Li Qinghong's pupils dilated slightly, much of the purple hue in her bright eyes dissipating. She had already put away Duruo, exhaled gently, and brought her slender hands together. "Qinghong greets Senior," she said softly. Li Qinghong remembered the scene of that day vividly. Something seemed to have gone wrong with Chi Buzi's soul back then, and not knowing whether he still remembered the events of that day, she left it at that, merely addressing him as "Senior."
If Chi Buzi had lost his memories, then the two of them should never have met before; and if this was that so-called Water Manor Immortal Officer, her words would not be amiss either.
The Chi Buzi before her wore his hair loose. Without speaking, he sat down on a stone stool to the side, his pale cyan pupils staring fixedly at her.
He had attained the Purple Palace many years ago, and the Dao of Lushui was one of purity and turbidity, rising and sinking. His appearance was naturally handsome and his demeanor clear and transcendent, yet his eyes carried an eerie, wicked malevolence. Parting his lips slightly, he murmured, "Li Qinghong, you recognize me."
Though he was smiling, these words were chilling, falling over Li Qinghong like snow in the depths of winter. Li Qinghong lowered her gaze, parted her lips, and replied, "Senior jokes. Qinghong has cultivated for mere decades and has never met a Purple Palace master. How could I have had the fortune to behold a Real Person's honored presence?"
Though Chi Buzi sat in a secondary seat and had not employed any divine ability, the aura about him was simply too formidable, suffocating the waiting Li Qinghong's chest with heaviness.
"Dong, dong, dong..."
The clear spring within the cave dwelling began to gurgle loudly, its crystalline water gradually turning a murky, turbid gray. Chi Buzi raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Li Qinghong, I see it clearly. You fear me—or rather, your guilt has driven you to fear. You may have means to resist scrutiny, but I see it clearly."
Chi Buzi looked at her quietly. "Nine times out of ten, that time I used a soul-searching technique and got tangled up with that exalted one's golden nature, which was how I met such an end. This time, I will not be careless."
The golden belt around his waist shimmered with magical radiance. Chi Buzi rose, took two steps across the platform, and murmured, "I suspected your family, so I dared not return to Lake Wangyue. Yet after searching high and low, there was also a Zongquan Island overseas, so I waited here."
With his hands clasped behind his back, Chi Buzi turned away from the light source in the cave. Two faint lines ran across his pale hands. He murmured softly, "Now that Lushui has gone beyond the heavens and has no energy to spare for this place, I have come, Li Qinghong."
He slowly turned back around. From his pale cyan pupils, terrifying turbid qi seeped outward, coalescing into a plume of smoky haze that curled upward along the corners of his eyes. "Which exalted one might Milord be? Yingze? Shexian? Or the one of the Water Mansion?"
Li Qinghong did not answer, feeling only the suffocating pressure in the dwelling grow thicker. She mulled over Chi Buzi's words sentence by sentence and immediately arrived at a deduction: ‘"I suspected your family," "You fear me"... Chi Buzi's memories definitely have gaps. Otherwise, there would be no need for deductions at all. If he remembered the events of that day, why would he need to guess back and forth? Nine times out of ten, he has forgotten what happened on the lake—or whether he forgot or not, he at least dares not remember!’
Chi Buzi seemed entirely unbothered, yet those pale cyan pupils appeared to observe her expression once more. He said, "Li Qinghong, that exalted one left measures within my soul—you ought to know."
He smiled faintly, showing sharp white teeth, beckoned with a finger, and whispered, "So I dared not think about it at all. I took that foolish immortal officer on a tour around the Eastern Sea, pointing things out to him one by one, smashing his convictions to pieces until his mind was shaken and his support collapsed.
"Once his mind was shaken, he made the wrong decisions. Only after devouring that foolish immortal officer and swallowing all his cultivation did I dare to ponder it. Milord underestimated me—and so did Chi Wei, Yuanxiu, and Lushui."
His tone was calm. "Buzi is no fool easily suppressed. Techniques that keep ordinary Purple Palace masters obedient cannot hold me.
"That immortal officer has been devoured by me—a magnificent tonic, allowing me to master a fourth divine ability called 'Chougui Concealment.' It conceals myriad dharmas within my body and can accomplish many things."
He walked all the way to the chief seat and slowly sat down. Facing the glowing light of the cave dwelling, he said softly, "Milord dares not kill me, which proves that Milord has not yet reached the Golden Core. For Milord to reclaim the fruit position, Lushui is someone who must be eliminated."
Chi Buzi smiled faintly and said in a low voice, "However the Lushui fruit position is dealt with, Buzi has no extravagant hopes. I ask only for a Golden Core—whether a surplus or an intercalary position, I ask only for a Golden Core.
"Milord will have need of me."
His expression was earnest, his tone gentle. "For Milord to reclaim a fruit position or even an immortal rank in this world, Milord requires a capable helper. Believe me, Milord: in such a defiled world, whether following an orthodox or unorthodox path, people like Buzi are the sharpest swords. Those of the immortal officer's ilk will only ruin matters more and more."
Chi Buzi did not wait for Li Qinghong's response at all. He said softly, "Whether Lushui will return heavily injured, or whether Shangyuan will be destroyed and retreat to his fruit position, a petty Purple Palace master like me cannot foresee. But Milord surely has grasp of it. If there are instructions, Milord can simply stir this humble one through karmic mandate—Buzi will recognize it."
Sounding at once like a promise and a probe, he murmured, "It is just that should this humble one perish, Lushui will surely notice, which I fear might ruin Milord's designs."
Li Qinghong understood he was not speaking for her ears, so she remained silently standing. Chi Buzi rose from the chief seat, descended the steps, walked straight up to Li Qinghong, and smiled. "Buzi takes his leave."
His form dissolved like a turbid wind, vanishing in an instant as he escaped through the stone crevices into the Great Void.
Li Qinghong remained standing in the courtyard, uncertain whether the "Milord" Chi Buzi spoke of was truly watching. After standing quietly for a couple of breaths, she sat down cross-legged and silently digested Chi Buzi's words.
***
Qunyi Strait.
Chi Buzi traversed the Great Void, plunging deep into the sea. Only after traveling a full ten thousand li did he halt on an uninhabited islet. The hands tucked inside his sleeves still trembled uncontrollably, his breath coming in hurried gasps. His earlier poise had long been cast thousands of leagues away, and his vision was still dark and dizzying.
"Dammit... that's a True Monarch, or even an immortal..."
Chi Buzi panted, calming his racing heart. That he had not yet burst into a puddle of cyan water showed that his words had met with at least some degree of acknowledgment from this True Monarch.
"Scheming with a tiger... but there was simply no other way..." Chi Buzi's expression darkened by degrees. "There is no way Lushui doesn't know that attaining the Dao through this path now requires the harmony of purity and turbidity, yet he led Chi Rui and Chi Wei by the nose! Passing down some Five Elements Metal-Seeking Method! He clearly never wanted either of them to succeed in breaking through!
"Indeed, Mu Hai said many times that Lushui has exhausted his strength merely suppressing the dragon nature upon his fruit position—how could he tolerate another attaining a surplus or intercalary position? He is deathly afraid the guest will usurp the host!"
Chi Buzi's gaze lurked within deep gloom like a venomous serpent. He thought darkly, "If I wish to break through to the Golden Core, staying under Lushui will lead to death sooner or later! I'd end up filling his Lugui Pool... What meaning is there in this life without breaking through to the Golden Core? I might as well be dead!"
With nothing left to lose, he feared neither being struck dead by the True Monarch backing the Li family nor being uncovered by Lushui. If he could not reach the Golden Core, death was only a matter of time.
"If I die, so be it—I must try!"
Thoughts swirling, Chi Buzi mused secretly, "Only, that exalted one is nine times out of ten of the Water Virtue as well. If I can play both sides once I find out more... If that one runs into trouble while Lushui backs me, then once the deed is done, there might still be a chance to ascend to the Golden Core..."
***
Mount Qingdu.
Li Xijun returned on the wind from around the lake and touched down on the mountain. He had observed the anomalies in both the north and the east. Not only the Li family, but the people across Jiangnan were all consumed by anxiety and fear.
Li Ximing had already entered secluded cultivation long ago, but Li Xijun had to keep an eye on these developments. Their family's manpower in Milin Commandery was gradually being reinforced; several clans had been transferred over, and preparations were underway to establish several branch peaks.
After all, Milin Commandery was vast, even broader than the Li family's original territory, so distributing several peaks was more than feasible.
Just as he entered the hall, he saw a young man standing within—dignified, elegant, dressed in white robes, his demeanor extraordinary. Li Xijun's eyes lit up, and he smiled. "Brother Zhi!"
The arrival was naturally Li Xizhi. Having stayed overnight on Mount Xia, he could not set his worries aside after all. Leaving Yang Xiao'er on the safe Mount Xia, he had ridden the wind all the way back alone. Nodding to his younger brother, he said softly, "It is True Monarch Shangyuan who successfully broke through in the North Sea. You all must have heard it by now."
Seeing Li Xijun nod, he briefly recounted the situation across the four seas. Just then, Li Chengliao rode the wind up to the hall. Seeing Li Xizhi, his eyes brightened, and he bowed with cupped hands. "The clansmen from our branches in Milin have all been settled. We are currently surveying the earth veins and dividing several hills to establish new branch peaks."
Li Xijun answered in an undertone. Outside, a gentle pitter-patter of rain began to fall. Li Chengliao seemed somewhat unsettled, casting a brief glance at the rainfall.
A chill also brushed Li Xijun's heart. Anomalies had been frequent of late, and he wondered if they would affect Li Xicheng, who was in secluded cultivation attempting a breakthrough. Before Li Xijun could finish the thought, someone came up from below.
The woman was bright and graceful—Li Minggong, the eldest daughter of the Chengming generation. Her cultivation was not high, still only at the early stage of Qi Refinement even now. With sorrow on her face, she cupped her hands and said, "Reporting to Eighth Uncle... Eldest Uncle's life jade has shattered."
Li Xijun stood stunned where he was, only now realizing where this rain had come from. Beside him, Li Chengliao, hearing the tragic news of his father, reddened around the eyes and froze in place.
Li Xicheng was Li Xijun's elder brother by blood. Their father had passed away early, and Li Xijun held deep affection for him. Although he had long anticipated this possibility, he still stood in a daze. Li Xizhi, unaware that their eldest brother had been attempting a breakthrough, showed deep grief and whispered, "What happened?!"
The group swiftly rose on the wind, descending like lightning into Mount Qingdu's subterranean water manor. Only then did they notice the dampness permeating the cavern. Flying before the stone gate of the seclusion chamber, they saw water droplets covering the stone walls.
Seeing this, Li Xizhi understood at once, lowering his eyes and waiting. Li Xijun hesitated a moment, but ultimately let Li Chengliao open the door, while instructing Li Minggong, "Eldest Brother has many children. Go invite them over."
Li Minggong nodded. With a sword hanging at her waist, her bearing was refined and gentle. She replied, "I have already dispatched people to call them. They will arrive shortly, along with several clan elders from the Clan Rectory who are also on their way."
Years ago, when Li Ximing threw down his responsibilities and refused to serve, Li Xicheng had received instructions to take over as young patriarch, later becoming clan patriarch before passing the mantle to Li Chengliao. His demise was a momentous matter, requiring the presence of the clan elders.
By both duty and propriety, Li Chengliao was to enter and collect the mortal remains, while matters here naturally fell to Li Xijun to handle. He quickly composed his emotions and watched several young men and women file into the water manor, all appearing very constrained.
They were Li Chengliao's younger siblings—either possessing low talent or being mere mortals. The Li family's system in this regard was harsh; not only had these children never set foot on Mount Qingdu, but their identities also meant their every move was watched. All of them stood in silence.
Li Xijun asked for their names carefully, noticing that their clothes were even rather plain. Before he could inquire further, the clan elders, led by Li Xuanxuan, all arrived. Most were white-haired elders; Li Xuanxuan's beard trembled, filled with deep lament.
The members of the Clan Rectory followed the current clan rector, Li Zhouwei, standing off to the side. The heir apparent stood with lowered eyes, slightly gripping the jade slip in his hands until his fingertips turned pale.
Having taken in everyone's movements, Li Xijun then said in a low voice, "According to custom, the contents of Eldest Brother's storage bag and cave dwelling are to be given to Chengliao. The remaining spiritual properties and treasures shall be divided among his other children. We are all here to witness this. The reading may begin."
Having spoken, he waited for Li Zhouwei to make the division. To his surprise, the youth cupped his hands slightly and replied, "Grandfather left one residence, two meditation cushions, and one incense burner. Converted, they amount to three spirit stones, which is not enough to divide. Thus, they have been exchanged for three hundred jin of spirit rice, fifty jin per person."
The moment these words fell, Li Xuanxuan froze first. The clan elders looked at one another, expressions varied. Li Xizhi traded a single glance with Li Xuanxuan, and both understood each other's thought: ‘Chengliao and Zhouwei are not the type to covet such property. Why would they make such an ugly grab?’
After a moment of silence, one person stepped forward—Li Xicheng's second son, who was now married and grew a beard. He bowed respectfully and said, "Reporting to the elders: Grandfather was of mortal body and had nothing to leave behind. Father grew up in hardship and never liked luxury. All that he obtained in life was gifted to impoverished cultivators within and outside the clan. He usually resided on Mount Qingdu to cultivate, and his residence holds not a single spiritual item."
His words reduced everyone to silence. Li Xijun nodded gently. At his side, Li Zhouwei said, "Reporting to the elders: Grandfather governed the family for seventeen years, yet his household left no surplus wealth."
Li Xizhi listened in silence, suddenly recalling the year he was twelve and left home to enter the sect—the Embryonic Breathing jade pendant his eldest brother, Li Xicheng, had bought for him with his savings.
That year, Li Xicheng had practically shoved it into his hand. Li Xizhi's maternal family was the Xiao family, and his father had been clan patriarch at the time; accustomed to fine clothes and rich food, holding it in his hand had felt like holding a hot coal.
That jade pendant was not even on par with the standard jade pendants of Qingchi Sect disciples, yet he had worn it for many years on his wrist until he barely noticed it. Now, the pendant against his skin felt acutely distinct, suddenly turning piercingly cold. Hearing those words—"his household left no surplus wealth"—Li Xizhi felt an ache in his heart.
Having spent year after year with his elder brother, Li Xijun felt it even more deeply, his heart dim: ‘Eldest Brother always felt he had wrongfully taken what belonged to Ximing, treading on thin ice all along. His sons never received the treatment of young masters, and he was harsh even to himself.’
As he was lost in thought, several clan elders whispered among themselves. Li Xizhi turned his head and said gently to Li Xijun, "Eldest Brother was never a man of many words; he only kept his head down and did the work. When Ximing emerges from seclusion, we must tell him... the burden he threw down when he was eighteen, our elder brother took care of every bit of it for him."
Just as he finished speaking, the sky outside the central hall flashed abruptly. Several streaks of flowing light flew from north to south, trailing long plume flames across the sky, while in the south, five rays of rosy light leaped upward, dyeing half the heavens red.
As the rosy light slowly drew near, its true form was revealed: a cloud ship buoyed by golden rosy mist, flanked on both sides by a pair of cloud...
Chapter 529