Hearing this, Yuan Fuyao felt a surge of panic in his heart. With a sigh, he said, "That is one thing, but sitting here day in and day out isn't a viable path either. I don't know any of the auxiliary arts of cultivation, but how could a guest just hole up in a cave abode day after day? I must find something to do."
The attendant at his side quickly spoke up, "Young Master was once assigned by the ancestor to oversee agricultural affairs across several towns back home, so you have plenty of experience. The Li clan happens to excel at governing the common folk. Why not ask for a post here? That would earn you some respect in their eyes."
"Indeed!"
Yuan Fuyao's spirits were instantly stirred. Hurriedly slipping on his shoes, he bustled out of the cave abode with his two attendants. After walking along the paths for a while, he soon found the central hall of the Li clan.
Waiting for a while in a lower side area of the hall, he saw a lively procession emerge, surrounding a child in white-and-gold finery at their center.
Though Yuan Fuyao was intensely curious, politeness kept him from probing with his spiritual sense. He merely stole a couple of glances and whispered to the attendant beside him, "Who is that?"
How could the two Yuan attendants know? They had no choice but to pull aside a guard standing nearby. The man was on duty in the hall and had no wish to chat, but faced with Yuan Fuyao's inquiry, he paused and whispered, "That is our clan's heir apparent."
'Heir apparent?'
Yuan Fuyao turned the title over in his mind, feeling it carried an ancient ring, and simply took him to be from the core direct descent. Stepping forward two paces, he climbed the steps and set foot upon the path the heir had just walked. Suddenly, his nostrils flared.
"What scent is this?"
He only detected a faint floral fragrance drifting past his nose. As he pondered, the Yuan attendant beside him murmured, "This humble one seems to recognize this fragrance... domineering and heady, alluring yet lacking in nobility—it is peony."
"Oh!"
Yuan Fuyao assumed it had been left behind by one of Li Chengliao's wives or concubines. Paying it no mind, he soon cast it to the back of his head, hurried up the steps, and cupped his hands in greeting. "Greetings, Young Patriarch!"
Li Chengliao rarely had the chance to spend time with the child and had been softly reading to him. Yuan Fuyao's visit came at an inopportune moment; upon hearing that he was waiting outside the hall, Li Chengliao had no choice but to send Li Zhouwei away before having Yuan Fuyao shown in.
Seeing the young man, he remained relatively polite and inquired, "May I ask what brings Young Master here?"
"I would not dare call it an important matter, only that I do not wish to be an idler," he said with a smile. "Back home, I was always in charge of agriculture and hardly any pampered master. Now that I have come to your noble clan, I find myself living like an idle lord. I hope the Young Patriarch might assign me some tasks, so that I need not eat and drink here for free."
Li Chengliao was surprised. Assuming the man was merely making polite conversation, he demurred two or three times, only to realize that he was in earnest. Left with little choice, he searched through the scrolls on his desk for a couple of breaths before saying softly, "Our clan reached an agreement with the Shanyue Foundation Establishment cultivators to acquire new territory in the Shanyue lands. Everything was proceeding smoothly, but the heavy rains over recent years have delayed many matters, and several towns have collapsed. Since Young Master is inclined to help, why not oversee three towns in the Shanyue lands to try your hand first?"
Yuan Fuyao nodded repeatedly, joyfully accepting the appointment, and soon withdrew with his attendants. Li Chengliao watched him go with a rather strange expression, murmuring, "I wonder how the Yuan family raises their descendants. This fellow is truly odd... rushing off so eagerly to manage farming!"
***
After weeping for a while, Liu Changdie was finally persuaded by Li Xuanxuan to step down. Having rushed all the way back from the Eastern Sea with hardly a moment's rest, his magical power had long been depleted, so he first sought out a cave abode to recuperate.
Li Xuanxuan walked briskly into the main hall and, as expected, found Li Xizhi chatting with Li Yuexiang.
Both Li Yuanjiao and his wife were wise people, and Xiao Guiluan had raised her children well. Exchanging remarks back and forth, Li Xizhi and Li Yuexiang felt as though they were kindred spirits, and the familial affection unexpressed over many years apart slowly resurfaced.
Yang Xiao'er was holding Li Chenghuai by the hand. The boy was already fourteen years old, with slightly prominent brow ridges and an intensely focused demeanor. Perhaps loneliness and suffering made one mature faster, for upon seeing his father, his expression remained quite calm.
He clutched a small book in his hands. Seeing his father wave, he stepped forward briskly and bowed with proper decorum. "Father!"
Li Xizhi nodded as he looked at him, his feelings somewhat complex. Being advanced in years, Li Xuanxuan liked to tally generations and lineages, remarking, "In the Chengming generation, Chengliao and Chenghuai, as well as Cheng..., Minggong, and the others have all reached Qi Refinement. Once Ximing's child is born, the ranks will finally be complete from top to bottom."
"Yes."
Li Xizhi beckoned him over. Seeing that he was reading a history book, he merely nodded and said, "Reading more will expand your strategic thinking, but you must also take charge of affairs in practice; otherwise, it will amount to nothing more than empty talk."
He looked at his eldest son, turned a page at random, and gently explained, "Look at this line: 'In the sixth month, discord arose between the Tian and Liu clans, culminating in street combat. Young Master Xiu penalized them by assigning them to oversee the mining veins, which eventually became the East Tian branch of today...'
"The book does not go into detail, but having read it, you must think: on whom did the Liu clan rely at the time? What was the status of the Tian clan? Why was such a punishment meted out?... Read it carefully tonight; tomorrow I shall examine you myself."
Li Chenghuai nodded hastily and retreated behind his mother, a contemplative look on his face. Li Xuanxuan praised, "Zhi'er truly knows how to instruct his son..."
"Ah!"
Li Xizhi waved his hand, softly replying, "I dare not take credit. It is only because our mother held the book in our youth, examining every line and every character, that my sister and I became who we are today. I am merely emulating her."
Li Yuexiang nodded with a smile. As the few of them conversed, Li Yuexiang worried in her heart about her elder brother and mother entering seclusion one after another to break through that boundary of life and death; the heavenly phenomenon had not cleared for years, and she wondered if it would affect the two of them.
As everyone was chatting, a clamor arose outside the courtyard as someone arrived, clad in a light gray robe with three diamond patterns drawn on his back and five runes arranged inside and out across his chest—readily identifiable as the attire of a contemporary array master.
"Fellow Daoist Changdie!"
Li Xuanxuan cupped his hands in greeting. Liu Changdie's face was slightly pale as he said softly, "I vaguely recall that your noble clan once wished to forge a Foundation Establishment array. Only, my cultivation was too shallow back then, making it difficult to lay down such a grand array, so it was concluded in haste. I wonder, today...?"
These words from Liu Changdie showed how much he had matured over these years in the Eastern Sea. Back then, it was clearly the Li clan whose purses were empty, yet he tactfully phrased it pleasantly. Li Xuanxuan paused and turned his gaze to Li Xizhi.
Liu Changdie understood. He looked closely at the feather-robed youth before him, who said amiably, "I am Li Xizhi."
Li Xizhi...
A flash of realization struck Liu Changdie's mind. He had seen him in his previous life as well, but back then Li Xizhi had cultivated the River Unity Qi Formula, and his disposition was starkly different from what it was now, making him unrecognizable at first glance.
He cupped his hands in reply, "Liu Changdie, a rogue cultivator of the state of Yue. Greetings, Fellow Daoist."
Liu Changdie had originally interacted with Li Xizhi's father as an equal, but Li Xizhi possessed the status of an immortal sect disciple. Who knew if his master was some mighty cultivator? Unwilling to act overly presumptuous, Liu Changdie struck a compromise and addressed him as Fellow Daoist.
Li Xizhi asked softly, "Regarding the array, does Grandmaster have any thoughts in mind?"
Liu Changdie seemed to have a well-formed plan in mind already and replied, "Years ago, when I passed by this mountain, I accepted an invitation from your noble clan. The Azure Ox Nestling by the River Grand Array upon this mountain was laid down by my own hands. Having long since gained a thorough understanding of this mountain, I have come prepared."
Li Xizhi smiled and replied, "Grandmaster had still better take a look. Over these years, the earth veins have shifted, and several side peaks have emerged, altering the layout of the earth veins."
Stroking his beard, Liu Changdie nodded and said, "I am already aware; it poses no great hindrance!"
"Good!"
Li Xizhi's regard for him rose at once. Without even asking about the power of the array or the methods to establish it, he went straight to the point, "How many spirit stones and spiritual materials will Grandmaster require for preparation?"
Liu Changdie made a quick calculation and replied, "Your noble clan is vastly different now from before. I shall not brush you off with an ordinary array. I intend to arrange it with spiritual water, requiring five streams of spiritual water to serve as the main arteries. Combined with the water veins of the mountain, this will form a Foundation Establishment grand array. All in all, four hundred spirit stones will suffice!"
"Oh?"
Li Xizhi chuckled and shook his head. He was well-traveled and knowledgeable: how could a Foundation Establishment grand array be secured for merely four hundred spirit stones? Moreover, it required five kinds of spiritual water first, and just five varieties of decent-quality spiritual water would cost well over four hundred spirit stones. Clearly, Liu Changdie intended to cover the difference out of his own pocket.
Yet Li Xizhi gave him no chance to do so, replying, "Grandmaster must be joking. How could we possibly allow you to shoulder this expense? The spiritual waters and materials shall be gathered by our clan. As for spirit stones, our clan will provide an additional hundred to Fellow Daoist. Should that prove insufficient, Fellow Daoist need only speak."
"This!"
Liu Changdie's expression changed abruptly, and he stammered, "This? What is the meaning of this... My friendship with your noble clan..."
Li Xizhi waved his hand, his expression solemn as his calm gaze settled upon him. He said softly, "Elder Uncle has not had an easy life either. Today, our clan can well afford it; we are no longer helpless. The expense must come from our family. I have heard that my father shared a deep friendship with Elder Uncle, and he would certainly not wish to see Elder Uncle act like this."
Liu Changdie had originally prepared himself to refuse no matter what Li Xizhi said. Yet hearing his earnest words, and shaken by that familiar form of address from his previous life—'Elder Uncle'—he was rendered speechless.
Muddled and overwhelmed, Liu Changdie assented. After a moment of silence, he cupped his hands gently. Though he was facing forward, his bow did not seem directed at the young Li Xizhi before him; his deferential manner resembled that of a retainer who had been loyal for many long years.
"I shall go survey the earth veins at once," he murmured.
Having said this, Liu Changdie bowed slightly and slowly withdrew.
Watching him depart, Li Xizhi sensed an oddness he could not quite articulate. There was an uncanny familiarity in the man's demeanor, the sort one found only in veteran retainers like Chen Donghe and An Zheyan.
The feeling was too absurd, and he quickly dismissed it from his mind. After waiting for a short while, Li Qinghong rode the wind and landed in the hall.
Except for Li Xuanxuan, everyone in the hall quickly rose to their feet. Li Qinghong glanced around, waved for them to sit, and asked, "How are things?"
Li Xizhi hurriedly recounted what had just happened. Li Qinghong nodded, lightly arching her willow-leaf brows, and produced two grayish-black stone bottles from her storage bag.
These two items had been obtained from slaying demons, so unlike ordinary items from the inland, they were not stored in jade bottles but in crudely carved stone ones. She said gently, "Here are two spiritual waters: Distant Sea Viper Current of the He Water category, and Water within Stone of the Pin Water category. That is two of the five."
Just as she finished speaking, Li Xuanxuan, who had been silent in contemplation until now, spoke in his aged, resonant voice, "The clan has another spiritual water, obtained when Jun'er and I traveled out to the Helin Mountain Range. It is called Mulin Cold Water, though the books did not state which type of water it is."
He took a jade bottle from his robes. Li Xizhi glanced at it briefly and handed it back, "He Water."
Li Xuanxuan said with a touch of regret, "Originally, we also obtained a portion of Clear Origin Spiritual Water in that mountain range. Unfortunately, it was used to cultivate ocular techniques, and nearly half of it has been consumed—not enough for a full portion."
With three of the five spiritual waters gathered, Yang Xiao'er stepped forward gently and finally spoke, saying softly, "This concubine still has one spiritual water here, bestowed by the peak in the past. Because it is quite unusual, I never found a use for it and have kept it on my person."
From a jade ring on her feather robe, she produced an object—a silvery-white jade bottle—and handed it forward, saying gently, "This is Non-Falling White Feather. Among the Five Waters, it belongs to Fu Water. Fu Water was called Weak Water in antiquity, and nowadays it is rare among the Five Waters... Very little has been recorded about its uses, so it has simply remained in my hands."
Li Xizhi paused, took the white bottle from her hands, and handed it to Li Xuanxuan, saying, "Once we return to the sect, I shall reimburse Xiao'er. The clan should simply keep it."
Li Xuanxuan had no choice but to thank her and accept it, knowing full well that husband and wife made no such strict divisions between themselves and that this was merely to reassure him. Calculating back and forth, they were still short one spiritual water.
Li Qinghong placed all these items into Li Xuanxuan's hands and said, "Wait here; I shall make a trip to the market and purchase a stream of spiritual water."
Decisive and swift as ever, she acted the moment she spoke without lingering, riding the wind and heading rapidly southward.
While the others continued chatting, Li Chengliao was sent down to prepare for the sacrifices. Li Yuexiang raised her brows and listened for a moment as someone came up from below.
The newcomer wore black robes and had a somber countenance, possessing a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation. Gliding close to the floor, he arrived before her and knelt on one knee.
"Milady... The clan has gathered information and sent me to present it."
Li Wushao offered up a jade slip with both hands. Li Yuexiang took it gently and read through it carefully.
"Yuan Fuyao, twenty-nine years of age, early Qi Refinement, cultivates the path of Qingxuan, cultivation method unknown..."
She skimmed through it, skipping vast swaths, and merely chuckled, asking, "He even has a childhood sweetheart?"
Li Wushao kept his head lowered and replied, "Subordinates only said that this man once had dealings with a daughter of the Song family, back when the Song family still had Foundation Establishment cultivators... Over recent years, as the Song family declined, contact was broken off."
"I see," Li Yuexiang replied casually.
Li Wushao added, "According to those below, this Yuan Fuyao has been inquiring everywhere about the betrothal gifts, though he only ran into our people and gained no information."
"Oh?"
Li Xuanxuan and Li Yuexiang exchanged glances. Stroking his beard, the old man wore an expression of understanding born from having seen all the ways of the world, speaking in his aged voice, "Small wonder his heart was swayed. If such immense wealth were obtained by him alone, it could bring fortune to three generations."
Glancing to either side, Li Xuanxuan continued, "Lacking instruction from youth, blind to shifting tides, yet relatively upright in character—in the end, he is merely an ordinary person. Such conduct comes as no surprise."
Though he said this, his disappointment was already written plain upon his face. Li Xizhi looked over in surprise and asked, "What? The Yuan family wishes to marry my sister? Which young talent would this be?"
Li Yuexiang spoke up, recounting the entire affair from beginning to end. Li Xizhi listened attentively for a while, one hand propped on the armrest while the other casually toyed with a wisp of rainbow light, remarking with amusement, "I shall go meet him."
Li Xuanxuan had known he would say this and nodded with a sigh. Yet looking at Li Yuexiang's smiling face beside him, he could not help but chuckle.
He was, after all, the elder of the highest seniority and had lived through so much; how could he fail to see the convenient timing of Li Wushao's arrival? He merely thought to himself, 'This girl has quite the clever mind, casually staging a test like this. But Zhi'er dotes on her; he will not let her down.'
Chapter 486