Discussion

After wringing every scrap of information Wan Yuankai knew from him, Li Xiangping finally sent the despondent Wan Yuankai away. He carefully put away the sketch in his hand, then returned to Li Jing Village with Li Yesheng.

Thanks to the land taxes continuously delivered year after year by the various villages, the Li Clan was able to support more craftsmen. These men mainly built the small courtyard on the Back Mountain and, when work was slack, also handled repairs in Li Jing Village.

After more than half a year of renovations, Li Jing Village had taken on an entirely new appearance. Polished bluestone slabs had been fitted together one by one, stretching from in front of the Li Clan's gate all the way to the village entrance. As Li Jing Village's main road, it spread the influence of this hub of power over the surrounding villages.

The wealthy households in the village had also begun imitating the Li Clan's blue-brick, tiled homes, renovating their own mud-walled thatched cottages. Liu Linfeng and the others did not dare use blue bricks, instead choosing the inferior white bricks and tracing the seams with gray mortar. Though they were not as bright and handsome as blue bricks with white joints, they still looked imposing enough.

From afar, the clusters of buildings behind the village came into view: small white-brick courtyards gathered around the main household's blue-brick walls and gray-tiled roofs. Amid the misty wind and rain, they had acquired the air of a small Jiangnan town.

When Li Xiangping returned to the courtyard, he saw Li Mutian resting there with Li Xuanxuan. Li Mutian was full of vigor and moved briskly. Holding a bowl of tea, he sat calmly beside the table, as though he had already emerged from the grief of losing his son years ago.

Li Mutian no longer involved himself much in affairs, but no one dared underestimate the old man. Though Li Mutian was only an ordinary mortal, Li Yesheng and the others feared him far more than they feared Li Tongya or Li Xiangping.

"Xuan'er!"

Smiling, Li Xiangping caught Li Xuanxuan as the child hurled himself over. The boy had reached the age to begin studying, so the Li Clan had still hired Han Wenxu as his tutor. Li Xuanxuan was bright and quick-witted, making him easy to teach.

"Today, Xie Wen and I went to the Reed Marshes. He said Uncle Ye Sheng used to herd ducks there when he was little!"

Li Xuanxuan clung to Li Xiangping and said in his childish voice, beaming.

The Li Clan had arranged a marriage for Li Yesheng, and Li Xiewen was Li Yesheng's son. Just over two years old, he followed Li Xuanxuan around every day.

"That's right."

Li Yesheng answered with a smile from behind them.

"Go call Second Brother back."

Li Xiangping turned and gave the order with a smile. He watched Li Yesheng acknowledge it and withdraw, gradually disappearing into the distance, before turning his gaze to Li Xuanxuan.

"Back then, your Third Uncle was catching fish nearby. Those fish were fat, covered in blue scales, slippery as eels."

Li Xiangping set him down and pinched Li Xuanxuan's little cheek, but his gaze wandered restlessly. He stared blankly into the distance, as though he had fallen into some profound memory.

"Those were the most delicious fish your Third Uncle had ever eaten. They were fish from heaven, immortals among fish..."

"And what of the Wan Family?"

Li Mutian cast a low glance over, set his clear tea on the table, and interrupted Li Xiangping.

"They are far stronger than our Li Clan, with deep roots and a long history. Their clan head has Jade Capital Wheel cultivation, and they also have Wan Yuankai, who reached Azure Origin at such a young age."

Li Xiangping patted Li Xuanxuan and sent the child off to play by himself. Raising his head, he replied.

Just as he finished speaking, Li Tongya stepped into the courtyard, his expression grave. He found a seat and listened carefully as Li Xiangping explained.

Li Xiangping recounted all of Wan Yuankai's words in one breath, then picked up his bowl of tea and took great gulps while looking at the other two.

"If the Wan Family truly faces pressure from within and without, we should support them if we can. The Ji Family is right nearby. If the Wan Family truly falls, when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold. Our Li Clan will most likely be next."

Li Tongya silently listened to Li Xiangping's account, holding up the sketch and studying it.

"The Wan Family must be saved, but there must be a way to save them that profits our Li Clan most. Xiangping, listen carefully."

Li Mutian narrowed his eyes, raised his brows, and quietly watched the tea in his cup before speaking again.

"The Wan Family says the Ji Family has seized their spirit rice. Then reply like this—say that our Li Clan has spare Spirit Fields, but lacks the manpower. Tell them to send someone to our Li Clan to grow rice here. Our Li Clan will take thirty percent of the harvest. If Wan Yuankai truly sends someone, then the Wan Family is indeed trapped by the Ji Family and suffering beyond endurance."

"Exactly."

Li Xiangping nodded. Clearly, he and his father had thought alike. His expression turned solemn. "It is only that the Ji Family knows the Wan Family's Spirit Fields like the back of their hand. Their insides have surely become a sieve. Wan Yuankai must keep this matter secret. At present, our Li Clan absolutely cannot confront the Ji Family. We need only quietly push and support the Wan Family from behind."

"Not bad."

Li Mutian nodded approvingly, took a light sip of tea, and continued, "Both families are far stronger than ours. For now, we must hide our brilliance and bide our time, building up our strength. The Ji Family is pressing forward aggressively, and their intentions are damnable. Though the Wan Family is likewise under the Governance of Green Pool, they lie beside our bed, and we must guard against them as well."

Li Tongya studied the sketch for a long while, then suddenly spoke.

"Does the Ji Family shown on this map share a border with our Li Clan?"

"Yes."

Li Xiangping nodded and tapped Li Daokou. In a deep voice, he said, "Gu Li Road splits here. One path heads north, straight into Ji Family territory. The other runs east, leading into Wan Family territory."

After a pause, seeing Li Tongya's thoughtful expression, Li Xiangping continued, "I asked Wan Yuankai about it. More than a hundred years ago, a demon gathered several lesser demons and built a demon grotto on the road leading to the Ji Family. That road was cut off from then on. The Ji Family even abandoned the land connected to it, though it remained under their jurisdiction in name."

"So that was it." Li Tongya said in realization. "Then there is no need to fear the Ji Family entering our territory. As long as the Wan Family does not fall, the Ji Family can never threaten this place."

"That demon was clever too. It chose the border between the Green Pool Sect and Tang Gold Gate, focusing solely on cultivating in its demon grotto without coming out to cause trouble."

Li Xiangping spoke softly, then turned to Li Mutian.

"Wan Yuankai said Mountain Yue had been spotted west of our clan. Father, when you fought those Mountain Yue people back then, did you learn anything?"

Li Mutian waved a hand and replied.

"As for appearance, those Mountain Yue people differ little from us. They merely cut their hair short, tattoo their bodies, and speak an unintelligible tongue. Mountain Yue favor martial prowess and battle, esteem strength, and have those damned shamans in their clans, skilled in curses and beast-driving. They are not easy to deal with."

"I do not know how effective your Evil Expulsion Art is. So long as it can deal with those curses, and the village men are evenly matched with the enemy, they are not impossible to handle."

"There is no need to rush."

Li Tongya spoke, lightly circling the Li Clan's territory on the map with one finger.

"The Wan Family has suffered repeated squeezes and cuts from the Ji Family, while the territory Si Yuanbai assigned to our Li Clan is large. Our Li Clan's lands now even surpass those of the Wan Family."

"Our land is vast but our people few, and our Li Clan's strength is weak. We are merely bloated on the outside. If the Mountain Yue do not come, there is no need for us to provoke them. With the Wan Family blocking them in front, let our Li Clan develop for several years first. We can speak of other matters once we have thoroughly brought these lands under our control."

I had originally made a map, but now I can't post it in the chapter comments or forum posts~ [tearful]