In recent years, the children of the Li family had hardly given any thought to having children of their own.
It was true that the higher a cultivator's realm, the more difficult it became to conceive, but that was not to say there were no solutions. Li Yaoqing herself was the solution. After becoming an Imperial Physician, the medical arts she had studied most deeply in the Imperial Capital were precisely those related to fertility.
Take the 'Yang-Birthing Aconite technique,' for example. If a mortal were to cultivate this technique and cast it, then by ingesting the ashes of three talismans dissolved in water during intercourse, even a male partner could be made to give birth.
Then there was 'The Lotus Flower Dual Cultivation Technique'.
This dual cultivation method could give Nascent Soul realm cultivators the same chances of conceiving as an ordinary mortal couple.
But being able to have children was one thing; being willing to was another matter entirely.
Li Wei more or less understood.
One day, while burning incense to him, Li Kuangren had mentioned that Feng Mi wanted to have a child, but he had refused.
After everything they had been through, the members of the Li family had been forced to watch helplessly as their children, their brothers, and their sisters were killed one after another.
There is nothing more painful in this world than for the parents to outlive their children, or for brothers and sisters to see each other's souls depart for the underworld.
In recent years, the members of the Li family rarely spoke of the past, but the shadow Tian Xing had cast upon them had never truly faded.
They did not want to endure that kind of pain again, nor did they wish for their children to be born into such a turbulent era.
The world was in turmoil, powerful nobles watched their every move, and no one knew what the future might hold.
This was especially true for the Seven Ironclads.
In truth, their journey to Xinshang Prefecture was partly just to find something to occupy their minds.
They had been trapped in the Tian Xing Cultivator Abode for many years, and by the time they finally returned, their wives and husbands had either seen their own clans annihilated due to their connection to the Lis or had simply reached the end of their natural lifespans.
"A newborn child..."
Gazing at the message on his panel, Li Wei remained lost in thought within the Ancestor Space, his eyes vacant and his expression exceedingly complex.
He had once sat desolate in the Ancestral Hall for five years.
Those were the most painful five years of his life, a time when he didn't even dare look at the panel as it announced, one by one, the deaths of his children.
In the past, he had loved to urge his 'children' to have babies of their own, but now, he never mentioned the subject again.
At first, he had thought that these children were a burden to their parents. Later, he came to understand that the children were never a burden to the Li family.
It was the Li family... who were the burden to the children.
The experiences of their ancestors drove the younger generations to try and follow in their footsteps.
It was true for Li Chang'an, just as it was for Li Xinghuo and Li Xingchen.
From the moment of their birth, they had invisibly shouldered a heavy responsibility.
And so, on this day, every member of the Li family, just like Li Wei, felt both joy at the birth of this new child and also a deep sense of turmoil.
...
[Congratulations! A descendant of your clan has given birth to a son. Please bring him back into the clan.]
Two hours later.
The members of the Li family all entered the Ancestor Space, their expressions heavy. Not one of them spoke a word.
Unaware of the situation, Li Xingchen was initially puzzled. Today was not the scheduled day for their assembly, so why had the Old Ancestor summoned him? But seeing the grim expressions on his clansmen's faces, his own turned serious.
"Has the Duravia Trade Prefecture attacked?" he asked. "I'll head back to the clan right away!"
...
The grim look on everyone's faces made his heart sink, but after quickly counting and seeing that all his clansmen were present, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Did we lose a battle?" he asked, trying to sound reassuring. "It's alright. As long as we're all still here, we can always turn the tables. Prince Qian is not to be underestimated, but once this child..."
Before he could finish.
The Old Ancestor waved a hand, cutting him off. He turned to Li Yaowen and said, "Yaowen, it is inconvenient for the others to go. I want you to perform a divination and then make the trip in person. Before the young woman's pregnancy begins to show, protect her well."
"Understood, Old Ancestor."
Li Yaowen gave a slight nod and cast a sideways glance at Li Xingchen.
That single glance was enough to make Li Xingchen's expression falter.
"A child?" he stammered. "Whose child?"
Li Xingchen and his father, Li Chang'an, were truly two completely different kinds of people.
Li Chang'an preferred tranquility; he was steady and proper in all he did, as reliable as Li Changsheng. Yet, he also possessed a desperate, life-risking spirit that Li Changsheng lacked.
This Li Xingchen, however, hadn't inherited a single bit of it.
The boy was carefree and casual, always dressed informally—a restless soul by nature. The vast Eternal Sun Prefecture couldn't hold him; he cared nothing for power or status. All he wanted was to wander the entire world.
And now, it seemed, Li Xingchen truly had no idea what he had done.
"You unfilial son!" Li Chang'an roared. "Running wild and causing trouble—you've brought disaster upon us!"
Li Chang'an, who could endure a beating at the Aeternus Sect without a flicker of anger, was now truly enraged upon seeing his son's utterly bewildered expression.
Among the other clan members, Li Yaozu hid his hands in his sleeves and gazed at the ceiling. Li Kuangren lowered his head, his eyes darting around shiftily. The rest of the family simply stared with peculiar expressions at these three fundamentally unreliable characters.
"A child?" Li Xingchen stammered, realization dawning. "I... Did I... lose control?"
Li Xingchen froze on the spot, completely stunned.
"Sigh."
If this were in the past, Li Dalong would have already started throwing punches. But now, they were only spirit souls in the Ancestor Space, and Li Xingchen was somewhere far across the sea. After a long sigh, his expression softened.
"Chang'an, let it be," he said gently. "Xingchen only made the same kind of mistake some of us elders have made. Don't be too hard on him."
"Xingchen, it's alright," he said. "Since the deed is done, I won't blame you. You have been away for many years, and your Great-Granduncle Li misses you. Come back, so he can have a proper look at you."
Seeing Li Dalong's gentle expression, all the color drained from Li Xingchen's face.
He had heard the stories of his Great-Granduncle Li Yaozu, and he feared that if he returned to the clan this time, he, like his great-granduncle, would no longer be able to perform 'human affairs'. But Li Xingchen gritted his teeth.
"I know I have made a grave mistake," he stammered. "I... I will accept my punishment!"
"Punishment?" Li Chang'an's voice boomed. "What kind of punishment do you think you deserve?!!"
Li Chang'an's eyes flew wide, and he immediately dropped to his knees before Li Dalong.
"Great-Grandfather, Xingchen is still young!" he pleaded. "For the son's misdeeds, the father is to blame. This child will accept the punishment in his place!"
"Enough!"
The Old Ancestor let out a cold snort.
"A man of over two hundred years—is that still young?" he demanded. "Speak. Tell us what you've been doing all this time you've been away."
Promptly, the assembled Li family members listened as Li Xingchen, trembling with fear, recounted everything.
He had been treasure hunting in the sea regions with a group of like-minded pirates.
They had eventually come to an island, upon which a city had been built.
Pirates, after all, are a wild bunch. Besides, a single voyage can last for several years. When they finally make it back to dry land, who wouldn't want to cut loose and enjoy themselves?
"I..." Li Xingchen stammered, unable to continue.
Seeing the boy's hemming and hawing, Li Dalong grew even more furious. "Did you do it or not?" he asked bluntly.
Li Xingchen flinched. "I did."
"Do you remember who it was?"
"Not... not clearly."
"You!"
Li Dalong was practically fuming, struggling to suppress the last dregs of his temper. "How many?" he growled.
"I... lost count." Li Xingchen knew the principle of 'leniency to those who confess, severity to those who resist'. Sticking his neck out, he decided he might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb.
"From the south of the city to the north," he blurted out, "for a full four months. The girls in that port city were so fiery... I'd never seen girls so bold before."
"I wasn't interested at first," he confessed. "But later, those good brothers of mine... they sent a girl right to my room."
"Dad, Elders, let's be reasonable here—who could possibly resist a situation like that? After that, I just let myself go. It was the first time I realized how much girls liked me... Sometimes I couldn't even make out their faces clearly..."
These words, sentence after sentence, made the faces of the Li family members darken.
"Don't say another damn word!"
Following Li Dalong's furious roar, Li Xingchen pinched his own earlobe, his expression pained.
Being a father... How was one supposed to be a father? He had never considered it. The thought of bringing a wife and child along to brave the harsh conditions of the sea regions filled him with profound self-reproach.
Perhaps, he thought, he really did deserve to be punished.
For a moment, he felt the world spin, and he was at a complete loss.
Li Dalong could only tilt his head back and sigh deeply.
"What a misfortune upon our house," he lamented. "A true misfortune!"
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