Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror

Chapter 279 256 Old Friends Meet

The turmoil caused by the Li Family had subsided after half a month, and the autumn atmosphere on the lake grew even denser, the water becoming deeper and more serene. The shores were clad in reds and yellows, gradually exuding a chill.

The Fei Clan reaped the benefits and hunkered down on the North Shore without a peep; that Jiang Heqian also feared Yu Xiaogui and Yu Yufeng seeking revenge with bated breath, no longer appearing on the East Bank. The Yu Family silently licked their wounds in a corner, and for a time, there was a strange calm. Apart from the deserted ruins of the marketplaces, which fell into silence once more, everything seemed peaceful.

"How are things?"

Yu Mugao sat at the highest spot in the hall, his face weary, his expression somber, yet his voice carried a faint hint of ease. Supporting his forehead with one hand, he gently tapped the shaft of a writing brush on the table with the other. A recently opened envelope lay on the table. He asked the person sitting down below.

"Elder Xiao'ao has indeed perished. We've stripped those few people of their various properties under the accusation of colluding with the enemy, without any objections."

The person below answered, and a trace of reluctant compassion flickered across Yu Mugao's face. Yu Xiao'ao had watched him grow up. Yu Mugao had originally hoped that more of those failures would die on Lijing Mountain. Unexpectedly, the Fei Clan had breached the Yu Courtyard Guarding Formation and caused the demise of Yu Xiao'ao.

The Yu Family had lost too many of their direct lineage and cultivators in the marketplace, causing great turmoil in both their territories and clan internally. Taking advantage of the death of Yu Xiao'ao, who had been a leading figure among the old clan elders, Yu Mugao struck decisively against his uncles and brothers, thoroughly reorganizing. With the removal of these parasites, the Yu Family started to show unprecedented vitality.

"It's just as well, there's no need to persuade father to give up the marketplace anymore."

Yu Mugao had lost the marketplace, but his heart surprisingly felt lighter. The word "Green Pond" on the letter in his hand was particularly eye-catching. Yu Mugao secretly thought:

"The old ancestor probably won't return... Father is in seclusion, and the clan is finally in my hands. Without those fools, it is indeed much more comfortable."

The Yu Family's resources were drained not only by those uncles and brothers but also had to be provided as tribute and support for Yu Yufeng. Now that there were two fewer places to supply, Yu Mugao suddenly found himself with more than enough on his hands. Yu Yufeng was most likely doomed, yet Yu Mugao felt little sorrow, only sighing:

"If these people had been removed forty years earlier, and my father and the old ancestor hadn't foolishly meddled with the Blood Sacrifice and the Lake Gathering, and had all obeyed me, how could we have suffered such a loss!"

Yu Mugao looked at the young cultivators who had been promoted and sitting down below, suddenly filled with confidence. The previous Yu Family, although powerful, had been controlled from various sides and was sucked dry by Yu Yufeng, with him, Yu Mugao, being forced to obey. The current Yu Family, though not as grand as before, truly belonged to him, Yu Mugao.

"With two years to consolidate... As long as Muxian is still on Yuanwu Peak, I can afford to play a game with Li Xuanxuan and Fei Yihe..."

Yu Mugao slowly placed the letter on the table, his eyes intently fixed on the words within, as he traced them lightly with a vermillion brush. The autumn sun was warm and comfortable, its golden light falling on the paper, making the red ink shine like blood.

"Decades have passed without return, nor a letter received... My master once said that the Demon King of the Southern Border feasts on the moon's essence and fears he is no longer well."

"My senior brother will come to the lake... I will enter seclusion, and Foundation Establishment is in sight."

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"Brother Xuanfeng! I've heard that your respected senior has recently achieved Foundation Establishment. Congratulations indeed!"

Liu Changdie drifted on the wind, the dazzling Jin Geng Longbow on Li Xuanfeng's back before him sparkling in his eyes. While offering his congratulations, he secretly thought:

"This bow must be Jin Geng! In a past life, I reinforced the formation for the Green Pond Sect. When attacked by demonic creatures, I saw only the golden light but not the bow; today I am truly graced with a sight!"

Li Xuanfeng laughed heartily and replied:

"Brother Changdie is always well-informed, you are too kind."

Liu Changdie just looked at the aura of Li Xuanfeng, who had reached the Seventh Layer of Qi Cultivation, and sighed with admiration while offering his congratulations:

"Brother Xuanfeng isn't even thirty-five yet, right? At the Seventh Layer of Qi Cultivation, you could probably attempt to break through to Foundation Establishment in your forties or fifties!"

Li Xuanfeng smiled without speaking, his sharp eyebrows twitched as he responded,

"Brother Changdie, you're not slow either. Now at the Sixth Layer of Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment is within reach."

After exchanging compliments, Huaqian Mountain appeared under their feet. Li Xuanfeng led his guest into the courtyard, where they were met by a young man in black. He moved gracefully and bowed, saying,

"Greetings to the elder!"

The man was dressed in black, with a well-formed face and slightly narrow eyes that gave him an inherently fierce look. It was Li Yuanjiao. Liu Changdie recognized him and awkwardly held back from blurting out "Brother Jiao," just as Li Xuanfeng introduced him,

"This is my eldest brother's son, Li Yuanjiao, currently cultivating on Huaqian Mountain!"

Seeing the young man before him, Liu Changdie felt both awkward and delighted to meet an old friend. He hastily mustered a smile and said,

"I could never be called an elder! Seeing Yuanjiao's outstanding demeanor, I hold great admiration in my heart. Let us speak as equals... as equals..."

Li Xuanfeng's expression became slightly strange. He was on brotherly terms with Liu Changdie, yet now Liu Changdie wished to be on equal footing with Li Yuanjiao, which would surely mess up the seniority. For a moment he was silent, and just as Li Yuanjiao, who had only just arrived at Huaqian Mountain, was feeling puzzled, he repeatedly declined.

Liu Changdie couldn't refuse further and simply said,

"It's all right for Brother Xuanfeng to say that here, but in private I shall address Brother Yuanjiao as my equal."

Li Xuanfeng had no choice but to nod his head, then sent a message to Li Yuanjiao using mana,

"Liu Changdie is good-natured and highly skilled in formations, but he is often quite peculiar. As long as it's harmless, just let him be..."

Then they all sat down together, and the servants brought tea. Li Xuanfeng did not beat around the bush and asked directly,

"Taoist Fellow Changdie, if you were to set up a formation on Huaqian Mountain, based on the local earth vein and spirit mechanism, what level of power could the formation reach? And how many spirit stones would it cost?"

Liu Changdie nodded and replied,

"In previous years, when I was setting up the Sun Yi Xuan Guang Great Formation on Lijing Mountain, I had observed that Huaqian Mountain's earth vein is missing several corners, low and stubby at that. It could only sustain a formation that can withstand a cultivator at the peak of Qi Cultivation, like what Wan Huaqian did back then."

He smiled wryly and continued,

"I once believed I could match Wan Huaqian, but upon seeing Huaqian Mountain, I now realize that Wan Huaqian's formation cultivation is still above mine. If I were to set it up, it would mostly only withstand late-stage Qi Cultivation and probably wouldn't last a stick of incense's time in front of a Foundation Establishment cultivator..."

Li Xuanfeng calculated in his mind the distance from Lijing Mountain to Huaqian Mountain and realized a stick of incense's time was more than enough, so he answered,

"A stick of incense's time is enough. But how many spirit stones... would be needed?"

Seeing Li Xuanfeng agree, Liu Changdie nodded and said,

"If the noble clan doesn't have extra formation flags, we'll have to use an array plate to set up the formation. With the example of Wan Huaqian's excellent work ahead, I can set it up following that pattern. It should take about fifty or sixty spirit stones."

Li Xuanfeng, no longer the inexperienced youth he once was, of course knew that this price was unbelievably cheap. He just furrowed his brows and asked,

"If it takes fifty or sixty spirit stones, does Brother Changdie still have any profit to speak of?"