The old cultivator was an unrefined Qi Cultivator at the fifth heavenly layer, but his cultivation had been sealed by An Zheyan. Blood covered his head and face, his beard and hair disheveled as he kneeled limply at the bottom of the stairs.
Dou Yi stood nearby, supporting him to keep him upright while reminding the man, "Rogue cultivator! You're in the presence of the Li Family's Young Master!"
The old cultivator remained silent, kneeling on his knees in a daze. Dou Yi raised his voice and called out to the old man again. Observing the furrowed brow of Li Yuanping, who remained seated, Dou Yi turned and called out to another person.
"Xu Gongming!"
Xu Gongming hurried forward, seizing the old cultivator by his collar and placing his other hand on the old man's back. After adjusting the old man's true essence, Gongming performed a series of hand seals and applied two Tranquil Mind spells. It was only then did the rogue cultivator stirred from his stupor, as if awakening from a dream.
"Gah!"
The old man coughed up two mouthfuls of blood, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the Li Family members. He whimpered, covering his face. Dou Yi moved to speak but was silenced by Li Yuanping's gesture, allowing the old man to sob.
Li Yuanping continued reading the letters on his table in silence as the guests from various families gathered around to observe the rogue cultivator. After a while, the old cultivator's sobbing subsided, and he opened his mouth to speak.
"Rogue cultivator Bi Huaxuan greets Young Master..." he said mournfully.
"Bi Huaxuan..."
Li Yuanping nodded, setting down his vermillion brush. He spoke warmly, "No need for such formalities, old man. Your name is familiar to me... You have traveled within our Li Family's territories and camped on the Guli Road for many years."
Bi Huaxuan nodded sadly, replying, "Yes... I have been traveling and trading along the road for six years now."
Since the destruction of the Yu Family's market, Moongaze Lake had lost another place to trade. Cloud Crowned Peak in Lixia Prefecture was distant for those in the Embryonic Breathing Realm to reach, hence, Guli Road saw an increase in rogue cultivator traders like Bi Huaxuan, scraping together meager earnings in order to survive.
Li Yuanping, seeing the old cultivator now sober and capable of responding clearly, said, "All travelers on this road are welcomed by the Li Family. I apologize if there was any oversight on our part that led to conflict within our territory..."
His tone was mild and gentle, devoid of any threat. However, Bi Huaxuan, accustomed to the domineering behavior of noble families and immortal sects, trembled in fear.
He had fought over treasure within the Li Family's territory and was already feeling guilty enough. His sadness had not yet dissipated, but fear crept in upon hearing Li Yuanping's words.
Rogue cultivators held the lowest social standing, inferior even to the numerous small temples peppering the mountains. Knowing the Li Family was a Foundation Establishment Realm clan and not just some minor family, Bi Huaxuan bowed deeply.
"Young Master, we are innocent! We were ambushed..."
Without pausing to consider the reactions around him, Bi Huaxuan hurriedly recounted his sequence of events.
Originally from humble origins and working at the Moongaze Lake market, Bi Huaxuan had painstakingly become an unrefined Qi cultivator. He led a small group of mortals and a few Embryonic Breathing Realm cultivators in search of fortune, and while traveling along the road yesterday with his merchant group, one of his disciples went off to relieve himself but never returned.
Bi Huaxuan, whose life had been adrift and felt he had reached a ceiling in his cultivation, particularly valued his disciples. Distressed by one's disappearance, he ventured into the Li Family's territory to seek him, thinking that it was probably safe with no powerful demons present.
After searching everywhere and shouting for hours, he discovered tatters of his disciple's clothes outside a cave. Casting a spell to investigate further, Bi Huaxuan came upon a vast expanse of sparkling water.
Looking up, he beheld an underground river that was flowing endlessly. Upon its surface floated a white object about the size of a fist, resembling water, but yet was not quite water. It bounced on the surface, crystal clear and glistening, rolling around in an oddly mesmerizing manner.
While everyone, including An Zheyan who listened intently, was captivated by Bi Huaxuan's story, Li Yuanping sensed that something was amiss and quickly interrupted him.
"Hold on. Someone, get Brother Jiao here!" he quickly instructed.
An attendant hurried off, and Dou Yi, having caught Li Yuanping's discrete signal, quickly followed up with another instruction.
"Everyone, you may attend to your own matters."
An Zheyan and the others nodded and withdrew from the room in an orderly manner. Bi Huaxuan, nervously scanning the room, found Li Yuanping's gaze fixed on him, silently urging him to continue.
Experienced in the ways of the world, Bi Huaxuan suddenly realized the significance of his find. His earlier concerns about his missing disciple faded into the background as thoughts of personal gain took over.
He swiftly dismissed his disciples and recalled the scene carefully in his mind. He felt his saliva sliding down his throat like jade liquid and his cultivation surging within his entire body, realizing that a golden opportunity had presented itself before him.
Bi Huaxuan began, his voice trembling with excitement and his eyes burning with greed. "According to the knowledge gained from my extensive journey, I think that substance I saw was likely known as the Heavenly Pure Essence —a legendary spirit water of heaven and earth! I-It can... It can..."
Li Yuanping gripped the armrest of his seat tightly with a hint of agitation, and finished the old man's sentence for him in impatience.
" Heavenly Pure Essence ... This substance can strengthen spiritual sense, heal the wounds of one's foundation, purify true essence impurities, and bestow divine effects to those in the Embryonic Breathing, Qi Cultivation, and Foundation Establishment Realms!"
Heavenly Pure Essence, a rare spirit water of heaven and earth renowned for its unparalleled healing properties, held immense value in the paths of talisman arts and alchemy.
Li Yuanping had learned about it while discussing wound-healing methods with Li Tongya.
Li Tongya's immortal foundation was water-based, making Heavenly Pure Essence an extremely effective medicine for him. The prospect of speeding up Li Tongya's healing process by a few years and potentially further advancing his cultivation left Li Yuanping visibly excited.
Overwhelmed with excitement, Bi Huaxuan struggled to articulate his thoughts. Rushing into qi cultivation without acquiring a proper qi gathering technique had been his lifelong regret, haunting him to this very day.
Therefore, upon discovering the Heavenly Pure Essence , his heart surged like an unstoppable wave.
The spirit water could purify his unrefined qi, transforming it into pure qi. Although he would still pale in comparison to those who cultivated authentic techniques, it offered him a chance to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Bi Huaxuan quickly performed a series of hand seals and carefully secured the spirit water. However, just as he finished, a sudden scream echoed from outside the cave, and a figure dressed in black burst in.
"The man had pure, boundless true essence... My friends and I exchanged blows with him for over ten moves, but he overpowered us all, killing everyone else except me. I was left with no choice but to relinquish my storage pouch and flee, yet he continued to pursue me...If the guest cultivator of your esteemed clan hadn't arrived in time... this old man... would have been long dead...!" Bi Huaxuan wailed dramatically.
Upon hearing the rest of Bi Huaxuan's story, Li Yuanping's initial excitement turned into disappointment. He slumped back into his seat, angry yet unable to bring himself to vent his frustration.
He listened as Bi Huaxuan cried out, "My fate rests solely in your hands now! Please avenge me and claim this Heaven and Earth Spiritual Water for your clan! I have lost my life-long savings and disciples because of this man... Now I've nothing left! I beg you, please punish that man for this old man! I'm willing to give up the spirit water to your esteemed clan in exchange!"
Li Yuanping scoffed in response.
"Punish him? If that man has hidden in the forests, who could possibly find him? My family may be a prominent clan, but we are not a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan!"
Bi Huaxuan composed himself and pulled up his sleeve, revealing a jade bracelet with subtle patterns glowing faintly.
In a subdued voice, he explained, "I picked up these two jade bracelets from a market stall, intending to gift them... One has already been worn, while the other was in the storage pouch I've lost to that man."
"These bracelets can sense each other as long as they are not too far apart. Since the man is only at the early stage of the Qi Cultivation Realm and we fought a few hours ago, he cannot have traveled too far. He's likely recovering in the mountains... If we set out now, we may be able to catch him!"
Li Yuanping's face immediately lit up, a smile breaking through his stoic expression. He moved to take the jade bracelet but then hesitated. Settling back into his seat, he thought, I better wait for Big Brother to arrive first!