Chapter 400: Lady

Heavy snow swirled in the air. This call of "husband" sounded exceptionally pleasant. Li Xuanfeng's gaze paused on this soft and lovely person, and he replied quite politely:

"He Mian, did the True Person call for me?"

Ning He Mian gave a short response, shook her head, and replied:

"Someone has come from the Grotto-Heaven. The True Person has already returned to Qingchi Peak to pay a visit."

Ning He Mian had been married to him for five or six years. Li Xuanfeng had been unable to decline at the time and married her. In the blink of an eye, five or six years had passed, and they had always treated each other with the respect of guests. Ning He Mian's mind was mostly on cultivation, and the two of them got along quite harmoniously.

Li Xuanfeng slung his bow onto his back and walked side-by-side with her. Ning He Mian was very polite to him. After all, the two had shared a bed for several years; to say he was completely unmoved would naturally be impossible, but there was always something in his heart he couldn't get past.

Li Xuanfeng's hatred for the Qingchi Sect was deep. The deaths of several close relatives were all inextricably linked to Qingchi, and his wife and child had died together in a transaction between the Qingchi and Tangjin sects.

Originally, watching Chi Wei die and seeing the Qingchi Sect in a state where the incoming Zifu cultivators were becoming too powerful to control, he had secretly steeled himself. Yuan Su was also quite disdainful of the Chi family, as if there was much to be gained, and he had been making his own calculations.

Who would have thought that a few months ago, Yuan Su summoned him. True Person Yuan Su was leaving Yishan City to pay a visit to some True Person Senior Sui Guan, saying that someone had come from the Qingchi Grotto-Heaven.

"And it just had to be that another Zifu cultivator came down from the Qingchi Grotto-Heaven! What is this supposed to mean!"

Hearing that someone had come from the Qingchi Grotto-Heaven, and that it was a late-stage Zifu cultivator right off the bat—not to mention there might be more in the Grotto-Heaven—left him feeling very dejected. For ten days in a row, he had been taking his frustrations out on monsters on the city walls. Now, he paced the city wall, stepping through the snow, without saying a word.

Many thoughts crossed his mind. The heavy snow at the horizon fell in swirling masses. Ning He Mian followed him quietly by his side. Li Xuanfeng waited for a moment, but still intended to ask:

"He Mian, do you know... what the origin of this Grotto-Heaven is?"

Ning He Mian nodded and said quite politely:

"My Ning family knows a little. Husband, just listen, don't spread it."

Seeing Li Xuanfeng nod, Ning He Mian spoke in a soft, gentle voice:

"My father followed the True Person inside before. Outsiders call it the Qingchi Grotto-Heaven, but that is not actually the case. This Grotto-Heaven is called 【Luyu Heaven】. Very few people go inside, and there isn't really anyone in there."

She hesitated slightly, as if thinking about something, and continued:

"Oh?"

Li Xuanfeng was greatly surprised and asked:

"Then whose magic treasure is it?"

Ning He Mian smiled quite reluctantly and said in a low voice:

"Whose? Perhaps it belongs to some True Monarch? In this world, there is no restraint. Golden Core cultivators already have boundless longevity. Perhaps he is also in some corner of the Grotto-Heaven, or perhaps he has already gone outside the heavens to go into seclusion... In short, Qingchi cannot control 【Luyu Heaven】..."

The worry in Ning He Mian's expression became more apparent, and she said softly:

"Occasionally, Zifu cultivators from the sect go in and come out with orders. My father went in once back then because his cultivation technique was special... There is no one inside."

"But it just so happens that from such a Grotto-Heaven, a person suddenly stepped out, wearing very new clothes, calling himself True Person Senior Sui Guan, with the surname Chi."

Li Xuanfeng pondered carefully and felt a chill run down his spine. Ning He Mian said in a low voice:

"That True Person Senior Sui Guan, my cousin has also seen him. He couldn't say which lineage or which surname he belonged to, nor did he say which Dao's ancestor he was. He said his surname was Chi, so Chi Zhiyun didn't dare to say otherwise."

Li Xuanfeng stared at her blankly:

"You mean..."

Her smile appeared very hollow:

"Every move Qingchi makes is ordered by Zifu cultivators from the Grotto-Heaven. I previously thought they couldn't come out; it turns out they just couldn't be bothered to."

Ning He Mian said dejectedly:

"Perhaps the Grotto-Heaven is not an object of the Qingchi Sect, but... the Qingchi Sect is an object of the Grotto-Heaven."

Li Xuanfeng opened his mouth. Ning He Mian had already pulled him into the room, closed the door tightly, and the shielding array began to operate automatically. She undressed him and said softly:

"I have selfish motives for secretly telling you these things..."

"Husband, I sleep under the same quilt as you, so I can perceive some things... The Qingchi Sect is a behemoth that makes people despair, clinging to the Void... Do not hate it... Do not hate it..."

Li Xuanfeng sat down on the couch. Ning He Mian pressed into his embrace, undressed, and tears welled up in her eyes:

"I also know you hate it... My Ning family didn't live a satisfactory life in the early years either. If it weren't for the True Person's achievements, we wouldn't know how miserable we would be now."

"Does the Yang family hate it? Does the Deng family hate it? Does the Yu family hate it? Originally, Qingchi only had sixteen peaks... Now there are thirty-six. The descendants of these families who came later are all very proud, identifying themselves as Qingchi."

Ning He Mian looked at his expression, guessed some of his thoughts, and continued:

"After the Deng family suffered such torture, only a few direct descendants were hating it in their hearts. Doesn't Chi Zhiyun know? He just doesn't care... Below the direct line, who in the Deng family doesn't identify as Qingchi? Who represents the Deng family?"

Li Xuanfeng gritted his teeth and held her, watching the pink flush appear on her soft, charming face. Ning He Mian's eyes, narrowed in passion, looked at him, and she said softly:

"Does husband think the offspring of Li Xizhi and Yang Xiaoer will hate Qingchi for the sake of Li Chi, who was separated by several generations? Although I don't know how husband deceived the Old Ancestor, presumably the Li family doesn't have this means either..."

Li Xuanfeng's palms were so hot that her fair arms flushed red. Ning He Mian looked at him passionately. The man's sharp brows and eyes were bright and piercing as he stared at her:

"Those within the sect are not necessarily friends; those outside the sect are not necessarily enemies."

Ning He Mian chuckled, pressed against his chest, and said in a low voice:

"My Ning clan is a friend of the noble families. As for who the enemy is, you and I understand in our hearts."

Li Xuanfeng let her toss and turn in his arms for a long time, having long since ignited the fire. He immediately picked her up horizontally and said fiercely:

"Still saying 'my Ning clan'? You've already married over; you and I are one body. What is this talk of two families!"

"Mm!"

Ning He Mian responded melodiously. For the first time, the two lacked the distance of guests. The woman held her chest high, smiling considerately.

Qingdu Peak.

On Qingdu Peak, there were originally Du Ruo flowers everywhere. It happened to be winter, and after a heavy snowfall, it turned into a vast expanse of white. The rain and snow stopped, and the sun became bright instead.

Xiao Guiluan was cultivating in the quiet room. Her phoenix eyes were quite charming, and she was simply wearing a black tight-fitting skirt.

Xiao Guiluan was now at the fifth level of Qi Refining. Her talent was quite good, and she had followed the steps over these years. Although she couldn't catch up to her husband Li Yuanjiao, her progress was considered quite fast.

Xiao Guiluan didn't really like black, but Li Yuanjiao favored the dark crow-black color, so she followed suit and wore it.

Xiao Guiluan had always been very low-key in the Li family. If Li Yuanjiao were the head of the family, her methods and momentum would inevitably be very different, but she understood that Li Yuanjiao didn't like it, so she obediently cultivated on the mountain.

Exhaling a breath of clear Qi, Li Yueshang had already entered from the front of the courtyard, looked at her twice, and asked:

"Mother, where is Father?"

Since Li Yueshang became sensible, the opportunities to interact with Li Yuanjiao could be counted on one hand. This was something that shouldn't have happened. Xiao Guiluan understood his hidden bitterness and raised Li Yueshang alone.

She was laughing and talking with Li Yueshang when the Grotto-Heaven gate suddenly groaned, creaking as it moved open. Li Yuanjiao paced out, his expression quite relaxed, and his cultivation seemed to have improved somewhat.

"Husband!"

Xiao Guiluan greeted him joyfully. Li Yuanjiao held her. Having not seen each other for a long time, he was also very happy, but the first sentence out of his mouth was still:

"How is the family?"

Xiao Guiluan responded:

"Kong Tingyun has come as agreed, opened up a fire vein in Wutu, and left a Xuan Yue Sect member here to watch over it. The array disk was also taken away."

"What a pity! If it weren't for being injured by a Shanyue Foundation Establishment cultivator, going to the East Sea to catch a monster wouldn't have been a problem! The timing was also just right."

This was all within Li Yuanjiao's expectations, and he asked again:

"Anything else?"

Li Yuanjiao had been in seclusion for two years, and some things had happened. If one really had to count them, they were major events. Xiao Guiluan said in a low voice:

"She died lying on the couch, holding a food box in her arms, with two jade chopsticks. She cultivated in the forest, and there were only two old maids by her side."

"Lady Lu?"

Li Yuanjiao was slightly startled. Only then did he remember that Lady Lu's name was Lu Wanrong, the widow of Li Xuanling, who had lived alone in the mountains and forests for many years.

Li Xuanling was killed by Mohe back then. Lu Wanrong was heartbroken and wanted to commit suicide several times, staying at the fourth round of the Taixi Qingyuan for ten years.

The talent that originally had hope of breaking through to Qi Refining was delayed for ten years, and her path of Dao was abruptly cut off. Later, her youngest son Li Yuanyun died in the market, and Lu Wanrong reached the point of despair.

Although her daughter Li Qinghong was quite promising, Lu Wanrong had no more drive, living in seclusion in the mountains and forests, just waiting for her death.

Now that he heard this news, Li Yuanjiao could only sigh low:

"Qinghong should only be able to break through next year. I'm afraid... she won't make it. Let Xi Jun and Xi Cheng send her off."

Xiao Guiluan nodded, organized her language, and said softly:

The mother in these words naturally did not refer to Lady Dou, but Li Yuanjiao's biological mother—Mu Yalu, who was a concubine of Li Xuansuan. She had married over from Shanyue back then and was now nearly seventy years old.

"What?!"

These words were like a bolt from the blue, striking Li Yuanjiao's heart. He couldn't control his face from turning pale. He immediately rose on the wind from the ground and sped toward the town.

Xiao Guiluan followed behind and comforted him with a few words, but Li Yuanjiao naturally had no mind to listen. He immediately landed in the large courtyard in the town. The old maid holding the basin below could actually recognize him and cried out:

"Young Master!"

Li Yuanjiao waved his hand and went in. The old woman was lying on the couch.

Mu Yalu was in her prime when she married into the Li family, but now she was old beyond recognition. Although she was a mortal, she had been well-maintained because of her high status, living ten years longer than ordinary people.

She had been lying listlessly on the couch, but when she saw Li Yuanjiao enter, she became much more spirited. She struggled to sit up straight and said urgently:

"Jiao'er... I heard you were injured by Shanyue... Are you still okay?!"

Even if Li Yuanjiao was ruthless and gloomy outside, he couldn't help it when he heard these words. He knelt down in front with a thud and choked with sobs:

"Mother! Child is fine!"

Mu Yalu just smiled and stared at him, looking at his expression and bearing.

In everyone's evaluation, Li Yuanjiao had always been inseparable from suspicion and ruthlessness, and even his demeanor and appearance were not those of a good person. In Mu Yalu's eyes, however, he couldn't be more outstanding. She just held his hand and kept smiling.

Xiao Guiluan sent the servants out and closed the door tightly. Only then did she discover that there was another person sitting on the chair next to them, so thin that he was unrecognizable, just hanging a gray garment like a withered tree, quietly leaning to one side.

"Father."

Li Xuansuan opened his eyes and nodded. His gaze rested on Li Yuanjiao. These years had been the hardest for him, with illusions appearing one after another. He narrowed his eyes and stared at Li Yuanjiao, as if recalling something.

The atmosphere of the family of three was extremely gloomy. Li Yuanjiao was someone who couldn't say warm words, so he just knelt on the ground, watching Mu Yalu breathe.

Mu Yalu just smiled and looked at him, as if she had nothing to say, or perhaps she had already said it. By the end, her lips and teeth were cold, her hands and feet were icy, and her arms were blue-black.

Li Xuansuan held a pipe in his hand, smoking silently. Thin white smoke filled the air. The three were silent, watching Mu Yalu take more breaths than she let out, losing her vitality bit by bit.

"Hah!"

Li Xuansuan coughed, stood up to say something, but Li Yuanjiao just held his mother and went out on his own, leaving him alone in the room to swallow clouds and spit mist.

The sun was at its peak, and the dazzling light shone through the doors and windows, illuminating his ugly face. Li Xuansuan had no expression on his face, but his hands were trembling, showing an extremely uneasy heart.

He coughed twice, walked up to Xiao Guiluan, and took out three stacks of talismans from his storage bag. The patterns were complex, colorful, and there were all kinds of talismans. He opened his mouth and said:

"Guiluan! These are what I drew this year!"

Xiao Guiluan took them blankly. Li Xuansuan muttered and flew away on the wind, heading to Mount Lijing to get blank talisman paper.

For a time, only Xiao Guiluan was left standing in place. She didn't know whether to take the talisman paper or put it away. Her heart was painful and irritable. She put it on the desk and chased after Li Yuanjiao.

Xiao Guiluan searched on the wind and finally found her husband.

Li Yuanjiao was standing in front of Li Tongya's grave. His expression had quickly calmed down, and no sorrow could be seen. He pressed his sword and said nothing.

The grave behind him was his elder brother Li Yuanshu's. There was some scattered cigarette ash, and because of years of stroking, the edges were much smoother. The grave was a cenotaph; more than half of the Li family's graveyard were cenotaphs.

Li Yuanjiao let out a breath, swept his gaze over Xiao Guiluan's face, and asked:

"Anything else in the family?"

Xiao Guiluan nodded, unable to see his state, paused hesitantly, and said softly:

"Monk Kongheng has left."

"Left."

Li Yuanjiao didn't seem surprised and just replied:

"Returned to the north or went to Tianlei Peak? What about Li Xijun?"

Xiao Guiluan said in a low voice:

"Went to Tianlei Peak."

"Tianlei Peak."

Li Yuanjiao's expression became somewhat gloomy, and he said in a low voice:

"Let's go, return to Qingdu Peak and ask Xi Jun."

Thanks to the Alliance Leader Pierse~ It's a bit late today, sorry.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 401 =====