Li Xizhi casually navigated through the bustling market, taking a moment to visit the courtyard where his grandfather, Li Xuanxuan, was diligently sketching with a talisman brush dipped in spirit ink.
Having drawn talismans for over seventy years, the old man could draw them perfectly even with his eyes closed. Without stopping his hand, he raised his gray eyebrows and glanced at Li Xizhi. A smile broke across his face as he said, "You're here, Zhi'er."
Li Xizhi responded respectfully, observing as his grandfather skillfully completed a talisman. The finished product was a Returning Origin Shield snow-white talisman of the late-stage Qi Cultivation Realm.
Noticing the curious look on his grandson's face, Li Xuanxuan remarked, "It's just a common talisman and can't compare to those available in your sect..."
Li Xizhi took another closer look at it and replied softly, "It's true that it falls short. Grandfather's talisman art is remarkably refined, but without a superior legacy, it's wasted on these simpler designs."
"The threshold for talisman art is low, and many rogue cultivators like me squander their potential here in Yue State," Li Xuanxuan chuckled, waving his hand dismissively.
He then retrieved the Dinglin Piercer from his storage pouch and handed the golden dharma artifact to him.
"This Dinglin Piercer is inscribed with Situ Mo's name and the seal of Golden Tang Gate. We dare not use this, so we hope to find a blacksmith in the market to melt and modify it. At least then, it would be usable."
He stroked his beard and sighed before continuing, "I took a trip when I had the chance, but the few blacksmiths who could handle it were afraid of offending the Golden Tang Gate, so they turned me away. The only one willing to take it on quoted an outrageous price! I can't believe it...!"
Li Xizhi immediately understood the situation. Taking the dharma artifact into his hands, he assured, "Leave it to me, Grandfather. While I can't act recklessly in this market, I can leverage my power and influence to open a few backdoors... I may be able to solve our family's trouble easily."
Li Xuanxuan nodded repeatedly with a look of appreciation on his face.
"A few years ago, I had a disagreement with your youngest uncle. If you had stayed home, you would have been the perfect person to manage the family. Unfortunately, you had to join the sect as you were the only candidate to fill that role. If only we could delay it a few years back then..."
Li Xizhi shook his head, but Li Xuanxuan continued, "Yes, you were indeed the best candidate to join the sect. Ximing can be heartless; if someone with his personality joined, it could spell trouble! Xijun is too sharp, and Xicheng is too serious. You're the only one who can navigate these waters patiently and with goodwill..."
"I heard you married someone from the Yang Family. Does she take good care of you? Bring her back to meet Grandfather if opportunity allows..."
Li Xuanxuan, now old and prone to rambling, chatted on as Li Xizhi listened with a smile.
Eventually, he said softly, "Just a moment, Grandfather. I'll find someone to recast the dharma artifact."
Li Xuanxuan waved, motioning for him to go. As Li Xizhi stepped outside, he heard a couple of creaking sounds from the backyard. Li Xijun entered, looking noticeably better, but with a hint of concern on his face.
"Granduncle, you should really consider heading home earlier. While we're safe in this market, I'm worried that Situ Mo could still pose a threat. Auntie is alone at home. If he goes to Mount Qingdu, I fear she won't be able to handle him," he urged.
"That's a good point," Li Xuanxuan replied, pausing in his work. He set down the talisman brush and added, "When Jiao'er finishes his retreat, we can all return together. We'll have Xizhi take care of the dharma artifact and deliver it to us when it's done."
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When Li Xizhi left the courtyard, the two older men, who had been waiting attentively, approached him.
"Who's the best at refining artifacts in this market?" he asked them.
One of the old men stepped forward with a fawning smile as he replied, "There's a cultivator from the Sword Gate here who specializes in crafting dharma artifacts, but... he's also a disciple of the immortal sect and has secluded himself for quite some time. He isn't very friendly, so we dare not approach him. I fear you might need to visit him personally, my lord..."
"From Wanyu Sword Gate , huh? That's fine. Take me there," Li Xizhi replied decisively with a nod.
He set off, riding the rainbow as the two men followed closely behind, admiring and fearing the vibrant light beneath his feet.
One of them whispered through mana voice transmission, "This man is quite fortunate to be born as the direct descendant of Qingdu and become a disciple of Azure Pond Sect. His master is a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator from the Yuan Family of Mushroom Forest Plain, and his father is the ancestor of the Li Family. His family has Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators for three generations... He's truly been above us since birth..."
The other old man nodded in agreement, replying in the same manner, "Indeed. I suspect this lord's background in the sect plays a significant role too... He doesn't get involved in the market dealings. Perhaps he even looks down on them!"
Of course, Li Xizhi could not hear their conversation. When he stepped into the courtyard, he saw a young man sitting on the ground, studying a blueprint. Sensing Li Xizhi's presence, he raised his drooping eyelids and glanced at him.
"I am Cheng Jinzhu of Wanyu Sword Gate. Which peak of Azure Pond do you come from?" the young man asked.
Although Wanyu Sword Gate and Azure Pond Sect did not have the best relationship, the man's sideways glance felt rather rude. Sensing the arrogance in his demeanor, Li Xizhi guessed that this situation might be challenging.
Nevertheless, he responded humbly, "I'm Li Xizhi from Qingsui Peak."
"Qingsui Peak? Never heard of it!" Cheng Jinzhu replied, his tone initially calm. But then he suddenly frowned, straightened his posture, and asked with confusion, "Li Family... Aren't you from the Li Family of Fuchen Peak ? This Qingsui you speak of... is it the Qingsui connected to the Sword Immortal?"
"I'm from the Li Family of Qingdu at Moongaze Lake," Li Xizhi explained.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Cheng Jinzhu jumped up from the ground, his expression shifting drastically.
His smile became enthusiastic, and he said with a hint of embarrassment, "My apologies, fellow Daoist! I saw how young you looked and thought you were a direct descendant of the Devil Gate... It turns out you're the descendant of the Sword Immortal Clan! I am truly sorry!"
Although Cheng Jinzhu could openly refer to the Azure Pond Sect as the Devil Gate, Li Xizhi did not dare to acknowledge it. He felt a wave of relief wash over him, but could only bow his head silently and pretend he had not heard the young man's remark.
"The influence of my predecessors is hardly worth mentioning," he replied modestly.
Cheng Jinzhu's attitude changed completely. He pulled Li Xizhi closer and exclaimed cheerfully, "What do you mean by hardly worth mentioning ? When Celestial Moon Sword Intent first emerged, it was recorded even in the Wanyu Sword Book of my sect! The sword's name is Qingche , and the sword intent is Celestial Moon —ethereal and unpredictable. With just a glance, anyone could tell that it embodies the true Dao!"
"We don't like to refer to it by the name of the immortal peak in the Devil Gate. So, whenever we talk about the Sword Immortal, we refer to him by his sword's name," he added.
A somber look appeared on his face as he continued, "It's a pity he fell in the southern border. Such a shame..."
Cheng Jinzhu took Li Xizhi's hand and said, "Your family hails from Azure Pond; otherwise, my sword gate would be the closest to your family. In recent years, my gate has been fighting everywhere, and the situation isn't good. We can barely protect ourselves. Otherwise, we would definitely invite the descendants of your family to join us..."
He continued softly, "As for the Wrathful Maha, although my elder has never engaged in the dirty dealings of Buddhist cultivators, they made an exception in the great void, secretly trying to rescue the victims. Although his actions have yielded some unexpected results, things ultimately didn't work out..."
Cheng Jinzhu seemed to be filled with frustration as he spilled out all these words that he had been suppressing all this while. Li Xizhi listened intently until he finished speaking, feeling slightly touched by his emotive expressions.
Cheng Jinzhu then noticed the expression on his face and smiled brightly as he said, "Come, fellow Daoist! Your family's techniques are impressive. Let's have a quick spar with swords!"