"Senior, please follow me."
Bi Chengjuan glanced at Li Xuanxuan, estimating that he must be over a hundred years old. Addressing him as senior, he led the three of them downward.
The mountain gate of Hengzhu Dao lay subterranean. Within the commandery was an opening resembling a sheer chasm where cultivators came and went. The Hengzhu cultivators employed an ancient soaring art, distinct from the wind-riding arts used today, making their ascents and descents remarkably nimble.
Hengzhu's mountain gate was known as the Hengzhu Blessed Land, opened by ancient cultivators. Bi Chengjuan did not lead the three inside; instead, he sought out a cave entrance along the cliff wall, where a small secret chamber lay.
"After all, this involves cutting open flesh, so a bit of pain is inevitable. Please bear with it, Senior."
Bi Chengjuan fetched a jade knife, and Li Xuanxuan endured it. The old man had suffered much in his life, so this small measure of pain was naturally tolerable. Stripping off his clothing, incisions were made on his face, chest, and both sides of his back. His acupoints were sealed to stop the bleeding, and the golden elixir pills were inserted.
Li Xuanxuan let out a muffled grunt. With a gentle caress of Bi Chengjuan's hand, the six incisions, each like the tiny mouth of an infant, closed shut. Bi Chengjuan guided him forward, opened the secret chamber, and said softly:
"Senior, please enter, sit cross-legged within, and wait quietly for the array to run."
Li Xuanxuan nodded and walked in. As the heavy door boomed shut, Bi Chengjuan turned to the two and said in a low voice:
"You two should wait here for three days. Do not go outside. Everyone in our sect is holding back pent-up fury... If the Master wanders about, it might cause trouble."
Kongheng nodded, watched Bi Chengjuan leave, and sighed softly:
"How could the Murong clan... do such a thing!"
Li Xijun glanced at him and said quietly:
"Has it not always been so? Enjoy the supreme bliss inside their bellies, and after they devour you, they still demand your endless gratitude."
Kongheng fell silent, as if his chest were full of words wanting to burst out. Only after a long while did he say:
"When I was eight, the abbot was on good terms with a Yan Shakya and once used a divine ability to take me inside his belly to see."
"Within, treasure pools shone and merit flowed; golden sands paved the ground, and colored glaze formed the steps. Lotuses were as large as wagon wheels—azure, crimson, white, and indigo. Hundreds and thousands of birds and beasts all chanted the Shakya, chanted the Dharma, and sought the truth. The people were joyful, free of suffering, hardship, disaster, and evil—pure, peaceful, and solemn."
The monk looked utterly bewildered.
"The Daoist sects regard this path as demonic cultivation... but I truly cannot distinguish right from wrong. The Zhao Shakya seek the truth, establishing a Buddhist realm on earth; the Yan Shakya relieve calamity, opening bliss within their bellies. They took action, while we ancient cultivators only strike bells in our temples."
"The Yan Shakya allow thousands upon thousands to ascend to supreme bliss after death; the Zhao cultivators ensure the common people feel no pain even in life. Yet we ancient cultivators only lecture on scriptures in our temples."
"Whenever Shakya cultivators from Yan or Zhao arrive, the people of the Liao River flock to them, emptying every household. Everyone wears a smile, appearing so very happy. Only we ancient cultivators are still planting vegetables in our temple."
"The abbot said: To bewitch and gather commoners with divine abilities is a heterodox path; one cannot become a World-Honored One that way."
"Yet I clearly cultivate the Shakya path for the sake of the people. If it is what the people desire, then I should do it. If I can clearly use divine abilities to make commoners taste foul steamed buns as delicacies of mountain and sea, and see ragged clothes as luxurious silken garments—if I only fret over whether I myself can become a World-Honored One while ignoring the people's desperate pleas, how could that be the conduct of one of great virtue?!"
He asked:
"Fellow Daoist, if a mortal were in agony, on the verge of death, should one cast a spell to relieve his pain?"
Li Xijun frowned and said:
"Naturally, one should..."
A trace of terror crept onto Kongheng's usually gentle face. He murmured:
"If inside the belly is true bliss... and the earth is a joyous Buddhist realm... then why must the people of the Liao River be left in a sea of suffering?!"
Li Xijun was stunned. He saw Kongheng drenched in cold sweat, his fair, tender face stricken with dread and terror, his crossed legs trembling slightly. The golden light that previously coiled around him had dissipated, replaced by ring after ring of iridescent light radiating behind his head.
Li Xijun thought, *This is bad.* At any moment, Kongheng might shout, "I have realized!", and a paradise of supreme bliss would manifest in his belly, turning him into a Yan Shakya on the spot. Without hesitation, Li Xijun struck his back with a palm and shouted:
"Shakya Kongheng!"
He drew upon his Pine-Snow True Essence. The strike chilled Kongheng to the bone, causing him to cough up a mouthful of black blood. The iridescent light behind his head vanished as though frightened, and clarity immediately returned to his eyes.
The monk closed his eyelids, trembling as he chanted scriptures. Only after a long while did he say:
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist... Thank you..."
Yet after saying this, the monk panted for a long while, narrowed his long, thin eyes, and murmured:
"My Liao River clearly enjoys bountiful harvests year after year, and the common people live better than those in Yan and Zhao. Yet neither the rich nor the poor are happy. The abbot said one must see through it..."
His expression was downcast. He was no longer on the verge of converting his lineage, but the desolation on his face could not be concealed.
"Yet the cries of sorrow over the Liao River shake the heavens. I cannot see through it."
...
Qingchi Sect, Hall of Affairs.
Li Xizhi flew in on iridescent light and landed on the peak. He had long since become a Qi Refinement cultivator, and once every ten years, he had to undertake an external mission... Over the past decade, Li Xizhi had visited seven times, yet had never found one to his liking.
*If there is none this time either, I only have a few years left to wait.*
The number of disciples truly accepted into the peaks of the Qingchi Sect was not large; one often traveled through the mountains without ever encountering a fellow disciple. Only here in the Hall of Affairs could one see a bustling crowd. Li Xizhi stepped inside, where numerous blue-robed cultivators were chatting and laughing together.
Qingsui Peak saw little traffic, and Li Xizhi rarely left the mountain, having few friends. He looked up and down the board, noticing that at the very top were several capture-and-kill missions.
Though such missions offered generous rewards, Li Xizhi never took them. His roots lay in Lake Wangyue, and his clan had many members; he dared not invite trouble.
Bypassing missions to slay demons, venture to the Four Seas, the north, or the Southern Border, Li Xizhi searched for a long time before finding a few missions to locate spiritual treasures within the native borders of Yue. The first prominent entry read:
"[Taiyin moon essence]... The finder shall receive thirty major merits and three Suiyuan Pills..."
"[Tianyi Pure Element]... The finder..."
A long list of rewards followed. Li Xizhi clicked his tongue as he read. Such tasks were almost always exercises in futility. He quickly moved past them and found several long-term garrison-and-cultivation missions at the very bottom.
"Libu Commandery Market... Station and cultivate... concurrently collecting qi, approximately ten years in total."
Others found such external duties troublesome, and collecting qi a waste of time, but Li Xizhi was thoroughly pleased. Overjoyed, he quickly reached for the jade plaque beside it, thinking to himself:
*This is the perfect chance to return home! Receive the talismans and take the pills! I can lend a helping hand to the family—what does wasting a bit of time matter!*
He took it down swiftly, but upon closer inspection, he saw a name already written on the back of the plaque. Having hung for too long without anyone claiming it, it had already been assigned to Lingdou Peak.
Lingdou Peak was even weaker than his own Qingsui Peak; its peak master was only at the peak of Qi Refinement. Li Xizhi sighed with regret, looked at the jade plaque in his hand, and an idea struck him.
He rode a rainbow aloft, flying amidst iridescent light through the mountains. Soon, he located the low, stunted Lingdou Peak. He called out an inquiry before the mountain, and the peak master hurried out to receive him.
"This old man... Yu Fuyu... greets Fellow Daoist."
"I am Li Xizhi of Qingsui."
Yu Fuyu was short and plump. Li Xizhi had heard rumors about him: he was a cultivator of the Yu clan, but there had been much ugly discord within the Yu family. His branch had lost its heirs long ago because of those vile affairs, so he had severed ties with them, living a rather destitute life.
"So it is the Qingdu Li clan... Long have I heard of you!"
Yu Fuyu spoke with great humility. When Li Xizhi stated his purpose, Yu Fuyu immediately replied:
"Easily done! Easily done!"
He retrieved the jade plaque and handed it to Li Xizhi. Li Xizhi nodded with a polite acknowledgment, not entangling himself further with the man. He went to the Hall of Affairs to register the mission, and only then returned to Qingsui Peak.
Just as he landed and stepped forward, Yang Xiao'er came out to meet him, cradling an infant swaddled in cloth. Li Xizhi embraced her tenderly and said softly:
"I have taken the mission. Now I can take Huai'er back."
Yang Xiao'er only held the child, saying nothing. Feeling pangs of guilt, Li Xizhi whispered:
"No matter what, Huai'er cannot remain in the sect... He is of my Li family, not a person of the Qingchi Sect."
Choking back tears, Yang Xiao'er said:
"I understand... But he is only a year old, and now he must leave us. I cannot bear it, nor can I feel at ease."
Though she said this, Yang Xiao'er was even less at ease leaving him in Qingchi. She placed Li Chenghuai into Li Xizhi's arms, untied a jade pendant from her neck, fastened it onto the child, and then said:
"Take good care of yourself out there, Husband."
Li Xizhi nodded, kissed her smooth forehead, and whispered:
"Be careful in the sect."
The couple had already agreed on this long ago. After exchanging a few intimate words, Li Xizhi packed his belongings and immediately departed on a rainbow, leaving Yang Xiao'er behind, reluctant to part with her child, standing in silence.
Passing through layers upon layers of clouds and mist, Li Xizhi offered up his jade token and crossed through the Tianyuan Unified Spirit Array. After flying for a short while, Simin Commandery outside the mountains appeared before him.
Simin Commandery was the largest commandery in the State of Yue and the very foundation of Qingchi. The moment Li Xizhi left Qingchi, he felt the spiritual energy plummet, dropping by two to three times. Yet he rode his rainbow even faster, his heart unburdened, finally tasting a sense of freedom.
"Twenty years... I am finally out..."
The scenery beneath him receded like fleeting shadows. Longing to see his kin, Li Xizhi sped along with greater haste.
...
Mount Qingdu.
Li Qinghong landed on Mount Qingdu, where Li Wushao was already waiting. The black-robed youth bowed crisply and reported:
"Reporting to My Lady, your subordinate went north to investigate. Indeed, a group of demonic cultivators has taken shelter within that temple. They appear to be laying an array and have been cultivating there for some time."
"Among them are two at late Qi Refinement, six at mid Qi Refinement, and three at early Qi Refinement, all working with close coordination."
Li Wushao paused, then continued:
"Fearing I might alert them, your subordinate did not look too closely. I only saw thick waves of black clouds over that place, as if something was stirring."
Li Qinghong nodded, pondered for a moment, and said:
"I will go take a look from a distance."
Li Wushao hurried to keep up. The two rode the wind aloft, with Li Wushao leading the way.
Unexpectedly, just as they cleared their family's territory, a middle-aged man flew toward them. Riding the wind at astonishing speed, he blocked their path directly.
Li Qinghong drew the Duruo Spear, watched him warily, and frowned:
"Senior... may I ask why you have stopped us?"
The middle-aged man before them had ordinary features, dressed in gold robes patterned with bright white cloud motifs, a saber belted at his waist. The dharma robe he wore was remarkable; one could not discern his cultivation level at all.
He swept his gaze over Li Wushao, chilling the youth to the bone, as if his original form had been exposed and scrutinized down to the finest detail.
Li Qinghong also grew alert and quietly backed away. Yet the man said nothing, nor did he draw his saber; he simply reached out directly to seize Li Qinghong.
The hand was fair as jade, expanding before their eyes in an instant, radiating a faint suction that bewitched the spiritual sense and made it difficult to tear one's gaze away.
*Boom!*
Li Qinghong had been on guard all along, gathering power in her hand. Immediately, a bolt of purple lightning crashed down head-on. Beneath Li Wushao's black robe, two shadows quietly emerged, slithering across without a sound.
"A lightning cultivator."
The middle-aged man remarked leisurely. Bringing two fingers together, he shattered the purple lightning into nothingness in an instant. His cultivation was laid completely bare—he was actually at the peak of Foundation Establishment! Without even employing an immortal foundation, he had already struck dread into both their hearts.
Though Li Wushao's two stingers were treacherous, golden light glinted in the middle-aged man's eyes; he had clearly practiced an ocular technique, seeing through the tail stingers hidden in the shadows at a single glance. With a whip of his golden sleeve, he struck Li Wushao so hard that the youth's face turned deathly pale.
"Order!"
Relying on the brief moment Li Wushao had bought her, purple light surged in Li Qinghong's eyes, and purple lightning flared across the jade armor she wore. Parting her vermilion lips and jade teeth, she spat out a small purple mote of light. This mote was round and smooth, swelling to the size of a fist in an instant, glittering with white radiance.
*Crack!*
Intricate purple patterns crackled into view across the sky, and an oppressive aura of destruction rippled outward. The middle-aged man's expression finally flickered with a hint of change, and he said with some praise:
"Li Tongya has worthy successors."
Li Qinghong felt a pang of confusion, but in the heat of the moment, she could not afford to dwell on it. Driving the profound lightning forward, she and Li Wushao pulled back together, retreating several li on purple lightning.
The gold-robed middle-aged man neither dodged nor gave chase. He stared at the lightning talisman before him with keen curiosity, finally resting his hand on the long saber at his waist. With a low cry, he drew the blade from its sheath.
*Rumble!!*
A circular flash of white light erupted in the sky. The crash of thunder was like mountains collapsing and the earth splitting apart, stirring the lake into surging waves and sending boulders tumbling from the shoreline ridges. The white thunder drifted and transformed into a dense cascade of purple electricity, pouring down like a waterfall to suppress him.
*Clang!*
A brilliant white saber light flared. The waterfall of lightning was cleaved cleanly in two. The middle-aged man strolled out as if taking an idle walk through a courtyard, formed a hand seal, and smiled:
"Still."
The thunder in the sky and the churning waves of the lake both dispersed like clouds. Li Qinghong and Li Wushao had already reached the front of the mountain. The middle-aged man's fingers shifted to another seal, and he said softly:
"Come."
The two immediately felt their bodies freeze, the protective winds around them refusing to obey. Li Qinghong had already unleashed the Blood Escape Art, barely coming to a halt before the mountain gate, falling short by just a single step.
Yet the gold-robed middle-aged man used an escape art of his own, crossing the distance in just two strides to stand before them, sizing Li Qinghong up.
*This is no ordinary Foundation Establishment peak! He probably does not have much time left before reaching the Violet Palace! A core disciple of the three sects... These spells are by no means Third or Fourth Grade... This person... has an enormous background!*
The image of Fei Wangbai, whose head had rolled after a mere twenty or thirty exchanges, flashed through Li Qinghong's mind. She quickly composed herself and said softly:
"May I ask which immortal sect Senior hails from? Junior Li Qinghong of Mount Qingdu greets Senior."
He raised an eyebrow and smiled, murmuring:
"Li Tongya has certainly taught his descendants well! What a fine lightning talisman! Had I just stepped into Foundation Establishment and taken this strike unawares, even I would have suffered a slight injury."
The middle-aged man fixed Li Qinghong with an amused, intrigued look and said casually:
"As for me? I am Zhang Yun! Merely a blade-bearer of Jiangnan... Today, while watching over a junior nearby, I took the opportunity to drop by and see the Li family."
Chapter 407