Midair, the flesh and bones swiftly coalesced into chains, binding the black-robed cultivator's limbs tight. Below, Jiang Yan completed the final mudra of the spell. The black-robed cultivator turned pale with terror, despair written across his face. Watching the black serpent slither around his neck, he hissed, "Senior, since you know I hail from Mount Wu and possess many secrets, you should also know that even if I am no match for you, I have no shortage of ways to drag you down with me!"
With a resolute glare, the cultivator stared at the hideous black serpent slowly drawing near. Yet the serpent merely flicked its tongue, let out a cold sneer, and replied, "Why don't you give it a try?"
The black-robed cultivator glared fiercely, but a moment later his face contorted in shock, and he cried out, "This... Drinking the People's Blood! How is this possible?! You... you!"
Strands of profound, dark-red magical light abruptly rose from his body, flowing docilely toward Jiang Boqing, dancing and spiraling endlessly across the serpent's scales.
"Why wouldn't it be possible?" Jiang Boqing flicked his tongue, his hissing voice gradually settling into a calm, nonchalant tone. "This old man once sought the twenty-seven natures of Upper Shaman Lotus Blood himself. Although I later abandoned that path to specialize in unorthodox arts, I am still far more capable than a half-baked dabbler like you."
The black-robed cultivator could only whimper, completely unable to speak. Jiang Boqing's voice brimmed with relish as he said cheerfully, "Drinking the People's Blood still remembers an old fellow like me, yet it holds nothing but contempt for you!"
Below, Jiang Yan watched the drama unfold and remarked lazily, "Master! Didn't you want a lightning-attribute immortal foundation? What gold nature does Drinking the People's Blood belong to..."
The black serpent stiffened straight before transforming back into the black whip, slowly drooping down. A dark cloud rose over the cultivator's face, and he began mumbling foolishly:
"I'll take this body for now! Duanmu Kui is dead, leaving no one to cultivate the twenty-seven natures of Upper Shaman Lotus Blood, and *Replies to the Beggar Under the Mulberry Tree* has vanished without a trace. Where am I supposed to find the remaining immortal foundations? Cultivating Drinking the People's Blood is a dead end.
"I'll just walk the world in this body for a while. Once I find a better one, I'll switch again!"
Jiang Yan nodded, and Jiang Boqing's sinister voice drifted down from above. "He possesses Foundation Establishment cultivation after all; taking over won't be easy. Stand guard for me."
With that, the black-robed cultivator slumped into a seated position, dark clouds rolling across his face. Jiang Yan walked forward a few steps, detached the black gourd from the cultivator's waist, and gave a soft laugh. "Blood fiend resentment qi... How fitting. Whatever I need simply falls into my lap."
Though his tone was airy, Jiang Yan's eyes were full of suspicion. He weighed the gourd in his hand, uncorked it, glanced at the bright red fiendish qi swirling within, and sat cross-legged. Bringing two fingers to the space between his brows, he drew forth a shimmering talisman.
The talisman was entirely golden, radiating gleaming magical light. Jiang Yan poured out the blood fiend resentment qi and began quietly refining it.
***
Mount Wutu lay close to Mount Lijing. Li Yuanjiao rode the wind and arrived in just half an incense stick of time. As he set foot on the mountain, Li Yuanping and Li Qingxiao both stood up and greeted him respectfully:
"Eldest Brother! / Brother Jiao!"
A brilliant light shone in Li Yuanjiao's eyes, and his aura was vigorous and boundless. Over the past year or two, bolstered by the Talisman of Circulating Qi and Devouring Spirit and his diligent cultivation on Mount Wutu, his strength had clearly advanced once more. He nodded to his younger brother and cousin.
Chen Donghe and his wife had been nearby and soon returned to Mount Lijing. Li Jingtian wore a deeply worried expression, while Chen Donghe remained quiet and composed, lost in thought.
The group chatted, but their minds were plainly elsewhere. They were all waiting for their eldest sister, Li Qinghong, to arrive. Yet despite waiting and waiting, her valiant, spirited figure never appeared. Only after half an hour did someone arrive to report. Kneeling in the courtyard, the man announced:
"A message from Yuting Peak: the immortal master entered seclusion yesterday to attempt a breakthrough to the third layer of Qi Refinement and has not emerged since. Seeing that she was at a crucial juncture in her breakthrough, I did not dare knock on the courtyard doors and came back to report!"
"Qinghong is breaking through..."
The family members exchanged glances. Li Jingtian was the first unable to hold back. After all, Qingxiao was her daughter. She said gently, "Xiao'er, come inside with me."
Turning to the others, she offered a slight nod and a smile. "We mother and daughter have some private words to share. Please wait a moment."
The others nodded in understanding. Once the mother and daughter stepped inside, Li Yuanjiao cupped his hands and asked, "What does Uncle think?"
Chen Donghe merely shook his head and said warmly, "I have heard of this Xiao Xian. He seems earnest enough. I have only Qingxiao as a daughter; I do not demand that Xiao Xian master immortal arts or forge an immortal foundation, so long as he does not mistreat my child."
Though Chen Donghe's tone was gentle, his expression was firm. Over the years, he had reached the fourth layer of Qi Refinement, standing as a pillar of the Li family. Long accustomed to a position of respect, he naturally carried a certain commanding presence. He said in a deep voice, "If Qingxiao is willing, I have no objections to this marriage."
The two brothers, Yuanping and Yuanjiao, exchanged a look. Li Yuanjiao spoke up, "Rest assured, Uncle. The Yushan branch would never dare mistreat Qingxiao. If this match is made, it will surely be granted ten li of red dowry and escorted by cultivators!"
While the men outside conferred, Li Qingxiao followed her mother, Li Jingtian, into the room. Li Jingtian pulled her daughter down to sit, saying with a touch of urgency, "This is a matter of great consequence. Have you truly thought it through?"
Li Qingxiao lowered her head and replied quietly, "If I refuse Xiao Xian, not only will our family lose face, but could Mother find anyone better?"
Li Jingtian's brow furrowed. She parted her lips, then shook her head. "Matters between men and women have always depended on mutual willingness. It is not about how good he is, but whether you are willing... Our family rarely forces marriage upon its children. If you truly wish it, even if you chose to marry a mortal without spirit apertures, your father and I would arrange everything for you."
Li Qingxiao blinked, then suddenly burst into a soft laugh. Smiling gracefully, she said, "Forget mortals—I don't even look twice at the prominent families under our domain. Mother, you jest. This isn't a storybook; marriages must be between families of equal standing. As for personal affection...
"With our family's present standing, how many clans can intermarry with us? How many clans dare to? Looking around, there are only a handful at most, separated by thousands of li. It is rare enough to meet even once before the wedding, let alone speak of affection or indifference. One can only look to character and appearance!"
Li Jingtian knew this full well, but concern clouded her judgment. She let out a soft sigh. Li Qingxiao kept her head lowered, calm and rational. After a pause, she added, "Xiao Xian has shown us every courtesy and respect. There is no need to be overly rigid; in life, one must sometimes accept a bit of compromise."
After a quiet discussion between mother and daughter, they emerged from the room. Li Qingxiao smilingly agreed to the arrangement.
Li Yuanjiao said with a smile, "Then I will report this to the ancestor at once and write to Guanyun Peak... to settle the matter."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Just then, a figure hurried in from the outside. Glancing at the people gathered in the courtyard, he hesitated for a breath before bowing before Li Yuanjiao, reporting respectfully:
"To the young masters: the Xiao family has sent an envoy, saying there has been a disturbance within the sect."
"Who has come?" Li Yuanjiao asked.
The clansman soldier replied, "The eldest young master of the Xiao family, Xiao Guitu."
"Xiao Guitu!"
Li Yuanjiao and Li Yuanping exchanged a glance. Cupping their hands toward Li Jingtian and her husband, they hurried down the mountain.
Chen Donghe saw the two off and sat back down inside. Li Jingtian gave her husband a gentle nudge. Watching Li Qingxiao step outside to gather her books, she murmured, "Xiao Xian may be decent, but he lacks ambition. He has calculations, yet lacks resolve; I fear he will never achieve great things."
"Achieve great things..." Chen Donghe shook his head, returning the sword at his waist to its brocade pouch. He said softly, "So long as he can live an honest life, why demand that he achieve great things? The hawks that soar high into the sky are struck down by hunters in an instant, and what then? Would my daughter be left all alone?"
Li Jingtian shook her head, still harboring worry. "One can never say for certain. If one does not soar, does that mean one will never suffer grievances?"
Chapter 289