Chapter 10: Marriage Alliance

Li Mutian, with his hands behind his back, had just reached the entrance of the Tian family courtyard. Inside, Tian Yun, humming a song while squatting and sorting vegetables, had already looked up. Seeing it was Li Mutian, she smiled shyly and said, "Uncle Li!"

She put down the vegetables in her hands, quickly stood up, and called out to the house, "Father! Uncle Mutian is here."

"It's me," Li Mutian replied with a smile, appraising Tian Yun from head to toe. Over the past three years, the girl had blossomed into a radiant young woman. Her figure was curvaceous and well-proportioned. While not strikingly beautiful, her features were pleasant, and her smile held a unique charm.

"Excellent, excellent." Li Mutian lifted his hand from behind his back, revealing a large wild goose he was carrying.

"Uncle Li, you're too kind," Tian Yun said, surprised to see him carrying something. On closer inspection, she gasped, "Is that a wild goose?"

In the State of Yue, when a man wished to propose marriage to a woman, he would bring a wild goose to her home. This ritual was known as 'Nacai.' For ordinary farming families, with their modest means, such elaborate customs were rarely followed. In Lijing Village, many families proposing marriage would arrive empty-handed, let alone bring a wild goose. This was Tian Yun's first time witnessing a 'Nacai' ceremony, and it was only then that she fully understood.

"Do you fancy my Xiangping?" Li Mutian chuckled, deciding to tease her.

Tian Yun's face flushed from her ears down to her neck. Out of modesty and shyness, she stammered, trying to hide her feelings, but fearing Li Mutian might take her hesitation seriously, she finally blurted out, "Yes, I do!"

Inside the house, Tian Shoushui had just stepped out the door. Hearing her words, he let out a huge sigh of relief; a long-standing weight had been lifted from his heart. As a father, how could he not see that his daughter's heart had long been set on Li Xiangping? However, the young man was so reserved that it was hard to gauge his feelings, and Tian Shoushui, fearing his daughter might be embarrassed, had remained silent.

"Big Brother!" Tian Shoushui called out with a hearty laugh. Tian Shoushui had followed Li Mutian since he was five, and at twelve, he had enlisted in the army alongside Ren Ping'an. The three of them had stuck together to survive in the military, becoming closer than brothers. After returning to the village, they had killed the powerful Yuan family, then retired from their past lives to become farmers. Li Mutian had always looked out for him, giving him land and even arranging his marriage. Tian Shoushui was deeply intertwined with the Li family's fortunes; he had even personally helped raise Li Changhu, caring for him more than his own child. How could his daughter suffer by marrying into their family?

Tian Yun, unaware of the myriad thoughts in her father's mind, retreated as if fleeing when he appeared, which only made Li Mutian burst into laughter again.

"Big Brother, besides the marriage, there's also an important matter," Tian Shoushui said, shaking his head helplessly and becoming serious.

"What is it?" Li Mutian looked up, a little puzzled.

"A few days ago, as I passed by the Yuan family ancestral tomb on the mountain, I heard some sounds. But when I turned back to look, I saw nothing."

"Are there still unkilled members of the Yuan family?" Li Mutian asked darkly, raising an eyebrow.

"I think it's just some distant relatives daring to offer secret sacrifices," Tian Shoushui quickly reassured himself, feeling uneasy.

"Indeed, you have a point," Li Mutian said, gradually relaxing and nodding to Tian Shoushui. "We did confirm back then; there were five members of the Yuan family, and no one was missed."

"Big Brother, I shouldn't be saying such inauspicious things on a good day!" Tian Shoushui lightly slapped his own cheek, making Li Mutian chuckle softly.

Stepping out of the Tian family home, Li Mutian walked calmly along the dirt road, gazing thoughtfully at Mount Dali.

***

After discussing the marriage arrangements, Li Mutian hummed contentedly as he returned to his courtyard. Crossing the front yard, he saw only the three brothers chatting by a wooden table. His youngest son, Li Chijing, was in his room, eyes closed, cultivating. Although the moonlight was sparse and progress slow during the day, Li Chijing practiced diligently day and night, not wasting a single moment.

In the courtyard, Li Xiangping was repeatedly examining the reception method. The cloth scroll was creased and worn, with much of the ink faded.

"Brother, go easy on it," Li Tongya playfully chided with a smile, but his carving knife continued its work, silently engraving characters onto a wooden slip.

Elder brother Li Changhu, who was meticulously calculating accounts from land deeds nearby, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and said, "He's been at it all morning."

Li Mutian stepped over the stone threshold, picked up a cup of clear tea from the wooden table, and casually sat down on the steps. He said nonchalantly, "I went to the Tian family to propose marriage."

Hearing this, Li Xiangping leaped from his chair, staring at his father with an anxious expression. "What did the Tian family say?"

"Tian Yun said she fancies you," Li Mutian replied, slowly sipping his tea and letting out a contented sigh.

"Good, good, that's great!" Li Xiangping nodded excitedly.

"Hahahahaha..." The two elder brothers couldn't help but laugh.

"Listen, all of you," Li Mutian said, setting down his teacup and becoming serious, his thoughts having turned to something else. "The path of cultivation, though incredibly wondrous, is also fraught with unknown terrors and dangers. Our Li family is small in number. If something were to happen to any of you, who would carry on the family line?"

Seeing the young men become serious, Li Mutian waved his hand and said, "This path to immortality is both an opportunity and a potential disaster for our family. That's why I hurried to arrange Changhu's engagement and marriage, hoping he would quickly have children. I fear that if anything happens, our Li family will still have a chance to survive. The same goes for you," Li Mutian said, pointing at Li Xiangping, then looked at Li Tongya and sighed helplessly. "As for Tongya, I'm old, and I can't persuade you anymore. You may not be interested in the women of this village, but you must still leave some descendants..."

Li Tongya nodded in silence. After a few breaths, he finally spoke, "Don't worry, Father, I know what I'm doing."

"That would be for the best." Li Mutian ran a hand over the white hair at his temples, his heart heavy with worry. He was nearly sixty, and though he was strong and well-provided for, life was unpredictable. It was best to sort out family matters sooner rather than later.

"Father!" A clear call interrupted the somewhat oppressive atmosphere in the courtyard. Li Chijing burst out of the house and stopped in front of his brothers. "I'm about to refine eighty-one wisps of moonlight and condense the Profound Scenery Wheel!" Li Chijing announced proudly, looking up.

"My Chijing is impressive!" Li Mutian had long heard his youngest son babble about this 'Profound Scenery Wheel of the Embryonic Breathing Gate.' Delighted, he hugged him tightly, laughing heartily as he looked at the child. The brothers, infected by the joyful atmosphere, also smiled. Li Changhu even playfully pinched Li Chijing's cheek until the boy cried out in discomfort, only then releasing his grip.

"The next time we can receive the talisman seed will be during the summer solstice," Li Tongya said, smiling as he looked at the joyful scene in the courtyard, and mused, "We weren't fully prepared and missed the new moon day, but the next opportunity is the summer solstice, just a few more days. The path of cultivation—Li Tongya is ready."

He quietly continued engraving the reception method onto the wooden slip, his heart churning with immense excitement.