Chapter 285: Short Chenxiang

In the years since the Xiao family's rise, Guan Yun Peak ceased to be a place for collecting tribute, and foot traffic significantly decreased. Fortunately, the collapse of the Yu family's market, coupled with the northern Xu State being in a state of reconstruction, led to a surge of customers from most of Wangyue Lake and a portion of Xu State. This influx directed traffic towards the Guan Yun Peak market, preventing a drastic decline in activity compared to previous times.

Deep within the market, Li Qiuyang crouched in front of a shop, holding several furs. He was haggling with a rogue cultivator, whose face was flushed red as he loudly protested:"This is the hide of a Level 1 Qi Condensation beast, perfectly intact! How can it not be worth seven spirit stones?!"

Li Qiuyang had become a miscellaneous-qi cultivator, his cultivation path effectively at an end. It was already a stroke of luck that he had gained an additional century of life. Miscellaneous-qi cultivators possessed poor combat abilities, merely holding the title of 'Qi Condensation' and the skill to ride the wind. The Li family's market stalls required extra hands, and Li Xuanxuan, believing it better for a family member to earn the spirit stones than an outsider, summoned Li Qiuyang to the market to find work.

Watching the rogue cultivator throw a tantrum, Li Qiuyang offered a wry smile and replied:"Friend, while this hide is indeed from a Qi Condensation beast, it lacks any essence and is of terribly mixed quality. It's clearly from a low-level demon beast, just entering the Qi Condensation stage. And though the fur is intact, it's merely from a small creature, only about half the size of a person…"

"Li Third! Don't you dare spout such nonsense and slander me!" the man roared, seeing Li Qiuyang devalue the hide to nothing. As Li Qiuyang worked under Li Xuanxuan and Li Xuanling in the shop, this individual addressed him by his nickname, 'Li Third,' his face contorted with rage.

Li Qiuyang remained unfazed, simply cupping his hands and stating: "Friend, if you take this to any other shop, it still won't be worth seven spirit stones!"

The man glared at him resentfully, then threw the gray fur onto the table, saying, "Six it is, then."

Only then did Li Qiuyang nod, count out six spirit stones, and hand them over. The man snorted, flicked his sleeve, and walked away. Once he had left the courtyard, a young man, with an ordinary appearance and slightly prominent brow ridges, poked his head out from a corner and called out: "That person has quite a temper."

Li Qiuyang shook his head. He had grown accustomed to the attitudes of the rogue cultivators; after all, he was merely a miscellaneous-qi cultivator. Outside, he might still be referred to as an 'Immortal Master,' but within this market, his status was even lower than that of a distinguished Embryonic Breathing cultivator. He simply shook his head and replied: "Mufeng, the family intends to transfer you back to the lake. Make sure to perform well, foster good relations with fellow clan members, and strive to obtain that third-grade inheritance."

Chen Mufeng nodded vigorously, then asked, a hint of hope in his voice: "The clan's third-grade cultivation methods have always been reserved for the main family line. Collateral branches and those of different surnames are not granted them without exceptional merit. It is rumored that Uncle Donghe journeyed west with Lord Xiangping, barely surviving, to earn his reward. It seems it won't be easy for me to obtain this cultivation method…"

Li Qiuyang remained silent, lost in his thoughts. "I wonder how Xuanfeng is faring in Yishan City. I've heard there are countless demons and monsters in the Southern Border, but thankfully, the Sword Immortal is also there; he should be able to offer some protection."

"Head Shopkeeper!" Chen Mufeng's call startled Li Qiuyang awake. He then saw a figure slowly descending from the upper level: a man in gray robes, with a meticulously combed beard and greying hair, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Patriarch," Li Qiuyang greeted him, and Li Xuanxuan nodded. Now nearing fifty, he had become less inclined to move around with age, preferring to simply oversee the shop.

Competition within this market was fierce. Although the Li family had the backing of a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a marriage alliance with the Xiao family, most of the market was owned by the Xiao family, making them 'insiders.' Li Xuanxuan found it quite taxing to balance maintaining good relations with them while also securing sufficient profits for his own clan.

He stroked his greying beard, counted the days, and remarked with a touch of unease: "Xuanling has been gone for months now, hasn't he? He still hasn't returned…"

Li Xuanxuan's talent was limited; he was still lingering at the second level of Qi Condensation. Li Xuanling, however, being Li Tongya's son, was far more gifted and had already reached the third level of Qi Condensation. They had been cultivating together in the market, with Li Xuanling occasionally venturing north from Guan Yun Peak towards Xu State and the Great River, claiming he wished to broaden his family's knowledge. While it wasn't uncommon for him to be gone for more than half a month, his absence now stretched beyond two months, causing Li Xuanxuan considerable anxiety.

"Seventy-one days, it's been over two months now," Li Qiuyang replied respectfully, and Li Xuanxuan gritted his teeth, saying, "Bring me a brush and ink. I'll write a letter home and send Donghe to investigate!"

Despite his words, Xu State and the Great River were incredibly vast, and Li Xuanling's whereabouts were uncertain, making it extremely difficult to find him—likely a fruitless waste of manpower. Li Xuanxuan wrote a few words on a small note, then sighed dejectedly and put down his brush.

"Fortunately, the jade token is unharmed…" Li Xuanxuan pulled a small jade pendant from his robe. Seeing its clear, warm glow, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The Li family was now considered a noble clan, though not on par with the Three Sects and Seven Gates. While they didn't possess the sophisticated mana imprints or multi-layered security measures found on storage bags, they did have some basic methods. For example, crushing this jade talisman would allow other corresponding talismans to communicate their locations.

"I still need to consult with the Old Ancestor." After a moment of consideration, Li Xuanxuan still picked up his brush and ink and began writing on the small note.

Zhao State, Duanchen Township.

Duanchen Township, located in the southernmost part of Zhao State at the border with Xu State, was rumored to be the original landing point for northern noble families who migrated south across the river. However, it had been under the control of Buddhist cultivators for several centuries.

In Duanchen Township stood a small monastery, Duanchen Temple. Following northern customs, all land in Duanchen Township belonged to the monastery. Below the monks were tenant farmers, though they were given the more pleasant title of 'monastic households.' There were also a few foreign nobles who resided at the monastery, practicing Buddhist dharma.

Li Xuanling had spent an entire month in this desolate place, keenly experiencing the troublesome nature of Buddhism. Upon his arrival, clad in his Daoist robe, the gaunt tenant farmers had looked at him as if he were a harbinger of disaster. Even the younger children overtly displayed their aversion, secretly spitting. Had he not been a Qi Condensation cultivator, they might well have tied him up and sent him to the monastery on the mountain.

"The Central Plains, after centuries under Buddhist cultivation, have completely lost their original roots…"

Li Xuanling gazed at the densely packed monasteries on the mountain, a wave of emotion sweeping over him. According to immortal cultivators, the immortal path had weakened and lost its influence in the North after the Immortal-Demon War. Most of the prominent noble families and major sects currently in existence had migrated from the North after that conflict. Now, upon returning to the North, he found no trace of immortal cultivators. While he didn't fully endorse the cultivators of the Purple Mansion Golden Core path, this sight still filled him with endless sighs.

Looking down at the gaunt yet endlessly toiling tenant farmers, Li Xuanling felt a profound sense of sadness. In the North, there were no sights of song and dance, acrobatics, pleasure houses, shops, or street vendors. Only endless stretches of yellow earth and bald-headed tenant farmers with small pigtails, presenting a scene of deathly stillness.

"My current appearance is not suitable for traveling in the North." He conjured a spell, changing his appearance: now dressed in a brown robe, sporting a shining bald head. He also used an illusion to transform the magic sword in his hand into a long staff. Only then did he descend, intending to ask for directions.

To his surprise, as soon as he landed in the field, a tenant farmer cried out loudly. Instantly, a group of tenant farmers uniformly prostrated themselves, their five limbs touching the ground in perfect synchronization. The small pigtails at the back of their heads all perked up, resembling a field of pumpkins with black stems, completely covering the ground.

"Greetings, Master!"

The man at the front, who appeared to be a leader, had a withered face but a fanatical expression, his voice high-pitched and fervent. Li Xuanling looked up and saw, in the distance, several frail women and children who had fainted from excitement, lying awkwardly on the ground. Not a single person turned to look at them.

"You…" Li Xuanling opened his mouth, a wave of inexplicable sadness rising within him, leaving him speechless for a moment.