Within the mirror world, grayish-white mist drifted between heaven and earth. Below, more than half of the moon-white architecture had been restored—pavilions, plank bridges, raised terraces, and palaces stood in unbroken succession, dotted by rising wisps of moon essence in a scene reminiscent of a celestial realm.
Lu Jiangxian sat leaning against a stone table, dozing beside the jade-like surface. The jade flagon in his hand gave a gentle dip as a steady voice slowly resonated in his ears.
“Descendant of the Li clan, Li Tongya, respectfully entreats the magical mirror to purge evils and slay demons, that it may partake in a blood sacrifice…”
Lu Jiangxian shuddered awake, stretched his back, and sat upright. His divine consciousness drifted out from the mirror’s surface to find the gray-robed man standing below with utter deference.
*Li Tongya…*
Having stayed hidden with the Li family for all these years, Lu Jiangxian had watched the four Li brothers dwindle until only this one remained. Even after achieving Foundation Establishment, he still bowed deferentially below, reciting prayers and supplications. Lu Jiangxian could not help but fall silent.
*Of the four Li sons, Li Tongya is the most cautious and suspicious. I have stayed in this Li family for decades—how could he not harbor the slightest suspicion? Naturally, that would be impossible.*
Lu Jiangxian knew full well that the few times he had assisted during the Li family’s rise were riddled with holes and rather clumsy. In the beginning, the brothers were unfamiliar with the path of cultivation; even if they sensed something amiss, they merely nursed quiet doubts in their hearts. Now, Li Tongya had spent half a century traversing the path of cultivation and had seen far too much. Even Li Mutian, a mere mortal, had grown suspicious of the magical mirror in his final years. If someone claimed Li Tongya had never harbored doubts about the mirror, Lu Jiangxian would never believe it.
*He is already a Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet when facing the magical mirror, he does not treat it as a magical artifact, but rather as an exalted immortal. His intention is as clear as day.*
*Even those actions of mine from years ago that appeared far too deliberate were embellished considerably when Li Tongya recounted them to the younger generation. He seems to be deliberately preserving our present relationship… A man of far-reaching foresight indeed.*
While Lu Jiangxian was hardly a master of profound schemes, his psychological age was already well into his thirties between his waking and sleeping. Feeling that he could not outwit these cultivators—and too lazy to bother—he mused to himself:
*My lifespan is far too vast. As long as I lie low within this mirror, I fear no disaster. I only hope to plant and reap talisman seeds, lending a hand wherever I can. It is best if these years yield a good harvest, but if not, so be it.*
Li Tongya continued to wait quietly below. Only after a full quarter-hour had elapsed did he flick his sleeves and gingerly step forward to retrieve the mirror. Lu Jiangxian thought:
*Going to the State of Xu to take a look wouldn’t be bad. Back then, Chi Wei and the rest of the Purple Palace cultivators passed by this place without noticing me, so there should be no great danger.*
With that, he reined in his light, letting the mirror settle into Li Tongya’s hands like an ordinary, battered bronze mirror. Li Tongya scrutinized it for a while, finding not the slightest trace of spiritual activity or magical radiance. He let out a soft sigh of emotion, tucked the mirror into his robes, and drifted out of the courtyard in two strides.
While Lu Jiangxian had been pondering above, Li Tongya had likewise entertained many thoughts below. From Xiangping finding the magical mirror on the riverbed to the Li family gradually growing into an established clan, he now found himself reflecting once more on those two lines from the *Reception Method*:
*“Record deeds according to the seasons, never fail devotion and faith; burn and disperse alongside the talisman, offering the body in gratitude to the Great Yin.”*
An uneasy silence gripped Li Tongya’s heart. His family had derived far too much benefit from the magical mirror, which only stoked his apprehension. He thought to himself:
*In the future, once I am dead, nourishing the magical mirror will pose no issue. But what sort of merit must one record to count as not failing devotion and faith…*
Amid these thoughts, he had already touched down at the foot of the mountain. Seeing Li Xuanxuan quietly drawing talismans in the courtyard, Li Tongya stepped inside and said warmly, “Xuan’er!”
Li Xuanxuan raised his eyebrows, looked up, and asked eagerly, “Second Uncle, has Senior Fox sent word…?”
“Indeed.” Li Tongya nodded and answered, “The matter is feasible, but we must first send someone to the Xiao family.”
“The Xiao family?” Li Xuanxuan echoed.
Li Tongya explained, “I am heading out to hunt the demon, but I cannot rest easy leaving you all behind. We should invite Senior Xiao Yuansi to take time out of his schedule to come watch over the mountain.”
Mount Bianyan was not particularly far, but the round trip would still take several days. Reasonably speaking, the Yu family was currently nursing its wounds in secret and would have no way of knowing where Li Tongya was, so there ought to be no cause for concern. Yet Li Tongya was cautious and meticulous by nature. After some deliberation, he ultimately decided to trouble Xiao Yuansi, instructing:
“Use Yuanjiao’s upcoming wedding as a pretext to invite him over.”
Li Tongya paused, then added, “Yuanjiao was adopted under Chijing’s line, making him nominally your Fourth Uncle’s eldest grandson. Once you explain this to Xiao Yuansi, he will naturally be willing to make the trip. The State of Xu is in utter chaos right now, so we can also take the opportunity to ask Xiao Yuansi about it.”
Li Xuanxuan nodded repeatedly. Having always trusted this second uncle unconditionally, he readily agreed. Watching Li Tongya ride the wind into the sky, he turned to an attendant at his side and said, “Have Donghe come over.”
Chen Donghe was originally stationed at Mount Huaqian. Receiving the summons, he arrived promptly and took his orders before heading east.
***
After Li Tongya and Li Xuanxuan had chatted in the courtyard for a while, a light chuckle echoed outside. Xiao Yuansi strode in, smiling as soon as he saw the two of them. “Congratulations. Your esteemed clan has secured two more mountains.”
“Greetings, Senior!” Li Tongya and Li Xuanxuan replied in unison.
Xiao Yuansi waved his hand to bid them sit and said, “Fortunately, I was neither away nor in secluded cultivation; otherwise, you would never have found me in such a rush. How can I help? Do you need pills concocted, or do you require some assistance?”
“Senior.” Li Tongya returned the courtesy and explained, “The wedding draws near, and I fear complications might arise. By rights, I should be guarding the family, but an urgent matter requires me to make a trip to the State of Xu. I came, first, to invite Senior to hold the fort for a short while, and second, to inquire about the situation in Xu.”
“Oh.” Xiao Yuansi waved his hand generously and replied, “It is merely changing locations to cultivate for a few days, nothing serious. As for the State of Xu…”
Xiao Yuansi paused. Seeing that Li Tongya had not mentioned the purpose of his journey, he refrained from prying and simply said:
“I have also asked the Patriarch about the affairs in the State of Xu. If you intend to fish for profits or seek some opportunity, you must do so early—go swiftly and return swiftly.
“In about half a year, exalted immortals will step in to restore order to Xu. When that time comes, if you wish to venture there, you will be operating right under their noses. Not only will your hands and feet be tied, but trouble will also easily find you.”
Li Tongya nodded as if receiving precious wisdom. Li Xuanxuan could not help but ask, “Could it be that they cannot bear to watch the chaos? These exalted immortals are truly kindhearted…”
“There is nothing kindhearted about it.” Xiao Yuansi shook his head and replied, “They are not stepping in because the four borders are in chaos or because the common folk are suffering. Rather, Buddhism is pressing southward step by step. If they lose Xu today, they could lose Wu tomorrow. They merely fear their own Dao lineages will be suppressed.”
Li Tongya nodded silently and asked in a low voice, “Will Golden Core cultivators be taking action?”
“I do not know, but the situation has not deteriorated to that extent, so Golden Core cultivators likely will not need to go.” Xiao Yuansi shook his head, lifted his teacup, took a sip, and replied, “The Patriarch did not go into detail, appearing rather circumspect. Most likely, they will dispatch some late and peak Purple Palace cultivators, with Golden Core cultivators holding the line.
“If Golden Core cultivators were to clash, the entirety of Xu, and even Wu and Yue, would be affected. Xu’s spiritual energy would likely be severed for six or seven centuries, its earth veins extinguished. Even if they won, what would be the point? They would gain nothing more than a scorched, fractured wasteland. In this realm, one rarely sees Golden Core cultivators take action anymore.”
Li Tongya had thought the gap between Purple Palace and Foundation Establishment was already vast enough; he had not expected Golden Core cultivators to be formidable to such an extent. Hoping to glean more information, he picked up the thread of conversation and asked:
“For Golden Core cultivators to be so astonishing… could they not simply ascend high into the sky to fight? That way, they wouldn't harm the earth veins or the spiritual energy…”
Chapter 262