Jiang Heqian sighed and looked at Li Ximing. A sudden doubt rose in Li Ximing's mind, and he asked, "This junior has a question he has never understood. Back then, Fei Wangbai..."
"Wangbai?"
Jiang Heqian stepped over to the head seat at the side and sat down. Accepting the teacup, he said softly, "Killed by an immortal sect, of course."
"May I ask which immortal sect?"
Li Ximing paused, puzzled. Jiang Heqian cursed immediately, "How would I know? Did you think immortal sects were benevolent? Even Xiuyue—if their interests were truly threatened, they would kill just the same!"
"Wangbai cultivated the dao complement of Master Shangyuan of the Xiuyue Sect. Xiuyue possessed an elixir method that could refine him to nourish Shangyuan. Qingchi was bound to see him dead sooner or later!"
Jiang Heqian glanced at Li Ximing, and before the youth could speak, casually remarked, "On the other hand, since your Li clan possesses the Mingyang lineage, why on earth did Li Tongya go off to cultivate Kan Water?"
Li Ximing merely said, "At the time, our family had fallen on hard times and could not cultivate it. He had no choice but to cultivate Kan Water."
Jiang Heqian paused. His remark had only been an opening conversational gambit; seeing that Li Ximing was offering empty evasions, he could not be bothered to pursue it. He continued, "Since your noble clan killed Yu Muxian, did you happen to obtain from him that Foundation Establishment magical artifact, the Jade Smoke Mountain? After all, it was an heirloom of my family back then. If it is in your noble clan's possession, I am willing to trade for it."
Li Ximing shook his head and answered, "Senior has misunderstood. That man died in the grotto-heaven and did not bring that artifact out with him. It is most likely still on Yuanwu Peak."
Jiang Heqian stroked his beard. Seeing there was no hope for the artifact, he could only ask, "The Yu family has scattered. Does your noble clan have any follow-up arrangements?"
Li Ximing was not about to reveal too much to him, saying only, "A minor matter, though I thank Senior for your concern... The family elders have their own arrangements."
Jiang Heqian chuckled. "I only offer a word of caution for the sake of an old friend. You all had best be careful. The destruction of my family is still fresh in memory. If another Jiang family rises here and fails to win the trust of Qingchi and Jinyu, it will inevitably end in ruin and division!"
His expression was a half-smile, his tone more like playful banter. Not knowing how to respond, Li Ximing cupped his hands in a bow. Jiang Heqian paused briefly, then added softly, "It is Qingchi's trust you need, not Yuansu's. How much lifespan does Yuansu have left? How could he protect anything!"
He flicked his sleeves, tossed out those words, and seemed to lose all interest in conversation. Lowering his eyes, he said, "Vengeance begets vengeance. The debt of blood with the Yu family has been paid clean by my hand. For the rest of my days, I will wander the four seas and never return to the lake. The Jiang family has vanished like smoke, and so let it end."
With that, he walked out of the courtyard. As if suddenly remembering something, he fished an object out of his storage bag.
It was round, with disheveled black hair—a severed head. Both eyes had turned an ashen white, the skin pulled tight, its mouth slightly agape to reveal a hollow black void.
"Yu Mugao's head is here."
He cast the object down and took to the wind, departing on his own.
Li Ximing drew the object up with his Qi and cast a quiet glance at it. Back in the day, this Yu Mugao had engaged in subtle clashes with Li Yuanjiao and the others, yet he had come to such an end. Li Ximing instructed, "Take this object and show it to the elders and An Zheyan to soothe the indignation in their hearts, then send it to my uncle's grave to report to the ancestors."
Li Wushao acknowledged the order and withdrew, taking the head down with him. Li Ximing gathered his robes, returned to his chambers, and resumed his seclusion.
Yu Mugao's head was passed around among the clan. Some wept, some laughed. Most of the old folks had merely held a grievance stifled in their chests; only An Zheyan was the most stirred, weeping hot tears.
After everyone had seen it, Li Xuanxuan hurried down and took the head up the mountain.
Li Yuanxiu's death was one of the foremost agonies of Li Xuanxuan's life. He had endured many torments, but this hatred had not diminished with suffering; instead, it had fermented deeper and deeper in his heart.
It was just like his left eye, once scorched by demonic fire. It did not hurt on ordinary days, but whenever he squinted, a searing heat flared up, constantly reminding him that the wound remained.
Li Yuexiang accompanied the old man up the mountain, watching as he spoke to the tombstone on his own. The head was set upon the offering pedestal, resting in silence.
Li Yuexiang kept him company for half a day until someone came up the mountain looking for her. Looking closely, she saw it was Li Wushao.
Li Wushao dropped to one knee and said softly, "Miss, people from the Yuan family have arrived."
Li Yuexiang had no choice but to leave the graveyard. She descended the mountain and rode the wind to the central hall of Lijing Town. A retinue of retainers stood outside. Before she even entered, she heard Li Chengliao's voice:
"Senior is too polite! There is no need for this."
Stepping inside, she saw two attendants in the rear, while two men stood at the front.
One had neatly combed white hair and a tall build. He possessed an early Foundation Establishment cultivation and looked to be a hundred and eighty years old, his face brimming with smiles.
This man was speaking solemnly, "Speak no such words! Even this Foundation Establishment cultivation of mine is all thanks to Worthy Nephew Yuanjiao's good fortune! Never mind that Suiyuan Pill, even the very thought of attempting the breakthrough was sparked by him!"
Li Yuexiang's entrance immediately interrupted their conversation. Li Chengliao hurried forward and said with a smile, "Aunt has arrived! This is Senior Huyuan of the Yuan family, and Young Master Fuyao."
The man who had just spoken was indeed Yuan Huyuan. Having broken through to Foundation Establishment at the advanced age of a hundred, he owed much of it to that Suiyuan Pill, but it could still be considered a stroke of immense good fortune. The old man now looked decades younger, bearing the demeanor of an accomplished, venerable cultivator.
As for the youth behind him, his appearance was striking and his stature tall. His expression was fairly composed, and clad in brocade robes, he carried an air of nobility.
After all, Yuan Chengdun was far from bad-looking, so Yuan Fuyao naturally took after him, ranking among the very finest even among cultivators. Li Yuexiang cast a brief glance and caught the dazzled look in his eyes.
Several chests of spiritual materials were placed in the grand hall. It appeared Yuan Huyuan had made a dedicated trip and attached great importance to this matter.
Only then did Li Yuexiang greet them. Yuan Huyuan was overjoyed and stepped forward warmly, saying softly, "I shared some friendship with your father... It is a pity you have suffered so..."
Li Yuexiang was used to hearing such words. She simply brushed the topic aside to look at Yuan Fuyao. Yuan Huyuan promptly introduced him, speaking several flattering remarks. Then another figure arrived outside the doors.
This man, his head full of white hair, hurried inside. It was Li Xuanxuan, his aged voice carrying a hint of apology: "I am truly sorry to Senior. Several Foundation Establishment cultivators in our family are in seclusion, and Qinghong has gone to the Eastern Sea. Only an old Qi Refinement fellow like me could come out to receive you."
Hearing this, Yuan Huyuan waved his hands at once and replied, "No matter, no matter! For a Fellow Daoist of your standing to come receive us is already extraordinary. Given the friendship between our two families, why be so formal?"
All of them put on warm expressions, conversing cordially and exchanging pleasantries, leaving Li Yuexiang and Yuan Fuyao standing there in awkwardness. Li Xicheng grasped the situation slightly and smiled. "Sister Xiang, why don't you show the young master around the lake?"
The two stepped outside together. Only then did Yuan Huyuan rein in his smile, saying solemnly, "Do the two of you know about my family's situation?"
Li Xuanxuan paused and replied, "We know a little."
Yuan Huyuan deliberated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "As matters stand... if Chengdun and his companion both fail to return, I fear what lies ahead will be hard to predict! Fuyao is Chengdun's only son. I only ask your noble clan to look after him!"
"This was agreed upon earlier with Senior Chengdun..."
Yuan Huyuan's expression grew increasingly troubled, his old face trembling slightly as he said, "Coming here this time, I have cast aside this old face of mine to ask whether your noble clan might dispatch a Foundation Establishment cultivator to assist us..."
Li Xuanxuan was taken aback and did not answer for a time.
Having been cautioned by Li Xizhi, he already understood that the Yuan family was currently in utter turmoil, and worse, had become a pawn of Qingchi in some scheme. He had no wish to touch it.
Still, there was friendship between the two clans. Sheltering Yuan Chengdun's descendant was no great matter, and in a critical moment he could easily be surrendered as a pawn, so that posed no problem. But to truly intervene directly would make the matter entirely different!
Li Xuanxuan was conservative by nature, wanting only to safely guard his clan's prodigies through the coming years. His deep reluctance was written plainly across his face. Seeing his expression, Yuan Huyuan lowered his voice further: "I understand that with Yuanjiao's matter, your noble clan is also in an eventful autumn... But my family..."
How could Yuan Huyuan not know his clan's predicament? It was simply that the old man wished to salvage and mend what he could, unwilling to give up. Having exhausted all his connections, he could only beg at the Li family's door.
Li Xuanxuan sighed inwardly and could only offer a hint: "Senior! This rain has gone on for too long!"
The moment these words fell, Yuan Huyuan stepped back as though struck by lightning. He understood that the Li family already knew the truth: with Old Ancestor Yuan Licheng dead and their backer Bu Zi gone, the Yuan family had become a pawn through which Qingchi sought to influence Xiuyue. The stakes were far too dangerous, and the Li family would not intervene. He gave a bitter smile. "Fine... fine... I only ask that you all take good care of Fuyao."
Li Xuanxuan consoled him, "Your noble clan has a profound foundation. Things will pass eventually."
Yuan Huyuan fell silent. Caught in the center of the storm, there was nothing more he could say. Cupping his hands, he took his leave.
Meanwhile, after stepping away, Yuan Fuyao walked out of the hall beside Li Yuexiang and sighed, "Watching them exchange false pleasantries is so dull!"
Li Yuexiang lowered her head, her eyes blinking slightly as she replied, "Our two families have been on good terms for many years. It is only natural they should have a good chat."
Yuan Fuyao nodded hastily in agreement.
In truth, Yuan Fuyao had not been in high spirits on the journey here. He was deeply averse to arranged marriages, but Yuan Huyuan's word carried absolute weight, so he could not object and had no choice but to follow along reluctantly.
He had calculated along the way that since the marriage was not yet finalized, he could simply pick some faults, claim an incompatibility of temperament, and easily shirk the match.
Yet seeing Li Yuexiang now, he found her breathtakingly stunning. All the discontent in his head had long been cast beyond the nine heavens. Staring straight at her, he nodded repeatedly, completely forgetting his earlier thoughts, and marveled inwardly, *What fine looks! Truly fine looks! Rare even in my clan.*
Li Yuexiang seemed not to notice. Riding the wind with him onto the lake, she chatted lightly about trivial matters. Yuan Fuyao suddenly noticed the great dam on the lake and asked with some doubt, "What is this for? Raising spiritual fish?"
Li Yuexiang replied softly, "To hold back the lake waters, securing the border and keeping the commoners safe."
Yuan Fuyao sighed repeatedly. "My clan falls far short of your noble clan. Now that the heavy rains are ceaseless, I have managed affairs on the plain and spoke to the family several times, but they always begrudge wasting manpower and refuse to dispatch cultivators down!"
It turned out that by Yuan Chengdun's arrangement, Yuan Fuyao had always been managing the towns and commoners on the Xunlin Plain. Now that the topic was broached, he discussed matters one by one—governing the people's livelihoods and keeping the populace in order—speaking with considerable depth.
Hearing this, Li Yuexiang nodded inwardly, though her face remained smiling. "Cultivators naturally have no fear of this rainwater, but the commoners by the lake would suffer greatly."
Yuan Fuyao understood. His expression likewise remained unchanged, but he thought to himself, *I had long heard that the Li clan is skilled at nurturing population. As expected.*
Li Yuexiang did not wish to talk too much about these matters with him and only asked for some news. Yuan Fuyao began boasting and chattering away, speaking of all manner of baseless things from north to south. Li Yuexiang listened casually until he suddenly asked, "My father came to your noble clan in person. Did he leave behind any message? Or did he leave anything for me?"
Li Yuexiang narrowed her eyes slightly, thinking, *It seems... Yuan Chengdun went straight to the Eastern Sea in one breath... without leaving any word for the Yuan family...*
Li Yuexiang had no intention of keeping those betrothal gifts for herself, replying softly, "He did leave betrothal gifts, which are kept in the central hall. Young Master may ask Senior Huyuan about them."
Li Yuexiang had not expected that the moment she said this, Yuan Fuyao, who had previously kept his eyes lowered and manner docile, puffed out his chest. His chin lifted slightly, looking far more confident, and he let out an "Mm."
The two chatted for a while before Yuan Huyuan rode the wind out with his retinue of retainers. Calling to Yuan Fuyao, he said, "Cultivate here for the time being. Consult Yuexiang often on all matters."
Yuan Fuyao seemed caught off guard and could only nod blankly. Yuan Huyuan offered Li Yuexiang a genial smile and rode the wind away.
Yuan Fuyao's cave dwelling had long been prepared. Li Yuexiang escorted him and several attendants over, then quickly took her leave. Yuan Fuyao had his attendants inspect the cave dwelling before finally sitting down to drink tea.
A trusted confidant to his left asked, "Young Master, how is this Miss Li?"
Yuan Fuyao paused, then praised, "Truly a beauty, though full of schemes."
The confidant asked in a low voice, "Full of schemes...?"
Yuan Fuyao nodded, looking somewhat conflicted. "I have heard that she has an older brother cultivating within the sect who is already at Foundation Establishment. If I take her as my wife, I fear my lineage will only ever take orders from the Li family!"
The confidants exchanged glances, unsure how to answer him. They did not dare speak ill of her; if this Li woman truly became the mistress of their house, answering for such offenses would be no laughing matter. Suddenly, Yuan Fuyao whispered, "Go inquire about how much my father prepared for the Li family. Is there any chance of taking it back into our hands?"
The confidant hurried off. Yuan Fuyao remained seated, thinking to himself, *We shall see if we can get those things back. That way, I won't have to live under someone else's roof forever... letting it all fall into the Li family's hands.*
***
After Li Yuexiang returned, Li Xuanxuan soon sought her out. Having seemingly just received the news, he had rushed over in a hurry to assess the situation for his granddaughter. Seeing Li Yuexiang walk in, he asked anxiously, "How is he?"
Li Yuexiang waved her hand, and seeing that her grandfather appeared well, she said, "This Yuan Fuyao... understands the commoners quite well. Aside from that, he talks big, possesses a bit of petty cleverness, and is somewhat mediocre and greedy by nature. Still, his conduct leans toward the righteous path. I cannot tell if it is an act, so he will need closer observation."
"Ah?!"
Li Xuanxuan was taken aback. "How could he be like that! Are you sure your judgment is accurate?"
Li Yuexiang had only judged by her own impressions. Questioned like this by her grandfather, she felt somewhat uncertain as well, saying, "I haven't met many people while staying on the mountain, so perhaps my judgment is flawed. A pity my brother is in seclusion..."
Li Xuanxuan waved his hand. "That makes things easier. I will have Chengliao and the others go test him... There is no need for you to do it yourself."
Chapter 484