Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 1086: A Misunderstood Return

The final week within the training realm drifted by like a calm breeze. Li Yu spent his remaining days wandering the vibrant green hills and deep forests while taking it easy. He took the opportunity to scout the region for any rare ingredients or high tier beasts that might elevate the menu for his upcoming romantic date. Li Yu tracked the auras of several powerful creatures and observed them from the shadows as they roamed their territories. He had watched a soaring storm eagle hunt along the cliffs and stalked a heavy armored bear through a dense thicket.Despite his efforts, he could not find anything that surpassed the quality of the meat he already possessed. The beasts native to this area were tough and stringy from a lifetime of survival while lacking the rich marbling required for a high end culinary dish. He eventually abandoned the hunt and simply enjoyed the scenic views while waiting for the designated time to expire.

When the final day arrived, the clan tokens glowed with a warm blue light to signal the end of the expedition. Li Yu and his companions followed the guiding energy back toward the established base camp as they entered a sprawling temporary settlement bustling with activity. The scent of medicinal herbs and cooking meat filled the air as disciples gathered to share tales of their journeys and compare their gathered loot before heading back home.

Li Yu walked through the camp and observed the state of his family members. Out of the one hundred disciples who started this training expedition under the Zhan Clan banner, only sixty four remained standing in the camp. Thankfully, no one truly died during the brutal trials but those missing thirty six individuals encountered situations far beyond their capabilities and had to crush their emergency tokens to be saved by the overseeing elders. They were sent back home early to face extremely light punishment of failure and mainly reflect on their shortcomings.

The Li Clan disciples fared noticeably better. Out of their starting group, a full eighty six members made it through to the end of the time period. This higher retention rate did not mean the Li Clan disciples were inherently stronger or better fighters. There was always a strong element of luck involved in traversing an unexplored realm and finding safe paths. Furthermore, the Zhan Clan members possessed a much more reckless nature built into their bloodline that seemed impossible for them to ignore. They actively sought out the most dangerous beasts and threw themselves into hazardous situations to temper their bodies while the Li Clan members favored calculated risks and more strategic methods.

The most impressive achievement of the entire training period belonged to a young woman from the Li Clan. Li Shini and her tight knit team of four managed to secure the greatest prize recorded in the clan ledgers. They navigated the southern jungles and eventually stumbled upon a hidden sect vault that was destroyed an unknown number of eras ago.

The lingering arrays surrounding the vault indicated the fallen sect possessed incredible power in the ancient past. The defensive barriers were far too strong for the young disciples to breach on their own so they called upon the overseeing elders to help them open the doors. The elders shattered the ancient seals and revealed a vault packed full of lost treasures, pristine cultivation manuals and sealed medicinal pills. Even though they required elder assistance to claim the prize, Li Shini and her team were credited with the discovery and received a vast amount of merit points for whatever they didn’t want from the vault itself.

Li Yu felt proud of their success as he walked toward the central administrative pavilion to handle his own final business. He found the two managing elders reviewing a stack of thick parchment scrolls and offered them a respectful bow.

"Elders, I have a small request regarding the political landscape we encountered here," Li Yu began while standing before their desk. "I interacted with the Lunaris Empire and a settlement named Redcliff during my travels. They proved to be honorable people and I quite like them. I want to put in a good word for them and hope they will be treated fairly when our clan establishes our rule here. I ask that you give them more favorable terms when the time comes to integrate this region."

The older man on the left stroked his gray beard and nodded his head without any hesitation. "Of course we can do that, that is a very small ask. Besides, we prefer to work with cooperative factions rather than wasting resources subjugating hostile ones. If they hold your favor, they will receive the best trade and tribute agreements we can offer them."

Li Yu thanked them for their understanding and turned to leave the pavilion. He wasn’t sure if it was just that easy or if his mom and grandfather’s influence had a role in the elder’s decision but either way it worked in his favor. As he stepped out into the bright sunlight, he nearly collided with Elder Jin. The Creation Lord wore his signature golden silk robes and held his ornate folding fan while walking alongside Seline and Alys. The two sisters looked healthy and their severed limbs were already fully recovered in the few weeks they had been resting here.

"Ah, young Li Yu," Elder Jin called out with a booming laugh while waving his fan. "I was just looking for you. I brought your lovely companions back to return them to your side just in time for the departure."

Li Yu offered a polite greeting while keeping a wary eye on the eccentric elder. He remembered their last conversation and the bizarre assumptions the man made regarding his relationship with the sisters.

"I must apologize," Elder Jin continued while leaning in close and lowering his voice to a conspiratorial volume. "I was not able to verbally test their knowledge of the manuals I had provided them. The administrative duties of wrapping up this expedition kept me far too busy over the last few days."

The elder paused and flashed a very proud grin before winking at Li Yu. "But you do not need to worry about a thing. I made sure to give them all of my very best manuals to study while they rested. You can even keep the jade slips containing those manuals. Those specific teachings were created and passed down through my direct family for many generations."

Li Yu felt his stomach drop as the true nature of those manuals rushed back into his memory. The elder was openly admitting he gave the two captive women highly explicit dual cultivation and servitude texts.

"Giving these secrets to a family member but non direct family member has never been done before in our history," Elder Jin boasted while puffing out his chest. "But I can tell you are a bird of the same feather. You are a man of profound culture and I know you will value those manuals as much as I do."

Li Yu was deeply embarrassed by the entire situation and felt the heat rushing up his neck. He could feel the eyes of nearby disciples lingering on their group and he wanted nothing more than to escape the conversation before the elder said something even more scandalous. From the looks people were giving him, this elder’s reputation seemed to be known far and wide and he did not want to be associated with the man any longer.

"Thank you, Elder Jin," Li Yu said quickly while grabbing the sleeves of Seline and Alys to pull them along. "Your generosity is noted. We really must be going now to prepare for the return trip back home. Have a good day."

He did not wait for a response and practically dragged the two sisters away from the golden robed man. He hurried toward the edge of the camp where Faen, Borum and Garren were waiting for his return.

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Elder Jin stood near the pavilion and watched the youth rush away with the two beautiful women in tow. The Creation Lord snapped his fan open and nodded his head approvingly at the hasty retreat. He interpreted the quick exit as Li Yu not being able to wait anymore and rushing off to get to action with his new companions right away, probably in the woods and not even far from the base.

'Ah, the boundless energy of youth. I like him more and more.' Elder Jin thought to himself while chuckling softly. 'If only my own son had similar tastes and such a fierce drive. What a shame my boy spends all his time swinging a hammer instead of appreciating the finer arts of life.'

A brilliant idea sparked in the mind of the eccentric elder. He enjoyed the style and demeanor of this young man so much that he decided he wanted to, no, he must forge a deeper bond. He resolved to go talk to Zhan Tian upon returning to the home realm and ask the Worldkeeper if he could officially become Li Yu's god uncle. He felt they shared a kindred spirit and he was determined to make the familial connection a reality.

Li Yu remained blissfully unaware of the elder's grand plans as he reunited with his own group. The party of six stood together near the edge of the camp away from the prying eyes of the other disciples. Seline and Alys stood quietly while observing them all again.

"I need to apologize for all of that just now," Li Yu said while letting out a tired sigh and rubbing his temples. "There is a huge misunderstanding here and what that elder thinks is going on."

Seline crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her dark eyes. She did not really believe him and assumed the perverse elder was simply acting on the unspoken desires of her new master. Alys stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on her older sister's shoulder to calm her down.

"You do not need to apologize to us," Alys said with a soft and diplomatic tone. "We want to thank you for saving our lives in that field and sorry for everything that happened after that."

Alys looked at Seline and offered a warm smile. Seline had explained the entire situation to her younger sister while they were recovering in the medical pavilion. She detailed the betrayal, the sudden appearance of the Ancestor and the soul seal that now bound them both to Li Yu's will.

Alys possessed a very practical mind and she understood both sides of the conflict. She thought neither side was truly at fault for where they found themselves now. Seline tried to kill their saviors to protect their secret and Li Yu enslaved them to protect his own life in return. In the harsh reality of the cultivation world, the outcome was relatively fair and clean.

"We are alive because of your mercy," Alys continued while reaching into her spatial ring. "And we understand our new roles. We will serve you as required."

Alys pulled out a stack of smooth jade slips and held them out toward Li Yu. He looked down at the offering and his eyes widened in disbelief. There were a full twenty five jade slips resting in her hands, forming a small mound. His mind was blown by the sheer volume of explicit material Elder Jin had given, they truly were family heirlooms.

Alys felt a deep blush creep across her cheeks as she held the slips forward. "We went through all the manuals as ordered by the elder. We memorized everything recorded inside them."

Li Yu stood there dumbfounded by the dedication to the awkward task. He could only stare at the twenty five glowing slips while his brain struggled to formulate a proper response. Li Yu eventually reached out and took the heavy stack of jade before quickly storing them away in the deepest corner of his spatial ring where they would never see the light of day again.

"You really need to forget everything you read in those," Li Yu told them with a frantic wave of his hands. "Please do not worry about any of it. I am never going to ask you to do such things. It was all a terrible misunderstanding."

His rapid denial only created a thick layer of awkwardness that hung heavily over the group. Seline looked away while Faen pretended to inspect the edge of her dagger to hide her amusement at the situation. The silence stretched on until a loud horn echoed across the camp to signal the return of the disciples.

The elders activated the grand spatial arrays and the remaining disciples marched through the glowing portal to return home. Li Yu guided his new group of six through the shimmering rift and left the Mosaic Realm behind them with some fond, funny and exciting stories.

The chaotic transition of spatial travel faded away and the group emerged onto the familiar grounds of the Zhan Clan headquarters. They did not linger in the bustling central plazas and immediately took to the skies and flew directly to Li Yu's personal estate.

They arrived at the edge of the Five Star Lakes and the breathtaking scenery unfolded before the newcomers. The vast territory featured five pristine lakes arranged in a perfect star formation surrounded by lush green valleys and towering mountain peaks. The air was incredibly dense with refined Qi and the tranquil atmosphere felt like a hidden paradise.

Seline, Alys, Faen, Borum and Garren stood near the rocky shoreline and looked around in awe. They were not in awe at the scenery or the aquatic creatures, it was the size of Li Yu’s estate. The group had already been surprised to see how strong the elders of his clan were and those should not even be the limits to the power of the clan.

Now as they stood here, they were stunned to learn that his direct family line commanded such an overwhelming amount of wealth and power to dedicate such a sprawling territory to a single young man. The fact that he came from such a powerful clan and they still gave him all this land showed that he had a lot of pull within the clan, whether that was through his own doing or his parents.

They were forced into servitude but finding out their master held such high status in an already extremely high status clan made them feel genuinely happy for their own prospects. As they say, when someone ascends even their chickens and dogs follow. Serving a powerful lord was infinitely better than serving a weak rogue in the wilds.

Li Yu led them toward the center of the star formation where his elegant dark wood pagoda pierced the sky and the staff working the estate quickly gathered to greet the returning Li Yu. Alden, the head butler, stepped forward with a crisp bow while Nadia, the head chef, smiled warmly from the kitchen pavilion.

"Welcome back, young master," Alden greeted smoothly. "I see our household has grown during your absence."

"It has," Li Yu confirmed while gesturing to his five companions. "I need you to have the team create new homes for each of them around the property. They will be staying here on a permanent basis."

Alden nodded his head and immediately began directing Jace and the others to gather building materials. Li Yu turned to face his new followers and offered them a welcoming smile.

"You can help out around the estate with daily chores or security details," Li Yu instructed them. "When there is downtime, which there usually is around here, you can use the rich energy of this valley to cultivate in peace."

He looked specifically at Faen, Barum, Seline and Alys. "Since you four possess high cultivation bases, you can go to the main clan headquarters and pick up official tasks if you want to earn extra resources, clan merit points or new techniques. You should treat this place like your home and go on with your lives as best as you can."

The companions nodded their heads in gratitude and felt a surge of hope at advancing further on their martial path. It was something that every cultivator wanted regardless of the situation, becoming stronger was a built in desire for all. They expected to have little time or be doing a lot more labor once back at his home but they were being offered a safe place with access to premium resources and techniques they could only dream of before.

Over the next few days, the estate staff worked diligently to construct the new houses for the new members. Borum and Garren received sturdy stone dwellings near the rocky training clearing while Faen claimed a quiet wooden cabin nestled near the edge of the deepest lake.

The staff also built two beautiful individual houses for the sisters. However, a slight issue arose regarding the location. Seline and Alys firmly believed they were brought here mainly to serve his personal and physical needs as detailed in the twenty five manuals they memorized. Acting on this lingering assumption, the two sisters requested their houses be built extremely close to the main dark wood pagoda where Li Yu resided.

Li Yu watched the construction of the two houses right outside his front door and let out a tired sigh. He knew they were operating under a massive misunderstanding but he lacked the energy to argue with them about the location for now. He accepted their chosen locations and simply hoped the awkward misunderstanding would fade away as they settled into their new lives within the clan without him summoning them over.