Li Ximing naturally understood that Floating Cloud Cave was terrified right now and eager to enter his clan's service. His family's reputation had always been decent. Back then, Feiluoya, hailing from Mount Wu, had spent decades by the lake hoping to find a Violet Palace lord to serve—it was the exact same logic.
Yet while these men wished to submit, Li Ximing was not necessarily inclined to take them in. Accepting cultivators of unknown backgrounds into his clan when he possessed no lifebound divine ability would more likely than not spoil major matters.
He had no use for their people, but the land north of the river was fertile. Thus, he asked, "What of Floating Cloud Cave's territory?"
Pingwangzi hurriedly answered, "It has all been confiscated and secured under watch, awaiting Your Eminence's command."
Li Ximing sipped his tea without a word.
In truth, Li Ximing had heard of Mount Xiaoshi long ago. The Li family kept discreet records dating even further back than the founding of the Three Sects.
During the great war north of the river, a Kongwu Path Master had once ridden the wind and landed upon Mount Xiaoshi. The lineages of Mount Xiaoshi scattered and fled in all directions, but one Daoist Fuyuan fled all the way across the lake.
That Daoist had been mortally wounded by the Master and perished soon after, yet the desperate pleas he uttered before dying revealed a wealth of information—Li Xuanxuan had recounted all of this to Li Ximing in detail...
A cultivator from Mount Xiaoshi's Floating Cloud Cave had once visited the lake shore, only to be slain by Duke Xiangping wielding the mirror. From him, they obtained a jade pendant... and that very jade pendant was a component used to repair the Immortal Mirror! It was of the same rank as the one Yu Muxian held in the past!
It was precisely because of this component that Li Ximing paid special attention to the name Mount Xiaoshi, personally summoning the two men to question them.
*What is even more coincidental is that whether it is the Baiye Du Immortal Dao, Chengyun, or Tangjin, every one of them chose to prop up Mount Xiaoshi cultivators as puppets north of the river... How could this be mere coincidence?*
Li Ximing had harbored deep suspicions about Mount Xiaoshi from the start. Given that the Three Mifan Sects all traced their roots to Mount Xiaoshi's lineage, he was all the more certain something lay hidden beneath the surface.
*If other components can be found, that would naturally be marvelous; even a few traces or clues would be good. Furthermore, several Violet Palace figures are playing their pieces on Mount Xiaoshi's board north of the river, which means there must be profit to be made.*
*Taking ten thousand steps back, Floating Cloud Cave's territory north of the river lies right on the opposite bank, separated from the northern shore of Lake Wangyue by a single stretch of water. It is our backyard. How can I allow another to snore beside my bed?*
He took a sip of tea and waved his hand. "If that is so, let the matter rest for now."
As if granted a general pardon, the two men bowed in haste and withdrew. Li Ximing hesitated a moment in the hall, then drew a jade slip from his sleeve. In the corner, faint characters were carved:
*Shangyao Fuguang*
He rubbed the jade slip for a while, his brow gradually furrowing. *Zhouwei is still staying north of the river... Nothing must happen to him. Now is not the time to study techniques. I should make a trip north of the river first.*
***
Outside the hall, the two Daoists flew across Lake Wangyue toward their own territories, feeling as though they had been granted a second life. Pingwangzi was relatively composed, but Daoist Wenhu felt an immense weight lift from his shoulders and was overwhelmed with emotion.
Though both served as pawns for Violet Palace factions, having blundered into such an ordeal, dying at Li Ximing's hands would have been entirely expected. Even if their backing sects lost face and harbored resentment, they could hardly say anything against it.
Pingwangzi said in a hushed, pointed voice, "Whether a matter is great or small rests upon the Real Person's whim. His Eminence said to let the matter rest for now... but he never said he would not pursue it hereafter. Senior Brother, you had better watch your step from now on!"
Pingwangzi could speak with such confidence because Chengyun Gate behind him shared existing goodwill with the Li family. The Baiye Du Immortal Dao enjoyed no such ties, and it was hard to say how that Real Person would view the matter. Daoist Wenhu's road ahead would not be easy.
Daoist Wenhu evidently recognized this. His joy faded, replaced by confusion, and he replied in a low whisper, "An old Daoist like me cannot afford to offend either side. Carrying shoulder poles across a single-plank bridge, I fear tilting too far to one side and falling into the water, and I fear failing to lash the loads securely and having both ends snap. It is not up to me to decide."
Pingwangzi relished watching trouble from the sidelines, finding great entertainment in seeing others squirm. He pierced through the pretense: "Do you value your life or not? Birds flock to forests, men flock to lords. Where would you ever find the chance to let both ends snap?"
Daoist Wenhu fell silent. When truly compared, the master of the Baiye Du Immortal Dao was far harder to deal with. Meanwhile, Li Ximing had only just attained the Violet Palace; his conduct was upright, and he had not yet developed the habit of treating Foundation Establishment cultivators like weeds.
"Sigh..."
Seeing his territory draw near, he said nothing more, letting out only a long sigh, much to Pingwangzi's delight.
***
North of the river.
Night hung heavy over the lands of Floating Cloud Cave. A shadow darted through the mountain forests amidst layered vapors. Concealed beneath a gossamer shroud like shadow itself was an old man with a goatee, glancing left and right as he skimmed low across the ground with extreme caution.
"Li Ximing... a Violet Palace... It is absurd!"
Disbelief was still etched across his face, yet reality was undeniable. The master of Floating Cloud Cave was dead, and Situ Ku had spent the journey creeping along with the aid of his magical artifact, not daring to take a single stray step.
Floating Cloud Cave had maintained intimate ties with Tangjin Gate. Cave Master Fudou had been backed by Tangjin Gate, and Situ Ku had been stationed in the cave to serve as the voice of Tangjin Gate's headquarters. Now, his expression was fraught with misery.
*Fortunately, I never showed my face...*
Situ Ku also understood that Wenhu and Pingwangzi naturally had no wish to offend Tangjin Gate, nor would they hunt him down relentlessly. Their best move was to pretend they saw nothing, which was what had allowed him to escape...
*A pity... A lucrative assignment like this will probably never come my way again.*
After traveling a while, Situ Ku slipped out of the woods. Before his eyes could register the sight, his spiritual sense snapped taut! Far away, beneath a verdant pine on the mountain peak, sat a young man clad in gold-and-white armor.
From a distance, the youth sat cross-legged with eyes shut, completely motionless, his hands quietly forming an incantation seal on his lap. Beside him stood a great halberd whose center curved into a radiant golden arc, planted firmly in the ground.
Situ Ku froze. In that instant, the youth's eyes snapped open. Golden pupils pierced through the dark night, fixing straight onto Situ Ku, and the peculiarly shaped halberd began to hum faintly in the earth.
"Senior Situ, this junior has awaited you for quite some time."
A chill shot straight to Situ Ku's heart, his mind nearly bursting. *Li Zhouwei! Didn't he leave for the East Sea to slay monsters?!*
The next instant, the Dasheng Great Halberd swept across the distance. Even before its gleam arrived, cold sweat broke across Situ Ku's body. Terrified out of his wits, the radiance of multiple talismans erupted from his chest, and a turtle shell floated before him. He spat a mouthful of vital essence straight onto the artifact.
*Pfft!*
*Rumble!*
Li Zhouwei's halberd crashed into the ground before him, sending shattered stones flying. The turtle shell struck empty air, and Situ Ku saw clearly that Li Zhouwei was forming an incantation of Lihuo in his hand.
*The Solar Yingli Technique!*
The only rank-six spell in Li Zhouwei's family was the Dali Baixi Light, yet that art required spiritual fire of the Violet Palace tier to cultivate. Naturally, the Li family lacked such resources, so Li Zhouwei had cultivated the rank-five Solar Yingli Technique instead.
This solar fire art was by no means weak, and its true virtue lay in its adaptability and versatility. At rank five, it was already a prized art reserved for the core lineage of Qingchi! Li Zhouwei had cultivated it for over a decade, repeatedly relying on it to escape perils.
In an instant, dazzling white solar light rose before him like undulating ripples, transforming into an apricot-yellow hue. The turtle shell merely spun once before being flung aside, trapped in raging flames and struggling in vain.
*Bang!*
Li Zhouwei pressed his palm against the talismanic barrier before Situ Ku. The entire barrier erupted with roaring Lihuo flames, its scorching radiance stabbing at his face. Drenched in cold sweat, Situ Ku had only just formed his incantation.
*Bang!*
Situ Ku knew full well what kind of figure stood before him. Back when Li Zhouwei had just broken through to Foundation Establishment, protected by his precious armor, even Daoist Fudou striking in person had only managed to wound him and force his retreat. Situ Ku's cultivation was comparable to this White Qilin of the Li clan, yet from spells and cultivation methods to magical artifacts, he was outmatched across the board. What hope did he have in a fight?!
Deciding decisively, he detonated the shadowy shroud. It shattered with a roar, unleashing a surge of dense gray light. The magical power of the Xiukui path surged forth, coalescing into a massive mountain of shadows that crashed downward.
Situ Ku knew he had only one chance to escape. His entire store of magical power surged together with his blood essence, igniting blazing flames beneath his feet as he shot into the sky like a bird and fled with all his might.
Without a word, Li Zhouwei swung his reversed halberd. From the central arc burst ribbons of radiant Mingyang hues, checking the mountain's crushing momentum. Then, a small banner flew from his sleeve.
The Yangli Scarlet Sparrow Banner!
"Heaven's patterns crisscross, Yangli Punitive Fire!"
Lihuo in five hues—brownish-yellow, pale yellow, gosling yellow, bright red, and vermilion—leaped upward, bracing against the pitch-black mountain together. The great halberd thrust outward again like a pillar supporting the heavens, propping up the colossal mass.
Yet this force had been unleashed by detonating a magical artifact. In the brief delay, Situ Ku had already fled a li away. Seeing that a protracted chase would invite unforeseen complications, Li Zhouwei merely narrowed his eyes to gauge the distance, his voice turning cold:
"Shining upon the eight directions, all kings must pay homage to me... Shangyao Fuguang... Edict!"
A speck of brilliant light rose from between his brows. The entire mountain forest flashed briefly with blinding brightness, illuminating everything before sinking back into the dark night. In the distance, framed against the heavenly light, Situ Ku plummeted into the mountains like a bird with clipped wings.
The old man had fled in frantic confusion without the slightest thought of defense. His lower body was pierced through, and radiant heavenly light danced upon his wounds, rippling to either side and coalescing into two armored soldiers clad in silver-scale armor, their faces devoid of features. Each supported one of his arms and rode the light back toward Li Zhouwei.
In fewer than ten exchanges, Situ Ku had been dragged before him on the brink of death, the mountain-sized black radiance burned down to the size of a low table.
While this was partly because the old scoundrel had focused solely on fleeing without offering resistance, it was also bolstered by his spells and magical artifacts. Even so, it demonstrated that Li Zhouwei's prowess already matched Tuoba Chongyuan's in his prime.
After staunching Situ Ku's bleeding, Li Zhouwei sensed something and abruptly narrowed his eyes.
*A Violet Palace?*
The Great Void before him rippled, revealing a man in white-and-gold Daoist robes. He wore a broad smile, his voice filled with delightful surprise:
"My family's Qilin child is formidable indeed!"
Seeing that the arrival was Li Ximing, Li Zhouwei let out a genuine sigh of relief. Cupping his hands in salute, he laughed heartily. "Greetings, Real Person! With Your Eminence's breakthrough, I could not return empty-handed. So... I captured a disciple of Tangjin Gate to present as congratulations."
"Oh?"
Li Ximing looked at him with great praise, only now realizing that the man on the ground belonged to the Situ family. Li Zhouwei's gaze flickered slightly as he whispered, "This is Situ Ku, who was also a guest elder of Floating Cloud Cave. Wenhu and Pingwangzi let him slip away. I was half a day late, so I waited here for him!"
Li Ximing understood at once. His gaze grew fervent as he looked at the man. This was no mere guest elder; he was a prime point of leverage. Chuckling, he said, "Good... A fine congratulatory gift!"
With a flick of his finger, a beam of clear light settled upon Situ Ku, binding him tight. Li Ximing then took Li Zhouwei's hands, looking him over from head to toe before sighing with emotion. "Now that I have attained the Violet Palace and you are safe and sound, there is no longer any matter more pressing than this."
Though Li Minggong and the others had not gone into great detail, Li Ximing understood how difficult it had been for Li Zhouwei to maneuver across the four quarters over the past decade or more. He had likely borrowed considerable outside aid along the way, to the point of staging a feint toward the East Sea just to slip back in secret.
Li Zhouwei only smiled. Li Ximing glanced up at the sky, then guided him into the Great Void, where both vanished. Just a dozen breaths later, the sky rapidly cleared into morning brightness.
***
Having escorted the two Daoists to the hall, An Siwei soon rode the wind back, only to find a youth wandering inside. Li Minggong stood nearby, while the spiritual items once placed on the low table had long vanished, taken by unknown hands.
An Siwei lowered his head and cupped his hands respectfully. "Second Young Master!"
"Lord An..."
The youth possessed a clean-cut appearance and dressed in brisk attire, unremarkable save for his golden eyes, which fixed on An Siwei as he smiled in greeting. He was none other than Li Zhouwei's third son, Li Jianglong.
Li Jianglong and the four brothers after him had not followed the generational naming conventions of the Li clan's secondary branch. No one dared inquire about it, nor did anyone bring it up. At eighteen or nineteen, Li Jianglong's cultivation lagged behind his elder brother's, standing only at Qi Refinement.
He blinked slightly and smiled. "I heard what you said, Lord An. With such great joy upon us, I wonder when Father will return?"
"He should arrive within hours," Li Minggong answered.
Li Jianglong shook his head. "That Daoist Wenhu truly does not know how to present gifts. Perhaps he has never suffered such humiliation before. The item was a precious herb that looked as though it had been shelved for ages, tossed among the confiscated spiritual items to be delivered to the clan."
An Siwei nodded and replied, "I understand."
Li Minggong looked at Li Jianglong with an amused smile. The youth greeted them both politely, saying he would head outside the islet to welcome his father. Clearly delighted, he departed with brisk steps. Li Minggong chuckled softly. "He meant well. Elder Uncle refused Wenhu's gift, yet I kept it. Seeing the item gone, he feared you might think I took a private bribe, so he made a point to clarify it."
An Siwei naturally understood and showed approval as well, saying gravely, "The Second Young Master is tactful and considerate, reading the occasion with prudence. He is a blessing to the family."
*He is not the only one,* Li Minggong thought to herself. Aloud, she replied, "Jianglong and Jiangxia are older and have already begun to distinguish themselves. Jiangliang is a few years younger, and I have seen him as well; each possesses his own merits...
"All of Minghuang's sons are capable hands. Had they been born into our Chengming generation, the northern-southern contention would have fared far better, and that would have been a great blessing."
A trace of bitterness crossed her features as she lowered her eyes gracefully, minding her manners before an elder. An Siwei was getting on in years and dared not discuss such topics with her, so he simply cupped his hands. "I shall go down and prepare for our islet's reception of the various Violet Palace guests. I consulted the clan elders; holding it on the islet itself is unfeasible. We have settled on the Mount Milin range, where the terrain is most expansive and the spiritual energy is most balanced."
Familiar with clan affairs, Li Minggong caught his meaning at once and nodded. "This provides a fine opportunity to renovate Mount Milin, which has sat untouched for years. Now that Mount Xiaoshi and Mifan are settled, there is no need for me to return. I might as well stay behind to help maintain appearances."
An Siwei nodded and exited alongside her. Across the lake, the Mount Milin range had already been adorned with countless golden floating banners, with cultivators rising and descending amidst an atmosphere of boundless jubilation.
Chapter 693