Li Xiangping watched as Si Yuanbai vanished into the sky on their flying shuttle. He then picked up a wooden slip, unwrapped the cloth, and spread it out.
“Azure Essence Meridian Nourishment Technique, Grade One,” he murmured, skimming through the text.
He was deep in his reading when he overheard Li Tongya exclaim softly, “This breathing technique only requires daily breathing exercises but not refining moonlight?”
“Indeed, it’s not as effective as the mir-... our family’s technique,” Li Xiangping replied. He initially wanted to mention the mirror but remained cautious in case Si Yuanbai came back.
He changed the subject. “Do you really think Si Yuanbai is Azure Pond Sect’s peak master? Jing’er leaving with him so suddenly seems like a rash choice.”
Li Tongya smiled wryly and responded, “What choice do we have? If he were an evil cultivator, he could’ve just abducted him. Why bother negotiating with us or leaving any techniques or a jade seal?”
Li Xiangping nodded in agreement, picking up another wooden slip. He opened it and murmured, “Heavenly Essence Qi Cultivation Scripture, a Grade Two cultivation technique for the Qi Cultivation Realm.”
Li Tongya, picking up a different slip, quietly read, “Lixia Secret Note”.
After reading a bit, his face lit up, and he said to Li Xiangping, “This note includes general cultivation knowledge, details about Lixia Province’s forces, and information on rogue cultivators’ trading markets. This is exactly what we need to know right now.”
Li Xiangping glanced at the slip and commented thoughtfully, “So, cultivation techniques are graded from one to nine, one being the lowest and nine the highest. Spells, pills, and magic artifacts correspond to realms. I wonder what grade our family’s technique is.”
While Li Xiangping was engrossed in the secret note, Li Tongya studied the light green jade seal left by Si Yuanbai. He silently activated his mana and mumbled, “Governance of Azure Pond.”
Big golden letters immediately appeared on the jade seal, then slowly vanished and replaced by a bright white “Li” character and a small map.
Li Mutian squinted at it before reading aloud, “Lijing Village, Lichuankou Village, Jingyang Village, Lidaokou Village.”
Those were the villages at the foot of Mount Dali which Si Yuanbai had mentioned earlier.
"With the Azure Pond Immortal Sect behind us, the Li Family can finally emerge from the shadows and openly cultivate! These villages are now under our control.”
Li Xiangping, who had been absorbed in his reading, looked up calmly and said, “We’ll start tomorrow night.”
————
As soon as Chen Erniu woke up, he saw the Li Family’s tenants energetically going from door to door in the village to share important news.
“Aunt Li! Tell your son to meet us behind the village after the fieldwork tonight. Uncle Tian has something important to discuss!”
“Ah! All right...”
“Brother Liu! The Li Family would like to invite...”
The village was in a commotion, leaving everyone with a sense of curiosity. As evening finally approached, Chen Erniu, having finished his dinner, hurried to the end of the village.
The Li Family, being one of the most influential in the village, had gathered a sizable crowd.
Among them was Xu Wenshan, the leader of the refugees from years ago, who now stood respectfully behind Li Xiangping.
“Damn, I’m late,” Chen Erniu grumbled under his breath.
He could not help but feel a twinge of resentment. Xu Wenshan had now found favor with the Li Family and had seemingly taken over his role as the head of the tenants.
He looked around, but Li Mutian was nowhere in sight. Instead, Li Xiangping stepped forward with a smile.
“Thanks for coming, everyone. I have some exciting news to share.”
He waited for the crowd to quiet down before continuing, “Last night, an immortal from the Azure Pond Immortal Sect passed through. He noticed my brother Li Chejing’s exceptional talent and has taken him to train on the immortal mountain.”
The revelation sent a ripple of shock through the crowd. Everyone in the crowd exchanged looks of astonishment, then stared blankly at Li Xiangping as if they had just heard a mythical tale.
Han Wenxu, a knowledgeable figure who hailed from the city, expressed loudly, “Congratulations!”
After hearing Li Xiangping’s revelation about the Azure Pond Immortal Sect, he was convinced that Jing’er must possess some spiritual gift to be taken by the immortal cultivator from that immortal sect.
“Everyone has their own destiny. It’s a blessing for our village that Chejing has been chosen by the immortal sect,” he added positively, supporting Li Xiangping’s statement.
Having served as a doctor and educator in the village for over two decades, Han Wenxu had established himself as an authority figure. When he lent his voice in support of Li Xiangping’s announcement, it lent a significant degree of credibility to the claims. Despite this, murmurs and whispers continued to ripple through the gathering of villagers.
Li Xiangping calmly took out a jade seal in his hand. Upon activating his mana, four big golden characters appeared— Governance of Azure Pond .
“It’s an immortal!” The crowd immediately erupted as they witnessed the display of divine power. They fell to their knees, bowing deeply and shouting in awe.
Chen Erniu was equally stunned as he gazed upward with a mix of fear and wonder in his eyes.
Li Xiangping watched as the “Li” character appeared and faded before putting the jade seal away. He looked at the crowd before him and declared, “The immortal has also bestowed upon my family some immortal arts, as well as the duty of guarding Lijing Village, Lichuankou Village, Jingyang Village, and Lidaokou Village.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a brilliant golden light burst forth from his palm, shooting into the forest and scattering a flock of birds.
This spectacular display left the villagers in even deeper awe, with many, including the head of the Liu Family, Liu Lin Feng, kneeling in a mixture of fear and disbelief.
“Please, get up. We are all family and neighbors here, there’s no need for such formality,” Li Xiangping addressed the crowd, his tone stoic yet gentle.
Chen Erniu, still bowing deeply with his forehead pressed to the ground, felt a whirlwind of emotions.
Things are about to change here —that was all he could think of at the moment.
————
As Li Tongya strolled out from Lichuankou Village, Li Yesheng followed behind him, clumsily recording something on a piece of cloth with a chunk of charcoal.
“Lichuankou Village still hasn’t recovered from that drought twenty years ago, yet it’s home to over a hundred households. It’s quite disheartening,” Li Tongya mused, glancing over at Li Yesheng.
“Brother, we’ve driven out the major family in Lichuankou Village and redistributed their lands. Now, the villagers are free from paying rent. The ten percent tax on their fields is pretty lenient too!” Li Yesheng responded earnestly.
He then handed the charcoal pencil to one of the villagers following them and continued in a respectful tone, “But we still need someone reliable to manage things. Sadly, not many in our family are literate and capable.”
With a wave of his hand, Li Tongya cast a purification art on himself to clear the dust off his clothing, drawing an envious glance from Li Yesheng.
“Don’t worry about that. Father and Xiangping will handle the arrangements,” Li Tongya assured him.