Li Xijun felt a chill run through him. This single directive alone would practically empty the Li family. A quick calculation showed that the headcount was rigidly fixed—demanding exactly seventy percent of their available men.
Almost instinctively, he voiced his objection, blurting out, "What?!"
Zhao Tinggui could only offer a dry laugh. Li Xijun immediately reined in his reaction and said softly, "Forgive my discourtesy, Emissary."
Zhao Tinggui waved his hand hurriedly with an apologetic look. He had no wish to offend the Li family, but these men were to be placed under his command. With his own life and future on the line, no matter the sentiment or face involved, Zhao Tinggui could not yield in the slightest. He simply sipped his tea in silence.
With Zhao Tinggui’s stance made plain, Li Xijun could only press the matter himself. He spoke gently, "Reporting to the Emissary... this simply defies all reason. Even ordinary prominent clans would never face such a drastic draft. My clan stands guard over Lake Wangyue, directly absorbing the brunt of threats as Qingchi's shield. I hope you can show us greater consideration..."
Although Zhao Tinggui was the eldest disciple of Moon Lake Peak, he had risen from a humble mortal household, having been taken in as Ning Wan's disciple only through a stroke of fortune. Now, though he enjoyed the backing of the Ning family and feared no ordinary clan, he still felt somewhat apprehensive when facing the Li family. He merely said, "Tinggui is also simply carrying out orders..."
The two reached a brief standstill. Although Li Xijun had not known beforehand which peak would arrive, he had gathered information on all the likely candidates. Recognizing Zhao Tinggui and sensing the man's hesitation, he knew there had to be room to maneuver.
*This man comes from humble origins,* Li Xijun thought. *He earned Ning Wan's regard purely through talent and character. He is tactful, slick, yet possesses a decent heart. Applying some pressure might leave room for compromise.*
As Zhao Tinggui fell silent, Li Xijun pondered for a moment. Finally, Zhao Tinggui gritted his teeth and said, "Our two sides share deep ties after all... Tinggui will speak plainly. I have two requests...
"First, that a direct descendant of your noble clan, especially of Fellow Daoist Xijun's generation... should accompany us if possible...
"Second, I hear your clan possesses a medicinal herb known as the [Wanling Flower], which can dispel sorrow and preserve life. If your noble clan could provide this herb for the three junior brothers of my peak, Tinggui would be eternally grateful!"
This demand was not unreasonable. Li Xijun had already set aside a portion of the flowers for their own direct descendants. While parting with them now was somewhat tight, the clan's reserves could easily hold out for a year or two. He gave a slight nod.
"On behalf of my junior brothers, I thank your noble clan!" Zhao Tinggui said.
Li Xijun saw through the maneuver clearly and sighed inwardly. If Zhao Tinggui had come prepared with these terms, his intention was even more evident: *So that was his plan all along...*
Zhao Tinggui's calculation was plain: as long as a key direct descendant of the Li clan went to the front, the Li family would never stand idly by if anything happened on the battlefield. Even Li Xuanfeng and Li Xizhi, who operated outside Moon Lake Peak's jurisdiction, would be compelled to intervene. Once both were drawn into the fray, should the situation become even more critical, it could even pull the Yang and Xiao families in to help...
Seeing this clearly, Li Xijun spoke up on purpose, "My clan guards the lands beneath Moon Lake Peak, yet we lack a direct descendant of sufficient standing to command the field. Would Yuexiang be suited for this?"
Zhao Tinggui replied, "No matter. Two of my junior brothers are of the wood and earth affinities, which can complement the formation, while thunder cultivators are rare indeed."
Li Xijun pondered for a moment, nodded, and instructed, "Go summon Yuexiang up here."
As the two were speaking, a woman stepped into the courtyard. With willow-leaf eyebrows, almond eyes, and a fluttering white dress, she wore a long sword at her waist. She looked as though she had just finished cultivating, with faint wisps of golden-red flame still flickering about her figure.
Li Xijun introduced the two to each other, smiling at Zhao Tinggui, "This is my younger sister, Li Yuexiang."
Li Yuexiang greeted politely, "Greetings, Fellow Daoist."
Zhao Tinggui glanced at her and returned the courtesy. Though Li Xijun already had his answer, he still turned to his sister and asked her intentions.
Li Yuexiang said softly, "My brothers at home have always doted on me, leaving me no room to meddle in affairs. Now, I finally have an opportunity to contribute."
Li Yuexiang smiled faintly. Zhao Tinggui said nothing further. Li Xijun added in a gentle voice, "Emissary, do not look down on the women of our clan. Yuexiang is not some frail maiden sheltered in her boudoir. Going north, she should be able to offer great assistance."
"I entrust my little sister to Fellow Daoist!" Li Xijun said.
"Rest assured, Xijun," Zhao Tinggui said earnestly. "Tinggui is by no means such a petty man. Should anything happen to Fellow Daoist Yuexiang, you may hold me fully accountable.
"Returning to the matter of personnel: if your noble clan is hard-pressed, there is no need to send out so many at once. Seven at late-stage Qi Refinement, seven at mid-stage Qi Refinement, fourteen at early-stage Qi Refinement, and forty at Embryonic Breathing... How does that sound?"
Li Xijun gave a solemn nod, instructing, "Very well. Then let us invite the Emissary down together with my sister to select people from the clan."
"Please allow the clan members time to bid farewell to their families..." Zhao Tinggui added.
"Then it is settled. Deliver the roster to me, and board the vessel within two shichen."
Li Yuexiang soon excused herself and went down the mountain. Zhao Tinggui took one last look at her departing figure, took a sip of tea, and nodded in farewell. Left seated alone in the hall, Li Xijun pondered for a moment, refilled his teacup, and muttered softly:
*Zhao Tinggui is still unmarried, and only thirty-four years old... The Ning family seems to have proposed marriage several times, but he turned them all down on the grounds that cultivation comes first.*
*Background, intellect, looks, talent... my sister is indeed a fine match for him...*
A cold glint flickered across Li Xijun's handsome brow. Recalling Zhao Tinggui's subtle hints, he thought:
*He never would have shown lingering interest in beauty before my eyes; that glance was nothing other than a hint. Rattling the mountain to shake the tiger, advancing and retreating with measure, killing three birds with one stone, satisfying both public duty and private interest—he is quite a character. Yet everything depends on what Yuexiang thinks. Once she spends time around him and sees his true colors... she will have her own sense of propriety.*
As Zhao Tinggui stepped out of Mount Qingdu, thoughts stirred within him as well:
*Lake Wangyue is truly endowed with spiritual grace. How many remarkable figures has it produced? Most of the storms of the past century have centered here.*
*I have seen Li Xizhi as well; he had an ineffable noble elegance, truly worthy of a great clan's direct heir, though we never spoke. But this Li Xijun is truly a difficult man to deal with.*
***
Li Yuexiang went down the mountain to find Li Chengliao. He was bustling about with barely a moment to breathe, hurrying forward to greet her only when he saw his aunt descending on the wind.
Before she left, Li Xijun had told her: "Prioritize your own safety in everything. I have spoken with Zhao Tinggui; he will keep you safe."
Li Yuexiang had agreed softly. Hearing the arrangements, she smiled gently, "Staying idly at home, I can finally contribute. Arrange it as you see fit, Nephew."
Li Chengliao reviewed the numbers. Even if they filled all the spots with retainers of different surnames, several of his own brothers would still have to go. Leaving aside the need to preserve manpower for their vassal clans, Zhao Tinggui would never be satisfied if barely anyone surnamed Li was included.
He said in a heavy voice, "An Zheyan, Li Chengzhu, Chen Mufeng, Li Wen... That should be enough for the late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators...
"Elder Chen and the others are all on the list... As for the Cheng generation, probably only Chenghuai and Chengya in the Eastern Sea will remain. Most of the rest who have any cultivation will have to go.
"Li Minggong, Li Cheng..."
"Fourteen early-stage Qi Refinement cultivators are needed, and they must cultivate orthodox Qi, not shoddy techniques..."
He drafted the roster, and Li Yuexiang looked it over. The arrangement was very proper: the An clan retained An Siwei, while the direct line of their own clan had fair representation. She merely asked, "With all these people sent out, what combat strength is left in the clan?"
Li Chengliao said softly, "As I see it... the northern war will not end easily. As time drags on, there will surely be further mobilizations. They will not rest until all the clans are drained hollow. Guard the home well; we will have to send more people when the time comes."
Li Yuexiang nodded, and Li Chengliao said softly, "There is no problem with this arrangement. Call everyone over."
While they were discussing, the people outside the hall had all gathered. Li Chengliao had just stepped out of the central hall when he saw Zhao Tinggui descending on the wind.
Li Chengliao turned back to look at the crowd below. Most wore complex expressions, though some seemed eager to test themselves. Li Chengliao spoke, "The sect has issued orders; our Li family naturally complies."
Zhao Tinggui immediately looked over the assembly, singled out a few people to swap out, brought new ones in, and checked the roster twice. Seeing their sullen looks, he smiled and said:
"Since you have all come, why remain downcast and dejected? Why not strive vigorously to fight for a sliver of opportunity? Perhaps after a year or two, you will ride the wind back as Foundation Establishment or Purple Palace masters!"
Immediately, sobs broke out in the crowd. These cultivators possessed crude techniques; all the old men combined could barely muster three proper spells. Heading north was practically a sentence of toiling unto death. As for killing enemies to obtain treasures—putting aside whether they could kill an enemy or whether treasures would even drop, they had no idea how much they could keep if they did seize something. They could only pin their hopes on Moon Lake Peak acting uprightly.
Being the highest-ranking person present, Zhao Tinggui drew everyone's gaze the moment he spoke. He smiled and said, "This is a pass of life and death, but also an opportunity. Everyone, bid farewell to your loved ones, and proceed to the cloud vessel in Milin Commandery within an hour."
The crowd responded with a resounding shout and scattered. Li Yuexiang also went up the peak to pay respects to her parents and bid farewell to her brother. Li Xijun brought out several talismans and handed them to her, speaking words of caution. Li Chengliao understood, producing several storage bags and saying, "The provisions and medicinal pills are all prepared here. Take care, Aunt."
Zhao Tinggui made an inviting gesture. Li Yuexiang bid farewell to her kin and boarded the cloud vessel alongside him.
The vessel was already filled with sounds of weeping and a pervasive desolation; on the massive cloud vessel, hardly a single cheerful face could be seen. Moon Lake Peak treated the Li family with courtesy, but toward smaller clans, they simply seized people by force. After all, if they went through endless formalities with every petty family, they would never gather everyone even by tomorrow, nor did the vessel have enough hands to waste on pleasantries.
She waited for a while until her kin gradually assembled. The cloud vessel slowly set into motion, and Mount Qingdu vanished from sight.
Soon, the landscape began streaking beneath their feet—yellow sand, villages, jagged boulders, bones blanketing the wild, and radiant flashes of spells. Only when the great river appeared beneath them did Li Yuexiang truly feel the sensation of leaving home.
Word from the sect had spread earlier, and the Li family had also received the news. Now that the cloud vessel had arrived and several vassal leaders had gone up the mountain, the reality was entirely clear.
Li Yuexiang watched for a while. There were indeed a few youths whose talent and cultivation were passable, their eyes bright and full of expectation. Not to mention those youths; though everyone present felt sorrow, who among them did not harbor a sliver of hope? Every one of them yearned to be the protagonist of this era.
*Times change, and all hope for dragons and serpents to rise from the earth...*
Zhao Tinggui spoke for a while. Seeing the visible shift in the crowd's expressions and a spark of desire emerging, he smiled and said:
"Fellow Daoists, going to Daxu this time will not be like Jiangnan. Do not feel dejected... Daxu right now is unlike anywhere else; opportunities truly lie everywhere. Currently, Purple Palace masters cannot see through it, and Mahas cannot divine it. Anomalies are everywhere. Entrances to grotto-heavens open and close, and ancient ruins are plainly exposed. The rain falling from the heavens is jade, gold and stone roll on the earth... and the waters of Lushui ripple."
Li Yuexiang shook her head inwardly. Achieving Foundation Establishment might still hold a sliver of possibility, but claiming that a single trip to Daxu could make one a Purple Palace master was pure nonsense. Yet many below were genuinely swayed. Those minor cultivators did not understand what a spiritual atmosphere meant, and they began shouting out questions in bewilderment.
Overhearing them, Zhao Tinggui explained, "Daxu was originally a land of strife, home to countless grottoes left by shed spiritual forms. Now its spiritual atmosphere is in chaos. With the three paths of the Demonic, Buddhist, and Daoist clashing and the overarching forces of various sects colliding, the Great Void itself is thrown into turmoil. Within a single day, several spiritual atmospheres alternate, triggering countless opportunities.
"The so-called spiritual atmosphere is simply the trajectory and flow of a region's spiritual mechanism. The territory may be large or small, and whenever it aligns with a certain golden nature symbol, it connects with the corresponding grotto-heaven or allows opportunities to manifest in the world. The more chaotic the place, the narrower the scope and the more rapid the shifts.
"For example, when water recedes and thunder rises, it becomes much easier to connect with a thunder-method grotto-heaven. Daxu now experiences three shifts a day and nine classifications in a single place, so naturally many opportunities descend."
A commotion rippled through the crowd as they began conversing among themselves, with some even asking what golden nature was. Sensing that explaining further would be endless, and seeing that the mood had improved, Zhao Tinggui held his tongue.
Li Yuexiang did not feel afraid; on the contrary, she felt much more at peace. She quietly gazed north until Mount Bianyan came into view, her expression growing complex.
"On that mountain, there should be a Zhenhui Daoist Temple..."
Zhenhui Daoist Temple was never widely known and had now fallen into broken walls and ruins, yet in the hearts of the Li family, it held a place rivaling the Southern Border. Faintly discerning the vast white mist in the mountain ravine, she stared toward it for a long, quiet time.
Chapter 541