Li Yuanjiao shook his head and replied, "No news yet. But... there is some news from the Yuan Family."
Li Qinghong raised an eyebrow as Li Yuanjiao continued with concern, "Yuan Tuan from Qingsui Peak has gone into seclusion to prepare for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. According to the Yuan Family, Yuan Tuan has a great chance of succeeding within four or five years. If she does, the legacy of Qingsui Peak will fall to her, and she will undoubtedly take on disciples and pass on her teachings. Our Li Family cannot miss this opportunity to establish influence within the sect!"
Li Qinghong immediately understood Li Yuanjiao's implication and furrowed her delicate brows, responding, "Brother, you have... Xizhi in mind, right?"
To send someone to Qingsui Peak, they must be at least seven years old, preferably between ten and twelve. Li Yuanping was not yet married. Li Yuanyun had two children, but one was too young, and the older one, though possessing a spiritual orifice, would be too old by then. They were not suitable candidates.
Currently, the only one in the generation of Xi and Yue was Li Yuanjiao's son, Li Xizhi, who was four or five years old. In four or five years, he would meet Qingsui Peak's requirements. Seeing Li Qinghong pondering this, Li Yuanjiao nodded and said, "If Xizhi has the talent, we'll have to send him there."
Li Qinghong pursed her lips together and asked, "Will Sister-In-Law agree?"
Li Yuanjiao drank his tea, recalling the moment when Li Tongya had personally handed him the gleaming Dragon Coiling Pillar sword and remained silent.
————
While Li Yuanjiao and Li Qinghong were deep in discussion on Mount Lijing, the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain was brightly lit. Several tables had been set up in the courtyard, adorned with plates of rare mountain delicacies and various dipping sauces on the side.
A young man, appearing to be seventeen or eighteen at the third stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm, sat reclined in a chair.
"Come, come!"
The young man at the head of the table had a slightly pale face and colorless lips. He looked at the person seated below and smiled. "Brother Xiao Xian, are you comfortable here?"
"Oh yes... Comfortable! Very comfortable!" Xiao Xian replied quickly. Having visited the Li Family frequently over the years, he was quite familiar with Li Yuanping. Despite their age difference, Xiao Xian always felt somewhat restrained in Li Yuanping's presence, never quite able to relax completely or let his guard down. Perhaps this was due to the domineering aura Li Yuanping had inherited from Madam Dou.
Li Yuanping smiled. His appearance leaned more toward Madam Dou—dignified and strong, with an air of grandeur. He adjusted the cup on the table and brought up a topic, asking, "Why does your clan suddenly need ebony ore?"
Xiao Xian cupped his fists and replied, "The devil plague is rampant, and the price of dharma artifacts is rising daily... My family happens to have a fire vein and a tradition of smithing, so my father thought of taking this opportunity to make some profit."
"I see!" Li Yuanping said as he nodded slightly and glanced at Xiao Xian, then brought up a couple of topics related to Li Qingxiao. Xiao Xian listened attentively, and as the conversation flowed, they began to open up. Li Yuanping then asked, "Brother Xiao Xian, how much do you know about the situation in the Great Xu State to the north?"
Xiao Xian, slightly tipsy by now, noticed Li Yuanping's composed expression and inwardly praised his remarkable tolerance. He replied, "A few years ago, you asked me to investigate... I've learned a bit more since then."
He paused and continued, "For nearly a hundred years, the immortal Dao in Xu State has been declining, with demonic and devil cultivators emerging everywhere... It was not until four years ago that the three sects and seven gates united with the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators of Jiangnan, advancing northward and driving back many of the devil sects. The main forces in this war were the Golden Feather Sect and the Yue Cultivating Sect, led by the peak Purple Mansion Realm sword immortal, Daoist Master Shangyuan. He killed two Merciful Ones and three other demons before finally bringing stability back to Xu State."
At this point, Xiao Xian hesitated briefly, but then continued, "As for the Dao foundations of these Purple Mansion Realms that you asked me to investigate... it was challenging! I managed to gather some information from various sources. The Daoist Maser from the Azure Pond Sect practices Heavy Murk , while the one from the Profound Peak Gate practices Fool's Mountain Chase . The Golden Tang Gate, whose Daoist Master rarely shows up, practices Engraved Stone . Lastly, the Daoist Master from the Purple Smoke Gate practices East Mountain Loop ."
Xiao Xian took a sip of wine and continued explaining, "These Daoist Masters had left many traces during their training before achieving the Purple Mansion Realm. I searched through my family's library for a long time to piece together their immortal foundations."
"Thank you, brother!" Li Yuanping responded, silently noting down the information. Xiao Xian did not understand why Li Yuanping was gathering this information but wisely refrained from asking.
"Brother, you have great tolerance, I can barely keep up..."
After exchanging a few more cups of spirit wine, Xiao Xian, with his lower cultivation, began to feel dizzy and smiled in defeat as he announced his intention to depart.
Li Yuanping, having obtained the information he needed, did not detain Xiao Xian any longer. He watched as Xiao Xian was escorted out by the Xiao family servants. Throughout their lengthy drinking session, Li Yuanping discreetly filled his cup with clear tea, ensuring his sobriety while maintaining the appearance of indulgence.
He cleared the table, laid out the brush and ink, and carefully recorded the information before folding it neatly and handing it to a trusted aide. "Give this to my brother," he instructed gently.
Li Yuanping and Li Yuanxiu were both born of Madam Dou and under her influence, they had shed much of the ruthless cunning that came from the Li Family's grassroots origins, replacing it with a grand, authoritative demeanor.
Dou Yi, seated below, took the letter. Li Yuanping glanced at him, and Dou Yi could not help but recall the long nails that were always stained with balsam flowers. Li Yuanping chuckled and asked, "Did you deliver that slap from my mother to your father?"
Dou Yi nodded hastily, stammering, "Yes, young master... I did! Father kneeled in the courtyard himself... I conveyed every word exactly as it was, even replicating the strength. The red mark is still on his face..."
"Hahaha!" Li Yuanping laughed heartily and shook his head, saying boldly, "You people fear power but lack respect. My brother has shown leniency repeatedly out of respect for Mother, but he shows no restraint. Now he has lost face and damaged our relationship, and he has only himself to blame!"
Dou Yi dared not say anything, simply responding timidly. Li Yuanping glanced at the letter in Dou Yi's hand, and this action scared him enough to send him scurrying off. Only then did Li Yuanping turn back to his desk, muttering, "However, I still do not know what the Dao Partner of this immortal foundation called Spring's Echo that uses the Cave Spring Clear Qi is..."
He flipped through the wooden slips on his desk, a deep frown forming on his face.
"The three sects and seven gates control information too tightly... If our family is to find a way out, we need information within the sect. We cannot delay any longer!"
Li Yuanping stared at the flickering candle, recalling the secret conversations he had with his brother Li Yuanjiao by the bed when they were younger, and the glittering Dragon Coiling Pillar sword that Li Tongya had personally handed over to his brother.
His face grew paler, and he muttered, "The Xiao Family is ultimately an external family... Xiao Chuting is cunning and is surely plotting something. He is not easy to deal with. But... our family has no choice but to rely on him for now. We can only take one step at a time..."