The three men landed in silence. Xiao Chuchou poked at the chunks of jade with his bronze staff, crushing them and sweeping aside the shards. Beneath them lay only a shriveled heart and lungs amidst splattered brain matter; these were the only remnants of flesh and blood, while everything else had turned into bright jade that gleamed clear and translucent in the dawn light.
"Sigh."
Xiao Chuchou picked up the storage bag and tipped it over, spilling its contents across the ground with a clatter. Most were dharma artifacts, medicinal pills, talismans, and the like. Though they had won the battle, none of them were in particularly high spirits as they sat cross-legged among the pile of items to carefully pick through them.
A few breaths later, Li Tongya descended from the air. Looking down at the shattered jade on the ground, he had intended to offer words of congratulation, but seeing their grim expressions, he tactfully held his tongue. Then he heard Nanshan Weng heave a long sigh and say in a low voice:
"Yu Yufeng... In his youth, he too was high-spirited, overbearing, and arrogant. Who would have thought he would end like this—his immortal foundation coming apart, reduced to a pile of shattered jade."
Nanshan Weng was the oldest among them and had witnessed much. When Yu Yuxie had visited Lixia Commandery all those years ago, Nanshan Weng was already a senior in the late Foundation Establishment stage. Having seen Yu Yufeng in his younger days, he could not help but sigh. The elderly were naturally prone to nostalgia, and beside him, Xiao Chuchou nodded in deep agreement.
"After all, he had forged an immortal foundation and possessed immense martial prowess. What a pity he crossed paths with Yu Yuxie. His path of cultivation was severed right then and there, and who knows how many years he wasted because of it... During the most precious years of his cultivation, the sword scars across both his palms kept his progress excruciatingly slow."
"Still, he has no one to blame but himself."
Nanshan Weng shook his head, as if returning to that fateful day so many years ago. In a low voice, he said, "Yu Yuxie repeatedly stressed that the strike was extraordinary and could not be met head-on. Who else could be blamed? Yu Yuxie wielded twin swords, and the play of their paired gleams back and forth had startled me so much I could barely keep my seat. Yet Yu Yufeng insisted on catching them with his bare hands. Ending up like this was simply the result of excessive pride in his youth—a calamity of his own making."
The two reminisced about bygone events while Chen Taojing and Li Tongya listened quietly from the side. Xiao Chuchou picked out several dharma artifacts and talismans from the ground, stowed them in his storage bag, took a portion of the spirit stones, and then waved a hand to signal the others.
Once Chen Taojing and Nanshan Weng had also taken their share, Xiao Chuchou turned to Li Tongya and said, "Take a few things for yourself."
Li Tongya waved his hands at once, declining, "This ambush against Yu Yufeng was arranged at my family's humble request in the first place, and I contributed no strength to the battle, merely watching from the side... How could I presume to take items from the storage bag?"
Xiao Chuchou shook his head. "You laid the array. How can that be considered contributing nothing? Take some."
Li Tongya had no choice but to pick up two spirit stones and put them away. Xiao Chuchou nodded and swept his wide sleeve, collecting all that remained. Only then did he cup his hands and say, "Brother Tongya, do not let our ancestor's good intentions go to waste. Now that the Yu family is weakened, it is the prime opportunity for your noble clan to rise. We have fulfilled what we promised; the rest is up to your clan."
"Naturally! Many thanks to you, Senior, and to the Ancestor for your profound favor!"
Nanshan Weng and Chen Taojing had already turned away tactfully—one clearing the traces of battle, the other retrieving the formation flags—leaving the two men room to speak privately. Seeing Li Tongya nod in assent, Xiao Chuchou hesitated for a few breaths before adding:
"The waters of Lake Wangyue are vast and rich in resources, yet there are no large subterranean fire veins or earth veins, nor has there ever been any master of pill refinement or artifact forging."
Xiao Chuchou paused again, lowering his voice. "The Ancestor's intent is... there is no need for a market on Lake Wangyue!"
Li Tongya's mind cleared instantly; he understood that this was the Xiao family's condition, as well as one of the fundamental reasons they were willing to support a family on Lake Wangyue.
The Xiao family possessed complete lineages and diverse inheritances. Through Xiao Chuting's methods of suppression and sidelining rivals, the Xiao family controlled a massive market share of dharma artifacts and medicinal pills across the entire Lixia Commandery and its surrounding areas. In the past, under Qingchi's rule, three disciples of the Xiao family had joined the Qingchi Sect. Every year, the family swallowed up raw materials in enormous quantities and exported vast amounts of dharma artifacts and pills. Although the lion's share of profits was turned over to Qingchi, the remainder still filled the Xiao family's coffers to overflowing.
Now that they had broken away from Qingchi, the Xiao family's position had abruptly become awkward. With territories demarcated and governed separately, the Qingchi Sect would certainly not maintain the status quo. Not only had legitimate sources of raw materials vanished, but the sale of artifacts and pills was also severely disrupted.
Xiao Chuting had long anticipated this situation. South of Lake Wangyue lay the Northern Foothills of Mount Dali, which held few families, but the northern, eastern, and western shores bustled with numerous cultivators and abundant resources—precisely what the Xiao family needed.
Li Tongya paused briefly before cupping his hands. "This junior understands. The Yu family's market will be dealt with within a few years."
Xiao Chuchou gave an approving nod, considering the matter settled. He then added, "Yu Muxian is merely at Qi Refinement, and the Qingchi Sect is in turmoil. No one will come down to investigate, and even if someone does, it will not reach you. Yu Yufeng's death will most likely be quietly swept under the rug. There is no need to worry."
"Understood!"
Li Tongya answered, and the two took to the wind. Only then did the other two men finish their dawdling work and fly over. Xiao Chuchou smiled and said, "Our business here is concluded. Brother Tongya, you may return with an easy mind!"
Li Tongya bowed in response. The three members of the Xiao family rode the wind into the distance. Only then did he turn around and head toward Mount Lijing, his heart filled with relief and triumph. He murmured to himself:
"At last, one of the great mountains weighing on our heads has been moved aside..."
The forest beneath his feet swept past continuously. After flying for only a short while, Li Tongya's inherently suspicious and cautious nature stirred his doubts once more. He murmured:
"Why did Xiao Chuchou bother telling me about the Zhenren's divine ability? He was the one who brought it up, as though intentionally telling me... Was it a warning, a gesture of goodwill, or something else entirely?"
Li Tongya raised an eyebrow. Beneath his wide sleeve, his upturned hand revealed two shimmering spirit stones—the very ones he had taken purely as a formality when Xiao Chuchou insisted.
On the surface, Li Tongya had put them away, but he had kept them hidden inside his sleeve the entire way, deliberately avoiding touching them with his bare skin and instead suspending them with magical power. Now, shaking his head gently, he flicked his fingers. The two spirit stones shot out like arrows, plunging one after the other into the trunk of a great tree below until they were lost from sight.
Li Tongya thought over it again and found himself amused. He murmured in a low voice, "Getting old truly makes one overthink."
Mount Lijing appeared in the distance before him. Li Tongya slowly decelerated, descending into the array. Sweeping his spiritual sense across the mountain, his vast, resonant voice sounded in the ears of every core descendant of the Li family:
"Yu Yufeng is dead. Rest and prepare for six hours, then set out immediately for Mount Huazhong!"
Before his voice had even faded, the stone door of the cave dwelling behind him swung open. A young man carrying a golden longbow strode out, his features sharp. A faint smile touched his face, but his brows were raised high, carrying a hint of gnashing determination. He let out a hearty, gratified laugh and declared loudly:
"At long last, we can vent our fury!"
Li Tongya chuckled and shook his head, gazing into the distance toward Milin Commandery. The morning sun was rising between heaven and earth, its light streaking through the dense forest. A surge of bold, triumphant pride rose in Li Tongya's heart, and he whispered:
"Yu Xiaogui, the tables have turned!"
Chapter 240