Chapter 169

An Jiyan cupped his hands lightly and answered in a flat tone:

"To kill Yu Mugao."

"Hmm."

Li Tongya sneered in his heart, smiled slightly on the surface, and said softly:

"If Brother Jiyan came for this matter, then please return."

"Ling'er, see the guest out."

Li Tongya at the head called out. Li Xuanling, who was standing silently in the corner, stepped forward. An Jiyan waved his hands hurriedly and said urgently:

"Brother Tongya, please listen to me!"

Li Tongya hadn't intended to drive him away impolitely anyway. Hearing this, he turned his head to look at him. An Jiyan said hurriedly:

"Brother Tongya! Although your clan is protected by a Sword Immortal and no one dares to look down on you, the Yu family has long had the ambition to sweep across Wangyue Lake. Even if they don't dare to invade your clan openly, they will definitely not lack secret tricks! Yu Mugao doesn't dare to target Brother Tongya, but he can certainly find a few guest ministers, loose cultivators, and outer sect disciples to secretly ambush your clan's disciples. He will only be at ease if he makes all your clan's outstanding juniors die prematurely..."

"The Sword Immortal has profound cultivation, but he is far away in the Southern Wilderness. The Yu family also has backers within the sect. As long as they don't leave any handles, could the Green Spike Sword Immortal possibly fly thousands of miles to take action for one or two nephews who died inexplicably..."

An Jiyan put these words plainly on the table, which made Li Tongya frown continuously. He said in a deep voice:

"Brother Jiyan is quite knowledgeable about the Yu family."

An Jiyan's words didn't persuade Li Tongya, but instead made Li Tongya suspicious. Having lived as neighbors for so many years, both sides had many secret agents in each other's territory. Li Tongya had also heard about what this person had done, and thought to himself:

"Yu Mugao is vicious, and he would indeed do such a thing. But this An Jiyan has always been selfish and stingy, not like someone with such a big picture. Why is he acting so out of character today, being able to say such things."

Seeing Li Tongya lower his head and stop speaking, An Jiyan thought he was tempted and struck while the iron was hot:

"A man has no intention to harm the tiger, but the tiger has the intention to harm the man! Although your clan stays on your territory peacefully, if the Yu family wants to maintain their current situation of dominating Wangyue Lake, they must suppress your clan. Since they can't start with Brother Tongya, they will definitely plot against your clan's juniors."

Li Tongya shook his head and found an excuse to say in a deep voice:

"Yu Mugao and Yu Mujian both have good talent. Not to mention that Yu Xiaogui of the Yu family is at Foundation Establishment, there are several others in the Xiao generation at the peak of Qi Refining. There is no need to fear my Li family. Tongya will say it again: if Brother Jiyan came for this matter, then there is no need to say more. Please return."

Seeing that he was indeed unmoved, An Jiyan was neither angry nor anxious, and said in a low voice:

"Jiyan's words are all true, and Brother Tongya knows it in his heart. If your clan doesn't believe it, wait a few more years, and you will know the truth of my reminder."

After cupping his hands, he rode the wind and left. Li Tongya stood in place for a while. Li Xuanling stepped forward hesitantly and said in a low voice:

"Your child thinks this person's words also make sense. We should still be careful."

Li Tongya frowned, sat back at the head, and felt more and more that something was wrong. After pondering for a few breaths, he replied:

"These are not words An Jiyan could say. This is probably An Jingming's idea."

Recalling Yu Mugao's temperament again, and thinking about how the An family and the Yu family were still quite close, Li Tongya felt somewhat annoyed and said softly:

"With Yu Mugao's temperament, this thing would indeed be done. It's not just targeting my family; An Jingming is probably also on Yu Mugao's mind, so he is in a hurry to find people to deal with Yu Mugao."

Li Xuanling stood on the side, frowned, and replied:

Li Tongya nodded and said warmly:

"This is an unrealistic matter. From now on, tell the clansmen not to leave home, and talk about everything after the Xiao family's planning is over. At that time, we can borrow the Xiao family's power, so that the Yu family won't be able to act domineeringly day by day."

Li Xuanling wrote down his words. Li Tongya looked at the sky and instructed:

"Now that I have the Snake Origin Pill, I can try to enter closed-door cultivation to break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining. Although it has only been two or three years since breaking through to the eighth level, which is a bit rushed, there is no other way. After all, I have to try to break through to Foundation Establishment before the age of sixty..."

Li Xuanling gritted his teeth, a thick, inseparable worry appearing in his eyes. After organizing his language for a long time in his heart, he said uneasily:

"Your son heard that breaking through to Foundation Establishment from Qi Refining is a life-and-death struggle. Now that Father is at the late Qi Refining stage, you are the pillar of the family. Your son is afraid..."

Li Tongya was stunned at first, let out a low sigh, looked at his eldest son who was already a father himself, and saw that he had a full beard on his lips. He felt a little relieved and replied:

"Your father, I, have only taken three pills and one register of Qi in my cultivation, and the rest all depends on my own hard work. I have never taken any precious medicines or spiritual objects like those in the Three Sects and Seven Gates, so breaking through is indeed a life-and-death struggle..."

Seeing Li Xuanling's worried eyes, Li Tongya smiled:

"With your Fourth Uncle's prestige, my Li family will be worry-free for fifty years. This is the perfect time to try breaking through to Foundation Establishment. If I fail to break through and die, the Yu family won't do anything to my Li family; on the contrary, they will greatly relax their vigilance."

"Your son understands."

Li Xuanling cupped his hands. Li Tongya nodded slightly, walked out of the courtyard in a few steps, and flew toward Meichi Peak in the south while riding the wind.

Li Xuanling was quite worried, looking at Li Tongya's back as he rode the wind, hoping in his heart that the day Li Tongya entered closed-door cultivation to break through to Foundation Establishment would come later.

————

Lijing Town.

The largest and most luxurious courtyard in Lijing Town is not Li Xuanxuan's residence at the foot of the mountain. If compared by area and luxury, Li Xuanxuan's courtyard would probably rank behind. The residences of those clan uncles and elders are the best, followed by the Chen, Liu, Ren, and Tian families, and only then can it be Li Xuanxuan's turn.

Chen Donghe has been guarding Mount Huaqian for the past few years, using the spiritual spring on the mountain to cultivate, and hasn't returned to the Chen family for several years. Never did he expect that the Chen family's residence had grown to such an extent, with more than three hundred people in the whole family. If there wasn't a map recording their names, one probably wouldn't be able to find where someone lived.

He had just walked to the front of the courtyard when a string of firecrackers went off in his ears. People were standing on both sides. His only surviving brother was already over fifty years old and was the big master of the courtyard, waiting respectfully at the door for him.

And a boy wearing a padded jacket was looking at him at the door. Chen Donghe scanned with his spiritual sense and knew that this was the one with spiritual apertures who had caused the family to call him back.

"How old are you now?"

"Eight years old."

Chen Donghe looked carefully. The child bit his lip and stared straight at him. Chen Donghe asked again:

"What is your name?"

"Chen Mufeng."

Chen Donghe stood up, only to see his brother leaning forward, his tone respectful and terrifyingly unfamiliar:

"Inviting the Immortal Master here this time is in the hope that the Immortal Master can bring this child along... The Chen family is extremely grateful!"

After saying this, he knelt on the ground with a thud, and a group of people followed him to kowtow. The sound of begging came like a tide. Chen Donghe stared at the boy's appearance, ignored the crowd around him, and thought to himself:

"This child cannot be brought by me personally, as it would leave a handle for nothing. Finding him a good family can be considered an explanation to the Chen family."

So he helped his brother up and said in a deep voice:

"Although I cannot bring this child personally, I can find him a good teacher..."

Old Master Chen was stunned, his face changing, and he said hesitantly:

"Is this good teacher surnamed Tian... or surnamed Liu?"

Chen Donghe didn't often come into contact with outer-surname cultivators at the foot of the mountain, so he was stunned upon hearing this. He suddenly realized in his heart and thought secretly:

"There have been thirty or forty outer-surname cultivators in the Li family over the past few decades. Most of them are at the first or second level of Embryonic Breath, but there are also three or four at the fourth level... I'm afraid there are also factional divisions, and this matter also concerns the Chen family's stance..."

Seeing Chen Donghe's expression, Old Master Chen was somewhat flustered for a moment. His wrinkled face squeezed out a smile, and he said hurriedly:

"It's not that we question the Immortal Master's decision and want to shamelessly pick and choose, it's just that we want our family to know the name of that good teacher... so we can know who we are entrusting him to."

Chen Donghe waved his hand and smiled:

"Brother, rest assured, this person is surnamed Li."

"Surnamed Li?!"

Old Master Chen was overjoyed, grinned, revealing a few rotten teeth, and smiled:

"Surnamed Li is good! Surnamed Li is good!"

Chen Donghe laughed, took Chen Mufeng's hand, and rose with the wind, leaving a group of people on the ground looking on with envy.

Chen Donghe flew over the town for a while. The child in his arms was shivering. He landed in an empty courtyard. Chen Mufeng stumbled a few times. Chen Donghe let go of his hand, and saw a person standing in front of the stone door with his arms crossed. His hair was gray and his waist was straight. Seeing him, he was somewhat surprised and cupped his hands:

"Greetings to Brother Donghe... this is quite rare. Are you here to find this Shamoli?"

"Not so."

Chen Donghe cupped his hands with a smile, pulled the child to his side, and said softly:

"I am here to find Brother Qiuyang."

Li Qiuyang stepped forward and sat down on the stone stool in the courtyard. His spiritual sense, however, extended out of his body, still paying attention to the stone door where Shamoli was in closed-door cultivation. He smiled:

"Brother Donghe, just say it!"

Chen Donghe nodded and said solemnly:

"I went back to the Chen family and found a child with spiritual apertures. I wanted to entrust him to me to bring him into the path of cultivation, but I am not in a good position to bring him, so I'm afraid I have to entrust him to you, brother."

"Oh?"

Li Qiuyang lowered his head and didn't agree immediately. He stared at Chen Mufeng's face for a while. Seeing that the boy was quite well-behaved, Chen Donghe spoke again, using magic power to transmit his voice:

"I heard that all your children, Brother Qiuyang, have no spiritual apertures. It will be difficult for them in the future... Why not accept this child, teach him carefully with the affection of a teacher and student, and then marry a daughter to him? After you pass away in a hundred years, your descendants will also have protection..."

These words hit Li Qiuyang's heart knot. A smile appeared on his face immediately. He nodded repeatedly and said in a deep voice:

"Since you said so, brother, I will accept this child."

Chen Donghe laughed, patted the child's back, and smiled:

"Call him Master."

"Master!"

The boy was quite well-behaved and called out crisply. Li Qiuyang took his hand affectionately and asked for his birth date and name. Chen Donghe watched the two finish asking with a smile, and then said softly:

"Donghe has one thing to ask Brother Qiuyang."

"Please speak."

Li Qiuyang raised his head and saw Chen Donghe take two small cups from his storage bag, take a gourd, and fill the cups with clear wine, then said in a low voice:

"Donghe has cultivated on Mount Huaqian for many years and doesn't know much about the outer-surname cultivators in the family. I wonder... Brother Qiuyang, can you clear up my confusion?"

"So it's this!"

Li Qiuyang raised his cup and was about to take a sip. He looked at the tightly closed stone door and finally put down the jade cup, smiling:

"There are currently twenty-eight outer-surname Embryonic Breath cultivators in the family, and six Embryonic Breath cultivators with the Ye surname who are also Li. Most of them are at the first or second level of Embryonic Breath and are not worth mentioning. Only a few Embryonic Breath cultivators who started cultivating earlier and have good talent are worth mentioning."

Li Qiuyang glanced at Chen Mufeng beside him. Seeing the child listening with his ears pricked up, he nodded slightly and said solemnly:

"The first one, fifth level of Embryonic Breath, surnamed Tian, is the family head... is the relative of the King's wife."

Li Qiuyang used the word 'King', which made both of them silent. Both of them were people who had gone through life and death with Li Xiangping. When they were in the Shanyue territory, they all called Li Xiangping 'King'.

"The King passed away in the Shanyue territory, and the main wife also died of depression within a few years. The Tian family's status has slipped quite a bit, but this person has good talent. He is forty years old now, and the possibility of breaking through to Qi Refining is not great, but it still exists."

"He is currently responsible for managing the planting of spiritual rice in the town. Many people secretly support him, so he can be considered a faction."

"Next are the Liu family and the Ren family, both at the fourth level of Embryonic Breath, but most of them have no chance to break through to Qi Refining. Each counts as a faction."

Chen Donghe drank the clear wine, frowned, and said in a low voice:

"Does the family know about this?"

"I don't know."

Li Qiuyang shook his head, scanned the courtyard with his spiritual sense, and said in a low voice:

"This matter should be managed by the Clan Justice Court. Qiuyang avoids such things and doesn't dare to intervene. Which Li family disciple isn't afraid of the Clan Justice Court?"

Chen Donghe suddenly realized, apologized, pondered for a few breaths, and asked:

"Is the struggle among them still intense?"

"It was okay in the past."

Li Qiuyang's voice became lower and lower. The shallow wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were somewhat obvious in the dim light. He said softly:

"Ever since Young Master Xiu started managing the household, several factions have become increasingly confrontational. Many people have been squeezed into barren fields because of mutual disputes and have to work hard to plant rice without any gratitude..."

"I understand."

Chen Donghe nodded slightly and thought to himself:

"This matter probably needs to be reported to the family, let Xuanling and the others make the decision, to prevent it from brewing into evil consequences after a long time."

So he bid farewell to Li Qiuyang, rode the wind, left the courtyard, and went up the mountain, leaving Li Qiuyang in the courtyard looking in the direction he left in silence. After a long time, he smiled:

"He'er is still the same as always!"

(End of chapter)