Minghui

Xiao Xian stepped lightly out of the courtyard. The biting wind shocked him, instantly clearing much of his drunken haze. Clasping his hands behind his back, he took a couple of steps down the stone stairs amid gusts of northern wind. The servant behind him stepped forward, ingratiatingly saying, “Young Master is truly devoted to Miss Qingxiao. For her sake, you let Li Yuanping order you about at will... Everyone sees it, and I am sure Miss Qingxiao is deeply moved as well.” Xiao Xian gave an ambiguous nod, catching the faint scent of burning incense drifting through Lijing Town. He had a gentle temperament, so his servants naturally spoke freely around him; even hearing a phrase like “order you about at will” did not provoke the slightest anger in him. Seeing him remain silent, the servant could only follow along quietly. Xiao Xian, however, had been struck right at the heart of his thoughts. He paced in silence, rubbing the jade thumb ring on his finger. Searching his own conscience, though he genuinely held goodwill toward Li Qingxiao, it had never reached such a level of devotion. What he did now represented not just Xiao Xian alone, but the entire Yushan branch. *Ancestor Chuchou had always been close with our branch, but he exhausted his lifespan and passed away last year. Our family lost its backing, and Father has grown increasingly anxious... Over these years, our days have become tighter and tighter...* Xiao Jiuqing was a libertine with numerous children, not a few of whom possessed spirit apertures. Xiao Xian’s talent was unremarkable, and he had never carried much weight before Xiao Jiuqing. Back then, accompanying Xiao Guiluan when she married into the Li family—a bumpy journey—had unexpectedly altered Xiao Xian’s destiny. Carrying those two sticky rice pastries, he had returned home and confided in his mother. Having fought and schemed within the inner quarters for so many years, the lady had instantly seized upon the crucial point. She had summoned Xiao Jiuqing and embellished the tale with great fervor, leaving Xiao Jiuqing overjoyed. Caught in a blur of bewilderment, Xiao Xian had felt both terrified and uneasy. Rumors soon spread from top to bottom that the two were a heaven-made match, until it seemed Xiao Xian had no choice but to keep visiting the Li family. *What kind of twisted fate is all this...* Over the past few years, Xiao Xian had worked diligently, yet he could no longer tell whether he did so out of family pressure or for Li Qingxiao herself. A bitter smile tugged at his lips. He had gathered a great deal of information for Li Yuanping, but without Xiao Jiuqing pulling strings from behind—scouring for news, opening armories, and scouring the archives—how could a mere minor Embryonic Breathing cultivator like Xiao Xian, who was not even from the main branch, ever obtain such confidential intelligence? The evening wind struck his face, sobering him further. In truth, he had not drunk much spiritual wine; being around Li Yuanping simply made him uneasy, so having taken a few cups, he had excused himself from the courtyard. Under the cover of night, Mount Lijing lay dormant in the shadows. Xiao Xian looked back at the grand mountain, coiled across the earth like a serpent or flood dragon, and a faint chill of dread suddenly surged in his chest. *The Li family carries the countenance of wolf masters. Crouching low with bent knees and bowed backs, they are biding their time. They will never be willing to survive beneath my Xiao family, or even beneath the Qingchi Sect... My father and I have befriended the Li family, but I only hope this does not end in calamity...* The servant bowed behind him in attendance. Seeing Xiao Xian staring intently at Mount Lijing, he murmured softly, “Young Master, this mountain’s leylines are shallow and its spiritual energy is obscure. It hardly counts as a famous mountain.” “A famous mountain?” Xiao Xian chuckled and shook his head. Snapping back to his senses, he strolled slowly forward and replied, “That is far from certain.” *** Across Mount Lijing, lights blazed brightly everywhere. Specks of golden candlelight flickered across the mountainside, making the pitch-black woods seem far less foreboding. High above the forest in the cloud layer, Li Tongya stood suspended in the air with his arms crossed, a tightly wrapped longsword strapped to his back. He stared expressionlessly at the man before him. The man possessed a benevolent countenance with a broad face and large earlobes. A brownish-yellow robe draped over his frame, and in his hand he held a golden monk’s staff. The golden rings hanging from it chimed as they knocked against one another, while vibrant bands of light shifted behind his head. He gazed back at Li Tongya with tranquil eyes. “Murong Xia has already crossed outside my family’s borders. Even if one unleashed their spiritual sense, they would not find him. Master, you have confronted me for so long; you should be satisfied by now!” Li Tongya spoke in a measured, calm tone, though fury was already surging within him. Sending a spiritual transmission to instruct Li Yuanjiao to release Murong Xia had been a bitter necessity. With this Buddhist cultivator keeping him in check, without deploying the magical mirror, he truly had no way to deal with Murong Xia—and had even fallen into a disadvantage... “Benefactor’s righteousness is something this Minghui cannot thank you enough for!” The Buddhist cultivator gave a gentle nod, and the golden light suppressing Li Tongya finally began to dissipate. Li Tongya drew his surging magical radiance back into his body, inwardly breathing a slight sigh of relief. Li Tongya had originally been cultivating on the mountain when Li Qinghong crushed her distress talisman, which instantly alerted him. Though Murong Xia exhibited only the sixth or seventh layer of Qi Refinement, Li Tongya had sensed an undeniable threat from him. Yet just as he prepared to intervene, he had been intercepted by this Buddhist monk who had appeared out of nowhere. Without a word, the Buddhist cultivator had raised his staff and released golden light, forcibly suppressing Li Tongya. Li Tongya had exchanged more than a dozen blows with him, the clashes jolting his internal organs until they burned like fire. Instantly realizing he was no match, Li Tongya had had no choice but to enter a stalemate with him. Only now that Murong Xia had departed beyond their borders did the tension ease slightly. “Cultivating the benevolent Zen faith, yet sheltering a demonic cultivator who devours humans... Master truly possesses a wonderful disposition!” Li Tongya uttered the plain, biting sarcasm, only to see Minghui smile softly and reply, “Benefactor is attached to outward forms. Murong Xia stripped away their skins to deliver the people of your noble clan. For those two-legged sheep, it is a blessing to enter the realm of hedonistic pleasure—a grand karmic reward that could only be cultivated over nine lifetimes!” Li Tongya sneered and offered no answer. Master Minghui slowly formed a mudra and continued, “This humble monk is the head disciple of Lotus Temple, ordered to escort Murong Xia southward. If there has been any offense, I ask for your understanding. Karmic blessings will surely be bestowed in return... “The method Murong Xia cultivates is the Shanle Demon, which is also our faith’s Shanle Zen Path. Following destiny to head south, he must devour a total of sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty-six people. Afterward, he will attain enlightenment in Linghai Commandery to achieve Mahā and transform into Shanle Zen, entering the land of karmic rewards alongside those sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty-six people. It is a deed of immense merit and great benevolence...” Li Tongya had long heard that Zen cultivators were eloquent and persuasive, and today he had truly seen it for himself. Refusing to take the bait, he countered directly, “The South is the domain of our Immortal Path. Did your esteemed faith receive permission?” Minghui nodded gently and answered, “The Immortal Sect gained the State of Xu and killed our faith’s Lianmin; in exchange, they permitted Murong Xia to journey south. The Sword Immortal should be well aware of this as well. If there has been any offense, this humble monk will personally travel to Nanjiang to offer apologies.” Hearing these words, Li Tongya finally understood why this man was treating him with such courtesy—it was out of respect for Li Chijing. On the surface, the Immortal Sect retaking the State of Xu seemed awe-inspiring, but beneath it all, it was nothing more than an exchange of interests. Although Li Tongya felt disgust toward these methods, he had no choice but to bow to reality. “So that is how it is.” Minghui lowered his monk’s staff. Seeing that Li Tongya seemed agreeable, his smile grew far warmer, and he said in a gentle voice, “I see that your noble clan governs its people with kindness, which coincides with the teachings of our faith. This is truly a predestined affinity. Why not allow me to linger here and spread our teachings...?” Li Tongya shook his head in immediate refusal. He wanted nothing to do with Buddhism and wished this man would leave as far as possible, so how could he ever let him stay? He simply replied, “Fellow Daoist still has to escort Murong Xia. You should not delay.” The rejection was plain as day, but Minghui pretended not to notice, shamelessly pressing the matter with a smile. “Murong Xia has multiple masters escorting him; one humble monk more or less makes no difference. Your noble clan shares an affinity with our faith...” “Our modest mountain and small temple cannot retain a mighty figure such as Master.” Li Tongya was forced to refuse him outright. Minghui did not take offense either, simply replying, “Then let it be. Aside from that, however, I do have one more matter to ask Benefactor.”