On Xiaodong Mountain in Xijincheng, Li Xuangang sat aside, while Li Yuqian stood on the left and right.
After taking a sip of tea, he asked:
"How is the construction progress of the small towns around Xijin City?"
Hearing Uncle Jiu asking about business, Li Yuqian put down the teapot in his hand and replied:
"Uncle Jiu, everything is normal. According to Uncle Chang Ji's plan, the five surrounding auxiliary towns are under construction.
In each small town, the family sent three tribesmen to assist in the construction of the city, and most of the labor was recruited from Xijin City."
"If nothing unexpected happens, it will be completed by the end of this year. In the spring of next year, the surrounding mortal tribesmen will be able to officially move in."
Li Xuangang then continued to ask:
"How is the surrounding farmland being developed? Is it enough to supply food for so many people?"
"Uncle Jiu, don't worry. I have planned enough area around it for the development of farmland. It will definitely be able to supply food for the entire Xijin City and the five surrounding auxiliary cities."
Nodding lightly, Li Xuangang discovered that Li Yuqian had now reached the fourth level of Qi refining.
After giving her some casual instructions, he was ready to leave Xijincheng.
...
It was late autumn at this time, and there was already some chill in the air. With a casual breath, you could spit out a stream of white mist.
When Li Xuangang left, it was a morning when mist shrouded everything. When he walked out of Xijin City, within sight, there were Mortal clansmen who went out to work in twos and threes.
Some shops in the city have also opened.
Along the way, I looked at the changes in Xijin City over the years. Apart from the expansion of the city, there were no special changes.
Decades ago, there was an inn at the foot of Xiaodong Mountain, which is still there. But I think the owner of it has changed.
There is a wide river outside Xijin City, running from west to east, and finally merges into the majestic Tianhe River.
This small river is one of the lifeblood of Xijin City, and many mortals in the city rely on this river for their meals.
Whether it is used as a water source or as a fishing place when the food harvest is poor, this river is very important to Xijincheng.
When Li Xuangang was a resident monk in Yuzhang City in his early years, he also heard that a first-order fish monster appeared in this small river. He didn't know where it came from. It ate a lot of people, and finally sent monks from Taiqiu Mountain.
This matter was just resolved.
At this moment, there is a small pavilion by the river, and a pretty figure is cooking something inside?
Li Xuangang left the city gate and prepared to escape back to Mount Taiqiu, but when he let go of his consciousness, he noticed a familiar atmosphere in this small pavilion.
He was a little confused, hesitated, and finally walked towards the river.
...
The water is rippling and the morning breeze is gentle.
A picturesque woman squatted in a wooden pavilion. In front of her was a small stove, with a layer of warm light inadvertently leaking out of it.
The warm light reflected on this woman's fair face, which was red and looked very weak.
The stove was small, and there was a more delicate earthenware pot on it. The food cooked in the earthen pot seemed to be cooked, because white steam was constantly coming out of the small hole in the lid.
A woman wearing a white palace dress was carefully opening the lid of the earthen jar.
The next moment, a burst of white steam mixed with the rich fragrance of rice rose up, hiding her little face, making it hazy and hard to see clearly!
He pouted and blew away the annoying white steam. He casually picked up a large wooden spoon from the side and put it into the earthen pot to stir it a few times. Finally, he put it to his mouth and tasted the taste.
The millet porridge that had been cooked for an hour seemed to taste good, because the woman had a satisfied smile on her face.
When Li Xuangang arrived wearing a black suit, the woman was holding a white, small Dundun porcelain bowl, which contained freshly boiled, soft and glutinous millet porridge.
The steaming white steam was misty on the edge of the bowl. The woman pouted, carefully blew it to cool it, and then sipped quietly.
At this moment, in Li Xuangang's eyes, there was no noise and hustle and bustle in the market, only the warm morning breeze and the river scenery. Everything was so peaceful, revealing a clear aesthetic.
"Fellow Daoist Han!"
When she heard someone calling her, Han Yuru quickly put down the small porcelain bowl in her hand and stood up.
At this moment, Li Xuangang had already reached the inside of the small pavilion.
I don't know whether Han Yuru was too immersed in cooking porridge, or whether Li Xuangang deliberately didn't let her notice him. Anyway, Han Yuru didn't react until Li Xuangang casually sat down on a stool next to the small stove.
She never thought that she would meet Li Xuangang here.
But before she could ask the other party, Li Xuangang spoke first.
"I wonder why Fellow Daoist Han came here?"
Han Yuru was stunned for a moment, then naturally took out a beautiful white porcelain bowl from the bamboo basket beside her, filled it with millet porridge, and handed it to Li Xuangang.
There were several small vermilion characters printed on the white porcelain bowl. Li Xuangang looked at it and found that it read: In the summer time in Jincheng, red leaf cicadas are chirping.
"This year, the children in Xijincheng will be sent to Taiqiu Mountain to test their qualifications. I saw this mission in the Shanggong Hall and wanted to see what life is like for a mortal under the protection of a big family, so I took this mission.
, I just arrived here yesterday.”
Taking the white porcelain bowl from Han Yuru's hand, she gently blew on the white steam rising inside and took a sip.
The millet porridge is so well cooked that it feels tasteless at first, but after swallowing it becomes sweet, and the special taste of grain slowly fills the mouth and tongue.
"So that's it. So what do you think, fellow Taoist Han, after seeing it?"
The two small dimples on Han Yuru's smiling face are particularly eye-catching.
She said softly:
"Sure enough, mortals protected by big families are very stable, and their lives are very peaceful. It is much better than other unattended mortal gathering places. At least you don't have to worry about intrusion by monsters all the time."
As if he heard something from Han Yuru's mouth, Li Xuangang did not continue to ask.
Han Yuru was a casual cultivator in Wujiangfang City. Before she entered the path of spiritual practice, she was like those mortals without the protection of cultivators as she mentioned, always in danger of being invaded by monsters.
And it was very likely that he had a miserable childhood, but Li Xuangang was not a meddlesome person. He didn't know if the other party was willing to tell him this, so he simply chose not to ask.
As the morning fog on the river gradually dissipated, fishermen from Xijin City also appeared on the river in fishing boats of various sizes. Some were shouting and some were casting nets.
Li Xuangang was still sitting there, having finished his millet porridge, and Han Yuru was quietly cleaning up the mess.
He has been fasting for many years since he embarked on the path of spiritual practice, but for some reason he chose to break the precept today.
When Han Yuru finished cleaning up and was holding the bamboo basket containing dishes, chopsticks and sundries in one hand and the small stove in the other, Li Xuangang also stood up and naturally took the stove from her hand.
The two of them walked together by the river, which was still a little cool, and slowly walked towards Xijincheng.
Both of them are very calm.
Han Yuru will then be responsible for escorting the children in Xijincheng to Mount Taiqiu.
Walking side by side, Li Xuangang looked ahead and said seemingly casually:
"I may have to leave Taiqiu Mountain for a while."
"Where to go?"
"Li Meng Island?"
"Hmm...how long will it take?"
Li Xuangang hesitated for a moment, then said:
"Not sure, but I'll probably stay there for the next few years."
Han Yuru didn't answer any more, but her expression dimmed slightly.
Afterwards, both of them were silent. Han Yuru thought about it in her heart for a long time, and finally couldn't help but ask:
"Is that the same as Li Xuantian? I heard that he also went to a very far away place. Yu Heng said that he may have to leave for a long time!"
Hearing Han Yuru mention his second brother Li Xuantian, he stopped and Han Yuru followed him and stood still.
Sighing, he said:
"Don't worry, my second brother and I are in different situations. We are just going on a mission."
"Oh, that's how it is!"
There was some unnoticeable worry in his gentle tone.
...
After sending Han Yuru back to Xijincheng, Li Xuangang did not choose to return to Taiqiu Mountain with her, but turned into a ray of light in advance.
On the way back, because of Han Yuru, he thought of his second brother Li Xuantian, whom he had not seen for a long time, and heard that he had gone to the far north.
Like most clan members of the Xuan generation, Li Xuangang's second brother Li Xuantian also has a great heart.
This has nothing to do with cultivation talent or cultivation state.
This is a kind of trust that has been built up over decades since childhood.
...
Half a month later, Li Xuangang left Taiqiu Mountain to carry out the mission assigned to him by his fifth uncle Li Changqing.
At the same time, Li Changqing also sent a jade tube to Li Qingshui who was in Binhaifang City.
The matter regarding the treasure ship refining blueprints was too important to the family, so of course he would not place all his hopes on Li Xuangang alone.
He wants to make this matter as foolproof as possible, without any accidents!