Li Yuan leaned against the railing of the flying ship for a while, watching the last traces of the Li clan estate disappear into the distant mountains. Only when the land beneath them had turned into an endless sea of forest and rivers did he finally turn around.
The small vessel drifted smoothly through the sky, its formation humming faintly as it worked to keep the air resistance from affecting the ship while also acting as an inertia dampener.
The atmosphere inside the ship was quite comfortable as he gazed at the two people traveling with him. Zi Mo stood near the bow of the ship, one hand resting lightly atop the control formation. Clearly distracted as her eyes kept drifting toward him.
Each time their gazes almost met, she would look away again, lips pressing together slightly as if she wanted to say something but kept swallowing the words before they could escape.
Rou Lin, on the other hand, sat on the opposite side of the deck. She had positioned herself by the railing and was looking down at the mountains slowly rolling past beneath them. But judging by her stiff shoulders and the way her hands gripped the railing a little too tightly, he could tell that she was all too aware of his presence as well.
Li Yuan sighed quietly as his thoughts drifted back to the last time the two of them had spoken properly. It had been during his grandfather's fake funeral and they had parted with Rou Lin suddenly stepping forward to kiss him on the lips.
The memory was still vivid and he unconsciously lifted a hand and brushed his fingers across his lips. Even now he could almost feel the softness of her lips, feel the warmth in her breath, and smell the fragrance of her hair.
He wasn't about to lie to himself. Rou Lin was incredibly beautiful and quite talented as well. If things were simpler, he wouldn't mind having her by his side as well. But he had no interest in collecting women like trophies.
If he entered a relationship with someone, then he intended to treat it seriously. To be present for them. To care for them properly. And if they had children in the future together, he intended to be there for them as well.
He wanted to be a good husband and a good father. Not some wandering cultivator leaving a trail of broken families behind him, as he chased after higher and higher realms of cultivation.
That was part of the reason he hadn't approached Rou Lin during her month-long stay with the Li clan. Because despite Zi Mo's teasing words, he knew she still had complicated feelings about adding another person into their new relationship.
And if he ignored those feelings and pursued Rou Lin anyway… then what kind of partner would that make him?
Still, there was something he needed to say to Rou Lin, so after giving Zi Mo a brief reassuring glance, Li Yuan pushed himself off the railing and walked across the deck.
Rou Lin stiffened the moment he sat down beside her. Her entire body went rigid for a heartbeat before she forced herself to relax, eyes still fixed stubbornly on the scenery below.
"Rou Lin," he said gently and she finally turned her head toward him.
Her expression carried a mixture of hesitation and nervous curiosity. Before answering, she flicked a quick glance toward the bow where Zi Mo stood. Zi Mo had already turned away again, seemingly focused entirely on steering the ship.
"What is it?" Rou Lin asked quietly.
Li Yuan didn't waste time circling around the topic. "I've wronged you," he said calmly. "And I wanted to apologise."
Rou Lin blinked in surprise. "For what?"
"For ignoring you during your stay with my clan," he replied. "You came all the way here with me. And you even brought Zi Mo with you, which aided my clan greatly. The least I should have done in return was show you around and act like a proper host."
Rou Lin shook her head immediately. "You don't need to worry about that, Brother Yuan," she said quickly. "Your clan members were very welcoming and they treated me extremely well."
"Still," Li Yuan insisted, "it wasn't right of me."
Rou Lin shook her head again, more firmly this time. "You're forgetting something, brother Yuan." she said softly. "I already owe you a great deal. This trip was only meant to repay a small part of that debt."
She then hesitated slightly before continuing. "And besides… I know you've been busy with your clan. And with… other matters." She said, her eyes shifting toward Zi Mo once again. "So even if you had ignored me completely during the whole month, I wouldn't have blamed you."
Li Yuan studied her carefully and realised that her eyes indeed held no resentment, only sincerity. After a moment he nodded. "I'm glad you feel that way." He said, and then paused, wondering how to broach this topic. "About what happened last time…"
Rou Lin's reaction was immediate. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and her eyes widened in panic as she hurriedly glanced toward Zi Mo's position. Except… Zi Mo wasn't standing there anymore. Instead, sometime during their conversation, she had quietly walked over and now stood directly in front of them.
Rou Lin nearly jumped at her sudden appearance, and Zi Mo crossed her arms and looked down at the younger girl with a complicated expression.
"If you're worried about being with Li Yuan," she said calmly, "then you don't need to be."
Rou Lin froze at those words looking like a deer caught in the headlight. Zi Mo's lips pressed together before she continued.
"I would even… support such a relationship." Zi Mo said, looking slightly uncomfortable as she finished the sentence. "So if you want to be with him, then go ahead. We could share."
For a moment Rou Lin looked like her brain had completely stopped working. If this were a comic book world, steam would probably be pouring out of her ears.
"S–Senior Sister!" she stammered, waving her hands frantically. "You know I can't be with another man! If I did that, I might lose my Yin Physique!"
Zi Mo blinked once. Then a slow smile spread across her face. "Oh. If that's your concern…" She said, her eyes gleamed mischievously. "…then you don't need to worry."
The sky above them suddenly darkened. For a brief moment the bright daylight vanished. Then countless stars appeared overhead, shining with impossible brilliance even in the middle of the day.
Rou Lin stared upward in shock. And then Zi Mo began explaining what had happened after she gave him her Vital Yin. How her physique had not been lost and had instead evolved into something stronger. And how her cultivation had leapt forward by five entire minor realms.
By the time Zi Mo finished speaking, Rou Lin's expression looked completely stunned. Her eyes slowly shifted between the two of them, as if unsure whether to believe the story or not.
Finally, she lowered her gaze, fingers nervously twisting the edge of her sleeve. "I… I…" She swallowed hard. "Can we talk about something else?"
Li Yuan blinked at those words and then chuckled softly. "Of course. There's no need to rush anything." He said, smiling reassuringly. "You can take all the time you need."
Contrary to his words, Zi Mo instead snorted. "I disagree." She said, making both of them turn toward her.
"Once Li Yuan returns to the sect and his talent becomes known, there will be no shortage of women will to spread their legs for him," she continued bluntly. "By that time, even if you decide you want him… he might not even look in your direction."
Li Yuan raised an eyebrow. "…You know I'm standing right here, right?"
"I know," Zi Mo said before she suddenly leaned forward until her face was only inches from his. "And this applies to you as well. If your talent spreads through the sect, there will be plenty of women eager to climb into your bed. Be careful to not fall for their charms lest you end up impregnating the whore."
Li Yuan frowned slightly. He wasn't entirely sure which part of her words bothered him more. Her tone. Or the way she spoke about the other disciples within the sect.
But instead of arguing, he simply leaned forward and gently kissed the tip of her nose. "You don't need to worry about my standards," he said lightly. "I chose you, didn't I? That alone should speak about my high standards."
Zi Mo's cheeks flushed faintly at his words. She immediately looked away and punched him lightly in the arm. "Flatterer." She said and then turned and walked back toward the front of the ship, her hips swaying from side to side as she gave him a wink which promised a good time in the future.
Only after she had sat down and started guiding the Flying ship once again did Li Yuan look back at Rou Lin. The poor girl looked completely overwhelmed after witnessing their brief moment of affection.
"Don't listen to her," he said with a chuckle as he reached out and ruffled her hair gently. "Take your time. Sort out your feelings first before making any decisions. I'm not going anywhere."
Rou Lin nodded quietly. "Umu." But she kept her head lowered, unable to look up again. And the small flying ship continued sailing across the sky toward their destination.
—————
Li Yuan laid on the bench and held a jade-bound manual open in his hands. The title etched across its cover read: Eternal Abyss Soul Furnace Manual.
It was the Soul Cultivation manual he had gained from the Fallen Prince's inheritance. He had been studying it for nearly half an hour and just like all the times before, he couldn't understand a damn thing,
Every sentence in the manual confused him more than the last. Talking about stuff like Inner Void Harmonisation, Consciousness threads, Perception Resonance, and what not.
Reading the manual made him feel like he was an elementary school student trying to understand Quantum Physics.
'Circulating Qi through meridians is one thing. Tempering the body is another. But how the fuck do I go about cultivating the soul?' He wondered as he exhaled slowly and closed the book halfway. 'Well, I have not a single clue…'
He had hoped that with his current cultivation level and the experience gained from mastering Sword Intent, he would at least be able to grasp the basics. But the soul cultivation technique seemed to operate on an entirely different level.
And the worst part? With his fortune currently running low, he couldn't even hope for a stroke of sudden enlightenment like he had experienced when cultivating the Heavenly Star Refining Sutra.
Li Yuan sighed and leaned his head back against the railing. And at that moment… tap. Something lightly poked his thigh.
He looked down, and saw Rou Lin standing beside him, her finger still resting awkwardly against his leg as she pointed around them where the Ship had now lowered itself to fly barely above the treetops.
"Brother Yuan," Rou Lin said, "why are we slowing down? And… where are we?"
Li Yuan closed the book and tucked it back into his storage ring. "You'll find out in a moment." He replied as he scrutinised their surroundings. Remembering it from his vision, he turned his head toward the bow and gave Zi Mo a small nod.
Zi Mo understood immediately and without asking any questions, she guided the ship toward the nearest clearing and gently brought it down onto the forest floor. The moment they stepped off the ship, Zi Mo opened a storage pouch and the flying vessel shrank rapidly before slipping neatly inside.
The clearing fell silent, and Li Yuan closed his eyes briefly, recalling the exact direction from the vision he had seen through the halos earlier. Then, he started walking. A faint ripple of Qi spread across his body as he activated Veil of Borrowed Heaven, his presence vanishing from the world as though he had never existed.
Beside him, Zi Mo performed a concealment technique of her own, her Qi wrapping around both herself and Rou Lin, hiding their presence and suppressing their auras. Without another word, the three of them moved quietly through the forest.
It took roughly an hour before they reached the top of a gentle hill. From there, the view opened. And what they saw below made even Li Yuan raise an eyebrow.
Dozens of people were scattered across the valley floor. All of them were cultivators. And what was even more impressive was that every single one of them radiated the aura of Foundation Establishment. Some were digging trenches, others were erecting formation flags, and many others worked together to create elaborate traps across the terrain.
Li Yuan watched the scene with mild surprise. 'So many Foundation Establishment cultivators…. Seeing it in the vision had been one thing, but seeing it in real life is truly something else.'
After all, there were over forty Foundation Establishment cultivators in the valley. Even the Li clan, after their recent growth, would struggle to face so many Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Which left only two possibilities. Either the Bai clan had been hiding their strength all along… or they had gone around recruiting desperate cultivators willing to risk their lives for a share of the reward.
Remembering the way the Bai clan representatives had tried to pressure his uncle into joining their scheme, Li Yuan suspected the latter. And judging by the halos hovering above many of those cultivators… he almost felt sorry for them. Almost.
After all, most of the people below carried black or dark grey halos. The Bai clan cultivators amidst them had slightly better halos, but from what he could see, a good half of them would not make it out either. Only a handful had lighter halos. And those were the ones who would survive… mostly because they would flee the moment things turned ugly.
It reminded him of a joke from his previous life. You don't need to outrun the bear to survive a bear attack. You only need to outrun the slowest person beside you.
Li Yuan shook his head slowly.
The Bai clan was gambling with the lives of dozens of cultivators, many of their own, for the mere chance of creating a Golden Core cultivator. The desperation for power in this world truly knew no bounds.
"What is going on?" Rou Lin stepped beside him, staring down at the valley with confusion. "Who are those people?"
Li Yuan folded his arms and leaned back, feeling saddened by all the needless deaths. Any other time, and he might have interfered. But remembering how the Bai clan had tried to drag the Li clan into this suicidal plan destroyed any sympathy he might've felt toward them.
"They're desperate people," he said calmly. "Doing desperate things."
Rou Lin looked even more confused at his answer. But before she could ask anything further… a thunderous roar echoed through the valley. And the ground beneath their feet trembled violently.
Before the cultivators in the valley could even react, the earth underneath their feet exploded as a colossal serpent burst out from beneath the ground, its enormous body tearing through the prepared formations like paper.
The creature easily stretched over a hundred meters long, its scales shimmering dark green beneath the sunlight as it pinned its gaze upon the various cultivators standing around in shock. Its mere aura causing them to freeze in terror.
Li Yuan didn't know what the Bai clan had told all these poor fools. But it was definitely not the truth as none of them seemed truly prepared to face a 3rd Grade Beast. Then, before the cultivators could even understand what had happened, the serpent opened its massive jaws and spewed a thick cloud of venom across the battlefield.
The fog swallowed dozens of cultivators in seconds. Their defensive artefacts flared to life, shielding them from the poison. But the venom carried another effect which penetrated their defences.
An illusory toxin that confused the senses of the affected party. The victims staggered as their vision blurred and their reactions dulled. And then… the slaughter began.
The serpent's tail crashed down like a pillar, crushing several cultivators instantly. Others were bitten in half. Only those who stood at the edges of the battlefield and didn't fall under the effect of the venom fog managed to flee. But the majority never had the chance. Within moments, the carefully prepared trap had turned into a massacre.
Amid the chaos, Li Yuan's eyes narrowed as he noticed something in the distance. From the same tunnel where the serpent had emerged from, several figures suddenly burst out of the ground and sprinted away in the opposite direction.
He recognised the one at the head, having seen him in the visions. The former Bai clan head. The only Peak Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Bai Clan. Bai Muchen.
Li Yuan focused on the halo above the man's head. The vision unfolded instantly. Successful escape, Aurora Spirit Stones, a breakthrough attempt, Tribulation lightning… and Death.
The entire future flashed through his mind in seconds as he realised just how badly the Bai clan was about to suffer from this entire event.
The Bai clan would lose over 60% of their Foundation Establishment cultivators today. And while Bai Muchen would succeed in obtaining a batch of Aurora Spirit Stones, he would fail in the breakthrough attempt and die to the tribulation lightning.
The Bai clan would barely survive as an 8th Grade family afterward. And depending on how the other families react, they might not stay as an 8th Grade family for long.
Li Yuan watched as the serpent turned toward the fleeing group that just emerged from its cave and began chasing them. Just as the vision had shown.
"That's… that's a Third Grade beast," Rou Lin whispered beside him, her voice trembling slightly.
Li Yuan nodded calmly before he turned toward Zi Mo. "Would you be kind enough to deal with it, my dear?"
Zi Mo's lips curved into a fierce grin that sent a jolt of arousal through him. "It would be my pleasure."
The next instant, she vanished. The only thing Li Yuan saw was a blur as she shot into the distance like a falling star. Within seconds she had already crossed the battlefield and gone after the Serpent. Leaving only Li Yuan and Rou Lin standing atop the hill.
Li Yuan glanced sideways at the nervous girl beside him. "Rou Lin?"
"Um?" she replied weakly, still staring at the plethora of Foundation Establishment cultivator corpses laying around in the valley below them.
"What are your opinions… on corpse retrieval and mining?"
—————
Li Yuan stood at the bottom of the now empty lake basin, watching in silence as the last traces of spiritual moisture vanished from the cracked earth beneath his feet.
Just three days ago, this place had been a Top-grade Spirit Lake, its waters capable of birthing Earthly treasures like the Aurora Spirit Stones. And now, there was nothing left, making him feel strangely guilty even though this place was deep within spirit beast territory and would likely never be used by any human.
At the center of the lakebed, the Lakeheart Gu finally emerge from underground, looking much plumper now. Its shell glowing with a soft aquatic sheen that had definitely not been present there before as it absorbed the final remnants of the spirit lake, leaving behind nothing but a wide basin of dry soil.
Li Yuan crossed his arms and exhaled quietly. Three days. That was how long they had stayed here. During that time, the Aurora Spirit Stones attached to the cavern walls had already been completely mined out.
Most of the work had been done by Zi Mo. A Golden Core cultivator excavating mineral deposits was hardly a difficult task. Still, Li Yuan and Rou Lin had helped where they could.
Though once the work was done, and Rou Lin started asking why the Spirit Lake was dying, he sent her back up to the surface, unwilling to reveal the existence of the Lakeheart Gu to her.
That was a secret the fewer people knew the better. Even Zi Mo had stared at the Gu for a moment when she first saw it. For the briefest instant, he had seen temptation flicker across her eyes. But it vanished just as quickly, and was replaced by her usual composure.
Which honestly made him trust her even more. As having the Lakeheart Gu meant having unlimited Qi. And Zi Mo didn't have her evolved Special Phsique back then.
Li Yuan crouched down and drew a finger through the dry soil beneath his boots. A faint shimmer of Sword Intent gathered at the tip of his fingers. And then, with a slash, the ground split cleanly apart.
Another flick of his hand sent dozens of thin sword slashes across the lakebed, carving the dry earth into neat cube-shaped blocks.
Zi Mo watched him from a short distance away, arms folded beneath her heavy breasts. "What are you doing?" she asked curiously.
Li Yuan didn't even look up as he continued working. "This soil has been soaked in top-grade spirit Lake water for decades… maybe even centuries." He cut another section of earth loose before storing it inside his spatial ring. "Spirit soil like this is extremely valuable for cultivating herbs. And I happen to own a rather large garden."
Understanding dawned on her face and Zi Mo nodded, "That makes sense."
A small scraping sound echoed across the basin as the Lakeheart Gu finally started to crawl slowly across the cracked earth toward him. Moving much slower than before thanks to its full belly.
Li Yuan couldn't help smiling faintly. "Enjoyed your meal, little guy?"
The Gu gave no response, of course. It simply climbed into the jade box he had prepared for it beforehand. The moment it settled inside, the creature curled into a tight ball and went completely still. Fast asleep.
Li Yuan closed the lid carefully and stored the box away. Behind him, Zi Mo whistled softly.
"You've really struck gold this time."
"I know," Li Yuan replied with a smile but Zi Mo shook her head.
"I'm not just talking about the Gu." She said as she gestured toward the massive empty basin surrounding them. "I mean this spirit lake."
Li Yuan glanced around. "Yes, it's a Top-grade Spirit Lake," he said. "But there are plenty of those scattered across the world."
Zi Mo chuckled softly. "You really don't know, do you?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Know what?"
"Not all Top-grade Spirit Lakes are equal." She said as she walked across the cracked lakebed and knelt beside it before plunging her hand in and taking out a Top-grade spirit stone from within. "A poor-quality Top-grade lake might produce over 10,000 spirit stones per year. But this one… if my calculation is correct, then it produced nearly 90,000 annually."
Li Yuan blinked in surprise. "That much?"
But then again, it made sense. No ordinary Top-grade Spirit Lake would be capable of producing the Aurora Spirit Stone in such large quantities.
"With a lake of this quality, your Lakeheart Gu has already consumed nearly 1/3rd of the energy it needs for its next evolution."
Her words made Li Yuan looked around the dried lakebed again. For a moment, a faint frown crossed his face. "I now feel even worse about this." He admitted.
Zi Mo tilted her head in confusion. "About what?"
"About destroying the lake." He said as he toward the barren basin. "This place existed here for centuries or millennia and would've existed for many more. But because of me, it's now gone. Such a beautiful natural thing, destroyed at my hand."
Zi Mo's confusion had now given way to utter bewilderment. "Most other cultivators would celebrate gaining such an incredible treasure" She said incredulously. "But you're feeling bad? I don't think I quite understand you."
He sighed quietly. "Maybe destroying one lake doesn't matter much. But if I keep growing stronger… the Gu I have might start consuming larger lakes. Entire ecosystems might disappear because of it. Is all that really worth it for a growth of a single Gu, to help a single person?"
Zi Mo listened quietly and then she shook her head. "Well, if that's your fear, then let me put them to rest by telling you this. Heaven always maintains balance."
Li Yuan looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"What it means is simple. If one Spirit Lake disappears, another will eventually form somewhere nearby." She said.
"Really?" He asked with a slight frowned. Unsure if she was merely saying it to put his worries to rest.
"It's true and has been recorded countless times before in history," she replied calmly. "It might take years, or maybe even decades. The new lake might appear fifty kilometres East, or fifty kilometres underground where no one will ever find it. But it will appear. Always. And it'll be of the same quality as the one that just got destroyed."
Li Yuan stared at her for a moment, then the tension slowly left his shoulders. That explanation lifted a weight he hadn't realised he was carrying. "…That's good to know."
Zi Mo smiled faintly, then she suddenly tossed him a spatial ring.
Li Yuan caught it instinctively. When his spiritual sense entered the ring, his eyes widened slightly. Inside were well over a thousand batches of shimmering Aurora Spirit Stones.
"You didn't take your share?" he asked in confusion, as he had offered her 75% of the spoils, needing only a small bit for himself and his family.
Zi Mo shook her head. Instead, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You were the one who discovered this place, so its bounty belongs to you.." She said, as she leaned her head lightly against his chest. "And besides… we'll soon be husband and wife. What's yours is ours… and what's mine is mine."
Li Yuan stared down at her and gave her a dry look. "…That seems like a very unfair arrangement."
Zi Mo grinned unrepentantly and he couldn't help but smile even as he rolled his eyes. His arms wrapped around her in return and for a moment, they simply basked in each other's presence.
After a long moment they finally separated and Li Yuan looked up at his own halo. Noticing that it had finally started to shine with brightness once again.
Yes, he took advantage of someone else's misfortune. But turning misfortune into fortune also created fortune. And gaining over a thousand batches of Aurora Spirit Stones was a large fortune indeed. Likely something that he would keep using for decades, if not centuries to come. Not to mention the spirit lake and the 35+ Foundation Establishment cultivator corpses that he would soon feed to his Stele.
Then… Zi Mo tossed him another spatial ring. "This one is also for you." She said with a soft smile.
Li Yuan examined it curiously and paused as he found that inside it… was the massive corpse of the Third-Grade spirit beast she had killed earlier.
Zi Mo crossed her arms. "I noticed you have a strange habit of collecting corpses. So I brought it back for you."
Li Yuan chuckled softly. "That's… surprisingly thoughtful."
He stepped forward and pulled her close by the waist before his lips pressed against hers in a deep, lingering kiss. For a moment, the empty lakebed was completely silent. Then he finally pulled back with a satisfied smile.
"Well," he said. "I suppose it's time we return to the sect."
—————
The old man sat alone at the peak of the mountain, wearing a dark cloak that hid his entire form from the world. The hood cast a deep shadow over his face, hiding every trace of his features. From a distance, he looked like nothing more than another weathered rock sitting atop the ridge, thanks to an illusion ability he had learned in his youth.
But beneath the stillness, his mind felt restless. After all, he has been waiting for three days. Three days since his grandson departed with that Golden Core woman of his, and her junior sister. Three days since they likely got into a fight with that 3rd Grade Beast Yuan'er told him about.
And yet, not a single word had returned.
At first, he had not worried. After all, that boy had already shown time and time again that he possessed both luck and ability far beyond what ordinary cultivators could hope for. But now… the old man's fingers tightened slightly around the sleeve of his robe in worry and fear.
Rumours had begun spreading through the nearby towns about the Bai clan and many other cultivators suffering a massacre in the Northern Mountain Hills searching for a treasure.
Word or mouth had spread from the few Rogue cultivators who survived. About the Bai clan lying to them about something, and how as a result many of them were slaughtered by a 3rd Grade Spirit Beast. Even the Magister of the Redleaf Prefecture had died in the battle, if rumours were to be believe.
Because of all those rumours, even though he kept telling himself that Li Yuan had a Golden Core cultivator with him, a faint crease had still formed between his brows.
"Nothing would happen to Yuan'er," he muttered quietly to himself, the words almost akin to a prayer by this point as he kept his gaze locked in the distant horizon. Then… his sharp eyes caught movement in the distant sky.
A large shadow cut across the clouds, gliding swiftly toward the mountain. And the old man let out a huge sigh of relief, his shoulders slumping as all the tension drained out of him.
A while later, a massive hawk descended from the sky and landed on the rocky ground in front of him. The bird spread its wings briefly before folding them back, letting out a proud cry.
The old man exhaled. Not because he cared about whatever treasure his grandson had sent back to him. But because the hawk's return meant one thing. Li Yuan was still alive, and likely already on his way back to the sect.
The old man reached down calmly and untied the spatial ring fastened to the hawk's leg. He pulled a large spirit beast corpse from his own storage ring and tossed it onto the ground. The hawk immediately bent its head and began tearing into the flesh eagerly. And while the bird ate, the old man examined the contents of the ring.
Two items appeared in his hands. The first was a heavy pouch, and even before opening it, he could feel the rich spiritual fluctuations leaking through the cloth.
Aurora Spirit Stones, a great many of them. Enough to refine ten complete batches. His brows lifted slightly at that. After all, Li Yuan had promised to send enough for one batch. This was far more than he had promised.
"That brat…" He murmured, fondly shaking his head before his gaze fell upon the second item, which was a folded letter.
The old man unfurled the letter and recognised the handwriting immediately. It was written by Yuan'er own hands. And the contents in it were simple, even though the meaning behind carried great weight.
Grandfather,
By the time you receive this letter, I will already be on my way back to the sect.
The matters of the Bai clan have been resolved and there is no need for the Li clan to worry about them for the foreseeable future. However, there is something else that has been on my mind.
The children who recently awakened their meridians during the ceremony. Especially the ones who joined our clan from outside families.
Most of them are the sons and daughters of peasants. For them, entering the Li clan is the greatest opportunity they will ever receive in their lives. But that same opportunity could also become the root of resentment if they are treated poorly.
Those children could one day become the strongest pillars supporting our clan. Or the sharpest knives that destroy it from within. Which of those futures comes to pass will depend entirely on how they are treated now. So I ask you to watch over them. Make sure the clan treats them fairly.
If the clan promised them spirit stones or cultivation resources, then those promises must be honoured without exception. If anyone bullies them, suppresses them, or steals their items, then such behaviour must be punished strictly.
At the same time, I hope the clan will maintain a healthy sense of competition among them. Encourage friendly rivalries. Let them compete and grow stronger through that competition. But never allow it to turn into cruelty or oppression.
They must feel that the Li clan is truly their home.
If we do this well, then ten years from now those children will form the strongest foundation our clan has ever possessed. If we fail… then the seeds of our destruction will be planted by our own hands.
I know this is a troublesome matter to manage. But I trust you more than anyone else in the clan to oversee it.
Please take care of this for me.
— Li Yuan
The old man finished reading and chuckled quietly. "That brat…" Even after leaving for the sect, his grandson was still worrying about the family.
He carefully folded the letter and slipped it inside his cloak. But as he looked toward the distant mountains where the Li clan estate lay hidden, his expression slowly grew serious again.
The boy was right. The Li clan had grown too quickly recently. And the next few years would determine whether that growth became a solid foundation… or left cracks that would tear the clan apart.
"This matter…" he murmured quietly. "…I will oversee it myself."
Well… not quite himself. After all, the world now believed he was a dead man. And dead men shouldn't be walking around, meddling in the affairs of the living. But that did not mean he could not whisper instructions, or quietly watch over the clan from the shadows.
A faint smile returned to his lips. After all… this was the only request Li Yuan had ever truly made of him.
And the old man had no intention of disappointing his grandson.
Author's Note
Thus ends the Family Arc. Hope you guys enjoyed reading it. Now, we go back to the sect and start the next arc.