Chapter 293: Out of the Cave

"Fate..." Li Yuanjiao murmured to himself. Li Tongya, meanwhile, sheathed his sword, for the first time wearing the Azure Ruler Sword at his waist. He said seriously, "Yuanjiao... from now on, the family will largely depend on your care. If I go and don't return, you'll have to humble yourself for a while. With the Xiao family's backing, at worst, we might have to cede Mount Huazhong and Mount Yuting, but it won't be a significant loss."

Li Yuanjiao felt the sky darken, as if the world was crumbling. He said hoarsely, "Ancestor... The clan, the clan cannot do without you!"

Li Tongya slowly shook his head and said gently, "Xuanling will most likely not survive, and Xuanfeng will also find it difficult to return from the Southern Reaches. Tell your father to manage this market town; don't let him come back and meddle aimlessly."

"You, Yuanxiu, and Yuanping are all capable of managing the family, but you must still be cautious... Qinghong is still in seclusion; there's no need to ask her to come. She acts too hastily and is too focused on cultivating immortality, which may ultimately harm her quest. I hope you'll tell her to act with caution!"

Seeing Li Yuanjiao listening attentively, Li Tongya nodded and instructed, "Once this matter settles, there should be many peaceful days ahead. The Yu family's ancestor was killed, and their market town was destroyed. Yu Muxian has extensive connections within the sect, yet she stood idly by and refused to even utter a word. She doesn't seem like someone who cares for her clan, and she won't offend the Xiao family, so there's no need to worry."

"Yes... Yuanjiao has taken note."

Li Yuanjiao's eyes gleamed as he eagerly asked, "Ancestor, what about the Azure Pond Sect?"

At the mention of that name, Li Tongya's expression became complex. He said softly, "The Azure Pond Sect has been entrenched in Jiangnan for several hundred years. Its background is far deeper than you or I can see. Bound by interests, they are well-versed in suppression and slaughter. They are not an enemy that can be defeated in one generation. Yuan Huyu was right: you must climb onto Azure Pond's table, not fall into its bowl."

"However, my generation has a deep, bloody feud with Azure Pond, and we can no longer compromise with them. After I'm gone, you must send our disciples into the sect. Even if they have to be their lackeys or their resources, only then will our family have a chance to rise!"

Li Yuanjiao listened, tears streaming down his face, and nodded silently. Li Tongya took his hand. His greying hair gently fluttered in the wind as the elder began, "Just remember: do not perform blood sacrifices, do not slaughter innocents, and do not let evil desires lead you astray..."

Li Yuanping, standing nearby, had eyes red and swollen, unable to control himself. Li Tongya took his slender arm. A spiritual light appeared in his hand, erasing the bruises on Yuanping's arm. He said with a touch of guilt, "If our family had some excellent spirit medicine to mend your foundation, you wouldn't have to suffer like this..."

Li Yuanping could no longer hold back and began to sob hoarsely. Li Yuanjiao clenched his jaw, pursed his lips, and stood, holding back his tears. Li Tongya looked into his eyes and said softly, "If Yuanyun proves to be useless, don't tolerate him. If he dares to pursue any evil path, such as killing and blood sacrificing to gain power, then kill him."

Li Yuanjiao nodded, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes. His granduncle had never left the mountain, yet there was nothing in the world below that he didn't know. Li Yuanping stopped sobbing and looked up, a flush of excitement rising on his pale face. He said solemnly, "Don't worry, Granduncle. As long as Yuanjiao and I are here, nothing will go wrong with the family!"

Li Tongya nodded approvingly, stood up, took a step, and let out a hearty laugh, "Don't be too pessimistic. Although this journey is perilous, there's also a chance I'll return alive."

He adjusted the storage pouch at his waist, then took out a light-green jade box and solemnly handed it to Li Yuanjiao. Li Yuanjiao received it with both hands, then heard Li Tongya instruct, "This is a Sword Immortal's legacy, called the 'Moon Deficient Sword Canon,' a fifth-grade sword art."

"A Sword Immortal's legacy?!" Both brothers were startled. Li Yuanjiao's legs went weak, and he held the jade box as if afraid it would melt in his hands. He bowed respectfully and said in a deep voice, "Yuanjiao accepts the command!"

Li Yuanjiao understood that by entrusting this legacy to him, Li Tongya was passing on the burden of the Li family. He felt immediately overwhelmed with anxiety. Then he saw Li Tongya point at the jade box, flick his finger, and retrieve two jade slips: one light purple, one pure white. He said, "The light purple one is the 'Moon Deficient Sword Canon.' The pure white one contains my sixty years of sword dao commentary on this canon, called the 'Sixty-Year Sword Canon True Explanation.' Keep them safe, and do not take them outside the mountain."

Li Yuanjiao nodded repeatedly. Li Tongya continued, "This jade box is also no ordinary item; it contains space and can hold treasures of the Purple Mansion realm."

Without further ado, he took out most of the items from the storage pouch at his waist, leaving only a few healing and Qi-restoring pills. He nodded and said, "I shall depart now."

Li Yuanjiao and his brother immediately stood up, bowed together, and respectfully said, "Farewell, Ancestor!"

A gentle breeze swept through, and when the two brothers straightened up, Li Tongya's figure was no longer in the courtyard. Li Yuanjiao quickly gathered the items from the table, wiped his eyes, then hurried back to the desk, picked up a brush, and said in a deep voice, "Quickly write to inform Father! If anything happens to Ancestor, our family will need to keep an even lower profile in the market town!"

On top of Lijing Mountain. While the two brothers were busily making arrangements, Li Tongya descended from the mountaintop on the wind, but he did not immediately fly away.

Li Tongya concealed his presence. He descended the steps, meandering his way to the mountain's graveyard. All around, the ground was covered in morning dew, the moss on the stones was verdant green, and a gentle mist hung in the air, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

He wiped clean the gravestones of several of his brothers. Then he drew over a piece of bluestone. Using his finger as a sword, he carved a bluestone tablet in a few breaths. Li Tongya placed this tablet in a reserved empty spot. Sword light surged from his fingers, lightly outlining and decorating patterns on the tablet.

The gravestones of his brothers had all been erected by Li Tongya. Li Tongya had originally intended to carve his own as well, but after thinking it over, he ultimately waved away the sword light and chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Erecting one's own gravestone is considered unlucky. I'll leave that for future generations to decide."

With that, he rose on the wind, drifting northwards.

On the bank of the Great River. An old man sat quietly on a large stone, untangling a mess of fishing nets he held. Li Xuanling had already gone north several days ago, and the old man wasn't afraid of him secretly escaping. He simply continued to pull at his fishing nets by the shore.

"The serpent-dragon has left its cave." From downstream, a person slowly approached, dressed in hempen clothes and carrying a white jade fishing rod on his shoulder. He stopped beside the old man and said gently, "Senior Si, we should also be on our way!"

The old man merely glanced at him, not answering, but instead chuckled, "Changyun An... Xiao Xianyou is quite calculating. He prepared everything for you long ago, even timing it perfectly. It's truly astonishing!"

Xiao Chuting gave him a deep look, remained silent, and simply sat down to wait. The old man sighed, "If Xiao Xianyou hadn't been harmed by Chi Wei, he would also have been a Golden Core seed."

"Senior, you jest." Hearing this, Xiao Chuting finally spoke, saying softly, "I hear your sect has produced a Golden Disintegration Cavern cultivator; that's quite rare. Why did you suddenly decide to get involved with the Central Plains' orthodoxy?"

"Nothing of the sort. Just an outsider disciple." The Purple Mansion cultivator named Si shook his head nonchalantly and said, "Just a young fellow in the sect who managed to cultivate it. All the cultivation methods for the Golden Disintegration Cavern have been lost. Even if he succeeds, he'll only be an early-stage Purple Mansion cultivator with a broken path. Fellow Daoist, there's no need to pay it any mind."

Before long, streaks of colorful light emerged from the riverbank. Various Purple Mansion cultivators appeared one by one; some were graceful and exuded an ethereal aura, while others had sharp gazes and radiating spiritual light. A total of seven streaks of colorful light landed. Only then did the old man slowly stand up and say softly, "Since everyone has arrived, let us proceed together!"