The talisman-like yet non-talisman object surged up and down, spiraling and congealing into a greenish-gray pellet. It radiated shimmering magical light, clearly no ordinary item—the very treasure the Li family had obtained in the cave abode from Li Yuanjiao's memories.
'So this was that fellow's contingency.'
How could Chi Buzi fail to recognize it? He stared at it for a few moments, feeling a breath of regret over his own greed. Who could have imagined that the Taiyin moon essence was merely bait cast out by this old monster?
Chi Buzi paused, immediately suppressing the greed in his heart, and mused silently:
'There is no telling what ancient era this old monster hails from. No need to rush. I should coax the secrets out of his mouth first... Perhaps my opportunity to form a core and seek my golden nature lies right within!'
Though that witchcraft was still planted within his own soul, Chi Buzi felt no fear whatsoever, fixing his gaze upon that talisman qi:
'It is merely a strand of witchcraft. Once the True Monarch ends his seclusion eighty-three years from now, resolving this technique will be effortless. But ancient artifacts of this caliber are rare; I must coax it into my hands before I meet the True Monarch!'
As he was quietly appraising it, the Water Mansion Immortal Official suddenly grew vigilant and retorted:
"What does it have to do with you? This is this Venerable One's immortal post inheritance, bestowed by the Celestial Court. Do not entertain delusions about it!"
Chi Buzi did not take in half of the sentence; only four words echoed in his mind:
'Immortal post inheritance!'
'An opportunity of the Dao Embryo Immortals!'
Chi Buzi drew two heavy, ragged breaths, his expression shifting darkly as a thought sprang to mind:
'Is it real or fake? This old fossil still thinks some Celestial Court exists... If it is real, how could Lushui spare me? The True Monarch is ruthless. Once his Lordship finds out, what need would there be for any Qingchi Sect? I fear I would not be the only one to lose my life.'
Chi Buzi had a sharp mind. In merely a fleeting instant, he had deduced numerous possibilities:
'If so, rather than being silenced and having it snatched away, I would be better off finding an excuse to escape overseas and slowly plot to obtain this inheritance...'
He touched the corners of his eyes, only now noticing his wretched state, and sorted through his thoughts:
'Investigating Lake Wangyue... searching the Li family member's soul... this old monster taking the chance to slip in...'
All three of his divine abilities had suffered damage to varying degrees, and strands of moon essence were rampaging through his body—likely the consequence of gazing directly upon that immortal post.
'It is merely a matter of resting and recuperating for a decade or two.'
Chi Buzi did not think much of it. Having come into contact with such an ancient fossil, his current losses were as light as could possibly be, not to mention that the immortal post clearly seemed extraordinary.
"First, I must shape two eyes!"
Smoothing his sleeves, Chi Buzi made a grasping motion toward the riverbank. Mixing mud and water, he rolled out two thumb-sized mud pellets. Opening his hollow, blackened eye sockets, he gave them a gentle push and press.
The two mud pellets fitted seamlessly into the place of his eyeballs. Chi Buzi closed his eyes and rolled them, invoking his divine ability as streaks of prismatic light rose. When he opened his eyes once more, they were already clearly defined black-and-white eyes.
'These will have to do for now! I likely lost my eyes from looking directly at that immortal post. When I return to the sect, I'll take a few wisps of blood qi to craft a proper pair.'
With eyes restored, the world before him instantly grew much clearer, and his thoughts became even sharper.
Even with the undeniable proof of the old monster's crushing might when breaching his sea of consciousness, Chi Buzi still found it hard to believe in his heart, musing:
"How could a Dao Embryo inheritance be obtained so easily? My spiritual sense cannot even penetrate this damned immortal post... Who knows what it is? But if Lushui believes it, what hope of survival would I have left?"
Thinking up to this point, Chi Buzi suddenly remembered something. His expression hardened, and he said in a deep voice:
"Old monster, does that Li family know of you?!"
The Water Mansion Immortal Official replied leisurely:
"I hid in their clan for several decades and never spoke a word. I already wiped those people's memories long ago."
The Immortal Official spoke lightly, but with his own life on the line, how could Chi Buzi leave it at that? He whispered:
"I shall go silence them! And while I'm at it, retrieve my leaked divine ability magical power!"
Although Qingchi and Mount Dali had an agreement prohibiting blood sacrifices on the northern foothills, killing a few people was no issue. As for the divine ability magical power, he was naturally referring to the ground full of blood beads from before.
Chi Buzi was not coveting that tiny bit of spiritual material—the blood beads would dissipate in an hour or two anyway—but he feared they might be exploited by someone with ill intentions. Just as he tore open the Great Void, he saw the Immortal Official actively obstruct him, cursing:
"You still dare to commit such heinous, unprincipled deeds!"
The official spoke with absolute conviction, enumerating crime after crime, until Chi Buzi sighed softly and had no choice but to pull back his steps, sneering coldly:
"What an absolute relic! We and mortal low-level cultivators are fundamentally not of the same kind. Blessed with divine abilities, yet forced to be constrained by morals fabricated by the mundane world—truly laughable!"
The Immortal Official snorted coldly. Just as he was about to speak, Chi Buzi said in a deep voice:
"Old monster, let me ask you: when heaven and earth first opened into a vast, boundless expanse, was there any such thing as morality, law, or rank?"
The Immortal Official was taken aback and replied:
"There should not have been..."
Chi Buzi smiled coldly:
"Later, mortals arose at the primal beginning. The earlier were exalted, the later lowly; the strong became emperors, the weak became slaves. What is called morality was originally nothing more than rules devised by the exalted to control the lowly, by sovereigns to enslave their subordinates, by masters to tame their grandsons.
"Then the masters grew old and died, and the grandsons took power. Becoming shrewd themselves, they also sought to maintain this very order. Year after year, age after age, it turned into hierarchy, morality, and ritual.
"Believe in it and it exists; ignore it and it does not. Morality and law were fabrications and illusions from the start. Since I am now the exalted one and I wield divine abilities, I naturally can set the rules. Why should I submit to the delusions of dead men!"
The Immortal Official flew into a rage and scolded:
"You slaughter the common folk, harming the harmony of Heaven. Are you not afraid of karmic retribution?!"
Chi Buzi scoffed, his voice like a deep, dark undercurrent as he murmured:
"Karma is a plaything in the hands of the Mahas. The common folk are cattle and sheep under my divine abilities. Do you think those cattle and sheep are so lovely? They hate me to the bone, yet they wish nothing more than to take my place.
"As for retribution."
His smile grew increasingly exaggerated as he answered:
"It is the powerless wail of the weak, a pathetic delusion."
...
Though Chi Buzi had landed far away, he remained within Lu Jiangxian's spiritual sense. With that witchcraft in his soul coupled with the enhancement of divine sense, Lu Jiangxian could even perceive glimpses of his inner thoughts.
"Chi Buzi arrived so suddenly, this was the only way to manage the situation..."
In any case, even Purple Mansion cultivators could not see through the talisman qi, so Lu Jiangxian had naturally spun wild boasts, exaggerating it toward something even Golden Core cultivators would covet. As long as Chi Buzi dared not gamble on Lushui's discerning eye, it was naturally impossible for him to report it.
As for that Immortal Official's soul, it was naturally under Lu Jiangxian's control while possessing considerable autonomy. Combined with the complete Celestial Court system from his past life and the sacrificial incantations and rituals within the mirror, it was enough to deceive Chi Buzi for a time.
Even if contradictions arose, the Immortal Official would merely assume he had lost the majority of his own memories, and could not possibly suspect that he was a soul fabricated by someone else.
So long as Chi Buzi dared not seek out Lushui, with that soul watching him at every waking moment, the contingency Lu Jiangxian had left behind would cause him to drop dead the instant there was any risk of exposure—which was vastly better than him dying at Lake Wangyue.
"Once this period passes and I've finished using this fellow, ensuring that nothing can be traced back to me, things will be much easier."
Lu Jiangxian relaxed, even showing a hint of anticipation.
"When that Immortal Official inquires about current affairs, he will definitely examine Qingchi's cultivation techniques and secret arts, extracting at least some things only accessible to the Purple Mansion realm. When the time comes, so long as Chi Buzi comes to Lake Wangyue, I can connect with this soul and read his memories..."
Sweeping his spiritual sense across the surroundings of Lake Wangyue, Lu Jiangxian perused the various families' treasuries once more. There was nothing new, though the Ding family's heritage had gained an extra set—a Grade Two cultivation technique of little practical use.
Committing this technique to memory in passing, Lu Jiangxian drifted leisurely back into the mirror. Chi Buzi's blood beads were still rolling all over the ground.
'These can actually be of use.'
These blood beads contained Chi Buzi's divine ability magical power. Though the amount was not large, the path of witchcraft excelled most at utilizing such items of magical blood. A quantity like this was enough for Lu Jiangxian to make good use of them.
'However, I still need to drop a hint so that the Li family presents them.'
Aside from spiritual sense and Taiyin moon essence, the magical mirror was powerless to interfere with the outside world. Unless someone touched the Immortal Mirror's destiny, let alone pulling someone into the realm within the mirror, it could not move even an inch.
Thus, though Lu Jiangxian coveted these blood beads, he could only wait for the Li family to offer them up.
...
Watching Chi Buzi ride the wind and depart, Li Yuanjiao and the others exchanged glances, clearly caught completely unawares. One whispered:
"Dangjiang Brook Water Mansion Immortal Official? Immortal Mansion?"
"He must have been possessed by some golden nature."
The Li family possessed a fair amount of insight these days. Li Yuanping nodded slightly and replied:
"Brother said... he saw that object in our family, but how could that produce a golden nature..."
He cut himself off abruptly, exchanging a glance with his father and brother, and tacitly changed the subject:
"Looking at the one occupying the Real Person's body, he seems rather reasonable. Who knows what the outcome will be."
Li Xuanxuan looked much more relieved. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he said softly:
"We don't know whether this Real Person will recover, or when he might return to seek revenge against our family. As things stand... we must make preparations on both fronts.
"Jiao'er, what do you think about heading overseas?"
Li Yuanjiao shook his head slowly and replied:
"Our family needs at least two Foundation Establishment cultivators before we can consider establishing a branch clan. As we are now, no matter whom we send overseas, they would have no footing whatsoever; it would simply be throwing lives away."
He paused:
"My thought is: we might as well quietly send Ximing to the Xiao family, consult with Ancestor Yuansi, and foster him on his peak under the pretext of learning pill refining.
"First, Ancestor Yuansi is a gentle and magnanimous senior. Ximing will not suffer mistreatment under his peak, and he will surely learn a great deal—far better than staying in our own home."
Gradually regaining his composure, Li Yuanjiao spoke methodically:
"Second, if something befalls our Li family and the entire clan is annihilated, a Purple Mansion cultivator will certainly seek to silence every witness. Without a divine ability to conceal our traces, fleeing anywhere would be futile... Xiao Chuting was able to shelter Chen Taojing, a suspected remnant of an immortal sect, so he will likely use a divine ability to mask Ximing's traces as well, preserving a spark of hope for our family."
Li Xuanxuan also sat down slowly and sighed:
"Ancestor Yuansi has already aided our family far too much. The benevolence of forebears must end eventually. Were it not out of utter necessity, I would not wish to trouble him either."
Li Yuanping, who had been listening in silence at the side, nodded slightly, cupped his hands, and excused himself:
"I shall go arrange it at once."
Li Xuanxuan nodded to him, then turned back to look at Li Yuanjiao:
"In this moment of peril, why don't you carry the Immortal Mirror with you, seal the ancestral hall, and reside on Mount Wutu, so you are prepared for unexpected needs?"
Li Yuanjiao cast a spell, gathering the sea of red beads on the ground into a jade box. Once they were contained, he held them up against the moonlight to examine them.
The jade-like beads were crimson and lustrous, faintly emitting a grayish mist. Under the moonlight, they appeared extraordinarily bright and pure, but staring closely at them for too long left one feeling uncomfortably gloomy and inexplicably irritated.
Only then did Li Yuanjiao put them away. He felt the talisman seed in his body throb faintly, and he rejoiced inwardly:
'They can actually serve as sacrificial offerings! Truly good items.'
Aloud, he answered:
"This is a grave matter. We must still inquire of the Immortal Mirror."
With that, he strode inside. Activating layers of formations, he passed through the ancestral hall, pushed open the tightly shut stone door, and bowed down in supplication:
"A prayer: Li clan descendant Yuanjiao, beset by disaster, the clan in peril, our path hanging by a thread... Respectfully entreating the Supreme Xuanming Law to protect our bodies and guard our Dao... Pleading to receive the exalted decree."
He muttered through the entire sequence of rituals and performed the full bow of homage. Above, the magical mirror gradually reined in its light and descended before him, signifying that the prayer had succeeded.
Li Yuanjiao had read the few prayer rituals bestowed by the magical mirror and had studied these uncanny incantations thoroughly. Previously, he had not understood why the mirror required such cumbersome rites, assuming only that its status was immensely exalted.
Yet seeing that golden nature claim just now to be the Dangjiang Brook Water Mansion Immortal Official under the Immortal Monarch, Li Yuanjiao was struck with sudden awe. Connecting it to everything about the mirror, a conjecture surfaced in his mind:
'Perhaps behind the Immortal Mirror lies an immense Immortal Mansion! Situated beyond the heavens, with the Immortal Mirror being merely a tool to communicate beyond the heavens!'
If that were the case, everything made sense. Chi Buzi must have met some condition—perhaps offending the Immortal Mansion within his memories, or becoming a flesh-and-blood sacrificial offering! Causing an Immortal Official from the Immortal Mansion to descend into the mortal realm!
With this chain of conjectures, it felt as though an immense, powerful force behind the scenes was slowly surfacing. Li Yuanjiao dared not voice it aloud, keeping it hidden in his heart as a searing excitement welled up within him:
'Yielding one's body to Taiyin... Could it be... that so long as one's cultivation is sufficient, one can ascend straight to the Immortal Mansion...'
Suppressing all these speculations, Li Yuanjiao respectfully put away the Immortal Mirror and stepped out of the rear courtyard. Nodding to his father, he said respectfully:
"Your son shall head to Mount Wutu to cultivate at once!"
Li Xuanxuan let out a long breath and nodded. Watching the younger generation depart, he stepped forward to shut down all the formations, concealed the traces in the secret chamber, and likewise withdrew to cultivate.
Over on his end, Li Yuanjiao returned to Wutu Peak. Xiao Guiluan came forward with concern, asking softly:
"How did it go?"
Li Yuanjiao shook his head and replied:
"Nothing happened. The Real Person did not come; it was merely a false alarm."
Changing the subject, he said:
"The family intends to send Ximing to the Xiao family to study pill refining. I will have to trouble you to make a trip."
"Very well."
Xiao Guiluan did not linger or hesitate, agreeing briskly before riding the wind and taking her leave.
Li Yuanjiao felt a pang of guilt. Xiao Guiluan had entrusted herself to him without reservation, yet he, Li Yuanjiao, still had to conceal things from her; feeling uneasy was unavoidable.
After all, through Li Tongya's words and Li Yuanjiao's own recent experience, a talisman seed could ward off a Purple Mansion cultivator's heart-bewitching divine ability; only one who possessed a talisman seed could lie before a Purple Mansion master.
Xiao Guiluan bore no talisman seed, so knowing too much would only harm her.
"Hm?"
Li Yuanjiao suddenly remembered something and thought:
'The Yu family has been far too quiet!'
Now that he had brought out the Immortal Mirror, Li Yuanjiao simply offered up the ancient greenish-gray mirror. It rose wafting into the sky and headed northeast, passing through mountain forests, and settled into the Yu family's cave abode.
The cave abode at the highest elevation had the richest spiritual qi, protected by layers of great formations. Its entrance had also been solidly blocked, reinforced with multiple layers of spiritual formations.
As Li Yuanjiao phased inside, he beheld shimmering shattered jade covering the ground, rolling ceaselessly—azure bi discs, cyan gui tablets, crimson zhang blades... Jades littered the floor, reflecting against one another. Throughout the cave abode were all manner of crystals, and the ground was blanketed with glittering white, fine salt.
The skeleton upon the couch displayed an emerald jade hue, yet was abruptly severed into two halves. The upper half of the skeleton lay tumbled onto the ground, revealing a clean, flat, mirror-smooth cross section in the middle.
Chapter 356