Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror

"Li Family's Li Chengliao, I've had the pleasure to meet Taoist Fellow."

Liu Lingzhen instantly felt as though she had fallen into an icy cave, and Xu Wulang was also startled for a moment. He had not expected Li Chengliao to come personally. Forcing himself, he said:

"Xu Clan's Xu Xiao, I have seen the young master."

Li Chengliao simply noticed the exchange of looks between the two and immediately understood. His face remained smiling as he said softly:

"Young Master Xu truly has a graceful presence. The Xu Clan, with the look of nobility, has finally produced a heroic figure."

Li Chengliao's words hit Xu Xiao so unexpectedly that none of the eloquent retorts he had prepared were of any use. Liu Lingzhen was even more at a loss, and after being stunned for a moment, Li Chengliao continued:

"Previously, it was members of the Liu Family who reported the young lady's name, truly a thoughtless act! Those two servants even took the Liu Family's money, eagerly inviting the young lady over. Fortunately, Young Master Xu intervened, narrowly averting a misunderstanding!"

He said with a pleasant expression:

"This time, it was due to lax discipline in my residence. We secured a spot for the Xu Family and the young lady on the peak, and have already sent someone over. I specifically came to apologize, and I hope the young lady will not blame us for this unintentional oversight."

Not to mention Xu Xiao, Liu Lingzhen was truly taken aback for a moment and looked at him with favor and gratitude, bowing to express her thanks. Xu Xiao hung his head and concurred, with Liu Lingzhen showing happiness on her face.

Li Chengliao looked at him with an odd expression, and then left the premises swiftly, surrounded by the weeping and pleading clan elders and relatives of the Liu Family.

When these people had power within the Liu Family, they were profligate, and now that they were old and at the helm, they made even more of a mess. Once Li Chengliao left the courtyard, he shrugged off the weeping and pleading of the Liu Family members and walked away with Chen Mufeng.

As Li Chengliao exited, Chen Mufeng seemed to have many words held in his heart. They were all released once they reached the grand hall. As the middle-aged man drew close to his ear, Chen Mufeng whispered:

"That Xu Wulang... has indeed reached the Third Layer of Fetal Breathing."

Li Chengliao's smile disappeared as a look of puzzlement crossed his face, and he whispered back:

"Not to mention the utter mess the Liu Family has made, Liu Lingzhen is indeed a fool hidden among the down, and thankfully we didn't formalize any marriage agreement. Otherwise, it would surely lead to trouble sooner or later."

"As for Xu Xiao... His rise is indeed quite strange."

After considering for a moment, Li Chengliao asked:

"Tell me everything about Xu Wulang, in detail!"

Chen Mufeng also understood the gravity of the situation and quickly said:

"The man is now twenty-five. He was born mute, never going beyond the threshold of his home. He remained at the Second Layer of Fetal Breathing until turning twenty-one. A few years ago, he suddenly began to speak, his personality changed drastically, and his cultivation level broke through. But he's been hiding it all along, only recently it was discovered he had reached the Third Layer."

Li Chengliao calculated and said with perplexity:

"Could it be that this man has encountered some sort of fortuitous opportunity?"

Suspicions rose in his heart, and he turned back to ask:

"I remember the Family Head of the Liu Family... is a Qi Cultivator of mixed energy, right?"

"Indeed."

After hearing his response, Li Chengliao stood with his hands behind his back, pondering thoughtfully:

"Send someone to summon him. Spend some Spiritual Objects to bribe him, and have him test Xu Wulang."

Chen Mufeng was slightly startled, feeling that Li Chengliao was being overcautious, somewhat skeptical, yet considering Li Chengliao's esteemed status, he still nodded and set about to take care of the matter. He left Li Chengliao standing in the hall, gazing at the tea that had long since gone cold in the wind:

"I want to see if there's some demon at play here."

…

The courtyard of the Liu Family.

Only after the members of the Li Family had left did Liu Lingzhen excitedly say:

"He doesn't carry the airs of Noble Families! He's truly a good person!"

'A good person?'

In his heart, Xu Xiao sighed, completely taken aback by Li Chengliao's response. He thought resentfully:

'What a clever way to turn an enemy into a friend! No wonder the Li Family could dominate the lakeside alone, monopolize the Spiritual Fields, levy harsh taxes, squeeze out every bit of Spirit Rice, and corner the quotas through their connections, allowing only their Noble Family offspring to enter the Immortal Sect for cultivation... and firmly secure their position as a Noble Family!'

'That young master was all politeness on the surface, but who knows whether he holds a grudge inside? It seems I can't stay here long; better to leave early, venture out into the world, and when I've cultivated the Immortal Foundation and Divine Skills, returning to overthrow this despot wouldn't be too late...'

He whispered,

"Zhen'er, once you break through in Qi Cultivation, you and I will venture out into the world!"

This had always been something Liu Lingzhen and he had yearned for. At this moment, however, hesitation could be seen on the woman's face as she murmured softly,

"But... But now he has given me a position to cultivate on the mountain... Isn't it good to receive a salary in a safe place while the demonic calamity rages outside? The Li Family is quite nice too... They never kill for Demonic Power Blood Qi."

Xu Xiao sneered and transmitted his voice with mana, saying,

"Such a behemoth, just think about it and you'll know they must be up to no good. Li Ximing is able to cultivate so many elixirs, and his cultivation doesn't fall behind; who's to say he isn't relying on Demonic Power Blood Qi... secretly hiding it from the Immortal Sect and killing people, where could it possibly be good? If the Immortal Sect finds out, there definitely won't be any good outcomes for him!"

Liu Lingzhen thought carefully and felt he made a lot of sense. She looked at him with admiration and Xu Xiao continued,

"What if you and I either roam the world or enter the Immortal Sect, and upon returning as Zifu, we could then take their place, wouldn't that be wonderful? By then, not to mention that bit of salary, the entire South Bank will be ours."

HIs body overflowed with strong confidence, which intoxicated Liu Lingzhen greatly. When compared to the polite manner and unwillingness to cause trouble of the young master of the Li Family, his demeanor seemed inferior. She giggled, nodding vigorously.

Xu Xiao then paused, feeling somewhat troubled; Li Chengliao's behavior was beyond his expectations. He could only take out a pill with a flick of his hand and whisper,

"Seclude yourself and break through now. Consume this pill, and we won't wait for Qi Cultivation to finish before we set off for Yujing."

Liu Lingzhen immediately became excited and questioned,

"But where did you get this from... you better not have stolen it from home..."

"Rest assured,"

Xu Xiao said softly.

After sending Liu Lingzhen into the backyard, Xu Xiao made to leave. He couldn't reveal to others that he had broken through in Qi Cultivation, hence he didn't ride the wind away. Just as he stepped out of the room, he saw an old man standing before him with a fierce look on his face.

"Clan Elder Liu."

Xu Xiao looked down on him, but out of consideration for Liu Lingzhen, he still asked. Unexpectedly, the old man began cursing as soon as he approached,

"You shameless wretch without a mother, seducing our girl!"

A fierce expression suddenly appeared on Xu Xiao's face, and he said viciously,

"Out of respect for your daughter, I'm giving you some leeway. Don't fail to appreciate the favor!"

Clan Elder Liu had been waiting for him and immediately reached out with his palm, muttering under his breath. Xu Xiao caught the elder's arm with one hand, firmly restraining it like a vise. The elder couldn't pull his hand back, so he tried to draw the treasured sword from his waist.

Xu Xiao sneered. With a hand as fast as a thunderbolt, he grasped the treasured sword, and with a pull and a push, he opened his lips and spat out a cloudy burst of black fire.

Clan Elder Liu immediately felt a sharp pain in his chest; he hurriedly pulled out two Talismans, but they were completely burned up by the fire. He felt weak all over, and it seemed as if all his cultivation was being burned dry.

He cried out hoarsely, looking as though he was about to lose his breath. Xu Xiao, however, had no intention of making a scene and inhaled softly, drawing the fire back into his stomach. He then said coldly,

"If you dare to trouble me again… I'll ensure you die a terrible death."

With a flick of his hand, he produced a small black Talisman and slapped it onto Clan Elder Liu's chest, warning,

"Should you dare to leak any information about me, the moment you speak, this fire will burn you completely!"

"Ah! Devil... Devil Cultivator!"

Clan Elder Liu, inexperienced in the world, saw the spell as dark and ominous, and was immediately terrified, calling him a Devil Cultivator. Under the fierce gaze of the other party, he shut his mouth and collapsed to the ground.

Xu Xiao walked away with a cold smile while Clan Elder Liu crawled up timidly, spitefully spitting out a curse before quietly sneaking into the backyard and collapsing with a thud, not daring to speak.

A Jade Courtyard Guard also descended into the courtyard, his appearance quite similar to Chen Mufeng, his eyes filled with shock as he murmured,

"Just with this one move... just this one move..."

The black flames intimidated not just Clan Elder Liu, but even this Qi cultivator on the second layer felt a strong threat, losing color as he said,

"Could it be some reincarnated individual or someone who received an Immortal's legacy? Never in my lifetime have I seen such a genius!"

The Chen surname guard had barely finished speaking when he saw a figure leaning in front of the backyard door, Xu Xiao returning, with black flames blazing in the young man's hand, looking ominously at him,

"Chief Chen... why bother meddling in others' affairs..."