The Cloud Ship of Shining Light cut through the heavens with extraordinary swiftness, traversing the verdant expanse of Xunlin Plain within the span of an hour before descending upon a peak wreathed in mist and cloud, its pavilions glazed in flowing crimson.
Li Chijing followed Yuan Tuihuan down from the vessel and beheld a multitude of cultivators in white robes and azure sashes, bowing in unison with reverent solemnity.
"We welcome the Envoy of the Immortal Sect!"
"Rise, there is no need for ceremony."
Yuan Tuihuan smiled gently and descended several steps along the stone stairway. A middle-aged man in flowing robes awaited at the base; upon seeing Li Chijing, he bowed deeply and spoke: "I greet the disciple of the Superior Sect. I am Yuan Huyuan of the Yuan Family, Xunlin Plain."
"Li Chijing, of the Li Family, Moonview Lake."
The Yuan and Li families resided in different commanderies, and when exchanging introductions they typically announced their region rather than their mountain, lest the other party find the name bewildering. Li Chijing greeted him and glanced at Yuan Tuihuan, who nodded slightly: "He is my clansman, Yuan Huyuan. I have already given him my instructions."
"My thanks, Senior Sister!"
Li Chijing cupped his fists in salute, stepped upon Yuan Huyuan's flying shuttle, and bid farewell to his senior sister as they departed westward.
After some time in silence, Li Chijing broke the quiet with a courteous question: "Senior, my sister addressed you as clansman—yet by appearances..."
"By appearances, I look old enough to be her grandfather, is that it?" Yuan Huyuan laughed heartily and replied in a booming voice: "Qi Refining cultivators enjoy long lifespans and age with great slowness. My dear cousin entered Qi Refining at eighteen and has since preserved her youthful countenance—she appears barely past twenty. I, lacking in natural talent, did not achieve Qi Refining until two years hence, and so I bear this middle-aged countenance."
"Is that so!"
Li Chijing mused inwardly and ventured: "It would seem that among Qi Refining cultivators, the younger they appear, the less they should be underestimated?"
"Not necessarily. Though Qi Refining extends one's life to two centuries, one does not remain frozen in youth for that duration—merely the process decelerates. A cultivator of forty bearing the appearance of twenty is commonplace. Conversely, those who appear as decrepit elders are often most dangerous, for they have typically cultivated for over a hundred years, lacking the courage to attempt Foundation Establishment, clinging stubbornly to the pinnacle of Qi Refining."
Observing Li Chijing's contemplative expression, Yuan Huyuan smiled faintly: "To judge by appearances is ever unwise. I learned this lesson grievously in my youth, and nearly lost my life for it."
The cool morning wind whipped at the corners of Li Chijing's robes. Yuan Huihuan's flying shuttle proved far slower than that of Si Yuanbai, and the pair conversed idly about recent affairs in the cultivation world. After approximately two hours, the shimmering expanse of Moonview Lake came into view.
Li Chijing directed Yuan Huihuan to land at Lichuan Pass on the lake's shore, then parted with a bow and smile.
"I shall await you here at the hour of the Tiger on the third day."
With that, Yuan Huihuan launched his shuttle skyward and departed.
Li Chijing activated the Wind-Riding Art and drifted gracefully toward Lichuan Pass. From a distance he espied a child of six or seven squatting at the village entrance, a quiver of arrows at his feet, his left hand holding a blackened arrowhead which he ground upon a whetstone with deliberate care.
The boy gaped momentarily at Li Chijing's spectral approach, then rose unhurriedly and bowed: "Immortal Master, this land belongs to the Li Family of Lijing under the jurisdiction of Qingchi Sect. The ancient Li Road lies several li to the east."
Li Chijing chuckled softly and studied the boy's features: "What is your relation to Chen Erniu?"
"He is my father!"
The boy's eyes brightened. He bowed repeatedly: "I am Chen Donghe. I shall fetch my father at once."
Li Chijing waved his hand and, with a light step, vanished from the flagstone path.
The Chen Residence.
Chen Erniu sat draped in a great fur mantle, drinking tea with unhurried composure. Beside the table, the scholar Han Wenxu sipped his own tea and regarded Chen Erniu with amusement: "Old Chen, you are a curious man. Your five sons bear names of rivers and lakes, and your family has grown prosperous—yet you carry on like a fisherman."
Chen Erniu smiled without reply. The courtyard gate creaked open, and a young man of striking bearing entered—clad in a white-feathered robe, azure boots upon his feet, a three-foot blade of blue steel at his waist, pale white tassels swaying at his hip with languid grace.
He offered a modest salute: "Master, it has been long."
Then he turned his gaze upon Chen Erniu and spoke softly: "Years have passed, Uncle Chen, and you have grown prosperous in appearance."
Chen Erniu started, his eyes lingering upon Li Chijing's face for several heartbeats before he cried: "Li Chi—Immortal Master!"
"Ching'er!"
All four Li brothers had studied under Han Wenxu, and the old scholar addressed him with familiar affection. Realizing his slip, he lowered his head and said no more.
Li Chijing smiled and waved his hand: "Take me to my brothers."
"The Young Patriarch should be at Lijing Mountain at present. As for the Immortal Master—I have heard he has been at Meichi Mountain of late."
Li Xiangping was cultivating in the front courtyard when a rapid footfall sounded upon the stone steps. He frowned and called: "Yesheng?"
Laughter answered him—familiar, bright, irrepressible. Through the gate strode a young man of commanding presence and martial elegance, a three-foot sword of azure steel at his waist, pale tassels dancing with his stride.
"I returned to the village only to find the household had already moved to the mountain. I asked Brother Yesheng to guide me through the mist array."
He shook his head with a grin: "Tsk, that fog labyrinth."
"Ching'er?!"
Li Xiangping blinked, astonishment plain upon his face: "You—you are cultivating within the Sect!"
"Indeed! I was on the verge of breaking through Qi Refining, so I obtained leave from my masters to visit home."
"I shall call Father!"
Li Mutian came striding into the courtyard. The three sat together in conversation for a time before Li Tongya and Li Xuanxuan arrived as well.
"Little Uncle!"
Li Xuanxuan had not seen Li Chijing in years and embraced him warmly, clinging close. Li Tongya regarded his younger brother with a beaming smile.
The reunion was an occasion for great emotion. Their mother, Lady Liu, wept with joy. A feast had been prepared, and Li Chijing was introduced to the family's newer members—Li Qiuyang and Liu Rouxuan. Snake gallbladder wine, aged several years, was brought forth, and they drank late into the night.
When the others had departed, the Li family gathered at a tea table in the rear courtyard, their minds clear despite the wine's spiritual properties. None had drunk overmuch; each carried weightier thoughts.
After listening to his brothers recount the changes of recent years, Li Chijing sighed with deep emotion. He sipped his tea and spoke gravely: "I have returned this time with a matter of import. Were it not so, I would not have come rushing home at the very threshold of a Qi Refining breakthrough."
His eyes narrowed as they settled upon the stone platform within the room. "Let us speak inside."
They entered the chamber. Li Chijing stood in silence, gazing at the moonlight filtering through the skylight. He watched as the pale radiance gathered upon the surface of the mirror, condensing into streams of white luminance that flowed around the artifact.
He formed a hand seal and studied the phenomenon with careful precision. Within his Ascending Sun Palace, the sixth wheel of his Embryonic Breathing—the Wheel of Spiritual Commencement—stirred restlessly. The spiritual power circulating through his meridians accelerated perceptibly.
Li Chijing slowly withdrew his hand. Though the evidence confirmed what he had suspected, disbelief still colored his voice as he spoke in measured tones:
"Taiyin lunar essence?!"