Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 148 - 139: Seclusion

Li Xuanfeng bade farewell to Liu Changdie, left a sum of money for the young woman, and, riding the wind, flew southward along the ancient Lidao for several hours. Wrapped in a faint golden light, the mist-enshrouded Lijing Mountain emerged before his eyes. Landing atop the mountain, he was greeted by Li Xuanxuan’s beaming, festive face.

"Brother Xuan, what has made you so happy?"

Seeing Li Xuanxuan’s smiling face, Li Xuanfeng’s lips couldn’t help but curl upwards as well. He asked with a bright grin.

"Uncle received a treasured sword, and within it was an inherited movement technique from Ling Yu Sect, called ’River Rapids Step Over the Yue’. It’s a Third Grade cultivation technique—naturally, that’s cause for celebration."

Li Xuanxuan shook his head with a smile, then handed over a jade slip before continuing:

"The family members have all read and memorized it. Uncle has already begun his closed-door training. You should go read it quickly."

Li Xuanfeng took the jade slip with a smile. Using his spiritual sense, he skimmed through it, then said solemnly:

"By chance, the mining veins are currently guarded by the Lu and An families. There’s nothing pressing at home. I plan to go into seclusion and try for a breakthrough. I’ll take this jade slip with me—big brother, I’ll leave the house in your hands."

Li Xuanxuan nodded, waving to signal reassurance, and replied:

"That’s good—you can focus on your seclusion with peace of mind."

Both Li Xuanxuan and Chen Donghe were Fifth Layer Fetal Breathing cultivators with the Yujing Wheel, so there’d be no problem keeping watch over the house. Li Xuanfeng nodded, stored the jade slip with a turn of his hand, then rode the wind to Meichi Peak, where he entered seclusion for cultivation.

Li Xuanxuan then headed down the mountain and was greeted hurriedly by Li Xuanling, who said repeatedly:

"Brother Xuan! The Yu family is waiting in the courtyard and requests your presence."

"Aren’t they just Qi cultivators?"

Li Xuanxuan’s brow furrowed. Typically, when other families visited, Qi cultivators would simply announce themselves at the formation boundary. Only envoys or Fetal Breathing cultivators and the like would be formally announced.

"They are Qi cultivators—descended riding the wind. But this one asked not to disturb Uncle Tongya, so I came up to report."

Li Xuanxuan nodded, though puzzled. He straightened his clothes, walked a short distance, and upon entering the courtyard, saw a middle-aged man in a long robe sitting in a chair. The man tapped the wooden armrest anxiously and radiated a powerful aura—at least middle stage of Qi cultivation.

"Li Xuanxuan of the Li Family greets you, senior."

Li Xuanxuan cupped his hands. The middle-aged man standing behind him, sword strapped to his back, also cupped his hands with a stiff expression. Seeing that the visitor was not Li Tongya, he subtly relaxed and replied:

"Yu Mujian of the Yu Family."

Yu Mujian had lost face during the trial on the boat, and after returning home was fiercely rebuked by Yu Xiaogui. Coincidentally, with the Yu family’s market about to open, Yu Xiaogui sent him to apologize to Li Tongya and invite the Li Family to the ceremony.

Yu Mujian had stifled grievances all the way, fearing that should he meet Li Tongya, the latter might think he’d come to ask for his sword back.

Heaven have pity! All that talk of ’sharpness’ and ’ease and restraint’ had left Yu Mujian dazed and bewildered. He hadn’t understood a single word, believed he’d grasped the secrets of Sword Dao, but in the end came to no insight—and so was in no state to face Li Tongya. He could only follow the usual procedure for Fetal Breathing cultivators and come to the Li Family.

Upon asking Li Xuanling, he learned that Li Tongya had already closed his doors to all visitors and was in seclusion. He instantly felt a great weight lift, thinking delightedly:

"It seems even the heavens couldn’t bear to make me more embarrassed."

When Li Xuanxuan arrived, both parties gave their names. Li Xuanxuan’s face lit with understanding as he smiled and said:

"So you are Senior Mujian!"

Yu Mujian’s mind numbed as if struck by lightning. He felt his reputation had been lost clear to the lake’s far shore, and awkwardly replied:

"So, you have heard of me too?"

Seeing Yu Mujian’s expression, Li Xuanxuan realized his thoughts, and quickly changed the subject, smiling:

"Senior Tongya is my uncle. He has told me: ’Among all the families around the lake, only Yu Mujian’s swordsmanship can be called Sword Dao; the others merely swing swords to hack and slash, nothing more.’"

The words were meant as a polite compliment, but pure-hearted Yu Mujian took them to heart. Instantly, his joy was visible; remembering his provocations on the boat, he became deeply ashamed and sighed skyward:

"Li Tongya is a genuine gentleman! I am but a petty man!"

Li Xuanxuan froze, unable to follow his train of thought. Yu Mujian sighed, handed his invitation over, and said with formality:

"When Senior emerges from seclusion, Mujian will personally come to offer his apologies!"

With that, he departed, still muttering things like "sharpness" and "ease and restraint," disappearing on the wind, leaving Li Xuanxuan and Li Xuanling staring at each other in bewilderment.

"This man..."

Li Xuanling was dumbfounded and at a loss for words. Li Xuanxuan, too, was a little puzzled, and opened the invitation to read.

The Yu Family had already announced the time on the boat, but sent someone to the Li Family especially, both to show respect and offer goodwill.

"Qiuyang does things carefully and his cultivation is just right—not so high as to make the Li Family look ostentatious. Send him, then."

Having finished reading, Li Xuanxuan made his decision and issued the order.

————

Time flowed like water, passing in a flash. Over the course of a year, family affairs had been few. Li Xuanxuan cultivated diligently while also keeping a careful eye on the other families’ movements. Yet the subtleties of ’River Rapids Step Over the Yue’ were profound and arcane, not the work of a single day or two.

Lifting his talisman brush, Li Xuanxuan completed a talisman in one continuous flow upon the talisman paper. After ten-odd years of practice, he could finally make the cost back, and the family gained another stream of income.

Sunlight slanted in through the window, casting Li Yuanxiu in a golden glow. The boy, now four or five years old, had just returned from his studies. He stood quietly in the sunlight, gazing at his father.

Li Xuanxuan looked up at the child, smiled, and said:

"What is it?"

"Father, you haven’t visited Yuanjiao in a month."

Hearing these words, Li Xuanxuan paused, frowning faintly, and asked in a low, suspicious voice,

"Who taught you to say that?"

"No one."

Li Yuanxiu pursed his lips, as if a little afraid of stern Li Xuanxuan, yet still stubbornly raised his head to look at him.

"Very well."

Li Xuanxuan withdrew his gaze and nodded, picked him up, and headed outside. His heart was tinged with emotion.

After Li Xiangping perished within Shanyue territory, while the Li Family didn’t know the particulars, they knew it likely involved Mu Jiaoman and Witch Mountain. But to maintain order and not draw Witch Mountain’s attention, they had to let this pass. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Back when Mu Yalu came to propose marriage, both Li Tongya and Li Xuanxuan had actually valued her ancient Mulude lineage, laying down a ’spare stone’ for the future. Should the day come that Shanyue undergoes great change, a Li Family child with Mulude blood could move west to take charge of the Shanyue tribes—a major advantage.

But as Mu Yalu was the younger sister of Mu Jiaoman, Li Xuanxuan, though never mentioning it, could not help but harbor some misgivings—and so felt a complicated blend of emotions toward Li Yuanjiao as well. Now, hearing these words from the child, he thought to himself:

"No matter what, for the family’s stability a hundred years from now, I must not favor one over the other."

Reaching the front courtyard, Li Xuanxuan set Li Yuanxiu down gently. The boy cheered and dashed off to find his brother, Yuanjiao. Soon, Mu Yalu’s cheerful voice was heard:

"Xiu’er, you’re here! Come, sit!"

Li Xuanxuan laughed warmly and entered the courtyard. Mu Yalu looked startled for just a moment, then quickly announced:

"The Family Head has arrived."

Li Yuanjiao, holding a wooden toy, looked up and cried clearly,

"Father!"

"Mm."

Li Xuanxuan nodded to Mu Yalu and sat beside them, watching the two boys chase each other in play. The sunlight at the foot of the mountain grew ever brighter. Li Yuanjiao grinned at him, golden sunlight spilling across his face and tinting his eyes with a subtle brown hue.

"Yuanjiao, come here."

Li Xuanxuan’s voice trembled slightly. Mu Yalu, sensitive to the change, looked at him with concern. As Li Yuanjiao, confused, approached, Li Xuanxuan cupped the boy’s face in his hands, but in the shadow saw all traces of brown already vanished.

Breathing out slowly, Li Xuanxuan rose unhurriedly, his gaze adrift, murmuring softly:

"There are still matters to handle on the mountain. I’ll be leaving now."

With those words, he turned and departed, leaving Yuanjiao and Yuanxiu playing in the courtyard. Mu Yalu sat silently in the corner, watching his departing figure in silence.