Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror

Chapter 291 - 266 Bridal Pickup (Part 1)

Lijing Mountain.

The side courtyard was swept spotlessly clean, Li Jingtian propped up the wooden frame, taking advantage of the fine weather to air out the wooden slips, carefully placing them, when a little girl around seven or eight years old, dressed in a red dress with gold patterns, looking quite festive, came into the inner courtyard briskly, with a brocade bag in hand, laughing as she said:

"Mom! When is Brother Yuanjiao going to fetch the bride?"

Li Jingtian held Li Qingxiao in his arms, checked the hour, and said warmly:

"The time should be near, once you have gathered your clothes, we can go down the mountain together."

"Oh..."

Li Qingxiao was also eight years old, and had been found to possess a Spirit Aperture earlier in the year. Li Jingtian was so delighted he had her start on cultivation techniques right away. Everyone had come to congratulate them, and Chen Donghe was also quite satisfied. The couple had shut themselves in the courtyard to watch Li Qingxiao practice for a while before they noticed something wasn’t right.

Given Chen Donghe’s talents weren’t bad and the Li Family was of Foundation Establishment lineage, Li Qingxiao, with her Spirit Aperture, should have been no less talented than Chen Donghe. But after a while, the couple saw that Li Qingxiao’s talent was really not that great. To condense a single thread of Spiritual Energy for the Xuanjing Wheel, which required eighty-one threads, it took Li Qingxiao almost half a month of time...

By this calculation, it would take Li Qingxiao more than three years to have a chance at condensing the Xuanjing Wheel, which was already about the same as those external family cultivators from down the mountain. What’s more, Li Qingxiao was practicing the "Wheel Nurturing Technique" that Li Tongya had brought back from Ling Yanzi, designed specifically for their own family cultivators who had not received the Talisman Seed, which was inherently better than the techniques practiced by those external family cultivators. Otherwise, it would have been even slower.

The couple sat opposite each other, pondering for a long time. When Chen Donghe looked at the others of the Yuanqing generation, he even began to feel guilty, blaming himself for the impurity of the Chen Family’s bloodline and for holding Qingxiao back.

Now, seeing Li Qingxiao respond, Li Jingtian couldn’t help but instruct:

"When that Xiao Family boy gives the jade ring to your brother Yuanjiao, you give him this brocade bag and say some auspicious words. It’s just a custom, but make sure you remember so as to avoid idle gossip from others."

Li Qingxiao nodded obediently, while Li Jingtian picked up a wooden box from the side, explaining:

"It’s a long journey down the mountain, so I prepared some pastries for you. You can eat them in the carriage to avoid hunger."

Li Qingxiao carried the wooden box in her hands, blinked her eyes, and suddenly asked:

"Mom, I heard that I will have to marry into the Xiao Family in the future, just like sister-in-law did..."

Li Jingtian hesitated, her expression tangled and difficult to articulate, only answering:

"It’s still too early to tell. Who can say what will happen in a decade or more."

Li Qingxiao nodded and smiled, saying:

"If I am to look for a husband in the Xiao Family, Mom, you’ll have to pick one who is kinder to Qingxiao..."

Li Jingtian simply took her hand, her voice somewhat downcast, and called her:

"Go ahead and go down now so as not to keep your brother waiting."

————

The foothills of the Li Family were also bustling with excitement, with lanterns and streamers painting a joyous scene, far surpassing the wedding of the Lu Family in its grandiosity. Red silk decorations hung all around, and the sound of suonas echoed joyfully in the already lively Li Family avenues, with both the top and bottom of the mountain immersed in merriment.

Having conquered Huazhong Mountain and Jade Court Mountain for over half a year, the Li Family’s territory had nearly doubled. Li Xuanxuan planned to establish seven towns at the base of both Huazhong and Jade Court Mountains, adding to the four in Lijing and three in Huaqian for a total of fourteen towns, generating a massive amount of land and labor available for cultivation. The increasingly crowded populations of the seven towns now had places to go, and the entire Li Family was bursting with vitality.

Just like the golden era that came with the conquest of Huaqian, the Li Family’s subjects once again had the opportunity to rise up in status. In the seven towns, there was a surge of ambitious spirits.

As long as one was not a lazybones idle in affairs, striving hard would always yield a plot of land or a bucket of gold. The common people didn’t ask for much, just to keep living; such an opportunity was already an extravagant wish.

The stagnation and deathly stillness brought by the increasing number of notable surname disciples within the Li Family was thrown to the wind, and the wealth and military exploits from foreign invasions revealed more emerging talents, with several notable families sensing an imminent change.

"With the whirlwind of changes, there will come a time of transformation... Out of the seven towns have emerged five notable surnames, and with seven new towns to the north, how many people are vigorously striving to stand out..."

Li Yuanjiao, situated at the center of these momentous changes, simply rolled up his sleeves, arranging the gold pattern on the cuff of his red garment. As he presided over the Clan Head Courtyard, he was naturally very aware of the restless movements within the Li Family. He straightened his wedding robe and said with a smile,

"The days ahead promise to be good."

Ever since Li Tongya made a breakthrough in Foundation Establishment and formed an alliance through marriage with the Xiao Family, the defeat of the An Family to the north had been inevitable. From the Foundation Establishment ancestors and Qi Cultivation immortal cultivators to the noble families and the common people of Lidao, all were eagerly looking forward.

Now that all social strata were benefiting, and the Xiao Family was marrying off their daughter in person, support and fear for the Li surname grew even stronger. Li Yuanjiao saw all of this and naturally was in high spirits. The clan uncles at his side didn’t know why Li Yuanjiao was smiling; they just assumed it was out of happiness for the wedding and continuously offered their congratulations. Only a few of Li Yuanjiao’s half-brothers exchanged looks and silently smiled.

As the hour approached, Li Yuanjiao and his party mounted their horses to go and meet the people of the Xiao Family, following tradition. Fortunately, the Xiao and Li families were not too far apart. As Fetal Breathing Cultivators possessed extraordinary stamina, they did not anticipate much trouble. If the families had lived farther apart, they would have had to make a token gesture, sending someone to fetch Xiao Guiluan by flying through the wind.

The ancient Lidao had been renovated twice by now, and the Xiao Family had already taken care of it some years ago. There were rest stations along the road, and the path was smooth and easy to travel. As a cultivator at the peak of Fetal Breathing, Li Yuanjiao did not need to rest, but most of the Li men with him lacked cultivation, so they had to pause along the way. It took them several days to reach Li Xia County.

Xiao Guiluan, having descended the mountain, was waiting in the county. After sitting in the palanquin for a while, she finally heard that someone had come to escort her in marriage.

A group of people obviously came to receive Xiao Guiluan. They stood at the base of the mountain for some time, and soon, the celebratory procession from the Xiao Family appeared in the distance. The ground was covered in red petals. Li Yuanjiao silently waited for a while before seeing the luxurious palanquin arrive. A boy of about ten jumped down, dressed festively and holding a circular jade screen in his hands, and respectfully said,

"May the phoenix song flourish through five generations, and the peach blossoms burn brightly, may this union last a thousand years... May your doorstep shine brightly, and the harmony of strings and woodwind last forever."

After the boy finished his auspicious speech, Li Yuanjiao thanked him, received the jade screen, and from behind him emerged a rosy-cheeked girl, who was naturally Li Qingxiao.

Li Qingxiao, still a child after all, appeared slightly weary from riding the chariot for so long. Yet being sensible, she didn’t cry or fuss, and smilingly stuffed a brocade pouch into Xiao Xian’s hand, leading him into the chariot, leaving only Xiao Guiluan in the bridal palanquin.

Li Yuanjiao dismounted his horse to offer incense and wine, fully respecting the ceremonial rites of the Xiao Family, which took a full hour to complete. He then nodded, turned his horse, and leisurely followed next to the palanquin, heading toward the Li Family’s direction.

It was only then that he had the chance to take a careful look at the palanquin. He didn’t use his Spiritual Sense to probe; instead, he carefully observed the graceful silhouette cast upon the curtain. Li Yuanjiao said softly,

"Fortunate to catch a glimpse."

The silhouette paused slightly and then lifted the round fan in her hand, casting a pale shadow through it; a clear and gentle voice came from behind the curtain, light and nimble, replying,

"I have waited long for you."