Chapter 106: The Great Drought (II)
Li Tongya then went on to explain further.
"When cultivators engage in aerial combat, those lacking in mental fortitude are susceptible to the pain and fear inflicted by their enemies. As a result, they may lose control and plummet to the ground, sustaining severe injuries such as broken tendons and bones... in such a state, they lack the strength to continue battling their foes."
His words sparked contemplation among Li Xuanxuan and Li Xuanling who were gathered around Li Xuanfeng, nodding in understanding. He grinned and remarked, "I'm glad we still have you around to guide us, Second Uncle."
"Sheesh."
Li Tongya smiled wryly at the boy's cheekiness, observing Li Xuanfeng as he picked up the sack with his right arm.
"Look, Second Uncle!" he said with a chuckle.
He untied the rope with a swift motion, releasing three small mountain pigs from the sack. Li Xuanfeng grabbed two of the pigs by the neck in each hand, holding them securely.
"I found three mountain pigs in that beast's den. Can we raise them at home?" he asked.
Li Tongya nodded in response.
"We do have quite a number of Spirit Rice Bran and leaves, and also stuffed parts from the demonic beasts we've killed before... but then again, mountain pigs have a big appetite, and it might be challenging to raise even one of them."
"That's not a problem!" Li Xuanfeng laughed.
With a hard squeeze of his palms, Li Xuanfeng killed the two small mountain pigs in his hands instantly, leaving only the one in the sack still struggling to escape.
"These little demonic creatures are formidable opponents, we'll need a cultivator outside of the main family to keep an eye on them."
Li Tongya turned his attention to Li Xuanxuan who was busy performing Spirit Sealing Technique on the carcass.
"Xuan'er, how are all the cultivators in the side family faring?" he asked.
"Excluding Chen Donghe and Li Qiuyang, there are three cultivators that don't bear the surname Li. One of them is from the Ye Clan, but they have been returned to the side family, the rest have also been married into the Li Family," he replied promptly.
"Good."
Li Tongya nodded approvingly. "How are their cultivations?"
"Not satisfactory," Li Xuanxuan continued with a sigh, shaking his head. "The cultivation method they use is the Azure Essence Meridian Nourishment Technique, which we obtained from Senior Si Yuanbai. Compared to our Supre-..."
Li Xuanxuan intended to mention the Supreme Yin Breathing Meridian Nourishment Sutra, but before he could utter these words, the Profound Pearl Talisman Seed in his Qihai acupoint suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
It startled him so much that it also caught the attention of Lu Jiangxian, who was engrossed in his research. With his divine sense, Lu Jiangxian swiftly discerned the cause of the disturbance.
Realizing his mistake, Li Xuanxuan quickly corrected himself. "Compared to our cultivation speed and technique, the technique they use pales in comparison. Currently, the strongest among them has only condensed the Radiant Lure Chakra, the second stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm. They mainly spend their days taking care of the Spirit Paddies and Wuzha Worms," he explained.
Li Tongya nodded at his clarification, acknowledging the significant difference in cultivation levels between the main family and the branch cultivators as he nodded in understanding.
Maybe we should consider letting them use a better cultivation method for the Embryonic Breathing Realm... with only six Profound Pearl Talisman Seeds available, it's inevitable that there won't be enough for future generations of the major sect. We must avoid relying solely on common cultivation methods like the Azure Essence Meridian Nourishment Technique.
While Li Xuanxuan and Li Xuanling dealt with the mountain pig demon and summoned someone to carry it away, Li Xiewen approached to deliver news that the Liu family had visited to report a death.
Li Tongya's uncle, Liu Linfeng, had passed away during the night.
While the younger members of the Li Family were seemingly unfazed by the news, Li Tongya felt a squeeze in his heart.
Now that he thought about it, he was already forty. Liu Linfeng was twenty-five years his senior and had lived to the ripe age of sixty-five. In their village, such longevity was considered remarkable.
"Don't inform Mother about this," he instructed.
His mother's health had declined in recent years and it worsened after his father's death, looking as though she had lost her soul. She found it difficult to focus, and would sometimes even wander off and get lost.
Li Tongya feared that this news would only add to the poor woman's distress.
"I'll descend the mountain to take a look."
Chen Donghe followed the trail Li Xiangping had drawn on the map, noticing the absence of any large groups of Mount Yue soldiers or stationed troops.
Instead, there were only corpses scattered on the ground that were being scavenged by vultures and jackals. The cracked earth offered no water source except for a few small puddles remaining in the dry riverbed.
The group of people walked in silence, their only company being the sound of sobs and wails.
Out of the one thousand who had set out, only around two hundred had returned. Despite inflicting significant casualties and chaos on the enemy, those who had returned were wounded and filled with sorrow.
Glancing at Li Yesheng lying curled up on a stretcher nearby, Chen Donghe saw him stir finally after three days of unconsciousness due to his broken hip.
"Where's the Family Head?" Li Yesheng asked weakly, his voice barely a whisper.
"Up ahead," Chen Donghe replied, forcing a smile.
Seeing Li Yesheng smiling before shutting his eyes, Chen Donghe felt a pang of sadness. He noticed a tear leaking from the corner of Li Yesheng's eye and could no longer hold back his emotions.
"I knew I couldn't hide it from you, Uncle Yesheng," he whispered as he choked back tears.
"How did he die?" Li Yesheng asked finally, his voice full of emotion.
"Killed by a curse," Chen Donghe replied curtly, trying to hold his tears back.
Li Yesheng let out a deep sigh as tears began welling up in his eyes once more.
Li Yesheng mourned not only the loss of someone as powerful as Li Xiangping but also the end of his own power and influence. The complicated relationship between them only added to the grief.
Brother Xiangping, you and I are more alike than you think.
Li Yesheng reflected, knowing Li Xiangping better than anyone else.
When he was fifteen, he knew that the blood spilled on the rock was Li Yesheng's, his elder brother. He saw the guilt in Li Xiangping's eyes but pretended that he did not see it.
When he was twelve, Li Yesheng endured his elder brother's abuse. He knew that there were three knives on Mount Lijing—two were big and one was small. If he needed to rid himself of his brother's tyranny, he would have to cause a conflict between them.
Li Yesheng's ears were constantly filled with rumors about Li Mutian's family. He treaded cautiously for three years as though walking on thin ice before he finally got his older brother killed.
He had expected Li Mutian to take action, but it was Li Xiangping who ultimately became the instrument of his liberation.
In his gratitude, Li Yesheng spent a lifetime being Li Xiangping's loyal dog. Knowing that he had outlived him caused him immense suffering.
"I wish to become your blood brother in our next life, Brother Xiangping, just like Brother Tongya and Brother Changhu..." Li Yesheng murmured, straining to reach for a bottle of poison at his waist.
He had prepared the poison in case he fell into Mount Yue's hands and faced torture... and had yet to taste it.
"Surviving is merely existing in a state of lingering. Xiewen has grown up and has found a companion in Xuanxuan... I've done enough for him as his parent," Li Yesheng muttered as he struggled to raise his hand, allowing the cold liquid to flow slowly through his lips.
As the numbness spread in his mouth, he began writhing on the stretcher, his head rolling side to side which disheveled his gray hair.
God damn, it's bitter, he thought indignantly as he approached the end of his life.