"My humble thanks to the Real Person!"
Ding Weizeng's voice was respectful. He was a hearty, imposing man with the jaw of a swallow and a curly beard. This bow of his, though brief and without grand speeches, sounded far more pleasing than a long string of sycophancy, earning an approving nod from the old Real Person.
With Ding Weizeng having paid his respects, Sumian smiled without a word. The conversation to follow was no longer suitable for his ears, so Li Ximing flicked his sleeve and sent him out, speaking sincerely:
"Allow me first to thank Real Person Qi. It has not been long since my breakthrough, and my family precepts forbid dabbling in blood qi, so I was ill-equipped to treat him and wholly unfamiliar with such methods. It cannot compare to the wonderful magic of the Real Person's divine abilities, deployed with effortless mastery."
"Zhaojing flatters me."
Sumian shook his head and poured tea, answering, "If Zhaojing wished to, treating his injury wouldn't be all that difficult either. I merely enjoyed the convenience of my divine ability."
He poured tea for the two of them. Outside the courtyard, a brisk, chilly rain began to fall. Changxi looked at Li Ximing with complex emotions, pressing a finger against his teacup with a steadying air.
"Seeing Zhaojing in such high spirits is like looking upon myself more than three hundred years ago. It truly fills me with deep emotion."
Changxi was actually under five hundred years old now, around four hundred and fifty-odd at most. Li Ximing had long harbored doubts regarding the lifespan of the Violet Palace. Pausing briefly, he asked:
"Having attained a divine ability, even if one cannot achieve transcendence, to think one cannot even enjoy the joy of a thousand years, making do with a mere five hundred. That is hardly enough for cultivation."
Sumian smiled with feeling and replied, "Zhaojing asks well. I had the same question in my earlier years. A few brief words were mentioned in my lineage, which I can share with Zhaojing."
"Lifespan consists of two parts: one is physical lifespan, and the other is spiritual lifespan. The former is called inherent nature, while the latter follows destiny. We cultivators of the Path of Violet Palace and Golden Core cultivate inherent nature, which is this very body. The soul is imprisoned within the physical shell, so the physical lifespan is often inexhaustible, but when destiny runs out, the soul withers and one dies."
Li Ximing showed a flicker of comprehension. Changxi smiled and said:
"Look at how the monks of the north cultivate destiny. Though their physical lifespan is short, once it runs out, they simply switch to another body and live on as before. It is precisely because they cultivate destiny that a Lianmin must change bodies every hundred years or so. Even though they must reforge their dharma body each time, living over a thousand years poses no problem, and they can keep using new bodies until their destiny is exhausted."
"Indeed!"
Sumian took up the thread, saying, "So rather than calling it a five-hundred-year lifespan, it should truly be called a five-hundred-year destiny lifespan. Before the Heavenly Change, it was recorded on the Underworld registers—Cultivator So-and-so is allotted such-and-such years of life, and so forth... I hear there were even instances in those days of bribing the Underworld to add a bit of lifespan."
Changxi sighed. "After the Heavenly Change, the Underworld became unreachable, and everyone's lifespan was cast in stone. The Violet Palace is allotted five hundred years. If one cultivates a destiny divine ability, one can live a while longer, and there is leeway for soul snatching and the like. But with my art divine ability... I am naturally just waiting for death."
Li Ximing pondered for a breath and asked:
"What about the Path of Ingesting Qi and Nourishing Inherent Nature?"
"The ancient immortal arts are naturally wonderful! Once a divine ability is attained, inherent nature and destiny are both complete, and one can live for a very long time indeed!"
Sumian gave a chuckle and answered, "Yet how many can actually succeed? Look at the Wang and Xie clans hiding away in their vast grotto-heavens. With tens of millions of mortals, are there even ten immortal cultivators? Can one in a thousand ever attain a divine ability? If one were to cultivate that lineage, setting aside whether you could even unearth an immortal formula, your entire Lake Wangyue might produce only one or two children who could do little more than use magic power to make it rain."
Li Ximing nodded in agreement, drank his tea, and asked:
"Is the Old Real Person still at peace in your domain?"
Sumian knew he was asking about the Baiye Duxian Dao, so he said:
"Let Zhaojing know, I have always lived quietly by the sea. Yuming of the Shen family, Minghui of Lotus Temple in the Lu region... all share some friendly acquaintance with me. Even Ye Gui of the Duxian Dao and Changyun of the Chengyun Sect have paid visits to me."
With these words, Sumian's meaning was immediately plain. His Xuanmiao Temple harbored no ambition, nor did Sumian wish to stir up any waves in his twilight years; maintaining steady, cordial relations with all his neighbors was the proper path for him.
As for the current tense situation between Changxi, the Li clan, and the Duxian Dao, Sumian naturally had no desire to touch it.
Glancing at the two men, he added:
"Now that I have agreed to look after the Xuanyue Immortal Sect for Changxi, I will naturally keep my promise."
Having heard this, Li Ximing was not surprised either. Choosing his words, he said:
"When I broke through to the Violet Palace, this Real Person Ye Gui did not come to offer congratulations. Not coming to congratulate me was one thing, but he even went out of his way to utter unprovoked mockery. I know not where I offended him."
"I am also aware that the Baiye Duxian Dao is blocked to the north by the Chengyun Sect, where Changyun is not to be underestimated; to the east they respect the Xuanmiao Temple; to the south lies Xuanyue; and to the west are the three sects of Mifan... They are naturally opposed to my family... yet there was no need to bare their fangs so early."
That Qingchi behind the Li clan was falling on hard times was not something only Ye Gui knew and grew greedy over; Sumian and Changxi were well aware of it too. Exchanging a glance, Sumian sighed:
"Yet there is one matter Zhaojing does not know... This Ye Gui originally obtained his opportunity in the Douxuan Grotto-Heaven. Back then, his ability to enter that grotto-heaven owed much to the patronage of Guo Shentong... Earlier on... during the strife between the East and West Islands of Chijiao Island, some held back from moving against the West Island out of consideration for his bond with Guo Shentong..."
Li Ximing finally understood, sighing deeply inwardly:
'In the end... it still traces back to the enmity with Chijiao Island! No wonder he was so merciless. The conflicts between Chijiao's direct lineage and my family are beyond counting!'
As he thought this over, Changxi's voice lowered considerably, tinged with a chill:
"I heard that the opportunity was originally supposed to go to Lingshu! That fellow is vile scum! In Zhang Lingshu's death, he is under no small amount of suspicion!"
Li Ximing only felt that the name Zhang Lingshu sounded familiar. Pondering briefly, he recalled that Li Xizhi's succession as peak master of Changtian Peak had broken off from Zhang Lingshu, who had originally been a peak master of Qingchi.
Sumian shook his head with slight embarrassment and advised, "This matter is hard to clarify. In the end, Haiying never wed Lingshu, so you have no grounds to reprove him."
"Alas!"
Changxi sighed heavily. Li Ximing, however, felt a slight jolt in his heart. Haiying, of course, was Kong Haiying, the Kong clan's Violet Palace seed currently in seclusion attempting a breakthrough. From their words, Kong Haiying and Zhang Lingshu had nearly become Dao companions!
'This too is a deep vendetta... If I were Ye Gui, the moment Changxi dies, I would inevitably invade the wilderness... never resting until Xuanyue is shaken to its core, and ultimately storming Xuanyue to disrupt Kong Haiying's breakthrough!'
This was virtually the feud of killing a man's wife. Ye Gui himself understood the gravity, and Changxi was naturally even more worried.
'So there was also this layer to it!'
Li Ximing felt slightly displeased at his concealment, but now that it was spoken aloud, showing displeasure would be inappropriate. Furthermore, the enmity between his own family and Ye Gui had become even clearer and would be hard to unravel. He merely lowered his head and sipped his tea.
Changxi had been watching him all along and felt awkward as well, quickly brushing it aside. Sumian, being a man of several centuries himself, immediately added:
"Does Zhaojing know... Ye Gui cultivates 'Duwei' of the Binggu arts, an ancient lineage of expelling ghosts, overseeing mountains, inspiring spirits, and guarding waters. It has an ancient origin, and having mastered three divine abilities, he cannot be underestimated."
Li Ximing had only learned of the Duwei lineage recently; had Xiao Ruyu not mentioned Xiao Yongling and said his Mount Dongyu belonged to this path, the Li family would still hardly have heard of it. Intending to ease the atmosphere, he asked:
"This junior's knowledge is shallow, and I have never encountered the Duwei lineage before. I must ask Senior for guidance."
"Actually, there are plenty in Jiangnan," Sumian smiled. "The fruit position of Duwei has been vacant for many years, making it appear somewhat feeble. Below the Violet Palace, there is nothing exceptional about it—most are simply Dao foundations of mountain, water, and spirits. There are many in Jiangnan, but they are too difficult to identify; most people simply categorize them as substitutes for Earth Virtue, Water Virtue, Shangwu, or Hengzhu, blind to their true nature."
"The Xiao clan's renowned 'Mount Dongyu,' the Shanyue's favored 'Soul Descent Hearing,' and the Lingu clan's 'Southern Sorrow Water' all belong to this path. Those even more famous... are not in Jiangnan, such as the White Qiang's 'Western Sky Plateau' and the Desert Di's 'Northern Desert Court'..."
There was indeed truth in those words. Years ago, the Li family had also believed Mount Dongyu to be an Earth Virtue Dao foundation, only learning of this lineage quite recently. Changxi clearly felt deeply about this and spoke up:
"Among immortal foundations scattered as substitutes, many belong to fallen lineages. If Jiangnan had not produced the renowned Duanmu Kui, cultivators would still treat 'Pagoda Shade Ghost' as a Wood Virtue substitute, believing that because it entangled with Shaoyin, it could never amount to much."
"Precisely!"
Sumian laughed heartily. "So long as the cultivation art is formidable, how could the immortal foundation be poor?"
All three laughed. Cultivation arts and spells were the rarest of treasures, something all three knew from experience. Unless under the most exceptional circumstances, no family would carry jade slips outside, and before facing extermination, they would destroy their jade slips in advance... Had the Li clan not possessed the Immortal Mirror imparting arts, they would still be cultivating the River Unity Qi Formula to this day.
"No wonder it is called Duxian Dao; so it comes from the 'Du' of Duwei. I wonder what subtleties this divine ability possesses?"
Sumian lowered his head to drink tea, while Changxi said:
"At Foundation Establishment, it is merely evil qi of mountains and waters. Upon reaching the Violet Palace, one can drive spirits and command evil, countering enemies with the subtleties of spiritual arts. Moreover, Duwei is not considered wicked or heterodox among Binggu arts; neither thunder nor heavenly light serves as its natural counter."
While committing this to memory, Li Ximing also wished to inquire about Ye Gui's divine abilities. He had asked Changxi beforehand, but Changxi did not know. Li Ximing probed around the edges a couple of times, but Sumian refused to divulge anything.
'I know not whether he is truly unwilling to speak further or fears embroiling himself in the affairs between two clans... He is an old Real Person after all, cautious to the extreme.'
The three chatted for a while longer. The cold rain in the courtyard grew heavier, desolate and chilly, pattering rhythmically along the eaves. Amid the drifting tea fragrance, someone approached outside the courtyard and spoke respectfully through the door:
"Reporting to the Real Persons! Daoist Minghuang has broken through the Miyun Sect's peaks along the river and slain Pingyangzi of Tanshui Hill with his own hands! He has now charged into the hinterland. The Mifan territory is shaken, and cultivators have already mobilized from Baiye Creek!"
"Good."
Changxi pinched his fingers to calculate the time and distance, deducing how quickly Li Zhouwei had broken the array, and smiled.
"Worthy of being the White Qilin of the Li clan! Now Ye Gui will have to make a move!"
Li Ximing stroked his beard and smiled, sighing inwardly:
'Setting a table in the courtyard, brewing tea in the cold rain, laughing and chatting of idle matters, while beneath the shadows of their robes, pawns and generals march, arrays are shattered, and enemies are slain, manipulating millions. A Foundation Establishment cultivator, dignified master of an entire land, is reduced to a bargaining chip for merit; an overlord of a river, upon whom so many cultivators depend, is no more than a rampart or a beacon tower...'
'This is the Violet Palace... only this is truly the Violet Palace!'
Li Ximing had not forgotten the days when generations of his ancestors drifted with the currents beneath the shadows of the Violet Palace masters, traded away as pawns against enemies. From the first time Li Tongya raised his head in Mount Huaqian to Li Qinghong flying alone into the East Sea, how much had the Li family sacrificed to push him to this position?
'Trading only the carefree ways of divine abilities for the lasting peace of ten thousand households.'
Li Ximing finished his tea and rose with Changxi to take their leave. Knowing that the two were heading toward the territory of Baijiang Creek, Sumian did not detain them, only having Qiuxin escort them out. This young man was presumably an in-law of the Kong clan now and was quite close to Changxi.
As soon as Li Ximing stepped out of the courtyard, Qi Qiuxin spoke up. Bowing to Li Ximing, he said respectfully:
"There is an item I must return to the Real Person."
He drew an object from his sleeve, bowed, and held it out in both hands. It was a small purple cauldron with two loop handles and three legs, intricately patterned and faintly enveloped in flames.
Four small characters were stamped on the cauldron in sweeping, vigorous calligraphy:
"Shengle Tuoba."
Not daring to make Li Ximing ask, he said respectfully:
"Years ago, when our temple was still in the East Sea, this humble cultivator accepted an invitation from Xi Chang of Chunyi Dao to subdue demons near the estuary by the Salt Lake. Unexpectedly, we encountered a cultivator of your noble clan who practiced lightning arts. We did not trouble her and saw her off, but an old man remained behind."
"He was killed by Chunyi Dao, yet this item was kept by me. Now I present it to the Real Person, considering the matter settled."
Li Ximing actually had an impression of this matter. That old man had been Yu Yuwei of the Yu family, whom Li Xizhi had mentioned once; he was also the maternal uncle of Li Quantao of Qingchi. Qi Qiuxin—or rather, Sumian—could not ascertain the relationship, so he had returned it.
Li Ximing accepted it with an easy gesture and replied:
"He was a cultivator of the Yu clan. If the opportunity arises, I will place it into the hands of his kin."
Changxi watched with a chuckle. His eyes were sharp, and he spotted at a glance that Qi Qiuxin bore injuries, so he asked:
"How did you get injured?"
Qi Qiuxin replied respectfully:
"In reply to the Real Person, the spiritual mine at Quanyuan Ferry was occupied by a shoal of Xushui perch from the sea. I stepped in to rescue our people and suffered wounds..."
"Oh," Changxi answered. "Those Xushui demon perch have backing and constantly cause disturbances. It has been hard on you."
Li Ximing caught the implication. Showing no reaction on his face, he merely sneered inwardly:
'He is likely dropping hints, but my family truly has no ties to the dragon kind! What Xushui demon perch... what can I possibly do about it!'
...
The territory of Miyun Cave.
Miyun Cave lay slightly to the northeast of Fuyun Cave, situated downstream. The terrain had visibly more layers, no longer a monotonous expanse of hills; the gentle areas were flat, and the elevated portions featured several peaks. It was quite a good territory.
Past Tanshui Hill at the border, several cities came into view, bustling and lively. Li Zhouwei rode his light in the sky, his cloak fluttering and his armor gleaming brightly. Holding his great halberd horizontally across, his other hand carried a grim, ferocious severed head.
Pingyangzi was an East Sea demonic cultivator of decent strength, at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, slightly stronger than Wen Yi. His mountain possessed only a Qi Cultivation grand array. Surrounded and blocked by Li Chengkun, Li Minggong, and the others, he naturally had no way to the heavens and no door into the earth, his life taken with a single strike of Li Zhouwei's halberd.
Having now crossed Tanshui Hill, the group had penetrated deep into the hinterland. The cities below were thrown into utter chaos. Li Chengkun looked on with some regret, saying ruefully:
"These cities were managed quite well. Unfortunately, we lack the manpower to tend to them; our priority must be taking the main peak."
Li Zhouwei nodded and made an estimate, saying in a low voice:
"Miyun plundered Fuyun's population and had no time to dispose of them. Combined with their original populace, there should be roughly a million people—a substantial amount."
Population remained quite vital to the Li clan, especially large families that had produced Foundation Establishment cultivators. The Li clan had always had plenty of Embryonic Breathing and miscellaneous qi cultivators, yet at the Foundation Establishment level they suffered a dearth of talent, unable even to oversee their own affairs, which was why they had taken the risk of employing Qu Bushi and others.
A large Foundation Establishment family not only offered the possibility of Foundation Establishment guest elders, but could also reliably provide upright qi cultivators in the mid and late stages of Qi Cultivation. These were the true backbones capable of presiding over a territory, saving the Li clan from its current plight—where late Qi Cultivation cultivators did not even fill both hands, being either decrepitly aged or members of the direct lineage.
Chapter 713