The Rosy Dawn Cloud Vessel moved at extreme speed. After flying over the lush Xunlin Plain for an hour, it soon touched down atop a mountain veiled in clouds and mist, where cinnabar-lacquered pavilions soared into the sky.
Li Chijing followed behind Yuan Tuan as she disembarked from the vessel, only to see a large crowd of cultivators in white robes and green garments bowing respectfully. In unison, they called out,
"We respectfully welcome the exalted envoy of the Immortal Sect!"
"No need for ceremony."
Yuan Tuan smiled gently and descended several steps down the stone staircase. Waiting at the bottom was a middle-aged man in long robes. Upon seeing Li Chijing, he bowed respectfully and said,
"Greetings, disciple of the exalted sect. I am Yuan Huyuan of the Yuan family of Xunlin Plain."
"Li Chijing, of the Li family of Lake Wangyue."
The Yuan and Li families were not in the same commandery, so when introducing themselves, cultivators usually cited the name of their region rather than a specific mountain, lest the other party be completely at a loss. After exchanging greetings with him, Li Chijing saw Yuan Tuan nod gently.
"He is my clan brother, Yuan Huyuan. I have already instructed him."
"Many thanks, Senior Sister!"
Li Chijing cupped his hands, stepped onto the Yuan clansman's flying shuttle, bade farewell to his senior sister, and set off toward the west.
After flying for a while, Li Chijing noticed the man remained silent, so he struck up a conversation with a smile.
"Senior, Senior Sister addressed you as her clan brother, yet you look..."
"I look old enough to be her grandfather, don't I?"
Yuan Huyuan laughed heartily and said in a booming voice,
"Qi Refinement cultivators have long lifespans, and their appearance ages slowly. That clan sister of mine entered Qi Refinement at the age of eighteen, and since then her youth has resisted time. Even now, she only appears in her early twenties. I, on the other hand, am dull-witted and only broke through to Qi Refinement the year before last, so naturally I have the face of a middle-aged man."
"So that's how it is!"
Li Chijing's thoughts raced in wonder, and he could not help asking,
"Then it seems that among Qi Refinement cultivators, the younger they appear, the less they are to be trifled with?"
"Not necessarily. Though Qi Refinement grants two hundred years of longevity, one's looks don't stay completely unchanged for two centuries; they merely age far more slowly. It is perfectly normal for a forty-year-old cultivator to look twenty. On the contrary, octogenarian-looking cultivators are mostly not to be crossed. They are usually old monsters who have cultivated for well over a century, lacking the courage to attempt Foundation Establishment, clinging stubbornly to the peak of Qi Refinement instead."
Seeing Li Chijing lost in thought, Yuan Huyuan gave a faint smile.
"Judging people by appearance is a mistake to begin with. In my younger days, I suffered a bitter lesson from doing just that, nearly losing my life."
The cold morning breeze made Li Chijing's robe flap loudly. Yuan Huyuan's flying shuttle was much slower than Si Yuanbai's had been back then. As the two casually chatted about minor happenings in the cultivation world in recent years, roughly two hours passed before the shimmering waters of Lake Wangyue finally came into view.
Li Chijing directed Yuan Huyuan to alight at Lichuankou by the lakeshore before smiling and taking his leave.
"At the hour of the Tiger on the third day, I shall await you here, Fellow Daoist."
With those words, Yuan Huyuan steered his flying shuttle up into the sky and departed.
Li Chijing circulated the Wind Riding Art, drifting gracefully toward Lichuankou. From afar, he spotted a six- or seven-year-old boy squatting at the village entrance. A bundle of arrows lay by the child's feet, and in his left hand he held a dark arrowhead, carefully sharpening it against a whetstone.
Seeing Li Chijing float over, the boy was stunned for a moment, but he stood up without panic and said respectfully,
"Lord Immortal Master, this is the territory of the Lijing Li family under the governance of Qingchi. A few li to the east is Guli Road."
Li Chijing chuckled softly. Studying the child's features, he smiled and said,
"What is your relation to Chen Erniu?"
"He is my father!"
The boy's eyes lit up instantly. Cupping his hands repeatedly, he said respectfully,
"My name is Chen Donghe. I'll go call my father right away."
Li Chijing waved his hand, took a light step, and vanished from the stone-paved road.
***
At the Chen residence.
Chen Erniu was draped in a heavy leather vest, leisurely sipping his tea. Han Wenxu, the schoolteacher sitting beside the table, also sipped his tea gently. Looking at Chen Erniu, he teased with a smile:
"Old Chen, you really are a strange one. Of your five sons, every single one is named after a river, a lake, or a waterway. The Chen family is a prominent household now, so why name them like a family of fishermen?"
Chen Erniu smiled without replying. Just then, the courtyard gate creaked open. A young man of imposing bearing—attired in a long white-feather robe and wearing green boots—strode leisurely into the courtyard. First, he cupped his hands slightly toward Han Wenxu and said:
"Teacher, it has been a long time."
Only then did he cast a glance down at Chen Erniu and say softly:
"Uncle Chen, not having seen you in several years, you've grown quite stout."
Chen Erniu froze. His gaze lingered on Li Chijing's face for several breaths before he blurted out:
"Li Chi... Immortal Master!"
"Jing'er!"
All four Li brothers had studied under Han Wenxu, so Han Wenxu was naturally more intimate with them. Realizing he had spoken out of turn, he hastily lowered his head and kept silent.
Li Chijing waved his hand and smiled.
"Take me to see my brothers."
"The young clan head... should be on Mount Lijing at this hour. As for the Immortal Master... I hear he has been on Meichi Mountain recently."
***
Li Xiangping was cultivating in the front courtyard when he heard a rush of footsteps ascending the stone steps. Frowning, he called out in a deep voice:
"Yesheng?"
"Hahahahaha."
A familiar laugh rang out as a dashing, heroic young man stepped across the threshold. At his waist hung a three-foot blued sword, its pale white tassel swaying jaunty and free.
"I returned to the village, not expecting the family had already moved up the mountain, so I asked Brother Yesheng to guide me through the array."
With that, he shook his head with a chuckle:
"Tsk, Lost in the Mist Array."
"Jing'er?!"
Li Xiangping blinked, asking in shock,
"You... aren't you cultivating in the sect?!"
"Hahaha, I'm on the verge of breaking through to Qi Refinement, so I requested leave from my sect to come home and visit."
"I'll go get Father!"
Li Mutian hurried into the front courtyard with brisk footsteps. The three of them sat and talked for a while until Li Tongya and Li Xuanxuan rushed back as well.
"Youngest Uncle!"
Not having seen Li Chijing for years, Li Xuanxuan was naturally very affectionate, hugging him over and over. Li Tongya looked at his youngest brother with a beaming smile as well.
The reunion was filled with emotion. Their mother, Lady Liu, wept tears of joy. A banquet was prepared at home, where Li Chijing was introduced to the new additions of the family, Li Qiuyang and Liu Rouxuan. They brought out the snake gall wine that had been stored for several years and drank late into the night before wrapping up.
After seeing off Li Qiuyang and the others, the core Li family members set up a tea table in the back courtyard. Their eyes were clear and alert; although the snake gall wine contained spiritual energy, it was not intoxicating, and since each of them had important matters on their minds, none of them had drunk much.
Listening to his brothers recount the changes in the family over the past few years, Li Chijing could not help feeling deeply moved. He took a sip of the clear tea before him and said solemnly:
"I truly have important business in returning this time. Otherwise, I would not have hurried back when on the verge of breaking through to Qi Refinement."
Squinting toward the stone pedestal inside the room, Li Chijing said softly:
"Let's go inside to talk."
The group entered the room. Li Chijing said nothing, silently gazing up at the enticing moonlight pouring through the skylight.
Watching the moonlight slowly condense into pale white moon essence upon the mirror, flowing beside the magical mirror, Li Chijing formed a hand seal and carefully examined it.
Sensing the Lingchu Wheel—the sixth wheel of Embryonic Breathing—stirring restlessly within his Shengyang Mansion, and the circulation of his magic power quickening, Li Chijing withdrew his hand in a daze. Even though he had just verified what he had suspected, an expression of disbelief still filled his face as he murmured slowly:
"Taiyin moon essence?!"
Chapter 57