Chapter 306: Resonance (Part 2)

Li Yuanjiao was silent for a few moments, staring intently at Xiao Guiluan. She lowered her gaze and said nothing, as if trying to find a pattern on the stone table. After a long pause, Li Yuanjiao finally sighed and replied, "Since you already know, why bring it up?"

Xiao Guiluan looked up, took his arm, and gently replied, "I only hope you treat me as family. My father abandoned me on the mountain when I was young, and I endured much coldness and indifference. There's nothing in the Xiao family for me to be nostalgic about. In this life, all I care about are you and Xizhi. Why would you keep such a big matter from me?"

Li Yuanjiao was quite moved by her words. He affectionately held her hand and said softly, "I know you are always intelligent and astute, consistently exceeding my expectations. But to deduce this much from the Clan Elder Hall's inaction, that's truly impressive."

"Just a guess."

Xiao Guiluan showed no pride at having seen through the situation; in fact, she seemed a little aggrieved. She mumbled, "The Old Ancestor has always been discreet and reserved, never this high-profile. It can only be to intimidate someone. But what kind of intimidation is more effective than the Old Ancestor himself?"

"We've been married for eight years, and Xizhi is already seven. Do you really think you can still keep secrets from me?"

"No."

Li Yuanjiao shook his head a little awkwardly, then became serious and replied, "This matter is far too critical. The more people who know, the greater the danger..."

Xiao Guiluan nodded gently, her expression solemn. She whispered, "How serious is it?"

Li Yuanjiao paused, then transmitted his words with spiritual energy: "His vital organs are shattered. He probably doesn't have many years left."

"What?!"

Xiao Guiluan had initially thought it was merely a stagnation in cultivation or a significant reduction in lifespan, not something this severe. She shook her head, a hint of panic in her voice, and replied, "Right... the reincarnation of Mara... How could such an opponent be easily slain..."

She then suddenly looked up, her phoenix eyes wide with trepidation, and said, "We absolutely cannot let Xiao Guitu know about this!"

She gripped Li Yuanjiao's hand, her phoenix eyes gleaming. She said gravely, "My brother is far-sighted and ambitious. He has the support of many factions in the family and has always been ambiguous in his dealings with our family. The True Master's whereabouts have been unknown for years, and he once entrusted all family affairs to my brother. If he were to find out about this, he would definitely scheme something!"

"I've read the family history at home. When our family rose to prominence, we mostly used these kinds of tactics, absorbing the aristocratic families of Lixia County one by one..."

Xiao Guiluan's expression was uneasy. None of the fates recorded for married-out daughters and their descendants were good. How could she not be alarmed?

"How could he?!"

Li Yuanjiao was first startled, then calculated carefully. All of their family's reliance, when faced with the Xiao family, was either like a lie made of paper or was the Xiao family itself.

The relationship between the Xiao and Li families was merely an exchange of interests concerning Moon-Gazing Lake and Xiao Chuting's personal regard for Li Tongya. Clan relations could never truly be maintained by fragile ties of sentiment; calamities due to the severance of ties upon death happened daily...

Li Yuanjiao mentally calculated and was suddenly horrified to realize that the Xiao family was not only the Li family's backing but also a hidden danger beside them. He muttered, "That's right, although the Xiao family has separated from Qingchi and cannot openly invade, they can still exert influence and covertly subordinate others..."

Xiao Guiluan nodded slowly and whispered, "When I was in the Xiao family, I also heard something: our family originally intended to subordinate the Yu family, but Yu Muxian had too strong a background, and the Qingchi Sect was unwilling to see such a situation, so they had to give up..."

Upon hearing this news, Li Yuanjiao secretly felt relieved and found it both amusing and exasperating. He replied, "So that's how it is. Then our family should thank Yu Muxian, otherwise, if the Xiao family had secretly subordinated the Yu family decades ago, where would our family even stand?"

Xiao Guiluan simply refilled his tea. Having made up her mind, she replied, "Husband, rest assured. I just wanted to understand clearly. I'll handle things on the Xiao family's side. Unless my brother personally interferes, there will absolutely be no problems."

"Good!"

Li Yuanjiao responded with a smile. After a few moments of thought, he said softly, "The rumors in the family are also spreading. I'll instruct Yuanping to suppress this matter for now."

"Mmm."

The couple exchanged glances, then smiles, a thousand words unspoken.

Lijing Town.

Li Yuanping meticulously counted the various boxes on the desk and marked them on the cloth with a vermilion brush. Suddenly, he heard a commotion outside the door. Dou Yi hurried in and whispered, "Young Master, Madam Ren has arrived."

Li Yuanping's eyes immediately lit up. He quickly put down his pen. A young woman walked into the courtyard, holding a one-year-old child who looked robust, clever, and adorable.

"Ming'er—"

A rare smile spread across Li Yuanping's pale face. Looking at the child his wife brought, he couldn't help but laugh heartily. He quickly scooped up the child, making Li Ximing giggle.

Li Yuanping had married before the New Year. His wife was a suitable Spirit Aperture woman chosen from the Ren clan. Since neither of them had high cultivation, they quickly conceived a child. After much thought, Li Yuanping named him Ming.

Li Yuanping had worried for quite some time, but fortunately, Li Ximing was not affected by his own spiritual roots; the child was healthy, intelligent, and clever. Li Yuanping looked at the child's bright eyes and mused, "Brother Jiao's child, Xizhi, is also seven years old and possesses Spirit Apertures, though his talent isn't evident yet in his early cultivation. Ximing is only a little over one. In a few more years, he can go to visit the Immortal Mirror..."

Holding little Ximing in his arms, Li Yuanping played with him for a while. Li Ximing laughed happily, then obediently lay on the table, pushing a jade box back and forth. When it reached the edge of the table, he precisely stopped it and looked back at his father.

Li Yuanping was looking down at his child when suddenly there was a commotion outside the courtyard. A clan soldier burst in with a thump, knocking over Dou Yi, who had been quietly bowing at the door, causing a chaotic scene.

"What is it?!"

Li Yuanping managed his household very strictly, and such a situation had never occurred before. His first reaction was not to blame the soldier, but his heart skipped a beat. He said gravely, "What's going on?!"

The clan soldier's face was filled with panic. He didn't even have time to stop and apologize for bumping into Young Master Dou. He urgently reported, "Young Master! A demonic creature has appeared in the town! It has a Qi Condensation seventh-layer cultivation, is baring its fangs and claws, and has already revealed its true form, confronting people right in the street!"

"Qi Condensation seventh-layer!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanping actually breathed a sigh of relief. He just furrowed his brow slightly and asked, "Where are Uncle-in-law and An Zheyun and the others?"

The Li family, after all, had been an aristocratic family for over a decade. They had accumulated many resources. An Zheyun was at Qi Condensation seventh-layer, Chen Donghe at Qi Condensation fourth-layer, and there were two or three other early-stage Qi Condensation cultivators. Relying on their favorable terrain, they were confident in dealing with a Qi Condensation seventh-layer demonic creature.

"If worse comes to worst... the Old Ancestor has also left behind some measures."

Li Yuanping knew that Li Yuanjiao still carried a Foundation Establishment-level talisman, which Li Tongya had bought from the Xiao family years ago, having had a premonition. This gave him confidence, and his voice became steady, which also helped the clan soldier relax. He replied, "Guest Elder An and Uncle Donghe are confronting the fox demon. The creature doesn't seem to have any aggressive intent; it was merely attacked by the town's warning formation, which broke its illusion and revealed its true form. From the sounds, a fight hasn't broken out yet."

"A fox demon?!"

Li Yuanping was instantly alarmed upon hearing this. Realizing it was a fox demon and noting its apparent lack of aggression, he immediately understood. He quickly handed Li Ximing to his wife.

For a moment, Li Yuanping was dumbfounded and amused. He swiftly descended the steps from the main hall, rushed out of the courtyard in a hurry, and exclaimed urgently, "Family... they're family!"