Qingdu Peak was once covered in white irises, but now, in the depths of winter, heavy snow had fallen, blanketing the entire peak in white. As the snow ceased, the sun shone brightly in the clear sky.
Xiao Guiluan was in her quiet chamber cultivating, her elegant phoenix eyes giving her a charming look. She wore a simple black dress.
Xiao Guiluan had reached the fifth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm. She possessed considerable talent and had advanced steadily over the years. Though she could not keep up with her husband, Li Yuanjiao, she had made remarkable progress.
Xiao Guiluan did not particularly like the color black, but since Li Yuanjiao favored dark, black-patterned robes, she followed his preference and dressed accordingly.
In the Li Family, Xiao Guiluan had always maintained a low profile. If Li Yuanjiao had been the clan head, her influence and status would undoubtedly be much greater. However, understanding that her husband disliked ostentation, she quietly focused on her cultivation atop the mountain.
As she exhaled a breath of pure qi, Li Yuexiang entered from the courtyard. Glancing at her mother, she asked, "Mother, where is Father?"
For as long as Li Yuexiang could remember, she had very few opportunities to spend time with her father. Although this wasn't ideal, Xiao Guiluan understood his reasons and raised Li Yuexiang on her own.
They were chatting and laughing together when the cave dwelling's doors suddenly creaked open. Li Yuanjiao strode out, looking relaxed, his cultivation seemingly having advanced.
"My dear!"
Xiao Guiluan joyfully approached him.
Li Yuanjiao embraced her, equally pleased after their time apart, though his first words were still the same.
"How are things at home?"
Xiao Guiluan replied, "Kong Tingyun has arrived as promised. She opened the fire vein on Wutu and left someone from Profound Peak Gate to guard it... The formation plate has been taken as well."
Although Li Yuanjiao had anticipated this, he still felt a pang of regret. After carefully inquiring about the details, he sighed and said, "What a pity! If I had not been injured by that Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator from Mount Yue, capturing a demon from the Eastern Sea would have been no problem! The timing would have been perfect."
All of this had been within Li Yuanjiao's expectations. He then asked, "Anything else?"
In the two years of his seclusion, several significant matters had arisen. Xiao Guiluan lowered her voice and said, "Madam Lu failed to break through the Qi Cultivation Realm years ago and lost much of her lifespan... She is nearly seventy years old now... There is no chance for her to advance any further. Just a few days ago, word arrived—she has passed away."
With an air of melancholy, Xiao Guiluan continued, "She died on her bed, holding a meal box and two jade chopsticks. She had been cultivating in seclusion in the forest, with only two elderly servants by her side."
"Madam Lu...?"
Li Yuanjiao paused, momentarily stunned, before recalling that Madam Lu's full name was Lu Wanrong, the widow of Li Xuanling. She had lived alone in the mountains for many years.
Li Xuanling had been killed by the Maha, and Lu Wanrong, devastated by grief, had nearly taken her own life. She had remained stuck at the fourth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm for ten years.
With the potential to break through to Qi Cultivation Realm, those ten years of stagnation had effectively cut off her cultivation path. Later, her youngest son, Li Yuanyun, died in the market, pushing her to the brink of despair.
Although her daughter, Li Qinghong, had shown some promise, Lu Wanrong had lost all hope, retreating to the mountains to await her end.
Upon hearing this news, Li Yuanjiao could only sigh sadly.
"Qinghong will probably need another year to break through. I fear... she will not make it in time. Let Xijun and Xicheng see her off."
Xiao Guiluan nodded and, after carefully considering her words, added softly, "Your mother... likely does not have many days left either."
The mother she referred to was not Madam Dou, but instead Li Yuanjiao's birth mother, Mu Yalu, a concubine of Li Xuanxuan. She had married into the family from Mount Yue many years ago and was now approaching seventy.
"What?!"
The words struck Li Yuanjiao like a bolt from the blue, his face turning pale as he struggled to contain himself. Without a second thought, he soared into the air, riding the wind swiftly toward the town.
Xiao Guiluan followed closely behind, offering a few words of comfort, but Li Yuanjiao could not register them. He quickly descended into the courtyard of the large estate. An elderly servant, holding a basin, surprisingly still recognized him and called out, "Young Master!"
Li Yuanjiao waved at her and hurried inside. An old woman was lying on the bed.
When Mu Yalu had married into the Li Family, she was in her prime, but now she had grown frail and aged. Although she was a mortal, her high status and careful maintenance had allowed her to live more than ten years beyond the average lifespan.
She had been lying listlessly on the bed, but upon seeing Li Yuanjiao enter, her spirit visibly lifted. She struggled to sit up, speaking urgently, "Jiao'er... I heard you were injured by a Mount Yue cultivator... Are you alright?!"
Despite Li Yuanjiao's ruthless and gloomy nature when dealing with the outside world, he could no longer hold back upon hearing her words. He collapsed to his knees in front of her, choking back tears, "Mother! I'm fine!"
Mu Yalu smiled as she gazed at him, studying his expression and demeanor.
To others, Li Yuanjiao was always associated with suspicion and ruthlessness, and even his appearance had earned him a reputation as someone untrustworthy. But in Mu Yalu's eyes, he was exceptional. She grasped his hand, laughing constantly.
Xiao Guiluan ushered the servants out and closed the door. It was only then that Li Yuanjiao noticed another person sitting on a chair nearby—so emaciated that he looked like a piece of dead log draped in gray clothing, silently leaning against the side.
"Father."
Li Xuanxuan opened his eyes and nodded, his gaze lingering on Li Yuanjiao. Over the years, he had struggled with hallucinations, and he was squinting as he stared at Li Yuanjiao, as if trying to recall something.
The atmosphere between the three of them was unbearably heavy. Li Yuanjiao, not one for warm words, simply kneeled there in silence, watching as Mu Yalu's breath grew more labored.
Mu Yalu smiled at him the whole time, seemingly having no more to say, or perhaps having said it all. Eventually, her lips grew cold, her limbs icy, and her arms turned dark and bruised.
Li Xuanxuan silently smoked a pipe, the thin white smoke wafting through the air as the three sat in silence. They watched on quietly as Mu Yalu's breathing became shallower, her life force gradually slipping away.
"Hack!"
Li Xuanxuan coughed and stood, as if preparing to say something, but Li Yuanjiao only held his mother's lifeless body and walked out of the room, leaving him alone inside, surrounded by the haze of smoke.
The midday sun was at its peak, its harsh light filtering through the windows and illuminating his haggard face. Li Xuanxuan's expression was blank, but his trembling hands betrayed the deep turmoil within him.
After coughing twice more, he approached Xiao Guiluan, pulling three stacks of talismans from his storage pouch. The patterns were complex and colorful, representing a wide variety of talisman types. He then said loudly, "Guiluan! These are the talismans I drew this year!"
Xiao Guiluan, still stunned, took the talismans. Li Xuanxuan, muttering to himself, rode the wind and flew off, heading toward Mount Lijing to fetch more blank talisman paper.
For a moment, Xiao Guiluan stood there alone, not sure whether to hold onto the talismans or put them away. Her heart ached with grief and agitation. After placing them on the desk, she hurried off to follow Li Yuanjiao.
————
Xiao Guiluan soared through the sky, searching for her husband, and finally found him.
Li Yuanjiao stood before Li Tongya's grave, his expression already calm and devoid of sorrow. He rested his hand on his sword, gazing silently ahead.
The grave behind him was his older brother's, Li Yuanxiu. The headstone was covered in ash, and its edges had been worn smooth over time by years of touch. Many of the graves in the Li Family cemetery were cenotaphs, and this one was no different.
Li Yuanjiao exhaled slowly, glancing briefly at Xiao Guiluan before asking, "Is there anything else at home?"
Xiao Guiluan nodded, unsure of his current state, and after a hesitant pause, she said softly, "Kongheng... the monk, has left."
"Did he now?"
Li Yuanjiao showed no surprise, simply replying, "Did he return to the north or head for Heavenly Thunder Peak? And what of Li Xijun?"
Xiao Guiluan quietly replied, "He went to Heavenly Thunder Peak."
"Heavenly Thunder Peak huh...?"
Li Yuanjiao's expression darkened slightly. He spoke in a low voice, "Let us go. We will return to Qingdu Peak and ask Xijun about it."