Chapter 119 Autumn Peace "Sister, who is that person?"

The Ji family has an unwritten rule: before a member of the family comes of age, he or she must be thrown into the world for a year of training. Only those who survive like wild dogs, shedding everything that comes with their Ji family identity, will be truly recognized.

But even the strictest rules, after being passed down for generations, gradually become mere formalities. Elders with influence in the clan, when it comes to their own bloodline, often go to great lengths to arrange everything. How can one not consider the offspring's experience in this preordained world a test of their survival skills? Thus, this tradition of trials becomes a test of the elders' abilities.

This applies to the seventh young lady, Ji Yun, whose parents are still alive, but not to the seventeenth young master, Ji Qiu'an, who lost his father at a young age.

When it was his turn, no one would make arrangements for a child who had no support and was destined to drift on the margins, so he spent a whole year wandering around outside.

At the age of twelve, before even learning how to channel spiritual energy into his body, he left the Ji family with an iron sword. He did not disappoint his clansmen's expectations, successfully swindling himself out of everything, even losing the iron sword he had used for self-defense. A year later, the rich young master who had left returned like a beggar.

But it was from this year that Ji Qiu'an began to cultivate with fervor, his talent gradually revealed, and he became the most skilled person among the younger generation of the Ji family. The family, which had long been overshadowed by the two major sects, finally welcomed a rising star on the path of immortality.

No one knows what he went through that year.

When asked, he only said that he was saved by an immortal. When asked who the immortal was, he would remain silent. Even when the person asking was his seventh sister, Ji Jun, who was closest to him in the clan, he gave the same answer.

The immortal left no name; the immortal only left an image in his heart.

A figure, both holy and cruel, arrogant and lonely, with a blood-stained white robe and a serene smile.

He had kept that brief encounter in his heart for seven years. He dared not touch it, dared not profane it; only in his dreams did he dare to approach it even a little.

Many times, when he was suffering terribly from the torment of cultivation, he would even wonder if that person was just a figment of his imagination, a fantasy to save him.

It was all too brief. As the years go by, the scenes of that time seem incredibly unreal.

In his despair, a celestial being descends from the heavens, slaughtering the villains who deceived him until their corpses litter the ground. A bewildered expression appears on his ghostly face, and his blood-stained hands hand him a mortal's money bag...

How could such a person exist? She probably doesn't exist. He gradually convinced himself to just treat it as a dream.

So much so that when that face reappeared in front of him, Ji Qiu'an thought he was dreaming again.

Standing before the teleportation array, he watched as Ji Jun stepped forward to talk to that person, while he remained motionless.

"It really is you! I didn't believe it when Jiao Bo sent me the message." Ji Yun's mouth dropped open in surprise. "How did you end up like this? Where is Lord Zongzi? Didn't he protect you?"

The woman paused, her expression exactly the same blank look she had shown back then. She didn't answer, but instead asked Ji Jun, "Is he alright now?"

Ji Yun pursed her lips. "How would I know about Lord Zongzi's affairs? However, he doesn't seem to be doing well. It's said that he's in seclusion, and the disciples on the mountain haven't seen him for a long time."

Hearing this, the man beside her looked quite displeased, but he quickly smiled at her and said, "Why are you saying all this? Let's go back quickly."

Ji Qiu'an and Ji Jun both recognized that the man was the young master of the Li family.

There was frequent interaction and intermarriage between the immortal sects and aristocratic families, so they naturally knew each other.

Ji Yun, being straightforward, immediately asked in confusion, "Why is Young Master Li here? Shouldn't you be discussing matters with your elders at this time?"

"What are you discussing?"

"Of course, it's your marriage."

Seeing his surprised expression, Ji Jun said, "You really don't know? The Great Zhou royal family wants to form an alliance with the immortal sects through marriage. They sent invitations to all three major families, but only chose Yanling City as the place of their mission. Isn't this intention already very clear?"

She laughed and patted the person next to her, "What, does Young Master Li seem unwilling? Perfect, my thirteenth brother is waiting to pick up a bargain."

Ji Qiu'an hurriedly waved his hands, "No, no, I wouldn't dare."

The young master of the Li family visibly darkened his face, and said with a forced smile, "The elders will make their own decisions about the Li family's affairs, so Miss Ji need not trouble herself."

He turned and looked down at that person, his eyes seeing no one else. "Let's go back to the Li family."

The man was pulled away by him, and in the end, he only had time to throw back the Ji family token and thank Ji Yun.

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Ji Yun clutched the token indignantly, "Why did I hang out with him!"

Ji Jun didn't notice that her cousin's gaze had followed her for a long time before he grabbed her arm as if in a daze.

"Sister, who is that person?"

*

The main residence of the Li family in Yanling City was more like a palace than a residence.

The steps seemed to stretch endlessly, and the buildings towered majestically. Due to their age, the wood had turned a deep, dark color, making the sky appear even darker as one walked among them. Yet, large golden chrysanthemums were painted on the interlocking brackets and pillars, the gold against the dark wood adding a touch of richness and brightness to the somber scene, both eerie and harmonious.

Such a large complex of buildings, yet hardly anyone was around; it felt eerily deserted.

Occasionally, when he encountered a servant, the servant would respectfully bow to Li Mengbai and call out, "Young Master."

Jiang Yuhuo only knew that Li Mengbai was a member of the Li family; he had never told her his true identity. She had only guessed that he must have some status, and now that she knew his identity, she felt a little more at ease.

Since he is the young master of the Li family, it is not difficult for him to take out the Earth Flame Vine.

Li Mengbai settled her in the living room, smiled at her, and said, "Wait for me, I'll be back soon."

He disappeared behind the many doors, as if stepping into the mouth of a giant beast.

At the northernmost end of the central axis, a giant golden chrysanthemum blooms on the floor, its brilliance resembling golden flames flowing across the ground. It is inlaid with pieces of crimson gold, forever capturing the golden chrysanthemum in its most magnificent bloom, just like this illustrious family that has stood for hundreds of years.

A man dressed in a black silk robe stood at the end of the chrysanthemum pattern. He turned around slowly when he heard the sound. What he saw was an excessively handsome face that was almost eerie. He looked very young, but his complexion was sickly pale.

"You're back. Where have you been all this time?"

The low, somber question echoed in the overly empty hall.

He turned and sat down, and the black silk flowed like ink at his feet. Behind him stood a tall screen with a picture of a feathered god with his hands clasped in front of his chest. The feathered god's white hair was slightly yellowed, and it looked very old.

The man in the black robe sat beneath the statue of the Feather God, while Li Mengbai stood at the tip of a chrysanthemum leaf, gazing at each other from afar.

Li Mengbai smiled and said, "I'm going to Luoyue City to watch a grand competition."

The person seated remained noncommittal, glancing at him with an eyelid lift. "You'd better just go watch the game." After a moment, he continued, "While you were away, there was a backlog of affairs at the Seven Counties outpost, which I've already handed over to Yanluo to manage."

Li Mengbai's smile widened. "I will follow Father's arrangements. It's good for Aunt to go out more often, otherwise outsiders will think that it's our Li family that's preventing Aunt from going out."

Li Shichuan suddenly raised his head, a sinister glint in his eyes, "She is your aunt, we are family, family members shouldn't hold grudges."

Li Mengbai couldn't help but scoff softly, "Yes, such an intimate family."

He emphasized the word "intimate".

The person seated looked at him with a cold gaze, and Li Mengbai suddenly knelt down, his knees hitting the ground with a heavy thud.

"I'm not feeling well, Yanluo is just taking care of me, what are you thinking?"

Li Mengbai was in so much pain that he couldn't speak, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

"Your spiritual power is gone?" Li Shichuan's eyes showed a mocking look. He stood up and slowly walked towards his son, with whom he had always been outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds. "Tsk, I thought you had improved your skills over the years, but I didn't expect you to still be so useless."

"Don't go anywhere these days. The envoy from the Great Zhou royal family will be arriving in the next few days. Prepare in advance, find out what that little princess likes, and try to win her favor. You should be very good at this."

Li Shichuan looked down at his son, who resembled him by six or seven points, but looked more like his mother, the spoiled and willful eldest daughter of the Gongye family.

"I will not engage in arranged marriages."

Li Shichuan sneered, "Do you think you have a choice?"

"I will not engage in arranged marriages."

"..."

"I heard you brought a woman back. What are you going to do with her?" Li Shichuan asked casually.

Li Mengbai suddenly laughed, as if he had heard something extremely ridiculous. He looked up and sneered, "It's just a toy I picked up on the road to pass the time. Father has to go to such lengths for this?"

Li Shichuan's gaze toward him grew increasingly disgusted. "Don't leave behind anything that shouldn't be there."

Li Mengbai smiled brightly, but his eyes seemed to be filled with venom. "Father, rest assured, with your example as a warning, I will be extremely careful."

With a crisp "smack," Li Shichuan used his spiritual power, sending Li Mengbai flying three zhang away with a single slap.

Looking at his son curled up on the ground, Li Shichuan shook his hand, his sickly face full of cold indignation, "You ignorant fool."

*

Jiang Yuhuo sat in the living room for a long time, so long that she couldn't sit still any longer and wanted to go out for a walk.

The waiter standing at the door stopped her, saying, "The young master instructed you to wait here and not go anywhere."

Her smile was gentle, yet irresistible.

After Jiang Yuhuo counted the petals of the golden chrysanthemum on the beam for the tenth time, Li Mengbai finally appeared. He had changed into a purple robe, his hair was half-tied up, and the wind he walked by carried a fragrance, just like the person she saw on a rainy day in Luoyue City who was walking towards her with a moon-white silk umbrella.

Wait, he told her to wait here while he went to take a shower?

"Where are the things?" Jiang Yuhuo asked.

Li Mengbai pulled her straight out, saying, "Let's get out of here first."

"Isn't this your home? Where are you going?" Jiang Yuhuo pulled her hand away from his. "You're not going to back out, are you?"

Li Mengbai paused, turned to look at her, a bitter smile in his eyes, "Don't worry, I won't go back on my promise to you."

Jiang Yuhuo only then noticed the strangeness on his face.

A carriage was already waiting at the gate, and after the two got in, it slowly drove away.

On the high, upturned eaves, a figure leaped and darted through the night, following the carriage away.

Inside the carriage, as soon as the curtain fell, Li Mengbai threw himself into Jiang Yuhuo's arms; he had been holding back all day.

The fragrance lingered in her heart. Just as Jiang Yuhuo was about to push him away, she heard Li Mengbai's muffled groan from the pile of fabric, "Let me hold you for a while, just a little while."

Where are we going?

“I haven’t lived here in my villa for a long time.” Li Mengbai wrapped his arms around her waist, rested his head against her ribs, closed his eyes, and showed complete affection and submission. “The old medicine doctor will be coming over with the Earth Flame Vine later. He is a very capable person. We can ask him to take a look at the spiritual power in our bodies.”

Jiang Yuhuo thought about it and agreed. Without spiritual power, things were inconvenient in many ways, so it would be best to repair it as soon as possible.

The carriage passed through the main street and headed out of the city. Jiang Yuhuo lifted the curtain and saw the ancient and prosperous city. Unlike Shannan County, a city under the jurisdiction of an emperor, Yanling City was a melting pot of cultivators and mortals. Various talismans and formations could be seen everywhere, and many of the street vendors were selling immortal herbs and spiritual medicines. The city was crowded and could even be described as noisy.

Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, the Li family of the Immortal Sect settled here first. Cultivators who were attracted gathered here and gradually built a city. It was not under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, nor was it bound by the rules of the two major sects. It was a lawless land for both cultivators and mortals.

This was Jiang Yuhuo's first time here, so he was naturally curious.

“I didn’t know the Ji family member you know was Ji Yun.” Li Mengbai’s voice suddenly rang out. “From now on, it’s best not to associate with her. She is a disciple of Tianque.”

Jiang Yuhuo withdrew her gaze and looked down at him, "What's wrong with the Tianque disciple?"

He hesitated for a moment before saying, “I haven’t told you yet, Situ Xin. The name you told him that day, I couldn’t remember at first, but then I did. But you were always angry with me, so I didn’t have a chance to tell you. He is actually the Grandmaster of Tianque.”

Jiang Yuhuo was shocked and sat up straight, forcing Li Mengbai to get up from her. "How is this possible? Isn't Tianque's Grandmaster traveling outside?"

Li Mengbai shook his head. “But the Grandmaster’s name is indeed Situ Xin. So, you should stay away from the people of Tianque. They won’t let you go.” He rested his head on her shoulder. “But you don’t need to worry too much. Right now, only that merman knows who broke into the formation, but now that the formation has collapsed, he probably thinks we’re already dead inside.”

"You just need to be careful not to let him find you."

Jiang Yuhuo lowered her eyes as she recalled that splash of cold blood. "If he wants to seek revenge on me, I have no reason to object."

But she was also unhappy that he was shifting all the blame onto her, saying, "But you are the mastermind. If they want to hunt me down, you won't escape either."

Seeing her sullen expression, Li Mengbai laughed with amusement. He squeezed his hand into Jiang Yuhuo's and sighed softly, "Yes, it's all because of me. I've dragged you down. But now, we're in the same boat, so we must stick together."

As the carriage left the city gate, the bustling streets no longer provided cover, and those who followed it gradually became unable to conceal themselves.

The driver reported from outside the curtain, "Young master, someone is following us."

His gentle gaze suddenly turned ruthless. "If you catch him, execute him immediately. After he dies, search his house again to see who sent him."

"yes."

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the villa. Jiang Yuhu got out of the carriage and vaguely saw a small, thin figure flash past behind it.

Li Mengbai turned around and smiled, taking her sleeve. "Let's go inside."

Jiang Yuhu nodded and composed himself.

The internal struggles within the Li family have nothing to do with her.

"Auntie, save me! Auntie!" A thin figure suddenly rushed out from behind the car, heading straight for Jiang Yuhuo, but the Li family's servants quickly covered his mouth and pulled him back.

Jiang Yuhuo could no longer contain herself and pushed Li Mengbai's hand away, saying, "I'll go take a look."

Li Mengbai's smile froze.

Several servants pinned the man to the ground, their swords swinging downwards, about to chop off the man's head.

A lightsaber flew in from the side, knocking the sword from the servant's hand to the ground with such force that it made his hand go numb.

"Release them."

A woman dressed in black stood not far away, holding a sword sheath in her hand.

Seeing the young master's signal behind her, the servant obediently released the shackles on the person on the ground.

Upon seeing this, the people on the ground immediately scrambled to their feet and rushed toward the woman in black without a second thought.

As she ran, her hair came undone, and Jiang Yuhuo saw that she was a pretty young girl.