Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 178 - 167: An Family Father and Son (Two-in-One)
At the head of the table, An Zhiyan was toying with bear paw using silver chopsticks. Upon hearing the words, he raised his eyebrows slightly, pushing up the fur hat he was wearing. His substantial face tensed as he said in a stern voice,
"What do you mean by that!"
An Zhiyan’s tone was still fairly gentle, with no hint of reprimand, showing that An Jingming truly was the apple of his eye. Had any other clan member dared to speak those words, they would have long been dragged away and beaten to death. Only from An Jingming’s mouth would such words make An Zhiyan react seriously.
"The Yu Family is overbearing and ambitious, while the Li Family is restrained, low-key, united, and ruthless. Our An Family is trapped between these two, struggling to defend both ends. Father, are you not afraid?"
An Jingming stood in the courtyard, his wristbands glinting in the sunlight, the young man’s hair tied neatly, standing tall in the wind, staring straight at his father at the head of the table.
"This..."
An Zhiyan suddenly found himself at a loss for words. After a moment, he began,
"Haven’t I already heeded your advice and lured the Ding Family to Wangyue Lake, maintaining a balance of power in a tripartite stand-off? The Yu Family has also promised not to attack any family that pays tribute... If someday the Li Family invades from the north, the Yu Family will surely not sit idly by and let the Li Family expand. There’s really nothing to be afraid of. You just need to focus on your cultivation. Once you have achieved Foundation Establishment, our family will have a place on the lake. Won’t that be gratifying?"
An Jingming gritted his teeth and shook his head. He looked at his father’s complacent face but couldn’t get angry. Flicking his sleeve, he said softly,
"Father! How could the Yu Family sit by and watch me achieve Foundation Establishment! I dare not even leave the family’s Great Formation these days. As I slowly increase my cultivation level year by year, the Yu Family will eventually grow impatient and will surely find an excuse to kill your son!"
An Zhiyan was stunned. His mouth opened and his tongue moved, but he couldn’t think of any retort, so he said,
"What... what do you suggest?"
An Jingming cleared his throat and said in a still somewhat immature voice,
"Our family’s current predicament stems from our unfavorable geographical position. Huazhong Mountain is sandwiched between the Li and Yu Families. The best strategy now is to sell Huazhong Mountain to the Li Family, so they also face the pressure from the Yu Family. Both families should sign an alliance, in turn, to make the Yu Family feel threatened by the rise of the Li Family."
"I heard Li Tongya has reached the Eighth Layer of Qi Cultivation, which would certainly draw the attention of the Yu Family. If both families guard each other, east and west, and I marry a girl from the Li Family, we could leverage the Sword Immortal’s prestige to deter the Yu Family. Once I achieve Foundation Establishment, if Li Tongya succeeds in his breakthrough, we will support the Li Family against the Yu Family. If Li Tongya fails, we will lead both families, each taking what they need..."
An Jingming was still speaking when An Zhiyan’s lips began to tremble, and with an unsightly expression, he interrupted his son, slamming down the silver chopsticks and hastily exclaiming,
"No, absolutely not. There are so many Spiritual Fields on Huazhong Mountain, supporting so many of our clan members, which we fought desperately to obtain. How can we just give them away to the Li Family for nothing!"
An Jingming sighed softly, knowing full well that An Zhiyan’s character would never allow him to cede territory. He said in a deep voice,
"Since Father is unwilling to cede Huazhong Mountain, your son has another plan. The Li Family’s vulnerable point lies in Li Tongya. This man is extremely cautious, wholeheartedly secluded in the south for dedicated cultivation, and is not easy to eliminate. However, if we ally with the Yu Family to target either Li Xuanling or Li Xuanfeng and eliminate one of them, could Li Tongya really remain indifferent?"
"And the Yu Family currently seems quite close to us, presenting a great opportunity for manipulation. Yu Mugao is a sinister and ruthless man, a hard nut to crack. If we band together with various families to kill Yu Mugao, the threat of the Yu Family could be reduced by half."
An Zhiyan listened in bewilderment. Seeing his son plan to eliminate Yu Mugao on one hand and Li Xuanling and Li Xuanfeng on the other, he couldn’t keep up with the boy’s train of thought, murmuring,
"So does our An Family side with the Yu Family or the Li Family?"
"Both sides!"
An Jingming replied with a soft smile, slightly lifting his head and saying aloud,
"With the Yu and Li Families mutually wary of each other, our An Family will then have the opportunity to stir up discord and prosper from both sides. Regardless of which side suffers casualties, or even if neither does, the feud between the Yu and Li Families will be set."
An Zhiyan was rather tempted by these words. After pondering for a few moments and hesitating slightly, he spoke,
"Only... neither side is foolish enough to do exactly as you say, right?"
"Father can rest assured!"
An Jingming clasped his hands and replied,
"It’s precisely because neither side is foolish that they will fear each other. Fear breeds intent to kill. The contention between the two families is inevitable; we are merely a catalyst."
"Father just needs to say exactly what I taught, ensuring that both families scheme against each other and suffer mutual losses!"
————
At Lijing Town, the estate at the foot of the mountain.
Mu Yalu wandered around the courtyard before gently taking a seat on a stone bench, and a servant quickly offered tea.
Ever since Li Yuanjiao was found to have a Spirit Aperture, with quite remarkable talent, Mu Yalu’s days in the courtyard had been much better. Li Xuanxuan didn’t use to frequent her yard often, and Mu Yalu did her best to keep a low profile and minimize her presence. Once Li Yuanjiao went up the mountain, Mu Yalu instantly became one of the most prominent figures in the courtyard.
"Madam, this tea was sent over yesterday by the main house; it’s the third time this month they have sent something to our courtyard,"
the maid beside her said softly. This girl was a descendant of the refugees from Shanyue and was now indistinguishable from those from the East. Mu Yalu had personally brought her into the courtyard and trusted her a great deal. Upon hearing the explanation, Mu Yalu nodded slightly, and seeing this, the maid whispered,
"Young Master Xi and Yuanjiao get along well. The main madam used to be quite disapproving, but after Yuanjiao was discovered to have a Spirit Aperture a few years ago, she started to show favor..."
