Chapter 36: Why Bother

Liu Miaotu wandered in the mountains for a day and a night. He didn't see any immortal treasures, not even a single strand of hair. He was so enraged that he sat on a large bluestone and cursed the idlers in the village: "A bunch of good-for-nothing dogs, saying there are treasures in these mountains! All lies!"

Seeing the mist rising in the mountains, Liu Miaotu shivered. He thought to himself: "Although the jackals, wolves, and tigers in these mountains were driven out a few years ago, who knows if any slipped through! This mist is eerie; I'd better get down the mountain first..."

Liu Miaotu got up and walked along the mountain path for nearly an hour, but all he saw was a hazy white mist, with no exit in sight.

"This is truly eerie! How am I still not off the mountain?" Looking at the large bluestone in front of him again, a chill ran down Liu Miaotu's spine, and he blurted out: "Impossible!"

This was clearly the same large bluestone that Liu Miaotu had been sitting on earlier. How could he still be in the same spot after walking for an hour along the mountain path!

Terrified, Liu Miaotu panicked and turned to run. He ran for a distance, shouting, before stopping to catch his breath, only to find the large bluestone was right in front of him again.

"Damn it... I can't get out."

Night had fallen. Liu Miaotu was lightly dressed, and the cold wind, combined with his agitated state, caused him to faint.

At daybreak, Liu Miaotu woke up, his body burning with fever. He faintly heard shouting. Looking up, he vaguely saw a figure sitting not far away. As he tried to get up, he heard a loud shout: "Who's there!"

Already disoriented, Liu Miaotu's knees buckled and his feet slipped, sending him tumbling and rolling right in front of the person.

Liu Linfeng glanced at the person's face and saw it was Liu Miaotu, a good-for-nothing from his own Liu clan. Everything instantly became clear to him. In a flash, a surge of anger shot from his chest to the top of his head, his face turned crimson, and he bellowed: "Why the hell are you here?!"

That shout startled Liu Miaotu awake. He timidly replied: "To... to chop firewood on the mountain."

"What utter nonsense!" Liu Linfeng cursed vehemently, pointing a finger at Liu Miaotu's nose, and continued to scold: "Why the hell did you come up this mountain without telling the family head? Is this a place you're even allowed to be?"

No sooner had he finished these two curses than Liu Linfeng himself was startled into realization. A chill crept up his spine to the back of his head. He quietly pondered: "How did my Liu clan produce such a good-for-nothing? Now we're truly in deep trouble. My nephew is ruthless and suspicious; how can I let this person live? But above all, I must not let this bring disaster upon my Liu clan!"

Seeing Liu Miaotu kowtowing like a pestle pounding garlic, Liu Linfeng made up his mind. His expression suddenly changed, and he said coldly: "Come with me. At least I'll save your life!"

Liu Miaotu quickly followed him into the courtyard. There, he saw Liu Linfeng take out a thick hemp rope, put Liu Miaotu's hands behind his back, and begin to bind them.

"Clan Head, you... what are you doing?" Liu Miaotu felt uneasy and asked timidly.

"I'm taking you to apologize. That's the only way to show sincerity." Liu Linfeng waved his hand, subtly hanging a knife at his waist, and said coldly: "Let's go!"

"Yes, yes, thank you, Clan Head!"

Before long, the two arrived in front of the courtyard. Liu Linfeng pointed to the muddy ground by the roadside and said: "Kneel there."

After speaking, he went to invite Li Tongya and Li Xiangping. Once inside the courtyard, he knelt before the two men at the head of the room and said bitterly: "The Liu clan's discipline has been lax. Please forgive us, honored sirs!"

That kowtow startled the two men, making them jump up. They quickly rushed to help him. Li Tongya said in a deep voice: "Absolutely not! There's no need for such formality!"

Liu Linfeng smiled wryly and explained Liu Miaotu's outrageous behavior. Li Xiangping simply listened and said softly: "You can handle it as you see fit. There's no need for such a grand gesture."

"Please follow me," Liu Linfeng replied, shaking his head. He led the two men to the gate and pointed to Liu Miaotu, who was kneeling before them.

As soon as Liu Miaotu saw the three, he began to wail and lament. Unexpectedly, Liu Linfeng lunged forward, bent his body, raised his arm, and plunged a knife into Liu Miaotu's throat. Liu Miaotu only gurgled twice, blood spurted from his neck like water, and he coughed violently for a while, spitting out a dozen mouthfuls of foamy blood, before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

"Uncle is still so considerate." Li Xiangping clapped his hands, watched Liu Miaotu fall, and then chuckled to Li Tongya: "He chose a muddy patch of ground, so as not to stain our stone steps."

Li Tongya just sighed deeply, looked at Liu Linfeng, and said: "Please take care of the body, Uncle."

"Of course," Liu Linfeng quickly replied, dragging the corpse into the woods.

Only then did the two men turn and enter the courtyard. Li Tongya remained frowning, but Li Xiangping patted his shoulder and said in a deep voice: "He brought it upon himself."

Li Tongya gave a wry smile, looked into his brother's eyes, and explained: "It's not pity I feel for him, just a sense of regret. It's precisely because you manage the Li family that Father is willing to let go and not interfere. We are, in the end, not ruthless enough."

Li Xiangping, however, smiled and shook his head, replying: "You, Li Tongya, would also kill, but you'd want the villagers to witness it, list his eight great crimes, and then openly behead him, so you could feel better about it."

"It's the same killing, why bother with so much trouble!"

***

Li Tongya stood in front of the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain, Li Xiangping's words echoing in his mind, feeling a deep sense of emotion: "If I don't kill him, my Li clan will become the next Wan clan, thoroughly infiltrated and riddled like a sieve."

Shaking his head to clear the brief interlude from his mind, Li Tongya gently pushed open the courtyard gate and saw Liu Rouxuan sitting obediently cross-legged, cultivating and absorbing spiritual energy.

"This Azure Origin Wheel Cultivation Method relies purely on absorbing spiritual energy to condense the Profound Scenery Wheel. The efficiency of refining and absorbing is incredibly low, no wonder Rouxuan is still a mortal after nearly two years of cultivation. On the other hand, I heard Li Qiuyang is progressing rapidly with the power of the Serpent Dragon Fruit and is about to condense his Profound Scenery Wheel."

Liu Rouxuan usually greeted him with a cheerful smile every day, and he rarely saw her cultivating seriously. Li Tongya couldn't help but steal a few extra glances. Seeing her eyelashes flutter and her nostrils flare, looking as if she was about to awaken from her meditation, he quickly averted his gaze.

"Brother Ya!" As soon as Liu Rouxuan opened her eyes and saw Li Tongya, she cried out in joyful surprise.

"Hmm." Li Tongya lowered his brows and softly replied, feeling somewhat guilty, like a thief caught in the act.

Liu Rouxuan secretly watched his profile, then suddenly spoke with a hint of sadness: "I'm already seventeen. My friends in the village have probably already married and had children, but I don't even have a partner."

Hearing this, Li Tongya couldn't help but shake his head and said softly: "Now that you've entered the immortal path, you don't need to think about such matters. You are different from them. Focus on your cultivation; achieving the Profound Scenery Wheel is the most important thing."

"But I am serious! I cultivate for eight hours a day!" Liu Rouxuan pouted and defended herself softly, then looked up at Li Tongya: "Is Brother Ya also single because of cultivation?"

Seeing Li Tongya nod gently, Liu Rouxuan's face flushed slightly, and she whispered with hurried breaths: "Brother Tongya... do you... still think well of me?"