[Congratulations! Your family has added a seventh-generation descendant, Li Xinnian.]
[Having received the blessings of numerous fellow Daoists from Azure Cloud and his own clansmen, who offered their spiritual power as gifts, he has obtained the traits: Heavenly Demon's Blessing, Child of Primal Origin, Protection of the Scholarly Dao, Nine-Tailed Demon Qi...]
They were all traits!
The child, Li Xinnian, had only just been born, yet he was already showered with countless blessings and affections.
Soon, everyone in the main courtyard was taking turns holding Li Xinnian.
"So ugly..."
It was likely Li Xingchen's first time holding a newborn. The moment he held Li Xinnian, he let out a complaint typical of a new father.
This made all the Li family members roll their eyes, and Li Chang'an remarked that Li Xingchen had been even uglier than Li Xinnian when he was born.
Afterward.
The clansmen took the child to pay respects to Li Wei. As Fan Feixuan held the baby, her eyes filled with adoration.
She was no longer as apprehensive as she had been at sea; during her days with the Li family, she could feel how different this home was from the one she had known on the island.
The next day.
On a day of heavy snow.
Li Wei and his clansmen arrived at the border together. Many of the elders from the Azure Cloud Region were also present.
Two spirit arks from another place were moored at the border.
"Xinghuo, why don't you wait until Xinnian learns to talk before you go back to the Northern Border?" Li Xingchen said, looking at Li Xinghuo with reluctance.
"I'll have Xinnian call you 'Dad.' I... I can even teach you how to find a wife."
Li Dalong also spoke in a solemn voice, "Xinghuo, you could be a general in Eternal Sun Prefecture or Duravia Trade Prefecture. I can write to the Grand Tutor."
All the clansmen tried to persuade him to stay.
Li Xinghuo lowered his gaze. Over the past few days, his clansmen had all been trying to persuade him to stay.
He loved being with the family, and he enjoyed these peaceful days spent with his kin. But he still shook his head.
"I'm used to the Northern Border," he said. "There are many brothers in the Asura Army waiting for me. Without me, they can't survive."
What brothers in the Asura Army? Even with the Asura Army soldiers who had come to provide support, Li Xinghuo had shown no mercy for their lives.
On one of the spirit arks were many members of Azure Cloud's younger generation. They were traveling with this ark to the Imperial Capital, which was in dire need of people.
In these years of great chaos, they would have the opportunity to join many of the great sects in the capital or enlist in the army.
Li Xinghuo pointed to these young people and said with a smile, "Besides, your son serves under the Grand Tutor's command as the Commander of the Asura Army. Only with such a status can I keep those sects and powerful nobles in check. These young people still need me to be their backer."
This child, who never stopped walking, boarded the Spirit Ark. Together with the other young people on board, he waved to his relatives and friends below before slowly disappearing into the clouds.
There was another, enormous spirit ark also waiting.
That was the spirit ark heading to the battlefields of Duskwild Prefecture.
It carried over a thousand people, with cultivators from both the Eternal Sun Prefecture and Azure Cloud Region among them.
Li Tianyue was talking with her son, Liu Wuhuan, and only after a long while did she walk over to her clansmen.
She also had to return to the Grand Army of the Azure Dynasty to report for duty. T
he war in Duskwild Prefecture was unending, and the thousand people on this ark were cultivators she was bringing with her to serve the Dynasty.
"Respected elders, your child must now return to the battlefield."
Li Tianyue was still injured, and her complexion was somewhat pale. She could see the worry in her clansmen's eyes.
A few days ago, she had intercepted a letter Li Dalong tried to secretly send to Old General Dongfang Lianwu, which was a request to have her military position revoked.
Seeing the resolute look on Li Tianyue's face, Li Dalong could only sigh.
"Tianyue, when you return to the battlefield..."
"Your child understands."
Li Tianyue cut Li Dalong off. "If I'm captured, I'll just use your name. If the enemy is too strong, I'll take my people and run. Tianyue is a veteran of the battlefield; I know what to do."
"Just rest assured, esteemed elder."
Li Tianyi came forward with a sly grin.
"Ah Yue is really formidable," he said. "Back when the three of us were serving under Prince Yu, we learned just how capable she is. Besides us three, ordinary people really can't handle her..."
As he spoke, Li Tianyi caught the look on Li Dalong's face—as if he were about to pull out a rattan cane at any moment—and quickly shrank his neck back.
Still, he whispered to Li Tianyue, "Little sis, if you really get into trouble, just call your three big brothers over to help. We have connections on Prince Yu's side. Right, right, right! Here are their names, and this records all their embarrassing secrets."
Li Tianyi gave another sly grin and took out a jade slip.
"I'll send them a message later," he said, "and have them keep an eye out for you on the battlefield. If they dare to hurt you, just send your big brother a word."
Taking the jade slip.
Li Tianyue briefly glanced at its contents, her expression turning a little strange.
"Big Brother, aren't you going back to Prince Yu's side?" she asked. "You still have tens of thousands of followers under your command. If Prince Yu gets angry..."
"What's he got to be angry about?"
Li Tianyi shrugged, looking completely unconcerned.
"We resigned from that post a long time ago. We went there to deal with Tianming's situation, and he's much better now. As for things on Prince Yu's end, we settled them before we left. As we were leaving, we told our followers that 'believing in the Heavenly Secret Pavilion grants eternal life,' and then we kidnapped a few of their people for good measure."
"Mm."
Seeing Li Tianyue's bewildered expression, Li Tianqi casually added, "That's right. They started treating the people from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion as gods who were above us and eagerly began to kowtow to them. Prince Yu was very happy; we helped him pull out the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's 'nails'. Oh, and it was Tianming who caught them. That kid really has a knack for dealing with their people."
"I hear Prince Yu has already established contact with the Heavenly Secret Pavilion now, so he even owes us thanks."
...
Meanwhile, the former leader of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, who had been sent to Azure Cloud, Old Mister Chen Qingtian, was locked away in the dungeons of Prince Yu's mansion.
He stared at the letter Li Tianyi had left behind with a look of shame and indignation.
The letter stated that Prince Yu was a good leader, congratulated Chen Qingtian on becoming the god of tens of thousands of followers, and, at the end, told him to stop hiding in the shadows and to be an upright and honorable person.
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