The carriage swayed along the road, finally arriving at Lijing Town. Xiao Xian was groggily awakened by the sound of suona music. He took out the wooden box and saw that apart from the few pieces he had eaten earlier, the rest were still neatly arranged and untouched.
"Qingxiao... Qingxiao!" Xiao Xian quickly woke the girl.
Li Qingxiao, still groggy from her slumber, stumbled off the seat. Below, the joyful and piercing sound of the suona could be heard before a large hand lifted the curtain, letting in the sunlight.
"Xiao'er," the man called out as he lifted the curtain.
"Father!" Li Qingxiao cried out in joy.
The man had a solemn demeanor. It was Chen Donghe, who had been waiting patiently in the town, eager to see his daughter. He used his mana to ease Li Qingxiao's discomfort.
Xiao Xian quickly greeted, "Xiao Family of Lixia, Xiao Xian of Mount Yu greets Senior!"
"Hmm," Chen Donghe responded politely in acknowledgment, his voice gentle as he added, "The guest courtyard is ahead... someone will come to receive you. Please wait a moment."
With that, he released the curtain and walked away with Li Qingxiao in his arms, leaving Xiao Xian alone in the carriage, feeling lonely and awkward as he did not know anyone.
"Hey!"
The curtain was suddenly pulled open again, and Li Qingxiao, bathed in golden sunlight, dashed back inside. She looked tired but was smiling as she said, "I will be on the mountain! Come find me when you are free."
She did not forget to pick up the wooden box of pastries from the floor, stuffing two pieces into Xiao Xian's hands before hopping out of the carriage.
Xiao Xian stood there while holding the two pastries, dazed for a dozen breaths. Then, he carefully put the pastries into his sleeve which had a pocket sewn into it, and sat in place obediently, waiting.
Meanwhile, Chen Donghe took Li Qingxiao up the mountain. She was exhausted, so he first took her to rest in the courtyard. While Li Jingtian was organizing wooden slips in the courtyard, Chen Donghe stepped forward and embraced his wife. Upon seeing her dazed expression, he asked gently, "Why do you look so dejected today?"
Li Jingtian paused, holding up a wooden slip from the table as she responded, "Decades of records are finally complete. Yuanyun has taken over the documentation, and I suddenly find myself with so much free time that I do not know what to do."
Chen Donghe remained silent. Li Jingtian put down what she was holding and said softly, "Time truly flies. Even Yuanjiao is now married. Half of my life has passed, but I've been confined to this mountain. It's quite sad... Not being able to soar with the wind is one thing, but I have not even left little Mount Lijing more than a few times..."
She looked up. Time had been merciful enough to leave only faint marks on her face, which still retained the beauty of her youth. Li Jingtian, slightly anxious, said softly, "My responsibilities on the mountain are done. When Qingxiao gets married, I want to ask the elders for permission for us to go north and see different sights for the rest of our lives."
Chen Donghe, who loved his wife deeply, could not bear the eager look on her face. He nodded tenderly and said, "In a few more years, when Qingxiao is married and the clan has more Qi Cultivators, I will make the request."
The couple exchanged a look before Li Jingtian nodded with a smile and leaned against Chen Donghe's chest.
"That should be the way... We have served the family for over ten years. When the clan is stable and the borders are peaceful, we can think about ourselves," she murmured.
She paused for a moment before continuing, "Qinghong and Yuanjiao both have their own ideas. The family is not as close-knit as it was when we were siblings growing up on the mountain, but the children are sensible and get along well. Qinghong wants to practice the Purple Thunder Secret Origin Technique , and Second Uncle lets her... I wonder where will her enthusiasm lead her in the future. I have read many historical records. Every family is united when they rise, but they fall apart when they succeed. The road ahead might be rough."
Li Jingtian has read many historical books and seen much, hence her worry.
Chen Donghe kissed her forehead and said, "Each generation has its own challenges... Only someone like Old Master Li is capable of planning for the next five generations. We do not need to worry about this; let us see what Yuanjiao and Qinghong will do."
————
"An alliance with the Xiao Family, with a Purple Mansion Realm Immortal Clan personally marrying off their daughter... What is Xiao Chuting thinking?!"
Yu Mugao stood on the wind in the sky, his face dreadfully grim. Behind him stood a group of people, all watching the procession below from behind the cover of clouds and mist. Yu Mugao had been watching for a long time, still finding it hard to believe.
He said, "Li Chejing has been silent for decades, and the Xiao Family still believes that the Li Family will succeed?!"
Everyone remained silent. Yu Mugao gritted his teeth, unable to tell how many Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators were in the procession below. No matter how many schemes he had, he could only keep them to himself, staring blankly at the procession wordlessly.
"Xiao Chuting is a man of deep foresight. To marry off a daughter like this, Li Chejing must still be alive and on the verge of achieving the Purple Mansion Realm. It seems like all the scheming by the lake pales in comparison to the influence of a single word from someone at the Purple Mansion Realm."
Yu Mugao had managed the Yu Family for many years, contending with the restless Fei Family and the rising Li Family externally, while internally dealing with the elders and uncles of the clan. Every year, Yu Yufeng performed blood sacrifices. Just when he was ready to make significant moves after experiencing so much and finally gaining control of the Yu Family, the Li Family allied with a Purple Mansion Realm Immortal Clan, thus shattering his ambitions.
Despair filled him as he sighed exasperatedly. "What is the use of scheming and struggling...? The Yu Family's misfortune isn't something that human effort can remedy. Despite years of planning and exhausting both my heart and mind, what good has it done? Our luck has run out. Any further scheming is just prolonging the inevitable, wasting thirty years of careful calculations only to end up at a dead end."
Those behind him were shocked into silence. Several stepped forward to comfort him, but Yu Mugao remained silent for a long time before saying, "What is the point of talking? It would be best for the whole family to move north, over the mountains and away to Xu and Qi States, never to return. There is still a glimmer of hope there. As things stand now, we are just waiting to die."
"Mugao... we still hold the eastern shore, and Muxian is in the sect. At worst, we can hang on for a few hundred years. The Li Family's momentum will pass; there is no need to be so despondent..." the clansmen said, trying to persuade him otherwise.
Yu Mugao only shook his head and sighed, saying, "You cannot see the situation clearly. Li Tongya is like a serpent dragon, slippery and cunning. Even when he was a Qi Cultivator, we could not handle him. What can we still possibly do, now that he has reached the Foundation Establishment Realm...?"
"Li Yuanjiao and Li Qinghong are exceptionally talented. They will likely reach the Qi Cultivation Realm in their twenties. Once they grow, how will we compete with the Li Family? Li Yuanxiu, with his deep thoughts and extraordinary demeanor, was a threat. If we had not killed him, would we be standing here? We would be in a dire situation, facing crises from all sides!" Yu Mugao exclaimed in wearily.
Gazing into the distance, he continued, "I understand now... The current state of the Li Family is the result of our relentless suppression. If Jianixi had moved north, Yu Muyuan hesitated, or Li Chejing returned... the Li Family would not be what it is today."
The group's hearts filled with unease as they stood with Yu Mugao. After a while, another cultivator from the Yu Family flew over, landing before Yu Mugao with joy on his face.
"Family Head! The Immortal Master is arriving! The beacon light on the Dawn Cloudliner has lit up. Within three days, the Immortal Master from the Azure Pond Sect will be here!"
The members of the Yu Family were instantly filled with joy, their faces lighting up as they rejoiced with one another. Yu Mugao's face also brightened considerably. He replied, "Finally! Some good news. Let us see what the Immortal Master has to say... Muxian is confident; perhaps there is some news."