Chapter 1418
As Before
Chapter 1418 As Before
A mountain wind howled, obscuring the dark sky and shrouding the surroundings in gloom. The summit of Wutu Mountain had been locked away for some time, its steps covered in moss. Xiao Muyun raised his eyes, helped the old man beside him, and whispered:
"Slow down..."
He took the old, weathered hand, moved slightly to support her, and sighed:
"It's not right for your son to see you up... You must walk by yourself..."
But his mother didn't answer him. She just walked quietly through the forest and finally saw the gray wall on the mountaintop. An old man with a full head of white hair and a vigorous spirit was standing there quietly.
Before anyone was seen, he had already said:
"Xiao'er!"
Xiao Muyun felt a sudden tightening in his hand as his mother awkwardly stepped past him to the front of the courtyard and looked up.
Chen Donghe saw his daughter in the dark twilight. She was old and frail, with thinning hair, her eyes filled with a heavy white mist, and her lips were slightly moving. She had to look up to see him.
The smiling little girl seemed to have gone down the mountain yesterday; now, none of her features were visible. Chen Donghe hadn't seen her in most of his life and no longer recognized her. He clasped her old hands and murmured:
"Xiao'er".
The old woman looked him over, tears welling in her eyes, and said:
"father!"
In that aged voice, there finally came a unique timbre, a touch of the tenderness of a daughter. Chen Donghe's eyes widened as if struck by lightning. Almost instinctively, he took her hand as he had taken the hand of that little girl, exclaiming in shock:
"You've suffered!"
The mountain wind howled, and Xiao Muyun stood quietly, watching the two old people embrace and weep. After a long while, the mother straightened her back, looked back at the road she had come from with lingering affection, and spoke her second sentence about coming up the mountain.
she says:
“When Ah Xian came to marry me, he also took this road.”
Chen Donghe closed his eyes and wept, his white beard trembling.
Her daughter had only been married to Xiao Xian for a few years when almost the entire Yu Shan clan perished in the demonic calamity, their blood and tears flowing freely. She, a mere woman, had raised her child alone and remained in charge of Yu Shan for over a hundred years. The hardships she endured are unimaginable…
He swallowed his tears, and Xiao Muyun stepped forward to comfort him:
"Grandpa... let's talk inside..."
Chen Donghe nodded, pushed open the door and went inside. Inside, he saw a door, a stone table, and a stove. Although it was relatively clean, it was completely dark and devoid of any signs of cooking. There wasn't even the usual light.
Chen Donghe helped his daughter sit down. Li Qingxiao looked at everything before her and asked:
“After Mother passed away, you never came back.”
The old man didn't respond to her, but instead brewed tea, pushed aside Xiao Muyun who was rushing to help, stood in front of the jade table, wiped his face, and said:
"Where is Senior Xiao?"
"Waiting for the real person at the foot of the mountain."
Li Qingxiao lowered her head and asked:
"How is Father doing?"
Chen Donghe put down his cup, his face hidden in the darkness of the room. The tears on his face had completely dried. He rubbed his face with his hands and said:
“I heard that you came back… because you have something to ask of me.”
Li Qingxiao lowered her head even further, revealing sparse hair—it seemed she had been burned by some kind of magic during the battle, with unsightly scars on her head. The old woman's voice was deep as she said:
"Yes... Father... The Xiao family has been in trouble lately. Many people have come to me for help. That Xiao Guitu... Father, do you remember Xiao Guitu? He even dragged his ailing body out to beg me, kneeling before my bed and crying..."
Chen Donghe quickly turned his head away, his moist eyes facing the darkness of the room, and said in a hoarse voice:
"I won't say more."
He wiped the corner of his eye with two fingers and said:
"As a senior to the real person, you should also respect yourself."
The old woman raised her head and sobbed:
“Father! I remember all seventy-two spirit stones in the family, I’ve remembered them my whole life… but I have no way to repay them…”
"This time I came... this time I came to ask the Master for help is secondary... it's also because my daughter's time is almost up, she will die of old age, and she doesn't want to cause any more trouble. Thinking of how my husband died without a complete body, his remains scattered in some corner of the mountains, leaving only a cenotaph, I want to return to our old home in Yu Mountain to accompany him on his final journey..."
Xiao Muyun remained silent until the very end, when he finally closed the door and went out. He stood still in the mountains and sighed softly.
But as he stood there, he suddenly noticed two people standing in front of the courtyard, a man and a woman. The man was tall and upright with regular features and a golden light between his eyebrows, which made him look like a god in the scorching, dim sunset.
real person.
Of course, he was also his cousin.
Xiao Muyun had seen this real person before, and was extremely shocked. He immediately knelt down, but the real person raised his hand and made a shushing gesture, leaving him speechless and unable to make a sound.
Li Ximing turned around. The small house seemed to be completely isolated from the outside world. In front of him, there were two more people. One was wearing armor, had only one arm, and looked tired. The other held a long staff and looked uneasy.
Li Ximing helped his master up with just one hand, while the man in armor on the other side had already knelt down, kneeling firmly like a servant. He raised his head, revealing his resolute yet pale face, and wept:
"Greetings, Master!"
The immortal stood atop the mountain, the light between his brows flickering slightly. His tone held a hint of doubt, yet carried an air of unhurried composure:
"And this is..."
The man raised his head, revealing a submissive smile. His lips, pale from illness, trembled as he said:
"Xia Xiu is a direct descendant of the Xiao family... his name is Gui Tu... and he is Luan'er's elder brother!"
"Xiao Gui Tu"
The man lowered his eyelids slightly, a hint of surprise in his voice, but he remained motionless, saying softly:
"So it's my maternal uncle! I've long heard of your heroic bearing and extraordinary talent, but it's a pity I've only heard your name and never seen you in person—why don't you help me up?"
Li Minggong stepped forward to help him up, but the immortal turned around and said calmly:
"But... Uncle, why didn't you follow the proper path of cultivation and instead absorbed an external immortal foundation? And you're still so badly injured!"
His words were calm and understated, yet they seemed to cause the entire mountain to topple over, pressing down on the one-armed man before him with a thunderous roar, or perhaps nothing had happened at all, with only the tranquil sunset draping over the man.
Xiao Guitu raised his head, clasped his one arm in front of him, his face covered in cold sweat, and said:
"With the departure of the Master, Cangzhou descended into chaos, leaving no choice but to... these injuries were inflicted during that time..."
Xiao Yuansi stood quietly behind the man, without making any move or speaking. His face was bathed in the dark sunset. The man could be seen bowing with one hand and finally closing his eyes.
The master turned around and stared at the one-armed man. It seemed that his master's silence had calmed him down, or perhaps he had remembered something. Li Ximing finally raised his hand.
His hand hovered in the air, paused slightly, and then waved it as if swatting away mosquitoes.
In an instant, the gloom that had shrouded the mountains and forests dissipated, and brilliant light filled every corner of the forest. Xiao Guitu's face regained its color, and his lips became rosy. The injury that had plagued him for years, worsening day by day, and almost costing him his life, disappeared without a trace. His missing arm also grew back and hung quietly at his side.
Li Ximing spoke up, saying:
"Our two families have been on good terms for many years. As Zhi-ge'er's uncle, he's practically family. We'll help each other with anything, big or small..."
He turned his head away and said:
"How can we sit idly by and do nothing?"
"thump."
The man knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed to the earth, and began to sob softly. Xiao Yuansi finally opened his eyes, his aged face streaked with tears. He stepped forward and said:
"Return to the map... Return to the map!"
He called out twice before the man belatedly got up. Xiao Yuansi said:
"Go down."
Xiao Guitu faced the mountaintop, took a few steps back, and staggered into the forest. The True Man's face remained stiff and cold, but upon noticing his master kneeling on the ground, he sighed, helped the old man up, and shook his head, saying:
Why bother?
Xiao Muyun also knelt down, tears streaming down his face, and kowtowed to his cousin. Li Ximing frowned, turned around, and stepped into the courtyard.
This step seemed to break through a barrier, finally connecting the sounds inside with the outside world. The old man's low sigh echoed, and the dark courtyard lit up simultaneously. A hand was placed on Li Qingxiao's shoulder, and the old man's complexion immediately improved.
But she couldn't get up, and she couldn't even bow to him. She could only watch quietly as the real person sat down beside her and hear Li Ximing's slightly gentle voice:
"Aunt, which child on the lake does Madam Xiao favor?"
Li Qingxiao felt as if the entire world was revolving around him as this person sat down beside him. A warm, elixir-like aura blew into his brain, clearing his mind, but also filling him with fear. He trembled and said:
"The immortal clan is of noble birth, a noble lineage beyond the reach of my humble clan. I dare not offer guidance... I beg the True Immortal to bestow your teachings..."
Xiao Yuansi picked up the conversation and continued:
"Yes...we are a humble family, and dare not ask for a direct descendant...we only hope to follow the old custom and marry the Li family's illegitimate daughter to the Xiao family's legitimate son, who is our family's current genius, surnamed Xiao, named Xunqin..."
"And a legitimate daughter from the North Sea is to be married to a younger man from the lake..."
Li Ximing gazed at her and praised:
“Alright, since it is a matter of Xiao and Li’s relationship, we should follow the old precedent.”
He turned his head and asked:
"Ming Gong, you've been on the lake for so long, take a look... who's suitable?"
Li Minggong had clearly discussed this countless times in private. He clasped his hands together, bowed deeply, and said:
“There is a granddaughter from a collateral branch of the Jiang clan named Li Yuanwu. She is studying in the prefecture and is very outstanding. We have already inquired about her and she is quite interested. Her character and appearance are both excellent. We will marry her to him today. Her age is also suitable.”
Li Ximing stood up and nodded, saying:
"As for the women who marry into the family, they can be assigned to Qinggong. There's no need to make any fuss about it."
He turned his head slightly and finally got to the point:
"Order Yuting to set up a post in Beihai, located in Cangzhou, which will also serve as a small market town to collect rare items and as a training ground for the disciples. First... let Elder Chen select some of the younger generation of the clan to take up positions there!"
Upon hearing this, Li Minggong accepted the order, and the Master bowed his head, saying:
"Is Auntie satisfied?"
Li Qingxiao wept:
"The Xiao family will always remember this great kindness!"
Li Ximing was a man of his word, but this move was made after careful consideration. Of course, he couldn't openly move his own people into the Xiao family's territory. If he did it too openly, it would inevitably bring trouble to the Xiao family and cause many future problems. He only used the excuse of training his people. Once his people arrived in Cangzhou, he could take care of them to some extent.
Li Ximing nodded, but after glancing around, he immediately became wary and asked:
"Is anyone in Beihai causing you trouble?"
Li Qingxiao remained silent, but Xiao Muyun's eyes lit up, and she almost burst into tears, saying:
"Cangzhou is treacherous, and many disciples have been injured or killed. However, the Master left a last instruction that we must not leave. Over the years, we have gradually developed methods to deal with this. Only some cultivators in the sea covet the remnants of the Purple Mansion and come to disturb us. Little do they know that there is nothing of the Purple Mansion in the house at all!"
Li Ximing said:
"Which sect's cultivator is this?"
Xiao Muyun said:
"Most of them are independent cultivators, but if they can survive, why would they bother to seek out a true master? It's one thing for some disciples to die or be injured on ordinary days, but there are people from the [Qigu Temple] in secret, and there is a true master in that temple who cultivates 'Jueyin'."
Whether it's the bond between the Xiao and Li families or the mutual assistance within the grotto-heaven, most people now know about the relationship between the Xiao and Li families. Li Ximing had only asked casually, but unexpectedly, it was true! His face immediately turned cold, and he said:
"Oh? Why didn't you say so earlier!"
"Thinking that... with the cultivators from the lake intervening, this problem will surely be solved, I didn't intend to trouble the True Immortal..."
Xiao Muyun broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly said:
"I heard that she is in the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm, with an extraordinary background and extraordinary abilities. She is a good friend of the Xushui Demon King and helped the Ji'an True Man in the Miankuai Heaven. Therefore, she received his favor and became acquainted with the dignified Qingxuan direct descendant and Donghua Daogui master."
Li Ximing frowned, ignoring the preceding words, and asked:
"What Qingxuan direct lineage?"
Xiao Muyun was speechless, while Xiao Yuansi took a step forward and whispered:
“Back when the Great Master was still alive, she came to befriend him, but now she turns on me like the wind. I’ve heard of that Great Master; I heard his surname is Yu and he cultivates Purple Qi.”
"Whoa!"
Li Ximing sneered and said:
"I thought you had some powerful backer, but now I know!"
He raised his brush, wrote in mid-air, paused three times, dividing it into three golden talismans, and handed them to Li Minggong, saying calmly:
"Send people to deliver the items to Long Shu in Donghai Zhentao Prefecture, to Guanghou Zhenren in Chunyi Dao, and to Tao Jiaren in Beifang Luoxia, asking him to pass them on to Yu Xixin."
Li Minggong quickly agreed, while the people around him stood frozen in place. Hearing about the dragon, the Pure One Daoist, and the Great Master, and recalling the rumors of Mingyang's domineering nature, they were immediately shocked!
Li Qingxiao looked at Chen Donghe in alarm, only to find that Elder Chen was already stunned. Xiao Yuansi even stood up and quickly stopped Li Minggong, saying:
Why make such a fuss!
Cold sweat had beaded on his forehead as he said:
"If, for the sake of my family, war breaks out again in the Central Plains, leading to the downfall of my divine power, I will be eternally ashamed!"
The person before him simply shook his head, stood up, flicked his sleeves, and casually said:
"What conflict could possibly arise? Xu Shui used to bow respectfully to my Prince Wei. Although Ji An has joined the Pure One Dao, he was still incredibly respectful when refining elixirs, practically begging to be sworn brothers with Jiang Qian… As for Master Yu…"
He said:
"Now, I've received Mingyang's orders to help Qilin guard the north."
He casually straightened his sleeves and said:
"I'm very busy and can't stay here with my aunt."
So he reached into his sleeve, took out a jade talisman, casually handed it to Xiao Yuansi, and sneered:
“I have some personal business to attend to, and I happen to have some free time. If she doesn’t know what’s good for her, or if these three talismans don’t work, my master will crush them as soon as he gets the news, and I’ll go and see for myself—what kind of person dares to be so insolent in front of my house!”