Inquiries

The Funan territory. Work had already begun on repairing the formations across the mountain peaks, and the land, once billowing with thick black smoke, was gradually regaining order. Tangjin Gate had been forced to come this time and harbored no desire for slaughter or pillaging, so the mortals down below had suffered relatively little harm. Now they had gathered at the foot of the mountains to rebuild the villages and towns that had been razed to the ground. Midair, a streak of golden light sped past before resolving into a youth who looked like a scholar. Wearing a worried expression, he flew by the light until he soon came to a halt at the edge of the Funan border. Cui Jueyin had already been searching for more than half a year. Ever since Ding Weizeng went missing, he had ridden the bright light to scour the entire territory. The jade pendant at his waist showed not the slightest reaction. He had searched all the way west to the Great Desert, all the way east to the East Sea, and had even slipped north through the territories of Tangjin Gate and Duxian Dao, yet found not a single trace. He had no choice but to fly back, his heart chilled to the core. Cui Jueyin knew Ding Weizeng well enough—the man was genuinely upright and capable. More importantly, both had been elevated by Li Ximing himself; both were the Zhenren's trusted confidants and stood on the same side. For a pillar of a Foundation Establishment cultivator like him, Cui Jueyin naturally was unwilling to shirk his duty and abandon him, having put forth his utmost effort in this search. Feeling despondent upon returning to the Funan territory, he felt it awkward to return to the lake for the moment, so he touched down at Funan's main mountain. Though the cultivators below were not well acquainted with him, they recognized his appearance and stepped forward to greet him: "Lord Cui, the lake dispatched Lord Qu to clean up. He has been sorting out the spirit fields during this time and just found some free time; he is currently in the hall." Hearing this, Cui Jueyin turned and headed into the hall. Before long, he saw the old man sitting inside, draped in rather ornate robes, holding a box of soil in his hands and examining it carefully. "Senior Qu!" Cui Jueyin greeted him. Qu Bushi immediately rose and walked briskly over to him. The old man sighed: "Lord Cui, I have longed for your return. The lake has been quite busy with affairs... Did you manage to find Weizeng?" Qu Bushi was actually very close to Ding Weizeng, habitually calling him "Weizeng" like an elder looking after a junior. He was deeply anxious about this matter and asked for news in his very first breath. Seeing Cui Jueyin shake his head, the old man's expression turned grim, and he murmured: "He should be fine... After all, though his life jade at the lake has dimmed, it hasn't shattered. As long as a Violet Palace master didn't strike him down, Weizeng must be in seclusion somewhere." Cui Jueyin pondered for a moment and said: "I have one more idea... That King of Beijin River... is there any news of him now? Demons span the Three Rivers; perhaps we can ask him to make some inquiries." Speaking of that demon, Old Man Qu sighed repeatedly and answered: "I thought of him long ago. I don't know whether the old demon is cunning or it was merely coincidental... In the past two years, he went to celebrate the birthday of some Demon King Xushui, and once he left, he vanished without a trace. The people sent to contact him... their messages have piled up in the river palace with no reply whatsoever." "Demon King Xushui?" Cui Jueyin was from overseas after all, and he caught the implication at once. Frowning, he said: "I know of this Demon King Xushui. It is said he once accompanied the Dragon King to Chongzhou Island. I have never heard of him being extravagant. A banquet that lasts for a year or a half should be over by now. I will go ask." Having grasped the situation somewhat, he took the message token from Qu Bushi's hand and immediately rushed toward Baijiang Creek. More than halfway there, he dived to the riverbed, thinking to himself: 'For a figure as important as Demon King Xushui to cooperate in this, using a birthday celebration as an excuse to draw him away—it must be out of fear that the King of Beijin River would be dragged into the quagmire. When it comes to affairs inland, the dragonkind ultimately refrained from meddling after all...' Cui Jueyin saw through it clearly. Although this demonstrated the dragonkind's intention to yield, it did not mean the rumored connection was baseless. On the contrary, it was precisely because a connection existed that a Violet Palace demon like Demon King Xushui was mobilized to cooperate... 'If the rumors were completely unfounded, the King of Beijin River could have simply stayed here openly. Even if people came knocking to beg for aid, he could just refuse to see them; why go through the trouble of making this extra trip?' 'Gathering news of the Zhenren and the Clan Master... all relies on this river flood dragon!' With this clarity of mind, he acted with poise and confidence. Upon arriving before the river palace, a fish demon emerged. Cui Jueyin had some experience dealing with demons, so in a few quick words, he made his business clear. The demon said: "Our King only returned this morning and was just about to reply. Please enter, my Lord." Cui Jueyin stepped openly into the palace. The surroundings were truly resplendent with gold and jade. Demons held few taboos; the stairs beneath the high hall were lavishly wrought from gold mixed with spiritual materials. He walked all the way into the hall. There he saw a tall, dignified man dressed in a slate-blue kesi brocade coat, his white-furred cloak embroidered with a jade-green sea. Were it not for the azure scales gleaming on his neck, he would truly have looked like the head of a major sect. "A humble cultivator, Cui Jueyin, pays respects to the King of Beijin River!" Lowering his gaze, he stated his name. Swishing his robe, the man descended the steps and asked with a smile: "From Chongzhou Island?" "Indeed!" One was of demonkind, a servant of the dragon lineage; the other was from an overseas aristocratic clan, a descendant of Chongzhou. Neither was lacking in vision, and both knew many secrets; they were even both subordinates under the dragon lineage. As man and demon exchanged glances, a great deal remained understood without words. The King of Beijin River, Ying Hebai, welcomed him to take a seat and said in a low voice: "Chongzhou is also a dependent of the White Dragon Branch. Back then, the Dragon King brought the Great King to agree to this matter, forming a karmic bond, and our ties with Xushui are also close. We are all of one family." "Naturally," Cui Jueyin replied with a beaming smile. Noticing that Ying Hebai before him knew a great deal, he nodded secretly. Ying Hebai lowered his voice and said: "Brother Chengkun's demise was something I only learned of after returning inland. But even if I had been here at the time, I could not have changed anything... On this point, I must ask Lord Cui to put in a good word for me. "After all, I am merely a minor figure on the periphery. I can lend a bit of assistance or pass along a message, but beyond that, it is difficult to help further. I have been waiting for you to come... From now on, any dealings can only be counted as our private friendship." Cui Jueyin naturally nodded. He replied: "Those on the lake see things clearly. This calamity was bound to come sooner or later. Back when Situ Tang reached the Violet Palace, he still suffered the disaster of having his mountain besieged. When Xiao Chuting attained his divine ability, he was likewise trapped in the East Sea. Lake Wangyue could hardly be an exception. That the Zhenren was able to escape overseas is already a great blessing." Seeing Ying Hebai nod, he added in a low voice: "Having been targeted in recent years, my greatest worry is the matter of the White Qilin entering the sea. I wonder if Your Majesty has heard any news on this?" Ying Hebai shook his head and replied: "There is no need to worry. Since he took advantage of the Sword Sect's rigid adherence to morality to preserve his life, slew that Situ Mo, and fled toward the East Sea, it is unlikely anything will happen to him. The one in an awkward position now is Chengyan. I heard from my Demon King that this fellow has an atrocious reputation, loathed by man and dog alike. With Changxiao absent, he dares even less to venture into the East Sea." Cui Jueyin understood immediately, feeling much relieved. He turned to ask: "How is the Zhenren?" Ying Hebai promptly replied: "I was in the Hetian Sea at the time and do not know the details." Whether Ying Hebai knew or not, he must have heard something. Seeing him avoid the topic so deliberately, Cui Jueyin tactfully held his tongue, cupped his hands, and asked: "I must also ask the Demon King to keep an eye out on the lake's behalf and help locate a Fellow Daoist..." Ying Hebai finally broke into a smile and replied: "I happen to have good news for you on that front: Daoist Ding is currently cultivating and healing right here in my river palace!" Although Cui Jueyin had guessed the other party might know Ding Weizeng's whereabouts, he had not expected him to be right here in the palace. No wonder he had searched far and wide without finding the slightest trace. Instantly overjoyed, he replied: "My deepest thanks to Your Majesty!" Ying Hebai led him down along the path, passing through layers of coral until they soon arrived before a palace of jade-green bronze. Cui Jueyin waited for a moment, and sure enough, a man with a swallow chin and tiger whiskers came rushing out from the hall. There was no obvious change in Ding Weizeng's aura, but his eyes were filled with urgency. The burly man stepped forward, grabbed Cui Jueyin's hand, and asked in a low voice: "Is there any news of the Zhenren?" Cui Jueyin had not expected his very first question to be this. He shook his head hesitantly. Ying Hebai chuckled: "Daoist Ding fell into the creek along his way, and my little sister brought him back. I placed him in the Lushui Pool of this river palace to heal his injuries... Had she been a step slower, internal injuries would have taken root in his body, impossible to cure without a Violet Palace master." Cui Jueyin nodded slightly. Ding Weizeng murmured: "Tangjin Gate besieged me alone. I used my Immortal Foundation to flee, but I was severely wounded. I originally escaped to the Great Desert, but I was worried about Chengkun and intended to make my way back all the way. Who knew I delayed too long, my injuries grew too heavy, and I crashed down to the west. "I lost consciousness for a long while and was awakened by several mortal families who had crossed the mountains from Tangjin Gate's territory seeking refuge. Once awake, I went into seclusion for half a day, then continued flying back east. Along the way, I ran into demonic cultivators making trouble; I killed them, but my injuries flared up, and I plunged into this river..." Ding Weizeng made it sound simple, but repeatedly losing consciousness like that was no trifling matter. For a Foundation Establishment cultivator, unless injuries reached a truly life-threatening point, they would hardly lose their senses. Had his Immortal Foundation not been exceptionally tenacious, he would likely have perished long ago. Cui Jueyin sighed deeply and asked: "Since you were healing at the bottom of this river, why didn't you send a letter back? You caused me quite a bitter search." Yet Ding Weizeng whispered: "When Miss Ying brought me back, I knew nothing of the situation at that time. But once I inquired about current affairs and learned that the lake was in no great danger, I only wanted to make use of this precious place to heal quickly, so that I could go to the East Sea and search for news of the Zhenren..." Cui Jueyin understood completely. The Ding Weizeng before him genuinely worried for Li Ximing. This burly man felt little sense of belonging to Lake Wangyue and had no interest in authority on the lake; he was solely loyal to Li Ximing, his heart full of concern for him. "Alas... Even several Violet Palace masters cannot find him; what could you, a lone Foundation Establishment cultivator, possibly do? Even if you found him, what help could you offer? Better that you return to the lake with me at once and help stabilize things there first." Hearing Cui Jueyin's words, Ding Weizeng shook his head: "Not necessarily. If the Zhenren is injured and has no one attending to him, there is bound to be danger. As for whether I can find him... even if I just search openly along the way, drawing away the eyes of those with ill intentions would still be good for the Zhenren!" 'Drawing the gaze of Violet Palace masters... he's casting his very life away!' Though Cui Jueyin was loyal to his duties, throwing away his own life in such a manner was something he knew he could never do. He sighed inwardly. Seeing that Ding Weizeng had recovered seventy to eighty percent, and recalling his description of his severe wounds just half a year ago, Cui Jueyin immediately realized Ying Hebai must have used rather precious spiritual materials. A favor was already owed. He could only cup his hands and say: "On behalf of the lake, I thank Your Majesty!" Ying Hebai laughed and waved his hands, escorting the two all the way out. Only when they reached the front of the palace did he nod and say: "I heard that Master Zhugong from overseas has frequently been a guest at Ziyan Gate of late. Perhaps there will be further developments; it would be best for the lake to exercise caution." ... Lake Wangyue, Zhuya Pavilion. The lake rippled gently, and the weather was fine. The glow of the bluestone lampstand had gone out. In the pavilion, a woman dressed in a skirt had several talismans affixed to her cuffs. With one hand she held down a piece of silk cloth marked with notations on the table, while her other hand rested against a blue jade mortar. "Three qian of red ochre, three qian of gold essence, five fen of white essence, and one and a half qian of parched golden silkworm... nothing seems amiss. How strange; why won't it generate?..." She inspected the half-gold, half-black powder at the bottom of the jade mortar. Seeing that it showed no signs of turning into white gold after a long wait, she had no choice but to cut off the magic power in her hands, set down the jade pestle, and thought to herself: 'Could it be due to the spiritual aura of Juxin Chongxuan? Metal is the child of Earth; this spiritual aura harms Earth, leaving the nurturing qi deficient, and thus it cannot give birth. If I add another half-qian of red ochre, I can test it again.' She produced a jade box from her sleeve, revealing chunks of crimson red ochre spirit stone within. As she was taking some out, a cultivator outside the pavilion reported: "Milady, the Third Young Master has arrived." "Please show him in!" Li Quewan quickly set aside the items in her hands and put away the silk cloth on the table. Sure enough, she saw the tall, imposing Li Jiangxia striding briskly up the covered walkway. Approaching, he cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Greetings, Elder Sister!" "Third Young Master is here." Li Quewan invited him to sit. The youth raised his brows, glanced at the jade mortar on the table, and said casually: "I rarely come to visit Sister here. On the rare occasion I do, I've disturbed you; I am truly sorry." Li Quewan picked up the jade mortar and said gently: "It is nothing pressing. A branch of our clan's people obtained a cultivation method of the Metal Virtue lineage. It so happens that the spiritual material required for their Qi-harvesting is not produced in northern Yue; one has to travel to the Western Plateau for it. So they came to the clan to petition for it. Considering it is only a Qi Refinement spiritual material and not particularly precious, I thought to balance the material properties and concoct a portion myself." Li Jiangxia nodded. Hesitating for a moment, he drew a box from beneath his sleeve and whispered: "I came this time because I have something on hand that I would like Sister to take a look at." He took out a stone box and placed it gently on the table. As Li Quewan watched him lift the lid, she saw a piece of dark metallic ore resting inside. Luster flowed across it, and its cross-section was smooth as a mirror, reflecting their faces. She picked up the metallic ore, weighed it in her hand, and examined it closely. Looking astonished, she asked: "Where did you get this? It is neither Dui nor Geng; I suspect it is Xiaojin... Such things are extremely rare in Jiangnan, found mostly to the north. Although I cannot name this exact item, it is undoubtedly a Foundation Establishment-grade Xiaojin spiritual material." "The north..." Li Jiangxia made a silent calculation in his heart: 'It seems Brother Pei's legacy undoubtedly was left behind by a northern cultivator...' Just as he was about to inquire further, someone rushed up from below and said respectfully: "Lords! A message from the islet commands both of you to hasten to the islet at once!" Li Quewan hurried to her feet, handed the metallic ore back, and asked: "Did they mention what it is about?" The person bowed and reported: "Many people have arrived on the islet, shrouded in drifting purple qi. They came aboard a spirit vessel—a remarkably luxurious one—and it has now moored by the islet's edge." Hearing just this sentence, Li Quewan understood in her heart, thinking: 'It must be my younger sisters returning from Ziyan Blessed Land!'