Chapter 1048: The Change In Spiritual Aura
"Father!" Li Zhouluo had just lifted his head from the desk when he saw the man at the door. Shock and joy filled him. He quickly stepped down from the main seat to greet him, crying out in delight, "Father! You have come out of seclusion!"
Li Chenghuai nodded with a smile. Overjoyed, Li Zhouluo eagerly pulled him over to the main seat, his face flushed with excitement as he said, "Congratulations, Father! Congratulations, Father!"
Two blessings had come to Li Zhouluo at once, and he completely forgot his earlier worries, saying only, "Father, you have attained the Immortal Foundation! And it is fourth-grade besides... with Grandfather's Dharma robe left behind for you, you will surely soar like a great roc[1] straight into the heavens!"
Li Zhouluo well understood the tensions between his father and his grandfather. Yet after meeting Li Xizhi this time, he had been captivated by his grandfather's bearing. Not only did he feel pride in it, he even secretly took him as a model to follow, so he hastened to speak words of praise.
But Li Chenghuai was not distracted. He seized on his son's earlier words and asked, "A clansman? Which clansman?"
Li Zhouluo had no choice but to bow and answer, "It concerns Quewan... someone in the prefecture has accused her, saying her brother used his position to profit..."
"Bring it here, let me see."
Li Chenghuai took the letter from his hand. After only two glances, he saw both sides involved were merchant fleets. He flipped through the supporting documents Li Zhouluo had prepared, then laughed in anger and slapped them down on the desk with a resounding smack. "Utter nonsense! This is called profiteering by power? That is called profiteering by power? By that logic, we might as well lock every cultivator's family in the formation and raise them like pigs on two legs!"
Li Zhouluo had rarely seen his father so furious. He quickly replied, "Father... this matter isn't so simple. If I were to suppress it too easily, it would only serve as proof against her and end up harming Quewan instead..."
"Of course I know it's more than that!" Li Chenghuai sneered coldly, "What do they say behind our backs? That Quewan advanced by sheer luck, just because a great figure happened to pass by the island? Those jealous of her could line up around the lake twice over! Instead of cultivating properly, they only stir up trouble!"
Li Zhouluo dared not speak further, and Li Chenghuai only said, "Bring him in."
Li Zhouluo had no choice but to send someone to summon the cultivator who had lodged the complaint. Soon footsteps echoed from afar, and a middle-aged man in fine clothes entered.