Chapter 50 : Chapter 50
Chapter 50: The Li Clan’s Response
Inside the seclusion chamber, Li Xingge sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, refining the medicinal power of the Blood Spirit Fruit.
“Family Head, the Grand Elder urgently requests an audience. He says it concerns the life and death of the clan and asks that you leave seclusion at once!”
Outside the stone chamber, the voice of a guard cultivator rang out anxiously.
Li Xingge suddenly opened his eyes and strode out of the stone chamber.
The moment he emerged, his gaze fell upon the Second Elder.
At this moment, the Second Elder’s complexion was ruddy, and the qi-and-blood power within him was exceptionally solid and vigorous.
Even his appearance seemed to have grown more than twenty years younger overnight.
Clearly, with the aid of that Blood Spirit Fruit, the Second Elder had successfully taken that step!
Seeing Li Xingge emerge from seclusion, both the Grand Elder and the Second Elder let out sighs of relief and hurried forward.
“Family Head!”
“What has happened?”
Li Xingge asked in confusion. How had the clan reached a life-and-death crisis after only a few days of his seclusion?
“Family Head, many things have happened in the clan during these days of your seclusion. Allow me to make a long story short.”
In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the Grand Elder recounted everything that had happened over the past three days.
As he listened, Li Xingge’s face grew darker and darker.
“This Song Clan is courting death!”
Li Xingge said furiously.
First they had intercepted and attacked the Li Clan’s new blood, grievously wounded the Sixth Elder, and killed many Li Clan cultivators.
And now they had even formed some so-called alliance, hoping to annihilate the Li Clan.
This was beyond all tolerance.
Originally, out of caution toward that old ghost of the Song Clan, he had not planned to fall out with the Song Clan just yet. Yet he had never expected the Song Clan to be the one to lose patience first.
“Family Head, the five-family alliance cannot be underestimated. Our Li Clan is truly in danger.”
The Grand Elder’s face was grave.
The alliance of five families had six Qi-Blood Realm cultivators in total, including the Song Clan’s Old Ancestor, a major expert at Minor Accomplishment in the Qi-Blood Realm.
Although the Chen family would act as an inside response, no matter how one looked at it, the Li Clan stood at a disadvantage.
Even though Li Xingge himself had also broken through to Minor Accomplishment in the Qi-Blood Realm and was confident he could hold off that Song Clan Old Ancestor,
both of the Li Clan’s Qi-Blood Realm elders had only recently broken through. They still could not perfectly command the use of qi-and-blood power. If they were to fight an old veteran like Song Tianbo, who had been immersed in the Qi-Blood Realm for many years, they would most likely not be his match.
But if the Song Clan could form an alliance, the Li Clan was hardly without allies of its own.
Now was the time to see whether that elder brother of his could truly be relied upon.
Of course, Li Xingge would not place all his hopes on a single person. If Zheng Lingjun refused to help, he still had a trump card in reserve, though using it would cost him a certain price.
Even so, the one destined to hold the winning hand would still be Li Xingge!
“Bring me brush and ink!”
“Yes.”
After the time it took to drink another cup of tea, Li Xingge blew the ink dry on the letter and handed it to the Grand Elder.
“Grand Elder, I must trouble you to personally make a trip to Dongjiang Town and deliver this letter to Zheng Lingjun!”
The Grand Elder accepted the letter and slipped it into his sleeve.
“Go quickly and return quickly. Be careful on the road.”
Li Xingge did not forget to remind him.
The Grand Elder nodded, turned, and vanished from Li Xingge’s sight.
After the Grand Elder left, Li Xingge turned to the Second Elder and gave another order.
“Second Elder, take my command writ and go to the Hao family and the Jiang family. Summon the cultivators of both families for my use. If anyone refuses, execute them on the spot!”
“Yes!”
The Hao family had originally been a vassal of the Li Clan.
As for the Jiang family, after reporting the surviving remnants of the Su Clan last time, they had successfully latched onto the Li Clan and become one of its vassal families as well.
In Li Xingge’s eyes, so-called vassals naturally existed to serve as cannon fodder for the ruling clan when critical moments came.
And now was precisely the time for them to fulfill that role.
“Men!”
Li Xingge called out softly.
“Family Head!”
Two black-robed cultivators entered and bowed with cupped fists.
“Pass my order to the Third Elder and the Fourth Elder. Have the two of them gather the clan’s cultivators and strengthen the defenses!”
“Pass my order to the Fifth Elder as well. Have him return to Qingfeng Valley at once!”
“Yes!”
...
Dongjiang Town, Zheng residence.
Zheng Lingjun broke open Li Xingge’s letter and read through it at a glance. By the time he finished, his brows were already tightly furrowed.
At the side, the Li Clan’s Grand Elder bowed with cupped fists and said, “I ask that Family Head Zheng lend the Li Clan a hand. Afterward, my Li Clan will surely repay the favor generously!”
Zheng Lingjun immediately helped Li Xuantong to his feet and said with a smile, “Brother Xuantong, there is no need for this. Our two families are already joined by marriage. Now that the Li Clan is in trouble, how could I possibly stand by and do nothing?”
Hearing this, the tightly wound knot in the Grand Elder’s heart finally loosened.
With Zheng Lingjun, a major expert at Minor Accomplishment in the Qi-Blood Realm, stepping in to help, the Li Clan’s chances in tonight’s battle rose by several points.
Seeing that his objective had been achieved, and worried for the safety of the clan, the Grand Elder grew anxious to return at once.
“Many thanks, Family Head Zheng. There are still urgent matters within the clan, so I must take my leave first!”
Zheng Lingjun nodded. He knew the Li Clan’s situation was dire, so he did not try to keep him there.
After the Grand Elder left...
The aged and stooped figure of the Zheng Clan’s Old Ancestor slowly emerged from behind a folding screen.
“Old Ancestor, what has brought you here?”
Zheng Lingjun asked in surprise.
The Zheng Clan’s Old Ancestor chuckled softly. “I happened to emerge from seclusion, that is all.”
“You heard everything?”
“Of course. That old ghost of the Song Clan is as bold as ever.”
The Zheng Clan’s Old Ancestor said with a sigh.
“Yes. Otherwise the Li Clan would not have rushed to send someone here asking me for help.”
Zheng Lingjun gave a bitter smile.
“What do you intend to do?”
The Zheng Clan’s Old Ancestor asked with a smile.
“Since our Zheng family has already chosen to be on good terms with the Li Clan, then at such a critical moment, we naturally must help them! I am preparing to go personally.”
Zheng Lingjun’s expression was unwaveringly resolute.
“Is that all?”
Zheng Lingjun looked at the Zheng Clan’s Old Ancestor in confusion.
The old man shook his head. “It is not enough! That Li Xingge is very likely one of the legendary children of fortune. I wonder whether you have noticed this yourself—ever since he burst onto the scene and took control of the Li Clan, in such a short span of time, two Li Clan elders at Perfection in the Physical Body Realm have actually broken through into the Qi-Blood Realm.”
“You and I both know how difficult it is to break into the Qi-Blood Realm. Li Xuantong and Li Xuanzong are both advanced in years, and there were already signs of their qi and blood declining. For them to break through into the Qi-Blood Realm should have been even harder than ascending to heaven. And yet, despite this, both of them still succeeded. Tell me, why do you think that is?”
Hearing those words, Zheng Lingjun could not help freezing for a moment. He thought for a long time but still could not figure it out.
“This grandson is dull-witted. I ask Old Ancestor to enlighten me!”
The Zheng Clan’s Old Ancestor gave a light laugh, and a trace of envy appeared in his gaze.
“It is because Li Xingge’s fortune and blessing have spread over the entire Li Clan!”
Zheng Lingjun’s eyes widened abruptly.
“If only this Li Xingge were a junior of my Zheng family, then perhaps I could borrow his rising wind and break through into Great Perfection in the Qi-Blood Realm. What a pity.”
The Zheng Clan’s Old Ancestor sighed.
Before Zheng Lingjun could reply, the old man continued, “Adding flowers to brocade is easy, but sending charcoal in the snow is hard. Right now, when the Li Clan is facing its greatest hardship, my Zheng family must be the one to send charcoal in the snow.”
“Old Ancestor, you mean...?”
Zheng Lingjun drew in a deep breath.
“You are no match for that old ghost of the Song Clan. I will go with you.”
The Zheng Clan’s Old Ancestor stroked his graying beard as he spoke.
Zheng Lingjun’s pupils contracted sharply.
The last time his family’s Old Ancestor had personally acted was forty years ago.
...
As the sun set and the moon rose,
a chilling killing intent quietly descended over Qingfeng Valley.
.................................................................
【Following reader feedback, the author has added an explanation of the cultivation realms and talent grades. It was originally placed on the first page, but many readers would not go back to look, so it is being repeated here.】
【The cultivation realms from low to high are: Body Tempering, Physical Body, Qi-Blood, Innate, Divine Palace (later realms to be determined). Each realm is further divided into: Initial Entry, Minor Accomplishment, Major Accomplishment, and Perfection. After breaking through into the Qi-Blood Realm, one may extend one’s lifespan to one hundred and thirty years. A cultivator at Perfection in the Qi-Blood Realm can live two hundred years.】
【Talent grades: First Grade is the highest, Ninth Grade is the lowest. Ninth-grade talent has hope of advancing into the Qi-Blood Realm. Eighth-grade talent has hope of reaching Great Perfection in the Qi-Blood Realm. Seventh-grade talent has hope of reaching the Innate Realm, and so on (later details to be determined).】