Chapter 681 497 Chen Yan

When Liu Changdie climbed out of the lake, the sky was already bright. His feather clothing had protected him so well that not even a drop of lake water clung to him.

Dazed, he meandered a couple of steps along the shore, realizing that everything from the past had vanished without a trace. Dizzy and disoriented, he had no idea what to do next, so he simply rode the wind, flying towards the mountains.

It wasn't until he reached Qingdu Mountain that Liu Changdie remembered he still had the formation flags on his person. With no alternative, he passed through the array and headed to the great hall where Li Xijun had been before.

As the armored warriors at the door reported his arrival, Liu Changdie stepped inside, only to find an elder with white hair and beard, wearing black and gold armor, lifting his eyebrows in observation.

"Changdie Taoist Fellow!"

"Brother Xuanfeng!"

Liu Changdie quickly approached Li Xuanfeng, closely observing him from both sides, speechless for a moment.

Li Xuanfeng was the first member of the Li family he had met in this life. In his previous life, he had only heard of his reputation as "Jin Geng's Firm Strings". They had met when he was a youth in this life and had some association with each other.

Li Xuanfeng was also examining him, seeing his soulless, vacant eyes. Although he possessed a deep foundation establishment energy, clearly not from ordinary cultivation techniques, he was short of breath and agitated, lost and clueless.

The two stood in the hall, one who had once been sharp and impassioned, with a golden bow in hand, daring to shoot at Tangjin, now with cold eyes and white hair, serving others to protect his family.

The other, once ambitious and rising in fame, with knowledge of formation path and connections with many heroes, now empty-handed and alone. Their silent exchange spoke volumes.

They greeted each other with a fist, neither wishing to delve into the other's troubles. Li Xuanfeng simply began to express his gratitude:

"Thanks to Taoist Fellow for this array, Xuanfeng is grateful on behalf of my family."

He reached into his storage bag for a jade box, but Liu Changdie, uninterested, passed over the formation flags, softly saying:

"If Brother Xuanfeng truly wishes to thank me… there is a concubine of the Hu family's Guest Elder, of the Liu Clan, who is a distant relative of mine. If you could look after her, that would be thanks enough."

Li Xuanfeng frowned, while Liu Changdie pressed on his Shengyang Mansion, his eyes full of fatigue, and whispered:

"Brother Xuanfeng, you see that I am troubled by inner demons. I really can't afford to tarry, I must urgently seek spiritual objects and secret techniques to suppress them. I cannot stay any longer, my apologies… my apologies…"

Li Xuanfeng, a man of action, noting his sweaty face, regretfully escorted him out, watching as he quickly flew away on his flying shuttle disappearing into the horizon. Then, Li Xuanfeng rode the wind back as Li Xijun was waiting in the hall.

Of the many juniors, Li Xuanfeng held Li Xijun in high regard. His tone softened as he asked:

"What happened with Yuexiang?"

Li Xijun recounted the events, along with his speculations. Li Xuanfeng's frosty demeanor slightly softened as he murmured:

"Even though it was an emergency, should our family just endure such baseless humiliation? Once I visit the Yuan Family, I'll need to clear things up with Yuan Huyuan."

Li Xijun nodded. While he too was angry about his sister's situation, he gently advised:

"Green Pond strictly forbids crossing boundaries between jurisdictions. The Yuan Family is a natural ally geographically. If this results in a loss of life, it might not bode well."

Li Xuanfeng simply waved off the concern, a rare smile appearing on his face:

"Let's not talk about that now. I have my plans. But first, lead me to meet that clever junior to see what he's like now."

…

Chen Family.

Chen Mufeng returned to his mansion, carried by the wind, his wives and concubines came to greet him. He was the most favored in the Chen Clan for generations, and his status in the family was not low, so naturally, he had many wives and concubines. The greetings were incessant, but he had no pleasant expression, pushing them away with a wave of his hand.

He hurried inside, rushing to the innermost part of the courtyard. There, he saw a woman sitting upright, not extraordinarily beautiful. Yet, Chen Mufeng's face lit up with a smile as he eagerly approached her, whispering:

"My lady…"

This woman was Lady Li, sister to Li Xihong, sitting in the courtyard having tea. Beside her stood a boy, about twelve or thirteen years old, with long, narrow eyes and gentle brows, standing with his hands behind his back.

Lady Li responded with a light voice:

"Your timing to return is rather convenient, Yan'er has just broken through the fourth layer of Fetal Breathing and was looking for you."

Chen Mufeng was both shocked and elated, replying:

"What!"

With a sweep of his Spiritual Sense, he indeed saw his eldest son, Chen Yan, had broken through the fourth layer of Fetal Breathing. Chen Mufeng exclaimed:

"This speed of cultivation, if not up to Li Ximing's standards, surely could catch up with that person in charge at Qingdu Mountain, right!"

Lady Li smiled and nodded, while Chen Yan raised his eyebrows looking towards his father, quietly saying:

"The Fetal Breathing technique is too crude, otherwise I could have been quicker."

His eyes inherited his mother's grey hue and his eyebrows the soft arch reminiscent of his uncle's lineage. Truly, he resembled the members of the Li family more than those of the Chen Clan, especially when his eyes narrowed, almost making Chen Mufeng's heart skip a beat.

Fearing those eyes, Chen Mufeng wasn't very close to the boy. Sometimes, seeing his son's unintentional expressions and manners, he seemed cunning and sly like the Li family members. But compared to all his other mediocre children, Chen Yan stood out. His talent was incomparable.

Between incompetence and merit, Chen Mufeng preferred Chen Yan.

Lady Li, of course, adored the boy, her gaze tender as she softly said:

"I wanted to ask you if Yan'er could serve the Princely Heir."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yan's gaze darted quickly and surreptitiously across his father's face. His grey pupils contracted, focusing intently with his deep dark irises.

Chen Mufeng uttered an "ah" of agreement, only to see an obedient expression on the young face as he replied:

"Naturally, it's a good thing. My only concern is with Chengliao…"