"Crack."
The snows of the North Sea never melted, cloaking the world in a vast expanse of pristine white. Howling gales swept across the mountain peaks. An old man sat silently upon the summit, his white jade fishing rod extending far into the boundless snowfall. The crystalline line hung taut and straight, plunging directly into the endless frozen sea below.
Xiao Chuting had sat withered here for decades without moving in the slightest. The wind and snow brushed past his sides without leaving a single flake upon him; the old man's hands remained as steady as cast iron.
Amid the continuous whistling of the heavy snow, a figure descended upon the wind. Two strings of medicine pouches swayed at his waist. With slightly greying hair and a warm, gentle voice, it was Xiao Yuansi.
"Greetings, Zhenren."
"Yuansi has arrived," Xiao Chuting acknowledged in a deep, gravelly voice. His hands did not waver in the slightest as he asked casually, "Did you deliver that elixir to the Li family?"
Xiao Yuansi had always understood that before this ancestor of his, none of his actions or thoughts could ever be hidden. Bowing low, he said respectfully, "Replying to Zhenren: Junior has delivered it. Remembering the affection between master and disciple, I failed to report to Zhenren beforehand. I beg your forgiveness."
"Good."
Xiao Chuting showed little ripple of emotion and said warmly, "You have always felt that I am heartless, yet in this matter, what you did was ill-advised. Sometimes, heartlessness is the only way to save someone. You do not see things as clearly as Tu Longjian."
"Junior..."
Xiao Yuansi hesitated, but Xiao Chuting gave him no opportunity to speak further, murmuring softly:
"That the Li family possessed a Violet Palace cultivation method is something I knew long ago. When the Donghuo Grotto-Heaven fell, the secret archives of the Dongli Sect fell into the hands of the Three Sects and Seven Gates, and all their secrets were laid bare. That sect traced its lineage back to the Wei Li; while there were few truly precious treasures within the grotto-heaven, the details revealed were enough to be fatal.
"When Li Ximing established his foundation, the celestial phenomena were unusual. Si Boxiu made a trip there, compared what he saw against the Dongli archives, deduced the grade, and even recognized which Violet Palace cultivation method it was!"
Xiao Yuansi remained silent. The old man said softly:
"It is the Grade Four Golden Hall Huangyuan Formula. It has a secret art requiring the spiritual qi known as Golden Yang Huangyuan. The Li family crossed Mount Xiping and held onto that ancient city wall without letting go simply to extract that qi.
"Si Boxiu naturally did not care whether the Li family's cultivation method was complete or not. A Violet Palace cultivator from the Li family would certainly be a good thing, but not having one wouldn't be bad either... None of these are major problems. So what if they have a Violet Palace method? How many wild, unaffiliated cultivators could ever succeed? Even if one did, he would at most be another Changxi. The problem is Li Zhouwei..."
Xiao Chuting sighed and answered:
"He is a true seed of the Violet Palace—that is no idle joke... Born with an extraordinary bloodline, he surpasses even Chi Buzi. He is no Changxi! Do you have any idea how many eyes are fixed on him?
"And as for that Mingfang Sky Stone, hardly anyone in Jiangnan wants to see it used on Li Zhouwei. Even if they would not act openly against him, not one of them wishes him well."
The old man murmured:
"Tu Longjian is not seasoned enough after all; no matter what, he could never outscheme Tianwan. As long as he made that gamble with Tianwan, there would be plenty of people willing to strike down Li Xijun... Even if they obtained the Mingfang Sky Stone, Li Xijun's death makes it no different than not getting it at all! That was why Tianwan dared to let those two rogue cultivators act—she knew full well that someone would aid them in secret..."
Xiao Yuansi sighed deeply and replied, "Junior does not understand."
Xiao Chuting said, "Look at how things stand now and you will understand. Li Qinghong has gone to the East Sea, and Li Xijun has fallen. Who is there to dissuade Li Ximing? Li Ximing possesses a temperament that yearns for immortality. Will he not secretly take the Mingfang Sky Stone to attempt a breakthrough? Who could resist such a temptation? How could it ever be left for Li Zhouwei?
"Changxi and I were suppressing Li Ximing, and he understood that as well. Yet the moment you delivered that elixir, Li Ximing became even more unable to sit still! If he attempts a breakthrough, it will be certain death, and all those resources will be squandered..."
Xiao Yuansi lowered his head in silence. In his heart, he understood just how immense the temptation of the Violet Palace was; Li Ximing's parting words had almost certainly been mere placation.
Before him, the old man sighed deeply and said, "Right now, the various Violet Palace cultivators fear only that Li Ximing will not attempt a breakthrough... A Li Ximing attempting a breakthrough poses no threat; nine times out of ten, he will perish. He does not understand the dangers involved in the slightest. He only sees that the Three Sects and Seven Gates achieve breakthroughs regularly... and foolishly believes that whatever estimated odds exist are the real odds.
"I deliberately arranged several matters to distract and trouble you, all to slow your concoction so that after Li Ximing went into seclusion, the pill would be delivered into Li Zhouwei's hands instead. Yet you risked injury to yourself... just to arrive in time..."
The old man looked deeply at him and sighed, "So be it. Let it fulfill the bond between master and disciple!"
Xiao Yuansi stood frozen for a full quarter of an hour, unable to utter a single word in reply.
"You may withdraw..."
Xiao Yuansi withdrew dispiritedly, his soul seemingly drained. Xiao Chuting continued to hold his fishing rod. Once Xiao Yuansi had departed and the wind and snow in the air subsided slightly, the look of disappointment on the old man's face vanished instantly.
*Yuansi is warm and pure-hearted, and of our clan's direct line. What suspicion could the various Violet Palace cultivators possibly harbor toward him? They will only test Li Zhouwei.*
He lifted the long rod slightly, as though a thousand jin of weight hung from it, causing the entire snow-clad peak to tremble faintly. In an instant, snow tumbled down the slopes, gathering momentum into an avalanche that rumbled thunderously, while beneath his feet, a speck of light seemed to rise slowly from the frozen sea.
***
Mount Dali.
Mount Dali was blanketed in pristine white snow, silver trees stretching across the wilderness under the moonlight. Li Zhouwei gazed far into the distance across the undulating mountain ranges. In the heavy snow, several plumes of black smoke rose into the air as patrolling monsterlings stamped their feet around small glowing bonfires, laughing and frolicking.
Mount Dali lay at the northernmost edge of Jiangnan. It snowed every year, but the snowy season was short, making it scenery to be enjoyed. The White Ape looked from afar and said in his aged voice, "Your Highness... Mount Dali has not tasted human flesh for a hundred years. The monsters are simple and foolish, gradually forgetting the flavor of humankind."
"This is the achievement of our forebears."
Li Zhouwei nodded as they descended onto a snow-covered peak. Amid the rustling snowfall, a group of monsters sat clustered before the deer monster's cave abode, warming themselves around a fire pit.
Seeing them land, the monsters by the fire were startled, yet they did not flee. A monster with large ears and a deer-like face stepped forward; despite possessing only the fourth layer of Embryonic Breathing, it could actually speak human speech. It chuckled, "Hey, human! Are you here to gather herbs? Come warm yourself by the fire..."
Its accent was quite bizarre. Before it could finish speaking, a tiger monster chieftain beside it was scared out of its wits. Yanking the deer monster down to kneel, the tiger shrieked in terror, "This lowly monster greets the two lords!"
This tiger monster was a Qi Refinement chieftain that had already developed spiritual sense, recognizing that both visitors were at the Foundation Establishment realm. A single glance from the White Ape scared half the life out of it, leaving it prostrate on the ground. The old ape said in his rasping voice, "Go and announce that the Li clan has come to visit the Cave Master."
Li Zhouwei paid it no heed. As he waited before the cave for a short while, the words of the deer monster lingered in his mind, and he remarked, "Over the past hundred years, my clan has traveled in and out of Mount Dali... often exchanging spirit rice for spiritual goods, harvesting herbs, and extracting spiritual essences. The monsters here have long since ceased eating humans, leaving them innocent and simple. Our clan's cultivators had things to ask of them and thus sought to please them, which is why relations have become so harmonious."
"The Great King speaks truly!"
No sooner had Li Zhouwei's voice fallen than a howling gust swept out from within the cave, accompanied by surges of spiritual wind. Swirling out in a cloak was a middle-aged man with black hair, brown eyes, and loose, disheveled tresses, bearing a massive shield on his back. He called out in a resonant voice, "This lowly monster greets the Great King!"
Having spoken, he bowed low with reverence. Li Zhouwei furrowed his brows and helped him up. Lu Ken had always addressed Li Zhouwei's elders as fellow Daoists; bowing like this completely disrupted the seniority of their generations. Surprised, Li Zhouwei said, "Senior, what is the meaning of this..."
Lu Ken straightened up and laughed, "That is a separate matter. When we monsters see a White Qilin, propriety must come first. The bow had to be paid."
Though his face was all smiles, the reverence in his demeanor had not diminished in the slightest. Clearly, he shared the same mindset as the dragon prince Dingjiao, regarding Li Zhouwei entirely as a White Qilin.
The deer monster said no more and invited him into the cave. The interior was exceptionally vast, with stone walls as white as mutton-fat jade and clear, distinct grain. A host of monsterlings bowed to either side, while mats of animal hides—mostly of wolves and tigers—were spread across the floor.
*A deer monster serves as the Cave Master... tigers and wolves at the northern foothills are practically going extinct...*
Once seated at the head of the chamber, Lu Ken's brown eyes glanced at the White Ape, and he hurriedly apologized, "In recent years, I was visiting friends in the Helin Mountain Range... and then went together with them to the Southern Border. Going back and forth took several years, and I have only just returned to the mountain. I have truly delayed matters."
Li Zhouwei did not believe a word of his nonsense, but he answered casually and quickly turned to the purpose of his visit, saying softly, "My clan sent several letters in recent days, which Senior has surely seen. We hope to meet Senior Bai Rong. Does Senior still have contact with the Demon Cave? Please help arrange a meeting for us."
"Arrangements were made long ago!"
Lu Ken chuckled heartily and stood up with clasped fists, murmuring, "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist. The moment I returned to the cave, I reported to the Demon Cave and received word early on. We were only waiting for your arrival. I shall go invite him at once."
He added in a lower voice, "In recent years, my master has found great favor with the Great Demon, and his status within the cave has grown steadily. Furthermore, with his deep accumulation coming to fruition, his talents have truly shone since establishing his foundation, winning over quite a few monster generals. He is already an eminent lord!"
Bai Rong's rise in status had clearly brought Lu Ken plenty of benefits over the years. Thick pride and delight surfaced on his face as he called the monsters together to lay out a grand banquet, while dispatching a monster to the Demon Cave to invite Bai Rong.
The White Ape looked closely. Despite this being a clan of deer monsters, wine and meat were arranged across the low tables. He remarked softly, "Cave Master, this banquet is quite bountiful, with so much meat."
Though Lu Ken did not recognize the White Ape, he quickly deduced that this old ape was likely very advanced in years. He first asked, "How old is Fellow Daoist?"
"Over four hundred and sixty..."
Hearing this reply, Lu Ken was genuinely startled. He gave an admiring sigh and answered, "Allow me to inform Fellow Daoist: though we are deer monsters, being able to eat meat is always better than eating greens. Even mortal deer... have the habit of eating birds, snakes, and insects...
"It is all nature. What is more..."
Lu Ken failed to voice the words 'most monsters also eat humans', but Li Zhouwei already caught the unspoken implication and clasped his hands behind his back in silence. Lu Ken regarded him as a monster; otherwise, those words would not have been held back at the very tip of his tongue.
"Lu Ken!"
Just as the White Ape and Lu Ken were chatting amiably, a loud call rang out from outside the cave. A streak of purple flame stepped across the air and settled inside the cavern, revealing a youth clad in a blue-green robe with wide sleeves and a large lapel. A string of shimmering silver beads hung around his neck and shoulders, and his brows were somewhat narrow. He shouted, "I have arrived!"
Lu Ken hurriedly moved to bow. The youth stepped forward quickly, his smile fading as he sized up Li Zhouwei with a hint of bewilderment. He asked, "You are that White Qilin... That's right, I heard Li Xijun died as well..."
"Li Xijun was this junior's granduncle."
"Oh!"
With Li Zhouwei's reply, Bai Rong finally sorted out the generational hierarchy. He said, "Sigh... I merely entered seclusion, and decades flashed by in an instant. Your family's cultivators have been replaced batch after batch... Though the lifespan of humankind is short, it seems to me that natural lifespan is far less disastrous than human calamity.
"Your clan truly is the descendants of Mingyang. The lord in my cave even spoke of you, saying you were a White Qilin. Seeing you today, it is indeed true."
Bai Rong quickly grew familiar and relaxed. First glancing at the deer monsters below, all raising their heads with eager anticipation, he said in slight exasperation, "You've truly picked up bad habits from following those humans around. Setting up such pomp just for my arrival! They're all itching to pick up their chopsticks—hurry and drive them outside so they can eat on their own."
Lu Ken acknowledged respectfully. Understanding his intention, he hurriedly withdrew, shouting at and kicking out the pack of monsterlings, then thoughtfully pulled the stone doors tightly shut and stood guard outside with full devotion.
Seeing him withdraw, the stone doors rumble shut, and the grand formation activate, Bai Rong finally chuckled, "There really aren't many people left in your Li family that I know well. I still remember a little old man... of Tongya's nephew's generation. When I visited the lake last time, he was the only one I could chat with. Is he still around? If he's gone, I would be even less inclined to visit."
"The elder's health remains sound."
Li Zhouwei knew he was referring to Li Xuanxuan. So many years after Li Tongya's passing, the bond between the two sides had indeed faded considerably, yet Bai Rong still remembered him, which was already exceptionally rare.
Bai Rong did not delay and asked for the purpose of the visit. Li Zhouwei said softly, "Junior was cultivating in the East Sea and, entrusted by Dragon Prince Dingjiao, came to seek Senior on behalf of the dragon kin to request the matter of listening to the abyss."
Bai Rong chuckled slyly and replied, "I know... Having you deliver this message shows that the dragon kin truly took pains."
His expression turned serious as he said, "My ancestral grandmother's relationship with Dongfang You wasn't particularly good. While they hadn't reached the point of being mortal enemies, they could never see eye to eye! Had Dongfang You not already perished, and had the lord behind me not been on good terms with the dragon kin... humph, that Dingjiao would never have dared to ask."
Li Zhouwei did not interject, listening quietly. Bai Rong murmured in a low voice, "He did not tell you much, but I can easily guess—it is nothing more than going to the South Sea.
"By right, our fox clan cannot enter the sea. But since the dragon prince has asked... this matter is not particularly difficult either. There is no harm in making a trip on behalf of my lord."
Li Zhouwei finally set his mind at ease and breathed a sigh of relief. He did not covet the spiritual tool in Dingjiao's hands, nor did he ever truly intend to accept it for himself; rather, forging good ties with the dragon kin was what mattered more.
While Li Zhouwei was pondering this, Bai Rong laughed and said, "Then it is settled. The White Qilin shall accompany me on a trip to the South Sea."
"Hm?"
In this matter between the dragon kin and the fox clan, Li Zhouwei had merely been the intermediary delivering messages. Consequently, he had maintained a courteous posture throughout, never favoring either side. Yet after all the twists and turns, the burden was hung right back onto him...
"Junior's cultivation is shallow, and I am ignorant of these ancient matters. I fear accompanying you would only delay Senior's affairs."
Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow, only to see Bai Rong looking at him with a grin. Even after taking human form, this youth still carried an air of fox-like craftiness, his voice slightly high and reedy:
"White Qilin, Dingjiao wants far more than just to listen to the abyss—he also wants to befriend the two of us. If you don't go... the whole affair falls flat.
"Besides," he sighed, his expression turning solemn as he continued in an unhurried tone, "now that Li Qinghong is gone, you won't find much peace on the lake either. Accompanying me and Dingjiao will actually be far safer... By my side and his, at least no one will dare harbor designs against you."
Chapter 664