22: Chapter 22: Guarding the Inner Court

As soon as the guard said this, Li Qingfeng's footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

The Grand Elder's face darkened, and he said in a low voice, "Go take a look."

Li Qingfeng nodded and turned to rush toward the Spirit Plant fields.

He knew clearly in his heart that for the Spiritual Plants to have issues at such a critical moment was definitely not a coincidence.

Deacon Xu from Qingyun Sect was coming to inspect the fields tomorrow. The Zhao Family had just made threats at the branch courtyard, and immediately after, the Li Family's experimental fields developed problems. If anyone said there was nothing fishy about this, even a dog wouldn't believe it. Did they really think everyone else was a fool?

When he arrived at the edge of the field, the Spirit Plant Steward was already sweating profusely with anxiety.

"Young Master Li Qingfeng, please take a look. These few were fine this afternoon, but when I was patrolling the fields just now, I discovered the leaves were turning gray, and the Spiritual Qi at the roots was also a bit chaotic."

Li Qingfeng crouched down, pressed his hand into the soil, and activated Vitality Perception.

A subtle yet chaotic medicinal property seeped in along the soil layer.

He furrowed his brows.

It wasn't that the Formation was broken.

Nor was it that the Spirit Plant field itself had gone wrong.

This was someone tampering with it. The amount was small, but the method was very underhanded, as if they intentionally only damaged a small patch, specifically choosing the night before the field inspection to disgust people.

If the Li Family panicked and made major changes to the Formation overnight, it would be even easier for them to find faults during tomorrow's inspection.

The Grand Elder stood to one side and asked in a deep voice, "Can it be handled?"

"Yes."

Li Qingfeng answered quickly.

He stood up, his eyes now calm. "It's not a big problem. It looks like someone sprinkled some kind of Spirit-Disturbing Powder or something similar, just wanting to make the surface of the Spiritual Plants look bad. The damage isn't deep. Isolate them first so it doesn't affect the other plots."

The Spirit Plant Steward nodded hurriedly.

Upon hearing "can be handled," the Grand Elder's expression relaxed slightly, but his voice still suppressed anger.

"I'm going to check the perimeter guards. Before you return to the New Courtyard, stabilize things here first."

"Understood."

After the Grand Elder left with his men, Li Qingfeng handled things very efficiently.

He first had the Spirit Plant Steward isolate the graying Spiritual Plants, then used the Azure Wood Rejuvenation Art to suppress the medicinal conflict bit by bit. The Azure Wood Spiritual Power descended, preserving the breath at the roots first.

After finishing these tasks, he didn't linger and turned back to the New Courtyard.

Compared to the Spirit Plant fields, he was now more concerned about Su Qingyue.

Since the Zhao Family dared to make a move on the experimental fields, it meant they were already desperate. The more desperate they were, the more likely they were to resort to underhanded methods. The New Courtyard had the Fetal Protection Spirit Spring Well, Su Qingyue, and the newly formed Fetal Breath; no mistakes could be allowed.

When he pushed the door open and entered the courtyard, Su Qingyue was sitting under the lamp waiting for him.

She was wearing a light cyan soft dress. Her waist was so slender that it felt like one could grasp it with one hand. When she sat, the hem of her skirt draped down along the line of her legs, making her look as if she were made of water—gentle and serene. However, the worry between her brows could not be suppressed at all; as soon as she saw Li Qingfeng return, she immediately stood up.

"Did something happen to the Spirit Plant fields?"

Li Qingfeng walked over and immediately steadied her, "Slow down."

Su Qingyue pursed her lips and said softly, "I heard the chaotic footsteps outside, so I guessed it."

Li Qingfeng helped her sit back down by the couch before recounting what had happened.

After listening, Su Qingyue's eyes turned cold.

"The Zhao Family is truly desperate."

She usually looked soft and gentle, but when she said this, her tone carried a hint of hardness. Li Qingfeng could tell that she wasn't just angry for the Li Family, but more concerned about the situation here at the New Courtyard.

Li Qingfeng crouched in front of her and took her hands.

"Don't worry. Tomorrow, they will at most inspect the Spirit Plant fields. They won't be able to enter the Inner Courtyard."

Su Qingyue looked down at him, her eyes turning a bit hot, "Qingfeng, I'm not afraid of trouble; I'm afraid of holding you back... If it weren't for the fact that my situation here cannot be exposed, you wouldn't have to be like this."

Li Qingfeng's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.

He hated hearing her think that way the most.

"Qingyue, this isn't holding me back," he said very earnestly. "This is our home, and you and the child are both here. Protecting the Inner Courtyard is my duty. Whoever tries to sneak in using the field inspection as an excuse, I will have their claws chopped off."

Su Qingyue looked at him, and the worry in her eyes finally vanished.

Her fingers tightened slightly, holding his palm in return, and her voice became very soft, "Then let's tighten the Spirit Spring Formation tonight. Keep the nourishing effect, but suppress the leaking Spiritual Qi; otherwise, if Deacon Xu senses that the Water and Wood Spiritual Qi in the courtyard is too smooth, the Zhao Family will definitely stir up trouble again."

Li Qingfeng nodded, "That's what I was thinking too."

Without another word, they immediately got to work.

Li Qingfeng was responsible for modifying the main Formation runes, gradually pulling the expanding Spiritual Qi of the Spirit Spring Formation back toward the wellhead. Su Qingyue leaned against the table, using a talisman brush to help him adjust the flow of Water and Wood. She couldn't be too tired now, but when it came to Spiritual Plants and Spiritual Qi, she was more meticulous than anyone.

"Tighten this part by half an inch," she said, pointing to the Formation diagram. "If it's suppressed too tightly, the Fetal Breath will be uncomfortable."

Li Qingfeng made the changes accordingly, smiling as he did so. "You're still the meticulous one."

Su Qingyue gave him a light, playful glare.

Her glare had no lethality at all; instead, because her face was fair and the corners of her eyes were soft, it looked exceptionally alluring. The lamplight fell on her face, highlighting her moist lips and slender white neck, and even the strands of hair falling to her chest were especially pleasing to the eye.

Li Qingfeng glanced at her a few times, and his heart warmed up.

Su Qingyue felt his gaze, and the roots of her ears turned a bit red. She chided him softly, "What time is it now? You're still getting distracted."

Li Qingfeng chuckled and said, "How can looking at my own wife be considered a distraction?"

Su Qingyue's face turned even redder at his words, but she didn't talk back.

She was a bit tired from sitting for so long, and her hand rested gently on her lower abdomen. The soft, charming air between her brows emerged all at once. Seeing her like this, Li Qingfeng immediately put down the Formation stone in his hand and went over to steady her.

"If you're tired, take a break. I'll handle the rest."

"I'm not that delicate," Su Qingyue said, though she leaned into his embrace, following his guidance.

Li Qingfeng carried her to the couch to sit down, pressed his palm against her lower back, and slowly channeled a stream of Azure Wood Spiritual Power into her.

This Spiritual Power was very gentle, specifically protecting her Meridians and blood circulation.

Su Qingyue exhaled gently, and her whole body relaxed a bit. She looked up at Li Qingfeng, her voice soft and light, "Do you feel that ever since we had the child, things have suddenly become so much more complicated?"

Looking at her delicate and alluring face, Li Qingfeng felt even more at ease in his heart.

"Things have become more complicated, but my heart is also more settled," he said in a low voice. "Before, I only thought about how to climb higher. Now it's different; I have to pave the way for you and the child. If the Zhao Family dares to come, I'll deal with the Zhao Family. If the Qingyun Sect wants to inspect the fields, I'll let them see the fields clearly. In any case, one thing is certain: no one is allowed to touch you here."

Su Qingyue felt a sting in her nose, but her eyes held a smile.

She took his hand and placed it on her lower abdomen.

"Then you must continue to protect us like this in the future."

The moment Li Qingfeng's palm touched her, his heart melted into a pool of water.

"I will protect the two of you for a lifetime."

Su Qingyue pursed her lips, suddenly leaned forward, and rested her forehead gently on his shoulder. Her body was soft, and there was a faint medicinal fragrance in her hair. As she leaned in, Li Qingfeng almost lost control, but remembering her current physical state, he only raised his hand to hold her tighter, not daring to do anything else.

After a while, the Formation adjustments were complete.

The Spiritual Qi in the New Courtyard had noticeably converged, but the area near the wellhead remained warm and moist, just enough to nourish the Fetal Breath.

Li Qingfeng scanned it with the System panel.

[Fetal Protection Spirit Spring Well: Concealment status is now in effect.]

[Current functions: Stabilize maternal Meridians, nourish Fetal Breath, mildly restrain Spiritual Qi overflow.]

[Description: Unless it is a Divine Sense scan from an expert-level figure, ordinary detection techniques cannot see through the trickery.]

Li Qingfeng felt even more secure.

This thing was just so useful.

Early the next morning, Deacon Xu Wenshan from the Qingyun Sect arrived at the Li Family with his men.

Accompanying him were the Zhao Family Elder, a representative from the Wang Family, and several attendant Cultivators.

The Grand Elder accompanied them personally, leading them all the way to the experimental Spirit Plant fields.

Li Qingfeng had been waiting at the edge of the field for a long time, his expression very calm, showing not a hint of panic.

Xu Wenshan first looked at the Spiritual Plants, then checked the ledgers, inspecting them very carefully.

"The survival rate of this patch is indeed high, and the roots are solid. The leaf color is stable, and the fluctuation in medicinal properties is small; it doesn't look like it was forced to grow in a short time."

The Spirit Plant Steward listened from the side, nodding continuously, though the sweat on his forehead never stopped.

Seeing that he couldn't find any faults directly, the Zhao Family Elder immediately changed the subject.

"Deacon Xu, looking at the field alone may not be comprehensive. In case the source of the Formation is in the Inner Courtyard, it naturally wouldn't be detectable in the field. In my opinion, it would be better to inspect Li Qingfeng's New Courtyard as well to be thorough."

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the few Li Family members changed.

The Grand Elder stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Elder Zhao, it was already made very clear yesterday at the branch courtyard: what is being inspected is the experimental Spirit Plant field, not my Li Family's Inner Courtyard."

The Zhao Family Elder sneered, "I am also acting responsibly for the Qingyun Sect."

Li Qingfeng spoke up at this moment.

"If Elder Zhao is really that responsible, why not have everyone go take a tour of the Zhao Family's main courtyard first? Our two families follow the same rules; no one should be at a disadvantage."

The Zhao Family Elder's face twitched, "You are being unreasonable."

Li Qingfeng cupped his hands and looked at Xu Wenshan, his tone steady. "Deacon Xu, the improvement of the Spirit Plant field is judged by the field, the ledgers, and the output. The inner residence is where a Cultivator rests, involving the daily life of one's wife and Family privacy. If anyone can enter someone else's Inner Courtyard today just because of a casual suspicion, then what kind of rules will there be for the families in Qingshi Town tomorrow?"

Xu Wenshan glanced at him, then at the Spiritual Plants in the field, and finally nodded.

"That makes sense. We will only inspect the experimental Spirit Plant fields and will not check the Inner Courtyard."

The Zhao Family Elder's face turned green on the spot.

Just as he wanted to say something more, a burst of rapid footsteps suddenly came from the distance.

A Li Family guard rushed quickly to the Grand Elder and reported something in a low voice.

The Grand Elder's eyes suddenly sank.

"Speak clearly."

The guard cupped his hands and said loudly, "We caught a suspicious Cultivator outside the New Courtyard, and a Formation-Breaking Needle was found on him!!! This guy saw the situation wasn't right and tried to run, but he has already been apprehended!!!"

As soon as these words landed, the air by the field froze.

Li Qingfeng slowly turned his head and looked toward the Zhao Family.