"I know."
Li Yuanjiao waved his hand. First, he picked up the storage bag seized from the Embryonic Breathing demonic cultivator he had killed on the road, taking stock of its contents as he spoke:
"In the clan vault, there's still a mid Qi Refinement Azure Blade that we can take out and sell first for this emergency. As for that Six-Stone Cloud Plate, also of the mid stage... it is a rare dharma shield crafted by Qingchi; we should keep it."
He weighed the storage bag in his hand a couple of times before putting it away, remarking:
"He was only an Embryonic Breathing cultivator after all. This storage bag isn't even the size of a table, holding a measly ten-odd spirit stones in odds and ends."
Be that as it may, this demonic cultivator had already been far wealthier than ordinary Embryonic Breathing cultivators. As Li Yuanjiao stowed the items, Li Qinghong spoke up from the side:
"Our middle branch has little to spare, but I still have nine spirit stones on me. Take them and use them, Brother."
Without allowing room for argument, she pressed several spirit stones into his hand. Li Yuanjiao took them silently, thanked her, and replied:
"Consider this a debt I owe you."
Li Xizhi was his legitimate son after all. Taking clan magical artifacts out to sell was already stretching the limit; in other families, accusations of abusing public resources for personal gain would surely have arisen—it was hardly something resolved merely by saying they would take them out to sell.
Li Qinghong merely shrugged with a smile:
"Suit yourself, Brother."
The two exchanged a smile. Li Yuanjiao finished packing his things, retrieved a few Embryonic Breathing magical artifacts kept in the storeroom, and glanced at a map to choose a market.
"With Guanyun Peak Market destroyed, traveling to a market takes a much longer journey."
Li Yuanjiao studied the map for a while. Originally, he had planned to go to the Yuan family's Dazhan Market, but calculating the travel time, Guyan Market in the western desert was actually closer.
"Then I will make a trip to Guyan Market! Communications are constantly cut off these days anyway, so I can also pay a visit to Uncle Donghe."
...
As Li Yuanjiao packed his belongings and departed on the mountain, the snow down below grew heavier, drifting down like goose feathers until the entire town and the mountains were blanketed in white. Li Xijun, having joined the elders in seeing off Li Ximing, returned to the mountain alone.
Walking through the snow with hands clasped behind his back, he wore light, striking robes that only accentuated his otherworldly elegance.
Unlike his elder brother Li Xicheng, who was burdened with many clan affairs, he only held a leisurely sinecure at the Clan Rectory. Normally, he cultivated in seclusion, occasionally descending the mountain to slay monsters.
After walking only a dozen li, Mount Yuting came into view. The mountain loomed lofty and steep, its snow-capped peaks covered with verdant pines.
"The snow upon Yuting's pines can ward off wicked fiends."
Li Xijun had cultivated on Mount Yuting for years. The pine trees on the mountain were growing increasingly lush. Mount Yuting rose so high it pierced the clouds, draped in snow year after year, and Li Qinghong, who guarded it, wielded lightning to slay demons. As a result, many poems circulated among the four towns beneath Mount Yuting. Having skimmed through them, he remembered a few lines.
Holding his sword, he took a few steps forward. Two people stood waiting at the foot of the mountain. Upon seeing him, they bowed respectfully and said softly:
"Greetings, Young Master."
These two were the An brothers, An Siming and An Siwei, both several years older than Li Xijun. They had been sent by Li Yuanping to cultivate at Yuting Peak.
An Siming wore a sword, while An Siwei carried a spear, both wearing gold rings on their wrists. Li Xijun exchanged a few pleasantries, then invoked a secret seal to open the grand formation, which shimmered with golden light.
An Siming stepped forward and hesitated before speaking in a low voice:
"Young Master, Siming has a younger sister who has just reached the hairpin age. She possesses a spirit aperture and is currently at the second layer of Embryonic Breathing, with quite a comely appearance..."
Looking somewhat embarrassed, he rambled on. Li Xijun walked forward, sword cradled in his arm, while the grand formation slowly closed behind them. Stepping over the snow along the path, he said:
"Does Retainer An wish to form a marriage alliance with our middle branch?"
Both brothers nodded repeatedly, offering flattering words. Li Xijun smiled:
"My father passed away in his prime, so Aunt makes the decisions for our middle branch. If she and the clan approve, a meeting can naturally be arranged."
Seeing his demeanor, the two could only nod. Li Xijun looked at the white snow on the pines and sighed:
"This matter is not for the likes of us to decide."
The An brothers nodded. Li Xijun rubbed his scabbard, his thoughts drifting as he mused inwardly:
'The Ans are all exceptionally gifted. If anything goes awry with Second Uncle's breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, in fifty years there would be at least two brothers-in-law at the peak of Qi Refinement, plus perhaps a father-in-law also at the peak of Qi Refinement... maybe even more...'
Li Xijun scooped up a handful of fallen snow, letting it melt slowly in his palm.
'The Ans do not know our family is guarded by the Immortal Mirror. They assume our family would fear that marrying into the elder branch might lead to them controlling our descendants, while marrying into the middle branch might incite a bid for leadership...'
'An Zheyan is crude and short-sighted, unable to see this, but Li Feiruo is likely racked with headaches over it, which is why she sent them to sound me out.'
Whoosh...
A green pine bough dipped slightly, shedding a cascade of snow. Li Xijun raised his slender sword-brows and smiled:
"Up the mountain to cultivate!"
...
On his end, Li Yuanjiao rode the wind for half a day, crossed the center of the lake, and arrived at the western shore of Lake Wangyue. This area was dotted with mountain ranges large and small, home to dozens of immortal cultivation families—most of them merely Embryonic Breathing clans, with only a scant few possessing Qi Refinement cultivators.
This was the territory of the rogue Foundation Establishment cultivator Daoist He. This mid Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator had always kept out of worldly conflicts, living off the tributes collected from his modest plot of land, and the other families did not bother him either.
Beyond the western shore, an immense mountain appeared, filling heaven and earth. Flat and elongated, the mountain was barren with exposed crags and meager spiritual vein energy. It was called Mount Xiping, separating the great desert from Lake Wangyue, and serving as the boundary between Qingchi Sect and Jinyu Sect.
Once past Mount Xiping, the climate abruptly turned scorching hot and arid. After riding the wind for several days, yellow sands gradually appeared, and a mighty mountain pass emerged before his eyes.
An ancient pass of Yue Country: Guyan Pass.
A section of Guyan Pass was occupied by Guyan Temple under the jurisdiction of Jinyu Sect. Li Yuanjiao rode the wind up to the pass. Sweeping his spiritual sense across, he detected a searing, radiant grand formation primed for battle; a single step forward would trigger the barrier at once.
"Li Yuanjiao of the Lijing Li family has come to visit! I request the temple master to open the grand formation!"
Surging his dharmic powers, he waited for several breaths before a Daoist flew out from the formation. The man's cultivation was only at the third layer of Qi Refinement, and he wore robes of half-yellow and half-white that looked rather mismatched, yet his face was brimming with smiles:
"Greetings, fellow Daoist! Poor Daoist is Bai Yinzi of Guyan!"
Li Yuanjiao nodded with a pleasant smile. The man kept his posture exceedingly humble and piled on servile smiles as he said hurriedly:
"Have you come looking for Fellow Daoist Donghe? Please, come inside with me!"
Even though Chen Donghe had stayed here for years, Li Yuanjiao was inherently suspicious and ruthless by nature; how could he possibly follow him inside? His gaze swept over the man's face, and with a light chuckle, his hand rested on the hilt of his sword as he said softly:
"Going inside won't be necessary. Please ask Uncle Donghe to come out instead."
Bai Yinzi was visibly taken aback. Wiping the sweat from his brow, his lips trembling, he hesitated:
"It is... not quite convenient! Fellow Daoist Donghe is injured and shouldn't move about recklessly. Please, Fellow Daoist, come inside."
Li Yuanjiao laughed aloud:
"Very well, very well!"
Bai Yinzi let out a breath of relief, the smile returning to his face. Seizing the opening, Li Yuanjiao took a step forward. His expression abruptly changed, his brows arching as his entire visage turned vicious. In a fierce voice, he shouted:
"Audacious!"
The Qingchi Sword leapt from its sheath, flashing with white light and letting out a piercing shriek as a surging Yueque sword arc burst forth.
Feeling as though knives were carving across his face, Bai Yinzi cried out in terror, half his life scared out of him. He hastily summoned an earthy-yellow turtle shield artifact and shrieked:
"Fellow Daoist, it's a misunderstanding! Spare me, Fellow Daoist!"
How could Li Yuanjiao believe him? Thoughts flashed like lightning through his mind:
'I do not even know if Uncle Donghe is still alive. If he wants to lure me into the formation, they certainly have no Foundation Establishment cultivators here. I must seize this man and see if I can exchange him for Uncle Donghe!'
'Even if I cannot, this will avenge Uncle Donghe.'
In that split second, the sword arc slammed heavily against the shield. That unnamed turtle shield was presumably an important artifact of the temple, possessing the caliber of a superior Qi Refinement artifact. Yet the Qingchi Sword was a Foundation Establishment artifact; with just this single strike, the turtle shield wailed in distress, and Bai Yinzi's face flushed crimson.
Scared out of his wits, he screeched:
"Fellow Daoist Donghe! Fellow Daoist Donghe! Help me, quickly! Poor Daoist is about to be beaten to death by your clansman!"
Hearing this, Li Yuanjiao was slightly startled. His grip eased a fraction, and he immediately reached out, saying in a deep voice:
"Let go, and I won't kill you!"
Flushed red, Bai Yinzi shut his eyes and truly stood there defenseless, the artifact losing its luster. Li Yuanjiao rested the sword against the man's neck, believing him five parts out of ten now, feeling a twinge of embarrassment.
"Young Master! Young Master!"
A middle-aged man rode the wind out from the formation, his face pale and several medicinal pouches affixed to his body. Greeting them with a bitter smile, he called out repeatedly:
"A misunderstanding... it's a misunderstanding..."
Li Yuanjiao had no choice but to silently sheath his sword. Bowing back to Bai Yinzi, he said with some embarrassment:
"My apologies, Fellow Daoist..."
Still trembling with lingering dread, Bai Yinzi quavered:
"Truly a family of sword immortals... That opening strike nearly scared half my soul out of me."
Chen Donghe offered his apologies, and only then did Bai Yinzi wave his hands, replying:
"It was Poor Daoist who spoke clumsily. I am the one who should apologize; Young Master is too polite."
Having been away from home for many years, Chen Donghe still addressed Li Yuanjiao as "Young Master" out of habit, which in turn led Bai Yinzi to do the same. Li Yuanjiao simply let it be. As they slowly touched down, Bai Yinzi let out several long breaths, his loosened tongue finally working properly as he marveled:
"No wonder your noble clan could emerge from that perilous, treacherous hellhole of Qingchi Sect, conquering east and west to rise as an illustrious clan... Such decisiveness is truly something Poor Daoist could never hope to match!"
Having sheathed his sword, Li Yuanjiao's brows relaxed. None of his previous ruthlessness remained, though he still carried a faint aura of ferocity, which drew clicks of admiration from Bai Yinzi, who continued:
"Under the rule of Jinyu Sect, immortal taxes are equally burdensome, yet it is nowhere near Qingchi's habit of wiping out whole lineages at every turn. When one temple annexes another, it must still be reported to Jinyu beforehand, and it never goes so far as slaughtering everyone..."
"If you ask me... the conduct of Qingchi and Xuanyue is practically no different from demonic cultivators. Let's just speak of this between ourselves and let it rot in our bellies—don't go saying I slandered the immortal sects..."
The man rambled on incessantly while Li Yuanjiao merely listened. Finally finding an opening when the man paused for breath, he turned to Chen Donghe with concern:
"How did you end up like this?"
"Just some demonic cultivators!"
Chen Donghe, who had now reached the sixth layer of Qi Refinement, smiled faintly. His face was pale as he said gently:
"A few days ago, a band of demonic cultivators headed north, intending to cross Mount Xiping, and happened to pass by Guyan Temple. The cultivators of the temple and I fought with all our might to preserve the grand formation. I merely sustained some injuries and was bedridden for several days."
"I had no choice but to have the temple master go out to welcome you, never expecting it would lead to a misunderstanding with Young Master..."
Yet upon hearing this, Li Yuanjiao's mind turned to calculation instead, and he pressed:
"Where did those demonic cultivators go?"
"Unable to take this place after a prolonged assault, they crossed Mount Xiping. They might have headed toward the western shore."
Li Yuanjiao calculated the time. Most likely, it was impossible to catch up now, so he could only sigh in regret.
After all, since this band of demonic cultivators couldn't even breach this grand formation, most of them were likely only in early Qi Refinement. If he could have rallied the clan's cultivators to hunt them down and seize their treasures, it would have covered the clan's financial deficit.
He then retrieved some medicinal pills from his storage bag and handed them to Chen Donghe. Chen Donghe's own pills and cultivation resources had long been depleted in that fierce battle, so he expressed his gratitude and accepted them.
Chen Donghe smiled and said:
"This is the temple master, Bai Yinzi. Over the years, he has helped me immensely, giving his full support in both resources and spiritual veins, and he is kind-hearted and honest."
Li Yuanjiao clasped his hands in greeting. Bai Yinzi waved his hands and laughed:
"Fellow Daoist Donghe has helped me quite a bit over the years as well, defeating several opponents for me during the temple fairs. I gained benefits from it; I didn't give him room and board for free."
Seeing how candid he was, Chen Donghe smiled warmly, while Bai Yinzi flattered him further:
"Fellow Daoist Donghe possesses extraordinary magnanimity. Even those he defeated hold him in immense admiration, and he has made quite a name for himself in this desert over the years!"
The two chatted and laughed for a while, after which Bai Yinzi dragged them both into a feast of wine and food. It wasn't until the third watch of the night that Chen Donghe finally led Li Yuanjiao back to his courtyard.
Once the courtyard gate was closed, the warding formation isolating the inside from the outside was activated. Sitting in the courtyard was an elderly woman with wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and on her forehead. Holding an oil lamp, she was writing something with a brush. Seeing the two enter, she looked up and said gently:
"Ah, Jiao'er has come."
"Aunt..."
Li Yuanjiao froze for a full breath before coming to his senses. Li Jingtian was already over fifty years old, utterly transformed from his memories of the past; apart from that pair of eyes that remained as gentle and warm as ever, virtually nothing of her former self could be recognized.
Mortals of Mount Dali rarely lived to such an age, but Chen Donghe had expended spiritual items to nourish Li Jingtian. Now she looked reasonably hale and hearty, without the slightest hint of decrepitude. Smiling, she asked:
"How is the family? Is Second Uncle well?"
Tough as Li Yuanjiao was, hearing those words brought tears welling up in his eyes. Forcing his eyes shut, his fingers gripped his sword until the Qingchi Sword began to hum and tremble, and he spoke sorrowfully:
"The Old Ancestor has departed this world and ascended in death, his mortal form returned to Taiyin..."
Li Jingtian's face turned white, two streams of tears falling from her eyes. Chen Donghe lost his composure even more severely, his expression shifting through several shades as he froze stiffly where he stood.
"That day... was bound to come. That day... was bound to come."
Li Jingtian was pale. Having heard some news while still with the clan, she was somewhat better prepared to accept it. But Chen Donghe was utterly desolate, as if struck by a bolt from the blue, and cried out in dismay:
"Impossible! How could this be!"
Every expression on his face slipped out of control. Chen Donghe, who had not even flinched in the face of mortal peril, now completely lost his composure. His vision went black, and stumbling back several paces, he said in disbelief:
"Unless a Purple Palace expert made a move, who could possibly kill Second Uncle!"
In his panic, his words tumbled out heedlessly, blurting out "Second Uncle" directly. His face flushed bright crimson as he gasped for breath on the spot. Li Yuanjiao hastily supported him, smoothing the flow of qi through his meridians. At last, with a wet cough, Chen Donghe spat out a mouthful of black blood.
Having already suffered internal injuries, coughing up this stagnant blood actually improved his complexion. Looking up, he asked:
"Was it... the lingering injury left behind by Mahā?"
"Yes..."
Having received the confirmation, Chen Donghe wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and whispered:
"Heaven envies the talented... The Four Sons of Lijing... have all fallen silent just like this!"
Li Yuanjiao slightly turned his head. The clan had never officially acknowledged Li Chijing's death, but Chen Donghe, having served as a pillar of the family for many years, surely had his own deductions, keeping them buried in his heart. Now, overwhelmed by grief and fury, it slipped out.
Li Jingtian comforted him for a while, and Chen Donghe soon regained his composure. Hanging his head, he said:
"Forgive my display."
Li Yuanjiao could find no words of comfort, only silently helping him regulate his meridians. Chen Donghe spoke:
"Donghe carries injuries. Allow your subordinate a moment to nurse them, and tomorrow I shall escort Young Master to Guyan Market."
Li Yuanjiao nodded repeatedly. Supporting each other, the husband and wife stepped into the inner courtyard.
Before long, muffled, weeping sobs echoed from behind the door.
Li Yuanjiao listened in silence, feeling a hollow sense of loss. He sat alone in a daze in the courtyard, the tea upon the table left untouched, illuminated in shades of cyan and crimson by the blood-red twilight.
Resting his hands upon his knees, he cast his gaze toward the red setting sun on the horizon of the great desert. A solitary plume of smoke rose in the desert, undulating like a flood dragon, a whale, a wolf, a serpent against the edge of the sky, slowly surging into the dark crimson distance.
Chapter 361