The Mirror Legacy

The light within the hall was dim.

The enchanted lamps nearby had been replenished three times, warming the entire hall until it felt like a furnace. Yet the old man on the bed remained clammy and cold. After lying half-awake for three months, he suddenly remembered that his surname had not always been Li.

Back then, my father was Ye Chengfu.

When his father was still called Ye Chengfu, his days had always been frantic. He had made a living near the village entrance, but there was never much work, so he had to take odd jobs in other people's homes. Occasionally, he would return carrying a large sack of rice, beans, and wheat, stepping proudly through the door and proclaiming himself the third-cleverest man in Lijing Village.

Li Qiuyang could no longer remember clearly. If he had managed to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, he probably would have been able to recall more.

The old man raised his head slightly. Beside him, Sun Bai was applying medicine to his lips, using Horn Wood spirit material and mana to nourish the Merging Fire symbol of [Lips], the gateway of appetite, in the hope of prolonging his life for a few more breaths. It was already a desperate measure that did more harm than good.

The old man stared blankly at the ceiling and asked in a faint, feeble voice, "Xuan... xuan..."

The white-haired old man beside him coughed twice and bent his once-straight back. Tears welled in his drooping eyes as he replied, "Wait... just a little longer."

Li Qiuyang truly could not remember much anymore, but he still remembered kneeling before that old man as a young child and receiving the [Azure Essence Meridian Nourishment Technique]. Li Mutian had instructed him to honor the clan and uphold the Dao, to cherish his kin and live in harmony with his family. From that day onward, his surname became Li.

By accepting it, Li Qiuyang had enjoyed an exalted status for one hundred and sixty-five years. Even Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators at present-day Moongaze Lake had to treat him with courtesy.

"Ancestor... The lord is here! The lord is here!"

A gentle breeze brushed against his pillow through the haze. Li Qiuyang struggled to open his eyes and found another aged face before him. Li Xuanxuan looked even older than Chen Donghe beside him, almost beyond recognition. At least his vitality and spirit remained, though his face was covered in tears.

"Qiuyang... My old friend, you are leaving as well..."

Li Qiuyang struggled for a moment but could not even turn over. Had a [Horn Wood] Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator not been sustaining his life, he would have passed away long ago.

In his youth, Li Xuanxuan had run a shop in the Xiao Family market and served as its manager. He and Li Qiuyang had barely escaped a demonic attack with their lives. The younger generations of the Li Family could no longer understand the fear of living through such precarious times, alone and with no one to rely on. As their old companions gradually passed away, the two had sought warmth and comfort in each other, forming a profound bond.

The Li Qiuyang of those years was long gone. The old man lying on the bed resembled nothing more than a host of rotting flesh. Merging Fire damaged one's nature and consumed one's life. It had burned away his body, and although his flesh had later been restored, the damage to his foundation and lifespan could never be repaired. Li Xuanxuan could scarcely recognize him anymore, seeing only two clouded eyes amid the folds of flesh.

Grief filled Li Xuanxuan's heart as a terrifying loneliness surged through him. He lowered his head and asked, "Qiuyang... Qiuyang... What is it that you cannot let go of?"

The old man on the bed exhaled twice but showed no other response.

Li Qiuyang's innate ability had not been poor. The spirit fruit he consumed back then had allowed his cultivation to progress rapidly, but it had also destroyed his hopes of reaching Qi Cultivation Realm, leaving him with no choice but to cultivate various unrefined qi. Yet not one of his many descendants had ever amounted to anything. Even after more than a century, none had managed to surpass him.

Li Qiuyang barely managed to shift his gaze to meet Li Xuanxuan’s eyes.

He knew that this brother from the main family harbored many secrets, and he also knew that he had never truly been admitted into the upper ranks of the Li Family. But never mind him, even though Chen Yang had attained the Foundation Establishment Realm and possessed outstanding innate ability, did that mean he had been admitted? The so-called Qingdu bloodline was nothing more than a joke.

Yet he had cradled Li Yuanxiu in his arms, held Li Xiangping's horse, shared tea with Li Xuanfeng, and led Chen Mufeng by the hand through Lixia. The moon had set and the sun had risen as he lived through sixty-two thousand sunsets at Moongaze Lake. He held profound sorrow and love for the land that had given him life and raised him, as well as for the clansmen who lived upon it.

The old man seemed to muster every last ounce of strength. He opened his mouth and murmured, "Xuanxuan... They are too close..."

Li Xuanxuan raised his brows in surprise and reached out to support him. Sun Bai rose somewhat anxiously, instructed the junior beside him to moisten the ancestor's lips with medicinal broth, then quickly withdrew.

Li Xuanxuan appeared somewhat lost as he asked in confusion, "Who... Who is too close?"

Li Qiuyang began to struggle. He coughed violently twice as though he might cough up his lungs, then groaned, "Get out..."

Li Xuanxuan took the medicinal broth from the junior and waved the others away. Chen Donghe took in the sight of the dying old man on the bed. When he saw Li Qiuyang staring directly at him, he fought back his tears, turned, and withdrew.

Only Li Xuanxuan remained in the entire hall. Li Qiuyang began panting heavily. Some strength returned to his hand as he gripped Li Xuanxuan's hand and forced out through gritted teeth, "They are too close... to you... The Jiang... Jiang Family..."

Li Xuanxuan's lips trembled. The old man's teeth began chattering as blood spilled from his mouth. He murmured, "If he... were still here, he would cripple them all... Only then would things be clean..."

Li Xuanxuan could not tell whom the old man meant. Did he mean Ancestor Li Mutian, or Li Xiangping? Of course, he knew what the reference to the Jiang Family meant. Ever since Li Ximing had attained the Purple Mansion Realm, it had been far too long since he had given the matter any thought...

The Jiang Family... That Jiang Family ancestor was murdered... But our family is still on the rise. Even setting aside the King of Wei, Jiangqian and Quewan both have the potential to attain the Purple Mansion Realm. If the day ever comes when our family loses all its Purple Mansion Realm cultivators, we will surely be destroyed anyway. Why would we need to worry about internal strife...

He fell silent for a moment as the old man before him finally slumped back. Li Xuanxuan turned away and sat upon the steps. At first, he merely choked back his sobs, but soon began weeping quietly. A flurry of disorderly footsteps sounded outside the hall.

The first to rush in was an unfamiliar man, who dropped to his knees before Li Xuanxuan with a thud and wailed, "Ancestor!"

The middle-aged man who followed close behind was knocked off balance by his predecessor, but refused to be outdone. He dropped to his knees and wept even more fiercely, his wails booming like thunder.

Li Xuanxuan raised his aged, tear-filled eyes, and glanced over the descendants jostling to enter. Dazedly, he drew the curtains around the bed, then swept his sleeve and hurled every one of them out.

The hall fell silent in an instant. No one remained except Chen Donghe, whose eyes were closed as tears streamed down his face. After weeping for a while, Li Xuanxuan realized that only a few scattered cries could be heard outside the hall, while most of the noise came from hushed whispers.

He said feebly, "After six generations, whatever kinship there was has long since faded, but their stupidity certainly hasn't."

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