Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 257 - 235 Dispatching Shanyue (Two in One)_2
"Elder Mingrui was wise to have forewarned Yuansi, knowing that the Li Family really wouldn't agree to marry their eldest daughter to us," one said. "Otherwise, Yuansi really wouldn't have known how to respond to Tongya."
Xiao Chuting could only shake his head, speaking in a low voice:
"Li Tongya isn't foolish. The Li Family wants to form an alliance rather than be a vassal. Guiluan's methods and thoughts are both exceptional, which is why such an opportunity exists."
Bearing a simple and honest nature, Xiao Yuansi felt uncomfortable laying out these matters stripped of their cordial facade, ultimately falling silent. Xiao Chuting, too, remained silent, holding onto his white jade fishing rod. For a moment, only the whistling north wind could be heard in the mountains, causing Xiao Yuansi's beard and hair to flutter.
Having descended the mountain, Li Tongya was met by two figures waiting at the base. One wore a brown hat, his short beard neat and definitive, with brows that extended into his temples and a knife in hand, his demeanor sharp. He was a cultivator at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. On seeing Li Tongya, he gently clasped his hands together and said in a deep voice:
"Chen has met Taoist Fellow Tongya."
The other, with flowing white beard, youthful appearance despite his gray hair, and eyes full of vitality, also clasped his hands in greeting. His cultivation had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment. He laughed lightly and said:
"This humble elder is from the Southern Mountain, and I have met Taoist Fellow."
Li Tongya quickly returned the gesture with clasped hands, while the knife-wielding figure nodded and replied somberly:
"I am Chen Taojing."
These two were obviously assigned by Xiao Chuchou to deal with Yu Yufeng. After conversing briefly with them, Li Tongya saw Xiao Chuchou arriving from afar on the wind and smiled:
"Thank you for waiting."
The group replied in unison that it was no trouble, and Xiao Chuchou gestured towards the knife-wielder, Chen Taojing, and introduced him:
"This is Chen Taojing. He used to be a guest elder in the Wangyue Lake market. After its downfall, he settled with my family. His practice is also the 'River Qi Decision', reaching the 'Vast Sea', sharing the same origins with Brother Tongya."
Li Tongya nodded in understanding, and the knife-wielder's eyes brightened. They clasped hands, and Li Tongya said with a smile:
"I have much to learn from my senior."
"Let's exchange insights," the knife-wielder replied courteously. Xiao Chuchou then pointed to the Southern Mountain Elder, informing them:
"This is the elder of our house."
One at the peak of Foundation Establishment and two at the middle stage, these were the combatants the Xiao Family had dispatched. After Xiao Chuchou introduced Li Tongya to them, they all took to the skies, heading westward.
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Having sent off Tian Youdao, Tian Zhongqing tidied up the room and, without daring to delay, hastened towards Lijing Town to the west. The dazzling dawn slowly rose, and as Tian Zhongqing was cloaked in brilliant golden light, Xu Gongming's image suddenly sprang to mind.
"I have the guidance of my elders, yet I must frantically rush about. I wonder if I can turn peril into safety. Brother Gongming is alone; even more so, I wonder how he fares!"
A faint sense of guilt arose in Tian Zhongqing's heart, mixed with deep relief tumbling continuously in his mind amidst a medley of emotions. With his mind preoccupied with worries, the tedious journey passed quickly.
The town of Lijing lay beyond the Lidao Entrance, separating it from other towns like Huaqian. The old dirt path had since been replaced with neatly laid stone slabs, and the Lidao Entrance was also home to a family surnamed Xu, who had since relocated to Lijing Town, keeping a low profile. It was said that their ancestors were refugees who excelled in business. Several of their offspring were in charge of dealings with the Shanyue Region. Having never visited the place, Tian Zhongqing only glanced at it before continuing west.
The hour was early, and Lijing Town had just awakened from the dawn. Smoke billowed from each household, and Tian Zhongqing made his way straight to the foot of Lijing Mountain. He approached two clan soldiers and said:
"Please help me send this letter to my cousin."
The soldiers took a close look and, recognizing Tian Zhongqing, knew that the 'cousin' he referred to was Li Jingtian. They quickly nodded, took the letter, and went up the mountain. Soon, a message came back. They took Tian Zhongqing's storage bag and magic artifact, and one of the soldiers led him up the mountain.
Tian Zhongqing entered the mountain and walked along a small path until a modest courtyard appeared before him. He entered respectfully and saw inside the house, next to a window, a woman in palace attire with a jade hairpin, her demeanor gentle. A young girl was kneeling beside her, looking at him with curiosity.
"Zhongqing pays respect to Elder Sister!" he said respectfully.
Li Jingtian, however, was holding the letter that had been sent, and she spoke indifferently:
"Uncle has sent you here. Is there something you need to consult me about?"
Tian Zhongqing was about to speak when Li Jingtian gestured for silence and caressed Li Qingxiao's head, suggesting she go read. After listening to Tian Zhongqing's entire story, she raised her eyebrows slightly, laughing and crying inwardly. She set down her tea bowl and said in a low voice:
"How could you be so muddled!"
Li Jingtian's brows knitted slightly. Although she had a gentle temperament, she had a certain dignity when serious, startling Tian Zhongqing into repeatedly apologizing and speaking softly:
"Little brother was confused! Little brother was confused!"
Li Jingtian paused, then instructed,
"If you fear bringing disaster upon yourself, resign from your position of power, take with you the cultivators from our clan by marriage, and volunteer to go to cultivate spiritual fields in the Shanyue region."
Tian Zhongqing repeatedly nodded, a hint of hesitation in his voice,
"Then, when might I return?"
Li Jingtian pondered for a moment, then replied,
"You just focus on your cultivation. If things go as expected, someone from the family will go to garrison Eastern Shanyue and establish a mountain gate. Your days might not be so hard. As for when you can return, that is not something I can say for certain."
Tian Zhongqing kept nodding his head and, seeing that Li Jingtian fell silent and said no more, did not dare to speak further and took his leave with thanks.
With Tian Zhongqing gone, the courtyard was left with only the breeze. Li Jingtian quietly waited at the desk for a while and, sure enough, heard someone knock on the door. She spoke with a smile,
"Come in."
So, a youth dressed in black robes with silver-patterned boots stepped in, gave a slight fist cup salute, and said with a light chuckle,
"Aunt, what did you say?"
Li Jingtian gave a slight smile and replied, 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
"Off to the Shanyue region."
Li Yuanjiao nodded, a hint of amusement appearing on his face, as he spoke softly,
"Previously, they despised the Shanyue region for its poverty and the barbaric people with tattooed skins and uncombed hair, none willing to plant Spirit Rice there. Now it's them who've walked right into it!"
Li Jingtian quietly nodded and spoke softly,
"They'd rather engage in dogfights and cockfights in the town than manage a spiritual field in the Shanyue region. Such is the nature of these prestigious family cultivators. Yet, cultivators of poor backgrounds who practice Fetal Breathing work tirelessly day and night, assuming multiple duties just for an extra pound or two of Spirit Rice."
"It's only human nature."
Li Yuanjiao laughed out loud and replied,
"Members of a prestigious family live without worries, supported by their elders with provisions. Aside from daily cultivation, they naturally spend their time indulging in music and pleasure. Tian Zhongqing is still considered to be one of the better ones."
"Most Fetal Breathing cultivators, recognizing that they have no chance of breaking through to Qi Cultivation in this lifetime, start to indulge in reckless behavior. Finding pleasure in noise and excitement, they become a nuisance to be despised. Now that there's an excuse, we've sent away a group of the Tian family's related cultivators to farm in the Shanyue region, so they don't stir up trouble on the strength of past favors."
Li Jingtian poured tea for Li Yuanjiao, and the surprise made the young man repeatedly protest that he didn't deserve such a gesture. Only then did Li Jingtian smile and say,
"Although my uncle Tian Youdao is loyal, the Tian family has become increasingly powerful over the years, relying on the residual favor owed to him and my mother. They've taken in several Shanyue cultivators and some do not know when to stop. This will serve as a warning to those from prestigious families."
Li Jingtian's words carried a subtext of excusing Tian Youdao's actions, which Li Yuanjiao clearly understood. He nodded and said,
"My grand uncle and father have seen all this, which is why they bestowed an elixir to him, allowing him to attempt a breakthrough. Nonetheless, Tian Clan's ethos is corrupted, and even without this incident with Tian Zhongqing, they would eventually fall into our hands."
After talking for a while, Li Yuanjiao added,
"How is Qingxiao doing now? Has she started to read and write yet?"
Li Jingtian replied softly,
"Of course, she is reading and writing. But if she doesn't possess a Spirit Aperture, no amount of learning will be of much use."
Li Yuanjiao fell silent, picked up the tea bowl from the table, drank a mouthful, and said in a low voice,
"With my uncle's exceptional talent, Qingxiao is definitely not a problem."
Though he said that, Li Yuanjiao felt uneasy internally. The Li family naturally lacked Spirit Apertures; Li Xiangping was able to cultivate only because he used a Talisman Seed, and Li Jingtian also lacked a Spirit Aperture. Whether Li Qingxiao inherently possessed a Spirit Aperture was genuinely uncertain.
One should know that Li Xuanxuan was already at the fourth or fifth layer of Fetal Breathing at that time, and Li Yuanxiu and Li Yuanjiao, brothers from the same mother, one a child of the third layer Spiritual Aperture Seed, and the other of the noble Wood Deer lineage, both had Spirit Apertures. However, even with both parents as cultivators, Li Xuanling's offspring, Li Yuanping, was born without a Spirit Aperture, showing the fathomless intricacies within.
