Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 109 - 102: Return to the Marketplace_2

"Selling eleven spirit stones, that's not bad at all."

Having spent five spirit stones to buy Jade Sprout Pills, plus one obtained from the cave mansion, Li Tongya pondered that in a few months he could try to attempt a breakthrough to the Fourth Layer of Qi Cultivation.

"Although Jade Sprout Pills are good, one mustn't underestimate the pill poison, I still need to wait a few more months, until the pill poison naturally expels from my body, then I can take them."

Li Tongya had just walked a few steps when he saw a middle-aged female cultivator approaching. She was at the Fifth Layer of Fetal Breathing with the cultivation level of the Yujing Wheel, appearing to be about the same age as Li Tongya, yet she bowed her hands respectfully.

"Senior! Do you still remember me?"

Li Tongya felt she looked familiar, but couldn't recall her name and could only awkwardly return the gesture:

"May I ask who you are…"

"Guanyun Peak market, Green Crow Bow."

The middle-aged female cultivator said with a smile. Li Tongya suddenly remembered; he had once bought a Green Crow Bow from this woman for Li Xiangping in the market below Guanyun Peak. Back then, she had been a young girl, but now she was middle-aged.

"It's been over a decade, Taoist Fellow, are you well?"

Li Tongya felt confused as to why this person had stopped him, but still exchanged pleasantries on the surface.

The middle-aged female cultivator's expression was a bit complex as she whispered:

"In just over a decade, Senior has already reached Qi Cultivation..."

"Just luck."

Li Tongya laughed it off, only to see the female cultivator become serious and say:

"My name is Lin Jingyi, and my husband is the Qi Cultivator Xu Yangping."

"Li Tongya."

Li Tongya nodded in acknowledgment, then heard Lin Jingyi whisper:

"We have found a cave mansion relic. Would Senior be interested?"

"A cave mansion?"

Li Tongya squinted slightly, thinking to himself:

"There's no such good thing! We're merely strangers who have met by chance with no real connection. How could one entrust such a matter? Is this person trying to deceive and kill me..."

"Oh? Such a good thing?"

Li Tongya laughed, and Lin Jingyi, knowing he did not believe her, quickly whispered:

"We have already investigated, it's the cave mansion of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from at least two hundred years ago. We have the means to enter the mansion but lack one Qi Cultivator..."

Li Tongya laughed heartily and retorted:

"Isn't it that a group of Fetal Breathing Realm Cultivators cannot break the cave mansion's formation and want me to take the lead."

After speaking, he quietly looked at her, already preparing to brush off and leave.

"That's not it."

Lin Jingyi bowed her head with an embarrassed smile and answered:

"We already have two Qi Cultivators, but to enter this cave mansion, we're just a bit short."

At these words, Li Tongya somewhat believed her and was willing to sit down with Lin Jingyi to talk. They found a bamboo building, ordered a cup of clear tea, and listened to Lin Jingyi say:

"My husband and I were originally active around the Mushroom Forest Plain. In the past years, when the Tang Jin Sect invaded, the place became uninhabited, and the market closed down. Fortunately, my husband achieved Qi Cultivation, and we then headed west to take a look at Wangyue Lake."

"Who would have thought, just upon arriving west, we encountered a severe drought at Wangyue Lake. The water receded hundreds of miles, exposing a cave mansion in the lake.

"The cave mansion had run for hundreds of years and acquired some leaks, which is how we discovered it. We applied a concealment spell there and then came to look for more hands."

"Ho."

Li Tongya nodded noncommittally and whispered:

"Why seek me out?"

"Because your cultivation level is shallow…"

Lin Jingyi smiled awkwardly and explained:

"My husband is only at the Second Layer of Qi Cultivation, and the person we found a few days ago is also merely at the Third Layer. We fear all kinds of perils, and we hope to find someone with a similar cultivation level…"

"I see."

Li Tongya drank a sip of tea and smiled:

"Is that your husband outside the door?"

Li Tongya had long noticed someone waiting outside the door, now stating it straightforwardly, Lin Jingyi nodded and looked up, calling out. The person from outside came straight in and bowed:

"Xu Yangping here, I've met Brother Tongya!"

Seeing that this man had a decent look, appearing to be over fifty years old, Li Tongya also returned the bow:

"No need for formalities."

Xu Yangping nodded again and again, smiling as he said:

"I've already been waiting for dozens of days. If Brother Tongya does not show up, we would have had to grit our teeth and start looking for the nearby families."

Lin Jingyi took over the conversation and explained:

"The formations guarding the gates of those families' mountains are very tight; who knows how many Qi Cultivators are holed up inside. Unless it's absolutely necessary, we would never willingly go there."

Li Tongya didn't continue the pointless talk with these two, his voice grave as he said:

"Xuanjing Spirit Oath."

Xu Yangping nodded, formed a spell with his fingers, and repeated Lin Jingyi's words from before, sealing the oath in a low voice:

"What is stated is the truth, I swear upon Xuanjing!"

Li Tongya listened carefully on the side, making sure there were no omissions. Seeing Xu Yangping's aura remain strong and unweakened, he believed him somewhat and asked:

"When do we leave?"

"Now!"

The couple was already beside themselves with excitement, Lin Jingyi was trying his best to restrain himself, as he spoke to Li Tongya:

"Please, Taoist Fellow, also make an oath not to strike against us. Although the Xuanjing Spirit Oath is often used for confidentiality and identifying falsehood, it does not have great binding power. However, with this oath, we can feel somewhat relieved."

"Agreed."

Li Tongya made the oath, then, together with Xu Yangping, they started flying with the help of the wind. Seeing Xu Yangping's True Yuan was a bit uneven, he knew he was cultivating with mixed Qi, which made him feel even more relieved.

As for the couple, seeing Li Tongya's True Yuan pure and prolonged, his Protective True Essence clear and bright, they exchanged looks, a bitter smile on their faces.

————

Lijing Town.

Chen Erniu was seventy years old, his hair graying, having lived in the big mountain for the equivalent of two lifetimes of ordinary farmers, his old eyes cloudy. In Lijing Town, everyone had to call him 'Grandpa'.

Sitting in a chair, Chen Erniu was restless. The dry weather had given him nightmares night after night, always bringing back memories of the giant bird that descended from the sky.

"Ah."

When he returned from Lichuan Entrance, Chen Erniu went to look for Chen Sanshui, but found nothing but a tooth and a puddle of blood. People from Lichuan Entrance said that Chen Sanshui was captured by Shanyue, taken to the west.

Chen Erniu chuckled coldly, scornful, scanning left and right through the grass piles along the roadside where the horse hooves had passed, and finally found a patch of blood. He parted the grass and leaned over to look, bursting into cries.

His eldest son, Chen Sanshui, died a miserable death. The old man kept vigil for him. Chen Sanshui's children were all too busy dealing with the drought, even less diligent than he was.

"I wonder if Donghe can come back..."

Chen Erniu furrowed his brows, his white hair sparse. Outside, there was a clamor and a crowd shouting, their cries and yells making him tremble.

He hobbled to the village entrance with his walking stick, where many people were already waiting. A group of men, bedraggled and covered in mud, sat kneeling on the ground, surrounded by low wails.

"They've come back."

Chen Erniu straightened up as much as he could, finally seeing Li Xuanxuan and Chen Donghe at the front. Li Xuanxuan had sprouted a light beard, staring incredulously at the Shanyue men before him.

"You... say that again?!"

"It was a curse killing... not even the corpse was brought back..."

Li Xuanxuan was stunned for a moment, tears streaming down like a burst dam, flowing down his cheeks to his neck.

"Donghe... come with me to the mountain, the rest of you go back home first."

Li Xuanxuan covered his face and fell silent, squeezing out a sentence after a long while. Chen Donghe, his face wet with tears, watched the crowd part silently, watching them leave.

"Young Master..."

Chen Donghe called out to Li Xuanxuan in a low voice, waking him from his shock. Li Xuanxuan looked at the Green Crow Bow in his hand, unable to stop his tears.

"Call me Young Master..."

Li Xuanxuan choked back his tears and responded, walking on the stone path, clutching the bow tightly.

The two walked in silence for a while until they encountered Li Xuanfeng, who had just come out of seclusion and hastily descended the mountain. Li Xuanfeng merely glanced at the Green Crow Bow in Li Xuanxuan's hand and froze.

"How is this possible?"

Li Xuanfeng's eyes widened, and his eye sockets quickly moistened. He snatched the bow furiously and demanded:

"Who?!"

Chen Donghe, facing the Li brothers, felt even more suffocated, sobbing out:

"It was Shanyue's curse killing."

Li Xuanfeng opened his mouth but was unable to utter a word, then looked at the tearful Li Xuanxuan and absently sat on a nearby stone.

"Such despicable means."

Li Xuanfeng gritted his teeth, tears streaming down his face.