Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 121 - 112: Xuanfeng Emerges from Seclusion

Li Xuanling descended the mountain, having already broken through to the third layer of Fetal Breathing, known as Chengming Wheel. His sword Green Peak gleamed brightly enough to reflect someone's face, and his simple robe gave him an appearance strikingly similar to Li Tongya's.

In the mountains, children mature early. At the age of thirteen or fourteen, they have already grown up a lot. With steady eyes and eyebrows, both Li Xuanxuan and Li Xuanfeng, his older brothers, couldn't help but be reminded of Li Tongya when talking to him, which left them with a mix of laughter and tears.

It was late spring, and the Spirit Rice was a lush green. This batch had been growing for a year and a half and was now ready for harvest. The villagers were chopping it down with large axes imbued with the Golden Light Technique, while a few Fetal Breathing Cultivators from other surnames were readying to thresh the rice.

Li Xuanling looked at the busy people in the fields with a smile on his face. Just as he was about to take a closer look, an eerie screech rang in his ears, startling the workers so much that they all covered their ears.

"Who?!"

Li Xuanling's expression turned serious, his right hand swiftly touching the sword hilt as he looked up to the sky at the sound. Seeing a golden figure approaching through the air, he frowned and said,

"Qi Cultivation?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

He had already pinched a Signal Talisman from his bosom, ready to launch it and warn those nearby.

"Hahahahaha!"

The person in the air laughed heartily, the sharp, light golden True Yuan slowly retracting into their body, revealing their true appearance while holding a pitch black longbow.

"Brother Xuanfeng! You... you've finished your retreat?!"

Li Xuanling exclaimed, quickly putting away the Signal Talisman, joy rising to his brows as he repeatedly said,

"That's great...that's great!"

Li Xuanfeng laughed heartily. His breakthrough in Qi Cultivation had sharpened his gaze significantly, his True Yuan rustling the branches and leaves beside him. Landing on the ground, he teased,

"You have so little faith in me? It's just a breakthrough in Qi Cultivation, it came easily... there's nothing to celebrate!"

Yet the pride on his face was hard to hide, and Li Xuanfeng, grinning, asked,

"What's been happening at home these last few months?"

"Only good news! We've discovered a vein of ore in the family land!"

Li Xuanling's joy was palpable as he said with a smile,

"Unfortunately, father is in seclusion. I'll notify him right away!"

"Hey!"

But Li Xuanfeng stopped him, shaking his head,

"No rush, just tell me about the recent events. What about the Spiritual Mine?"

Just as Li Xuanling was about to speak, Li Xuanfeng suddenly looked up at the sky and murmured softly,

"Who is that?"

Li Xuanling quickly followed his gaze and saw a person riding the wind on manifest Qi, dressed in a white robe, with the appearance of a child despite the white hair, holding a Jade Ruyi in hand—it was Lu Sisi.

"We pay our respects to the elder!"

Li Xuanling bowed to Lu Sisi, explaining in a soft voice,

"This is an elder from the Lu Family in the east."

Li Xuanfeng suddenly realized and greeted with a smile,

"Elder, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

Lu Sisi raised an eyebrow at him, asking with a mix of surprise and uncertainty,

"You are...?"

Seeing that the person paid little attention to Li Xuanling, Li Xuanfeng felt somewhat displeased, and spoke indifferently,

"Li Family's Li Xuanfeng!"

Lu Sisi came to a realization and, stroking his chin, looked at Li Xuanfeng. A woman followed behind Lu Sisi, clad in plain clothes with her face veiled, who also looked up at Li Xuanfeng upon hearing his name.

"May I ask the purpose of the elder's visit?"

Li Xuanling bowed respectfully, and Lu Sisi, unlike before when he spoke with his head held high, looked down at him and responded politely,

"I've come to discuss a matter with your family elders."

Li Xuanling naturally bowed and welcomed Lu Sisi up the mountain. As Lu Sisi had visited several times, he knew his way around and confidently took a seat in the courtyard. Li Xuanling ordered tea to be served and went to fetch Li Tongya.

Li Xuanxuan had already secluded himself to break through to the fifth layer of Fetal Breathing, leaving all the affairs of the mountain to Li Xuanling, who was so busy that his feet barely touched the ground.

After calling Li Tongya over, Li Xuanling let out a soft sigh in the courtyard, only to see Li Xuanfeng silently standing by his side, smiling and saying,

"This old fellow has brought a girl in her teens with him, most likely here to propose an alliance through marriage! Quite clever of him, indeed."

Li Xuanling was taken aback, and only then did he remember the girl in white, and with a grimace, said,

"Father might not necessarily agree…"

Li Xuanfeng chuckled and strode into the courtyard.

————

"Brother Tongya, I have prepared several spiritual objects and three spells as dowry, what do you think... about this matter?"

Li Tongya, however, frowned. Lu Sisi had personally come with generous gifts, including several spiritual objects and spells, claiming to offer them as a dowry to marry a direct-line daughter of the Lu Family to one of the two unmarried direct descendants of the 'Xuan' generation in his family.

In his heart, Li Tongya was full of doubts. The Lu Family's move was too humble. If they wanted to marry into a minor branch, Li Tongya would agree without a second thought, but as it concerned the direct lineage, he couldn't be anything but cautious.

What was baffling was that Lu Sisi's attitude was so low, but the Lu Family girl he brought with him actually possessed a Spirit Aperture. Although not highly talented, she hadn't even broken through the first layer of the Xuanjing Wheel of Fetal Breathing by the age of fourteen; still, this shocked Li Tongya tremendously.

"Lu Sisi must be thinking of the long term…"

The Li Family was becoming stronger by the day, and expanding east was a matter of time. Li Tongya was not without thoughts about the Lu Family. A direct-line daughter of the Lu Family with a Spirit Aperture naturally couldn't be a concubine, so they had to choose between Li Xuanfeng and Li Xuanling to marry.

If in a decade or so a child was born from this marriage to the Lu Family's direct-line daughter, it could turn into a messy situation, also carrying the reputation of encroaching upon the in-laws, looking bad from both inside and out.

However, looking up at Lu Sisi, who was smiling broadly but with worry in his eyes, Li Tongya was afraid that an outright refusal might provoke him to rash actions, so he stroked his chin and prevaricated,

"The young members of our family are still underage, elder. If you want to establish this marital alliance, we'll have to wait a few more years."

Lu Sisi nodded with a smile, obviously having expected Li Tongya's response, and cheerfully said,

"Let it be so, this old man will come to propose again after a year!"

After saying this, he brought up the matter of the Green Crow Mine and discussed inconsequential rumors before taking his leave with his company.

As the two crossed the threshold, Li Xuanling glanced up briefly and met the mournful eyes beneath her veil, feeling a twinge of pity as he inwardly lamented,

"She too is a person to be pitied…"

Li Xuanfeng and another then entered the courtyard, and when Li Tongya saw him, he exclaimed,

"Xuanfeng?"

With a sweep of his Spiritual Sense, Li Xuanfeng's first layer Qi Cultivation level was blatantly exposed. Li Tongya immediately smiled and praised,

"Good, good!"

Li Xuanfeng lifted his head and laughed twice, his hand revealing a sharp, faint golden hue of True Yuan as he explained,

"This is the Golden Edge True Essence condensed from the 'Golden Radiance Technique.' This True Essence is fast and sharp, whipping up the wind with great speed too, though it falls slightly behind in terms of enduring power."

"Excellent!"

Li Tongya nodded repeatedly, showing a face full of gratification as he commended,

"You're promising, ensuring we can also comfort the spirit of Xiangping in heaven!"

Li Xuanfeng and Li Xuanling fell silent for a moment. Realizing his own misstep, Li Tongya quickly changed the subject,

"As for this matter with the Lu Family... what do you two think?"

"The old man is scared."

Li Xuanfeng shook his head, a hint of smugness appearing on his face as he continued,

"All of the younger generation of the Lu Family are useless, and he himself is already old. As we grow stronger by the day, and he can't defeat our Li Family, of course, he's scared to death!"

Li Xuanling nodded slightly and said in a solemn voice,

"I looked into the matters father arranged a few days ago. I heard that someone from the previous generation of the Lu Family had cultivated in the Green Pond Sect, but they have been dead for over eighty years, with no other significant background to speak of."

"I see."

Li Tongya sat down and picked up his tea cup, gazing toward the east with a thoughtful look in his eyes.