When news of Li Jingtian's passing arrived, the entire Li clan donned mourning white. Though she was merely a mortal, she was, after all, Li Xiangping's daughter, Li Xuanfeng's younger sister of the same mother, and one of the highest-ranking elders by generation in the household.
Chen Donghe carried his wife all the way back, his demeanor having returned to calm. Li Yuanjiao went out to receive him, keeping his eyes lowered and his brows quiet, not speaking a single word throughout the journey.
Chen Donghe had finally returned. He was already seventy years old; having entered Qi Refinement only at thirty, he looked to be in his early fifties and was already considered an elder. At the funeral, he stood ramrod straight.
Li Qinghong had only just learned the news of her mother Lu Wanrong's passing when her aunt Li Jingtian's remains were brought back to the Li family. Having lost two loved ones in succession, she was overcome with grief, and the high-spirited demeanor she had worn after her breakthrough faded once more into sorrow.
After more than half a year of bustling about, the family finally had all their affairs in order. Having broken through so recently, Li Qinghong suffered fluctuations in her cultivation from the intense joy followed by deep sorrow, forcing her into secluded cultivation to stabilize her foundation. That left Li Yuanjiao behind to oversee the family.
Mount Qingdu.
As usual, Li Yuanjiao led Chen Donghe up Mount Qingdu. Seeing that his spirit remained robust and his demeanor was steady, Li Yuanjiao breathed a quiet sigh of relief and said courteously, "I have troubled Uncle these past years... Now the younger generations are growing into their own, so there is no need for Uncle to stay in that desolate, bitter land. We can leave the harvesting of qi to the juniors from now on. Uncle may cultivate in peace."
"What words are those?"
Chen Donghe first offered a polite salute, then sighed and replied, "Whom does the family plan to dispatch?"
Li Yuanjiao replied, "An Zheyan has two sons, both of whom have married daughters of our Li clan. Both of them have reached the middle stage of cultivation now. They can hold their own and are loyal and dependable. I intend to have them take turns harvesting qi."
Chen Donghe nodded. "I shall write a letter right away to give Bai Yinzi instructions."
He paused for a moment and continued, "Bai Yinzi of Guyan Temple wishes to forge ties with us. We may well send a few of our own over there to establish marriage alliances. In less than twenty years, they should become wings for our family, serving as our chess pieces to reach deep into the Great Desert."
"Very well."
Li Yuanjiao readily agreed. Sweeping out his spiritual sense, he found that Chen Donghe had already reached the eighth layer of Qi Refinement. He said warmly, "Uncle has worked tirelessly and performed great service through all these years, which cannot go unrewarded. The family possesses an esoterically passed-down Barrier-Breaking Pill. Uncle, take it and consume it to break through to the ninth layer of Qi Refinement."
"This... I am already a decrepit old body; how can I be worthy of such a pill? Better to save it for Ximing and Xijun..."
Chen Donghe knitted his brows, speaking with deep sincerity rather than polite formality. "This old man is already over seventy! What difference does it make whether I break through to the ninth layer of Qi Refinement sooner or later? Better to give it to the younger generation..."
Li Yuanjiao had no choice but to firmly thrust the pill into his hands, explaining, "We have already set aside ample shares for the children... If Uncle refuses like this, how are we to convince the clan?"
Only then did Chen Donghe pocket the pill. Murmuring a couple lines of the Xuan Scenery Spiritual Oath to himself, he went off to find a place for seclusion.
Li Yuanjiao sat down on a stone bench. The pile of old books Chen Donghe had brought back lay upon the table, all collected and annotated by Li Jingtian during her lifetime. He gathered them up and let out a gentle sigh.
"Aunt... what a pity."
He sat in the courtyard for a while until a tall man walked in, bowing in salute. "Xicheng pays respects to Patriarch."
"Mm."
Li Yuanjiao raised a hand, lifting him with magic power. Over the past half year, Li Yuanping's health had grown increasingly frail, and most of the clan's affairs had been transferred into Li Xicheng's hands. Li Xicheng cupped his hands and said, "The family's yields are steadily increasing. The first batch of spirit fish raised in the lake through the monster beasts has been harvested, selling for a full seven spirit stones. The harvest will only grow larger hereafter, adding an income of at least four to five spirit stones each year.
"As for the two ore veins, deep excavation is underway. For now, we have not found much ore, but after a few more years, they should yield results."
When Li Yuanping took over the Li family, it had been a destitute clan running deficits year after year, robbing Peter to pay Paul. By the time it was handed to Li Xicheng, its ledgers showed a healthy surplus of over ten spirit stones each year. Li Yuanjiao nodded inwardly as he listened to the earnings.
"In recent years, our family has gained three more Qi Refinement and five miscellaneous qi cultivators, replacing several Embryonic Breathing members among the five peaks."
The Li family was now displaying the grandeur of a true prominent clan. Miscellaneous qi cultivators were springing up like bamboo shoots after rain, and Qi Refinement cultivators were plentiful as well; Li Xicheng himself had reached the third layer of Qi Refinement.
"At the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, An Zheyan stands at the forefront. Chen Donghe and Great-Uncle Xuanxuan are both late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators. Tian Zhongqing, Xu Gongming, the White Monkey, Chen Mufeng, Li Wen, and others are in the middle stage of Qi Refinement. In the early stage, there are eleven cultivators from external surnames and the Jade Court Guard. In total, we have twenty-seven Qi Refinement cultivators and forty-one miscellaneous qi cultivators.
"As for Foundation Establishment, there are Second Uncle, Aunt Qinghong, Senior Wushao, and Master Kongheng—four in all. Today, our Li clan's might rivals that of the Yu clan back in their prime; we are already the overlords of the lake."
Li Xicheng sighed. "Currently, over four hundred and fifty thousand commoners live under our clan's rule. Spirit fields are tight, and we have done our utmost to control growth, but we are constrained by the Three Clans' Oath and cannot push north. Otherwise, sweeping across Lake Wangyue, annexing Milin, and seizing Mount Hanyun—what would the Fei and Yu clans amount to then?"
With new Foundation Establishment cultivators rising above, the Li family brimmed with vibrant vigor. The numbers of Qi Refinement and miscellaneous qi cultivators grew steadily, and as the room opened up by yielding the five peaks and establishing official posts was exhausted, the situation was beginning to show signs of too many mouths and too little porridge.
Li Yuanjiao listened to Li Xicheng finish speaking, nodded gently, and replied, "If we wish to advance north... we must first see Yu Muxian dead, and then secure a place in the Qingchi Sect so that Lake Wangyue falls under Qingsui Peak's jurisdiction... Only then can the momentum be sustained.
"Qingchi rotates jurisdictions every seventy years, and Yuanwu Peak has only about twenty years remaining."
Li Xicheng acknowledged the point. Li Yuanjiao then said in a low voice, "Our family already has four Foundation Establishment cultivators... We might well consider establishing a branch overseas... For one, most Foundation Establishment monster generals within our inland waters possess some backing, making them hard to capture; for another, an overseas post would bridge the inside and outside, allowing us to obtain spiritual items and relieve population pressure."
Li Xicheng merely waited for him to decide, nodding deferentially in agreement. Li Yuanjiao still felt somewhat uncertain, muttering to himself, "Firstly, the islands of various sizes overseas mostly have masters, making it difficult to find a safe and expansive foothold... Secondly, it would require at least two Foundation Establishment cultivators to secure our footing. No matter whom we dispatch... none is an easy choice."
Li Wushao was a local power from the Eastern Sea and would have been the most suitable choice to send along, but excavation of the ore veins in Lake Wangyue had only just begun. Without a monster general stationed there, that pack of monsters would hardly bow to anyone's temper; if Li Wushao were gone for too long, trouble would likely arise.
As Li Yuanjiao was calculating in his mind, he saw An Zheyan hurrying up from below, speaking respectfully. "Patriarch! A fox has brought a letter."
"Oh? Bring it up at once!"
Hearing it was a fox, Li Yuanjiao knew the letter came from the White Banyan Fox and replied swiftly. An Zheyan's expression was somewhat strange as he nodded and withdrew.
Before long, An Zheyan rode the wind back up, cradling a red fox the size of a pillow in his arms. It had blood-red paws and green eyes, holding a jade slip in its jaws, looking thoroughly well-behaved.
"So it is an ordinary fox... not a fox monster..."
Only then did Li Yuanjiao understand An Zheyan's expression. He took the jade slip and read it carefully.
"...The cave has dispatched a monster general here... a deer monster... possessing mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation. It has sent fine gifts to our door... seeking a talk with your noble clan..."
*So a new monster general has taken office... The monster cave took its sweet time reacting...*
Li Yuanjiao nodded in realization and handed the jade slip to Li Xicheng. After reading a few lines, Li Xicheng hesitated. "Is this demon deer... afraid of our clan?"
"How could it not be afraid!"
Li Yuanjiao chuckled softly and explained, "Its predecessor died at our family's hands just a few years ago, and the White Banyan Fox handled the aftermath so cleanly that not a whisper of wind escaped. That is typically the treatment reserved for the Three Sects and Seven Gates!
"Coming to guard this post against its will, it naturally must reach an understanding with us. Otherwise, wouldn't it be sitting foolishly on that peak, waiting for our family to come claim its life?"
Li Yuanjiao glanced at the little red fox standing obediently and motionless before him, saying softly, "Then let us see what kind of creature this deer monster is."
Li Xicheng nodded slightly, dismissing An Zheyan with the fox in his arms. Only then did he remind him, "Patriarch... Great-Uncle Xuanxuan's inner demons are growing heavier. Though the old man says nothing... we cannot stand by and watch."
Li Yuanjiao's expression darkened slightly. Flinging his sleeve, he said in a deep voice, "Xijun has brought this up with me several times. I have inquired around for a long time and heard that the Hengzhu Dao Sect possesses a method to resolve it. Find someone to take him there!"
Having dropped those words, Li Yuanjiao appeared completely indifferent, riding the wind away on his own.
Li Xicheng froze, letting out a couple of wry laughs. Looking up at the drifting silhouette receding into the distance, he murmured in distress, "Bu-but the cost is immense, and Great-Uncle Xuanxuan refuses to go either way!"
He was caught between two fires while the Jade Court Guard stood quietly by his side. After pondering for a moment, Li Xicheng muttered under his breath, "I can only ask Brother Jun!"
...
The ancestral hall.
Li Xijun had stayed on the mountain for nearly half a year. Everyone assumed he had been confined, so no one disturbed him, and he was glad for the peace, cultivating swordsmanship and spells, making progress in both.
When news of Li Jingtian arrived, Li Yuanjiao came in to speak with him several times. He changed into white robes in the ancestral hall, his thoughts still lingering on Li Xuanxuan.
*The old man's vitality was already frail; I wonder if he can bear this.*
After cultivating in the ancestral hall for another half-month, Li Xijun had planned to wait until the three-year term expired before leaving. But Li Xicheng arrived in a rush and laid out the news from all sides, making it impossible for Li Xijun to sit still any longer.
*Neither side is willing to back down... Sigh!*
Li Xijun worried for Li Xuanxuan. Hearing that Li Qinghong was in secluded cultivation and Li Yuanjiao had gone out and could not be seen, he could hold back no longer. At last, he stepped out of the ancestral hall and flew toward the Alchemy Pavilion.
Stopping at the entrance of the pavilion, he saw a woman standing quietly beside the door. Fair-skinned and beautiful, she actually possessed Qi Refinement cultivation. Her gaze paused briefly on his face before she greeted respectfully, "This humble woman greets Senior."
"So it is Maiden Meng."
Li Xijun replied with polite detachment and knocked on the door himself.
Inside, Li Ximing was pinching the vermilion Changxing Primordial Fire to refine pills. Pushing forward with both hands, he drew out six pills from the flame and stored them one by one, asking softly, "Which Fellow Daoist is it?"
Li Xijun waited a moment, entering the hall only after Li Ximing had stowed his alchemy fire. Delighted that Li Xijun had caught him on a rare occasion when he was actually refining pills by the book, Li Ximing smiled and said, "Cooped up inside for a year, and now you're willing to come out?"
Li Xijun shook his head and asked, "Let me ask you: how many pills has Great-Uncle consumed this year? Are things still normal?"
At the mention of this, Li Ximing's expression darkened as well. He lowered his voice. "It is very troublesome. He has taken many Heart-Calming Pills, Jade Ice Pills, and Cloud-Turning Pills, yet the effects are growing weaker... I fear this can no longer be delayed. Grandfather has always refused to speak up, and Second Uncle rarely asks..."
Li Xijun shook his head gently. "Second Uncle has visited the ancestral hall several times just waiting for me to bring this up. Though the two elders seem distant on the surface, they are father and son after all."
Li Ximing felt a twinge of sorrow. "Neither of them can let go of pride, being all awkward and reserved..."
His words were vague, making it unclear which of them he meant. Li Xijun glanced at him, shaking his head with a sigh.
During these years in the ancestral hall, Li Xijun had thoroughly studied the clan records. He said plainly, "Father and son had a rift between them to begin with, and the only one who could mediate, Eldest Uncle, passed away early, deepening the divide. Great-Uncle Xuanxuan cannot bring himself to lose face, and Uncle Jiao cannot speak soft words, yet both feel miserable at heart..."
Li Xijun took out a jade slip from his robes and said warmly, "Uncle Jiao says nothing, but he clearly worries deeply. Earlier on, he sent people to inquire. By now, Great-Uncle's condition can no longer be remedied with ordinary pills. There is a heart-calming immortal incantation in the Hengzhu Dao Sect that should offer a way."
"I know of it as well," Li Ximing answered, sighing helplessly. "That spell requires many spiritual items as support, costing forty to fifty spirit stones at a time. Grandfather is used to being thrifty; how could he ever agree?"
"That is easily managed," Li Xijun said in a low voice. "I will deceive him into coming out under the pretense of searching for spiritual water. Once we reach Hengdong Commandery, we will act first and report later, inviting the disciples of Hengzhu over. Great-Uncle will have no choice but to comply."
Li Ximing nodded repeatedly. "A good plan. But with the two of you traveling south, there are many demonic cultivators about these days; I fear something might go wrong..."
Li Xijun replied, "No need to worry. We will have Kongheng escort us. He hails from orthodox Buddhist heritage and excels at calming the heart and nurturing qi, so nothing will go awry along the way."
He blinked and smiled. "It is just that it is inconvenient for me to bring this up, so you must present it to Uncle Jiao as your own idea."
Li Ximing nodded in understanding. "Understood."
Li Xijun did not linger; nodding gently, he rode the wind straight toward the cave abode on the mountain to invite Li Xuanxuan.
Left behind in the Alchemy Pavilion, Li Ximing sat lost in thought. Meng Zhuoyun pushed open the door and stepped inside, speaking softly, "Brother Ming..."
Li Ximing breathed a sigh of relief and beckoned her forward. The two exchanged a glance, and Meng Zhuoyun sat down beside him. Having spent more than a year together, they had long since broken through that layer of paper, leaving nothing between them to shy away from.
Li Ximing naturally parted her white garments and gently took hold of her smooth, delicate shoulder, his mind wandering to other thoughts.
His gaze lingered on Meng Zhuoyun's lovely features for a while, only to notice a deep-blue osmanthus hairpin in her hair. It looked like a magical artifact, standing out strikingly against her plain white robes.
Appearing tender and affectionate, Meng Zhuoyun caught his gaze and said gently, "This was left behind by my father before his death. He spent several days crafting it."
Li Ximing lowered his voice. "Elder Meng has passed? When did this happen?"
"Last night," Meng Zhuoyun replied quietly. "He overreached himself; having gone into secluded cultivation to break through for only three months, he perished."
Li Ximing released her shoulder, feeling sheepish, and comforted her, "My condolences... my condolences..."
Meng Zhuoyun gave a soft laugh and teased gently, "What? We're not doing it today?"
Li Ximing began babbling, "What a pity for Elder Meng... Ah, such is life and death, there is no helping it... The man lived to over one hundred and ninety; many Foundation Establishment cultivators don't even live as long as he did... Think about it, how many cultivators can live to be two hundred..."
Looking at the rambling man before her, Meng Zhuoyun let out an amused snort, yet tears spilled from her eyes. Tearfully kissing him, she bit down on his lower lip.
Feeling a faint saltiness in his mouth, Li Ximing knew she was grieving and rambled on trying to console her. Meng Zhuoyun finally dropped all pretense and cried out through her tears:
"Are you going to do it or not!"
Li Ximing looked at her blankly, then pulled her into his embrace. The woman before him finally burst into loud sobs.
"Aiya! Think about it, how many people can live to two hundred..."
Li Ximing repeated the same few phrases over and over. Meng Zhuoyun wept and laughed all at once, her eyes filled with complex emotion, until after a long time she let out a gentle sigh.
"Sigh!"
Chapter 400