Li Zhouming flicked his sleeves at once, looked up, and said in a clear, delighted voice:
"So news has arrived from Grandfather... I have been worried sick about the elder all this while, and to think he has been keeping me in his thoughts as well. Are there any instructions?"
Having said that, he turned with a smile toward Xia Shouyu.
"Though as for the marriage granted by the Real Person, he never mentioned it to me. May I know the young lady's esteemed name?"
These words were spoken with proper decorum. Xia Shouyu returned his smile and paused slightly to let the elder speak first. Li Xuanxuan's expression softened a little as he replied:
"At least you still remember to keep the Real Person in your thoughts. He is currently traveling the East Sea, and all is well."
Only then did Xia Shouyu say:
"In reply to the young master, this humble woman's surname is Xia, given name Shouyu. I am a cultivator from the East Sea."
Li Zhouming hastily unfastened his folding fan and replied:
"Please... allow me to show you around the lake! It will be a fine chance to talk about the Real Person as well!"
After all, this was their first interaction, so Xia Shouyu did not sense anything amiss. Smiling, she walked over to him. Li Xuanxuan felt a strange amusement and perplexity, not knowing what to say, and could only nod in acknowledgement. As the two walked out together, the old man did not know whether to laugh or scold:
"Usually, this boy is dull and mischievous, never reliable in anything he does, and nine out of ten sentences he speaks have neither head nor tail... Yet the moment he lays eyes on a woman, it is as though he has received divine enlightenment—sharp-eared, clear-sighted, an entirely changed man... Every single word hits the mark... No wonder those girls by the lake have never stirred up any trouble. Sigh..."
Li Jiangqian waited at his side, pondering in silence. After all, two scrolls of decrees had returned from Li Ximing, and the core direct lineage needed to gather and discuss them. Accompanying the elder into the main hall and shutting the doors firmly, Li Xuanxuan sighed:
"It is best that nothing is amiss with the Real Person. This Lady Xia was chosen by him as well. She seems to be a very clever girl, and her family background is good too..."
Li Jiangqian ushered him to the seat of honor. Once the elder sat down, he stood to the side brewing tea and said in a low voice:
"She is very sharp with her words; one cannot pry much out of her on short notice. The subtlety is that we really ought not to ask either, for fear of exposing the Real Person's whereabouts. However, looking at her attire... although elegant, none of it is of top quality. If she had some formidable background, she ought to possess at least a Foundation Establishment magical artifact or artifact spiritual boots... yet none were to be seen.
"Perhaps my eyes are clumsy and cannot recognize treasures, or she simply hasn't brought out her powerful artifacts..."
Xia Shouyu was to be an elder of his generation, so Li Jiangqian spoke with great tact. Yet Li Xuanxuan took it to heart and voiced his doubts:
"That is indeed a point. Still, she repeatedly mentioned that it is only her senior who cultivates on the immortal mountain, and that her own family is not well-off... That makes sense as well."
Li Jiangqian nodded. It was only before Li Xuanxuan that he dared speak his mind freely. He replied:
"In my estimation, even if she has a senior on the immortal mountain, Lady Xia likely belongs to a concubine line or a fallen branch of the direct lineage. The Real Person's venture across the sea was not necessarily part of his original plan; perhaps he made a compromise with some lineage and asked them for assistance or protection, which gave rise to this betrothal. Because our family was the one asking a favor, the other side would not send an overly gifted or pivotal direct scion...
"That is merely my private speculation. In the end, this outcome is best. Looking at all the foreign-surnamed female cultivators around the lake, not one compares to Lady Xia. The Real Person's considerations are surely far more thorough than ours."
Li Xuanxuan nodded. Seeing Li Jiangqian look up with a hint of awareness as knocking sounded outside, he flicked his sleeve, and the hall doors swung open on their own. Chen Yang, waiting outside, walked briskly inside and leaned in to whisper:
"Family Head... someone has arrived from Qingchi."
Li Jiangqian frowned and asked:
"Who from Qingchi? In what capacity did they come?"
Chen Yang said in a low voice:
"The visitor is Peak Master Li Quantao of Fuchen Peak. He claims to be a close friend of the Lord of the Jiutian Pavilion."
Li Jiangqian had little impression of him, but upon hearing this, Li Xuanxuan quickly nodded and said:
"So it is that young lad! Quickly invite him up!"
Although Li Quantao and the Wangyue Li clan did not interact often on ordinary days, the bonds of goodwill between both sides ran deep. Ties had existed since the time of his father, Li Encheng, and Li Quantao had even saved Li Xizhi's life in the past. Li Xuanxuan held him in high regard and said to Li Jiangqian:
"Relations were so good back then. Now that our family has become a Violet Palace immortal clan, we must not keep him waiting all the more, lest people think our family is putting on airs as an immortal clan and showing ingratitude, causing unnecessary misunderstandings."
As they spoke, Li Quantao arrived, clad in a blue robe patterned with surging waves. The spirited youth of former years had now taken on middle-aged features, and he seemed far more formal and polite, repeatedly cupping his hands in salute.
Li Xuanxuan was already seated in the place of honor. Li Jiangqian invited Li Quantao in to sit beside them. The middle-aged man looked around with eyes full of sighs and remarked:
"Your noble clan has changed so much... that one hardly dares recognize it."
"You and Xizhi are brothers! You called him Brother Zhi back then. Why be so polite..."
Li Xuanxuan replied with a smile, motioning for him to sit nearby, and asked:
"Have you run into some difficulty? Or is there a junior disciple in need of pills... Feel free to speak."
Li Quantao was still ill at ease. Over the years, he had married the younger sister of Si Tongyi from the Si family, and with the Si family's backing, his children had no cause to worry about their cultivation. Yet a touch of melancholy hung over his expression as he nodded and replied:
"Under orders from the sect, I am heading to the Shanji area to investigate certain matters. Passing by the lake, I came to talk."
He said in a low voice:
"I have just come from Xunlin Plain. Total chaos reigns there. The Yuan Family Head, Yuan Hudu, suffered a relapse of old wounds and died abruptly. Yuan Zibin of the Yuan family took control of the household, imprisoned the elder Yuan Huyuan, and had several uncles—Yuan Fuyao and Yuan Fuyi—strung up on the mountaintop to be flogged for his amusement, calling them a 'herd of swine.' He had them whipped until they fainted and revived several times... It was too horrific to look upon. Moreover, he has conscripted over a thousand women into the mountains, leaving misery and mourning across the land."
Li Xuanxuan frowned and asked:
"Has Yuan Chengzhao made any statement?"
At the mention of Li Xizhi's junior martial brother, Yuan Chengzhao, Li Quantao shook his head repeatedly and answered:
"He is in secluded cultivation and has not emerged... Such matters are not particularly unusual; they have happened everywhere. It only caused a great uproar because he imprisoned and humiliated his elders; otherwise, it would hardly count as news... It pales in comparison to the imperial scions of the Chu State back then. My father used to say that even parricide occurs in immortal sects, and the Dao companion of that Earth Virtue cultivator from Changxiao is his own elder sister... It is common to see small clans and sects that have lost the suppression of a divine ability; once those who ascend obtain cultivation and power, their desires become uncontrollable, often driving them to extreme cruelty.
"In former years, the sect could intervene, but now it can barely take care of itself, so such occurrences have become increasingly frequent."
Noticing his hesitation, Li Xuanxuan waved his hand to dismiss the attendants. Seeing Li Quantao uneasy, Li Xuanxuan found an excuse to send Li Jiangqian away as well. This Qingchi peak master and distant kin of the Wei Li bloodline sighed. Only after a good while did he whisper:
"There is a joyful occasion: Peak Master Qin Xian has been promoted to Master of Yuanxing Peak and plans to choose an auspicious day to wed Fellow Daoist Fei Qingyi..."
The matter between Fei Qingyi and the Si family confidant Qin Xian had been brewing for a long time, and now it had finally borne fruit. It was a weighty event, yet it did not seem to be what Li Quantao truly wanted to say. Li Xuanxuan simply waited in silence. Sure enough, Li Quantao continued:
"A few days ago... Peak Master Qin Xian had just assumed his new post, and it was also my turn on duty. Flames soared into the sky from Qingchi's main peak, dyeing the horizon. I traced the noise, sensing an unusual disturbance in the spiritual mechanism... a cultivator had fallen.
"Yet when I first arrived at that cave dwelling, I saw signs of excavation at the entrance, as well as dents from magical artifact strikes. The formations had been unraveled by an exceptionally skilled cultivator..."
Li Xuanxuan felt a jolt in his heart. Listening intently, he saw Li Quantao turn slightly pale as he whispered:
"Afterward, sensing something was wrong, I silently made my way down the mountain, only to see my eldest son Li Kan and second son Li Xiangye sneaking down from the slopes. The white iron cold swords they carried were already broken, yet they still bore them on their backs..."
With words spoken to this point, Li Xuanxuan understood his meaning and fell silent. In truth, that the Si family had waited until today to act had genuinely surprised Li Xuanxuan. Li Quantao continued:
"The next morning, news circulated within the sect. Word was that the former Sect Master, Chi Zhiyun, had failed his breakthrough and fallen that night. Although the sect remained quiet, from what I could see... most people bore looks of sorrow and dread."
At this point, exhaustion showed in his face, and he murmured:
"Though we knew all along trouble would come, still... we had hoped he simply would not achieve the divine ability on his own. My wife said they originally thought that with the sudden shift in the spiritual atmosphere, he was bound to fail. Who could have expected that in the end, it would be [Juxin Chongxuan], which favors Fire Virtue! As the days drew closer and closer, everyone grew anxious, which led to what happened today."
Though he said this, unrest and dread were obvious on his face.
At the end of the day, Chi Zhiyun, this Qingchi Sect Master, had been generous and extraordinarily intelligent. He bestowed deep favors, meted out lenient punishments, and boldly promoted talent; he was truly a brilliant figure of his generation. Back then, Qingchi had been governed by him so smoothly that practically everyone had received his grace... Even though Chi Zhiyun's brother Chi Zhiyan had acted perversely and ruined all their confidants in one fell swoop, and the Si family had taken power, everyone in Qingchi knew Chi Zhiyun was in secluded cultivation. Yet out of mutual guilt in their hearts, no one ever spoke of it.
Dantai Jin had promoted so many people, yet not one took the hint to take action. Now, they actually had to let Qin Xian, a confidant hastily promoted, scheme it out, and use Li Quantao's two naive sons to do the deed. This showed just how guilty the Si family and Dantai Jin felt. Even so, the disciples and cultivators across Qingchi still bore looks of sorrow and unease, making the situation awkward in the extreme.
Li Quantao was even more unsettled, his eyes glistening with moisture as he replied:
"He too was a heroic figure. Secluded to break through to the Violet Palace, he had pushed his rising yang into the Great Void. With everything accomplished, he needed only to break through his heart barrier to attain the divine ability! Yet the stone gate was dug open from the outside, and two Qi Refinement brats entered carrying swords, pierced his dantian, and severed his head, causing his ruin and demise! If he harbors grievance, even shocking heaven above and shaking earth below would not suffice to assuage it!!
"Old Master, all the elders in my family have passed away now. Brother Zhi and I are as close as blood brothers, and you are my elder as well... To speak privately, back when my father was targeted by the Chi family, Sect Master Chi shielded him on many occasions... Back then, I thanked him from the bottom of my heart. Now... now to call me ungrateful and treacherous would not be an overstatement!"
A dignified Foundation Establishment cultivator, Li Quantao was actually covered in cold sweat, tears streaming down his face. He bowed deeply, his voice trembling with fear:
"Those two are my own flesh and blood, yet they did such a thing... Just on my own conscience, chills run through my spine, and I simply do not know what to do... I truly do not know what to do! I beg the Old Master... to guide me!"
Li Quantao had been born and raised on an immortal peak, innocent of worldly ways. Though he had gained some worldly understanding later on, he still acted according to his original nature and was without question an honest and good-natured man; otherwise, he would not have saved Li Xizhi back then. Panic filled his eyes. The old man opened his eyes and said in a low voice:
"Do you know why they used them in this manner?"
Li Quantao nodded stiffly and said:
"My father had a grievance with Chi Wei, so they reckoned dragging me in would be the most convenient. It would also tie me firmly to their side so I could never leave them, while latching onto Brother Zhi. The moment I entered seclusion, my two boys met someone unknown... but who directed them... no longer matters."
Li Xuanxuan could not help taking a sip of hot tea to warm his stomach. He coughed and said:
"It is the karma of years past... All of it is past karma; the fault does not lie with you..."
Li Quantao's eyes went wide, his lips trembling:
"Even the Old Master believes in karma... I thought the Wei Li believed in it least of all... If one believes in this, anything can be laid aside, but that is not right... If we truly speak of karma, it was my father who did wrong, launching a sneak attack on Chi Wei and seizing the lineage..."
Unintentionally, he seemed to have exposed something. He lowered his voice:
"Chi Wei was detestable, but it wasn't as if Chi Zhiyun never tried to dissuade him; he made many amends and treated the victims kindly. I know he had to die—be it executed cleanly, or killed with everything laid bare to his face—yet harming him like this leaves me profoundly uneasy.
"Even revenge demands proper methods. If he harmed my kin for selfish gain, at most I would retaliate against him and kill him, rather than seizing his great-grandson to dismember him! If I did that, wouldn't I be even more abhorrent than he? Wouldn't I face retribution? That is what this junior means."
Li Xuanxuan was taken aback as he listened, his heart sinking. He retrieved medicinal pills from his sleeve, but Li Quantao waved his hand dismissively and answered:
"Old Master, I am completely lucid. Lord Si is in the South Sea; which Violet Palace could penetrate Qingchi's grand formation to affect my mind? This matter has churned in my heart for a long time; it is no momentary impulse."
His eyes dimmed slightly as he answered:
"I understand that your noble clan also suffered deeply from the Chi family's persecution, with hatred burning in your hearts, and cannot empathize with me... What the Old Master said is not wrong either—if there is karma, it will ultimately fall upon my head!"
Li Quantao bowed deeply, then withdrew from the hall. His flustered silhouette seemed utterly dejected. Li Xuanxuan forgot to see him off, raising the hot tea and taking several gulps in succession before finally feeling warmth return to his hands and feet.
After a good while, Li Jiangqian stepped forward from the side, somewhat puzzled, and asked:
"Why did this gentleman leave without even looking back... Sire...?"
Li Xuanxuan rubbed his brow and whispered:
"Chi Zhiyun has fallen..."
Li Jiangqian was not surprised. He nodded:
"It was bound to happen sooner or later. That the Si family dragged it out until now was quite incautious of them."
Then he asked suspiciously:
"Did this gentleman tell the Old Master? Was he involved? The Si family sought to rope him in, surely with no good intentions. Could they be trying to drag our family into deep water as well...?"
The old man appeared rather unsettled. He nodded in silence, rose, and walked down the steps. Glancing at Li Jiangqian, he coughed and said:
"I originally came looking for you... At times I see that Quewan has a good nature, and at other times I feel you are reliable. You two brother and sister should complement each other more... You might do well to learn from your younger sister; not everything needs to be driven to the extreme, nor must you assume the worst in everyone! Sincerity in dealings has its own virtues... You distrust people too much, always favoring deceitful pretexts and glossy words. Though this often secures benefits, I fear it will only chill the hearts of those around you and your friends."
Li Jiangqian had not expected Li Xuanxuan to bring this up. He smiled naturally and replied:
"Toward my younger sister and the Old Master, I have always possessed absolute devotion, a heart that heaven may witness. Any glossy pretexts are only ever seen by my elders, and they are done solely to secure advantages for the clan... I have a clear conscience."
The old man merely walked down the steps, returned his smile, and nodded:
"I am old—mere pedantic ramblings. The clan's affairs still require your careful tending... Thank you for your hard work."
Descending the steps, he unusually did not return to Qingdu, but instead headed toward the lively quarters of the islet. Li Jiangqian saw him off halfway, then turned back into the hall. With an impassive expression, he sat down in the seat of honor, tapping lightly on the desk, his gaze icy cold:
'I have never seen the Old Master take this tone before. What audacious wretch... has been whispering snide remarks about me in the Old Master's ear!'
Chapter 813