In the kingdom of Huan, at the recent-month marketplace, a travel-worn man stepped into a teahouse.
He glanced around the room before calling over the server. Then, he laid out ten spirit stones on the table.
"Bring me a cup of your freshest tea."
"Right away, honored guest!"
The server's eyes lit up as he quickly bowed and collected the spirit stones.
Not long after, he returned with a tray, gently placing a teacup and a silk scroll filled with fine writing in front of Li Ye.
"Moon in the Water please enjoy."
With a brief introduction, the server took the tray and respectfully stepped away.
"Moon in the Water... how poetic."
Li Ye looked down at the inky tea before him, within which a luminous white reflection shimmered like the moon's image on water. He lifted the cup and took a sip.
The inky black and luminous white entered his mouth together, filling it with a refreshing aroma. The two contrasting auras stirred spiritual energy within him, giving rise to a sensation that was both real and illusory.
The exhaustion from his long journey seemed to ease, and his aura gradually stabilized.
Only then did he pick up the silk scroll and begin reading the contents carefully.
This teahouse was not only known for its fine tea it also functioned as an intelligence hub, owned by the Zhao family, a Foundation Establishment clan in the Huan Kingdom.
Li Ye had previously relied on them to gather intelligence when scouting for family factions in Huan with spiritual land ripe for seizing.
The meaning behind "new tea" was that the scroll contained the latest intelligence updates from the Huan Kingdom.
The number of spirit stones paid determined how detailed the information would be.
"So the injuries of Purple Profound Sect Master and Daoist Feiyu have indeed spread... The demonic rampage has given lesser clans and sects more autonomy than before, leading to frequent conflicts. Both kingdoms are more chaotic than ever..."
Reading the first item, Li Ye mused silently.
"At least the demonic plague, though sweeping through half of Huan and parts of Yue, has now been held at bay by combined efforts..."
"Hmm… with cultivators deliberately preventing demons from capturing them alive, the enemy lacks resources to create demonized puppet armies. That's slowed their territorial expansion significantly."
"No Golden Core demons have appeared for now maybe they're still adapting to the domain's suppression? Or perhaps even passing through the descent portal now demands a steep price, even for them?"
"Then there's the matter of families and clans that lost territory or were exterminated, along with the Foundation Establishment cultivators likely killed…"
As he read further, Li Ye let out a quiet sigh.
He had just spotted the name of his own clan's ancestor listed among those presumed dead.
There were only so many Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Huan Kingdom. For a well-connected house like the Zhao clan, gathering intel on their status wasn't difficult.
Even if they got a name or two wrong, the Zhao family was too powerful to face consequences for it.
As for the Zhang family once connected to the Li clan through marriage their ancestor had survived, but their spiritual lands had been overrun by demons.
It seemed they were now relocating their surviving members to safer territories.
The Li family, on the other hand, had been quite fortunate.
Even though their ancestor had perished, their territory was situated behind the line of defense held by the powerful Nie clan a Foundation Establishment family working hand-in-hand with the Purple Profound Sect to erect formations and fortifications.
Thanks to that defense, the demon forces had been successfully held back.
As a result, the Li family had narrowly escaped total destruction.
"But without a Foundation Establishment cultivator to guard them, that vast land and second-tier spiritual vein they control will soon draw greedy eyes… Wait a moment!"
A strange look crossed Li Ye's face.
If anyone had reason to "cast greedy eyes," wouldn't it be the Zhang family who just happened to be related to the Li clan by blood?
With the Li clan's patriarch dead and the Zhang ancestor still alive, wouldn't this be the perfect setup for a classic case of the cuckoo usurping the nest?
"Forget it."
Li Ye shook his head.
"With both Huan and Yue kingdoms in such turmoil, I'm still just a Qi Refining cultivator trying to carve out a piece of land and settle down for Foundation Establishment would be nearly impossible."
"The Li clan can hardly fend for themselves now. At this point, the best strategy might just be a strategic retreat..."
With that thought, he called over the server once more to inquire about the situation in other kingdoms.
....
Li Family Ancestral Grounds
"Dear in-laws, now more than ever, we must unite and face these hardships together!"
The head of the Zhang family smiled warmly, gripping the hand of the Li family's third-branch patriarch and patting it repeatedly, his expression fervent and enthusiastic.
At the head seat of the Li family's main hall, however, sat a hunched old man resembling a weasel. Though his appearance was somewhat sly and unpleasant, the aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator radiated unmistakably from him.
Below him, members of the Li and Zhang families stood separated on either side one group all smiles, the other stiff-faced, their expressions gloomy and difficult to read.
Back when Li Zongyin first got into trouble, this very man hadn't hesitated to show up with his daughter to break off the engagement. And now, here he was, shamelessly calling them "in-laws" with such familiarity as if nothing had happened!
To make matters worse, standing beside Zhang Jingjing among the Zhang family members was none other than Li Zongyin himself!
No one knew what methods the Zhangs had used, but somehow, they'd managed to get Li Zongyin released from the Purple Profound Sect's disciplinary prison. Now they were here at the Li family estate under the banner of renewing the marriage alliance, claiming that in their time of decline, the Zhangs needed some support from the Lis.
Support? The Zhangs had lost their territory, with no telling when if ever they'd reclaim it. And the Li family had just lost their Foundation Establishment patriarch. With such instability, there was no guarantee the Li lands would even remain in their name for long!
Yet with the alliance reestablished in name, and the Zhang family's Foundation Establishment patriarch now present, even if the Li family felt deeply humiliated, how could they possibly say no?
"Fellow Daoist Li died in the demon calamity… My heart mourns deeply,"
The Zhang family patriarch said with feigned grief, wiping at his eyes before declaring solemnly:
"Now that my Zhang family has no choice but to seek refuge here, I shall honor Fellow Daoist Li's dying wishes to protect the entire Li family and ensure that no petty villain dares covet your estate!"
"Rest assured, friends of the Li family. As long as I still draw breath, the sons of Zhang shall stand united with the sons of Li. Together, we shall safeguard our shared legacy!"
But aren't you the exact petty villains trying to seize our estate?
The Li family head stood to the side, silently cursing as he exchanged glances with other branch leaders, all of whom looked even more dejected.
Without a Foundation Establishment cultivator to protect them, all their past scheming and internal power struggles now felt like nothing more than a joke.
At this point, the Zhangs settling into the Li estate seemed all but inevitable.
The only hollow consolation they could cling to was that on paper at least they now had a Foundation Establishment cultivator in residence again, which might deter other factions from trying to muscle in on their land... for now.
As long as the nearby Nie family who were holding the demons back remained standing, the Li family might still survive for a while longer.
Compared to the rest of the Li clan, however, the third branch patriarch was clearly in a much better mood.
It was obvious the Zhangs were here to usurp their nest.
But since Li Zongyin came from the third branch, and the Zhangs needed to maintain at least a pretense of diplomacy, they'd be forced to leave some breathing room for appearances.
This positioned the third branch as a crucial link between the two families possibly allowing them to benefit from both sides.
And if Li Zongyin could someday reach the Foundation Establishment himself, who's to say they couldn't drive the Zhangs out and reclaim control?
Just then, the long-silent Li Zongyin suddenly spoke up:
"Where is Li Ye now?"
His question immediately caused a stir in the hall.
Some of the Zhang clan members showed a hint of amusement as if they were anticipating drama. The Li clan members, on the other hand, looked visibly uneasy.
After all, the late Li family patriarch had once consulted with them before personally traveling to invite Li Ye back to the family.
Even though the patriarch disappeared without a trace after entering a secret realm, and Li Ye's whereabouts had since become unknown, the mere mention of his name now made their expressions darken.
At last, the third branch patriarch hesitated, then answered,
"Li Ye... was assigned to the frontline in Zimo Market. That outpost has since fallen to the demons. I fear... his fate is grim."
No one mentioned that the old patriarch had gone personally to invite Li Ye back.
"Hahahahaha! Excellent!"
Li Zongyin suddenly burst into loud laughter, his face twisting with joy and bitterness.
"Li Ye, oh Li Ye... in the end, I live and you die. Looks like I'm the one who has the last laugh!"
-support me on Patreon for more chapters, 120+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LordoftheReader