Back on Li Xizhi’s end, he descended through the wind. A young man was waiting on the mountain. He resembled Chi Zhiyun quite a bit, but had a gloomier air. Yet now his face bore a sincere smile as he said, “Zhiyan greets the Peak Master!”
Li Xizhi had heard of this man’s reputation and dared not take him lightly, so he waved his hands repeatedly in courtesy. Chi Zhiyan, however, was warm and talkative, rambling on at length.
Li Xizhi nodded politely and saw him off with a cupped-hand salute as they arrived together at Changtian Peak.
Changtian Peak wasn’t very tall, it was rugged and steep in places. Since it had been uninhabited for years, wild grass covered the slopes. Li Xizhi descended with the wind and saw that only a single, quaint little dwelling stood atop the summit.
Li Xizhi had intended to inquire about Zhang Lingshu, but didn’t trust Chi Zhiyan. So he exchanged a few polite words, then courteously escorted him off the peak.
Chi Zhiyan cupped his hands in farewell and still made bold assurances. He said, “Brother Xizhi! My elder brother’s always busy and can’t manage all his underlings... But if you face any trouble at all, just come to me, Chi Zhiyan! I’ll handle it myself! I won’t let Changtian Peak suffer the slightest indignity!”
Li Xizhi nodded and smiled, though he didn’t believe a word. He returned to the peak on the wind and began tidying up carefully.
Most of the formations within the pavilion were still functional. It looked elegant and refined. As he continued tidying the mountain, sure enough, a visitor arrived after just fifteen minutes.
The visitor was tall and, upon stepping into the mountain, he greeted with enthusiasm, “Xizhi! You’ve finally got yourself a fine mountain!”
“You’re quite well-informed, brother-in-law,” replied Li Xizhi, smiling faintly and showing a hint of genuine warmth. The man before him was Yang Ruizao, the older brother of his wife, Yang Xiao’er. He was a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator with whom he had crossed paths a few times before.
Yang Ruizao looked around briefly, exchanged a few words, and before Li Xizhi could even ask, he smiled and said, “I’ve heard some things too. I don’t have much detail yet, but I’ve already sent someone to compile information on this peak. You’ll have it delivered tonight.”
Moongaze Lake.
The northern shore’s mountains were covered in pristine snow. Li Xijun had been silently observing the lake for several days and had already seen signs of more than a dozen skirmishes.
“The Fei Family is really in trouble,” muttered Li Xijun.
The north bank of Moongaze Lake bordered Xu State, and the Fei Family was the first to bear the brunt. The Buddhist and devil cultivators fleeing Xu State were split into two groups by Mount Xiping, heading separately toward Wu and Yue States.
Fortunately, the Fei Family’s formation was a legacy from ancient times, capable of withstanding Foundation Establishment REalm attacks. And with the cultivators in a rush to cover their tracks, unwilling to linger, nothing too disastrous had happened yet.
Even so, several members of the Fei Family who ventured out had been killed by devil or Buddhist cultivators. They had now learned their lesson and withdrawn entirely into the mountain, refusing to budge.
Li Xijun waited patiently. After a time, he saw two streaks of light flying past the lake’s central island. The one ahead emitted panicked dharma light and the one behind was dim and shadowy, its origins unclear.
Li Xijun looked at their trajectory and he was pretty sure that they were coming from Xu State. He thought, Just as the Yue Cultivating Sect pulled its forces back, Xu State’s cultivators are already fleeing into Yue State... they’re flying around blind. It’s clear how chaotic Xu State has become...
He had encountered five or six such cases over the past few days, but hadn't found the right opportunity to catch someone for questioning.
First, avoid Buddhist cultivators, they’re clever, love playing games, and have tangled history with my family. As for devil or orthodox cultivators, I must choose someone with low cultivation and no strong backing.
He had waited for days. Finally, these two came along. Their light-escape techniques were crude at best, likely devil cultivators or immortal cultivators. He rode the breeze and snow, instantly cutting off the one in front.
Li Xijun reached out and grabbed the man. The man’s light was instantly shattered. He had no time to react just like a lamb to the slaughter, he was caught. His cultivation was sealed and cast into the swirling snow.
The man turned out to be an old fellow in a tattered Daoist robe that was holding a fly whisk. His face was full of terror, but with his cultivation and speech both sealed, he could say nothing.
Though unable to speak, he curled up in the wind, pressing his palms together and pleading for mercy with frantic gestures.
The one behind reacted far faster. At the first sign of snow and wind, he turned tail and fled, erupting into a red mist. Clearly, he had used a blood-burning spell that consumed life force for speed.
Li Xijun nodded slightly, formed a seal with two fingers, and pointed gently at the fleeing figure.
A stream of white light, the Slaughter Jun Kui Light, gushed out like a flowing ribbon. It was as thin as silk and as swift as lightning. It flashed through the air, brushed across the fleeing light, and with a cry of pain, all of the man’s spells were wiped clean. He plummeted into the lake below.
The fleeing man turned out to be a young cultivator. His face was pale from the secret technique he had used. Clad in black, his blood qi surged, whether from his cultivation method or the spell itself was unclear.
Li Xijun reached out, sealed the young man’s cultivation and pulled him up without pause. Two Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators were nothing more than meat on the chopping block before him, they were entirely defenseless. Without saying a word, he took to the wind and flew south.
After around five minutes, Li Zhouwei appeared, clad in armor and standing with a halberd in hand. Behind him was Chen Yang, who had just broken through Qi Cultivation Realm and was now riding the wind as well.
As the years passed, the oddities in Li Zhouwei’s appearance had faded. Now, standing aloft on the wind, he looked no different from an ordinary cultivator except for a strange power in his gaze that made it difficult to look away. Everything else about him was well-concealed.
His features had matured, his shoulders had broadened and he now bore a resemblance to his father. The strange aura from his birth had mostly dissipated, though Chen Yang still stood at attention with proper form and discipline.
Li Zhouwei was now at the third stage of the Qi Cultivation Realm. He wasn’t rushing to advance further, as doing so might draw unwanted attention. Instead, he devoted most of his time to mastering halberd techniques.
After a short wait, Li Xijun arrived on the wind with a breeze of snow trailing behind. The young Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator in charge of Qingdu wore a troubled look, and two cultivators lay curled up on a spirit wind beside him.
Li Zhouwei had now officially joined Qingdu’s ranks. With Li Ximing in long-term seclusion, Li Qinghong away across the outer seas, and both Li Xizhi and Li Xuanfeng stationed at Azure Pond Sect, only Li Xijun and Li Zhouwei remained on Mount Qingdu to manage family matters.
Li Zhouwei glanced briefly at the captives and understood at once. He said in a low voice, “Uncle, there was another disturbance just now. This is already the seventh Buddhist cultivator to fly across the border this month...”
The northern skies were dim and heavy. Li Xijun had just returned from visiting the Fei Family. Over the past few days, he had seen things clearly, and upon hearing this, replied, “That’s right. I came back from the northern shore. The Fei Family has already lost three Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators. I caught these two along the way. We’ll question them thoroughly about what’s happening up north.”