Into the Abyss

The Eastern Sea. Pines rustled in the wind across Fenkuai Island. Li Xizhi, dressed in white, sat quietly by the table. There was no one around, and an eerie stillness hung in the air, broken only by moonlight spilling across the tabletop. Holding a jade flagon, the man stood and paced around the table, unable to bring himself to sit back down. His wife, Yang Xiao'er, had entered secluded cultivation two years ago to attempt breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, and there had been no news of her since. He had constantly worried for her, only to soon receive word that Li Xijun had perished in the Eastern Sea while vying for the Mingfang Sky Stone. When Li Xizhi first heard the news, he had retreated into his inner quarters, tears streaming down his face, unable to calm himself for a long time. Now several years had passed, yet he still found himself thinking of it often. "Jun'er." Li Xizhi poured the wine, filling the cup opposite him as well, his feelings intensely conflicted. Each of the few times Li Xizhi had returned home, Li Xijun had in fact spoken with him at length. Xijun had always been calm and dispassionate by nature, and after being subjected to that talisman qi, he had grown heartless to an extreme. "Brother Cheng attained the position, yet his heart harbored unease. Ximing's shoulders were soft, carrying even heavier guilt. But how could Jun'er have felt none? First exposing Ximing, then confronting Brother Cheng, and later eliminating future troubles by sending Yuexiang away... His inward panic and trepidation were the heaviest of all. "What a tangled mess... How could it ever be unraveled!" The intricate web of the Li clan's affairs was actually seen most clearly and understood most deeply by Li Xizhi, an outsider living away from the lake. Now pouring the wine onto the ground, he murmured: "Grandfather often said that the Four Xi shared fraternal love... But how could 'fraternal love' begin to describe it all? Where intimacy falls short, resentment and guilt can never be resolved; where hatred cannot be harbored, envy and dread must never show... all for the sake of perfecting a single divine ability." He poured three cups onto the ground, bowed deeply, and put away the flagon and cups. Tucking all those emotions away, he stepped forward with calm composure. As he emerged from the woods, Li Wushao came up to meet him. This old monster had already reached the late Foundation Establishment stage. As his state of mind shifted, the youthful appearance he had initially taken on when transforming into human form seemed to have faded as well; stern wrinkles now lined his face, giving him a severe and solemn air. Bowing respectfully, he greeted: "Young Master!" Li Xizhi took the letter from his hand, glanced through it, and turned to ask: "Wushao, how were the effects of that Essence of the Serene Sea and the Spirit-Elevating Qi-Promoting Pill?" Although Li Wushao was at late Foundation Establishment, his actual strength fell somewhat short. If he were to face a disciple of an immortal sect, a mid Foundation Establishment cultivator would likely be enough to deal with him, which was naturally inadequate. Thus, Li Xizhi had specifically sought out two alchemists on Fenkuai Island to examine him. Both were seasoned seniors who had examined many spirit beasts. After scrutinizing him thoroughly, they were rather astonished. "Although this beast lacks transcendent wonders, its bloodline is quite peculiar. Its ancestors might have possessed some cultivation, or perhaps it has consumed some spiritual medicine like Qingxuan—truly a great tonic! "If this beast were tossed into a cauldron as an ingredient, it would surely yield a superb batch of Suiyuan Pills!" These words left Li Wushao stunned, his eyes flashing with both confusion and ferocity. Only after Li Xizhi explained carefully did the two alchemists realize he wanted pills to enhance the beast's strength. They eagerly took on the task, yet still sighed with some regret: "Does My Lord truly not wish to refine Suiyuan Pills? This monster is such fine material. If you reinforce his foundation first, putting him into the furnace later won't yield quite the right flavor." The old snake's face had darkened terribly. Li Xizhi had sent the alchemists off between laughter and tears, though a realization had dawned in his mind: *Wushao was born an ordinary Wugou serpent; his bloodline could hardly be considered good. It is likely the Six Weirs Life-Matching Special Method supplementing him so many times that brought some benefits.* Using Taiyin Lunar Essence for life-matching was an extravagance that even clans as grand as the Wangs and Xies would find lavish. No wonder the alchemists called him a great tonic. Consequently, Li Xizhi had specifically procured a fine spiritual item, had pills refined, and administered them to Li Wushao. Hearing his inquiry, Li Wushao gradually manifested pitch-black scales as dark as ink, his eyes turning equally black as he rumbled: "Subordinate cultivates 'Morning Cold Rain' of the Fu Water lineage. Now its divine wonders are even more pronounced; I can already manipulate Ruoshui and suppress magical winds..." He demonstrated his various divine wonders. Li Xizhi watched, looking as though he wanted to speak but held back, before softly saying: "Splendid. When I find an opportunity, I will procure some more spells for you, which will surely make you even more formidable." The corner of Li Wushao's mouth twitched. He bowed in thanks, secretly thinking: *What kind of monsters are these people of the Li clan... Leaving aside the sword immortal of the past, if a ruthless man like Li Xuanfeng shoots an arrow at you... no matter what spells you have, you'll collapse crying for your mother... Now the Young Master's cultivation grows ever deeper, giving off an unfathomable air as well... Not to mention the Heir, and Qinghong...* Paying no heed to what the serpent was thinking, Li Xizhi read through the information in his hands. He chuckled wryly and shook his head: "How interesting... I thought Ning Hejing wouldn't be able to hold back, yet he has turned out unexpectedly well-behaved! Instead, it was Chi Fubo who struck ruthlessly to seize the initiative, actually wrenching him right out of his seat!" Li Wushao grew pleased and asked in a low voice: "If they've started infighting, is that a good thing?" "A good thing?!" Li Xizhi shook his head and said with a touch of sarcasm: "How could it be a good thing? None of those fellows are fools. With a formidable enemy right before them... why would they tear into each other so rashly? Hmm? The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—who doesn't know that?" He looked through the various personnel changes and smiled: "Rather than saying they tore into each other, it's more accurate to call it a compromise. Ning Hejing may have lost the seat of Yuanxing Peak Lord, but his trusted followers remain comfortably entrenched upon the peak... What kind of logic is that?" Li Wushao looked over the roster twice. Staring at the dense thicket of names, his head began to ache, and he cursed inwardly: *Damn it... humans are so treacherous! If you want to fight, just trade blows and get it over with... why bother with all these schemes and calculations?* Even while cursing in his heart, he humbly sought guidance, asking: "So the Ning and Chi families are tricking us?" "Not quite," Li Xizhi replied with a shake of his head and a smile. "Their clash was real enough, but once the tearing was done, everyone walked away satisfied having exchanged their interests. Now that Ning Hejing, a heavyweight of the Sect Master's faction, has stepped down from that peak, there is naturally a better post for him to go to! "The Chi family is short on manpower, so they naturally won't fall out with the Ning family. Leaving those people on the peak serves firstly to secure support and divide the Ning family, and secondly to placate Ning Hejing..." Li Wushao pondered for a moment and asked: "Go where?" "As for where?" Li Xizhi answered offhandedly, pointing behind him toward the bamboo grove, and said softly: "To the Eastern Sea, of course! Whichever of the two factions lost, the loser would take over this post beneath me—wouldn't that satisfy everyone? Ning Hejing has ferocity to spare but lacks calculating foresight; it's bound to be him coming. "First, it sweeps an eyesore out of the sect; second, it secures control over one of the two most crucial sea territories. So long as Chi Xuxiao speaks, how could Ning Hejing refuse? Once he arrives in the Eastern Sea, he'll have to manage his subordinates and purge dissenters; where would he find the time to interfere with the sect's internal affairs? In the end, all that fighting will only whittle away the Si family's strength while fattening their own!" Li Wushao remained brooding for a good while before asking in a low voice: "What about Master Si? How could he sit by and watch..." "The Eastern Sea was bound to be yielded sooner or later." Li Xizhi sighed, remarking regretfully: "A pity about this bamboo grove, though. That fellow loves driving iron pillars into the ground until the entire mountain looks like a hedgehog. I doubt it can be preserved..." Li Wushao knew he had plans and asked softly: "What about us now..." "Mm..." Li Xizhi said softly: "Before the orders arrive, you and I shall pay a visit to the subterranean abyss on the island, entering under the pretext of an inspection... We'll dump this mess onto that fellow, and hunt for treasures properly before we leave." With rainbow light rising and falling in his hand, he thought to himself: *As long as the orders haven't arrived, I can use this as an excuse to brush things off, satisfying both sides well enough. As for these ledger accounts with neither head nor tail... they are naturally left for Master Ning. A man of his brilliant talent will surely balance them cleanly, even without subordinates to help him.* Li Xizhi gave it some thought, swiftly took up his brush, and penned two letters to send home. Without pausing, he packed up his cave dwelling and left immediately. Stepping out, he left instructions for his subordinates and set out with the old monster, riding the wind all the way to the center of the island. There lay a colossal chasm, its exposed cliff faces gleaming an eerie, sinister red. In front of the abyss stood several cultivators in golden robes. The cultivators bowed in salute one after another. Li Xizhi said softly: "So today is the Jinyu Immortal Sect's turn to maintain and reinforce this place. I wish to explore within; might I trouble you fellow Daoists to open the grand formation?" Relations between the Jinyu Sect and Qingchi Sect had always been lukewarm, yet these cultivators showed great warmth toward him. Addressing him as 'Daoist,' they brought out a map and said with a smile: "The earth veins have shifted slightly over recent months, perhaps because one of the Three Lords of Shaoyang lost his temper, or traveled somewhere to visit a fellow Daoist. Please exercise caution, Daoist." The subterranean abyss on Fenkuai Island had come into being when the Demon Lord was cleaved into three parts. Within it, various types of qi were intermingled, and the earth veins harbored evil fiend energy. The phenomenon of water receding and thunder rising had had little impact on it; instead, it often fluctuated with the movements of the three True Lords. "Good, very good." That was precisely what Li Xizhi wanted to hear. Nodding in thanks, he wasted no time at all, refusing to linger even for a breath, and immediately descended into the abyss with Li Wushao. As his figure vanished into the abyss, the three Jinyu Sect disciples resealed the grand formation. One of them, a woman, remarked in a low voice: "Is that Li Xizhi of the Moon-Gazing Li clan? How handsome he is, and his strength appears not to be underestimated either." "Naturally!" Another disciple wore a hint of pride on his face as he shook his head and said: "The eldest martial uncle of our peak currently in seclusion, Zhang Yun, was an intimate friend of Li Tongya! Even the Immortal Bow, Li Xuanfeng, had to address him as Senior Uncle! How could a descendant of such people be mediocre?" Loving the house and its crow, he held a favorable view of Li Tongya because of Zhang Yun, and by extension had a good impression of the entire Li clan. Li Tongya was renowned far and wide, whereas Zhang Yun was little known among rogue cultivators, so he eagerly brought up Li Tongya to elevate his own eldest martial uncle. As the three chatted and laughed, an escape light descended swiftly onto the island. After circling the peak once, it veered straight toward this location and touched down before the three, an urgent voice asking: "Where is Changtian Peak Lord?" *Si Tongyi...* The three naturally recognized him, but held him in contempt, answering only in a flat, indifferent tone: "The Daoist has entered the formation." *That's fine... that's fine too.* Si Tongyi breathed an immediate sigh of relief. Sighing inwardly, he turned and left. A few hours later, another streak of light descended rapidly onto the peak, circled around, and headed straight here as well. Carrying a Qingchi seal and wearing a shocked expression, this person demanded: "Where is Changtian Peak Lord?!" Recognizing him as a member of the Chi family, the three disciples paid him no heed—one read a book, another cultivated, all ignoring him. ... A Jade Water Scaled Beast broke through the surface of the sea. The palace on its back glimpsed fleetingly in the air before dipping back toward the water. Once the massive scaled beast came to a halt, Huiyao opened the palace doors and said respectfully: "My Lord, please." Li Zhouwei emerged from the palace. Kongheng was already waiting on the shore; the monk craned his neck, watching until Li Zhouwei stepped down from the beast's back, only then letting out a breath of relief. Huiyao was also carrying a basket of pearls, each the size of a fist and dazzling with radiant luster. Watching their expressions, he shoved the basket into Kongheng's hands, murmuring: "My Lord, please accept them... The King of Weixia is timid by nature; she isn't the sort of demon who would do such a thing. Frightened as she was, she hasn't slept day or night... Please grant her a way out, My Lord..." Kongheng was kind-hearted. Hearing Huiyao's muttered explanation, he already grasped most of the matter. His hands had already caught hold of the basket, but fearing he might bungle things, he raised his eyes to look at Li Zhouwei. Seeing Li Zhouwei nod, Huiyao was overjoyed and thanked them repeatedly. Kongheng simply supported him with both hands, saying gently: "Fellow Daoist Hui has a kind heart. You truly are a good monster." Huiyao was bewildered by the praise. He had committed plenty of misdeeds in his time and felt rather ashamed, mumbling an awkward agreement. Li Zhouwei turned to look at the other side, where an armored young man stood holding a sword. Chen Yang had guarded the island all these years. With Li Zhouwei and Li Chengliao both secluded in cultivation and Kongheng knowing nothing of governance, Chen Yang had managed the vast majority of affairs. Though his cultivation was merely at the third level of Qi Refinement, his demeanor had changed considerably. The venom and suspicion that used to flash in his glances had vanished completely from his face. Chen Yang possessed the features of a Li clan member; stripped of those somewhat crude expressions, he appeared steady and composed. Yet whenever he looked at Li Zhouwei, he still kept his gaze lowered toward the cheeks, daring not meet those golden eyes, and bowed respectfully: "Greetings, My Lord!" "Rise." Li Zhouwei's gaze did not linger on his face. He turned to exchange a few casual remarks with Huiyao, after which the monster departed atop the beast. Chen Yang counted the pearls and whispered: "My Lord, sixteen Lian pearls—barely bordering on the threshold of Foundation Establishment spiritual items." As Li Zhouwei walked into the palace, he said softly: "Put them away. Their quality is decent. Refined separately, they would produce at most high-grade Qi Refinement tools. Once we return to the lake, it would be best to assemble all sixteen into a set to forge a Foundation Establishment magical artifact." Chen Yang carefully stowed them away, drew a jade slip from his robes, held it up with both hands, and bowed deeply: "My Lord, all revenue and expenditures of the island over the years, appointments and promotions, spiritual ores and spirit rice, are recorded within. The surplus for each year is fully accounted for, without a hair's breadth of error!" Li Zhouwei took it and swept his gaze over the contents. It had to be said that Chen Yang had governed the island in an exemplary, orderly fashion over these past few years. Every spirit field and mineral deposit was managed immaculately; a single year's surplus now rivaled that of three years in the past. *This man is ambitious and ruthless, yet his competence is beyond doubt. The island is populated entirely by overseas cultivators, and it takes precisely such a man to keep them in check.* Precisely because Chen Yang had ambition, he did not touch a scrap of the island's revenue. The cultivators feared him to the utmost. Li Chengliao's abilities were already quite exceptional, yet even he had needed to concede certain benefits to win people over, whereas under Chen Yang's rule, administration was clean and incorruptible to the extreme. Kongheng waited for a while until Li Zhouwei finished reading, and only then handed over the letter in his hand, remaining silent. Li Zhouwei took the letter and skimmed through it with lowered eyes. His eyes closed tightly. He waited for several breaths before raising his brows, exhaling, and asking: "Did Great-Uncle Ximing say anything?" Kongheng shook his head. Li Zhouwei waved a hand to dismiss Chen Yang and sat quietly in the hall for several breaths. Seeing Kongheng's pale face, Li Zhouwei said in a slightly raspy voice: "A great-uncle has fallen. I must return without delay."