On Mount Lijing.
Li Xuanxuan stood before a chaotic courtyard, followed by Li Yesheng's eldest son, Li Xiewen.
Over the past few years, Li Xiewen had been reassigned here by Li Xiangping. He had stayed by Li Xuanxuan's side, assisting with clan affairs. Now that Li Yesheng had marched west alongside Li Xiangping, Li Xiewen had naturally taken over his father's steward duties.
Shaking his head, Li Xuanxuan asked with a frown, "Still no word of Jingtian and Xuanling?"
"Reporting to the Young Clan Head, men have searched every surrounding forest and hill, but neither has been found."
Li Xuanxuan's chest tightened. Looking over the devastated courtyard, he righted an overturned wooden stool and slumped down onto it in defeat.
"Brother Xuan... The Shanyue swept away the eligible youths in Lijing Town. They didn't kill many, though several hundred village militia were injured in the scuffle. Lichuankou, however, suffered heavy casualties; even the Chen family's eldest legitimate son fell to the Shanyue."
Li Xuanxuan gave a somber nod, murmuring a few words. "No matter. The losses are manageable."
The children of eligible age in Lijing Village had long had their spirit apertures tested. Over the years, the few youths discovered to possess spirit apertures were all disciples of other surnames, and they were all by Li Xuanxuan's side, safe from harm.
"As long as Chen Donghe lives, it does not matter who else from the Chen family dies."
"Go down and tell them: any able-bodied men who wish to reclaim their children and seek vengeance against the Shanyue should report to the foot of the mountain to enlist. Muster another force."
"Young Clan Head, this..."
Li Xuanxuan shook his head and said gently, "The Clan Head took the clan soldiers with him. We must form a new force to maintain order among the villages. Doing this is merely giving them a pretext. The Shanyue hold great momentum right now; I will not do anything reckless."
Seeing Li Xiewen nod and leave to carry out the order, Li Xuanxuan hurried into the backyard. He pushed open the door of the small cottage, only to halt abruptly at the sight of the collapsed altar table and the empty stone plinth.
"Dammit."
For a moment, disappointment and fury surged together within Li Xuanxuan, only to dissolve into a helpless sigh a few breaths later. Glancing toward the worn wooden chair in the corner where Li Mutian had sat year after year in life, he sank dispiritedly into it, staring blankly at the vacant stone platform.
The door creaked. Li Tongya had returned to Mount Lijing. Covered in travel dust, he stepped into the small cottage, gazing in silence at the scattered belongings strewn across the floor.
Li Xuanxuan quickly rose and asked respectfully, "Second Uncle, did you find any news of the Clan Head?"
Li Tongya shook his head. Forming a hand seal for the Clothes Cleansing Technique, he dispersed the dust from his garments and explained, "I ventured two shichen into Shanyue territory. Finding no trace of him, I was forced to pull back. I did, however, see that the Shanyue have erected a stockade in the west, guarded by four Qi Refinement cultivators."
Seeing Li Xuanxuan's crestfallen expression as his gaze drifted over the bare stone plinth, Li Tongya felt pleased rather than alarmed. With a faint smile, he said, "No need to panic. If I cannot find him, those Shanyue Qi Refinement cultivators will not find him either. For the time being, there is no need to fear for Xiangping's safety.
"Besides, Ling'er is clever. He took the magical mirror beforehand."
Gently righting the altar table, Li Tongya leisurely explained, "Jianixi launched a surprise raid on Mount Lijing. Had he captured Xuanling and Jingtian, he would certainly have sent men to blackmail us and extort a fortune. With no word at all, it is likely that Xuanling evacuated before they reached the summit, leaving Jianixi empty-handed."
Li Xuanxuan nodded thoughtfully and said, "So that's how it is! Xuanling must have sensed something was amiss and taken the magical mirror down the mountain, only to be swept west along with the captives."
Li Tongya arranged the various offerings and replied, "I shall seek another opportunity to provide support. You stay here to steady the clan's morale and tally the plundered spirit fields. Both Chen Donghe and Li Qiuyang went west with the army, so those spirit fields need proper management."
"Yes. Please be careful, Second Uncle!"
Li Xuanxuan spoke with concern, but Li Tongya merely chuckled and waved a hand. "These Shanyue are nothing more than a band of wild renegades relying on numbers. What they absorb is nothing but impure, wild qi. Having already cultivated Xuanshui sword qi, it would take at least three to five of them to hold me. Do not fret! Were your fourth uncle Li Chijing here, five of them bound together wouldn't last a single stroke of his sword."
With that, he stepped lightly out the door and headed west once more. Li Xuanxuan let out a long breath and sank back onto the worn wooden chair. The joy of regaining what had seemed lost brought a faint curl to the corners of his mouth. Then his eyes caught eight crooked characters carved into the chair leg:
*Fit for a home, fit for a family; may you blaze bright, may you prosper.*
In his mind flashed the image of that old man, trapped on this mountain for half his life over a mere rumor of Foundation Establishment. Wiping the corners of his eyes, Li Xuanxuan stepped outside with a resolute gaze.
No sooner had he left the cottage than he crossed paths with Li Xuanfeng, who was carrying a pitch-black longbow on his back. Seeing his hurried demeanor, Li Xuanxuan called out to stop him:
"Feng'er!"
Li Xuanfeng raised his head. As Li Xuanxuan recounted Li Tongya's words, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, though worry still lingered on his brow. He murmured, "Father is leading troops alone within Shanyue territory. I am still worried about him."
"Don't you do anything foolish!"
Li Xuanxuan's guard went up at once. With Li Tongya having just set out to rescue Li Xuanling and Li Jingtian, the last thing they needed was Li Xuanfeng throwing himself into danger as well. He urgently advised, "The Clan Head knows what he is doing. You must not even think of venturing into Shanyue territory to search for him! You would only tie everyone's hands..."
"I know."
Li Xuanfeng waved his hand, his voice laced with venom. "It all comes down to a lack of strength. If I had Qi Refinement cultivation, who would care about the Shanyue or Jianixi? Either way, it would be nothing more than a single arrow!"
"Enough of this!"
Li Xuanfeng gritted his teeth and gestured sharply, snapping, "I'm entering secluded cultivation right now to break through to the fifth layer of Embryonic Breathing, the Yujing Wheel!"
Li Xuanxuan paused, thinking to himself:
*Breaking through... Can one simply enter seclusion and break through whenever one pleases? Doesn't it always require an opportune moment...*
Li Xuanxuan had been stuck at the fourth layer of Embryonic Breathing, the Qingyuan Wheel, for more than two years, never finding the right opening. Sighing inwardly, he drew a jade bottle from his robes and said warmly, "This Sheyuan Pill was left behind when Senior Xiao refined pills for our family. There were three in total. The two elders each took one when breaking through to Yujing, leaving the last one with me for my own breakthrough. Take it and use it first."
He let out a sorrowful sigh and added, "It is a pity our family has no alchemy heritage. The three Shejiao Fruits preserved over the years still cannot be put to use..."
Li Xuanfeng voiced his thanks and accepted the jade bottle, smiling. "No need to fret, Brother Xuan. Our family has only walked the path of cultivation for thirty-odd years; naturally, we cannot compare to those clans with profound foundations.
"Once our family produces a few more Qi Refinement cultivators, we'll just track down a rogue cultivator with an alchemy heritage, kill him, and seize it."
Li Xuanxuan shook his head at the words, letting out a wry chuckle. "You're far too bloodthirsty, boy. How could such heritages be so carelessly acquired by killing someone? In the end, it still comes down to saving up spirit stones to purchase one."
Li Xuanfeng curled his lip. "As long as our strength far exceeds theirs, whether we plunder or purchase will be ours to decide, won't it?"
With a low chuckle, he turned and set off toward the cave dwelling on Meichi Mountain to begin his seclusion.
Chapter 93