Chapter 217: Li Yuanping

Chapter 217: Li Yuanping

Lu Jiangxian withdrew his gaze from the throngs at the foot of the mountain, retracting his divine sense into the mirror. Th.ê most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m

He descended beside a stone table that seemed to be made of white jade, his robe swaying in the gentle breeze. With a sigh, he lowered himself onto the seat. Sadness enveloped his expression as he murmured to himself.

"Four pairs of fathers and sons, three families plotting against each other, generations enmeshed... Such is the world; one fears the other, inciting harm until vendettas erupt, all culminating in mourning and funeral rites...

"Immortals are battling for survival as the upper sect mercilessly slaughter, refine human pills, perform sacrificial rituals, and pit families and clans against each other, while the people resign to their fates like fish on the chopping block..."

Doubt clouded Lu Jiangxian's heart as he murmured quietly, "How did the war between the immortals and the devils end... to lead the world to such a pitiful state?"

He redirected his attention to a more pressing concern.

"Day by day, I find myself growing increasingly emotionally detached..."

During the initial decades after losing his physical form, a sense of inertia propelled him forward, permitting fluctuations in his emotions to occur. Since he spent most of his time drifting in and out of sleep, he never really did notice this problem.

Yet, as the decades wore on and Lu Jiangxian spent more time awake and less in slumber, he spent his time delving into shamanic spells. His capacity for emotional turbulence began waning.

Thanks to this detachment, he could observe changes in the families indifferently. In the mirror, a few decades felt only like a day to him.

In truth, Lu Jiangxian possessed the capability to intervene and save Li Yuanxiu, yet after careful consideration, he chose not to do so.

The mirror appears to harbor a profound secret from its past, leading to its current decline... The strength of our adversaries must be truly formidable, given they were in the deductions of the talisman qi. I must proceed with utmost caution, ensuring not even the slightest hint of exposure.

A soft, silver-colored light manifested in Lu Jiangxian's hand and hovered above it—it was the power of deduction that he had recovered from Liu Changdian years ago. He had spent three years deducing the possibility of his own exposure and had finally managed to obtain some information.

The Supreme Yin Profound Light is the essence of pure moonlight from the Supreme Yin. Utilizing it to eliminate adversaries poses minimal risk of exposure, as per my deductions. Conversely, confronting enemies with shamanic spells entails significant peril. The more powerful the spell, the higher the probability of attracting unwanted attention...

Should I venture beyond the confines of this mirror... the heavens and earth would quake, drawing the attention of all immortals.

Lu Jiangxian contemplated deeply and reached the conclusion that quietly waiting within the mirror, patiently waiting for the Li Family to rise to prominence would appear to be the most secure path. By steadily amassing power within the talisman seeds, he could ensure his safety and longevity.

"I once thought that sects could amass talisman seeds more swiftly than families... However, after observing the Azure Pond Sect and Golden Tang Gate, I realize they are just families in disguise..."

Spiritual orifice and bloodline would inadvertently lead to intermarriage between sects, resulting in tangled lineages that would eventually form distinct families or even factions of their own.

While this initially accelerated the accumulation of power, it also undermined the stability of that power over time. The risk of such fragmentation into multiple families with different surnames would potentially lead to the leaks of sensitive information.

"The Young Family Head has been assas-... H-he has passed away..."

The woman almost lost her ability to breathe the very moment her worst fears were confirmed. Though she had sensed trouble brewing, the reality was far more devastating than she could have ever imagined.

She stifled a sob but immediately felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She gritted her teeth and asked, "Where's Li Xuanxuan?! What kind of father is he...? How could he let this happen to my son?! Li Xuanxuan! Li Xuanxuan!"

"The Young Family Head is..."

The servant lowered her head, unable to bear her mistress' distress. To her horror, the woman collapsed before her.

"Madam! Madam...!" she cried out in a panic.

————

"Waaaah!!"

The white veil of the Li Family had been fluttering on the eaves for months, but finally, a cry pierced through the silence of the courtyard.

Li Xuanxuan held his wife's hand, channeling mana to stabilize her breathing as the midwife emerged, cradling a fragile infant in her arms.

"Congratulations, Old Master... It's a boy."

Li Xuanxuan took the child in his arms, observing his small and delicate form. The baby furrowed his brow and after letting out a feeble cry, he fell silent and remained motionless.

Were it not for the subtle rise and fall of his nostrils and Li Xuanxuan's spiritual sense detecting the baby's life force, he might have feared the worst.

"Well done, my dear... you have endured much," Li Xuanxuan murmured softly, trying to comfort his wife. Emotions surged within him as he welcomed a new life into the family amidst the recent loss of his eldest son. Tears streamed down his face, rendering him unable to speak.

Holding the newborn close to him, he gazed upon him for a while, his mind filled with a multitude of thoughts and emotions. Eventually, all the words he wished to convey condensed into a soft sigh.

"After toiling away for half of my life... I now realize that all I truly desire in this world is safety."

He stroked the infant's damp hair tenderly, then presented the child to his wife. When he spoke again, his voice was soft, tender.

"Let's name him Yuanping... Li Yuanping[1]."

1. The "Ping" in Yuanping's name means "safety". ☜