After much deliberation, Li Yuanping and Li Xuanxuan proposed names like Four Lineage Peak and Li Lake Peak , but Li Qinghong was unimpressed and unsure how to respond to those names.
After further discussion, Li Xuanxuan decided on Celestial Moon Peak and Celestial Moon Cave Dwelling . He sighed and remarked, "It's a shame there's already a Moon Lake Peak in Azure Pond; otherwise, this name would have been perfect."
"I think our family should avoid names related to the moon," Li Xijun suggested.
The group exchanged thoughtful looks and agreed. Li Yuanping then proposed, "How about we combine the names of our Foundation Establishment dharma artifacts—Qingche Sword and Duruo Spear? We'll call it Qingdu Peak ! The water of Moongaze Lake is always light green, and we can plant some white irises on the mountain... It'll be a perfect name!"[1]
Li Qinghong's Duruo Spear glowed faintly and she smiled.
"Finally, a good name."
" Qingdu Peak and Qingdu Cave Dwelling . From now on, this will be our family's main peak," Li Xuanxuan reaffirmed with a sense of satisfaction.
With the name settled, they received a letter from the Xiao Family. Xiao Guitu's response was swift and clear. Li Xuanxuan read it carefully and nodded in approval.
"Xiao Guitu truly handles matters efficiently," he commended.
The letter conveyed that the Rui Family, though once enlightened by the old ancestor of the Xiao Family, had no direct connection with them now. The Xiao Family would manage the mining of the Green Essence Copper themselves, so there was no need to trouble the Li Family.
"They're concerned that our family might mishandle the copper essence and create trouble," Li Yuanping said as he reviewed the letter. The Xiao Family's high regard for Green Essence Copper made him reluctant to get involved, preferring to avoid any potential issues.
One party was unwilling to concede, while the other was hesitant to intervene. This somewhat contentious situation was eventually resolved. As they were discussing the matter, the Jade Court Guards arrived with a report.
"My Lords, the monk has taken up residence on a small island nearby and built a thatched hut to cultivate."
"Kongheng? He's still around?!" Li Qinghong exclaimed as she frowned slightly. This monk, Kongheng, had appeared uninvited and had helped during the devil plague by intercepting two devil cultivators from Zhao State. His intervention had prevented significant casualties.
Since the Li Family owed him a favor, it was difficult to drive him away, so they had no choice but to allow him to stay on the lake.
"Yes, I've gathered quite a bit of information over the years. Kongheng initially wandered around Huaqian, collecting herbs and aiding people. He later moved to Yuting, and now he's here on the lake. He doesn't preach or cause any trouble, so we can't kill him... We can only send a few people to keep an eye on him," Li Yuanping said with a shrug.
————
For half a month, the lake remained tranquil. When the Dawn Cloudliner arrived as scheduled, Li Qinghong had to make the journey to submit the tributes since Li Yuanjiao was still in seclusion.
This time, the senior cultivator from Yuanwu Peak of Azure Pond, known as Yu Su and nicknamed Brocade Dark Mouse , had a reputation of greed. To avoid giving anyone cause to criticize her, Li Qinghong set off for Milin Prefecture early.
Despite numerous covert attempts by various parties, the internal strife within the Yu Family had remained unresolved. Though they appeared as a unified entity, the Yu Family had actually fractured into four distinct factions, deeply affected by the failed reforms initiated by Yu Mugao.
As a Qi Cultivator of the eighth heavenly layer, Li Qinghong flew directly over more than half of the Yu Family's territory without encountering any obstacles. It was only when she neared the Yu Family's peak, where she was to pay tribute, that a middle-aged man approached to meet her.
The man had a weathered face, a mature demeanor, and a tall stature, but his cheeks were tense, and he appeared somewhat nervous. With a spear slung over his back, he hurried over and stared at Li Qinghong in speechless surprise.
Li Qinghong, who had broken through to the Qi Cultivation Realm early, now appeared to be only in her early twenties.
"Fellow Daoist, you're..."
The middle-aged man was taken aback, his face paling. After a moment of silence, he cupped his fist and greeted, "Fei Tongxiao of the Fei Family. Greetings, fellow Daoist!"
"Oh... it's you!"
Li Qinghong finally recognized him. Their last meeting had been many years ago, and reminiscing about the old times seemed rather awkward so Li Qinghong quickly shifted the topic.
Noticing the true essence around Fei Tongxiao, she frowned and asked, "Why...?"
"Oh!"
Fei Tongxiao understood that Li Qinghong was referring to the changes in his own cultivation and true essence.
Years ago, during the turmoil in the Fei Family, Fei Wangbai was beheaded by a sword, and since then, Fei Tongxiao decided not to practice the Long Brocade Heart Sutra for his foundation establishment. Unwilling to give up, he dispersed his cultivation and started anew.
With the full support of his elder brother, Fei Tongyu, Fei Tongxiao had spent over a decade reaching the Qi Cultivation Realm and had just recently broken through.
No matter how quickly he progressed, it had taken Fei Tongxiao thirty years to become a Qi Cultivator, having passed through the Embryonic Breathing Realm twice. Despite being considered a genius in his family, he found himself nearing forty before achieving this level. Beyond his deep sense of disappointment, the lines of age had begun to show on his face.
Seeing Li Qinghong, who remained as heroic, radiant, and beautiful as in her youth—clad in jade armor and wielding a spear—having already reached the eighth level of Qi Cultivation, Fei Tongxiao found it difficult to articulate the emotion he was feeling at the moment.
He had been so decisive in the past, ready to sacrifice everything and disperse his cultivation, but the consequences of his choices had left him with a pale face right now.
Nevertheless, he managed to say, "Are you here to submit the tribute too, fellow Daoist?"
Although he did not provide any explanation, Li Qinghong managed to figure it out by connecting the dots. She looked at him guiltily and replied softly, "Yes..."
The conversation fell into silence. On the peak, with only the two of them standing in the cold wind, Fei Tongxiao's face gradually calmed. After several failed attempts to speak, he finally said with a bitter smile, "Things are unpredictable. The situation changed so quickly back then that no one could have imagined..."
Li Qinghong responded softly, and as the glory of Dawn Cloudliner began to rise in the sky, more people gathered. The cultivators from various families stopped respectfully, greeting Li Qinghong as a senior before continuing on their way.
Fei Tongxiao remained pale, his head bowed, saying nothing. Although he should have addressed Li Qinghong as a senior, he simply could not bring himself to do so and remained silent.
After a while, the Dawn Cloudliner landed on the peak, and a group of cultivators descended. The leader, dressed in a brocade robe rather than his usual uniform, had a short beard, dark yellow skin, a thin face, and sparkling eyes.
He was Yu Su, the senior brother of Yuanwu Peak, also known as Brocade Dark Mouse !
Yu Su stepped off the cloudliner and glanced at the assembly, then asked softly, "Where are the Yu Family's members?"
A representative was pushed forward—Yu Chengyi, the seventh son of Yu Mugao. He dropped to his knees with a thud and exclaimed, "Greetings, immortal envoy of the upper sect!"
Yu Su glanced at him, then shook his head and said, "My junior brother has made a specific request, so I'll attend to that first before discussing anything further with you."
At the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm, Yu Su was the highest-ranking cultivator anyone on the lake had seen. His brocade robe fluttered as if moved by an invisible wind, and his presence was commanding. His words left everyone in awe.
Unfamiliar with such grandeur, the assembly could only nod in agreement. Yu Su then took out a small, exquisitely crafted golden cage from his sleeve. Although bright and ornate, it was empty inside.
1. Qingche Sword literally means Green Ruler Sword while Duruo Spear means White Iris Spear. ☜