Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 66 Urgent Assistance
Li Xiangping was a year older than Li Yesheng, but having cultivated immortality, he looked even younger. At this moment, he was carefully reading a scroll of spells, leaning back in a stone chair.
Li Yesheng and his son stood respectfully by the side, heads bowed, eyes fixed on the ground.
"Whatever arrangements Xuan’er wants for him is fine, as Old Man Xu is also a benefactor of our Li Family. There’s not too much trouble for his sake."
Li Xiangping cradled the wooden slip, reading a few lines, then slowly spoke up:
"Anything else?"
"The Young Master has achieved a breakthrough, and Li Qiuyang has come to the mountain to visit."
Li Yesheng replied respectfully, head bowed. Li Xiewen, standing behind him, looked down at the shiny ground, not daring to raise his head to glance at the surrounding furnishings.
"Good."
Li Xiangping raised his eyebrows, his face carrying a hint of a smile, and asked seemingly casually:
"How long has Li Qiuyang been stuck at the third layer of the Fetal Breathing, the Zhouxing Wheel?"
"It’s been three years without a breakthrough."
Li Yesheng, having prepared well before coming, answered without hesitation.
At these words, Li Xiangping lifted his head and smiled:
"Well done. Go back and tell Li Qiuyang to concentrate on his cultivation and not be distracted."
"Yes."
Li Yesheng nodded, then added:
"The Wan Family has sent someone again this month asking for assistance, even requesting food and medicine."
"Oh?"
Li Xiangping furrowed his brows, speaking softly:
"They claimed that Wan Xiaohua had already broken through to the Lingchu Wheel and reached the peak of Fetal Breathing by the end of the last year; are they still having such difficulties? Ji Dengqi is not simple."
"As long as it’s not too much, give him what he wants."
Li Xiewen’s ears perked up, listening closely. Li Xiangping glanced at him and spoke softly:
"Xiewen is also grown up now."
Li Xiewen quickly bowed and said:
"I’ve seen the Family Head."
"You will go to the Lidao Entrance tomorrow and assist Xu Wenshan. It’s no use hanging around the village all day."
Li Xiangping smiled as he spoke to Li Yesheng.
"It’s Yesheng who has spoiled him too much."
Li Yesheng quickly admitted his fault, and seeing Li Xiangping wave his hand, he left with Li Xiewen.
The two walked silently down the mountain path. After descending Meichi Mountain, Li Yesheng then said:
"You have a deep bond with Xuanxuan, and the Family Head is willing to use you. When you get under Xu Wenshan, make sure you learn well and don’t cause any trouble with others. Xu Wenshan is a smart man; he won’t make it difficult for you."
Li Xiewen replied sullenly, then asked:
"Has the Family Head arranged for me to go out as a steward?"
Li Yesheng shook his head in response:
"It could be five years, or it might be seven. When I can no longer fulfill my duties and Li Xuanxuan takes control of the clan, you will be called back. There’s no need to rush; just focus on honing yourself."
"Yes, thank you, Father, for your guidance."
The Cave Mansion on Meichi Mountain.
Li Xiangping frowned, feeling a bit troubled. In the past five years, he still polished away at the fourth layer of the Fetal Breathing, the Qingyuan Wheel, without touching the Yujing Wheel.
Li Tongya wanted to find a Bright Divine Powder for him, but was told by Wan Tiancang that one powder was worth twenty Spirit Stones. Every time it appeared on the market, it was snapped up immediately. Without the right connections, it was simply unobtainable, leaving him with no words to say, and he retreated in frustration.
"Family Head!"
As Li Xiangping was pondering, a report came from outside the cave. A child of about eleven or twelve entered—it was Chen Erniu’s son, Chen Donghe. A few years ago, he was found to have a Spirit Aperture and was now practicing with Li Xiangping in the Cave Mansion at Meichi Mountain.
Seeing the only child identified in the past decade as having a Spirit Aperture, Li Xiangping smiled and asked,
"What’s the matter?"
"Wan Tiancang of the Wan Family requests an audience."
"Come in."
Li Xiangping took out the teaware, and as he watched Wan Tiancang enter the cave mansion with a frown, Chen Donghe tactfully stepped back. Then Li Xiangping smiled and said,
"Brother Wan, what brings you here?"
"Only you, Brother Li, could still manage a smile."
Wan Tiancang gave a wry smile, bowed deeply, and began,
"My family wishes to launch an ambush, and everything will be delivered according to the agreement."
"Why such haste? My second brother already went to Guanyun Peak seven days ago to deliver the tribute. Did the Wan Family not send someone there? Why ambush at this time?"
Li Xiangping frowned slightly, asking with confusion on his face.
"That Ji Dengqi must have learned from somewhere about the Green Pond Sect’s Moon Lake Peak collection days for tributes. He attacked my Huaqian Mountain for three consecutive nights, only retreating one hour past the designated time to avoid attacks from the Qi Cultivators who might come to aid from the county. He left my home completely drained and wearied; we’ve lost several hundred mortals, and even two Cultivators died."
Wan Tiancang’s eyes were bloodshot as he explained through clenched teeth:
"My Wan Family can now not even come up with the tributes for delivery; we are at the point of a desperate last stand. Over the past decade or more, we’ve nearly depleted all of our foundation’s resources. If we don’t fight to the death now, I fear we will no longer have the strength to fight again in the future."
"Alright."
Li Xiangping also gritted his teeth upon hearing this and said solemnly,
"Everything will proceed as agreed. Once the Great Formation of your Huaqian Mountain is raised, I’ll activate the Talisman, and from a distance, attack Ji Dengqi. Regardless of whether the endeavor succeeds or fails, you must deliver the inheritance of the Formation Path to the Li Family!"
After speaking, he frowned, feeling that something was amiss, and said gravely,
"The dates for the once-every-five-year tribute at Moon Lake Peak are uncertain, and they usually send someone to notify us. How could Ji Dengqi know the date for Moon Lake Peak’s tribute collection? Could it be that Senior Xiaohua would spread this news everywhere? Brother Tiancang, there must be something fishy about this!"
Wan Tiancang, too, had been distraught with the communications from home, and, now reflecting calmly, frowned and fell silent.
Li Xiangping was always cautious, and sensing that something was off, seeing Wan Tiancang’s silence, he too began to ponder,
"The Ji Family must have something to rely on, a method to eradicate the Wan Family. I fear Wan Xiaohua is also in a state of panic right now, hastily dragging the Li Family into the water. But the Li Family and the Wan Family are interdependent; how can we sit by and watch the Wan Family be annihilated... "
"Brother Li!"
Wan Tiancang turned pale in an instant; apparently struck by some thought, he began to speak tremulously:
"This Ji Dengqi probably knows that my Wan Family has backup, deliberately applying pressure bit by bit to force out our support. This... this is an open scheme!"
Li Xiangping’s expression grew dark, and he stared coldly at Wan Tiancang, cursing:
"Damn it, this is not only Ji Dengqi’s open scheme but also your family head Wan Xiaohua’s open scheme!"
————
After sending away the pleading Wan Tiancang, Li Xiangping took a deep breath, his mind in complete turmoil. Seeing Li Xuanxuan walking slowly into the cave mansion, he whispered and repeated Wan Tiancang’s words.
"If Ji Dengqi isn’t besieging Huaqian Mountain because he knew the days for delivering the tribute, attempting to prevent the Wan Family from delivering it, then he must have a method to eliminate the Wan Family entirely, hence his expenditure of effort to launch the attack."
"Now, he’s even allowing the Wan Family to send out calls for help. It must be that he has a way to wipe out all those who would support them in one fell swoop."
Li Xuanxuan pondered for a while, also appearing worried. With a wry smile and a shake of his head, he said,
"And yet, our Li Family cannot afford not to save them. There’s only this one route to the county; if the Wan Family were to fall, the Li Family would be left stranded in the mountains, cut off from all outside dealings, and could expect constant harassment and pressure from the Ji Family."
"We must save them."
Li Xiangping shook his head slightly and declared sternly,
"We don’t aim to kill Ji Dengqi; merely breaking the siege against the Wan Family will suffice."
"We just need to see what cards Ji Dengqi truly holds, what gives him such audacity."
