The moment he heard that Yuan Hudu and Yuan Huyuan were wavering between both sides, he knew disaster was coming.
As it turned out, Yuan Chengzhao within the sect was also unreliable. What had once been a fine relationship between the two families, with bonds of senior brotherhood above and goodwill between the families below, even to the point of considering marriage ties, was ruined when two elders and a youth sold out Yuan Chengdun, transforming matters into the irreconcilable state they were in now.
Now that Yuan Hudu had died suddenly from a relapse of old injuries and Yuan Zibin had taken charge of the household as an even more reckless and perverse figure, it was clear that the entire Yuan Family had rotted to the core over three generations. This had now dragged Yuan Huo'e into offending a Purple Mansion Realm power as well.
With the other party now coming to his door, Yuan Huo'e could only feel his heart bleeding as he said quietly, "The juniors in the family were ignorant and ill mannered..."
The enmity between the Li Family and the Yuan Family was not something that could be resolved with a few words. Li Zhouwei knew he neither had the standing nor the inclination to mediate on behalf of his elders, so he waved his hand and replied, "Island Master of Tai'e Island need not say so much. I was merely passing by and will leave once I have exchanged for the spirit item."
He pointed to the jade box on the table. Yuan Huo'e behaved himself as he took it out to appraise it, felt a chill in his heart, and said in a low voice, "My lord, Tai'e Island currently has a white skinned fan called the White Abundance Fan. It belongs to the Boundless Essence Dao and can stir black and yellow qis. It is a rare dharma artifact and was entrusted here for sale by a peak master of the Azure Pond Sect. It should be of suitable value."
Li Zhouwei finally heard something of interest. Boundless Essence Dao dharma artifacts were rare, and the black flames catalyzed by his Armor Cycle Soul-Refining Halberd Art were also of the Boundless Essence Dao, making such an item suitable for his use.
He asked, "Which peak master is it, and what does he require?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
Yuan Huo'e wiped away his sweat and replied, "It is the former peak master of Yuanjie Peak, also a mid stage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. His surname is Deng and his given name is Yuzhi. He is now over a hundred years old and cultivates in this region, so he entrusted the item to us for sale."
He glanced at Zhou Baiyun. The man felt as though he had been pardoned and quickly hurried out to fetch the person. Li Zhouwei, however, felt reassured and nodded inwardly as he thought, So he is from the Deng Family.
Yuan Huo'e glanced at the table and immediately took a liking to the long staff. After examining it a few times, he hesitated, wary that items from Changxiao Gate were not something he could use freely.
He said, "As for this long staff, this old man can decide to keep it on the island for sale."
He rummaged in his sleeve for a moment, took out a white luminous pearl of pure radiance, and asked tentatively, "This is a protective spirit barrier called Light Profound Radiance Blessing of the Pure Essence Dao, suitable for all Daos. Why not have my lord use this first, while the long staff is kept on the island for sale? Once it is sold, we can compare values, make up any difference, and then negotiate at the lake."
Li Zhouwei only needed a glance to know the old man wanted it for himself. The life preserving effect was indeed useful to elderly cultivators, but he feared Changxiao Gate's methods and wanted to keep it to have someone appraise it first.
Light Profound Radiance Blessing was compatible with all Daos, but light barrier dharma artifacts were usually expensive. Since this one was being readily offered in exchange, it likely did not provide much protection. He had no use for the long staff and did not wish to run about various markets, so he pushed the wooden staff across and took the white luminous pearl into his hand.
"My lord, please have a look. This is the catalog of treasured items on the island."
Yuan Huo'e accepted the wooden staff and examined it fondly several times. However, he was clearly ill at ease in front of Li Zhouwei, so he used the excuse of inspecting and making inquiries to withdrew.
Li Zhouwei took the catalog and began perusing it. Before long, he heard Zhou Baiyun's respectful voice, "My lord, please come inside."
A middle aged man, his hair and beard graying, stepped forward. He was extremely thin, with sharp features and narrow eyes. His expression was fairly calm. After sweeping his small eyes around and seeing Li Zhouwei, he gave a slight bow and said with a sigh, "Head of the Li Family, we finally meet. I am Deng Yuzhi of the Simin Prefecture Deng Family."
The Deng Family was a small family. Although it had a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator to support it, it had been forced by the Chi Family to cultivate a special technique, resulting in generations of madness and extinction. It was only after Chi Wei fell and Chi Zhiyun intervened to ease matters that the Deng Family improved. Deng descendants no longer cultivated that technique, and Deng Yuzhi was considered the last one.
The Deng Family had formed ties with the Li Family long ago. It was said that Deng Yuzhi's elder brother, Deng Qiuzhi, was a close friend of the sword immortal Li Chejing. In the past, Li Zhouwei had sent letters to Li Quantao through the Deng Family. Although they did not interact often, the relationship was solid. Li Zhouwei rose and invited him to sit.
Although Deng Yuzhi's appearance was unsightly, he carried himself with great poise. He took out a jade pot and jade cups, poured the tea, and smiled.
"Congratulations, family head."