Li Yaozu brought Fang Linglong back to the main hall of the family estate. Li Dalong and Xu Cuihua, who had been waiting there for days, were somewhat surprised, but they merely smiled at Fang Linglong. The two elders both looked faintly relieved.
After a while, Li Yaowen returned as well. She had come back in person. Without saying a word, she added the sound of turning pages to the hall.
Later, more and more clansmen returned.
They were all like sealed gourds, only exchanging a few idle words.
Li Tianqi had returned from the north. He had gone to see He Hao, the master who had taught him formation arts, and seeing that his master and mistress were living peaceful pastoral lives put his heart at ease. As for Tianming, he and Li Qiu had found an immortal tomb outside. Li Tianqi had originally intended to make the trip himself, but there was no longer any need to stand on ceremony, so Tianming had been called back as well.
Li Kuanghua had changed into a clean yellow dress, carrying the scent of temple incense about her.
More and more people returned, until the hall was filled with clansmen seated according to seniority. Li Dalong rose expressionlessly and, beneath the gazes of the clan, walked to the doorway. After calculating, he found it was an auspicious day.
Then he led the clansmen toward the ancestral hall.
Along the way, they tacitly kept silent, and tacitly settled the matters around them, carrying the spirit tablets with them.
Wreaths of smoke rose from the ancestral hall of the Azure Cloud Li Family.
Outside the courtyard, Huang Xiujin watched as his heart seemed to scatter away with the smoke drifting through the clouds.
This time, the Li Family had left in a hurry,