After flying for a time, An Zheyan touched down in the forest and proceeded on foot. Casting an invisibility spell, he slipped unnoticed into the Li family’s territory. Ten-odd li further on, he came upon an unbroken stretch of peasant dwellings, and after another several dozen li, Lijing Town appeared in the distance.
Along the way, the people lived in peace and contentment, without even needing to bar their doors at night. The sight left An Zheyan in somber silence. Pinching a hand seal to draw closer, he saw people chatting and laughing cheerfully in the streets. He wandered through the thoroughfares for a couple of rounds and bought himself a bowl of wontons.
All his life, An Zheyan had loved the pleasures of food and drink. With a bowl of piping-hot wontons settling into his belly, much of the anxiety and grief weighing on his heart melted away. Reaching into his storage bag, he pulled out a gourd of spiritual wine and drank down more than half to bolster his courage. Only then, his cheeks flushed faintly red, did he step out of the crowd, seek out a patrolling Li clan soldier on the street, and call out:
“Go inform your master that the An family’s—”
He had been on the verge of announcing himself as An Zheyan of the An family, but his heart darkened, and he amended, “—that the rogue cultivator An Zheyan has come to pay a call.”
Taken aback for only a moment, the clan soldier clasped his hands and said, “Please wait a moment, Senior.”
With that, he hurried off, leaving An Zheyan standing by the wonton stall. Shortly after, two clan soldiers came and invited him to take a seat in the guest courtyard. An Zheyan nodded and agreed, thinking to himself:
*So be it. I am a cultivator at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, after all. Formidable though Li Tongya may be, if I am bent on dying, I can still end my own life. There is no need to stay and suffer torture. In any case, there is nothing left in this world for me to cling to.*
***
Ever since Li Tongya entered closed-door seclusion, Li Xuanfeng rarely went into seclusion himself, keeping a vigilant eye on family affairs. Even when he did seclude himself, it was only for barely half a month, fearful that trouble might strike the household during a prolonged absence. He was in the courtyard studying the *Clear Eye Pure Pupil* when Li Xuanxuan unexpectedly hurried in, greeting him with a startling announcement:
“Brother Feng! Something has happened in Milin Commandery!”
“What?”
Li Xuanfeng put away the jade slip and looked up, faintly startled. “The Yu family’s Milin Commandery?” he asked in a low voice.
“Precisely!”
Li Xuanxuan nodded, looking rather delighted as he answered, “According to reports gathered by our scouts, an earth dragon turned over in Milin Commandery! The entire commandery seat has been reduced to a shambles. The great array of the Milin Commandery market town, tied to the ley lines, was violently shaken along with them. Even the entire spirit vein was affected, and its spiritual energy density is bound to decline.”
Full of doubt, Li Xuanfeng shook his head repeatedly and said in a grave voice, “How could that be possible? When the Yu family constructed the grand formation, they could not have failed to anchor it into the ley lines to suppress the area. That array seals the skies and bars the ground, capable of defending against even Foundation Establishment cultivators. How could the ley lines beneath their feet develop a fault, bringing about an earthquake and tearing the earth apart to create such a mess?”
Li Xuanxuan slapped his hands together, sat down, and took the tea handed to him by a servant. “Who says it makes sense? The whole thing is absurd... Had I not sent scouts to investigate several times to confirm that the city walls have collapsed, ruins lie everywhere, and blood has run like rivers, I never would have believed it either.”
Li Xuanfeng pondered for a moment. Suddenly remembering what Li Tongya had said about the Fei family being able to stall the Yu family for eight years, he laughed aloud and said in a low voice, “Fei Wangbai once claimed he could tie down the Yu family for eight years. Nine times out of ten, this was their doing! A grand stroke indeed... Yu Mugao and Yu Xiaogui must be fuming with rage, yet forced to swallow this bitter pill.”
“The Fei family’s methods likely will not end here; this is merely the beginning.” Li Xuanxuan chuckled, gloating somewhat as he continued, “Who would have thought that Fei Wangbai, with that refined, dashing appearance of his, would employ such unfathomable schemes? If you ask me, he probably tampered with the ley lines in Milin Commandery more than ten years ago, long before the market town was built. The trick erupted from within the market town’s grand formation, so how could they possibly stop it?”
“Indeed. Your reasoning makes sense, Brother.” Li Xuanfeng nodded. Sweeping his spiritual sense over him, he frowned and said with concern, “Brother Xuan... I notice your cultivation has not progressed at all over the past half year. You still appear as though you have only just entered Qi Refinement. Why is that?”
Li Xuanxuan smiled awkwardly and said in a low voice, “Over this past half year, I made rapid strides in the path of talismans. I poured all my energy into it, thinking to craft more talismans to help provide for the family. Between that and managing the clan, my cultivation naturally slowed down...”
Li Xuanfeng shook his head. Having already attained the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, he could not help but urge his elder brother, “Arts are for self-defense, but the Dao is the foundation of foundations. You must keep that in mind, Brother!”
Li Xuanxuan waved his hand dismissively. Clearly, he had given the matter deep thought. Setting down his teacup, he replied, “Naturally, I have considered it. But in our household, you and Second Uncle excel the most in the arts of combat, whereas I have never been adept at fighting. I can only devote myself to the craft of talismans—first to bring in more revenue for the family, and second to provide some protection for the juniors.”
He sighed softly and continued, “Once the new year turns, I will be forty. There is no way I can break through to Foundation Establishment before sixty. Even if the family were to obtain a second Suiyuan Pill, it would only raise my chances by five percent. I am destined to have no share in Foundation Establishment in this life, so I might as well delve deeper into talismans to add to our family’s heritage.”
Li Xuanfeng froze, at a loss for words. In the end, he could only sigh. “Since you have thought it through, Brother, it is not my place to say more...”
Li Xuanxuan chuckled with a relaxed air and comforted him, “The household still depends on you and Second Uncle. You are only barely thirty and have already reached the fifth layer of Qi Refinement; you will certainly make it in time before sixty.”
As the two were talking and laughing, Li Xiewen hurried into the courtyard and clasped his hands. “Reporting to the Patriarch! An Zheyan has come to pay a call!”
“An Zheyan?! He didn't die on Mount Huazhong...”
The name gave Li Xuanxuan a slight start. He exchanged a look with Li Xuanfeng, and both broke into smiles. Li Xuanfeng grinned broadly. “Damn it all, blessings truly come in pairs.”
“Bring him up,” Li Xuanxuan instructed. Bolstered by the grand formation on the mountain, and with Li Xuanfeng’s Jin Geng longbow at the ready, they had no fear of this stray dog playing any tricks.
“This man is already a stray dog, yet he chose to flee to our household. It seems he wants to seek refuge with us and take revenge on the Yu family,” Li Xuanxuan said in a low voice once Li Xiewen had withdrawn.
The two waited for the time it took an incense stick to burn, but An Zheyan had yet to come up. Li Xuanxuan’s mind had already drifted through many possibilities. Smiling at Li Xuanfeng, he said solemnly, “The news of An Jingming’s breakthrough was leaked by An Zheyan’s own loose tongue. A man who cannot keep secrets cannot be entrusted with heavy responsibilities. Now that he comes seeking refuge, who knows if he harbors divided loyalties? Let us first draw out the An family’s various cultivation methods from his mouth. After that, we can use him as an enforcer while observing him closely for a time.”
Just as Li Xuanfeng was about to reply, a man slowly walked in through the doorway. Wearing an animal-skin cap, he was stoutly built and his face was filled with unease. Bowing low, he greeted respectfully, “An Zheyan greets the two... Seniors.”
An Zheyan had reached the end of his rope, reduced to meat on the Li family’s chopping block. To his humiliation, he was forced to address these two juniors—men of his own son’s generation—as seniors. Li Xuanxuan naturally would not leave him standing there in awkwardness. Hurrying forward a step with a look of utter panic on his face, he said in a hushed tone, “Senior, what is the meaning of this! Xuanxuan is overwhelmed with dread!”
An Zheyan’s expression softened considerably, and a trace of gratitude even stirred in his heart. His eyes reddened as he said bitterly, “I only regret that I did not heed my son’s counsel to join forces with your noble house against the Yu family. To end up in such dire straits today is truly my own doing!”
From the start, An Jingming had urged An Zheyan to cede Mount Huazhong and arrange a marriage between An Jingming and a daughter of the Li family’s main branch, so the two families could support each other against the Yu family. But An Zheyan had been greedy and stingy, unwilling to give up Mount Huazhong. Left with no choice, An Jingming had resorted to a lesser plan, only to meet this tragic end.
“Senior speaks too harshly!” Li Xuanxuan’s manner remained thoroughly respectful as he asked in a low voice, “May I ask how the An family fares at present?”
The question pierced An Zheyan’s heart with sharp pain. Weeping, he said, “It has been seized by my concubine-born brother and reduced to a vassal of the Yu family... Pitiful is my child, who likely cannot even find a place to rest his bones!”
Li Xuanxuan consoled him, “Senior has now become a rogue cultivator, and like my Li family, you share a blood feud with the Yu family. Your arrival at our doors must be with the intent to join hands... Why not stay at our house for the time being?”
Li Xuanxuan’s words were spoken so pleasantly that An Zheyan was deeply moved. Yet beneath his gratitude, he knew that agreeing would surely require him to swear a Xuanjing Spiritual Oath and hand over the An family’s secret arts and extensive heritage. But now, empty-handed and stripped of everything, what room did he have to retreat?
Recalling the words An Jingming had spoken before his death, An Zheyan’s eyes turned crimson. He thought to himself, *Before Ming’er died, he told me to seek refuge with the Li family. He must have had his reasons. All I need to do is obey! For now, I can entertain no other thoughts!*
Chapter 208