‘The Emperor’s Scripture of Ten Thousand Chariots Slaying Light.’
Li Ximing glanced over it and praised, “It is indeed more fitting. Although both are Chiduanzu and their grades cannot be discerned, the heritage of the Wei Li is distinct. The Emperor’s Scripture of Ten Thousand Chariots Slaying Light is clearly more orthodox than the Method Scripture of the Chitiao Guard General!”
Li Zhouwei nodded and replied, “What is more, immortal merits are finite. The Emperor’s Scripture of Ten Thousand Chariots Slaying Light requires two hundred and twenty, while the Method Scripture of the Chitiao Guard General requires one hundred and eighty-one—a substantial difference.”
“Only…”
“Back then, after exchanging for the Divine Scroll of Celestial Division and Orderly Arrangement, only one hundred and seventy-five remained. When I destroyed the sect and slew Chengyan, I earned fifty-seven… totaling two hundred and thirty-two…”
Li Ximing pondered briefly and answered with a sigh of emotion, “Then there is not much left.”
A faint smile appeared on Li Zhouwei’s face as he said, “If it can be put to use, that is a good thing. What is truly to be feared is possessing a sea of technique scrolls and secret scriptures yet having no use for them. As for immortal merits, they will come sooner or later.”
He raised his hand and drew three sticks of incense from his sleeve, but then paused, answering, “Though this junior possesses a divine ability dharma body, proper etiquette cannot be neglected. Let me bathe and burn incense before performing the ritual of Celestial Listening.”
Li Ximing had a sudden realization and said thoughtfully, “Good!”
The two descended from the pavilion chamber. Only then did Li Zhouwei withdraw his hands and ask seriously, “Where has Lord Yang fought his way to?”
Li Ximing had clearly been following this matter closely from the lake, and he answered in a low voice, “He has already passed Lixia!”
The two sat down by the stone table, and the moon-white circular lanterns on both sides lit up at once. Li Ximing said, “The Dayu Dao acted recklessly in their southward advance, expending a great deal of effort. Those golden lotuses seemed extraordinary, and they initiated local commoners into Buddhism, yet they collapsed northward with ease, leaving behind quite a few devotees. They are elite but few in number, so killing them has been swift.”
“Only, from what I have heard…”
He wore a sorrowful expression as he answered, “I heard that those mountains are strewn with babies soaked in silver water, ruined right down to the root. That Lord Yang had no heart to kill them, so he sealed up those lotuses one by one and sent the children down the mountain to be fostered. It does not seem like a good thing.”
Li Zhouwei fell silent in thought, then answered, “That is the Yang family’s affair. Now that Changxiao has been razed to the ground and Si Yuanli is on our ship, the inland is temporarily safe. That True Qi cultivator has also pushed his offensive into the wilderness, so at least for now, the north will not dare start a major war. It is a rare period of safety for our family… I need to make a trip to the Eastern Sea.”
“Oh?”
Li Ximing hesitated, about to speak, when the young man said, “One must always act with utmost caution. Though the Emperor’s Scripture of Ten Thousand Chariots Slaying Light is in our hands, there must always be a pretext. I will meet the remnants of the Cui clan, question them thoroughly, and also retrieve those few Mingyang cultivation methods of the Cui family.”
Li Ximing nodded heavily with a hint of concern, while Li Zhouwei smoothed his sleeves, seemingly unbothered:
“Granduncle, do not worry. I will not make things difficult for them, nor will I take from them for nothing. Whatever compensation is due, I will not let them suffer a loss.”
He raised his eyes, the gold within them dimming slightly:
“I have also met Yangya. He did not seem like a magnanimous person, and there is no telling what underhanded moves he might make. I can also take the opportunity to back Jueyin up. If he dares mistreat Jueyin, this junior will not let him off lightly.”
These words made Li Ximing nod repeatedly. He answered, “Jueyin has been diligent and hardworking for all these years. It is no longer just a matter of the Cui or Li families.”
“Furthermore…”
Li Zhouwei pondered slightly and replied, “It would be best if I can meet a dragon. If not, no matter… Then I shall go to Yinzhou to resolve the Buddhist implements at hand.”
Li Ximing deliberated for a moment and answered, “In that case, the miscellaneous items on hand can be disposed of as well. I was thinking about this earlier.”
He took out the Dushan Spirit-Awakening Talisman from his hand and said seriously:
“I already have enough spirit tools on me; I cannot even make full use of a single spirit treasure. The Biting Qingyuan Mysterious Cauldron and Shichuan are more than enough for me to handle. Take this and see… if it can be traded for some benefits, that would be best. If not, Kuangyu will be visiting the lake sometime soon, and I can leave it in Kuangyu’s care.”
Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow. This was already the second time he had heard Kuangyu’s name, and he said with interest:
“Granduncle… you have been walking quite close with this Zhenren lately!”
Li Ximing did not think much of it and shook his head:
“We are merely taking what we each need! With the sun having lost its radiance, these people immediately gathered together to huddle for warmth. Be it my lineage or my alchemy, it is useful after all.”
Li Zhouwei raised his brows, a smile appearing on his face:
“Granduncle, how is your Clear Illumination Heart… progressing?”
Li Ximing smiled somewhat awkwardly and replied with regret:
“The first attempt failed… In the remaining three to five years… I can try again.”
Li Zhouwei felt a bit helpless, but still spoke very solemnly:
“I am not rebuking you, Granduncle. The difficulty of divine abilities is known to all. Were it not for having a karmic mandate or two upon me, I too would run into wall after wall before such divine abilities. It is just that time is pressing. We do not know when the new dynasty will be established, nor how much turmoil there will be. It cannot be delayed any longer.”
“Now our family has abundant resources, and the Bichen Water from Qunyi has dwindled. The matter of pills can be set aside for a time so that you may advance your arts and cultivate your divine ability.”
He said with a straight face:
“If it still fails this time, I will have to seek out Sima Yuanli and trade for that Mingzhen Spirit-Harmonizing Pill from his hands no matter what.”
With Li Zhouwei speaking so plainly, Li Ximing was no longer embarrassed. He nodded repeatedly and promised:
“There really aren’t any pills to refine anyway. Go on ahead; you don’t need to worry about home… It’s just that there is one matter I must trouble you with.”
Li Zhouwei cast an inquiring look, and Li Ximing drew two items from his sleeve.
One was a crystal-clear jade bottle emitting faint white vapor, with strands of mystical patterns hovering over it—none other than a Mingzhen Spirit-Harmonizing Pill!
And the other was even more marvelous: a short dagger with an ivory blade and a jade hilt, intricately carved with profound markings like an atlas of ghosts and monsters, giving off a purple glow.
Li Ximing smiled:
“While you were away, Dingyangzi came to look for me. This Shangwu spirit embryo, Liren, has already been refined.”
“Such speed… Dingyangzi truly has skill!”
Li Zhouwei nodded with some surprise, wondering aloud:
“To refine this item, he took no small amount of spiritual resources from our family each year. For it to be done so quickly, it might well be a shortcut method of the Tongxuan lineage…”
His golden eyes swept across the Liren, and his words came to an abrupt halt. He frowned:
“A fine treasure.”
Li Ximing looked at him in confusion, only to see Li Zhouwei scrutinizing the ivory blade closely. He asked:
“Could this… could this be a spiritual object of Baotu?”
Almost everyone who saw the Liren would sigh in admiration, but Li Ximing had never paid it much heed; after all, it was ultimately just a spirit embryo. Li Zhouwei looked up and said:
“I have heard that the manifestation of Baotu is the Qixiang. The ground where it sleeps rises into hills called the Baohu Mounds. If no rain falls upon the hills during marriages within a hundred li, pregnancies cannot run their course smoothly, and women labor with swollen bellies, unable to give birth day in and day out… It was also a great arch-demon in ancient times.”
He lowered his eyes:
“This should be the ivory of a collateral breed of the Qixiang, a monster beast like a peacock. Yet it is strange… why would such a fine treasure be used to make a spirit embryo?”
Hearing how eerie this monster beast was, Li Ximing felt a twinge of unease and replied:
“After all, it is the secret of another lineage. Let us not delve into it. If you have time, just hand it over to Jiao Zhongzi.”
Only then did Li Zhouwei rise and agree to the matter. Riding bright light, he went out to change clothes and bathe.
Li Ximing remained standing silently in the pavilion for a good while. At last, he let out a deep sigh and sat down cross-legged where he was.
***
After an unknown amount of time, the golden-eyed young man stood silently before the steps. Passing through the long corridor where white mist drifted, he climbed step by step to the profound chamber at the highest tier of the Shanghuan Pavilion.
The black wooden slips still rested flush in the groove of the stone platform. His hand brushed gently across them, and faint silvery iridescence rippled outward like waves of water.
Yet the silver words that coalesced were not the Emperor’s Scripture of Ten Thousand Chariots Slaying Light, but six different characters:
Rainbow Cloud-Riding Movement Technique.
However, these large silvery characters flickered for only an instant before dispersing. Techniques and heritages fluttered down in profusion from top to bottom, vast and mighty, appearing one by one:
‘Luminous Cloud-Falling Art, Seven-Colored Cloud Seal, Winged Light Escape Method, Vast Cloud Wondrous Art…’
These dense, glittering cloud arts swept before his eyes, yet failed to elicit the slightest trace of attachment. Instead, they caused his eyes to slowly lower.
He remained silent throughout. The face of his granduncle Li Ximing suddenly surfaced in his mind—his granduncle must have discovered this even earlier than he had, yet had acted completely composed, as if nothing were amiss.
‘They are all spells and techniques, not a lineage.’
‘Not even a single one.’
***
Hetian Sea.
Mount Xiashan.
Amid the mountains, colorful clouds drifted, and rosy dawn light shone brilliantly. Atop the peak, ceremonial lights intertwined. A streak of rosy clouds raced through the air and descended upon the summit, pausing briefly before kicking up a glow once more and heading straight forward.
At the foot of the mountain, demons wandered. A Daoist nun in coarse hemp robes was stepping on the wind when she saw a streak of black light shooting through the sky. It landed upon the sea, yet refused to set foot on the mountain, gazing across the distance as it resolved into a middle-aged man.
As the man manifested his form, the nun raised her head, looked at him a second longer, and said faintly:
“So it is the Zhenren who has arrived!”
The middle-aged man looked slightly awkward. Lowering his eyes to look at her, he replied:
“I was on my way to the Peacock Sea. Passing through Hetian, I came to see my sister.”
“The Zhenren is too polite.”
The nun replied offhandedly, her expression none too welcoming:
“Now that you have seen me, what instructions do you have?”
The middle-aged man’s expression was complicated as he answered:
“Xiao’er, I understand the bitterness in your heart. But we are family after all, and I haven’t seen you in decades… Why must you be like this?”
This Daoist nun was none other than Yang Xiao’er!
And the man standing opposite her was none other than Yang Ruiyi, the Yang family Zhenren whom Li Zhouwei had met in Simin Commandery!
Hearing Yang Ruiyi’s words, Yang Xiao’er’s cold expression finally softened slightly. Without a word from her, Yang Ruiyi produced a miniature pavilion from his sleeve.
This pavilion had nine corners, with one table and four chairs. Tossed lightly into the air by him, a pitch-black shroud immediately enveloped them, drawing the two inside to stand face to face.
Yang Ruiyi let out a deep sigh, turned sideways with his hands clasped behind his back, and answered:
“Whether you believe it or not… your matter… I never expected it to turn out like this… When Father arranged this back then, he never imagined it would ultimately become part of the grand Mingyang game…”
Yang Xiao’er said nothing. Yang Ruiyi furrowed his brows and said in a slightly urgent, hushed voice:
“The fox clan is beneath notice. Forget about us, it wasn’t even a major concern in the hands of Tang Pan. Why would anyone go to such great lengths! I…”
Her voice cut him off, as Yang Xiao’er said placidly:
“It seems Li Jiangliang’s matter wasn’t considered going to great lengths either.”
Yang Ruiyi paused slightly and replied:
“Just hear me out…”
He looked up and said:
“Jiangliang’s matter was because the general situation between north and south had been settled. We needed the White Qilin, and the Li family also needed a token of trust with us, which is why that came about… That was a decision at a higher level, something that cannot be lumped together with Father’s arrangement at all…”
His expression grew somewhat melancholy:
“Father had only those few children. You were born with poor aptitude and no spirit apertures. He went to great lengths to obtain the Precious Qi of Taiqing Spirit Palace just to help open your apertures… But that thing had limited efficacy; it could never allow one to achieve a divine ability… Father only wished for you to live in safety and peace…”
Yang Ruiyi’s tone dimmed:
“Later, when the Ning Li bloodline emerged, Father happened to be in charge. He already had ties with the Ning Li, and seeing that Li Xizhi was a good man, he told you to visit the mountains to see if a match could be made… Who could have guessed that you would fall in love at first sight… Back then, Father was very pleased, saying it was fate between the two families…”
“After all… they were the Ning Li. What harm was there in preserving one or two branches?”
Yang Xiao’er was gradually moved, yet remained silent, listening to her elder brother sigh:
“At that time, no one had given any thought to Mingyang!”
He sighed thus and snapped his head up:
“You must understand, only after Chenghuai was born did the White Qilin descend into the world! Had I known beforehand, I would never… I would never have let him take the surname Li!”
Yang Xiao’er said placidly:
“Brother speaks well. Neither I nor my children matter to those above. And precisely because we don’t matter, these troubles arose.”
She took a step forward, a trace of sorrow touching her plain face:
“I am no fool, Brother, so there is no need to make excuses for Father… Father… let me call him Father for now…”
“He valued my husband because of the ties with the Ning Li, wishing merely to use our Yang family bloodline to shield these one or two branches of the Ning Li. But behind that, there was an even deeper concern… What was it? The two grotto-heavens of Anhuai and Wanling, was it not?”
Yang Ruiyi lowered his head. He heard his sister say softly:
“In the end, Father made these moves out of personal affection, wanting only to preserve a bit of bloodline for a rainy day. He did not want my husband to achieve greatness and stand out, which would attract others’ notice, invite censure from above, and leave no one protected. In his heart, what he wished for most was that my husband would remain mediocre, or die in an attempt to break through, leaving behind his bloodline.”
“Yet how could the bloodline of the Ning Li belong to ordinary people? A sword immortal had just emerged from among them—one who is even a senior in my husband’s clan hierarchy… The two grotto-heavens of Anhuai and Wanling are bound to open sooner or later. As a descendant of the Ning Li, who knows what fortuitous encounters he might come across?”
“So you quietly pointed him down a dead end, wishing only that he would stop there, and even went out of your way to steer him clear of those two grotto-heavens so that he wouldn’t have the slightest chance of touching them… Truly cautious…”
She smiled softly, a sorrow tinged with pride appearing on her face:
“Yet my husband is simply not an ordinary man. Even walking on this dead end of rainbow clouds, as Father watches his cultivation grow day by day, fear must be rising in his heart once more…”
Yang Xiao’er looked up, looking straight at this Zhenren:
“Brother, am I right?”
Chapter 1012