Li Yuanjiao fell silent for several breaths, his gaze fixed on Xiao Guiluan. She looked down silently, as though trying to draw answers from the stone table itself.
Finally, after a long pause, Li Yuanjiao sighed and said, "If you already knew the answer, why did you need me to spell it out for you?"
Xiao Guiluan then looked up, taking his hand in hers. "Because I only wished you would treat me like family. Abandoned by my father in the mountains as a child, I endured cold eyes and indifference... There's nothing left for me in the Xiao Family. The only things I hold dear in this life are you and Xizhi... Why would you keep such a significant secret from me?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle.
Li Yuanjiao was deeply moved. He held her hand affectionately and said warmly, "I know you've always been sharp and perceptive, sometimes even surprising me. To think that you were even able to deduce this through the Clan Affairs Courtyard's silence and inactivity..."
Instead of pride in her deduction, her face betrayed a touch of sorrow as she continued glumly, "The Ancestor has always been discreet and reserved... The only time he would make such a move is to intimidate. However, what could be more intimidating than the Ancestor himself?"
"We've been married for eight years, and Xizhi is already seven. Did you think you could hide this from me?" she chided.
"Of course not!" Li Yuanjiao said as he shook his head, feeling somewhat awkward. He composed himself and replied earnestly, "This matter is incredibly sensitive. The fewer people know about it, the safer we all are."
Xiao Guiluan nodded in understanding, her expression serious as she asked softly, "How bad is his condition?"
Li Yuanjiao hesitated for a moment, before transmitting his answer through mana.
"All five organs are damaged... He may not have many years left."
"What?!"
Xiao Guiluan had initially believed the issue was limited to stalled cultivation and a drastically reduced lifespan. Now, the severity of the situation dawned on her, and she shook her head in fear as she muttered, "I see... a Maha Incarnate... such an opponent cannot be easily dealt with..."
Suddenly, she looked up as fear lingered in her slender and sharp eyes.
"We must not let Xiao Guitu find out about this!" she hissed.
Grasping Li Yuanjiao's hand tightly, Xiao Guiluan's eyes flickered with determination as she spoke in a serious voice.
"My elder brother is far-sighted and ambitious, supported by everyone in the family... His stance toward our family has always been ambiguous. The whereabouts of our Daoist Master have been unknown for a long time, leaving him in charge of family matters. If he learns of this, he will surely take action! I have studied my family's history, and when my family first rose to power, they used these methods to gradually annex the clans in Lixia Prefecture..."
Xiao Guiluan appeared uneasy. How could she not be? According to the records, none of the daughters married off from their family met a good end.
"How could he?!"
Li Yuanjiao was initially horrified. Upon reflection, he realized that the Li Family's supposed advantages over the Xiao Family were either superficial or already compromised.
The relationship between the Xiao and Li families was merely a transaction of interests centered around Moongaze Lake and Xiao Chuting's appreciation for Li Tongya. However, these were nothing but fragile bonds that held families together amidst the constant threat of calamity...
As Li Yuanjiao pondered these thoughts, he suddenly realized that the Xiao Family was not just a distant ally but also a potential rival lurking beside the Li Family.
"I see. Although the Xiao Family is officially detached from Azure Pond and cannot act openly, they can still exert influence and covertly provide support..." he muttered softly.
Xiao Guiluan nodded slowly and whispered, "During my time in the Xiao Family, I heard that our family had initially intended to align with the Yu Family. However, Yu Muxian's background was too formidable, and the Azure Pond Sect opposed such an alliance, forcing us to abandon the plan..."
Li Yuanjiao listened intently, secretly feeling a mix of relief and amusement.
"I see... I suppose my family owes thanks to Yu Muxian. If the Xiao Family had secretly aligned with the Yu Family over the past few decades, what would have become of my family?" he wondered, deeply troubled.
Xiao Guiluan refilled her husband's cup, her mind already formulating a plan.
"Don't worry, my dear... I was only asking about the ancestor to be sure. I'll take care of matters with the Xiao Family. Unless my brother intervenes personally, there won't be any problems."
"Good!" Li Yuanjiao smiled and pondered for a moment before whispering, "Rumors at home should settle soon. I'll instruct Yuanping to suppress this matter first."
"Mm-hmm."
The couple exchanged a smile, saying volumes in their silent mutual understanding.
————
Meanwhile in Lijing Town...
Li Yuanping counted the boxes on his desk meticulously, his brush tracing over fabric pages.
Suddenly, he heard a commotion outside his door. Dou Yi hurried in and whispered, "Young Master, Madam Ren has arrived."
Li Yuanping's face lit up instantly. He quickly set down his brush and welcomed a young woman into the courtyard, holding the hand of a healthy one-year-old boy with bright eyes.
"Ming'er...!"
Li Yuanping's pale face broke into a rare, wide smile as he reached for the child, causing Li Ximing to giggle in response.
Li Yuanping had married a year ago. His wife, chosen from the Ren Family, was a suitable match in age and possessed a spiritual orifice. Due to their modest cultivation realms, they were able to quickly conceive a child.
Li Yuanping was the one who named him, picking a name that had the character "Ming" in it, which was in accordance with the order of the generation names.
He had been worried about the child for a while but was eventually relieved to see that his own condition did not affect his son's root bone. Li Ximing turned out to be a healthy and robust child.
Li Yuanping gazed into the child's clear eyes and thought to himself, Brother Jiao's son, Xizhi, already possesses a spiritual orifice at seven years old. Since he has just started cultivating, it's still too early to gauge his potential. Ximing is only a little over a year old. In a few more years, he can pay his respects to the mirror...
Cradling little Ximing in his arms, Li Yuanping played with his son, eliciting joyful laughter from the child. He set Ximing down on the table gently, where the boy pushed a jade box around with precision, stopping just short of the edge and glancing back at his father.
Li Yuanping was absorbed in watching his son when suddenly, a commotion erupted outside the courtyard. A clan soldier burst into the room, completely knocking over Dou Yi who stood guard near the door with his head respectfully bowed.
"What's going on?!"
Li Yuanping had always ruled the household with strict discipline, and such disruptions were unprecedented. Rather than scolding the soldier, his heart skipped a beat as he asked sternly once again, "What's the matter?"
The soldier's face was filled with fear, not bothering to even apologize for knocking over the young master from Dou Family before blurting out, "Young Master! A Qi Cultivation Realm demon of the seventh heavenly layer has appeared in town! It's taken on its true form and is causing a disturbance in the streets!"
"Seventh heavenly layer of the Qi cultivation?" Li Yuanping breathed a sigh of relief, though his brow furrowed slightly.
"Where is Uncle Donghe... An Zheyan, and the rest?" he asked.
It had been over ten years since the Li Family had been elevated to a clan and accumulated considerable resources.
An Zheyan was at the seventh heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation, Chen Donghe at the fourth heavenly layer, and there were also several early-stage Qi Cultivators. With their strategic advantage, dealing with a seventh heavenly layer demon should be manageable.
"If necessary... the Old Ancestor has also prepared a contingency plan."
Li Yuanping knew his brother Li Yuanjiao possessed a talisman of the Foundation Establishment Realm, acquired from the Xiao Family years ago in anticipation of such events.
With this knowledge, Li Yuanping was able to maintain his composure and speak confidently, which greatly reassured the soldier.
"Master An and Uncle Donghe are currently handling the fox demon. It seems the creature isn't aggressive... It had merely triggered the town's formation, causing the formation to attack it and thus revealing its true form. From the sound of it, they haven't started fighting the demon yet," the soldier informed.
"A fox demon..?"
Li Yuanping was greatly alarmed upon hearing that it was a non-aggressive fox demon and quickly understood the situation. He hurriedly returned Ximing to his wife and swiftly descended from the platform where he had been seated, rushing out of the courtyard.
"It's a friend... It's a friend!" he urgently shouted.