Thunderstorm

Li Minggong rested for a time, carefully tending to her injuries. What felt like an eternity slipped past in a daze before Li Chenghuai entered from outside the hall. His expression was grave, a blend of relief and sorrow, and he whispered, "Eldest Sister, Situ Mo has indeed fallen. Word has reached us that the Patriarch made his move over Salt Lake. He first slew Situ Mo to avenge our blood debt, and then, standing against six Changxiao cultivators, he struck down Yu Nanzi as well, forcing the Changxiao Gate disciples to withdraw." Li Minggong looked up sharply, a flicker of vindication crossing her face before turning once more to worry. "And what followed?" Li Chenghuai replied, "Word is that members of the Cheng family met him, and he has withdrawn to Wanyu." Li Minggong let out a breath, a great weight lifting from her chest. "It is enough that he got away. With both fronts safe, he only needs to... stay alive out there." Li Chenghuai nodded. Li Minggong coughed softly and asked, "I cannot hold out for long and will soon have to enter seclusion. We must first hold your brother's funeral so as to spare the Old Master too much toil. After that, I hope you can watch over the clan and make decisions for them. What... do you intend to do?" Li Chenghuai hesitated immediately. He replied, "I wish nothing more than to share the family's burdens, but my father is the Master of the Jiutian Pavilion and my mother is of Qingchi immortal lineage. If I am the one making decisions, I fear it would look rather unseemly... The Ji branch has always gone to Qingchi to cultivate. My being appointed to preside over Qingdu was already an exception; there is no precedent for me directing island affairs and standing at the head of the clan." Li Xizhi was the Master of the Jiutian Pavilion and held favor and promotion from the Si family, an unambiguous cultivator of Qingchi, while the Yang family was an imperial clan allied under Qingchi. Li Chenghuai's background was indeed delicate. Yet with no one else at hand to rely on, Li Minggong could only sigh and reply, "You only need to quietly steady things from behind the scenes; there is no need to make public appearances. Now that matters have settled down, none of the other families will act rashly. My only worry is that someone with malicious intent might use you to drag Third Uncle into the fray, giving Qingchi an excuse to make a fuss and intervene. Without our Violet Palace elder at home, we would lack the strength to resist, and in the end we might meet an unwitting downfall." Li Chenghuai murmured, "In the downfall of the Chi family, Father was too deeply involved. The True Monarch has not returned, Chi Buzi remains at large, and no one knows how it will ultimately end. That was precisely why Father and the Real Person considered not returning to the clan back then... It is indeed better to be cautious." Li Minggong finally nodded and replied, "That matter is not so troublesome either. After all, we still have Cui Jueyin. His cultivation is profound, his attainments deep, and both his character and capability are of the finest caliber. With him watching over the clan, nothing will go awry." Having finished her consultation with him, Li Minggong saw Qu Bushi requesting an audience outside the hall and asked at once, "Have you found Ding Weizeng?" Qu Bushi wore a strange expression and shook his head repeatedly. "Guan Lingdie of Duxian Dao has come to see you." Li Minggong froze for a moment, then hesitated before answering, "Then... let her come up first." Li Chenghuai frowned and took a step forward to stand beside his elder sister. Li Wen hurried back as well, flanking her on either side, just as the woman in the colorful skirt entered the hall. Guan Lingdie had not come alone, though the guest elders escorting her remained outside the hall, leaving only Gongsun Baifan in his straw raincoat at her side. The young woman had finally learned some sense, stopping at a distance. Looking somewhat ill at ease, she greeted in a stiff yet subdued tone, "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Li." "And to what do we owe this visit, Fellow Daoist...?" Putting away her weariness, Li Minggong replied with her customary polite demeanor. Guan Lingdie said, "My sect has a Dudao Bell in your noble clan's possession. I have come today to exchange for it." Though Duxian Dao seemed fickle and unpredictable, Li Minggong would certainly not offend them now. Desiring nothing more than reconciliation, she said gently, "Please go on, Fellow Daoist." At her words, Guan Lingdie, being of a girlish temperament, instantly dropped her airs. Her tense posture relaxed as she replied, "During the spar in years past, Situ Mo sent over one of your noble clan's guest elders. Our Duxian Dao has treated him with good food and drink all this time. Now we wish to return him, as a token of thanks for your clan returning the Dudao Bell." 'An Siwei...' A sudden wave of relief washed over Li Minggong's heart. Raising her brows with hope, she asked, "Is that true?" Guan Lingdie paused, then recited fluently in a low voice, "Much of the friction and misunderstanding of past years was stirred up by Xuanyue and forced by Changxiao, done out of sheer necessity..." She went on for a bit. Seeing how fluently she spoke, yet knowing she was hardly the sort of person to formulate such words—likely having memorized them from Guan Gongxiao—Li Minggong waited patiently until she finished. She then drew the pitch-black bell from her sleeve and said quietly, "The magical artifact is here. Please, Fellow Daoist." Guan Lingdie beamed with delight. Giving Gongsun Baifan a few instructions, she sent him down. Before long, Qu Bushi came up as well. Circling around Guan Lingdie, the old man came to Li Minggong's side and whispered, "The Duxian Dao people at the foot of the mountain have released Guest Elder An. His breath is steady, and there is no serious harm. His previous injuries have all been healed." Li Minggong handed the magical artifact over. Guan Lingdie inspected it, let out a sigh of relief, and without another word, took to the wind to take her leave. A few breaths later, An Siwei was finally seen walking in from outside the hall. An Siwei's breath was steady and his clothes were clean. The long spear was strapped behind his back, looking no different from when he had left, save that the rims of his eyes were slightly red. Over the brief span of a year or so, his face had visibly aged. Though his hair had not turned white, his demeanor had distinctly withered. In truth, Duxian Dao did not care much about An Siwei. In Guan Gongxiao's eyes, he was merely someone who had achieved Foundation Establishment by sheer luck through spiritual atmosphere and Yuzhen, and he had nearly been forgotten in the dungeon. But within An Siwei, inner struggle and unease had deepened day after day, tormenting him for a long time. Now, for the Li family to exchange a top-grade magical artifact for his return came as an utter shock. Having been released so abruptly, An Siwei still felt a lingering trepidation. He bowed and said, "Thank you, My Lady." Being such a senior figure, An Siwei was in truth more like an elder. Li Minggong comforted him and bade him rise, whispering, "Please go rest and recover. I still have matters to attend to here and will not detain you, Protector. The Old Master has been worried sick over you, so this will be good news for him to hear." An Siwei bowed once more and retreated with brisk steps. Li Minggong forced herself to rise and stepped down from the main seat, gazing somewhat dazedly at the thunder in the sky. "Brother Huai, go capture a few bolts of lightning... seal them in a bottle so we may bury them in the ancestral cemetery." Li Chenghuai took a dark bronze flask from his sleeve and replied, "I already captured them yesterday..." Li Minggong sighed and followed him out of the hall. Waiting before the main gate was a young man with golden eyes and black hair, his features unremarkable. It was none other than the Second Young Master, Li Jianglong. Li Jiangqian had given instructions earlier, and family affairs were already fully arranged. The group rode the wind in silence across the lake. Crossing the river, they saw that the Fei family on the northern shore had already hung white gauze. Back when Li Cheng was garrisoned on the northern shore, he had saved many members of the Fei family from the hands of Fuyun Cave, and had spent most of those ten years there. The Fei family was even more familiar with him than most, and wailing could be heard even now. Past the northern shore, plain mourning white stretched across the lake. Though Li Chenghuai had instructed them to keep things as simple as possible, white mourning cloth still covered the surroundings, quiet to a chilling degree. It was not until they reached the island that clamorous mourning cries arose. White cloth was draped within the hall. Flanking both sides were many venerable elders, while youths and boys knelt below. In the center stood the coffin, filled with subdued sobbing, waiting only for what was to be interred. Having changed into mourning robes, the moment Li Minggong stepped into the hall, the wailing swelled with immense force. Every last person began to howl. Those who had been whispering and muttering among themselves below saw her and wailed at the top of their lungs whether they had tears or not, causing Li Xuanxuan, seated in the center, to shed tears at once. Before the coffin in the center knelt a youth who wept with particular heartbreak. Li Minggong stood quietly to the side. As the spiritual object representing the remains was brought forward, Li Xuanxuan oversaw the rites one by one, while that youth cried his heart out, nearly fainting away. Li Minggong waited for a long time. The crowd kept glancing at her, clearly waiting for her to announce the succession. Feeling deeply uncomfortable, she stepped outside the hall. When the setting sun dipped below the horizon, Li Chenghuai emerged first, escorting the old man, and only then did they begin their discussion. Li Minggong still found it hard to accept, yet the estate had to be apportioned to prevent discord. Enduring the grief, she asked in a low voice, "Brother Cheng never married, let alone fathered children. A treasure like the Six Thunders Xuan Punishment Token must be returned to the clan. As for the rest of his spiritual supplies, his Foundation Establishment magical artifacts, and his Qi Refinement robes, all must be passed down according to the laws of succession. They are of considerable value. Is there any candidate?" Li Chenghuai, having governed Qingdu, answered immediately, "Brother had considered this before. Having no sons of his own, he thought of adopting a child from his elder brother. The Old Master, considering that he was not yet old and fearing unpleasantness should he father a son of his own later, put a stop to it." None could have foreseen that Li Cheng would fall so young. Li Xuanxuan had run out of tears, only clutching his sleeves in silence. Li Minggong asked, "Who are the closest by blood right now?" Li Chenghuai replied, "There are three in total. The one closest by blood is the youngest son of a clan brother, who was just about to be adopted over. He is thirteen this year and has never even met Brother Cheng. The one crying his heart out in the hall just now was him. That clan brother brought the boy by the hand early this morning, having him kneel there first to claim the spot..." Worry furrowed Li Minggong's brow, and she whispered, "And I wondered who he was... crying with such exaggerated vigor! I fear he is skilled in deceit, offering false affection to his kin. To make him the heir—I fear it would ruin Brother Cheng's good name." Li Chenghuai continued, "There are two others. The elder is also very close by blood to Brother. He is good in every way, save for being hot-tempered and blunt. He knelt in the hall just now and did not shed a tear. "The other is younger and more distant in blood. For a time, he frequented Brother's residence, and I heard Brother was quite fond of him... but he went to garrison the eastern shore and has not returned." Li Minggong fell silent for a moment, then said, "From what I saw in the hall, among those below the Zhou generation, most care only for their own small branches, and even more care solely for themselves. Very few devote themselves to the clan; instead, one by one, they look like disciples of a sect. This is not just our clan—the Xiao, Chen, and other families are all the same. It is a common ailment of aristocratic clans and cannot really be called a fault. Let the inheritance be reserved among these three, and only after thorough examination in the future... shall we speak of succession." She hesitated a moment, then heard Li Xuanxuan speak in a weathered voice, "Gong'er... bring all three to the island. Do not let them harbor other ideas, lest things become unseemly when the time comes." When Li Xuanxuan finished speaking, both nodded in agreement. Just then, a slight commotion arose below. Hurried footsteps sounded in the corridor as a man in red arrived late, riding the wind while pulling on white mourning robes to change. His face was rather handsome and carefully groomed. The moment the old man saw his face, his heart went half cold, and his lips began to tremble. Li Chenghuai quickly glanced over. Sure enough, it was Li Ximing's direct grandson, Li Zhouming. Earlier, seeing no sign of him, Li Chenghuai and Li Minggong had tacitly avoided mentioning him, yet unexpectedly the boy had walked straight into the blade. "You wretched beast!" Li Xuanxuan, after all, had been at the ninth level of Qi Refinement for many years. Flinging back his sleeve, the old man snatched him down right out of midair. Li Zhouming had intended to slip inside unnoticed, never expecting all three to be waiting right by the entrance, and panic gripped his heart. Trembling in terror, he dared not struggle, dropping to his knees with a loud thud. "You... you! Your uncle died for the clan's sake, yet you... how dare you! You even dare to arrive late to his funeral!" Li Xuanxuan was torn between grief and fury. As the direct grandson of a Violet Palace elder, Li Zhouming should have shouldered a lineage alongside Li Zhouwei and Li Zhouluo, standing together as pillars of the clan today. For him to turn out so worthless and behave in this manner made his vision go dark with rage. Now the young man merely knelt on the ground, the golden lock necklace given to him by Li Xuanxuan at birth dangling and gleaming around his neck. His face was full of dread as he grabbed Li Xuanxuan's legs, wailing, "Old Master, please don't be angry... Old Master, please don't be angry! Mind your health!" The boy was not bad-looking, with rather delicate features and neat attire. Were he not groveling on the ground begging for mercy, he might have possessed a certain grace. Li Ximing had only just gone missing, making it all the more difficult for Li Xuanxuan to punish him severely, so the old man merely kept a frosty face. Li Minggong had never liked him, so she turned her head away and ignored him, letting Li Zhouming babble on the ground with Li Xuanxuan. 'Sigh...' It was a funeral after all. Li Xuanxuan gave him a kick and told him to scramble inside. Li Chenghuai never meddled in such matters and even offered the youth a couple of comforting words. Li Minggong nodded listlessly and swept a glance across the hall. The moment the three had stepped away earlier, the crying had diminished considerably, yet many were still weeping with forced fervor. Looking upon them with disappointment, she could not help murmuring, "I only fear that the ambition our family built over six generations will ultimately fall to a pack of..." "Minggong!" The old man planted his wooden cane on the ground, cutting her off. Though tears lingered in his eyes, Li Xuanxuan's voice was firm and resonant: "When a family grows large... mediocre fools are inevitable... Once they finish crying here, they will go back... The selection of talents on the island remains upright and fair, and Jiangque and the others are not bad at all. Do not utter such disheartening words." Li Minggong nodded hastily. Though Li Chenghuai remained silent beside them, words stayed stifled in his chest, and he sighed inwardly: 'If not for Zhouwei, the Zhou generation would have already shown signs of exhaustion. And if not for the fine sons Zhouwei fathered... how many in the Jiang generation would even be worth showing? The Old Master always likes to look on the bright side...' The three gradually lapsed into silence. Rain fell harder and harder from the sky, churning the lake waters. Suddenly, Li Minggong raised her eyebrows in surprise and cast her gaze into the air, her voice hoarse: "Someone has broken through!" Li Chenghuai looked up as well, his expression far more pleasantly surprised. Taking a step forward, he probed slightly, then traded glances with his elder sister. "'Jing Dragon King'!" "Chen Yang has been in seclusion for these few years and has now broken through! Little wonder... it must have been with the aid of Settling the Mind to Pierce the Mysterious." Ripples surged across the lake. Li Chenghuai nodded to his elder sister and took to the wind. Darting through the torrential rain, he indeed saw a coiling grey jiaolong rising from Mount Qingdu, baring fangs and brandishing claws, its gaze fierce and its dragon whiskers exceptionally long. A youth clad in black rose riding the flood dragon, broad-shouldered with long brows, pale grey eyes, and black hair hanging loose in the downpour. Circling once, he landed before Li Chenghuai, a smile on his face as he cupped his hands. "Greetings, My Lord!"