Li Xizhi sat quietly in his cave dwelling, flipping through the small letters on his desk. He had been in seclusion long enough to accumulate quite a few messages. As he browsed through them, his brow suddenly furrowed. He picked up one of the letters.
He exclaimed, "The Yuan Family regrets the engagement? What nonsense!"
The matter between Li Yuexiang and Yuan Fuyao had always been a private agreement, barely even set in stone. Moreover, Li Xizhi had outright rejected it and even returned the betrothal gifts. The arrangement had long since fallen through.
Yet, the letter clearly stated that word had spread within the sect that Yuan Fuyao had gone back on his engagement with Li Yuexiang. Li Xizhi frowned deeply. When he read further, he even found rumors detailing how Yuan Fuyao had fled.
"The Song Family... He chose the Song Family instead?" Li Xizhi almost laughed aloud in anger as he pondered the current power dynamics carefully. Finally, he muttered, "So they sided with the Chi Family..."
He fell silent. Since several Purple Mansion Realm cultivators were weakening, the Chi Family's power was gradually recovering. Though Chi Buzi's whereabouts remained unknown, Daoist Master Suiguan was still supporting them...
Daoist Master Yuanwu still has some lifespan remaining... If I’ve calculated the years correctly, more than half of the twenty-one cultivators in seclusion attempting a breakthrough to the Purple Mansion Realm are likely reaching the end of their lifespan. With the struggle for dominance between the Azure Pond Sect and the Yue Cultivating Sect happening, the future situation remains unpredictable.
Someone entered his cave dwelling as he ruminated. The visitor's face was filled with bitterness, anger and confusion. Bowing with cupped fists, he said, "Senior Brother! This... this is—!"
It was none other than his junior brother, Yuan Chengzhao. He had clearly just received the news as well, and was torn between disbelief and rage.
Li Xizhi sighed and replied, "This is the Yuan Family's business. We won't blame you for what happened. The bond between us as senior and junior brothers remains unchanged. You need not worry."
----
Shanji Prefecture Market.
Shanji Prefecture had always been the territory of the Profound Peak Gate. The few markets that existed were rather prosperous and bustled with people. Its proximity to the Eastern Sea, coupled with the Profound Peak Gate’s reputation for fairness, made it a common resting place for cultivators traveling to and from the Eastern Sea.
Li Xuanfeng put away his golden bow and casually found a restaurant. He ordered two small dishes and sat in the hall on the second floor, gazing at the fluttering flags outside the window.
He had only visited a restaurant twice in his lifetime. The first time had been with Liu Changdie. On that occasion, Liu Changdie had merely asked him some trivial questions and commented that his ways resembled those of the demonic path. He had mentioned Jiang Yan from the devil plague incident very early on, which suggested that he had known the inside story long before others.
"Jiang Yan...[1]" The old man chewed over the name for a moment. He found it pleasant to the ear. He lowered his gaze in thought, but his ears twitched as he caught the conversation of some cultivators nearby.
"Have you heard... about the Yuan Family’s affair?"
"Of course, I’ve heard! Ah! Tell me, why would the Yuan Family suddenly go back on the engagement?"
Li Xuanfeng slowly raised his head, and his gray-black eyes swept over the table beside him. He continued to gently swirl the jade cup in his hand and listened quietly.
One of the speakers wore black robes and had a Daoist headscarf akin to that of an ancient Daoist priest. His attire suggested he was a cultivator from the territory under the Great Xiukui Temple in Linhai Prefecture.
The black-robed man spoke first, "I heard that the young lady from the Li Family is an orphan and at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Who knows how many spirit items she inherited? That Young Master Yuan must be out of his mind to abandon her and marry that woman from the lowly Song Family!"
The other man was dressed in white robes. It was unclear which sect he belonged to. He tapped his jade chopsticks lightly and spoke in a serious tone, "What do you know? The woman from the Song Family is his childhood sweetheart. They grew up together. How could he abandon her so easily? I think his actions reflect a rather commendable character."
"Heh! He’ll only regret it!" said the black-robed man, putting on a stern face, but before he could continue, a sharp cracking sound rang out—like the shattering of a silver bottle. He turned his head to look, only to find that a cultivator at the neighboring table had crushed a spirit cup into fine powder. Greenish shards scattered everywhere.
The man’s hair was more than half white, yet his physique was robust, and his features were sharp and weathered. With his black-gold armor, he resembled a seasoned general who had fought for many years. His eyes were filled with coldness as he turned to look over at them.
The black-robed man felt a surge of doubt in his heart. He swept his spiritual sense over the man and was immediately struck with terror.
A Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator!
He quickly stood up with great respect, his tone somewhat humble as he said, "I did not intend to offend you, Senior... I am surnamed Lin... from the Lin Family of Linhai Prefecture..."
But the armored man had already seated himself beside him before he could finish his sentence. His deep eyes stared into him as he pressed the black-robed man back into his seat with a casual gesture.
The armored man asked quietly, "You just said... someone from the Yuan Family... broke off the engagement with Yuexiang?"
When he heard how familiarly the armored man referred to the young lady from the Li Family, the black-robed man immediately realized the situation. Fear coiled around his heart.
Damn it! I ran into someone involved!
The white-robed cultivator beside him collapsed to the ground with a dull thud. He had just spoken in defense of the Yuan Family, and now he regretted it deeply. He wished he could slap himself a few times. Trembling, he pulled himself together and knelt on the ground, not daring to say a word.
"Yes... there has been a change in the Yuan Family. It is said that they broke off the engagement and parted on bad terms with the Li Family..."
The black-robed man quickly recounted the matter in a low voice from start to finish.
Li Xuanfeng’s expression was much calmer by the end. He nodded thoughtfully, his fingers gently tapping the table.
When Li Yuanjiao had died before his very eyes, he had been consumed by rage and violence, but he had no way to release them. If he had allowed Yuanjiao's daughter to be wronged as well, wouldn’t that old man's soul feel cold in the afterlife?
Li Xuanfeng was lost in thought for a while. But the metallic objects throughout the restaurant began to vibrate faintly. The cultivators in the restaurant shrank back into their seats, not daring to make a sound.
Li Xuanfeng looked back at the black-robed man and asked, "Since you’re from the Great Xiukui Temple, do you know Lin Chensheng?"
The black-robed man was overjoyed and quickly replied, "He is an elder of my clan!"
"Has his injury healed?" asked Li Xuanfeng.
The black-robed man was shocked but quickly nodded and said, "He has recovered considerably. I heard that he returned to the sect and made a breakthrough."
"Good," said Li Xuanfeng.
He tossed a pouch of spirit rice onto the table as compensation for the shattered spirit cup. By the time they all blinked, he had already disappeared from the restaurant and the metal objects finally ceased vibrating. A golden jug clanged as it bounced on the ground. The cultivators all let out a collective sigh of relief.
Someone muttered, "A Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator was actually drinking in a place like this... What a rare sight!"
The black-robed man was still shaken. He looked across at the white-robed youth, whose face was drenched in sweat, and said with a sigh, "You really had a stroke of luck! Fortunately, that senior had a good temper... Do you even know who Lin Chensheng is?"
The white-robed youth was still unsettled, but asked, "Please enlighten me."
The black-robed man started explaining, "He’s the pride of our temple, the nephew of a Purple Mansion Realm Daoist Master! He moves freely even within a grotto heaven!"
"If that senior knew his name and even inquired about his injuries... It’s likely they ventured into the grotto heaven together! A figure like that is no ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. He could probably reduce you to ashes with a breath!"
Both of them let out another breath of relief. The white-robed youth felt like he had narrowly escaped death. "There’s truth in the saying that disaster comes from the mouth. I’ve learned my lesson now... I’m lucky to be alive... Lucky to be alive..."
The black-robed man recalled Li Xuanfeng’s expression and could not help but shiver. When he saw that the entire restaurant was now silently watching him, eyes filled with curiosity, he added with a hint of smugness, "When the elder was away, they bullied his younger kin... Someone is bound to suffer for this!"
1. The name Jiang Yan ‘江雁’ means ‘a wild goose over the river’. It gives a sense of freedom, grace, and travel. Perhaps someone with a gentle but determined nature, or a person associated with distant journeys and heartfelt connections. It’s a very elegant and poetic name. ☜