Martial Immortality: Starting with the Spirit Beast Scroll

Chapter 377: Chapter 353: Conspiracy (Part 2)

Tao Huang also frowned, saying nothing.

After a long moment, Tao Huang suddenly spoke. "Senior Uncle, do you believe what that man said? Over the years, plenty of people have come to our estate claiming Brother Li is still alive. It always turns out they have ulterior motives—they’re just a bunch of freeloaders."

Li Chenglin said nothing. With a wave of his hand, he cast a transparent barrier around them.

Only then did he speak, his voice slow. "I am a good judge of character. That man came only to deliver a message. Besides, he’s from another province. What could he possibly be after?"

He finished speaking, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Tao Huang. "You seem quite invested in this matter, Nephew?"

Tao Huang was momentarily speechless. After a brief hesitation, he said, "Senior Uncle, I’ll be direct. Do you remember the vow Zhen’Er made all those years ago?"

"What vow?"

Li Chenglin paused, stroking his beard as he tried to recall. A moment later, it dawned on him. "You mean the vow Zhen’Er made? That she would marry whoever helped her find her brother?"

Tao Huang nodded emphatically. "That’s the one."

Li Chenglin chuckled. "Zhen’Er was just a teenager then. She and her brother were very close; she spoke without weighing her words."

"Twenty years have passed. She’s probably forgotten all about it. Surely you haven’t taken it seriously?"

Tao Huang gave a bitter smile. "It’s not that I’ve taken it seriously. It’s that Zhen’Er has remembered it all this time!"

"Every time I bring up the subject of marriage, she uses that as a reason to refuse me. I’m afraid she genuinely means to keep her word."

Li Chenglin’s expression darkened. "Impossible. Even if she wants to, I will not allow it."

Tao Huang fell silent for a moment before saying slowly, "Senior Uncle, I’ve heard that cultivators cannot make vows lightly. If they break them, it can give rise to a Heart Demon, making it impossible to reach the Purple Mansion Realm."

"Zhen’Er is devoted to her cultivation. She should understand this principle."

Li Chenglin’s expression flickered. He stroked his teacup and fell silent.

"Patriarch, a message has arrived."

Just then, a steward entered, holding a crimson, lacquered Communication Talisman.

"Alright, Old Jin. You may go."

With a casual grasping motion, Li Chenglin brought the Communication Talisman into his hand.

Tao Huang feigned discretion by taking a few steps away, but his eyes quickly glanced at the Communication Talisman. He saw a red stamp on its surface with the two words ’Qiuyang County.’

Li Chenglin channeled a stream of Spiritual Power into the Communication Talisman, breaking the seal on it. He then unfolded the paper and read it carefully.

A moment later, he said in a low voice, "Yuanyou is indeed still alive."

There wasn’t a trace of joy in his voice—on the contrary, it sounded as if he deeply regretted it.

"Take a look."

Li Chenglin casually handed the Communication Talisman to Tao Huang.

Tao Huang took the talisman and scanned it. His face grew grim, and he looked up. "Senior Uncle, what should we do?"

Li Chenglin sighed softly. "This presents me with a true dilemma. If we don’t save him, we’ll be criticized, and people will say the Li family is heartless. But if we do try to save him, what resources do we have?"

"Yuanyou is nothing but a wisp of a soul. To move him, we’d need a Soul Nourishing Stone. But those stones are incredibly precious. How could the Li family possibly produce one?"

"And even if we did acquire a Soul Nourishing Stone, we’d then have to find a soulless body to give his soul a place to reside..."

"Sigh... Wouldn’t it be better to spend those resources on the living? We might even be able to nurture another Foundation Establishment cultivator."

An idea struck Tao Huang, and he deliberately fanned the flames. "Even a mortal woman knows to take her own life to prove her innocence after being dishonored. Surely, Brother Li should understand the principle of protecting the family’s honor."

Upon hearing this, Li Chenglin’s expression grew even darker.

Tao Huang felt the time was right. "Senior Uncle," he said, "there is actually another way."

Li Chenglin’s eyes lit up. "What is it?"

Tao Huang glanced toward the door and lowered his voice. "Actually, not many people know about this. The Prefect of Qiuyang County, the officials there... they’re bound by duty. They won’t reveal Brother Li’s family background to anyone."

"If you send a few reliable disciples to pay a visit and explain the situation to the people involved, the news won’t spread."

Li Chenglin frowned. "What kind of plan is that? Everyone in Three Mountains County knows that Yuanyou disappeared."

"But they don’t know that Brother Li is still alive."

Tao Huang’s eyes flashed as he spoke, enunciating every word. "As long as we don’t announce it, who in Three Mountains County will ever know?"

"The people in Qiuyang County know Brother Li is alive, but they don’t know he’s one of *our* Li family. There are countless people in the world with the surname Li, and we’re not the only Li cultivator family."

Li Chenglin mulled this over for a long moment, then glanced toward the guest wing. "But there’s still someone else who knows, isn’t there?"

Tao Huang knew he had him. Gritting his teeth, he made a sharp, slicing gesture across his throat.

Li Chenglin’s expression shifted, and he hesitated. "That doesn’t seem right. After all, the man’s intentions were good."

’Still pretending to be a good person?’

Tao Huang sneered inwardly but said aloud, "What good intentions? It’s obvious he heard about Zhen’Er’s vow and rushed here to latch onto a powerful family. Senior Uncle, you can’t afford to be soft-hearted and let a scoundrel like him get his way."

At these words, Li Chenglin’s gaze grew cold and hard. He finally nodded. "For the sake of the Li family’s reputation, it’s the only way. But he’s a guest in our estate right now. We can’t act here."

Tao Huang was secretly delighted. He immediately said, "Tomorrow, you can send him off, Senior Uncle. Once he’s outside Three Mountains County, his death will have nothing to do with us."

"Good."

Li Chenglin nodded in agreement, his gaze falling upon Tao Huang. "Nephew, you have a sharp and cunning mind, superior to any of the younger generation of my Li family. You shall be the one to handle this."

’Old fox,’ Tao Huang cursed inwardly. ’Trying to wash his hands of such a major affair? Not a chance.’ He quickly said, "Since I was the one who proposed it, I will naturally see it through. However, my family’s people are all currently deployed elsewhere. I’ll have to trouble you, Senior Uncle, to lend me two helpers. It will guarantee our success."

’Little fox,’ Li Chenglin cursed inwardly. He had no choice but to say, "Very well. I will send Yuanzhi and Yuanlie with you. They are both skilled cultivators in Late-stage Qi Refining."

"I will remain here at the estate to avoid raising any suspicion."

"The man is a Martial Cultivator, after all. To dare travel and adventure alone, he must have some extraordinary skills. You absolutely cannot be careless."

Tao Huang puffed out his chest. "Rest assured, Senior Uncle. He’s an outsider, and he’s traveling alone. We won’t leave a single trace."

’Once this is done,’ he thought, ’we’ll have leverage over each other. The marriage alliance between our families will be set in stone.’

Li Chenglin stared at the Communication Talisman in his hand and suddenly recalled something. "He said he was traveling to carry out a sect mission. He likely has life-saving talismans on him, something like a Hongyan Talisman for sending messages."

"Killing him will be easy. Preventing him from sending out a message will be difficult. What’s your plan for that?"

Tao Huang was taken aback for a second. "That was an oversight on my part," he admitted. "But it’s no problem. My maternal grandfather dotes on me. I will ask him to intervene. He can use his Spirit Cage Skill to lock down any communication talismans. It will be foolproof!"

Li Chenglin nodded. "If a Foundation Establishment cultivator is making a move, then I have nothing to worry about."

Tao Huang thought for a moment. "Senior Uncle, where would be the most secure place to strike?"

Li Chenglin pondered for a moment. "From the mountain gate to the ferry point is just over twenty li. There’s only one suitable place to make a move: Fengjinpu."

Tao Huang was puzzled. "Fengjinpu? I remember that area is all mountains and ridges. Wouldn’t that make it easy for him to hide?"

Li Chenglin nodded. "Logically speaking, the rolling terrain of Fengjinpu isn’t an ideal place to kill an enemy. But for that very reason, no one will be able to see what’s happening there, even from a li away."

"As long as you act quickly enough, there’s no danger of word getting out. Otherwise, if anyone sees you, suspicion will inevitably fall on us."

Tao Huang understood. "Senior Uncle is as thorough as ever," he praised. "Fengjinpu it is, then. Rest assured, Senior Uncle, I will handle this matter perfectly."

The two of them plotted for a while longer. Once they were confident their plan was foolproof, Tao Huang took his leave.

Li Chenglin had someone summon two of his clan nephews to the inner hall.

"Greetings, Patriarch."

Before long, two young men with extraordinary temperaments walked into the hall and bowed in unison.

One was at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, the other at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer. Both specialized in offensive Magic, and despite their youth, their combat prowess was exceptional.

"Yuanzhi, Yuanlie."

A smile appeared on Li Chenglin’s face. "I’ve called you two here for an important task..."

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