Chapter 3: The Mirror

"Hey, Brother Xiangping."

Li Xiangping was walking back with a basket on his back when a girl approached from a distance. The girl had a round face and rather plain features, but her full smile added a lot of charm to her eyes and brows.

"Sister Yun"

Li Xiangping smiled at the girl and turned to hand her the basket of fish.

"Look at the good fish I caught. Take a few back to try."

"That wouldn't be right."

Tian Yun smiled and lowered her head. The girl had developed early and, at eleven, was already taller than the thirteen-year-old Li Xiangping.

In Lijing Village, boys and girls usually married around the age of thirteen or fourteen. Among their peers, these two were the most suitable in age, and the girl had long decided that the boy in front of her would be her husband.

"No, take them!" Li Xiangping firmly pushed two fish into Tian Yun's hands. He didn't think much of it; Uncle Tian was the most honest person in the village, and he liked him the most, so he naturally wanted to take care of his daughter.

After saying goodbye to Tian Yun, Li Xiangping hurriedly walked into his house and placed the basket in a small pond. He thought for a moment, took out the mirror, wiped it, and tucked it into his chest. Then he picked up three wooden boxes and headed to the fields.

There, his two older brothers were working with their father.

The Li family had four brothers: Li Changhu, Li Tongya, Li Xiangping, and Li Chijing. When people in Lijing Village talked about the Li family's four brothers, no one failed to give a thumbs up. Tian Yun's father would often say enviously, "Li Mutian is truly blessed!"

But the blessed Li Mutian didn't see it that way. As the only person in Lijing Village who had traveled far, Li Mutian felt deep pain seeing his children toil in the fields.

"Good men should study and serve in the army, not be lazy in the fields!" he would scold, pointing at Uncle Tian.

But life was like that. Those who had seen the light suffered more. Li Mutian had been in the army, had killed people, and at over forty, had returned to Lijing Village, buying land with his military pay and becoming a wealthy landowner. Yet he was the least satisfied.

Li Xiangping reached the field, where his eldest brother, Li Changhu, was already waiting under the shade of a tree. Being the oldest, the seventeen-year-old already had a mustache.

"Take your time, Third Brother. No rush."

Li Changhu smiled and patted Li Xiangping's head, looking at him warmly.

"Uncle Tian said you had a good catch today."

"Too many, Brother!" Li Xiangping laughed heartily. "We'll have a good meal tonight!"

"You, huh."

Li Changhu wiped the sweat from his forehead and picked up a wooden box, calling out to the field,

"Second Brother—"

"Coming!" Li Tongya, the second brother, quickly walked over with a hoe. He first sat down and called out to Li Changhu, then smiled at Li Xiangping.

"You guys eat, I'm going back." Li Xiangping, who had been busy all morning, was starving and hurried home.

——

Lu Jiangxian felt a vague, inexplicable pull while in Li Xiangping's basket. As they got closer to the Li family, this feeling grew stronger.

Passing the large locust tree at the village entrance and entering the village, the attraction reached its peak. Lu Jiangxian felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, and the mirror in the basket trembled slightly, emitting a red glow.

"That's a part of me, or something crucial to me." Lu Jiangxian had a sudden realization.

"It's to the north! In the direction of the big lake!" As Li Xiangping moved away from the village entrance, the attraction gradually faded, and Lu Jiangxian mentally noted the direction.

Wandering around the village with Li Xiangping, combining his own perceptions with observations of the villagers' actions and tones, Lu Jiangxian could basically understand what everyone was saying.

He found that this seemed to be an ordinary small village, with no martial arts experts leaping from roof to roof or flying cultivators. The people lived a regular life, working from dawn to dusk, using tools and farming on land that was not surprising in any way.

"This place really seems to be an ordinary small village, with the best house being a two-story earthen structure..." Lu Jiangxian thought. If there were cultivators, they wouldn't be living in such a small earthen house, right?

"Great power brings great productivity, and this small village is too backward."

He had a general idea of the situation and a framework for his future plans was slowly forming.

That night, the Li family was particularly busy, with the mother and two younger brothers busy washing vegetables and cooking.

Li Xiangping returned with a full load, and his younger brother, Li Chijing, had secretly caught a nest of fat field mice while picking mulberry leaves on the back mountain, which he brought back in a grain bag. Their father, Li Mutian, was so pleased that he patted the two young men's shoulders hard, praising them to the skies.

At the age of fourteen or fifteen, they were in the prime of their growth, and the few dishes on the table were quickly devoured by the four of them.

Li Mutian only tasted a bit, and their mother, Liu Linyun, watched the four brothers with a smile. Only the big yellow dog was anxious, running around under the table, weaving between the six legs.

After dinner,

The moon slowly climbed up Mount Lijing. Li Xiangping, holding a long blade of grass, leaned against the wall, while his father, Li Mutian, frowned and looked up at the sky, as if searching for something.

"Right, Father." Li Xiangping patted his father's pant leg and took out the mirror from his chest.

"I found this thing in the river this morning."

"Wow." Li Mutian took the mirror, squinted, and examined it from all sides.

"Neither iron nor copper, what a good thing?"

The cold moon slowly drifted over the house, as if coming to life, gradually gathering above the mirror, forming a faint moon halo. Li Xiangping couldn't help but rub his eyes, as if the most beautiful moonlight he had seen in thirteen years was all concentrated in that halo.

"Father!" Li Xiangping called softly.

"Shut up!" Li Mutian was greatly alarmed, forcing himself to look away from the moon halo. His hands trembled uncontrollably. He pushed the mirror back into Li Xiangping's chest and whispered in his ear,

"Go inside, tell your brothers to take their knives and come out."

Li Xiangping saw a fierce look of determination on his father's face for the first time. His eyes narrowed slightly, like a hawk ready to pounce.

"Yes..."

His voice trembled, and his legs felt weak as he slowly moved into the house.

The night was still good, and Li Xiangping pushed open the door.

"Brothers... Father said to quickly get your weapons and go to the door."

Li Xiangping almost shouted, trembling as he whispered to his two brothers, who were leaning against the bed.

"What?!"

Li Changhu was shocked, standing up and supporting Li Xiangping, looking at him with concern. "Is Father in trouble? Did he say anything?"

The second brother, Li Tongya, turned over and took two knives from under the bed, then took down the vine armor and long stick hanging on the wall. He looked out the window with a gloomy expression and said softly,

"It must be an enemy coming to settle scores."

He handed the long knife and vine armor to Li Changhu, held the long stick in his hand, and patted Li Changhu.

"Brother, no need to ask more. Third Brother, take Mother and the fourth brother to hide in the backyard."

"Okay."

Li Xiangping hurriedly went to find his mother, and Li Changhu quickly calmed down, put on the vine armor, and, holding the knife, headed to the door.

Outside the house,

Li Mutian stood at the door, quietly looking at the melon field in front of the house. When the two young men stood behind him, he waved his hand and took the long knife.

"You two, check the front and back of the house to ensure no one is around." The two brothers quickly responded and went to check.

Li Mutian himself boldly walked to the melon field, bent down, and pulled someone out of the melon field.

(End of Chapter)