‘Minghui… That sounds so familiar…’
When the name reached Li Ximing’s ears, a look of reminiscence crossed his face. After all, once someone attained the Violet Palace, if they had heard of something even in passing, they could recall it immediately. Understanding dawned upon him at once.
“So he was with Murong Xia!”
Back then, when Murong Xia traveled south to prove his Dao, he hadn't dared take the Sword Sect–Xiukui route, likely fearing he would provoke Real Person Lingsong. Nor did he dare take the Xuanyue–Ziyan path for fear of being beaten to death by Real Person Zipei. Instead, he had taken the Qingchi route, which meant that as soon as he crossed the river, he arrived first at the Li family’s lands.
At that time, Murong Xia had run into a minor conflict with their family, and Li Tongya had even made a move, only to be stopped by a Master from Lotus Temple. That monk had been called Minghui—evidently the very person in the rumors.
‘Whatever the case, we have clashed before, and our family’s grudge with the Shakya cultivators has only deepened since then. It is best not to meet!’
He took a step forward, preparing to step into the Great Void, only to see a figure rise into midair above the market town. An elderly man with stark white hair and black clothes—looking far from benevolent, though his expression was reasonably reverent—approached and bowed respectfully.
“By order of my ancestor, I have been awaiting you here, Real Person. He has waited in Yebai Pavilion for a long time. Please follow me, Real Person.”
Li Ximing swept his gaze over him, feeling slightly surprised in his heart.
‘A Foundation Establishment cultivator can perceive my trace? Changyun undoubtedly pointed him in the right direction… I wonder what wondrous method he used to allow him to see me.’
‘I have never heard of Real Person Changyun possessing skill in divination arts… To actually know that I would arrive? Even if he couldn’t trace the trajectory of a Violet Palace, to at least calculate that someone was coming for him with intent… such divination has reached an astonishing degree.’
Withdrawing his gaze, Li Ximing let it linger on the black-robed elder’s face for a brief instant before asking, “Fellow Daoist Changyun possesses wondrous divination arts to already know that I was coming to pay a visit.”
The old man was still somewhat nervous and hurriedly said, “In reply to the Real Person, my ancestor passed down an order saying that a certain Real Person would come to visit today, but he never said which one…”
Only then did Li Ximing find it much more reasonable. Since Changyun had already sent someone, he could not be bothered to make unnecessary trips back and forth, simply saying, “Lead the way.”
The black-robed elder immediately bowed and led the way ahead. Li Ximing glanced at him, the heavenly light between his brows flickering faintly as he casually asked, “I see that the spiritual energy of Chengshui Marsh is abundant and its spiritual items plentiful. It is a fine place to nurture talent. In recent years, quite a few figures must have emerged, no?”
With a Real Person speaking, the old man dared not be negligent and hurriedly answered, “In reply to the Real Person, several prominent clans have emerged north of the river in recent years, and quite a few rogue cultivators have established their immortal foundations before departing north and south. Even several northern orthodoxies have sent people to Chengshui Marsh to gather qi.”
“Oh?” Li Ximing asked. “Since the spiritual energy is so plentiful and talented people emerge here in droves, the blood-qi techniques from the East Sea are probably no longer in use, right?”
The old man nodded repeatedly. “Precisely. The sect master and the Real Person handed down orders long ago that this is no longer the era of the East Sea. Our sect is a bona fide orthodox righteous sect. Not only were all those who cultivated blood-qi dispatched to garrison the East Sea, but even those with lesser demonic cultivation have restrained themselves. In daily life, disciples go out to eliminate fiends and vanquish demons, keeping the Chengshui Marsh region impeccably clean. Demonic cultivators are virtually extinct here.”
“Nowadays, the common folk are all migrating toward our Chengshui, and we have earned quite a reputation north of the river. Our Chengyun Gate is the most renowned for vanquishing demons and defending the Dao!”
A fawning smile appeared on the elder’s face. “The Real Person may ask anyone here at will—be they rogue cultivators, clan cultivators, commoners, or sect disciples, they all know our Chengyun Gate is the foremost righteous path north of the river!”
Listening to this, Li Ximing’s heart grew complicated. Since this man dared make such guarantees before him, the conduct of Chengyun Gate was likely truly clean on the surface.
These rogue cultivators and commoners might not know, but Chengyun Gate was fundamentally an outright sect established by a gathering of demonic cultivators. Now, having replaced a generation of disciples over decades and training local Qi Refinement prodigies north of the river to consolidate their power, it had actually become an orthodox sect of this sort!
‘If another fifty years pass, who will remember that Chengyun Gate’s ancestors were a band of wicked demonic cultivators who stopped at no evil and fed on humans?’
‘Their disciples, grand-disciples, and blood descendants will act with pompous righteousness, exterminating evil to defend the Dao, without any memory of the past… What about Chengyun Gate itself, then? A Chengyun Gate that slays evil and defends the Dao will become an unimpeachable righteous sect.’
His gaze grew heavy.
‘Who will remember the sins of the forebears who founded the sect on demonic arts? Who will settle that score? Are the good deeds performed by these later generations not good deeds? Yet these good deeds are grounded entirely upon the foundation of capital built by their ancestors through murdering and cannibalizing people…’
Regardless of what Li Ximing thought, he understood that under Zhong Qian’s rectification, Chengyun Gate would ten to one become the foremost righteous sect north of the river, comparable to Sword Sect and Hengzhu. Those tales of demonic cultivators, of butchering people to draw blood and refine pills, would be buried forever beneath the endless piles of corpses they had slaughtered.
‘These senior demonic cultivators who spent their entire lives eating humans will spend a century breathing in spiritual energy atop these peaks, transform completely, and become righteous elders. Who will care? The common folk who are deeply grateful under their rule? The rogue cultivators rescued by them? Even the descendants of Chengyun Gate themselves will no longer remember.’
‘The pure and the foul of the world become one, impossible to calculate or untangle—it is nothing more than this.’
…
Mount Yebai.
Mount Yebai was the highest elevation in Chengshui Marsh. Chengshui Marsh had once been the imperial mausoleum of the State of Ning, and Mount Yebai sat directly in the center of the imperial tombs. Chengyun Gate had occupied this place and built a pavilion at the mountain peak, naming it Yebai Pavilion after the location.
Though called a pavilion, this pavilion complex covered no small area, winding and folding across the summit. The main pavilion was astonishingly vast. Within it sat a young man of ordinary appearance, draped in a black robe patterned with white feathers and dark tracery, lined with a soft, pale-collared white armor underneath. A saber hung at his waist, and he held a jade gourd in his hand.
Seated across the table from him was a plump, kindly-faced monk in a brownish-yellow robe, scrutinizing a jade cup with a smile. “Fellow Daoist Changyun! If my calculations are correct, within this single two-hour period, that fellow Daoist will arrive here.”
Real Person Changyun’s gaze lingered on the jade vessel in his hand. After a few breaths, as though sensing something, he said, “Fellow Daoist Minghui possesses wondrous divination arts.”
Monk Minghui gave a short laugh and replied, “Though this old monk failed to attain the rank of Maha, I did not walk away entirely empty-handed. My Avaivartika Ground was attained beneath the lotus seat of the Maha Pure Land, with an opening preserved above. With enough time and endurance, attaining Maha is within reach!”
Real Person Changyun paused slightly and answered, “You truly enjoy fine fortune, Fellow Daoist. How could ordinary Masters cultivate such an auspicious destiny? First disciple of the Lotus and southern envoy—back when Xiuyue pushed north and Shangyuan intervened, Maha Jinlian disregarded pride and used the lives of other Lianmins as shields just to bestow upon you the title of Disaster-Quelling, Danger-Pacifying Master. Naturally, Maha is within your sights!”
Minghui chuckled. “That is because my master has already completed his eighth rebirth and is now an Eighth-Rebirth Maha. The Shanle Path flourishes, leaving an empty seat in the Pure Land. Only then did I have this opportunity…”
“Take a look, Fellow Daoist, at Master Xuwang from the northern-southern conflict. The Kongwu Path had no seat available for him, so he stubbornly refused to become a Lianmin. Only after slaughtering all the Qingchi cultivators at Mount Bianyan did he go to prove his Avaivartika Ground, yet he merely attained a seat beneath the Golden Lotus, sharing the same rank as myself…”
The monk laughed softly. “In the end, it is all thanks to my Maha’s high regard!”
Real Person Changyun felt dismissive in his heart; he had little fondness for monks. However, the Jinlian backing Minghui was an Eighth-Rebirth Maha, and Minghui had already reserved a Maha position, leaving no room for contempt. Changyun smiled and responded, just as a voice came from outside the hall:
“Real Person, this way, please!”
Both men raised their brows simultaneously and saw someone enter from outside the hall.
The newcomer appeared as a young man clad in a white Taoist robe adorned with gold tracery. He possessed handsome features, a gentle and honest demeanor, and a speck of heavenly light faintly flickering between his brows.
Real Person Changyun was momentarily taken aback. Sensing the Mingyang divine ability upon him, he ventured, “Fellow Daoist Zhaojing?”
Li Ximing cupped his hands in greeting and smiled. “Greetings, Real Person Changyun!”
Hearing this, Changyun immediately rose from the host’s seat, strolled down with a smile, and said, “That lad Zhong Qian told me you would come to visit, Fellow Daoist. I have waited and waited, and at last I have the pleasure of your arrival!”
Zhong Qian not only shared a bond of destiny with Li Xuanfeng, but had also been exceedingly polite to the Li family, according them ample respect when proclaiming his Violet Palace attainment. Li Ximing naturally acted politely and responded with a smile. Changyun gestured for him to sit at a side table, then extended a hand toward Minghui.
“This is Real Person Zhaojing of the Lake Wangyue Li clan.”
Minghui had merely raised his head and cast a fleeting glance, sitting languidly to one side. Li Ximing’s aura clearly showed that he had only recently advanced to Violet Palace, so there was no need to show him much deference. The monk thought to himself:
‘Oh… which clan… the Wangyue Li…’
“The Wangyue Li?!”
The monk’s pupils dilated.
Changyun had already turned to Li Ximing to introduce him: “This is Lianmin Minghui of Lotus Temple. He proved his Avaivartika Ground in the Shanle Path, seated beneath the Golden Lotus, with Maha well within reach.”
Although among the Seven Aspects, the Shanle Path had few grievances with the Li family, Li Ximing held no good impression toward northern Shakya cultivators. Expecting no warmth from the monk either, he maintained only a polite facade.
Across from him, Minghui suppressed the urge to turn and flee. No one knew the terror coursing through his heart as a chill surged straight to his brow bone, thinking:
‘Mother of… merciful World-Honored One… it’s *that* Li family!’
Years ago, when Minghui had ventured toward Lake Wangyue, a mere attempt at divination had nearly cost him his life. He had sacrificed his most precious dharma artifact just to flee back, even dragging Jinlian down with him!
Minghui felt that no one under heaven understood what had transpired better than he did. Jinlian himself had no memory of it, knowing only the vague explanation Minghui had provided, which had already seemed terrifying. But Minghui had witnessed with his own eyes how Jinlian, a Seventh-Rebirth Maha at the time, had been as fragile as a mortal before that existence!
Not only had that incident left an indelible shadow upon Minghui, but the trauma it inflicted on Jinlian had severely disrupted their subsequent schemes, ultimately causing Minghui’s bid for the Maha rank to fail…
If a Master of the Seven Aspects wished to advance further, they either obediently became a Lianmin or took a massive leap straight to Maha. The former was exceptionally arduous; if one could curry favor with a Maha, there was a slight chance of first attaining Lianmin under the lowest Sattva seat, spending the rest of their days begging like a dog for favor from above to gradually elevate their Avaivartika Ground and see if they could pick up an open position.
The latter was harder than ascending to heaven. First, one needed the blessing of diverse karmic mandates and substantial contributions to the Shakya Dharma; second, there had to be an open seat within one's own Pure Land supported by a Maha. Only then could one embark upon the path to Maha.
Jinlian’s injuries had struck directly at his soul and divine ability, destabilizing his Maha seat. Fortunately, Minghui had a profound foundation, and with Jinlian’s full support from within the Pure Land, he had settled for second best, attaining Lianmin beneath the highest Golden Lotus seat first. Had it not been for that, Minghui would have wasted extensive preparations and squandered several centuries of cultivation!
Minghui and Jinlian had long reached a tacit consensus never to dwell on that matter. Minghui even harbored a vague sense that Jinlian’s wholehearted support was intended to drag an accomplice onto the same ship. Now, faced with Li Ximing, he dared be neither too warm nor too cold.
Li Ximing had prepared himself for a cold shoulder, yet unexpectedly, the monk across from him sat bolt upright, offering a smile filled with sheer sincerity. “So it is Real Person Zhaojing! This humble monk is Minghui! Long have I admired your renowned name!”
Li Ximing raised a brow in slight surprise. Minghui immediately followed up, saying, “In my earlier years, I was not in the north and traveled south. I clashed with a senior of your noble clan several times and was deeply moved by his brilliance—I revere him immensely!”
Li Ximing wore an odd expression, while Changyun found it amusing in his heart. Changyun explained, “This Lianmin’s Shanle Path gained great benefits after the Wrathful Manifestation perished back then, expanding their Pure Land. It is merely that they have some discord with the Kongwu Path—disputes stemming from the time of the northern-southern conflict.”
Li Ximing understood. This monk was an enemy of the Wrathful and Kongwu paths. Realization struck him:
‘Although most Shakya cultivators are foul pieces of dog shit, this one clearly doesn't stink of the same filth as the others, and he possesses the potential for Maha. No wonder Changyun is willing to receive him.’
He nodded slightly. Minghui chuckled and said, “I divined long ago that a fellow Daoist would visit Fellow Daoist Changyun today, yet he was half-skeptical…”
Real Person Changyun nodded. Evidently unwilling to bring up what he had originally been discussing with Minghui, he immediately interjected, “I underestimated the Lianmin’s divination arts. However, may I ask… Fellow Daoist, what brings you here today?”
Li Ximing naturally intended to inquire about Mount Xiaoshi, but feared that Minghui might be ignorant of it and that speaking of it would needlessly enlighten him. Thus, he replied, “It concerns the orthodoxy of Fanyun Cave.”
At his side, Minghui laughed heartily to bolster his own courage, chiming in, “So it is for Mount Xiaoshi!”
At this, Changyun broke into a smile, poured some tea, and explained, “In the matter of Mount Xiaoshi, anyone who sees it gets a share; there are benefits contained within the array. Since Zhaojing controls the orthodoxy of Floating Cloud Cave, you naturally have a share. Mount Xiaoshi was broken by the Kongwu Path, which was originally the result of Xiuyue retreating into hiding and our tacit indulgence. Therefore, this matter… the northern Shakya also know about it.”
Clarity dawned in Li Ximing’s mind, and he asked, “If so, how is this array to be opened?”
“Mount Xiaoshi is now a desolate ruin. Its inheritors have scattered, and none of us wish to see the lineage rebuilt, which led to the Three Mifan Sects. The opening of the array lies within the Three Mifan Sects.”
Changyun took a sip of tea and continued, “Mount Xiaoshi’s Mifan lineage consists of five orthodox branches. Three of them form today’s Three Mifan Sects, namely Fuyunshen, Juguinyin, and Kongyingsan. If the remaining two branches can be gathered, we can make a move on the treasures of Mount Xiaoshi.”
Li Ximing considered this for a moment and said with pointed meaning, “Could it be that many of Mount Xiaoshi’s orthodoxies have been lost to the outside world?”
“Precisely!”
Changyun smiled casually, yet his words carried an unsettling chill: “Zhaojing guessed correctly. The Three Mifan Sects are nothing more than fishhooks. The remaining two orthodoxies of Mount Xiaoshi were scattered in all directions, their destinations unknown, though they are very likely in the East Sea.”
“As long as the names of these three sects endure north of the river under the banner of Mount Xiaoshi’s Mifan lineage, those descendants who obtained the orthodoxies and attain accomplishment will inevitably return to seek them out… Whether to complete their lineage, seek kin, turn back when driven to a dead end, or simply find backing, by all reason and emotion, they must come back to see.”
“These are baits cast into the river, waiting only for them to take the hook!”
Chapter 737