Chapter 646 478: A Lesson from the Past

Li Chenghuai, now just over ten years old, held onto Li Yuexiang's hand and behaved himself as he paid his respects. Li Xizhi raised an eyebrow as he watched; one was a younger sister he had never met, and the other was his son whom he hadn't seen in many years.

The faces of these two were both unfamiliar and familiar, and it seemed they were not very close to him.

Yang Xiao'er was very excited, hugging the somewhat bewildered Li Chenghuai and fussing over him with warmth. Meanwhile, Li Xizhi felt a sense of wistful loss while Li Xuanxuan watched him closely.

Cultivators might spend years in seclusion, easily missing many things; that's why so many children of noble families lacked discipline, were extreme in their behavior, indulgent, and inept. The Green Pond Sect's seclusion from the outside world was indeed an effective way of distancing emotional ties.

Li Xizhi fell silent for a moment, instructing the mother and son, along with his sister, to leave, before listening to Li Xuanxuan recount the news of the past year. After listening carefully, he asked about some details within the cave heavens and then asked with surprise,

"Xiao Yongling and Tulong Jian were also involved in killing Yu Muxian? There's no news of this outside."

"This..."

Before Li Xuanxuan could reply, Li Xizhi, after a moment's thought, had figured it out and nodded, saying,

"The Xiao Family's help... we are already indebted to them. Naturally, we will take the blame for this unsavory matter. It's not something to be proud of, so of course, the Xiao Family wouldn't come forward to claim it."

"That's the way it is."

Li Xuanxuan nodded, and Li Xizhi looked up, his expression complicated. Although his eyes drooped with sadness, the corners of his mouth curved slightly, and with a mix of sorrow and sigh, he said,

"I once aspired with my father to unite Wangyue, but I never imagined it would cost his life. Now that Yu Muxian is dead, Wangyue Lake will sooner or later fall into our hands."

"As for when to make a move..."

He paused, then spoke softly,

"At the very least, Yu Muxian had many connections on Yuanwu Peak; it would be inconvenient to act while Yuanwu Peak is in command of Wangyue Lake, as it would give Yuanwu Peak a reason to intervene. According to my calculations, it might stir up trouble..."

Li Xuanxuan immediately understood and replied,

"There are more than ten years until the next rotation; we will need to work on this further."

"Exactly."

Li Xizhi responded,

"It's neither a long nor a short time, just enough for two periods of seclusion. But we must ensure that Yuanwu Peak doesn't take on any more disciples."

"Take disciples?"

Li Xuanxuan chuckled lightly and answered,

"Do you know what state the Yu Family is in now? With Yu Mugao's death, the power he consolidated from the outsiders, clan elders, and collateral branches is now rebounding. Any slightly outstanding member of the direct lineage is meeting untimely deaths. How could they possibly take on new disciples?"

With his appearance as handsome as jade, Li Xizhi's gaze was slightly lowered, his tone smooth and echoing softly,

"Grandfather, be careful not to relax... My father spent his life being extremely cautious, which is very wise."

Li Xuanxuan's smile faded, and he nodded solemnly, then saw Li Xizhi quietly say,

"The Yu Family is split, and with our recent example, the lesson is not far off."

"I understand."

Of course, Li Xuanxuan knew what he meant. To disarm Yu Muxian's network completely, dismantling and dividing was undoubtedly the best approach. Moreover, such moves allowed for flexibility, which greatly eased several matters, so he replied softly,

"I will handle it now."

"How are the younger members of our family doing?"

Li Xizhi quickly changed the subject and asked. Li Xuanxuan nodded and replied,

"The princely heir, Zhouwei, has the Mingyang bloodline. He is only two years old and has not yet shown his talents, but his innate ability should be good."

"Chengliao has a temper similar to Yuanping, cautious and well-managed. Although outwardly dull, he has inner brilliance. He made a significant effort with Xu Xiao's matter that year; he's a good kid. It's just that these past years the family has been too tranquil, with no outlet for his talents."

"Chenghuai's talent is passable, and he has hope for Foundation Establishment. The two can serve the princely heir, helping him to achieve greater heights, ensuring a hundred years without worry."

"Zhouwei..."

Li Xizhi expressed his surprise, then said,

"I should meet him. And where is Ximing?"

"Big brother!"

Just as he spoke, a figure in a golden Taoist robe appeared at the door, with the trigrams painted on his back and an aura of alchemical fire—it was Li Ximing.

In recent years, Li Ximing had focused more on alchemy than on seclusion. Although he was a man of great natural talent, he still managed to advance his cultivation level while practicing alchemy and cultivating on the side.

Li Xizhi brightened upon seeing him, patted him on the shoulder, and laughed heartily.

"And how is Auntie?"

"She went to the East Sea!"

As a child, Li Ximing often went with this brother to watch plays; they had a close relationship. He laughed awkwardly, feeling very nostalgic, as his brother seemed almost the same as in his memories.

Li Xizhi waved them over, urgent in his demeanor and hesitating a bit before speaking,

"This time I was assigned a task that allowed me to come out; I have to go to Qing Song Island to guard it."

He explained for a while that the Qing Song Cave Heaven had little contact with the mortal world and had detached from it. Although Qing Song Island no longer produced Spiritual Objects, because of this incident, it had been rich in spiritual mechanisms for a while, meeting many conditions for qi collection and qualifying as a blessed land.

The various Immortal Sects wouldn't miss such an opportunity to profit, each sect choosing a parcel of land and demarcating boundaries. Li Xizhi was given the duty to go there and oversee the collection of qi.

"After all, it is a sect task that I have accepted and, due to the tight deadlines, I must report back first, then find a chance to visit home a few times. Also, I'll be heading to the East Sea along the way to seek any traces of my teacher. It really cannot be delayed; there are a few things I need to discuss with grandfather to prevent unexpected issues."

Understanding what he meant, Li Xuanxuan listened attentively, and then he heard Li Xizhi say,

"The first item concerns the Yuan Family. Although my teacher has disappeared in the East Sea, and the Yuan Family is internally discordant and their support has vanished, showing signs of decline, a centipede does not fall until it's dead. Our family must not act rashly, for it will only harm us and others."

Li Xuanxuan laughed off his worries with a shake of his head and said earnestly,