Chapter 497: Chen Yang

By the time Liu Changdie crawled out of the lake, it was already dawn. The feather robe on his body had protected him so thoroughly that not even a single drop of lake water touched him.

Dazed, he paced a few steps along the shore, realizing that everything from his past had vanished without a trace. For a moment, he felt utterly disoriented, unsure of how to proceed, so he simply rode the wind and flew towards the mountains.

It wasn't until he reached Mount Qingdu that Liu Changdie realized the formation flag was still on him. He had no choice but to enter the formation and proceed to the grand hall where Li Xijun had previously been.

After the armored guards at the entrance reported his arrival, Liu Changdie stepped inside. To his surprise, at the head of the hall sat a man with white hair and beard, clad in black and gold armor, who raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"Fellow Daoist Changdie!"

"Brother Xuanfeng!"

Liu Changdie hurried forward to greet Li Xuanfeng, observing him carefully from all sides, speechless for a moment.

Li Xuanfeng was the first member of the Li family he had encountered in this life. In his previous life, he had only heard of Li Xuanfeng's reputation as the "Golden Geng Adamant Chord," but in this life, they had met and befriended each other in their youth.

Li Xuanfeng, too, was observing him. He saw Liu Changdie looking dejected, with empty eyes. Although his Foundation Establishment aura was clearly profound and indicated an uncommon cultivation method, he appeared short of breath, agitated, and utterly bewildered.

The two stood in the hall. One, who in his younger days was sharp and spirited, wielding a golden bow and daring to challenge powerful foes, now had cold eyes, white hair, and was compelled to serve others to protect his family. The other, once high-spirited and renowned, had forged alliances with many powerful figures through his mastery of formations, but now stood empty-handed and alone. As they looked at each other, everything was clear without a word.

They clasped their hands and bowed to each other, neither inquiring about the other's suffering. Li Xuanfeng simply offered his thanks:

"This formation is thanks to you, fellow Daoist. I, Xuanfeng, thank you on behalf of my family."

Li Xuanfeng fumbled in his storage pouch for a jade box, but Liu Changdie had lost interest. He handed over the formation flag and softly said, "If you truly wish to thank me, Xuanfeng, there is a concubine named Lady Liu, belonging to Guest Elder Hu in town. She is my distant cousin. Please look after her a little for me, and that will be thanks enough."

Li Xuanfeng frowned. Liu Changdie, pressing his ascending yang point, with eyes full of weariness, softly said, "Brother Xuanfeng, you can see that I am currently plagued by inner demons. I truly cannot tarry. I must hurry to find spiritual items and secret methods to suppress them. It's not suitable for me to stay long. Forgive me... forgive me..."

Li Xuanfeng was a straightforward man. Seeing Liu Changdie's face covered in cold sweat, he had no choice but to see him out. After watching him take out his flying shuttle and swiftly disappear into the sky, he returned on the wind, where Li Xijun was waiting in the hall.

Among his many juniors, Li Xuanfeng valued Li Xijun the most. His expression relatively gentle, he first asked, "What about Yuexiang?"

Li Xijun explained the circumstances and his conjectures. Li Xuanfeng's cold expression softened slightly, and he said softly, "Although it was unavoidable, does that mean my family can be insulted by him for no reason? I'll just make a trip to the Yuan family. If Yuan Huyu insists on a division, then I'll make sure he understands exactly what he's dividing."

Li Xijun nodded. Although he, too, harbored anger over his sister's situation, he still gently advised, "Qingchi strictly forbids crossing county borders. The Yuan family is a natural geographical ally. If lives are lost, it might not be a good thing."

Li Xuanfeng simply waved his hand in response, a rare smile appearing on his face. "Let's not discuss this matter. I have my own arrangements. First, take me to see that promising junior and see what he's like now."

Chen Manor.

Chen Mufeng returned to his manor, riding on the wind. A group of wives and concubines came to greet him. His Chen clan had always been favored for generations, and Chen Mufeng's status within the clan was not low, so naturally, he had many wives and concubines, whose chattering voices rose and fell. However, he wore a grim expression and waved them away.

He hurried inside, going all the way to the deepest part of the courtyard. There, he saw a woman sitting, not particularly striking in appearance, yet Chen Mufeng was full of smiles, eagerly approaching her and whispering, "My Lady..."

This woman was Lady Li, Li Xicheng's sister. She sat gracefully in the courtyard, drinking tea. Beside her stood a youth, appearing twelve or thirteen years old, with long, narrow eyes and soft eyebrows, standing with his hands behind his back.

Lady Li responded, softly saying, "My husband, you've returned at a fortunate time. Yang'er has already broken through to the fourth layer of Fetal Breath cultivation and was just looking for you."

Chen Mufeng was both surprised and delighted, exclaiming, "What?!"

He swept his spiritual sense and indeed saw that his eldest son, Chen Yang, had already broken through to the fourth layer of Fetal Breath. Chen Mufeng exclaimed in shock, "This cultivation speed, though not as fast as Li Ximing's back then, can surely catch up to the current head of Mount Qingdu!"

Lady Li nodded with a smile. Chen Yang raised an eyebrow, looked at his father, and whispered, "The Fetal Breath cultivation method is rudimentary; otherwise, I could be even faster."

His eyes inherited his mother's grayish-black color, while his eyebrows were long and soft, like those of his maternal uncles. In truth, he resembled the Li family more than the Chen family, and especially when his eyes narrowed, it made Chen Mufeng's heart skip a beat.

Fearing those eyes, Chen Mufeng was actually not very close to this child. Sometimes, his unintentional movements and expressions strikingly resembled the suspicious cunning of the Li family. However, compared to Chen Yang, his many other children were like a flock of quail, and their talents couldn't even begin to compare. Compared to incompetence, Chen Mufeng still preferred Chen Yang.

Lady Li, naturally, adored this child. Her gaze was gentle as she softly said, "I'm asking you this time because I want Yang'er to serve the Crown Prince."

As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Yang didn't lift his head, but his long, narrow eyes quickly and subtly darted sideways, sweeping over his father's face in a scrutinizing glance. His grayish-black pupils subtly contracted, and the deep black dots stared fixedly.

Chen Mufeng let out an "Ah" in response. When he looked at Chen Yang, he only saw the youth's obedient expression, and he replied, "Naturally, it's a good thing. I'm just worried about Chengliao..."

"I have already spoken with him."

Lady Li lowered her gaze and first had Chen Yang step back. Only then did her expression become solemn and she said anxiously, "Can you not see Yang'er? He doesn't have the temperament of someone content with his current lot! I rarely let him meet my brothers precisely because of his disposition... it's like... I don't know who he's like, growing more cunning and ambitious by the day. If he can't gain the trust of the Li family soon, I fear he won't have a good end!"

"What?!"

Chen Mufeng looked up in disbelief. He, too, had harbored youthful ambitions and merely felt his wife was exaggerating, so he whispered, "My Lady, why go to such lengths? A child in his teens naturally has some ambition. Just wait for time to pass..."

"You don't believe me?"

Chen Mufeng immediately fell silent. He could only nod and say, "Then I will take him to see Chengliao immediately."

Lady Li held him back and instructed, "I hear the Crown Prince is also a handful. If you go, make sure you personally take Yang'er to meet him, just in case."

He merely felt his wife was being overly meticulous and nodded casually. He hurriedly left the courtyard, taking Chen Yang with him, riding the wind all the way to the tall side hall. After waiting for about half an hour, Li Chengliao finally returned.

The two walked through the corridors between the pavilions. This was Chen Yang's first time here, and as he looked at the golden-yellow eaves and the white jade steps on the pavilion, his eyes gradually widened, and his heart pounded with excitement.

Li Chengliao was returning with his men from the territory, their armored clothing rubbing and emitting clanging metallic sounds. Chen Yang and his father knelt at the foot of the stairs. The youth silently gazed at the eighteen stone steps leading to the main hall, his eyes subtly scanning, and he thought in awe, "What an imposing sight."

Thoughts subtly flickered in his mind. He looked up at the man in the wolf cloak. Li Chengliao didn't exude much oppressive aura, yet simply standing there without speaking made him seem imposing.

An impulse rose in Chen Yang's heart: "A true man... should stand above ten thousand, suppressing all heroes with his cultivation... manipulating the world with his schemes... What's the point of merely cultivating from books!"

Li Chengliao, facing forward with a smile, turned his head and replied to Xu Gongming, "The weather has eased somewhat, and there's a harvest, which is a relief."

He sat upright in the main seat, looking at Chen Mufeng and Chen Yang beside him, and said warmly, "This must be Yang'er, right? I heard you've already broken through to the fourth layer of Fetal Breath. What a rare talent!"

The eighteen steps in the hall were not merely decorative; they were precisely designed to block the spiritual sense of normal Qi Condensation cultivators. Furthermore, Chen Yang was kneeling quite far away, which ruled out the possibility of Li Chengliao using his spiritual sense to probe him.

'I just came out of seclusion, and he already knew!'

Li Chengliao chuckled as he descended, slowly pacing to Chen Yang's front. He took the boy's hand, saw Chen Yang look up and nod slightly, then turned to Xu Gongming and others, smiling, "He looks just like a child from our family, with identical eyes and brows!"

These words clearly exceeded everyone's expectations. Chen Yang, upon hearing this, was momentarily stunned. His lips couldn't help but subtly curve downwards, his eyebrows arched, and his eyes showed both joy and arrogance. His originally calm face suddenly became animated, exuding a certain imposing aura.

Everyone chimed in with laughter and congratulations, but Li Chengliao, upon closer inspection, though smiling outwardly, felt a shadow rise in his heart.

'This expression... this expression... excellent! Excellent!'

Although Chen Yang was precocious, he was no match for Li Chengliao, who had managed a household for many years. Besides observing Chen Yang's seemingly decent eyes and his glancing expressions, Li Chengliao discerned a familiar quality from his eyebrows and the subtle downturn of his lips. This rebellious and ambitious quality was like a thorn accidentally pricking his hand; it made him grit his teeth and inhale sharply, reminding him of the youth who once wielded grey flames and rampaged through the air, so much so that Li Chengliao's smile became somewhat distorted.

"He's an ambitious seed."

Li Chengliao had always been confident in his instincts, just as he had instantly recognized Xu Xiao's unusual nature. Chen Yang also possessed a nascent ambition, but with less arrogance and more of the Li family's cunning, perhaps even a touch of malice. 'And his talent is so good! If he were outside, he could stir up trouble... The Chen family truly produced a great genius!'

Li Chengliao made a preliminary judgment of the child's character, then smiled at Chen Mufeng and asked, "What, you plan to send him to accompany the Crown Prince? With such good talent, wouldn't it be a waste not to focus on cultivation?"

As he spoke, his eyes were on Chen Mufeng, but his spiritual sense was intently fixed on Chen Yang. He saw Chen Yang momentarily raise his head slightly, his eyelids subtly contracting. Li Chengliao's heart stirred slightly as he listened to Chen Mufeng's polite words: "Fetal Breath cultivation doesn't require daily practice! Each time one extracts and refines spiritual energy, it only takes a few hours. The rest of the time, it's half the effort for double the result. It's better for him to go to the Crown Prince's residence and learn a thing or two..."

"Yang'er is three years older; it should be Zhou Wei who learns something from him!"

Li Chengliao made a polite remark, which was already an agreement. He then purposefully said, "Yang'er, go down along the surrounding corridors; someone will take you to the Crown Prince's residence. I have already told him that I would send a playmate over."

Chen Mufeng was slightly stunned, hearing the implication that Li Chengliao wanted the two children to meet alone. Li Chengliao, however, smiled, "I still have some things to ask the Commander!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mufeng, whose steps had already faltered, immediately stopped again. Pondering his wife's words, he could only sigh slightly and watch the child leave. Li Chengliao then said, "I recall that for several generations, the Chen family has always been at odds with the Xu family. Has there ever been any intermarriage?"

"Naturally, never!"

Chen Yang hesitated for a moment, thinking Li Chengliao didn't want him to hear, and quickly followed the attendant down, passing through the winding corridors until he reached the courtyard outside.

Looking at the pristine white ground and the two golden doors ajar at the entrance, a hint of disdain still lingered in his heart.

From childhood, Chen Yang had always been first in talent. He could easily manipulate his peers, making them dance to his tune with just a few words. How could he possibly fear a mere child? He thought to himself, "So what if he's the Crown Prince? His talent might not be that great. I heard he's only been cultivating for two years; at most, he'd have cultivated up to the second layer of Fetal Breath, 'Inherited Brightness Wheel'. It's just a trivial matter."

"Besides, if he's confined to this small courtyard day in and day out, how much cunning could he possibly possess? I only need to employ a small trick, and I'll have him completely subdued."

Chen Yang had been cunning since childhood. How could he look up to a child three or four years his junior? He merely thought the Crown Prince probably couldn't even recognize all characters, and he secretly sneered.

He stepped into the courtyard. A sudden fragrance wafted to his nostrils, intoxicating and captivating. Chen Yang frowned, but being too young, he couldn't recognize the scent. He thought, "I wonder what kind of incense this is. It smells good; I can take some back with me."

In the inner courtyard stood an old ape, covered in white fur, with drooping eyes. Chen Yang, being intelligent, would not underestimate it. He secretly thought, "Nine times out of ten, it's the Crown Prince's personal guardian beast. I wonder what its cultivation level is."

Guessing it was most likely a Qi Condensation spiritual beast, he bowed before entering, smugly believing he had secretly gained favor without anyone noticing.

Chen Yang pushed open the door. To his surprise, a boy dressed in golden-white clothes was kneeling in the courtyard, his back to him.

Before Chen Yang could casually ask a question, he saw the Crown Prince suddenly turn his head to look, opening two profound, dark golden eyes, like amber, staring straight at him.

These were calm eyes, filled with contemptuous scrutiny. He noticed the boy's ears twitching to perceive the situation, and his twisting waist carried an agile quality, presenting the soft yet fierce posture of a tiger or leopard.

Chen Yang was startled and took a step back. He quickly became furious and ashamed, but swiftly hid his anger and shame within him, saying in a low, sinister voice, "Greetings, Crown Prince."

Li Zhouwei observed for two breaths. His golden pupils seemed to become even more terrifying and sinister because of Chen Yang's tone. He didn't say a word. Chen Yang quickly sensed his expression with the intuition of a similar person, and an understanding arose in his heart.

'These are inhuman eyes,' he realized, 'eyes that a common person would never look at twice unless they were kneeling before him. These eyes might be even more formidable against women than men.'

A cold sneer and anger at being scorned rose in his heart. Relying on his physique, which was a head taller than the other boy's, he stepped forward and feigned humility as he replied, "Greetings, Crown Prince."