The white monkey nodded, opened its mouth, and spat out a jade pestle. Li Yuanjiao, watching Li Xuanxuan accept it, was also delighted and commented, "The Wanglin Blossom on Mount Huaqian has yet to sprout. Maybe it could help."
Li Xuanxuan agreed and explained the situation to the monkey, then ordered a guard to escort it to the mountain. Turning back to Li Yuanjiao, he smiled and said, "Do not be fooled by those flashy dharma artifacts. This old monkey is far more valuable than them! Tomorrow, we will have it learn to write, record its knowledge and techniques, and our clan will gain another legacy."
"That's a brilliant idea, Father," Li Yuanjiao praised. He also had the same idea. He picked up the green jade pestle and mortar, both low-grade artifacts but valuable as a set.
He thought for a moment before saying, "These shall be named the Jade Pestle and Jade Mortar ."
Li Xuanxuan's mouth twitched, realizing his son's lack of creativity in naming for the very first time. He shook his head and remarked, "I'm sure Guiluan is the one who named Xizhi, yes?"
"Yes," Li Yuanjiao replied, puzzled by his father's sudden question. Li Xuanxuan merely smiled and continued shaking his head in amusement.
Li Xuanxuan recuperated in the cave dwelling for several days. While waiting for news from Cloud Crowned Peak, Li Yuanjiao decided to stay on Mount Lijing and learn about family matters from his father.
Li Xuanxuan started from the death of his father, Li Changhu, speaking for two full days. Just then, a clan guard reported that Tian Youdao and An Zheyan had returned.
Tian Youdao, who broke through to the Qi Cultivation Realm at sixty, now looked like an old man, dressed in a gray robe. He was sent to check on the situation at Cloud Crowned Peak.
Cupping his fist solemnly, he reported, "Chen Taojing fought against four enemies, holding out for half a day before finally dying of exhaustion. Before his death, he shouted, The Great Ling Dao lineage is no more , shaking the heavens with his voice."[1]
Li Xuanxuan and Li Yuanjiao exchanged glances, both feeling a sense of foreboding. Tian Youdao continued in a serious tone, "With his death, the green water floated over Cloud Crowned Peak like rain and mist. The smoke rolled southward, carrying a group of devils with it."
"Southward?"
They both relaxed slightly. As long as the devils did not scatter across Lixia Prefecture, it was a good thing. Li Yuanjiao whispered, "Southward probably means toward places like Mushroom Forest Plain..."
This made the actions of these devil cultivators particularly suspicious. Originally gathered from places like Mushroom Forest Plain, they attacked the Xiao Family's market and then immediately returned home, clearly showing that they were targeting the Xiao Family.
After Tian Youdao finished his report and left, An Zheyan hurriedly approached. Though his personality was still rather carefree despite experiencing great ups and downs, he spoke in a brisk, fiery manner.
"Reporting to the Family Head! The great formation on the Xiao Family's Xianyou Peak was active for six days, isolating them completely and making us wait anxiously. When the formation finally lifted, the Xiao Family members only came out to lead us inside. We met with Young Master Guitu, who said that despite the attack, the Xiao Family suffered no major losses, only losing two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. The Daoist Master has returned to the peak, so there is no need for concern."
"So the Daoist Master has returned..." Li Yuanjiao waved him off. He was unable to discern how much of Xiao Guitu's words were true, but knowing that the Xiao Family was their backing, they had to believe it regardless.
"Let us just wait and see..." Li Xuanxuan muttered.
After An Zheyan left, the old monkey eagerly came forward. It communicated with Li Xuanxuan through gestures, and he finally understood the issue with Wanglin Blossom .
"The spirit spring on Mount Huaqian is insufficient; it cannot provide enough spiritual energy..." Li Yuanjiao repeated.
He remembered Wang Xun's remark about the fragility of the Wanglin Blossom . The spring on Mount Huaqian was clearly not enough to sustain this spirit root. After thinking it over, he suddenly said, "Among the eastern shore families... The Rui and Pu families near us seem to have a spirit spring, right?"
Sending troops to the eastern shore was already part of Li Yuanping's plan. It would resolve internal conflicts, tribute collection, and uphold righteousness, as those families used commoners as ingredients for their medicines.
"Given this, we must deal with those families." He sent word to Li Yuanping. Since the devil cultivators hadn't headed west, Li Yuanjiao didn't rush to consume the pill. Instead, he focused on cultivating, aiming to break through to the seventh heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm before the year's end.
With the market destroyed, Li Xuanxuan could not return, so he took advantage of the insights gained from his near-death experience to go into seclusion and cultivate. Li Qiuyang, having not spent time with his family for years, went home.
————
It was snowing heavily at the end of the year.
Snow was rare in the past two years, making this year's end special. Perhaps it was meant to honor those who perished in the recent calamity as it fell even more heavily.
The world was blanketed in white. Li Yuanping stood on a high watchtower, looking down at the troops below, who were restless and shivering in the cold winter.
He brushed the snow off his clothes. Beside him stood Li Ximing, who was already nine years old and at the second stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm. Wrapped in fur, he accompanied his father in the snow.
Li Yuanping's face remained pale, but compared to the past two years, it had become more withered, and his hair was slightly graying. He had dyed it black on purpose, which made him look a bit younger at least.
As the devil cultivators came and went, countless lives were lost along the way. It took the Li Family several months to gather information. Some said these devil cultivators had wandered to the territory of the Purple Smoke Gate, while others said they roamed the Mushroom Forest Plain.
It is the Yuan Family who should be worried , Li Yuanping thought to himself. Having dealt with the affairs of Mount Yue recently, he took the opportunity to settle the matters at home while the devil cultivators had yet to march toward Moongaze Lake.
This included his long-contemplated plan to deploy troops to the eastern shore and bring order to the chaotic families there.
"Family Head, it is time."
A youthful voice brought him back to reality. Before him stood Li Xicheng, clad in armor and holding a long spear. The experiences of recent years had matured him, making him more capable in both speech and action.
"Yes," Li Yuanping nodded, looking down once more at the troops below. They had been standing in the heavy snow for a while, appearing lethargic. The other four contingents had already set out, leaving only this one to depart.
Having received the order, Li Xicheng hurried down from the high platform and mounted his horse. The heavily armored horse beneath him had a cultivation level higher than his own and stood quietly in the snow.
"Hyah!"
Cold snowflakes scattered as he spurred his horse forward, leading the group of young soldiers through the snow-covered forest. He could not shake the confusion in his heart.
The eastern shore families are weak... With just one Qi Cultivator and a few Embryonic Breathing Realm cultivators, it would be an easy task. Why bother using the clan's younger members as soldiers? Isn't it unnecessary?
This time, the Li Family mobilized over five thousand people, divided into five groups. The other four groups were composed of clan soldiers, but due to a lack of manpower, Li Xicheng's group included young members of the clan, led by himself.
Maintaining a steady pace through the forest, Li Xicheng could not understand the clan's intentions. The snow fell softly, and his thoughts wandered.
The Family Head said it was to rectify the clan's customs, hence using the clan's young members as soldiers... But there had been no prior training, and suddenly we are marching through the snow at night. What use could it serve..?
The more he thought about it, the more puzzled he became. This recruitment felt abrupt, almost like rounding up criminals, forcefully dragging the young members along. Most of them had bad records.
Suddenly, realization dawned upon him. Looking back at the soldiers trailing a dozen steps behind him, he gulped silently.
"Perhaps... they are not needed at all..."
1. Just my guess here, the Great Ling Dao lineage probably refers to the Lingyu Gate's lineage as the River One Qi Technique Chen Taojing cultivated originated from there. ☜