Chapter 213 - 212: The Two Siblings

Chapter 213: Chapter 212: The Two Siblings

"A bribe?" Li Jain asked.

"Exactly." Li Xinyue leaned forward, lowering her voice: "Elder Chu, the Third Elder of the Nine Spirits Sect, is still staying in our manor, isn’t she? Grandpa respects her greatly; he’s always very polite whenever she’s around. I’ll offer these two instant breakthrough elixirs to Elder Chu! If she’s in a better mood, she’ll naturally stay by Grandpa’s side and help us mediate. As long as the Third Elder is around, Grandpa won’t dare to cause trouble for us."

Li Jainn chuckled and nodded approvingly: "What a brilliant plan. Good, I happen to have some freshly prepared dishes here. Please wait a moment."

Li Jain got up and went into the inner kitchen. A moment later, he came out carrying two exquisite jade boxes, each engraved with a spiritual talisman to preserve its rich medicinal aroma and pure energy.

"Here you are," Li Jain handed over the food: "two instant breakthrough dishes."

"Great!" Li Xinyue carefully placed the jade jars into her spatial ring, feeling a heavy burden suddenly lifted from her shoulders. She dusted off her purple sleeves, stood up with a smug smile.

Li Jain sat down again and poured himself a cup of tea: "So, sister, what are your plans now? What are you going to do after Elder Chu deals with Grandpa?"

Li Xinyue smiled smugly, crossed her arms with a satisfied look: "Me? I’m going on a one-month vacation with Xiao Rong! Our trip has been planned for a long time. We’re going to visit the famous Yunhu Mountain in the south, enjoy the tranquil scenery, get away from South River City, until Grandpa completely forgets everything!"

Li Jain smiled faintly: "Sounds like a good travel plan. When do you plan to leave?"

Li Xinyue laughed heartily: "Of course, right now! The carriage is already waiting outside the back gate..."

"Oh? A month-long vacation?"

A deep, thunderous, yet incredibly familiar voice suddenly rang out behind them. The temperature in the courtyard instantly dropped twenty degrees.

Standing at the courtyard gate was Old Ancestor Li. His silver hair was disheveled, and his magnificent robes were still stained with stone dust from the broken walls. Veins bulged on his forehead as his sharp, murderous gaze was fixed on the brother and sister sitting under the plum tree.

The moment the voice reached their ears, Li Xinyue and Li Jain didn’t even turn around. Their sibling’s unspoken understanding reached its peak in less than a second!

Whoosh!

A dazzling light flashed, and Li Xinyue’s movement skill exploded to its limit once again. Her figure transformed into a purple lightning bolt, leaping straight over the courtyard wall!

In that instant, Li Jain flipped his sleeve, sweeping up his tea set and spatial ring in a seamless movement as he vanished into a golden light, disappearing without a trace through the back door in a golden blur!

Without warning, or hesitation, the two siblings vanished without a trace!

Old Ancestor Li rushed into the center of the courtyard like a hurricane, only to find two empty chairs and a few plum blossoms floating in the air.

"You brats!" Old Ancestor Li roared in frustration, looking up at the evening sky.

Above the Li family compound, a luxurious high-speed carriage pulled by two winged spirit horses had already broken through the clouds, speeding away towards the distant horizon.

Old Ancestor Li stomped his foot heavily.

Boom!

The stone slab beneath his boot shattered into dust. He glared angrily, his gaze fixed on the receding winged carriage, his silver beard trembling slightly in the wind.

"Run! Keep running!" the old ancestor roared at the sky, dejectedly shaking off his heavy sleeves: "Let’s see if you can stay far away for the rest of your lives!"

The old ancestor snorted heavily, turned, and stomped his feet as he walked towards the east wing, leaving Liu Xiong standing alone by the pillar, trying hard to suppress his laugh.

...

High above the clouds, the winged spirit carriage cut through the sky like a streak of silver lightning, leaving the furious roar of the Li old ancestor far behind amidst the dust.

As the wind whistled past, Li Xinyue let out a long sigh of relief and patted her chest. Turning to Li Jian beside her, she said: "Alright, Third Brother, you can put me down now! We’ve already escaped the range of Grandfather’s divine senses."

Li Jian withdrew his spiritual energy and landed smoothly within the carriage’s cabin beside her. Straightening his robes, he glanced at his younger sister with a meaningful look: "Do you really intend to take that month-long vacation right now? Aren’t you afraid Grandfather might cross the Southern Region just to drag you back?"

Li Xinyue cleared her throat and tossed her long hair back over her shoulder: "Of course I’m going! Once I deliver these two spirit meals to Elder Chu as a ’bribe,’ she’ll naturally keep Grandfather too busy to leave. With Elder Chu holding him back, how could he possibly find the time to catch me? The moment the delivery is made, I’m making a run for it!"

...

A short while later, Li Xinyue quietly slipped into the guest quarters of the Li manor, to the place where Elder Chu of the Nine Spirits Sect was staying.

Elder Chu, dressed in elegant blue sect robes and exuding a dignified air, was sitting crossed legged in a meditation position.

Upon seeing her, Li Xinyue immediately put on a pitiful yet sincere expression. She presented two exquisite jade boxes containing the instant breakthrough meals Li Jian had personally prepared, while recounting the "disaster" that had just unfolded in the east wing; including how the old ancestor, in a fit of rage, had shattered a thick stone wall reinforced with spiritual energy with a single punch.

Listening to the story, Elder Chu couldn’t help but chuckle softly, her clear eyes sparkling with keen interest. "So, the old family head flew into a rage because of your third brother’s marriage proposal and that secret romance of yours? And now you’ve brought these spirit meals hoping to secure my protection in exchange?"

"Elder Chu, you are the only person Grandfather truly respects and listens to," Li Xinyue said earnestly, pressing her palms together: "Please, for the sake of these peerless spirit meals, help us mediate the situation!"

Elder Chu opened one of the jade boxes; sensing the pure spiritual energy wafting from the dish. She raised her eyebrows, her eyes revealing an amazement: "Such pure spiritual energy... simply marvelous. Very well. I happen to have two disciples stuck at a critical bottleneck in their cultivation; these spiritual dishes would be the perfect reward for them. You may rest easy and return now, I will keep an eye on your grandfather and ensure he doesn’t overreact."

"Thank you, Elder Chu!" Li Xinyue smiled, bowed deeply, then turned and quickly left.

...

Meanwhile, Li Jain was heading towards the back gate of the manor. Just as Li Xinyue said, a luxurious spiritual carriage was parked beside the bamboo forest, its silver trim shining in a dim light.

Two figures stood beside the carriage: Li Xinyue and a slender, elegant woman in a light green robe, Chen Xiarong.

As Li Jain approached, Chen Xiarong turned around, a warm, familiar light flashing in her eyes: "Jain! Long time no see!"

Li Jieen greeted her: "Miss Chen, hello."

Chen Xiarong said apologetically: "This is the first time we’ve met since you returned. Please forgive me; I haven’t found a suitable time to visit you."

Li Jieen waved his hand: "It’s alright, don’t worry about it."

Chen Xiarong sighed: "Time truly flies. Jain, do you remember when we were seven, sneaking into the forbidden herb garden behind the main hall?" Chen Xiarong asked with a nostalgic smile: "You insisted on trying the firethorn fruit and ended up inhaling smoke for three whole days!"

Li Xinyue chuckled when she recalls, she was a bit younger than them at the time.

Li Jain on the other hand, only smiled slightly and nodded vaguely, "Ah, yes...time flies."

Chen Xiarong continued: "And what about when we were twelve, during the Autumn Festival?" She took a step closer enthusiastically and continued, "Before the grand ceremony began, you secretly replaced Elder Zhu’s spirit wine with ordinary spring water! He banned you from ever going into his yard."

"Is that so?" Li Jain responded cautiously, his expression was stiff as he tried to remain calm: "My memory of those times is a bit hazy."

"Oh, really?"

Noticing her third brother’s unusual embarrassment and stiff posture, Li Xinyue couldn’t help but laugh, stepping forward and putting her arm around Chen Xiarong’s shoulder.

"Alright, Xiao Rong, don’t embarrass him." Li Xinyue said with a smile: "My poor third brother suffered a backlash from his cultivation while he was outside, losing a large portion of his memory; half of his childhood memories have been erased! If you keep asking him about the past, his head will start to ache."

Chen Xiarong gasped softly, her eyes filled with sympathy and worry: "Amnesia? Oh, Li Jain, I had no idea! I’m so sorry for all that I said!"

Li Jain breathed a slight sigh of relief and looked at Li Xinyue gratefully: "It’s alright, Miss Chen. Let bygones be bygones. The most important thing is that everyone is safe and sound."

"Come on, Xiao Rong, let’s go." Li Xinyue said while looking into the distance.

"Xinyue is right. You two should hurry up and leave, lest Grandpa finds out Elder Chu won’t let him pursue you." Li Jain added with a smile: "Have a safe journey to Yunhu Mountain."

"Third Brother, please take good care of yourself!" Li Xinyue waved vigorously.

After exchanging a final farewell, Li Jain turned and walked back to the manor. His tall figure disappeared onto the stone path.

The moment Li Jie’s figure completely disappeared, the lively and relaxed atmosphere around the carriage vanished.

Li Xinyue took Chen Xiarong’s hand and pulled her into the lavish interior carriage, slamming the door shut. The magic array inside the carriage activated, isolating all external sounds and sights.

Freed from her family’s surveillance, the burden of her secrets, and the threat of Elder Li’s Holy Fist, Li Xinyue turned to Chen Xiarong.

Without a word, Li Xinyue embraced Chen Xiarong. Chen Xiarong wrapped her arms around Li Xinyue’s neck, and the two kissed passionately, a kiss that was breathtaking.

Watching the carriage depart, Li Jain smiled and said: "Have a safe journey."