"I know," Li Yuanjiao said, waving his hand dismissively.
He picked up the storage pouch he got from the Embryonic Breathing Realm devil cultivator he had killed earlier on his way home and began sifting through its contents quietly.
"The clan's vault still holds the mid-stage Qi Cultivation Realm Azure Blades... We can sell them to build the emergency funds. As for that Six-Stone Cloud Plate... It's a rare dharma shield produced by the Azure Pond. We should keep that for ourselves," he said thoughtfully.
After considering his options, he finally put the pouch away, adding, "Considering this was an Embryonic Breathing Realm cultivator, the capacity of his pouch is small—hardly the size of a tabletop. Everything inside is probably worth only ten Spirit Stones in total."
Despite this, the devil cultivator was actually considered wealthier than most of his peers in the Embryonic Breathing Realm. Li Yuanjiao stowed the items just as Li Qinghong, who had been quietly observing, spoke up.
"The second lineage has nothing much to offer, but I have nine Spirit Stones. You can have them, Big Brother."
Without waiting for a response, she handed the stones to Li Yuanjiao, who accepted them silently.
"Thanks, I owe you."
Li Xizhi was his only son. Selling dharma artifacts was the limit of what he could leverage from the clan without causing a scandal. In other families, such actions might have led to accusations of selfishness and provoked internal strife, and it is not something that could be settled with a mere discussion.
Li Qinghong merely shrugged and chuckled.
"They're yours now."
They looked at each other for a moment before a smile broke across their faces. As soon as Li Yuanjiao put away the pouch he was going through, he took a few more Embryonic Breathing Realm dharma artifacts out of the store room. He unfolded a map and scanned it briefly, intending to find a marketplace.
"Now that the Cloud Crowned Peak market is destroyed, it takes much longer to reach other marketplaces," he murmured while analyzing the map before him. He initially planned to head to the Yuan Family's market but after estimating the distance, he realized that the Smoke Valley Market to the west in the desert was much closer.
"I'll head to Smoke Valley Market then! With communications being so unreliable now, this is a good chance for me to meet up with Uncle Donghe."
————
Li Yuanjiao packed his belongings on the mountain hastily before departing. The snowfall intensified, drifting like goose feathers and blanketing the town and mountains in white. Li Xijun, accompanied by a group of elders, bid farewell to Li Ximing before returning to the mountain himself.
He walked in the snow with his hands clasped behind his back. His thin and bright clothing stood out against the increasingly ethereal landscape.
Unlike his elder brother Li Xicheng, who was burdened with many clan responsibilities, Li Xijun enjoyed an easier role at the Clan Affairs Courtyard. He spent his days training in seclusion, occasionally descending the mountain to slay demons.
After walking about a dozen li, Mount Yuting loomed ahead, its peak covered in snow and peppered with green pines.
"Upon Yuting's pines the snow falls, chasing away evil with its silent thrall..." Li Xijun murmured.
Having cultivated on Mount Yuting for many years, he had seen the pines multiply, and the mountain itself seemed to stretch ever higher, almost piercing the clouds. Li Qinghong, the town's guardian, wielded thunder to vanquish demons. The four towns at the base of Mount Yuting often celebrated her with poetry. Li Xijun had read some of them and even remembered a few lines.
Approaching the mountain's base with his sword in arms, he was met by two figures who bowed respectfully upon seeing him.
"Greetings, Young Master."
They were the An Family's brothers—An Siming and An Siwei. Both of them were a few years older than Li Xijun, and were sent by Li Yuanping to train at Yuting Peak.
An Siming had a sword at his side, while An Siwei carried a spear on his back. Both wore gold rings around their wrists. Li Xijun exchanged a few pleasantries with them before opening the grand formation with a secret seal. The golden light flickered slowly just as it opened.
An Siming stepped forward, hesitating before saying softly, "Young Master, our younger sister at home is twelve this year. She has a spiritual orifice and is in the second stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm... Not only that, she has a lovely face and..."
He looked rather awkward and was stumbling slightly over his words. Li Xijun, holding his sword, stepped forward with the grand formation closing behind him. He trudged through the snow, asking, "Is Master An thinking of aligning An Family with the second lineage through marriage?"
Both men affirmed eagerly, then offered some nice words. However, Li Xijun merely laughed and said, "After my father's passing, the second lineage is now led by my aunt. If she and the clan agree, I can certainly meet your sister."
Upon hearing his reply, the two brothers could only nod in agreement. Li Xijun gazed at the white snow dusting the pines and sighed.
"This matter is not ours to decide..."
The An brothers nodded in understanding. Running his thumb along the sheath of his sword, Li Xijun let his thoughts wander.
The An Family members are all very talented. If Second Uncle fails to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, at least my two brothers-in-law will become peak Qi Cultivators in fifty years... By then, perhaps my father-in-law will also reach peak Qi Cultivation Realm or beyond...
He caught a falling snowflake and watched it melt in his palm.
The An Family is unaware that my family is protected by a mirror... They likely worry that if their daughter marries into our first lineage, their children could meet a grim fate, and marrying into the second lineage might require them to shoulder the heavy responsibility of overseeing the family's affairs.
An Zheyan is probably clueless, so Li Feiruo had to send these brothers to test the waters.
Just then, a clump of snow fell from a green pine, disrupting Li Xijun's thoughts. He smiled at the brothers and said courteously, "I'm ascending the mountain to resume my training."
————
Li Yuanjiao had been riding on the wind for half the day and he crossed the center of Moongaze Lake to its western shore. The area was dotted with both large and small mountain ranges, home to dozens of immortal cultivation families. Most were Embryonic Breathing Realm families, with very few being Qi Cultivation Realm families.
This region was under the domain of a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Realm rogue cultivator named Daoist He, a recluse who had little to do with the wider world, subsisting on offerings collected within his small parcel of land. The nearby families wisely chose not to provoke him.
Continuing along the western shore, a towering mountain that split the sky soon came into view. The terrain was rugged and narrow with a stark, rocky summit, and the spiritual energy here was sparse. Known as Xiping, this mountain marked the boundary between the arid desert and Moongaze Lake; it also served as the frontier between the Azure Pond Sect and the Golden Feather Sect.
After traversing Mount Xiping, the climate immediately turned hot and dry. Days of flying brought the gradual emergence of yellow sands, and soon, an imposing pass loomed ahead—Smoke Valley Pass, an ancient stronghold in Yue State, now occupied by the Golden Feather Sect's Smoke Valley Temple.
As Li Yuanjiao approached the pass, his spiritual sense detected the heat and light of a powerful grand formation, ready to activate at a moment's notice.
"Li Yuanjiao from Lijing's Li Family has arrived to pay respects. Please open the grand formation, Temple Master!" he said as he transmitted his voice via mana.
Moments later, a Daoist priest emerged from the formation. His cultivation was modest, at the third heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm. However, his half-yellow and half-white robe looked somewhat unusual. Nevertheless, he greeted Li Yuanjiao with a broad smile.
"Greetings, fellow Daoist! I am Bai Yinzi from Smoke Valley!"
Li Yuanjiao returned the smile, observing the priest's overly humble demeanor and eager expression.
"Are you here to see Daoist Donghe? Come with me inside, fellow Daoist!" the man said in a welcoming manner.
Although Chen Donghe had resided here for many years, Li Yuanjiao was still too wary to follow the man inside. His gaze lingered on Bai Yinzi's face before chuckling and resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"I prefer to stay here. Please get Uncle Donghe to come out here," he said.
Bai Yinzi's face fell slightly as he wiped the sweat on his face, his lips quivering as he replied hesitantly, "I'm afraid that won't be convenient! Daoist Donghe has sustained injuries and shouldn't be moving around... It's better for you to come inside, fellow Daoist."
Li Yuanjiao laughed and replied, "Is that so?"
Bai Yinzi breathed a sigh of relief, his smile returning. However, as Li Yuanjiao advanced a step forward, his expression abruptly hardened, turning fierce.
"Such audacity!" he boomed.
He had already unsheathed the Qingche Sword. The blade gleamed brightly, emitting a piercing whistle as Li Yuanjiao executed the Celestial Moon Slash technique.
Bai Yinzi felt a sharp cut on his face. With a horrified cry, he hastily summoned his earth-yellow Tortoise Shield dharma artifact, pleading miserably, "You've misunderstood me, fellow Daoist! Spare me... please!"
Li Yuanjiao, however, was not inclined to trust this man. Thoughts raced through his mind like lightning.
Is Uncle Donghe still inside? He's trying to lure me into the formation... there must be no other Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators around. I must hold him hostage and see if I can negotiate for Uncle Donghe's release. If that doesn't work out, I can at least avenge him!
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, his sword arc struck the shield. This Tortoise Shield, likely a prized dharma artifact of the temple and appearing to be of high-grade Qi Cultivation Realm, wailed under the impact. The Qingche Sword, a Foundation Establishment Realm dharma weapon, proved far superior.