Seeing Mu Yalu in such a state also shook Li Jingtian, who quickly helped her up while holding Li Yuanjiao in one hand.
"Madam, you've misunderstood me!" she said.
After noticing Mu Yalu calming down slightly, Li Jingtian, quick-witted as she was, passed Li Yuanjiao back to her as a sign of goodwill and apologized, "I misspoke, leading to the misunderstanding. I've been tasked by our elders to compile the family history, hence I require a clear understanding of the lineage of all the descendants. Even if Jianixi really was a distant relative through the Mulu Family, it wouldn't be right to blame this on a child of the later generation."
Mu Yalu remained skeptical, her maternal instinct not allowing her to let this stigma fall upon Yuanjiao.
She insisted that Jianixi, being a slave, had no connection to the Mu Family. Li Jingtian, therefore, shifted the conversation to more general inquiries about whether Mu Yalu and her child were adjusting well, gradually easing the tension.
After dismissing the other attendants in the room to ensure some privacy, Li Jingtian, seeing that Mu Yalu's mood had stabilized, looked at her attire and said, "My brother is wholly devoted to our family, which might cause him to neglect certain aspects... If you or the child face any difficulties in the future, please don't hesitate to seek me out."
Mu Yalu was momentarily stunned. She thanked Li Jingtian sincerely, watching her leave with her attendants before taking Li Yuanjiao back into the house.
Kissing her child on the cheek, she muttered her thoughts to the otherwise emptiness of the room.
"Regardless... such accusations must never be acknowledged! Xuanxuan is stubborn; any hint of suspicion might breed disdain toward the child, especially since Jianixi indirectly caused the demise of the previous Family Head, Li Xiangping. With Li Xuanfeng's significant cultivation strength, this is a risk we simply cannot take!"
"Li Jingtian is indeed kind-hearted, she will not let such rumors spread. As long as they don't reach the First Madam, this matter should be settled."
Mu Yalu gently placed Little Yuanjiao on the bed, watching him with a smile. As soft moonlight poured in, she prayed for the child using ancient shamanistic rites.
After leaving the courtyard, Li Jingtian whispered instructions to a nearby clan guard.
"Send someone to inform Ahuici to keep his mouth shut. If these rumors reach the mountaintop, no one can save him."
The guard hurriedly obeyed, while Li Jingtian proceeded up the stone path. Noticing the lively conversations and bright lights inside the courtyard, she inquired of a guard at the door, "Who's visiting?"
"My lady, we've received news that Lord Chen has made a breakthrough to the Jade Capital Realm today. The Family Head is very pleased and has invited him for a discussion inside," the guard replied readily.
"Oh?" Li Jingtian nodded slowly as she heard these words, slightly surprised.
Chen Donghe, being two years younger than Li Xuanxuan and having achieved the fifth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm, was certainly an impressive feat— though not quite on par with Li Xuanfeng yet. Still, it marked him as outstanding among the neighboring families.
Shaking her head, Li Jingtian turned to leave but stopped abruptly when she saw someone blocking her path.
It was Li Xuanfeng, with his dark bow on his back and quiver at his waist.
"Brother," she called out. Facing her older twin brother, Li Jingtian's expression was complex and unreadable.
Having broken through the Qi Cultivation Realm, Li Xuanfeng appeared younger than Li Jingtian now, looking more like her younger brother.
After starting his cultivation at the age of seven, Li Xuanfeng often resided in the cave dwelling on Mount Meiche for training and later spent his months hunting demons in the mountains, making their encounters even rarer.
"Why do you always avoid me?" Li Xuanfeng frowned, examining Li Jingtian closely.
Sensing that something was amiss, he chose his next words carefully.
"Are you hiding something from me...?"
Li Jingtian sighed softly, a smile dancing on her face as she replied, "I'll be marrying Donghe in another two months."
"What?!"
Li Xuanfeng was stunned for a moment. However, he was able to quickly piece together why he had never been informed nor heard anything about this.
Anger suddenly surged in him as he exclaimed, "Do you really wish for this?! Is Brother Xuan using you to curry favor with Chen Donghe?"
Knowing her brother's temper and that he might do something drastic, Li Jingtian hurriedly reassured him with a smile, "If I were unwilling, who in the family would dare to force me? You're overthinking this, Brother!"
Li Xuanfeng calmed down but still looked at her suspiciously, biting his lip as he appeared deep in thought and unconvinced.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!" Li Jingtian quickly reassured.
"Regardless, this person silently took my sister away... I need to give him a good beating to vent my anger!"
After saying this, he turned and went inside the room, resulting in a clattering noise.
Li Jingtian chuckled softly, her worries considerably alleviated. She then made her way back to the side courtyard with a lighter heart.
————
Lu Sisi flew to Mount Lijing, channeling his mana into his eyes. Upon seeing the dazzling golden light in front of him, he could not help but marvel at the sight before him.
"Such an exquisite formation!"
Feeling a wave of envy, he thought to himself, This formation must be extremely valuable, probably involving the once-famed White Feather Purple Flags... But where did Li Tongya find such a capable formation master? They must be really rich...
Using his mana, he transmitted his voice, "Lu Sisi from the Lu Family of Mount Tiaoyun is here to visit Li Tongya. Please let me through the formation, fellow Daoist."
Soon, a gap large enough for one person opened in the formation. Lu Sisi passed through the Sun Rite Profound Light Formation and saw Li Tongya already waiting for him in white attire among the mountains.
"Brother Tongya," Lu Sisi greeted, cupping his fist.
Li Tongya quickly invited him into the courtyard but was taken aback by Lu Sisi's changed appearance. "Senior Lu! What has happened to you?" he asked in a conflicted tone.
Lu Sisi, whose snow-white hair was no longer as pristine as before but was instead now showing hints of dead gray. He had deeper wrinkles on his face, dull eyes, and a trembling left hand.
"Life is tough! I've embarrassed myself in front of Brother Tongya," he merely replied, the bitterness in his tone evident.
In the past two years, Lu Sisi had been running around without a moment's rest, striving to find a way out for the Lu Family. Now nearly two hundred years old, he often had to humbly seek favor from much younger cultivators, enduring endless humiliation.
These past two years had aged him more than the previous twenty.
Li Tongya shook his head and sighed, realizing that this man probably did not have many years left. Sitting at the head of the table, he said warmly, "Senior, what can I do for you?"
Despite his sympathy, Li Tongya showed no mercy. He knew that once Lu Sisi was gone, the Lu Family could possibly forget about their share of the mines, and most likely— Mount Huaqian would fall into the Li Family's hands too.
"I dare not, I dare not," Lu Sisi waved his hand hurriedly, adding, "Brother Li, do you remember the market at Moongaze Lake?"
"Of course I remember," Li Tongya replied with a curt nod.
After that battle, Moongaze Lake was reduced to ruins. The forbidden formation still operated on the island at the heart of the lake, deterring even cultivators of the Foundation Establishment Realm from approaching.
These families covet the land rich in spiritual qi at the lake's heart but lack the necessary treasures like the Deadly Thunder Formation Destroyer to break the formation.
With the valuable items within the market already scavenged by those Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, the place had long lost its previous allure and was left deserted in the heart of the lake.
"A few days ago, as I passed by the heart of the lake, I saw a large ship filled with mortals collecting items on the island!" Lu Sisi revealed dramatically.
"Mortals..?"
Li Tongya immediately became suspicious.
Lu Sisi did not hesitate and explained further, "These rogue cultivators went to the prefecture, deceived a group of mortals with promises of wealth and cultivation, then transported them to the island's shore on a large ship, letting them collect items from the lake's island. This forbidden formation sacrificed its stability and integrity for power, resulting in many gaps. Throwing one or two thousand mortals into the formation, there's a chance for one to land within it, allowing them to retrieve treasures from the ruins... Since the formation repels external forces but not internal ones, they could easily take the treasures out."
After hearing this, Li Tongya fell silent for a moment, choosing his next words very carefully.
"What are you trying to say, Senior?"
Slapping his thigh in frustration, Lu Sisi smiled ingratiatingly and exclaimed, "Well, how could we let them do this?!"