Only then did Li Ximing remember Xia Shouyu before him. The woman was already trembling so violently that her legs were weak. Seeing how dilated and pitch-black her pupils were, he worried she might be frightened to death if this went on any longer, leaving him with no way out. A fissure parted upon his featureless white face, and he spoke:
"Little friend... you've finally arrived."
*Whose lair of an ancient monster have I stumbled into?! I'm finished, completely finished! Looking like such a creature, he most likely wants to seize my body!*
After all, Xia Shouyu knew full well that she possessed nothing worth coveting. The only thing an exalted cultivator might target was this physical vessel of hers... She was not particularly concerned about chastity; what terrified her was the thought of someone stealing her body for reincarnation!
Xia Shouyu kicked weakly against the ground, but her limp legs failed to support her. Fortunately, for a woman who held such standing in the market, she was not lacking in wits. Trembling from head to toe, she stuttered, "M-My Lord... this humble woman is merely an itinerant cultivator of the East Sea. There is not an ounce of flesh on my bones, nor do I cultivate any reputable lineage... I unknowingly trespassed upon Your Lordship's sacred domain! If Your Lordship has any task, please, command me as you will... If you require blood food... please allow this humble woman to go outside and hunt some down for you!"
Li Ximing chuckled sinisterly and replied, "What do you mean, 'unknowingly trespassed'?"
Seeing that he was lucid and made no mention of devouring her, Xia Shouyu felt a slight relief, yet the dread in her heart remained suffocating. Shivering, she stammered, "It... it was this lowly one's greed that blinded her into violating Your Lordship's sacred grounds..."
Li Ximing released his grip on her, and she collapsed to her knees with a thud. He corrected her, "You were reeled in by my divine ability."
*A divine ability? A Violet Palace cultivator?!*
A wave of icy dread seeped deep into Xia Shouyu's heart. She stared at the ground in disbelief. Li Ximing's face remained a blank void, and she dared not use her spiritual sense to probe him, kneeling there in cowering terror.
"You don't believe me?"
Assuming she remained unconvinced, Li Ximing raised his hand and waved it through the air. Xia Shouyu felt a searing burst of heat engulf her four limbs, completely incinerating them to ash in an instant. With a dull thud, she crashed onto the ground like a severed log.
"Ah?!"
Stripped of her limbs, Xia Shouyu lay on the ground like a limbless trunk, her gaze dazed as she stared up at the cavern's vaulted ceiling. Above her, that faceless mask reappeared. It exhaled a breath, split open a grinning mouth, and commanded, "Grow!"
A sharp itching and numbness swept through Xia Shouyu's extremities. Like young sprouts bursting from an old tree trunk, her arms and legs shot forth all at once from the charred wounds. The warm touch of the stone floor returned to her senses.
She propped herself up, her head spinning. Her newly grown limbs were even paler and more tender than before, feeling somewhat alien to move. Collapsing back onto her knees, she cried, "True Person! I believe... I believe you! This humble one believes! I am entirely at your command!"
Li Ximing smiled. "Now that's more like it! Your flesh is nothing more than weeds to me; this True Person has no desire for your mortal clay. What matters is the task I am about to assign you. If you perform it well, I guarantee you will reap boundless benefits!"
Unable to fathom what he wanted, Xia Shouyu pressed her forehead against the ground to await his orders. Li Ximing continued:
"This True Person must suppress an entity here and cannot leave. Having starved for so long, I lack nourishing substances. I require a Foundation Establishment monster beast aligned with Pinshui. Since you happened to barge in, bringing me such a Pinshui beast shall count as your merit."
"Me?"
Xia Shouyu was dumbfounded. She did not immediately agree just to secure her release. Instead, she hung her head and replied, "To report to the True Person, this lowly one is all alone and possesses pitifully shallow cultivation... How could I possibly capture a monster beast for you!"
Seeing her reaction, Li Ximing knew his previous display had convinced her, instilling genuine reverence. Adopting the cold tone of a demonic Violet Palace cultivator, he barked, "Fool! What do I care what excuse you use? Claim there is a great treasure here, or some miraculous spiritual object! So long as you lure it to this place, it won't escape even if it has nine lives!"
"This lowly one understands!"
Xia Shouyu shuddered and, after trembling for a moment, cautiously ventured, "To report to the True Person... this lowly one knows the territories of several monster generals... The 'Pinshui' you spoke of... must be one of the Water Virtues. Yet this lowly one has never seen it... and cannot be certain."
*...*
Only then did Li Ximing remember that in a barren wasteland like Haijiao, the cultivation and knowledge of local cultivators lagged far behind the rest of the world. He had no choice but to explain:
"Ravines and valleys lie low and receive all streams; hence they are female, or pin. Pinshui is Valley Water, defined by what is nurtured and stored without yet erupting. In the heavens, rain clouds form valleys, which is Cloud Water; in humans, the belly stores life like a valley, which is amniotic fluid. It encompasses all manners of nourishing, unreleased waters."
*What in the world is all this... How is a mere Qi Refinement cultivator supposed to understand a Violet Palace discourse on the Dao?*
Xia Shouyu cried, "This lowly one doesn't understand..."
Li Ximing's face darkened, and he snapped, "Just go find the monster general best at healing!"
"Understood!"
This time, Xia Shouyu grasped it clearly. She nodded repeatedly and was about to rise when Li Ximing called out:
"Hold on!"
He extended a finger and lightly tapped her fair forehead. The power of a divine ability surged down, penetrating straight into her unseen Juque Court, where it coalesced into a strand of purple fire. He declared:
"I cannot simply let you walk away so easily. I have planted a divine ability inside your body. If you attempt to flee, it will detonate and blow you to pieces... This is Haijiao; no matter whom you seek out, no one can dispel it!"
Xia Shouyu was not surprised. He was hardly running a charity; for an exalted Violet Palace cultivator to leave behind such insurance was only natural. Dropping back to her knees, she formed hand seals and pressed them over her precious sea of qi, vowing solemnly:
"Having received such great grace, this lowly one shall fulfill Your Lordship's task with my very life! Should I violate this oath, may lightning strike me down, my Xuan Scenery shatter, and my Dao path be forever severed!"
*Lightning striking her down... This really is a cultural backwater. The Thunder Palace was dismantled ages ago, yet she still tacks that line onto a Xuan Scenery Spiritual Oath.*
Still, Li Ximing had a measure of confidence in her. He merely warned, "Be careful out there! If anyone dares search your soul, this purple flame will detonate, and everyone nearby will die... If you succeed in this matter, I shall reward you with a Suiyuan Pill to secure your path to Foundation Establishment!"
*A Suiyuan Pill?... Could it be a Foundation Establishment Pill?!*
Though Xia Shouyu had never heard of a Suiyuan Pill, she certainly understood what securing the path to Foundation Establishment meant. Nodding profusely, she backed away, took flight from the flames, and made her way out through the hot spring. Only then did the cold sweat on her back finally subside.
The night wind brushed against her, making her legs tremble. Xia Shouyu pushed up her sleeve to look at the distinct marks near her shoulder and the excessively fair skin of her forearms. An overwhelming sense of unreality washed over her.
"Is this a grand opportunity, or the road to ruin?"
***
Lake Wangyue.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, and rain began to patter down upon the islet. Moisture rose from all directions, wrapping the world in stillness. The great hall was draped in white, figures moving about in hurried silence, with only the patter of raindrops and the rustle of footsteps intermingling.
No one spoke inside the hall. It was not until a torrential downpour swept in from the north, blurring the landscape into a vast sheet of gray, that a streak of light darted close. It descended before the steps of the hall, coalescing into a woman with a jade pendant at her waist. Her features were plain, but her demeanor was crisp and clear.
"Lord Xinghan!"
The cultivators flanking the entrance bowed to her. Li Xinghan gave a brisk nod and strode up the steps into the main hall. There, she saw Li Jiangqian coming down from above, clad in white mourning robes. The eldest young master, currently acting as head of the family, lowered his brows and said:
"Aunt, you've arrived. I was just about to look for you. I received word from Uncle Zhouluo that two elders of the Zhou-Xing generation met with misfortune up north in Funan. People have come to collect their compensation. It is not my place to make this decision; an elder must preside over it."
Li Xinghan had recently been dispatched to the eastern shore to defend against the Duxian Dao cultivators. Though nominally sent to counter Duxian Dao, she had spent most of her time dealing with demonic cultivators who had come to pillage amidst the chaos. Her blade had claimed several lives, but having tasted blood since childhood, she felt it was far from enough.
Hurrying back from the eastern shore, she felt a pang of sorrow upon hearing this news. "Which kin were they?"
Li Jiangqian replied, "One was Uncle Zhoukeng of the Zhong branch, at early Qi Refinement. The other was Aunt Xingsai of the Bo branch, at the peak of Embryonic Breathing."
Li Xinghan was familiar with both. Li Zhoukeng's aptitude had been decent enough, and he had even spent time on the islet back in the day. Feeling an ache in her heart, she said, "The family always sends direct-line descendants outside, treating them the same as ordinary retainers. Frontier posts and places of slaughter are prioritized for them... It was meant for tempering, a good intention, yet meeting such a disaster cost them their lives instead."
Having practiced the sword from a young age, Li Xinghan had never managed such affairs. Slaying enemies and eradicating beasts came naturally to her, but organizing funerals left her utterly out of her depth. Feeling somewhat helpless, she asked, "Where are the two elders?"
She referred to Li Minggong and Li Chenghuai. At her question, Li Jiangqian answered, "Great-Aunt Minggong and Granduncle Chenghuai have both entered seclusion to heal their wounds. Guest Elder Miaoshui and Senior White Ape have done the same. Lord Cui is out searching for Protector Ding, leaving only Qu Bushi, Li Wen, and An Siwei on the lake."
He paused for a moment before adding, "And Protector Chen Yang."
Strictly speaking, Chen Yang was Lady Chen's elder brother and the maternal uncle of Li Jiangqian's younger brother, Li Jianglong. His breakthrough had undoubtedly given the Chen clan on the lake the confidence to hold their heads high. As the Chen and Li clans shared blood ties, Li Jiangqian ought to have been pleased, yet he showed little enthusiasm.
"Is there still no word on Guest Elder Ding?!"
Li Xinghan grew anxious upon hearing this. Ding Weizeng's combat prowess was among the very best, and he had always been devoted to the family. His disappearance for several months was naturally a source of deep worry.
Having heard him out, she said, "Let us gather our brothers and sisters and talk this over properly. At a time like this, we have lost our pillar. If we do not unite our efforts, we would be neglecting our duty."
Li Jiangqian nodded repeatedly and sent attendants to fetch them, adding, "Aunt, I must also enter seclusion shortly. Although there is still one spell I haven't mastered... the matter of Foundation Establishment can no longer be delayed."
He practiced the Grade Six *Tianli Rize Sutra*. Recently, he had already mastered the footwork technique [Daoyan Walk], the complementary escape technique [Chizhao Tianli], and the now-renowned [Solar Yingli Technique]. The one he had yet to master was the Grade Six spell [Dali Baixi Light], which required Violet Palace Lihuo; he could no longer afford to wait for it.
Li Xinghan knew nothing of the details and merely nodded with a hint of envy. Though a generation senior to him, she was still only at the fifth stage of Qi Refinement.
After a brief wait, a man in a black pleated robe entered from outside the hall. A sword hung at his waist, and he exuded a sharp aura of metal qi. Arriving in a hurry, his cultivation had already reached the seventh stage of Qi Refinement. Li Xinghan nodded to him:
"Elder Brother!"
Li Zhouluo acknowledged her. Lately, he had been in charge of Qingdu while also trying to stabilize his cultivation and practice spells. With affairs on the lake multiplying daily, he had been run ragged, finding a moment of rest only now as he sat down in the hall.
After waiting a while longer, the eldest brother, Li Zhoufang, arrived alongside his brother. The two seemed cast from the exact same mold, always going wherever they were needed and rarely speaking. After exchanging brief greetings, they stood quietly to the side, prompting Li Jiangqian to promptly excuse himself.
Talent among the Zhou-Xing generation was sparse, and these few were already considered the leaders. Just as Li Zhouluo was about to speak, thunder and rain roared outside. A figure landed before the hall, shook out his robes, and pushed the door open, chuckling:
"Brothers, what a rare sight for us to meet!"
A golden lock swayed at his neck, chiming softly. He was rather handsome, draped in white robes, and held a fan painted with flowers, birds, fish, and insects.
Li Zhouluo felt a touch of awkwardness, but his expression remained composed as he stepped forward to greet him. "Fifth Brother, you're here. You rarely visit the islet; today is quite a coincidence."
Li Xinghan glanced over. The newcomer was the True Person's direct grandson, Li Zhouming. Currently at the early stage of Qi Refinement, his cultivation was the lowest among them. Having rarely seen him, Li Xinghan gave a slight bow and said, "It seems I finally get to see Fifth Brother today!"
Li Zhouming smiled and bowed to both sides. Gathering his robes, he entered the hall, snapped his fan shut against his palm, and said, "Indeed. Some time ago, I ran afoul of the Old Master and took quite a scolding. He told me to turn over a new leaf and behave myself from now on. I had no choice but to come to the islet to have a look... and listen to what everyone decides."
"Very well," Li Zhouluo agreed. He held the highest post among the brothers, and with Li Zhouwei absent, the decision naturally fell to him. He lowered his voice and said, "Jiangqian needs to enter seclusion for Foundation Establishment, which means someone must manage the affairs of the islet. Jiangxia and Jianglong are both fine boys, each holding important posts; assigning either to the islet would seem like favoring one over the other... I consulted the Old Master, and he said the Zhou-Xing generation should make the choice... What do my brothers and sister think?"
When Li Zhouluo finished speaking, Li Zhouming tucked his fan into his sleeve and smiled. "Naturally, Elder Brother holds the greatest prestige! It's only right for you to handle household affairs; there's nothing more to discuss! Nothing at all!"
He tapped his fan lightly against his robes. The two brothers, Li Zhoufang and Li Zhouyang, remained completely silent, while Li Xinghan merely held her sword and said nothing. Seeing this, Li Zhouming asked, "So that settles it, then? I thought it was some grand affair."
Unable to hold back any longer, Li Xinghan finally spoke up and asked, "Elder Brother... when the Old Master said the Zhou-Xing generation should choose, did he mean choosing among the young masters, or choosing from our Zhou-Xing generation?"
Li Zhouluo possessed the most striking appearance among them, and his voice was clear and bright as he answered, "The Old Master feared causing resentment among the young masters, so he hopes to select from among our brothers. After all, it is only to act as steward for a few years..."
Only then did Li Xinghan nod thoughtfully. Though she spent most of her time away, she was well aware of her brother's administrative record. At present, there was truly no other suitable candidate besides him. Yet doubt lingered in her heart:
*The Ji branch has never had a precedent of managing household affairs... Do the two Foundation Establishment elders know of this? If this is indeed the order the Old Master gave, it is no different from directly appointing Fourth Brother to take charge...*
Chapter 776