Chapter 206: Duck Soup

Li Tongya returned to Lijing Mountain. Li Xuanfeng, carrying his longbow and holding a jade slip with a frown, came forward to meet him. Seeing Li Tongya, he quickly put away the slip and respectfully said, "Second Uncle, you're back... How is Qinghong?"

"She has been settled at the Fei family."

Li Tongya observed him for a moment and smiled, "Fifth level of Qi Condensation. You're only in your early thirties; that's quite fast. You still need more refinement."

"Yes."

Li Xuanfeng nodded. Li Tongya then instructed him, "Yu Mujian had only just entered Qi Condensation at your age. You gained this cultivation level thanks to the blessing of the talisman seed and the infusion of spirit energy... While you can't compare to the prodigy An Jingming, you are still top-tier on the lake."

"An Jingming was truly too outstanding, feared by both friends and foes. Not only the Yu family, but even the Ding family was afraid of him and wished for his death. Before, with him in the limelight, few paid attention to you. Now that An Jingming is dead, you must understand the implications."

Li Xuanfeng nodded and replied, "Your nephew understands."

He then gave a wry smile and whispered to Li Tongya, "Do you still remember the 'Spirit Eye Pure Pupil' ocular art? It was brought back by Senior Xiao and is a rare technique. I've specialized in it for several years but made little progress. According to the book, it would be greatly beneficial if one could wash their eyes with a spirit water. This spirit water is called 'Clear Origin Spirit Water,' something I've never heard of. I'll need to keep an eye out for it."

"Mm."

Seeing Li Tongya's response, Li Xuanfeng looked up and asked with some hesitation, "Second Uncle... are you preparing for Foundation Establishment?"

"That's right."

Li Tongya nodded, causing Li Xuanfeng's expression to change slightly, filled with worry. Seeing this, Li Tongya whispered, "I will enter seclusion for a breakthrough today. Please look after the younger generation, and do not leave the formation easily. The Fei family is causing trouble for the Yu family, and Yu Mugao won't be free for a while. Just keep a low profile."

He paused, then continued, "If I succeed in my breakthrough, I will emerge from seclusion in two to three years, or five at most. If ten years pass, it means I have died. You may then break into my seclusion chamber and collect my remains."

Li Xuanfeng couldn't bear to hear this and lowered his head. After giving his instructions, Li Tongya was about to head directly to his cave dwelling but, on an impulse, stopped at the mountain's graveyard instead.

Gravestones of various sizes stood in rows. The oldest few were covered with light green moss, while the newest ones were bright and fresh. Li Tongya walked around among them and stopped before Li Xiangping's cenotaph.

He silently gazed for a moment, then patted his brocade pouch, took out a brown eyeball, and gently placed it before Li Xiangping's tomb. He opened his mouth but couldn't speak.

His gaze swept over the cluster of tombs. Li Tongya walked past each gravestone, large and small, and noticed a small empty plot. It was slightly lower than Li Mutian's and positioned between Li Changhu and Li Xiangping's, appearing particularly conspicuous.

Li Tongya lowered his gaze to the spot before him. Being meticulous, he calculated his own height and confirmed that the location was more than spacious enough for him. Only then did he laugh heartily and ride the wind towards his cave dwelling on Meichi Mountain.

Moon-Gazing Lake, An family territory.

There were no large mountains on the south bank of Moon-Gazing Lake. Huanshan Mountain had gentle slopes and lush forests. The blood that had stained the mountain when the Yu family attacked was washed away by heavy rain and then carefully cleaned by An Zheyuan's orders, though dark red bloodstains still remained in the rock crevices.

Huanshan Mountain was originally the Jí family's sect gate. It was breached by the Wan family, then by the Lu family after the Wan family departed, and later fell into the An family's hands. Counting the time, it had suffered four massacres over several decades, taking countless lives, which seemed to have made the trees on Huanshan Mountain grow much more luxuriantly.

Several dozen *li* south of Huanshan Mountain, a small orchard enclosed by a brown wooden fence stood, with a few kumquats hanging from the fruit tree branches. It looked like a farmer's household, and a few small huts were built on the adjacent hillside.

An Zheyan lay blankly on the bed, his expression bewildered and helpless. Fearing discovery by the Yu family, he had hidden in the forest for several days, not daring to use wind-riding techniques or disguise his appearance, and had walked on foot to this place.

This family was quite hospitable. Years ago, they had lost a son, who died in their courtyard after a branch pierced his neck. Thus, they had an extra guest room, where An Zheyan was now staying.

"The Li family..."

An Zheyan didn't know what was happening on Huanshan Mountain, but he learned from the family that An Zheyuan had become the patriarch. His heart sank, and he secretly thought, "That brat is a scoundrel... He's probably become a running dog for the Yu family..."

An Zheyan did not yet know the fate of An Jingming's body, but he already had an ominous premonition. Wiping away tears, he sighed softly and murmured, "Even if I'm unwilling to give up... I should leave. I'll go see the Li family."

Thinking of this, An Zheyan's expression gradually turned grim, and he secretly vowed, "This couple cannot be left alive!"

An Zheyan formed hand seals, and a wisp of magical fire appeared in his hand. He slowly rose. The house was primarily made of wood, and a single spell fire could erase all traces.

"Knock, knock!"

However, the door was knocked. An Zheyan raised an eyebrow in confusion, took a step forward, and opened the door. Standing before him was the wife of the household, timidly holding a bowl of duck soup. She whispered, "Our home is in this wilderness, and it's been years since we've seen anyone. The guest might not be used to wild vegetables... so my husband killed this duck and stewed it for several hours, for you to try."

An Zheyan was stunned beyond words by her remark. He was accustomed to delicacies, and for the past few days, to maintain his disguise, he had joined them for meals, only picking at his food with a few chopsticks. The couple had noticed this and were worried he wasn't eating well.

"Th-thank you."

An Zheyan blankly took the soup, lowering his head as if he'd been slapped. He hesitantly took a sip. The woman had likely cooked duck soup only a few times; its taste was bland, with a faint earthy flavor. That bland sip of soup swirled on his tongue before descending into his stomach.

A few years prior, anyone offering such a soup to An Zheyan would have had their hands chopped off. Yet, An Zheyan swallowed it now, cursing silently, "This is utterly disgusting."

But his eyes welled up, and he couldn't stop the tears from falling. An Zheyan grunted, tears streaming down his face, yet the corners of his mouth curved into a smile as he exclaimed, "Delicious! Truly delicious!"

No sooner had he spoken than An Zheyan burst into loud sobs, his one hundred eighty-jin body rolling on the ground. The woman beside him, startled, took a step back, spilling duck soup onto her arm. She looked at An Zheyan on the ground, then cautiously licked the soup from her hand, covering her face.

"I've truly been wrong all along..."

All his past absurdities flooded his mind. An Zheyan sat on the ground crying for a while, then spit out a mouthful of stale blood, his complexion immediately improving greatly. Ignoring the frightened, screaming woman, An Zheyan tossed out two gold pieces and rode the wind northward.

The woman was left in the courtyard, looking around in confusion. The man from outside hurried in. The two stared at the gold pieces, bewildered. After a moment of stunned silence, the man quickly picked up a hoe and exclaimed, "What are you staring at? Bury it quickly!"