Li Xuanfeng lowered his head, knowing it was not his place to respond. He remained silent as Yuan Su raised his hand and casually said, "Go to the Eastern Sea again and kill for me."
With a flick of his wrist, Yuan Su retrieved a piece of cloth from his sleeve, densely packed with names. Among them were prominent surnames and sects, though most of the names were unfamiliar and belonged to young individuals, with only a small portion being Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.
Li Xuanfeng nodded, carefully received the list, and tucked it into his robe.
Yuan Su then pulled out a jade talisman from his own robe, his voice low. For the first time, his usual lazy demeanor gave way to an air of weariness and age. "This is an artifact from northern Buddhist cultivators. It can conceal your thread of fate. Use it to kill and avoid being traced."
As he watched Li Xuanfeng accept the talisman, Yuan Su waved his hand with little interest. "Go. Get it done cleanly within ten years."
Li Xuanfeng bowed and retreated. Once he had left the cave dwelling, he carefully examined the list. On it were names from locations such as Crimson Reef Island, Golden Tang Gate, the Han Family, and even people from Profound Peak Gate, Hengzhu Dao Gate, and Azure Pond Sect. The sheer number of cultivators listed was staggering, and their inclusion would almost certainly offend the entire Yue State and the Eastern Sea region.
As Li Xuanfeng descended and disappeared into the mist, Ning Heyuan kneeled on the other side of the jade platform, his face drenched in sweat.
Yuan Su slowly stood and moved beside him, his voice soft. "Do you understand?"
Ning Heyuan lowered his gaze, trembling as he said, "Daoist Master... is this truly necessary?"
Ning Heyuan was no fool. He could clearly see the situation. The Ning Family had no one capable of restraining Li Xuanfeng. If Yuan Su were to die unexpectedly and Ning Wan failed to break through, the family's future would be precarious.
Yuan Su, having reached his status as a Daoist Master, was naturally meticulous and cunning. He wouldn't rely solely on Ning Hemian to secure Li Xuanfeng's loyalty. If the time came when Li Xizhi and Li Xuanfeng, both Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, held sway over the sect, and the Li Family continued to rise, the question of who would serve whom would be unclear.
By secretly ordering Li Xuanfeng to kill these people, Yuan Su ensured the Ning Family would have leverage over him. If the matter were ever exposed, it would spell Li Xuanfeng's ruin, leaving him no place to hide.
At the same time, once Li Xuanfeng was burdened with these blood debts, Yuan Su wouldn't need to act himself. Li Xuanfeng would sever ties with the Li Family entirely, achieving multiple objectives with a single stroke.
Still, no matter how much Yuan Su controlled Li Xuanfeng, Ning Heyuan could not feel the same sense of security as when Yuan Su was alive. Trembling, Ning Heyuan tearfully pleaded, "Daoist Master... I am of little use and still have much to learn from you. Without you, the family would lose its pillar of support."
Daoist Master Yuan Su paused briefly, his expression twisting. Beneath his robes, his hand clenched tightly as though suppressing something within himself.
A Purple Mansion Realm Daoist Master's predicament was unlike that of ordinary people in power. When ordinary people grew old, they became senile, weak, and powerless to act on their desires.
But a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator retained their divine abilities and full consciousness until their very last breath. They could do nothing but watch as their own end approached, with the signs of their imminent demise looming over them. This terrifying clarity surpassed that of mortal death by a thousandfold.
Thus, it was not uncommon for Purple Mansion Realm cultivators to wreak havoc in their final days, unleashing violence on friends and family alike. Ning Heyuan had heard of such cases before. Seeing Yuan Su's darkening expression, he quickly fell silent.
After several long breaths, Yuan Su slowly opened his eyes. His face twisted with malice as he stepped forward and spat out a single word, "Leave."
Ning Heyuan quickly scrambled out of the cavern, the jingling of his footsteps echoing in the quiet as the stone door closed heavily behind him. Yuan Su was left standing alone in the cave dwelling.
Ning Tiaoxiao clenched his teeth in silence and let out a deep breath. As the mist inside the cave dwelling dissipated, faint ghostly lights emerged on the stone walls, revealing exquisitely detailed faces etched into the surface.
Ning Tiaoxiao stared intently at these faces, counting their numbers. With a quick calculation, despair washed over him. He muttered in a low voice, "Burn the records, erase the names, replace the real with the false, and confuse truth with illusion. The world will have no clear path to follow."
"Brother Qun..." Ning Tiaoxiao continued absent-mindedly, "Chi Wei once said, in a world where the righteous path is sealed, all crooked paths become the righteous way. Brother Qun... my life's span is nearing its end. I have not encountered any immortals. Instead, I have drunk the blood of the people for a hundred years and committed countless evils. All that is left is to wait for death."
As the mist gradually rose, his figure disappeared into the swirling white vapor. Bowing his head as if in repentance, the spirit water flowing across the ground ceased its motion and began to float silently.
"For this is the only way to protect our clan." His voice reverberated in the cave dwelling.
————
"Daoist Master Yuan Su is planning for the matters after his death. This is a token of allegiance." Li Xuanfeng left the cave dwelling and flew straight back to his residence. Only upon arriving did he take out the list of names to examine it carefully.
As he narrowed his eyes at the list, his hands trembled slightly. One name after another surfaced in his mind, and, as he had expected, many of the families listed had close ties with the Li Family.
"...Yuan Su... what a masterstroke." Li Xuanfeng sighed.
Saying nothing, Li Xuanfeng walked into his residence in a daze. In the courtyard, Ning Hemian was sitting under the warm sunlight. A child sat nearby, reading aloud. For a moment, Li Xuanfeng stopped in his tracks, crossing his arms as though caught in a distant memory.
It was a scene so familiar: soft sunlight, a tranquil courtyard, and even a featherless wild goose wandering aimlessly about.
Yet this was Yi Mountain City, where the imposing atmosphere discouraged geese from flying above. The Ning Family's thresholds, carved with formation patterns, were far too high for a goose to enter.
"Dear husband!" Ning Hemian exclaimed in joy, raising her head. Her bright eyes sparkled with happiness, shaking Li Xuanfeng to his core. Her gentle words, spoken softly, didn't register with him. Inside, his emotions surged violently, making him feel nauseous.
Two faces flashed back and forth in his mind, causing him to clench his teeth until they almost shattered.
Pale-faced, Li Xuanfeng stood there motionless, haunted by the memory of his wife and child's brutal deaths. The horrifying scene interwove with the present reality, forcing long-buried memories to surface despite his efforts to suppress them.
He panted heavily until Ning Hemian approached and lightly shook his arm, her gaze filled with concern and affection. Only then did the shadows in his mind recede. He waved his hand lightly, signaling that he was fine.
Quickly regaining composure, his face returned to normal. He sat for a moment on a stone bench, his eyes vacant and unfocused.
Who was he supposed to take revenge on? He knew much of the truth now: the deal between Chi Wei and Jiang Boqing had forced Golden Tang Gate to strike southward. At the time, Chi Zhiyun had refused to dirty his hands, leaving the Ning Family to oversee matters covertly.
But Chi Wei was dead, and so was Jiang Boqing. Who now could bear the brunt of his vengeance? Should he target Ning Wan, who orchestrated the matter, or the Ning Family as a whole? Should he lay the blame entirely on the Chi Family? Lost in thought, Li Xuanfeng grasped his golden bow and shut his eyes tightly.
"Now, I have been ordered to kill, to massacre families allied to my own, merely as a token of allegiance. How is this any different from what Golden Tang Gate, the Ning Family, and the dogs of Azure Pond Sect did before?" Li Xuangfeng lamented, "How am I any better than the one who murdered Yu'er and my son? I have enjoyed the wealth of the immortal clans, taken a wife, and sired children. If Yu'er knew, she would surely spit on me in disgust."
His brow furrowed deeply, and his face darkened with grief. His lips trembled, and as night quickly fell, it felt as though a cold, venomous fire consumed him from within, leaving him frozen and dazed.