Chapter 65: Two Foxes

Li Xuanfeng hiccuped uncontrollably as he wept, lying atop Old Man Xu's corpse to rest for a quarter of an hour. Only when the hiccups finally ceased did he slowly crawl back up.

He grabbed Old Man Xu's left foot and dragged him with effort toward a tombstone half a person's height. It was then he realized the old man's body was as light as a bundle of firewood; even a child like him could pull it.

Straining to lift the upper body and lean it against the tombstone, Li Xuanfeng tried his best to smooth out the old man's painfully twisted face, wanting him to look peaceful.

"Wuu—"

Looking at the old man's wrinkled face, which seemed to be both crying and smiling, Li Xuanfeng let out a wail. He turned his head, wiping away tears as he ran toward the mountain.

After walking for a while, until he could see the courtyard under the golden sunlight, Li Xuanfeng hurriedly wiped his tears dry and walked into the yard with a pouting mouth.

Entering the gate, he saw the ground paved with blue bricks. A little girl wearing a small fur jacket was sitting quietly by a table, holding a snow-white kitten in her arms and whispering to it.

Sunlight shone on her lowered brows and eyes; her curved eyes were beautiful, making one want to smile along with her.

This was the Li family's only girl at present—Li Jingtian. Liu Rouxuan had given birth to a son for Li Tongya named Li Xuanling, who was currently studying at the academy, so Li Jingtian was left alone in the courtyard.

"Brother Feng."

The girl raised her head, placed the white kitten on the table, and said with a smile:

"Who bullied you?"

"Who would dare bully him? He's always the one bullying others."

A young man walked out from the main courtyard. His eyebrows were long and gentle, and his eyes were soft. Between his brows, there was a faint resemblance to Li Changhu. He interjected with a smile.

"Brother Xuan, you've finished your seclusion?"

The girl's eyes lit up. She hopped over with a smile, grabbed Li Xuanxuan's hand, and asked full of anticipation:

"Is it the third layer of Qi Condensation, the Cycle Wheel?"

Li Xuanxuan nodded with a smile, but seeing Li Xuanfeng still keeping his head low and silent, he bent down to ask him.

"What's wrong, Feng'er?"

Li Xuanfeng answered gloomily:

"Old Man Xu is dead."

"What?!"

Li Xuanxuan froze instantly. The gentle smile on his face vanished, his eyes filled with sorrow. He opened his mouth but could not speak.

In his ten-plus years of childhood, only Old Man Xu had folded grass crickets for him, painted his portrait, and told him stories about his father, Li Changhu...

Despite the immense pain in his heart, Li Xuanxuan quickly composed his expression, patted Li Xuanfeng's shoulder, and said in a deep voice:

"Take me to see him."

————

Li Chengfu stooped as he stepped over the high threshold of the main hall. Inside, several elders sat with stern faces discussing matters. At the head sat a dignified middle-aged man wearing a grey wolf-fur coat, his head lowered as he drank tea nonchalantly.

"Manager, Old Man Xu is dead."

Li Chengfu's temples were now grey, but his movements were still agile. He bent over to the middle-aged man's side and whispered.

The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow, lowered his voice, and asked:

"What did the main family say?"

"Buried on the mountain, by the Young Master's order."

The middle-aged man nodded, pondered for a few breaths, placed his teacup on the table, clapped his hands, and said in a low voice:

"Let's stop here for today. There are still urgent matters to handle on Lijing Mountain, so I won't keep you all."

Li Yesheng had been a manager for over ten years and was now thirty. His gaze carried a natural dignity. In these mountains, where the average lifespan was under sixty and people married at thirteen or fourteen, he was in his prime. Even his eldest son, Li Xiewen, was already twelve or thirteen.

Ren Ping'an had died of illness the year before last. Now, Jingyang Village was managed by the eldest uncle, Liu Linfeng. Hearing Li Yesheng's words, they rose to take their leave and returned to their respective villages under the escort of retainers.

Li Yesheng watched them all leave before taking a sip of tea and saying in a deep voice:

"Call Xiewen over. Come with me to Meichi Mountain to report to the Family Head."

Li Xiangping had been managing affairs for over a decade, so those below naturally called him Family Head.

"The Young Master has finished his seclusion. My son Qiuyang went up the mountain to pay his respects and came back saying his strength is already on par with Qiuyang's."

Seeing Li Xiewen hurry into the room, Li Chengfu looked up at Li Yesheng, his face full of joy as he laughed softly.

Thanks to Li Xiangping's tireless and generous guidance of Li Xuanxuan over the past decade, discerning people could see that Li Xiangping truly treated Li Changhu's posthumous son as the next Family Head. The managers and villagers naturally called Li Xuanxuan the Young Master.

"Congratulations, Uncle Fu."

Li Yesheng also smiled and cupped his hands toward Li Chengfu.

"Eh, hehe."

Li Chengfu chuckled twice, exchanged a look with Li Yesheng for a few breaths, nodded, bowed, and withdrew.

Seeing Li Chengfu bow and withdraw, Li Yesheng let out a cold snort and said to Li Xiewen in a deep voice:

"Do you know why I congratulated Li Chengfu?"

"This child does not know..."

Li Xiewen scratched his head, looking at his father with a puzzled expression.

Li Yesheng sighed deeply, his brows furrowed tightly as he scolded:

"I told you to stop fooling around every day! Learn more by my side, but you never listen!"

Li Xiewen suddenly realized, pondered for a few breaths, and replied:

"So that's it! Father is afraid that when this generation withers away and only Li Xuanxuan and Li Qiuyang remain, with the main branch weak and the side branches strong..."

"It's too early for that."

Li Yesheng waved his hand and said coldly:

"The main family plans far ahead; they may not necessarily fear him. It's just that we are all supporters of the main branch, so we must be careful. If the world truly turns upside down, no one will have a good end! Fortunately, Xuan'er has good talent, and Li Qiuyang can also let go, so there is no need for mutual suspicion with the main family."

As he spoke, Li Yesheng took a sip of tea and said in a deep voice:

"Let me test you. If Li Xuanxuan's cultivation is truly slow, do you know what to do?"

Li Xiewen lowered his head and pondered for a while before whispering:

"Investigate whether Li Qiuyang is lying about his cultivation?"

"Not bad, you are teachable. Being able to think of this level is already quite rare."

Li Yesheng nodded and said sternly:

"If he were lying about his cultivation, how could the main family not see it? That old fox isn't that stupid. He would only have Li Qiuyang slow down his cultivation to observe the situation. You just need to deploy your men and wait for the main family's orders."

"Li Xiewen, remember this: our branch has done too much for the main family, and we have no cultivators in our own home. We have no way out other than to rely on the main family, unless..."

"Unless what?"

Li Xiewen had grown up playing with Li Xuanxuan and had a deep bond with him. Hearing this, he frowned and asked back.

A flash of fear crossed Li Yesheng's face as he spoke with a slight tremor:

"Unless, a hundred years from now, all four branches of the main family wither away, and they fail to produce a child with spiritual apertures." ===== CHAPTER 66 =====