Chapter 694: The Affair of Wan Yu

Li Li Jianglong then bowed and changed his words, saying respectfully: "Reporting to Father, this child thinks that the marriage alliance with Brother Xuan Yue is just a gesture of friendship, and future events are hard to predict. It would be better to choose a younger brother to set the marriage, pushing the wedding back. If something happens in the future, there will be room to maneuver, so it won't be embarrassing."

"As for marrying off a daughter, it depends on Brother Xuan Yue's proposal."

Li Li Zhouwei just said: "To put Brother Xuan Yue's heart at ease, it naturally cannot be shirked. It cannot be taken lightly. This gesture lacks sincerity."

Li Li Jianglong bowed again, saying respectfully: "This child is willing to go to Brother Xuan Yue to cultivate as a direct descendant to stabilize Brother Xuan Yue's heart. As for the marriage alliance, I hope it will be set on the younger brothers. This child is foolish and fears it will brew disaster!"

Li Li Jianglong's consideration was not without reason. Senior Changxi's death meant Brother Xuan Yue's outcome was hard to predict. If the worst happened and Brother Xuan Yue was destroyed, the ones marrying Brother Xuan Yue's direct descendants would be adult direct descendants like Li Jianglong and Li Jiangxia. If they married and had children, wouldn't that be staining their offspring with a piece of hatred? Instead, Li Jiangliang was still a child, and it would take ten years to complete the marriage. In ten years, Senior Changxi would have long since passed away, and Brother Xuan Yue's situation would be clear, so they wouldn't be too deeply involved.

It was a bit unexpected that he wanted to go to Brother Xuan Yue to cultivate, which made Li Li Zhouwei look at his third son and say in a deep voice:

"After the East Bank affair is settled, I originally intended to hand the dense forest mountain to you to stabilize the one hundred and eighteen families, and let your brother go to the East Bank. But you want to go to Brother Xuan Yue. Have you thought it through?"

His children were all capable of managing affairs, Mingyang blood descendants, fond of power, and had different factions. The situation was different from the previous generations who were humble and yielding. Even Li Li Jiangliang, who was still a child, had ambitions that were not small. How could Li Li Zhouwei not know?

And in the current vibrant situation, staying away from the center of power was a hundred harms with no benefit. Li Li Jianglong's move was truly unexpected. Li Li Zhouwei asked again, seeing him bow down and say:

"This child has thought about it. This trip will be quite beneficial to our Wangyue Lake. I hope Father will grant it."

"Good."

Li Li Zhouwei did not give him a chance to manipulate, nodded immediately, and instructed: "After you go down, pick two companions to study with. I will clarify things with the True Person myself. When you arrive at Brother Xuan Yue, be humble and cautious, and don't ruin our family's style."

"Father, rest assured!"

Li Li Jianglong bowed and retreated. Li Li Que Wan, who had been listening on the side, felt a few more points of favor for Li Li Jianglong. Unexpectedly, Li Li Zhouwei asked: "Wan'er, regarding the East Bank affair, who do you think should be sent to manage it?"

"This junior dare not speak too much... lest I break the rules."

Li Li Que Wan had just replied when she heard Li Li Zhouwei say "Speak freely," so she bowed and said: "Reporting to the Clan Master, the adults need to guard the North Bank and should not be moved lightly. Now that Uncle Li Chenghuai has taken over Qidu, Uncle Li Zhouluo is free, but his cultivation is important, so I don't know if it will be delayed."

"Uncle Zhouming also reached the Qi Refining stage a few days ago, and there is also Aunt Aunt Xinghan. All can exert some effort."

It had to be said that after the heavy losses of the North-South struggle, the Chengming and Zhou Xing generations were truly withered. Li Chenghuai, Li Minggong, and Cheng each had their arrangements. Besides Li Li Zhouluo, whose cultivation was not bad, the next generation was Li Aunt Xinghan of the Bo lineage, who was a silent cultivator and almost never seen.

And the Li Zhouming mentioned specifically was the grandson of the True Person, whose talent was truly not outstanding. He was already over thirty years old and only reached the stage by relying on the Siquan Breakthrough Pill, not even as good as the brothers Li Li Zhoufang and Li Li Zhouyang.

Li Li Zhouwei sighed inwardly. The talent of the Zhou Xing generation was enough for an ordinary clan, but there were no overly outstanding characters. During their growth, it was precisely the time of the North-South struggle, and the Li family was in turmoil. Not to mention the lack of training, a good portion of them lost their parents and only brought back one or two storage bags.

The outsiders were equally miserable, and they hadn't recovered their vitality to this day. The An clan had a Foundation Establishment cultivator, which was better. The Chen clan was supported by Chen Yang, and Chen Donghe was still in Mount Yuting. The rest of the famous families that rose from humble beginnings were all prosperous in their courtyards, but it was hard to hide the late twilight. Talent was withered.

"Uncle Li Chenghuai has already taken over Qidu, and Li Zhouluo should not enter the dense forest again... Let the old man go and watch first, and let Zhouming and Aunt Xinghan follow to learn."

He gave the instructions and finally stopped his brush, saying softly: "I will go to Jiangbei in a few days. Let Zhong Qian'er take charge of the clan's affairs. You help him. With Uncle Li Chenghuai there, there won't be much trouble."

Li Li Que Wan nodded respectfully. Li Li Zhouwei took the 【Mountain Ghost】 talisman from his sleeve and handed it to her, saying: "This is a Mountain Ghost talisman, which has the power of Foundation Establishment. You study it, and it can also protect you."

……

Jianmen.

The Wanyu Jianmen was located in Jingchuan Prefecture. There were many hills and forests, and vegetation grew luxuriantly. The mountain gate, Yuchuan Jianfeng, was like a long sword piercing the sky. It was less than two hundred miles away from the East Sea Raising Sword Ferry. Looking down from a high position, the sea view was vast and could be seen at a glance.

And on the sharp main peak of Yuchuan Jianfeng, there was a 【Xuanjiao Baosui Pine】. Unlike ordinary pines that stood tall, it was like a canopy, and the pine needles were like ears of grain, presenting a verdant color. It was a Purple Mansion spiritual pine of the 'Horn Wood' path, famous in Jiangnan.

The Jianmen was quiet and cultivated, with pavilions everywhere on the peak, but there were few people. Only one person came to greet Li Li Ximing. It was Cheng Cheng Jinzhu, who had come to congratulate him that day. He carried a sword and led him up the mountain. The southeast wind was blowing, passing through the pines, and the colors were brilliant. Li Li Ximing's heavenly light between his eyebrows moved slightly, and he felt that this wind was unusual, secretly matching the 'Horn Wood' path, so he raised his eyebrows and said:

"A good Horn Wood Spring Wind."

His heavenly light supernatural power had the ability to investigate anomalies, and he noticed it with just a glance. Cheng Cheng Jinzhu hurriedly said: "True Person has great supernatural powers. This wind is indeed the 'Horn Wood' path, called 【Baosui Spring Wind】. Every time the southeast wind blows, it passes through the branches of the sect's ancestor and immediately turns into this wind, which has the ability to nourish life and people."

"This wind starts from the southeast and goes to the northwest, all the way to the Saline Lake, where it merges with the daytime sea breeze, changes direction to the west, combines with the river water, and nourishes Jiangnan."

"Oh."

Li Li Ximing listened and sighed secretly: "No matter how much the Mount Qingchi sect suffers from demonic disasters and blood disasters, the population can always recover quickly. I suppose this Purple Mansion spiritual tree has a share of the credit!"

He was just thinking this when a figure appeared under the tree. It was a middle-aged man dressed in a Daoist robe, with half-white hair and beard, holding a sword in his arms. His expression contained a smile and a trace of surprise. He opened his mouth:

"I am Ling Mei. Greetings, Can Zhaojing."

"Greetings, Senior!"

Li Li Ximing returned the salute. The cultivators of the Jianmen were mostly formidable in fighting, and few people were willing to offend them, so he was naturally polite. However, he saw True Person Ling Mei arrive and introduce:

"This is Senior Tianjiao."

Li Li Ximing finally understood that he was talking about this 【Xuanjiao Baosui Pine】 before him, so he hurriedly returned the salute and said respectfully:

"Greetings, Senior."

Li Li Ximing also had three spiritual trees at home. Two had not yet opened their wisdom, the Snake Jiao Fruit Tree and the Wanling Flower Tree, and there was also a spiritual persimmon tree brought back from Mount Mount Quanwu. Although its origin was far inferior to the former two, it had ignorantly opened its wisdom. Li Li Ximing spoke, but the Xuanjiao Baosui Pine had no reaction. Ling Mei hurriedly said:

"The old senior often falls into a deep sleep and hasn't made a sound for fifty years. Please don't take offense."

Li Li Ximing nodded and just followed him forward. Ling Mei lifted his sleeves and smiled: "This senior has a great background. Back then, True Person Taiyu cultivated on this mountain, and his golden energy pierced the sky, causing no grass to grow for hundreds of miles. He had no choice but to plant the old senior to cover up the golden energy. Later, our sect's ancestor 【Wanyu Sword】 Cheng Liuxing entered the True Person's sect, and he also had to call the senior 'Uncle Master'..."

"It was actually planted by the True Person!"

Li Li Ximing was shocked in his heart. What kind of character was True Person Taiyu? This old tree's strength was absolutely peerless in the Purple Mansion. With this old tree standing here, who would dare to attack the Jianmen? Ling Mei was clearly proud and said: "Our Jianmen's long swords cross the sky, and the golden energy is pressing. We have never affected the people of Jingchuan Prefecture, which is also thanks to the old senior!"

He said this while pulling Li Li Ximing to sit under the tree. The table was full of pine needles like jade ears of grain. Ling Mei swept them away with his sleeves, poured tea, and smiled: "I never expected Can Zhaojing to come!"

Li Li Ximing just smiled and said politely:

"My family's ancestor was famous for his sword, and his name is in the 【Wanyu Sword Book】 of the Chenghua Hall. Now that Can Zhaojing has reached the Purple Mansion, I naturally have to come to pay respects! Not to mention that my family has practiced the sword for generations and has a lineage affinity and righteous friendship with the Jianmen. How could I not see you?"

"Good."

Ling Mei nodded, somewhat pleasantly surprised. His face was slightly square, his eyebrows and eyes were honest, but his eyes were full of praise. He nodded and said:

"Our ancestor once said that anyone in the world whose name is left in the Sword Book is an honored guest of our sect. If there is any urgent matter of life and death, you can seek help from our sect."

"Although many years have passed and the ancestor has passed away, our sect still treats the sword immortals of the world as friends. It's a pity... that when I knew, your family's ancestor had already been harmed!"

He had a look of pain and hatred on his face. Li Li Ximing sighed and shook his head: "After all... the world is unpredictable..."

Ling Mei didn't mention the past events anymore. The conversation turned, and he said softly: "It's quite a coincidence. Can Zhaojing and I are from the same family."

"Oh?"

Li Li Ximing was slightly stunned and doubted:

"Does the True Person not have the surname Cheng?"

Ling Mei laughed and nodded: "My original name is Li Mei."

He paused for a moment, saw Li Li Ximing's expression, stroked his beard and said:

"In the path of cultivation, when one person attains the Dao, the chickens and dogs ascend to heaven, benefiting descendants. The descendants of cultivators have extremely high talent, which ordinary people cannot match. Therefore, various sects and gates have the grace of bloodline continuation."

"But the sword path is different. The son of a farmer might be able to lift a thousand-jin treasure sword, while the Purple Mansion family might not be able to dance a three-foot green blade. Our Jianmen respects sword cultivation, and often there are Qi Refining peak masters and fetal-breathing guests."

Li Li Ximing then understood. Ling Mei continued:

"Our sect respects those with excellent sword cultivation and virtue. But there are few cultivators, and it is rare to find someone who is both excellent in both, and whose cultivation talent is also extremely high! You can't see one in a hundred years!"

"Therefore, people with extraordinary talent often cannot get resources, while those with mediocre talent enjoy thousands of spiritual objects to advance a step. If you want to get resources, you must first practice sword and go down the mountain to help the people and show virtue. But except for individual geniuses, the sword path becomes more refined as you get older, and in the end, you miss the age of breakthrough. Thus, the entire Jianmen is in chaos, and there are even situations where fetal-breathing old men enjoy the resources of direct descendants for a hundred years and die while trying to break through to Qi Refining..."

"This..."

Li Li Ximing frowned as he listened. Ling Mei sighed and replied:

"I came from that era. Later, I broke through to the Purple Mansion and took charge of the Jianmen. I vigorously promoted the Cheng family in the name of the ancestor's grace, reversed many dissuasive words, and only then did people like Cheng Cheng Mianfu, Cheng Gao, and Gu Pang emerge..."

"Even so, to this day, most of our Jianmen's direct descendants still have poor cultivation, only knowing a set of sword techniques... or even just having a set of virtues... Countless bad debts of sitting and eating... can no longer be calculated!"

Hearing this, Li Li Ximing finally understood why the Wanyu Jianmen, a dignified sword immortal lineage and golden elixir successor, couldn't even fight against Chijiao Island and the Pure One Sect, and was dragged to exhaustion in the East Sea. His heart sank even more, and he just said:

"The righteous path is difficult to walk. It is fortunate that the True Person has emerged."

"It's hard to say."

Ling Mei shook his head: "I haven't changed the fundamental method of selecting the best by virtue yet. There is already secret resentment in the sect against me. If I move this, I'm afraid they will all go to pay respects to the Chenghua Hall and the old senior, asking to take out the Sword Book to behead me, this evil disciple. How future generations will evaluate me is hard to say."

True Person Ling Mei was completely different from Si Si Boxiu and Xiao Xiao Chuting. Perhaps because of the Li family's righteous path of managing the family, his attitude was much more sincere. His cultivation of sword path and virtue made his tone steady: "In short, Can Zhaojing's ability to come this time is truly helping me a little. At least there are quite a few stubborn people in the sect who recognize the Li family... especially Yueque Sword, who killed the manifestation of anger with his body, has already been written into the Chenghua Hall and has quite a reputation for virtue. Here, I thank Can Zhaojing!"

After saying this, the dignified Purple Mansion mid-stage cultivator actually left his seat to thank him, scaring Li Li Ximing to stand up and avoid it. He saw True Person Ling Mei humbly say:

"It's just that our sect has set rules. Clan struggles, Purple Mansion schemes, cannot be participated in. Back then, the Qing Song Temple was to retrieve the ancestor's things, so there was a famous teacher. Otherwise, our sect wouldn't have gone... If Can Zhaojing has other plans, I'm afraid I will disappoint Can Zhaojing!"

Which of those who can reach the Purple Mansion is not a shrewd character? True Person Ling Mei's words were sincere and natural, but how could he not know the exchanges between the Purple Mansion? He pointed out the matter in one sentence. Can Zhaojing's arrival might not have really helped him, but he had to have a reason not to offend Can Zhaojing.

This thanks was grand, and the separation was also righteous. What could Li Li Ximing say? He came to the Jianmen to avoid choosing between Jin Yu and Heng Zhu, and he didn't expect the Jianmen to be on good terms with his family. He just bowed respectfully:

"Senior misunderstood. This junior came this time truly to pay respects to my family's sword immortal sword intent, and had no other intentions. Please let me see the true face of the 【Wanyu Sword Book】." ===== CHAPTER 695 =====

After saying this, the great cultivator of the middle Early Zifu stage actually left his seat to thank, scaring Li Li Ximing to stand up and avoid it, seeing True Person Senior Ling Mei humble:

"It's just that my family has set rules, sect disputes, clan fights, Early Zifu calculations, cannot participate. The Qingsong Temple was to retrieve the ancestor's things back then, and the teacher was famous, otherwise my sect would not have gone... If Can Zhaojing has other plans, I am afraid I will let Can Zhaojing down!"

Who can become Early Zifu is not a shrewd person? True Person Senior Ling Mei's words are sincere and natural, but how can the coming and going between Early Zifu not be known, a sentence points out the matter, Li Li Ximing's arrival may not really help him, but there must be a reason not to offend Li Li Ximing.

This thank you is grand, and the separation is righteous. How can Li Li Ximing say anything? He came to the Jianmen to avoid choosing between Jin Yu and Heng Zhu, and didn't expect the Jianmen to be friendly with his family, just said respectfully:

"Senior misunderstood, Junior came here this time, really to worship my family's sword immortal sword intent, no other meaning, please let me see the true face of 【Wanyu Sword Book】."