Chapter 67: Chapter 67: The Li Family Meeting
"I haven't changed my name or my surname. It's Yue Shuanghua. What do you want?"
Upon hearing this name, the old beggar appeared dazed and repeatedly muttered to himself.
"Yue, her surname is Yue?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible."
"When I left home, Qing'er was not pregnant at all. How could there be descendants?"
"It's fake, it's all fake, it's all fake…"
He kept shouting "fake," acting as if he was mad, and ultimately broke a window and disappeared without a trace.
Lu An was startled. He had intended to ask the old beggar about his earlier remarks, but he suddenly ran away?
Yue Shuanghua was also extremely angry. With a stern shout, she commanded:
"Chase after him!"
The black-clad men all jumped out of the window but soon returned.
"Madam Owner, the old beggar, he, he's disappeared. We don't know where he went."
Among the black-clad men, one stepped forward and spoke quietly.
Yue Shuanghua cursed under her breath, "Useless," and then waved her hand to dismiss everyone.
She collected herself and forced a smile, turning to Lu An:
"I apologize for the disturbance. However, what I mentioned earlier still stands. How have you considered it?"
Lu An's attention was drawn back, and he set aside thoughts about the old beggar, responding:
"Yue, may I ask if this True Method for talismans is for sale?"
"Do not even think about buying it. This item was passed down by my ancestors and is absolutely not for sale."
Lu An did not give up and advised:
"You are not a talisman practitioner yourself. Keeping this True Method here is indeed a waste."
"Why not trade it to me? Not only will I get you the Wealth Gathering Talisman, but I will also draw several other talismans for you as part of the exchange."
Yue Shuanghua was somewhat moved. Lu An's reasoning was sound; keeping the item was indeed of little use to her. However, after thinking for a long while, she shook her head.
"There's no need to persuade me further. If my ancestor returns and sees that I have sold the family heirloom, they would probably slap me to death. No matter what, I cannot sell it."
Lu An's eyes showed a hint of confusion, and he asked curiously:
"Forgive my curiosity, but since you said this book has been around for seven or eight hundred years, is your ancestor still alive?"
Yue Shuanghua waved her hand and replied slowly:
"I am not sure. However, according to family records, my ancestor had reached the Nascent Soul stage and lived for over a thousand years. It is not impossible for them to still be alive."
Lu An was slightly surprised. The Nascent Soul stage was at the pinnacle of the Myriad Mountains Continent.
He did not expect the Yue family to have been so prominent in the past. He wondered why they had ended up in their current situation.
Seeing that Yue Shuanghua was firm in her stance, he did not press further.
As the saying goes, "what is lost to me is fortune; what is gained is luck." Since it was like this, he decided to be straightforward.
"If you do not wish to sell it, then so be it. Just give me the True Method for the Wealth Gathering Talisman separately. Once I have completed it, I will have someone deliver it to you."
"I am a local of Guyang County and reside at Lingfu Residence in the market. You need not worry about me running away."
Yue Shuanghua smiled slightly and said:
"There is no need to worry. With your status as a second-grade talisman master, you would certainly not engage in fleeing with the True Method."
"Moreover, such a talisman True Method is not worth much to me."
She copied the True Method for the Wealth Gathering Talisman onto a jade slip and handed it to Lu An.
Lu An nodded and took his leave.
After exiting Hundred Fragrant Building, he first took out a communication jade slip and asked the county guard to help find the old beggar's whereabouts. He then headed towards the Li family.
He had initially planned to visit the Li family to inquire about the situation, but was interrupted by the earlier incident, so he was only now finding the time.
Arriving at the Li residence, he noticed that although the number of guards had increased, their expressions were normal, and the residence was not adorned with white mourning ribbons. Lu An breathed a slight sigh of relief.
He stepped forward but was stopped by a guard who drew his sword.
"Who are you? The Li residence is not receiving visitors. Leave immediately."
As Lu An was about to explain, the head guard came running over.
"This is a distinguished guest of the young clan leader. Quickly step aside."
He scolded the other guards and then turned to Lu An:
"Mr. Lu, it has been a long time."
Lu An recognized him after a few glances. He was the guard who had previously stopped him when he visited the Li residence. It was surprising to see that he had been promoted to a supervisor.
Lu An asked him to lead the way and inquired:
"How is the situation at the Li residence?"
The guard shook his head, showing a troubled expression.
"The situation is not very good. Please ask the young clan leader directly. I am not too clear on the specifics."
Instead of leading him to Li Ziyou's quarters, the guard took him to the conference hall.
In the hall, the elders were seated on the left side, while the younger generation, including Li Ziyou, occupied the right side.
The main seat was empty, and the head of the Li family was not present.
The group was discussing matters when they turned their heads to see the new arrival.
Li Ziyou's eyes lit up, and he came forward to greet Lu An.
"Brother Lu, long time no see. I have been busy with clan affairs lately and haven't had a chance to visit you."
"It's fine. I came to see you proactively."
He noticed a young man standing behind Li Ziyou. It was Yuan Zong, the scattered cultivator who had participated in the array competition representing Li Ziyou during the succession struggle.
Li Ziyou smiled slightly and introduced:
"Brother Yuan has joined our Li family and now serves as my advisor."
Lu An nodded and hesitated:
"I see. However, it seems I've come at an inconvenient time. Your Li family is discussing important matters. I will visit again tomorrow."
Li Ziyou quickly stopped him.
"Brother Lu, there's no need to be so formal. You are not an outsider; it's no trouble for you to observe."
The Elder sitting in the top position on the left side also stood up and said to Lu An:
"Ziyou is correct. Lu Xiaoyou is a distinguished guest of our Li family, and it's fine for him to listen in."
He still remembered how influential Lu An's connections had been during the succession struggle. Now that the Li family was facing a crisis, Lu An's presence might bring some useful ideas.
Seeing this, Lu An did not refuse. If he could help, he was willing to do so.
After taking his seat, the Li family Elder continued the previous discussion.
"As everyone knows, our Li family is at a critical juncture. The patriarch's health is deteriorating day by day, and he may not last for many more years."
"Rumors from the outside are rampant, with some even claiming that our patriarch has already fallen."
"Previously friendly families, such as the Wang and Lin families, are now becoming restless and have been probing us frequently."
"If we hadn't firmly countered their provocations, we might already be at war with them."
"The situation is as such. Do you all have any good solutions?"
The attendees began to discuss the matter, each offering their opinions.
After listening for a while, Lu An understood the current situation. The Li family was divided into two camps. One faction believed that the Li family should reduce its power, abandon some family assets if necessary, and retreat completely after the patriarch's demise. After all, the Li family still had two Foundation Establishment cultivators and was not a soft target.
The other faction believed that while the patriarch was still alive, they should demonstrate their strength and firmly counter any provocations. This way, the rumors would naturally dissipate, and the Li family would not suffer major losses. They should then seek change in the final years of the patriarch's life, hoping for a turnaround.
Both approaches had their advantages, but their execution was entirely different, representing two completely different paths.
Seeing the argument among the crowd, the Elder was also troubled. He suddenly noticed Lu An deep in thought.
His expression changed, and he asked:
"Lu Xiaoyou, do you have any opinions?"
Lu An, hearing his name, hesitated for a moment and said:
"I do have an idea, but it might be a bit bold for the Li family. I'm not sure…"
"It's fine. Just speak your mind."
Lu An looked around the hall and then asked the crowd:
"Does your Li family have any intention of merging with a sect?"
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