Night deepened over Mount Qingdu. Li Xijun had not entered seclusion and stood amid wind and snow among the clouds at the mountain’s peak. After waiting a while, he saw a bolt of violet lightning weaving through the clouds. It halted before him and transformed into two figures.
“Aunt! Little Sister.” Li Xijun called out, and before him stood Li Qinghong in jade armor with her white spear, and his younger sister Li Yuexiang. Li Qinghong descended on the lightning and spoke softly, “Xijun.”
Li Yuexiang followed behind and greeted him. Li Xijun merely nodded and offered his congratulations, “Congratulations on your cultivation breakthrough, Aunt. I’ve heard things are in chaos out at sea. I’ve been meaning to go pick up Little Sister... but couldn’t spare the time. I was about to send a letter to Brother Xizhi when I happened to be on my way back.”
“Was the journey back safe?” Li Qinghong descended with him into the main hall, and only after they sat down did she speak, “There were some surprises... thinking back on it, something doesn’t add up.”
She recounted the events of her journey. After listening carefully, Li Xijun pondered for a moment and replied, “There is something odd, but it's hard to see clearly. The Eastern Sea is vast, how did you just happen to run into the Miao Family and the Shens? Perhaps some faction is behind it...
“Even if you hadn’t gone, Shen Yanqing surely could’ve held out until the Shen Family’s head arrived. I don’t think their Daoist Master used your strength to save her... I’ve never heard this Daoist Master’s Life Divine Ability to be particularly cunning either, so it’s likely not him.”
Li Qinghong nodded, she had been reflecting along the way as well. She spoke softly, “I suspect someone recognized the Duruo and used this method to inform the Miao Family... But thinking deeper, what was the point? If a Daoist Master had intentions for it, it’s only a Foundation Establishment Realm dharma artifact. Would our family refuse if they simply came to claim it?
“I’ve heard the Miao Family also has a Daoist Master. If the artifact were truly so important, they could’ve torn through the great void and taken it from me as easily as lifting a garment off a bed. They’d earn a favor, and we’d owe them thanks. Why resort to all these twists and turns?”
Li Xijun held a jade cup in hand, nodded slightly, and said, “The Profund Thunderstone... just by the name, it’s clearly no ordinary item. For Miao Quan to request it even while facing pressure from two Purple Mansion Realm cultivators, it must be something extremely vital.”
He actually had some suspicions in his heart, but lacking certainty, he didn't want to speak them aloud, Could it be that Daoist Master Chuting used those two as a mouthpiece to tell Aunt about the Profund Thunderstone? But there’s no need for all that, he could’ve just sent someone to say a word. Doing it this vague way only leaves us with a name.
The aunt and nephew exchanged a glance, seeming to reach some unspoken agreement, and quickly moved on from the topic. Li Xijun simply said, “In any case... I’ll look into this matter properly.”
Li Qinghong then explained what the Cui Family of Chongzhou had said. After a moment of hesitation, she recounted her conversation with Chi Buzi. Li Xijun broke into a cold sweat just listening, not daring to speak rashly, and replied, “The Cui Family said the Ning Family might have it, then I’ll write a letter to the southern border to inquire.”
The aunt and nephew discussed for a while. Then Li Xijun began writing, one hand pressed to his sleeve, and said warmly, “Yuexiang...”
He had wanted to bring up his younger sister Yuexiang’s marriage, but when he saw his aunt smiling at him, he suddenly remembered his own status was still unsettled, and stopped, a bit embarrassed.
Li Qinghong removed her jade armor and gently placed it on the table. She took a white outer robe from her storage pouch and draped it over herself, it blended seamlessly with her snow-white inner garments. She said, “My cultivation has progressed. I no longer have need for this spirit armor, it's time to return it to the family.”
Li Xijun nodded and put it away. Li Qinghong thought for a moment, then asked, “By the way... does the heir have any armor? If the chance arises, I’d like to craft a set for him.”
“Armor...” Li Xijun fell silent for a moment, then said softly, “Aunt... our family does have some spirit ores, even ones suitable for Foundation Establishment Realm. But I still think we should use them to forge a spirit armor or feathered robe for you instead.”
“For me?” Li Qinghong frowned slightly, but then saw Li Xijun smile and say, “He’s still just cultivating within the family now. In the future, he’ll be managing the family and its affairs. With his bold personality, he’ll have no trouble obtaining whatever fine items he wants. Aunt, you should think of yourself for once.”
Li Xijun brushed his hand over the storage pouch at his waist and retrieved several items. The first being a piece of gleaming, silvery refined iron. He said, “This is Nishui Cold Essence. Our family’s iron mine has been in operation for decades. The cold iron extracted was refined repeatedly, and the most refined essence has been preserved here. It has been refined over two hundred times, producing this Foundation Establishment Realm material.”
Next was a thin golden sheet, which Li Xijun explained, “This, Aunt, you know already. It’s Altar Goldstone. It was obtained alongside the Earth-View Bloodstone that can heal and save lives. Also Foundation Establishment Realm, though not very large in size...”
This was originally meant to forge a dharma artifact for Li Ximing. But after acquiring the Sun Seeker Ring, it seemed he already had one. Yet as Green Pine Temple’s name became increasingly controversial, no one dared to use it...
Li Ximing was single-minded in his cultivation and cared little for dharma artifacts, so with chaos looming, they decided to take it out early for crafting.
The final item was a pale-blue, head-sized ore. It was a Heyu Emerald, barely Foundation Establishment Realm, but abundant in quantity. It was taken from the Yu Family’s treasury.
He handed all these items to Li Qinghong and simply said, “Aunt, please use these to forge yourself spirit armor or a feathered robe.”
Li Qinghong was briefly surprised but then nodded and accepted them, saying gently, “The Azure Pond Sect will surely conscript Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators to the north. I’ll lead the group myself, having a set of spirit armor will be safer.”
She paused and added softly, “Among the many markets, we don’t really know any trustworthy artifact smiths. In times like these, with constant unrest, who’s to say they won’t take our materials and vanish? I can’t bring myself to trust them.”
Having spent a long time in the Eastern Sea, Li Qinghong’s way of thinking had taken on the region’s pragmatism, she always considered the worst outcome first. She simply said, “Let’s wait a bit, Xizhi may be returning soon. Better to let him handle these things.”
“You’re right, Aunt,” replied Li Xijun.