Chapter 1687: And Thus Attain Immortality (I)
Chapter 1687: And Thus Attain Immortality (I)
Moongaze Lake.
A spring breeze swept across the lake, bringing plentiful rain. A young man in white descended from the sky amid the drifting wind, a sword hanging at his waist as he rode the currents of air. His expression was lost in thought.
Spring has come again... Counting the days, it's about time I paid little uncle a visit.
Time had passed in the blink of an eye, and Li Suining had already reached the fifth stage of the Qi Cultivation Realm. Riding upon the wind and glimmering light, he drew envious gazes from everyone around him.
At this point in my previous life... I was still in seclusion, struggling just to advance in the Qi Cultivation Realm!
On the surface, Li Suining appeared to be studying the Dao like everyone else. In reality, however, he was nothing like the other direct descendants of the Li Family. Formation arts, Daoist treatises, secret techniques, movement arts, spells... He paid no attention to any of them. For all these years, his life had revolved around only one thing—cultivation!
The reason was simple. Li Suining had already mastered everything else in his previous life. As a former Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator and one of the few pillars who had supported the Li Family to its final days, his understanding of the Dao surpassed that of almost everyone around the lake!
Thus, his cultivation progress was even more astonishing. Armed with the experience of his previous life, he advanced at an incredible pace. He was now only a single step away from the sixth stage of the Qi Cultivation Realm, while the Void Core within him grew ever more radiant, awaiting the birth of his Immortal Foundation.
Having once reached the Foundation Establishment Realm within the Li Family in his previous life, he understood the process better than anyone else. Once he crossed these next two hurdles and reached the seventh stage of the Qi Cultivation Realm, the family's spirit pills and precious medicines would propel him all the way to the ninth stage of the Qi Cultivation Realm, allowing him to touch the threshold of Foundation Establishment.
I'm only twenty this year. If I keep advancing at this pace, I'll likely reach the ninth stage of the Qi Cultivation Realm by around twenty-two... That's far too conspicuous!
Even the family's two Daoist Masters could not compare with the King of Wei. A Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator in his early twenties was the sort of genius that appeared only once in countless years. Daoist Master Zhaojing had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm at thirty-two or thirty-three, which meant he had only reached the ninth stage of the Qi Cultivation Realm around the age of twenty-eight or twenty-nine.
Thus, Li Suining had deliberately held himself back, lingering at the sixth stage of Qi Cultivation Realm. Meanwhile, relying on the memories of his previous life, he quietly sought out influential figures around the lake, laying the groundwork for future relationships one by one.
Lost in thought, Li Suining suddenly came to a stop halfway through his journey. Looking into the distance, he spotted a man wearing a bamboo hat slowly rowing through the spring rain.
After only a single glance, a complicated expression crossed his face.
So... Fifth granduncle is here.
After being reborn, Li Suining had actually met Li Zhouming once already, during the ceremony marking his arrival on the island. The latter had briefly appeared then, but Li Suining had never been one for patience. After listening to only the beginning of the proceedings, he had grown restless and left immediately.
Li Suining had been eager to search for cultivation techniques, and later met Li Jiangchun. As for Li Zhouming, he had been sent into seclusion by Li Xuanxuan after staying up all night watching a play, causing the two of them to miss the chance to meet again.
Li Suining returned to the mountain, only to find that the Daoist Master was in seclusion refining a spirit item. He had intended to make the most of his time cultivating at Zhijing Mountain, yet after waiting and waiting without seeing Li Ximing, he had instead run into the King of Wei several times. Thus, the days slipped by until today.
He had no way of knowing that Li Ximing had likewise been sent into seclusion by Li Zhouwei. Assuming only that a Daoist Master's whereabouts were impossible to predict, he gave it little thought. In any case, Zhijing Mountain was rich in spiritual energy, so his cultivation had not been delayed in the slightest.
Feeling somewhat uneasy, he flew closer through the rain. To his surprise, the fifth young master[1] was holding a crudely whittled wooden pole, apparently using it to spear fish.
Catching sight of him, the man raised a brow and grinned. "What a handsome young fellow!"
...This...
Is this really fifth granduncle?
Li Suining naturally knew that this granduncle had done his share of outrageous things in his younger days, even going so far as to speak as though his own elder, their ancestor Li Xixuan, had already died. Yet in his previous life, he had had little contact with the man.
Seeing such a dignified Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator spearing fish struck him as rather bizarre, but he still replied, "I am Suining..."
"Heh." The young master lifted the wooden pole as though studying his expression. He plucked the fish from its tip and chuckled. "As if I wouldn't know that! Come in and have a seat!"
Li Suining found it impossible to reconcile this man's noble bearing and carefree smile with the pale, haggard family head of his previous life, whose Immortal Foundation had been damaged. Still, so accustomed was he to obeying the man's orders that he instinctively landed on the boat.
Li Zhouming lifted the curtain, and a wave of warm air immediately radiated out. Inside, a bronze brazier glowed with burning charcoal, while a young woman sat quietly within, a pipa resting in her arms as she waited with lowered eyes.
"This..."
Li Suining jumped in surprise. He immediately stepped back with the foot he had just set inside and stared blankly at Li Zhouming.
Li Zhouming sighed with a wistful expression, and shook his head. "She comes from a poor family and has been wandering without a home. She just happened to run into me. The spring chill is still biting, so I thought I'd let her warm herself for a while."
"... "
"..."
Li Suining opened his mouth, then thought better of it.
That's... a rather difficult explanation to believe, granduncle.
Li Zhouming, however, seemed completely oblivious. He hung the fish to one side, turned back, and smiled. "Don't get the wrong idea. She's just a poor girl. There's no way she'd know how to play something as refined as a pipa. She came aboard empty-handed, and I'm a vain man who likes to put on airs, so I simply had her hold one to complete the scene."
Li Suining found himself at a loss for words. His throat felt dry as he stared at the man for a long moment before quietly taking a seat by the edge. Watching Li Zhouming pour the wine, his thoughts gradually drifted away.
The last time he had shared a drink in his previous life had been with Li Zhouda... That granduncle of the clan had possessed a fiery temper, ruthless methods, and bloodstained hands. When Wang Quwan had marched south to wage war against Song, Li Suining had seen him off, watching him depart with fearless resolve, only to fall in battle on the northern shore.
Glug, glug...
The wine was crystal clear, its fragrance rich and inviting. Li Zhouming raised the jug, poured himself a cup, took a sip first, then filled one for Li Suining.
As Li Suining watched in silence, Li Zhouming let out an awkward chuckle and said with a hint of guilt, "It's only because I happened to run into you today. If it'd been anyone else... I couldn't be bothered with them... It's just... well..."
He topped off the cup and continued, "Just don't let Lady Xia find out..."
Only then did Li Suining remember that Li Zhouming had always been henpecked. Back on the lake, he had never been able to win an argument with his wife. After they reached the southern border, however, Xia Shouyu had softened into a steadfast and capable partner. By then, though, no one had any heart left to tease her, and those peaceful days had not lasted long.
Li Zhouming simply looked at him with a grin. "I've met your younger brother. Bright kid, that one. As for his great-grandfather... That Li Chengzai, he doesn't understand a thing. I can't stand the old man, so the poor boy will just have to suffer a little for it!"
The young master's words were as unpleasant as ever. Li Suining froze for a moment before hurriedly replying, "The Eastern Residence has certainly done many things wrong, and our elders have made their share of foolish decisions... But the younger generation shouldn't bear the blame."
He had no intention of letting Li Suikuan suffer for it. In his previous life, his younger brother had spent his days weighed down by the mistakes of their forebears, and Li Suining refused to witness that tragedy again.
Clenching his teeth, he said quietly, "What happened with the Eastern Residence's elders isn't something my younger brother alone should answer for..."
Throughout it all, Li Zhouming simply watched him. He sipped his wine with a faint smile, never once taking his eyes off Li Suining, before finally saying, "I said he'd have to put up with a little hardship. I never said I was going to torment him. You're far too protective."
Only then did Li Suining suddenly realize his mistake. He had grown so accustomed to the decisive, iron-handed Li Zhouming of his previous life, the man who crushed rebellions without hesitation, that he had forgotten the person before him was still nothing more than the notorious playboy of the lake! Even if he disliked someone, why would he waste his time making life difficult for a junior?
Realizing this only after the fact, Li Suining let out a relieved, wry smile and repeatedly apologized. Li Zhouming merely laughed and praised him, though a trace of puzzlement lingered between his brows as he joked, "There are people around the lake who're afraid of me, sure, but you're the first among the direct descendants. I'm a good-for-nothing; what's there to be afraid of?"
1. Referring to Li Zhouming. ☜