"Jiao, a term derived from the dragon... capable of doing the impossible, hiding in the deep and murky waters, soaring through clouds and mists. It’s also a great symbolization."
Li Xuanxuan stroked his beard, nodding in approval as he examined the baby who was all wrinkled and had hair sticking to his forehead. Carefully, he placed the child back in the cradle.
He was now a father of three sons and two daughters. Li Yuanxiu, his son with his first wife, was already three years old. Among the others, the eldest was already five.
Li Xuanxuan regarded the children born to Mu Yalu—who came from a lineage of shamans from Mount Yue and thus likely to possess spiritual orifices—with particular importance.
"Today's double happiness is indeed a good omen... Let's send Xiewen to distribute some gifts to the town below, and let everyone join in the celebration."
After giving his instructions, Li Xuanxuan stayed by Mu Yalu's side until she fell asleep. With responsibilities calling him the head of the family, he finally covered her with a blanket and left for the mountain.
Amidst his many duties, Li Xuanxuan never slacked, often studying talisman arts under Li Tongya and researching on his own.
Having learned talisman arts since he was seven and recently breaking through to the fifth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm, he had finally managed to craft talismans. With the insights gained from Li Tongya, his efforts in these busy days indeed felt rewarding.
————
The wedding festivities at the foot of the mountain were lively for several days before the Lu Family took their leave, leaving a few attendants behind. The construction on the mountain continued smoothly.
Due to the many people roaming the mountain in recent days, Li Tongya grew concerned about the safety of the mirror. Thus, he moved it from the Meiche Cave Dwelling to the backyard for cultivation.
Li Jingtian sat behind a curtain, deep in thought with a brush in hand.
Her long hair was pinned up and she was occasionally scribbling on the fabric, all the while murmuring to herself.
"In the seventh month, the Li Family was allied through marriage with the Lu Family... The second daughter of the Lu Family’s seventeenth son was married into the eldest son of the Li Family’s second son, and Mu Yalu from the main branch bore a son named Jiao."
Pausing and thinking for a while, Li Jingtian then added a note in a smaller script.
"Some say, 'Mu Jiaoman from the Eastern Mount Yue and the former Mount Yue lord, Jianixi, were kin.' This seems to be a misinterpretation."
In her efforts to compile the family history, Li Jingtian had inquired with Ahuici, who shared rumors suggesting a distant kinship between Mu Jiaoman and Jianixi.
However, Li Jingtian herself was skeptical of these claims. She mused, Jianixi was a formidable figure... it's hard to see any familial connection with Mu Jiaoman. Yet, as Mu Yalu and Mu Jiaoman are siblings and this concerns the direct lineage, even rumors are worth noting.
Dipping her brush in ink, Li Jingtian, yet to meet the child, planned a visit. Calculating the days mentally, her own marriage with Chen Donghe was also soon approaching.
While Li Jingtian was engrossed in writing the family history behind the curtain, Li Xuanfeng stood in the courtyard still decorated with red silks. The remnants of fireworks still mingled with the crisp morning air.
Li Tongya, holding a jade slip, stared at its faint patterns for a moment before softly speaking.
"Two Hundred Years of Linghai Prefecture’s Scenery?"
"Indeed."
Li Xuanfeng nodded, respectfully responding as the arrows in his quiver clinked slightly with each other; the imposing black longbow on his back capturing attention.
He solemnly added, "Senior Xiao Yongling insisted that I personally deliver this to you. I did not dare view it myself and have kept it sealed on its way to you."
After reading through the jade slip for a while, Li Tongya gently placed it on the table with a soft sigh.
"Linghai Prefecture is to the south of Lixia Prefecture, one of the five prefectures under Azure Pond Sect's jurisdiction. This 'Two Hundred Years of Linghai Prefecture’s Scenery' mainly introduces several clans in Linghai Prefecture, among which the Yu Family of Linghai Prefecture is the foremost... Yu Yuxie, a rare genius from the Yu Family, practiced the Coiling Qi Jade True Technique and died in the southern border."
Li Tongya accurately extracted key information from the complex contents of the jade slip. When he came across the phrase "died in the southern border," he frowned slightly, as though uncomfortable thoughts troubled him.
He stopped speaking and handed the jade slip to Li Xuanfeng, signaling him to read as well.
Li Xuanfeng quickly took it and shut his eyes to focus briefly, hastily reading through the contents of the jade slip. He too appeared to fall contemplative and thought of his next words carefully.
"This 'Two Hundred Years of Linghai Prefecture’s Scenery' records major events of the entire Yue State in the last two hundred years... yet I found some anomalies."
Pausing briefly, he continued, “Among the seven gates and these immortal clans, several have undergone changes in their Purple Mansion Realm cultivators. For instance, it's understandable that Lingyu Gate was exterminated shortly after their Purple Mansion Realm cultivator died... However, the situations with the other families are quite peculiar. In the territory of the Golden Feather Sect, the Chen Family's ancestor advanced to the Purple Mansion Realm and immediately declared independence over eight towns. Not only did Golden Feather Sect not pursue the matter, but they also sent gifts! Similarly, the Daoist Master Changxiao, the master of Changxiao Gate, arrived from the sea, declaring his intention to establish a new Daoist lineage. He was immediately granted several towns by another sect..."
As he processed these words, Li Xuanfeng lifted his head in surprise after a brief pause, murmuring, "It seems... too hasty!"
"Those who did not attain the Purple Mansion Realm are merely playthings in the hands of those lofty cultivators," Li Tongya concluded with a sigh.
Having witnessed several transactions and schemes among Purple Mansion Realm cultivators over decades, he had some guesses about the thoughts of these great cultivators.
"Sects and territories... disciples and commoners... have always been bargaining chips in their hands. Cultivators of the Purple Mansion Realm, with their long lifespans, are accustomed to the harshness of the world. Only cultivators of the same level are taken seriously by them."
"Moreover," Li Tongya thought for a moment, then gravely said, "Apart from the battle that eradicated the descendant of the immortal mansion, Li Jiangqun, I've never heard of Purple Mansion Realm cultivators falling in combat. They usually die of old age. It seems common that Purple Mansion Realm cultivators can't do much against each other... That's probably why the Chen Family's ancestor could get away with what he did. After all, if the Golden Feather Sect made a move against the Chen Family, and the Chen family's Purple Mansion Realm cultivator escaped by flying away, could the Golden Feather Sect's disciples still leave the mountain?"
Listening carefully, Li Xuanfeng nodded eagerly. He watched as Li Tongya murmured, "Since Xiao Chuting has become a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator and Xiao Yongling has handed 'Two Hundred Years of Linghai Prefecture’s Scenery' over to us, he's probably implying something..."
After putting away the jade slip, Li Tongya shook his head once more.
"No matter what, strengthening ourselves is of the utmost importance now... our family's Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators are still too little. If our territory expands, we might not be able to maintain control."
Li Xuanfeng nodded respectfully and added, "Currently, the strongest cultivator of the Embryonic Breathing Realm in our family is Brother Xuanxuan, who is in the fifth stage. It will take many years of accumulation to reach the Qi Cultivation Realm... and it won't be easy."
Li Tongya, having slowed in progress lately due to rapid advancement in previous years and now cautious of using pills to enhance his cultivation, remained at the fifth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm without much improvement.
Hearing this, he shook his head with a small smile.
"Such matters cannot be rushed."
"I have another matter to report," Li Xuanfeng said, lowering his head.
"Considering our secluded location and frequent disconnection from the prefecture, we often receive news late. It might be wise to purchase some properties in the prefecture and assign some family disciples to manage them as well as broaden their horizons, also preventing them from idling around in the family, causing trouble for no reason."
"That’s not a bad idea."
Li Tongya nodded and smiled. "You've really thought this through,” he commended, his pride evident in his tone.
Scratching his head and laughing, Li Xuanfeng explained, "This way, if the Xiao Family has any news, they can ask the disciples in the prefecture to bring it back to us, avoiding delays or extra trips. Secondly, with the collapse of the Moongaze Lake market, our family's talismans and ores need a distribution point. While the talismans are fine, Mount Yue doesn't deal in metal and stone, preferring to use spirit wood for crafting. The raw ore is quite cheap in Mount Yue and can only be sold at the Cloud Crowned Peak market... With family disciples in charge, we'll be informed when the Cloud Crowned Peak market opens."
Li Tongya found his words quite sensible and called for Li Xuanxuan.
As Li Xuanfeng pondered about how he could frequently visit Jiang Yunu in the prefecture then, he could not help a slight feeling of guilt but he quickly shook it off and continued the conversation, before taking his leave to oversee the mines.