Chapter 208: An Zeyan Seeks Refuge

An Zheyun flew for a while before landing in a forest and continuing on foot. Casting an invisibility spell, he arrived at the Li family's territory without being noticed. After walking over ten *li*, he saw a continuous stretch of civilian houses. Lijing Town appeared in the distance, still several dozen *li* away.

Along the way, people lived peacefully and prosperously, leaving their doors unlocked even at night. An Zheyun observed this in silence. He cast a spell to approach and watch, noticing the cheerful chatter and laughter of the crowds on the streets. An Zheyun wandered around for a while, then bought a bowl of wontons to eat.

An Zheyun had always been fond of good food. As a steaming bowl of wontons filled his stomach, much of his unease and sorrow began to recede. He then retrieved a gourd of spirit wine from his storage pouch and drank more than half of it to bolster his courage. With cheeks slightly flushed, he walked out of the crowd, spotted a patrolling Li family militiaman on the street, and called out:

"Go tell your master, the An family..."

An Zheyun was about to say "An family's An Zheyun," but a wave of bleakness washed over him. He continued:

"Rogue cultivator An Zheyun has come to visit."

The militiaman was only slightly startled. He cupped his hands and said:

"Please wait a moment, senior."

With that, he hurriedly departed, leaving An Zheyun standing by the wonton stall for a moment. Soon, two more militiamen invited him to wait in the guest courtyard. An Zheyun nodded in agreement, thinking to himself:

"So be it. I am a fifth-level Qi Refinement cultivator, after all. Even if Li Tongya is formidable, if I am determined to die, I can still achieve it. There's no need to stay and suffer torture; there's nothing left for me to cherish in this world anyway."

Since Li Tongya began his closed-door cultivation, Li Xuanfeng rarely went into seclusion himself, preferring to keep an eye on the family's affairs. Even when he did cultivate in private, it was never for more than half a month, fearing that a prolonged retreat might lead to issues at home. He was currently in the courtyard, reading "Spiritual Eye Clear Pupil," when Li Xuanxuan suddenly rushed up, uttering a startling declaration:

"Brother Feng! Something happened in Dense Forest Commandery!"

"What?"

Li Xuanfeng put away the jade slip he was holding, looked up, a hint of shock in his eyes, and whispered:

"The Yu family's Dense Forest Commandery?"

"Precisely!"

Li Xuanxuan nodded, a hint of delight in his expression, and replied:

"According to intelligence gathered by our people, a 'ground dragon' turned over in Dense Forest Commandery, leaving the entire commandery city in ruins. The grand formation of the Dense Forest Commandery market, which was connected to the earth's ley lines, was also severely shaken, affecting the entire spiritual vein. The concentration of spiritual energy is expected to decrease."

Li Xuanfeng listened, full of doubts, shaking his head repeatedly. He said in a deep voice:

"How is this possible!"

"When the Yu family constructed that grand formation, they surely connected it to the earth veins to stabilize the area. This formation seals space and is a forbidden zone, capable of defending even against Foundation Establishment cultivators. How could the earth veins beneath it have gone awry, causing a 'ground dragon' to turn over, the earth to crack, and create such a chaotic scene?"

Li Xuanxuan clapped his hands, sat down, and took the tea offered by a servant. He said repeatedly:

"Exactly! It's utterly ludicrous. If I hadn't sent people to investigate multiple times, and confirmed that Dense Forest Commandery's city walls had indeed crumbled everywhere, and blood flowed like rivers, I would never have believed such a thing possible."

Li Xuanfeng pondered for a moment, then suddenly recalled Li Tongya's remark about the Fei family's ability to hold back the Yu family for eight years. He let out a laugh, then whispered:

"Fei Wangbai once boasted of being able to tie down the Yu family for eight years. Nine times out of ten, this is their doing! It's quite a grand maneuver... Yu Mugao and Yu Xiaogui are probably seething with rage right now, yet they have no choice but to swallow this bitter consequence."

"The Fei family's methods probably don't stop here; this is just the beginning."

Li Xuanxuan chuckled, a hint of schadenfreude in his expression, and replied:

"I never would have guessed that Fei Wangbai, with his dashing and uninhibited demeanor, possesses such unfathomable tactics. If you ask me, he probably secretly tampered with the earth veins in Dense Forest Commandery over a decade ago, before the market was even built. Since this stratagem erupted from within the market's grand formation, how could anyone have stopped it?"

"Indeed, brother, what you said makes sense."

Li Xuanfeng nodded, then swept his spiritual sense around. He frowned and instructed:

"Brother Xuan... I've noticed your cultivation hasn't advanced at all in the past six months; you're still at the initial stage of Qi Refinement. Why is that?"

Li Xuanxuan chuckled awkwardly and whispered:

"In the past six months, I've made rapid progress in the art of talismans. All my energy has been focused there, as I hoped to create more talismans to supplement our family's income. With the added responsibility of managing the family, my cultivation speed has naturally slowed down..."

Li Xuanfeng shook his head. Now a fifth-level Qi Refinement cultivator himself, he couldn't help but remind his brother:

"Techniques are for self-protection, but the Dao is paramount. Brother, you must be mindful of this!"

Li Xuanxuan, however, waved his hand dismissively, clearly having given the matter much thought. He set down his teacup and replied:

"I have, of course, considered it. However, within our family, you and Uncle are most skilled in offensive techniques, while I have never been adept at combat. Thus, I can only delve into the art of talismans. Firstly, it brings more income to the family, and secondly, it allows me to provide some protection for the younger generation."

He sighed softly and continued:

"I'll be forty after the new year. There's no way I can break through to Foundation Establishment before sixty. Even if the family were to acquire a second Suiduan Pill, it would only increase my chances by half a percent. My fate for Foundation Establishment is already sealed in this lifetime. It's better for me to thoroughly study the art of talismans and contribute more to our family's foundation."

Li Xuanfeng paused, unable to voice anything further. He could only sigh and reply:

"Since you've made up your mind, Brother, there's not much more for your younger brother to add..."

Li Xuanxuan, however, let out a rather relaxed laugh and comforted him:

"Ultimately, the family still depends on you and Uncle. You're only just thirty and already at the fifth level of Qi Refinement; you'll definitely make it before sixty."

As the two were chatting and laughing, Li Xiewen hurried into the courtyard, cupped his hands, and announced:

"Reporting to the Patriarch! An Zheyun has come to visit!"

"An Zheyun?! He actually didn't die on Mount Huazhong..."

The name surprised Li Xuanxuan slightly. He exchanged a glance with Li Xuanfeng, and both of them broke into smiles. Li Xuanfeng, with a beaming smile, said:

"A double blessing, indeed."

"Bring him up."

Li Xuanxuan gave the order. With the mountain protected by a grand formation and Li Xuanfeng wielding the formidable Golden Geng Longbow, they had no fear of An Zheyun, this 'stray dog,' attempting any tricks.

"This man is already a lost cause, a stray dog, yet he has chosen to flee to our home. It seems he intends to seek refuge with us and take revenge on the Yu family."

Only after Li Xiewen had departed did Li Xuanxuan whisper.

The two waited for the duration of an incense stick, but An Zheyun had not yet arrived. Li Xuanxuan, however, had already drifted into a multitude of pleased thoughts. He smiled at Li Xuanfeng and spoke earnestly:

"The news of An Jingming's breakthrough was leaked precisely by An Zheyun. This man is a loose talker and cannot be entrusted with important responsibilities. Now that he has come seeking refuge with our family, we cannot be certain he isn't harboring ulterior motives. First, we must extract all of the An family's cultivation techniques from him. After that, he can be used as an enforcer, but we must observe him closely for a while."

Just as Li Xuanfeng was about to reply, a person slowly entered from outside the door. Wearing a beast-skin hat, he was slightly stout, his face etched with apprehension. He bowed respectfully and said in a humble voice:

"An Zheyun greets the two... seniors."

An Zheyun was now at his wits' end, completely at the Li family's mercy. He even had to humbly greet these two juniors, who were of the same generation as his own son. Naturally, Li Xuanxuan wouldn't let him stand there in awkwardness. He quickly stepped forward, his face showing trepidation, and whispered:

"Senior, what do you mean by this? Xuanxuan is truly terrified!"

An Zheyun's expression immediately brightened considerably, and he even felt a touch of gratitude. With red eyes, he said resentfully:

"I only regret not following my son's plan to join forces with your esteemed family against the Yu family. To have fallen to such a state now is truly my own doing!"

An Jingming had initially advised An Zheyun to cede Mount Huazhong and to arrange for An Jingming to marry a legitimate daughter of the Li family. The plan was for the two families to support each other and jointly resist the Yu family. However, An Zheyun was too greedy and stingy to part with Mount Huazhong. An Jingming was then forced to pursue a less optimal strategy, which ultimately led to their current predicament.

"Senior, please don't say that!"

Li Xuanxuan maintained a very respectful demeanor and inquired in a low voice:

"It's just... what has become of the An family now?"

These words caused An Zheyun a wrenching pain in his heart. He said tearfully:

"It has already been seized by my illegitimate brother and has become a vassal of the Yu family... And my poor child, I fear he may not even have a proper burial place!"

Li Xuanxuan consoled him:

"Senior, you are now a rogue cultivator, and both you and our Li family share a profound blood feud with the Yu family. Your visit to our family must surely be an offer to join forces... Why not reside with us for the time being?"

Li Xuanxuan's words were persuasive, and An Zheyun was deeply moved. While grateful, he also understood that by agreeing, he would likely have to swear a Xuanjing Spirit Oath and hand over An Jing's secret techniques and numerous inheritances. Yet, he was now empty-handed, with nothing left, so where was there any room for retreat?

Remembering An Jingming's final instructions before his death, An Zheyun's eyes turned red. He thought to himself:

"Ming'er said before he died that I should seek refuge with the Li family; he must have had his reasons. I just need to obey! Now, I can only put all other thoughts aside!"