Chapter 851

Li Jiangqian finished speaking. The woman beside him nodded and softly said, "You can consider it at your discretion. We just returned from the elder, and he also inquired about it, thinking... now is not a good time."

Since Li Minggong had spoken, Li Jiangqian naturally nodded, making a mental note of the matter. He placed two letters on the desk and softly said, "There's one more thing: the matter of Daoist Shou Ding has been settled."

Back then, Daoist Shou Ding had left the Li family, originally intending to go to the Chen family. However, Li Jiangqian had stopped him and sent letters to both the Chen family and Jingyi. All the replies had now returned.

"One letter is from the Yu Yang Chen family, mostly expressing gratitude for our warning. The messenger who delivered it contacted Shou Ding and said that there was also turmoil within the Chen clan. If he were to go, he could first proceed to an outpost in the Southern Reaches."

Li Jiangqian shook his head somewhat helplessly and replied, "Although Daoist Shou Ding was full of doubts and saw the intention to decline, he decided not to go. The other letter was from Jingyi Mountain, arranging for him to travel through the Southern Reaches, so he reluctantly headed south."

Li Minggong exhaled slightly, but then saw Li Jiangqian say with some surprise, "Jingyi Mountain is also strange. The letter was polite to our family, but it thoroughly berated Shou Ding. It seems this sect is quite emotionally driven."

Joking, he escorted Li Minggong out, his mind still on their earlier conversation.

The Fei family had a degree of autonomy on the North Shore, which the Li family had not touched for many years. In truth, there were many dissenting voices within the clan. Regardless of the discussions in the main hall, the two prominent clans, Chen and An, held firm stances, strongly supporting the reduction of Fei family autonomy and even their annexation.

'Chen Yang is very smart. On such a sensitive issue, the Chen family effectively has no second choice...''As for the An family...'

Old Master An Zheyian of the An family was still alive. He had paid respects to Li Tongya, and his status was comparable to Chen Donghe of the Chen family. However, the true leader was his son, An Siwei.

This guest elder, An, had once been one of the few Foundation Establishment protectors of the Li clan and was highly valued. But once the Li clan attained Purple Mansion, his shallow immortal foundation proved inadequate. Later, he was captured by enemies, and upon his return, his position was taken over by younger generations. He had remained low-key ever since, but on this matter, he had spoken up several times, to the point where the Fei family was almost losing face.

As for the other branches, most remained silent. Counting from the Zhou Xing generation, there were four individuals in total: Zhou Fang and Zhou Yang were busy securing benefits for their descendants and had no mind for these matters, virtually agreeing with whatever the family decided. Xing Han and Zhou Ming were even less involved, and their voices were very quiet.

The sole remaining descendant of the Cheng Ming generation, Li Chengg, was serious and eccentric, often unpredictable. Although Li Minggong and Li Xuanxuan hadn't given a definitive answer, their current stance suggested it was not advisable to move against the Fei family.

'Fei Qingya... as long as Fei Qingya hasn't made arrangements, all of the Fei family's plans are just empty talk... it's just that she cultivated the clear energy of the river. It'll be hard to explain to Fei Qingyi; I'll have to find a reason to dismiss it... Strange, why haven't the Purple Mansions made any arrangements for her?'

As he pondered deeply, he heard a soft creak from the door, followed by footsteps. Two people hastily arrived before the hall. One was stout and honest-looking, immediately bowing his head in respect. The other, however, disregarded bowing altogether and rushed inside. Although imposing, his face was grim and ashen.

"Greetings, Patriarch!"

Li Jiangqian's heart stirred slightly. Before him were Li Wen, an old official who had overseen Yuting for generations, and Li Cheng, the sole surviving descendant of the Cheng Ming generation, who managed Qingdu and had a Qi Cultivation base. Li Jiangqian immediately descended from the platform and asked, "What happened?"

Li Cheng's face was ashen, his lips pale. He whispered, "Reporting to the Patriarch, Second Uncle's life jade has shattered."

"Second Uncle?!"

Almost all of Li Cheng's direct descendants had been lost to clan affairs, and his daughter, Li Xingsai, had also died at the hands of demonic cultivators. He had raised his two nephews, Li Zhoufang and Li Zhouyang of the Zhou Xing generation, as if they were his own sons.

These two brothers were influential figures within the clan, highly concerned about their descendants, and enjoyed considerable prestige. They consistently looked after the interests of their relatives' children, which was an eyesore to the family's administrators. So, Li Jiangqian had reassigned them to oversee the East Shore and brought Li Cheng back to manage Qingdu, never expecting such an incident to occur!

"How could this be!"

Although this elder's talent wasn't top-tier, he was a core member of the direct lineage and a prominent figure from the Zhou Xing generation's main branch. Li Jiangqian was first shocked, then anger flared in his eyes. He immediately asked, "Then... how is First Uncle? Both elders were on the East Shore together... have there been any messages back?!"

Li Cheng shook his head with a grave expression, his stern face etched with pain. He gritted his teeth and said, "There's no news, but fortunately, his life jade is intact and unharmed."

Li Jiangqian secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although First Uncle Li Zhoufang and Second Uncle Li Zhouyang had always advanced and retreated together, and their statuses and cultivation levels were similar, it was clear that their positions in Li Jiangqian's heart were distinctly different.

For one thing, Li Queyi, who cultivated in Ziyan, and the clan's rising star Li Jiangzong, had First Uncle Li Zhoufang as their father. Li Zhouyang was merely their uncle...

Although cruel, a hint of relief did flash through Li Jiangqian's heart. What remained was confusion and anger. He looked at Li Wen, who was kneeling before the hall, then heard another set of footsteps. Chen Yang, clad in black armor, approached from the side, knelt on one knee, and offered a letter with both hands.

Also entering were Li Minggong and Li Xuanxuan. Li Minggong's expression was merely grim, while Li Xuanxuan appeared both pained and furious. Neither disturbed him, standing silently to the side.

Li Jiangqian performed a slight bow, took the letter with a somber face, read it once, and then handed it to Li Xuanxuan.

The elder took it and read it, then heard Li Jiangqian say grimly, "Today, our family and the Immortal Dao of Du fought upstream in the wilderness... A group of Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators secretly entered the wilderness, raided the East Shore, broke two grand formations, and killed many people. Although Protector Cui arrived in time... it was already too late."

Upon reading this, Li Jiangqian understood. The Li family and the Immortal Dao of Du were battling on the river, where distance and time could be controlled. An ambush would easily be surrounded, thus they had been set up by others.

"And recently, First Uncle and Second Uncle were on the East Shore, and should have been with Protector An. However, First Uncle's duties were different. It was originally his duty today, but he kept letting Second Uncle go in his place. This one exchange saved a life."

Li Cheng finished reading, seething with rage. He handed the letter to Li Wen beside him, prostrated himself, and sternly declared, "Our family has eyes everywhere in the wilderness. This group of Foundation Establishment cultivators appeared and vanished like ghosts, able to infiltrate the East Shore. They must have been aided by concealing artifacts, this is absolutely not ordinary! Someone deliberately harmed us... I implore the Patriarch to investigate thoroughly!"

Li Jiangqian naturally knew these things; those who harmed their family would certainly not be mere demonic cultivators or rogue cultivators. His face gradually darkened, and other doubts arose in his mind. Li Wen then bowed and said, "Our family occupies the western part of the wilderness. If we were attacked at the core, then this group must have come from the eastern downstream. The two banks downstream belong to Du Xian, Mu Quan, and Xuan Miao..."

Li Jiangqian shook his head and replied, "With a good concealing artifact, crossing through the territories of these forces is not difficult. We'll just wait for Protector Cui to inquire."

At these words, Li Cheng had no choice but to rein in his temper.

The East Shore was very close. Not long after the life jade in Qingdu shattered, a commotion arose, and Cui Jueyin arrived in the hall, looking uneasy.

Li Zhoufang also came with him. This First Uncle, who always considered his descendants, had completely lost his honest expression. His face was pale and greenish. He dropped to his knees with a thud and stammered, "Patriarch... Patriarch, you must avenge him!"

"My brother... worked diligently his whole life, yet he was harmed by enemies... not even his remains were left! He didn't even have many descendants!"

He wept uncontrollably, and Li Jiangqian found it difficult to handle. This was no time for formalities. After comforting Li Cheng and Li Zhoufang, he directly called Cui Jueyin forward and angrily asked, "Protector Cui, you encountered the demonic cultivators. How were they dressed? Did anything expose their movements?"

Cui Jueyin hesitated, glanced at Li Jiangqian, then turned to look at Li Cheng. The middle-aged man had lost a nephew he had watched grow up, and his grief was something few could truly understand. Cui Jueyin's hesitation made Li Cheng a little impatient.

Seeing Li Cheng's agitated demeanor, Cui Jueyin finally spoke with unease, "The exact number of these people is unknown... but they all had Foundation Establishment cultivation and were armed with artifacts. They seemed quite effective at breaking formations. Those two grand formations weren't sophisticated, they were like paper... they broke instantly."

"Two individuals engaged in combat with me; Guest Elder An and Miaoshui, along with many other cultivators present, witnessed it... One cultivated Hesui, their immortal foundation unknown. The other was quite distinctive... cultivating Nan Chou Shui... and they even used some excellent talismans to escape... They are certainly not from an ordinary background."

"Later, I pursued them all the way to the Mu Quan territory, where their family was surprisingly also fighting a group of demonic cultivators. The battle was fierce, and I had no choice but to retreat."

At these words, Li Jiangqian immediately frowned, understanding why Cui Jueyin had hesitated to speak.

Nan Chou Shui!

There was only one Purple Mansion force renowned for cultivating Nan Chou Shui throughout the world: the Immortal Dao of Du, located across the river and currently in a standoff with the Li clan!

'How could this be!'

Li Jiangqian was stunned internally, but Li Cheng suddenly realized, dropped to his knees with a thud, and cried tragically, "It really is Du Xian! Their family engaged our main force on the river, then secretly sent cultivators to infiltrate the East Shore and ambush our family! Indeed... this Immortal Dao of Du... has been plotting against our family for a long time!"

Li Jiangqian helped him up and urged, "There are many who cultivate Nan Chou Shui in Jiangnan; the Lin Gu family also cultivates it. It was only one immortal foundation, so we cannot conclude anything yet. Uncle, please take care of your health..."

Li Cheng, however, remained on the ground. Li Zhoufang was even more tearful, gritting his teeth and saying, "There may be many who cultivate Nan Chou Shui, but there is only one enemy who battles our family!"

Li Cheng then turned to Cui Jueyin and wept, "May I ask, Protector Cui, since you engaged the enemy, regardless of the immortal foundation's superiority or the enemy's mastery of spells, there must be a difference in skill! If they were some miscellaneous sect, they would never be a match for Lord Cui!"

"To be able to escape from Lord Cui's hands without leaving any trace, it must be that Nan Chou Shui family from across the river, right!"

Li Cheng's hatred was considerable. His daughter Li Xingsai's death back then was also linked to Du Xian, and now with Li Zhouyang added to the list, how could he not gnash his teeth?

Although he was usually serious and eccentric, his mind was no slower than an ordinary person's. He immediately grasped the crucial points, and every sentence he spoke was what Li Jiangqian and Li Xuanxuan wanted to ask. Cui Jueyin sighed and replied, "This person's cultivation method is very profound, certainly from a well-known sect. Their spellcasting is also no weaker than my Cui clan's. Unfortunately, their cultivation base was insufficient, and they only escaped by using those excellent talismans."

From this, it seemed as if the words "Immortal Dao of Du" were practically written on this person's face!

Li Jiangqian sighed inwardly. Not everyone knew about the North Bank affairs. From Li Cheng's perspective, this incident could only be the doing of the Immortal Dao of Du. However, Cui Jueyin and others knew there was an unspoken understanding between the two families. At such a critical moment, Li Jiangqian didn't believe that Guan Gongxiao would go insane and plot against their own family.

'Guan Gongxiao is adaptable, but he's certainly not someone who acts recklessly or would do such a thing for petty immediate gains...'

He glanced at Cui Jueyin, who was clearly at a loss, unsure how to explain the situation. Li Jiangqian pondered for a moment, then heard Li Xuanxuan let out a long sigh, tap his staff on the ground, and straighten up, speaking in a hoarse voice, "Old Ninth, our family and the Immortal Dao of Du are in a standoff in the north, but it's merely a standoff. Both sides are hesitant to act, fearing repercussions, and dare not truly engage. Yet now, such an incident has suddenly occurred, involving unhidden Nan Chou Shui. How do we know that other families, watching eagerly, aren't silently fanning the flames, hoping our family and the opposite shore will fight to the death so they can reap the benefits? By then, our loved ones will grieve, and our enemies will rejoice!"

"While the sophisticated cultivation methods of Nan Chou Shui are indeed characteristic of Du Xian and the Lin Gu family, that doesn't mean others can't acquire them. If the opposite shore truly had such capabilities, why wouldn't they launch a sneak attack during the great battle on the river? Why would they go to such lengths to kill a mere Qi Cultivator? Is it simply to disgust our family?"

These two sentences had a good effect. Li Cheng's expression changed instantly, showing a hint of doubt, though the anger in his eyes had not subsided. He prostrated himself on the ground and respectfully said, "The elder is right, I was reckless... But with so many eyes on the East Shore, if such an incident happens in plain sight and we don't react... it would be extremely bad."

Li Cheng's words were apt. The Li clan's Purple Mansion presence was already not prominent, and to suffer such a loss so suddenly, with an influential elder from the direct lineage killed, if the entire clan showed no reaction, it would likely damage their prestige.

But Li Jiangqian only frowned, looked at Li Zhoufang, and quietly asked, "First Uncle, what delayed you? Why were you half an hour late?"

Li Zhoufang wiped away his tears, no longer caring about appearances, and replied, "It's an ugly matter, but I must speak of it now. I brought a concubine to the East Shore, but discovered signs of infidelity. I was furious at the time and spent half an hour dragging out the illicit lover... and because of that... because of that..."

"I understand."

Only then did Li Jiangqian withdraw his gaze and change the subject. "Did the elder leave any relics? How should the ancestral offerings be arranged? Please have Qingdu handle this first. I will send someone to inquire... perhaps there will be a response. Please rest assured, Uncle, this matter will not be let go... but to exact revenge, we must first find the true culprit."

"As for the East Shore, I will send Chen Yang to investigate for traces."

Li Zhoufang immediately kowtowed in gratitude, weeping continuously. Li Cheng, however, was not easily placated. Not having heard a definite timeline, he remained silent. But after a glance from Li Minggong, he could only knock his head twice more and then escorted Li Zhoufang out.

Li Jiangqian had someone close the hall doors. His expression immediately darkened, and he murmured, "Which family is so bold... at such a time... to dare cause such trouble in the wilderness! Do they truly hate our family so deeply that they gnash their teeth in fury..."

Li Minggong's expression also turned cold. He replied, "I also think something is off with the East Shore. The fact that Zhou Yang happened to encounter them means their movements were exposed."

"It was unavoidable!" Li Xuanxuan, however, shook his head and replied, "Our own Foundation Establishment cultivators were right by the river, so there was no need to hide their movements. But who would have thought that a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators, hidden from sight, would suddenly emerge from the mountains?"

"The current plan is still to search the East Shore thoroughly and communicate with the Immortal Dao of Du."

Li Jiangqian pondered for a few breaths, then asked again, "Why? I think the elder's earlier words were more accurate. Which family is hoping that our family and the Immortal Dao of Du will fight more fiercely, or rather, unwilling to see our family and the Immortal Dao of Du secretly reconcile..."

Li Minggong sighed, "But following this line of thought, Mu Quan, Xuan Miao, and even Cheng Yun are all possibilities."

Li Jiangqian remained silent, a sense of unease in his heart:'Where are True Masters Ting Lan and Qiu Hu? It's one thing that Fei Qingya's cultivated energy has no arrangements, but now this group of people has caused such a disturbance in the wilderness, and there's still no reaction...'

As far as he knew, Ning Wan was in Xianhu, so her unavailability was understandable. But now Ting Lan had also disappeared. The situation on the North Bank might have shifted, causing this Purple Mansion to head further north. Li Jiangqian sighed deeply and continued, "Furthermore, I fear there might be divine abilities involved in this matter. First Uncle survived by a sheer fluke; could it be that the instigator didn't want Ziyan to be implicated? If so, that would be truly troublesome!"

"Unlikely." Li Xuanxuan, stroking his beard, shook his head with repeated sighs, and replied, "You don't understand this matter, but I do. It's not something that happened in a day or two. It was a deliberate attempt to catch him in the act, which is why he secretly kept sending Second Uncle in his place, while he observed from the shadows. A Purple Mansion wouldn't need to set up such a prolonged scheme... especially not affecting things from the lake. There's no such logic. I think it truly was... luck!"

Hearing this, Li Jiangqian's expression actually improved considerably. He nodded and said, "Then I have a grasp of it. Putting everything together, I don't think it's Cheng Yun or Xuan Miao; they don't have the inclination for this right now... Frankly, those two families might even see that our family and the Immortal Dao of Du are putting on a show. So, this move would purely be inviting trouble... needlessly bringing scandal upon themselves."

"As for the Mu Quan Sect, True Master Zhugong and True Master Tinglan are friends. While she governs with leniency, it wouldn't extend to this degree. How could the demonic cultivators under her command be loyal enough to instigate such trouble?"

He turned, drew a sheet of paper, and gravely stated, "Regarding this matter, I believe we should inquire with the East Sea."

However, before Li Jiangqian could elaborate, he heard another burst of noisy footsteps. He had no choice but to open the hall doors and let people in. Old Man Qu Bushi hastily approached, his face a mix of shock and surprise. He reported, "Reporting to the Patriarch, to all the lords... the Huai Hun Hall has crossed the Fan Yun territory and is fighting with the Dang Jin Sect!"

Li Jiangqian received this news without surprise. He descended from the steps and asked, "The Dang Jin Sect?"

"Precisely!"

Li Jiangqian raised an eyebrow and said, "When did you get this news?"

"Reportedly, last night."

Li Minggong had a very poor impression of the Dang Jin Sect. He should have been happy to hear this news, but since their own direct descendant had fallen, he showed little interest, merely shaking his head and saying, "Serves them right... Dang Jin was very arrogant back in the North Bank. This day was bound to come. Now their entire immortal sect only has a few people; they probably can't really contend with the Huai Hun Hall's makeshift organization."

"What excuse did they use?"

At Li Minggong's question, Qu Bushi quickly replied, "To unify the lands of Bai Jiangxi... It is said that not long after Huai Hun Hall was established, the Jin Yu Sect also sent people and acknowledged their rule in the North Bank, even stating that the Three Rivers region belonged to Huai Hun Hall."

"And the Dang Jin Sect also has territory in Bai Jiangxi. Daoist Bo used this as an excuse to launch his attack. Originally, those territories weren't much, as the Dang Jin Sect has already sealed its mountains and has few strongholds left; giving them up wouldn't have mattered much..."

"But it wasn't just about handing over these territories; the Huai Hun Hall also demanded the nearby spiritual mines... The Situ family now has no other livelihood and relies solely on these to survive, so naturally, they refused."

Li Jiangqian sighed in relief, shaking his head and musing, 'I thought time was running out. I underestimated Daoist Bo's greed. Now, he's also somewhat blessed by fate; no Purple Mansion would use divine abilities to bait him. It's purely his own avarice...'

"What does the Jin Yu Sect say about this?"

Qu Bushi quickly replied, "Ever since True Master Tian Huo personally appeared, seized the Dang Jin Sect's treasures, and completely disregarded their disciples... the rumors on the North Bank faded. The cultivators of the Dang Jin Sect were even more humiliated and angry, not daring to call Jin Yu friendly. Daoist Bo... must have seen this point and boldly advanced west."

Only then did Li Jiangqian nod. So many things had happened in just one day. He rubbed his temples and suddenly asked, "The Dang Jin Sect still has a Situ Ku... he's in our family's dungeon, isn't he?"

Situ Ku had been imprisoned by the Li clan for many years, primarily through the sealing of his cultivation and house arrest. Moreover, since the Ding clan once resided in the Funan territory, Ding Weizeng had a friendship with Situ Ku. Thanks to this connection, the old man had a relatively decent life.

'The Dang Jin Sect has been abandoned by the Jin Yu Sect. After all, they did their dirty work for so many years, and everyone in both Jiangnan and Jiangbei knows that Dang Jin's reputation is terrible. If they fight the Huai Hun Hall, they won't have a good outcome.'

'This conflict will buy time for the True Monarch to grow. Once those few spiritual mines are also lost, and the Situ family retreats to the mountains, the flourishing Huai Hun Hall will be the perfect stage for a grand show.'

As for the Situ family riding the True Monarch's coattails, that's rather unlikely. After all, whether in the North Bank or Jiangnan, the sects the Situ family had offended were too numerous to count on one hand, and the Purple Mansions they had offended were countless. Their reputation was also bad, and everyone was quietly watching.

When Li Jiangqian thought of Situ Ku at this moment, he also didn't have any good intentions for him. This old man was weak and greedy, very easy to manipulate. Crucially, his current strength was quite high for the Dang Jin Sect...

'Dangdao Mountain has a grand formation, so it's unlikely the Huai Hun Hall will breach it. The most probable outcome is that they'll seal the mountain. Once this matter concludes, Situ Ku will be an important figure, a good pawn in the end.'