Clouds and mist enveloped Wutu Peak, through which rays of sunlight drifted in the pale white vapor. A young man dressed in black exhaled slowly as spiritual essence and spiritual qi surged into his mouth and through his teeth like mists, tumbling over each other in an extraordinarily marvelous display.
"Phew..."
Beside him on a large bluestone sat a striking young woman clad in jade armor, a spear resting across her lap. In hands as tender as scallion shoots, she held a pale jade slip and read it in a daze. Along the edge of the jade slip, several small characters were finely etched:
*Folded Feather Spear*
The woman silently traced the spear's forms with her hands. Beside her, the young man let out a long breath, venting a plume of white mist. Opening his eyes just as the morning glow rose slowly on the horizon, his face was weighed down by worry.
"The Ancestor has been gone for days, yet not a shred of news has reached us."
Li Qinghong set down the jade slip, picked up the spear from her knees, and leapt down from the bluestone. In a sullen voice, she said, "Why not let me go out and look for him!"
"Out of the question!"
Li Yuanjiao shook his head and quickly rose to stop her, speaking with utmost gravity: "When the Ancestor departed, he specifically instructed me to keep good watch over you. That is why I summoned you here to Mount Wutu to watch over you myself—precisely to stop you from going off on your own to look for him..."
With a flick of her hand, Li Qinghong stowed the jade slip away. Shaking her head gloomily, she replied, "In times like this, who can keep a calm mind? I have read through this spear technique the Ancestor brought from the Xiao family over and over again, yet I still cannot stop worrying about him. And you—glancing up at the sky every few moments while you cultivate—have hardly made any progress either."
Li Yuanjiao shook his head and reached into his robes to produce a piece of warm jade. It was completely dim and lusterless, with faint cracks spidering across its surface. Li Qinghong leaned in to look, parted her lips, but found no words to say.
After the Li family became an established clan, Li Tongya had commissioned someone specifically to craft this item. He had originally intended to acquire a soul-wood plaque or a soul lamp to monitor fortune, misfortune, life, and death, but was frightened off by the exorbitant cost and could only settle for this cheapest kind of life jade.
So long as it was fed a drop of blood and nurtured from time to time, this life jade could reflect whether the cultivator who bled upon it was dead or alive. Even so, it was far from cheap and required at least Qi Refinement cultivation to be used, which was why only Li Tongya and a few Qi Refinement cultivators of the Xuan generation had one made.
Such objects should have remained in the ancestral shrine, but Li Xuanling and Li Xuanxuan had taken theirs to the market, while Li Xuanfeng's life jade had lost its efficacy after going unnurtured for far too long. The only one left at home was Li Tongya's. Li Yuanjiao had taken it out deliberately so he could check on it from time to time.
Now, seeing the life jade so dull and lackluster, brother and sister exchanged a look, each seeing the anxiety mirrored in the other's eyes. Li Qinghong let out a long sigh, her willow brows gently arched, and said softly, "In the past, Father and Grandfather bore the burden above us, and our hearts were always at ease. Now that you and I must shoulder the family, all we see ahead is a dark path, treacherous upper sects, and the dread of treading on thin ice day and night, filling one with unspoken panic."
"Indeed!"
Among the younger generation, Li Yuanjiao felt this most acutely. Li Tongya had entrusted the family to his hands personally; when he received that jade box, he had felt an unbearable weight pressing down, leaving him breathless. After pondering for a moment, he lowered his voice: "The Circulating Qi and Devouring Spirit Talisman is remarkably effective. I have already reached the fourth layer of Qi Refinement, and within twenty years, I may have hope of Foundation Establishment..."
Li Qinghong had only recently broken through to the third layer of Qi Refinement, and could not help feeling a bit envious upon hearing this. "A talisman qi of Foundation Establishment grade truly is extraordinary. Back then, your cultivation was slower than mine, but now you've surpassed me!"
As the two were talking, someone came up the mountain. His facial features bore a resemblance to Chen Donghe. He appeared to be around twenty years old, yet had already attained the fourth layer of Embryonic Breathing. This was Li Qiuyang's disciple, Chen Mufeng, who had recently been transferred back from the market to serve at Li Yuanjiao's side.
"Young Master, Young Mistress."
Chen Mufeng bowed respectfully and said, "Young Master Yuanping requests your presence. He says there is news!"
"What!"
Overjoyed, brother and sister looked at each other. Without another word, they immediately rode the wind together toward Lijing Town.
Mount Wutu was not far from Lijing Town. Li Yuanjiao's Circulating Qi and Devouring Spirit had the power to manipulate mist and clouds, while Li Qinghong's Perilous Sparrow in the Vast Sky boosted her flying speed, allowing them to fly faster than ordinary Qi Refinement cultivators. One after the other, they landed in the courtyard. Li Yuanping had long been waiting and rushed forward to meet them.
"Brother! Sister Hong! I have news of the Ancestor!"
Without waiting for them to ask, Li Yuanping hastily recounted the news he had received. Li Yuanjiao was thrilled at first, saying repeatedly, "Good! Good!"
After a moment of quiet reflection, however, doubt crept into his voice. "Can this news be verified?"
"Probably seventy percent certain..."
Li Yuanping also knew there were many suspicious points. He answered, "Before the Ancestor left, he believed the odds were heavily stacked against his survival, and that escaping with his life would be difficult enough. Who would have thought the rumors spreading around would be so shocking... It sounds nothing like the doing of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Were it a Purple Mansion master, it might have been slightly more believable..."
"Slaying the reincarnation of a Mahasattva with a sword..."
Li Yuanjiao gave a wry smile and remarked, "Thinking about it makes one realize how impossible it is. What an immense gulf lies between a Mahasattva and Foundation Establishment! Besides, a Mahasattva manipulates destiny; if he died, it must have been intentional... Perhaps he was just eager to be reborn into his next life!"
Making light of a grim situation, Li Yuanjiao joked faintly. Li Qinghong, however, idolized her grandfather immensely and believed eighty percent of the rumor. A smile could not help tugging at the corners of her lips as she said softly, "The Mahasattva must have suffered a loss. Since the matter is settled and the warm jade has not shattered, all we need to do is wait quietly for the Ancestor's return."
"That stands to reason..."
Li Yuanping nodded. Looking at the warm jade Li Yuanjiao held out, his heart eased somewhat as well. After conversing in low voices for a few moments, Li Qinghong said, "Now that the Ancestor has made such a name for himself, I fear it will spread far and wide in a few days. People will once again make a grand fuss about the so-called 'sword immortal clan,' and the families across the lake and nearby will come to offer congratulations and small gifts..."
Though she said this, there was no joy on Li Qinghong's face, her delicate brows knitting tight. The two brothers exchanged glances as well. Li Yuanping nodded and said, "The Ancestor has not yet returned, and such great fame will inevitably bring trouble... We can only brace ourselves to accept these congratulatory gifts and adapt as things unfold!"
"That is a minor concern."
Caressing the scale-patterned Jiaopanying at his waist, Li Yuanjiao replied, "What I fear even more... is that by slaying the reincarnated vessel of a Mahasattva, who knows how many Buddhist cultivators the Ancestor might have offended!"
At these words, both of them nodded, looks of dread dawning on their faces; clearly, they had already considered this as well. Li Yuanping sighed and said heavily, "Before long, the Ancestor's fame will likely echo across both north and south of the river. How many rogue cultivators, how many sword cultivators, and how many small Buddhist temples line the river? There will be no shortage of trouble!"
Li Yuanjiao looked at his younger brother and sister. Steadying himself first, he said, "At least the Ancestor is safe. Let us wait for now."
As they were speaking, a figure descended from the sky. Dressed in gray robes, he possessed square, upright features. A solemn, dignified air lingered between his brows, yet his expression was consumed with boundless grief. Spots of moisture stained his sleeves, and he was covered in travel dust.
"Father!"
"Clan Head!"
This newcomer was none other than Li Xuanxuan, who had been presiding over the market. Having ridden the wind down, the three juniors hurriedly bowed. Li Xuanxuan merely waved his hand and retrieved several fragments of jade from his sleeve, mourning in anguish:
"Xuanling... has passed away!"
Li Xuanxuan's words struck the trio's ears like a thunderclap. Li Yuanping and Li Yuanjiao both turned pale. Li Qinghong raised her head in a daze, her complexion shifting between pale and ashen as she stared at the shattered jade in Li Xuanxuan's hands, murmuring:
"Passed away?!"
The color drained from her face completely. Li Xuanling was her biological father; hearing this news now, how could her heart not shatter? Her legs gave out, and she sank limply to the ground, burying her face in her hands in speechless grief.
Chapter 303