As Li Xijun and the others were in the middle of their discussion, the jade seal upon the stone table flickered faintly. Someone had arrived outside the cave dwelling.
Li Qinghong pinched an incantation, prompting the Chongming Dongxuan Screen to revert to its original form and slip into her sleeve. She opened the cave dwelling's stone door to reveal Bi Yuzhuang entering with a bright smile. Looking at Li Xijun and his kinsmen, she remarked, "Your noble clan truly produces an endless stream of remarkable talents!"
Li Xijun voiced his gratitude respectfully. Bi Yuzhuang exchanged a couple of casual pleasantries, but as she had clearly not come merely to make small talk, her expression soon turned solemn. In a low voice, she said, "Regarding matters at Hengzhu, arrangements have been made. If you have a moment, please hear me out."
She withdrew a nautical chart from her sleeve and explained, "Those of us tasked with guarding offshore islands should ideally defend the main islands and make our presence known. Xu Peiyu, though formidable in strength, is excessively extravagant and lustful. Instead of stationing himself in the main hall of Qingzhou Island, he relocated to Xifeng Island to construct grand palaces. With only a handful of his confidants coming and going from that island, tracking his movements is difficult.
"Fortunately, he remains attentive to the various reefs around Qingzhou. Though he indulges in wanton desires, he never misses his inspections of the reefs. Furthermore, he dotes on his concubines, often sailing with them completely bare to seek pleasure upon the sea..."
Bi Yuzhuang was evidently thoroughly acquainted with the man. She said softly, "Our Dao possesses a magical artifact known as the [Zongshui Conch], crafted from the remains of a demon that failed its breakthrough to the Violet Palace. Though lacking in offensive might, it can mobilize water veins."
Li Qinghong felt a surge of quiet envy. Mobilizing water veins was entirely different from mere water manipulation; shuttling through the depths of the sea with such a treasure would be akin to riding the currents themselves, astonishingly swift. What a fine treasure!
"That treasure leaves no trace of magical power," Bi Yuzhuang continued. "We shall first stir the water veins to draw him northward, then arrange for a demon general and a rogue cultivator to fight and pursue each other past his path, contesting a Shaoyang spiritual item. He will certainly not pass it by and will rise to give chase.
"Having snatched the treasure while pursued by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, the demon will inevitably flee toward its own den. We need only adjust the water veins so the concubines' spiritual boat drifts north, and they will certainly collide along the way.
"Naturally, to keep him from seeing through the ruse, the rogue cultivator was deliberately guided there, and the demon general is a carefully chosen fish demon that knows nothing of the true plot. Xu Peiyu's reputation is notorious and wicked; once the fish demon spots him, it will realize it cannot make it back to its den and will only flee away from Qingzhou, hoping Xu Peiyu will abandon the chase out of concern for the main island.
"Arranged this way, every aspect will appear genuine, and the more he watches, the more convinced he will be. We need only lie in ambush in the direction opposite Qingzhou. My family also possesses the magical artifact [Xijia], which excels at masking traces and evading divine scrutiny."
Li Xijun reviewed the arrangement in his mind and cautioned, "Senior, Xu Peiyu indeed possesses considerable skill. It is said he is adept at reading expressions and moods; an ordinary pursuit might fail to fool him."
Li Xijun's earlier knowledge had been gathered through inquiries, but the observation about reading moods was a conclusion drawn from watching Xu Peiyu's movements through the mirror. Bi Yuzhuang nodded in acknowledgment, thinking to herself, *Seeing this youth's demeanor, he is indeed as meticulous as I anticipated.*
"Do not worry," she smiled. "To make sure of it, that fish demon was chosen because it is exceptionally cunning and swift at fleeing—only such a creature is worthy of serving as a pawn. An ordinary bungler would never suffice."
"I have also heard that he wields a bell, a sword, and a pearl," someone noted. "The bell is named [Chenwu], capable of seizing the spirit; the sword is named [Pingdong], a Shaoyang treasure; and the pearl is named [Qunqing], capable of perceiving near and far. We must be vigilant against them."
"Furthermore, there are actually cultivators dressed in Chijiao Island attire within Xu Peiyu's palace. I only hope nothing untoward happens when the time comes."
Chijiao Island and Changxiao Gate were reputed to have terrible relations, yet when Li Xijun had used the mirror to scout, he had clearly spotted cultivators dressed in Chijiao Island garb on Xu Peiyu's island. It seemed their mutual animosity was merely on the surface, while beneath it, who could say how they were colluding?
"According to what Qinghong agreed with me beforehand," Bi Yuzhuang said, "Qinghong shall have first choice of one item from Xu Peiyu, and the remaining spoils will simply be divided equally among the three parties."
She looked at them with a smile and added, "Things are going so smoothly that we may not even need Ximing and Xijun... Your clan could simply watch, or returning to oversee your clan would be fine as well."
Li Ximing replied after a moment's thought, "Brother Jun's cultivation is still low; it would be better for him to return. I still possess some suppressive ability, so I will lend a hand here just in case, lest he manage to slip away."
They withdrew from the cave dwelling. Outside stood towers and high terraces, bustling crowds below under pleasant sunlight.
The sea surrounding Qingzhou and Hengzhu was vast. The closest islands were Jindou Island and Yuezhou Island; further north toward the Near Sea lay Chijiao Island's Yihuo Reef. Among the three sects, only Tangjin Gate had good ties with Changxiao Gate, yet Tangjin had closed its mountain gates for many years and possessed no strength to intervene now.
Hengzhu's reputation was indeed decent. Judging by the attire in the marketplace, rogue cultivators and clan cultivators were even more numerous than in Qingzhou Market. Among the six sects and one gate, Violet Palace immortal clans received good treatment wherever they went, but rogue cultivators were shrewd—they knew best which places were truly safe.
Bi Yuzhuang acted with great efficiency. Cultivators soon arrived, and the group departed the island along an alleyway within the market. After flying over the sea for a time, Bi Yuzhuang's red-robed figure materialized out of thin air.
In her hand, she held what appeared to be a hazy, ethereal veil that faded in and out of sight. Upon seeing them, she tossed the veil into the air. One corner remained in her grasp while the rest expanded continuously, draping over everyone.
White mist coalesced beneath their feet like solid ground. Under the veil's concealment stood three other individuals: two clad in red robes, and the remaining one dressed in pleated garments of blue with azure patterns.
Bi Yuzhuang introduced them: "These two brothers are juniors of our Dao. The elder is Feng Chong, and the younger is Feng Yu. Both have studied the arts from childhood and excel at spellcraft. They have spent years training upon the sea, so Changxiao Gate should not know of them."
She dispatched the Feng brothers into the sea to lay the array, while the rest sat cross-legged beneath the spiritual veil artifact, quietly waiting.
Bi Yuzhuang then pointed toward the man in blue with azure patterns and said joyfully, "This is Fellow Daoist Chen of the Yuyang Chen clan. His mastery of the sword dao is astounding, but his clan keeps a low profile and never sent him out. My running into him was truly an unexpected delight! Who would have thought Fellow Daoist Chen would happen to be traveling here and generously lend a hand? Xu Peiyu faces a tribulation of the Dao; he has nowhere to flee!"
This was the first time the Li clan cultivators had met someone from the State of Yue's Yuyang Chen clan. Prior to the rise of the Xiao family, that clan had been the only Violet Palace immortal clan in the State of Yue, always maintaining a low profile, not far from their own lands. They had never heard of the Yuyang Chen clan harboring grudges against anyone; who could have imagined they had reached the point of ambushing Changxiao Gate's direct line? Furthermore, this man made no effort to conceal himself, suggesting the struggle between Yuyang Chen and Changxiao at the Violet Palace level was already common knowledge among their peers.
Fellow Daoist Chen wore a Daoist crown and nodded politely. At his waist hung a magic sword in a white scabbard. His gaze shifted from Li Qinghong and lingered upon Li Chenghuai.
"I hear little friend has refined sword origin," he said in a gentle voice tinged with appreciation. "This is my first time encountering a frost-snow sword origin in Jiangnan. Being a descendant of a sword immortal as well, I would truly welcome a chance to spar and sit down for a thorough discussion of the sword."
Ever since Li Chenghuai had broken through to sword origin, he had found no clue regarding the elusive, ethereal sword intent above it. Hearing that this senior possessed astounding sword mastery, he shared the same desire for exchange, replying readily, "Senior, please rest assured! Once this matter concludes, I will pay Senior a visit in Tongmo Commandery or on the East Sea!"
Li Ximing's heart steadied, and just as he was about to speak, Li Chenghuai interrupted him. Li Chenghuai bowed respectfully and said, "When Xu Peiyu departs, I should first visit Xifeng Island to confirm he has brought the spiritual item along."
Li Xijun nodded and gave Li Chenghuai a few reminders. The white-robed youth carefully pondered the matter several times, thinking to himself: *It is just as well. I ought to visit the island to check. On the off chance he is arrogant enough to leave the Violet Palace spiritual item on the island, we might have to alter our plans, and going back and forth would only waste time. Better that I keep watch myself to eliminate this final margin of error.*
He bowed to everyone and departed upon a flurry of snow.
Bi Yuzhuang looked toward Li Xijun and praised, "I see he is meticulous in thought and exceptionally gifted in the sword dao, truly bearing the air of a sword immortal. Congratulations!"
***
Far away on Lake Wangyue, array light gleamed snow-white over Pingya Isle. Several cultivators moored along the islets on the lake, either surveying earth veins or managing spiritual beasts. Minor formations lit up from time to time, and spiritual boats shuttled back and forth.
With the clan's Foundation Establishment cultivators away for several months, the two brothers had already put the isle in order, reappointing the three heads—Fengmu, Fengqian, and Fengzheng. Now the entire Li clan functioned smoothly, once again radiating vitality.
Li Chengliao, having lived through these events, understood this best. Qingchi Sect was harsh toward subordinate clans, though the various peaks were relatively enlightened. Yet Qingchi lacked everything except people; spirit fields and spiritual opportunities were far from sufficient. In a sense, the recent calamity was even an uncommon blessing in disguise: the entrenched elders, Embryonic Breathing veterans, and old men stalled at early Qi Refinement had mostly perished in the north. With those occupying the positions above them gone, the younger generation could naturally step up.
Li Chengliao descended by the lakeshore on a gust of wind, his true essence solid and dazzlingly bright. Having switched to the clan's most precious *Scripture of Minghua Huangyuan*, his true essence was distinctly superior, lending his countenance considerable dignity.
Beside him, his cousin cultivated the Rank-Six *Scripture of Evading Scrutiny and Concealing Qi*, which carried an ancient flavor. Unlike his elder brother, his aura was completely concealed, his cultivation hard to gauge. Back during Qi Refinement, he had also had the Rank-Four *Pheasant Fire Continuous Motion Art* to choose from; having read both, he had felt that many siblings already cultivated Fire Virtue, and preferring an unobtrusive art, he had chosen this path.
During the months the Foundation Establishment cultivators had been away, Qingchi Sect had been rife with turbulent currents. Though the Chi family held their ground, Si Yuanli was no easy opponent. First, the Gu family reported for eight consecutive days that demonic unrest had erupted in the South Sea, requiring people to be dispatched there; the personnel guarding the East Sea also had to be redeployed, and several of Yu Su's confidants at his former post had either fled or been taken back into the sect, leaving no one available.
Si Yuanli sent people to urge and incite, intimidating the Chi family cultivators so they dared not go to the East Sea—or dared not leave the island if they did—leaving the sea unpatrolled for a long time. Meanwhile, he heaped lavish praise on Li Xuanfeng and pressed forward with arrangements for Li Xizhi to preside over East Sea affairs.
Li Chengliao guessed the Si family wanted to drive a wedge between Ning Hejing and Li Xizhi, while Li Xizhi felt the Li clan could still be rallied; unexpectedly, this was the only matter on which the two factions saw eye to eye. Furthermore, Ning Hejing's opinions sometimes clashed with the Chi family's, forcing Li Xizhi to compromise on multiple fronts, stretched thin. After manifold negotiations, Li Yuanqin finally had the opportunity to return to the Li clan on Lake Wangyue to offer condolences.
"According to news from the sect, where has that grand-uncle reached?" Li Chengliao asked, his mood growing heavy as he glanced at his cousin.
His cousin calculated for a moment and replied, "It should be soon—probably less than a quarter of an hour."
Li Chengliao waited by the isle. As traces of a Xiaguang cloud boat tinted with morning glow appeared on the horizon, he sighed.
Were Li Xuanxuan still on the mountain, Li Chengliao truly would not have known how to face Li Yuanqin. Back at Tujun Gate, he had met him briefly; that impression lingered in his mind—Li Yuanqin was not someone easy to deal with.
Li Chengliao followed the gaze across the water. His cousin consoled him softly, "Brother, the elder has arrived."
Chapter 632