Li Qinghong, now a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, commanded authority, leaving Fei Tongyu too intimidated to protest. He bowed deeply and led the way. As they landed on the snow-covered peak, their gaze fell upon a hall with its roof sealed shut—a peculiar sight.

Having stayed with the Fei Family for a few years in the past, Li Qinghong was familiar with their traditions. Typically, their courtyards were left open to admire the moon and snow. Finding the hall sealed piqued her curiosity, and she cast a questioning glance. Fei Tongyu quickly explained, "That was where my younger brother lived during his life. He never cared for moonlit nights and had the hall roofed over intentionally."

"During his life?" Li Qinghong's expression shifted, and she pressed him further. "What do you mean? What happened to your brother, Fei Tongxiao?"

Fei Tongyu lowered his head, his face flushed with shame as he maintained a deferential posture. He replied, "He failed to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. He has since merged into the cold wind and snow, and is gone."

"Fei Tongxiao… is dead?" Li Qinghong paused, genuinely stunned. She had not expected that this man, with his steadfast ambition, would have risked and lost his life in attempting the Foundation Establishment Realm breakthrough. The sudden realization of the passing of an old acquaintance left her at a loss for words.

Tears welled in Fei Tongyu's eyes as he murmured, "It happened a few years ago…"

Li Qinghong fell silent. The two continued their walk, eventually arriving at Fei Wangbai's grave. The gravestone, overgrown with purple moss, appeared especially forlorn amidst the snow.

Recalling the teacher-student relationship they had once shared, Li Qinghong offered a brief moment of prayer at the grave before they proceeded further up the snowy mountain. Cresting the ridge, a familiar pavilion came into view.

Years ago, she had practiced spear techniques in that very pavilion. Fei Tongxiao would visit her there every day, climbing up the mountainside each time. Decades had passed, yet the small pavilion remained intact.

Fei Tongyu led her inside. Two potted plum blossoms stood by the door, well-tended and covered in white frost. The door, freshly painted white, shone cleanly, while the stone steps, polished smooth, gleamed under the frost that had built up over time from lack of visitors.

They sat at a stone table in the courtyard. As soon as Fei Tongyu sat down, he began to weep, the years of hardship etched plainly into his weary demeanor. In a hoarse voice, he said, "My younger brother… he passed away three years ago. Before he died, he left me a letter to give to you. I was instructed by Qingyi not to send anyone to deliver it until you arrived."

He retrieved a small letter, barely the size of a palm, from his storage pouch. Li Qinghong lowered her almond-shaped eyes to examine it. On its surface, a few simple lines were written, "Senior Sister, Tongxiao was foolish and could not achieve success. In my youth, I rashly disturbed you, but I am grateful I did not hinder your cultivation. Yet, Senior Sister, for forty-eight winters among the pines and snow of this cold mountain, my heart has been as firm as these hills, unwavering."

Fei Tongxiao had once studied alongside her as disciples of Fei Wangbai, but they all knew it was merely a political arrangement between the two families. Fei Wangbai had imparted little of real value to any of them, and after leaving his tutelage, they had gone their separate ways, never speaking of it again.

That word—Senior Sister—was one she had not heard in decades.

The inked handwriting was simple and unadorned. Li Qinghong examined it closely for a moment, then turned her head away. In a quiet voice, she asked, "Did your brother leave any descendants?"

Fei Tongyu replied, "He never took a wife, nor did he take concubines."

Li Qinghong put the letter away and turned her face aside, exposing the snow-white nape of her neck. Her voice turned hoarse as she murmured, "Why… Why did he have to…"

Fei Tongyu closed his eyes as tears streamed down his face. He clutched his father's letter tightly in his hands but did not dare to open it. Instead, he kept his head lowered, staring at the cracks in the bricks on the floor. Both he and Li Qinghong remained silent, each consumed by their own thoughts.

After a long while, Li Qinghong suddenly seemed to awaken from her reverie. She raised her delicate head and softly said, "Fei Family…"

The words "do your best to shape up" hovered on her lips, but she did not voice them. Instead, she cupped her fist in farewell. As she turned to leave, she lightly plucked a plum blossom from the potted tree at the doorway and departed in a flash of lightning.

Fei Tongyu kneeled in place, his trembling hands carefully opening the letter. When he saw the familiar handwriting, a low sob escaped from his lips.

————

Li Qinghong soared away on the wind. She found Li Xuanfeng standing by the lakeside, staring blankly toward the scenery at the lake's center. Seeing her land, he murmured, "They say that Second Uncle came with black hair and white robes, sword in hand. What a sight that must have been." Ṟ₳ꞐÔᛒËꞨ

He lifted his gaze to look at Li Qinghong and noticed a faint melancholy in her expression. "How was it?" he asked.

"Nothing of consequence," she replied, shaking her head. "An old friend… failed to break through and perished."

Li Xuanfeng joined her as they flew southward. After a moment's pause, he said, "Do not dwell on it too much. With our long lifespans, we will witness such things many times over."

Li Qinghong nodded silently. When the two landed back at the mountain, Li Xuanfeng said, "I have a few other visits to make. You may focus on your cultivation."

Li Qinghong, already weary in spirit, nodded in agreement and forced herself to steady her emotions. As she descended to the peak, the sound of rain filled the air, its steady patter covering the entire mountain.

She had only walked a short distance when she found Li Xijun waiting for her at the mountaintop. Seeing his aunt arrive, he stepped forward and spoke softly, "Most of the family matters have been settled. I have also extracted Li Wushao's spirituality and entrusted it to Yuexiang. For the next few years, the household will need both you and Yuexiang to keep a close watch."

Hearing this, Li Qinghong immediately understood his intentions. As expected, Li Xijun added, "I will be entering seclusion to prepare for breaking through to Foundation Establishment Realm."

Li Qinghong asked, "Have you prepared the necessary elixirs?"

Li Xijun smiled faintly and pulled a white jade bottle from his robe. "The Essence Gathering Pill. Brother Ming gave me the one he had."

Only then did Li Qinghong breathe a sigh of relief. In a low voice, she muttered, "At least he still has some sense of decency."

Li Xijun laughed heartily, clearly in good spirits. After a brief hesitation, he spoke softly, "If… I fail, I hope you can show some leniency to Ximing. In the family, Chengliao is capable and resourceful, and as for Chenghuai… while he does not have his father's talent, he is still quite promising. Please treat them both well."

He rambled on, repeating himself in various ways. Li Qinghong listened intently before finally saying, "Enough, enough! Do not talk about such inauspicious things!"

Li Xijun chuckled, clasping his hands together and bowing deeply. Li Qinghong glanced at the rain clouds above, performed a quick calculation with her fingers, and thought to herself,

I wonder when this rain will finally clear. Will winter be delayed this year?

She then said, "Since you are preparing to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, it is better to go to Mount Yuting. The pines and snow there create a setting that is perfectly symbolic."

Li Xijun, having already considered this, frowned slightly. "But the spiritual energy there is not dense enough…"

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Here," Li Qinghong said.

She patted her storage pouch, and a green jade bottle floated out. Speaking gently, she said, "This is the Foundation Establishment Realm spirit item known as

Yuwa Spirit Liquid

. The ancestor brought it back. While I was in the Eastern Sea, I learned a technique to vaporize it, which will enhance the spiritual energy in the area for a few years—just enough to aid your breakthrough."

Li Xijun immediately understood that this was originally meant for Li Ximing, but recognizing the urgency of his own situation, he didn't argue. Bowing respectfully, he said, "Then I will trouble you for this, Aunt."