Upon seeing the man in green clothes who resembled an immortal slowly emerging in the yard, Li Xiangping's mouth instantly soured as he thought to himself:
"Damn, it must be the owner of the Mirror who has come looking!"
Immediately feeling alarmed and uneasy, he found the newcomer to be incredibly strange and unfathomable. He looked up at Li Chijin and Li Tongya. Although both seemed calm, there was a clear anxiety in their eyes, likely sharing Li Xiangping's thoughts.
"I am the Peak Master of Qing Sui Peak from the Green Pond Sect."
Si Yuanbai smiled slightly, noting the Li family's guard was unusually high and they did not offer the usual profound bows and worship. This reinforced his belief, and he answered with a smile:
"You need not be nervous; this Lidao belongs to our Green Pond Sect. Since you have practiced the Immortal Path, naturally, you fall under the Sect's jurisdiction."
Seeing that this man had not come for the Mirror, Li Tongya and the others immediately relaxed, and their hostility towards Si Yuanbai lessened considerably. Li Tongya stepped forward with a fist and palm salute, respectfully saying:
"We are but humble villagers, ignorant and uninformed, who accidentally became Xuanjing. We were unaware of the prestige of your Sect and have neglected our duties to our envoy."
Si Yuanbai was taken aback, and it instantly dawned on him that the Lidao had been left untended for hundreds of years and these villagers did not even know the name of the Green Pond Sect. With that, he formed a spell with his hands, and a lifelike representation of Yue Country appeared before everyone.
This trick instantly astonished the members of the Li family. Although Li Chijin and the others had learned spells and could summon Mana, they could hardly shape it into a solid form, let alone intricately manipulate it to create a map.
"This is Yue Country."
As Si Yuanbai concentrated, the southern part of the hand-conjured Yue Country displayed a green patch, roughly one-fourth the size of the entire territory.
"This is our Green Pond Sect."
"So, it's the Green Pond Immortal Sect." Li Mutian joined his hands together and said:
"In my youth, I followed General Yang in battles against the Shanyue; those Talismans must have been issued by the Green Pond Immortal Sect."
"It is too great an honor to bear the name of the Immortal Sect."
Si Yuanbai waved his hands dismissively, addressing the three Li members:
"Since you have entered the gate of Xuanjing, the villages surrounding this Lidao fall under your governance. Just remember to provide the annual provisions required by the Sect."
"There are a few other families along this Lidao. Given the modest foundation of your family, it is best to yield when you can in all matters and avoid excessive disputes. Every five years, the Sect will send someone to recruit disciples from the mountains. If someone exceptional arises from your clan, it will be of great benefit to your family."
Li Tongya's expression changed slightly, and he asked in a low voice:
"About the provisions..."
"Each year, ten White Yuan fruits and two hundred catties of Spirit Rice,"
Si Yuanbai stated solemnly:
"These provisions are absolutely essential. It is best if you can send a disciple to the Mountain Gate; otherwise, penalties cannot be avoided…"
With Si Yuanbai's words reaching this point, Li Tongya and the others exchanged glances, knowing full well his intentions. Li Mutian thought to himself:
"Of all times for this man to appear, he shows up just as Jing'er breaks through and most likely wants to take Jing'er into the Green Pond Sect."
"This might actually be good. Jing'er possesses exceptional talent; it's truly a waste for him to remain in these deep mountains. Better he spread his wings in the Immortal Sect where he can promote our family's interests both inside and outside."
With this thought, Li Mutian nodded slightly to Li Chijin, who, seeing his father's expression, promptly got the hint. Facing Si Yuanbai, he made a long bow and spoke with great respect:
"Chi Jing is of limited talent but admires the Peak Master's grace. I hope I can be taken under your wing as a cleaning attendant, reverently heeding the Immortal instructions."
"Good, you are indeed suited to join Qing Sui Peak."
Si Yuanbai, unceremoniously, nodded his head with a smile. He slapped his waist and two bags, one large, one small, appeared on the ground. Observing their astonished looks, he explained:
"This is a Storage Bag, you'll be able to use it once you have cultivated the Yujing Wheel."
"The two packages, the large one contains the seeds of the Spirit Rice, and the smaller one the pits of the Bai Yuan Fruits."
Si Yuanbai flipped his left hand, revealing several Wooden Slips as he continued,
"There is no need for a cleaning boy. Since you have become my disciple, you should also know my name. I am surnamed Si, named Yuanbai, and I am also a Peak Master in the Green Pond Sect. Naturally, I will not treat you unfairly."
"These three volumes of cultivation techniques are the practices of Loose Cultivators from Yue Country, which your family can refer to and learn from. Another volume is the cultivation method for the Spirit Rice and Bai Yuan Fruits, which you all must study diligently!"
The several men responded in low voices, and Si Yuanbai said with a smile,
"There's no need to be so tense, what cultivation technique are you all practicing?"
Li Xiangping and the others instantly felt as if facing a great enemy, exchanging glances, and for a moment, no one spoke.
Seeing them hesitating, Si Yuanbai suddenly realized and waved his hands continuously,
"I understand, I understand, that senior must have instructed you."
Si Yuanbai had only achieved Foundation Establishment last year, and naturally regarded the Foundation Establishment senior from ten years ago as his predecessor.
Li Mutian, having heard this, coughed and stepped forward from behind the others, saying softly,
"More than ten years ago, this old man saved a senior who stayed at my house to recuperate for a few years. He left behind this cultivation technique and instructed me not to divulge it, before drifting away..."
"Correct!"
Si Yuanbai nodded gently, feeling smug about his cleverness, and pondered,
"It's nothing but a Wheel Nurturing Technique, what else could it be? An Immortal Law that gathers moon essences or absorbs yang energy? There's no need to press them; it would only harm the feelings of these disciples."
With compassion, he looked at the old man and flipped his palm, revealing a light cyan Jade Seal. He gently touched the seal, which slowly brightened with a golden light, conjuring several golden characters,
"Under the jurisdiction of Green Pond."
Si Yuanbai looked at everyone and said,
"This is the token of subordination of the Green Pond Sect. I have already imprinted it with a Dharma Seal; with this, you can delineate boundaries with the surrounding families and also request help from the sect. Take good care of it."
With an open palm, the Jade Seal slowly fell into Li Tongya's hand. Watching Li Tongya secure the seal, Si Yuanbai turned with a smile to Li Chijin and said,
"Good disciple, say your farewells to your family."
Li Chijin, with eyes reddened, hugged his brothers and knelt several times in front of Li Mutian, tears in his voice,
"I am an unfilial son and will no longer be able to serve at my parents' knees. I hope that you will both take good care of yourselves."
Li Mutian coughed several times and hastily helped Li Chijin up, advising,
"The affairs of the house will be managed by your brothers; do not worry. Cultivate well in the sect and be a pillar of support for the Li Family."
After bidding farewell to his brothers too, Li Chijin walked reluctantly to Si Yuanbai's side and replied,
"Master, I have said my farewells to my family."
Si Yuanbai nodded repeatedly, ignoring Li Tongya and the others who were bowing deeply, laughing to himself,
"Today, I have taken on an excellent disciple, so I will let that Pig Demon off the hook!"
With those words, he took Li Chijin by the hand, and with a gentle wave, a Flying Shuttle slowly appeared before them. With another motion of the spell in his hand, the Flying Shuttle stretched several times its size. The two stepped onto the shuttle and sped away like a shooting star to the north.