Although Li Xiangping was only a year older than Li Yesheng, he appeared slightly younger due to his immortal cultivation. He was currently reclined in a stone chair, carefully reading a wooden slip.
Li Yesheng and his son stood at the side respectfully, their gazes fixed modestly on the ground.
“Xuan’er is free to handle it as he sees fit. Old Xu has been a kind man to our Li Family, so it is only fitting to greatly honor him.” Li Xiangping continued reading a few more lines before asking, “Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?”
“The young family head has achieved a breakthrough, and Li Qiuyang has come up the mountain to visit,” Li Yesheng responded, maintaining a humble posture. Li Xiewen, too, kept his gaze fixed on the ground, careful not to let his eyes wander.
“Indeed.” Li Xiangping raised an eyebrow as a small smile tugged his lips. He then casually probed, “How long has Li Qiuyang been stuck at the third stage of Embryonic Breathing Realm?”
“Three years,” Li Yesheng promptly replied, well-prepared with the information.
“Good. When you’re back, tell Li Qiuyang to focus on his cultivation and make sure no distractions get in the way,” Li Xiangping advised with a smile.
“Understood.” Li Yesheng nodded before adding, “The Wan Family has sought assistance from us again this month, requesting provisions and medical supplies.”
“Oh?” Li Xiangping’s expression turned contemplative. “I heard that Wan Xiaohua had broken through the Nascent Spirit stage and reached the peak of the Embryonic Breathing Realm. To think that they still face such difficulties... Ji Dengqi is truly a formidable man. Well, as long as their requests are reasonable, we’ll help them out.”
Li Xiewen was carefully listening to their conversation at the side. Li Xianging cast a glance at him and then softly commented, “Xiewen is also a big boy now.”
Li Xiewen quickly bowed and said, “Greetings, Family Head.”
“Go to Lidaokou Village tomorrow and assist Xu Wenshan. You shouldn’t waste your time in the village doing nothing all day,” Li Xiangping suggested with a warm smile.
He then looked at Li Yesheng and said, “Yesheng, you’re spoiling him too much.”
Li Yesheng quickly apologized. Li Xiangping merely waved it off, then dismissed him and Li Xiewen.
The father and son quietly descended Mount Meiche. Upon leaving the mountain, Li Yesheng finally broke the silence by saying, “You and Xuanxuan share a close bond, and the family head sees potential in you. Study well under Xu Wenshan and don’t make him upset. Xu Wenshan is a smart man, he’ll treat you fairly.”
With a gloomy expression on his face, Li Xiewen asked, “Is the family head sending me away to eventually become a manager?”
Li Yesheng shook his head and answered, “Five years at the least, seven at most. When I can no longer serve and Li Xuanxuan leads the family, you’ll be called back. Be patient, use this time to improve your skills.”
“Thank you for the advice, Father.”
Meanwhile, at the cave dwelling on Mount Meiche...
Li Xiangping frowned, troubled by his stalled progress at the fourth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm. Despite his efforts over the past five years, he was still showing no signs of breaking through the Jade Capital stage.
Li Tongya attempted to secure a Bright Spirit Powder, yet upon consulting Wan Tiancang, he learned that each dose cost twenty Spirit Stones. Even with this price, they were always quickly sold out in the market whenever they became available. Lacking the necessary connections to secure it, he had no choice but to give up on the idea.
“Family Head!”
A voice outside the cave interrupted Li Xiangping’s thoughts. A child about the age of eleven or twelve entered the cave. It turned out to be Chen Donghe, Chen Erniu’s youngest son. He was found to possess a spiritual orifice a few years back and was now cultivating in the cave dwelling on Mount Meiche, under Li Xiangping’s guidance.
“What’s the matter?” Li Xiangping asked, facing the boy who was the only child with a spiritual orifice that had been discovered in the last decade.
“Wan Tiancang from the Wan Family requests to see you.”
“Let him in.”
Li Xiangping took out a tea set and watched as Wan Tiancang stepped into the cave dwelling with a frown on his face while Chen Donghe tactfully left.
“What brings you here, Brother Wan?” He smiled.
A bitter smile crossed Wan Tiancang’s face as he bowed deeply to him. “You’re the only one who can still manage a smile at a time like this, Brother Li. My family plans to ambush the Ji Family. Everything will proceed as agreed before.”
Li Xiangping, puzzled, asked, “What’s with the rush? My second brother has just delivered the tributes to Cloud Crowned Peak a week ago. Didn’t the Wan Family send someone there too? Why an ambush at this time?”
With a mix of anger and despair, Wan Tiancang explained, “Ji Dengqi somehow found out that these days were the time for Azure Pond Sect’s Moon Lake Peak to collect the tributes. He attacked my Mount Huaqian Mountain for three nights straight, retreating within two hours each time before the cultivators in the Qi Cultivation Realms in the prefecture could arrive to assist us. The assaults have devastated us, costing us hundreds of mortal lives and even two immortal cultivators.”
“Now, our Wan Family is unable to even submit the tributes we’ve prepared, pushing us to the brink of our final stand. Over a decade of being in this situation has drained our reserves. Without a decisive battle now, we may never have another chance to assert ourselves.”
“Fine.” Li Xiangping clenched his jaw at the grim news and said, “We’ll stick to the plan. Once Mount Huaqian’s grand formation has been set up, I’ll launch the talisman and attack Ji Dengqi from afar. Whether it’s a success or failure, the legacy formation must be given to the Li Family.”
Li Xiangping frowned upon saying that, sensing that something was amiss. He voiced his suspicion, “There has never been a set day for the Moon Lake Peak to collect their tributes every five years. We always wait for people to inform us of the date. How could Ji Dengqi possibly be aware of the exact timing? Could Senior Xiaohua be leaking the news? Brother Tiancang, there’s something off about this!”
Wan Tiancang, initially preoccupied with the urgency of the letter from his family, calmed himself down and lapsed into thoughtful silence.
Li Xiangping, who had always been vigilant, sensed the deeper implications. While Wan Tiancang was lost in his thoughts, Li Xiangping quietly mulled over the details himself.
The Ji family must have a powerful ally or advantage at their disposal to target the Wan family so confidently. It’s likely Wan Xiaohua is alarmed and is hastily drawing my Li family into their conflict. Yet, given the deep ties between our families, we cannot simply stand by and witness the Wan family's downfall...
“Brother Li,” Wan Tiancang interjected, his face pale due to a sudden realization. With a trembling voice, he continued, “I suspect Ji Dengqi knows the Wan Family has support and is deliberately tightening the screws to draw out our allies in a bold scheme!”
Li Xiangping’s expression darkened, his gaze icy as he cursed, “Damn it. This isn’t just Ji Dengqi’s bold scheme, but also Wan Xiaohua, your family head’s bold scheme!”
————
After sending Wan Tiancang away, Li Xiangping let out a weary sigh, troubled by the conversation. As Li Xuanxuan entered the cave, Li Xiangping relayed the conversation he had with Wan Tiancang to him.
“If Ji Dengqi attacked Mount Huaqian because he knew about the tribute collection schedule and attempted to obstruct the Wan Family from fulfilling their obligations, then that means they’re really trying to get rid of the Wan Family once and for all. The fact that they’ve prompted the Wan Family to seek help indicates that they have a plan to ensnare all the Wan Family’s supporters too.”
Li Xuanxuan thought for a moment, but could not help but shake his head in worry. “Even so, we have no choice but to still intervene to support the Wan Family. There’s only one path to the prefecture. Should the Wan Family fall, the Li Family would stand isolated in the mountains. We’d be cut off from the outside world and find ourselves vulnerable to the harassment and oppression from the Ji family.”
“Yes, we must intervene,” Li Xiangping declared firmly, “Not to end Ji Dengqi, but to break the siege on the Wan Family. It’s time to gauge the true strength of Ji Dengqi’s forces and see what drives his boldness.”