Chapter 157: Burial

The sky was dim. Li Xuanfeng landed in the courtyard. Everything was still quiet, with no sound at all, only a few cries coming from the extremely distant horizon. The dark sky had originally buried all the bloodstains, but Li Xuanfeng's Qi Refining cultivation allowed him to see everything clearly.

"Little woman... Brother will kill that young master first to avenge you."

He dismantled a door panel to make a simple coffin, carefully placing every fragment, and using magic power to piece the various parts of the body together. It took him a full hour to organize it, and only then did it look like a person. Li Xuanfeng talked to himself while arranging it, finding some clothes in the wardrobe to drape over her, but suddenly caught sight of several children's clothes.

Through tear-blurred eyes, the two characters "Yuanyu" were embroidered on the cuffs. Jiang Yunu had once been the daughter of a large fishing family by the river, and although she later fell into a brothel, she still knew some characters. It was unknown whether the embroidery was poor or the writing itself was crooked, but the two characters "Yuanyu" looked clawing and scratching.

"Yuanyu..."

Only then did he realize that a child he had never met had also died in the city. He felt even more guilty and painful, prostrating himself on the ground for a while, closing the coffin. Li Xuanfeng murmured:

"Calculating the time, there are no traces at home. Could it be that they were playing at school or on the street..."

Putting away a few sets of children's clothes into his arms, Li Xuanfeng carried the coffin and flew around the courtyard for a while. Under the dark sky, he didn't see the corpse of a four or five-year-old child, so he had to wipe his tears and go to the nearby school.

Here, the ground was covered with fragments of children's corpses. Li Xuanfeng searched in the dark in the pile of blood, unable to distinguish them. Thinking that he could only build a cenotaph, he sighed, shook the blood off his hands, and went to the Li family shop.

Driving the wind and carrying the coffin, he wandered around the Li family shop. Li Xuanfeng vaguely distinguished the corpses of Wan Tianchou and his own clan brother in front of the door. Gritting his teeth, he said:

"I usually tell you to cultivate well and not be lazy, but you hid in the county to enjoy blessings! Now you can't even catch a ray of light from someone's magic tool!"

He opened his mouth, but looking at Wan Tianchou's desperate eyes, he couldn't say anything more. Li Xuanfeng said astringently:

"It's not your fault... blame this world!"

"Call the family to collect the corpses."

Li Xuanfeng sighed low, carrying the coffin and flying west. After flying through the bloody city wall for a while, he saw Xiao Ruyu waiting on the Guli Road. Seeing the coffin in Li Xuanfeng's hand, he felt a burst of guilt and shouted:

"Brother Xuanfeng, I received news... that young master is indeed dead!"

"I know!"

Li Xuanfeng replied dully, driving the wind toward the direction of the Li family, leaving Xiao Ruyu standing blankly in the gradually brightening sky for a while before falling back to the mountain.

————

Lijing Mountain.

Li Xuanxuan brought Li Yuanxiu up the mountain. This child was now twelve years old, quiet and polite. A few years ago, his spiritual apertures were discovered, and he had been cultivating since then. Now he had become a first-layer Embryonic Breath Xuanjing Wheel. Li Xuanxuan planned to share some family affairs with him, letting the child practice first.

Li Yuanjiao was now eight years old, also possessing spiritual apertures. The news that came last year made Li Xuanxuan dance with joy.

Li Xuanling was not inferior either. Lu Wanrong gave birth to two children for him, one girl and one boy. The girl was named Li Qinghong, and the boy was named Li Yuanyun. Now the eldest daughter was four and the second son was three. Both children were exquisite and cute, making people love them.

"Xuanling's two children are also grown up. In three years, when the disciples are all grown, I will seek a talisman seed before the Dharma Mirror..."

Li Xuanxuan looked at Li Yuanxiu, who was seriously reading the wooden slips below, and sighed secretly:

"It's just a pity for Xiu'er, who is the older brother, having to wait for his younger siblings."

Putting down the teacup in his hand, Li Xuanxuan saw Li Tongya, who was at the head, look stunned. He suddenly stood up, walked a few steps to the outside of the courtyard, and said in a deep voice:

"What's going on!"

Li Xuanxuan hurriedly got up and went outside the courtyard together, seeing Li Xuanfeng covered in blood, his robes stained red and purple, holding a broken, blood-stained large wooden box in his hand, looking very downcast.

Li Xuanfeng had already settled his emotions on the way. Seeing his father and brothers all surrounding him, he felt exhausted and said softly:

"The Qingchi Sect and the Tangjin Sect have started another slaughter. There are not many survivors in Li Xia County. The people stationed by my Li family, along with Wan Tianchou, are all dead. She... and the child I have never met, have all perished."

The short words made everyone stunned. Li Xiewen behind Li Xuanxuan was even more stunned, almost crying out. His own younger brother was responsible for guarding Li Xia County. He thought it was a good job, but didn't expect it to cost him his life.

Li Tongya opened his mouth, looking at the child's exhausted face, and said softly:

"Let's... bury them on the mountain first..."

Li Xuanfeng nodded and replied with a trembling voice:

"I didn't find the child's bones, so I took back a few pieces of clothing. I can only build a cenotaph for him."

Li Xuanxuan's eyes became moist when he heard this. Seeing Li Xuanfeng excuse himself to go to the mountains to bury his wife and child, he said astringently to Li Tongya:

"Clan Uncle... what is this!"

"Worldly affairs are impermanent."

Li Tongya sighed and replied. He couldn't remember how many times he had said this to comfort them. Li Tongya heard this for the first time from Li Mutian, but he had repeatedly experienced it in his own life, becoming more and more profound.

Li Xuanxuan sent someone down the mountain to ask the families of those clansmen to go and collect the corpses. Seeing Li Xiewen nodding repeatedly and rushing down the mountain, he quietly entered the mountains.

Watching Li Xuanfeng dig the grave with his own hands, bury the ebony coffin he had changed into, and then put the clothes into another grave and bury them carefully, he looked up at Li Xuanxuan and managed to squeeze out a smile, saying softly:

"I buried my father, and I also buried my wife and child. When the day comes for my burial, I will have to trouble my brother."

"What nonsense!"

Li Xuanxuan put on the posture of an elder brother for the first time, staring at him fiercely, just about to speak, but saw Li Xuanfeng wave his hand and reply:

"Brother... this can't knock me down. With the hatred of my father and family, Xuanfeng will cherish his life even more."

During the conversation, Li Tongya had already landed in the mountains, and Li Xuanling also rushed up the mountain. The three listened to Li Xuanfeng's account together. After hearing how he shot and killed the Tangjin Sect young master with arrow intent, Li Tongya stared at him with his eyebrows drooping, wanting to reprimand him but afraid of stimulating him, so he had to sigh:

"Don't do such dangerous things in the future."

Li Xuanfeng nodded and didn't speak again. Li Xuanling leaned against a stone, watching his father and brother not speaking, and had to say quietly:

"Worldly affairs are difficult, and no family is easy... Only move forward."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 158 =====