Secrets

Pingya Islet. Sunlight shone brightly within the great hall. Li Zhouwei sat in the seat of honor holding a jade slip, the golden beams brushing over each vermilion pillar and spilling across the spacious floor. Since returning from the lake, Li Qinghong had retired to her cave dwelling to cultivate in seclusion, quietly awaiting Xi Zikang's arrival. His father, Li Chengliao, had also entered seclusion to temper his cultivation in preparation for attempting Foundation Establishment. As a result, the reins of authority had once again fallen into Li Zhouwei's hands. Li Zhouwei did not mind the trouble. Cultivating in seclusion too rapidly would inevitably invite suspicion, so he intended to devote his focus to mastering spells while steadily refining his cultivation base, which conveniently would not interfere with handling clan affairs. His hand rested on the desk. A subtle luminescence flowed across the pale-gold jade slip, revealing several small characters: *Shangyao Fuguang*. As Xi Zikang had not yet entered the Grotto-heaven, the other escape art, *Liuri Zheguang*, could not be studied for the time being. Over the past year, while dispatching men into the mountains to contact Bai Rong, Li Zhouwei had devoted himself to examining this technique and had reaped some rewards. His spiritual sense sank inward. Inside the Juque Court, all was hazy and indistinct, save for a bean-sized spark of bright light that danced gently, steadily absorbing the magical power in his body without exhibiting any obvious marvels on the surface. Yet Li Zhouwei gradually sat upright, looking down at the jade slip with lowered gaze. Pondering in silence, he gently caressed its surface. And with good reason: this was the first time the Li clan had ever seen, or even heard of, a spell being formed within the Juque Court. Even more unprecedented was that after being suppressed and refined in the Juque, *Shangyao Fuguang* would fly upward to the Shengyang between the brows before soaring outward to confront an enemy. 'It is commonly said that Foundation Establishment takes place in the Sea of Qi and divine abilities coalesce in the Shengyang. What then is the Juque? Furthermore, before attaining the Violet Palace, only the Sea of Qi is visible among the three apertures. Within the Dao of the Violet Palace and Golden Core, the Juque Court seems completely superfluous...' He could tell that the flow and path of this spell were entirely different from conventional arts, leading him to conclude that it was remarkably ancient—likely predating even the Dao of the Violet Palace and Golden Core. He also formed certain expectations: 'Since casting it is so cumbersome, it likely cannot be unleashed in an instant. One must settle one's mind and compose one's spirit before releasing it. It truly carries the air of antiquity.' As he was lost in thought, a figure strode hurriedly into the hall. Clad in armor, Chen Yang dropped to one knee before the hall, his voice low and curt: "Reporting, my lord! The unrest in Eastern Shanyue has been quelled. Li Jiman has arrived to seek an audience and is already waiting outside the hall." A year had passed peacefully across the lake, save for some turmoil that broke out in Eastern Shanyue. Li Jiman's son had attempted to poison him; upon failing, he fled the city and stirred up considerable unrest. Li Zhouwei had dispatched Chen Yang there, who descended from the heavens and severed the prince's head. Crestfallen, Li Jiman had now come to pay his respects. The Shanyue knelt before the hall doors, cold sweat drenching his aged face. Eastern Shanyue was nowadays scarcely different from the easterners, with its people dressed neatly in robes and caps. Li Jiman's hair cap was pressed against the ground, skewed and lopsided. Li Zhouwei cast a glance over him as the old man lamented, "Your humble subject pays respects to... Dahe Mingfang!" The Shanyue had always addressed him this way. Li Zhouwei paid it no heed, continuing to read the jade slip as he waited for him to plead his case. Li Jiman's current position was actually exceedingly awkward. He had been elevated to the throne by Li Yuanping, making him an adherent of the elder branch. Yet in the blink of an eye, power had shifted into the hands of the middle branch. Although Li Xicheng and Li Chengliao held no factional prejudice, this remained an indelible mark upon him. He had always kept a low profile. Who could have imagined that his rebellious son, having served as crown prince for forty years, simply could not endure waiting any longer? After failing to egg him into attempting Foundation Establishment, the son had turned to colluding with outsiders to poison him... Now kneeling below the hall, unable to voice his grievances, he babbled on with various excuses, only for Li Zhouwei to deliver an airy remark: "Eastern Shanyue is not large. Watch over it carefully. If your strength falls short, the islet will send someone over." Li Jiman could do nothing but kowtow repeatedly. Chen Yang dragged the man away, then returned to the hall and murmured, "Your Highness, for the crown prince to act so foolishly, there might be more to this than meets the eye... Could Dili Youjie be behind it...?" Eastern Shanyue and Northern Shanyue had never seen eye to eye, so it was little wonder Chen Yang suspected this. Li Zhouwei set aside the jade slip and answered: "Even if there is more behind it, it only proves Li Jiman's incompetence. He has grown old and cannot even rein in his own son... As for Dili Youjie, he is, after all, a veteran who has gone through life and death with me. He would not seek his own doom at a time like this." He rose from behind the desk and said quietly: "Rivalry and infighting among the family's various manors and factions are common occurrences. Since neither Li Jiman nor Dili Youjie took a side, naturally someone wanted to replace the Shanyue king. Giving a little rein now and pulling tight later means that the next reckoning will involve far more than just Li Jiman. "There is no need to trouble yourself over such matters." He strolled toward the front of the hall and retrieved a letter from his sleeve, densely inscribed over a full page with recent developments within Qingchi. Over the past year, Qingchi had undergone earth-shattering changes. Chi Xuxiao had placed Chi Fupo's faction in key positions across the board, making them ascendant within the sect. Si Yuanli kept his doors closed and refused all visitors, and the Si family faction had collapsed in utter defeat, with almost none of their people left in office. Even the deeply rooted Lingu family saw several of their members lose their posts in the South Sea. Li Xizhi had been missing without a trace for an entire year. Ning Hejing had made aggressive moves in the East Sea, giving rise to rumors that Li Xizhi had already been murdered by the Chi family. At the very end of the letter, it mentioned that Qingchi envoys had set out for Lake Wangyue bearing rewards. Li Zhouwei could not help but chuckle, shaking his head repeatedly: 'Qingchi has truly been in sufficient turmoil. The rewards for the North-South Conflict were delayed for a full five years... and only now do they bring up rewards.' In truth, apart from the Li clan and the Lingu clan, the other families had received theirs years ago. For these two clans, it had been deemed that "the meritorious service is immense and still requires deliberation." And that deliberation had lasted five years. He calculated the days and figured it should be today. After waiting a short while, An Siwei indeed came forward to report, saying respectfully: "Your Highness, emissaries from the Qingchi Sect have arrived!" "Come, let us go greet them." He stepped outside, the two following behind as they headed out of the hall together. What had arrived from Qingchi was not a Rosy Cloud Vessel, but a spirit boat. Two men stood at the prow, their expressions quite amicable. Seeing Li Zhouwei approach, both disembarked and bowed in greeting. The man in the lead bore an air of magnanimity, dressed in robes interwoven with blue and white. His eyes were filled with warmth, and his tone was extremely courteous: "I am Li Quantao. Greetings, Clan Head!" Chi Fupo was clearly no petty fool. Since the rewards were intended to confer goodwill, he would not play the petty game of sending someone to cause trouble. The man placed in charge of this matter was none other than Li Encheng's son, Li Quantao! Li Zhouwei had heard of his name and understood that their relationship was fairly good. He said softly: "Please, Honored Envoy!" Li Quantao seemed to have been faring well recently. His demeanor appeared considerably more mature, and his conduct held an imposing air. The men behind him treated him with immense deference. Chi Fupo truly lacked capable subordinates, which led him to reinstate many talents within the sect who had previously been sidelined. Li Quantao's faction had offended Chi Wei, but Chi Fupo could not care less and had promptly put him to heavy use. As a result, Li Quantao's current standing was far from low. He gave a hearty laugh and walked inside with them. Once settled in the hall, he said with a serious expression: "We are both of the Wei Li clan, so I will not bother with any roundabout nonsense. Let us simply bring out the items!" He acted with forthright generosity. With a wave of his sleeve, an attendant behind him hurriedly stepped forward carrying a large box, supporting the bottom with both hands. Channeling magical power into it, the jade box flipped open on its own. *Whoosh!* A medicinal fragrance rushed over them. In plain view, five Suiyuan Pills were nestled in the grooves, grayish and etched with patterns, giving off pulses of flowing radiance. An Siwei, standing behind, quickly lowered his head, not daring to look any further. Further inside were two smaller jade boxes and an elongated box. Li Quantao opened them one by one and said softly: "There is no need to say much about the Suiyuan Pills; these five have abundant potency and are of great benefit for Foundation Establishment. As for these two jade boxes, one contains a rare lightning-attribute precious medicine, the Leixinhe, and the other contains Jiurui Lingxuan." He held one box in hand and flipped it open, revealing a pale purple heart-lung organ nestled inside. Densely covered in black veins, it pulsed faintly, cushioned by several flower petals and leaves beneath it. Li Quantao chuckled and said: "This item is quite easy to preserve. The only precaution is that it must not be removed during a thunderstorm. If taken out of the box in the presence of thunder and rain, it will transform into lightning and flee, scattering all its essence, impossible to recover unless one is a Violet Palace cultivator. "This object is of tremendous benefit to lightning cultivators; it is meant for Senior Qinghong." He flipped his hand to close and put away the box. The other jade box he did not open, introducing it from outside the container: "This is the Jiurui Lingxuan. It can treat damaged foundations, congenital deficiencies, superficial cultivation, and unstable immortal foundations. It must not be exposed to light; it will wither upon contact with light." Chi Fupo was indeed fairly generous; both precious medicines were rare treasures. Li Quantao placed them back into the large box, then turned to take the elongated jade box, opening it with a flick of his hand: "This is the Gushu Yinhuazhi, a rare Jueyin magical artifact..." He raised his brows to look at Li Zhouwei, sighed deeply, and said in a low voice: "What the Sect Master originally designated was a Mingyang magical artifact. Yet Lord Ning repeatedly submitted memorials to obstruct it, delaying the matter again and again. In the end, that artifact could not be retrieved, and it was replaced with this one." "I see!" Li Zhouwei nodded and glanced into the jade box. Inside lay a jade branch about the length of a forearm—half bone and half jade, crisp and limpid. Its sparse bifurcations bore pure black leaves, enveloped in a somber Yin aura. 'Gushu Yinhuazhi... Such an unappealing name, but the appearance is decent enough.' Having inspected it, Li Zhouwei smiled: "The Honored Envoy is too courteous. Whatever the sect bestows is what we receive; there is no need to trouble the Sect Master over it. My family gratefully accepts this sentiment." Li Zhouwei certainly could not use this magical artifact. Not just him, but the vast majority of cultivators would have no idea how to employ it; it likely could only show its true brilliance in the hands of cultivators from the Maiden Kingdom or Chunyi Dao. Yet he felt Ning Hejing's action made no sense at all. 'Who knows what madness took Ning Hejing? While this item is a treasure to Chunyi Dao, even if my family cannot use it ourselves, can we not trade it?' An Siwei received the jade box. Noticing that Li Quantao still wore an expression of regret, Li Zhouwei turned the thought over in his mind: 'Ning Hejing is, after all, someone who governs an entire region; he shouldn't be foolish to this extent. He most likely merely advised Chi Xuxiao against bestowing Mingyang items for fear of our family growing too powerful... It seems someone added embellishments, intending to make my family resent Ning Hejing...' Li Quantao only felt that the youth before him had a rather imposing, domineering countenance, causing him to speak with extra politeness. Little did he imagine that hundreds of thoughts had already spun through the youth's mind. As they moved further into the hall and dismissed the attendants, a look of worry finally surfaced on Li Quantao's face. He lowered his voice: "Clan Head... have you heard any news of Xizhi? He and I are as close as brothers... During this time he has been missing, violent upheavals have shaken the Earth Abyss, and his soul lamp in the sect has grown exceedingly dim... I am deeply worried!" His anxious expression did not seem feigned. Li Zhouwei shook his head and said in a low voice: "Even the exalted sect has no news; how could my family know?" Li Quantao had no choice but to sit at his place with furrowed brows that refused to smooth out. He said gravely: "Your noble clan may not realize how grave this matter is. The Earth Abyss is entirely filled with Xi Qi and Shaoyang Light. Both flood the abyss, blinding the eyes and wounding the spirit; a single year is enough to prove fatal!" Li Zhouwei grew pensive, his eyes narrowing slightly. Raising his head, an expression of unease showed on his face, yet his heart leapt. Li Xizhi's jade talisman in the clan had clearly shown no change at all—in fact, it remained as bright as ever! 'Is the jade talisman not precise enough... or is he trying to bait me with words?' Li Quantao and Li Xizhi shared a life-and-death friendship, so Li Zhouwei found it hard to believe Li Quantao would conspire with Qingchi to trick him. But how difficult could it be to deceive Li Quantao? Using false information to stir genuine emotion was hardly an intricate scheme. Seeing him fall silent like this, Li Quantao assumed he was shaken, and whispered: "Xizhi is on very good terms with Lord Si, and an elder of your family even died under his orders. You could ask him; there will surely be a reply! He spends all his days in seclusion and sees no one, so I cannot meet him... Otherwise, I would have gone to ask him in person!" Li Zhouwei nodded as if enlightened and said with joy: "Very well! I shall write a letter immediately!" In his heart, he sneered, thinking to himself: 'So that's the plan!' Ask Si Yuanli? Si Yuanli was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator; where would he get the ability to know what was happening in the Earth Abyss ten thousand li away? This was nothing other than an attempt to question Si Boxiu! 'Si Yuanli has feigned weakness for so long and now has lost all power. Chi Fupo has finally grown suspicious, truly wondering whether Si Boxiu is merely in seclusion while Si Yuanli acted entirely on his own!' If Si Yuanli truly possessed the covert support of Real Person Yuanxiu, then even if the letter contained no specific news of Li Xizhi, it would at least hint that Li Xizhi was safe and sound, so as not to let the Li family lose heart... And the moment Li Quantao learned the news and showed any sign of relief, Chi Fupo would instantly have the basis for his judgment! Li Zhouwei merely put on a grave and earnest expression, cupping his hands toward Li Quantao and saying solemnly: "Senior shares a life-and-death bond with my elder, and I naturally trust Senior! The fact that I am writing to inquire must under no circumstances be known to anyone else! If a reply arrives and I send someone to deliver the message, Senior must never let others find out either... lest something goes awry!" He added fuel to the fire, causing Li Quantao to nod repeatedly and make several oaths in succession. Li Zhouwei understood that he meant well, but since Chi Fupo had arranged this probe, he would certainly have a way to learn of their conversation; it was merely a matter of whether he would believe it or not. Seeing that the matter was settled, Li Quantao let out a sigh of relief. Before long, he took his leave. The party departed riding clouds, and Li Zhouwei escorted them all the way out of the lake, watching them disappear into the distance. Treading upon bright light, he returned and landed in the great hall. Drawing a sheet of letter paper from the desk, he tossed it casually to the side. Write a letter to Si Yuanli? With such brazen correspondence, even if Si Yuanli dared to speak, Chi Fupo would not dare believe it! From start to finish, Li Zhouwei had never once intended to write to Si Yuanli. 'Information obtained out of thin air like that... would only appear to be the result of a secret correspondence between the Li and Si families...' He calculated the timing. After a month had passed, he could send a reply to Li Quantao. But sending a letter openly into the sect... how could that convince Chi Fupo? "With Li Encheng and Li Enxi having died one after the other... the original channel has also been severed..." Li Zhouwei pondered for a while, then lightly brushed over the formation on the desk. After waiting a moment, a young man entered the hall, dressed in robes of cyan on the outside and white within. It was Li Chenghuai. Li Zhouwei's voice was exceedingly low: "In years past, the Deng family left our clan a secret channel of communication... Can that shop still be found? Please trouble Clan Uncle to make a trip to the market, establish contact with the Deng family, and help me deliver a letter into the sect when the time comes." Without asking a single question, Li Chenghuai acknowledged the command and withdrew. Li Zhouwei turned the jade slip in his hand, gazing quietly at the lustrous jade box under the sunlight: 'To clever people... the more secretly information is overheard, the more worthy of belief it is... Against clever people, act foolish; against foolish people, act clever. It is nothing more than this.'