Chapter 173

The candlelight in the main hall flickered slightly. Li Yuanxiu stood at the very head, sideways. Below, a Shanyue envoy covered in animal bones and jade knelt, his head pressed tightly against the ground, and said respectfully:

"This lowly person has seen the Young Family Head. My Great King remembers the friendship between the two families, misses the health of the aunt and uncle, and remembers the alliance between the two families. He has sent many products from our territory. Now that the position of Queen is still vacant, the Great King still hopes to marry a daughter of the Li family clan..."

Li Yuanxiu stepped forward and walked down two steps from the head. The clan soldiers on both sides stared at the Shanyue person in front of them in unison. Chen Donghe, who was to the side, stood below the steps, also silently vigilant to prevent the person in front of him from rioting.

"My Li family is located in the east. I have only heard that there is a riot in Shanyue, and that not a single descendant of Mu Jiaoman has survived. The envoy has come from afar; I wonder if you can clear up my confusion."

Li Yuanxiu did not answer the person's words, but instead picked up on the details of the Shanyue turmoil, making the Shanyue envoy in front of him stammer and sweat profusely. Although the current Great King of Shanyue, Jimu, had followed Mu Jiaoman's orders to slaughter his brothers, such an excuse was already widely questioned within Shanyue, let alone using these words to deal with Li Yuanxiu. The envoy had to tremble and say:

"There is a riot... the descendants of the former King were lost, but the change of the throne is also an unavoidable matter... It is not that my Great King intended to do so. The Great King specifically protected the mother and concubine, which is also a merit!"

The mother and concubine naturally refers to the clan daughter the Li family married off back then. Although Mu Jiaoman gave the Li family face and let that clan daughter stay in the palace, he acted carefully and never had any offspring. Her status in the palace was quite special, and every force in this turmoil sent people to protect her at the first opportunity.

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanxiu did not answer either. Looking at the trembling appearance of the Shanyue envoy in front of him, he considered it in his heart and secretly thought:

"Before Shamoli breaks through to Qi Refining, I must focus on appeasing Jimu, so that this person does not become suspicious, seek help everywhere, and cause trouble. Everything should remain as usual to put his mind at ease."

"Tribute and trade are easy to talk about; it's just a matter of giving an order. But if this clan daughter is married off, wouldn't she become a widow in a few years? There are quite a few daughters of the minor clans right now, but a few clan uncles and clan elders will inevitably be noisy."

The Shanyue below did not know the situation and thought Li Yuanxiu was angry. He was already shaking like chaff, sweating like pulp, accumulating into a small puddle on the stone bricks on the ground. Only then did Li Yuanxiu stop being silent and said softly:

"Shanyue is willing to continue the marriage alliance between the two families; my Li family also agrees to this matter. The tribute and trade matters will follow the old precedent and do not need to be changed."

"Many thanks to the Great King! Many thanks to the Great King!"

The envoy below was like receiving an amnesty, kowtowing heavily several times, and calling him Great King without thinking. He did not expect Li Yuanxiu to raise his hand and say with a smile:

"It is just that my family's clan daughters are few, and they have quite a status in the clan. How can they be married off just like that? My father is currently in seclusion for cultivation, but I, this Young Family Head, am not as easy to talk to as my father. There is one more condition for the marriage alliance between Shanyue and my family."

"Please speak, Great King."

The envoy asked repeatedly. Only then did Li Yuanxiu say with a smile:

"My clan daughter is marrying to the west; how can there be no fief to show her dignity? There are still many villages to the west of Eastern Shanyue. Let that Jimu conquer a few villages to the west to celebrate for my clan daughter."

"This... this..."

The Shanyue envoy did not expect Li Yuanxiu to pull such a stunt and was stunned for a moment. A fief or no fief had no meaning for a clan daughter who married out without real power; it was nothing more than more tax revenue for the fief. He had to answer:

"Can the fief be taken from one or two places among the villages of Eastern Shanyue? My Great King will not be stingy either. The territory is turbulent, and I am afraid it is not suitable to move troops rashly..."

Li Yuanxiu frowned. Before he could finish speaking, he interrupted aggressively:

"Is this your Great King's sincerity?!"

Shanyue was weak and had to survive by looking at the Li family's face. This envoy naturally became a soft-footed shrimp. Being bluffed by Li Yuanxiu like this, he immediately kowtowed like pounding garlic, shouting for mercy, and said hurriedly:

"Go down."

Li Yuanxiu waved his hand, and the person hurried away. Then a clan soldier led a person up, also dressed in Shanyue attire, but he clasped his fists and knelt down, saying in a deep voice:

"Young Family Head!"

"What news did my clan sister bring back?"

Li Yuanxiu raised his head and asked. Then he saw the Shanyue take out a thick stack of silk cloth from his bosom and answer respectfully:

"The Queen Mother has recorded the many arrangements for Jimu's ascension and the distribution and stationing of the Qi Refining Shanyue in the country, all in this volume."

Li Pingyi below stepped forward to take it. Li Yuanxiu nodded with a smile and said softly:

"Go back and tell my clan sister to first be a good mother and concubine. Within these few years, I will find a way for her and her family to reunite."

"Yes."

The person thanked him and withdrew. Li Yuanxiu took this stack of silk cloth from Li Pingyi, who had walked up, spread it out and read it for a while, and muttered to himself:

"Three at the early stage of Qi Refining, one at the middle stage of Qi Refining, all are miscellaneous Qi cultivators. This Shanyue is too weak. No wonder Jimu pacified the country in one breath, not even daring to wait, and came to attach himself."

While Li Yuanxiu was reading, Li Yuanjiao was already standing in the courtyard, glancing at the Shanyue person who brought the letter. After this person exited the courtyard, he opened his mouth:

"Brother, although this clan sister of ours is a minor clan daughter, she is not a person who saves trouble. Mu Jiaoman guarded against her during his lifetime, yet she was able to quickly win the support of forces after Mu Jiaoman's death. Collecting news so detailedly and inserting people into the merchant caravan to return is also not easy."

"Hmm."

Li Yuanxiu nodded, reading the letter in his hand while answering:

"Choosing a minor clan daughter to go to the west back then was also carefully selected, and the people she brought were also loyal. When she returns, I will record a merit for her branch."

The Li family marrying people over naturally does not compare to Mu Yalu marrying over alone back then. That clan daughter can not only return to visit her relatives every year but also brings many loyal people.

Li Yuanjiao listened to his brother finish speaking and nodded in agreement, then said:

"Brother, Shamoli has already broken through to the fifth level of Embryonic Breath and has been persuaded by me to go back into seclusion. Those spirit fruits have also been sent to Shamoli. Having passed the difficult barrier of the Jade Capital Wheel and with the help of spirit objects, he should try to break through to Qi Refining within two years."

"Good."

Li Yuanxiu nodded slightly, pondered for a few breaths, and said softly:

"I will also go up the mountain myself to talk about it, and let the family prepare that portion of miscellaneous Qi."

Li Yuanjiao gave a low laugh and replied:

"I listened outside for a while. Brother's method is indeed not bad. Force that new Shanyue King; regardless of whether he takes one town or two to the west, in the end, it will still belong to my Li family."

A smile appeared on the faces of Li Yuanxiu and Li Yuanjiao, which were quite similar. Compared to Li Yuanjiao's sharp brows and eyes, it had a more relaxed and free-spirited taste. He looked at the brother below and answered:

"You and I both know the family's plans; it's just adding a link. Since Mount Wu is closed, the Shanyue villages to the west must have lost their support. According to the news brought back, Jimu should also have the heart to invade the west. I am just finding some reasons for him."

"When he annexes more villages for my family, his troops and horses will also be exhausted, and he will commit more killings. It will be more justified for Shamoli to replace this person."

"Brother still thinks carefully."

Li Yuanjiao praised with a smile. Li Yuanxiu waved his hand and answered:

"It's just doing it along the way; it has little impact on the situation, just making the calculations behind it smoother."

"As for the clan daughter who is marrying over, who does brother plan to let go?"

Li Yuanjiao asked. Only then did Li Yuanxiu move his gaze away from the letter in front of him and said softly:

"I won't send anyone."

Li Yuanjiao was slightly stunned, and immediately understood his brother's meaning, whispering:

"I know brother's care for the clansmen, but is this safe?"

"Oh."

Li Yuanxiu nodded with a smile and answered:

"Go to the town to find a reliable family willing to send a daughter with wealth, train the girl, and send her over. Not to mention whether Jimu can discover it, even if he notices something is wrong, he has to pinch his nose and accept it. Does he dare to say anything? When Eastern Shanyue is controlled by my family, then bring her back. She can still get the name of a branch, and naturally, plenty of people are willing to do it."

Li Yuanjiao lowered his brows slightly. His care for the clansmen is different from Li Yuanxiu's; it is entirely based on friendship rather than bloodline. In his heart, he was inclined to really send a clan daughter over to appease Jimu, not wanting to startle the snake even if there was a one-in-ten-thousand chance. But since Li Yuanxiu said so, he had to nod and say in a deep voice:

"As long as brother has confidence."

Li Yuanxiu looked at him, saw that he had different thoughts in his heart, put down the things in his hand, and said softly:

"These people have close kinship with us and are capable assistants in governing the family. Several clan elders can speak in front of father and uncle. If we really marry off a clan daughter for nothing, the clan elders and clan uncles in the family will have great opinions... The harmony in the family is the most important."

Li Yuanjiao curled his lips and answered:

"Who cares what they think; they are just a group of commoners."

"Jiao'er!"

Li Yuanxiu shook his head and said in a deep voice:

"The reason why the family can be closely connected lies first in the orderly transmission of cultivation methods and secrets, and second in the modesty, respect for the old, and love for the young within the clan. Once these two are broken, what remains is endless bloody struggle and a scattered and disorderly clan. Even if the descendants are clever, it is useless."

Li Yuanxiu stared into his brother's eyes and explained:

"If these old people see their children do something that brings shame to the family, they will even hold their canes and personally go to the Clan Justice Courtyard to expose them. They understand the importance of the family's atmosphere, and deep down, they also want the family to be good."

"What's more, for the sake of the family, Uncle Qiuyang and the cultivators of several minor clans are all diligent and conscientious. If you marry their children off like this today and slaughter Jimu tomorrow, it will make these people's hearts cold."

Li Yuanjiao opened his mouth. He did not expect Li Yuanxiu to think so far ahead. His view of those nagging clan elders changed greatly. He nodded and whispered:

"This younger brother has been taught!"

Li Yuanxiu nodded approvingly and continued:

"In the past, the main branch did not have many capable cultivators, so it was appropriate to be on guard against the minor clans and branches. Now that the main branch is prosperous and uncle's sword technique is unique on the lake, these minor clans and branches are capable assistants in governing the family. What we should do is win them over and pet them, treating them as our own people."

Li Yuanjiao nodded in response. The brothers looked at each other and smiled. Li Yuanxiu asked about his well-being for a few sentences, then smiled:

"I have already broken through to the second level of Embryonic Breath."

"Really?"

Li Yuanxiu started cultivating earlier than Li Yuanjiao. Li Yuanjiao broke through to the Xuanjing Wheel quickly with the help of the talisman seed, and broke through to the second level of Embryonic Breath, the Chengming Wheel, a few months ago. Li Yuanxiu broke through a few months later, which can also be considered quite good.

"You guy, what is there to fake about this."

Li Yuanxiu saw Li Yuanjiao laughing, calculated the time, and opened his mouth with some difficulty:

————

There are three stone chambers in the cave dwelling on Meichi Peak. Li Tongya, Li Xuanxuan, and Li Xuanfeng are each in seclusion, while Li Xuanling is concentrating on cultivation in the main hall. After sitting cross-legged on the futon on the ground for a night, the large door at the entrance of the cave dwelling shook slightly. The two clan soldiers retreated in response, and a woman in white robes walked in. Her face was dignified, and she looked at him with a smile.

"Husband."

Lu Wanrong is now at the third level of Embryonic Breath, and her strength can be considered quite good among the external-surname cultivators. She walked up with a smile, holding a bamboo food box in her hand, and placed it on the stone table. Seeing this, Li Xuanling said softly:

"Just let them send it up; it's still troubling you to make a trip."

Cultivators in the Embryonic Breath stage have vigorous Qi and blood in the first four levels, and their appetite grows larger and larger. Once they break through the crucial Jade Capital Wheel and transcend the mortal realm, their appetite suddenly becomes smaller. Once they break through to Qi Refining and become Qi-eating beings who live as long as gods, they can dine on wind and drink dew, only needing to drink some clean water. If they want to eat, they also need to eat some spirit meat and spirit rice. Mortal food is instead easy to hinder the refinement of cultivation.

Li Xuanling is at the fifth level of Embryonic Breath, one or two steps away from Qi Refining, so he naturally needs to eat, about once every day or two. Now that the family is well-off, he naturally does not eat mortal rice and flour, but some spirit rice and demonic beast meat.

Lu Wanrong opened the food box and took out two cages, one box was steamed white spirit rice, and the other was a few slices of tender red demonic creature meat.

Li Xuanling took the jade chopsticks from his wife's hand and solved the food in front of him by chewing slowly. Lu Wanrong handed over tea for him to drink, and only then whispered:

"Yuanyun hasn't been down the mountain for over a year. I am always worried in my heart. This child is quiet, but his spirit is actually very high. Having suffered such a blow, he is unwilling to share it with us..."

Li Xuanling paused, his expression quite helpless, and vaguely felt a bit guilty, and said hoarsely:

"How could I not know!"

(End of chapter)