Chapter 109: Attachment

Li Xuanxuan descended the mountain and, in a few steps, entered the large compound at its base. He waved his hand, and Li Xiewen, who was behind him, quickly stepped forward. Li Xuanxuan quietly instructed, "Tell Mu Yalu that we agree. Find a place for her to stay in the residence and teach her the rules. Also, send people to investigate how many sons and daughters Mu Jiaoman has."

"Understood."

Having given his instructions, Li Xuanxuan dismissed Li Xiewen. He lowered his head and began reading "Spirit Talisman Techniques," which he held in his hand. Li Xiewen, for his part, left the compound, dispatched the personnel, and headed towards the town.

Mu Yalu waited for a while in town. Her clansmen behind her sat on the ground with empty hands, looking resentful; even their leather armor and weapons had been taken. Finally, she saw the sharp-faced young man approach and bow. "Miss... my master has agreed. Please dismiss your followers and come with me to the residence. As for the women we are sending to the Mountain Yue in-laws, they will travel with the merchants."

Mu Yalu's face lit up with joy. The tension on the faces of her followers behind her also significantly eased. She quickly thanked him and turned to her followers, saying, "Everyone, disperse. Go back and report to the chieftain that Lu'er has completed his instructions." Over a dozen Mountain Yue nodded in agreement and headed out of town. Mu Jiaoman, fearing he might arouse suspicion from the Li family, had not arranged even a single servant for Mu Yalu. For a moment, she was left alone in the compound, feeling desolate.

"Seventh Madam, please follow me." Li Xiewen had already changed his address, bowing respectfully as he spoke. When Mu Yalu heard "Seventh Madam," she was immediately startled. She knew in her heart that her future days would likely not be easy.

Mu Yalu walked with Li Xiewen for a while. Soon, a large compound appeared before them. It had green bricks and dark tiles, with upturned eaves. The sloped stones in front of the gate were spotlessly clean, giving it an impressive appearance.

She followed Li Xiewen into the courtyard. Several children, aged three to five, were playing there. Li Xiewen said softly, "These are all children of the 'Yuan' generation. If you have any offspring in the future, they will also be of the 'Yuan' generation."

Mu Yalu nodded blankly. Remembering some things she had learned before leaving, she quickly asked, "Which one is the legitimate son?" Li Xiewen glanced at her, then said sternly, "All legitimate sons are on the mountain. Even these illegitimate sons, if a spiritual aperture is discovered after they turn seven, must go up the mountain. Madam, do not entertain any improper thoughts. The methods of cultivators are beyond your imagination!"

Mu Yalu was instantly taken aback. She knew Li Xiewen had misunderstood, but though she opened her mouth, she found no way to explain. Feeling wronged, she mused to herself, "My clan has been shamans for generations; our bloodline is noble and pure. As long as Li Xuanxuan is willing to be intimate with me, it would be no problem to bear children with shamanic or spiritual apertures. Since I've already married into the east, what other improper thoughts could I possibly have?"

Li Xiewen, however, remained completely unaware of her thoughts. He led Mu Yalu to an empty room and said softly, "The servants inside the room have all been arranged. Please make yourself at home, Madam." With that, he excused himself, leaving Mu Yalu to stare blankly at the small patch of sky visible from the courtyard, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She pushed open the spotless door and sat down on the bed. "From now on, I will live within the Li family, and I don't know what my future holds for the rest of my life."

Meanwhile, after Li Xiewen left the compound, someone approached him to report. He listened for a moment, then hurried towards the compound at the foot of the mountain. Upon entering, he saw Li Xuanxuan still engrossed in his book and respectfully said, "Reporting to the Patriarch, Mu Yalu has been settled, and we also have news about Mu Jiaoman."

Li Xuanxuan raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. "So quickly?"

"Reporting to the Patriarch, Mu Jiaoman is excessively extravagant and has several thousand servants in his household. Some of the Mountain Yue clansmen who fled here in previous years had served as his servants, so we found out just by asking around."

Li Xiewen finished his report, and Li Xuanxuan put down the wooden slip in his hand, chuckling. "I thought it was astonishing that Lu Sis's family, the Lu family, had over a hundred wives and concubines. But this Mu Jiaoman actually has several thousand servants; he truly disregards the welfare of his people. No wonder, even though the rainfall is now abundant, people from the Mountain Yue still flee every year."

"Indeed!" Li Xiewen quickly agreed and replied, "My subordinates inquired for a while and reported that this man has three sons and four daughters, and one son and one daughter among them possess spiritual apertures."

Li Xuanxuan nodded, stroking his chin as he said, "I understand. A few days ago, people from the Lu and An families came to discuss trade. Now that we've also established trade with the Mountain Yue, we must arrange personnel carefully at both ends and dispatch guards to ensure no mishaps occur on the road."

"Understood! Personnel from both towns have already been assigned to this task."

Li Xuanxuan then closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before instructing, "These past few days, I've touched upon the edges of the fifth layer of Fetal Respiration and can attempt a breakthrough. In a few days, I will enter seclusion to break through. All household matters should be sent to Xuanling; let him oversee them."

"Yes."

Li Xiewen respectfully acknowledged. Li Xuanxuan then lowered his head and continued reading his book.

The Li family had four towns. To the west was Lichuan Pass, bordering the Mountain Yue. In the center were Jingyang and Lijing towns, surrounding Lijing Mountain and Meichi Mountain. Lidao Pass was the easternmost part of the Li family territory, bordering Huaqian Mountain of the Lu family. As the Li family's population slowly expanded, many villagers had already reclaimed wasteland up to the border, presenting a vibrant and thriving scene.

Huaqian Mountain had been repeatedly ravaged, and the Tangjin Sect had massacred all its mortals. Although the Ji and Lu families later successively migrated people there, it remained sparsely populated with vast land. Therefore, many Li family hunters would cross the border to chop firewood and hunt in the Lu family's territory.

However, this thriving village now welcomed two unwelcome guests. One had a bald head and wore a long robe. The other had white hair and held a jade Ruyi scepter in his hand. These were precisely An and Lu, who had, along with Li Tongya, eradicated the Ji family.

The two moved continuously through the forest. Occasionally, they would leap up, constantly conversing as they observed the mountain range's contours. Using concealment techniques, they lingered for a full half-hour, seemingly searching for something.

"Brother An, is the mineral vein here?" Lu Sisi asked, and the bald man looked down at his feet. He performed a hand seal, landed on the ground, picked up a handful of yellow earth, examined it, and smiled, "No mistake. We've been searching for so many days. This dark-green ore vein is long and narrow, stretching for several miles, winding and continuous. It's right beneath our feet."

Lu Sisi's face instantly lit up with joy. He circled the area, flying back and forth over the heads of the trembling villagers. But then he frowned and murmured to himself, "Indeed, a large portion of it is within the Li family's territory... This will be difficult to handle; it will probably be impossible to conceal."

The bald man also looked troubled and said, "Exactly! This is my An family's vein-seeking technique, and Brother Lu promised me a 30% share. However, mining is a huge undertaking; it's impossible to hide, so we'll have to give the Li family a share."

"Sigh!" Lu Sisi sighed and said softly, "Although it's called a 'micro-vein,' once this dark-green ore is properly developed, its annual output could still be dozens of spirit stones. It's truly a shame to just share it like this!"

"So what? Can you exterminate the Li family and annex these four towns?" The bald man shook his head with a bitter smile and replied, "Li Tongya is cautious and has superb swordsmanship; it's not easy to kill him. Moreover, I've heard that the Li family has a close relationship with the Xiao family of Lixia County, and there's even a Qinghui disciple within their sect. Their backing is very significant!"

Lu Sisi gave a low chuckle, dismissing his unrealistic fantasies. He said, somewhat unwillingly, "In a few days, I will make a trip to the Li family to discuss the development of the mineral vein! We should first thoroughly explore this vein." The bald man, whose surname was An, nodded, formed a hand seal, and meticulously began to discern the exact course of the mineral vein.