Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 152 - 143: Heading to Huaqian
Lu Wanrong hurried into the room and on the desk, she took a piece of cloth. The maidservant by her side hastily ground some ink as she picked up a brush, dipped it lightly, and began to write fervently.
"Having heard of the passing of the great ancestor, Wanrong is extremely anxious and worried. With the family’s pillar gone, I fear it would be difficult to safeguard Huaqian and Tiaoyun Mountain. I implore my cousin to lead our clan eastward, to the Mushroom Forest Plain or the county. Offer up both mountains to the Li Family, and leave at first light. There still might be a chance to preserve our family’s fortune."
"Should there be any hesitation or indecision, disaster may befall us within days, and it would be too late for regret!"
Pausing with her brush in hand, Lu Wanrong, looking at the tear stains on the face of the maidservant who had accompanied her as part of her dowry, said in a trembling voice:
"Our families have marital ties at present. If my cousin could speak kindly on our behalf and offer up both mountains, there is a chance to maintain dignity and preserve our fortune. But if blood is shed between our two families, it could mean the extermination of our entire clan..."
She put down the brush and quickly rolled up the letter. Lu Wanrong hurried out of the courtyard, but suddenly bumped into someone. Startled, she staggered, unable to speak.
The person was dressed in white garments, with hair tied back, standing quietly in the courtyard. The jade pendant on their person chimed in the wind, their eyes bright and expression kind, as if they had been standing there for quite a while.
"Husband."
Lu Wanrong called out tentatively, and Li Xuanling grunted in acknowledgement, extending his hand and saying softly:
"Let me have a look."
Lu Wanrong handed over the letter and fell to her knees with a thump, choking back sobs:
"Husband! Please give the Lu Family a way to survive! My uncles and brothers are nothing but pleasure-seekers, and taking the family to the county won’t achieve anything—they truly pose no threat. Please spare them..."
After reading the letter, Li Xuanling sighed softly and said in a gentle voice:
"What is useless today, who can say about tomorrow? Lu Sisi was somewhat of a figure, and yet he sired a pack of worthless descendants. Who can tell whether those unfilial descendants might not one day produce a genius? It would be utterly indefensible to spare them."
Handing the letter back to Lu Wanrong, Li Xuanling took her hand and continued:
"Moreover, knowing the temperament of your cousin, even if you showed him the way out, he wouldn’t understand how to take it, and would blunder hopelessly onto a deadly path. So what good would it do to offer him a way out?"
Lu Wanrong immediately burst into tears, whimpering softly:
"The Lu Family is known for their pride and extravagance, for harassing men and bullying women—they’re tyrants. Wanrong has long been disheartened by them. Yet I was born into the Lu Family; I cannot simply erase that mark and stand idly by."
With tears streaming down her face, Lu Wanrong said softly:
"I was thinking... I was thinking, if our two families become mortal enemies, and one is wiped out, how would our children live in the future? Husband, you must consider the long term..."
Li Xuanling paused upon hearing this, looked at her carefully, and then said:
"I have my own judgement on this matter, rest assured."
Watching Li Xuanling hastily leave the courtyard, Lu Wanrong wiped away her tears and placed the letter on the table. The maidservant on one side quickly asked:
"Madam, do we still send the letter?"
"No need."
Lu Wanrong shook her head mournfully, whispering:
"The strength of beasts cannot compare to the speed at which a Qi Cultivator flies; there is no longer any need to send this letter. I will have my younger relative settle down there; there is no need to return."
————
Li Xuanling left the yard in a hurry to head up the mountain, climbing the stone steps for a while before seeing Li Xuanfeng and Li Tongya standing in front of the courtyard, seemingly discussing something.
"Xuanfeng, weren’t you heading to the prefecture to craft magic artifacts?"
Li Xuanling asked with confusion. Seeing Li Xuanfeng shake his head slightly, he laughed and said,
"I passed by the Lu Family’s territory and saw the mountain covered in white, feared it was Lu Sisi’s funeral, and thought it an excellent opportunity, so I came back first."
Li Xuanling was both amused and exasperated, shaking his head as he said,
"You truly wish for everyone to know! What on earth is Lu Yuanlu thinking! The Lu Family sent people to notify Wanrong, I received the news here as well and hurried up to report to father."
Li Tongya nodded slightly upon hearing this and said in a low voice,
"While the Yu Family has yet to react, we’ll quickly settle matters with the Lu Family. If the Yu Family interferes later, it will only lead to complications. Xuanxuan has already gone down to organize the clan soldiers; let us move out first."
Li Xuanfeng and Li Xuanling replied quietly, with Li Xuanling descending the mountain to find Li Xuanxuan. Li Xuanfeng and Li Tongya, both Qi Cultivators, then rose on the wind and headed for Huaqian Mountain.
Having flown only a li out, Li Xuanfeng hesitated for a moment and then spoke up,
"The Lu Family, both direct and collateral branches, numbers over two thousand, and their marital connections involve tens of thousands. If we don’t handle this well, it could turn into quite the troublesome matter!"
Li Tongya, deep in thought, nodded in agreement,
"Indeed, it’s a difficult situation. This is the Li Family’s first time absorbing another clan, setting a precedent for future generations. If we rashly slaughter them all, not only would we waste their Spirit Aperture bloodline, but the marital ties make it unseemly to broadcast, which would displease the surrounding families."
"Handling the Lu Family affair with dignity and without future troubles is a tough challenge indeed."
As they flew, Huaqian Mountain soon appeared before them. Scattered cottages hung with white cloth and white silk lay below, while the mountain was ironically alive with the sounds of feasting and revelry.
The terrain of the Lu Family’s Tiaoyun Mountain was steep, damp, and swarming with mosquitoes. Since acquiring Huaqian Mountain, the Lu Family had relocated there, with the majority of their population at the mountain’s base.
The Formation atop Huaqian Mountain was fairly ordinary. Li Tongya saw the flickering fires at the mountain’s other side, signaling Li Xuanxuan’s arrival with the troops. Only then did he unsheath his sword and strike at the mountain’s Formation.
"Clang!"
The Formation around Huaqian Mountain suddenly rose, bathing the mountain in radiant light. The banquet below descended into chaos as people looked up. A loud shout rang out,
"Who dares to offend the Lu Family!"
Lu Yuanlu rose into the wind, his cheeks flushed as if from drinking, and upon seeing Li Tongya, he was both shocked and enraged, cursing out loud,
"Since the Li Family has become in-laws with the Lu Family, how can you covet our Huaqian Mountain!"
Li Tongya gave a cold laugh, his movements never ceasing as he retorted coldly,
"Lu Sisi has barely passed away, yet here you are, a disgraceful descendant, indulging in song and dance atop the mountain. You still have the gall to speak of in-laws? The current strength of the Lu Family is insufficient to protect both mountains. If you had any sense, you’d deactivate this Formation yourself and perhaps save your own life."
"How insolent!"
Lu Yuanlu was furious at those words, his eyes burning red as he drew his sword to confront Li Tongya. Li Tongya forced him back with a single sword strike, and within moments they exchanged over a dozen moves, causing Lu Yuanlu’s expression to shift as he considered retreat.
"Quite a skilled Swordsmanship!"
Although Lu Yuanlu was arrogant, he had some skill, comparable to Yu Mujian. However, his Cultivation Level was far inferior. In a short time, he was repeatedly forced back, his mouth as defiant as ever.
Li Tongya stayed silent, and after several dozen exchanges, he flicked Lu Yuanlu’s sword out of his hand, pressed forward riding the wind, and Lu Yuanlu’s complexion drastically changed. He wanted to say something, but a white flash enveloped everything, and his head rolled, cut off by one strike from Li Tongya.
