The Dawn Cloudliner flew at a very fast speed above the lush Mushroom Forest Plain. Within two hours, it gracefully descended onto a cloud-shrouded misty peak with a beautiful pavilion.
Following Yuan Tuan, Li Chejing alighted from the Dawn Cloudliner and was immediately greeted by a group of white and blue-robed cultivators bowing and greeting in unison, “Welcome, immortal envoys!”
“There’s no need for formalities,” Yuan Tuan replied with a gentle smile, descending the stone steps.
A middle-aged robed man awaited her at the base, turning respectfully to Li Chejing and saying, “Greetings, disciple of the upper sect. I am Yuan Huyuan of the Yuan Family from the Mushroom Forest Plain.”
“I am Li Chejing of the Li Family from Moongaze Lake,” he replied, adhering to customary introductions that mentioned the region they were from for clarity, since the Yuan and Li families were not from the same prefecture.
Yuan Tuan gave him a subtle nod and said, “Yuan Huyuan is my elder clan brother. I’ve already told him about you.”
“Thank you, Senior Sister!” Li Chejing said before joining Yuan Huyuan on the Yuan Family’s flying shuttle. After bidding farewell to Yuan Tuan, they headed west.
Noticing Yuan Huyuan’s silence during the flight, Li Chejing attempted to initiate a conversation with a smile.
“Senior, my senior sister referred to you as her elder clan brother, yet you appear...”
“Old enough to be her father or grandfather, is that what you wanted to say?” Yuan Huyuan chuckled.
“Qi cultivators age slowly due to their longer lifespan. My younger clan sister attained the Qi Cultivation Realm at the age of eighteen and looks like she’s only in her twenties. Unfortunately, I’m not as gifted. I only managed to attain the Qi Cultivation Realm last year, that’s why I look middle-aged.”
“Ah, I see!” Li Chejing’s curiosity was piqued as he inquired further, “So, the younger the Qi Cultivator looks, the more we shouldn’t underestimate them?”
“That’s not always the case,” Yuan Huyuan explained, “While Qi Cultivators enjoy a two-hundred-year lifespan, their appearance does age, although more slowly. It’s common for a forty-year-old cultivator to look twenty. However, those who appear elderly are often formidable. They’re cultivators who have been cultivating for over a century, yet hesitant to advance to the Foundation Establishment realm and prefer to linger at the peak of the Qi Cultivation Realm.”
Noting Li Chejing’s thoughtful expression, Yuan Huyuan added with a hint of amusement, “In our world, judging solely by appearance can be misleading. I learned that the hard way in my early years and nearly paid dearly for it.”
The cool morning breeze tugged at the corners of Li Chejing’s robes, causing it to rustle. As they traveled on Yuan Huyuan’s shuttle, which was notably slower than Si Yuanbai’s, they engaged in light conversation about recent happenings in the immortal cultivation world.
After approximately four hours, the shimmering expanse of Moongaze Lake finally came into view.
Li Chejing instructed Yuan Huyuan to land near Lichuankou Village by the lake, then bid him farewell with a grateful smile. “I’ll be here waiting for your return three days later at the hour of the tiger, fellow Daoist.”
Yuan Huyuan acknowledged his instruction then promptly ascended to the sky in his shuttle.
Li Chejing activated the Wind Riding Spell, then glided toward Lichuankou Village.
He noticed a young boy, around six or seven years old, squatting at the village entrance in the distance. The child was meticulously sharpening an ebony arrowhead on a stone, and a bunch of arrows laid beside his feet.
Upon noticing Li Chejing, the child’s expression shifted from bewilderment to respect. Standing up, he greeted, “Immortal Master, you’ve entered the territory of the Li Family under the governance of Azure Pond Sect. Guli Road lies a few miles to the east.”
Li Chejing chuckled, observing the child’s features before asking, “Who is Chen Erniu to you?”
“He’s my father!” the boy replied, his face lighting up. “I am Chen Donghe. Let me fetch my daddy for you.”
Li Chejing dismissed the offer with a wave and vanished down the stone path.
Inside the Chen Residence, Chen Erniu, clad in a leather jacket, was leisurely sipping tea with his guest, Han Wenxu.
As they conversed, Han Wenxu remarked with a hint of amusement, “Old Chen, you really have a strange naming convention. All your five sons are named after either a river or a lake. The Chen Family is considered a prominent family now, yet you still maintain the simplicity of a fisherman.”
Before Chen Erniu could respond, the courtyard door creaked open. A young man, dressed in a pristine white feather robe and blue boots, entered with an air of composure.
He greeted Han Wenxu warmly, “Master Han, it’s been a long time.”
Then, turning to Chen Erniu, he remarked softly, “It’s been only a few years, you look like you’ve been eating well, Uncle Chen.”
Chen Erniu appeared to be taken aback by the comment. He scrutinized the young man’s face for a moment before exclaiming, “It’s you, Li Che... I mean Immortal Master!”
“Jing’er!” Han Wenxu, who had mentored the four brothers of the Li Family, greeted Li Chejing affectionately out of habit. Upon realizing his misconduct, he quickly lowered his head and fell silent.
Li Chejing waved reassuringly and then said, “Take me to my older brothers, please.”
“The young chief is likely on Mountain Lijing. As for the Immortal Master... I believe he’s been frequenting Mount Meiche lately,” Chen Erniu replied.
————
Li Xiangping was cultivating in the front yard when he heard a bunch of footsteps on the stone steps. He frowned and called out, “Yesheng, is that you?”
The response was a burst of familiar hearty laughter. A striking young man came through the doorway, with a meter-long sword at his waist. The white tassel that hung from its hilt swayed gracefully with his movement.
“I returned to the village only to find that our family had moved up the mountain long ago. So I asked Brother Yesheng to guide me through the formation to ascend the mountain,” the youth explained, shaking his head with a grin and then commenting, “Tsk, that Misty Maze Formation is really something.”
“Jing’er?!” Li Xiangping blinked in astonishment and asked, “A-Aren’t you cultivating in the sect?”
Li Chejing laughed heartily. “I’m on the verge of breaking through to the Qi Cultivation Realm, so I took a leave from the sect to visit home.”
“I’ll go get Father!” Li Xiangping exclaimed.
Li Mutian rushed to the front yard. The three of them sat down and before long, Li Tongya and Li Xuanxuan joined them as well.
“Youngest Uncle!” Li Xuanxuan, not having seen Li Chejing for years, embraced him enthusiastically, while Li Tongya looked on with a joyful smile.
The family gathered in a whirl of excitement, while their mother shed tears of happiness. They prepared a lavish feast, introducing Li Chejing to new family members like Li Qiuyang and Liu Rouxuan. The evening was spent savoring Snake Gall Wine that had been preserved for many years until late into the night.
After Li Qiuyang and the others left, the Li family gathered around a tea table in the backyard. No one was drunk. The Snake Gall Wine was rich in spiritual qi yet not intoxicating. Besides, none of them overindulged since there were other agendas on their mind.
Li Chejing was amazed as he listened to the updates on the family’s progress over the years from his older brothers. Taking a sip of tea, he addressed them with a serious demeanor, “I came back this time for an important reason. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have hurried back while I’m on the verge of breaking through to the Qi Cultivator Realm.”
He squinted at the stone platform in the house, then suggested, “Let’s continue our talk inside.”
Once in the house, Li Chejing stood silently, captivated by the moonlight that was pouring through the roof window.
He gazed at the moonlight that had gathered on the mirror and performed a hand seal before carefully scrutinizing it.
He felt the sixth Nascent Spirit Chakra within his Shenyang Mansion stir, quickening the flow of his mana.
Withdrawing his hand, his expression mingled with disbelief as he had just validated his suspicion and he slowly uttered, “Supreme Yin Moonlight?!”