"Let him in."
Li Tongya glanced at the soldier delivering the message and thought to himself:
"Nine times out of ten, this concerns the Ji family. The Tiaoyun Lu family and our Lijing Li family — one east, one west — bracket the Ji family on both sides. They must want us to coordinate."
As Li Tongya was mulling this over, an elderly man was led into the courtyard. He wore a white robe, had crane-white hair and a youthful complexion, and carried a jade ruyi scepter. Seeing the two men, he smiled and cupped his hands in greeting:
"Lu Sici of the Tiaoyun Lu family, under the Qingchi Sect's jurisdiction. A pleasure to meet you both."
"Li Tongya of the Lijing Li family."
Li Tongya returned the courtesy with a cupped-hand salute. A sweep of his spiritual sense told him the man was at roughly the fifth or sixth layer of Qi Refining. The jade ruyi in his hand gleamed with a luminous glow — a fine piece, likely far superior to the Embryonic Breathing-grade sword at Li Tongya's waist.
"Please."
Li Tongya and Lu Sici entered the courtyard and sat. Li Xuanling and the others withdrew. Accepting a cup of tea from a servant, Li Tongya opened the conversation:
"I wonder what brings the honored elder here…"
"Oh."
Lu Sici's ash-white eyebrows arched, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. He said softly:
"I must congratulate you, Little Friend Tongya."
"What cause is there for congratulation?"
Li Tongya frowned, unsure what the man was after.
"The Mountain Yue have raided across multiple fronts. Dozens of families have suffered losses, and six have been annihilated entirely. Yet as I ascended Lijing Mountain, aside from a few somber-faced commoners, I saw no mourning or wailing. Your noble house has suffered remarkably little — surely that is worth celebrating?"
Lu Sici finished with a grin, but Li Tongya found the flattery cloying. He frowned:
"Say what you came to say, honored elder."
Lu Sici sipped his tea, dispensed with pleasantries, and nodded:
"The Ji family has seized Huagan Mountain. My Lu family wishes to reclaim it. We want the mountain itself — the spirit stones and other assets will be compensated to your family in full. This way, we eliminate a threat that menaces both our families from the rear, and my Lu family avenges its grievance."
"Oh?"
Li Tongya made a noncommittal sound, showing little emotion. He asked:
"What grudge does your family hold against the Ji family?"
"You may not know, Little Friend — my Lu family once sent a Qi Refining cultivator to provide reinforcements, and he died at Huagan Mountain…"
Seeing Lu Sici's embarrassed expression, Li Tongya asked:
"How many Qi Refining cultivators does the Ji family have, and what is their backing? Has the honored elder investigated?"
Lu Sici nodded and explained:
"The Ji family currently has two Qi Refining cultivators. The patriarch, Ji Dengqi, is at mid-Qi Refining — perhaps the fifth or sixth layer. Another Ji disciple only recently reached Qi Refining. As for their backing… rumor has it that a woman of the Ji family serves at the side of a prominent figure in Tang Gold Gate."
Li Tongya smiled faintly and shook his head helplessly:
"If the honored elder already knows that, then you know the Ji family cannot be touched."
Lu Sici chuckled, set down his teacup, and said:
"I wouldn't have come to you, Little Friend, without having done my homework!"
He lowered his voice:
"I have a brother-in-law who serves as a guest elder within Tang Gold Gate. Three years ago, he told me that Tang Gold Gate had recalled all its garrisons along the eastern shore of Moonview Lake. If my guess is correct, Tang Gold Gate must be experiencing some internal upheaval…"
"Oh?"
Li Tongya's interest was finally piqued. He pressed:
"What does the Qingchi Sect say about this?"
"They've issued orders, naturally."
Lu Sici produced a command decree bearing the Qingchi seal. It contained several dozen characters, roughly stating that the border between the Qingchi Sect and Tang Gold Gate had shifted northward by thousands of li, placing the entire eastern shore of Moonview Lake under Qingchi jurisdiction.
"This decree was issued just days ago in the prefecture. When I saw it, I did some calculations. If my guess is correct…"
"The Purple Mansion cultivator at mid-stage in Tang Gold Gate has exhausted his lifespan and likely passed into death. Only one at early-stage Purple Mansion remains to hold the fort!"
Li Tongya froze, a flicker of shock crossing his features. He pressed:
"The fall of a Purple Mansion cultivator is an earth-shattering event. Tang Gold Gate would have concealed it with the utmost care. How is it that even the Qingchi Sect knows clearly?"
The Three Sects and Seven Gates stood above all others precisely because each possessed one or more Purple Mansion inheritance lines. The Three Sects were said to hold three or more, while the Seven Gates had one or two each, plus a Purple Mansion cultivator to anchor them.
With Tang Gold Gate's mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivator dead, the sect would not be destroyed outright — but its power would be severely diminished.
"How could we common folk know the intrigues among Purple Mansion cultivators?"
Lu Sici shook his head, then asked:
"I'll get to the point. Is the Li family in or out?"
Li Tongya closed his eyes in thought. The Li family lacked both inheritances and spirit materials — this opportunity was enormously tempting. Eliminating the Ji family would also remove a thorn in their side.
Still, caution prevailed. Li Tongya asked once more:
"The Ji family supposedly had a patron in Tang Gold Gate — a young master. What connection does this have to the deceased Purple Mansion elder?"
"That young master is the old man's grandson! That branch is probably fighting to keep its own power now, and who knows what bloody upheaval will follow. They won't have the bandwidth to concern themselves with a trifling Ji family."
"Good."
Li Tongya nodded and said through gritted teeth:
"I have several conditions."
"Please, Little Friend Tongya."
"First: if the Ji family's cultivation manuals fall into our hands, my Li family will copy every one. These copies will not count against the spirit material compensation."
Lu Sici agreed without hesitation:
"Agreed."
"Second: I will act under the identity of a rogue cultivator at Moonview Lake, not as a member of the Lijing Li family. If we face enemies far beyond our ability, I will withdraw at once. If I kill anyone, all spoils of battle are mine."
Lu Sici blinked, then smiled ruefully with a note of envy:
"You are truly cautious, Little Friend. If even half the juniors of my Lu family possessed your prudence, I would not have to worry about what comes after…"
Seeing Li Tongya smile without speaking, Lu Sici replied:
"Agreed. The assets at Huagan Mountain will be split evenly. All spirit springs and spirit fields — my Lu family will compensate your family at thirty percent of their value in spirit stones or goods."
Li Tongya sipped his tea and said quietly:
"I want you to swear a Profound Vision Oath."
Lu Sici nodded again without hesitation:
"That is only proper."
The two invoked the oath through a secret method. Feeling a small mark settle onto his Profound Vision Wheel, Li Tongya asked:
"Timing?"
"I will return here in three days, and we shall ride together to Huagan Mountain!"
Li Tongya saw Lu Sici off and returned to the courtyard. He looked at Li Xuanxuan, who stood below deep in thought, and said quietly:
"I still have one Jade Sprout Pill in my storage pouch — one Xiangping obtained from killing an enemy. I will enter seclusion now to break through to the third layer of Qi Refining. It will give me a few more chances."
Li Xuanxuan rose and cupped his hands:
"Second Uncle may enter seclusion without worry. Leave the household to me."
---
Li Chijing stood atop the mountain, watching the horde of beasts surge toward them below. His aura was overwhelming, his white robes snapping in the evening wind. The people around him gazed at him with reverence.
"That's Li Chijing — the Qingsui Sword?"
"Indeed. Look at that presence — he can't be far from Foundation Establishment."
Li Chijing, however, knew his own situation all too well. He was not merely "close" — at any moment, he had to actively suppress the true essence within his body, preventing it from spontaneously liquefying.
If he simply let his will relax, the Six Wheels cultivated through Embryonic Breathing would liquefy at once, converging all his power into the Qi Sea to form the foundation of the Great Dao — and he would break through to Foundation Establishment on the spot.
"I can't hold back any longer… The sect has sent men to urge me three times already."
Li Chijing murmured to himself. The handsome young man in white beside him clapped him on the shoulder and said gently:
"Junior Brother, you've reached the peak of Qi Refining as well?"
Li Chijing sighed softly, turned his head with a calm expression, and replied:
"That's right. Senior Brother Chi — have you come to persuade me to attempt Foundation Establishment?"
The man called Senior Brother Chi paused, then nodded:
"The sect has that intention. The pills for the breakthrough have already been prepared. You may enter seclusion at any time, Junior Brother."
Li Chijing nodded and said with a bright smile:
"The sect has been most thoughtful. Chijing is deeply grateful!"
Senior Brother Chi's expression shifted slightly. He asked, a touch awkwardly:
"Naturally. But I wonder — what are your chances?"
Li Chijing looked troubled and said quietly:
"I'm afraid… less than eighty percent."
"Eighty percent?!"
Senior Brother Chi frowned. The probability was terrifyingly high compared to others — but he knew how many heavenly treasures the sect had poured into Li Chijing. Only eighty percent left him puzzled. He thought:
"Looks like I can't avoid parting with this Suiyuan Pill…"
Senior Brother Chi sighed and drew a jade bottle from his brocade pouch:
"I have an additional Suiyuan Pill. Take it."
Li Chijing accepted the bottle with a grateful expression and declared:
"Thank you, Senior Brother!"
Senior Brother Chi suppressed the sting of parting with the pill and maintained a warm smile:
"When you're ready, enter seclusion and break through."
Li Chijing nodded firmly and began walking slowly down the mountain. As he passed Senior Brother Chi, a cold voice drifted into his ear:
"Li Chijing — Foundation Establishment can only succeed. It must not fail. You would not wish to know the consequences of failure."
Li Chijing paused for just an instant, glanced up at Senior Brother Chi's warm smile, and shook his head with a laugh as he continued down the slope.
Senior Brother Chi gazed coldly at Li Chijing's retreating figure and muttered:
"What are a few pills? A dead man walking — consider them a parting gift. But the old ancestor's Nascent Essence Pill must not be lost."
---
Li Chijing descended the mountain, considered for a few moments, then entered a small pavilion at the mountain's base. He climbed the pale-yellow pear-wood stairs and found a young man slumped over a reddish-brown table, dead drunk.
"Deng Qiuzhi!"
Li Chijing grabbed him and summoned moon essence autumn qi in his palm, condensing it into a handful of clear lake water that he splashed directly onto the man's face.
The cold water drenched Deng Qiuzhi, sending him sputtering. The water ran down his hair and dripped to the floor, evaporating into spiritual qi upon contact — the casual ease of the technique revealing the caster's mastery.
Deng Qiuzhi jerked awake, looked up at Li Chijing through bleary eyes, and giggled foolishly:
"Jing-ge! You're here early today!"
Li Chijing sat down and rummaged through the wine pot on the table, finally assembling enough for a cup. He took a sip and said:
"I'm breaking through to Foundation Establishment tomorrow."
Deng Qiuzhi froze. His eyes filled with tears and his voice cracked:
"Jing-ge! Have you thought this through?"
Li Chijing nodded with a smile:
"It's just being consumed, isn't it?"
Deng Qiuzhi stared, then silently raised his cup — only to find it empty. He murmured:
"You're far too accepting of this."
Li Chijing chuckled:
"We've studied it thoroughly over these years. I'm the primary ingredient; you're the supplementary material. I wonder what kind of miracle pill they'll make from us."
He drained his cup, rose, and walked out of the pavilion, leaving behind only the dazed Deng Qiuzhi and a voice floating on the air:
"This wine isn't strong enough."
Leaving the pavilion, Li Chijing headed straight for a cave dwelling in the mountains. He knocked lightly on the stone door, and shortly after, it opened.
"Ching-er…"
It was his senior brother Xiao Yuansi, still holding several herbs in his hand. His face was clouded with guilt as he softly called out.
"Senior Brother — won't you invite me in?"
Li Chijing grinned. Xiao Yuansi quickly stepped aside to let him enter and set tea on the stone table, gazing at Li Chijing in silence.
"Senior Brother has also reached the peak of Qi Refining. What are your chances for Foundation Establishment?"
Xiao Yuansi shook his head:
"I'm not in your league. Only thirty or forty percent for me. I'll need to accumulate a few more years."
Li Chijing nodded, exchanged a few pleasantries, then came to the heart of the matter.
"There are a few things I need to entrust to you."
"Ching-er, speak…"
Li Chijing produced the jade bottle and explained:
"This is the Suiyuan Pill that Chi Jiuyun gave me. I'd like you to deliver it to my family."
Xiao Yuansi nodded, then asked hesitantly:
"But you…"
"I have no use for it."
Li Chijing shook his head with a confident smile. From his storage pouch, he produced several items, explaining each in turn:
"Over these years, I've accumulated enough merit to obtain an alchemy inheritance. I heard that Xuanfeng favors the bow, and my elder brother also uses archery techniques, so I obtained this secret method as well. The rest I exchanged for spirit stones — just over a hundred, plus some talismans I drew over the years. Please deliver everything."
Xiao Yuansi understood what Li Chijing was doing. His eyes glistened with tears as he said in a grief-stricken voice:
"Ching-er — our Qingsui Peak has failed you!"
Li Chijing was momentarily stunned, then shook his head and smiled:
"Why say that, Senior Brother? Everything I have was given by Qingsui Peak. Now I return it to the sect — what is wrong with that? Don't let others use it against you."
"Whatever the sect may be, the Xiao family and Qingsui Peak have done a great deal for me and for the Li family. Chijing and the Lijing Li family will remember it always!"
With that, Li Chijing rose, turned north toward the prison tower where Si Yuanbai was held, and performed three bows and nine kowtows. Then he turned and bowed deeply to Xiao Yuansi. A glimmer of tears finally appeared at the corners of his eyes as he said earnestly:
"Senior Brother — from now on, I entrust my family to you."
Xiao Yuansi stood and answered with solemn gravity:
"Chinger — as long as I, Xiao Yuansi, draw breath, the Li family's inheritance will never be broken!"
Li Chijing wiped his eyes, embraced Xiao Yuansi with a smile, and heard his senior brother murmur softly:
"Is there anything else you wish for?"
Li Chijing laughed and said in a cold, clear voice:
"This life's wish is fulfilled. If I still had one more, it would be this — that the Purple Mansion ancestor who would use us as ingredients for his pills fails his breakthrough to Golden Core, exhausts his lifespan, and perishes on the path!"