The Li Family household.
Winter snow fell with a soft rustle. This year, the snowfall was heavier. Cold snow gathered atop the long stone wall along the riverbank, painting it in stark gray and white. A few pedestrians hurried past, clutching new quilts in their arms.
This riverside dam had originally been constructed after two sects exploited the flood caused by the Yuan Family patriarch’s death. The lake had long since receded, leaving behind a long, gray-white dam wall.
Li Zhouwei walked casually down the snow-laden path, cloaked in a black robe. An Siwei and Chen Yang were following behind him.
His father, Li Chengliao, had already reached the late stage of the Qi Cultivation Realm and had gradually handed over family affairs to him before heading up the mountain to cultivate. Though Li Zhouwei had yet to formally inherit the patriarch's position, the responsibilities of the household had already fallen to him.
The Li Family had already begun separating secular family affairs from the immortal matters of Qingdu in previous generations. This was the trend under the likes of Li Yuanping, Li Yuanjiao, Li Xicheng, and Li Xijun. But now, things had changed.
Since Li Xijun was severely injured on Mount Qingdu and Li Ximing in seclusion, authority now rested with Li Zhouwei. Li Chengliao had relinquished power, and even the affairs of the central hall were now handled by Li Zhouwei.
He handled it all with composure. Each day, he would sit briefly in the central hall, with his brush sweeping like a dragon. Dozens of complex family affairs would be resolved in mere moments. Then, with a flick of his robe, he would return to Mount Qingdu, never wasting time.
Now that he had been cultivating for some time, he even had moments to observe the livelihoods of the common people by the lake. Golden light shimmered faintly in his eyes. A small blue bird was perched on his shoulder; it was the manifestation of the dharma artifact Azure Manifestation, a gift from Yuan Tuan. The spirit bird conjured from it appeared lifelike and animated.
"How have the arrangements for the seven remnant families gone?" Li Zhouwei asked softly, arms folded across his chest.
Chen Yang promptly responded, "They’ve been assigned to various towns and are following orders. As families with a history of wrongdoing, they’ve been quite diligent, though their status is ranked below that of the other families."
The remnant families Li Zhouwei spoke of were, of course, the families left behind after the fall of the Yu Family. All of them had been relocated to the southernmost reaches of Mount Yue, where they would be left to compete and struggle against the various tribes.
An Siwei responded calmly, "Reporting to the heir, the seven families now all identify themselves with Nanzhang Mountain in the southernmost part of Mount Yue. They each claim to hail from Nanzhang and no longer mention their past."
"Smart enough," Li Zhouwei replied casually. He noted the name Nanzhang and pondered, They could be a useful group... not afraid of offending others, and born in a savage land. That place is treacherous. If we give them just enough favor, they won’t be wiped out, and will still serve as a check on the inner families.
From An Siwei’s line, ‘they all claim to be from Nanzhang,’ Li Zhouwei understood that the seven families were consciously forming a united front. First, to contend with the native Mount Yue tribes, and second, to carve out a place in the silent struggles among the prestigious families across various towns.
After a century, the Li Family had already splintered into factions. The man behind him, Chen Yang, represented the Chen Family, and he was a leading figure of Lijing’s four towns among the various peaks.
An Siwei, naturally, represented Huayu’s seven towns. The remaining branches of the Li Family, along with Wutu’s eight towns, Huaqian’s four towns, the Milin’s eighteen towns, and the twenty-six tribes of Eastern Mount Yue each had their own external rivalries and internal discord. The complexity had grown far beyond what it was a century ago.
Among them, the Lijing faction was the strongest. Li Zhouwei had a reputation for favoring unpopular figures, such as Chen Yang, whom the other houses disliked. Bringing in An Siwei, who was well-respected among the Huayu families, was clearly a calculated move.
He was considering promoting one or two people from Nanzhang when a subordinate came rushing up to report, "My lord! News from the Clan Chief’s Court!"
The trusted aide pulled a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Li Zhouwei. He opened it and, after a glance, rare delight appeared on his brow.
"Xu Peiyu is with child," muttered Li Zhouwei.
Xu Peiyu was the first woman Li Zhouwei had taken as a wife. Later, he had married women from the An and Tian Families, with four concubines in total to stabilize his standing. Despite all that, Xu Peiyu still held a special place in his heart.
"No wonder."
Every time he visited, the woman only sought closeness to the point of exhaustion before resting. She hadn’t contacted him in the past two days, and he had thought she’d finally taken a break. However, it seemed she was pregnant.
He tucked the letter away, dismissed the two aides, and rode the wind to Lijing Mountain, landing in the jade-like courtyard of the central hall. The guards on both sides immediately bowed as Li Zhouwei strode straight into the hall.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
The white-armored palace guards on either side all fell to their knees in unison. Jade halberds and swords clinked crisply as they arranged themselves neatly, their voices echoing in perfect harmony in the hall.
Li Zhouwei’s boots rang coldly against the floor. Unlike his father, Li Chengliao, who would pause to let the guards rise, he walked straight to the end of the hall before his voice finally floated back, "You may rise."
After a few more steps, he soon arrived at the rear hall. His father, Li Chengliao, had only one wife, so this place had always been empty. Now, however, it had become lively, with handmaidens often hurrying through the corridors.
Xu Peiyu’s building was nearby. When Li Zhouwei entered, a physician stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Congratulations, Your Highness! Lady Xu is one month pregnant."
The physician lifted his eyes slightly but heard no response. He only saw the gleaming jade boots standing motionless before him.
They say the moods of lords are hard to read... and indeed it’s true... thought the physician.
Sweat trickled down his forehead as the man before him finally spoke, "One month?"
Li Zhouwei’s tone turned cold. He had visited Xu Peiyu several times this month. As a cultivator, how could he not tell whether she was pregnant? He was starting to suspect this man’s medical skill was poor. His diagnosis was pure nonsense.
"My lord." Just then, Xu Peiyu hurried up to him. Li Zhouwei glanced at her belly, and his expression softened somewhat. He dismissed the sweating physician with a wave and carefully examined Peiyu’s complexion.
Sure enough, though she seemed spirited, there were dark circles under her eyes. Her essence qi was subtly waning, and her cheeks were much thinner than usual. Li Zhouwei said nothing and followed her into the hall.
Golden light flowed in his eyes as his expression grew darker. It’s been less than ten days... yet the child already shows signs of being a month along...
Xu Peiyu was still unaware, chattering on and pulling him to talk about this and that. Li Zhouwei responded calmly, trying to reassure her.
The woman stared keenly into his eyes and murmured, "I've often felt dizzy and sluggish these past few days. My whole body feels drained of blood and qi. I nearly fainted a few times... I might need stronger medicine..."
"I'll take care of it... let's first have an elder examine you," replied Li Zhouwei.
A sense of foreboding rose in Li Zhouwei’s heart. He scrutinized her once more, then slowly turned and strode out. He soared into the air, leaving her behind still waiting in the hall.
Only after Li Zhouwei vanished from sight did Xu Peiyu’s expression finally show traces of fear. She felt as though all her essence qi was draining into her womb. As she sat blankly in her seat, a faint dread rose in her heart.
Each time she had lain with Li Zhouwei, a fragrance like peonies would intoxicate her senses, nearly causing her to lose her mind. Only after he had been gone for some time would she slowly feel fear again. Yet the moment he returned to the hall, she would rush out to greet him, overjoyed.
His Highness is divine and mighty, capable of ensnaring hearts and souls. Those golden pupils... he doesn’t seem human, but more like some demonic creature...
How could a human bear the child of a demon? What logic is there in that? He might devour me without hesitation!
Truly like a demon...
Xu Peiyu dared not tell anyone. Even to her own family, she only said the pregnancy was good news. But now, her legs grew cold. It felt as if a great stone had settled in her womb. It was so heavy she could barely breathe.