The Deng Clan

Yuan Hu'e stood frozen in place, utterly at a loss for how to respond. Beside him, Zhou Baiyun was still lingering on the island master's previously aggressive tone, secretly hesitating. He had thought this was a prime opportunity to make a good impression before Yuan Hu'e. Had Li Zhouwei not exposed his true identity earlier, making him dread bringing trouble upon his elder brother, Zhou Baiyun would have chimed in long ago. For now, he could only steal glances at Yuan Hu'e's face, noticing that the old man's beard was quivering as he spoke in a buzzing rumble: "So... so it is you, My Lord... Pardon my disrespect! Those words I blustered earlier were truly laughable, to think I would presume to discuss My Lord's respected seniors..." All the bluster that was hollow at the core completely deflated from him. Awkward and frightened out of his wits, he babbled, "This old fool was blind... Back when Lord Xuanfeng was stationed on this island... I held him in the utmost admiration and reverence, frequently seeking his guidance. I have always held that gratitude in my heart! Never did I imagine My Lord would arrive today. To fail to welcome you from afar was bad enough, but to fail to recognize you to your face—my fault... my sin..." His shift in attitude was so swift that it left Zhou Baiyun dumbfounded. Yet the old man's words were crystal clear, striking terror into Zhou Baiyun's heart: 'Good heavens... Li Xuanfeng's surname is Li, and Li Xizhi's surname is also Li—they are of the same family! This Li Zhouwei is from the Lake Wangyue immortal clan!' Only then did he realize how terribly things had gone awry, and he groaned inwardly. But the old man had already spun around and barked at him: "You, Zhou! With such a guest arriving, instead of finding out his background properly, you casually sent someone to inquire and claimed some dangerous fiend had come knocking... I ought to hold you accountable for this!" 'What?!' Zhou Baiyun broke into a cold sweat that drenched his face. The Li family's present might was something even the Yuan family could not withstand, let alone a petty itinerant cultivator like him. Li Xuanfeng's prestige in this region was formidable; several cultivators over the years had even taken up the bow in imitation of him. Yet Zhou Baiyun dared not talk back, standing there mute as a post. Li Zhouwei watched the old man brush the matter off as simply "failing to recognize him to his face" and push Zhou Baiyun forward to take the blame. He did not say a word, exerting silent pressure through his stillness. Seeing that Li Zhouwei remained unresponsive despite his stream of excuses, Yuan Hu'e could only heave a long sigh and say meekly, "Hai!" From the very beginning, Yuan Hu'e had held both reverence and fear toward Li Xuanfeng, harboring not the slightest thought of offending him. But out here in the overseas territories, having originally been promoted by the Ning family, his position was sensitive, and he had no say in the affairs of the Yuan family—he could only listen from afar. The moment he had heard that Yuan Hudu and Yuan Huyuan were sitting on the fence, wavering between both sides, he knew disaster was bound to follow. And then Yuan Chengzhao within the sect turned out to be utterly unreliable as well. What had once been a perfectly sound relationship between the two families—fellow disciples bound by senior-brotherly affection above, and deep bonds between the clans below, even to the point of contemplating a marriage alliance back then—had been completely ruined because two elders and one youth betrayed Yuan Chengdun. It had devolved into the irreconcilable state it was today. Now, Yuan Hudu had suffered a relapse of his old wounds and died abruptly, and Yuan Zibin had taken the helm of the family—a perverse, insolent madman whose actions defied all reason. Clearly, over three generations, the entire Yuan family had rotted to the marrow at astonishing speed, dragging Yuan Hu'e along into offending a Violet Palace-level power. Now that someone had come knocking on his door, Yuan Hu'e's heart was practically bleeding. He murmured in a low voice, "The juniors of my clan were ignorant..." The grudge between the Li and Yuan families was not something that could be resolved in a sentence or two. Li Zhouwei considered himself neither qualified nor inclined to resolve things on behalf of his elders. Waving his hand, he replied, "Island Master Tai'e, there is no need to say so much. I am merely passing through. I will take my leave once I have exchanged for the spiritual items here." He pointed toward the jade box on the table. Yuan Hu'e now inspected it with utmost diligence. Taking out the contents and appraising them, a chill ran through his heart. He said in a hushed tone, "Reporting to My Lord: presently, Tai'e Island has a white-skinned fan known as the White Yin Fan. It belongs to the path of Sui Qi and can whip up currents of black and yellow qi. It is a rare magical artifact. Originally, a peak master of Qingchi consigned it here for sale; it should be of equivalent value." Li Zhouwei finally heard something that piqued his interest. Artifacts of the Sui Qi path were rare, and the black flame catalyzed by his Sixty-Year Soul-Refined Halberd Technique belonged to the Sui Qi path, making such a weapon handy for him. He therefore asked, "Which peak master is this, and what do they require in return?" Wiping away his sweat, Yuan Hu'e answered, "It is the peak master of Yuanjie Peak, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator named Deng Yuzhi. He is over a hundred years old now, cultivating in this vicinity, and left the item here on consignment..." He shot a glance at Zhou Baiyun, who felt as though granted a general pardon and hurriedly rushed out to invite the guest. Li Zhouwei, meanwhile, felt a wave of reassurance upon hearing the name, nodding inwardly: 'So it is someone from the Deng clan.' Yuan Hu'e cast a glance at the table and immediately took a fancy to the wooden staff. He studied it for a few moments, yet he was wary of using an artifact from Changxiao Gate himself. Hesitating, he said, "As for this staff, this old man can make the decision to keep it on the island for consignment." He fumbled in his sleeve for a moment and produced a gleaming, pristine white orb of light, asking tentatively, "This is a protective spiritual aegis called the Light Mystic Light Protection. It belongs to the path of Pure Qi and is suitable for all paths. How about My Lord takes this to use for now, while the staff remains on the island for sale? Once it is sold, we can balance the difference—sending extra or making up for any shortage—and settle the transaction at the lake..." With just a glance, Li Zhouwei knew the old man wanted to use it himself. After all, its life-preserving properties were exceptionally useful to aged cultivators. It was just that the old man feared the methods of Changxiao and wanted to keep it first to have someone inspect it. The Light Mystic Light Protection was indeed versatile across many paths, but barrier-type magical artifacts were usually expensive. For him to offer it so readily in trade meant its defensive capability was likely modest. Still, keeping the staff was of no use to Li Zhouwei, and he had no desire to scurry around among various markets. He pushed the wooden staff forward and took the white orb into his hand. "Please take a look, My Lord... this is the inventory of the island's collection." Yuan Hu'e received the wooden staff, turning it over in his hands with enamored delight. Yet he felt visibly ill at ease in Li Zhouwei's presence. Using the excuse of needing to inspect and make inquiries, he promptly excused himself. Li Zhouwei took the inventory catalog and read through it. Before long, he heard Zhou Baiyun's deferential voice: "My Lord, please, right this way!" A middle-aged man stepped forward. His hair and beard were grizzled, his frame exceedingly gaunt, and his features rat-like with protruding teeth and a buck-toothed cleft lip. Yet his demeanor was relatively calm. His small eyes swept around the room, and upon seeing Li Zhouwei, he gave a slight bow and sighed, "Clan Head Li... we finally meet face-to-face. I am Deng Yuzhi of the Simin Deng clan..." The Deng clan was a small, modest family. Although they had a Foundation Establishment cultivator holding the fort, they had been coerced by the Chi family into practicing a peculiar cultivation technique, leaving generation after generation to die out in madness. Later, Chi Wei fell and Chi Zhiyun intervened to ease their plight, allowing the Deng family to breathe a little easier. The descendants of the Deng clan no longer cultivated that art, and Deng Yuzhi was effectively the last. The Deng family had formed ties with the Li family very early on. Deng Yuzhi's elder brother, Deng Qiuzhi, was reportedly a close friend of the sword immortal Li Chijing. In the past, Li Zhouwei had sent letters to Li Quantao through the Deng family. Though they did not interact frequently, the friendship was rock-solid. Li Zhouwei rose and invited him to take a seat. Though Deng Yuzhi looked unsightly, he carried himself with considerable poise. He produced a jade pot and jade cups, poured the tea, and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Clan Head." Li Zhouwei nodded slightly and replied, "Greetings, Senior. Is all well with your family these days?" Deng Yuzhi offered an uncomely smile and answered, "It has been quite decent over the past hundred years... Once Chi Wei died, we already breathed a sigh of relief. When Ning Hejing, Chi Zhiyan, and those few who harbored intense malice toward my family perished, things became even lighter. A few days ago, when Chi Zhiyun fell, my family even went into deep mourning..." Li Zhouwei furrowed his brows and asked, "Chi Zhiyun has fallen? What plans does your noble clan have... regarding the Chi family?" Deng Yuzhi answered, "When the Chi clan head was killed, I originally drew my sword and stepped out, intending to seize the opportunity to slaughter his entire household, from top to bottom, without sparing a soul. Midway, my children stopped me..." "Perhaps it was because I spent year after year rushing between Mount Yishan and Qingchi, having no time to instruct them. They do not acknowledge the crimes of our ancestors being slaughtered generation after generation. Chi Wei has been dead for over a hundred years; who cares about some granduncle or collateral branch who died a century ago? They only thought I was cruel, fearing that my reckless impulse would invite calamity upon them—that when Chi Buzi returns, he would settle scores with them." He sipped his tea and said softly, "When I was in my twenties or thirties, my elder brother was murdered. I held that hatred for over a hundred years. I believed that my Deng clan had been preyed upon generation after generation, that this blood feud was etched into our very bones, and that if the day ever came when vengeance could be had, every single member of my Deng clan would fight with their lives on the line... Later, when I went home to look, the entire Deng clan seemed to know nothing of it. Even those who knew felt no hatred; they only felt they had been saved by Chi Zhiyun, spared from being devoured for a whole century." He pressed his lips together, his unsightly cleft lip twitching awkwardly as he continued, "This appearance of mine is the consequence of my father cultivating that bizarre art—an ugly face. When I returned home after a hundred years, they discovered that my heart was ugly too, that I was simply seeking to vent my resentment over my hideous looks by bringing endless trouble upon the clan. Little did they know that it is not as though I cannot alter my features now; I simply keep them intentionally, to remember." "I went back three times and paced around a dozen times. In the end, I felt it was meaningless. The hatred didn't seem so sharp anymore. From then on, I left Simin and came here." The man's tone was flat and calm. He merely asked, "What of your noble clan? The downfall of the Chi family owes much to your family's tremendous efforts. Today, mortal members of the Chi family still survive. Do you still think of wiping out the Chi family to exact vengeance?" Li Zhouwei remained silent. Deng Yuzhi continued, "These things can never be clearly untangled. The one who died in your family was a sword immortal, while the one who died in mine was an unknown, insignificant Qi Refinement cultivator. It seems as though your family's grudge is more worthy of hatred. Yet weren't both instances the loss of a kin murdered? Because he was a sword immortal, it is easier to hate; as for a nameless nobody, no one cares even if he is slain... Who gives a damn?" "It is just that he was my elder brother, so I harbor a little more hatred." He laughed at himself mockingly, his cleft lips pressing tightly together. From his sleeve, he took out an ornate brocade jade box and said, "Back when I visited the Li family, I met Senior Li Tongya and Fellow Daoist Li Xuanling. It is rare to meet an old friend, so I spoke too much... I heard you are looking for the White Yin Fan... It is rare to encounter a buyer as well-suited as you." He placed the box on the table and gently opened it. Inside lay a pure white ivory fan, only the length of a forearm, smooth and delicate. Its handle was forged from pitch-black dark iron, dull and lusterless. With just a single glance, Li Zhouwei recognized it as a remarkably fine artifact, and his interest was immediately piqued. Nodding slightly, he asked, "May I ask the artifact's origins? And what does Fellow Daoist require in return?" Deng Yuzhi smiled and replied, "This artifact was one of those obtained by my ancestors while serving the King of Liang. When the King of Liang drowned in the river, my ancestors crossed the river and headed south, preserving these treasures. Later, unworthy descendants squandered most of them away. When this artifact was divided into my hands, I was originally supposed to return it to the clan, but I was bitterly disappointed... so I left abruptly. Never did I imagine that Heaven, seeing the hardship of the first half of my life, would take pity on me and recently grant me a new son." A trace of gentleness entered his gaze, softening the unseemly cast of his face. Clearly, this newfound child was very dear to him. "An artifact of the Sui Qi path is not handy for me to use. Furthermore, I intend to establish an estate for my child in the Hetian sea area. He cultivates Kan Water; since Sui Qi transforms Kan to purge Li, it is all the more ill-suited for him. I planned to find a life-preserving path for my child, and I took a fancy to your gourd." "The path of Fu Water is exceedingly well-suited for both me and my young son." Li Zhouwei had once heard that the Deng family's technique was a rare method that utilized two types of qi simultaneously, requiring Night Moon Chilling Qi and Falling Rain Sinking Heart. The former was Lunar, while the latter was Fu Water, making it a very fitting match. Shaking his head slowly, he replied, "That is truly a pity. For one, there are still imprints left by Changxiao Gate within the gourd; leaving it to a junior would invite endless troubles. Secondly, it belongs to someone else after all, and I fear someone might recognize it someday." Zhou Baiyun had clearly failed to explain the stakes properly. These middlemen always told half the truth while concealing the other half to push a deal through. Hearing this, Deng Yuzhi felt a slight chill in his heart. Smiling with a touch of gratitude, he answered, "I truly thank you, Fellow Daoist... That is one point. The items in your storage bag also happen to be what I need to establish a formation, but without the gourd, it becomes difficult to trade." He made no mention of the artifacts from Tangjin Gate; not only were they slightly inferior in quality, but they clearly bore no synergy with the Deng father and son. Li Zhouwei nodded thoughtfully. He was immensely drawn to the White Yin Fan and was unwilling to let it slip by. In comparison, the Fu Water gourd was far less appealing... Moreover, without neutralizing the contents inside, the item's intrinsic value was inherently reduced. He said, "I am exceptionally fond of the White Yin Fan. I see that Senior is not pressed for a day or two. I need to travel far to visit a senior, passing through many places along the way. It would be best if I could deal with the gourd en route, altering its appearance and having an expert cultivator erase its traces cleanly so that it is completely safe." Deng Yuzhi nodded slightly, and Li Zhouwei added, "The original owner of this item was surnamed Zhuang, one of those who took part in the ambush. If there is a chance to clean it thoroughly, it will be much safer." After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Deng Yuzhi still bore a trace of hesitation as he rose and took his leave. Just as he left, Li Zhouwei encountered Zhou Baiyun coming back inside and asked, "Do you know of Liehai? Are there sea charts of it sold in the market?" Liehai was likely a newly established sea pasture under the dragonkind. Zhou Baiyun shook his head at a loss. Li Zhouwei could only recall Dongfang Heyun's words: Liehai lay east of the Reef Sea, past the boundary where the Hetian Sea met the outer waters. He said, "Then fetch a map of the Reef Sea." Zhou Baiyun hurried down. Li Zhouwei spent some time alone in the pavilion reading secret methods. When the man returned and respectfully presented the map, Li Zhouwei chuckled and said, "Gongsun Baiyun... your elder brother serves under Baiyedu Immortal Dao. How could he bear to leave you here in the Hetian Sea as an itinerant cultivator?" The man instantly grew frightened and uneasy. After all, he was not entirely ignorant of affairs within the inland seas; Lake Wangyue had clashed with Baiyedu Immortal Dao before! He could only bow and say, "My elder brother established his Immortal Foundation early on. He spent years of accumulated savings to elevate an inept, useless younger brother like me to Foundation Establishment. Yet he was unwilling for two birds to roost on a single branch, fearing that if something went wrong, both brothers would perish together." "He said that although the inland was wealthy, it was fraught with peril. On one side was the Taiyang orthodox lineage, on the other was Duxian Xuanshan. He forbade me from going there, and forbade me from using the Gongsun surname. Yet every year, he sends resources overseas... Once I have enough to establish a family, build a career, and found a sect of my own... his heart will finally be at ease."