Chapter 329: The Jade Buckle and the Truth

Li Yuanjiao only then flipped his hand to put away the jade seal, and he saw a stream of light rising not far away. Coming from afar, a man and a woman stepped on a flying shuttle and landed nearby. Several green-robed cultivators hurriedly steered their own shuttles up, formed seals with their hands, and said in unison:

"The Qingchi cloud ship is here. Who comes?"

The woman steering the flying shuttle frowned slightly. She didn't even stop, bypassing the few of them. The magic light from the green-robed disciples' hands scattered everywhere, but was blocked by several talismans she flicked out, and they landed sullenly.

These green-robed disciples were originally outer sect disciples of the Qingchi Sect, only a grade higher than servants, and were all Qi Condensation cultivators. To think they had let her break in! She leaped off the flying shuttle and landed panting beside Li Yuanjiao, saying somewhat urgently:

"Brother!"

"Qingxiao?!"

Li Yuanjiao paused, greatly shocked. The female cultivator before him had a slightly flushed face and was only at the third level of Qi Condensation, yet she stood behind him with her hand on her sword, staring at the people in the arena. It was indeed Li Qingxiao.

Li Yuanjiao's heart stirred, and he understood that Li Qingxiao had returned to assist him. He was deeply moved, but a faint trace of anger rose, and he whispered:

"Why are you so impulsive?!"

The man behind her hurriedly stepped forward, pulled Li Qingxiao behind him, coughed awkwardly, and said subserviently:

"Xiao Xian of the Xiao family... greets the Immortal Sect envoy. My wife does not understand the rules and has caused much offense. I hope you will forgive us, I hope you will forgive us..."

"It is of no consequence."

Yu Muxian's gaze lingered on the faces of Li Qingxiao and Xiao Xian for a moment, and he replied:

"I shall not disturb your interest any further. Please, everyone, do as you please!"

"Many thanks, Envoy. Yuanjiao takes his leave."

Li Yuanjiao silently and discreetly glanced at Yu Muxian's robes and answered. Li Qingxiao was still somewhat confused and wanted to open her mouth to say something, but after a glare from Li Yuanjiao, she obediently shut her mouth.

The Li family members felt as if they had been granted amnesty and rose into the air together. Li Qingxiao and Xiao Xian, who had not yet practiced Qi, stepped on the flying shuttle to follow Li Yuanjiao.

Only after flying a few miles did Li Qingxiao complain:

"Brother, you hid such a big matter from me. I only heard the news from home. Yu Muxian... did he make things difficult for my maiden family?"

"He did not."

Li Yuanjiao shook his head, finished explaining the sequence of events, cupped his hands toward Xiao Xian, and replied:

"My sister is ignorant. I have troubled you, fellow Daoist!"

"It is no trouble!"

Xiao Xian hurriedly waved his hands and replied:

"I am but a Qi Condensation cultivator with no great ability. It is just that the name of the Li Xia Xiao family carries some weight. This matter was not just Qingxiao's impulsiveness; I, Xiao Xian, have considered it."

Li Yuanjiao looked at Xiao Xian defending Li Qingxiao and thought more highly of him. Li Qingxiao, however, ignored the two grown men's polite deferring and nodded thoughtfully, replying:

"I heard that Yu Muxian is the precious son-in-law of True Person Yuanwu and has always paid little attention to the Yu family. Seeing him now, it seems he really is a heartless and ungrateful person..."

Li Yuanjiao nodded slightly, his mind still on the jade buckle. Xiao Xian, beside him, hesitated for a moment and whispered:

"Not necessarily... I have a clan uncle who was very close to the Yu family in his early years and has met the people of the Yu family's generation."

Xiao Xian shook his head, finding it hard to speak. After all, this matter concerned the past when the Xiao family wanted to support the Yu family, making him embarrassed to say it out loud. Li Qingxiao and Li Yuanjiao both looked at him, so he had to continue:

He paused, somewhat awkwardly. Now that Yu Muyuan was dead, Yu Muxian was ungrateful, and Yu Mujian had left home, only Yu Mugao was left struggling to support them, which made Xiao Xian unable to help but mutter to himself:

"What he said was truly resounding. No wonder my clan uncle hasn't returned home for many years; he was probably afraid of becoming a laughingstock..."

Thinking silently in his heart, he replied aloud:

"Listening to these words, Yu Muxian should not have been such an ungrateful person."

Li Qingxiao, beside them, was thoughtful and said:

"Who knows? Perhaps he dared not be anything but ungrateful to gain trust, or perhaps..."

Her voice was faint as she whispered:

"What kind of divine ability did Tang Yuanwu cast on him, or what technique did he plant in his head... I have heard that Zifu divine abilities are the most bizarre. It is possible that he was possessed by some Qingchi ancestor."

Once these words were spoken, both of them felt a chill down their spines. After a moment of silence, Xiao Xian whispered:

"He is, after all, True Person Yuanwu. It is better not to call him by his name directly."

Tang Yuanwu had also been a Zifu cultivator for many years. He had founded Yuanwu Peak in his own hands, then went into seclusion to refine his second divine ability, handing the position of Peak Master to his son.

Tang Yuanwu's son managed the peak for many years and also reached the peak of Foundation Establishment. It was not until he failed to break through to Zifu in recent years and died that Tang Yuanwu came out of seclusion to take charge of the peak.

Xiao Xian explained the ins and outs of this, and then explained:

"Yu Muxian married Tang Yuanwu's daughter and has quite a reputation in the sect. I fear that in a few years, he will be called the Peak Master of Yuanwu Peak!"

Li Yuanjiao suddenly understood. No wonder Yu Muxian was bent on stabilizing the situation on the lake; it turned out to be in preparation for becoming the Peak Master. He nodded slightly, and the group landed in front of the Li family mountain, where Li Yuanping had long been waiting in front of the courtyard.

"Brother Ping!"

Li Yuanping was slightly startled when he saw her, and said happily:

"Sister Qingxiao!"

Li Qingxiao had been married for several years and was accustomed to life in the Xiao family, already possessing a beautiful and noble demeanor. Although her features were ordinary, set off by her luxurious clothing, it made Li Yuanping pause for a moment before he recognized her.

Li Qingxiao exchanged pleasantries for a few sentences and smiled:

"I haven't seen my parents for several years. I will first take my husband to pay respects to the elders, and then go down the mountain to talk in detail with Second Brother."

"Naturally."

Li Yuanjiao nodded slightly. After waiting for Li Qingxiao and her husband to go up the mountain, he hurriedly entered the hall and whispered:

"Has there been any unusual movement at home?"

Li Yuanping nodded solemnly and replied:

"Ximing, Xizhi, and Xijun have all had unusual signs. I asked carefully, and they all said they saw a person in white holding a jade buckle..."

Originally, Li Ximing was by Li Yuanping's side, cultivating in Lijing Town. Li Xizhi, seeing that he was about to enter the Qingchi Sect, stayed by his mother's side for a while longer. The children had already been called back by Li Yuanping and hidden on the mountain.

Li Yuanping had not received the talisman and did not have a deep feeling, but Li Yuanjiao had felt it deeply just now. He shook his head immediately and said in a deep voice:

"This is... the unusual movement of the Immortal Mirror."

"Up the mountain!"

————

Lijing Mountain.

The two unraveled the layers of magic arrays and strode into the courtyard. In the courtyard before them, the vegetation was lush and green, pleasing to the eye, and the golden sunlight shone down, full of vitality.

They walked quickly to the front of the ancestral hall and pushed open the thick stone door. White airflow gushed out, colliding with the two and forcing them to take a step back, both feeling a chill throughout their bodies.

The airflow rolled in the courtyard for a while, knocking down flowers and leaves. The emerald green vines turned withered and yellow, and a rain of withered leaves fell with a rustle. In an instant, the spring scenery in the courtyard turned into autumn, cold and desolate.

Li Yuanjiao stepped into the secret room and saw five or six small osmanthus trees standing in the room, with several snow-white jade rabbits and yellow-green toads jumping around on the ground. He was greatly astonished.

Osmanthus flowers were scattered all over the ground, and white moonlight permeated everywhere. A cyan-gray mirror floated in the air, casting down rays of magic power like long silk, its might compelling.

"This..."

Li Yuanjiao carefully bypassed the rustling toads and jade rabbits on the ground, walked to the stone platform, and said respectfully:

"Li family disciple, pays respects to the Immortal Mirror!"

Perhaps it was his words that had an effect, or perhaps it was because the rosy cloud ship was slowly sailing away, returning to the Qingchi Sect in the south, that the brilliance on the mirror surface slowly faded, though it was still scorching and dazzling.

Li Yuanping was only at the third level of Qi Condensation and could not even enter the door of the dark room in the face of this might. It was not until the brilliance faded that he slowly moved in, still feeling a bone-chilling cold.

"Bang!"

In an instant, the various images in the dark room exploded together, turning into thick moonlight, like wisps of pure white mist, rapidly rotating around Li Yuanjiao, who was kneeling in the middle, and converging into a jade buckle in front of him.

Li Yuanjiao bowed before the stone platform, watching the moonlight in front of him condense and transform into a crystal-clear jade buckle. His expression was solemn, and he said in a deep voice:

"Li family disciple Li Yuanjiao, has received the imperial decree..."

The brilliance above slowly converged, transforming back into the dim mirror. The white moonlight flowed back into the mirror surface along the stone platform. Li Yuanjiao bowed again before rising.

The two bowed and left the secret room, and the stone door closed silently. Li Yuanping said in a deep voice:

"Brother! Yu Muxian is a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and furthermore a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Qingchi Sect... This matter must be considered in the long term."

"I know."

Li Yuanjiao narrowed his eyes and whispered:

"Moreover, I see that Yu Muxian probably also gained some benefits from that jade buckle. He keeps it hidden in his sleeve, stroking it from time to time. That he can display his talents and cultivate with such speed on Yuanwu Peak is probably inseparable from this treasure."

"Then it is even more difficult!"

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

"First send Xizhi into the sect to inquire about some news. As long as this jade buckle is always in his hands, there will eventually be a way."

Li Yuanjiao nodded as he walked out of the courtyard, and Li Yuanping continued:

"You mean...?"

A person's name appeared in Li Yuanjiao's heart. He looked at his younger brother and asked:

"Uncle-in-law Chen Donghe?!"

"Exactly!"

Li Yuanping pursed his lips and replied:

"West of the west bank of Wangyue Lake is the territory of the Jin Yu Sect, where there are several large deserts. We can send people to search there. If there is no thousand-mile pass, I fear we will have to go to the north."

"You make the arrangements."

Li Yuanjiao trusted him, but he stared at his pale complexion and frowned:

"It's just that why does your body look increasingly weak? There are many things at home; let Xicheng practice his hand, take more spiritual objects, and don't make things difficult for yourself."

"Heh."

Li Yuanping shook his head and replied:

"My root bone is deficient, like a large vat with a leaking bottom. No matter how many spiritual objects I take, it is useless. Now, being able to maintain my cultivation without regressing has already consumed many spiritual objects."

As the two were talking, they had reached the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain. They sat down one after the other. Li Yuanping waved his hand, moved the topic away from himself, and continued:

"It is Xicheng... he has a dull and gentle personality, and although he is well-loved by the younger generation in the clan, he is not material for governing the family."

Although Li Yuanjiao trusted him greatly, Li Yuanping wanted to take the opportunity to explain the ins and outs clearly, so as to avoid his brother thinking he was mistreating the eldest son of the Zhong pulse. Li Yuanjiao listened, picked up the tea on the table, and replied:

"It is of no consequence. I see that Xijun has a clever appearance, and both he and Ximing are good material. There is no need to be too demanding of Xicheng."

Li Yuanjiao had a fierce and murderous temperament in his early years. After the torment of his brother's sudden death and his grand-uncle's passing, his temperament had become much more stable.

He put down his cup immediately and finished telling the story of Yu Muxian's visit. Li Yuanping sighed:

"Now that the Fei family disciples have entered Yuanwu Peak, they are at least junior brothers of the same pulse as Yu Muxian, and perhaps even his disciples. The Fei family... I fear it will be difficult to be of one mind with us as before."

"More than that..."

Li Yuanjiao shook his head and was about to answer when a gorgeously dressed woman walked into the courtyard and said gently:

"Brother, Brother Ping."

Li Qingxiao had just gone up the mountain and had already seen several younger generation members of the Yuan generation. She asked about the situation at home again. Li Yuanping explained them one by one and said softly:

"The family has been doing well in the past few years, and the Old Ancestor has also had some insights and is in seclusion. You can rest assured, no need to worry too much."

"Good."

Li Qingxiao's eyes were slightly red, and she had a reluctant posture. She said softly:

"Xiao Lang's affairs in the clan have been finished these past few years, and he was going to set off with me to return to Yushan. I heard about this and rushed over. I cannot stay long now; I can only hurriedly bid farewell to my parents."

"Yushan is quite far from Wangyue Lake. If there is something at home, I fear it will be difficult to return in time in the future."

She bowed gracefully and replied:

"I have to trouble Brother and Brother Ping to take care of my parents at home. Qingxiao thanks you!"

"You can go with peace of mind."

Li Yuanjiao stepped to the side and did not accept her bow. He shook his head slightly and whispered:

"In Yushan, assist your husband more, and don't worry about things at home, so as to avoid others gossiping... In a few years, when you have offspring, bring them back for your brother to see."

"Yes!"

Li Qingxiao responded gently and drove the flying shuttle away with Xiao Xian. Li Yuanjiao came back to his senses, looked at Li Yuanping, and said:

"It is..."

Li Yuanping responded, and Li Yuanjiao calculated the time and said in a deep voice:

Li Yuanping was slightly startled for a moment and couldn't react to what major event there was. The time for the sacrifice was in winter, which was too far away, so he couldn't help asking:

"This is...?"

"Five years."

Li Yuanjiao sighed in a low voice, his lips moved slightly, and a sound transmission with magic power rang in his ears:

"The Old Ancestor's life jade has been broken for five years. Following his old man's will, we should break through the barrier, open the door of the Meichi Mountain secret room, and respectfully welcome the Immortal remains."

I was originally going to add a chapter to make up for the Alliance Leader today, but it might be the weather. My rhinitis is very serious today, and I feel like my brain is full of paste.

I bought some medicine, took it, and finished today's code. It's a bit muddled and slightly watery. The added chapter will be made up on Tuesday or Wednesday night. Sorry!

(End of chapter)