Li Yuan stood quietly at the edge of the river bank, watching the funeral pyre burn. The flames had already begun to weaken, crackling softly beneath the charred remains of the burnt out wood as thick smoke rose into the blue sky and drifted away with the wind.
His grandfather was dead. Or at least… that was what the world now believed.
Li Yuan kept his expression solemn, his posture straight and composed, as befitted the grandson of the deceased former patriarch. Anyone looking at him would see only a young man grieving quietly for the loss of his elder.
Inside, however, he was a bit bored. His grandfather was alive and well, currently cultivating in secrecy within his Ancient Spatial Ring. The funeral was nothing more than a sham, and he felt annoyed at having to attend the entire affair, even if he understood the need for it.
Only after the funeral pyre had mostly been burnt away did he finally broke his gaze and swept it across the crowd. Nearly the entire Redleaf Prefecture had gathered to pay their respects for the late previous head of Li family.
Clan elders, minor sect representatives, wealthy merchants, even the Magistrate and members of the 8th grade Bai clan had come to pay their respects. But Li Yuan knew that very few of them had truly come to mourn. In truth, they had come to measure the strength of the Li clan. And the Li clan had made sure they would see it clearly.
Eighteen Foundation Establishment level combatants stood around the funeral grounds like silent pillars.
His uncle and his granduncle stood closest to the pyre. His mother and father stood slightly behind them with grave expressions as they silently received the condolences of the visiting families.
Behind his parents, two massive shapes lounged on the ground, a faint mist flowing around them with each breath. The Mistfang Direwolves. Even while resting, the beasts radiated the unmistakable pressure of second-grade spirit beasts. More than one woman had fainted in fright when they first looked at those two beasts.
Beside them hovered two similarly large, if not larger shapes. The Serpant and Scorpion Gu that he'd taken from the Gu Mistress of the Qin family. The two combat Gu had been quickly refined by his parents after some help from Zi Mo and now stood as their loyal protectors.
Further behind them stood two tall, unmoving figures wrapped in dark robes. The 2nd Grade Corpse Puppets. Each of them bonded to his uncle and his grand uncle.
He'd considered giving them to his parents as well, but after some deliberation, felt that doing that would give them too much power in the family and fill others with jealousy. Hence, his final decision to distribute them like this.
Displaying corpse puppets would normally raise suspicion… but the Li clan had no reason to hide them. After all, they had not been the ones to create them. Those puppets had belonged to the Qin family and now served as trophy taken from fallen enemies.
Then there was Qin Ling herself.
Now dressed in the robes of the Li clan, she stood quietly beside Li Ming. Having had an actual marriage a few days after the Royal fat bastard had left.
For now, her loyalty was likely still with the Qin family. But he believed that it would change as soon as she bore some children. After all, a mother cared for her children's wellbeing first and foremost. And everything else came second.
Finally, scattered among the older elders stood seven freshly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivators. Before his arrival, the Li family had only five such combatants. And now, they possessed nearly twenty.
The effect on the visiting families was obvious. And Li Yuan could see the aw and envy in their eyes. There was plenty of fear as well. Especially among the families that were once hostile to the Li family.
He had no doubt that his family would be receiving grand gifts and marriage offers from them in the near future. After all, at this point, even an alliance between the rest of the 9th Grade family in Redleaf Prefecture would not be enough to match Li family's strength.
He let out a breath and channeled some Qi into his ears, wanting to listen in on the hushed whispers in the crowd.
"The old Li may have died… but he must have died satisfied seeing his family grow like this."
"Damn. If only my own family had an ancestor like this. This Li clan is truly blessed."
"With this many Foundation Establishment cultivators, the rise of the Li clan is beyond doubt. We should do our utmost to hold onto the good impression they have of us."
"Even Bai clan's rise was not nearly this fast. Given enough time, they would definitely become the strongest family in Redleaf Prefecture."
"Hah! What does this strength matter? Did you hear what that royal member did when he arrived at the Li clan?"
"Shush! Don't talk such foolishness here. If you want to die, then die alone. Why drag me into it?"
The two men immediately fell silent, glancing nervously toward the Li clan elders as if afraid their words might somehow carry across the courtyard.
Li Yuan almost smiled. It seems that while the matter of that Royal member's actions had indeed leaked out, none wanted to talk about it for fear of reprisal from his family.
The funeral pyre cracked loudly as one of the charred beams collapsed inward, sending another plume of smoke curling into the sky.
Li Yuan let his gaze wander further across the gathering. And among the visiting families, one group immediately caught his attention. The Bai clan members. The only other Eighth Grade family within this region.
Three representatives stood away from the rest of the crowd, wearing pale jade robes embroidered with white cloud patters. They were talking with the Magister in hushed whisper, and there was a faint tension in their eyes that did not escape Li Yuan's notice.
And he knew why this was. After all, above each of them hung a Dark Grey or Pitch Black Halo. He had noticed it as soon as they arrived at the funeral, and had taken a look at the vision. The vision had been of a dark cavern hidden deep in hilly mountains north of the Redleaf Prefecture. An area filled with Spirit Beasts left behind in the last beast tide.
Veins of radiant ores glowed faintly within the stone walls, each fragment radiating condensed spiritual energy far purer than can be found even in Top-grade Spirit Stones. He realised what this place was as soon as he saw it in the vision.
An Aurora Spirit Stone mine.
An Aurora Spirit stone was a rare crystal capable of storing spiritual energy at nearly hundred times the density of Top-grade spirit stones. When refined properly, they turned into breakthrough treasures that increased a cultivator's chances of stepping into the Golden Core realm by nearly 20%.
Of course, a treasure of this magnitude did not lay unguarded. As at the heart of the cavern rested a massive spirit lake. And within that lake, lay a colossal serpent. Strong enough that its mere breath caused the cavern walls to tremble faintly.
An early-stage 3rd-grade spirit beast.
Li Yuan knew that the Bai clan intended to mine those Aurora Spirit Stones in order to refine a breakthrough treasure that could be used by their Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator to try and breakthrough to Golden Core realm.
Except, not only would they fail in that gambit, but they would also lose many of their Foundation Establishment cultivators to the 3rd Grade spirit beast. Almost plummeting from an 8th Grade family to a 9th grade family in the aftermath. Hence the dark grey or pitch black halos above their heads.
In truth, unlike the news that had been spread out to the world, the Bai clan was facing no internal succession disputes and had instead been frantically looking for ways to distract or draw out the 3rd Grade beast.
Judging by the Pitch Black halo that had now appeared over the Magistrate and showed him dying to that same Spirit Beast, he could only assume that the Bai clan also realised how dangerous this was and intended to use others as guinea pigs while they themselves harvested the Aurora Spirit stones.
Judging by their abrupt arrival at Li family estate, he could only assume they judged the Li family to be strong enough to serve as decent enough cannon fodders and would soon approach his family with a similar deal they just gave to the Magistrate.
His eyes narrowed and he subtly sent a thread of Qi to his uncle along with a voice message.
"Refuse the Bai family members any meeting. Make up some excuse about the family being busy. They've come with dark intentions. Don't let anyone else from the family mingle with them either."
His uncle's eyes widened as he heard those words before he quickly regained his composure and looked in his general direction before giving a small nod.
He then turned back to look at the Bai family, and his eyes narrowed.
The Bai family had claimed earlier that they were unable to assist the Li family in clearing spirit beasts from the Ashen Ridge Mountains due to a succession crisis in their family. He now knew that to be a lie, as they were clearly focused on the matter of the Aurora Spirit Stones and didn't want to bother with anything else.
He did not care for the lie. After all, every family would care about their own matters first and foremost. But if the Bai family has truly come here with the intention of using his Li family as cannon fodders… then maybe it was time to remove them from their seat as the top force in the Redleaf Prefecture.
He would not even have to do anything. Just sit back and watch the Bai family destroy itself. Maybe he could even act as the fisherman to their snipe and clam. Taking those Aurora Stone mines for himself while they were busy distracting and fighting the 3rd Grade Spirit beast.
Or… he could just ask Zi Mo to take care of the Early stage 3rd Grade beast, and secure the entire mine for his clan.
With Zi Mo now having reached the Mid-stage of Golden Core. Dealing with an Early Stage 3rd Grade beast would not be impossible or even all that difficult. And should something go wrong, he would be able to use his Halo to learn about it in advance and stop the fight altogether.
Maybe he could let Zi Mo take half, or even more of the Aurora Spirit stones in exchange for her aid. After all, while she herself had no need of it, he had no doubt that there were more than a few cultivators in the Snow Peak and the entire Nine Peak Sect who would pay handsomely for that breakthrough treasure.
His attention slowly drifted away from the Bai clan and back toward the Li family elders. Now he would just have to ensure that none of them were stupid enough to fall for the Bai clan's trap.
After all, he very much doubted that the Bai clan would give up after being refused once. And they might go after the individual Foundation Establishment members of his family.
If the Bai clan members continued to try again and again, then he would step in and kick them out of the Li family himself. Maybe even use his grandfather to cause some troubles for the Bai family from the shadows.
With that decision made, he leaned back in his seat and smiled. Once they'd secured this Aurora Spirit Mine, his grandfather would have +20% chance of breaking through. Add a few more treasures, and even without the Golden Core pill, his grandfather should not have a problem in breaking through.
Truly, things had been going well for him lately. The clan had grown stronger. Enemies had been eliminated, or will eliminate themselves. Not only has his grandfather's life been extended but he's also grown far more powerful than before. And his relationship with Zi Mo was progressing quite well.
If there was one thing that was not going well… his gaze shifted to the side.
Rou Lin stood beside him, dressed in mourning robes like the rest of the clan. Her posture was straight, her face calm and composed as she watched the funeral rites in the distance. But she had not looked at him even once since the ceremony had begun.
Li Yuan suppressed a quiet sigh. They had barely spoken since he started his relationship with Zi Mo. Instead, a faint tension had become grow in between them that he didn't know how to solve.
Deciding that he couldn't let the matter wait any longer, he finally turned toward her. "Rou Lin," he said.
At the sound of his voice, she finally looked over and their eyes met.
"Hey… um… how have you been?" Li Yuan asked.
The words came out far more awkwardly than he intended. For someone who had faced life-and-death battles without flinching, speaking casually with Rou Lin suddenly felt far more difficult.
Rou Lin looked at him for a moment before answering. "I'm fine," she said, her tone polite but distant.
"Have I done something to upset you?" he asked.
Rou Lin held his gaze for a few seconds, her expression unreadable. Then finally, she spoke again.
"Did you seduce Elder Zi Mo because she's a Golden Core cultivator?" She asked and Li Yuan blinked.
What? Where the heck did that accusation come from? For a moment he wondered if he had misheard her. "…What?"
"You heard me," Rou Lin said quietly. "Everyone in the clan can see the way she looks at you. The way she stays close to you. It's obvious something is happening between you two. So tell me. Did you seduce her because she's a Golden Core cultivator?"
The accusation landed harder than Li Yuan expected. And he studied her face for a moment before realisation slowly dawned on him.
"I see. You think I seduced her… to make use of her strength."
Rou Lin simply stared at him, not denying it. And that hurt him more than he thought it would.
Li Yuan let out a quiet breath, trying to keep himself calm and not let anger take hold of him.
"No," he said calmly. "You've got that backwards."
Rou Lin frowned. "What do you mean?"
"It wasn't me who seduced her," Li Yuan said. "It was the other way around."
Rou Lin stared at him incredulously . "…You expect me to believe that?"
"It's the truth," he replied with a shrug.
Her brows drew together. "Why would Elder Zi Mo stoop so low as to seduce a Qi Condensation outer sect disciple?"
The words were spoken without much thought. But the moment they left her mouth, Li Yuan felt something tighten in his chest.
He knew she hadn't meant it as an insult. But hearing it framed that way still left a faint sting. Especially when both of them knew very well that he was far more than that.
Once again, Li Yuan chose to be the bigger person and not let his anger get the best of him.
"Honestly? I don't know why she did it either." he said after a moment. "But I think it might be because of my sword intent."
Rou Lin's expression shifted slightly and Li Yuan continued.
"After all, it all started on the same day when I comprehended sword intent. That's when her attitude toward me truly changed."
Rou Lin's eyes widened. "…You're serious?"
Li Yuan simply shrugged. "That's the only explanation that makes sense to me."
Rou Lin fell silent and for several seconds she said nothing, her gaze drifting away as she processed his words.
Being someone from the Nine Peak Sect, she also must've known the rarity and value of Sword Intent. Just how high someone with a sword intent could rise. Which is why her expression slowly changed as the suspicion in her eyes got replaced by guilt.
"…I see," she said, and her shoulders slumped. "It seems I misjudged you, brother Yuan."
Li Yuan said nothing even though he felt very tempted to lay it out on her. To shout and scream at her for doubting his character when without him, she would be dead by now.
But then he reminded himself that the girl was still a teenager. And teenagers have never been known for their emotional maturity or wisdom. And as someone who was much older than her mentally, he decided to swallow his anger once again.
Still, some of his feelings must've leaked through his expression because Rou Lin could no longer meet his eyes and lowered her gaze.
"I'm sorry, I thought so low of you, brother Yuan. As you already know, my own experiences with men haven't exactly been pleasant." She said, "My own father almost sold me for a few Foundation Establishment pills, while my senior brother almost… well, you know what he did. I…"
She choked up and tears started to gather in her eyes and he did his best to not feel any sympathy for her. If his long experience as a man has taught him anything, then it was to be wary of the crocodile tears of women.
They could cry at any moment, on any occasion, if they believe it would give them an upper advantage in a social situation, or let them get out of something they'd done without facing any repercussions. Like right now.
So he held back on the urge to pull her in a hug and simply crossed his arms, watching her sob silently without any expression on his own face.
"After things like that… I suppose I started assuming the worst in men," Rou Lin said quietly, sniffing as her eyes lifted to meet his again. "And when I saw Elder Zi Mo getting close to you… I assumed you were doing the same thing they would have done."
She bowed her head slightly. "I'm sorry, brother Yuan. Please forgive me."
Well, at least her apology seemed sincere. Though you couldn't truly tell with women.
Li Yuan studied her for a moment. Then he sight as he reached out and lightly ruffled her hair, drawing a surprised look from her.
"Very well. I forgive you. But this would be the last time" he said. "The next time you doubt my character like this, I'll break any relations with you, and we'll go our separate ways. Understood?"
Rou Lin stared at him for a moment, then gave a small nod. "I understand, brother Yuan. I promise, there won't be a next time."
He nodded and for a while, neither of them spoke. But the earlier tension between them had been erased and now, Rou Lin did not maintain any distance from him, standing close enough that their shoulders almost touched.
The sounds of the funeral drifted around them as more and more of the guests came forward to murmur their condolences.
Finally, Rou Lin finally broke the silence. "…So." She hesitated slightly, then continued. "Are you and Senior Sister Zi Mo… together now? As in, together-together?"
Li Yuan didn't see any reason to lie and simply nodded."Yes."
Rou Lin nodded slowly. "I see."
Another pause followed. Then she said something that made Li Yuan raise an eyebrow. "You know… powerful cultivators often take more than one wife."
"That's true." He said, waiting for her to continue.
Rou Lin opened her mouth slightly. "I…" She paused and then closed it again, her gaze shifting away. For several seconds she seemed to struggle with something, opening and closing her mouth multiple times.
Li Yuan said nothing and simply watched her quietly.
Finally Rou Lin exhaled softly. "…Never mind." She gave him a faint smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I should return to my cultivation."
Li Yuan studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."
If Rou Lin wanted to be in a relationship with him, especially after the shit she just pulled, then she would have to approach him herself as he himself wasn't in a generous mood.
Rou Lin turned and began walking away. Then, she paused. After a moment, she turned and came back, her fists clenched on her side, her eyes filled with resolution. She reached him and leaned forward to place a soft kiss on his lips. When they separated, her cheeks had turned bright red and he raised an eyebrow, wondering if she'd forgotten that they were at a funeral.
"Thank you for forgiving me brother Yuan." She said, a bright smile lighting up her face before she turned and left, her form quickly disappearing into the crowed.
Once she had left, he touched his lips and remembered the sensation he'd just felt.
'I need to talk to Zi Mo about this.' He thought and left the funeral as well.
—————
Li Yuan arrived at the central courtyard and noticed the servants at work cleaning the place, speaking in hushed tones about Li family's rise, the guests, and even his own unambiguous relationships with the Golden Core cultivator from the Nine Peak Sect.
But Li Yuan wasn't paying attention to any of that as he searched for Zi Mo. A Golden Core cultivator wasn't exactly easy to miss, yet no matter where he looked, he couldn't find even a trace of her presence.
He eventually stopped one of the servants passing by. "Have you seen Elder Zi Mo?"
The young servant bowed nervously and stammered. "No, Young Master. I have not."
Li Yuan asked a few others but none of them knew where she'd gone either. That was strange as Zi Mo usually spent all the time she wasn't out with him in this courtyard. Cultivating.
After a few more minutes of fruitless searching, Li Yuan finally exhaled softly. 'Maybe she went out.' He thought, and decided that he would simply speak with her tomorrow.
With that thought, he returned to his own courtyard. But the moment he opened the door to his room, he stopped. For the person he'd been looking for was here all along.
Zi Mo was sitting on his bed. Her arms were crossed tightly beneath her massive breasts, and she was glaring at him with narrowed eyes.
The air in the room felt several degrees colder.
"Did you enjoy Rou Lin kissing you?" she asked flatly.
Li Yuan blinked. Then he walked forward as if nothing was wrong. "Yeah," he said casually. "It was pretty nice."
He stopped when he was close enough that he could see the faint tension in her expression. Looking down into her eyes, he asked softly, "Are you upset?"
Zi Mo held his gaze for a long moment, eyes face going through several emotions before she finally sighed.
"I… am," she admitted quietly. "Even though I shouldn't be."
Li Yuan raised an eyebrow at those words. "What do you mean?"
Zi Mo leaned back slightly in his bed, her expression complicated.
"Rou Lin met you before I did," she said slowly. "And I knew she was interested in you. But I seduced you anyway." Her lips tightened slightly. "As her senior sister, that was wrong of me. So I promised myself something."
She paused, and Li Yuan silently waited for her continue.
"I promised myself that if she wanted to pursue you as well… I wouldn't oppose it," Zi Mo continued. "I would support it, even."
Li Yuan blinked and then a soft smile curled on his lips. "Oh?"
"Yeah," she muttered. Then her brows furrowed again. "Except when I actually saw her kiss you… I felt… jealous." For a moment she looked almost annoyed with herself. "I suppose I'm just not as generous as I thought I was."
Li Yuan considered words for a moment. Then he asked calmly. "So what do you want to do?"
Zi Mo frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"If you don't want to see me with Rou Lin," Li Yuan said simply, "then I'll refuse her. And that will be the end of it."
Zi Mo stared at him. "You would do that? Truly?" She asked.
"Yes." He said as he leaned down slightly and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Having one happy wife is better than having several women who hate each other."
Zi Mo looked up at him with an unreadable expression. "You're too wise for your age," she murmured. "Has anyone told you that?"
Li Yuan chuckled softly.
If only she knew.
But then Zi Mo's expression slowly shifted again. Her gaze lowered slightly and a hesitant look took over her face, as if she unsure whether she should speak or not.
"What is it?" he asked, gently cupping her cheek.
Zi Mo hesitated, then she exhaled slowly. "I think… it's time I was honest with you."
Li Yuan watched her quietly, waiting for her to continue.
"By now you must suspect that I had an ulterior motive when I seduced you."
"Yes," he said simply.
Zi Mo nodded faintly. "I thought so." She said and then paused. For a moment she seemed unsure how to begin. Then she took a deep breath and spoke up. "My master… Peak Mistress Wu Yuechan… didn't send me on this outing without reason."
"Oh?"
Zi Mo looked down at her hands. "The truth is, I possess something called the Stellar Yin Physique."
Li Yuan's eyebrows rose slightly though he wasn't truly surprised by this news. "What does it do?" He asked curiously.
"It gives me a strong affinity with the stars. By studying their movements… I can glimpse fragments of a person's fate, potential, future. Call it what you will."
"And what did you see in me?" He asked, even more curious now.
"A golden dragon. Large enough that it stretched from horizon to horizon, with no end in sight." Zi Mo said quietly. "I have… never seen anything like this before. In the entire Nin Peak Sect, and even in the other major sects, none have potential reaching even close to yours."
The room grew quiet as he nodded, not really surprised by any of this. Though the fact that her fate reading skill worked on him was worrying. Because it meant that others with a similar power could also read his fate or fortune. And that would be troublesome, as not all who does so would be beautiful waifus whom he could seduce into his bed.
"That's why I approached you," Zi Mo admitted quietly. "That's why I seduced you. I wanted to bind my future to yours."
After saying that, Zi Mo lowered her gaze, fiddling with her fingers nervously. "If knowing that makes you uncomfortable… I understand." She said, looking almost calm and accepting despite the bobbing of her throat saying otherwise. "If you no longer want me… I'll accept it."
Li Yuan was silent for a few seconds. Then he sighed softly. "Mah. You're worry too much for no reason. I'm not an idiot, or an impulsive person. I knew you had motives from the start." He said. "So when I decided to get together with you, I made a promise to myself."
Zi Mo blinked slightly and he continued.
"I promised myself that as long as those motives weren't something ridiculous, like sacrificing me to gain my power, I wouldn't hold your motives against you."
Zi Mo looked up, her eyes lighting up in hope and Li Yuan smiled faintly. "Because let's be honest with each other. It's not like I've been without my own motives." He said. "If you weren't so beautiful, or as powerful as you are… I would have rejected you the moment you started seducing me."
Zi Mo's eyes widened slightly and Li Yuan chuckled. "Poets love talking about pure love and all that crap. But in reality, relationships are transactions. If the exchange is unfair to one side… the relationship eventually collapses." He gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "So don't feel guilty. The way I see it, you did nothing wrong. Well, aside from using your Yin Qi to seduce me that first time around."
Zi Mo stared at him for a moment. Then she slowly shook her head and chuckled. "I never thought of it that way. But… I think you're right."
A small smile appeared on her lips as she stood. Then, she stepped forward and kissed him. Before he could respond, she had already pulled away, and there was a new light in her eyes.
"You're right," she said softly. "I didn't do anything wrong. But, it's also a fact that I have been unfair to you." Her fingers lightly traced the front of his robe, a brief hesitation crossing her face before she firmed up her will. "And I want to make up for it."
Li Yuan tilted his head slightly. "How?"
Zi Mo hesitated for only a moment. Then she spoke quietly "Most Yin Physiques have a unique property. If the woman sleeps with a man… part or all of that physique can be transferred to him."
Li Yuan nodded, already aware of this. Though the fact that she was bringing this up now could only mean not thing.
His eyes narrowed slightly. "You don't mean—"
"Yes." She said, her voice steady now. "My Stellar Yin Physique. I want you to take it."
Without another word, Zi Mo loosened the ties of her robe. The fabric slipped from her shoulders and fell softly to the floor, leaving her completely naked in front of him
His eyes widened as all his blood rushed south, turning him steel hard. His head felt light as he took in the beauty in front of him, and it took all his willpower to not jump at her right then and there.
Zi Mo stepped closer until their bodies nearly touched. She took his hand in her own and lifted it before pressing it against her soft, heavy breasts, making his thumb trace her perky nipple.
Then, Zi Mo she looked up into his eyes and whispered softly. "Take me, Li Yuan."
And the dam of his self-restraint finally broke.