Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror

Chapter 286 262: Inviting Someone to Take Charge

In the mirror, the grey-white haze floated between the heavens and the earth. The buildings below were mostly restored to their moon-white splendor, with pavilions, verandas, high platforms, and palaces scattered throughout, endlessly stretching into the distance and adorned with ascendant trails of moonlight—a realm akin to the abode of immortals on earth.

Lu Jiangxian leaned against the stone table, dozing off with his head resting against the table's edge, which was as smooth as white jade. In his hand, the Jade Pot paused gently, and a steady voice emerged near his ear.

"Li Tongya, a scion of the Li Family, respectfully requests the Guidance Technique to eliminate demons and eradicate evil, to enjoy the tribute of blood..."

Lu Jiangxian jolted awake and stretched languidly, sitting up straight. His divine sense emerged from the surface of the mirror, and the man in grey clothes stood below him, bowing reverently.

"Li Tongya..."

He had survived in the Li Family for many years, witnessing the demise of the four Li brothers until only this one remained. Even though Li Tongya had achieved Foundation Establishment, he still stood below, respectfully bending his body and chanting the words of prayer. Lu Jiangxian couldn't help but fall silent.

"Among the four sons of the Li Family, Li Tongya is the most cautious and suspicious. I have been in the Li Family for several decades; could it be that he has never once doubted me? That is certainly impossible."

Lu Jiangxian was well aware of the few times he had assisted in the Li Family's rise to power, each help fraught with flaws and quite clumsy. In the beginning, none were familiar with the Path of Cultivation, and even if they were, any premonitions would only lead to silent suspicions. Now that Li Tongya had spent fifty years amidst Immortal Cultivators and seen much, even Li Mutian, a mere mortal, harbored suspicions about the Dharma Mirror in his final years. Lu Jiangxian could not believe that Li Tongya had no doubts about the Dharma Mirror.

"He has become a Foundation Establishment Immortal Cultivator, yet he does not face the Dharma Mirror as if it were a magic artifact; rather, it's as if he's regarding an Upper Immortal. The meaning here is clear as day."

"Even those actions of mine that seemed too deliberate back then have been much embellished by Li Tongya when he recounts them to his juniors. It's as if he's deliberately trying to maintain our current relationship... He's thinking in the long term."

Although Lu Jiangxian couldn't be considered scheming, in his intermittent wakefulness and sleep, he felt his psychological age had reached over thirty. He admitted he was no match for these cultivators and had no interest in engaging them, thinking to himself:

"My lifespan is too long. As long as I lurk within this mirror, I fear no disaster and only wish to harvest Talisman Seeds to the best of my ability. It would be wonderful to have good yields in these years, but if not, then let it be."

Li Tongya was still waiting quietly below. A full quarter of an hour passed before he carefully picked up the mirror with a flick of his sleeve. Lu Jiangxian thought to himself:

"Visiting Xu Country wouldn't be bad. Back then, Chi Wei and his companions from Zifu passed by without discovering me, so it should be safe."

And so, he dimmed his brilliance, appearing like an ordinary, worn copper mirror in Li Tongya's hands. Li Tongya examined it for a while, finding no sign of Spirit Mechanism or Dharma Light. With a sigh, he placed the Mirror into his bosom, and with two shaky steps, he left the courtyard.

Above, Lu Jiangxian reflected, while Li Tongya at the bottom had much to consider. Recalling from the time Xiangping had found the Dharma Mirror at the riverbed, the Li Family had grown step by step into one of the Noble Families. Now looking back on the two lines from the Guidance Technique:

"By time I declare the merit, upholding my faith, with the script burnt to ashes, I bid farewell to Taiyin."

Li Tongya couldn't help feeling uneasy in his heart. The Li Family had benefited too much from the Dharma Mirror, which only added to his anxiety. He murmured to himself:

"When my time comes, nurturing the Dharma Mirror should pose no problem, but what merit must I perform to be considered faithful to my promise..."

As he walked down the mountain, he caught a glimpse of Li Xuanxuan silently drawing talismans in the courtyard. Li Tongya stepped into the yard and said warmly:

"Xuan'er!"

Li Xuanxuan raised his eyebrows and looked up, saying eagerly:

"Uncle, has there been a message from the Fox Demon senior...?"

"Indeed."

Li Tongya nodded and replied:

"The matter is feasible, but we still need to send someone to the Xiao Family."

"The Xiao Family?"

Li Xuanxuan echoed, and Li Tongya said:

"I'm going out to catch demons, but I'm worried about you all. I'll ask Senior Xiao Yuansi to come by when he has time."

Li Tongya's journey to Bianyan Mountain was not far, but the round trip would take several days. In theory, the Yu Family should be quietly healing their wounds by now and have no knowledge of Li Tongya's whereabouts, so there should be no cause for concern. However, being a person of extreme caution, after pondering for a while, Li Tongya decided to bother Xiao Yuansi and instructed:

"Using the Yuanjiao wedding as an excuse, invite him over."

Li Tongya paused, then explained:

"Yuanjiao has been fostered to Chi Jing; by rights, he should now be your adopted paternal grandson. Just make it clear to Xiao Yuansi, and he'll naturally be willing to take the trip. With Xu Country currently in great chaos, you might also take this opportunity to inquire further from Xiao Yuansi," Li Tongya said.

Li Xuanxuan nodded again and again, completely trusting his uncle by marriage and readily agreeing. He then saw Li Tongya rise with the wind and ascend into the sky, turning to a servant on the side, he ordered:

"Summon Donghe here."

Chen Donghe was originally on Huaqian Mountain; upon receiving the command, he headed east.

----

After chatting with Li Xuanxuan in the courtyard for a while, Li Tongya saw someone enter the courtyard with a light laughter. It was Xiao Yuansi who stepped forward and, seeing the two, said with a smile:

"Congratulations are in order, the noble family has, once again, seized two more mountains."

"We've seen the elder!"

Both Li Tongya and Li Xuanxuan responded in unison, and Xiao Yuansi gestured for them to sit down before he began:

"Thankfully, I wasn't out traveling or in closed-door cultivation; otherwise, you wouldn't have found me so urgently. What's up? Do you need to perform alchemy, or are you in need of assistance?"

"Elder."

Li Tongya returned the greeting and explained:

"The wedding is nearing, and Tongya fears unforeseen issues may arise. Normally, I should stay to oversee the family matters, but there is urgent business that requires a trip to Xu Country. First, I hope the elder can oversee things in my absence, and second, I wish to learn about the situation in Xu Country."

"Oh."

Xiao Yuansi waved his hand generously and replied:

"Switching places to cultivate for a few days is no big deal, but as for Xu Country..."

Xiao Yuansi paused, seeing that Li Tongya did not elaborate on the so-called urgent matters for his trip. He chose not to ask further but simply said:

"I've also asked the Patriarch about matters in Xu Country. If you are seeking benefits or opportunities, you should do so quickly and make a swift return."

"In about half a year or so, an Upper Immortal will take action to rectify the situation in Xu Country. By then, if you want to go to Xu Country, you'll have to do it under the scrutiny of others. Not only will your hands be tied, but it's also prone to danger."

Li Tongya nodded as if he had found a precious treasure while Li Xuanxuan couldn't help but ask:

"Are the Upper Immortals intervening because they can't stand the chaotic situation, out of kindness..."

"There's nothing kind about it."

Xiao Yuansi shook his head in response:

"They're not intervening because the Four Territories are in chaos and the people are suffering. Rather, Buddhism is advancing by leaps and bounds. If today Xu Country is lost, tomorrow Wu Country could be next. They fear their Taoist lineage will be suppressed."

Li Tongya silently nodded and asked in a low voice:

"Is it a Golden Core Immortal Cultivator who will make a move?"

"I'm not certain, but the situation has not deteriorated to such an extent. It shouldn't require a Golden Core Immortal Cultivator to intervene,"

Xiao Yuansi shook his head, took a sip from his teacup, and answered:

"The Patriarch did not elaborate; he was quite reticent about it. Most likely, they will send Cultivators in the late stage and peak of Zifu, with Golden Core Cultivators as a backup."

"If the Golden Core Cultivators start fighting, it would affect the whole of Xu Country and even the Wu-Yue region. Xu Country could face a paralysis of its Spirit Mechanism for six or seven hundred years, with its Earth Vein extinguished. Even if we win, what's the use? It would be nothing but scorched earth. It's rare these days to see a Golden Core Cultivator make a move in these parts of the world."

Li Tongya had thought that the difference between Zifu and Foundation Establishment was already immense, but he never imagined Golden Core Cultivators to be so fearsome. Intending to question further, he took the opportunity to ask:

"It's astonishing to hear how formidable the Golden Core Cultivators are... Wouldn't it be better to take the fight up into the sky? That way, the Earth Vein and its Spirit Mechanism wouldn't be harmed..."