"Tell me, why does everyone always think they can push me around?" Wei Yuan let out a heavy sigh, sounding thoroughly melancholy.
Xu Shiba and Wei Ying stood before him, exchanging glances, at a loss as to what had prompted this remark. Xu Shiba now bore the true teachings of two stances of the Sword of Ten Thousand Generations and Autumns and had stepped into Scenery Command. At the heart of her mindscape world stood a colossal sword driven into a rocky mountain, surrounded by an atmosphere of bleak, murderous desolation.
Wei Ying had only recently reached Dharma Idol perfection, having formed a full moon—though a flawed one, beneath which sat a small white jade toad. Having reincarnated and boldly claimed Wei Yuan as her adoptive father, she was unexpectedly well-suited to the heritage of the Water Moon Hall. Her progress in cultivation had been peerless, and she was already the foremost figure in the Water Moon Hall beneath Wei Yuan himself, with a cultivation level surpassing even that of Perfected Lanhua.
The two followed quite different paths of development. Xu Shiba stayed hidden within the army, presenting herself only with a template Dao foundation while focusing entirely on her cultivation in order to receive the third stance of the Sword of Ten Thousand Generations and Autumns from Wei Yuan.
Wei Ying, meanwhile, had grown into a commander capable of facing ten thousand foes, devoting herself to the arts of marching and battle formations, and her military record was steadily growing illustrious. In Wei Yuan's current encirclement of the million-strong Liao army, she served as commander-in-chief of one of the two southern columns.
Their appearances were also vastly different. Xu Shiba had grown increasingly masculine and fierce, yet deep within her eyes, the despair and dread of that little girl from years ago still flickered from time to time. Wei Ying, by contrast, was radiant, charming, and outwardly sweet and obedient, presenting an image entirely different from her presence on the battlefield.
Faced with Wei Yuan's question, neither knew where to begin.
Wei Yuan sighed once more. "Your cultivation has reached this height, so you should understand where your complete souls came from, right?"
Xu Shiba and Wei Ying both replied, "We understand. Our souls were originally fragmented, made whole only because so many of our brothers and sisters merged into one another."
Wei Yuan nodded. "That is the path for your generation of Xu family youths. To have a complete soul, a sufficient number of brothers and sisters from the same batch must devour and merge with one another. In most cases, I intervened halfway through, and those born from it had incomplete souls. How do you two view this matter?"
Xu Shiba spoke first. "The crux of the matter lies in three words: 'what is human.' If a single soul and a single spirit make a human, then stepping in to disrupt the devouring brings immense merit. But if one is only human with all souls and spirits complete, then intervening is a sin."
Wei Ying followed, "Thus, whether it is merit or sin depends entirely on how humanity is defined. Yet that definition hinges on each individual's perspective, with no absolute truth. Everyone has their own view, and no one can convince the other. No matter what is done, there will always be those who object. Hence, there is no need to pay any heed to what they say. Father may simply do as you see fit."
Wei Yuan nodded. "You two have certainly thought it through. Indeed, there is no definitive conclusion to this. My current standard when stepping in is to ensure the newborn child possesses complete intellect, even if they lack a portion of their emotions. In this manner, a smaller half can be preserved, serving as a compromise.
"With complete intellect, they understand what they are doing, which is the foundation of being human. A lack of emotion is relatively less important. Still, this is merely my personal view and not necessarily correct. Whether it was appropriate can be left for future generations to judge.
"Though I did not realize it at first, I later came to understand that the more Xu family youths there are, and the greater their collective strength becomes, the more Xu Wangu receives a share of feedback. It is the same when the two of you advance your cultivation. That old wretch sitting in his grotto-heaven is merely reaping what he did not sow."
Xu Shiba was a sword cultivator, after all, and a sudden chill flashed across her face. "So that's how it is! In that case, why not allow the new generation of children to devour one another completely, and then place the survivors under strict watch, forbidding them from cultivating or marrying for the rest of their lives? Within three generations, we could cut off Xu Wangu's source of sustenance!"
Wei Ying showed a look of reluctance, but did not voice an objection.
Wei Yuan took in both of their reactions. Xu Shiba had been born with fragments of memory from Xu Seventeen and the tragic death of that young girl, leaving her with profound hatred for Xu Wangu.
Wei Ying, though possessing the body of a Xu family youth, had awakened her reincarnated memories and considered herself primarily a disciple of the Palace of Grand Beginning. Without Xu Shiba's painful past, she could not bring herself to resort to any means necessary just to sever Xu Wangu's path.
Wei Yuan raised a hand gently to stop Xu Shiba from continuing, then said, "To sever Xu Wangu's path, you would completely wipe out the Xu family youths? That is putting the cart before the horse!"
Wei Yuan paused for a moment, seemingly recalling the past, before saying, "Back when Qingming was in its infancy, the contributions of the Xu family youths were beyond measure. Almost every one of the most brutal and pivotal battles saw their participation. One could say that the foundation of Qingming was built partly upon their flesh and blood.
"For that alone, no hidden threat, no matter how great, justifies letting them be driven to extinction. As for the threat, it amounts to nothing more than Xu Wangu cultivating a bit faster. Heh!"
Wei Ying said, "However, the Xu family youths already number two million. At this rate, fifty years from now, there will be twenty million."
Wei Yuan let out a light laugh. "Never mind twenty million—even two hundred million would not matter. The ceiling of Xu Wangu's talent is fixed right there. No matter how much feedback he receives, he cannot digest it all. Frankly, out of respect for the merits of these Xu descendants, if the old scoundrel chooses to hide in his grotto-heaven and never come out, he may do as he pleases. But if he dares emerge to stir up trouble, does he think I am incapable of slaying an immortal?"
Wei Ying seemed to hesitate, so Wei Yuan said, "If you have something to say, speak freely."
Wei Ying said, "These children of the Xu family are not ordinary humans after all; they bear profound flaws. I believe their numbers cannot expand without limit. Furthermore, regarding whether to interrupt the devouring, I think it is no longer appropriate for Father to intervene personally. Qingming's research into random numbers has deepened significantly, to the point where it can essentially avoid the influence of immortal-level entities.
"Therefore, I propose that we moderately increase the number of Xu descendants born with complete souls. As for which ones are chosen, it should be entirely random. This would place a gentle curb on the growth of the Xu descendants' population while freeing you from these karmic entanglements."
Wei Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking. "That makes sense, and it aligns with the Great Dao. We shall proceed that way. However, before the Xu descendants surpass ten million, there is no need to restrict their numbers. For now, they merely lack emotion, but a way to make them whole may be found in the future."
"Yes, Father."
Xu Shiba suddenly said, "Lately, I have experienced frequent premonitions. Deductions based on them suggest the old scoundrel may be close to recovering. If you are away and he launches a sudden attack, what should we do?"
"If you fought him, what would your chances of victory be?" Wei Yuan asked.
"Not even half of ten percent. I could only preserve my life for a short time and see if I could escape."
Wei Yuan replied, "So long as you can preserve your life, that is enough. If that day comes, flee toward Qingming. Once you enter Qingming, if the old scoundrel dares chase you in, your Grandmaster Zhang Sheng will step forth to slay an immortal."
Xu Shiba was utterly stunned, her expression complex. She had always been proud and aloof, and bearing memories from a past life made her temperament somewhat extreme. Once she attained success in her cultivation, she could not help but compare herself to fellow sword cultivators Xiaoyu and Zhang Sheng. After her cultivation surpassed Xiaoyu's, only Zhang Sheng remained ahead of her. She had originally thought she was closing the distance to Zhang Sheng, but hearing Wei Yuan speak today, she realized the gap between them remained vast and insurmountable.
After Xu Shiba and Wei Ying withdrew, Wei Yuan exhaled a breath of turbid air.
There was one thing they did not know. While the Xu family youths possessed complete intellect, their lack of emotion included the absence of fear. As soldiers, they were cold killing machines; as engineering cultivators, they were precise, tireless, and infallible instruments. Compared to the tremendous utility of the Xu family youths, the minor threat posed by Xu Wangu was negligible.
Moreover, time had always been on Wei Yuan's side.
Now, Qingming moved forward like a colossal, intricate machine, rumbling onward until it crossed into the seventh year of Zhaoning.
In a corner of Spirit Mountain, an undamaged stretch of the Pure Land still remained. Several monks of austere and archaic bearing stood there. One of the younger monks said, "While walking the world, I discovered that a Dao foundation method named the Myriad Tribulations Imperishable Dharma Body has become popular in Northern Qi. It is quite intriguing, so I brought it back to share with my senior brothers."
The monks took the scroll and studied it closely. Soon, a lotus bloomed on one monk's forehead, Buddhist radiance manifested around another, and a small child appeared on the shoulder of a third, whispering quietly into his ear.
The monks displayed their various divine abilities to examine the karmic ties, and their expressions grew grim.
An elderly monk was the first to speak. "This cultivation method appears mundane, yet it is exceedingly profound. Though its path ends at the middle stage of the Dao foundation, the threshold for practice is astonishingly low; even peddlers and porters could master it on their own. In my view, this method approaches the Dao!"
Another monk agreed. "Senior Brother speaks truly. Decades from now, aside from a few great sects and their legacies, I fear all other body-casting methods in Northern Qi will be supplanted by the Myriad Tribulations Imperishable Dharma Body."
"The question is, why would Qingming make such a wonderful method public? What is their hidden motive?"
The monks discussed the matter for some time, completely baffled. A short while later, a large monk with a kind face and a gentle smile approached. The monks hastily bowed in greeting.
"What have you concluded?" the large monk asked.
The monks had no choice but to recount their thoughts. The large monk pondered for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed, "Formidable, truly formidable! They intend to dig up the very roots of our Pure Land!"
Several of the monks looked bewildered, unable to comprehend the meaning behind his words; only the young monk looked thoughtful. The large monk offered no explanation, merely saying, "First, have Northern Qi ban this cultivation method. We must hold it back for as long as we can. I shall confer with several Buddhas before we reach a final decision."
The monks pressed their palms together and watched as the large monk ascended Spirit Mountain, before turning in unison to look at the young monk.
In the capital of Zhao, a private banquet was underway in the palace, attended by all the princes and princesses.
Over the years, the King of Zhao had grown distinctly plump. Ruling by doing nothing, he seemed to accomplish everything through inaction. The state's power climbed day by day, and the lives of the common folk changed with each passing month, to the point where many privately compared him to the founding Grand Ancestor of Great Tang.
Yet the King of Zhao knew in his heart that this so-called inaction was born of sheer helplessness. The entire state had been arranged down to the finest detail by Qingming, and Qingyuan flowed in like an endless torrent, leaving him without even the courage to refuse.
Now, the only great affairs of state left to him were family banquets.
Looking upon the seated princes and princesses, as well as several grandchildren, the King of Zhao chuckled. "I suppose I can be considered blessed with many children and great fortune."
A sudden silence fell over the hall.
The eyes of the princes and princesses all converged upon the Crown Prince. Left with no choice, the Crown Prince braced himself and said, "Your son has heard that Sixth Sister gave birth a month ago... delivering twenty-one children. Twelve of them will soon be sent back to Zhao to be enfeoffed as commandery princes. Forgive your son's bluntness, but if this continues, nearly half of Zhao will bear the surname Wei."
The smile faded from the King of Zhao's face. Twirling the wine cup in his hand, he said, "If you think the State of Zhao passed down to you will be too small, then I can easily replace you with someone who doesn't mind!"
The Crown Prince was struck with terror. He rushed forward to kneel before the throne, repeatedly crying that he deserved death.
The King of Zhao gave a cold snort and merely uttered, "Useless wretch!"
With that, he flicked his sleeve and walked directly into the rear hall, never to return.
Soon, midnight arrived. The King of Zhao ascended a high tower alone, looking up at the bright, round moon and feeling the belt loosening at his waist, suddenly gripped by a sense that his prime years had been wasted. Endowed with world-spanning talent, he had spent the first half of his life exhausting his mind and heart solely in pursuit of a virtuous king's reputation; never had he imagined that before he even reached the second half of his life, his renown would already rival that of an Emperor for the Ages.
Yet whenever he reflected upon this in the dead of night, he felt not the slightest joy. All of it had been thrust into his hands by others, and that was a bitter pill to swallow.
Looking up at the cloudless, star-strewn night sky, the King of Zhao felt that if only a storm would come, it would be the finest thing of all.
Chapter 1307