Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 1021: Calculated Moves

The central peak of the Li Clan estate held a quiet and imposing dignity. The air smelled faintly of aged parchment and burning incense as Li Su and Xin Bo stood inside the private study of the Clan Head. The highest authority, on the surface, of the sword lineage sat behind a broad desk and he watched the concerned parents with a calm expression. They had just finished relaying the reports from their younger children and their own reports regarding Li Mei and her deteriorating mental state.

"I read the reports from the Sunfire trial ground and their time at the Heavenly Sword Sect," the Clan Head said while resting his hands on the smooth desk. "I knew there was friction between the two cousins and I expected a certain level of rivalry. I did not realize it had festered into a true heart demon. That is a dangerous ailment for anyone to carry."

"It will limit her growth and is clouding her judgment," Li Su agreed with a heavy sigh. "She is so focused on defending her position against a phantom threat that she is neglecting her own heart. We do not want to see her ruin her own foundation."

"We are not bringing this to you because we think she is unfit to lead. She just needs help and guidance but it is tricky with a heart demon. It cannot be explained away or be dealt with by mere words.” Xin Bo added quickly to ensure there was no misunderstanding.

"I agree with your assessment," the Clan Head nodded slowly. "Li Mei is a great heir. She is leaps and bounds ahead of the other disciples in her generation when it comes to clan management and political foresight. She was the best choice for the position and we are not going to cast her aside. The reveal of Li Yu and his unique background and status simply shook her to the core more than we thought. We need to figure out how to best help her while ensuring she and the clan suffers as little disruption as possible."

"Li Yu truly does not want the heir position," The clan head reiterated again and pointed out while looking at the military maps hung on the wall. "We could not force him to take the seat even if we tried. He is exactly like his father. He wants nothing to do with the politics or the daily management of a sprawling territory."

"Knowing that is not enough to cure a heart demon," Li Su nodded, understanding Li Canghai well. "The fear is irrational by nature and words will not soothe it. We need to take concrete action to resolve this before it causes real problems for her cultivation. We must speak with Li Canghai as soon as he returns. We will decide how to handle this delicate situation together."

Four days passed before Li Canghai returned to the borders of the Li Clan. He had just finished a grueling campaign and he looked forward to resting his weary bones for a few days. However, a direct summons from the Clan Head intercepted him before he could even reach his own courtyard. He changed into fresh robes and walked up the stone steps of the central peak.

Li Canghai entered the private study and found his cousin Li Su and her husband Xin Bo already sitting near the desk. The Clan Head gestured for Canghai to take the remaining wooden chair.

"Welcome back, Canghai," the Clan Head greeted him warmly. "I apologize for pulling you away from your rest but we have a pressing family matter to discuss."

The Clan Head and Li Su took turns explaining the situation regarding Li Mei and her spiraling paranoia. They detailed the specific incidents that they knew and detailed their own thoughts on the matter.

Canghai listened quietly and let out a deep sigh when they finally finished. He rubbed his temples and felt a genuine sense of sorrow for his niece.

"That is really unfortunate," Canghai said with a solemn tone. "I always hoped the two of them could work together. They could have helped the clan grow even stronger by combining their unique talents later on in life. It seems Li Mei was impacted far too much by his return."

"It is a stark contrast to the Zhan Clan," Canghai went on. “Zhan Chen and Li Yu have become decent friends. But Zhan Chen’s and Li Mei’s personalities are very different."

"Everyone is different," The clan head agreed. "The qualities that make Li Mei such a good heir are some of the exact same qualities causing this problem. She is political and crafty by nature. She analyzes every angle and looks for hidden motives in every shadow. Trust is simply much harder for her to give than it is for a straightforward warrior like Zhan Chen. It is a heavy burden of her position and something you two will need to work on with her over the coming years."

"We intend to guide her closely," Li Su promised. "But this specific heart demon needs to be resolved now. We cannot let her continue walking this destructive path."

The four of them spent the next hour discussing various solutions. They debated sending Li Mei into prolonged seclusion or forcing the two cousins to undergo a joint trial to build trust. Each idea carried too much risk or failed to address the root of the irrational fear.

This text was taken from NovelFire. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Canghai finally sat forward and presented the most practical option. It was a heavy decision but he believed it was the best path forward for everyone involved.

"Li Yu needs to be excommunicated from the clan," Canghai stated clearly. "He must be officially kicked out of the lineage."

The room fell silent as the other three processed the bold suggestion.

"We will announce that he broke an ancient pact made by my father. People aren’t allowed to know of such pacts so it can’t be questioned about." Canghai continued while mapping out the narrative for the public. "He will be formally expelled from the clan and stripped of all inheritance rights. We will make it clear that he can remain on good terms with the Li Clan and we will not hunt him down. He just will no longer be one of us because of his actions."

The Clan Head looked at his cousin with deep sympathy. "This must be incredibly tough for you, Canghai. You wanted your son to claim his heritage here and stand proudly beside you all this time. I know more than anyone how much you’ve suffered from it."

"It is tough," Canghai sighed and offered a sad smile. "But Li Yu will not care much about the loss of status. He gets along better with the Zhan Clan already and he’s never even leaned into or used his Li Clan title at all. This action should make a world of difference to Li Mei while not impacting Li Yu much at all."

"It is a good idea but one where you and your son bear all the burden." Li Su agreed but was saddened by it as well. She did not want her cousin to suffer because of her daughter and she could see this decision actually impacted Canghai the most.

"With Li Yu officially gone but not marked as a kill on sight enemy, her heart demon will naturally settle. She will see the undeniable proof that he truly does not want her spot and now can’t have it. Once the political threat is removed, perhaps their future interactions will allow them to slowly build a good relationship over time."

Canghai nodded in agreement, that was his thinking as well. He sighed internally but knew it was probably the best thing for the clan in the short term. Canghai could already tell from Li Yu's previous actions that his son did not mix well with their culture to begin with. The events at the Heavenly Sword Sect convention and their own internal one proved that Li Yu walked a very different path than the rest of the sword disciples.

"The only people who will ever know the truth behind this exile are the four of us and Li Yu," the Clan Head declared with finality. "Li Su and Xin Bo will pay closer attention to the heir and guide her through her recovery. Canghai will inform his son of the plan."

The next day, Canghai went straight to the quiet shores of the Five Star Lakes and found Li Yu sitting near the water. The young man was currently analyzing the flow of his Qi and nurturing his natal fire. Canghai landed on the grass and called out to his son. Li Yu smiled and paused his cultivation to greet his father, happy that he had returned. They sat together by the serene lake and Canghai spent a long time explaining the secret meeting and the details of the plan they had formulated.

Li Yu sat in stunned silence as he absorbed the information. He looked out over the calm water and tried to search his memory for anything he might have done to trigger such a severe reaction from his cousin.

He replayed their brief interactions and the polite exchanges they shared during the various banquets. He thought about the trial ground and the simple storage ring he handed over to the elder. He could not find a single slight or hidden insult in his behavior.

"I truly did nothing to her," Li Yu said with a baffled expression.

"I know you did nothing wrong," Canghai reassured him while patting his shoulder. "But that is how fear operates. Reality matters very little when a heart demon takes root in the mind. She needs this separation to heal and the clan needs her to be stable. Despite this, she is a great talent and we need to do what we can to help."

Li Yu nodded slowly as he accepted the situation. Just as his father had figured, the loss of his Li Clan status did not really impact him that much or really at all. He had his lakes and his overall freedom, that was enough for him.

"If it helps the family and hopefully helps cure her ailment, then I accept the exile," Li Yu agreed easily. "Tell the Clan Head he can issue the decree whenever he is ready."

The news was sent far and wide across the Myriad Realms to allies and partners a few days later to make it believable. Official messengers from the Li Clan delivered the shocking decree to the various merchant guilds and rival factions. The parchment stated clearly that Li Yu had broken an ancient pact and was therefore kicked out of the clan because of it.

He was never to inherit anything from the main estate or hold any position within their hierarchy. However, the decree also noted he was to still be treated in a normal manner if met on the road as he was not an active enemy of the clan.

The sudden announcement stunned many of the surrounding clans and organizations. The Myriad Realms erupted in gossip and speculation as cultivators tried to guess what ancient pact the young man had broken.

‘Didn’t he just get revealed recently? Now he’s kicked out already?’ Were common thoughts going through people’s minds.

Some orthodox elders praised the decision and called it a necessary pruning of a chaotic branch. They felt Li Yu was too wild and unpredictable to carry the refined sword legacy of the Li family. Others thought the move was incredibly stupid. They openly mocked the Li Clan for discarding a young warrior who had just reached the Karma Severing realm and proved his might across multiple dangerous battlefields.

The most surprising reaction came from the distant peaks of the Heavenly Sword Sect. The powerful organization did not just gossip about the news in private. They issued a bold public statement of their own that sent ripples through the cultivation world.

The Heavenly Sword Sect declared their unwavering public support for Li Yu. They announced that Li Yu was their honored Holy Son and the title of a mere Li Clan disciple was pathetically small compared to the backing of their sect anyways.

They made it known to everyone that they would love to formally welcome him into their ranks at any time and they dared anyone to treat him poorly just because he lacked his former family crest.