Li Yuanjiao took the Dinglin Spike from his hand. Tangjin Gate favored spells involving thrusting spikes, daggers, and sabers. This Dinglin Spike had a bizarre shape—about six inches long, resembling a slender stick sharpened at both ends, highly specialized in piercing through defenses at a single point.
Looking at Li Xijun before him, Li Yuanjiao frowned instead and said in a heavy voice, “When we were fighting inside the formation earlier, you should have left right away instead of lingering here. If I hadn’t been able to best this Situ Mo, at least your life would have been spared.”
With Kongheng present, Li Xijun did not dare claim that he could see through the situation within the formation, so he merely nodded in agreement. With a somber expression, Li Yuanjiao had the two of them draw forth the spiritual water that was only one step away from extraction, then whispered to Kongheng, “I shadowed you all along the way. This Situ Mo didn’t track us step by step; he flew directly on the wind to this pool… He knew you and I were right here!”
Kongheng chanted a Buddhist incantation and replied, “Does Benefactor mean… there is a Violet Palace backing him and giving instructions?”
Li Yuanjiao’s expression shifted unpredictably. In truth, he was already sixty percent certain. The moment he had harbored the intention to use the sword intent of the Qingchi Sword in his hand to pull up weeds by the roots, that man had vanished in a hurry, which made him even more convinced.
“It might not necessarily be an instruction,” Li Yuanjiao said in a deep voice. “The Violet Palace cultivator of Tangjin Gate hasn’t shown himself in a long time, and most of their territory has fallen under the actual control of the Xiuyue Sect. Perhaps some faction holding a grudge against our Li family is aiding him in secret.”
Kongheng fell silent, then murmured a few words: “Perhaps… perhaps it is the lineage of Wrath…”
As the two spoke, the pool before them began to churn as if boiling. It slowly parted, and a stream of spiritual water vaulted out—pale white, crystal-clear. It swirled once in the air before descending into the jade bottle held in Li Xijun’s hands.
Li Xijun’s face was still somewhat pale, but he said joyfully, “Granduncle! It is Clear Origin Spiritual Water!”
Li Xuanxuan hurriedly leaned forward, took a careful look, and nodded in praise. “It truly is Clear Origin Spiritual Water! With this, several more people in our family will be able to master the third-rank ocular technique, Clear-Sight Spiritual Pupil!”
This spiritual water was of immense help in cultivating Clear-Sight Spiritual Pupil. Once he mastered it, it would also provide an excuse for the strange anomaly in his eyes. Li Xijun put it away, while Li Yuanjiao merely said in a low voice, “Let us make haste and depart. Do not linger any longer.”
The group took to the wind and rose into the air. Li Yuanjiao was plagued by worry, his heart unsettled. Suddenly, the jade pendants at their waists flared up, emitting a warm glow.
“Hmm?”
Everyone was taken aback. Li Xijun asked in wonder, “Could it be that Aunt was uneasy and followed us here?”
“No…” Li Yuanjiao shook his head. He had specifically instructed Li Qinghong to guard the home; she would not come this far. Even as he pondered, mystic pattern spiritual mist surfaced over his body, concealing him in the sky until he vanished from sight.
Yet from the distance, a streak of colorful light rode the wind toward them. A young nobleman clad in brocade arrived riding a rainbow, wearing a feather robe patterned with mystic marks, a jade crown atop his raven hair, and cradling a swaddled infant in his arms. He called out with a bright laugh, “Which brother or senior is present? Xizhi greets you!”
Li Xuanxuan almost leaped in place, overjoyed. “It’s my Zhi’er!”
Beside him, Li Xijun froze for a moment. He channeled the white qi in his eyes and scrutinized the newcomer for three full breaths. Finding no trace of illusion on the man, he said in pleasant surprise, “It really is Third Brother!”
Seeing Li Xuanxuan stepping forward to greet him, Li Xizhi’s face filled with shock. He gasped, “Grand… Grandfather?”
He pulled Li Xuanxuan close and said in disbelief, “I have been away for a mere twenty years—how has Grandfather aged to such a state! This… this…”
Li Xuanxuan was now in his eighties, but even if someone claimed he was over a hundred looking at him now, Li Xizhi would not find it strange. He could only stare blankly. Li Xuanxuan waved his hand, looking at him with immense gratification. “Good! Very good!”
Behind him, Li Xijun smiled inwardly, took a step forward, and cupped his hands. “Xijun greets Third Brother!”
“You, you, you!” Li Xizhi’s heart surged with emotion. His eyes grew slightly moist, and he laughed. “Good brother, twenty years without seeing you, and you truly look like an immortal now.”
The two young men exchanged glances, thousands of thoughts running through their minds without knowing where to begin. Li Xuanxuan hurriedly tugged at him, pointed at the infant in his arms, and asked tentatively, “This… this is…”
Li Xizhi chuckled softly and replied with warmth, “Li Chenghuai.”
“Oh, heavens!” Li Xuanxuan was overjoyed. Before he could say more, the mystic pattern spiritual mist nearby dispersed, and Li Yuanjiao, dressed in black robes, could finally hold back no longer. His face was slightly flushed as he scolded, “Brat! You didn’t even send a letter home for such a major event!”
Li Xizhi was stunned. He allowed Li Xuanxuan to take Li Chenghuai from his arms. Being scolded by his father like this, his joy turned into a tearful cry: “Father!”
Li Yuanjiao raised his brows and looked at him for a long while. The radiant glow of the rainbow and the feather robe shifted across his son’s face. Only then did he squeeze out two words in a raspy voice: “Not bad.”
Li Xizhi had left home alone at ten to enter deep into Qingchi. He had not seen his father for twenty years. Li Yuanjiao’s letters had always been solemn and austere, never showing any tender sentiment. Hearing this single phrase from his father now, tears streamed down his face. He replied, “Your son has walked on thin ice for twenty years in Qingchi… I can say I haven’t betrayed the clan’s trust!”
The whole family fell silent. Li Yuanjiao stroked his back without saying another word. Li Xizhi quickly composed himself, wiped his face, and smiled. “I was assigned a mission by the sect to guard Libu Commandery—it is just up ahead! Please come along with me to rest for a bit.”
His gaze swept over Li Xijun, and only then did he notice how pale his eighth brother looked. He asked in puzzlement, “What happened to you…?”
“A minor injury.”
Li Xizhi frowned and took out several jade bottles from his storage bag, all seemingly top-grade medicines. He said softly, “Take them quickly and come settle down with me to enter closed-door cultivation and heal. This cannot be delayed!”
The others exchanged glances and agreed. Together, they rode the wind toward the north. When Li Xizhi asked about the injury, Li Xijun recounted what had just happened with Situ Mo. Li Xizhi frowned repeatedly as he listened, then said in a low voice, “I know of this man! Situ Mo ranks among the top three disciples of this generation in Tangjin Gate. He has a domineering temperament and a rather poor reputation.”
“However…” A decisive look appeared on his face as he continued, “According to Eighth Brother’s description, this person is definitely no mediocre talent. Overbearing though he may be, he is not easy to deal with. We must find an opportunity to eliminate him!”
Li Yuanjiao cradled Li Chenghuai at his side, looking at the child closely, and said impassively, “He came straight for us. Either he has a Violet Palace cultivator behind him, or he obtained information from somewhere. If he dies, Tangjin Gate will certainly know. It is quite a thorny problem.”
He shared his own deductions, adding doubtfully, “Back then… Situ Mo’s lineage was defeated in their internal strife. Rumor had it that the entire branch was wiped out, which was why our elders dared to join hands with others to destroy the Ji family. But looking at Situ Mo now, it seems those rumors were untrue.”
Li Xijun nodded, coughed, and reasoned, “He carries many treasures and possesses profound spellcraft. He must have a backer in Tangjin Gate; he doesn't look like an abandoned orphan at all…”
Li Xizhi recalled the records he had read in the sect and said softly, “Regarding Tangjin Gate, I read about it carefully. There are many secrets. Back then, they wiped out one branch and surrendered to Qingchi, which was likely an unavoidable pledge of loyalty. It would be entirely normal for them to secretly raise an orphan to preserve the lineage.”
“Situ Mo is likely the son of Situ Yi from back then. As the sole survivor of that branch, it is only natural that he is valued.”
Li Xuanxuan said in a low voice, “If that is the case, he will be even harder to deal with… If we kill him openly, we will probably face frantic retaliation from Tangjin Gate. It would be best if we could set a trap…”
Li Xuanxuan’s implication was obvious, and Li Yuanjiao had similar thoughts. Though the family kept a low profile, none of them were hesitant people. Faced with a sudden Foundation Establishment enemy, they felt neither panic nor haste; their minds were entirely set on how to get rid of him without leaving a trace.
Li Xuanxuan murmured with deep worry, “Yet we cannot best him in a fight either. Only with the Master and you and your sister joining forces would there be a chance to take him down. What’s more, who knows how many trump cards he possesses? As a core scion of Tangjin Gate, could he possibly lack life-saving treasures?”
Uncles and nephews were lost in their own thoughts and fell silent. Soon, they flew into Libu Commandery. The land here was filled with rolling hills, dotted with various villages. Li Xizhi’s hand flashed as he brought out a jade talisman, infused it with dharmic power, and said to his family, “Wait a moment.”
After a brief wait, two figures came speeding through the wind toward them. Both were at the peak of Qi Refinement, of considerable age, with poised and elegant bearings that spoke of lives lived in luxury and honor. Halting before the group, one of them asked respectfully, “May we ask which of you is the esteemed envoy from the immortal sect…?”
Li Xizhi tossed out a jade medallion and said calmly, “Qingsui Peak, Li Xizhi of Qingdu. My master is Yuan Tuan, of the Xunlin Yuan family!”
With these words, the two immediately understood his background. They bowed their heads with great reverence and stammered, “Greetings, My Lord! Greetings, My Lord! Please, this way… The staff in the market have all been assembled! We are only awaiting Your Lordship’s inspection…”
Li Xizhi merely waved his hand and replied, “There is no rush for that. Let them wait for now… These are my family members. They were ambushed by scoundrels on the road and suffered some minor injuries. Take them down first and arrange for top-grade spiritual medicines. Charge the expenses to my account.”
The two quickly said, “My Lord jokes… What need is there to speak of charging accounts? This lowly one will see to it at once.”
Li Xizhi narrowed his eyes and smiled. “Charge it.”
The two exchanged glances and could only defer obediently. “Yes… yes…”
Li Xizhi had not come here to leave any leverage against himself. He did not belong to the Chi family’s direct line, nor had he attached himself to any influential faction in the sect, so he could not plunder without restraint.
‘What an impressive display!’
Li Xijun and Li Xuanxuan exchanged glances and followed one of the men down. The old steward turned his head, looked at Li Xuanxuan in bewilderment, and asked, “Have I met Senior somewhere before?”
Li Xuanxuan smiled. “This old man once ran a small shop in the Guanyun Peak Market.”
“Oh, oh, oh! Back then, I served as a manager in that very place!” The old man replied cheerily, but then seemed to recall something, and closed his mouth in embarrassment. Li Xuanxuan sent a secret voice transmission: “I’ve seen these two before… Back when our family was not yet an established clan, I went out to sell talismans, and these two came by to look… How haughty and overbearing they were back then! And now…”
Li Xuanxuan smiled inwardly. The old man had already brought out several spiritual items. Li Yuanjiao picked a few of the cheaper ones to use and said in a deep voice, “We shall rest and cultivate here for a few days before setting out.”
Li Xijun agreed and went down to enter closed-door cultivation alongside him. Meanwhile, Li Xuanxuan remained in the courtyard dealing with the man’s endless stream of flattery, thinking to himself, ‘A Qingchi disciple… truly commands such grand authority!’
***
Li family, Mount Wutu.
With a gentle flick of his hand, Li Ximing drew the fire leaping from the alchemy furnace into his grasp. It transformed into Continuous Motion Primordial Fire. He opened his mouth and swallowed the flame into his belly.
“The seventh layer of Qi Refinement… it has been some time now!”
Over these days, he had consolidated his cultivation, found the right moment to break through to the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, and stepped into late-stage Qi Refinement. He had become a core combatant of the Li family, one step closer to Foundation Establishment.
Beside him, Meng Zhuoyun’s clothes were half-undone, revealing snow-white skin. Looking indolent, she lay on her stomach upon the floor, propping herself up on her elbows. Her fair left hand held a slender brush aloft while her other hand held down a portrait.
She looked entirely at ease, adding a stroke every now and then, her feet crossed and raised behind her. Bathed in the sunlight, half her body gleamed brightly, accentuating her tender skin and a waist so slender it could be clasped in a single hand.
Li Ximing loosened his robes, rolled up her sleeves to leave her fair arms tantalizingly half-exposed, and embraced her.
Meng Zhuoyun gave a soft groan as he turned her to face upward. The brush in her hand trembled slightly. She said gently, “You’ve broken through again… With this talent of yours, no wonder the Li family keeps such a tight hold on you.”
When Li Ximing attended to his business, his lips were tightly pressed and he was quiet, but Meng Zhuoyun could not stop talking. She chattered on, her red lips and white teeth moving rhythmically in the sunlight like a piece of blood-red spiritual jade, captivating Li Ximing’s gaze. He said softly, “Forget about that revenge of yours. The dead are dead. Just stay with our family and live peacefully for the rest of your life.”
“Hmm?”
Meng Zhuoyun let out a breath and groaned twice, her face slightly flushed and her eyes flowing with allure, yet her tone carried a trace of mockery. “Hmm? To be your cultivation cauldron for the rest of my life?”
“What kind of talk is that! Mmh…”
Li Ximing brushed aside the damp strands of hair clinging to her temples, revealing her smooth, luminous forehead. In a rare tone of persuasion, he urged, “This does no harm to you either… You and that ex-husband of yours were only together for half a year, and it was arranged by a matchmaker. Could he possibly be better than me?”
A glimmer of sorrow flickered across Meng Zhuoyun’s face. She murmured, “You are a genius; he was not your equal.”
“That’s right… Since you had little affection for him, what point is there in being obsessed with revenge…”
Just as Li Ximing was about to persuade her further, the abacus in his mind was already clicking away rapidly: ‘This woman possesses Qi Refinement cultivation, and rare still, she knows how to refine pills. As long as she submits to our clan, not only will I maintain this cultivation speed year after year, but I won’t have to waste time refining those pills for Embryonic Breathing and Qi Refinement! A win on both fronts!’
“Yes, I didn’t have much interaction with him… It was merely the words of a matchmaker… and I was betrothed to him, that is all.”
Meng Zhuoyun took a couple of breaths, but her words took an abrupt turn as she murmured, “Yet he treated me as a human being…”
Her lively eyes suddenly locked onto him, and she said softly, “That man was clever, but he had no backing or influence. He had nothing going for him and had no hope of Foundation Establishment, so naturally, he could not compare to you… But he treated me like a human being… You don’t have a shred of sincerity in you.”
Li Ximing froze slightly, staring into her eyes, which had abruptly shifted from intoxicated lust to resolute clarity. Meng Zhuoyun continued, “You treat me like a dog, like a tool, or like something else—you treat me like an object.”
“When I cry out, when it hurts, you coax me a little. Once you are satisfied, you toss me aside. When you are pleased, you let me keep a bit of dignity.”
A touch of bitterness crept into her voice.
Li Ximing did not answer. Instead, his grip on her tightened abruptly. Meng Zhuoyun and he let out a low sigh at the same time. The man waited for two breaths, cast a Clothes Cleansing Technique, and said softly, “For today’s pills, there are three types: Mind-Calming, Qi-Assisting, and Spirit-Settling. Do not forget to refine them.”
With that, he dressed, turned, and walked away without looking back at her expression. Meng Zhuoyun could not be bothered to tidy herself up, lying there facing upward for a long time before finally rolling over. She picked up the portrait on the floor, half of which had grown damp, took up the brush and ink once more, and added several more strokes.
The black ink bled outward, melting into a fingertip-sized smudge on the paper. Meng Zhuoyun sat upright, entirely bare upon the ground, sweat rolling down her snow-white skin and tracing delicate curves along the sides of her legs.
She hung the painting up and examined it closely. In the portrait, Li Ximing sat upon a large chair while she stood turned toward him at his side, both of them beaming with smiles, looking utterly sweet together.
“Heh…”
A delicate, drawn-out cold laugh came from her throat, resembling a groan. The pale blue orchid in her hair shone brilliantly in the sunlight.
Chapter 411