Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 49: The Great Vessel

In the northern foothills of Da Li Mountain, the spirit mechanism was gradually recovering, and with it, the number of mystical creatures increased too. Li Tongya had only been gone for two months when a bear demon showed up at the Lidao Entrance. Luckily, it wasn’t beyond the Xuanjing Wheel cultivation level. Li Xiangping was only a step away from breaking through to the Qingyuan Wheel, so he organized the village warriors, shot a few golden rays with his bow, and that took care of the creature.

On one hand, they had to arrange for people to drag the creature to the Wan Family to sell to Wan Xiaohua; on the other hand, they also needed to plan the reconstruction of streets damaged by the demon. Li Xiangping was therefore extremely busy, not having returned to Lijing Mountain for several days.

His mother, Madam Liu, along with Tian Yun and Madam Ren, were taking care of little Xuanfeng and Jingtian in the main courtyard. Li Xuanxuan had recently reached the Xuanjing Wheel, and a few days prior, had happily descended the mountain with his third uncle to exorcise demons, leaving Li Mutian alone in the back yard.

The old man couldn’t sit still and made a set of furniture, which he placed outside the room with the stone platform. On regular days, he would sit by the door, watching the chilly spring wind whirl around the yard.

Li Mutian was now sixty years old. The pains of injuries from his youth constantly plagued him. People from farmer households age quickly, and now with white hair and beard, his vitality was no longer what it used to be. Sitting in the courtyard, he was still concerned about his two children who had left home and pondered over the family’s affairs.

"Xiangping and Tongya are truly peace of mind, capable of prospering the Li Family. However, Jing’er is thousands of miles away from home, within the depths of the Immortal Sect, with no one to watch over her. I wonder how she is faring now."

The old man stroked his all-white beard and turned to look at the Mirror on the stone platform, muttering to himself,

"One shares in the glory, and in harm alike."

————

The Xiao Family’s Guanyun Peak was enshrouded in clouds and mist, the pale white vapor concealing the courtyards so tightly that, it was said, not even Spiritual Sense could penetrate. Li Tongya and Wan Yuankai followed a servant from the Xiao Family for a while before they saw a flat area at the mountain’s peak.

"Judging by the walk, Guanyun Peak is not much higher than Lijing Mountain."

Li Tongya pondered inwardly for a moment and saw a grand courtyard at the summit, with about thirty or forty people in it. They were all dressed in fine clothes, discussing in low voices in groups of twos and threes. Everyone was standing except for an old man who sat at the head, reading a book calmly.

"That old man is the patriarch of the Xiao Family, Xiao Chuting, a genuine Foundation Establishment predecessor!"

Li Tongya, hearing Wan Yuankai whisper, quickly shifted his gaze away from that man, afraid of inadvertently offending him.

"This predecessor Xiao is indeed legendary. Over a hundred years ago, the Xiao Family was only at the bottom in the county. In an unexpected twist, the Qi Cultivating Peak clan leader perished at the hands of a mystical creature while outside. Predecessor Xiao took charge amidst the crisis, reversing the dire situation. With his extraordinary alchemy skills, he managed to keep the Xiao Family afloat and, not long after, established the Immortal Foundation, raising the Xiao Family to the status of Noble Families."

As Wan Yuankai was silently explaining while looking around the courtyard, his eyes suddenly lit up. He took a few steps forward and greeted respectfully,

"Lu Brother! It’s been such a long time, how have you been lately?"

The man, wrapped in a stone-blue silk cloak, with a broad forehead that should suggest honesty, wore an arrogant expression and frowned when he saw Wan Yuankai.

"Hmm, it’s Brother Yuankai."

Wan Yuankai froze for a moment, then awkwardly laughed twice. Seeing a grey pouch at the man’s waist triggered surprise in his heart and he thought,

"The Lu Family is now so wealthy? To be able to equip him with a Storage Bag, could it be...?"

Wan Yuankai’s expression changed abruptly as he exclaimed,

"Taoist Fellow, have you already broken through the Qi Cultivation Stage?"

"Indeed, my family has some minor clear spiritual energy."

The man nodded slightly and glanced around to see that people were looking in their direction, slightly raising his chin in response.

"Congratulations, Taoist Fellow."

Wan Yuankai looked somewhat pale as he congratulated softly,

"So now, the noble family has two Qi Cultivators."

After conversing briefly with the Lu-named cultivator, seeing that he was dismissive and indifferent, Wan Yuankai left with an ugly expression.

Li Tongya knew of this Lu Family; once past the Wan Family’s territory, one would reach the Lu’s. Wan Yuankai had mentioned that the Lu Family also had a Qi Cultivator, with a tone full of envy.

"How did this Lu Family produce another Qi Cultivator!"

Wan Yuankai complained a few words beside Li Tongya, then with a wry smile, said,

"That Lu Pingyuan once visited my Wan Family and offered some resources to help us fend off the Ji Family. Back then, he was just at the Yujing Wheel cultivation level, and now, he has already reached Qi Cultivation!"

"This minor pure spiritual energy..."

"It sounds nice! But it’s just using the common spiritual energy from the mountains to cultivate, which with dedicated cultivation can be achieved in three or four years. It’s merely a common good—eight out of ten people in Qi Cultivation use minor pure spiritual energy!"

Wan Yuankai’s words were filled with disdain as if he wanted to vent all the grievances he had just suffered, but deep inside, he was dying of envy.

As the two were whispering, they saw a brilliant rosy glow slowly rising from the east. The cultivators around them looked up one by one, discussing in pairs and groups.

"Such a grand display."

"Is that the Rosy Cloud Boat?"

The rosy glow from the east approached slowly, revealing its true form—a cloud boat bathed in golden rosy light, with a pair of cloud-like wings on both sides, cutting through layers of clouds, and within a few breaths, it docked at the mountain peak.

"We welcome the emissary from the Immortal Sect!"

All the cultivators on the mountain peak bowed in salute, even Xiao Chuting stood up to welcome them.

Several streams of blue light floated down from the Rosy Cloud Boat, descending onto the mountain peak, revealing a woman dressed in a green jade-colored long dress and wearing a dark cyan cloak, veiled and with an indistinct face, followed by several Immortal Sect servants in plain blue robes.

Xiao Chuting stepped forward and with a smile, said,

"I’ve seen the emissary,"

"There’s no need for formalities, senior!"

The voice of the fairy was clear, gentle, and melodious, exuding a sense of nobility.

"Then I won’t delay any further. These are the tributes from the Xiao Family for this year."

Xiao Chuting chuckled softly, waving his hand. The people of the Xiao Family below hurried forward, carrying things into the front courtyard—bags of Spirit Rice were neatly piled up, seemingly several thousand Jin at least, and there were more than a dozen boxes of various spiritual objects, all opened for display.

"Five thousand Jin of Purple Jade Spirit Rice are all here, and every type of spiritual object from the county has been allocated according to the previous years’ portions. The fairy can inspect them at her leisure."

"There’s no need, I still trust the reputation of the Xiao Family,"

responded Ning Wan, shaking her head softly.

Xiao Chuting clasped his hands together and immediately, the people below started to carry these spiritual objects and Spirit Rice onto the boat. Ordinary storage bags couldn’t fit five or six thousand Jin of spiritual objects, which is why the Rosy Cloud Boat was sent.

All the other families hurried to keep up, handing over the tributes of spiritual objects to the Immortal Sect servants, reporting their names one by one.

"Wu Family from the southern county,"

"Lu Family from the distant clouds,"

......

"Huaqian Wan Family,"

"Li Family from Lijing,"

Wan Yuankai and Li Tongya went up together to give their tributes to the servants. This year, the Li Family’s tribute was ten White Yuan Fruits and two hundred Jin of Spirit Rice. Li Tongya, looking at the remaining ninety Jin of Spirit Rice and five White Yuan Fruits, felt a pang of pain, but then suddenly heard a clear and melodious voice ringing in his ear:

"Are you from the Li Family of Lijing?"