Volume One: Youths Meet in Humble Times Chapter Seventy-Nine: When Paths Cross in Narrow Ways
After Xu Kaijiang had cried for a while and his emotions gradually calmed, Li Yu saw that he was alone at home and that many things had clearly not been properly taken care of.
Li Yu asked the other three; naturally, Shen Tang and her brother agreed to stay and help, since they were all from Tianmen Town and could lend a hand. Lu Ming was indifferent; compared to returning to deal with those people, he preferred staying with Li Yu and the others, finding it much more comfortable.
Seeing that everyone intended to stay and help, Li Yu took out his own money and entrusted the Shen siblings to buy some burial supplies.
Lu Ming noticed the two were still young—not much older than Li Yu himself—and worried they might be overwhelmed, so he accompanied them.
Li Yu returned to the kitchen and looked around, but found nothing suitable for offering. After informing Xu Kaijiang, he went out to buy what was needed.
Before he left, Xu Kaijiang said, “Thank you.”
Li Yu waved his hand and replied, “It’s nothing. When my grandmother passed away, others helped me take care of things. The dead deserve respect; whatever happens, we must ensure they are sent off properly, don’t you agree?”
All the money Li Yu had was saved up over the years by collecting herbs and treating illnesses in Tianmen Town. The Daoist’s estate was quite substantial; though Li Yu never saw him go out to work, the temple’s funds never ran dry. The Daoist let Li Yu keep the money he earned, never asking him to hand it over.
Xu Kaijiang’s family had nothing left; last night’s meal had exhausted all their provisions. Li Yu helped without hesitation, simply because he could not bear to see suffering. Life is hard, and when one has the ability, one should help as much as possible.
The market in Tianmen Town was small, and everything Li Yu needed could be easily purchased there. He intended to return the same way, but halfway back he realized he had forgotten to buy wine, so he changed direction.
It was this detour for wine that made him encounter someone he would rather not have met.
The wine shop was in the opposite direction from the market, near the town center—a busy place where most of the cultivators wandered the streets.
The Li family, except for Li Xiyan, were all out strolling thanks to Li Xiqing’s encouragement. They were not the type to stay cooped up; when living at Tianshan Li family, they often gathered friends to go down the mountain for amusement.
Now, in a new place with no one to restrain them, how could they not go out and explore?
They found a restaurant and sat on the second floor, chatting and eating. As they ate, one of them kept staring at a spot on the street below, unmoving. When Li Xiqing noticed his trance and called out to him, he came to himself and said, “Qing, look over there—doesn’t that person resemble him?”
Li Xiqing looked in the direction indicated, not understanding. He asked, “Who do you mean?”
Li Ximing continued, “That young man carrying a jug of wine, wearing a blue robe!”
Li Xiyan looked again—at first, nothing struck him, but the more he watched, the more startled he became. Though the face had changed, it vaguely resembled the youthful features he remembered, and the calm demeanor matched the person in his memories more and more. In the end, the past and present fused into one image.
“Let’s go, follow him.”
Li Xiyan decided immediately to follow, unable to help his excitement. Seeing someone so similar, he had to get close to confirm.
At that moment, Li Yu had no idea the Li family was already trailing him. As he considered what else he needed to buy, Long Ling spoke to him in his mind, “Master, someone is following you.”
Li Yu walked on without betraying any reaction and asked inwardly, “Do you know who it is?”
“I don’t, but they must be outsiders—not locals of Tianmen Town. Their presence makes me extremely uneasy and resistant,” Long Ling replied.
Li Yu frowned deeply. He had a suspicion; the only people who matched Long Ling’s description were surely the Li family.
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They were outsiders, and only the Li family could unsettle Long Ling so completely. As long as Long Ling had not formed a physical body, he remained vulnerable to the Li family’s spirit-taming arts. This was in Tianmen Town, a place that naturally repelled the Li family, so Long Ling’s discomfort was lessened. If they were outside, ten miles away, Long Ling would have had to flee without a trace.
In truth, Li Yu hadn’t decided how to face the Li family. He didn’t know which members had come—were they those who had made his life so unpleasant back when he lived with them?
Back then, he was regarded as a useless child, and few wanted to play with him or showed him familial affection. The family forbade disputes among kin, but in daily life, there were always those who deliberately provoked trouble. If you had power, no one dared bully you; even if you were less influential, as long as you were useful, many troubles could be avoided.
Li Yu’s difficulty was that from the moment he was labeled a failure, everyone felt free to step on him.
Of course, not everyone was so idle or inclined to make trouble for Li Yu, but there were always a few who found joy in tormenting others, as if it gave meaning to their own existence.
Li Xiqing was such a person—one of those Li Yu least wished to encounter.
To avoid trouble, he led them in circles, using Long Ling’s power to try to shake them off as quickly as possible.
Li Xiqing and his companions soon realized Li Yu was deliberately leading them around. At first, they thought he was playing a game of cat and mouse and were happy to oblige. But as the chase went on, Li Yu’s pace quickened, his figure grew increasingly vague, and he used elusive footwork and spells to confuse their vision.
Before long, Li Yu vanished from their sight.
Li Xiqing, never one to tolerate being toyed with, gritted his teeth and said, “I didn’t expect it—he actually has cultivation.”
Another in the group, Li Yan, said, “Young Master Qing, he’s not simple. I think I sensed a spirit’s presence from him.”
Li Xiqing’s suspicion that the boy was Li Yu grew stronger. He sneered, “How very interesting.” Then, with a sinister look, he said, “You’d better pray you’re not him. Otherwise, you’ll wish you were dead.”
He asked Li Yan, “Can you use the spirit’s aura to track him now?”
Li Yan tried and replied, “I can.” He began employing their spirit-taming clan’s arts to trace Li Yu’s whereabouts through Long Ling’s aura.
Li Ximing watched him perform the spell and felt his apprehension deepen.
Only the main branch of the Li family had the privilege of using their generational character for ranking; the younger generation were of the Xi-character branch, distinguishing them from other lines.
Generally, the main branch had superior talent and perception compared to the others. What worried Li Ximing was that someone could use Li family arts in Tianmen Town—a place that uniquely resisted the Li family—even for a minor spell. He and Li Xiqing could not do this.
In his mind, only the strongest Xi-character members could possess such skill, and Li Xiyan was among them.
Li Xiyan was only a step away from breaking through to the path, as were the others. Their abilities didn’t differ much. Li Yan was from a branch family, but who could say if his true strength matched what he showed? If he could rival the main branch, those of lesser skill and status in the main line would face a shift in cultivation resources.
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With Li Yan’s help, they quickly learned Li Yu’s whereabouts and pursued him.
Li Yu thought he’d lost them. As he relaxed, a bad feeling surged in his heart. The four had somehow gotten ahead of him, waiting leisurely.
Li Yu looked at them; his face showed nothing, but inside, waves of shock crashed through him.
So, they really were here.
As Li Yu sized them up, so did Li Xiqing and his companions.
The youth before them did resemble Li Xi Yu, but the most distinguishing feature—the one that could confirm his identity—was now absent.
His eyes were a normal color.
Yes, after realizing the Li family was following him, Li Yu had changed his eyes to a normal hue.
He had not wasted his years in Tianmen Town. Though the Daoist only taught him one sword technique and made him read the scriptures, Li Yu had always possessed exceptional insight. The Daoist’s library was full of books on spells; though Li Yu had no spiritual energy and could not use them, after learning the Dragon God Technique, he could borrow Long Ling’s power to perform minor spells. The Daoist never objected, only warning him not to rely too much on others’ power; it was comfortable, but never as effective as what one cultivated oneself.
Li Yu originally dismissed the idea, but boredom led him to discover a spell that could alter one’s appearance. He was immediately tempted, feeling it was more beneficial than harmful. His eyes were unusual—on ordinary days, it didn’t matter, but encountering the Li family, it gave him extra time to react.
Fortunately, he had prepared. Once he knew it was the Li family trailing him, he promptly changed his eye color.
Li Xiqing and Li Ximing stared at him, their gaze fixed on his eyes. Seeing they were truly black, they couldn’t tell if this youth was Li Xi Yu.
“May I ask, what business do you have with me?” Li Yu inquired.
Li Xiqing and Li Ximing said nothing. Li Yan spoke up, “Nothing—we just wanted to ask where you bought the wine you’re carrying. Didn’t expect you to run so fast.”
Li Yu smiled and told them the wine shop’s location. Seeing they had no intention of leaving, he asked, “Is there anything else? If not, I must go—I have things to do.”
Just as Li Yu tried to pass them and leave, Li Xiqing, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, “Li Xi Yu, have you forgotten me?”
Hearing those three words, Li Yu’s heart skipped a beat. That name had not been spoken to him in a long time. It carried only bad memories—the beginning of pain.
He did not know how much effort it took to suppress his instinctive reaction and not reply. He simply walked forward, as if unaffected.