Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 203 - 189 Retreat

Li Tongya clasped his hands and said respectfully,

"My family's Foundation Establishment cultivators were commanded by our sect to go on a demon-slaying mission, and hence were not at home..."

Li Tongya had first received news about the Demon King of the Southern Border's alchemical pursuits from the White Banyan Fox. Although Fei Luoya, who usually dwelt on Witch Mountain, was not aware of matters beyond his world, Li Tongya still took precautions. He only mentioned going on a demon-slaying mission and did not bring up the Southern Border, causing Fei Luoya's brow to furrow. The people of Shanyue were not ones for beating around the bush, and he spoke directly,

"What is your family elder's cultivation level?"

Just as Li Tongya was about to respond, someone descended beside them riding the wind, clad in white, his demeanor dashing and graceful—it was none other than Fei Wangbai, the head of the Fei Clan.

"Taoist fellows."

With a fist and palm salute, Fei Wangbai carried the bright white spear on his back. Li Tongya, of course, responded respectfully, and Fei Luoya, seeing that it was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, also returned the gesture ceremoniously. Fei Wangbai raised his eyebrows and said with a smile,

"How so... could it be that someone dare provoke the clan of the Sword Immortals?"

Fei Wangbai had obviously seen the two from a distance and guessed that Fei Luoya was likely coming to cause trouble, so he approached to give face. Hearing the term 'Sword Immortal' made Fei Luoya's frown deepen, a hint of unease in his heart.

"Not at all, Senior Fei Luoya only wished to meet the Sword Immortal, that's all."

Li Tongya answered smoothly, which inexplicably relieved Fei Luoya's heart. Fei Wangbai let out a hearty laugh, teasing,

"Within the sect are Thirty-Six Peaks, and beyond it, Yue Country's Five Prefectures—who has not desired to behold the visage of a Sword Immortal? What great face Taoist fellow must have. Could it be that seeing the Li Family unguarded, you intend to bully those under the Qing Sui Sword Immortal's command?"

Fei Wangbai's flattery was more convincing than if Li Tongya had said it himself, immediately startling Fei Luoya. Although Fei Luoya had spent most of his years confined to Witch Mountain by Duanmu Kui and had experienced little of the world's ways, he was still a Foundation Establishment Immortal Cultivator. Gritting his teeth, he retorted with a cold laugh,

"Fellow Taoist must not scare me. We, the Shanyue, are straightforward—whatever we fancy, we take by force if we can, and flee if we cannot. Now that the loathsome Sword Immortal is not here, should I give way to a mere Qi Cultivator, wouldn't that be too overbearing..."

His words were still tough, but his tone had softened considerably. Fei Luoya's heart was beating the retreat, thinking to himself,

"It's just a few pieces of land after all; I'll give them to him. As a Foundation Establishment Immortal Cultivator, there's little benefit for me in this broken land. I was only previously aggrieved, wanting to fight for that bit of pride."

Fei Luoya had just lifted his head, preparing to give some soft words when suddenly, from east to west, two streaks of light flew over. A middle-aged man adorned with pouches and an old man draped in a grey robe landed beside Li Tongya. The middle-aged man clasped his hands, glanced at Fei Luoya, and said with a smile,

"Brother Tongya, it seems I've not arrived too late."

"I have seen the two seniors."

Li Tongya returned the greeting with a light chuckle. The middle-aged man was Xiao Yuansi. Turning to the old man and seeing that he bore a strong resemblance to Xiao Yongling, he knew he was from the Xiao Family and respectfully inquired,

"And this senior is?"

"Xiao Family's Xiao Chuchou."

The old man answered warmly, eyes twinkling as he stared at Fei Luoya. Fei Luoya swept them with his Spiritual Sense and saw that one was in the early stage and the other was in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. He suddenly felt threatened; together, these three could hold him there. Panic began to settle in his heart, just as Xiao Yuansi spoke,

"May I ask this Taoist fellow..."

Fei Luoya's face changed as he plastered on a full smile, saying cheerfully,

"I am Fei Luoya from the Witch Mountain faction, now settling here, and was hoping to be neighbors. I came to meet Brother Tongya and witness the might of a Sword Immortal..."

"Oh."

Fei Wangbai chuckled softly, not bothering to expose him, while Li Tongya once again clasped his hands in reply,

"In the future, we'll be neighbors, Senior Fei Luoya is always welcome to visit Lijing Mountain..."

"Of course... of course..."

Fei Luoya acquiesced quickly, laughing ha-ha for a while, then hastily took his leave. Fei Wangbai greeted the Xiao Family pair, seeing that they seemed to have matters to discuss, and excused himself diplomatically,

"There are still matters to attend to at home, so I will not bother Brother Tongya any longer."

"Senior, take care. In a few days, Tongya will come to visit."

Although Li Tongya had not reached Foundation Establishment, on the lake he was already counted among the top few below that level. Fei Wangbai was keen to make friends, addressing him as a peer, yet Li Tongya still called him senior. Each maintaining their own stance, Xiao Yuansi watched and chuckled softly.

"Many thanks to the two seniors for coming to support..."

Li Tongya arrived at the palace, descending with two others. A servant immediately offered tea, and Xiao Chuchou, with his white hair, took a sip and said softly,

"Given the current relationship between our two families, I must be frank. Our visit was not entirely for your sake."

"Decades ago, I traveled between nations with a member of the Buddhist Sect, and within the mountains of Shanyue in the Yue Country, we discovered a Precious Medicine guarded by a demon at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. At that time, I was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and with Witch Mountain overseeing it, I was afraid to stir any trouble. Thus, I marked the location and left disappointedly. Now that Witch Mountain no longer exists, I have brought Yuansi with me, hoping to acquire that medicine."

"I see."

Xiao Chuchou, a senior member of the Xiao Family, spoke, and Xiao Yuansi listened with great respect, not daring to interject. Li Tongya gave a polite response, then saw Xiao Chuchou smile and say,

"I've long heard that your demeanor is exceptional, and indeed it is true."

"Speaking of which, I must thank the Li Family. If not for the Sword Immortal exchanging a Sui Origin Pill for my family, my child might not have been able to break through."

Li Tongya humbly replied and chatted with Xiao Chuchou briefly before voicing the doubts in his heart in a low voice,

"May I ask the senior, about this person from the Buddhist Sect..."

"Mmm."

Xiao Chuchou sipped his tea at a leisurely pace and answered,

"You all are young and none from your families have traveled far. Our Yue Country is located in the South, governed by our Taoist Sect, and so is the great Xu to the north. If one crosses the northernmost Long River and reaches the land of Yan Zhao, that is the territory of Buddhism."

"The world is vast; it's not only our Golden Core Path that practices cultivation. Buddhism also has its own methods of cultivation, each with its merits... However..."

Xiao Chuchou shook his head, a flicker of fear crossing his expression, and said through gritted teeth,

"When encountering people from the Buddhist Sect, it's best to just deal with them perfunctorily and not associate too long. Those with wavering minds can be swayed by a single interaction, ensnared in endless delusions of what's right and what's wrong."

"This world has shamans, Curse Techniques and other minor paths, as well as grand paths like the Zifu Golden Core that consume blood and devour humans. You are free to practice any path, depending entirely on what your heart chooses. But if you enter Buddhism, then you no longer have a say."

Listening, Li Tongya felt a chill in his heart, grateful that Buddhism lay far to the north, something he need not consider immediately. He said respectfully,

"Thank you, senior, for clearing my doubts."

Xiao Chuchou nodded, conversing a bit more until the hour had passed. He then took to the skies with Xiao Yuansi to search for that Precious Medicine, to prevent others from beating them to it, while Li Tongya, of course, saw them off from his territory on the wind.

As Xiao Chuchou flew through the sky, he seemed to be lost in the rights and wrongs of his younger days. Xiao Yuansi glanced at him and asked in a low voice,

"Elder Ancestor, about that Precious Medicine..."

"The Precious Medicine is secondary," 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Xiao Chuchou shook his head and replied,

"There is indeed such a medicine, but it's merely a smokescreen. I know of several ancient sites, mostly left by the people of Witch Mountain, protected by bans. Now that Witch Mountain has been destroyed, it's worth exploring those places. If we could find even a chapter or a fragment of that Immortal Book, our family would benefit immensely."

Xiao Yuansi nodded gently, his heart also expectant for the book bestowed by the Immortal. He opened his mouth and muttered,

"'Questions Asked by the Beggar beneath the Mulberry Tree'... That must be an Immortal Book, surely at least the seventh or eighth rank."

"Don't harbor too high hopes,"

Xiao Chuchou said in a low voice,

"If that book's traces were found in Witch Mountain, I'm afraid those dozen Zifu would have started fighting over it long ago. The deeds of Duanmu Kui from many years ago are simply too ancient, and perhaps the Immortal's gift of the book was just a way for him to glorify his own name."

The two of them flew on the wind, and Xiao Yuansi said in bewilderment,

"So in the end, Duanmu Kui failed... Is the Golden Core Path really so difficult? Over the centuries, so many Zifu and yet not one has succeeded..."

"Golden Core..."

Xiao Chuchou chuckled and answered,

"To forge the Metal Nature, to have a lifespan of a thousand years, as long as one isn't discovered by Si Yin, a Golden Core Cultivator, even in death, could maintain existence in the world through the Metal Nature. With the methods of an Immortal, how esteemed that would be! It's certainly not something that can be achieved just by saying so."