Xiao Guiluan asked more detailed questions while Li Yuanjiao listened silently from above, calculating in his mind. Upon hearing that the Xiao Family had not captured the devil cultivators but had instead come up empty-handed, Xiao Guiluan breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Yuanjiao raised an eyebrow and asked in a deep voice, "Are you worried that Xiao Guitu orchestrated this..?"
It was not unreasonable for the couple to be suspicious. Li Yuanjiao's brother-in-law was quite capable and ambitious, always having intentions to further align with the Li Family.
However, it seemed that Xiao Chuting had given an order, causing Xiao Guitu to abandon his plans. Over time, there had been no further movement, allowing Li Yuanjiao to relax quite a bit.
Now, fearing that Xiao Guitu's ambitions had resurfaced, it had prompted him to ask this question. Once it was out of his mouth, everyone's expressions changed immediately.
Li Xijun, who was deep in thought, gradually relaxed his sharp eyebrows and cupped his fist before speaking.
"I also think that this might be Xiao Guitu's doing... he might be trying to lure our family into taking action, giving him an excuse to intervene. If we set a precedent, the Xiao Family could interfere in our affairs whenever there is turmoil."
His straightforward explanation laid bare the suspicion, surprising both Xiao Guiluan and Li Qingxiao.
"My brother would not do that," Xiao Guiluan said after a while as she shook her head, pondering for a few moments before explaining further, "My brother is proud and always favors a righteous path. Even if he wanted to deepen his control over our family, he would not resort to such tactics. Besides..."
She paused before continuing, "If it were a deliberate scheme, he would have set an ambush at Mount Yu, waited for the devil cultivators to massacre, and then pretended to arrive late to annihilate them, killing two birds with one stone. That way, he would not damage his reputation by showing both internal weakness and external ruthlessness."
Li Yuanjiao, having had suspicions initially, now realized the inconsistency and agreed, "Exactly. The Xiao Family has suffered a loss and needs to demonstrate strength to avoid being preyed upon. This is not the time to scheme against us... Xiao Guitu would not go that far."
Li Xijun nodded lightly, though his expression remained unchanged as he replied, "I guess I have overthought it."
His unmoved demeanor made Li Xuanxuan glance sideways, wondering if Li Xijun had intentionally brought this up. Xiao Guiluan, meanwhile, had already spoken and broken the silence.
"Do not worry. Since it is not my brother's doing, there is much that can be done," she reassured.
She took Li Qingxiao's hand and said gently, "My father holds a high status in the clan and has some influence. My eldest brother, who manages the household, speaks with authority but is greedy and narrow-minded. Take some Spirit Stones and send someone to Xianyou Peak. Flatter him well and bribe him heavily; secure the position of head of Mount Yu first."
While she was speaking, Li Yuanping had already taken out over seventy Spirit Stones from a storage pouch, and said warmly, "Sister, the family's savings are here... Use them as needed."
Li Qingxiao wept as she trembled and accepted the Spirit Stones meekly. Before she could speak, Xiao Guiluan continued, "Even if my brother has no such intentions, we cannot set a precedent. I have two close friends in the clan with some influence in the Xiazhong and Dongshan branches... I will write a letter asking them to lend you a few Xiao Family cultivators to support you."
"Yes... please..." Li Qingxiao said gratefully as she kept the Spirit Stones. Xiao Guiluan then took up a brush, dipped it into the ink, and began writing.
Li Yuanjiao stepped forward and said solemnly, "I also have a Foundation Establishment Realm talisman here for your protection. It can deter minor threats."
Instead of offering sentimental words as her older brother, he shoved the talisman into her hand and began explaining how to use or not use it.
Li Qingxiao nodded and accepted the letter Xiao Guiluan handed over to her. Li Yuanjiao then said, "The family will send a caravan to Mount Yu. Stay in touch with us as the situation evolves."
"Thank you... thank you, brothers. Qingxiao has no way to repay this..."
Li Qingxiao was moved, responded gratefully, and accepted everything. She bowed deeply and said, "The grace of the family will be remembered by the lineage of Mount Yu. Once Mount Yu is stabilized, we will repay you."
With no one to preside over Mount Yu, every moment Li Qingxiao spent away increased the danger. Without any further delay, she rode her flying shuttle and took her leave.
"Mount Yu has no cultivators of significant power. With these measures, they should be able to handle ordinary threats..." Xiao Guiluan said softly as she watched Li Qingxiao depart.
"I will return to the Xiao Family too. I cannot stand aside while my family is in trouble. Besides, I need to gauge my brother's stance on Mount Yu," she added.
"Sorry to trouble you," Li Yuanjiao said affectionately, moved by his wife's dedication as he readily agreed. Xiao Guiluan smiled softly and rode the wind away.
Once she had left, Li Yuanping shook his head regretfully and said, "Xiao Xian and Xiao Jiuqing were both excellent men. What a pity..."
He had a brief acquaintance with Xiao Xian back in the day, and although it was only superficial, Xiao Xian had always seemed reliable.
Li Yuanjiao, however, had a different thought and said in a low voice, "I am afraid Daoist Master Chuting is still missing!"
Li Qinghong, who had been thinking about this matter throughout the conversation, finally spoke up.
"Brother is right. If Xiao Chuting were at Xianyou Peak, how could he allow devil cultivators to openly slaughter at Mount Yu? Xiao Guitu's claim that the Daoist Master has returned must be to pacify the people!"
Li Yuanjiao sighed, growing worried about the Xiao Family's situation. He then turned his thoughts to other matters as he said, "With the Purple Mansion Realm cultivator's struggles above, how can we possibly intervene? I am afraid the devil cultivators are difficult to deal with... If they come to Moongaze Lake, our family might be in trouble."
He looked around at the remaining core members all within their family's formation, and said boldly, "The clan's immortal mirror has the power to perceive the heavens and earth, and the Supreme Yin Moonlight is extremely powerful. However, it holds a high inherent rank, and using it frequently for surveillance might be disrespectful. We must remain vigilant ourselves... The devil cultivators in Mushroom Forest Plain are scattering in all directions. Stay within the grand formation and cultivate in peace."
Li Qinghong nodded while holding her spear. She scanned with her spiritual sense and said softly, "Brother, you have reached the seventh heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm!"
Li Qinghong was more talented than Li Yuanjiao, but with the Flowing Qi Swallowing Spirit talisman qi, his cultivation speed had doubled, now surpassing hers.
Li Qinghong was now only at the fifth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, while Li Yuanjiao had reached the seventh heavenly layer. He received the talisman at twenty, and now at thirty-seven or thirty-eight, he had advanced almost one layer every two years, which was astonishingly fast.
"Yes," Li Yuanjiao replied.
When he saw the envious look on Li Qinghong's face, he continued saying, "No need to be envious... In a real fight, I might not be your match. The Purple Thunder Secret Origin Technique is incredibly fierce, ancient, and mysterious. With Duruo Spear in hand, you might even wreck the devil plague."
However, Li Qinghong still had doubts in her heart. Her expression turned a little strange as she dismissed the younger generation. She then pulled Li Yuanjiao aside and whispered in a serious tone, "Brother! All these years I have been cultivating this technique, and I have been finding it increasingly extraordinary... It comes with both a thunder talisman and a thunder spell, which are both remarkable!"
She put away her spear, sat down, and continued in a low voice, "Back then, Ning Heyuan of the Azure Pond Sect fought with me. He is a direct descendant of the Azure Pond Sect, and his Heavenly Serpent Celestial Light spell is a secret technique of the Sect, yet it barely managed to hold my thunder talisman."
"Although my cultivation was slightly higher, which gave me an advantage, it shows the power of the thunder talisman. It is just a pity that it is integrated with the Purple Thunder Secret Origin Technique and cannot be cultivated separately," Li Qinghong explained, her eyes filled with doubt as she continued, "Grandfather always said that nine out of ten good things in the world turn out to be bad... That is why I am apprehensive."
Li Yuanjiao nodded silently and replied, "This technique was a gift from a Purple Smoke Gate cultivator whom our granduncle saved... It might not necessarily be problematic. The cultivator claimed it came from an ancient sect and he had not practiced it himself. He was a bit unreliable, so he might not have known its true value. In any case, I will write a letter to Xizhi, asking him to inquire about it within the sect."
After discussing it for a while, the two of them went their separate ways.