Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 126 - 117 The River Fishergirl

Li Xuanfeng rode the wind for several miles, until the entrance to Lixia County, Yue County, emerged from the horizon. The lively air of fireworks ascended at the city gate, where the road was crowded with fancy carriages and vendors, bustling and extremely lively.

The ancient Lidao Road ended here, and the road within Lixia County became wider and more even. On both sides, numerous small vendors pushed carts selling cakes and rice porridge. Remembering the lesson from Guanyun Peak, Li Xuanfeng paused in front of the city wall and descended in front of the city gate.

"It's an Immortal Master! Move aside quickly!"

"Daddy, look at the sky!"

Immediately, a wave of chaos erupted below as the county folk panicked and scurried out of the way, swiftly clearing a space. Dust and sand filled the air, as goods were thrown about and rice bowls were smashed. Children's crying, horses' neighing, and soldiers' shouting overlapped in an unending tumult, causing Li Xuanfeng to slightly frown.

Before Li Xuanfeng could speak, a clamor arose as a crowd prostrated themselves. More than a dozen soldiers at the city gate knelt, tremblingly kowtowing without daring to speak, busily knocking their heads against the ground. Even as children cried after being flung to the ground, nobody dared to lift them up.

All at once, there was silence around him, while merchants and travelers in the distance scattered, their morning queues dissolving into a crowd. They stood stock-still, with horsemen staring fixedly at the ground as if they could see flowers.

This commotion brought a pause to Li Xuanfeng's heart, aware that he might have caused some misunderstanding. He opened his mouth but seeing everyone around him as silent as cicadas in winter, he eventually used the Concealment Technique to hide his presence and proceeded into the county.

Left behind were the county folk, still kneeling and not daring to utter a word, remaining so for several breaths. Eventually, one of the soldiers cautiously looked up, seeing nothing but emptiness before him, and with eyes brimming with hot tears, he said:

"The Immortal Lord is compassionate! The Immortal Lord is compassionate!"

————

The scene at the city gate left Li Xuanfeng feeling bewildered and mildly bitter. The Li Family had only risen about fifty years ago, and the gap in status between Cultivators and mortals had not yet grown so vast. His mortal uncles still treated him as a nephew when they saw him, and mortals only bowed when they saw Cultivators; there was no reason for them to kneel and kowtow.

"With four Foundation Establishment level noble families from the Xia County cultivating here for hundreds of years, these mortals have become this fearful, showing how profound the disparity between immortals and mortals is..."

After pondering for a long while, Li Xuanfeng shook his head and looked towards the wide streets ahead, thinking:

"I still need to find a place to stay to get through these ten or so days."

His Spiritual Sense scanned the area and quickly located a grandly decorated building. Its dozens of rooms were all spacious and clean, and so he nodded in approval and approached the grand building adorned with red silk.

"Zuichun Tower."

Li Xuanfeng read the signboard's big characters and found the inn's name rather peculiar. He stepped inside and saw remains of fruits and meals, as if a night-long feast had just ended, and the early morning left no time for tidying up. The chaotic array of toppled chairs and slanted tables made the place look particularly disheveled.

Standing somewhat at a loss among the mess, Li Xuanfeng frowned, too lazy to look for another location. He glanced at the staircase where a young girl in red sat hugging her knees and asked:

"Is there a vacant room?"

The girl lifted her head, and her cute round face appeared somewhat haggard. With some makeup applied, she gazed at him, her youthful eyes showing a hint of joy. She moistened her slightly pale lips and nodded, saying:

"Follow me, young master."

They went upstairs where a woman clad in heavy makeup leaned against the railing and eyed them. She scoffed:

"After a month of eating for free, you finally get a guest early in the morning, and it's a young master, no less. Lucky you."

The girl pursed her lips, timidly glancing at the woman but remained silent. Li Xuanfeng gave the woman a brief look, stifling her remaining words, and entered the room with the girl.

The woman remained stunned in the corridor, still caught in the fierce gaze of Li Xuanfeng, taking several breaths before she recovered and muttered to herself:

"He's young, but with quite the temper."

Once Li Xuanfeng and the girl entered the room, he took down his bow, almost as tall as him, and hung it on the wall, then sat on the bed. But he noticed the girl still standing timidly in the room, gazing at him.

Li Xuanfeng raised his brows slightly, taking in her appearance of around fourteen or fifteen years old, with carefully groomed eyebrows, a fair and clean forehead, and slightly elongated eyes which narrowed gently, like a cat. This look should have conveyed a sense of leisure, but her eyes were full of unease.

"What is it?"

Li Xuanfeng posed the question, only to see the girl let her silk garment slide off, falling softly to the floor, revealing her fair skin. She took a step forward and, in her nakedness, straddled the bed, staring intently at him. Her child-like lips puckered as if kissing the air, the light blush captivatingly attractive.

Li Xuanfeng's mind thundered, and all the strangeness finally coalesced into an answer. He stared at her, his voice rough:

"What is this place?"

"Zuichun Tower."

Her smile bloomed as she spoke, with a youthful face but a serene beauty. She lifted her head to reveal a lean and smooth neck, the lines of her body fragile in the wind. Captivated by Li Xuanfeng's undivided attention, her expression even carried a hint of provocation.

"Zuichun Tower."

The inherent nature of man awakened in Li Xuanfeng, the instincts he'd suppressed in front of his elders like Li Tongya surfaced uninhibited. He received the young girl who had offered herself without any mental reservations, and thus he held her, kissing the amiable girl, unbuttoning his chest one button at a time.

Li Xuanfeng caressed and kissed her for a while, but did not know what to do next. The girl untied the ropes and took his hand.

He was childishly pulled up by the girl, led to an unfamiliar blessed land, and he operated on instinct, touching her delicate willow-like brows, her eyes bright and lively with passion, her round and adorable face. He felt as though his body was going to burst and laughed,

"Damn, so there are such beautiful things in this world."

"Young master..."

The girl moaned in pain, shaking her head side to side on the couch, her black hair spreading out. Li Xuanfeng grabbed her delicate and slightly reddened feet, said firmly,

"What is your name?"

"Jiang, the fisher girl."

The girl responded foolishly, with eyes closed, her cute, slightly red face pressed against the sheet. She clenched the pillow and stuttered,

"Years ago, an Immortal killed people on Lidao. After that, the disaster-stricken refugees kept moving east, stealing and looting as they went. My family only survived with me left, so I had no choice but to follow the merchant convoy east... to make a living here."

"How long have you been here?"

"Less than a month, young master, you are the first guest."

Li Xuanfeng exhaled and whispered,

"You don't have to do this anymore."

Jiang the fisher girl did not understand, thinking he meant some good advice and nodded faintly.

Li Xuanfeng was silent, burying his head when he heard Jiang the fisher girl sobbing, her limbs tensed for a moment, and she said timidly,

"I... I..."

She uttered two words, then closed her eyes and fell silent again.

————

While Li Xuanfeng was enjoying himself, Li Tongya was having a hard time in a large courtyard on Lijing Mountain. The storm over the lake had settled, leaving the Central Continent of the lake scorched by thunderbolts and flames, the Forbidden Formation operating, indiscriminately attacking everyone who entered.

Three groups of Foundation Establishment Cultivators had come and gone, valuable things had all been picked clean, leaving only thunder and flames. Li Tongya had no choice but to return to Lijing Mountain, only to see from afar Lu Sisi with white hair holding a Jade Ruyi.

"Brother Tongya!"

Lu Sisi called out warmly while Li Tongya inwardly gave a bitter smile, gave a slight bow and replied,

"Senior Lu, the lake is quite bustling!"

"Isn't that so? The Noble Families were eradicating the remnants of Ling Yu Sect, who would have thought that Zhang Cuotian was actually one of their remnants. This Wangyue Lake market has been established for two hundred years, and right under the eyes of the Green Pond Sect, they were hiding for so many years!"

Li Tongya joined Lu Sisi in the courtyard for a sit-down, and a servant brought them tea. Li Tongya bowed and asked,

"I wonder what trouble has Ling Yu Sect caused that necessitated extermination by the Noble Families..."