Having pondered to this point, Li Ximing took a sip of tea but still did not take the jade slip. Instead, he sighed and asked, "How does the Real Person view the matter of Xuanyue?"
Seeing that he had delayed taking it because he was waiting to spring this question on her, Tinglan showed a faint smile and replied, "I have spent these past years rushing about overseas, so I do not know too much. For Real Person Changxi to reach his current heights starting as a mere cultivator from a minor clan is already exceedingly extraordinary. My master once mentioned him... saying he was someone who valued his clan deeply."
Li Ximing raised his brows to look at her. The woman continued, "After all, we are close neighbors... We at Ziyan have always been watching. In earlier years there were Haiying and Haiting, and later Gusun and Tingyun—all excellent tonics. Because he valued his clan, he left them untouched... Even a wily hare has three burrows, to say nothing of a Violet Palace. Now that he has perished, Xuanyue may seem powerless to reverse the tide, but in truth they have more retreats than paths forward. Their immortal sect might not be preserved, but their bloodline and orthodoxy remain as stable as Mount Tai.
"Besides... isn't the Wangyue Immortal Clan there?"
When Tinglan finished saying this, Li Ximing quickly shook his head.
Though Li Ximing had never interacted with Changxi in the past, and even hearing the Real Person's name had always been accompanied by some disrespectful jokes, he now had a sense of the man as well. He replied, "Senior Changxi was full of schemes and forethought. It is just that regarding Shanji Commandery, the old Real Person repeatedly mentioned during his lifetime that the ten million people of the commandery were the painstaking effort of his entire life, sheltered by him for centuries. Now that he could no longer preserve them, he looked around and saw that only Ziyan Gate is an orthodox sanctuary of pure cultivation. Entrusting these common people into the hands of the righteous path was the only way his mind could be at ease!"
No matter what Tinglan thought inside, having this high hat placed upon her head meant that she at least could not refuse in the first breath. She replied, "I can only thank the old senior for his high regard. But as Fellow Daoist said, our Ziyan Gate is Xuanmen orthodoxy, a sanctuary of pure cultivation. In matters of the immortal path, we naturally burn talismans in prayer to the heavens, follow the immortal mandates of the Origin Mansion, guard our minds and clarify our natures, focusing solely on cultivation.
"Back then, the High Mansion demarcated several commanderies for Ziyan, and Ziyan guards those commanderies. We cannot step beyond our bounds... Please forgive us."
*Yuehua Origin Mansion?*
Once she finished speaking, Li Ximing was genuinely taken aback. On his way here, he had imagined thousands of reasons she might refuse, but he never could have anticipated this one. It was utterly high-sounding and beyond reproach. Only after a full breath did Li Ximing say quietly, "So that is how it is... Zhaojing was presumptuous."
The two specks of cyan at the corners of Tinglan's eyes gleamed faintly. She gave him an extra glance and replied, "Your noble clan is a rising star... and may not understand. In truth, first Xiao and later Li, establishing systems and becoming immortal clans according to precedent, breaking away from Qingchi to possess a land of your own—these precedents and systems were all rules once set by the Origin Mansion. Senior Si was also merely acting in accordance with ancient systems."
When she said this, Li Ximing realized that Tinglan's earlier words were not entirely an excuse. There were still many rules of the Yuehua Origin Mansion at work south of the river. Though they might not always be enforced, for Violet Palace Real Persons... so long as there was no major conflict of interest, none would go out of their way to violate them.
He recalled how things were, from the conservative naming conventions dividing immortal sects and gates to the superficial camaraderie among the Qingsong Taiyang orthodoxies; from how the various clans withdrew outside Qingsong Temple while the six gates alone entered within, to Xuanmiao Temple's deferential respect toward the Sword Sect...
*Even among these six sects, no matter how much they scheme against each other in secret, their territories almost never change. Each perpetually guards its own patch of ground... and all their struggles are pushed overseas...*
*The six gates truly enjoy a transcendent status. Xiuyue shuns the world, Xuanyue exists in name only, and the State of Yue is now actually two sects, six gates, and three clans... while one sect and four gates cannot be touched...*
Li Ximing gradually came to understand. A thought even abruptly sprang to his mind:
*Xueji Gate has sealed its mountain for centuries! It has reached the point where mortals enter the mountain, but no disciples ever come out... yet not a single sect has ever moved against it! Could it be for this very reason... precisely because it is tightly hemmed in by the Qingsong orthodoxy and its land is barren, it has been able to cling to survival until today.*
Many thoughts ran through his mind, but on his face he only sighed, "Fellow Daoist Tinglan... but my family has already done our utmost to shelter them, yet we can no longer protect the entirety of Shanji Commandery. What a pity for so many common folk there!"
Tinglan let out a chuckle and replied, "That is not difficult. Simply invite a Violet Palace to move in. No one disdains land south of the river. There are plenty of Violet Palaces who wish to establish their orthodoxies here; they only lack someone to act as guarantor. The older ones dare not come, while the younger ones have too wild a heart... As long as you and I come to an agreement and consult the Sword Sect, the matter will be settled."
This set Li Ximing to pondering. The more he thought, the deeper his brow furrowed. If there truly were an amicable Violet Palace next door, it would not be a bad thing. It was just that Xuanyue's orthodoxy was in his own family's hands, which made them somewhat unappealing; sending the Kong clan over would only be slightly awkward for his family, but on Xuanmiao Temple's side, it might be difficult to explain.
*It is worth a try...*
Thoughts churned in his mind. As he put away the jade slip, he probed, "If we proceed according to this idea, could your immortal sect first send people to Shanji to consolidate authority? My family lacks the energy to look after it. I fear that by the time news arrives, Shanji Commandery will have already been looted clean."
"That is secondary..."
Seeing that he had put the item away, Tinglan frowned and said, "If this matter is decided, there are two points. First, Xuanyue's mountain gate must be given to them... Otherwise, for a dignified Real Person to establish a sect, yet the place where the commandery's spiritual energy gathers is another's mountain gate—where would they cultivate? That would be humiliating.
"Second, Kong Haiying must die."
Li Ximing indeed heard these words and sighed inwardly. Tinglan said solemnly, "Let me give Fellow Daoist a word of warning. If Kong Haiying does not die, the conflict between your noble clan and Duxian Dao will only grow heavier by the day, rapidly deteriorating to an irreconcilable point. Ye Gui is not some stubborn fanatic, but no matter what, he cannot tolerate Kong Haiying. His fortune is far from shallow; he truly has a chance of breaking through!
"After all, Fellow Daoist still needs to refine pills for me. If real fury is ignited between you two, the riverbank region will likely be reduced to ruins, and there will be nowhere left to refine my pills...
"The same applies to Xuanyue's mountain gate... If Xuanyue's mountain gate is yielded to them, what Real Person could tolerate several Foundation Establishment cultivators attempting breakthroughs within the sect? If one of them truly succeeds and emerges from seclusion, whose mountain gate would it be? Whom would Shanji Commandery belong to?
"With Xuanyue's legal lineage in your noble clan's hands, any Real Person wishing to relocate inland would already hesitate. Once they occupy Shanji and Xuanyue, the Kong clan in the Wilderness would politely be called a surviving lineage, or bluntly called remnants. Your clan would at the very least have to send the Kong clan over and have them put on a show of weeping gratitude before it could barely count as a reconciliation..."
Though Li Ximing knew this would be difficult to handle, he still sighed upon hearing it and nodded. "I understand... Is Fellow Daoist in urgent need of the pills? If this matter is not sorted out, I fear it will be difficult to refine the pills immediately."
"No matter. I can afford to wait three to five years. Besides... in these next few days I must head to the Northern Sea, so for the moment I cannot spare the time to set up the formation for you either."
Tinglan clearly had not expected Li Ximing to refine pills for her immediately. The two exchanged pleasantries, talked over the details of their agreement, and Tinglan pointed to the clay pot on the table, saying, "Take the [Tianyi Tucui Pill formula] first to study. Once you are prepared, you may come to Ziyan to collect the [Wuzhang Water-Fire] and [Tianyi Pure Element]."
Li Ximing agreed and departed on his light. Tinglan escorted him all the way out. Below the Purple Jade Terrace, Cui Jueyin and the Ziyan cultivator Wei Danying were chatting and laughing together harmoniously, far warmer than the transactional exchange of interests between the two Real Persons.
Though Cui Jueyin's looks were not particularly striking, he possessed vast erudition, a retentive memory, and elegant manners; conversing with him was an enjoyable affair. Wei Danying was listening with relish, but the moment the two Real Persons appeared, both juniors immediately became respectful, retreating behind their respective elders.
"Farewell, Zhaojing..."
Tinglan saw him out of the blessed land. Li Ximing departed upon his light, a contemplative look lingering on his face throughout. Only after a long while did he sigh inwardly:
*Xuanyue's mountain gate and Shanji Commandery are not something my family can hold right now.*
Li Ximing had considered what Ziyan Gate's attitude might be, but he had never expected that Tinglan would have only one word for Kong Haiying: "kill," without the slightest hesitation. It truly surprised him somewhat.
And as Tinglan had just laid out from Ziyan Gate's perspective, Li Ximing understood clearly: Ziyan Gate had no desire to occupy Shanji, but inviting a Violet Palace to serve as a buffer and earning a favor in the process was certainly in their plans... On this front, his family was somewhat standing in her way.
Yet his thoughts did not dwell solely on Ziyan Gate; in the very next moment, he thought of another person:
*Ye Gui!*
If having another Violet Palace in Shanji Commandery was somewhat awkward and offered little benefit for the Li clan... for Ye Gui, so long as he was willing to part with some benefits to draw someone in, it would be as good as could be!
Ye Gui was an East Sea cultivator. If he truly could not swallow Xuanyue's mountain gate, steeled his heart to abandon it, and invited a friendly Violet Palace into Shanji, the Li clan's situation would turn dire in an instant... Not only would this Violet Palace be determined to claim Xuanyue's mountain gate, they would even demand that the Kong clan's orthodoxy be severed!
If this Violet Palace were invited by Ziyan, the Li clan would still have room to send the Kong clan back and let Xuanyue's orthodoxy merge into that person's faction. But if it were a close friend of Ye Gui, there would be absolutely no reason to send them back, leaving only an open rupture and hostility.
*Then Ye Gui could rest easy. When the time comes, my family will be too occupied dealing with the threat in the Wilderness to spare any attention for Jiangbei...*
That Ye Gui had not done so yet came down to nothing more than two points: first, he could not bear to give up Xuanyue's mountain gate; second, he had not yet reached a consensus with Ziyan and the Sword Sect... But that did not mean it would not happen.
*Has Ye Gui approached Tinglan?! Were Tinglan's words spoken out of goodwill, or were they a tacit warning after failing to reach an agreement with Ye Gui?*
A chill touched his heart:
*Regardless, Shanji and Xuanyue's mountain gate must be handled swiftly. But if the mountain gate is to be dealt with, we must dispose of the Kong clan's Foundation Establishment cultivators in seclusion. Even if we merely ease tensions slightly with Duxian Dao to free up our hands for pill refining, we must at least deal with Kong Haiying!*
Yet Changxi had said three people were in seclusion: the guest elder Fu En, his great-grandson Kong Haiying, and former sect master Kong Tingyun. Li Ximing could not even confirm whether the one who died back then was truly Fu En, nor could he even be sure whether those in seclusion within the sect were truly Kong Haiying and the others.
Pondering up to this point, even though Li Ximing could empathize with Changxi's mindset of daring to trust no one in his final years, he still felt somewhat weary and faintly vexed:
*Hiding this and concealing that... it makes it impossible to even help him. Fine then... Since Changxi calculated to this extent, he could not fail to know that Kong Haiying very likely holds the key to Xuanyue's survival. We can no longer care about what the people of Xuanyue think... If we do not take over Xuanyue now and use the Immortal Mirror to investigate everything thoroughly, there will be no need to protect this Xuanyue Gate at all!*
Having exited Ziyan's territory, he headed home. A plan gradually formed in his mind. He revealed his figure upon Mount Zhijing, and Cui Jueyin descended from the heavenly light, standing quietly at his side.
Li Ximing instructed, "Go invite several of the stewards over. Also Quewan... Call Chengkun out as well. We shall go together."
***
In the Wilderness.
The sky was dimly bright, and moist mist drifted through the mountains.
Several days had passed since news of Real Person Changxi's dying decree arrived, but Kong Guxi still had not quite recovered from the shock. He had intended to read formulas until midnight, but his mind had wandered, and before he knew it, dawn was already breaking.
He changed his clothes and stepped out of the hall. Outside, it was utterly empty, without a single soul. The stone steps had been swept by no one, covered with fallen leaves, making him wonder if every last one of them had fled to join other houses.
After circling around, he finally spotted Kong Yu drinking until his face was flushed crimson in the mountains. Kong Guxi bowed and asked, "Granduncle, where did Qiuyan and the others go?"
Kong Yu had drunk the whole night through, but even wanting to get drunk, he could not. Right now he was still clear-headed. He replied, "Xiaxiang was locked up by you. A group of Duxian Dao cultivators came to the Wilderness, likely over from Shanji Commandery. Who knows how decayed and ruined things have gotten there. Qiuyan took people to block them."
He paused, then emphasized, "The Li clan is there as well."
Kong Guxi gave an acknowledgement and asked about Kong Guli's whereabouts, "Where is Eldest Brother?"
Kong Yu raised his eyebrows and answered, "Lord Chengkun sent someone to ask for our family's soul lamps and life jades. Your eldest brother just took him there."
Kong Guxi fell silent at this. He turned toward the front courtyard, only to hear a clamor on the stone steps. Several large bags and bundles were being carried up. The Xuanyue Sect Master raised his brows to look, seeing his eldest brother Kong Guli leading Fuyuezi up the mountain.
Kong Guli looked utterly dispirited, while Fuyuezi was as calm as ever, carrying his magical apparatus on his back and waving at him. Kong Guxi went up to welcome them. Grasping the elderly Kong Guli's hand, he found it icy cold. He could only ask, "I heard Granduncle say... you only just left..."
Kong Guli said forlornly, "I did only just leave. But who knew that after the news from several days ago spread back, the elders in the mountain had already packed up the soul lamps, life jades, orthodox techniques, and other items, all eager to flee over here. Naturally, it was swift."
Kong Guxi had no words in reply. He only felt the endless stream of flying lights across the sky, while the clamor on the mountain grew louder. Walking a few paces, he saw a group descending from the heavens. At their head was a golden-eyed man walking with a dragon's stride and a tiger's step. Kong Guxi felt as though a great hand had clenched his heart, and he hurriedly stepped forward, "Greetings, Clan Head... Why has the Clan Head come?"
Li Zhouwei had always been polite to him. He nodded, "My injuries have improved considerably. By order of the Real Person, I have come to oversee the Wilderness."
Sweat beaded on Kong Guxi's forehead as he nodded repeatedly. Before he could inquire further, he felt the celestial light shimmer before him, and the surroundings suddenly turned brilliantly bright. Everyone bowed their heads and prostrated in turn.
Above them already stood a Real Person in a white robe patterned with gold, sizing up the few of them. The sight frightened Kong Guli into taking several steps back. Kong Guxi was gripped by terror and fell to his knees in homage. Whether the people of Xuanyue had ever seen him or not, they all knew he was a Real Person. In an instant, not a single person remained standing on the mountain; only waves of respectful voices rose and fell.
As he knelt, Kong Guxi stole a quick glance. Li Ximing's expression showed little fluctuation, but Xuanyue had just retrieved their ancestor's order surrendering Shanji and the mountain gate, so he could not help but tremble with dread, inexplicably seized by profound fear.
He knelt firmly and properly. Only then did he hear the Real Person speak, his voice neither rushed nor angry:
"Bring Kong Haiying's soul lamp."
Kong Guxi felt a chill seep from his heart and spleen down to the soles of his feet. As sect master, he could not clearly see all the Violet Palace struggles and overarching stratagems, but from the trajectory of recent events, he had already sensed far too many ominous signs. He could only say respectfully, "Junior obeys."
Chapter 744