Minghui looked at the dazed and out-of-this-world expression on Maha Jinlian's face and immediately made an assumption in his heart.
It seems that the immortal has spared him... Otherwise, how could Master escape so easily? This immortal most likely does not want anyone to know he is at Moongaze Lake and has thus erased his memory. If I am not sensible and speak out, I might put our lives in danger again!
Seeing Maha Jinlian's confused expression before him, Minghui pointed to his shabby Golden Palace and said respectfully, "Master, I damaged my dharma artifact outside, so I came back to see if it can be repaired."
The Golden Palace at the foot of the stairs was already on the verge of collapse after the repeated torments it had been put through. Maha Jinlian glanced at it and scolded, "I am not a blacksmith. What is the use of showing it to me? Get back to the south and keep watch!"
Minghui nodded repeatedly, put away the dharma artifact, and retreated as if escaping. Maha Jinlian then continued to suckle for milk, squinting his eyes. After a few breaths, he felt that something was wrong.
"What is this kid hiding from me...?" he wondered.
Maha Jinlian could not remember the previous events at all, as if he had taken a nap. But he was already a Maha; how could he still take naps? He froze briefly, feeling increasingly frightened the more he thought about it.
————
Meanwhile in Yi Mountain City...
Li Xuanfeng leaned against the city wall, wiping the golden bow in his hands silently. His gray clothes were stained with various demon beasts' blood, tattered and foul-smelling. He did not seem to notice this, however, and simply stared blankly northward.
"Brother Xuanfeng..."
Everyone nearby glanced at him as a handsome middle-aged man stepped forward. His elegant white clothes were spotted with bloodstains, making him look rather disheveled. He cupped his fist to Li Xuanfeng and said respectfully, "Thank you for your assistance!"
Li Xuanfeng had now reached the eighth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, and his strength was promising among the clan cultivators. The group both respected and feared this quiet man. When Fei Yihe spoke, everyone else echoed in agreement.
"Indeed... such a divine bow and remarkable strength! He entered and exited the beast horde nine times; only Brother Xuanfeng could do that!"
Li Xuanfeng nodded silently. These five years had made him appear even more haggard. His beard was unkempt, and his eyes were sunken, giving him the true appearance of a dispirited man. He ignored the flattery and focused on gazing northward until the crowd eventually dispersed, including Fei Yihe. Only then did he move his lips and look at the wound on his hand.
"One hundred and twenty scars in five years, none fatal."
Since the fall of Lixia Prefecture, where Jiang Yunu and her son had perished, Li Xuanfeng had woken up countless nights, asking himself, "Why did I not meet them even once during those five years?"
Those five years, he had been in seclusion writing bow techniques, not in any long-term seclusion. Qi Cultivators could go without food but needed water. In his cultivation, inspiration had surged, and he had completely forgotten about everything else.
Regret and self-blame haunted him for ten years, constantly waking him up countless nights, filling his heart with unease and pain. He sighed deeply, hating himself for neglecting what should have been his priorities.
It was not until Xiao Chuting used the Man On Creek divine ability to fish out Yu Yufeng and killed him on the Mushroom Forest Plains that Li Xuanfeng was alarmed and became suspicious. But he kept it to himself and never breathed a word of it to anyone.
If a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator covets something and uses divine ability to mislead me...
He picked up a cloth and continued wiping his golden bow, his expression growing darker. He stared silently at the rising moon, thinking to himself, Then the Purple Mansion Realm cultivator's gaze must be on me. The family's mirror is too important. Coming to Yi Mountain City will reduce the risk of exposure.
He had eagerly accepted the summons to Yi Mountain City, partly longing for a life on the edge and partly hoping the Purple Mansion Realm would shift their focus from Mount Lijing. Over five years and countless battles, many were injured, harming their foundations. Yet, Li Xuanfeng had never been seriously wounded, making him feel increasingly gloomy.
"Brother Xuanfeng!"
Li Xuanfeng heard a clear voice call out. Turning to look, he saw Fei Yihe returning. He had changed into a moon-white long robe and was carrying a pot of spirit wine. He approached with a cheerful smile and said, "Brother Xuanfeng, are you admiring the moon alone? I hope you won't mind me joining in."
Fei Yihe was the son of Fei Wangbai and the next head of the Fei Family. He had been summoned to the southern border by Chi Zhiyan as well. Over the past five years in Yi Mountain City, Li Xuanfeng and Fei Yihe had developed a deep friendship.
Fei Yihe pulled out a small table from his storage pouch, placed it on the city wall, and sat cross-legged before it. As soon as the table was set, a white light rose, faintly sealing off the surrounding wind and isolating the inside from the outside.
Fei Yihe sighed softly. With the formation isolating them, a look of sorrow appeared on his face. He poured himself a drink and took a slow sip, saying, "Five years have passed in the blink of an eye. Tongyu and Tongxiao should be getting married now... I wonder how things are at the lake."
In Yi Mountain City, they could not communicate with the outside world. They could only learn some news from people who came in from the back, so they had pretty much lost touch with their families.
"Good wine!" Li Xuanfeng commented as he took a cup and downed several drinks in one go before exhaling deeply and saying softly, "Yu Yufeng is dead. With the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators from our two families, Yu Mugao cannot stir up much trouble."
Fei Yihe nodded silently. The two drank in silence, pushing cups back and forth until the moon set and the sky began to brighten. Fei Yihe glumly said, "I thought I was born to lead and expand my family... From a young age, I studied history, cultivated, observed human nature, learned right from wrong, and established checks and balances among the branches... Yet a single transfer order rendered the rest of my life meaningless."
Li Xuanfeng took a drink and stepped forward, looking down from the city wall. The ground was littered with the corpses of demon beasts. Occasionally, one could see the remains of cultivators, but most were the bodies of mortal soldiers used as cannon fodder. Like ants, the mortals dragged the bodies silently while the ground was stained with blood, flies buzzing all around the havoc.
The scene before him was all too familiar to him, causing Li Xuanfeng to ponder deeply.
"Was it forty years ago or thirty years ago?"
Back then, Li Xiangping was being hunted by rogue cultivators and fled north. Li Xuanxuan had just taken charge of the family, and Li Xuanfeng was a young boy who had just received the Profound Pearl Talisman Seed. He stumbled into the Wan Family, which had been slaughtered by Ji Dengqi, with corpses lying everywhere in a sea of blood.
Terrified, he was fortunate to find Li Tongya upon his return. Seething with anger, he silently vowed, "That Golden Tang Gate and their young master are truly trash... When I grow up, I will destroy the Golden Tang Gate and shoot down that young master's head to kick it like a ball!"
His childish voice echoed in his mind, filling Li Xuanfeng with shame. Gripping the golden bow tightly until his fingers turned white, he whispered into the night, "In my youth, I was bold and ambitious, never letting go of the bowstring or bending my knees. I spoke lightly of shattering immortal mountains and shooting down Golden Tang Gate's master. Now, forty years have slipped by like a swift river, and those grand dreams have dissolved into the mist. My wife and child are gone, and I am but a pawn, living a mediocre life within the confines of this city, serving the Azure Pond Sect as nothing more than a dog. I leave my house at midnight, weeping softly into the darkness, too frightened to let my voice be heard, lest I draw suspicion..."
As Li Xuanfeng spoke, his sharp eyebrows furrowed, the natural arch flattening in a display of profound sorrow. Tears welled up in his eyes, trailing down his cheeks. The innate arrogance and wild spirit that had been part of Li Xuanfeng since childhood had eroded over forty years, turning into a long sigh that escaped through his nose and mouth, dissipating into the silent night air like a vanishing mist.
Li Xuanfeng coughed harshly, flecks of blood staining his lips. Fei Yihe rushed to his side, offering support with a steadying hand. He couldn't help but notice how much Li Xuanfeng had come to resemble his elder brother Li Xuanxuan with the weary look on his face.