Xuanmiao Temple.
A gentle spring drizzle drifted down in gossamer veils. Several disciples within the temple bustled about, treading upon the wind to collect qi. They darted through the spring rain like swimming fish riding rays of light, continuously gathering pale-green radiance in their hands to weave flowing streams of qi.
A middle-aged lay devotee with a rather square face and plain attire held up the hem of his robes. Wearing wooden clogs, he traversed the stone steps, moving just like a mortal with no cultivation whatsoever. Arriving before the courtyard, he pushed the door open to welcome his guest with a smile.
"Zhaojing, please come in!"
A Real Person in a white robe embroidered with gold patterns entered through the gate. His features were upright, and though he looked very young and his gaze held no fierce edge—sweeping over them with utter tranquility—the disciples to the left and right bowed their heads in unison.
Li Ximing stepped past the threshold alongside him and replied, "Spring rain is precious. Seeing the disciples of your esteemed temple all gathering qi, it seems they look forward to this day every year. No wonder I didn't see Qiuxin."
Sumian merely welcomed him with a warm smile, saying, "Qiuxin went out long ago. After all, matters in the East Sea are truly troublesome, and he must oversee things there constantly. As for this spring rain, we harvest it year after year, yet it is never enough. At times, I must even refine it myself using divine abilities."
He gave a soft chuckle and continued, "Fellow Daoist, your clan has many cultivators. If you are willing, could you help me gather some on the lake as well?"
'The old bastard never misses a chance to pluck a passing goose,' Li Ximing thought.
Li Ximing smiled and said, "That can be arranged. So long as I take a look at the Qi Gathering Art, my clan's cultivators can gather the qi and bring it to your temple to trade for some spiritual items."
"I will have it sent to your clan shortly."
Sumian was surprisingly unbothered, showing no fear of leaking the Qi Gathering Art. Li Ximing was equally unfazed. His Li family lacked many things, but cultivators were the one thing they had in abundance, with plenty of idle hands. Setting them up with a small venture would do no harm.
Having said his piece, Li Ximing sighed softly in secret before remarking again, "In just a few days, an array has already been erected upon Senior Changxi's former mountain! The old Real Person works swiftly indeed... It seems this spiritual mountain is of great use!"
Sumian smiled without answering. Walking together into the courtyard, they saw a woman in a yellow satin dress seated, sipping tea. A dab of cyan adorned the corners of her eyes. It was none other than Real Person Tinglan of Ziyan. Unsurprised, Li Ximing exchanged greetings and took his seat directly.
Having received Sumian's message earlier that they were to discuss the matter of Xuanyue's mountain gate, Li Ximing knew Sumian could not be the only one present at Xuanmiao Temple. At least one of Tinglan or Ling Mei would be here, and perhaps even Ye Gui himself.
Accepting a teacup, Li Ximing did not beat around the bush and asked, "What are Fellow Daoist Sumian's thoughts on this?"
Sumian nodded with a smile and answered, "This matter should have been dealt with early on. It was only to preserve some face for Xuanyue that it was delayed for a few months. Now, it happens that Tinglan came to visit and brought this up with me, so I invited you over."
Li Ximing chuckled. "Has Fellow Daoist Ye Gui already visited, then?"
Sumian hesitated slightly, but Tinglan took over the conversation, answering, "He came once and stated his terms clearly, after which we invited you."
She looked at him once more and said gently, "Enmities are better resolved than deepened. Everyone here is of the Violet Palace. The cultivators below play with their toys, good or bad, and when something catches your eye, everyone harbors their own designs. In the end, it is merely about preserving one's face. Why truly forge an enduring grudge? Playing chess is fine, but there is no need to stoke real fury."
Regardless of whether the Li family and Duxian Dao truly harbored deep hatred, Tinglan was helping resolve the matter for his side, and she might well have orchestrated it from start to finish. Li Ximing naturally understood her goodwill, and face had to be given to this Real Person of Ziyan. Thus, he adopted a solemn tone and said, "Fellow Daoist Tinglan speaks with great sense. I have exchanged blows with Senior Ye Gui once or twice, maneuvering against him across Jiangnan and Jiangbei, but matters never truly reached the point of unbridgeable enmity. This can be settled."
Sumian clearly held less sway than Tinglan, but the old Real Person did not mind at all. So long as these two constantly bickering figures could be talked down without dragging him into the mire, it was a triumph for Sumian. The old Real Person asked, "I heard Fellow Daoist went to investigate. Did you discover anything?"
Li Ximing nodded. "I asked a Real Person to perform a divination. Inside the sect is the guest elder Fu En. The one who died earlier was Kong Haiying. His soul lamp had been tampered with by Real Person Changxi and had long ceased to belong to him. As for Kong Tingyun... it is unknown where she is attempting her breakthrough."
Hearing that he had enlisted a Real Person for a divination, Sumian could not help taking a sip of tea. Tinglan, however, smiled.
"Then it becomes easy. I have a friend who cultivates in the Shiqi region named Zhu Gong, who is currently interested in establishing a presence here. With that, the problem is solved."
Sumian raised his brows and asked, "Tinglan, if your friend takes this place, isn't she afraid that should Kong Tingyun succeed in her breakthrough, she will come seeking vengeance?"
"Listen to me first."
Tinglan blinked. Hailing from the land of Qi, she possessed a dignified beauty distinct from that of Jiangnan. She smiled and said, "I will make things clear to Ye Gui: Zhaojing is willing to yield Xuanyue and permit him to enter the mountain gate to search it himself. But once he is done searching and plundering, however many mountains he wishes to move away, the mountain gate must be handed back to me.
"When the time comes, Ye Gui will lead his men to assault the mountain. Zhaojing will offer a few bouts of resistance, retract the Hundred Mountains Containment Spirit Array, feign defeat with injuries, and retreat, leaving the mountain gate to him along with the spiritual items. Once Ye Gui has finished gathering and searching, I will have my friend come forth to seize the mountain, and Ye Gui can simply hand it over."
She held out her hand, pressing down her fingers one by one. "Your Wangyue gains the array, the Xuanyue heritage, and the loyalty of the people. Isn't that far better than guarding a single plot of land only to invite the envy and covetous eyes of all around you? Even if, by some one-in-a-million chance, someone succeeds in breaking through, Zhaojing will be beyond reproach on all counts... and will even have earned their gratitude!
"As for Duxian, he seizes the spiritual items and cultivation methods, relocates the mountains he wants, and eliminates a thorn in his side. Though he doesn't obtain Shanji and Xuanyue, it is more than enough face for him! Where he chooses to search for Kong Tingyun will be his own business; having come this far, would he still fear offending Xuanyue?"
She unhurriedly took another sip of tea and continued solemnly, "And for Ye Gui... the value of Xuanyue lies in the clustered mountains and spiritual grounds within its gate, never in its geographic position itself. If he truly swallowed this place whole, trying to control such vast territory across the river, it would not only leave him overextended from head to tail, but it would also be far too conspicuous—which might not be a good thing.
"As for Real Person Zhu Gong, she will have acquired this mountain fair and square from an enemy, without shouldering Xuanyue's resentment. Instead, she can bestow favors, taking in the cultivators of Xuanyue and putting them to good use. By forging bonds of gratitude and kinship early on, even if someone truly achieves a breakthrough and returns, what could they possibly say? Perhaps there might even be a chance to turn an enemy into a friend!
"And that leaves Old Real Person Qi and me... free from worrying over your troubles."
As her words concluded, she finished her cup of tea, bringing the entire game of chess to a close. Every Violet Palace master received a cut of the meat. A quiet stillness fell over the courtyard. Sumian was momentarily stunned before he sighed in admiration.
"I have long heard that the righteous path excels at chess, allowing the Violet Palace masters across the realm to avert peril and reap benefits imperceptibly... It is indeed true! This masterstroke of yours truly leaves this old man filled with awe!"
As Sumian piled on the flattery, Tinglan shook her head, a complex trace of lingering fear showing on her face as she chuckled softly. "The old Real Person flatters me. Over the past few years, I have merely observed more games between Violet Palace figures. To say nothing of comparing this to the likes of Chuting and Qiushui, or Yuanxiu and Changxiao... even compared to the methods of Tianyuan and Chi Wei, this is nothing more than petty tricks!"
Chapter 748