Having heard this, Li Chenghuai simply folded the letter in his hands and tucked it into his sleeve. "I understand," he replied. "When will you be heading back to reply, Fellow Daoist Yuduan?"
Quan Yuduan hesitated slightly. "Junior Brother is still in the north, so there should still be some time. During this period, I shall be cultivating along the shore. Young Master, you may take your time to consider it carefully... Once you have an answer, you need only send a summons toward the wilds to call for me..."
Li Chenghuai gave a slight nod, and Quan Yuduan withdrew. Through the open hall doors drifted the smiling voice of Li Chenghuai's eldest son, Li Zhouluo, offering greetings to Quan Yuduan. Then, with a creak, the doors shut firmly once more, shutting out all the noise from outside.
Li Chenghuai remained standing where he was. Clutching his sleeve, he did not stir in the slightest, his gaze frozen. Time passed until the shifting light and shadows marked the hour. Li Zhouluo, having waited outside for so long, finally knocked and entered.
"Father..."
Li Zhouluo called out softly. Li Chenghuai still held the letter tightly within his sleeve. His lips parted slightly, but he made no mention of it, asking instead, "Are you truly going with Quan Yuduan to the South Sea?"
In his heart, Li Zhouluo wished the days would fly by in a single breath. The past three to five years had been an agonizing grind of endless toil from morning to night, and he had long grown sick of it. At the mention of this, his face lit up with joy, and he nodded. "Indeed! I am only waiting for their return!"
Hearing his tone, Li Chenghuai knew the boy was eagerly anticipating accompanying Quan Yuduan to the South Sea to enjoy a life of ease and feast his eyes upon fairy maidens from various sects, his heart brimming with hope and yearning.
This was only human nature. Had such a windfall landed upon Li Chenghuai's head in his own youth, he too would have been restless with anticipation, straining his eyes in wait. Pouring out the tea, he answered, "Good. Prepare yourself well and do not squander the opportunity."
Li Zhouluo could tell his father was troubled and hesitated, on the verge of asking about the letter's contents. Before he could speak, Li Chenghuai waved his hand to dismiss him, and his eldest son had no choice but to take his leave, lingering reluctantly as he went.
Once he was entirely alone, Li Chenghuai finally drew the letter out, placing it face down gently upon the table.
Li Chenghuai naturally knew how weighty this letter was. Frankly speaking, either of the choices offered within would move any cultivator in Jiangnan to weep with joy. Yet though it was clearly something to celebrate, he could not bring himself to smile in the slightest.
He stood alone in the hall for the better part of the night until he finally heard movement outside. An old man in blue-gray robes pushed the doors open and walked in. Li Chenghuai offered a low bow of respect. "Greetings, Elder."
Only then did he pass the letter over. Li Xuanxuan sat down and poured himself a cup of tea, reading the letter carefully. Li Chenghuai gave a slight shake of his head and said, "What does he owe me... What is there to owe? All those bitter years spent living under another's roof without father or mother—can they truly be made up for with things like this...?"
Li Xuanxuan kept his gaze fixed on the letter, his eyes deep and contemplative. Li Chenghuai wore a relatively untroubled expression as he spoke softly, "To tell you the truth, had this come twenty years earlier, I would have thrown the letter straight back into Quan Yuduan's hands and told him plainly that I want neither."
He let out a self-deprecating laugh and sighed. "Yet it came too late. I, Li Chenghuai, am already a father, virtually an elder in the clan. There is too much I must consider. How could I bear to toss it away? The days of my youth are long gone. Frankly speaking, my past resentment would now amount to little more than childish petulance, which is why I accepted the letter."
Li Xuanxuan gave a solemn nod. "I understand..."
Filling his cup with tea, the old man shook his head. "The four of the Xi generation in our family... each bore their own duties back then. Not just you, but Ximing and Chengzhi are the same way. Chengzhi is utterly deferential, yet I know full well that in his heart, he cannot bring himself to be close to Ximing either. Such matters... are difficult beyond measure. Do not say he does not understand you; the truth is, you do not understand your father either.
"Back then, there were far too many compromises that had to be made, far too much bitter swallowed pride..."
The old man raised a hand to touch his cheek, tracing small bumps beneath the skin, and pointed them out for Li Chenghuai to see with a faint smile. "Look here. Back then, plagued by inner demons, I begged all the way to Hengzhu, and five golden pills were embedded beneath my flesh. I can still feel them to this day. Though my wounds healed, my face was left far from presentable...
"Your situation is no different. In those years, the clan had to swallow its blood and grievances, compromising at every turn, which led to this state of affairs. Even now, you feel that uneven roughness under your fingers, and your heart churns with injustice. Wanting to speak of it, to ask about it, is only right and natural... Your father is a sensible man. Write a letter in reply. Lay it all bare, speak clearly, and do not pretend the scars are not there."
Li Chenghuai fell silent for a moment. Li Xuanxuan had already led him over to the main seat. Placing a brush into his hand, the old man ground the ink while urging, "Come, write."
...
Emerging from the hall, Li Zhouluo saw the red-robed Quan Yuduan still taking in the sights on the islet. Though burning with curiosity about the letter from his grandfather, Li Zhouluo did not pry. Exchanging a few polite pleasantries with Quan Yuduan, he made his way back to the main hall.
Taking his seat at the high table, he watched as Di Liguang came over to trim and hold up the lamp. Li Zhouluo smiled faintly and asked, "What are your plans for the future?"
Li Zhouluo did not say more, but Di Liguang was sharp. People like him had a natural instinct and could sense that Li Zhouluo's time in power was drawing to an end.
Understanding what Li Zhouluo was asking, he replied with utmost deference, "Whatever the Patriarch arranges... this subordinate shall obey. If I can remain at the Patriarch's side, it would be a blessing earned across lifetimes..."
The fact that Li Zhouluo was heading to the South Sea was known only to a handful of core lineage members. Yet Di Liguang had evidently gambled that sticking with him would bring benefits, delivering his words with utter sincerity, which drew repeated nods of approval from Li Zhouluo.
As he sat in the hall perusing clan records, an attendant outside announced that Cui Jueyin had arrived to report.
Throughout the years of Li Zhouluo managing the clan, Cui Jueyin had overseen the matters of the Zigen Guanggu Mountain-Piercing Dark Nails with steady methodical precision, routinely reporting once every three months. For him to arrive unannounced meant there had to be news regarding the Violet Palace grand formation. Li Zhouluo quickly rose and said, "Quickly invite Protector Cui inside!"
Di Liguang hurried down to usher him in personally. Once Cui Jueyin stepped into the grand hall, Di Liguang dismissed the surrounding attendants, closed the hall doors himself, and stood guard outside.
Cui Jueyin had changed little from three years ago. The core descendant of the Cui clan bowed modestly as always and reported, "Patriarch, the main bodies of the first twelve of the thirty-two dark needles are already over halfway forged. However, the cultivators from Ziyan Gate have begun packing their belongings. The cultivators currently on the islet will soon return to their sect, and another group will replace them. According to Master Wen, this is to prevent the formation patterns from being overly exposed."
Wen Wu had a silver tongue capable of speaking the dead back to life, so there was no telling whether this was truly out of concern for formation pattern leaks or simply an ordinary scheduled rotation. Li Zhouluo merely listened as Cui Jueyin continued, "He was recalled overnight and did not have time to pay his respects to the Patriarch, so he asked me to convey his apologies... He also asked me to pass along word that Quexi is preparing to break through to Qi Refinement, and Ziyan Gate has already prepared all the necessary medicinal pills."
Li Quexi's early breakthrough to Qi Refinement was hardly a surprise; in fact, Li Zhouluo had estimated it was somewhat overdue. But regardless of whether she needed them or not, what the family ought to provide still had to be sent. He nodded and said, "I shall send someone on an urgent trip to Ziyan Gate at once to deliver resources for her breakthrough."
Cui Jueyin replied respectfully, "Aside from this, there is another pressing matter... A cultivator from Ziyan Gate traveled through the surrounding area and claimed he gave guidance to a child from a minor household on the lake. At first, it was merely because he found the boy endearing... but after three to five years, affection grew, and now that it is time to depart, he cannot bear to leave him behind. He wishes to bring the child back to his sect to take as a disciple, but he asked me to consult the Patriarch first."
This was no small matter. Li Zhouluo was taken aback and asked, "Which household? What is the surname?"
Cui Jueyin forced a wry smile and replied, "The Ding clan... a small household of the Ding clan scattered along the lake's periphery. A widow and her orphan son. The mother has a modest bit of cultivation, but from what I have seen, this matter is not entirely honorable..."
*The Ding clan!*
Li Zhouluo's suspicions were immediately aroused. He asked, "Though the matter seems somewhat abrupt, how does it qualify as dishonorable?"
Cui Jueyin sighed softly. "That Ding man died at the hands of Floating Cloud Cave, and Weizeng knows his name, so the widow and orphan have not had a difficult life. From what I can see, that Ziyan cultivator... has certain intentions toward the widow... He stayed overnight before. Word is that in the dead of the night, their cries shook the neighbors. Fortunately, no one recognized him, and the child does not seem resistant..."
"This... A dignified Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't even bother to set up a warding formation? Such dissoluteness..."
Li Zhouluo wore an odd expression. For an esteemed cultivator of Ziyan Gate, there was no way he couldn't muffle such noise if he wanted to. Li Zhouluo could only sigh at the man's peculiar taste. Having finally understood what was going on, he hesitated awkwardly before saying, "We must notify Ding Weizeng of this... In any case, it can still be considered a good thing. What manner of man is this Ziyan Gate cultivator? Is he fickle and lustful? I only fear that after bringing them back for a few years, he might cruelly cast them aside, which would reflect poorly on us."
Cui Jueyin answered, "The child is named Ding Mu. The Ziyan Gate cultivator is the master of Xiling Peak, named Cao Chu, with the Daoist title Huxizi. He doesn't have a reputation for being fickle, though he already has a principal wife and two concubines on his peak, so bringing her back would only be as a concubine."
Li Zhouluo had no other choice and felt somewhat sheepish. "If both parties are willing, we must still wait for Ziyan Gate's person in charge to discuss it. After all, from where I stand, she is bound to suffer some disadvantages, so this matter must be handled properly..."
"Indeed!"
Ding Mu was not of the Li lineage, nor did he come from a prominent clan; his kinship to Ding Weizeng was distant at best, so it was not an overly sensitive issue. Yet they were under the Li clan's purview after all, so this naturally required communication between the two Violet Palace powers. Cui Jueyin replied, "Fellow Daoist Cao Chu has already reported this to his sect. Someone should come over to negotiate the matter."
"Good!"
Li Zhouluo let out a slight breath of relief. Watching Cui Jueyin depart, he turned the matter over in his mind: *Ding Mu will surely be isolated and without backing in the sect in the future, making this the perfect time to offer support. If handled well, once he grows up within Ziyan Gate, he will become a dependable connection. It truly is an arrangement with everything to gain and nothing to lose.*
Now that Li Jiangqian had emerged from seclusion, Li Zhouluo could finally breathe easier. Only two matters remained to be addressed: publishing the roster, and holding the ancestral sacrifice.
"Go invite Jiangqian over."
He gave the order, and before long, Li Jiangqian stepped inside from outside the hall. Li Zhouluo greeted him with a smile. "The day of the clan sacrifice is drawing near, and the customary procedures remain unchanged. A demonic beast must be captured again. Are we using a Foundation Establishment demon beast this year? Such beasts are hard to come by nowadays..."
The sacrificial beast for the Li clan's ceremony was usually decided by the Foundation Establishment cultivators. With Li Minggong in seclusion, the decision naturally fell to Li Chenghuai and Li Jiangqian. Li Zhouluo tested the waters first, saying tactfully, "The clan's funds are rather tight right now, and you have only just broken through to Foundation Establishment... In my view... it would be better to keep everything simple."
After all, with Li Minggong in seclusion, two early Foundation Establishment cultivators would generally not leave together to hunt for a beast; most likely, Li Chenghuai, who possessed the higher cultivation, would be dispatched. Whether it involved a fierce battle or provoking outside attention, venturing out amid the murky state of affairs was undeniably perilous.
In Li Zhouluo's eyes, the sacrifice was merely a solemn ceremony. At such a critical juncture, there was no need for such ostentation.
Li Jiangqian understood his concerns. In his own heart, he still held hopes of seeking talismanic qi, pondering silently:
*If I were to head to the East Sea or Helin, I wonder if there would be enough time...*
He did not fear failing to capture a demon beast—leaving aside Li Chenghuai's intervention, Li Jiangqian himself could effortlessly deal with rogue beasts born outside orthodox lineages without fail. He only worried that the family was no longer what it once had been. In the past, they were an insignificant Foundation Establishment clan that drew no attention. Now they were a Violet Palace power, yet the Real Man was not present at the lake. There were countless eyes watching from every direction, and causing a commotion might invite suspicion.
Had Li Ximing been here, he could have shuttled through the Great Void to seize one, returning to place it upon the mountain for sacrifice, and no one would have been the wiser. Even if noticed, outsiders would merely assume it was for refining pills. But with Li Ximing absent, lugging such a massive beast back home would look distinctly improper.
Furrowing his brows, he could only reply, "The Patriarch speaks reason. This matter still warrants discussion. I shall consult the Elder first before coming to a decision."
Li Zhouluo nodded and passed over the roster on the desk. The names had already been inscribed upon a gold-bordered scroll. He said softly, "This is the roster of hereditary protection. Take a look, Jiangqian."
Li Jiangqian, however, broke into a smile. Without touching the scroll, he bowed and replied, "There is no need. The Patriarch may proceed with the arrangements. I shall take a walk around the islet to see how things stand."
...
On the islet.
The morning glow had just risen over the lake, and the residence was bustling with activity. The two imposing stone statues of azure tigers before the mansion were draped in red silk, and servants of the branch houses lining both sides were dressed in red, beaming with smiles. "Congratulations... Congratulations..."
The plaque above the main entrance gleamed with vibrant luster, the gold-inlaid characters reading "Dongxu" shining bright. The fair and plump Li Xixuan stood before the mansion clad in festive red attire, as people on either side hailed him respectfully as Master.
The Dongxu Mansion was the ancestral residence of the Yuanwan lineage. It had once been spacious, but as the descendants multiplied, a single courtyard was partitioned into four quarters, and each quarter into four rooms. Radiant and splendid on the outside, it was astonishingly cramped within. Every time Li Xixuan stood before this main gate, he would heave a heavy sigh. Today, at long last, he sighed no more, his face beaming with radiance.
Waiting inside was Li Minggong's full younger brother, positively glowing with triumph and wearing a patterned cloth headband. Guests coming and going all treated him with deference. As a flock of guests walked in, a man in short coarse clothes bustled up and said delightedly, "Eldest Master, several of your sons and nephews have won protection! Would you be looking for a fine residence to move into? I happen to know a few splendid properties..."
The middle-aged man in the patterned headband was feeling utterly proud. In his buoyant mood, he even showed courtesy to such property brokers who scurried up, laughing, "Wait a few days—there will be plenty for you to earn!"
Laughing heartily, he led the guests inside across the threshold. The courtyard had been partitioned until it was quite narrow and was now packed with guests offering congratulations. With head held high and chest puffed out, brimming with vigor, he formed a stark contrast to his father, Li Xixuan, who stood stooped and hunched ahead of him, casting suspicious glances back and forth. Raising his voice, the son proclaimed:
"In this clan-wide hereditary protection, our Yuanwan Eastern Residence has had five members granted protection across four branches! Everyone..."
He raised his cup and laughed. "The Patriarch cherishes the clansmen, and all the families share in this warmth! A toast to the lake! A toast to the islet! A toast to the clan!"
Chapter 803