Rupture

Mount Qingdu. The grand hall, vacant for so long, finally had a master once more. A youth clad in white held a stack of letters, reading them with care, while Li Yuexiang sat beside him, occasionally offering a few clarifying words. Li Xijun had only just broken through. After spending a few days stabilizing his cultivation, he promptly emerged from his seclusion cave to manage clan affairs. As he carefully went over the forwarded letters and gained a clear grasp of family matters, his eyebrows rose in surprise. "Yuan Hudu... This man certainly has some tricks up his sleeve." According to the intelligence gathered, the Yuan family had already stabilized under the control of Second Elder Yuan Hudu. That alone was hardly surprising; what was extraordinary was that Yuan Hudu had actually released every single opponent from the coup without exception and reassigned them back to their respective lineages. Aside from the few people he had wounded during his strike, he had left the rest utterly unharmed—scarcely a single head had rolled. "How dare he?" This had indeed preserved the Yuan family's strength, yet his usurpation of the Patriarch's position from Yuan Huyuan remained an indelible stain. Scarcely anyone above or below was his own loyalist; if he did not seize this opportunity to purge his rivals, wasn't he simply digging his own grave? Even with the Chi family backing him, he should not be so overconfident. Events had defied everyone's expectations. Yuan Chengdun and Yuan Huyuan likely had never foreseen this either, let alone the surrounding clans. After all that strife within the Yuan family, on the surface only Yuan Huyuan had gone missing—an ambiguous outcome that aroused deep suspicion. "Nine times out of ten... it was the Chi family's will. Let us just wait and see." Li Xijun's face bore a look of doubt, as though he harbored an ominous suspicion. He gazed thoughtfully for a moment. Li Xuanxuan, quietly observing from the side, took on a complicated look across his aged face: "I recall meeting Yuan Huyuan once when I was young. Back then, Old Ancestor had only just reached Foundation Establishment. When he came to offer congratulations, he said a few words." "He said... he wished to be a carver of meat at Qingchi's banquet table, not a hound fed with scraps... Yet seeing it today, even a carver at the table is nothing more than a chess piece in the eyes of the Chi family. What good is a marriage alliance..." Li Xijun said: "There are no carvers of meat at all. In the end, it all comes down to whether one has a Purple Palace cultivator, or some lingering favor with one... Xiang'er, go on." Li Yuexiang nodded and continued explaining recent events, speaking all the way until she reached the matter of Yuan Fuyao. Li Xijun frowned as he listened, then suddenly raised a hand to halt her, asking softly: "Did you observe him closely? Is Yuan Fuyao truly ignorant of everything? Yuan Huyuan didn't send any loyal confidants to accompany him either?" "No," Li Yuexiang answered, then hesitated. "Yet he doesn't seem entirely oblivious either. It's more like he knows bits and pieces, but is missing far too much." Hearing this, Li Xuanxuan paused slightly with a look of surprise. He could not help but ask Li Xijun: "Earlier, I didn't know what the man was thinking. I thought that even if Yuan Chengdun didn't assign anyone to shadow the boy, surely Yuan Huyuan wouldn't be foolish enough not to send someone reliable to watch over him? Leaving him here to act on his own—he's just a half-grown youth, what could he possibly understand..." "Oh?" Li Xijun lowered his head and wrote a few notes with his brush. After pausing for several breaths, he said in a calm voice: "Yuan Chengdun trusted the wrong man and walked straight into the schemes of Yuan Huyuan and Yuan Hudu!" "What?" At his words, Li Yuexiang and Li Xuanxuan were both shaken and fell into silent contemplation. Li Xijun, having formed a few deductions, said softly: "I fear Yuan Tuan is beyond saving as well." Before anyone could reply, someone entered from below and whispered a few words into Li Xijun's ear. His expression darkened slightly. "He left?" "In reply to My Lord, the young master claimed to enter closed-door cultivation, but in fact slipped out of our territory in the dead of night and headed south. Our men shadowed him for a time, but dared not make a move to stop him and could only let him leave." "He has likely returned to the Yuan family." As a late Qi Refinement cultivator, how could Li Xuanxuan fail to hear these whispered words? His face clouded with displeasure, and he spoke up: "How could he act like this! He truly has no fear of offending our family! Fortunately, this matter was an agreement made in private between the two families; otherwise, if word got out, people would think he ran away to flee the engagement!" Li Xijun set down the letter in his hand and leaned back against his wooden chair. His sword-like eyebrows lowered slightly as he mused: "The way I see it, as long as Yuan Chengdun isn't confirmed dead, this Yuan family boy offending us actually leaves them an alternative way out. Yuan Huyuan may well be hedging his bets with some underhanded tricks." Li Xuanxuan was somewhat baffled. As he pondered it carefully, he saw Li Xijun take a nonchalant sip of tea and say: "Wait a little longer. If Yuan Huyuan and Yuan Hudu are of one mind, and Yuan Chengdun placed his faith in the wrong man, then Yuan Huyuan will be arriving at our family's borders any moment now." Li Yuexiang looked thoughtful and murmured: "Could the turmoil in the Yuan family have been staged intentionally?" Scarcely had her words left her mouth when a commotion stirred below. A Jade Court Guard came forward, armor clanking, and cupped his hands respectfully: "Reporting to My Lord, Yuan Huyuan of the Yuan family requests an audience." Li Xijun laughed mirthlessly, turned to Li Xuanxuan, and said coldly: "Just as expected—the main branch put on an elaborate farce of fighting among themselves, sacrificing Yuan Chengdun and his son to preserve the bigger picture! The Yuan family wants to cut ties clean with our family, with Qingsui Peak, and with Yuan Tuan, all so they can serve as a good dog under the Chi family!" Though the Yuan family's standing in the Qingchi Sect had declined by the day, it was still considered quite influential and had retained considerable autonomy. In the past, Yuan Licheng, who had passed away, was a disciple of Chi Buzi, which had enabled the Yuan family to flourish for many years. Yet now Yuan Licheng was gone and Chi Buzi had vanished. To make matters worse, the Yuan family had become the battleground between two sects, leaving them no choice but to throw themselves into becoming a vassal of the Chi family. "It seems Yuan Chengdun may well have left someone or a letter to warn his boy, but Yuan Huyuan intercepted every bit of it." He smiled, flashing white teeth, and murmured: "How could a dog of the Chi family be caught colluding with a dog of the Xiao family? The Chi family's orders had to be obeyed, and they had to draw a clear line against several factions for all the realm to see. Yet, fearing they might truly incur our wrath, they pushed Yuan Huyuan out as an outcast to soften the blow and mediate. What a brilliant scheme! What a cunning ploy!" How could Li Xuanxuan fail to understand by now? Pondering the sequence of events, he asked in a low voice: "You mean... the Yuan family never intended to resist at all? They had long since thrown their lot in with the Chi family, and were merely putting on a show to gain others' trust? Yuan Huyuan and Yuan Hudu were in league all along. Yuan Chengdun meant well, yet Yuan Huyuan used this very matter to humiliate our family and curry favor with his superiors?" Li Xijun narrowed his eyes and said: "More or less. Our family is allied with the Ning and Xiao families. Now that the Yuan family has become a lackey, they naturally cannot carry on as before, hedging both sides." "On one hand, if Yuan Tuan could be found and our family dragged into the muddy water, and if both matters were secured, the Yuan family naturally would prefer to remain independent..." "On the other hand, if our family refused to be drawn in, this uncalled-for marriage could be flaunted in broad daylight as an excuse to break with us. Whether our family consented or not, as long as word spread that Yuan Fuyao fled the betrothal, they could sever all ties with us completely." He swiftly reasoned through the whole sequence and said softly: "I fear that the day he came to ask Granduncle whether we could lend a hand and received a negative reply, Yuan Huyuan decided to submit to the Chi family. From that moment on, Yuan Chengdun's letters would never reach Yuan Fuyao's hands. In any case, this youth became the fuse for the rupture between our two families." Grief and anger welled up within Li Xuanxuan. He could only say: "Yuan Huyuan met my Second Uncle. I thought our families would remain friends for generations. How could it come to such an end? Even if forced by circumstance, there was no need to resort to such underhanded methods!" He moved to stand and go out, but Li Xijun calmed him. The young man said: "I will deal with him." ... When Yuan Huyuan entered, he looked utterly disheveled, his aura weak and dispirited. Yet the one greeting him was a handsome young man clad in snow-white robes, accompanied by Li Yuexiang. Yuan Huyuan froze for a moment, then probed: "May I ask where Fellow Daoist Xuanxuan..." "Senior has arrived at an inconvenient time. My elder is in closed-door cultivation... I am Li Xijun, and Yuexiang is my younger sister. Greetings, Senior Huyuan." Yuan Huyuan glanced at the youth's demeanor, sensing that he would be even harder to deal with than Li Xuanxuan. In a hoarse voice, he said: "Another Foundation Establishment... Your esteemed clan is truly blessed with exceptional talents, worthy of admiration." Li Xijun shook his head and said softly: "Senior overpraises me. May I ask what brings Senior here today?" Yuan Huyuan's aged face fell, and he lamented: "I could not support the structure alone... The Yuan family has fallen into my younger brother's hands. He is bent on throwing his lot in with the Chi family and has already become their vassal... I fear... he might disregard the friendship between our families and commit some foolish deed!" "Oh?" Li Xijun feigned surprise. "Does he wish to retrieve the betrothal gifts? That is a minor matter." Assuming an air of total ignorance, he summoned the Jade Court Guard beside him and instructed softly: "Go and invite Young Master Yuan here." Yuan Huyuan felt a numb chill rise from the soles of his feet. Just as he was about to speak, Li Xijun courteously took him by the hand and said softly: "Senior Yuan, the friendship between our two families spans several generations. Senior has personally met our clan's Old Ancestor! The celebratory gift you sent, the *Jiaopanying*, remains the sword worn by our family head to this day! How could either of us ever fail the other...?" "With Senior Yuan Huyuan's friendship standing here, my sister could certainly spend a few more days conversing with him..." These words caused a light sweat to break out across Yuan Huyuan's forehead. In a raspy voice, he stammered: "In truth... I fear..." Just then, a Jade Court Guard came forward right on cue, dropped to one knee, and cried out: "Reporting to My Lord! Young Master Yuan has fled!" "Fled?" Li Xijun gasped in surprise, acting entirely incredulous. He chuckled and said: "How could that be... Go check the farmlands again..." Sweat was already dripping down Yuan Huyuan's aged face. He pleaded mournfully: "Xijun... Xijun, search no further! He was called back by my younger brother long ago! Let this matter come to an end here! My only apology is to Lady Yuexiang!" Li Xijun's face changed instantly. After several full breaths of silence, he asked coldly: "If Senior did not desire this marriage alliance, you could have stated so frankly. Why must you humiliate my family in such a fashion?" Yuan Huyuan suffered immense inner torment. He forced himself to look up at him. Staring into Li Xijun's eyes, he vaguely seemed to glimpse the likeness of that grey-robed, middle-aged man from years ago, and instantly felt as if the wooden chair beneath him were covered in needles. He had seen several generations of the Li family. Although none possessed that unfathomable, towering presence of Li Tongya in the past, Li Xijun was like a keen blade concealed in snow, seeming to see straight through all his calculations. Yuan Huyuan could only lament: "I have already lost the family; how could I rein in my brother? I fear he will publicize this far and wide to sever the friendship between our two families. Yuexiang... Yuexiang... Even this old man never expected such an outcome!" The meaning of "publicize this far and wide" was self-evident: for the Yuan family to sever ties with the Li family completely, they intended to portray the matter as an intentional breach of betrothal. He lifted his aged face to look at Li Yuexiang, only to meet her smiling, pretty countenance. He had expected Li Yuexiang to be enraged or mortified with shame, yet her phoenix eyes merely blinked softly, and her voice was gentle: "It is quite alright. I am fine, Senior." Though her voice sounded tranquil, a chill crept up Yuan Huyuan's spine. He felt as though he could hear a cold ring of a sword and the unspoken words lurking behind those eyes: *‘Your family, however, might not be.’* Yuan Huyuan could say nothing more. He stepped back in silence and exited the grand hall, only to see a woman in jade armor standing outside with a spear cradled in her arms. She seemed to have listened for a long while. Her almond eyes lifted slightly, and she said softly: "I shall see Senior out." Yuan Huyuan's scalp tingled. He was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator who had barely scraped through with medicinal pills, his cultivation inferior even to Li Qinghong's. If they were truly to fight, he had no idea how many rounds he could even last. He could only murmur: "So it is Qinghong." Li Qinghong rode the wind aloft beside him, saying softly: "Your noble clan surrendering to the Chi family may have been an unavoidable necessity, but these methods were far too filthy. After so many years of friendship between our families... there was no need to sink this low." Yuan Huyuan sighed sorrowfully. Li Qinghong paused, then continued: "Your clan duped our family, Yuan Chengdun, and Qingsui Peak in one fell swoop, while making our family break faith with Yuan Chengdun. That severs the friendship between our two houses... Yet, if Senior still retains any sentiment toward our family, I hope you spare Yuan Fuyao's life." With words spoken to this point, Yuan Huyuan understood that his family's schemes had been seen through almost entirely. He whispered: "Yuan Fuyao will come to no harm. We are all watching him very closely. Please rest assured." Li Qinghong cupped her hands, turned around, and rode off in a flash of thunderous light, leaving Yuan Huyuan to fly on alone. Recalling several decades of friendship with Li Yuanjiao and Li Xuanxuan, he felt utterly disheartened, murmuring: "It is just... just that back then, the sword immortal defeated Chi Zhiyun with a single strike, and the Li family traded glances with the Xiao family. The Chi family has harbored resentment all along; how could they permit me to preserve past ties! If we weren't ruthless, how could we silence the cold mockery of the Chi family!" He looked toward the horizon, an emptiness gripping his chest. Recalling Li Yuexiang's words and smile, fear seized him once more: "Li Yuanjiao had the temperament of a venomous viper, and his daughter is probably no different... Why did it have to be the Li family!" If Yuan Huyuan had been given a choice, out of all their kin and friendly clans, the Li family was the very last one he would ever want to cross. Yet caught in the swirling tides, he had no other recourse, and could only fly onward with his head down. ... Li Qinghong rode the wind back into the courtyard, where the others were seated together. Li Xijun nodded gently; aunt and nephew had not planned this in advance, yet their coordination was seamless. Li Xuanxuan spoke up: "I wonder how Yuan Chengdun and Yuan Tuan fare. Even if they returned now, I fear they could not reverse the tide... It's just that we had promised Yuan Chengdun..." "If Yuan Fuyao wanted to leave, could we really have sent men to drag him back?" Li Xijun waved a hand and answered: "Moreover, what Yuexiang agreed to was conditional upon Yuan Fuyao being willing to stay. Who could have foreseen Yuan Huyuan acting in this manner? Yuan Chengdun couldn't anticipate it himself... His cultivation is second to none, but when it comes to political machinations, how could he match an old fox like that?" He said softly: "Henceforth, that man has nothing to do with our family. There is no need to mention him again!" Li Xijun turned back to look at his sister and sighed: "It is only you who suffered injustice... In order to sever ties with our family, the Yuan family will inevitably bring this up, and idle gossip is sure to spread..." Li Yuexiang smiled faintly, sitting demurely beside the table as she shook her head: "What does that matter? Others will only laugh at the Yuan family's fickleness, and at Yuan Fuyao's utter blindness."