In Lijing Village, the commotion from yesterday persisted into the late night. As the rooster crowed, signaling the start of a new day, the villagers were already astir.
The early autumn morning air was sweet with dew, yet a somber mood pervaded the village.
The Liu and Li Families provided some dry food for the refugees huddled at the village entrance.
The middle-aged man who led them looked worriedly at the group of over twenty people and thought to himself, Now we’re really in trouble. Someone among us has killed a distinguished member of the ruling family. We can’t stay, and we can’t even escape.
The refugees were uneasy. As they looked up at the mountain road, someone shouted, “Look, there’s someone on the road! It’s an old man!”
An elderly farmer with gray hair appeared on the winding path. His clothes and arms were bloodstained, and he was dragging a bloody corpse in his left hand. In his right, he carried a hoe from which hung a severed head with disheveled hair.
“It’s the assassin!”
Some of the villagers recognized the clothing of the headless corpse, sending a shiver down their spines. The assassin had just escaped during the night before, only to be beheaded the next morning.
This raised questions about who the old man was and the extent of the Li Family’s power.
As Old Xu approached, the crowd hastily retreated to make way for him.
Old Xu, however, walked with a pale face and vacant eyes, paying no heed to the onlookers.
He headed straight for the Li Residence on the outskirts of the village. A tenant had already reported the news to the family. They opened the courtyard gate, and Li Mutian wearily led his family members to greet him.
“Uncle Xu, this is...?”
“A descendant of the Yuan Family... I killed him. This is his corpse. Have Liu Linfeng and Tian Shoushui come to identify it.”
Old Xu placed the body down and sat down to catch his breath, sensing a chill in his limbs.
Li Tongya quickly brought some tea to Old Xu, but the old man’s trembling hands could not even hold the cup. Li Tongya had to bring it to his lips for him to sip.
Shortly after, Liu Linfeng and Tian Shoushui arrived at the Li Residence with Old Xu’s eldest son. Old Xu recounted the events, confirming the identity of the deceased as a descendant of the Yuan Family.
“Uncle Xu, you have avenged our big brother. The Li Family is eternally grateful...” Li Tongya began to speak tearfully.
Old Xu, however, waved him off with tears in his eyes.
“You don’t need to thank me. I owed a debt to Hu’er, so I killed this man for him. I don’t expect any reward from the Li Family. My days are numbered anyway. If you wish to thank me, bring the newborn to see me some time.”
With these words, he laboriously rose to his feet. Ignoring the Li Family’s pleas for him to stay, he departed with his eldest son.
The Li Residence was draped in white fabrics. Li Changhu’s funeral lasted for several days. His life of generosity and righteousness had touched many, so the village was filled with mourning.
Caught up in the funeral arrangements, Li Tongya had to postpone his cultivation breakthrough. It was only two months after Li Changhu’s burial that Li Tongya was able to stabilize his state of mind, allowing him to condense the Profound Scenery Chakra and step onto the path of immortal cultivation.
————
Two years later...
The morning sun illuminated the courtyard with its bright rays, casting intricate patterns of light and shadow on a few small trees. Underneath these trees, a handsome young boy was seated cross-legged, deeply engrossed in his breathing exercise.
After some time, he exhaled a deep breath, concluding his training for the day, and looked around the courtyard with a smile.
A two-year-old boy ran into the backyard, with wildflowers in his clutch as he babbled joyfully, “Awncle... Cawwy meee...!”
Li Chejing smiled as he reached out to lift the child into the air. Gently patting the boy’s head, he affectionately asked, “Has Xuan’er been good today?”
“Cawwy mee...” Instead of answering him, the child giggled and wriggled in Li Chejing’s grasp.
Ren Ping’er, hesitant to enter the backyard, called out softly from the entrance, “Xuan’er! Get out of there right away!”
Li Chejing placed the child on the ground, watching him jump into his mother’s arms.
He then murmured to himself, “This Celestial Whirl Chakra is really tough to condense. It’s taken a year and a half, but it’s finally coming together!”
Li Xiangping stood up and chided him with a laugh, “Be patient, Jing’er! We’ve only managed to condense the Radiant Lure Chakra of the Embryonic Breathing. We haven’t even begun the third stage, the Celestial Whirl Chakra, yet here you are complaining. You’re in too much of a hurry!”
Li Chejing merely laughed and said, “I’ll begin condensing the Celestial Whirl Chakra tonight. Then I’ll show you what true mana flow is like."
“You little brat!” Li Xiangping laughed.
Upon noticing Li Mutian entering the backyard, he quickly lowered his voice and greeted, “Father.”
Over the past two years, Li Mutian had aged considerably. His hair had turned white, and deep wrinkles marked his face. He carried a stern, unsmiling demeanor, appearing more than a decade older.
“Xuanxuan is quite the handful!”
Seeing his grandson, Li Xuanxuan, Li Mutian’s face finally softened with a smile.
Since Li Changhu’s death, the old man had been dispirited, but the birth of this child had rejuvenated him.
When Li Xuanxuan was born, Li Mutian had gathered the Li Family to set a sequence generation names based on three verses from the “Reception Technique”, as suggested by Li Xiangping.
Li Xiangping spent several days pondering before selecting three verses from a text about the Embryonic Breathing realm:
“In the Profound Scenery where clarity prevails, the sun and moon weave a Radiant Lure.
In the Celestial Whirl, one seeks to grasp the Azure Essence.
In the Jade Capital, only the Nascent Spirit is reflected.”
In accordance with these verses, the naming tradition for the children of Li Tongya, Li Xiangping, and others was established. Boys would receive names incorporating “Xuan”, while girls would have “Jing” in their names, and so on[1].
Li Mutian had also sought the opinion of his daughter-in-law. Ren Ping’er, after reflecting on it for a night, decided on the name “Li Xuanxuan” for Li Changhu’s son.
“That’s because you spoil him too much, Father!” Li Tongya commented with a smile, placing a wooden slip back on the shelf.
“Nonsense!” Li Mutian feigned annoyance, puffing his beard in mock anger, then said seriously, “I would like Yesheng to learn more by my side.”
Li Yesheng? Li Tongya pondered for a moment before responding, “That’s a good idea. Li Yesheng is alone and quite attached to our family. We’re often busy with cultivation, so we can’t attend to family matters as much. Since he is also of the Li Family’s bloodline, he’s an ideal choice.”
“I’m just concerned that he might develop selfish intentions over time for his personal gain...” Li Chejing expressed, furrowing his brows.
“I can still keep him in check for at least another ten years!” Li Mutian declared confidently. “By the time a decade rolls by, your kids will be all grown up. He won’t have a chance to get up to mischief by then!”
“To govern effectively, one must balance kindness with authority. Once Li Yesheng settles down with a family, things will naturally fall into place,” Li Xiangping added nonchalantly.
“Exactly.” Li Chejing retrieved another wooden slip from the shelf, dusted it off, and chuckled softly.
“Ten years of immortal cultivation does indeed offer much to look forward to.”
1. Translator's Note: This naming tradition is known as "Generation Name". The sequence of generation names typically follows a generation poem. For the Li Family, they will follow the three verses about the Embryonic Breathing Realm.
The first part of the verse "玄景渊清" (Xuan Jing Yuan Qing) means "In the Profound Scenery where clarity prevails". Hence, the children of the four brothers will take on "Xuan" and "Jing". The children of those from the generation of Xuan and Jing will then take on the characters "Yuan" and "Qing", and so on.
In case you're interested, this is the pinyin of the entire poem:
,.
,.
,.
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