Chapter 698: Calculations

When Li Ximing uttered these words, Du Che felt as if he had received a great pardon. Sweat poured down his face as he kowtowed nine times before finally retreating.

"Thank you, True Lord, for sparing my life!"

Li Ximing did not dwell on this minor soldier, but the other members of the Li family all wore grim expressions. An Siwei, at the foot of the mountain, did not even spare him a glance. Du Che, understanding his place, nervously retreated down the mountain and fled north in the night.

Li Ximing sat quietly for a moment. Then, a middle-aged man ascended the steps, his feathered robe shining with an air of grace and magnanimity. Li Ximing finally smiled, rising from his desk to greet him.

"Zhi-ge'er!"

Li Xizhi smiled, bowed his head, and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Greetings, True Lord Zhaojing!"

"Brother, don't tease me."

With his own brother's return, Li Ximing did not put on the airs of a Purple Mansion cultivator. As before, he simply pulled Li Xizhi to sit down and asked with concern:

"You've worked hard in the sect all these years, brother. You and Zhouwei have single-handedly propped up our family. In the past decade, we haven't lost any people or territory, and many cultivators have achieved Foundation Establishment. All of this is your merit."

"Most of the credit goes to Zhouwei," Li Xizhi humbly shook his head, a worried look on his face. He whispered, "I just returned from the ancestral hall. Uncle Yuanqin is still paying respects to our late grand-uncle... But I saw people from the Baiye Duxian Dao leave in a hurry. Did something happen?"

"Yes..." Li Ximing fell silent. Li Xizhi continued, "True Lord Ye Hui of the Baiye Duxian Dao is at the mid-Purple Mansion stage and practices the rare Lesser Yin lineage, making him difficult to deal with... Also, I noticed that Changxiao Sect members weren't at the banquet. This immortal sect truly isn't on good terms with our family... True Lord Changxiao's divine abilities are formidable; we must be careful."

Li Ximing nodded. After a moment, Li Zhouwei arrived, riding a beam of light. He bowed to both of them. Only then did Li Ximing push forward a jade box, frowning:

"This is a congratulatory gift from the Baiye Duxian Dao."

Both men examined it with their spiritual sense and exchanged glances, their expressions grim. Li Zhouwei stated gravely:

"Reporting, True Lord, Wenhu is still at the river bank and hasn't been recalled to the Baiye mountain gate. He handles daily affairs in his cave. Either this person knows nothing, or he has something to rely on."

Li Xizhi remained silent for a breath. Seeing Li Ximing say nothing, this elder brother of the Xiyue generation spoke cautiously, enunciating clearly:

"I heard Situ Ku of the Tangjin Sect is still in the Qingdu Water Manor. Has the Tangjin Sect sent anyone?"

"No," Li Zhouwei replied, his expression grave, "Situ Mo is a cruel and ruthless person. He wouldn't care about Situ Ku's life. Unless the True Lord brings Situ Ku to his doorstep, he'll continue to feign ignorance, pretending such a person doesn't exist."

Li Xizhi then said:

"The Tangjin Sect matter is ongoing and unresolved. The Golden Feather sect behind them has no intention of mediating. The Baiye Duxian Dao is also north of the river, in cahoots with the Tangjin Sect. Our family has no base north of the river. A strong dragon cannot suppress a local serpent, especially since True Lord Ye Hui is not weak..."

"That's one thing."

"Secondly, regardless of True Lord Changxiao's intentions, the Changxiao Sect already has a grudge with our family. He is far more formidable than the Baiye Duxian Dao. He's silent, but who knows what venomous schemes he's plotting? Our family should not act rashly."

Li Zhouwei glanced at Li Ximing, who, now True Lord Zhaojing, nodded slightly and agreed:

"Brother is absolutely right..."

Li Ximing paused briefly, then continued:

"This Du Che is a smart man; he didn't dare to join the banquet. If he had publicly shamed me, his life would certainly not be spared. I also deliberately didn't let him come to the island, but rather to Zhijing Mountain... My seeing him alone was also out of fear of the matter blowing up and causing embarrassment to our family."

"However..." Li Ximing sighed deeply, "All of this is merely a delaying tactic. Changxi is about to perish. Neither Ye Hui nor Changxiao are in a hurry; they're both afraid of Changxi's backlash. Once Changxi dies, the Xuan Yue Sect will immediately become a major weakness, making it very easy to deal with our family."

Li Xizhi was alarmed, his brows furrowed. He whispered:

"I didn't expect the rumors to be true... How much lifespan does the True Lord have left?"

Li Ximing exhaled:

"His words were very vague, but it seems to be less than three to five years."

"That's imminent!"

Three to five years is merely a short retreat for a Foundation Establishment cultivator! This news instantly plunged Li Xizhi's spirits. He replied:

"Xuan Yue also needs to be entrusted to our family... That makes it even more difficult! We'll have to defend the North River and also consider the wilderness and Xuan Yue."

Li Xizhi had no objection to this. When he had mistakenly entered the Dragon Kin territory back then, it was Xuan Yue who had covered for him. He simply choked up and said gravely:

"The North River cannot be abandoned... The territory of Floating Cloud Cave must remain under our family's control."

All three understood that once the Li family withdrew from the North River, the three Mianfan sects would immediately try to encroach on the northern bank of Moonview Lake. True Lord Changxiao and True Lord Ye Hui combined would bring immense pressure.

'The North Bank must not be endangered.'

A Purple Mansion immortal clan that couldn't even defend a single prefecture would undoubtedly become a laughingstock. And the Qingchi sect behind the Li family... would likely be very pleased to see such a scene. The Si family desperately hoped for the Li clan's predicament, forcing them to humbly seek help from Qingchi again. Once that happened, things would completely change.

The Li family was different from the Xiao family. Xiao Chuting had achieved Purple Mansion through his innate divine ability, and the demonic disaster relied on him. He was also an extremely formidable individual, so he had no worries and completely severed ties with Qingchi. Although Li Ximing had broken through, he had left himself a retreat and hadn't completely cut ties. Li Xizhi also hadn't left Qingchi, remaining ambiguous, nominally still an immortal clan under Qingchi.

Once they sought help from Qingchi, they wouldn't just be nominally an immortal clan; it would confirm their status as true vassals.

Silence fell for a moment in the mountains. Li Xizhi asked:

"Does True Lord Chuting have any instructions?"

Li Ximing organized his thoughts and replied:

"The True Lord hinted that I could sever ties with Xuan Yue. That might not be his true feeling; it could be a test. But looking at the situation, he never takes sides. He seems to be adopting a hands-off approach now."

He whispered:

"Unless our family aligns with either Golden Feather or Hengzhu... How different is aligning with Golden Feather from bowing to Qingchi? Hengzhu is far to the south, at most we could form an alliance, but Hengzhu's enemies are also numerous!"

Unless absolutely necessary, Li Ximing would never consider aligning with the three sects. He merely poured tea and sighed:

"Once these three to five years pass, the situation will certainly be dire."

Li Zhouwei, at his side, raised an eyebrow, cupped his hands, and said gravely:

"Reporting, True Lord... From my perspective, Ye Hui and Changxiao are waiting for True Lord Changxi to perish and are taking no action, but we cannot sit idly by."

"It's better to take advantage of True Lord Changxi still being alive to resolve matters north of the river, delivering a harsh blow to the Tangjin Sect and Baiye Duxian Dao... and stabilizing our position north of the river..."

Li Ximing nodded:

"I understand what you mean, but it's just about taking over most of the Mianfan sects' territory... Can it really cause any substantial loss to the Baiye Duxian Dao? As for the Tangjin Sect, they have Golden Feather behind them; we can only demand compensation, not act rashly."

"Once Changxi dies, how will we defend the vast territories of the two Mianfan sects? Losing them would be instantaneous."

Li Xizhi remained silent, while Li Zhouwei's voice was firm and resolute:

"True Lord! Every step forward today gives us another step to retreat tomorrow! Even if the lost territory falls back into the hands of the Baiye Duxian Dao... it will be a clean slate, thoroughly cleared, which is much better than it always remaining in their control..."

Li Zhouwei said gravely:

"What's more, the situation for our family is gradually deteriorating. Currently, it's the Baiye Duxian Dao that needs stability, while our Li clan seeks change. Only with chaos comes change. In a three-to-five-year struggle, who knows how many variables might emerge?"

"Whatever changes may come in the future, it's better than doing nothing and just clinging to the Floating Cloud Cave territory, waiting for doom!"

Li Ximing exchanged glances with his brother and decisively nodded:

"Good..."

Li Ximing then stood up and said formally:

"All matters north of the river are entrusted to Minghuang! If you have any requests, feel free to tell me. I will go see Changxi. Wenhu's vulnerability is in our hands; there's much that can be achieved!"

He lightly shook his sleeve, and immediately jade and stone boxes, along with various spiritual items, appeared on the table. Li Ximing simply said:

"All the congratulatory gifts from various families are here. There are several magic artifacts. Minghuang, take them down first and distribute them among Cheng and the others."

Li Zhouwei respectfully thanked him, collected everything, and was about to take his leave. Li Xizhi also took out two jade boxes and said softly:

"Qingchi's congratulatory gift is the formula for the Suiyuan Pill, which is with the True Lord. These two magic artifacts are from my own collection; they aren't very precious, but they can be added to the family's assets for now."

Li Zhouwei respectfully thanked him again and left on a beam of light. Li Xizhi said with regret:

"It's a pity that I am, after all, a peak master of Qingchi... Qingchi cannot allow me to act freely."

Li Ximing waved his hand:

"It's been hard on you, brother... We also need to reassure the Si family. Moreover... once we separate from Qingchi, if Chi Bu Zi pursues this later, the Si and Linggu families will definitely push all the blame onto our family, and they could destroy our family without any scruples. We still need to maintain this nominal connection."

After saying this, his expression became serious, and he said gravely:

"However, there is something important I must tell you, brother! This matter is of great significance!"

Li Xizhi also became serious and listened as Li Ximing said:

"Yang Tianya has already broken through to the Purple Mansion stage! He's been hiding it for decades!"

Li Xizhi was truly stunned, looking up in disbelief. Li Ximing immediately recounted the entire story of the Underworld officials. Li Xizhi listened thoughtfully, and after a long silence, finally said:

"The Yang clan's ambitions are immense."

As soon as Li Xizhi heard that Yang Tianya had already broken through to Purple Mansion, he understood everything.

From Yang Xiao'er's feathered robe repeatedly protecting him, to the moment Yang Ruizao's talisman made Tuobazhongyuan hesitate, and even the sudden changes in Yuan Tuan's marriage discussions with the Yang family and the Chi family's situation – all of it now had vague, yet discernible, connections.

"I understand."

Seeing that Li Xizhi understood, Li Ximing said no more. Li Xizhi quickly put that aside and asked:

"Which True Lords does the True Lord intend to visit?"

This was a troublesome matter. Li Ximing already had some preparations in mind and replied:

"The first is naturally True Lord Yuanxiu. The second... I also need to go see Elder Xiao... As for the third... I'm troubled."

Li Xizhi was slightly surprised and asked:

"Elder Tulong..."

Li Ximing shook his head:

"True Lord Chuting said he doesn't want to get involved; going would be pointless."

Li Xizhi immediately understood and listed:

"No need to go to Xuan Yue; Changxi no longer cares about these things. As for Xueji, Changxiao, and Ziyan, they don't need to be considered. That leaves Jianmen, Golden Feather, Hengzhu, and Xiukui."

Golden Feather and Hengzhu were difficult choices. Going to either would greatly offend the other. Going to Golden Feather would offend Hengli, and going to Hengzhu would offend Tianjue. Yet, on the surface, both families seemed to be on good terms with the Li family.

"Tianjue and Hengli are not easy to deceive. Going to the other two families will inevitably cause resentment..."

Li Ximing said:

"Actually, we could also visit Jianmen. Our own elder's sword intent is recorded in their sword records. Using the pretext of paying respects to an elder's sword intent wouldn't be considered perfunctory."

Li Xizhi didn't know much about these matters and said little, only reminding:

"Uncle Yuanqin is coming; you and I must meet him."

***

Pingyai Island.

The great hall was brightly lit, shining all around. Li Xuanxuan, dressed in a blue-grey robe, sat in the center of the hall. Two people entered from outside.

The leading person was a woman, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, appearing to be over forty, still graceful, dressed in a white magic robe, adorned with green jade. Her face showed signs of youthful beauty, but she had deliberately allowed signs of age to show, not using magic to maintain her appearance.

The black-clad man behind her was spirited and handsome, also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, though his magical power wasn't particularly profound, his eyes were very sharp.

The woman gracefully curtsied and respectfully said:

"Hemian greets elder brother!"

Li Xuanxuan quickly helped her up, his eyes showing a touch of emotion as he looked at the two. He nodded:

"Sister-in-law... We had no chance to meet back then..."

"Yuanqin greets senior uncle!"

Li Xuanxuan looked aged. Li Yuanqin was very polite to him. The old man hurriedly helped him up and examined him, his eyes slightly red, simply saying:

"You truly resemble him..."

He didn't specify whether he was referring to Li Xuanfeng or Li Xiangping. Li Yuanqin listened silently. Li Xuanxuan repeatedly said:

"Among the four branches of our family, the uncle's branch is often lacking... Yuanqin, now that you've returned, you don't need to leave. Take your rightful place, fill in the younger generation, and carry on your uncle's legacy."

Li Yuanqin hesitated, saying nothing. Ning Hemian then spoke, her voice soft:

"Elder brother, my brother was foolish and caused his own death, wiping out his entire lineage, not even leaving a single descendant."

"Fortunately, our clansman Ning Heyuan has an orphan who is not yet mature. The Ning family relies entirely on Qin'er... At this time... it's truly not easy to go back..."

Li Xuanxuan was immediately speechless. He couldn't say much to Ning Hemian's words, and Li Yuanqin, having grown up in the sect, had no strong feelings for the Li clan and no intention of staying.

He hesitated for a moment. Light streamed into the hall from outside, transforming into two men: one in a white-gold Daoist robe, the other in a feathered robe shimmering with aurora. They stopped in the hall. Li Yuanqin immediately cupped his hands and bowed:

"Greetings, True Lord Zhaojing and Pavilion Master Jiutian!"

Li Xizhi didn't dare let him bow, helping him up. He had overheard the previous conversation and advised:

"Uncle... There's no one in the family's uncle branch; we still need your support... If our late grand-uncle could see this, he would also wish for you to stay in the clan..."

Li Ximing took over, saying formally:

"This junior is about to visit True Lord Yuanxiu. As long as you say the word, uncle, you don't need to worry about anything else."

Listening to them, Li Yuanqin simply replied respectfully:

"Our family has True Lord Zhaojing and Pavilion Master Jiutian above, and Daoists Minghuang and Cheng. It's as stable as Mount Tai. My mother's clan, the Ning family, is on the verge of collapse, and my mother cannot support it alone. I'm afraid I cannot return to the clan. Please forgive me."

His expression was resolute. Ning Hemian also spoke to request. Li Xuanxuan could only shake his head and sigh, sending them off. Li Ximing waited in the courtyard for a while before Li Xizhi returned, sighing:

"Not being able to complete the four branches will likely be a regret for our esteemed ancestor."

Li Ximing simply said:

"When uncle has a descendant, he can bring one back... even if it's a mortal. The family won't be peaceful from now on, so it's probably better for him to stay in Qingchi."