"Father!"
Li Zhouluo had only just looked up from his desk when he caught sight of the man in the doorway. Startled and overjoyed, he scrambled down from the seat of honor to greet him, ecstatic.
"Father! You've ended your seclusion!"
Li Chenghuai nodded with a smile. Li Zhouluo beamed with delight, pulling Li Chenghuai all the way to the seat of honor to sit down, a healthy flush returning to his cheeks.
"Congratulations, Father! Best wishes to you!"
Blessed with double good fortune, Li Zhouluo forgot all his worries and simply exclaimed, "Father has achieved an immortal foundation! And of the fourth grade... With the dharma robe Grandfather left behind, it will truly be like a giant roc spreading its wings, soaring straight into the clouds!"
Li Zhouluo understood his father's complicated feelings toward his grandfather quite well. But after meeting Li Xizhi this time, he had been utterly captivated by his grandfather's demeanor. Not only did he feel proud to share in that glory, but he had even begun secretly taking him as a role model, so he hastened to add a flattering word.
Li Chenghuai, however, did not let himself be distracted. Seizing upon what his son had been speaking of earlier, he asked, "Clan brother? Which clan brother?"
Li Zhouluo had no choice but to cup his hands and answer, "It is about Quewan... Someone from the lake islands filed a complaint against her, claiming her elder brother exploited clan influence for personal gain..."
"Let me see it."
Li Chenghuai took the letters from his hand and glanced over them. Seeing that both sides operated boats, he then flipped through the background information Li Zhouluo had gathered. He chuckled in anger, then slapped the papers down onto the desk with a sharp crack.
"Utter nonsense! This counts as exploiting influence... that counts as exploiting influence too! Does that mean the families of every cultivator on the islands should be locked up inside a formation and fattened up like two-legged pigs?!"
Li Zhouluo had rarely seen him this furious. He quickly responded, "Father... there is more to this than meets the eye... If I simply suppress the matter, it will only serve as proof of guilt and bring harm to Quewan instead..."
"Of course I know there is more to it!" Li Chenghuai sneered. "What are they whispering behind her back? That Quewan rose through blind luck, that it was all because the grand elder happened to pass by the lake island, and those envious of her could form a line stretching back and forth across the waters! Instead of focusing on their cultivation, they stir up this petty nonsense!"
Li Zhouluo did not dare say more. Li Chenghuai simply said, "Have him brought up."
Li Zhouluo had no choice but to send someone to fetch the complaining cultivator. From afar came the sound of approaching steps, and a middle-aged man dressed in brocade robes stepped inside. Seeing Li Zhouluo, he bowed and smiled, "Greetings, my lord!"
With his father sitting silently behind the desk, hearing this overly familiar tone made Li Zhouluo stiffen. He hurriedly stepped aside, remaining silent.
The middle-aged man froze, only then noticing that the one sitting in the seat of honor was Li Chenghuai. How could he fail to recognize him? Shock flashed through his mind:
*He established his foundation?!*
"Li Dongdi greets... my lord!"
"So it is you..."
Li Chenghuai narrowed his eyes, recognizing the man as a member of a very close collateral branch. He said casually, "I heard Li Quewan's brothers have been throwing their weight around to bully others. Is that so?"
Though Li Zhouluo was clever, he was still young and lacked Li Chenghuai's seasoned sharpness. But matters having come to this, there was no turning back...
Li Dongdi understood that holding firm would at most bring a reprimand, whereas losing his nerve now would leave him utterly ruined. Thus, he lamented, "Indeed it is so!"
Watching from the side, Li Zhouluo saw his father dip an index finger in ink, moving at nearly imperceptible speed to sketch a talismanic rune on the paper.
Just as Li Dongdi finished speaking, a dull pop rang out. The paper flared with bright flames and burned to ash.
Li Chenghuai said coldly, "What insolence!"
Closing the distance in a single stride, he slapped the middle-aged man across the face, snapping his head violently back and sending a spray of blood and teeth scattering across the floor. With a backhand strike across the other cheek, he sent the man flying far backward.
Horrified, terrified his father might kill him, Li Zhouluo stammered repeatedly, "Father... Father... be careful not to hurt your hand!"
Li Dongdi tumbled several times before collapsing on the ground. Only after a long while did he recover slightly, crawling on all fours and mumbling incoherently, "My lord... my... my lord, enforcing clan discipline like this... what reason is there..."
"What reason?" Li Chenghuai flicked his robes and remarked casually, "No need to pretend. My immortal foundation can distinguish truth from falsehood..."
He paused, then sneered, "You... and that vermin hiding in the shadows behind you, just wait for disaster to strike."
***
Qingchi Sect.
The cave dwelling atop the highest peak of Mount Qingchi faced directly east, gathering the essence of the sun and moon amid drifting white clouds. It was the place with the densest spiritual energy in the entire mountain range; the white vapor seemed ready at any moment to condense into spiritual water, beading into glistening drops of dew upon the vegetation.
Li Ximing waited on the immortal peak for a few breaths. Soon, a burst of laughter was heard, and a green-robed elder appeared before the mountain gate. Looking hale and hearty, a golden talisman held in his hand, he chuckled, "I was wondering what distinguished guest had arrived—turns out to be Zhaojing!"
That Li Ximing had come to see him first upon leaving his mountain rather than Xiao Chuting undoubtedly brought glory and satisfaction to Yuanxiu. Detecting from afar that Li Ximing was waiting before the gate showing the etiquette of a disciple, Yuanxiu raised his chin even higher, letting out a rare, hearty laugh.
Li Ximing offered an accommodating smile. Once the elder drew close enough that others could not hear, Li Ximing cupped his hands and said, "Junior greets the Real Person! That Zhaojing was able to break through in peace is all thanks to Fellow Daoist Si Yuanli issuing the command to hold back the demonic cultivators and protect the northern reaches of the State of Yue... I am deeply grateful!"
Yuanxiu waved his hand dismissively and gave a raspy chuckle. "What is Fellow Daoist saying? Li'er is your junior; there is no need for such formality. As for the matter on the river, it was Li Xuanfeng who turned the tide... Yuanli was merely doing his duty."
Yuanxiu was an old fox after all. Li Ximing was only glad that he had drawn close and lowered his voice. The old man then said, "Please!"
The two Violet Palace cultivators proceeded into the cave dwelling. Inside, the spiritual energy dripped like dew, and there was a grand pool of Lushui water, green and translucent like a gem. A rich rush of Lushui magical power billowed forward, making Ding Weizeng behind him quite uncomfortable.
Above this Lushui pool, six magnificent seats had been carved from green jade. Dense spiritual resonance mingled with dharma light almost condensed into palpable iridescent hues, illuminating the entire cave dwelling with dazzling brilliance.
Countless Lushui Violet Palace cultivators had achieved breakthroughs here. Si Boxiu made an inviting gesture, yet he did not take the central seat of honor; instead, he sat at the highest position to the side.
Li Ximing used his divine ability to shield Ding Weizeng from the Lushui brilliance and sat in the jade seat below. Just as he was about to speak, his voice caught slightly. The seated Yuanxiu above also paused, then immediately sneered:
"Qing Tangyin of Mount Changhuai has fallen! That old bastard was stingy to the bitter end! Even for a breakthrough to Golden Core, he couldn't bear to invite guests to observe the ceremony... old ghost!"
Li Ximing understood at once. The celestial light between his brows flickered slightly as he remarked in surprise, "The spiritual aura has changed! Isn't this far too early... Right now should be the prime peak of the Upper Evil Spirit Repository..."
The smile on Yuanxiu's face quickly faded, returning to a somber expression as he shook his head. "It can hardly be called early. Has Zhaojing noticed? The Upper Evil Spirit Repository was ridiculously feeble. Never mind demonic cultivators... not even special spiritual items or spirit lands were born..."
*I was in seclusion day in and day out... never stepping outside my door, how would I know anything...*
Li Ximing complained inwardly, but he wore a faint smile on his face and gave a slight nod, the celestial light between his brows shimmering. "Indeed..."
Chapter 703