Bai Yinzi's face flushed red from the exertion and fear as he cried out desperately, "Daoist Donghe! Come quickly! Your family is about to kill me!"
These words caught Li Yuanjiao off guard, and he relented slightly.
"Let go of your dharma artifact and I'll spare you!" he said.
Bai Yinzi's face was still crimson. He shut his eyes and stood frozen on the spot as the light on his dharma artifact slowly faded. With his sword held to the man's throat, Li Yuanjiao was somewhat convinced by the man now and began to feel rather awkward.
"Young Master! Young Master!"
A middle-aged man flew out of the formation, looking pale and with several medicinal packs attached to his body. He smiled wryly and assured Li Yuanjiao, "This is a misunderstanding..."
Li Yuanjiao sheathed his sword, then bowed slightly to Bai Yinzi and apologized with mild embarrassment.
"Sorry, fellow Daoist..."
Still trembling with fright, Bai Yinzi muttered, "I see... Such is the might of the sword immortal clan... Half of my soul nearly fled my body as soon as you raised your sword."
Chen Donghe also apologized to Bai Yinzi. Having regained his composure, Bai Yinzi waved off the incident and simply replied, "It was my poor choice of words that caused the misunderstanding... I should be the one apologizing. You have been most gracious, Young Master!"
Despite being away from home for many years, Chen Donghe respectfully addressed Li Yuanjiao as Young Master, consequently influencing Bai Yinzi to do the same too. Li Yuanjiao said nothing and simply allowed them to address him that way.
With the misunderstanding resolved, Bai Yinzi let out a long sigh and was finally comfortable enough to speak normally.
"It's no surprise that your esteemed clan could thrive in the treacherous territories of the Azure Pond Sect, expand its territory, and ascend to become such a prestigious clan... Such determination is truly beyond my emulation!"
Having sheathed his sword, Li Yuanjiao's stern features relaxed. Although he no longer looked as vicious as earlier, he still looked rather fierce.
Bai Yinzi clicked his tongue in admiration before continuing, "The Golden Feather Sect, under which I serve, also imposes a hefty immortal tax. Yet, it's nothing compared to the ruthless measures of the Azure Pond Sect. They obliterate opposition at every opportunity. Even when temples are annexed, we must report to the Golden Feather Sect before proceeding with any further mergers, and we certainly do not resort to killing everyone..."
"In my opinion, the Azure Pond Sect and Gold Tang Gate behave no differently than devil cultivators. Let's keep our conversation between us, lest we be accused of slandering the immortal sect..." he added with a slow shake of his head, almost as though in dejection.
Li Yuanjiao listened patiently to Bai Yinzi's tirades. As soon as Bai Yinzi paused to catch his breath, Li Yuanjiao seized the opportunity to turn to Chen Donghe, his voice filled with concern as he asked, "What has gotten you into this state?"
"Devil cultivators!"
Chen Donghe was now at the sixth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm. A smile appeared on his pale face as he explained, "A few days ago, a band of devil cultivators headed north, passing by Smoke Valley Temple over Mount Xiping. I helped the temple cultivators defend the grand formation, but I sustained some injuries and have been bedridden for many days. I requested the temple master to come out and greet you, but I didn't know that would end up causing a misunderstanding..."
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanjiao pressed further, eager for details.
"Where did those devil cultivators go?"
"After a prolonged battle, they crossed Mount Xiping and likely headed to the west shore," Chen Donghe replied.
Li Yuanjiao estimated the timing and realized he likely could not catch up to them now, so he could only sigh regretfully.
The fact that those devil cultivators failed to breach this grand formation meant that most of them were early-stage Qi Cultivators. If Li Yuanjiao could rally the cultivators in his family to intercept them, they could potentially eliminate the threat and loot them to amass funds.
Li Yuanjiao then retrieved several pills from his storage pouch and handed them to Chen Donghe, whose own supply had long been depleted in the fierce battle. Gratefully accepting the supplies, Chen Donghe expressed his gratitude.
He smiled and introduced the other man, saying, "This is Bai Yinzi, the temple master who has greatly aided me over the years, providing everything from rations to spirit vein support. He is truly a kind and honest soul!"
Li Yuanjiao cupped his fist and acknowledged Bai Yinzi, while Bai Yinzi waved his hand and laughed.
"Daoist Donghe has also been a great help to me over these years... He has defeated several rivals at the temple fair. I owe him much for the support and am more than happy to provide food and lodging for him."
Chen Donghe responded with a warm laugh, and Bai Yinzi continued enthusiastically, "Fellow Daoist Donghe is a good-natured person. Even those he has defeated admire him... He's earned quite a reputation across this desert over the years!"
The two continued conversing for some time. Bai Yinzi then invited them both back to drink and feast until the sunset. Eventually, Chen Donghe finally returned to his courtyard with Li Yuanjiao.
As they closed the door behind them, they activated an isolating formation. In the center of the courtyard sat an old woman, her face etched with wrinkles around her eyes and on her forehead. She held an oil lamp which illuminated the paper she was writing on with a brush. Looking up as the two men entered, she greeted them softly.
"Ah... You are here, Jiao'er."
"Auntie..."
Li Yuanjiao hesitated for a moment before recognizing her. Li Jingtian had aged significantly, now over fifty and drastically different from his memories, except for her eyes, which remained as gentle and warm as ever.
It was rare for mortals of Mount Dali to reach such an age. Chen Donghe had been nourishing Li Jingtian with spirit items, so she still seemed to be in good health.
With a smile, she asked, "How is everything at home? Is Second Uncle still doing well?"
Hearing her questions, Li Yuanjiao's composure faltered, and tears welled up in his eyes. He shut his eyes, his hand gripping the hilt of his Qingche Sword which buzzed and vibrated with his emotion.
With a sorrowful tone, he revealed, "The Old Ancestor has left this world to express his gratitude to the Supreme Yin..."
Upon hearing this, Li Jingtian's face immediately paled and tears streamed down her cheeks. Chen Donghe also seemed to be taken aback by the news as the expression on his face changed and he stood frozen in place.
"I see... this moment has finally come..."
Although Li Jingtian had received a few pieces of news from home and had somewhat mentally prepared herself, Chen Donghe reacted as if struck by lightning, his face contorted in disbelief.
"Impossible... How can this be?!" he cried aloud.
Chen Donghe, normally composed even in the direst of circumstances, had completely lost his composure. His face contorted with a torrent of emotions. Taking a few steps back, his eyes darkened as he uttered in disbelief, "Unless a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator intervened, who could possibly have killed Second Uncle?!"
Without thinking, Chen Donghe had also addressed him as Second Uncle. His face flushed as he gasped for breath. Li Yuanjiao quickly reached out to support him, channeling qi through his meridians. After a moment, Chen Donghe coughed up a mouthful of black blood.
Since he had sustained internal injuries, his complexion visibly improved after he spat out the blood. Looking up, he asked, "Was it an old wound from Maha?"
"Yes..."
With this confirmation, Chen Donghe wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth and murmured, "The heavens must be envious of the talented... To think that all the four brothers of Lijing died so silently!"
Li Yuanjiao turned his head away slightly, as the family had not acknowledged Li Chejing's death. Chen Donghe, who had supported them for years, must have had his reasons for keeping such matters close to his heart. Now, overcome with emotion, he had let the words slip.
After being comforted by Li Jingtian for a moment, Chen Donghe regained his composure. He hung his head and apologized, "I'm sorry you had to see that."
Unable to find the right words of comfort, Li Yuanjiao continued to focus on helping Chen Donghe fix his meridians.
Chen Donghe then remarked, "Please allow me to rest for a bit. Tomorrow, I will take you to Smoke Valley Market."
Li Yuanjiao nodded, and the couple supported each other as they moved toward the inner courtyard.
Soon after, the sound of muffled sobs could be heard from the doorway.
Li Yuanjiao sat in silence and was lost in his own thoughts, now all alone in the courtyard. The tea on the table remained untouched, its colors mingling with the hues of the blood-red sunset.
He rested his hand on his knee, gazing toward the red sun dipping below the desert horizon as he let out a sigh. Smoke rose in shapes that resembled serpents, whales, wolves, and snakes, all melding into the dark red distant sky.