Li Xuanfeng landed on the peak and saw everyone looking up at him. He noticed many unfamiliar faces among them. Ning Heyuan stood at the front, hands clasped behind his back, his expression relaxed and eyebrows slightly lifted, concealing a trace of pride.
Li Xuanfeng nodded slightly, and Ning Heyuan immediately stepped forward and said softly, "Congratulations, Brother-in-law..."
He stepped aside, revealing the man behind him. It was Chi Zhiyan, younger brother of Sect Master Chi Zhiyun. The man had a somewhat sinister appearance and narrow eyes, which he opened bigger only upon seeing Li Xuanfeng.
He smiled and said, "Daoist, your archery is truly formidable! To kill Murong Wu in just a quarter of an hour, our eyes have been thoroughly opened!"
Chi Zhiyan, nearly the highest-ranking person present, gestured for him to enter for a more private discussion. His tone remained courteous as he asked, "Which Daoist Masters did you meet?"
"Daoist Masters Qiushui and Yuan Xiu..." Li Xuanfeng answered as he stepped forward. He stood a head taller than Chi Zhiyan, who looked up and met his eyes. Li Xuanfeng continued in a deep voice, "The Daoist Masters gifted me a pill, offered much encouragement, and said little else."
Chi Zhiyan seemed to be thinking deeply. He lowered his head and, after a moment, asked, "And what sort of immortal pill was it?"
"A Geng Metal Triple Qi Pill..." Li Xuanfeng spoke the name as he searched Chi Zhiyan’s face. The man’s eyes were blank, and he seemed to ponder it repeatedly, as though he had never heard the name before.
"Which Daoist Master gave it to you?" asked Chi Zhiyan.
"Daoist Master Yuan Xiu." Li Xuanfeng replied and, seeing that Chi Zhiyan still looked utterly puzzled, thought to himself, Chi Zhiyan probably has no idea what it is...
He answered a few more of Chi Zhiyan’s questions perfunctorily. Once enough courtesy had been shown, he finally said, "I’ve just come from a fierce battle and am wounded... Forgive me for not staying longer. Once I finish healing and stabilize my qi, I’ll take the pill."
Chi Zhiyan could only nod and retreat. Ning Heyuan bustled in shortly after. Li Xuanfeng had only managed to suppress his injuries after half an hour of treatment, but the exertions along the way had caused his organs to ache again, and his face was slightly pale.
He simply took out Murong Wu’s helmet and armor and tossed them to the ground. Instantly, dharma light shimmered across the jade tiles. He said softly, "Have this armor reforged. Find a few artifact smiths to present a couple of designs for re-casting. I'll choose one or two."
Ning Heyuan nodded lightly. Li Xuanfeng quickly made his way down and saw Li Qinghong waiting in the hall.
When she saw him approach, she looked at him with concern. "Second uncle, how are your injuries?"
Li Xuanfeng merely exhaled and waved it off. Seeing his expression, Li Qinghong quickly explained how she had injured Helian Changguang and took two items out from her storage pouch.
One was a dark green fan with intricate patterns and densely inscribed spells, arranged in five distinct totem-like motifs. Its style was refined, but carried a hint of opulence.
The other item was a white brocade robe with long turquoise feathers at the shoulders. It had previously been worn by a devil cultivator and was shrouded in demonic energy, concealing its features. Now that it was revealed, it looked ethereal. However, it was slightly faded, since it had been scorched by lightning.
Li Xuanfeng listened carefully, then activated the array in the hall and said, "Qinghong, the Helian Family is of royal blood in the Tiefo State, north of Zhao. From your description, Helian Changguang holds some status. To fight two and kill one on your own is not an easy feat."
His old eyes beneath his brows were still sharp. He stood with arms crossed; even in his injured state, his voice was crisp and firm, "But offending that man isn’t a good thing. I’ll make a note of it. Stay within the pass for now and cultivate. When I make a circuit eastward, I’ll find him and shoot him before he has time to hold a grudge."
Li Qinghong was taken aback. Though she wasn’t afraid of the man, she had family in the pass and couldn’t remain constantly on guard. There was some risk.
Still, unwilling to trouble Li Xuanfeng too much, she replied, "Thank you, second uncle... but your own matters are more important."
Li Xuanfeng only shook his head and said with a slightly hoarse voice, "Even if you weren’t the strongest in the family, you would be going regardless. Killing a single devil cultivator isn’t an issue."
He didn’t say more. After a closer look, he pointed at the two dharma artifacts and said, "The Helian Family has deep foundations; these two dharma artifacts are of decent quality. I know you’re uneasy wielding them. Go find Ning Heyuan and have him assign someone to escort you to the central region to have them reforged."
Li Xuanfeng paused, then gave special instructions, "Don’t reforge them on Mount Bianyan. There are too many eyes and too many complications. I’ll have Murong Wu’s armor remade and delivered home to the younger generation."
Li Qinghong understood that by ‘younger generation,’ he meant Li Zhouwei. She nodded and kept it in mind. Li Xuanfeng already looked tired as he waved his hand and started to make his way out. Li Qinghong accompanied him out of the hall, thinking to herself, Second uncle’s authority grows heavier by the day.
She went to find Ning Heyuan, who was now quite enthusiastic. He brought several artifact smiths under his command and specifically introduced one, a burly old man in red robes.
Ning Heyuan said with a smile, "This is Daoist Chu, he once practiced at the Moongaze Lake Market. He’s an old acquaintance of my brother-in-law!"
Li Qinghong nodded. She understood what Li Xuanfeng meant about the mountain being crowded with watching eyes. She had already grown restless, so she didn’t exchange many words with Daoist Chu before hurriedly taking her leave with him.
She brought along Fei Tongyu, who still looked weary and dispirited. The three of them flew off together.
As they flew, Li Qinghong quickly offered an apology and asked, "The matter is urgent, so I dared not linger. May I ask for your name, fellow Daoist?"
"Chu Minglian." The old man laughed heartily, clasped his hands behind his back, puffed out his chest, and replied with great gravitas, "Back in my youth, I refined artifacts at the Moongaze Lake Market. The Golden Age Longbow that Xuanfeng wields was crafted by none other than myself!
"Even sword immortals came to my shop to stock up before heading home!"
This was clearly Chu Minglian’s favorite boast, one he shared with everyone he met. After a round of hearty laughter, Li Qinghong’s eyes suddenly lit up with anticipation as she asked, "Then, senior, have you ever seen my father, Li Xuanling?"
"Li Xuanling...? I've heard of Li Xuanxuan... but never Li Xuanling," he replied.
Chu Minglian looked slightly embarrassed. Li Qinghong quickly added, "He is the son of the Celestial Moon Sword."
"Oh!" Chu Minglian’s demeanor instantly turned solemn, and he nodded, "So you are the granddaughter of Li Tongya..."
He recalled fondly, "Of the three who came back then, he alone looked like a mere escort. I vaguely remember his broad shoulders. Who would've thought he was such a remarkable figure?"
The two continued smiling as they chatted, and soon returned to the inner pass. They saw Kongheng pacing around from a distance, scanning the area, but there was no sign of Li Wushao.
Li Qinghong casually asked and learned that there was a Foundation Establishment Realm female cultivator within the central valley whose mount was a white Hooked Serpent. Li Wushao hadn’t seen another of its kind in decades and couldn’t restrain his excitement, so he went to pay a visit.
The news surprised Li Qinghong a little. She chuckled softly, then led Chu Minglian and Kongheng forward before bringing out the two dharma artifacts.