Li Qinghong retreated alone into the mountains, leaving Ning Heyuan standing awkwardly by himself, unsure of what to do. He could not bring himself to challenge the other mountains after losing this spar.
He wandered aimlessly by the lake, where he spotted a figure walking on the surface.
The beautiful woman wore a blue dress and seemed to be in her early twenties, but was a cultivator at the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Her face was cool and composed as she frowned at Ning Heyuan and asked in a chilly tone, "Are you satisfied now?"
Ning Heyuan grimaced as he subconsciously took a step back, muttering reluctantly.
"Auntie..."
Ning Wan glanced at him, her aura fluctuating from recent exertion with others. She composed herself before saying, "I told you to wait at the lake while I checked on the Fei Family, but instead, you went and provoked the Li Family at their mountain gate!"
Ning Heyuan forced a smile and explained, "But Auntie... After hearing so much about the Sword Immortal, I just wanted to see what makes their swordsmanship so special! Besides, I told them I'm a rogue cultivator, so... no harm done, right?"
Ning Wan's eyes betrayed a hint of guilt at the mention of the Sword Immortal but was quickly angered by Ning Heyuan's stupid remark. Her beautiful eyebrows relaxed a little as she laughed, albeit in anger.
"Rogue cultivator?! Idiot! Have you ever seen any rogue cultivators outside equipped with dharma artifacts from head to toe? Not to mention one that is surnamed Ning with a generation name 'He' and even wielded the Heavenly Serpent Celestial Light spell? You've really spent too much time playing with those other idiots in the sect! Do you really think these outsiders are fools?!" she scolded fiercely.
Ning Heyuan waved her off indifferently, replying, "Who cares? I said my piece. Who dares to challenge me?"
Ning Wan, finding his behavior absurd, retorted angrily, "You're just like Chi Zhiyan!"
Ning Heyuan fell silent, bowing his head.
Ning Wan let out a frustrated sigh, recalling the time she spent with Li Chejing on Moon Lake Peak. She was quite fond of him but never imagined things would turn out the way they did.
She let out a gentle sigh, her expression tinged with sadness as she said, "Li Family... Li Chejing has an elder brother, Li Tongya, who is also skilled in swordsmanship. The Azure Pond Sect owes them an apology, but Chi Wei's words are absolute... A frail woman like myself couldn't make a difference..."
"I suppose by now they already know that Li Chejing has perished. Chi Zhiyun is thorough in his work, so the Li Family likely only knows of his death but not the entire truth."
"The Qingsui Sword Immortal..." Ning Heyuan paused, his voice tinged with empathy for Li Chejing's skill and fate. He sighed regretfully and said, "After everyone in Li Chejing's generation passes away in a few decades, the sect will simply make up a reason for his death, send condolences to the Li Family, and likely accept another descendant of the Li Family into the sect to settle the matter. The living won't let go of such an opportunity just because of one dead man."
He chuckled lightly, his lavish attire shimmering faintly with mana light as he added, "Isn't that how they've managed their rule over the centuries? Nothing can rival the allure of shiny dharma artifacts and spirit items, especially not an elder from a few generations ago whom they barely know."
Ning Wan shook her head, her expression filled with concern as she said softly, "You, Chi Zhihe, Chi Zhiyan, along with the elders of both the Ning and Chi families, have become too arrogant... Such chaos has never appeared in the Azure Pond Sect for the past five centuries of its rule. You're all too conceited."
Ning Heyuan laughed heartily in response. "Our Azure Pond Sect boasts five Purple Mansion Realm legacies, thirty-six peaks, and strategies of domination, coercion, division, and enticements honed over five centuries... We also have a system of recruiting talents from around the world and monopolizing the cultivation of countless techniques. Our goal is not only to dominate the past five hundred years but also aspire to influence the next thousand!" he boasted confidently.
Ning Wan's laughter turned cold as he retorted, "The Moonlight Origin Mansion ruled over Jiangnan for twelve hundred years. Look at where it is now?"
————
As Autumn set in, the letters on Li Yuanping's desk began accumulating day by day as he grew busy with the family's affairs, including organizing the wedding between Li Qingxiao and a son from Mount Yu of the Xiao Family which had left him sleep-deprived.
His slender frame, draped in a white robe, seemed weary, and his already pale face grew paler with worry as his gray-black eyes fixated on the documents on his desk.
Dou Yi, who was standing nearby, cast a few glances at him. After hesitating for a moment, he finally stepped forward and said hesitantly, "Young Master... Madam has come over three times to remind you to rest. Perhaps you should take a break now..."
Li Yuanping shook his head dismissively and continued writing with his brush.
"As a cultivator of the Embryonic Breathing Realm, a few days without sleep is nothing to worry about. Please convey my gratitude to Mother."
Seeing his efforts to persuade Li Yuanping were futile, Dou Yi secretly clenched his teeth and bowed. "Madam means to say that she could assist with some household affairs... She hopes that you'll take care of your health and resume your cultivation soon..." he continued, a look of worry on his expression.
Frowning, Li Yuanping replied curtly, "I know my limits. There's no need to remind me about cultivation!"
Li Yuanping understood his mother meant well, yet he was determined to handle things himself. Setting his brush down, he sighed and asked, "It's been two months since the Fei Family sealed their mountain... Any news about that?"
"Not yet," Dou Yi replied, stealing a glance at Li Yuanping's expression before continuing, "All five immortal mountains of the Fei Family remain sealed. Glacial Cloud Peak has the Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation activated every day, emitting steady streams of white light."
"In their secular territory, chaos reigns among the families. Order is barely maintained. Three groups have already approached our family, inquiring about any news regarding their main family..." he added.
Li Yuanping nodded. The Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation of the Fei Family had a long history, dating back several hundred years. It had saved their family from danger multiple times and was one of the prominent formations on the lake. The continuous activation of it for a full month has surely consumed a significant amount of their resources.
"The Old Ancestor is also in seclusion..." Li Yuanping muttered to himself, recalling Ning Heyuan's sudden appearance on the lake half a month ago.
He pondered silently, Ning Heyuan is undoubtedly from the Azure Pond Sect... and the fact that he possesses such advanced spells and techniques indicates he's likely from the direct lineage of the Ning Family... Could it be that cultivators from the Azure Pond Sect are involved in the Fei Family's mountain closure?
Staring at the words Heavenly Serpent Celestial Light written on the paper, Li Yuanping fell silent. Suddenly, someone approached from below, cupping his fist respectfully.
"Young Master! There's a group of rogue cultivators fighting on our territory!"
"Rogue cultivators?" Li Yuanping repeated as he set aside his brush, aware that the matter would not have been brought to his attention if only ordinary Embryonic Breathing Realm cultivators were involved.
He asked urgently, "What are their cultivation realms? How many of them are there?"
"There are both Embryonic Breathing Realm cultivators and unrefined Qi cultivators... I'm not sure of their exact cultivations, but there are about six or seven of them. They are fighting fiercely in the mountains and forests, alarming Elder An who has gone to investigate!"
Li Yuanping descended from his seat, pacing in the courtyard as he murmured, "A few rogue unrefined Qi cultivators... An Zheyan is at the seventh heavenly layer of the Qi cultivation, so he should be able to handle them."
As he spoke, the courtyard erupted in commotion. A bald man clad in gray fur strode in, holding a frail old man by his collar who appeared close to his death.
"Young Master."
An Zheyan nodded respectfully, tossing the old rogue cultivator to the ground with a thud. The man groaned loudly in pain.
He then cupped his fist and declared, "This is the man!"