Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 91 - 90: Escape

"Sister, let’s go!"

Li Xuanling rushed into the side courtyard, stepping over the threshold. He grabbed Li Jingtian and hurried towards the front yard, startling her into asking:

"What’s happening?"

"There’s no time to explain! The Ganixi troops will reach Lijing Mountain within a quarter of an hour, just listen to me!"

Shocked, Li Jingtian quickly coiled up her jet-black hair, took a slender dagger from beside the bed, and hid it up her sleeve while asking in a lowered voice:

"Has mother been notified?"

Li Xuanling fastened the long sword to his back and nodded:

"I sent clan soldiers to summon them earlier, and I ordered the few clan soldiers remaining in the front to immediately escort them down the mountain. Then I came back to the side courtyard to find you."

The two hurried out of the side courtyard. Li Jingtian, not being a cultivator, walked slowly, so Li Xuanling slapped the Godspeed Technique on his leg, lifted her by the waist, and rushed down the mountain.

Li Jingtian, tidying her loose hair behind her ears and gazing at the rapidly receding scenery by her side, had her mind filled with worry for her father, Li Xiangping. She raised her head to look at Li Xuanling, a deep envy flashing in her eyes.

"If only I had a Spirit Aperture..."

Li Xuanling had been walking for a while when he used the Dharma Mirror to check on the movements of the Ganixi, only to discover that a Shanyue tribe had already entered Lijing Town, nearly controlling several exits. Another devious group was ascending the mountain from the other side, at the foothill, to prevent anyone from escaping towards Jingyang Village on the other end of the mountain.

Without the Dharma Mirror, Li Xuanling would have definitely run into that troop. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he cursed quietly:

"Those Ganixi are extremely cunning!"

With frustration, he changed direction and quickened his pace, managing to descend the mountain just before the encirclement was complete. At the foot of the mountain, they found an old courtyard in Lijing Town, climbed over the wall, and entered the courtyard.

A thin layer of dust covered the courtyard, suggesting that the owner had been away for some time. Li Xuanling kicked open the door and entered the house with Li Jingtian.

Li Jingtian looked around, took two plain garments from a cabinet, and they both changed into them. Li Jingtian, about twelve or thirteen years old, was the same size as the daughter of the household, and the clothes fit perfectly.

Li Xuanling, still not fully grown, struggled to fit into the clothes after Li Jingtian took scissors to them. They then shredded the brocade robes they had taken off and stuffed them under the bed. Meanwhile, footsteps resounded outside the door.

After listening intently to the dense and messy footsteps hurrying away, Li Xuanling finally lifted his head, looked at Li Jingtian’s spirited face, and said in a childish voice:

"Sister, you stand out too much."

Li Jingtian nodded in sudden understanding, fetched water from a well in the courtyard to mess up her makeup, furrowed her brows, and lowered her eyes, adding a touch of a delicate household look to her appearance.

Li Xuanling pursed his lips unhappily, as Li Jingtian’s natural beauty made it difficult to disguise her looks. Though the spirited air was gone, she now had an even more touching charm that left Li Xuanling in awe.

After all this trouble, they finally looked like ordinary residents of the town. Li Jingtian tiptoed to peek outside and whispered softly:

"The Misty Maze Array is but a trivial skill to the Ganixi, fortunately, we’ve all retreated from the mountain. As long as we hide here for a day and a night, the Ganixi will definitely withdraw."

Li Xuanling nodded, quietly touching the Dharma Mirror in his pocket, its warm touch bringing him a sense of comfort.

————

Atop Lijing Mountain.

With narrowed eyes, the Ganixi leader listened to the reports from his subordinates, a smile emerging on his face as he asked in return:

"They’ve led the troops over the mountain?"

"Yes."

The Ganixi leader’s eyebrows twitched, he glanced at the cold Stone Platform, looked around at the burning incense, and with a kick, overturned the desk before him.

"Rustle..."

Beneath him, the tribute altar collapsed, scattering melons and fruits. Ganixi erected his tawny pupils, gently caressing the smooth yet empty surface of the altar with his hand, a hint of mocking smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Mu Jiaoman, what kind of magic artifact requires tributes to be set up?"

Behind him, the long-braided Shanyue shook his head, vigilantly observing their surroundings. After pondering for a few moments, he hesitated and said,

"Subordinate has only heard that on Mushroom Forest Plain there is a large tribe that worships a wooden statue, full of peculiar and extraordinary wonders."

"The Li Family has treasures, huh..."

Ganixi chuckled twice, slowly walking out of the courtyard, only to hear Mu Jiaoman behind him say with relief,

"Now, this magic artifact must be among that military array, fortunately, we did not rashly attack, or we would have surely fallen into the Demon Sect’s strategy!"

Ganixi wandered around the main and side courtyards, examining the clothes turned out by his subordinates, and touched the bedding that was still warm. He nodded thoughtfully.

"This kid is indeed sharp."

Taking a step forward, he looked down at Lijing Town at the foot of the mountain, slowly stretching out his arms in an embracing gesture. After a while, he spoke out loud,

"Take all the living children aged seven to fifteen from this tribe, leave not a single one behind."

Behind him, Mu Jiaoman responded in a deep voice. The two left the Li Family compound, and Ganixi suddenly stopped in his tracks, speaking with a smile brimming in his eyes,

"Especially those dressed in gorgeous clothes with beautiful faces, make sure they are closely watched. If anyone with cultivation level tries to take action, capture them immediately and bring them to me."

After saying this, he mounted his horse and headed toward the foot of Lijing Mountain, with Mu Jiaoman hurrying after him, asking in a low voice,

"Great King, we don’t have much time."

"Hmm."

Ganixi nodded slightly, speaking softly,

"After we have captured the people and taken the goods, we will withdraw to avoid making the Demon Sect look bad. If they call for reinforcements, it would only lead to unnecessary casualties."

Descending from the mountain, the town was already filled with cries, interspersed with the sounds of fighting between the villagers and the Shanyue. Ganixi’s army, with its strict discipline, had already herded all the village’s children and teenagers together, immediately causing a chorus of wailing.

With his head lowered, Mu Jiaoman watched for a while, then said quietly,

"Taking them back could turn them into slaves and maidservants, which isn’t too bad."

As soon as these words were spoken, Ganixi’s eyes drooped, and a ferocious look appeared on his face, a flash of brutal killing intent in his eyes, but with his back to everyone, nobody noticed anything.

The neat and smooth neck of Ganixi once bore the horizontal lines symbolizing slavery. Later, he killed all the members of the tribe that bought him, forced the tribal shaman to remove his slave markings, and ever since, no matter what achievements he obtained, he never again painted any patterns on his body.

Continuing on his own, Mu Jiaoman said,

"These living female persons are quite beautiful, a bit interesting."

Ganixi nodded noncommittally, lifting the long knife in his hand. Then, listening to Mu Jiaoman add,

"Great King, now that you have unified the North Foothills, you should start considering your heirs. There are many in the mountains, like wolves and leopards, with wild ambitions. Having heirs would also let you rest easy."

"Hmm."

Ganixi hummed a syllable softly, spurring his horse between his legs, and walked toward the west, nodding and saying,

"Return to the west, go and have some fun with that fellow."