The big cave dwelling in the lake is full of spiritual qi... maybe I should send some people to patch it up when we have enough manpower to spare. It seems about an acre or two in size, like several cave dwellings on Mount Meiche combined. It seems like we don’t have to worry about cultivation space from now on.
Li Tongya reached into his storage pouch. There were fifty Spirit Stones from the time he helped destroy the Ji Family, along with the proceeds from selling items and accumulated surplus. This totaled to around seventy Spirit Stones.
Clang...
Drawing out a long spear that emitted a chilling gleam from his storage pouch, Li Tongya inspected the dharma artifact of the Foundation Establishment Realm he had obtained in the snake’s cave.
Faint electricity danced along its snow-white surface, causing Li Tongya’s palms to tingle.
Li Tongya smiled wryly. He was not skilled with spears, and on top of that, the dharma artifact was of the Foundation Establishment Realm—which was too powerful for a Qi Cultivator to wield. Hence, it could only be left to collect dust in his storage pouch.
“Since the formation at home hasn’t been set up yet, I will just carry it around for now.”
Putting the spear away, Li Tongya retrieved another jade slip.
This jade slip looked different from ordinary ones.
It was entirely purple, chilling to the touch, and remarkably durable. Li Tongya was convinced that he would not even be able to scratch it if he were to use all his strength.
“According to what Zhang Yun said, this is the long lost River Mountain Sutra from the destroyed Lingyu Gate... I wonder what kind of cultivation method this is.”
The jade slip had been sealed. Li Tongya attempted to access its contents with his spiritual sense, only to feel like he was going against an iron wall. He had no choice but to give up and wait until he could gather more information about it in the future.
When he entered the front yard, Li Xuanxuan was engrossed in reading wooden slips. Li Tongya sat beside him quietly.
“How are things at home?”
“Good.”
Li Xuanxuan nodded and replied without looking up. “There are now around twelve hundred vagrants from Mount Yue, and combined with the Mount Yue people that were already in the village, it gives a total of five thousand. The population under our rule has reached thirty thousand, with ten thousand in Lijing Town alone. The Li Family has more than eight hundred members, and the Ye Family has over three thousand.”
Li Tongya glanced at the wooden slip in his hand and thought to himself.
“With such numbers, there'll likely be many individuals with spiritual orifices in the coming years... keep an eye on them and ensure the Mount Yue people don’t cause any trouble.”
“Understood,” Li Xuanxuan replied with affirmation. “I’ve prohibited intermarriage between Mount Yue and our people. Women are only allowed to marry villagers, and men join the farming households. Those from Mount Yue don’t have surnames, so there’s a little aversion to changing them... in just two or three generations, there won’t be any distinction between those from Mount Yue and our villagers.”
“Excellent,” Li Tongya said approvingly. He then let out a slight chuckle.
“I heard you have six concubines..?” he asked teasingly.
Li Xuanxuan stammered and awkwardly nodded, his cheeks flushing instantly.
“That was from two years ago when Third Uncle picked them for me...” he stuttered shyly.
“It’s good to expand the family... the major sect’s numbers are still too small,” Li Tongya continued with a reassuring nod.
“Just don’t overindulge yourself and let that affect the progress of your cultivation.”
Li Xuanxuan nodded hastily.
“I can feel that I’m very close to condensing the Jade Capital Chakra! I can probably enter seclusion to break through to the fifth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm soon.”
Li Tongya stood up and glanced at the setting sun outside the window.
“What did the messengers that were sent to the Lu and An Families report?”
“They both brought back news. Both the Lu and An Families now rule over more than twenty thousand people— one occupies Mount Huazhong, and the other occupies Mount Huaqian.”
Li Tongya carefully listened to this before replying.
“With the population under our rule about to exhaust available land for cultivation along with our population growth reaching its limit, let’s keep an eye on these two families and wait for the right moment.”
“Agreed,” Li Xuanxuan replied with a nod in agreement. After a brief moment of contemplation, he added, “There’s one more thing though...”
Li Tongya frowned and asked, “What is it?”
“I think Donghe... probably fancies Jingtian.”
“...Donghe?”
At this, Li Tongya’s expression clouded momentarily with sorrow before responding. “He’s talented and of good character... however, with Xiangping just gone, this is not the time to discuss marriage. You should ask Jingtian if she fancies anyone right now, then we can discuss further.”
————
The night had grown deep, with the gentle moonlight casting a soothing glow over the stone path; the mountain breeze feeling particularly refreshing.
Li Jingtian lit a candle and settled down to read the records she had meticulously written over the past few days. However, her concentration was interrupted by a series of soft knocks on the door.
It was a clan soldier who was stationed outside.
“Young lady, the Family Head requests your presence in the main courtyard.”
Li Jingtian was taken aback before quickly realizing that Li Xuanxuan was the Family Head the clan soldier was referring to. She extinguished the candle on the desk and softly replied, “I understand.”
After gathering her belongings, she gently opened the door of her room. However, she was surprised to find a teenager standing outside. Her brow arched.
“Donghe..?”
Chen Donghe nodded nervously, his eyes darting around before speaking.
“Jingtian, the family head sent me to fetch you,” he croaked out.
Li Jingtian furrowed her eyebrows slightly, puzzled.
“Why did the family head send you? Did he mention anything specific..?” she asked, curious.
Chen Donghe gritted his teeth, clenching his hands nervously as he explained, “I... You... Uh... The Family Head asked me... if I wanted to be... together... with you...”
Li Jingtian’s almond eyes slowly widened as she stared at him in shock. Only a single word escaped her slightly parted lips.
“Huh...?”
The two stared at each other for a few seconds. Li Jingtian could already discern the answer in Chen Donghe’s fiery gaze. She walked silently along the stone path—her heart heavy and hands cold, as if she already understood what awaited her.
Chen Donghe also understood the situation from Li Jingtian’s silence. His eyes which were filled with longing and desire were now like extinguished fire pits, turning cold like churned ash.
With pursed lips, he sent Li Jingtian into the main courtyard and sat at the entrance. He stared blankly at the moon in the sky.
Li Jingtian cautiously entered the main courtyard where only Li Xuanxuan was present, engrossed in reading a wooden slip.
Unlike Li Xiangping who preferred to sit in his seat at that spot, Li Xuanxuan often stood by the table as if there was someone else occupying the large chair, making him conscious of his actions.
“Jingtian...”
Li Xuanxuan glanced up and saw the answer in Li Jingtian’s eyes. Despite this, he remained composed and warm as he asked, “What do you think of Donghe?”
Li Jingtian noticed the hopeful anticipation in Li Xuanxuan’s eyes. She understood that he wished to see such a capable aide as Chen Donghe married into the Li family, ensuring the continuation of such a valuable bloodline.
“Courageous, reliable, and talented. At fifteen, he’s already at the third stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm and shows promise in reaching the Qi Cultivation Realm,” Li Jingtian calmly responded.
Li Xuanxuan nodded approvingly.
“Who among the men in the towns can compare to him? You should spend more time with him regularly...” he continued in a low, reassuring voice.
Li Jingtian listened to Li Xuanxuan’s personal advice and then left the courtyard in a daze.
Chen Donghe had already vanished from the entrance. Walking along the stone path, Li Jingtian suddenly felt a deep sense of insignificance and unease.
She looked up at the bright moon.
How I wish I had a spiritual orifice as well.