Li Yuanping waited respectfully outside the cave dwelling for a while, feeling uneasy and anxious. Only then did the fox trudge out looking utterly dejected. Li Yuanping hurriedly went up to meet it, his eyes shining with concern as he asked anxiously, "Senior! How is... our Ancestor?"
"Your Ancestor?"
The fox glanced at him, then suddenly straightened up. Its eyes darted about, and its expression instantly turned grave as it spoke in a sorrowful voice: "He does not have much time left..."
"What?!"
Li Yuanping turned pale with fright. Li Tongya had clearly told them there were still several years left, yet less than a year had passed. How could he have so little time? Striking while the iron was hot, the fox picked up the thread: "Indeed. Fortunately, I have a method that might just save your Ancestor."
Hearing this, Li Yuanping's eyes widened in delight. "Senior, please tell me!"
"Procure fresh human hearts, human spleens, and human stomachs... a total of six thousand portions of each, and deliver them to me. I will then teach you all a method to harvest blood qi... Within three years, Li Tongya's wounds can be healed."
Only then did the fox finish speaking. Li Yuanping was struck dumb. He listened in silence until the end, his thoughts in utter turmoil. His pale hand rested upon his sword, gripping it white-knuckled. His lips trembled, and only after several breaths did he let out a breath.
His face grew even paler, and he lowered his voice. "Senior, my family strictly forbids the practice of blood sacrifice arts..."
The fox's expression immediately fell, and it fell silent. Man and fox walked down to the foot of the mountain without another word. The fox intentionally paused in place, smiled, and said, "I reside on Mount Bairong. If anything arises, you can come find me."
Li Yuanping gave a gentle nod. Only then did the Bairong Fox click its tongue twice and take flight upon the wind.
Watching its receding back, Li Yuanping nearly bit through his lower lip. It was a long time before he slowly relaxed his grip and began walking down the mountain.
His mind was in chaotic disarray. It was not just Li Tongya's injuries; even his own congenital deficiencies and damaged constitution could be cured through these very methods...
"Yuanping, send a hundred jin of spirit rice to Senior Bairong Fox every year."
Li Yuanping's heart was filled with oppression and unease, but Li Tongya's voice suddenly rang in his ears like the tolling of a great bell. It jolted his mind with sudden clarity. Respectfully answering with an affirmation, he hurried down the mountain.
* * *
"Quite an interesting fox indeed..."
Lu Jiangxian leaned leisurely beside the jade table, watching the fox leave with lingering reluctance. In his vision, pure dharmic light swirled across the creature's entire body, harmonious and balanced, which was exceedingly rare.
*That fox told Li Tongya it came from wild, rogue roots, but I doubt it. With such pure dharmic light circulating around it, it clearly possesses a genuine heritage and prestigious origin.*
Lu Jiangxian had yet to recover to the Purple Palace realm and could not perceive karmic destiny, but he could still tell that the fox was of no ordinary background. He mused inwardly: *Given this fox's breadth of view and learning, the backer behind it is likely among the foremost Purple Palace great monsters in the monster dens. I wonder what purpose brought it close to the Li family.*
Though the Wrathful Mahasattva had died and Lu Jiangxian had saved Li Tongya, that did not mean the matter had concluded. The Wrathful Mahasattva had cultivated for many years; the gold nature he had condensed was profound, and the destiny he bore was astonishing. With his sudden death, these remnants drifted and scattered throughout Taixu.
Master Shangyuan had either disdained them or no longer had any use for such things; sheathing his sword, he had departed on the wind. Meanwhile, nine Purple Palace cultivators deployed their respective methods, chasing each other across Taixu and treating Lu Jiangxian to a magnificent spectacle.
*In this affair, the Jinyu Sect and the Qingchi Sect profited the most, and Xiao Chuting reaped a bountiful harvest as well. If not for 'Old Man on the Brook' being ill-suited for combat, he likely could have obtained even more benefits.*
Yawning, Lu Jiangxian felt that intervening this time had severely drained his mental energy. He looked at the Huashang Fruit resting in Li Tongya's hand, luminous as a night-luminescent pearl, and pinched his fingers together to condense a talisman pill. With a flick of his finger, it vanished into Taixu.
"I cannot let you suffer too much of a loss either."
This pure talisman pill power gathered from sacrificial offerings would enhance cultivation and innate bone constitution once merged into the fox monster's body. It had been condensed from the mirror's true form.
At most, the backer behind this fox monster was a Purple Palace monster cultivator, and by the looks of it, the fox had been stationed outside for many years. There was no need to fear that any anomalies would be noticed.
"I wonder whether it is because my divine status is gradually recovering, or because I have stayed by the Li family's side for too long, but I find myself growing ever more cautious..."
Lu Jiangxian smiled quietly.
Inside the secret chamber of the Li ancestral shrine.
The grayish-blue mirror slowly floated up as moon essence cascaded down like smoke and mist, drifting through the dark chamber. A shimmering, radiant streak of flowing light emerged upon the fractured mirror surface.
Possessing a spirit of its own, the flowing light darted left and right through the air, piercing through thick stone walls and three dense layers of inner and outer formations. It then effortlessly slipped past the golden Sun Dial Profound Light Formation, catching up to the fox flying with its head tilted.
The flowing light glimmered, paused briefly, and sank into the back of the fox's head. Unaware of what had happened, the Bairong Fox merely flew silently toward Mount Dali.
* * *
The Yu family.
"You are saying... Li Tongya either perished along with that Mahasattva or was gravely injured?"
Yu Xiaogui squinted at Yu Mugao, who was dressed in white robes, and asked in a low voice. Below him, Yu Mugao shook his head, keeping his eyes fixed on the folding fan in his hand. Stroking the cold ribbing of the fan, he remarked nonchalantly, "Just a guess."
"Perhaps Li Tongya was fortunate enough to slay that Mahasattva, only to drag himself into the grave?"
The red palm print on Yu Mugao's face had already vanished, replaced once again by his fair, delicate complexion. Having toiled for half his life, he already bore the appearance of a middle-aged man, yet his manner remained calm and deliberate as he answered:
"I only heard of one thing: ever since he severed the Mahasattva with his sword, he has never shown his face. So I sent people to inquire about the Li family's storefronts in the Guanyun Peak market..."
"Storefronts?"
Yu Xiaogui furrowed his brows, failing to catch on for a moment. Yu Mugao chuckled and replied, "All spiritual goods with healing and vitality-nourishing effects have seen a disruption in supply."
"Oh? You truly are observant!"
Yu Xiaogui raised his brows slightly, a hint of joy surfacing in his eyes. He then saw Yu Mugao lower his head to sip tea, his expression serene as he continued:
"To see the whole from a single clue... Across the lake, the only one capable of managing clan affairs comprehensively, flawlessly, and even countering me with counter-espionage was Li Yuanxiu back in the day. Even Fei Wangbai had his oversights."
A trace of ruthlessness appeared in his expression as he murmured, "If not for the constraints within the clan back then and collusion from within and without, Fei Wangbai would never have been able to stall us for so many years... letting the Li family grow for nothing."
Yu Xiaogui's expression grew somewhat unnatural. After all, those were troubles left behind from when he managed the family. Every time his eldest son brought these matters up, Yu Xiaogui was left speechless. Hurriedly changing the subject, he replied:
"It is merely some healing spiritual items; it is hard to deduce anything definitive from that... Li Tongya's absence might simply be closed-door cultivation."
"Indeed."
Seeing Yu Mugao nod slightly, Yu Xiaogui asked, "What do you intend to do?"
The corners of Yu Mugao's mouth curled up. Years and defeats had not worn away his sinister nature; instead, they had made him calmer and more obstinate. He said, "A probe."
Father and son exchanged a glance. Just then, a figure hurried in from below. Catching sight of Yu Xiaogui, the person froze momentarily, then quickly lowered his head, bowed toward Yu Mugao, and said respectfully:
"Reporting to the Clan Head... the Fei family has sealed their mountain!"
"What?!"
Chapter 308