asked in a low voice, “Why has the envoy come?”
“Upon hearing that Young Master Xiu was murdered, the Shanyue King was overcome with boundless grief. He dispatched this humble subject with tribute, presenting three hundred and sixty slaves to be buried with the young master...”
Now that the Shanyue had become vassals, the envoy no longer dared refer to Shamoli as 'our Great King,' calling him the Shanyue King instead and addressing himself as a humble subject, adopting an exceedingly humble posture. Hearing this, Li Xuanxuan frowned and said coldly:
“Our family does not observe the custom of human sacrifice. Send those slaves back.”
“Yes, yes.”
Having struck a nerve, the envoy hastily kowtowed, prostrating himself on the ground. Seeing this, Li Xuanxuan arched an eyebrow and asked, “What else?”
Covered in sweat, the envoy's white clothes clung to his body, soaked through to reveal coarse, bronze-colored skin. He replied:
“The Shanyue King has recently set state affairs in order and stabilized the people's livelihoods. Yet he feels lonely and isolated with no son or daughter at his side to attend him. His four sons and one daughter are still in the east, so he was hoping... hoping... to take one son back...”
The envoy knelt below, shivering uncontrollably. Li Xuanxuan said nothing, quietly staring at him while thinking:
*Shamoli must not have noticed the problem with that cultivation method yet; he simply wants to see if he can take back one or two of these hostages to nurture.*
Li Xuanxuan raised his head and said in a low voice, “Then take the princess back.”
The envoy froze slightly. Shamoli did not care in the slightest about his daughter and only wanted to bring back sons, but the envoy dared not say more. Rising as if granted an imperial pardon, he repeatedly stammered:
“Thank you, Great King! Thank you!”
“Mhm.”
Li Xuanxuan gave a slight nod, and the man scrambled to retreat. Li Xiewen stepped forward, presenting a piece of silk fabric.
“The various spirit items offered by the Eastern Shanyue are all recorded here. Most are things at the Embryonic Breathing level.”
Li Xuanxuan took it and looked it over. After calculating for a couple of breaths, he sneered and said softly, “Though it looks like a lot altogether, combined it amounts to no more than three spirit stones. Judging from the news our scouts gathered, Shamoli isn't having an easy time either.”
Li Xiewen nodded from below. Li Xuanxuan picked up another sheet of talisman paper, tracing lines with the vermilion brush, and mused to himself:
*Shamoli won't discover the aftereffects of that method anytime soon. Only after he marries and a decade or more passes will he realize something is wrong, and only then will he become desperate to reclaim his sons.*
The image of Shamoli wielding that massive warhammer amidst crackling lightning flashed before Li Xuanxuan's eyes once more. A trace of concern welled up in his heart, and he reflected somberly:
*If Second Uncle fails his breakthrough, we should surround and kill this man. The Purple Lightning Secret Origin Method is a profound technique after all. Even though Shamoli absorbed impure qi, he cannot be underestimated. The Shanyue have a population of several hundred thousand; if they raise turmoil at a critical juncture, it could easily turn into a disaster.*
Chapter 207