The Li family's children truly never stayed home. But Li Wei was different from Li Dalong; he could appear beside them whenever he wished, while Li Dalong could not.
He could never understand the suffering of a lonely old man.
It was a long night.
Under the Li family's designs, the world had been plunged into chaos. Yet, in truth, every strategist eventually becomes a piece on the board themselves. Eternal Sun Prefecture might be calm, but that did not mean the members of the Li family were at peace.
In a military encampment on the Northern Border, flames blazed, lighting up the sky. A horde of demonic beasts, taking advantage of the night, burst forth from the clouds under the moonlight and stormed the Human Race's barracks. One by one, the human soldiers fell at the hands of the Demon Clan. Illuminated by the glow of burning tents and spirit arks, the ferocious-faced demons reveled in their victory.
But suddenly, the Demon Clan was thrown into chaos.
From the darkness, the handsome face of a young general in silver armor was gradually revealed. Who else could it be but Li Xinghuo?
The Li Xinghuo on this battlefield was a far cry from the child who had once fled in terror. He now sat astride a leopard-like demonic beast, sweeping his long spear as the firelight illuminated his grim expression.
Over the years on the battlefields of the Northern Border, as the number of demons grew, he, as the Scout Commander, had come to command a special detachment of his own!
"Don't let me see a single demon left standing here."
As his voice fell, from the surrounding darkness, cultivator after cultivator from the Northern Border emerged as if leaping from the void, charging into the site of the human ambush.
Battle cries echoed.
After the fighting had ceased, he stood amidst the great fire, surrounded by the corpses of the Demon Clan. He stroked the spirit tablet he wore like a pendant and raised his head to gaze at the moonlight.
Years ago, when his father had sent him fleeing from Eternal Sun Prefecture, he had been told to never stop walking—and he never had. Later, when the Old Ancestor found him and he was reunited with his kin, they had exacted their revenge together. Yet still, he refused to stop.
In Eternal Sun Prefecture, he would have the clan's protection and an abundant supply of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for his cultivation. No one was hunting him anymore. Yet, he still chose to remain here on the Northern Border, serving as the Grand Tutor's adopted son, continuing to slay enemies on the battlefield.
Perhaps his father had been right. The moment you stop walking, the "Tian Xing" at your back will catch up.
[Your descendant, Li Xinghuo, has repeatedly achieved meritorious military service on the Northern Border. As the war against the Demon Clan grows more frequent, he has earned the great esteem of the Grand Tutor and acquired a new identity: Commander of the Asura Army, in command of a ten-thousand-strong force of assassin-cultivators.]
[Acquired Trait: Assassin]
[Trait Effect: Strength is enhanced during sudden bursts of power. When cultivating treacherous or insidious techniques, Comprehension is increased by 20%.]
"An assassin from the military ranks?"
Li Wei was quite surprised. Even after the great catastrophe his family had suffered, Li Xinghuo had always remained a cheerful young man. Yet, who would have thought that after coming to the border, he would become a scout? Perhaps even back then, he already had the potential to be an assassin.
Over the years, he had earned the great esteem of Grand Tutor Lin Jiu. The Asura Army was, in fact, just one of several such special forces. It was rumored to be exceptionally fearsome on the Northern Border; every member was the best of the best, and all of them cultivated the techniques and methods of assassins. They could often end a battle with lightning speed and vanish without a trace.
[Your family has acquired the Asura Army's Cultivation Methods: Profound-rank 'Asura Concealment Technique,' which can conceal one's aura, and the Profound-rank 'Blood Burst Instant Kill Technique,' which erupts with the body's Blood Qi and Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi to achieve an instantaneous, lethal burst of power.]
[Your family has acquired a Formation: Profound-rank 'Asura Annihilation Formation'. It complements the 'Asura Concealment Technique'. Ten cultivators can form the array, increasing their strength by thirty percent for 15 minutes. A hundred cultivators can increase their strength by fifty percent for 30 minutes. A thousand can increase their strength by one hundred percent for 15 minutes.]
Fortunately, with Li Xinghuo's help, the family had now begun to secretly train its own Asura Army.
...
Night in the Imperial Capital.
Li Yaoqing, who had since become an Imperial Physician, was chatting idly with Li Yaotie and his wife inside the Heavenly Light Grotto. They were in a treasure vault, which held the payments Li Yaotie had received for forging spirit artifacts after the last Great Ceremony, as well as the rewards bestowed upon Li Yaoqing.
Just then, Li Yaoqing took out a supreme-grade spirit pearl and casually tossed it into the vault, causing Li Yaotie and his wife to stare wide-eyed.
"Second Sister," Li Yaotie exclaimed, "can being a physician really be this profitable? You get so many incredible things every time you visit. It's far more lucrative than my smithing!"
Upon hearing this, Li Yaoqing sighed. "It's all just payment for my troubles."
She then began to tell her Third Brother about the affairs of the Heavenly Palace.
The Human Emperor's fated end had arrived long ago. At most, Li Yaoqing and the other Imperial Physicians could only help him maintain his body's Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi and slow its dissipation—a subject they all researched daily. Beyond that, their most common duty was to treat the various imperial concubines, princes, and princesses.
And the most frequent task of all was helping the female cultivators of the palace with fertility issues.
"Many of the concubines in the palace are… unrestrained," Li Yaoqing said with a wry smile. "The Human Emperor has grown old; he hasn't visited them in centuries, and yet, some have become pregnant."
"The most ridiculous part is that at first, only one concubine came to me. She must have been truly desperate. But later, more and more of them came; my reputation for discretion must have spread. They were perfectly pleasant while begging for my help, but the moment I'd done what they asked, they started threatening me. They said they'd have my life if I dared breathe a single word of it."
"What?!!"
Li Yaotie's fiery temper instantly flared. "Who?!" he roared. "I'll go get my master! I'd like to see who dares to threaten my Second Sister!"
"Let it go, let it go."
Li Yaoqing stopped him. "I'm used to it," she said. "I suspect everyone is just pretending to be ignorant of the truth. If you were to expose this, it wouldn't just be the concubines who would lose their lives; the Human Emperor would lose all face as well. Besides, which one of these women isn't backed by a major power? Don't make more enemies for our family. What's more, the payment they offer is truly generous. They provide me with the very Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures I need, which saves me the trouble and cost of acquiring them myself."
"Hold on!"
Bai Rourou's hair was now as white as snow, but fortunately, with Li Yaoqing's help, her health had been well looked after. Upon hearing these secrets, her eyes widened.
"Second Sister," she exclaimed, "why let them threaten you? You hold their very lives in your hands. Surely they don't want a fatal scandal like this getting out, do they?"
"Hmm?"
As Bai Rourou's words fell, the brother and sister exchanged a look, then took out their Ancestral Spirit Tablet.
[Your descendant, Li Yaoqing, while practicing medicine in the imperial palace, has assisted numerous concubines with matters such as abortions, recuperation, secret childbirths, virginity reconstruction, and faking chastity marks. Acquired Trait: Friend of the Concubines.]
[Trait Effect: Favorability from concubines +50%. They are more willing to share deep palace secrets with her. Medical Skill +1%.]
[Your descendant, Li Yaoqing, has relayed to you the numerous private secrets of the concubines... She reports that by controlling these secrets, the clan now holds leverage over many major powers.]
"I…"
Li Wei appeared beside Li Yaoqing, his face a mask of utter shock. As he listened to these secrets, he realized this was an absolutely massive gain.
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