Demotion to the Lesser Branch

"A Purple Mansion Zhenren?!" Fei Luoya was truly startled out of his wits this time. Previously, he had only known that this old ancestor of the Li family held an exalted status within the Qingchi Sect and possessed the aptitude for the Purple Mansion. Never had he imagined that an actual Purple Mansion Zhenren would condescend to address the Li family as brothers. The gulf between these two realities was vast as heaven and earth, impossible to measure. For a moment, he did not even know what to say. Though Fei Luoya had spent many years in secluded cultivation on Mount Wu and had little grasp of worldly etiquette or the subtle art of conversation, he was no fool. Turning the thought over in his mind, he pondered secretly: 'What kind of "aptitude for the Purple Mansion" is that? Damn it, Purple Mansion is merely his floor—he has hopes of Golden Core! To make a Purple Mansion Zhenren stoop to call Li Tongya a brother... it truly beggars belief.' Glancing again at Li Tongya’s calm, nonchalant expression, a sudden realization struck Fei Luoya, and he gasped inward: 'This probably isn't any mere lavish bounty! This is plainly that Purple Mansion cultivator abusing public power for private gain, using the Qingchi Sect's procurement channels to enrich the Li family and curry favor with that Li Chi—Sword Immortal... Li Tongya isn't just showing goodwill; he is warning me!' As this notion lingered in his mind, Fei Luoya grew increasingly certain of it. He could not help but admire his own clear, sharp intellect and deductive reasoning, thinking with lingering dread: 'In the world of the lowlanders, every sentence truly conceals hidden depths. We Shanyue are as pure and blameless as white jade. Luckily, I was born shrewd and can see the whole forest from a single leaf.' The smile on Fei Luoya's face grew noticeably warmer, and he beamed. "Your esteemed clan is truly remarkable. Fei Luoya is thoroughly impressed." Li Tongya let out a soft chuckle, knowing that the man had likely caught his implication. After exchanging a few more words with Fei Luoya, he smiled. "The Zhenren of the Xiao family has made his breakthrough, and I must attend the ceremony to pay my respects, so I will not linger. I shall come bother my brother again some other day." "Brother Tongya, please go ahead... do not worry about me! From now on, Brother Tongya may come and go from my mountain whenever you please—no need to stand on ceremony!" Fei Luoya had already begun addressing him as "Brother Tongya." How would he dare delay the affairs of a Purple Mansion cultivator? Smiling warmly, he politely escorted Li Tongya beyond his borders. Breathing a long sigh of relief, he muttered, "At long last, the grudge with the Li family has been dissolved. What a weight off my shoulders!" 'That Li Tongya keeps his cards close to his chest, yet his mind runs terribly deep... After just a few words, I was left following him by the nose.' Recalling their exchange just now, Fei Luoya ground his teeth in vexation and whispered, "Well, no matter. Fu Daimu has already broken through to the late Foundation Establishment stage. If I were to remain on bad terms with the Li family, wouldn't I be walking straight toward my own demise? Things couldn't be better as they are now." *** Li Tongya felt greatly relieved and elated after resolving the matter of the precious herb. Flying eastward for a time, he traversed dense forest and landed atop Mount Lijing. Li Xuanxuan was drawing talismans in the courtyard. Seeing Li Tongya touch down, he hurriedly stepped down from the head seat and cupped his hands. "Second Uncle!" "Mm." Li Tongya responded with a warm smile, stroking his beard as he replied, "The matter of the precious herb has been settled. Now we need only go present our congratulations." Li Tongya had spent the past half-month rushing about in every direction, inquiring everywhere, and had finally put the matter to rest. Seeing him travel-worn and dusty, Li Xuanxuan smiled as well. "Second Uncle's divine abilities and reach are truly vast." "Ah." Li Tongya waved a hand, then said, "Along the way, I also resolved the old grudge with Fei Luoya. The Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Shanyue cultivate in isolation and have little demand for mortals or territory, so there are no blood feuds or fundamental conflicts of interest between our two families. He can be turned into an ally. "What is more, Fei Luoya possesses bizarre and troublesome shamanic arts. This journey west has not only dispelled a source of wariness, but might even give our enemies headaches in the future. It is not bad at all." Li Tongya seated himself in the head seat and recounted what he had been pondering before asking, "How have things been lately?" Li Xuanxuan beamed with delight, nodding repeatedly, and said in a low voice, "To answer Second Uncle, Xuanfeng went into the mountains to hunt demons several times and found an opportunity to break through to the seventh layer of Qi Refinement. He said there are fewer and fewer Qi Refinement demonic beasts without backing left in the mountains, so he entered seclusion to make his breakthrough. "Yuanyun has reached the appropriate age. Xuanling selected a girl with a spirit aperture for him and arranged an auspicious date, then returned to the mountain to enter seclusion. Family affairs are still handled by me, but..." Li Xuanxuan paused before continuing: "Mount Lijing was never a famous mountain with great spirit veins to begin with, and its spiritual energy is insufficient. There are too many Qi Refinement cultivators on the mountain, and the concentration of spiritual energy has dropped again and again, which is truly detrimental to cultivation. That is already with Second Uncle not cultivating on the mountain; if another Foundation Establishment cultivator were added, I fear no one would be able to cultivate at all." Li Tongya frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "What of Mount Huaqian?" "Donghe and An Zheyan cultivate on Mount Huaqian, and Uncle Qiuyang is likewise in seclusion there attempting a breakthrough. Mount Huaqian has a spirit spring and can still accommodate two or three more cultivators, but its formations are incomplete, so we have never dispatched members of the direct lineage there." Li Xuanxuan answered respectfully. Li Tongya let out a soft sigh and murmured: "Our family's strength has grown substantially, yet our territory has failed to keep pace. The Yu family is powerful, and their sphere of influence stretches too far, leaving our hands tied. Yuanjiao and Qinghong are both on the verge of reaching Qi Refinement. If we do not suppress the Yu family and cause them to decline, our days ahead will only grow harder." Li Xuanxuan nodded as well. A few years ago, Eastern Shanyue had been made a vassal, but even now, the Li family had not completely digested Eastern Shanyue. Only by founding a lineage, establishing a mountain stronghold there, and stationing Qi Refinement cultivators could they truly swallow it whole. Yet the Yu family watched like tigers eyeing their prey. The Li family had recently suffered a loss and dared not even send direct descendants to garrison Mount Huaqian, so how could they dare openly establish a mountain stronghold now? Li Xuanxuan calculated carefully and replied: "Eastern Shanyue is more than sufficient to support and station three to five cultivators, and Mount Huaqian can support and station two more. Were it not for the Yu family's suppression, our family could easily support double our current number of cultivators." Li Tongya nodded and waved his hand. "I understand. On this visit to the Xiao family, I will request an audience with the Zhenren and inquire about this matter." Li Xuanxuan responded respectfully. Then, suddenly recalling something, he smiled and said, "Second Uncle, my concubine-born sons have now married and established their careers. Together, they have fathered three sons and four daughters—the very first batch of children in the Xiyue generation. However, they are not yet seven years old, so their spirit apertures cannot yet be discerned." "Oh?" Li Tongya nodded gently and instructed, "If any of these children lack spirit apertures, they will be the very first children demoted from the main branch to the lesser branch. This must be handled with great care so as not to breed resentment." According to the rules Li Tongya had established back then, even if Li Xuanxuan's concubine-born sons lacked spirit apertures, they were still counted as part of the main branch, referred to as concubine-born offspring of the direct lineage. But if the children they bore lacked spirit apertures, they would be demoted to the lesser branch. The difference between the two was immense, vast as heaven and earth in both treatment and clan law—not to mention subtle yet vital matters such as children of the lesser branch being barred from taking generation names of the main branch. "Understood!" Li Xuanxuan acknowledged. Li Tongya then said warmly: "Once these children pass the age of seven and their spirit apertures are examined, send them up the mountain together. They must not be raised privately down the mountain. You may handle the specifics yourself." "Understood!" Dismissing Li Xuanxuan, Li Tongya chose not to compete with the younger generation for spiritual energy to cultivate. Instead, he took out a jade slip and read it attentively.