Qingdu oversaw the affairs of the family chief. In earlier years, it had managed the direct mortal bloodline, but as more direct-line cultivators emerged and the mortal bloodline spread into collateral branches, its staff had expanded and it had shifted its focus primarily to governing cultivators.
Later, as more outsiders and guest cultivators married into the Li Family, most of those captured by the Jade Court were also handed over to Qingdu's jurisdiction. The Jade Court retained its investigative authority, but trials and sentencing had shifted toward the lower-ranked cultivators across the sixteen prefectures, two peaks, and one Mountain, causing its status to gradually fall below Qingdu's.
When Li Chenghuai broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm and mastered Untraceable Presence, a technique capable of discerning the authenticity of lower-tier Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators, it had little impact on the upper echelons of the Li Family. However, it became a significant reform for the governance structure of the entire peak administration. The investigation even exposed three direct-line elders, who were subsequently confined on the continent, elevating Qingdu's status even further.
Still, even at the very height of Qingdu's growing influence, there was still a secluded side peak, lush with trees, where not a single extra pavilion had been built and few people ever came or went. Upon arriving there, Li Quewan remained extremely respectful and spoke to the middle-aged man at the entrance, "Please inform the old lord... the Daoist Master requests an audience."
The middle-aged man was actually Li Quewan's own elder brother. He dared not speak much, and instead nodded repeatedly before going inside. Moments later, an elderly man came down the stairs.
The old man's cheeks had sunken in, giving his face a gaunt appearance, yet none of his warmth had been lost. His eyes, narrowed into dark slits by his smile, gleamed from within his wrinkles. His mouth parted slightly, and Li Quewan couldn't help but want to smile with him as she spoke softly, "Is the old lord still in good health?"
"Well... quite well!" Li Xuanxuan came forward quickly, and Li Quewan hurried to offer her hand to support him. The old man waved it aside and lifted his head. "Ximing has returned? Come then, come, let's go right away!"
Li Xuanxuan was likely the only one who still dared to call Daoist Master Zhaojing by the name Ximing. Li Quewan followed as they took to the air, and Li Xuanxuan sighed. "A few months ago... that He Jiumen died of old age. He used too much of his blood essence for artifact refinement and only lived to one hundred and fifty. Such a pity... and he didn't even manage to pass all his knowledge to Queyi[1] and the others. The old man couldn't even die peacefully!"
He Jiumen had been an old cultivator from the western shore and had maintained good relations with Li Xuanxuan in recent years. Li Quewan had not known he had passed away, and before she could respond, Li Xuanxuan continued, "Donghe hasn't said a word in the Jade Court these past years. And An Zheyan has gone traveling again. Qiuyang, at least, knows how to let things go; he's gone boating on the lake. As for me, I've no one to talk to on this mountain. The few who come in twos and threes only do so because they think this old man still has some influence. Their false politeness is tedious..."
Aside from Li Qinghong, Li Quewan had followed Li Xuanxuan from the very beginning of her time on the mountain. Hearing his words filled her with guilt, but Li Xuanxuan said, "An Zheyan has only a few years left to live... yet they still sent him north. And Guest Cultivator An has run into trouble too... What sense does any of this make? I must have a good talk with the Daoist Master about it later."
By the time those few brief exchanges were over, they had descended onto Zhijing Mountain, where a man and a woman stood at the foot of the slope.
The man in the lead was strikingly handsome, clad in pleated robes, his entire figure glowing with golden light like ripened wheat, split into six streams that danced with lively grace like sparrows. The woman beside him was plain in appearance, wore no cosmetics, and was dressed in a simple gown with only a sword strapped to her back.
"Uncle Zhouluo, Aunt Xinghan!"
After Li Quewan greeted them, the two hurried to bow before Li Xuanxuan, the family's ancestor. Li Xuanxuan quickly helped them up, glanced at Li Xinghan with some surprise, and asked, "Zhouluo often comes to Qingdu to visit me, so I've seen him quite a bit. But Xinghan, I rarely see you... where do you cultivate these days?"
Li Xinghan cupped her hands and replied, "My lord, I cultivate along the northern shore of Moongaze Lake. The cliffs there are steep and well-suited for sword arts."
Li Xinghan seemed unremarkable at first glance, yet her voice was clear and crisp as falling snow, carrying a certain charm. At the mention of sword arts, Li Xuanxuan's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Have you produced Sword Qi?"
"Yes, my lord, I have," replied Li Xinghan.
As they drew near the place where the Daoist Master cultivated, their voices grew hushed and none dared to speak. Li Xuanxuan did not press them, and they ascended together to the summit, where gardenias swirled through the air, carpeting the ground like a layer of white frost. Several jade pillars lay toppled amid the sea of blossoms, with faint wisps of violet flame drifting among them.
The Daoist Master, in white robes embroidered with golden patterns, sat at the head, reading a jade slip. When he saw Li Xuanxuan approach, he immediately rose to greet him, helped the old man to a seat, and poured tea. Only then did the younger generation dare to move, standing quietly to the side.
Li Zhouluo glanced over and saw his father, Li Chenghuai, standing silently nearby. His heart could not help but pound nervously, thinking, What is this about...
With all the juniors present, Li Xuanxuan did not speak immediately but instead exchanged a few words of concern with Li Ximing. Only then did Li Chenghuai speak, "Daoist Master, Zhoufang and Zhouyang of the first lineage went to the Wilderness and have not yet returned."
Li Ximing nodded in response, then looked over at Li Zhouluo and Li Xinghan before him. He seemed rather satisfied. His gaze lingered on the sword behind Li Xinghan as he nodded and said, "Our family rose to prominence through the sword, yet apart from my two brothers, few among the younger generation are fond of it. The two of you, one cultivating Geng Metal, the other cultivating Jade True, both use sword arts. That is commendable!"
Li Zhouluo practiced the Gold Aura Profound Inquiry Technique and was the first in the family to do so. Li Xinghan was more unusual, since she cultivated the Yu Family Dao lineage's Jade True Dao Unification Technique.
This technique had been obtained from the Yu Family's secret archives. Although it had no official grade, it was one of the rare cultivation arts passed down in complete form. Hardly anyone in the Li Family had practiced it over the years, largely because gathering the necessary qi was extremely difficult.
The Jade True Dao Unification Technique required carving floating patterns and demanded that a Qi Cultivation Realm cultivator spend entire days holding a jade plate, chanting scriptures, and gathering qi. Although five or six years was not long in the grand scheme of cultivation, this daily ritual consumed far more time than other qi-gathering methods, which required only an hour or two each day. It slowed one's cultivation, so naturally, few were willing to do it.
Moreover, the spiritual qi for this technique had to be gathered by the same person continuously and could not be alternated among different practitioners. Many of the original scriptures had been lost when the Yu Family was destroyed, making the process even harder. Although Li Xinghan's father was of the direct bloodline, his innate ability were mediocre, so he naturally had no access to such a treasure.
Yet misfortune and fortune were intertwined. Since her father's cultivation was lacking, he was not even qualified to participate in the great river battle and held only the status of a direct descendant. As a result, he had to marry a woman with ties to the Yu Family. Li Xinghan's maternal uncle had once been a guest cultivator of the Yu Family and was deeply versed in their scriptures. Out of great affection for his niece, he personally spent five years gathering the qi for her.
Her maternal family's efforts had not been in vain, and when Li Ximing looked at her now, his eyes truly lit up with surprise. The more diverse a family's Dao lineages, the better, as only then would they not be suppressed by a single dharma artifact, nor be devastated by a single wave of spiritual aura. His own direct descendant lacked a Jade True Dao lineage, so Li Ximing was quite pleased.
He smiled and said, "Your Immortal Foundation carries the essence of True Unification, and you cultivate Jade True Dao in this generation. In the past, Jade True Unified Void Essence True Monarch was also a sword immortal. When he attained fruition... Jade True itself may well be an excellent Dao lineage for sword cultivation, no less than Geng Metal. Focus diligently on your swordsmanship."
Li Ximing doesn't need to make any promises. As a Daoist Master, speaking such words before the Li Family's ancestor and the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator who governed Qingdu already signified that Li Xinghan had captured his attention. Though the girl harbored no complicated thoughts, she understood this clearly and hurriedly knelt.
"Thank you, Daoist Master!"
1. Quewan’s cousin ☜