Chapter 793: Purple Gan Valley

Li Xuanxuan arrived at the main hall. The hall was brightly lit, and Li Zhouluo was still inside. He seemed to have just finished handling political affairs and was now practicing a spell. With a hand seal, five or six shimmering golden rays revolved around his fingers, emitting a piercing whistle.

As the elder entered, the young man immediately opened his eyes, stopped his spell, and descended from the main seat, respectfully saying, "Venerable Elder, you've arrived."

Li Xuanxuan nodded, coughed, and replied, "You've worked hard these days... The matters on the West Bank are troublesome, and caught between several factions, you lack trusted confidants, making things very difficult... Have you heard about Li Xixuan's situation?"

Li Zhouluo bowed and answered, "This is my duty as a junior. As for the elder's matter... there have been some grievances on the island recently, but they are not directed at you, Venerable Elder. Most blame Qindou, saying that there are many treacherous individuals stirring up discord among the clans."

He led Li Xuanxuan to sit down nearby and said, "I've read the letters you wrote to me a few days ago, Venerable Elder. They are indeed thorny issues."

Li Xuanxuan shook his head, saying, "Our ancestors decreed that if a disciple of the main clan lacks spiritual apertures, they may not hold official positions or engage in commerce. However, the island has abundant spiritual energy, and the main clan holds a noble status. These children don't split off from the family and live on the island, yet they want to maintain their main clan identity while also securing official positions through patronage... I've thought long and hard about this, and these two prohibitions must not be relaxed. If they enter officialdom under the guise of being direct descendants of the main clan, even an idiot sitting there would automatically have people offering them money... Not to mention the immense harm a few cunning individuals could cause; that would truly be disastrous."

After Li Xuanxuan stated his position, Li Zhouluo quietly said, "I've also been thinking about this recently. The island is indeed too idle, and living under Qindou's watchful eyes is uncomfortable. These two restrictions absolutely cannot be loosened. Other areas could be supplemented, perhaps financial oversight could be relaxed a bit... It's hard to criticize them for acquiring some wealth through their cultivating siblings. And competitive tactics that alienate non-clan members cannot be used against them, as that would damage the harmony among the four lineages. After all, they are mortals, so enjoying themselves is fine."

Upon hearing this, Li Xuanxuan said in a solemn voice, "You must not underestimate mortals. These people are the parents of future cultivators. I fear fostering a decadent lifestyle... The clan system needs to be reformed, but it cannot be done by your hand. You are the sole heir of the Ji lineage; if you offend the clan members, your lineage will become alienated and isolated."

Li Zhouluo had not considered this point. He nodded slightly and listened attentively as the elder replied, "The current plan is to stabilize them for a few years, ensuring you can withdraw gracefully and with your reputation intact. It would be best to earn a good name so that the Ji lineage can maintain close relations with the other two lineages in the future. This is a crucial matter."

Di Liguang had already excused himself. Li Zhouluo personally served tea to the elder, listening as Li Xuanxuan asked, "How many people are currently receiving patronage?"

Li Zhouluo replied, "I strictly adhere to clan rules and do not bestow positions lightly. I have only granted them to a few orphaned children of fallen cultivator uncles and brothers. The remaining mortal clan members pleaded earnestly, and I softened a little, considering their circumstances and providing them with some very minor official placements..."

He did not expose Zhou Fang's brothers, only saying he had a soft heart. Li Xuanxuan sipped his tea and replied, "Tomorrow morning, bring people to my courtyard to plead for Li Xixuan. Make sure to bring Zhou Fang too; I've noticed he's been very anxious lately... After pleading, you can bring Li Xixuan out."

Li Zhouluo respectfully agreed. The elder continued, "Once you bring him back to this hall, say that you cannot bear to see your siblings suffer, and that you have already considered patronizing and promoting mortals."

"As for patronage, let Qindou make the selections using a secret assessment method, considering character, parents' achievements, knowledge, loyalty, and filial piety. Promote the juniors, assess them for three years, and then announce the list during the sacrificial ceremony three years later."

Li Zhouluo understood. The elder continued, "Do not mention the number of people on this list. Let them be stable for a few years. After three years, once you have promoted figures from various lineages, you can step down from your position, having gained enough renown. Then, Jiangqian can step in to play the 'bad cop' role... That child is fierce and ruthless, and quick-witted, not afraid to offend anyone. He'll give them a good hard time."

Li Zhouluo was deeply impressed by the elder. Few in the clan understood his difficult position, but Li Xuanxuan had always been the one who truly considered his well-being. Secretly moved, he replied, "Thank you, Venerable Elder."

Li Xuanxuan nodded and said, "While the island's intentions are aligned, few stand out. Among the four who made things difficult for you that day, Cheng Zhi and Xi E are easy to appease. Li Xixuan is currently imprisoned. Only Cheng Gu is stubborn; he deeply cherishes the clan members and is shrewd in his actions. It would be best to send him away; then, the others will be leaderless."

"Although my arrival was discreet, I've already shown myself, and the island will know sooner or later. You also understand what to say... I don't need to—" He was halfway through his sentence when he heard hurried footsteps outside the hall. Di Liguang's voice was urgent and low, "Patriarch, urgent report from the island."

Seeing Li Xuanxuan nod, Li Zhouluo said, "Bring it in."

Di Liguang quickly approached, bowed to both of them, and respectfully reported, "Young Master Zhou Ming has arrived on the island and caused a great disturbance at the Yuanwan lineage's courtyard. During the night, various clan members invited elders from other lineages to the courtyard to air their grievances, but Young Master Zhou Ming cursed them, sending them scattering. Several elders were quite embarrassed."

Li Zhouluo was momentarily stunned, but Li Xuanxuan showed no surprise. He stood up from his seat and calmly stated, "That troublemaker is causing problems everywhere. You and I will go and catch him now."

Li Zhouluo understood that the elder was going to support Li Zhouming. He nodded and said, "Please, Elder..."

The two of them rode the wind together and soon landed at a large, ancient-looking residence on the island. The main courtyard was in disarray, and several middle-aged people stood there, red-faced, amidst a cacophony of voices.

Li Zhouming, dressed in a red robe, sat nonchalantly in the main courtyard, his fan resting by his hand, even smiling slightly. Surrounded by many who dared not voice their anger, he truly exuded the air of a pampered young master.

As Li Xuanxuan and Li Zhouluo landed in the courtyard, a chorus of exclamations arose, and everyone immediately knelt. Li Zhouming also jumped up from his seat and bowed, "Greetings, Old Ancestor! Greetings, Patriarch!"

Li Xuanxuan swept his gaze across the scene and replied, "You've caused trouble again! With so many elders present, how dare you speak? You're here lecturing your clan members!"

Li Zhouming quickly replied, "Old Ancestor, I was passing by this area, and the courtyard was filled with weeping. I suspected that perhaps Uncle Xixuan was old and there was to be a funeral. Only then did I learn that Uncle Xixuan had gone to live on Mount Qindou..."

He cupped his hands and angrily declared, "When I saw them eager to divide the family property and mourn prematurely, a fire ignited in my heart... I simply couldn't control it..."

"You... you're slandering us!" A middle-aged man nearby flushed again upon hearing this. Li Zhouming chuckled, "Not dividing family property? Then what is it?"

A commotion broke out. Li Cheng immediately stepped forward, pulling people from both sides and telling them to be quiet. He glared at everyone around him, finally making the people in the courtyard fall silent.

Li Cheng was one of the few surviving cultivators of the Chenming generation. Aside from two Foundation Establishment cultivators, he had the highest cultivation level. Two of his brothers had gone with him to the river, but only he returned, and his arm had been severed, later reattached by Li Ximing. Now, his daughter had also died in Funan. He had rendered great service, endured much hardship, and experienced the vicissitudes of life; he was far beyond comparison to the group of people on the island.

'The Venerable Elder is showing favoritism. Clashing with Zhou Ming won't yield results; instead, he'll start questioning us. We must seize the current situation.' He raised an eyebrow and bowed, saying, "Venerable Elder, Young Master Zhou Ming caused a disturbance in the courtyard without reason and insulted elders and clan members. We request that he be handed over to Qindou."

Li Xuanxuan, more seasoned than he, immediately nodded and replied, "Indeed. Come... escort Young Master to Qindou." Di Liguang swiftly approached and escorted Li Zhouming away. The young man, fanning himself, reluctantly departed. Li Xuanxuan coughed, reached out to help Li Cheng up, and said warmly, "Just in time, my child, I was looking for you. I have important clan matters to entrust to you."

Although Li Cheng was stubborn, he held deep respect for Li Xuanxuan. Upon hearing this, he quickly stood up and respectfully followed him out, leaving behind a group of people in the courtyard, looking at each other. Some wished to withdraw, some tearfully complained to Li Zhouluo at the front of the courtyard, and some even began to confess their misdeeds.

With just two sentences, Li Xuanxuan quelled the uproar in the courtyard. Taking Li Cheng out was not an impulsive decision. After leaving the courtyard and walking for a while, the elder sighed, "My child, Minggong and Chenghuai are both in seclusion. There aren't many elders left in the clan, so many responsibilities will fall upon you... Xuanyue has moved away, Cui Jueyin has returned to the island. The families on the East Bank and in the wilderness should not all be under Jiangxia's control. The authority of Milin Mountain to oversee the East Bank cannot remain vacant. You must make a trip there and manage the palace affairs on his behalf."

This was a busy and unrewarding task, yet Li Cheng threw off his robe and knelt with a thud, his voice exceptionally low, "If ordered by the Lake, I will not refuse, even if it means death! Only, Old Ancestor, please do not send me away just to stabilize the island..."

He kowtowed resoundingly and replied, "When the clan elders caused trouble, I only sought to protect Chenpan. But the current situation within the clan is certainly problematic and needs to be changed. Our Wangyue Li clan has fostered a group of idlers on the island, a group of Purple Mansion immortal descendants who just cultivate land. What kind of proper behavior is this?... It must change, Venerable Elder..."

Li Xuanxuan helped him up and instructed, "I know what you're thinking. You grew up in the courtyard with Chengliao and the others; otherwise, you wouldn't have fought so desperately in the north. The Chenming generation is not a bunch of cowards. This is what I'm thinking... Take the younger generation of the clan... those who are daring and willing to fight, especially those without elder support, and bring them with you. Let them learn and observe by your side..."

"Thank you, Elder!" Li Cheng nodded repeatedly. Li Xuanxuan reassured him with a few words and sent him off. Then, he stood there, his sleeves gathered, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Leaning against a lacquered wooden pillar in the corridor, he observed the night sky. To his surprise, there were faint purple specks in the distance. As he wondered about this, Di Liguang quickly approached, reporting, "Venerable Elder, people from the Purple Mist Sect have arrived! There's quite a commotion, and they specifically asked to see you."

"That fast!" Li Xuanxuan was both surprised and delighted. For a group from the Purple Mist Sect to arrive at this moment and specifically ask to see him, it must undoubtedly be about the array. He quickly lifted his feet and started walking. Di Liguang, whose cultivation was not as high, had to run to keep up, sweating profusely.

Within two steps, they arrived in the main hall. Wen Wu was already waiting, engrossed in lively conversation with Li Zhouluo. Upon seeing Li Xuanxuan, his eyes lit up, and he smiled broadly. He took out two carp-shaped wooden boxes from his sleeve and said with a chuckle, "Venerable senior, you are still as kind and gentle as ever; it warms my heart to see you... The two children in our sect are doing very well. Que Xi asked me to bring a letter, and I thought since both children are filial, I made a special trip to Purple Qi Peak and brought Que Yi's letter as well!"

Wen Wu's demeanor was very pleasing. He handed the letters to Li Xuanxuan, who smiled and took them. Being a late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator himself, he didn't even need to weigh the boxes to know there was a significant difference in their contents. He flipped his hand, put them away, and replied, "You've truly gone to great lengths, esteemed sir... My children are dull-witted, so I must trouble Senior Disciple Brother to guide them well."

Wen Wu chuckled and replied, "Venerable senior, you may not know, but our Purple Mist Blessed Land holds annual competitions, with cultivators competing in separate cultivation levels. Junior Sister is proficient in spells and reacts incredibly fast. She happily attained the sixth stage of Embryonic Breathing and received a reward!" He continued, "Everyone in the sect knows she is from the Wangyue Immortal Clan and praises her, saying she has the demeanor of Shen Yanqing back in the day..."

Li Zhouluo nodded repeatedly and asked, "And Que Yi, I wonder..." Wen Wu quickly interjected with a smile, "She is also very promising... The combination of spells and cultivation methods for Qi Condensation cultivators in the sect is well-established, and the magical artifacts are very powerful. Among all early-stage Qi Condensation cultivators, Que Yi ranked thirty-first, just missing the top thirty. Although it was a pity, her Moon Gap Sword Arc made even the Peak Master of Qijian Peak raise his eyebrows, astonishing everyone!"

Wen Wu chose to highlight the positive aspects, and Li Zhouluo was also pleasantly surprised, responding, "The Purple Mist Blessed Land is truly impressive. She always struggled to learn at home, but she's only been there for a short time and has already mastered it."

Li Xuanxuan smiled and steered the conversation back, not mentioning Li Queyi at all, instead praising Li Quexi extensively. Wen Wu took a step, nodding, the pair of golden-white talismans at his waist clinking together. He chuckled, "Venerable senior, my visit this time is regarding the True Master. I heard from my Peak Master that a True Master from your esteemed clan deposited a Purple Mansion Grand Array in our Blessed Land. Since the True Master's expertise in the Way of Formations is profound, we originally intended to invite him to set it up. However, a Purple Mansion Grand Array is not a task for a day or two, so we came ahead of time."

He observed their expressions and said solemnly, "The matter of formations concerns the continuation of our lineage. As the saying goes, one should not lightly impart such knowledge to others. Our Blessed Land also considered this, which is why we hesitated to begin construction. Now, we have been sent here to first forge a few components related to the formation platform. This way, we can await the return of True Master Zhaojing, allow him to inspect each one, and then proceed with the next stage of construction."

His words fully displayed the dignified bearing of the Sun Dao Lineage. From his sleeve, he took out a thick, purple-gold scroll, adorned on both sides with patterns of deer, birds, and script symbols. He first tucked it into his embrace and said, "This time, the Muzuo, Tianzhen, and Cuiqing Peaks of the Purple Mist Blessed Land are working together. Five Foundation Establishment cultivators, twenty-seven late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators, two Grand Masters of Artifact Forging, six Artifact Forgers, one Grand Master of Formations, and four Formation Masters, totaling thirty-two individuals, have been dispatched under the command of Wen Wu, the head disciple of Muzuo Peak."

He handed the purple-gold scroll to Li Xuanxuan and said, "Venerable senior, this grand array requires thirty-two Purple Gen Guanggu Mountain-Piercing Mystic Nails, each approximately one hundred eighty *ren* long and three *zhang* and two *chi* in circumference. All specifications, runes, and spiritual materials are recorded in this scroll. Please, Venerable senior, verify them."