"Who are they? Have they all been caught?" Li Yuanxiu asked as he stepped out of the courtyard, his voice low.
Li Pingyi responded promptly, "I've caught them red-handed. Apart from those not bearing the Li surname, there were six individuals in total with the Li surname. Five of them are descendants of the illegitimate brothers of our founding ancestor, and one... one is my uncle."
Li Pingyi's confession was delivered with a sense of shame and dread.
The founding ancestor he was referring to was naturally Li Mutian. Li Pingyi's uncle was one of Li Xiewen's siblings, specifically one of the sons of Li Yesheng. While Li Yesheng was alive, there was at least someone to keep them in check. After his death, they remained subdued for a few years but with Li Xiewen preoccupied with affairs, they eventually began to stir up trouble.
"I see."
Li Yuanxiu left after just speaking those two words.
"Brother, I will go too!" Li Yuanjiao muttered and quickly scrambled up to follow Li Yuanxiu down the mountain. Li Yuanxiu whispered a few words to Li Pingyi who nodded and left, then led the way to the front of that courtyard in question.
A crowd had gathered in front of the courtyard, with clan guards securing the area tightly. Li Xiewen, looking grim-faced, stood at the entrance.
Upon seeing Li Yuanxiu, he cupped his fist respectfully.
"Greetings, young clan head."
"Uncle Wen, there's no need for formalities," Li Yuanxiu responded as he entered the courtyard with him, only to witness a scene of pure chaos.
The floor was littered with fruit and vegetable scraps, making it difficult to navigate through. A dozen men—bare-chested, were pressed to the ground. His clan uncle, Li Qiuyang, stood by with his arms folded.
"Greetings, Clan Uncle," Li Yuanxiu said curtly as he greeted his clan uncle.
"Young Clan Head!" Li Qiuyang responded right away as he caught sight of him, cupping his fist and then retreating into a corner, choosing to remain silent. Li Yuanxiu noticed his graying temples.
Li Yuanxiu surveyed the courtyard. Everyone's expressions varied—Li Xiewen appeared ashamed, Li Qiuyang calm, and the townsfolk angry and fearful, creating a heavy atmosphere. Eyes were all fixated on Li Yuanxiu.
His few illegitimate brothers, whom he had barely seen since he was six, now watched him silently from the crowd, resembling silent wolves. Li Yuanjiao, standing by his side, stared back at them coldly.
Li Yuanxiu had not interacted much with his elder brothers who lived at the foot of the mountain. These three elder brothers lacked spiritual orifice and were not well-educated, yet they had never been a bother to Li Yuanxiu.
They were aware that Li Xuanxuan had only assigned Li Yuanxiu to manage household affairs temporarily. Li Yuanxiu, being an immortal cultivator, was destined to stay on the mountain.
With four towns in Lijing and three in Huaqian, plus over a dozen scattered villages, some towns were so wealthy that the presence of immortals was the norm, while others were so poor that they barely scraped by for years. They were wary of each other, keeping a close eye on certain positions.
Li Yuanxiu then focused his steely eyes on the people before him and demanded in a cold voice, "Who started this gambling den?"
All eyes drifted toward one individual, who stumbled forward on his knees. It was a cultivator not bearing the surname Li, still at the Profound Scenery Stage of Embryonic Breathing Realm despite being in his thirties.
Without a word, Li Yuanxiu advanced swiftly and drew his sword. The grayish gleam of the Profound Water Sword Aura burst forth, and with one swift strike, the man was decapitated.
As his head rolled on the ground, the Adam's apple in his throat was still bobbing up and down as if pleading, "Mercy, please, Young Clan Head!"
The crowd recoiled in shock. Li Yuanxiu stepped to the side, avoiding the spurt of fresh blood, and the onlookers began to wail and cry.
As the crowd continued their chaotic cries, Li Pingyi arrived with a pot of boiling oil. The clan soldiers exchanged looks with each other, understanding their task silently. They then pressed the struggling gamblers down and forced their hands to be outstretched.
"Gambling is a disease of the hands..." Li Yuanxiu sneered coldly.
Li Pingyi and his men proceeded to pour the boiling oil over the gamblers' hands, which immediately caused blisters to form. While the men were screaming in agony, Li Yuanxiu then ordered, "Those who pulled down their trousers... step forward!"
Li Qiuyang, who had been silent in the corner, finally lifted his head. With a slight gesture of his finger, several burly men suddenly stumbled forward.
Even the clan soldiers who were holding them down staggered a few steps forward. Li Yuanxiu naturally knew that it was Li Qiuyang who had singled them out.
"Pour again!" he commanded loudly. His tone was harsh and unforgiving.
The distinct smell of roasted meat quickly filled the air, and the men realized at this point that their hands were far gone.
Li Yuanxiu turned to the crowd and declared, "The Clan Affairs Courtyard enforces the rules set by our ancestors: prostitution, gambling, and adultery will not be tolerated! These rules apply to everyone in our family, from the main lineage and even to the most distant branches. Don't go thinking you can get away with breaking the rules and tarnishing the Li Family's name just because you're down at the foot of the mountain!"
Silence fell all around them, and Li Yuanxiu noticed his illegitimate brothers lowering their heads, no longer meeting his gaze. He then gave out another order, though now in a gentler tone.
"Have someone treat their injuries."
As Li Yuanxiu led his group out of the courtyard, the onlookers parted to give way to them, shrinking back and avoiding his gaze.
Li Pingyi, feeling a sense of satisfaction, stepped forward and said, "Young Family Head, that should shut up those uncles and clan elders who often criticize you for not being harsh enough!"
"There's no need to mind them," Li Yuanxiu responded, walking through the dimly lit streets.
He then continued, "Those people are just looking to shift more control of the seven towns from the main family and Uncle Xiewen to their own descendants... Their gossip is meaningless. Now that this is over, they'll say I'm too brutal to lead the family."
"Power and profit struggles are inherently dirty! It's all about slandering each other... and in the end, whoever causes the other to suffer the worst defamation gets the last word..." Li Yuanxiu spoke nonchalantly, patting Li Yuanjiao's head and continuing solemnly, "Our real adversaries are never these minor internal family disputes, but the Yu and An families... along with the other ambitious clans surrounding us."
Li Yuanjiao nodded, walking beside him. After a moment of thought, he said seriously, "Brother, I'm afraid they'll hold a grudge against you. Maybe we should just send someone to get rid of them for good..."
Li Yuanxiu shook his head and replied softly, "They're still our relatives at the end of the day. Our family is already few in number... A few notorious and begrudging mortals can't make much of a difference! The Clan Affairs Courtyard will keep an eye on them, there's no need for drastic measures."
Li Yuanjiao could only nod and say coldly, "Did you notice the looks from those few brothers of ours? They're quite frightening."
Li Yuanxiu sighed slightly, causing Li Pingyi behind him to step back half a step instinctively, his gaze wandering as if lost in thought.
Li Yuanxiu shot him a glance before responding, "They're merely troublemakers without any spiritual orifice... It's not surprising that they harbor some jealousy toward us. After all, we share the same father; yet, they were born without spiritual orifice. I'm sure they also understand the bigger picture. With them around, the outsiders can't stir up much trouble."
"Understood, brother!" Li Yuanjiao said thoughtfully, nodding.
The two then ascended the mountain together, sharing a smile as they looked down at the darkening night below. Li Yuanjiao's black robe fluttered in the night, complementing Li Yuanxiu's pure white cloak. Having felt little fatherly love from a young age, he felt a profound sense of affection from his brother.
"Brother, you are much better than father!" he chirped cheerfully.
Li Pingyi, who was behind them, wished that he could cover both his ears at that very moment.
Li Yuanxiu stared sternly at Li Yuanjiao and said righteously, "What kind of talk is that?! Father is the most hardworking among all our elders. In his life, he has had little to take pride in but instead has had to act against his nature day after day... Now, in his mid-thirties, he already has a head full of gray hair. It's inevitable that he might neglect some aspects; you should be more understanding of father."
"Mhm," Li Yuanjiao chuckled, agreeing. Clutching his brother's cloak, he continued with a smile, "Brother, one day, our Li Family will surely defeat the Yu and An families under our leadership. United as brothers, we are much stronger than any Yu Mugao or Yu Muxian!"
Li Yuanxiu laughed heartily, patting his head, his eyes filled with laughter and hope. Together, they gazed at the moonlight, walking in silence.