Chapter 650 480 Yuan Clan Becomes a Shield_2

"The Yuan Family... There isn't much here that I cherish, only a debt of gratitude to Uncle Huyuan that I cannot shirk. I've been at their beck and call for years, and now that I'm heading to the East Sea, there's another matter I can't let go of."

"I have a son."

With Yuan Chengdun pausing there, Li Yuexiang immediately understood. Her phoenix eyes lifted slightly, listening intently as he began to speak.

"He's my only child... I fear that once I'm in the East Sea, firstly his whereabouts will be uncertain and secondly, his safety unpredictable. Should something happen to me in the East Sea one day, my uncle Huyuan won't be able to protect him."

As his words reached this point, even the normally generous and valiant man seemed somewhat ashamed, speaking softly:

"I've heard that Yuexiang is still unwed, and, based on our past friendship, I have boldly come to ask if we could become in-laws... It would be greatly beneficial for both."

He patted his chest as if to compensate and added:

"I dare not boast about other things, but over the years, I've fought battles far and wide, slaying countless demons. This betrothal gift... will surely satisfy you!"

"This..."

Li Xuanxuan was completely taken aback for a moment, then turned his head to look at the young girl in white. Her phoenix eyes were staring straight at him, a look all too familiar, like lightning striking his cheek, numbing it and causing his legs to go weak.

Li Xuanxuan paused, slightly lost in thought. The elder's white hair fluttered gently in the wind, the wrinkles on his face trembling slightly, as if completely unaware of what he was saying, while the visage of another face appeared before him.

Her eyes, round like apricots, stubborn yet endearing, and those bright intelligent eyes fixed on him, brought forth a soft voice that seemed to echo in his ears:

"Brother... Do you want me to marry Chen Donghe?"

"Jingtian..."

Yuan Chengdun thought he was contemplating and didn't realize that Li Xuanxuan's eyes were unfocused, his old face sagging, his breathing a bit heavy. Li Xuanxuan abruptly snapped out of it, lifting his head, and said hoarsely:

"Ah... This matter... we should still ask Xiang'er about it."

After he spoke, he took a silent step back, showing signs of aging exhaustion. Yuan Chengdun was taken aback and looked towards the young girl.

The young girl's grey-black eyes showed the color of Li Yuanjiao, her face lovely, with her most captivating features being those phoenix eyes inherited from her mother.

He met those phoenix eyes directly, eyes bright and forceful, showing no fear despite him being a famous Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the South River region, instead, mostly serene.

'A fine young lady.'

Yuan Chengdun was inwardly shaken and then heard Li Yuexiang say softly:

"May I ask about the disposition of the senior's son? What is his cultivation level? How old is he?"

Yuan Chengdun sighed:

"He is of similar age to you, but he lost his mother at a young age and has seldom been disciplined by me. He has suffered some grievances within the clan. Although he is kind-hearted, he cannot avoid being somewhat frail..."

This man spoke the plain truth, mentioning not the strengths but the character flaws, which actually elevated him in Li Yuexiang's regard. She said softly:

"The common saying 'A tiger father does not beget a dog son' does not apply; Yuexiang does not judge hastily... Why not have your son visit Wangyue Lake? I could take him around the lake and have a detailed talk."

Yuan Chengdun hesitated briefly. Li Yuexiang continued smoothly:

"If things do not work out, your son is welcome to study spells at our house until your return to take him back."

Yuan Chengdun was startled by the girl's acuity. Li Yuexiang's words struck true, seriously enticing him. He thought to himself:

"Such a woman could preserve my family line... No wonder back then Xiao Jiuqing insisted on Xiao Xian marrying the Li Family's direct daughter, no wonder even after a sudden demise within the Xiao Clan of Yu Mountain, they still managed to hold their ground... The Li Family's upbringing is indeed excellent!"

Yuan Chengdun had interactions with the Xiao Clan branch from Yu Mountain in the past. Xiao Xian could have married his sister, but Xiao Jiuqing forcefully arranged for him to marry Li Qingxiao. Yuan Chengdun didn't understand it at the time, considering his youth and feeling unjust.

"How is my Yuan Family, a large noble family for hundreds of years, inferior to the Li Family!"

Now, as he saw this, Yuan Chengdun understood Xiao Jiuqing's sentiment. After a moment of silence, he said softly:

"I don't have much time left. Once my child arrives, let's arrange the engagement first. I will leave the betrothal gift here. If you genuinely dislike him, there is no need to force it. Consider the betrothal gift as a present I leave for your noble house!"

Having said this, he gestured grandly with his hand, and jade chests appeared in the hall, as magic artifacts clattered to the floor—a majority were roughly crafted by the Demon Race, their materials superior to their craftsmanship.

Li Yuexiang paused for a moment but showed no sign of wavering as she spoke softly,

"If this matter does not succeed, I will hand over everything from the elder to the young master."

Yuan Chengdun looked at her deeply, his voice resonant,

"Good."

He did not say much, instead, he made a cupped fist salute to Li Xuanxuan, who was standing dumbfoundedly to the side, and rode the wind away. A torrential rain began to fall from the sky. Yuan Chengdun braved the rain as he left, looking at the gloomy skies ahead with mixed feelings,

"If that boy Yuanyao could make something of himself, having such a family as his backing, along with such a shrewd wife, there would be nothing more to worry about."

"I only fear that this unworthy son won't be able to secure the dragon's daughter, gazing shallowly and wading through muddy waters, and when disaster strikes one night, ends up in a sorry plight."

Having not spent much time with his child, he always felt a sense of debt, which was why he made this special trip. Gliding through the clouds, he thought to himself,

"Children will have their own fortunes; I can't control everything!"

Yuan Chengdun's reason for this trip was not as he casually mentioned, "too lazy to compete with them, so I just let them have it." The struggle within the Yuan Family had reached a fever pitch, with multiple factions covertly getting involved—a fact that deeply concerned Yuan Huyuan and him.

His retreat to the East Sea served two purposes: one was to advance by retreating, preserving himself; the other was a desperate attempt to survive, find Yuan Tuan, and resolve these crises.

Yuan Chengdun gradually flew off, disappearing into the pouring rain.

Atop Qingdu Mountain, Li Yuexiang specifically took out a storage bag, collecting one by one the items on the ground, spending half an hour identifying and inventorying them.

When she finished her tasks, she raised her head to find Li Xuanxuan still gazing dumbly at her.

Li Yuexiang, somewhat misunderstanding, frowned and said,

"Grandfather... wants me to marry that son of the Yuan Family?"

Unexpectedly, this casual question caused Li Xuanxuan to leap up from his seat in the hall, rushing down hastily and calling out,

"I... Tian'er... it's all up to what you think..."

Li Yuexiang bowed her head slightly and answered,

"Grandfather, you've mistaken someone else."

Li Xuanxuan, as if suddenly awakened from a dream, saw the light in his eyes quickly fade as he replied,

"Yuexiang, it's up to you. Our family is not in need of these things now... There's no need to force it."

He murmured something—probably phrases like, "Just observe his character," "Don't think about the family's interest"—and quickly left in a fluster, descending hastily in the rain, stepping onto the stone steps heading towards the cemetery halfway up the mountain.

Li Yuexiang gently hung the storage bag on her waistband, walking out slowly under the eaves, her voice light.

"Simply to see what kind of person the scion of Mount Fuqing is."

Her phoenix eyes were sharper than almond eyes, different from Li Qinghong's heroic energy; Li Yuexiang was raised by Li Xijun from a young age, thoughtful and gentle with more cunning beneath. She did not mind an arranged marriage but had her own schemes and calculations.

...

East Sea.

The Zhu Lu Sea was as always, a mix of azure and red, with whales leaping and seagulls flying, and the waves tumultuous. A purple light appeared from afar and quickly settled above the sea surface.

Li Qinghong flew over the sea on the wind, the purple lightning in her jade bottle sparkling, the thunderbolt-like patterns flickering, majestic and powerful, mixing with her own radiance to form a ball of purple light, heading south.

In the past two years, Li Qinghong had collected two Spirit Thunders in the East Sea, along with the Silver Hook Spiritual Lightning she had acquired before, totaling three Spirit Thunders.

This journey of collection had allowed her to discover the wonders of her magic artifact, with three thunders stored within, not infringing upon each other, mutually nurturing, adding several degrees of power to the artifact.

The two Spirit Thunders were very attractive; naturally, her journey was not smooth sailing. The East Sea was bloody and dark, and many had fallen beneath Li Qinghong's spear in the fight for those thunders.

She had now studied the Night Clouds Inquiry of Lightning Technique. Previously, there were too few references to Thunder Dharma to study, but now, having verified it against her knowledge, her strength had greatly improved.

After flying on the wind for a while, Sect Spring Island was already in sight, bustling with noise and excitement, palaces and towers everywhere.