Chapter 36: Why Go to the Trouble

Liu Miaotu had wandered in the mountains for a day and a night. Forget about immortal treasures; he hadn't even seen a single hair of one. Infuriated, he sat on a large blue stone and cursed the idle men in the village

"A bunch of plague-ridden curs! Saying there are good treasures in the mountains—they're all talking bullshit!"

As mist began to rise between the mountains, Liu Miaotu shuddered, thinking to himself

"Even though the wolves, tigers, and leopards were driven out of these mountains a few years ago, who knows if any escaped the net! This mist is coming in a sinister way; I'd better head down the mountain first..."

Liu Miaotu stood up and walked along the mountain path for nearly an hour, but there was nothing but a vast, swirling expanse of white mist, with no exit in sight.

"This is truly eerie! Why haven't I reached the bottom yet!"

Looking back at the large blue stone before him, a chill ran up Liu Miaotu's spine, and he cried out in shock

"Impossible!"

This was clearly the same large blue stone he had been sitting on before. He had walked along the mountain path for an hour; how could he still be in the same place!

Panic-stricken, Liu Miaotu turned and ran. He shouted and ran for a distance before stopping to catch his breath, only to find that the large blue stone had appeared before his eyes once again.

"Damn it... I can't get out."

Night had fallen. Liu Miaotu was dressed thinly, and under the agitation of his emotions, a gust of cold wind blew, causing him to pass out.

As dawn broke, Liu Miaotu finally woke up. His body was burning hot, and he could faintly hear shouting. Looking up, he saw a vague silhouette sitting not far away. Just as he scrambled to his feet, a loud shout rang out

"Who is there!"

Liu Miaotu was already in a daze; his knees buckled, his feet slipped, and he tumbled head over heels right in front of the person.

When Liu Linfeng saw the man's face, he realized it was the village loafer from the Liu family. Everything clicked instantly. A surge of rage rushed from his heart to the crown of his head, his face flushing crimson as he roared

"Why the hell are you here?!"

The shout startled Liu Miaotu awake. He answered timidly, "To... to chop firewood on the mountain."

"Bullshit!"

Liu Linfeng cursed loudly, pointing a finger at Liu Miaotu's nose, continuing his tirade

"Why the hell didn't you tell the masters before coming up this mountain? Is this a place you're even allowed to be in?"

Just as he finished these two sentences, Liu Linfeng himself was jolted into clarity. A chill crawled from his spine to the back of his head, and he thought privately

"How did our Liu family produce such a useless waste? We are in deep trouble now. My nephew is fierce and suspicious; there is no way he will let him live. I just hope he doesn't bring ruin upon the Liu family!"

Looking at Liu Miaotu, who was kowtowing like a pounding pestle, he made his decision. Liu Linfeng's expression changed instantly, and he said coldly

"Follow me. At least this way, you might save your life!"

Liu Miaotu hurriedly followed him into the courtyard. He saw Liu Linfeng take out a thick hemp rope, pull Liu Miaotu's hands behind his back, and begin to bind them.

"Clan Leader, you... what are you doing..."

Feeling uncertain, Liu Miaotu asked timidly.

"Taking you to confess your sins. Only then will it show sincerity."

With a wave of his hand, Liu Linfeng quietly tucked a knife into his waist and said coldly

"Move!"

"Yes, yes, yes. Thank you, Clan Leader!"

Before long, the two arrived in front of the courtyard. Liu Linfeng pointed to the muddy ground by the roadside and said

"Kneel there."

Having said that, he went to invite Li Tongya and Li Xiangping. Upon entering the courtyard and seeing the two men seated at the head, he knelt and said bitterly

"The Liu clan has failed in its discipline. We beg the masters for forgiveness!"

The sudden kneeling startled the two men so much they jumped in place, rushing forward to support him. Li Tongya said in a heavy voice

"Absolutely not! There is no need for this!"

Liu Linfeng smiled bitterly and recounted Liu Miaotu's misdeeds. Upon hearing this, Li Xiangping merely said softly

"Handle it as you see fit. There is no need for such a grand ceremony."

"Please, follow me," Liu Linfeng replied with a shake of his head. He led the two to the gate and pointed to Liu Miaotu, who was kneeling before them.

Seeing the three men, Liu Miaotu began to wail and complain. Unexpectedly, Liu Linfeng lunged forward, bent down, and with a swift movement of his arm, drove a knife into Liu Miaotu's throat. Liu Miaotu only managed two choked squeaks before blood sprayed from his neck like water. He coughed violently for a moment, spitting out a dozen blood bubbles, before falling to the ground, lifeless.

"Uncle is still very meticulous."

Li Xiangping clapped his hands. Watching Liu Miaotu fall, he smiled at Li Tongya

"He chose a patch of mud, so as not to dirty our stone steps."

Li Tongya let out a long sigh and looked at Liu Linfeng

"I'll leave the handling to you, Uncle."

"Naturally," Liu Linfeng replied quickly, dragging the corpse into the woods.

Only then did the two turn and enter the courtyard. Li Tongya kept a furrowed brow, but Li Xiangping patted his shoulder and said deeply

"He brought it upon himself."

Li Tongya gave a bitter smile, looked into his brother's eyes, and explained

"It's not that I pity him, I am merely reflecting. It is because you manage the Li family that Father is willing to let go of affairs. We are, in the end, not fierce enough."

Li Xiangping shook his head with a smile and replied

"You, Li Tongya, would kill him just the same, but you would insist on having the villagers witness it, listing his eight great crimes before executing him openly, just so you could feel better about it."

"It's the same act of killing; why make it so troublesome!"

————

Standing before the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain, Li Tongya's mind drifted to Li Xiangping's words, filling him with profound emotion

"If I do not kill him, our Li family will become the next Wan family, permeated like a sieve from the inside out."

Shaking his head to cast the small interlude from his mind, Li Tongya gently pushed open the courtyard gate. He saw Liu Rouxuan sitting cross-legged, peacefully cultivating and breathing in spiritual energy.

"This Azure Essence Wheel-Nurturing Method relies purely on breathing in spiritual energy to condense the Profound Landscape Wheel, and the efficiency of refining that energy is incredibly low. No wonder Rouxuan has been cultivating for nearly two years and is still a mere mortal. On the other hand, I heard Li Qiuyang is progressing at lightning speed thanks to the power of the Snake-Dragon Fruit and is about to condense his Profound Landscape Wheel."

Liu Rouxuan always greeted him with a smile, so it was rare to see her in such a serious state of cultivation. Li Tongya couldn't help but steal a few extra glances. Seeing her eyelashes flutter and her nostrils twitch, looking as if she were about to wake from her meditation, he quickly averted his gaze.

"Brother Ya!"

As soon as Liu Rouxuan opened her eyes and saw Li Tongya, she cried out in pleasant surprise.

"Mm."

Li Tongya lowered his eyes and gave a soft response, feeling somewhat like a thief caught in the act.

Liu Rouxuan stole a glance at his profile and suddenly spoke with a hint of dejection

"I am already seventeen. The other children in the village have probably married and had children by now, yet I don't even have a companion."

Hearing this, Li Tongya couldn't help but shake his head, saying softly

"Since you have entered the path of immortality, you needn't think of such things. You are different from them. Cultivate well; condensing the Profound Landscape Wheel is the priority."

"I am being very serious! I cultivate for eight hours a day!"

Liu Rouxuan pouted and defended herself in a low voice, then looked up at Li Tongya

"Is Brother Ya also alone because of cultivation?"

Seeing Li Tongya nod slightly, Liu Rouxuan's face flushed. With slightly hurried breaths, she whispered

"Brother Tongya... do you... still find me acceptable?"