Chapter 183: Discussion in the Hall

"Has the Li family gone mad? The Azure Pond Sect and the Shan Yue had clearly marked their border, yet he brazenly led his troops across it. Even if the Shan Yue Purple Mansion cultivator has been in seclusion for years, are the Foundation Establishment cultivators on Mount Wu made of stone? How could they just stand by and watch?" Yu Mugao rubbed his temples, his mind filled with incomprehension. Looking at the two Peak Qi Cultivation subordinates below him, he said in a deep voice, "Are you certain of what you saw?"

"Patriarch," one of them stepped forward, cupped his hands, and explained, "The Li family has acquired an offspring of the previous King of East Shan Yue and is using the banner of reclaiming the throne. Perhaps that's why Mount Wu didn't see through their intentions and intervene." Yu Mugao glanced at him and replied, "Of course, I can see the Li family's ploy. You don't understand; this action will most likely offend Mount Wu. It's a highly risky maneuver, completely out of character for Li Tongya!"

"The cultivators on Mount Wu are not known for their generosity or tolerance," Yu Mugao continued. "Although they are not adept at direct combat, their sorcery is famously strange and unpredictable. Back then, Li Xiangping, unaware of Mount Wu's guardianship over the Shan Yue, led his men deep into their territory and was literally cursed to death by the people of Mount Wu. That grim lesson is still fresh in our minds. Li Tongya is a cautious man; how could he do such a thing?"

Yu Mugao's words rendered everyone below him speechless. They lowered their heads, deep in thought. He stroked his chin. In recent years, the Yu family's Dense Forest Commandery had faced many troubles. Yu Mugao knew someone was stirring up mischief behind the scenes, diverting the Yu family's energy, yet he had no choice but to maintain stability. Now, the Li family had stirred up trouble again, which greatly vexed him.

"Could it be that Mount Wu has a problem...?" Yu Mugao eliminated many possibilities, finally reaching a rather unlikely conclusion. He said in a deep voice, "Bring me paper and pen. I'll write a letter to Mu Xian to inquire."

His subordinates quickly handed him paper and pen. After Yu Mugao finished writing the short letter, his eldest son cautiously stepped forward and whispered, "Patriarch, the East Shan Yue already revered the Li family out of necessity for their livelihoods, using their people to support the Li family's towns. This action by the Li family merely replaces their Shan Yue lord with a loyal one, and yields little additional gain..."

Yu Mugao was stunned, a suffocating feeling rising in his chest, and he cursed, "Fool! Before, they merely revered the Li family. From now on, East Shan Yue will be the Li family's vassal! Their spirit fields and spiritual treasures will all fall under the Li family's control. The difference is vast! How could such words come out of your mouth?!" The young man retreated, his face pale. Yu Mugao angrily slammed the table and shouted, "You've listened for nothing here! Get out! Send your younger brother tomorrow!"

Watching his eldest son retreat dejectedly, Yu Mugao's frustration simmered. He narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "However, we cannot simply indulge the Li family and allow Li Tongya to grow too powerful. We must find a way to suppress them."

Mulu Town, as the capital of East Shan Yue, had a population of a full twenty thousand people, comparable to one of the Li family's four towns. During Mujiaoman's reign, he was quite diligent, building four roads leading to the four borders, which greatly facilitated the movement of the Li family's troops. It only took them one night to reach Mulu Town.

The gates of Mulu Town stood wide open. In front of them, Shan Yue nobles knelt on the ground, among whom were two Qi Cultivation cultivators. They too bowed respectfully. The dark carriage, however, ignored them completely, driving straight into the city and heading towards the palace.

The carriage, with its contingent of soldiers, entered the palace and stopped in front of the main hall. In front of the blood-stained hall, Shan Yue ministers knelt on the ground. Li Yuanxiu stepped down from the carriage. Chen Donghe quietly followed behind him, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, finally landing on the woman at the very front.

Li Yuanxiu took two steps forward, helped Li Feiruo to her feet, and smiled, "Aunt, you protected the palace's spell formation for our family, which is strong enough to withstand ordinary Qi Cultivation cultivators. You are a great hero in this battle!" Li Feiruo smiled slightly, rose gracefully, and said softly, "Upon hearing that our elders were arriving, the nobles were so terrified they lost their wits and rushed to surrender. Feiruo didn't do anything significant; I merely acted as a facilitator!"

After a few humble words, Li Feiruo clapped her hands. Several Shan Yue men brought out two corpses and threw them with a thud onto the steps. Li Feiruo explained, "These two are Jimu's shaman priest and his minion, Zhong Yudai. Both have been executed."

Li Yuanxiu nodded gently. Two people behind him stepped forward to confirm the identities. Li Feiruo then had Jimu's three children brought forward. She announced loudly, "Jimu massacred all his brothers. Of Mujiaoman's lineage, only Shamoli and these three offspring remain. Feiruo thought the main family might find them useful, so I detained them earlier, awaiting the Young Patriarch's decision."

"What use could they be? Kill them." Li Yuanxiu smiled faintly, passed by the kneeling crowd, and entered the inner hall with Li Feiruo. Behind them, the cries and screams of children could be heard, yet both stood still, seemingly oblivious. Inside the now clean inner hall, clan soldiers quickly entered and stood spaced out on both sides, making the otherwise empty hall appear quite solemn.

"What is this?" Li Yuanxiu looked up at the throne at the far end of the hall. A spherical object, brown at its center, hung there, swaying slightly as it overlooked those below.

"The Eye of Ganishi," Li Feiruo responded calmly, which made Li Yuanxiu pause slightly. Only then did Li Feiruo continue, "Mujiaoman obtained the remains of Ganishi and refined his Foundation Establishment level eye-orb so that it would not decay, hanging it above the throne to oversee everyone..."

"The customs of the Shan Yue are rather eerie," Li Yuanxiu remarked. He stared at the brown eye-orb, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Without thinking too much, he instructed in a low voice, "Take it down. It will be used to honor Lord Xiangping."

"Yes!" As soon as he spoke, two clan soldiers immediately stepped forward to remove the eye-orb. Li Yuanxiu took another look, then turned to Li Feiruo and said, "Aunt, you never had any children..."

"I did, once," Li Feiruo replied, "Mujiaoman killed them." She gently touched her abdomen, her expression slightly weary. Li Yuanxiu fell silent, feeling quite apologetic, and whispered, "You've worked hard these past years, Aunt. Is there anything you wish for...?"

Li Feiruo's lips curved slightly. She slowly bowed and replied, "There is indeed one thing. I am only in my thirties. I hope I may choose a cultivator from the family to marry into my household and have a child or two, to comfort me for the rest of my life."

Li Feiruo's answer was unexpected for Li Yuanxiu, yet also reasonable. Li Yuanxiu nodded in agreement. Just then, the palace doors swung open by themselves, and the clan soldiers on both sides bowed in unison. A middle-aged man, riding the wind, landed in the hall. He carried one sword on his back and another at his waist. With an imposing aura, he slowly walked in.

"Xiuer greets Granduncle!" Li Yuanxiu's expression turned solemn, and he immediately bowed. Although Li Feiruo didn't recognize the man, she understood the reactions of the others. She also bowed, respectfully saying, "Feiruo greets Old Ancestor!"

"No need for such formality." Li Tongya nodded approvingly. He looked at Li Feiruo and said gently, "You've done well; you saved our family a lot of trouble. Which branch are you from?"

"My father is Li Yesheng, who was Lord Xiangping's steward... and Li Xiewen is my brother!" Li Feiruo answered respectfully. Li Tongya clapped his hands and chuckled, "So, you are Yesheng's daughter! No wonder; you have your father's demeanor! Back then, I told Xuan'er to send a clan maiden, but I didn't expect it to be you."

Li Feiruo smiled and thanked him. Li Tongya extended his hand, and with a gesture, the eye-orb flew from the attendant's hand and landed before him.

The brown eye-orb had once been filled with ferocity and cunning, overseeing the mortal world. Now, only a dull stillness remained. Li Tongya examined it closely and sighed, "Ganishi... he once drove our family into a desperate situation. He was truly an outstanding talent. It's fortunate he died at the hands of the Shan Yue Purple Mansion cultivator..."

Li Yuanxiu was young and not very familiar with that period of history. Li Feiruo, having lived in Shan Yue for many years, was quite familiar with it. She looked up slightly and softly explained, "I heard that Ganishi was Mujiaoman's illegitimate brother, born to a slave. He obtained an ancient secret method to cultivate Qi and became a Foundation Establishment cultivator before he was forty. He was truly a genius."

Li Tongya frowned, thinking to himself, "What ancient secret method? Even with the method, he wouldn't have had the spiritual energy to cultivate it. Nine times out of ten, it was an opportunity deliberately arranged by the Shan Yue Purple Mansion cultivator..." He then raised an eyebrow and said in a deep voice, "Do you know what kind of immortal foundation Ganishi cultivated?"

"Mujiaoman used to cry after drinking, and he would murmur when he reminisced about Ganishi, saying, 'That immortal foundation was domineering, grand, and utterly mysterious.'" Li Feiruo thought for a few breaths, paused slightly, and said in a deep voice, "It was called 'Emperor's Response'!"