Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror

Chapter 329 - 302: A Famous Stir in Yue Country

Li Tongya regained consciousness to a world bathed in a dim yellow hue, finding himself beside a small river at the edge of Yan Mountain, half-submerged in the river water, with several green crabs scuttling back and forth, reluctant to leave the vicinity of his feet due to the "Vast Sea" Immortal Foundation.

"Cough cough..."

Li Tongya slowly rose to his feet, the orange clouds floating in the sky, all the color and the Golden Bodies of Yan Mountain had vanished, leaving only a few carrion-eating crows cawing atop the broken walls and ruins.

"It’s over..."

Fury, guilt, and helplessness surged into his heart. Barefoot, Li Tongya stood by the riverbank, staring blankly at the clouds on the horizon and eventually closed his eyes.

The water membrane in his lower abdomen slowly vanished, and Li Tongya’s flesh began to wriggle on its own, covering the horrendous gouge so that it no longer looked so shocking.

Only Li Tongya knew that not one of his internal organs was intact; he was hanging onto life solely by the thread of his Foundation Establishment Immortal Foundation. From now on, he feared he might not be able to make even the slightest progress, even maintaining his cultivation level would be problematic.

Immortal cultivators are unlike Buddhist practitioners. Buddhist practitioners believe the body is but a vessel on the sea of suffering; once they become a mage, the internal organs turn into white clay, and at higher realms, changing bodies becomes trivial.

Immortal cultivators, on the other hand, seek transcendence of the self. At least before attaining the Metal Nature, the body is the foundation of cultivation. Yu Yufeng had once taken a strike from Yu Yuxie and still, his cultivation stagnated; let alone having all internal organs damaged.

The pain welling up in Li Tongya’s heart had not yet subsided when he felt a heaviness at his waist and belatedly unwrapped the long shirt tied there, only for Li Xuanling’s round head to tumble out.

"Ling’er."

Li Xuanling’s nose was broken, perhaps it happened during the fight, now awkwardly crooked on his serene and unblemished face. Li Tongya reached out to straighten it, but it flopped loosely to the side again. Li Tongya straightened it repeatedly, blood oozing out, trickling down the shattered cheek.

"Ling’er."

Li Tongya watched the dead face of Li Xuanling without crying, he did not cry even when tormented and spellbound by Maha, but now the sight of the broken nose made the elderly man, who had carried the hate and grievances of his family for sixty years, break down into uncontrollable sobs, tears cascading down his cheeks, dripping onto Li Xuanling’s lifeless eyes.

"I’ve let you and your mother down..."

Li Tongya choked out a few words, trembling, full of shame and helplessness, he roared as if trying to justify himself:

"My family... starting as a humble farming house, born into this chaotic era of great struggle, slaying demons... fighting monsters, moving boldly and swiftly..."

"Your father has not had a moment’s rest, has not slackened for an instant... I did everything I could, I did everything I could! Ling’er..."

His white inner garment was covered in mud, a dull gray, as he cradled Li Xuanling’s head, sometimes muttering to himself, sometimes crying out loud, walking forward beneath the brilliant evening sky, one step deep, the next shallow.

"Zifu Maha, striving for a century... how can one family, one generation achieve it all, when human effort is sometimes at its limit! Human effort is sometimes at its limit..."

Li Tongya, draped in a thin white robe, his hair disheveled, his gray eyes brimming with tears, shimmering brilliantly in the reflection of the setting sun.

"Xuanling... Xuanling... there will come a day—"

Li Tongya’s lips trembled, he slowly stepped deeper into the dark woods, the shadows of the trees gradually covering his robe. As he was engulfed by darkness, his voice too slowly faded amidst the chirping insects and birdsong.

————

Lijing Town.

"Congratulations! Congratulations to the Family Head!"

Li Yuanping sat high in the chief seat, dressed in white, his face pale, his brush ceaselessly sketching on the table, not even glancing at the person seated below, only saying indifferently:

"For what joy should I be congratulated?"

Li Tongya had been missing for several days, and those who went to inquire only learned that in the southern regions of Xu Country there had been earth-shaking tremors and a bellowing Golden Giant; nothing more could be learned. Li Yuanping, in his urgency, had reached out to many sources and had not slept for days.

The middle-aged cultivator sitting below had a face full of obsequious smiles as he kept bowing and responding:

"I am a Loose Cultivator under the Tang Jin Sect, just a few days ago I crossed over to the south, and came upon this lake. Never did I expect to witness the renowned Lijing Li Family. I hurried here to offer my congratulations."

Thereupon, he knelt down with a plop, his hands presenting a wooden box as he spoke respectfully:

"This is a tribute, the Yunhua fruit, a specialty of Xu Country. It is a Fetal Breathing Spiritual Object, its medicinal properties mild and gentle, capable of stabilizing Cultivation Levels and enhancing Mana..."

The Li Family was already a Noble Family, often receiving such Loose Cultivators, who may offer prescriptions, Spiritual Medicine, or Magic Artifacts, all but seeking a place to stay. Having seen many such instances, Li Yuanping was not surprised and seeing the man still keeping him in suspense, he spoke in a mild voice:

"Let’s set aside the tribute for now, Taoist Fellow please speak of this joyous occasion. If the news carries weight, we shall not be stingy."

The cultivator nodded repeatedly and respectfully said:

"Your esteemed ancestor defeated the Maha Reincarnation, Mage Fa Hui of the Duanchen Temple, at Zhenhui Temple, with a sword strike of azure and white brilliance that shocked the heavens and earth. It has sent ripples throughout Xu Country, and now the Three Sects and Seven Doors all praise his name, dubbing it the ’Moon Que Sword’!"

"What?!"

Li Yuanping was taken aback, his face flushing, as he hurriedly dropped his pen and briskly stepped forward, his face filled with astonished joy, hardly daring to believe, he took the man’s hands, eagerly asking:

"Which ancestor? Which ancestor is it?"

Seeing Li Yuanping’s reaction, the cultivator too was filled with joy, not daring to utter the name Li Tongya directly, he respectfully said:

"The ancestor belongs to the Tong generation, surnamed Ya, proficient in swordsmanship, riding atop a Flood Dragon..."

"That’s it!"

The man did not know the generational hierarchy of the Li Family and thought that Li Tongya was a member of the Tong generation. Li Yuanping, however, realized it immediately, his face turning bright red as he laughed heartily towards the sky, his blood pumping with excitement that he could not help but cough twice, forcing himself to lean on the table and chuckle to himself.

"Hahaha!"

Dou Yi, sensing an opportunity, happily approached and asked:

"Young Master, shall we send a message to Wutu Mountain?"

After hearing this, Li Yuanping coughed twice more, then suddenly stood straight up, frightening the two people beside him into bowing their heads. Li Yuanping looked at the cultivator and asked with a smile:

"May I know where you received this information?"

The cultivator promptly answered, babbling excitedly.

It turned out this man was a petty servant at the Tang Jin Sect’s market, having overheard a conversation between two Tang Jin Sect disciples and learning that the Li Family was inquiring about something to do with Bianyan Mountain, he sensed an opportunity.

So, he decided to abandon his job at the market, spent all his savings on the Spirit Fruit, and dashed to Wangyue Lake overnight to seize the chance. Upon arriving at Wangyue Lake, he indeed saw that the Li Family was yet unaware of this matter and loudly came forward with the news.

"It does have some credibility..."

After listening carefully, Li Yuanping secretly nodded, patted the man’s shoulder, and kindly said:

"Thank you, Taoist Fellow. Please wait a moment. After I verify the truth of this message, you will be handsomely rewarded."

The cultivator nodded repeatedly, expressing his thanks before trotting off. Li Yuanping then beckoned Dou Yi, who was eagerly awaiting, and whispered:

"Go call Jiao Ge to return for a moment."