Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror

Li Xizhi had already suffered at the hands of the Chi Family, and now fell silent, hesitating.

"The Chi Family wants to use Mu Hai as a blade, but Mu Hai is a leader among Zifu Monks—he will surely retaliate. In the end, it's me who suffers, caught in the middle, unable to afford to offend either side..."

Since Li Xizhi understood the situation, he sighed deeply in his heart, not daring to casually erase this Qi mass. He pressed Talisman Qi down atop that deep blue, ensuring that if a Zifu searched his Qi Sea, he could wipe it away at once.

'With the Talisman Seed on me, I need not fear being beguiled, so there is not too much real danger.'

He quietly exhaled, feeling troubled. In his current state, Li Xizhi found himself in a real predicament—he too harbored his own secrets. The Talisman Seed and Talisman Qi within his Qi Sea must also be unobservable; else things would not be as they were.

Collecting the spell, Li Xizhi rose and stepped out from the stone door.

Li Qinghong had spent only two days waiting on the island, practicing Thunder Dharma amidst wind and rain, casting spells to cover up the rainbow-hued phenomena brought on by Li Xizhi's injuries while healing. After three days, the sealed stone door finally opened, inch by inch.

Since Foundation Establishment, Li Xizhi had received the Immortal Foundation's blessing and now possessed a noble air; his features smoother than in youth, calm and dignified. Only now, his face was pale, with an added trace of the air of a frail noble son.

Li Qinghong rode down on Thunder Light, entering the Cave Mansion. Li Xizhi first saluted with cupped hands, shaking the remnants of his tattered Feather Clothing—the palm imprint on his back still visible. Li Qinghong asked:

"What happened?"

Li Xizhi replied succinctly:

"I was harmed by people within the sect—lured into the Dragon Kind's forbidden grounds, encountered a Zifu Demon Dragon."

"But he harbored reservations, unwilling to serve as Green Pond's blade, so let me go. He placed a banishment on me, able to monitor the surroundings."

Li Qinghong heard his understatement, but the horror of escaping from beneath a Zifu could be imagined. Hearing his last remark, she abruptly started, realizing some things could no longer be spoken, and hurriedly asked:

"How are your injuries?"

"It's not too difficult to dispel with Mana."

Li Xizhi's expression remained composed, his voice gentle:

"Originally, it would have remained in my body, hindering healing and harming my Mana, but now it's quickly dissolving. My remaining wounds, though severe, won't impede my path; with time, I can recover."

Li Qinghong nodded, pondering for a breath, then whispered:

"Was it Chi Zhiyun?"

Li Xizhi shook his head. Following his aunt to sit within the Cave Mansion, he replied:

"You may not know, Aunt, though Chi Zhiyun has grudges with our family, he values his reputation. As long as one does not cross his bottom line, he is upright and forthright."

"If he truly wished me harm, how could our family have survived on the lake until now? Likely, we'd have already perished under some pretense. As long as he cares for his reputation, he cannot send people to harm me."

Li Xizhi's speech quickened, his voice soft:

"Either he was careless this time, and someone exploited the chance, or the Ning Family seeks to fully control us, harming me in the process. If the latter, it's less concerning—Yuan Su has little lifespan left and Granduncle's fame is great; no grave threat."

"It's the former I fear."

Li Qinghong, though focused on cultivation, was clever and perceptive, frowning:

"I'm afraid this incident will provoke Chi Zhiyun—he may resolve to root us out all at once!"

"I've seen his methods before—when ruthless, he is fiercer even than Ning Hejing or Chi Zhiyan and their ilk."

Li Xizhi nodded gravely and said low:

"I must ask Aunt to accompany me to Xuan Yue Sect! Senior Kong was once father's friend—as witness she can vouch that we have not been to Qun Yi. Only the Han Family has—so Chi Zhiyun can rest assured."

Li Xizhi pondered deeply here, but in private considered another matter:

"I don't know what sort of person Sui Guan Perfected Person is, but if he hears that I escaped from a Zifu, he may come to inspect me in person. That would be disastrous!"

Li Xizhi feared not discovery of the Talisman Seed in his body—after all, in those years, even Chi Buzi could not detect it. If only the banishment were discovered, so much the better; but if the Talisman Seed retaliated and killed this Zifu peak Perfected Person, it could shake all of South River.

'Sui Guan is no ordinary man. If he dies, Lu Shui will likely appear at once, emerging from that Cave Heaven to drag me home to seek the Immortal Mirror.'

Li Xizhi calculated calmly, increasingly certain this must be done. Li Qinghong considered briefly, then sighed:

"Even when wronged, we must pretend all is well... such is the lot of the weak."

She nodded in agreement, rose on Thunder, Li Xizhi concealing himself behind, both leaving the formation, crossing the coastal waters toward Xuan Yue Sect.

The two sped through the winds; in about half a month, they landed from Salty Lake, Li Qinghong riding Thunder to the Shankei County Xuan Yue Mountain Gate. Pale light blazed, Xuan Yue Cultivators hurriedly moving to and fro.

She had the Xuan Yue gate disciples report to Kong Tingyun, intentionally saying:

"I heard my kin Xizhi is with your sect's elder; please notify Kong Tingyun."

Soon, a streak of pale gold light flew out of the mountain. Kong Tingyun, in her customary Xiang-blue dress, greeted them with delight.

"Sister Qinghong!"

Though Changxi Perfected Person is not famous among Zifu, Kong Tingyun herself was born of Zifu, and had taken much Precious Medicine, so her appearance looked younger than Li Qinghong, little more than twenty, effusive as she said:

"Long time no see. What brings you here today?"

Li Qinghong, now even more graceful, as usual wore her long hair bound, and only calmly replied:

"I heard Xizhi was here with you, sister. I grew uneasy, so I came to look in on him."

Kong Tingyun cocked an ear to secret Mana transmissions, then smiled:

"Please, come up the mountain."

She opened the Formation. Li Qinghong paused for a breath, then entered, landing atop Kong Tingyun's Immortal Peak, where Li Xizhi revealed himself, bowed and said:

"Many thanks, Senior."

Kong Tingyun smiled faintly, examining him, thinking:

"He is even nobler than his father—must take after that Xiao Family woman."

Though the families were close, she dared not be presumptuous, fearing calamity. So she said first:

"No need to thank me yet; speak your business first."

...

Wangyue Lake.

Li Xijun finished a lap of the lake, alighted in the town, and saw a swirl of gray wind coalesce nearby into human form. Li Wushao bowed and said softly:

"Reporting, my lord, the Princely Heir has emerged from seclusion."

Li Xijun nodded slightly, stepping forward to the front of the Hall. At the highest seat was Li Chengliao in long robes, looking at the lower seat, where Li Zhouwei stood holding a halberd—having broken through in little over half a year to achieve Qi Cultivation.

Li Xijun glanced over, doing the maths; Li Zhouwei was but thirteen years old—earlier than when An Jingming reached Qi Cultivation.

'Minghuang has Talisman Pill support—an extra boost for free, with Elixirs and Spirit Mechanism surpassing anything An Jingming enjoyed...'

"But the Cultivation Technique An Jingming trained in... Fetal Breathing was rapid in that stage—comparing the two, it's hard to judge the true margin."

He pondered a moment, then entered the Hall. Li Chengliao and son looked up at him; Li Xijun waved a hand:

"No need for formalities."

He said no more, only quietly:

"Xizhi is not on Qing Song Island. I've received other tidings—the Jin Yu was indeed caused by Yuanwu's fall."

At these words, Li Chengliao smiled, smoothing his robes and bowing:

"This nephew will see to the arrangements at once."

Li Xijun nodded, mind wandering; one hand rested on his waist at [Han Lin], the slender sword gleaming. He gazed at the dawn before the Hall, anxiety still gnawing at him:

"At this critical juncture... Xizhi is not on the peak... The Green Pond folks only said he went to visit the Han Family... But at such a time, why would he go to the Han Family? Could something be wrong?"

Li Xijun inwardly weighed and calculated, even wavering on whether to deploy troops to the East Bank. But this chance was too rare—his clan had worked hard to forge these ties, and time bred changes.

At the steps, Li Xijun saw the town's forces already moving silently. Timing things once more, he finally rode the wind, soaring toward the skies above the East Bank:

'Can't wait any longer... Granduncle's letter says Shangyuan's breakthrough is near, South River and Yue are showing signs of unrest—I must act now...'

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