This old cultivator was a miscellaneous qi cultivator at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, his cultivation already sealed by An Zheyan. Covered from head to toe in blood, with matted hair and beard hanging limply down, he straightened up below the steps and knelt there weakly.
Beside him, Dou Yi steadied him and demanded, "Rogue cultivator! You stand before the young master of the Li family!"
The old cultivator said nothing, merely kneeling there in a daze. Dou Yi raised his voice and called out again. Watching this, Li Yuanping frowned slightly, though he did not step down from the dais. Instead, he called out, "Xu Gongming!"
Xu Gongming quickly stepped forward from the side and took hold of the old cultivator. With one hand grasping the man's lapel and the other supporting his back, he regulated his true essence and formed hand seals to cast two Heart-Calming Incantations. Only then did the rogue cultivator regain his wits, as if waking from a dream.
"Ah! Cough, cough..."
Spitting out two mouthfuls of blood, the old man scanned the faces of the Li family members for a moment before burying his face in his hands and weeping softly. Dou Yi opened his mouth to shout at him, but Li Yuanping waved a hand to stop him, letting the old man sob.
Li Yuanping made marks upon the letters on his desk without saying a word. The crowd of guest elders and retainers from external clans simply stood around watching the rogue cultivator. Only after quite a while did the old cultivator stifle his weeping and lament, "Rogue cultivator Bi Huaxuan pays respects to the young master."
"Bi Huaxuan..."
Li Yuanping nodded, set down the vermilion brush in his hand, and said warmly, "You are too polite, elder. Yuanping remembers every cultivator who frequently travels through our Li family's territory. Elder Bi's name looks familiar to me; you too have made a living along Guli Road for many years."
"Indeed..."
Bi Huaxuan nodded mournfully and replied, "This old man... this humble one has traded along the road for six years."
Ever since the Yu family's market was destroyed, Lake Wangyue lacked a place of trade. Guanyun Peak was far away in Lixia Commandery, requiring considerable effort for Embryonic Breathing cultivators to travel there. Thus, more rogue cultivator merchants took to Guli Road to earn meager margins, and Bi Huaxuan was one of them.
Seeing that he answered promptly and appeared far more lucid, Li Yuanping asked, "To those traveling along the road, our Li family has always extended a warm welcome. I wonder what Yuanping failed to do properly that led several of you to come to blows so violently on our territory..."
Li Yuanping's tone was gentle, carrying no intent to threaten, yet Bi Huaxuan had traveled among various clans for years and was accustomed to the overbearing nature of clan scions and immortal sects. His legs shook violently.
Having fought with another over a treasure on Li family grounds, he was already feeling guilty. Hearing these words, before the grief in his heart could recede, dread welled up once more.
Small temples and shrines abounded in the mountains, and rogue cultivators like them were always at the very bottom. What was more, the Li family was an established clan overseen by Foundation Establishment cultivators, incomparable to petty clans. Bi Huaxuan immediately prostrated himself and cried in anguish, "Young Master, we have been wronged! We were attacked by someone..."
Disregarding the crowd around him, he hurriedly babbled out the entire matter from beginning to end.
Bi Huaxuan had humble origins and originally worked in the Lake Wangyue market. After tremendous effort, he succeeded in condensing miscellaneous qi, gathered several dozen mortals along with a few Embryonic Breathing cultivators, and ventured out into the world. Yesterday, he was cultivating within his caravan on the road, never imagining that one of his disciples would go relieve himself and vanish without a trace.
Having drifted his entire life and believing his path of cultivation had reached its end, Bi Huaxuan treasured these disciples dearly. Deeply distressed, and reasoning there were no powerful demonic beasts on the Li family's land, he took several people out to search.
After calling out for half a day, they found a karst cave with scraps of the disciple's clothing lying outside. Bi Huaxuan cast a spell and descended to investigate, finding shimmering water spreading into a vast expanse below.
Looking forward, an underground river flowed unceasingly, and upon the water was a white object the size of a fist. Resembling water yet not water, it bounced ceaselessly upon the surface—crystalline, warm, and tumbling over and over, most peculiar...
"Wait!"
The onlookers had been listening with rapt attention, their eyes fixed on the old man; even An Zheyan could not help looking over. But Li Yuanping keenly sensed that something was amiss and abruptly cut him off, turning to those around him, "Invite Brother Jiao over!"
The attendant hurried off. Catching Li Yuanping's meaningful glance, Dou Yi hastily spoke up, "Everyone, please see to your own duties."
An Zheyan and the others nodded and withdrew in good order. Bi Huaxuan looked around in dread, and seeing Li Yuanping staring intently at him, he resumed his tale.
Bi Huaxuan was experienced in worldly affairs and was instantly shaken, knowing he had encountered an extraordinary treasure. How could he still care about any disciple? He had long thrown the boy to the back of his mind, thinking only of how to claim it for himself.
He promptly drove out all the disciples who had followed him inside. After observing it closely for a time, he felt his saliva sweet as jade nectar and his cultivation churned within him, realizing his fateful opportunity had come.
"This humble one has traveled north and south and possesses some worldly knowledge. This item should be called [Tianyi Pure Element], a legendary spiritual water of heaven and earth! It can... it can..."
Bi Huaxuan stammered, his eyes alight with greedy fire. Li Yuanping gripped his armrests tightly, a trace of excitement in his expression as he took over, "[Tianyi Pure Element]... This substance can enhance spiritual sense, heal foundational wounds, and expel impurities from true essence. From Foundation Establishment down to Embryonic Breathing, it possesses miraculous effects!"
[Tianyi Pure Element] was a rare spiritual water of heaven and earth, peerless at healing wounds and of immense value in many arts of talismans and alchemy. Li Yuanping had learned of this item when inquiring of Li Tongya about healing methods.
Li Tongya cultivated a water-natured immortal foundation, making [Tianyi Pure Element] the most ideal match. If he obtained this treasure and nurtured his injuries for a few years, he might even advance further. How could Li Yuanping not be excited?
At the time, Bi Huaxuan had been so agitated he hardly knew what to do with his hands and feet. What he resented most in his life was failing to obtain a qi-gathering formula before hastily embarking on Qi Refinement. Now, seeing [Tianyi Pure Element], the impulse in his heart surged like a monstrous wave, impossible to restrain.
[Tianyi Pure Element] could purify his miscellaneous qi and turn it into orthodox qi; even if his technique could not compare to orthodox methods, he would still have a chance at Foundation Establishment. He had hurriedly formed hand seals to carefully collect the spiritual water, but screams suddenly echoed outside the cave, and a black-robed man burst in.
"The newcomer possessed pure and boundless true essence. My fellow cultivators from the caravan and I fought him for over a dozen bouts, but we were no match for him. He slaughtered everyone until only I was left, and I was forced to toss aside my storage bag, yet he still refused to spare me..."
Bi Huaxuan wept and cried, "Had your noble clan's guest elders not arrived in time... this little old man would not even have kept his life...!"
Hearing this, Li Yuanping was already profoundly disappointed. His excitement turned entirely to dismay, and he slumped dejectedly back in his seat, wanting to curse yet unable to get the words out. Then he saw Bi Huaxuan weep and say, "Everything this old man built up over a lifetime was destroyed by this single person, leaving me utterly alone! I only beg the young master to avenge this old man, and this spiritual water of heaven and earth shall belong to your noble clan!"
"Avenge you?"
Li Yuanping scoffed, replying, "Once that person conceals himself in the vast wilderness, who could possibly track him down? My family is an established clan, not a Purple Mansion immortal clan!"
Yet Bi Huaxuan reined in his tears, pulled back his sleeve, and revealed a jade bracelet. Intricate patterns ran across it, glowing softly. Bi Huaxuan said in a low voice, "This little old man once snapped up a bargain in the market and bought two jade bracelets, originally intending to give them to my wife. One was already placed upon my wrist, while the other was still inside the storage bag that man snatched away.
"As long as these two jade bracelets are not too far apart, they can resonate with each other. That person is only in the early stage of Qi Refinement, and having fought with us for so long, he certainly could not have flown far. He is likely seeking a secluded spot in the mountains to restore his dharmic power. If we set out now, we might catch him immediately!"
Li Yuanping was instantly delighted, a smile spreading across his face. He moved to step down and take the jade bracelet, but abruptly stopped in his tracks, sat back down on the dais, and said thoughtfully, "Let us wait for my elder brother to arrive first."
Chapter 311