Yuan Fuyao felt a wave of panic after hearing this and sighed before speaking, "This is one thing, but sitting idle here day after day is no way to live. I lack the skills for cultivating or practicing a hundred arts, and it is not proper for someone who has joined a clan to spend every day cooped up in a cave dwelling. I need to find something to do."
One of his attendants quickly offered, "Young master, you once managed several towns' agricultural affairs under the ancestor's arrangement and gained a wealth of experience. The Li Family is known for their excellence in managing commoners. Why not ask for a position here? It would also earn you greater respect."
"Excellent idea!" Yuan Fuyao's expression brightened at once. He put on his shoes hastily and, accompanied by his two attendants, left the cave dwelling in a flurry. After walking for a while along the road, they soon reached the main hall of the Li Family.
After waiting in a side area of the hall for a while, Yuan Fuyao noticed a lively group emerging. At the center of the group was a child clad in resplendent white and gold robes.
Though curiosity tugged at him, Yuan Fuyao refrained from probing with his spiritual sense out of politeness. Instead, he glanced slightly to the side and asked one of his attendants in a low voice, "Who is that?"
The attendants of the Yuan Family, however, were unaware of the details. They pulled aside a guard stationed in the hall. Though the guard wasn't inclined to share much, he relented after Yuan Fuyao's inquiry and replied in a low voice, "That is the heir to the family."
Heir? Yuan Fuyao silently repeated the term, intrigued by its traditional undertone. Assuming this must be one of the core descendants of the family, he stepped onto the path where the heir had walked. Suddenly, his nose twitched.
"What is that smell?" Yuan Fuyao questioned.
A faint floral fragrance lingered in the air. Yuan Fuyao thought for a moment before one of his attendants spoke in a hushed tone, "This humble one recognizes this scent... it is bold and overpowering, almost gaudy—it is peony."
"Oh!" Yuan Fuyao dismissed it, assuming it came from one of Li Chengliao's concubines, and quickly pushed the thought aside. He stepped onto the platform and cupped his fist in salute, "Greetings to the young master!"
Li Chengliao, who had been spending rare time reading to the child, found the timing of Yuan Fuyao's visit inconvenient. Upon hearing of his arrival, Li Chengliao dismissed Li Zhouwei and summoned Yuan Fuyao inside.
He received Yuan Fuyao with polite indifference and asked, "What business brings you here, young master?"
"Hardly important business," Yuan Fuyao replied with a smile. "I simply do not want to be an idle guest." He continued, "I have always managed agricultural affairs back home, hardly the role of some lofty lord. Now that I have joined your family, I would rather not be seen as a freeloader. I hope the young master might assign me some duties to contribute."
Li Chengliao was taken aback, initially thinking this was mere courtesy. After declining two or three times, he realized Yuan Fuyao was sincere. After a brief moment of consideration over the records, he said, "Our family recently negotiated with the Mount Yue Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators and acquired some territory there. Things were progressing smoothly, but the heavy rains in recent years have caused delays and led to the collapse of several towns."
Li Chengliao cast an attentive glance at Yuan Fuyao, "If the young master is willing, you could manage three towns in the Mount Yue region as a trial. How does that sound?"
Yuan Fuyao eagerly agreed, accepting the appointment with delight. He quickly departed with his attendants.
Li Chengliao watched him leave with a curious expression, muttering to himself, "The Yuan Family's methods of grooming talent are peculiar indeed. This one is eager to jump into agricultural management!"
————
Liu Changdie cried for a long while before being persuaded to stop by Li Xuanxuan. Having rushed back from the Eastern Sea without a moment's rest, his mana had long been depleted. He found a nearby cave dwelling to recuperate.
Li Xuanxuan then hurried to the main hall, where he found Li Xizhi and Li Yuexiang in conversation.
The couple, being sharp-minded and raised with proper teaching by Xiao Guiluan, quickly found a rapport in their conversation. Despite the years of separation, the familial bond between them began to reemerge.
Yang Xiao'er stood nearby, holding Li Chenghuai by the hand. The fourteen-year-old boy, with his slightly prominent brows and focused expression, carried an air of maturity beyond his years. Suffering and solitude had clearly shaped him. When he saw his father, his expression remained calm.
Holding a small book in his hands, he approached quickly at Li Xizhi's beckoning, bowing formally as he called out, "Father!"
Li Xizhi observed him with a complex expression before nodding. Li Xuanxuan, who had a penchant for calculating family relations in his later years, remarked, "In the Cheng and Ming generation, there are already several cultivators in the Qi Cultivation Realm, including Chengliao, Chenghuai, Chengxian, and Minggong. When Ximing's child is born, the count will be complete."
"Hm," Li Xizhi acknowledged with a hum, then called his eldest son over. Seeing the boy engrossed in reading a history book, he nodded approvingly and said, "Reading more broadens your strategic thinking, but you must also involve yourself in practical affairs. Otherwise, it is just empty talk."
As he spoke, he flipped a page in the boy's book and gently explained, "Look at this sentence: 'In June, the Tian Family and the Liu Family quarreled openly on the streets. The young lord punished them by assigning them to supervise mining operations, which eventually led to the establishment of the Dong and Tian branch.'"
Li Xizhi continued, "The text does not elaborate, but when you read it, you must think: who was the Liu Family relying on at the time? What was the Tian Family's standing? Why was this punishment issued in this manner? Reflect on this tonight, and I will personally test you tomorrow."
Li Chenghuai nodded eagerly, stepping back to stand by his mother's side with a thoughtful expression. Li Xuanxuan praised, "Zhi'er has a real knack for teaching his children."
"Oh, hardly," Li Xizhi waved modestly, replying softly, "It is just a reflection of how our mother raised us. She held books in hand, teaching us line by line, and we are simply imitating her methods."
Li Yuexiang smiled at his words, and the group exchanged some pleasantries. However, Li Yuexiang was inwardly concerned about her elder brother and mother, both in seclusion to overcome critical life-and-death breakthroughs. The continuous celestial phenomena for years made her uncertain if this would hinder their progress.
As they conversed, commotion arose outside the courtyard. A figure wearing a light-gray robe with three diamond-shaped patterns on the back and five rune symbols on the chest—clearly a formation master—entered.
"Daoist Liu Changdie!" Li Xuanxuan greeted him with a cupped fist.
Liu Changdie appeared slightly pale and spoke in a soft voice, "I recall that your esteemed clan once sought to establish a Foundation Establishment Realm formation. At that time, my skills were too rudimentary to create such a grand array, so I left it unfinished. I wonder…?"
His words revealed his progress over the years in the Eastern Sea. Back then, it was more a matter of the Li Family's financial constraints, but Liu Changdie diplomatically attributed it to his lack of expertise. Li Xuanxuan paused briefly before looking to Li Xizhi.
Understanding the gesture, Liu Changdie studied the young man in feathered robes before him, who returned his gaze with a warm demeanor and introduced himself, "I am Li Xizhi."
Li Xizhi…
Recognition dawned on Liu Changdie. He had encountered Li Xizhi in his previous life, though at the time, Li Xizhi had been practicing the River One Qi Technique , carrying an entirely different temperament. It took him a moment to connect the figure before him with his memory.
He cupped his fist and replied, "Liu Changdie, a rogue cultivator of Yue State. Greetings, Fellow Daoist."
Though Liu Changdie had been on equal footing with Li Xizhi's father, Li Xizhi's status as a disciple of an immortal sect meant his master could be a formidable figure. Liu Changdie wisely avoided overstepping, opting to address him as an equal.
Li Xizhi asked gently, "Regarding the formation, Master Liu, do you have any ideas?"
Liu Changdie appeared well-prepared, replying, "Several years ago, I passed through this mountain and accepted your family's invitation to set up the Green Ox River Embrace Formation . I am already familiar with this terrain and have been preparing for this for some time."