Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 171 - 161 Rectify the Moral Climate

"Who are these people? Have they all been captured?"

Li Yuanxiu stepped out of the courtyard and asked in a low voice. Li Pingyi replied,

"We caught them red-handed. Apart from those with different surnames, there were six of the Li surname; five are descendants of our revered ancestor's illegitimate brothers, and one... one is my uncle."

After finishing his words, Li Pingyi, too, felt unbearable shame and was gripped by terror in his heart.

The revered ancestor naturally referred to Li Mutian, and Li Pingyi's uncle referred to the brother of Li Xiewen, which meant Li Yesheng's several older sons. While Li Yesheng was alive, there were people to supervise them. After his death, a few years of restraint ended with Li Xiewen occupied with affairs, eventually leading to the men causing trouble.

"Oh."

"Brother, I will go with you!"

Li Yuanjiao muttered a few words and followed Li Yuanxiu down the mountain. Li Yuanxiu walked ahead and whispered something into Li Pingyi's ear. Seeing that he nodded before leaving, he was then led by several people to the entrance of the courtyard.

A crowd had gathered outside the courtyard, where clan soldiers had tightly surrounded it. Li Xiewen stood at the entrance with a distressed expression. Upon seeing Li Yuanxiu, he bowed and said,

"I have seen the Young Master."

"Uncle Wen, there is no need for such formalities."

Li Yuanxiu responded and entered the courtyard with him to find it in complete disarray, covered with smashed fruits and inedible debris. A dozen shirtless men were pinned to the ground, while his uncle Li Qiuyang stood to one side with his arms folded.

"I have seen Uncle."

"Young Master!" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Li Qiuyang, with hair graying at the temples, bowed back, then retreated into the corner without speaking again.

Li Yuanxiu surveyed the scene, noting the various expressions on people's faces—Li Xiewen's shame, Li Qiuyang's calm, the townspeople's indignant fear, a sea of faces all staring back at him, eyes stabbing at Li Yuanxiu.

These half-brothers he had not seen since he was six looked back at him quietly among the crowd, like silent wolves, while Li Yuanjiao stood beside him, coldly staring back.

Li Yuanxiu had not had much contact with his older brothers from down the mountain. These three brothers had no Spirit Aperture, were well-read but didn't focus their struggle on him.

All of them knew that Li Xuanxuan had simply put Li Yuanxiu in charge to manage family affairs, ensuring that those below wouldn't deceive him. Being an Immortal, Li Yuanxiu was destined to ascend to the mountain. Lijing had four towns, Huaqian had three, and over a dozen scattered villages; some were so wealthy that they regularly encountered Immortals, while others were so barren they could hardly scrape together any resources for years. Watching each other warily, they all coveted certain positions.

Bringing back his gaze, Li Yuanxiu looked at the men before him and said coldly,

"Who owns this gambling den?"

Everyone's gaze drifted to one figure who staggered to his knees—it was a Cultivator from another family, still at the Fetal Breathing stage of Xuanjing Wheel in his thirties.

Without a word, Li Yuanxiu stepped forward and, swift as a thunderbolt, drew his sword. The dark grey gleam of his Mysterious Water Sword Radiance surged as he struck, beheading the man in one blow. The head rolled on the ground, the mouth still muttering as it moved,

"Young Master, spare me!"

The crowd gasped and stepped back half a step. Li Yuanxiu sidestepped to avoid the spurting blood. The rest stood frozen like statues, crying and wailing at the sight before them.

While everyone was still whimpering and stammering, Li Pingyi had already brought a pot of boiling oil, carried by some men. The clan soldiers exchanged glances, pressing down on the struggling group, holding their hands outstretched.

"A gambling addiction is a sickness of the hands."

Li Yuanxiu spoke coldly. Li Pingyi and the others started pouring the oil on the hands of the gamblers, who cried out in agony as blisters bubbled up like emerging heads. Only then did Li Yuanxiu say,

"All of you who have pulled your pants, stand out now!"

Li Qiuyang, who had been silent in the corner, then raised his head slightly, and with a flick of his finger, several sturdy men were dragged out, struggling against the clan soldiers as they lurched forward. Li Yuanxiu knew it was Li Qiuyang acting and shouted loudly,

"Pour again!"

The aroma of roasted meat wafted through the air as those few individuals realized they couldn't save their hands. Li Yuanxiu turned to the crowd and said:

"The Clan Head Courtyard enforces the rules established by our ancestors, prohibiting prostitution, gambling, and adultery. These two rules apply to both the main branch of our Great Clan and the smaller branches. Don't think that just because you're at the foot of the mountain and beyond our reach, you can degrade the Li Family's moral fabric!"

All around, there was silence. Li Yuanxiu glanced at his several half-brothers who all lowered their heads, no longer making eye contact with him, and then said quietly:

"Have someone come and treat their injuries."

Having said that, he walked out of the courtyard with his people. The people on either side parted, cringing and lowering their heads, not daring to look at him. Li Pingyi felt a secret thrill and stepped forward to say:

"Young Master, this will surely shut those uncles and Clan Elders who often criticize your lack of decisiveness!"

"No need to mind them."

Li Yuanxiu shook his head, walking through the dimly lit streets at night, and responded:

"These people are merely attempting to shift more control over the seven towns from the main house and Uncle Xiewen into the hands of their own children. It's just idle gossip they conjured up. Once this incident is over, they will say I'm too ruthless to lead a family."

"The struggle for power and profit is inherently dirty. You sling mud at me, I sling mud at you, and in the end, the winner's words will prevail."

Li Yuanxiu spoke casually, patting Li Yuanjiao's head beside him. With a serious tone, he said:

"Our real opponents have never been these minor internal family disputes, but rather the Yu Family, the An Family, and all the other clans that surround us, eyeing us like hungry tigers."

Li Yuanjiao nodded, following at his side. After pondering for a few moments, he spoke with a grave voice:

"Brother, I'm afraid those few will hold grudges against you. Perhaps we should still send someone to clean them up."

"After all, they are relatives."

Li Yuanxiu shook his head and said softly:

"Our family is already sparse in number. A few lowlifes with tarnished reputations can't do much harm. Naturally, there will be people from the Clan Head Courtyard keeping an eye on them. There's no need for such measures."

Li Yuanjiao could only nod, replying coldly:

"It's just that the looks in our other brothers' eyes are quite frightening."

"Them."

Li Yuanxiu also sighed slightly. Li Pingyi, walking behind them, consciously stepped back half a step, his gaze drifting and staring vacantly as if his spirit had left his body. Li Yuanxiu glanced at him and replied:

"They are merely without a Spirit Aperture, none easy to handle. Although we share the same father, they lack a Spirit Aperture, which inevitably causes them to envy you and me. But they also understand the bigger picture. With them around, no outsider can stir up significant trouble."

"I understand, brother."

Li Yuanjiao nodded thoughtfully. The two ascended the mountain together and, looking down at the dimly lit night below, they exchanged a smile. Li Yuanjiao's black robe fluttered in the night, complementing Li Yuanxiu's pure white cloak. He had not experienced much paternal love growing up, but he felt strong affection from his brother. With a beaming smile, he said:

"Brother! You are much better than father!"

Li Pingyi, walking behind, wished he could cover both his ears. Li Yuanxiu sternly glared at Li Yuanjiao and said seriously:

"What are you talking about! Father is the most exhausted among our seniors. In his life, he has had few proud achievements and has to go against his nature day after day to deal with affairs. Now in his mid-thirties, he already has a head full of gray hair; naturally, there are things he neglects. You should be understanding toward father."

"Understood."

Li Yuanjiao replied cheerfully, tugging at his brother's robe and adding with a smile:

"Brother, one day, our Li family will definitely defeat the Yu and An families under our leadership. With our brotherly unity, we are much stronger than Yu Mugao and Yu Mujian!"

Li Yuanxiu laughed heartily, and, ruffling his brother's head, his eyes filled with laughter and anticipation. Together, they looked towards the moonlight, walking in silence.