Inquiry

'So he is from the Golden Feather Immortal Sect...' Hearing that his surname was Zhang, coupled with his attire, Li Qinghong understood at once. Since Zhang Yun was unwilling to expose his true allegiance and called himself a mere Jiangnan bladesman, she naturally would not expose him. 'Zhang Yun...' The name sounded very familiar. Combined with his earlier tone, a person instantly sprang to Li Qinghong's mind. Years ago, when Li Tongya broke into the serpent demon cave dwelling, he had split the spoils with a bladesman named Zhang Yun. Zhang Yun had taken the serpent demon's orb and the *Xuemo Dharma Book*, while Li Tongya had obtained the Duruo Spear and the *Jianghe Daling Sutra*. That very spear was still gripped in Li Qinghong's hands today. Li Qinghong calculated that the man before her must be that very Zhang Yun from back then. Some seventy to eighty years had passed, and he was already on the verge of attaining the Purple Mansion. 'So this is... a core lineage scion of the Three Sects!' She cupped her hands gently in a salute and answered, "Greetings, Senior. This junior is Li Qinghong; Li Tongya was my grandfather." "So you are the descendant of an old acquaintance after all." Zhang Yun looked at her, his golden robes fluttering, and said plainly, "Your immortal foundation is decent, and that lightning talisman holds some merit. Your spearmanship is mediocre. As for your movement techniques, escape arts, spells, and secret arts, not a single one can take the stage. You can only bully ordinary clans. You're on par with cultivators from the Seven Sects; face Golden Feather or Qingchi, and you will suffer far more defeats than victories." Li Qinghong nodded in assent. Zhang Yun swept his gaze over the two of them, stood with his hands behind his back, and asked, "Since you know I have ties of friendship with your clan's elder, why haven't you invited me inside?" Since Zhang Yun had put it in those terms, Li Qinghong had no choice but to invite him down. On Mount Qingdu, the Azure Ox River-Snuggling Array would likely be little more than decoration before him; had he truly intended harm, he would have struck long ago. Zhang Yun seemed not to notice her wariness, or perhaps he simply did not care. Stepping onto the mountain and looking out at the hillside covered in duruo flowers, he murmured softly, "Li Tongya... what a pity. Back when I heard he broke through to Foundation Establishment, I thought to myself that sooner or later I would have a proper match with him! In the end, the chance never came." Walking a couple of steps, Li Qinghong remained cautious and did not dare speak out of turn. Zhang Yun muttered to himself, "Li Tongya raised fine descendants, far better than mine. The three sons under my knees all have great talent, yet because I've been in secluded cultivation for years, lacking discipline... each one grew up with an overbearing temper." Zhang Yun seemed suddenly to realize he had strayed off topic and added, "However... my coming here today is merely to urge one thing upon you: Do not meddle in Zhang Huaide's affairs, nor in anything big or small that happens along the riverbank. I was sent to oversee this matter personally. Out of a bit of mutual appreciation with Li Tongya, I took this trip. Take care of yourselves." Li Qinghong softly uttered words of thanks. Zhang Yun suddenly stopped in his tracks, clasped his hands behind his back, and murmured, "The *Jianghe Daling Sutra* is with your clan, isn't it?" At those words, Li Qinghong paused for a moment before replying, "To answer Senior, yes." Zhang Yun was no longer young, yet there was still a hint of flippancy about him. He merely chuckled, "Good, good, good." Zhang Yun glanced at her sideways, suddenly appearing somewhat puzzled, and murmured in a low voice, "Did that Wanling Flower come from your clan?" Li Qinghong had not expected him to suddenly ask about this. But with a turn of her thoughts, she understood immediately: 'It is said that the Wanling Flower has been extinct in Jiangnan for hundreds of years. Now that our family suddenly obtained it, and all happenings in Jiangnan are firmly grasped by the Three Sects, word must have reached their ears...' "Yes!" Li Qinghong answered respectfully. Zhang Yun finally turned solemn and demanded in a heavy voice, "Where did it come from?!" Thoughts flashed through Li Qinghong's mind like lightning. Zhang Yun clearly knew what lay behind the Wanling Flower to make a special point of inquiring about this spiritual object, whereas her own clan was completely in the dark... 'It is most likely connected to the Wang clan!' Her clan was already at an informational disadvantage, and their statuses were vastly unequal. If she tried to play clever tricks, ninety-nine times out of a hundred it would backfire. Li Qinghong could only be as vague as possible: "It was left behind by a Daoist from the north. Our clan did him a favor, so he bestowed the spiritual root upon us." When Zhang Yun was smiling earlier, he seemed somewhat frivolous, but now that his expression turned stern, he was immensely imposing. He asked in a deep voice, "What was his cultivation? What was his surname?!" Li Qinghong feigned hesitation and said softly, "That senior was very strange. His aura was majestic and vast, yet his cultivation was completely undetectable. His surname... surname was Wang!" Her wits were sharp and her words carefully measured. Wang Xun had addressed them as peers, yet she respectfully referred to him as a senior. Suited to her description, the image of a mighty northern cultivator surfaced, making Zhang Yun furrow his brow. "Surnamed Wang after all!" Zhang Yun let out a deep breath, thinking to himself, 'The Yinghua Wang clan! A Golden Core clan!' Startled in his heart, he immediately questioned, "That is an immortal clan of the north. What could a tiny cultivation clan like yours possibly do to help him?" Li Qinghong whispered, "An elder of our clan once left behind a sword named Qingchi, which sealed a strand of sword intent. That senior merely wanted to view it." Only then did Zhang Yun understand. He murmured, "I see. In all of your Li clan, only that thing holds some interest... Where is the sword?" "It has already been taken by my elder brother on his journey south." Zhang Yun had no choice but to let it drop. Nodding, he suddenly laughed and said softly, "This is your clan's fortuitous encounter, but don't indulge in beautiful dreams... The Yinghua Wang clan detests becoming entangled in mundane karma above all else. Giving your clan this spiritual root has settled the karmic ties clean and clear!" Li Qinghong raised her brows slightly. Zhang Yun's eyes were clear—he had clearly seen through all her calculations, without letting her borrow a shred of the tiger's skin. She sighed inwardly: 'A core scion of Golden Feather is indeed difficult to deal with.' Little did she know that Zhang Yun before her was feeling just as regretful. He mused inwardly, 'To think it was bestowed by the Yinghua Wang clan! Pity, what a pity. I originally thought that this Wanling Flower was of immense use and intended to casually drop by the Li clan to take this Foundation Establishment spiritual root away for my own use in the sect... Now it seems I truly cannot take it.' After all, it had been bestowed by the Yinghua Wang clan to conclude karma. If Zhang Yun snatched it away just a few years later, the Wang clan would inevitably be displeased. Though a Foundation Establishment spiritual root was precious, it was not an absolute necessity for Zhang Yun; it was not worth offending the Wang clan over. He looked at Li Qinghong and asked abruptly, "Is your elder brother also Foundation Establishment?" Li Qinghong did not dare deceive him on such an obvious matter and simply nodded. Zhang Yun chuckled, murmuring, "Interesting... interesting... Five Foundation Establishments across three generations in one clan. There is definitely something peculiar about this." He recalled for a moment, then spoke, "And Ning Tiaoxiao personally arranged a marriage alliance. He must have discovered something... mm... the Li clan." Zhang Yun said, "Li Qinghong... did your brother also cultivate Vast Sea?" "Indeed," Li Qinghong answered softly. Zhang Yun gave a dry laugh and nodded, "Good, wonderful." With those words spoken, without sparing another thought for the Li clan members before him, he swept up a brilliant golden light, passed straight through the Li clan's great array, and went northward of his own accord. Li Qinghong bowed her head in respectful farewell. Only when his laughter faded into the distance did she heave a sigh of relief, her back drenched in cold sweat. Looking at Li Xicheng, who had rushed into the courtyard in haste, she said in a heavy voice, "Seal off all news immediately! Under no circumstances must word of Zhang Yun's visit leak out!" Li Xicheng nodded and answered, "Aunt, rest assured. The clash just now was too brief and fast; people only know that someone used a lightning spell. I will send word down immediately, saying that Aunt was practicing a spell technique." *** Hengdong Commandery. "Fellow Daoist, seeing us this far is enough... there is no need for such courtesy." Li Xijun and his companions had flown all the way to the border of Hengzhu Commandery. Cupping his hands toward Bi Chengjuan beside them, he said softly, "We take our leave here!" Bi Chengjuan nodded at his words and replied, "If Fellow Daoist passes through Hengzhu in the future, by all means mention my name. I will certainly come out of the sect in person to welcome you." Li Xijun departed with a smile. Beside him, though Li Xuanxuan still appeared senile and aged, his expression was far more spirited. His eyes were clear, and a smile had returned to his face. "This Ningqing Demon-Cleansing Art of Hengzhu is indeed remarkable! The gloom knotted in my heart has dissipated greatly, and circulating my true essence is no longer sluggish." Li Xijun smiled, "This is a great thing. Granduncle must strictly follow the instructions and not fight in these coming years. If a battle breaks out... I fear it might disrupt the immortal art." Fearing that Li Xuanxuan would not take it to heart, he quickly added, "If... if you end up fighting, those dozens of spirit stones will have gone down the drain." "I understand... Of course I know..." Li Xuanxuan grunted a couple of times, muttering trivial remarks. The atmosphere had become much lighter. Kongheng chanted scriptures along the way, watching the elder and the youth banter. Flying into the Helin Mountain Range, they landed and truly began searching for spiritual objects separately. Searching the outer fringes of the Helin Mountain Range for two months, they found one or two spiritual objects, but made no other major discoveries. Li Xijun met up with Li Xuanxuan at the appointed time. Over the past two months, the old man's expression had grown more and more relaxed, carrying a sense of ease. He cradled a few plums in his robes and shared them with him. Taking them with an amused chuckle, Li Xijun sighed with regret, "I never expected the spiritual energy of Mount Helin to be impoverished to such a degree. No wonder no decent spiritual objects have appeared here in all these years." Li Xuanxuan took out a few more plums and offered them to Kongheng, who accepted them with a smile. Only then did Li Xuanxuan say, "The Helin Mountain Range doesn't even have many demon beasts, so naturally it cannot compare to Mount Dali." Li Xijun took out a map, glanced at it, and proposed, "It is still early. Why don't we cross the commandery border and take a look at the Quanwu and Dongli mountain ranges?" Li Xuanxuan naturally had no objection. Having settled their itinerary, the three immediately rode the wind eastward, intending to follow the route northeast to inspect the Quanwu Mountain Range first. "The Quanwu Mountain Range is truly vast." Looking at the mountain range looming through the clouds in the distance, Kongheng marveled, "When we journeyed south, we crossed this mountain's western foothills. Now, having looped all the way back around, we have merely arrived at its eastern foothills." Listening to him, Li Xijun seized the opportunity and asked in turn, "How does it compare to Mount Luoxia?" Kongheng pondered for a moment and replied, "It is hard to compare. The north also has majestic mountains, most of which are famed for their height, peril, and abundant spiritual energy, quite unlike this range that stretches on continuously for ten thousand li... If we compare purely based on spiritual energy, Mount Luoxia is naturally number one, beyond comparison." Kongheng spoke with rare certainty, "Without a doubt, the place with the most abundant spiritual energy under heaven is Mount Luoxia. Only after it come the grotto-heavens and blessed lands of the various sects... As for other mountain ranges, they can only rank behind them." "This Mount Luoxia... just what kind of Daoist lineage is it?" Li Xijun asked curiously. Kongheng seemed somewhat lost in thought as he praised, "The name 'Luoxia' originates from a True Monarch within the mountain. He attained the Dao through rosy clouds, and it is said that all rosy clouds under heaven must heed his command... When the sun and moon alternate, the very first ray of rosy dawn light emerges from Mount Luoxia. Only when this ray of light descends upon the mountain do the various rosy clouds dare to arise. It is said that heaven and earth possess seventy-two varieties of rosy clouds, forty-eight of which are the divine abilities and creations of this True Monarch." Li Xijun asked, "Since Mount Luoxia is the premier lineage of the north... surely it possesses more than one True Monarch?" Kongheng said softly, "As for how many True Monarchs Mount Luoxia has? How many are within the seas, how many beyond the seas, and how many have departed this realm... there have always been diverse claims, with no certainty. Only in these past few hundred years have three True Monarchs revealed themselves and taken action—genuine Golden Core True Monarchs!" Seeing the elder and youth of the Li clan listening so intently, Kongheng added another remark, "However, I have also heard rumors that the True Monarch who attained the Dao through rosy clouds... has in fact already become an immortal." "Become an immortal?!" Jiangnan Daoist cultivators tossed around titles like 'fairy' and 'high immortal' with every breath, while northern Shakya cultivators constantly spoke of 'enlightenment' and 'attaining the Dao.' Yet Li Xijun understood that the term 'becoming an immortal' from Kongheng's mouth held a far deeper significance. He murmured, "Is... is it a Dao embryo?" "Indeed." Kongheng nodded, a faint trace of envy surfacing on his face as he murmured, "I hear that He has long since attained an immortal body and Dao embryo, immortal and indestructible, coeval with heaven and earth, shining alongside the sun and moon... I do not know why He still remains on Mount Luoxia." "A truly great being of profound divine ability," Li Xijun praised. Kongheng shook his head gently and said in a low voice, "Doesn't your south also have an unmistakable immortal?" "This..." Seeing the bewildered expressions on Li Xijun and Li Xuanxuan, Kongheng asked in surprise, "I heard that whenever a Purple Mansion cultivator in your south breaks through to Golden Core, that personage sends people to gather their golden nature. Could this matter be a mere falsehood?!" "So it's that matter!" Li Xijun came to a sudden realization and answered, "Indeed there is such a thing! Indeed there is! So it was dispatched by an immortal!" "Then that confirms it!" Kongheng asked hastily, "May I ask what cultivation this immortal holds? Through what Dao did He attain immortality? And where does His immortal abode lie?" Faced with this string of questions from the monk, Li Xijun could only shake his head helplessly in response, whispering, "To tell you the truth, news in our Jiangnan has always been blockaded by the Three Sects. It is said that books were once rounded up and destroyed, obscuring a vast amount of information regarding attaining Foundation Establishment and the Purple Mansion. Our clan's foundation is shallow to begin with. We even have to rely on overseas cultivators just to learn about news within our own Jiangnan, let alone anything about an immortal..." Kongheng nodded thoughtfully and offered an apology. Traveling day and night, the group flew for nearly half a month to reach the other side of the Quanwu Mountain Range. Bordering Libu Commandery to the north and connecting to Mount Dongli in the east, this area had fewer demon beasts and was far safer. The group fanned out, searching for water veins and seeking spiritual objects. *** Having left the sect, Li Xizhi rode the wind swiftly toward the north. Along the way, he clumsily coaxed Huai'er to sleep in his arms, then landed at a small town. Although Chenghuai was very well-behaved, after lying in his embrace for two whole days, he truly could not hold still any longer, squirming his hands and feet, wanting to get down and explore. Li Xizhi fed him some fruit, but the boy had little appetite for it. "Let's rest for a bit... there's still a long way to go to Libu Commandery." Li Xizhi descended. Deep in the night, the town below still flickered with firelight. Pausing to look, he discovered that the townspeople were holding torches, gathered in a circle.