novelraw Chapter 297 - 272: Granted to Him
Chapter 297 - 272: Granted to Him
"Rosy Cloud Boat..."
Li Xuanxuan gazed at the colorful rosy clouds in the sky, feeling uneasy. After performing the sacrificial rites, her Uncle Li Tongya had disappeared. As a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, her cultivation practice was measured in years, and she wouldn’t be able to find him anytime soon. She could only wait in silence.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before a figure in grey appeared before her. Li Tongya descended with a frown. He had intended to go into seclusion to cultivate, but his wife Liu Rouxuan’s health had been deteriorating day by day. Li Tongya had no choice but to cancel his original plans, just in time to encounter this scene.
"It must be a summons to Yi Shan City in the Southern Border."
Li Tongya stood sword in hand, hovering in the air. He had heard some information at Xiao Chuting’s spell meeting. Now, with a little thought, he could roughly guess the purpose of the Rosy Cloud Boat. He waited in the sky for a while before he saw someone riding the wind, standing on a Flying Shuttle. The person was dressed elegantly, but his face was rat-like, with shifty eyes constantly rolling around, exuding a rascally air.
The rascal landed in front of the formation and shouted:
"Li Family junior, open the formation quickly and let your grandfather in!"
The crowd below showed anger, but Li Tongya seemed thoughtful. He calmly opened the Formation and went forward to greet him, saying respectfully:
"Li Family of Lijing, welcomes the envoy!"
Seeing that a Foundation Establishment Cultivator came to greet him personally, the rascal couldn’t keep up his disdainful demeanor and grudgingly said:
"At least you have some sense."
He then entered the courtyard with his head tilted, glancing at the Li family members who dared not speak out and waved his sleeve impatiently, cursing:
"All of you roll out; only the two of us should talk. How can juniors listen in?"
"You!"
Li Xuanxuan’s face showed a hint of anger, but Li Xuanling, like a snake, glanced at the man and pulled his brothers away.
Once in the courtyard with Li Tongya, the rascal used a spell to seal the surroundings. He dropped his frivolous mannerism, stood up straight with proper posture, guilt evident on his face, and bowed:
"The humble Deng Yuzhi acted out of necessity just now. I implore the elder to forgive me."
Li Tongya was taken aback by the man’s abrupt change, simply clasping his hands and responding:
"Brother Deng, please get up, no need for such courtesies, we didn’t take it to heart."
Deng’s tone was urgent and swift as he stood up without waiting for Li Tongya to decline, and continued:
"I am a descendant of the Deng Family of Green Pond Peak, a Noble Family. My elder brother Deng Qiuzhi and the Sword Immortal were close friends, both perished in the Southern Border, devoured by the Demon King. Does the elder know of this?"
"I am aware."
Li Tongya, seeing Deng Yuzhi’s urgency, answered crisply. Deng simply nodded and spoke solemnly:
"It’s good that the elder is aware. The Cultivator from the Immortal Sect this time is Chi Zhiyan from the Chi Family. This person is petty and sinister and already knows about the Sword Immortal’s death. The Yu Family has heard as well, so the elder should be prepared."
Without waiting for Li Tongya to respond, Deng Yuzhi continued:
"Although my ancestor has never met with the elder, he has heard of many of the elder’s deeds and admires you. Our families are in similar situations. If the elder is willing, we should interact more in the future."
Li Tongya, hand on his sword, wore a thoughtful expression and said warmly:
"I have a question for you, regarding the Jiangnan Zifu Golden Core contest, what exactly is the relationship between the Xiao Family and the Green Pond Sect?"
"They share a common enemy. Xiao Chuting aims to repair the Jiazi Kan Water..."
Deng Yuzhi started to reply when Li Tongya interjected with a wave of his hand:
"I understand."
Deng nodded and added:
"The Deng Family also has properties in Li Xia County. If the elder has important matters to discuss, just send someone to find us. The elder’s generosity and stability should allow you to grasp the intricacies."
After speaking, he handed over a small letter. Li Tongya swept it with his Spiritual Sense, and it recorded several alleys in Li Xia County. Deng Yuzhi watched as Li Tongya accepted it, let out a sigh of relief, and said in a low voice:
"People in all four prefectures are proclaiming the elder’s profound Taoist Foundation and superior Swordsmanship. It seems deliberate. The elder should keep a low profile to avoid revealing his tracks."
This news was unexpected to Li Tongya, prompting him to contemplate. He nodded in response. Deng Yuzhi then said:
"The summons to Yi Shan City this time names Li Xuanfeng as the chosen individual. Unfortunately, this isn’t within our control; we can only take noble scions... I hope the elder will understand."
Li Tongya slowly closed his eyes and exhaled. Li Xuanfeng was the sole heir of Li Xiangping. To date, he had not fathered an heir of his own. If anything happened to him in Yi Shan City, it would mean the extinction of that line. Naturally, Li Tongya was reluctant. He frowned and asked:
"Xuanfeng is the orphan of my brother. Tongya is willing to replace him with my own child. I wonder..."
Deng Qiuzhi waved his hand, his intent to refuse was decisive and clear, he said in a pained voice:
"I’m but a nobody, only living by serving others like a dog. Chi Zhiyan is immensely envious of Sword Immortals, even when I come here I have to put on a facade, how could I possibly have such authority..."
Li Tongya could only cover his face and sigh, he answered:
"I understand."
Without pausing, Deng Yuzhi continued:
"It’s not suitable for Yuzhi to stay for long, I must take my leave immediately. If I have caused any offence, I ask for your forgiveness, senior!"
Having said that, he flung his sleeves and kicked open the room door, calling out in the courtyard:
"Where is Li Xuanfeng?!"
A group of anxious people stood in the lower courtyard, Li Xuanling and Li Xuanxuan both looked up at him. Li Xuanfeng stood silently with the Golden Bow on his back, his eyes fixed intently on Deng Yuzhi in the upper courtyard as he answered:
"Here!"
Deng Yuzhi snorted with laughter and called out:
"By the order of Green Pond, you are conscripted to go immediately to Yi Shan City in the Southern Border to resist the Demon Race. You must set out at once, no mistakes are allowed."
Li Xuanfeng tightened his grip on the Golden Bow on his back, his unkempt bearded chin curved up with a hint of a smile, as if he had heard something amusing. He laughed heartily and replied:
"Very well."
Deng Qiuzhi just gave him a tug and said:
"Follow closely."
Li Xuanfeng took one last glance at Li Tongya, who was slowly stepping out of the courtyard, and bowed deeply to his brothers, Li Xuanxuan and Li Xuanling, he said:
"Please look after family matters, no need to worry about me."
The middle-aged man, who lost his parents at a young age and his wife in his youth, said only this. His eyes shone brightly, as though the years of slaughter and struggles in Lixia’s Tu County had left him listless until now. The prospect of killing and fighting, of being killed and victimized, suddenly sparked excitement in him.
"Elder brother."
Li Xuanling and Li Xuanxuan in the courtyard were still immersed in the news, while Li Xuanfeng had already soared on the wind after Deng Qiuzhi, flying toward the north.
It was only then that Li Xuanxuan snapped back to reality, and he hastily called out:
"Uncle! This—"
Li Tongya waved his sleeve, his face showing pain, and said quietly:
"Go cultivate for now..."
Everyone looked at each other, lowered their heads, and dispersed. The wedding was almost over, and the commotion from the Rosy Cloud Boat had killed the festive spirit. Those who needed to bid farewell did so, and others departed, leaving Li Yuanjiao and Xiao Guiluan in the bridal chamber. Lijing Mountain returned to its quiet and cold state, only the mess on the ground still bore some semblance of celebration.
Not until Rosy Cloud Boat flew across the sky, its dazzling rosy glow completely disappearing, did the area above Wangyue Lake fall back into darkness and silence.
————
"Report to the envoy, everyone has assembled!"
Deng Yuzhi knelt obsequiously in front of Chi Zhiyan, while Yu Mugao had a dazed expression, as if trapped in a nightmare, with Chi Zhiyan’s words circling endlessly in his mind.
"Yu Mugao... Yu Yufeng was killed by Green Pond Sect and Xiao Chuting joining hands! This was also agreed upon by your own brother!"
"Muxian... agreed upon... personally..."
Yu Mugao looked bewildered; he had exchanged dozens of letters with Yu Muxian, who had not breathed a word of it. He was unsure if it was to avoid startling the enemy, or because there was simply no trust in telling him.
Suddenly, Yu Mugao felt as though his brother within the sect had become a stranger. He mumbled something unclear, and Chi Zhiyan, losing patience, said:
"Stop practising that ’White-haired Courtyard Bowing Scripture’ from now on!"
The group took to the winds and landed back on the Rosy Cloud Boat. The Yu Family members all knelt down, bidding them off loudly, while the detailed patterns on the boat brightened, unfurling rosy cloud wings, and flew off toward the southeast.
Yu Mugao watched the boat vanishing between heaven and earth before he slowly stood up, tilting his head as he looked around at the silent crowd, showing no shame for their submissive and humble posture from moments before. After a moment of silence, he said:
"Jiang Heqian... it turns out to be an age-old grudge, call back all the men from the East Bank."