Li Xuanxuan descended the mountain and stepped into the huge courtyard at the foot of the mountain. He waved his hand and Li Xiewen quickly came forward.
“Inform Mu Yalu that we agree to her terms... find her a place to stay in the mansion, teach her our customs, and send someone to ascertain how many children Mu Jiaoman has,” Li Xuanxuan said, his instructions a mere whisper.
“Understood.”
With that, Li Xuanxuan dismissed Li Xiewen and began reading the Spiritual Talisman Method manual.
Meanwhile, Li Xiewen left the courtyard and dispatched his men, then headed toward the town himself.
Mu Yalu had been waiting in the town for a while now. Her clansmen sat on the ground empty-handed, stripped of their armor and weapons, looking indignant and rather defeated.
Finally, they saw the shrewd-looking teenager approach them. He cupped his fist respectfully before them and spoke.
“My lady... the Family Head has agreed to your terms. Please dismiss your tribesmen and come with me to the mansion... and as for the arrangement of marriage with Mount Yue, the candidate that we pick will be sent there with the merchants.”
Mu Yalu’s face lit up with joy instantly, and the tension among her clansmen visibly eased. She quickly expressed her gratitude and quickly turned to her tribesmen to give her next order.
“Disperse and return to report to the lord that Lu’er has completed her mission.”
The Mount Yue members nodded in acknowledgment and left the town right away. Concerned about arousing suspicion from the Li Family, Mu Jiaoman did not provide Mu Yalu with any servants. With her tribesmen gone, she found herself alone in the courtyard, surrounded by cold silence.
“Seventh Madam... please come with me,” Li Xiewen respectfully addressed Mu Yalu, who was taken aback by the title.
It was at this moment that she realized that her future would not be easy.
Accompanied by Li Xiewen, Mu Yalu arrived at a large courtyard. The blue bricks, the black roof tiles, the upturned flying eaves, and the clean rock decorations by the entrance presented a grand sight, and she was in awe of it.
As they entered, Mu Yalu noticed several children about the age of three to five playing in the courtyard.
“These are the children of the Yuan generation. If you bear a child in the future, they will also belong to this generation,” Li Xiewen explained softly, noticing her gaze.
Mu Yalu nodded at the explanation. Recalling the things she had learned before leaving home, she asked eagerly, “Which of them are the legitimate children?”
Li Xiewen regarded her solemnly and replied, “They are all on the mountain... even these illegitimate sons must also ascend the mountain once they are found to possess spiritual orifices after the age of seven. Madam, please do not try anything funny. The might of an immortal cultivator is something beyond your comprehension.”
Mu Yalu was stunned, realizing that Li Xiewen had misunderstood her intentions. She struggled to defend herself in a futile attempt, feeling aggrieved.
My family has been shamans for generations, and my bloodline is pure and noble. As long as Li Xuanxuan is willing to approach me, there’s no reason I can’t give birth to an heir with a spiritual orifice... Since I’m already married to the east, why in the world would I try anything funny...?
Li Xiewen, unaware of Mu Yalu’s inner turmoil, led her to an empty room.
“The servants have all been arranged for you. Please make yourself at home, madam!” he said politely.
With that, he left Mu Yalu alone in the courtyard where she stood silently, gazing blankly at the sky. Feeling a mix of emotions, she pushed open the door to the room and flopped onto the bed.
“I guess I will have to live in the Li Residence from now on. I wonder what kind of life awaits me...”
Meanwhile, Li Xiewen had received a report and hurried to the courtyard at the foot of the mountain. Upon entering, he found Li Xuanxuan engrossed in a book.
“Family Head, I have made all the necessary arrangements for Mu Yalu. There’s news regarding Mu Jiaoman as well,” he announced respectfully.
Li Xuanxuan raised an eyebrow, surprised by the swift update.
“That was fast,” he said with slight surprise.
“Yes... after all, Mu Jiaoman is known for his extravagance. He has thousands of servants at his disposal, many of whom were Mount Yue tribesmen who fled their home years ago. It didn’t take long to gather information once we inquired,” Li Xiewen replied matter-of-factly.
Li Xuanxuan set down the wooden slips in his hand and chuckled softly.
“I thought Lu Sisi’s hundred concubines were impressive enough, but Mu Jiaoman’s thousands of servants truly surpassed all expectations... it’s no wonder people are still fleeing from Mount Yue every year despite the abundant rainfall.”
“Indeed,” Li Xiewen agreed with a small smile. “Further inquiries revealed that Mu Jiaoman has three sons and four daughters... one of the sons and one of the daughters possess spiritual orifices.”
Li Xuanxuan nodded thoughtfully.
“I see,” he mumbled, one hand stroking his chin.
“Recently, representatives from the Lu and An Families came to discuss trade. With the negotiations with Mount Yue concluded, we need to ensure their safe passage... make sure nothing happens to them.”
“Yes, the necessary manpower has been arranged from the two towns.”
Li Xuanxuan shut his eyes for a moment in contemplation before speaking once more.
“I’ll attempt to break through to the fifth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm in the next few days... once I enter seclusion, all the home affairs will be overseen by Xuanling. Keep a close watch on him,” he instructed with an air of finality.
“Understood,” Li Xiewen replied with a curt nod, leaving Li Xuanxuan to return his focus to his reading.
————
The Li Family ruled over four towns — Lichuankou Village in the west, which bordered Mount Yue. In the center were the towns of Jingyang and Lijing, surrounding Mount Lijing and Mount Meiche.
Lichuankou Village, situated in the easternmost part of the Li Family’s territory, shared its border with Mount Huaqian of the Lu Family.
As the Li Family’s population gradually increased, many villagers moved on to reclaim wasteland up to the edge which created a lively town atmosphere.
Mount Huaqian had been a site of repeated slaughter, with the Golden Tang Gate wiping out all the mortals in the area. Despite migrations by the Ji and Lu Families, the region remained sparsely populated, prompting many Li Family hunters to venture into Lu Family territory for woodcutting and hunting.
The lively village welcomed two unexpected guests from the An and Lu Families. One was a bald man dressed in a long robe, while the other had gray hair and held a jade scepter.
The two men were the ones who had collaborated with Li Tongya to eliminate the Ji Family back then.
The two moved through the forest, occasionally leaping and scanning the mountain range, deep in discussion as they went. Using the Aura Restraint Technique, they lingered for an hour, seemingly searching for something in the area.
“Brother An, are you sure the ore vein is here?” Lu Sisi inquired doubtfully.
The bald man looked below him before quickly performing a hand seal. Making a gentle landing and scooping up a handful of yellow soil, he studied it for a moment before letting out a cheery chuckle.
“No mistake about it! We’ve been searching for days... this Ebony Ore vein spans several miles, twisting and turning. I’m sure it’s right here... beneath us.”
Lu Sisi’s face lit up instantly at these words. He surveyed the area by jumping over the heads of the trembling villagers, but soon after his brows furrowed in concern.
“A significant portion of it is within the Li Family territory... Now this complicates matters. It won’t be easy to hide it from them.”
The bald man wore a troubled expression as they pondered on his words.
“Indeed... although Brother Lu has agreed to share thirty percent with me for locating it with An Family’s Vein Searching Technique, the mining operation will be too conspicuous. We may need to share some of the profits with the Li Family...”
Lu Sisi sighed in frustration.
“Despite being a small vein, the Ebony Ore mine yields over a dozen Spirit Stones annually when developed. It’s hard to stomach sharing the profits like this!”
“Well, what else can we do? Do you think you can eliminate the Li Family and assume control over these four towns?”
The bald man shook his head in disappointment. He smiled wryly and said, “Li Tongya is cautious and extremely skilled in swordsmanship... killing him won’t be easy, especially considering Li Family’s ties with the powerful Xiao Family of Lixia Prefecture. Not only that, but one of their members is also a disciple on Qingsui Peak in the immortal sect. They’re very influential!”
With a resigned chuckle, Lu Sisi abandoned his fantasies and said, “I guess I’ll have to pay Li Family a visit in a few days to discuss developing the ore vein then! For now, all we can do is properly explore its potential.”
The bald man from An Family nodded. He performed another hand seal, attempting to figure out the exact direction of the vein.