Outside Wu City, fifty li north of the eastern gate, a lush forest stretched along an upstream stream. Immortal light shimmered through the trees, and a wondrous fragrance filled the air. Jade pavilions and towers rose beneath azure-tiled roofs, reaching toward the clouds—a scene straight out of an immortal realm.
Yet this extraordinary place was merely the site of the Liu Family's estate, belonging to the foremost Aristocratic Clan in the Prefecture City.
At the estate's northwest corner stood a tall tower that gathered the essence of mountains and rivers and absorbed the finest energies of heaven and earth. For dozens of li in every direction, it stood where the spiritual leyline surged with the greatest vigor.
On the tower's top floor was a small chamber built for cultivation. A Spirit Gathering Array, laid out with five-colored spiritual jade, filled the room. At its center sat a boy of about fifteen or sixteen, handsome and distinguished, with an air of confidence and grace. He was none other than Liu Qi, the Liu Family's Third Young Master.
At that moment, Liu Sanlang wasn't using the Spirit Gathering Array to breathe in spiritual energy and circulate his power. Instead, he nervously muttered a string of complicated incantations. The Red Cloud Talisman in his hand shrank until it was no bigger than a bean, and he hurriedly slipped it into his mouth, tucking it beneath his tongue.
The next moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside, followed by two knocks on the door.
Knock, knock.
Liu Sanlang quickly straightened up and began regulating his breathing, slowly circulating the spiritual energy beneath him through a full cycle. He pretended to be deeply absorbed in cultivation.
But before he could complete the cycle, the knocking sounded again. Then a woman called to him, her voice edged with impatience.
"Liu Qi, how is your cultivation going?"
"Have you run into any obstacles?"
"Liu Qi!?"
After several calls, Liu Qi reluctantly opened his eyes. He dispersed the spiritual energy he hadn't yet refined and replied, "Mother, I was just about to complete a cycle when you woke me. If there's nothing else, I'll start another one."
The woman outside sounded even more displeased.
"What? It's been an hour, and you still haven't completed a single cycle? You're cultivating the Lijin Dingqi Technique, the family's marvelous introductory method. It's exceptionally efficient at refining qi, and you're a direct descendant of the Liu Family with an excellent Spirit Root. How could your cycle be so slow?!"
Liu Qi felt his scalp tingle, but thankfully she hadn't questioned the Red Cloud Talisman. He hurriedly replied, "I was just in poor form for a moment. Mother, please don't worry. Once I've steadied my mind and blood, I'll be back to normal..."
"But how can merely getting back to normal be enough?!"
The voice outside turned stern.
"You were in terrible form this morning. This afternoon, you must work twice as hard and make up for lost progress! Only then will you do justice to your surname! Don't forget, you bear the Liu name now, not the Li name!"
At that, Liu Sanlang's expression shifted, but a moment later, he forced a smile.
"Please rest assured, Mother! I'll never let the family's cultivation go to waste!"
"Hmph. I hope you truly mean that! The Immortal Fate of the Taiyi Dharma Sword was right before you, and you still managed to let it slip away. Then the family lost three elders fighting over it, and instead of feeling remorse, you indulged in laziness and neglect! You're truly a disappointment!"
Liu Sanlang couldn't hold back any longer. He quietly retorted, "Mother, don't you think that missing the chance when it was right in front of me, then suffering backlash when I tried to claim it afterward, means I simply wasn't fated to have it?"
"How dare you!"
With a furious shout, the wooden door of the chamber was struck hard, shaking the room and sending spiritual light surging through it.
Liu Sanlang took the brunt of it. His vision went black, and he felt as though someone had punched him in the chest. Fortunately, another set of footsteps sounded outside a moment later.
It was an old servant who attended to the estate.
"Madam Rong, the master has asked you to come to Wangyu Terrace. He has something important to discuss."
"Hmph, Wangyu Terrace. So the people from Dinghuang Prefecture are trying to make an issue of that Prefecture Edict again. A bunch of useless wretches! They've taken so many Attendant stipends from the Liu Family over the years, and now they're trying to renege over a single Prefecture Edict that fell through, coming to our door to demand answers again and again!"
She paused, her voice growing more resentful.
"The elders of the family can't tell right from wrong either. They don't care at all how hard I've tried, and still want to hold me responsible... Liu Qi, this is all because of you! It's all because you were useless that day!"
Liu Sanlang could only reply helplessly, "Your son has failed you. I accept whatever punishment you see fit, Mother."
Outside, the old servant said gravely, "Madam, the master..."
"I don't need you reminding me about the master!"
Thud!
The next instant came a dull slap against flesh, followed by the old servant's pained groan.
Fortunately, the fierce woman finally left.
Liu Qi hurried to his feet and started to open the door. "Uncle Yong, are you all right...?"
The old servant outside coughed. "This old servant is fine... Thanks to the master's favor, I still have this body of iron and bronze. Young Master, please don't let me distract you. You should focus on your cultivation."
Liu Qi was still hesitating when another voice came from outside, soft and pleasant.
"Sanlang, if you really come out, Mother will punish Uncle Yong severely afterward for failing to keep watch. For Uncle Yong's sake, you'd better stay right where you are. Uncle Yong, I happen to have a few Blood Pills refined from Mountain Spirit blood. Take them; they should help you recover quickly, with some strength to spare."
"Thank you for the reward, Eldest Young Master..."
"Enough. It's not as though I'm giving them to you for nothing. I have something to discuss with Sanlang, so keep watch for me. Make sure none of Mother's maids see me. Otherwise, she'll nag me again..."
"This old servant understands."
The chamber door opened from the outside, and a tall, graceful young master in brocade robes entered with a broad smile.
"Sanlang, it's been so long. Have you missed me?"
As he spoke, he spread his arms as if to give his third younger brother a hearty embrace.
Liu Qi leaned back subtly and answered with a helpless smile. "Eldest Brother, it's been so long, and you still haven't learned to behave."
The young master in brocade was Liu Cheng, the Liu Family's Eldest Young Master. When Liu Qi politely declined his embrace, Liu Cheng simply laughed, untied a brocade pouch from his waist, and tossed it in front of him.
"I went out to hunt demons a while ago. I didn't quite accomplish everything I set out to do, but I still came back with a full haul. I had the elders who accompanied me pick out a few local specialties at random as a gift for you."
Liu Qi frowned slightly and used the Object Manipulation Technique to open the pouch. There were no local specialties inside—only a few pills rich with spiritual essence, a stack of expensive talismans, and nearly a thousand Spirit Stones.
After a long silence, Liu Qi smiled wryly. "...Eldest Brother, the Eshui River doesn't produce Spirit Gathering Pills of this quality, does it? These are clearly the supplies the family gave you for cultivation while you were traveling!"
Liu Cheng laughed again and patted Liu Qi on the back. "Just keep them! You need these pills more than I do right now. They're all top-quality Spirit Gathering Pills, and your cultivation at the Qi Refining Stage is enough to absorb them completely... Use them well and catch up a little, so Mother won't nag you every day."
Liu Qi could only cup his hands. "Then... thank you for your kindness, Eldest Brother."
Liu Cheng immediately smacked his hands down. "Why are you being so polite? We're brothers! Auntie treated me like her own son. After she passed away, it was only natural for me, as your older brother, to look after you."
At that, Liu Cheng's expression dimmed. "It's just that Mother... Her temperament has grown more extreme in recent years, and she's especially harsh with you. I've tried to talk her around many times, but every time I only make things worse. You've had it rough. So take this as your older brother's apology. I only ask that you don't resent her too much."
Liu Qi managed a faint smile. "How could I...?"
"Haha, saying you don't would be too fake! You've always been sincere with people, so even I can tell when you're lying!"
"Haha..."
Liu Cheng went on, "...And of course Mother can tell even better. Every time you humor her, she thinks you're being sarcastic, and gets even angrier."
Liu Qi didn't want to keep talking about that. He smiled and asked, "Did anything interesting happen on your demon-hunting trip, Eldest Brother?"
Liu Cheng didn't mind the change of subject at all. He sat down on an empty cushion in the chamber, grabbed Liu Qi's teapot, and took a long, greedy swig.
"Of course interesting things happened. A bunch of talented young people from the Aristocratic Clans gathered together, scheming and plotting against one another all day. It was so 'interesting'! If you want stories, I could talk for days and nights... But before I tell you mine, I'd like to hear about yours. Were you serious about that young man from Wuyang Village?"
As he spoke, a sharp gleam suddenly appeared in Liu Cheng's eyes. He wasn't being aggressive, but his gaze still demanded serious attention.
Liu Qi didn't try to evade the question. He replied solemnly, "Of course I was serious. I've never met anyone with Immortal Fate as strong as his, and his character is among the finest in this age. Becoming friends with him can only bring benefits, never harm."
Liu Cheng asked, "Even though he's just an unknown Desolate Man?"
Liu Qi nodded. "That he's still an unknown is exactly why I had the chance to befriend him. I only regret that I didn't act decisively enough at the time, and let several of our uncles go against the proper course, adding so many complications..."
Liu Cheng shook his head and smiled wryly. "Several of our uncles... You might as well just say Mother's name. At least this time, she meddled with the Prefecture Edict and left a complete mess behind. Father was alarmed and furious, so there shouldn't be any more trouble afterward... At least not for a while."
After laughing, Liu Cheng picked up the teapot and took another long swig.
"Of course, I'll do my best to stop them from interfering, but even without Mother holding you back, you're a direct descendant of the Liu Family. Lowering yourself to befriend a mere Desolate Man is bound to draw criticism."
Liu Qi sighed. "People have been criticizing me for ages anyway. They can say whatever they want."
"Haha, well said! You're a free spirit!" Liu Cheng looked pleased, then let a trace of envy slip into his eyes. "Sometimes I really envy how freely you can be sincere with people. When I ask myself honestly, even if I had your skill at reading faces and could see a Desolate Man with extraordinary Immortal Fate standing right before me, I still couldn't bring myself to seek him out as openly as you did."
Liu Qi smiled slightly. "Eldest Brother is honest by nature and often treats worthy people with courtesy. You're already famous for that throughout the Prefecture City. I'm just reckless in what I say and do. How could I compare to you?"
Liu Cheng sighed earnestly. "Treating worthy people with courtesy already makes it clear that you're placing them above others. That kind of way of treating people is more than enough to befriend mediocre folks, but when you meet someone truly capable and unusual, you can only watch them slip away. I ran into a regretful situation myself in the Grey Needle Forest this time."
"But let's not talk about anything depressing today. I came to see you with good news. Have you heard of the Immortal Guiding Envoy at Luohuang Mountain?"
As he spoke, another burst of hurried footsteps sounded outside.
Then the chamber door was shoved open, and a tall young woman rushed in, her face full of alarm.
"Sanlang, are you all right? I heard Madam just came by. You..."
Before she could finish, she took in the scene inside.
Looking at the two brothers, both handsome and graceful, and the teapot they had so obviously shared, Zhang Miao swallowed, a trace of displeasure rising on her face.
"...Traitor."
Liu Cheng: "?"
Liu Qi: "(;￣Д￣)"