Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 174 - 164 Shamo Li

Shamo Li led a few loyal followers, burrowing through the forests for days and nights. They dared not even look back, let alone light a fire to cook. When they were hungry, they ate some fruit. When they were thirsty, they scooped up water to drink. At last, they escaped the territory of the Eastern Shanyue.

The opulence of the Eastern people and the bustling towns left their eyes wide in amazement. Disguised as Shanyue escaping calamity, they were closely watched by a crowd. From a distance, they saw the throng of people, a sky filled with official caps, and a surge of carriages heading west, while the distant sounds of opera floated over.

"These Easterners... live truly divine lives," Shamo Li murmured in astonishment, finally understanding why those slaves were frantically pushing their way eastward.

After being trapped in an enclosure for several hours, Shamo Li finally saw a splendidly dressed Shanyue man approaching from not far away. His eyes lit up – this man was a clansman from the Mu Lu clan, thought to have died years ago. It turned out he had vanished to enjoy the good life in the east. Shamo Li hurriedly called out to him in the Shanyue native tongue:

"You wretch... look over here!"

The man’s face turned annoyed as he looked towards the source of the voice, then burst into ecstatic joy, shouting: 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Quickly seize that man! He is a prince of the Eastern Shanyue!"

Shamo Li was immediately tackled by several people. He himself had achieved the Third Layer of Fetal Breathing but hunched his head, not daring to resist, and was jostled along until, with a thump, he was thrown into a courtyard paved with blue stone bricks.

Kneeling on the slick, cool ground, he timidly raised his head only to see a boy who appeared to be about fourteen or fifteen years old. The boy had straight, long eyebrows, dark grey eyes that stared intently, a handsome face with smooth lines, and an overwhelming presence.

"Greetings... Greetings to the Great King!"

Shamo Li guessed in his mind that this person was most likely Li Xuanxuan. With such a youthful appearance, he was probably an early Qi Cultivator, which made him look young. Ironically, this boy was also his uncle by marriage, related by blood.

"Young master jests."

Li Yuanxiu laughed softly, his lips curving up involuntarily. He hadn’t expected the leverage over the Shanyue to so abruptly fall into his lap, and he felt so delighted he almost wanted to laugh out loud, but he restrained himself and politely remarked, scrutinizing this trembling Shanyue prince.

"I am Li Yuanxiu, the legitimate eldest son of the Family Head. We are of the same generation."

Only then did Shamo Li realize that he was in the presence of the heir to the Eastern kingdom. He smiled ingratiatingly, about to speak, when he saw someone hurry into the doorway. This person bore a resemblance to Li Yuanxiu but had shorter eyebrows and narrower eyes, giving off the aura of a rapacious wolf. The young man glanced at Shamo Li, who hurriedly bowed his head in fright.

"I heard my cousin has come to visit, and Yuanjiao is overjoyed!"

Shamo Li’s heart leapt with joy, thinking he had found support amongst the Easterners, and he quickly replied:

"So it’s Brother Jiao! I’ve long admired you. I never imagined that I would encounter such a hero like this."

Li Yuanjiao smirked, took a position beside Li Yuanxiu, its gaze lingering hungrily over those below. The clan soldiers who knew of his Mu Lu lineage and his temperament towards the Shanyue, all looked up to him with admiration.

"I heard about the incident with your father. Would the young master care to explain, to clear up our confusion?"

Li Yuanxiu sipped his tea calmly at the head of the table and asked in a leisurely manner. Shamo Li at the lower end of the table trembled as he replied:

"Yes, yes!"

Shamo Li hurriedly narrated the events leading up to and following Mu Jiaoman’s death in detail, taking the time of an incense stick to explain. Only then did the people around him understand and began to whisper among themselves.

Li Yuanxiu waved his hand, his expression changing slightly. He hadn’t anticipated Shamo Li to be so foolish, and thought to himself:

"I specifically summoned everyone to have him state the facts, but who would have thought this simpleton would actually speak the truth? He didn’t even try to throw some dirt on his brother’s name to give the Li Family a pretext to intervene. He truly wasted my good intentions..."

Li Yuanxiu looked up at the pack of uncles and brothers gathered below and said softly:

"I will have a word with Shamo Li, the rest of the elders please withdraw for now."

A few Clan Elders furrowed their brows, ready to speak, when Li Yuanjiao snorted and stepped forward, glaring at them fiercely. Reluctantly, they withdrew. With these supportive Clan Elders gone, the crowd below receded like a tide, leaving only the clan soldiers in the courtyard with the two brothers, Li Yuanxiu and Li Yuanjiao. Li Qiuyang stood guard beside Shamo Li, fists clasped, ready to prevent him from harming anyone.

Li Yuanxiu hurried down, took Shamo Li’s hand with a warm smile, and said cheerfully:

"Brother Shamo Li, with the elders here earlier, it wasn’t proper for Yuanxiu to speak freely. We are relatives by marriage, there’s no need to be so courteous!"

Shamo Li was momentarily stunned, not expecting Li Yuanxiu to be so approachable. He stuttered, not daring to speak, and then heard Li Yuanxiu say:

"That Prince Qi Mu seized the throne by means of patricide while our previous king was gravely injured, and he went against the king’s wishes by slaughtering his sons, truly unfilial. The Li Family has promised protection to the Eastern Shanyue; how could we stand by and do nothing? Please rest assured, Prince."

Shamo Li was taken aback by these words, his mind blank with doubt, wondering if he had failed to make himself clear earlier. His father had bequeathed the position to Qi Mu and had personally ordered the slaughter of his other sons. How had the story changed completely in Li Yuanxiu’s mouth...

Shamo Li, looking at the smile on Li Yuanxiu’s face, had a flash of insight. A trembling surge of desire burst forth within him. He who had once given up all hope for the throne now began to tremble with a mixture of joy and fear, repeatedly saying:

"Yes! Yes! Prince Qi Mu seized the throne through patricide while the previous king was gravely injured and went against the king’s wishes by slaughtering his sons..."

Li Yuanxiu finally got this blockhead to understand, sighing with relief in his heart, and said with a smile:

"Your father can also be considered Yuanjiao’s uncle, so this insult also falls on the Li Family. Just take a look at the scenery at the foot of the mountain; it’s quite different from Shanyue. I’m going to the mountain to report to the elders and will come find you afterwards."

Shamo Li’s head was filled with a torrent of thoughts, his blood boiling with images of charging back to Shanyue and reclaiming the throne. He hummed in a daze, then snapped out of it, and excitedly said:

"For the enormous kindness and grace, Shamo Li has nothing to repay! Shamo Li is willing to be the Li Family’s vanguard, defending the west, and paying tribute year after year..."

Li Yuanxiu waved his hand, speechless inside, realizing that this fellow before him really didn’t know how to speak. He thought to himself:

"Defending the west, paying tribute yearly, how is that any different from now? This Shamo Li doesn’t get to the point; he truly is insensitive to the situation."

Having said that, he nodded slightly and left the courtyard to go up the mountain, leaving Li Yuanjiao and Shamo Li gaping at each other in the yard. While Shamo Li was still lost in his lofty aspirations, Li Yuanjiao glanced at him, patted the shoulder of his distant relative, and said softly in his ear:

"We in the east are famous for our beautiful singing and dancing women. Cousin might want to check them out."

"Ah! Sure."

Shamo Li left the courtyard in a daze, while Li Yuanjiao made a respectful gesture towards Li Qiuyang and said softly:

"I’ll trouble my clan uncle with the rest. Carefully select some singing and dancing girls, and make sure Shamo Li leaves behind some offspring here to be educated. Only then can we truly hold Shanyue in the palm of our hand."

"I understand."

Li Qiuyang nodded, showing no disrespect to the younger Li Yuanjiao, and agreed as he made his way out.