Seeing the matter settled, Chen Chuan withdrew from the esoteric ritual space.
Mingchengzi and Mu Xiaoren stepped forward to greet him.
They were not in the least surprised by the outcome. However, Mingchengzi felt that Chen Chuan agreeing to help Pilingzi find a descendant of the former imperial lineage was letting Pilingzi off far too lightly.
At the same time, though, he realized that Chen Chuan was not merely coercing people with raw power, but possessed a far grander vision, which only deepened his resolve to follow him.
He said, "Xuanji, in agreeing to Fellow Cultivator Piling's request, could it be that you already know the whereabouts of the former dynasty's descendant?"
Chen Chuan replied, "I have a few thoughts. High Cultivator, do you recall that Empress Cao also bears the surname Cao? Yet we found no trace of her remains within the imperial palace. Emperor Wenguang once said that he would leave it for a descendant of the previous dynasty to claim. Since he said so, I believe there must be a reason behind it."
Hearing this, Mingchengzi's heart stirred, and he asked, "Xuanji, are you suggesting that Empress Cao herself is a descendant of the previous dynasty? Well, the ancestors of the Cao family were indeed connected to the former imperial descendants, but they were not of the main branch—unless..."
He stroked his beard and said, "Could it be that the Cao family intentionally concealed it?"
Thinking it over, he felt that this was entirely plausible. A direct descendant of the previous imperial line was the most feared and scrutinized identity; taking measures to hide it was exceedingly likely.
Chen Chuan said, "There is another reason I deduce Empress Cao to be a descendant of the Cao clan: Empress Cao's offspring are also descendants of the Yuan clan. After her, the secret vaults would eventually return to the Yuan clan. What difference would there be between that and leaving it in the hands of the previous dynasty's descendants or Emperor Wenguang?"
"Reasonable, entirely reasonable! What Xuanji says makes complete sense!"
Mingchengzi nodded repeatedly. If a direct descendant of the Cao clan truly existed, they could certainly be found with enough effort.
In fact, if worse came to worst, he believed there was another way: simply selecting someone from among the Cao descendants to be adopted into the main branch to oversee the ancestral sacrifices for that lineage, which was entirely permissible under clan law.
However, that would require recognition from the reigning legitimate dynasty, such as Great Shun, rather than a fallen puppet court like the late regime.
He asked, "But where exactly is Empress Cao? Could Xuanji already know her whereabouts?"
Chen Chuan had already considered Empress Cao's possible destinations: either she had been sent away long ago, or she was still within the imperial palace.
Back when they entered the imperial palace, they had targeted only those who possessed martial prowess; the rest were not primary concerns, so it was entirely possible she had been overlooked.
If Empress Cao was still there, the military was currently cataloging the identities and numbers of the palace personnel, and there should be an answer by the time they returned. But if she was not there, there remained one other possibility—and the most probable one at that.
He said, "High Cultivator Mingcheng, I believe Emperor Wenguang's actions have already given us the answer."
Mingchengzi pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized what he meant. His expression shifted, and he blurted out, "The Duanchen Sect?"
Chen Chuan nodded.
If Empress Cao was not in the palace, how could someone as self-serving as Emperor Wenguang have allowed her to escape his grasp? Unless someone was sheltering her, and he had need of that party.
Ruling out other possibilities, based on the current situation, the most likely candidate was the Duanchen Sect. Empress Cao had very likely joined the Duanchen Sect, or had been their disciple all along.
By doing this, the Duanchen Sect might have sought to use Empress Cao to share in a portion of the secret vaults, though he might also be overthinking it; perhaps they simply wanted to free Pilingzi from his duties. Judging from Pilingzi's earlier demeanor, however, he might not even know about this.
The more Mingchengzi thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. He said, "If that is the case, she may well be within the Duanchen Sect. I am willing to make a trip to the Duanchen Sect on Xuanji's behalf."
Chen Chuan said, "I will indeed have to trouble High Cultivator Mingcheng to make the trip, but we need one more person."
He looked across at Pilingzi and conveyed his speculation through a mental transmission, concluding, "High Cultivator Piling, what do you think?"
Pilingzi pondered for a moment before replying, "If that is so, then I have truly sought far and wide for what was right beside me." He bowed to the two of them. "Thanks to Xuanji, I have been awakened. Since this may concern my Duanchen Sect, I ought to go in person. Please wait here for a brief while, the three of you."
Channeling his art slightly, Pilingzi stepped out an avatar. Mingchengzi likewise produced an avatar, and the two departed together, heading toward the Duanchen Sect's domain.
Pilingzi's true body then invited Chen Chuan's party of three up the mountain for hospitality.
The conversation inevitably touched upon the path of breaking the limit. Pilingzi did not shy away from discussing his own path, saying, "Our Duanchen Sect emphasizes entering the secular world before transcending it. To sever mundane ties, one must first possess mundane ties to sever. And during transitions between dynasties, karmic affinities are the most abundant and karmic burdens the heaviest; thus, the affairs we undertake are usually entangled with such events.
"Others might think that guarding this place in vain is not worth the trouble. Yet this is precisely my cultivation practice. If these successive practices can be brought to fruition, I may break through the threshold and ascend to the upper realm. Since ancient times, reaching the higher stages has been exceedingly difficult. If I can fulfill this wish, standing guard for a few centuries is truly nothing."
Chen Chuan understood. Reaching the upper realm was extraordinarily difficult. If following a methodical path of cultivation could lead there, spending some extra time was nothing at all—in fact, it was quite a bargain.
Furthermore, as a Dongxuan View martial artist, Pilingzi was capable of sending his power outward; he had not simply stayed cooped up here, which was why he had accumulated so much combat experience.
However, Chen Chuan had a question.
"I noticed that High Cultivator Piling established the esoteric ritual as your home ground and incorporated numerous worldly anomalies gathered from the other side, yet I did not see you use any relics—which is to say, what you gentlemen call inherited treasures. Was High Cultivator unwilling to use them?"
There were certainly suitable relics within the secret vaults. From the looks of it, Pilingzi had the authority to access and utilize the contents of the vault; borrowing one would not have been an issue and would have greatly helped him defend the vault, yet he had not touched one from start to finish.
In fact, this had been what Chen Chuan was most guarded against from the beginning. It was hard to say how many relics a dynasty had left behind or what powers they held. If not for that concern, he would not have needed to proceed so cautiously.
Pilingzi smiled somewhat helplessly. It was not that he had not wanted to use them; if he could have availed himself of a relic, he certainly would have done so.
However, certain valuable items required specific keys to unlock. Without those, he was barred from access just the same; only ordinary wealth and goods were free of such restrictions.
Once he explained the reason, Chen Chuan understood. Thinking it over, Chen Chuan asked again:
"The external calamity spoken of by the Xuan Sect will arrive in roughly a year. How does High Cultivator Piling plan to handle it when the time comes?"
Hearing him mention this, Pilingzi's expression turned solemn. He said, "If my cultivation reaches fruition, I shall naturally journey beyond the heavens to seek the ancestral masters of the Xuan Sect. If I do not succeed, I will join hands with my fellow Daoists to resist the demons from beyond the heavens."
Chen Chuan nodded slightly. "Resisting entities from beyond the heavens is also a national policy of Great Shun. When the time comes, perhaps there will be an opportunity to cooperate with High Cultivator."
Pilingzi looked at him, cupped his hands respectfully, and said, "If it is with Xuanji, I would be more than willing."
The three sipped tea and conversed freely. In less than three hours, the avatars of Pilingzi and Mingchengzi returned.
Sure enough, Empress Cao had indeed been within the Duanchen Sect, and this time she had been brought along with them.
Reaching the cliffside, Empress Cao first greeted Pilingzi, then turned toward Chen Chuan.
"This must be Chen Xuanji."
She curtsied to Chen Chuan and said, "The Ding Dynasty has fallen, and that despot Yuan Xin is dead. Past riches and glory no longer have anything to do with this humble woman. These secret vaults can be handed over to Chen Xuanji, but this humble woman has two requests."
Chen Chuan said, "Please speak, Madam Cao."
Empress Cao said, "My son, Yuan Conglai, has never committed any evil deeds; he is merely a filial child. Hearing that he has been captured by your side, I do not beg your court for an unconditional pardon, but only ask that his life be spared."
Chen Chuan replied, "Madam Cao, I can promise you this. Yuan Conglai indeed committed no atrocities in the past, nor did he ever actively oppose us. We never intended to classify him as a major offender in the first place."
Yuan Conglai was a prince without real power. Because Emperor Wenguang disliked him and his background was delicate, he had virtually no dealings with court officials.
If one were to speak of the only thing he had done, it was following Emperor Wenguang's final order to join the royal flight to the north, which was nothing significant. Thus, while he might be detained for a period of time, he would be released once the dust settled.
There might be surveillance in the future, but nothing harsh would be done to him; after all, Great Shun was not a feudal dynasty of the old era.
Having obtained his promise, Empress Cao felt somewhat more at ease. She added, "The secret vaults belonged to my Cao clan's ancestors. I cannot fail them, so a share must be preserved for a descendant of the Cao clan."
Mingchengzi said in surprise, "Hm? Madam Cao, aside from yourself, does your Cao clan still have descendants?"
Empress Cao nodded and said, "Yes. My branch still has a line of kin living outside. I wish to place a portion of the secret vault under his name, and would like to ask Chen Xuanji to protect him."
Chen Chuan pondered briefly, then asked, "Is the person Madam Cao speaks of settled in Jibei Dao?"
Empress Cao revealed a look of astonishment. "Indeed. How did Xuanji know?"
Chen Chuan looked at her and said, "I am also a native of Jibei Dao. If I am not mistaken, I already share a deep friendship with the person you speak of, and he has aided me greatly in the past. Therefore, I can agree to this matter as well."
Empress Cao was both surprised and delighted. "So that is how it is. Then this humble woman can rest easy." With that, she curtsied to Chen Chuan once more.
Straightening up, she turned and bowed to Pilingzi, saying, "This disciple thanks Martial Uncle for guarding my ancestors' legacy for three hundred years. Now, this junior shall reclaim it on behalf of our ancestors."
Hearing this, Pilingzi let out a hearty laugh. "Good! Today I return these to your Cao clan, and I too am freed of my burden!"
The moment he uttered these words, everyone present could sense a subtle change in his aura, growing distinctly more ethereal and transcendent.
Empress Cao then retrieved a pendant carved like the tooth of some creature from her pouch, holding it up with both hands to Chen Chuan. "Xuanji, this is the token to access the secret vaults."
Chen Chuan accepted it. It felt icy cold to the touch, and surprisingly, the mutated tissue in his body stirred with a faint sensation of hunger. The item itself was actually a form of precious material.
Pilingzi stood up from his seat and said to Chen Chuan with a smile, "Xuanji, the secret vaults are located in the mountains behind us, divided among three separate areas. Allow me to guide you there."
Chapter 1451