Li Zhouwei answered in compliance. Lady Hu could only nod, watching him return to the desk. She ground the ink for him as the child lifted the brush, writing stroke by stroke without uttering a word.
Watching him form each character with strict, upright strokes—proper and well-behaved—she found herself at a loss for words for a time.
Lady Hu stayed until deep into the night. Li Zhouwei did not shift from his seat even once. He showed not the slightest bit of the mischievous restlessness typical of ordinary children, nor did his expression change in the least as he silently practiced his calligraphy.
Lady Hu stared at his eyes, watching their color gradually shift and grow brighter as the daylight faded into dusk. The old ape came over to light the lamps. Bathed in the dim, yellow glow of the lamplight, Lady Hu was mesmerized.
She sat there until the sky had grown completely dark. The old ape stepped forward and said raspily,
"Madam, please return... The young master is about to retire for the night."
The white ape's vocal cords had been burned long ago, rendering him unable to make a sound; he was now vibrating his magic power to speak, which made his voice devoid of emotion. Jolted as if from a dream, Lady Hu hurriedly stood up. Li Zhouwei quietly rose with her, escorting her all the way to the courtyard gate, and murmured softly,
"Respectfully bidding Mother farewell."
The maidservants before the gate had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Lady Hu emerge, they rushed to attend to her. Lady Hu walked for a bit, still looking distracted and unsettled, and could not resist glancing back.
In the pitch-black night, she saw from afar two golden dots of eyes within the abyss-like darkness, hovering in midair like a tiger or leopard lurking in the night, silently watching her retreating figure.
Lady Hu was thrown into a panic and quickly looked away. The attendants on either side looked at her. Taking several deep breaths to steady her trembling hands and feet, she felt somewhat dazed and mumbled under her breath,
"Is this truly my son... Is he born divine, or..."
Swallowing the remaining words back down, a chill ran through her heart:
'...or born a monstrous fiend?'
As Lady Hu moved into the distance, Li Zhouwei remained standing before the courtyard. Only when the entourage had faded into the distance did he turn around, his voice slightly childish:
"Mother is afraid of me."
The old ape squatted beside him, following him step by step, and rasped,
"Everyone in the courtyard fears the heir. Those who do not fear you now will fear you sooner or later; those who fear you now will only fear you more in the future."
Li Zhouwei remained silent. The old ape removed his shoes and escorted him into the bedchamber, saying in his aged voice,
"This old servant has wandered through Wu and Yue for over a century and seen countless people, yet I have never met anyone quite like you, Heir. If I reflect carefully, only that young master of the Tujun Gate back then could compare in some small measure."
Li Zhouwei tilted his head. "Did that young master make people afraid?"
The old ape smoothed his white fur and shook his head. "No. You and he are alike yet unlike. It is like the difference between a hegemon and a chivalrous knight—they cannot truly be compared."
Li Zhouwei nodded, half-comprehending, and slowly closed his eyes. The two specks of dark golden light finally vanished into the darkness.
***
Over the past year and more, Li Chengliao had been swamped with work. The weather in northern Yue had grown bizarre and unpredictable, alternating between sunshine and rain, with downpours scattered haphazardly across separate patches in a disjointed pattern.
The only constant was the barren soil that produced no crops. Aside from a few prominent families, the rest harbored intentions to migrate, and the population was scattering southward.
The broader trend had already formed. Anyone with keen eyes could see that the dissipation of the [Xuanping Neutral Atmosphere] was beyond salvage. One after another, they coldly watched the Xiuyue Sect and the Qingchi Sect vie against each other in northern Yue, observing the direction of the situation.
Li Chengliao sat within the central hall as reports returned day by day like falling snowflakes. After combing through them carefully for a while, he noticed something interesting.
"The Xiao family has sealed their mountain for three years, withdrawing all their direct descendants back into the mountain... closing their doors and staying secluded... It seems they intend to avoid the conflict between the two sects."
Pondering it carefully, he felt the move was overly drastic, thinking to himself:
'They all say Xiao Chuting is an old fox who schemed his way into the Purple Palace. Surely this move is not so simple; there must be aspects our family cannot see.'
He collected the several letters Li Xizhi had sent back, reading them thoroughly, and heaved a sigh of relief.
"At least the Xiuyue Sect hasn't torn away all pretense with intentions to push south and attack Qingchi... Though if a true fight broke out, the [Xuanping Neutral Atmosphere] would collapse even faster."
One could not truly fault the Xiuyue Sect for falling a step behind in this matter. The [Xuanping Neutral Atmosphere] was among the most exacting natural spiritual atmospheres in heaven and earth, exceedingly fragile. That it could be maintained for so long without disturbance had already exhausted the Xiuyue Sect's prestige and momentum.
Now, with the Qingchi Sect leading the effort, hardly any sect wished to see Xiuyue gain another Golden Core. They carried out sabotage both openly and in secret. Keeping it going this long was already quite impressive.
'Regardless... these affairs are too immense for me to manage. I can only do my best to aid the common people.'
Li Chengliao put away the letters and brought his thoughts back. Beside him, Chen Mufeng reminded him,
"My Lord, today you were supposed to visit... the heir."
Chen Mufeng had made mistakes in the past and was once demoted straight down to an ordinary court guard. Li Chengliao understood that he had been influenced by Xu Xiao back then, and now that so many years had passed, Li Chengliao had intentionally or unintentionally allowed him to climb back up, once again becoming the second-in-command of the Jade Court Guard, second only to Chen Donghe.
"I was so busy that I forgot!"
Reminded of this, Li Chengliao came to a sudden realization and prepared to stand up. Down below, someone already reported that the heir had arrived.
It turned out that after waiting for a long time without seeing Li Chengliao arrive, and with the sky growing late, Li Zhouwei had taken the initiative to come over himself. Still clad in his white-and-gold robe, he ascended the steps and entered.
He was already five years old and growing rapidly. His long hair was tied up, and his little brows were furrowed together, giving him a solemn look. Cupping his hands, he said softly,
"Father."
Li Chengliao gave a hearty laugh and said,
"I have meant all along to choose a weapon for you, but I was so busy that it slipped my mind. Come, come!"
Taking Li Zhouwei's hand, he waved the others away and walked briskly to the rear hall, where several jade boxes were already laid out. Li Chengliao had him stand in place, opened the first jade box, and said gently,
"First is the sword, the most noble among all weapons. It can be light or heavy, long or short, and is the most common armament in the world. Even those who do not cultivate the sword dao often wear one at their side for etiquette, pledges, or taking their own life...
"Our family is best at this weapon. It is rumored that the clan possesses a sword canon of the fifth rank, which would be considered prominent even among the various sects... The clan also has many spiritual swords; both [Qingchi] and [Hanlin] are at the Foundation Establishment level."
Having spoken, Li Chengliao revealed the sword at his waist. The blade was smooth and lustrous, covered in dense, fine scale-like patterns that flowed with cold, azure light. He explained,
"This is the sword worn by the clan head, called [Jiaopanying]. It is three chi and seven cun in length and serves as a symbol of holding governance over the family. When you take over the Li family in the future, you too will wear this sword."
Li Zhouwei blinked slightly, gazing intently at the sharp blade, and whispered,
"Yes."
Li Chengliao could only put it away and open the two adjacent boxes, which contained a longbow and a spear. His introduction for these was much briefer, roughly outlining their merits and shortcomings before he murmured,
"The clan's spiritual spear, [Duruo], is in Ancestor Qinghong's hands, and our only spiritual bow is still in the Southern Border. I am afraid there are no Foundation Establishment magical artifacts of these types readily available for you."
Li Chengliao's words carried great weight, fully demonstrating the importance he placed on his eldest son—he was already preparing Foundation Establishment magical artifacts before the boy had even begun cultivating. Li Zhouwei showed no surprise, only asking,
"Is there anything else?"
Only then did Li Chengliao tap his storage bag and retrieve a weapon.
This was a dark golden halberd. Its curved side-blade resembled a crescent moon, standing a full two heads taller than Li Chengliao. Its shape was dramatic, and it looked exceedingly heavy, so much so that even Li Chengliao, a Qi Refinement cultivator, found it somewhat laborious to hold.
Before Li Chengliao could speak, Li Zhouwei's eyes had already lit up. Li Chengliao smiled and rested the Foundation Establishment magical artifact against the ground, saying,
"This is an ancient Foundation Establishment magical artifact, likely used by an ancestor of our family in the past. It perfectly aligns with Mingyang. What do you think?"
Not daring to let go carelessly, he gently laid the weapon down flat on the floor before letting Li Zhouwei examine it closely. Stroking the golden patterns upon it, the child said in delight,
"Father, this is the right weapon!"
Li Chengliao nodded in gratification and explained,
"The ancestor obtained this from a grotto-heaven. Not a single person in our family has been able to wield it properly. Though Uncle Ximing is a Mingyang Foundation Establishment cultivator, he never gained its recognition, and something always felt amiss when he tried to use it. He dislikes combat and found it clumsy in his hands, so it has been kept in the vault, saved for you."
Li Zhouwei could hardly bear to part with it, gazing at it longingly. Li Chengliao waited a moment before putting the magical artifact away, chuckling:
"It is still too early for you. Start practicing with a wooden halberd first. I will send instructors over."
The Li family now commanded vast estates and great wealth, and quite a few people wielded halberds. Chen Mufeng in the hall used a long halberd, while Xu Gongming of the Jade Court Guard used twin short halberds. Li Chengliao simply intended to summon them all to teach the child.
"It is just these eyes... For now, they can still be kept hidden..."
Li Zhouwei had always lived on the mountain and seen few people, all of whom were their own kin and trusted subordinates. Yet Li Chengliao knew it would be difficult to hide indefinitely; they could only take it one day at a time.
'What a pity that despite trying so many methods, nothing can conceal them... He was born with golden pupils, after all!'
The Li family had naturally considered using illusions or other means to mask his eyes, but all such techniques proved useless. No matter what, they remained dark gold. Fearing they might damage his vision, they could only leave them untouched.
Following his order, someone soon brought up a wooden halberd. Custom-made well in advance, it was a head taller than Li Zhouwei. Crafted from no ordinary timber, it felt fairly heavy in hand.
Li Chengliao placed it into his hands, smiled slightly, and rubbed his head.
"Practice well."
In truth, he had regarded this child as exceptionally mature since infancy and had never shown such intimacy before. Habitually drawing back his hand, he froze in belated realization.
Yet Li Zhouwei's golden eyes stirred. His small mouth curved into a rare, slight upturn that quickly leveled out, and he simply said,
"Your son obeys."
***
Eastern Sea, Jindou Island.
Clad in golden armor, Situ Mo stood silently at the edge of the island, an unsightly expression on his face.
Since Moutuo's demise, he had not left the island for several years, quietly overseeing it from within. Even when word reached him of Li Xuanfeng's presence in the Southern Border, he made no move, silently guarding his post.
Although the guest elders on the island had rotated through a whole new cohort and direct descendants of the Situ family had come as well—none of whom had ever met with foul play—he still refused to step outside the protective array.
Having witnessed Li Xuanfeng's prowess firsthand, he constantly felt that the man would catch him off guard. Situ Mo did not know that Li Xuanfeng had entered a grotto-heaven, causing him to squander an opportunity to return to the sect in vain. Now that he knew Li Xuanfeng had departed from the Southern Border, he perpetually felt that golden bow was lurking in ambush just outside the array.
"Not that it matters. The spiritual qi on this island is fairly rich. Cultivating here means I do not have to be restrained by those fools in the sect. Cultivating steadily like this is quite comfortable in its own right."
Harboring deep vendettas while being timid and cautious by nature, Situ Mo naturally dared not venture out. Fortunately, Kong Tingyun of Xuanyue Gate had been transferred away early on to return to her sect for secluded cultivation and breakthrough. The Xuanyue disciples rotated in to replace her were far inferior to her, granting Situ Mo much relief.
Yet none of this was what troubled Situ Mo. He had stood there for only a brief moment when a burst of loud laughter rang out. A golden-red figure landed beside him, his voice resounding:
"Sixteenth Brother! You actually emerged from seclusion! What a timely coincidence!"
Though filled with extreme impatience and hatred toward the owner of that voice, a smile instantly surfaced on Situ Mo's face, his tone breezy:
"So it is Seventh Brother! I have been in secluded cultivation these days, completely unaware that Seventh Brother had arrived on the island! I am truly ashamed!"
The man beside him had handsome features and a high nose bridge, his dark red robes billowing. He bore some resemblance to Situ Mo. Flames rose around him, entwined with waves of blackish-red vapor.
The flames enveloping him were rare indeed, manifesting around his boots as various forms of birds. He was none other than Situ Chen, whom Li Xuanfeng had encountered in the grotto-heaven!
After emerging from the grotto-heaven, he had happened to come all the way here to cultivate and nurse his wounds. He cultivated by consuming [Crow Qi in Flames], which made his movement techniques exceptionally graceful. He came to an effortless halt beside Situ Mo. Situ Mo gave a slight nod and asked with a smile:
"How were Seventh Brother's gains inside the grotto-heaven?"
Situ Chen's expression darkened at once, and he muttered sullenly,
"Unfortunately, I was obstructed by Miao Ye and the others, so I gained nothing worthwhile."
Situ Mo played along and cursed alongside him for a couple of sentences. Only then did Situ Chen's face clear from gloom to cheer, and he laughed:
"On the other hand, you have been diligent and dutiful, guarding this place on behalf of our main branch! You have worked hard all these years."
Situ Mo repeatedly demurred, wearing a modest smile on the surface, but his heart was cold and venomous:
'What a pity you didn't die in that grotto-heaven. Your main branch killed my mother, yet you expect me to be a dog for the lot of you... Keep dreaming.'
The more he thought about it, the more attentive and solicitous his smile became. He spoke up:
"Since Seventh Brother is here, there is no need to rush off! This is the Zhulu Sea, whose scenery is vastly different from the inner seas. Gaohao Island to the north and the Qunyi Straits to the south each have unique landscapes and spiritual items—you must not miss them!"
Situ Chen originally had no particular destination in mind and had planned to return to the sect to cultivate. Hearing this, his interest was piqued. Situ Mo struck while the iron was hot, extolling the abundance of spiritual resources in the vicinity, and added:
"I will yield the finest cave dwelling to Seventh Brother! The spiritual qi here is hardly inferior to that in the sect, and you can also head out to search for opportunities. Why not do both?"
Situ Chen looked down upon ordinary cultivation chambers and had simply been waiting for these words. He burst into laughter, thoroughly enticed, and said,
"Then I shall impose upon Sixteenth Brother!"
"Think nothing of it!"
Situ Mo laughed heartily on the outside while howling with wild laughter within. Still speaking with great deference, he added,
"It is just that your younger brother is indolent and intends to enter secluded cultivation again shortly. As for patrolling the surrounding waters... I must trouble Seventh Brother to help look after them."
"Leave it to me!"
How could Situ Chen ever suspect such deep scheming? He took everything upon himself with grand promises. Situ Mo quickly stepped aside, watching him leave the array in high spirits, before turning around and slowly walking into his cave dwelling.
The corners of his lips curved high as he murmured,
"You had best scout out Li Xuanfeng's whereabouts for me. Let him shoot you dead, or better yet, let both of you end up crippled, so I can return to the sect at ease!"
Chapter 490