Lu Jiangxian withdrew his gaze from the throngs at the foot of the mountain, retracting his divine sense into the mirror.
He descended beside a stone table that seemed to be made of white jade, his robe swaying in the gentle breeze. With a sigh, he lowered himself onto the seat. Sadness enveloped his expression as he murmured to himself.
"Four pairs of fathers and sons, three families plotting against each other, generations enmeshed... Such is the world; one fears the other, inciting harm until vendettas erupt, all culminating in mourning and funeral rites...
"Immortals are battling for survival as the upper sect mercilessly slaughter, refine human pills, perform sacrificial rituals, and pit families and clans against each other, while the people resign to their fates like fish on the chopping block..."
Doubt clouded Lu Jiangxian's heart as he murmured quietly, "How did the war between the immortals and the devils end... to lead the world to such a pitiful state?"
He redirected his attention to a more pressing concern.
"Day by day, I find myself growing increasingly emotionally detached..."
During the initial decades after losing his physical form, a sense of inertia propelled him forward, permitting fluctuations in his emotions to occur. Since he spent most of his time drifting in and out of sleep, he never really did notice this problem.
Yet, as the decades wore on and Lu Jiangxian spent more time awake and less in slumber, he spent his time delving into shamanic spells. His capacity for emotional turbulence began waning.
Thanks to this detachment, he could observe changes in the families indifferently. In the mirror, a few decades felt only like a day to him.
In truth, Lu Jiangxian possessed the capability to intervene and save Li Yuanxiu, yet after careful consideration, he chose not to do so.
The mirror appears to harbor a profound secret from its past, leading to its current decline... The strength of our adversaries must be truly formidable, given they were in the deductions of the talisman qi. I must proceed with utmost caution, ensuring not even the slightest hint of exposure.
A soft, silver-colored light manifested in Lu Jiangxian's hand and hovered above it—it was the power of deduction that he had recovered from Liu Changdian years ago. He had spent three years deducing the possibility of his own exposure and had finally managed to obtain some information.
The Supreme Yin Profound Light is the essence of pure moonlight from the Supreme Yin. Utilizing it to eliminate adversaries poses minimal risk of exposure, as per my deductions. Conversely, confronting enemies with shamanic spells entails significant peril. The more powerful the spell, the higher the probability of attracting unwanted attention...
Should I venture beyond the confines of this mirror... the heavens and earth would quake, drawing the attention of all immortals.
Lu Jiangxian contemplated deeply and reached the conclusion that quietly waiting within the mirror, patiently waiting for the Li Family to rise to prominence would appear to be the most secure path. By steadily amassing power within the talisman seeds, he could ensure his safety and longevity.
"I once thought that sects could amass talisman seeds more swiftly than families... However, after observing the Azure Pond Sect and Golden Tang Gate, I realize they are just families in disguise..."
Spiritual orifice and bloodline would inadvertently lead to intermarriage between sects, resulting in tangled lineages that would eventually form distinct families or even factions of their own.
While this initially accelerated the accumulation of power, it also undermined the stability of that power over time. The risk of such fragmentation into multiple families with different surnames would potentially lead to the leaks of sensitive information.
With an almost endless lifespan, Lu Jiangxian favored safety over speed, and he was more than willing to endure minor setbacks in order to avoid any hint of his exposure.
"Now that I think about it, I've revealed too much before the Li Family decades ago since I was unaware of the mirror's history... Li Mutian had watched me for over a decade and had probably even managed to glean some clues. Fortunately... the old man is no longer around."
With a wave of his translucent hand, Lu Jiangxian conjured three luminous white pills that looked rather divine.
"When Li Tongya attains the Foundation Establishment Realm, I'll reveal these talisman seeds... He'll likely attribute their appearance to his cultivation breakthrough. Given his cautious nature, this should alleviate some of his suspicions."
————
Meanwhile, in Lijing Town...
"Where is Xiu'er?"
Beneath layers of curtains and amidst the soothing aroma of burning incense, a beautifully attired woman raised her elegant eyebrows, her dignified gaze fixing upon the figure before her.
"Did you not hear my question?"
The figure in plain gray robe and buttoned jacket trembled slightly, raising her gaze to meet the woman's eyes before quickly averting it again.
"Madam, the old master sent the young master away a few days ago... He said it was for important matters..." she replied shakily, the fear and uncertainty in her voice evident.
The woman rose to her feet, her swollen belly prominent, a clear indication that she was nearing the end of her pregnancy. She looked at the person kneeling before her, her lips curling into a cold smile as she spoke.
"Do you think I'm blind and deaf? Despite my absence from managing affairs these past months, do you truly believe I'm easily deceived? No matter where Xiu'er is going, he would never leave without telling me first!"
The woman, exuding an air of refined nobility, was Li Xuanxuan's first wife and the mother of Li Yuanxiu.
Despite the concerted efforts to shield her from the truth while she remained confined to the backyard during her pregnancy, Li Yuanxiu's prolonged absence and somber sounds of weeping that echoed in the surroundings had aroused her suspicions. Her unease only grew.
Met with dead silence from her servant, a sense of foreboding seized her heart. Having raised a son as astute as Li Yuanxiu, it was no surprise that she possessed keen intelligence.
As her suspicions grew stronger, anxiety gnawed at her heart, her tone turning icy as she demanded the truth.
"Speak."
The servant was drenched in cold sweat, trembling as she struggled to find her voice. Finally, she managed to utter the words a mother would never wish to hear.
"The Young Family Head has been assas-... H-he has passed away..."
The woman almost lost her ability to breathe the very moment her worst fears were confirmed. Though she had sensed trouble brewing, the reality was far more devastating than she could have ever imagined.
She stifled a sob but immediately felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She gritted her teeth and asked, "Where's Li Xuanxuan?! What kind of father is he...? How could he let this happen to my son?! Li Xuanxuan! Li Xuanxuan!"
"The Young Family Head is..."
The servant lowered her head, unable to bear her mistress' distress. To her horror, the woman collapsed before her.
"Madam! Madam...!" she cried out in a panic.
————
"Waaaah!!"
The white veil of the Li Family had been fluttering on the eaves for months, but finally, a cry pierced through the silence of the courtyard.
Li Xuanxuan held his wife's hand, channeling mana to stabilize her breathing as the midwife emerged, cradling a fragile infant in her arms.
"Congratulations, Old Master... It's a boy."
Li Xuanxuan took the child in his arms, observing his small and delicate form. The baby furrowed his brow and after letting out a feeble cry, he fell silent and remained motionless.
Were it not for the subtle rise and fall of his nostrils and Li Xuanxuan's spiritual sense detecting the baby's life force, he might have feared the worst.
"Well done, my dear... you have endured much," Li Xuanxuan murmured softly, trying to comfort his wife. Emotions surged within him as he welcomed a new life into the family amidst the recent loss of his eldest son. Tears streamed down his face, rendering him unable to speak.
Holding the newborn close to him, he gazed upon him for a while, his mind filled with a multitude of thoughts and emotions. Eventually, all the words he wished to convey condensed into a soft sigh.
"After toiling away for half of my life... I now realize that all I truly desire in this world is safety."
He stroked the infant's damp hair tenderly, then presented the child to his wife. When he spoke again, his voice was soft, tender.
"Let's name him Yuanping... Li Yuanping[1]."
1. The "Ping" in Yuanping's name means "safety". ☜