Chapter 57: My Li Family Is No Longer Lonely and Weak

Soon, the group arrived at the domain of the Boar Demon King.

The Boar Demon King seemed to have grown even larger than before.

The fourth-generation children of the Tian generation, belonging to Li Yao-tie's lineage, were being carried and led around the Boar Demon King by the spiritual beasts of the Silver Iron Forest.

It had to be admitted that the Boar Demon King was truly an expert at raising children. Whenever a little one cried or fussed, those spirit beasts always managed to coax the child into laughter.

It was simply the ultimate nanny for the Li family.

The only quirk was that it occasionally fed the children raw meat. After all, the seven Iron Gate members of the Yun generation had all been raised on raw meat, growing up as sturdy and robust as black bears.

"Great-Grand-uncle! Please, no! Don't let the spirit beasts take my little brother up into the sky. What if he falls?"

"You, yes, you, the big rooster! What are you doing? Are you trying to nurse my baby sister? What? A spider can do it, so why can't you? Spiders produce milk, but you don't—besides, you're a rooster!"

"I'm begging you, Great-Grand-uncle, that giant toad just swallowed my little brother whole! That is not how you nourish a body, I'm terrified!"

"......"

As soon as they arrived at the Silver Iron Forest valley, the members of the Li family witnessed Li Tian-yi, the eldest of the fourth generation, running around in a frantic state of panic. The spirit beasts surrounding the Boar Demon King were busy child-rearing, employing a methodology entirely of their own.

However, the members of the Li family seemed entirely accustomed to this sight.

The Boar Demon King lowered its massive head and said in a gentle tone, "Tian-yi, my boy, weren't you raised by your Great-Grand-uncle in this exact same way?"

"......"

Little Li Tian-yi was left speechless, tears welling in his eyes. He indeed had been raised this way, but only those who had weathered raging storms would wish to hold an umbrella for others in harsh weather.

He truly could not comprehend how his old man and six uncles had survived those years.

Anyway, ever since he had gained a shred of understanding, he knew raw meat tasted awful, being swallowed by a fierce beast was somewhat terrifying with the constant risk of being digested, the sensation of falling from the sky was thoroughly unpleasant, and breaking one's legs hurt immensely. He had kept count: ever since he could remember, he had broken his bones twenty-six times.

Li Tian-yi now carried the full burden of worrying over his younger brothers and sisters, lingering by the Great-Grand-uncle's side all day long out of sheer fear that his siblings might be played to death.

"Hahaha, my dear in-law, it's been many years!"

A robust voice brought immense joy to Li Tian-yi. Turning his head, he spotted his family members. "Great-Grandpa, Great-Grandma, Eldest Grandpa, have you finished your seclusion?!"

He had not seen these senior members of the family for far too long.

He then paid his respects to each family member in turn, walking over to let the elders take turns patting his head.

Just as he caught sight of a younger sister being carried on the back of a monkey, leaping through the trees and vanishing in a flash, he opened his mouth to complain to his great-grandparents, only for his little face to collapse in despair.

Li Da-long looked with satisfaction at the fourth-generation children playing with the spirit beasts.

"We owe it all to you, old in-law. Our entire household has been busy, and having you look after these children means they are all happy and growing up so strong and sturdy."

"......"

Li Tian-yi stood frozen as if petrified. Looking at the deeply satisfied expressions of his elders, he suddenly found himself doubting his own judgment. "Could it really be that I'm just too delicate? Or is being raised this way by beasts actually the correct path for the children of the Li family? But surely... won't they genuinely be played to death like this?!"

By this time, Li Da-long had already walked up to the Boar Demon King.

He explained the current predicament facing Li Yun-lin.

The Boar Demon King flew into an immediate rage. "That boy Yun-lin, I helped raise him for two years. I told you all long ago that the Leaving Heaven Sect is no fit place, and Yun-lin should never have been sent there! Now he's even been targeted for assassination by an elder of the Leaving Heaven Sect. That elder is utterly audacious!"

"Are we setting out to annihilate the Su family this time? In-law, just give this old pig some time to prepare. With all the beasts of the Silver Iron Forest mobilized, wiping out their newly risen Golden Core clan will be effortless!"

"Don't be rash, my in-law."

Li Da-long stopped the Boar Demon King, who was about to summon the beasts of the Silver Iron Forest, and said, "Our purpose today is to ask if you could kindly keep watch over our family's estates while all the experts of the Li family are away."

The Boar Demon King still wanted to argue.

Li Da-long continued, "The Su family is, after all, a pawn of the Leaving Heaven Sect. A massive mobilization of the Silver Iron Forest would be entirely inappropriate. If you went, your lingering demonic king aura would not dissipate, and the Leaving Heaven Sect might brand you as a scourge upon humanity, creating a much larger crisis."

Only then did the Boar Demon King relent, nodding in agreement. "There is sense in that. Go ahead, then. With this old pig here, no one shall dare lay a hand on my great-grandsons!"

"By the way, do you need any beasts to accompany you?"

Li Da-long shook his head. "I appreciate your kind intentions, my in-law, but it's merely the Su family. The Li family is no longer as isolated and weak as we once were!"

***

[Thunder-Fire Demon Cave]

Li Xiang's perspective shifted to this location.

The members of the Li family were currently hastening toward Qingyuan County. Since the Su family was a Golden Core clan after all, though the Li family was confident of victory, thorough preparation was still required.

This land of demonic cultivators appeared uncharacteristically harmonious...

The ground of the infernal-like demon cave had been leveled flat. Beneath a massive peach tree lay the entrance to the cave, within which currents of nether-fires flickered continuously.

In the distance, the camps established by cultivators from all directions had grown increasingly expansive, eventually forming a town complete with defensive arrays erected within its bounds.

"They've been fighting for nearly eighteen years."

Li Xiang's lips twitched, though he had been keeping track of Li Yao-qing over the years and understood the situation fully.

Checking the details on the map made everything crystal clear.

[Thunder-Fire Demon Cave]

[Demonic cultivators caused chaos in Taiqing County, prompting the Leaving Heaven Sect to proactively dispatch forces to the Thunder-Fire Demon Cave to exterminate the demons. As time passed, cultivators discovered that the array resting atop the Thunder-Fire Demon Cave was no ordinary formation, proving difficult to unravel even for those in the Golden Core stage.]

[They gradually realized that this demon cave served as a gathering place for demonic cultivators across the entire Qingyun Prefecture. Over five thousand years, demons had congregated here to form an underground world. The cave likely harbored tens of thousands of demonic cultivators, utilizing a natural array within the cave to harness the collective grievances of all mortals throughout Qingyun Prefecture for their own purposes.]

[Knowing it was impossible to conquer them directly, the Leaving Heaven Sect had spent the past seventeen years assembling righteous cultivators from all corners of Qingyun Prefecture to guard the demon cave, though they dared not venture inside for fear of letting the demons loose upon the mortal realm. Over time, the cultivators stationed above the Thunder-Fire Demon Cave formed an alliance known as the Demon-Subduing League.]

"This affair is getting out of hand."

Li Xiang waved his hand helplessly. The Leaving Heaven Sect had originally intended merely to clear out some ordinary demonic cultivators, only to unearth a colossal hornets' nest.

Meanwhile, deep in the dead of night, Li Yao-qing—who had been away from home for many years—was in a thatched shed on a high mountain outside the Demon-Subduing League, preparing medicinal herbs to treat the injuries of a demonic cultivator...

The demonic cultivator before her looked no different from ordinary cultivators, save for his blood-red eyes and mysterious black markings across his face.

"My thanks to the先生 (sir/healer). I was gravely injured in this battle by those despicable old Daoists of the Demon-Subduing Sect. Had it not been for you, sir, it would have taken me a dozen years to recover."

The demon smiled at Li Yao-qing, but a surge of black spiritual Qi suddenly erupted from his body as his gaze grew fierce!

Yet, sensing the cultivator's murderous intent, Li Yao-qing merely wore her accustomed expression of utter indifference. She rubbed her messy hair—now fifty-six years old, she showed little sign of aging save for her drooping eyelids, as if she could never summon any energy. She waved a hand listlessly and remarked in a weary tone, "You demonic cultivators are all the same. Every single one of you pulls this stunt right after I finish treating your wounds."

Before her voice even faded, the murderous intent vanished completely from the demon's body. A look of agonizing pain crossed his face, and he reined in his True Qi, remaining utterly silent.

Unbeknownst when, a cluster of vines had coiled around the demon's sides.

"Sir, I..."

The demon's complexion turned ashen, remorse evident on his features. He could clearly sense that Li Yao-qing had silently administered a lethal poison while treating him. Combined with these uninvited vines, even his Golden Core cultivation would not save him from death!

Li Yao-qing didn't even deign to look at him. "Enough, spare me the apologies; I see this too often. Circulate your internal energy for half a month, and the poison will dissipate entirely. Leave your payment behind. Remember, you still owe me a favor, and I can call it in whenever I please."

"Under... understood."

Seeing the vines recede, the demon finally breathed a sigh of relief. He handed Li Yao-qing a pouch of spiritual herbs harvested from the demon cave and hurried out the door.

Soon, Li Yao-qing heard the voices of the demon and his companions exchanging words outside.

"Damn it, why are you lot laughing? Did you know beforehand that Healer Yao-qing had that trick up her sleeve?"

"You didn't ask. If you had asked earlier, I certainly would have told you that all of us have been through it."

"Then let me ask you this: what if I owe a favor and refuse to repay it?"

"There are easily eight hundred, if not a thousand, people in our demon cave who owe Healer Yao-qing a favor. What do you think?"

"......"

Shortly after, three demonic cultivators stepped into the thatched shed and respectfully bowed to Li Yao-qing. "Reporting to the healer, as per your instructions, the three of us have escorted the Violet Thunder Sun Python deep into the Thunder-Fire Demon Cave to be tempered by heavenly lightning and earthly fire. The python has already entered the crater and is undergoing its metamorphosis."

"Thank you."

Li Yao-qing waved a hand, dismissing the three demonic cultivators.

She then pulled out her ancestral spirit tablet and spoke with a grievance-filled expression, "Old Ancestor, Yao-qing misses home. I've missed the grand ancestral sacrifices twice now; please do not be angry with me, Old Ancestor."

Upon seeing this—

[You have used 'Old Ancestor's Warmth', consuming 20 Joss-stick points.]

Feeling the warmth suffuse her body, the fatigue of the day instantly vanished. Li Yao-qing perked up immediately. "Old Ancestor, you've manifested your spirit once again! That's wonderful!"

Watching Li Yao-qing kneel and kowtow in wild joy—just as she did every time he sent her warmth—and resume pouring out the events of recent days before the ancestral tablet, a smile appeared on Li Xiang's face.

In this realm, Li Yao-qing was truly like a fish in water, developing at a breathtaking pace!

She was also the one who had contributed the most to the family; even the Violet Thunder Sun Python had fulfilled the conditions for its metamorphosis!

[In the 55th year of the Li family, Li Yao-qing has saved countless lives, earning a renowned reputation among the demonic cultivators of the Thunder-Fire Demon Cave and the Demon-Subduing League—the Deadly Apothecary.]

[In the 57th year, she refined an eighth-grade pill—the Realm-Breaking Powder, increasing the success rate for Qi-Refining cultivators attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage by ten percent!]

[In the 61st year, Li Yao-qing unraveled the situation within the demon cave and leveraged the favors owed by the demonic cultivators to force them to escort the Violet Thunder Sun Python deep into the Thunder-Fire Demon Cave, bathing it in heavenly lightning and earthly fire!]

By now, the Violet Thunder Sun Python—which had performed such arduous service for the Li family—had also begun its metamorphosis, lacking only a Demonic King Blood Pill to complete it!

"Old Ancestor, I heard trouble has visited the family. Please rest assured, Old Ancestor, with a single word from you, Yao-qing will command people to flatten the Su family!"

Li Yao-qing's voice suddenly turned chillingly murderous.

Even from afar, Li Yao-qing remained well-informed of family matters. No one was permitted to touch her family, not even the Leaving Heaven Sect!

***

The scene shifted to [Qingyun Prefecture City, Southeast Corner Private School].

In the largest city of Qingyun Prefecture, there stood a modest private school dedicated to teaching impoverished children how to read and write.

Inside the humble schoolroom, the youthful voices of children reading aloud rang out clearly and melodiously.

The teacher instructing them was none other than Li Yao-wen, seated in a wheelchair!

Li Yao-wen was now forty-eight years old. Once a sickly maiden as delicate as a snow lotus, she had not aged too terribly thanks to the Li family's spiritual medicines.

Yet now...

Having been away from home for many years, she had suddenly begun to age rapidly. Wrinkles progressively lined her face, her hair grew dry and brittle, and silver threads sprouted like creeping vines of time. For reasons unknown, a strip of white cloth was bound over her eyes.

[In the 55th year of the Li family, Li Yao-wen traveled extensively, taking in the picturesque scenery of Qingyun Prefecture.]

[In Qingyun Prefecture, relying on the experts brought out from the family, she established an assassination organization named 'Dawn', using it to amass wealth and send it back to the family.]

[In the 56th year, Li Yao-wen became a zither player, performing in tea houses.]

[In the 57th year, Li Yao-wen became a farming woman selling vegetables.]

[In the 58th year, Li Yao-wen became a...]

[In the 62nd year, a tribulation descended from the heavens, torturing her divine soul and leaving her blind.]

Just as the students dispersed from the private school—

"Cough, cough!"

Li Yao-wen coughed, and the handkerchief pressed to her mouth was stained with an alarming crimson.

"Fourth Miss!" Within the modest schoolroom, a dozen maids appeared. The leader looked at Li Yao-wen's condition, her heart heavy with worry.

Li Yao-wen shook her head.

"It is nothing. How are things at home?"

The maid replied, "We've investigated. Young Master Yun-lin was targeted for assassination and is currently leading the sect's mid-stage Golden Core elders to eradicate the Su family. However, Young Master Yun-lin seems to have fallen into a trap set by the Su family. Fortunately, family experts have already set out to rescue him. Fourth Miss, should we mobilize the forces of Dawn to level the Su family?"

Li Yao-wen's expression remained unchanged as she merely signaled the maids to withdraw.

She slowly drew out her ancestral spirit tablet.

The next moment, Li Xiang, sitting before the screen, saw a pop-up window appear in the game interface.

[Your descendant Li Yao-wen is reporting all intelligence regarding the Su family to you, along with a map of their trap distributions...]