Chapter 207: Mountain Visitor

In the third month of spring, the Yu family, using their magical arts, concealed something within a precious pearl. This pearl was then placed in the Qing Wu. It was later unearthed by a servant and presented to Young Master Xiu. At that moment, thunder and fire erupted, the house collapsed, and Xiu died.

Li Yuanyun had grown considerably; his black hair was now tied up, giving him the appearance of a young man. He looked up at the half-burnt wooden slip, a pang of sorrow in his eyes, and continued to write:

“There were many sounds of lamentation among the common people; every household was draped in white mourning clothes. It was then known how cruel, vile, and malicious Young Master Gao of the Yu family was.”

Li Jingting, pregnant, leaned wearily against the desk, her eyes half-closed. Chen Donghe had already returned up the mountain to care for his wife. In the setting sun, he peeled two tangerines, the pale golden light falling on the middle-aged man's white robe, illuminating several golden spots.

“Aunt, please take a look.”

Li Yuanyun presented the finished silk scroll. Li Jingting glanced at it and said softly, “Good.”

Li Yuanyun took it back, checked it twice, then put down his brush. He picked up the half-burnt wooden slip and examined it. The characters on it were scorched black, with only a few scattered strokes remaining. He carefully turned it over; on the side, a few complete characters were still visible, forming a signature.

“…to my brother Yun”

As Li Yuanyun continued to look at the wooden slip in his hand, Li Jingting, who was beside him, took a tangerine from Chen Donghe and said in a low voice, “Yun’er, given the current situation, there's no one in the family to manage affairs. Would you be willing to go down the mountain and take on some responsibilities…?”

Li Jingting's words were direct, and Li Yuanyun knew she was asking if he intended to become the family head. He shook his head and replied, “Nephew has no such intention. Firstly, I don't like managing affairs, and secondly, there's still Brother Jiao. He possesses spiritual aptitude, making him more suitable than me.”

“Mortals are, after all, too frail before cultivators. If a mortal were to manage practitioners of fetal breathing and Qi cultivation, it might damage our family's prestige.”

After Li Yuanyun expressed his concerns, Li Jingting nodded slightly and replied softly, “That's true.”

She looked at Li Yuanyun, who was reading with his head down, and continued, “It's just that you're also of age now. Staying up on the mountain all year like this, you might not find a suitable woman…” Having said that, she turned to look at Chen Donghe, who was dutifully peeling tangerines beside her, and asked, “Are there any suitable young women with spiritual aptitude down the mountain?”

Chen Donghe looked up, thought for a moment, and replied gently, “No, there aren't any. The younger ones haven't matured yet.”

Li Jingting pondered for a few breaths, then gave up, leaning against the desk, her eyes wearily half-closed. Li Yuanyun and Chen Donghe both fell silent. For a moment, the courtyard was bathed in golden sunlight, with only her even breathing audible.

“Patriarch.”

Li Xiewen still had a white cloth tied around his forehead. He cupped his hands towards Li Xuanxuan, who was nearby, and said in a low voice, “The Shanyue have sent someone.”

“Oh.”

Li Xuanxuan raised an eyebrow. His face still appeared to be in his thirties, but his expression was quite weary, making him seem much older. He pondered for a moment and asked, “How are the children Shammari left with the Li family doing?”

Li Xuanxuan and Li Xiewen were old partners. Although Li Xuanxuan hadn't managed household affairs for a while, he was still familiar with the routine. Li Xiewen had prepared before coming up the mountain, and without hesitation, he respectfully replied, “All the children are only three to five years old; nothing can be discerned from them yet. They are studying together in the clan's academy.”

“I understand. Send them up.”

Li Xiewen acknowledged and withdrew. Li Xuanxuan returned to his seat, ground the ink, and spread out a talisman paper to begin drawing talismans.

Li Xuanxuan was currently handling affairs on the mountain. Traveling up and down required a considerable walk and passage through the Sun Ritual Profound Light Array, which was quite troublesome. He finished drawing the talisman before him, then waited for the time it takes an incense stick to burn before Li Xiewen led the messenger into the small courtyard.

The second talisman in Li Xuanxuan's hand was not yet finished; the bright red brush strokes were sketching on the pale yellow talisman paper. The messenger dared not speak, prostrating himself on the ground and trembling as he waited for a moment. Only then did Li Xuanxuan lift his brush, let out a sigh of relief, and nod with considerable satisfaction.

Li Xuanxuan's current success rate for drawing talismans was two or three out of ten. Having succeeded twice in a row now was truly rare, and he mused inwardly, “Ever since breaking through to Qi refinement and mastering the 'Cave Spring Clear Spirit Art', this cultivation method has proven quite compatible with talisman techniques. Drawing talismans has become increasingly smooth!”

Only then did he look up at the messenger, who was clad in white robes with a layer of hemp cloth over them. Li Xuanxuan said in a low voice, “Why has the messenger come?”

“The King of Shanyue, upon hearing of Young Master Xiu's demise, was exceedingly grieved. He therefore commanded his humble subject to bring tribute and offer three hundred and sixty slaves for the young master's burial…”

Now that Shanyue was a vassal state, the messenger no longer dared to refer to Shammari as 'our great king,' but instead called him 'the King of Shanyue' and himself 'this humble subject,' adopting a humble posture. Upon hearing this, Li Xuanxuan frowned and said gravely, “My family does not practice human sacrifice for burial. Send those slaves back.”

“Yes.”

The messenger, having met with displeasure, hastily kowtowed repeatedly, prostrating himself on the ground. Seeing this, Li Xuanxuan raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is there anything else?”

The messenger was drenched in sweat, his white robe clinging to his body, revealing his rough, bronze-colored skin. He replied, “The King of Shanyue has recently put the affairs of his kingdom in order, and the lives of his people have stabilized. He feels lonely and isolated without a single child to attend to him. His four sons and one daughter are still in the East, so he was thinking… he was thinking of… taking one of his sons back…”

The messenger knelt below, trembling, while Li Xuanxuan remained silent, staring at him intently, musing inwardly, “Shammari probably hasn't discovered the problem with that cultivation method. He's likely just thinking about whether he can take one or two of these hostages back to nurture them.”

Li Xuanxuan looked up and said in a low voice, “Then take the princess back.”

The messenger below paused slightly. Shammari didn't care about his daughter; he only wanted to bring back some male heirs. However, the messenger dared not say more, and rose as if granted a great pardon, repeatedly saying, “Thank you, great king!”

“Mm.”

Li Xuanxuan hummed in acknowledgment. The man hastily withdrew, and Li Xiewen stepped forward, presenting a piece of silk cloth. “The various spiritual items offered by the Eastern Shanyue are all recorded on it. Most of them are at the Fetal Breathing level.”

Li Xuanxuan took it and glanced over it, mentally estimating for a moment. He then scoffed and said in a low voice, “It looks like a lot in total, but all together it wouldn't amount to more than three spirit stones. From the intelligence we've gathered, Shammari isn't having an easy time either.”

Li Xiewen nodded from below, while Li Xuanxuan took out another talisman paper and sketched on it with a vermillion brush, musing inwardly, “Shammari won't discover the side effects of this cultivation method anytime soon. It will take him over ten years, after he takes a wife, to realize something is wrong. Only then will he be desperate to seek out his sons.”

Shammari's image, wielding a great hammer and radiating lightning, reappeared in Li Xuanxuan's mind. A wave of concern washed over him, and he mused thoughtfully, “If Uncle fails his breakthrough, then we should surround and kill this person. After all, the 'Violet Thunder Secret Origin Art' is a profound cultivation method. Although this person absorbed impure Qi, he should not be underestimated. Shanyue, after all, has a population of several hundred thousand, and if they cause trouble at a crucial moment, they could become a disaster.”