Uncle and Nephew

The words spoken chilled Chi Fubo to the bone. His gaze circled around and fell upon the young man standing behind him, head bowed in silence. "Yuanqin! What do you think?" The youth behind him had sharp, long eyebrows and slightly narrow eyes. His expression was somber, his pupils grayish-black, his cheeks thin, his demeanor melancholic, and his attire luxurious. He was none other than Li Xuanfeng's son, Li Yuanqin. Li Yuanqin was even a little lost in thought, his mind completely blank, with only one thought echoing in his heart: *He is dead!* *How is that possible!* When the news first arrived that Li Xuanfeng had slaughtered all the Buddhist monks, the cultivators of Qingchi were so shocked they took it for an erroneous rumor. Li Yuanqin had naturally become the center of everyone's attention, yet he did not care. Every battle report concerning Li Xuanfeng had always been like this; he had long grown accustomed to it. Yet on the second day, when the news of Li Xuanfeng's death spread, all the cultivators breathed a collective sigh of relief. Although Ning Hejing remained secluded behind closed doors, Li Yuanqin knew very well that this good uncle of his was overjoyed; some members of the Chi family had even burst out laughing. For Ning Hejing to stay behind closed doors was already an act of restraint. Although Chi Fubo had come to comfort him immediately, even with reddened eyes, Li Yuanqin had spent so many years with him—how could he not know what kind of virtue this fellow possessed deep down? If not outright delighted, he was at least relieved. Li Yuanqin showed no change in expression. His heart felt completely hollow, his bewilderment far greater than his sorrow. This emptiness filled him with an uncontrollable restlessness. Fortunately, he was deeply scheming by nature and had never let anyone perceive the slightest hint of it; he drank when he should drink, and laughed and chatted when he should laugh and chat. Now, coldly watching everyone panic, his heart remained entirely calm. Chi Zhiyan's death did not cause the slightest ripple in him. His mind was blank. Facing Chi Fubo's inquiry, he paused. "My lords..." Li Yuanqin said softly. "The Sect Master's orders were issued long ago and rest solely in Lord Hejing's hands. The Bo branch's manpower is utterly exhausted, but our Zhong branch ultimately lacks anyone of high station and great power; we have only Lord Hejing. Relying on Yuanxing Peak alone... we are merely ordinary Daoists. "My lords, so long as Real Person Yuanxiu does not intervene in person, what can Si Yuanli actually do? Would he truly lead the Si family's direct lineage into an all-out battle against us? He wants nothing more than greater power. We occupy the dominant positions; as long as we hold our ground, so what if his prestige is currently at its zenith? Must all the peak masters obey Si Yuanli's every command?" He had voiced the restless thoughts stirring within their hearts. Several members of the Chi family beamed with delight. *That's right... Although the Si family possesses great strength, Real Person Yuanxiu has yet to show his face. In the end, they are just another group of Foundation Establishment cultivators... As long as we can unite the strength of the various great clans, they might not be so terrifying after all.* Only Ning Hejing's countenance remained dark. He raised a hand to silence the Chi family members and said coldly, "So it's you! What grand merits your father achieved!" This uncle had never truly paid attention to what his nephew looked like; only upon hearing his name just now did he react. Instantly bristling, he rose from his seat with a grunt and glared with cold eyes. He stepped down from the high seat one pace at a time, his expression icy and his tone chillingly ordinary. The man's eyes were piercingly sharp, even gleaming with a trace of killing intent. He paced all the way up to his nephew, his voice low, gritting his teeth in frigid tones: "Li Yuanqin, I do not trust you." Those few words echoed through the hall, resolute and grim. He narrowed his eyes slightly and rasped, "Get out. Immediately!" "Wait..." Chi Fubo had witnessed Li Yuanqin's methods; he hurriedly held Ning Hejing back and gave Li Yuanqin a tug. The young man slowly lowered his head and spoke in a low voice. His words caught everyone off guard. Li Yuanqin's long, narrow eyes brimmed with tears as he lamented, "Lord Si Yuanli stubbornly held the riverbank and forced my father to stand guard, exchanging his life to hold the great river! Yet he and the direct lineage of the Si family clearly possessed Purple Mansion talismans and methods, but refused to use any of them! They watched with open eyes as my father died a tragic death!" Li Yuanqin's words echoed in the empty hall, solemn and steady. Ning Hejing, however, leaped up. "He died? Even he could die?! "You put on a fine act, but all alliances are forged by interest. On what grounds would you do all this? Hmm? On the grounds that you hate Si Yuanli? A joke! "The discord between the Bo and Zhong branches has existed for a long time, but for this generation to turn against each other so fiercely, I fear you had a hand in it! You people of the Li family are vicious, cruel, treacherous, and cunning—never up to any good! "And Chi Fuju being punished repeatedly, even incurring the Sect Master's displeasure—that was your doing as well, was it not? All these years, you have been sowing discord, haven't you?" Li Yuanqin bowed respectfully and said in a clear voice, "A man like him is difficult to deal with, and since your lordship was far away in the sect, naturally you could catch no handle against him." Ning Hejing certainly understood that Li Yuanqin was close to the Chi family, yet in his heart he had not an ounce of trust in Li Yuanqin. Ning Hejing had studied the Li family deeply, to the point of sneering at Li Yuanqin. His sole grievance with Yuansu was the heavy reliance on Si Yuanli, which in turn disgusted him to no end when Ning Heyuan shamelessly tagged along calling Si Yuanli his brother-in-law. Now that Ning Heyuan was dead, he was, after all, a brother of the same clan, so there was nothing more to say about it. But toward this nephew, Li Yuanqin, Ning Hejing was utterly distrustful. To take ten thousand steps back, even if Li Yuanqin were truly on their side, what qualification did he have to appear in this place? To put it nicely, he was his nephew; to put it harshly, he was the seed of the Li family! There was a stain upon his bloodline, and he was not even fit to enter this hall! *The people of the Li family are cruel and suspicious, tyrannical and ruthless, yet united and affectionate among themselves, disregarding their own lives—they are the most venomous of wolves! Li Xuanfeng was one, and Li Yuanjiao is another!* *As for Li Yuanqin? There is no need to even think! It must be an act! People of his kind are cruel yet fickle, skilled at manipulating human hearts. This brat is a natural-born seed of evil; how could anyone believe him?* Although Ning Hejing's strength was not particularly outstanding, he had managed Yuanxing Peak for many years. His vision was sharp, he was calculating, and he was no simple figure. How could he fail to realize this? To put it plainly, the youth was Li Xuanfeng's orphan. Li Xuanfeng's overt merits were so great that it was improper to kill him; otherwise, Ning Hejing would have seized him long ago! He simply could not stomach Li Yuanqin standing before him, thinking coldly: *What a mess Chi Fubo has made!* Even if Ning Hejing was utterly reluctant, he could only temporarily hold his tongue and listen. Chi Fubo's eyes shone as he nodded repeatedly, whispering, "Li Yuanqin's perspective offers an excellent pretext, and it carries weight only when spoken from his mouth. His seniority in the Li family is extremely high; these words can be used to win over the Li family's forces..." Sure enough, the Zhong branch elder at the side, Chi Zhihu, was gradually moved. His voice dropped lower as he said thoughtfully, "This..." The expression on Ning Hejing's face froze. He ran the thought through his mind, pondering silently. Li Yuanqin nodded and said nothing more. At this moment, any word of persuasion would be ill-timed. No one present was a fool; they would all ponder the matter for themselves.