The setting sun was blood-red, casting a gloomy shadow over the surroundings.
At Moongaze Lake, an unusual evening fog was particularly thick, reducing visibility to the point where one could not even see their hand right in front of them. The place was eerily silent, and even the insects had fallen silent and still.
In the streets of Lijing Town, people were scarce. The reddish light of the setting sun crept along the bricks. Even the street vendors had become lax, closing up early and heading home, making the large city of tens of thousands feel empty and silent.
Li Yuanping hurried up the mountain where his father and brother were already waiting. The clan guards had been dismissed from the courtyard where his elder sister stood, holding a spear with a complex expression.
Li Qinghong's face showed a hint of satisfaction, yet her tightly crossed arms revealed a slight unease. It was the first time Li Yuanping had seen his sister like this, immediately raising a question in his mind.
"Elder Sister!" Li Yuanping entered the courtyard and called out to her.
Li Qinghong nodded in acknowledgment but said nothing further, closing the courtyard gate.
Drip, drip...
A crisp sound reached his ears as Li Yuanping slowly crossed the courtyard. His brother Li Yuanjiao stood silently in the backyard, while his father, Li Xuanxuan, sat on the doorstep, holding a handful of red jade beads.
The sky was growing darker, and Li Yuanping, lacking spiritual sense, could barely make out the scene in the courtyard. He performed a spell to produce a thin beam of bright light.
"Brother, what is this..."
Just as he inquired, he slowly lifted his head, realizing that there was another person present. The figure had smooth, jade-like skin, and sharp features. He was standing as still as a cold statue, draped in green robes.
Li Yuanping's gaze moved slowly until it met a face streaked with bloody tears.
Drip.
The sound of blood-red beads falling and colliding with each other filled the air as one rolled to his ankle. Li Yuanjiao's hoarse voice reached his ear.
"This is Daoist Master Buzi from the Azure Pond Sect... He arrived at our home two hours ago, found our talisman pill, and ended up like this."
Li Xuanxuan, still turned away from them, took a sip of spirit wine from a gourd, his face slightly flushed. He continued where Li Yuanjiao left off, "We examined him for a long time, and it seems that Buzi was frightened to death by what he saw."
Frightened to death... frightened to death...?!
His father's words echoed in his ears. Li Yuanping stood there, stunned, mumbling in shock, "You mean... a Daoist Master from the Azure Pond Sect suddenly died in our house..?"
Fear slowly filled his pale face as he said urgently, "We must flee! At the very least, we need to send the younger family members away, this..."
"No."
Li Yuanjiao shook his head, his expression dark, clearly having considered this before. He continued in a low voice, "The Azure Pond Sect still does not know about this... his soul lamp in the sect is not extinguished yet. Otherwise, Azure Pond cultivators would have broken through the Great Void and come here long ago, and our family would have already been destroyed!"
If a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator from Azure Pond Sect died at Moongaze Lake, the consequences would be unimaginable, especially since this Purple Mansion Realm cultivator was a direct descendant of the Chi Family, the actual leaders of Azure Pond Sect.
The sect would not only be in an uproar, but it might also alarm cultivators above the Purple Mansion Realm.
Even if the Azure Pond Sect lacked Golden Core Realm cultivators, the cunning nature of Purple Mansion Realm cultivators would prevent them from coming in person. But if they learned of Chi Buzi's death, there would be numerous Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators emerging from the Great Void, turning Moongaze Lake upside down!
Everyone understood the gravity of the situation and fell silent.
"Perhaps the Daoist Master is not dead."
Li Qinghong suddenly spoke, causing the others to exchange glances and then retreat, closing the small door to the backyard and taking positions in the front yard.
"Brother."
As Li Yuanping reached the front yard, he had calmed down and spoke in a serious tone, "Regardless of whether the Daoist Master is dead or alive, we must quickly send out the direct family members, dispersing them in all directions to preserve our family's legacy while Azure Pond Sect remains unaware... "
Li Yuanping paused to consider the options, then said, "We could head to the Wu State, and take over a small mountain or temple. Although we would lose everything, at least we can survive... Or go to the Eastern Sea, where we could seize a small island and bide our time..."
Li Qinghong interrupted him with a clear voice, "If our entire Li Family flees, it will be as good as admitting guilt. The Purple Mansion Realm cultivators can trace our whereabouts! Moreover..."
Her expression turned somewhat forlorn, her voice lowering as her red lips parted, "Grandfather killed Wrathful Maha, right here in the southern Yue State, by the shores of Moongaze Lake... The monks of the Wrathful Form dare not come for revenge, but if we leave this place, those monks, led by The Merciful One, will surely descend upon us like wolves. Forget about the Merciful One... even a Master Monk could destroy our family!"
Li Yuanping suddenly recalled the burden of guilt unjustly placed upon their family by an unknown Purple Mansion Realm cultivator. He gritted his teeth and said, "Then are you suggesting we go to the Yue Cultivating Sect? The three major sects usually do not interfere with each other. We are under the governance of the Azure Pond; if we go to the Yue Cultivating Sect, do you think they will accept us?"
Li Qinghong clenched her spear and shook her head slightly as she continued, "There's no place for us in the territory of the Yue Cultivating Sect... We can only be their guest cultivators, and our number of Qi Cultivators is not something one or two immortal mountains can sustain."
Li Yuanjiao was silent for a while before transmitting his voice through mana.
"The immortal mirror has a high inherent rank... I do not know if the person holding it can be detected. If not, there might be a chance to escape."
His meaning was clear: someone from the Li Family should escape with the mirror. Hearing this, Li Xuanxuan and the others fell silent.
"If Buzi is dead, then we have a chance. But if he is not, there's no way he'd let us go after this..." Li Yuanjiao continued grimly.
The constant dripping of blood in the backyard was nerve-wracking. Finally, Li Xuanxuan, stroking his beard, said, "Jiao'er, you take the mirror and leave. Do not concern yourself with the matters of the family."
Li Yuanjiao touched the sword at his waist as he organized his thoughts, but before he could speak, Li Xuanxuan continued, "We will handle the rest. You have the highest cultivation and a low-profile technique. With the Qingche Sword, you can travel far and find a place to seclude yourself and break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm..."
Li Yuanjiao gritted his teeth, his thoughts racing as his grip on his sword grew tighter.
The courtyard was eerily silent; it was a silence that made one's heart race. The night was bright with the white moonlight casting its glow around their surroundings. Li Yuanjiao looked up at his siblings, but his expression suddenly froze.
There had been no movement for some time. His father, Li Xuanxuan, stood still, clutching his beard, his pupils dilated. Li Yuanping's face was covered in sweat which trickled down his neck.
Li Qinghong stood motionless like a statue, her hand holding the Duruo Spear which emitted no light. Her grip was so tight that her knuckles turned white. Sweat began forming on the bridge of her delicate nose.
Why is it so quiet?!
Li Yuanjiao suddenly had a bad premonition.
Creak...
In the white moonlight, the door to the backyard slowly opened. A fair hand rested on the door frame, the green robe appeared dazzlingly pale in the moonlight as if glowing.
Clatter...
Red jade beads scattered across the backyard ground, rolling lightly onto the stone bricks of the front yard.
Thud.
Then, it was followed by the sound of a footstep.