Riding the wind, Chen Yang made his way back amidst a bustling, cheerful crowd. Stroking his beard with a grin, the black-robed man appeared thoroughly delighted, while Fei Tongcai chatted about old times with his cousin Fei Tonglu, laughing so hard he could barely close his mouth.
Back when the two were cultivating, their ancestor Fei Wangbai had been slain before everyone's eyes when Si Yuanli came knocking and ran him through with a single sword stroke—an incident that had become an inner demon haunting almost every member of the Fei family. Yet now, reminiscing about the past, their faces beamed with blissful smiles, untroubled by even a shadow of gloom.
Once they crossed the river, a crowd of Fei family members came to welcome them with loud greetings. Unaware of why the two were so merry, the greeters could only chime in cheerfully as they all made their way toward the lake.
To their surprise, no sooner had they reached the northern lake shore than they saw a refined, cultured Foundation Establishment cultivator standing guard by the water. It was none other than Cui Jueyin, who should have been stationed on the river.
Cui Jueyin's smile stiffened slightly. Meeting Chen Yang head-on, he was about to speak when he saw Chen Yang beaming radiantly and hailing him in a clear, resonant voice:
"Greetings, Lord Cui! What a coincidence!"
This greeting startled Cui Jueyin into bewilderment. What kind of person was Chen Yang? Ordinarily, he spoke in a low, forceful rumble and seldom smiled, never mind laughing heartily like this. His brows and eyes had relaxed so much that he hardly looked like his usual self.
"Protector Chen..."
Cui Jueyin replied, his suspicion gradually receding as he said gently, "By order of the main family, I am to escort Protector Chen and Fellow Daoist Fei to the lake. The grand formation of Hanyun Peak requires repairs, so the rest of you should proceed to the nearest manor peak to settle in. I will not see you off further."
Fei Tongcai nodded repeatedly. He dismissed the crowd to take Fei Qingya back, parted from the rest alongside Chen Yang, and stepped to Cui Jueyin's side. They flew all the way across the lake. Yet when they arrived at the grand hall, there was not a single person around.
Cui Jueyin closed the main doors and smiled at Fei Tongcai.
"Rest a moment, Fellow Daoist. I shall take Protector Chen ahead to report."
Fei Tongcai nodded with a smile.
Fei Tongcai's demeanor toward him was exceedingly bizarre. He was plainly just a Qi Refinement cultivator of the Fei family, yet facing Cui Jueyin—a cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment—he neither bowed his head nor bent his waist. Not only was he devoid of the customary fear toward a Foundation Establishment senior, but there was even an easy familiarity between them, as though they were peers and colleagues.
Chen Yang showed not the slightest displeasure upon witnessing this. Exiting together with Cui Jueyin, he said with a chuckle, "Lord Cui, I met a prodigy north of the river... He possesses an unyielding backbone of iron, untouched by fear or force..."
Cui Jueyin showed a flicker of struggle, evidently reluctant to listen, and interrupted, "And that Fei Qingya..."
"We can discuss that in detail later!"
The two entered the inner hall, which was still utterly devoid of people. Only then did they see Li Jiangqian seated in the center, his expression grim and his eyes narrowed, looking as though two ferocious beasts had just walked in—a display of deep wariness.
When Chen Yang and Cui Jueyin came to a halt before the dais, Cui Jueyin knelt in homage, while Chen Yang merely gave a slight bow. Li Jiangqian laid down the vermilion brush in his hand and lowered his head to read a scroll, uttering not a single word.
The atmosphere in the hall ground to an abrupt standstill. The cheerful smile on Chen Yang's face slowly froze. Cui Jueyin knelt firmly against the cold floor, beads of sweat glistening at the nape of his neck, yet silence still reigned over the entire hall.
As time ticked away, Cui Jueyin finally murmured in a low voice, "Reporting to the Patriarch... I fear... Baiku Commandery is indeed... the place where that exalted one has settled."
Chen Yang still stood upright with a face full of confusion, watching which made Cui Jueyin break into a heavy sweat. Then came Li Jiangqian's quiet voice:
"Wake Lord Chen up."
Cui Jueyin hurriedly rose and pinched incantations to cast spells. He unleashed several techniques in succession, but Chen Yang stood completely unmoved. Cui Jueyin had no choice but to hike up his sleeves and, catching the man off guard, deliver two resounding slaps across Chen Yang's face.
Smack! Smack!
Both blows landed with full force, leaving Chen Yang's cheeks fiery red. Dazed and slack-jawed, he stumbled back two steps and fell to his knees with a thud. His lips trembled uncontrollably, as though struggling to speak, but not a sound came out.
Li Jiangqian could only stand up. Still refraining from looking at Chen Yang, he turned his face away. From the corner of his eye, however, he noticed wisps of purple smoke drifting forth, churning restlessly across the floor. Seizing the moment, he bowed low and hailed respectfully, "Greetings, Master!"
Then, a woman clad in an autumn-yellow robe stepped into the hall from outside. Cui Jueyin reacted just as swiftly, bowing respectfully. Only Chen Yang stood stiff and upright in the center of the hall, clasping his hands as he asked, "May I inquire which Master graces us with her presence..."
At this, Li Jiangqian was at a loss for words. Remaining on his knees, he could only plead respectfully, "I beseech the Master... please save him..."
Fortunately, Tinglan was generous of spirit and acted as though she had heard nothing. Bringing two fingers together, she tapped them lightly against the center of Chen Yang's brow.
Chen Yang instantly stumbled back a step. In the blink of an eye, both of his eyeballs turned a bright yellow, followed immediately by a burst of radiance that incinerated them clean away, leaving behind two pitch-black sockets. With a thud, he collapsed onto the ground, the back of his robes visibly drenched with sweat.
He fumbled blindly for a moment. Paying no mind to the blood-tears dripping down his cheeks, he began knocking his head against the floor with heavy thumps. Tinglan casually picked up a sheet of Xuan paper from the desk, took up the vermilion brush, and with a few deft strokes sketched a pair of eyes.
With a flick of her hand, she cast the paper toward Chen Yang's face. Two eyeballs sprang into his pitch-black sockets, leaving only a blank sheet of Xuan paper fluttering down onto the floor.
Tinglan had not yet achieved her destiny divine ability. Destroying his eyes first and then fashioning new ones was clearly an expedient shortcut. She gave Chen Yang a moment to recover before speaking in a soft voice:
"Now that the roles from all your sides are assembled, the True Monarch naturally reveals Himself. It is just as well. Finding the Lord so quickly saves us much trouble later on..."
Her tone was brisk and airy. Looking down at Chen Yang with his head bowed, she chuckled, "You are quite capable yourself. Having stood before the Lord, you still have sweat left to shed."
Chen Yang's eyes held nothing but profound terror and dread. His hands propping him up against the ground looked pale, trembling faintly. Li Jiangqian said respectfully, "Reporting to the Master, there is still a Qi Refinement cultivator who returned after seeing the Lord in person. He is waiting in the side room... Does the Master wish to see him?"
Tinglan shook her head and seated herself on the host's dais, a flicker of awe on her face as she said gently, "No need to see him. He is already beyond saving. His original mind and consciousness have been completely wiped from existence. What replaces him now is merely who the Lord perceives him to be. If the Lord thinks he is cheerful, he is cheerful; if the Lord thinks he is optimistic, he is optimistic. Should the day come when the Lord thinks he ought to charge in and rescue Him, he will grab a blade and rush forward, and no one will be able to save him.
"As for... you..."
Tinglan glanced at Chen Yang and murmured, "You are a Foundation Establishment cultivator, after all, and I intervened in time. Lie low and stay put until the Lord departs, and this matter will be behind you."
In that brief span of time, Li Jiangqian had observed a great deal. Chen Yang was abnormal, yet Cui Jueyin had ultimately remained completely oblivious—evidence that this influence extended far wider than it appeared. Lowering his voice, he asked, "Should we isolate him from everyone... and have him stay alone...?"
Tinglan pondered slightly and replied, "That is up to you. So long as no one mentions matters concerning the Lord, he is largely harmless, but it is still best to minimize contact with him.
"As for that girl..."
Tinglan glanced over everyone once more and said softly, "Give her a quiet environment and arrange for a few female cultivators of the Fei family to live with her. There is no need to select talents."
Li Jiangqian nodded at once and bowed. "This junior understands."
Tinglan remarked with deep meaning, "You must understand that the Lord will leave sooner or later, but those women might not be able to. Even as mortals, they would be coveted prizes, picked clean without leaving behind a single scrap of bone. If they are cultivators... they are of immense use. Those who are willful and unruly are of little value, but those who are docile and sweet, or aloof and austere... make prime material..."
Li Jiangqian raised his head slightly. Enlightenment dawned upon him instantly, and killing intent surged within his heart, though he swiftly regained his composure and said respectfully, "Many thanks to the Master for the guidance!"
Tinglan then said leisurely, "Ning Wan is watching over Li Quantao and his son as well as matters in Jiangbei, so it fell to me to make this trip."
She looked at Li Jiangqian and laughed. "The Li clan is truly of Wei Li descent, and Li Zhouwei is truly a White Qilin. Excellent indeed—he truly rivals Tu Longjian!"
Though Tinglan's words seemed unprompted, their meaning rang crystal clear in Li Jiangqian's ears. She was evidently referring to how little Li Jiangqian had been affected, how he had calmly and steadily directed affairs through this succession of upheavals. This had given this Master—and perhaps several others—even firmer conviction regarding the Li clan's bloodline:
*The son of the White Qilin... a Golden Core lineage... Only such a bloodline could barely escape the Lord's influence.*
Having spoken, she dissolved into purple smoke and dispersed. Li Jiangqian voiced his respectful farewell before lifting his head with practiced calm and seating himself on the host's dais. Below, Chen Yang was soaked in sweat, clearly stricken with profound terror over his own conduct throughout this entire journey.
Li Jiangqian paused for a brief moment, then smiled. "Protector Chen! The Master has given her immortal decree... As for selecting a few Fei family women... how should we select them?"
Chen Yang replied respectfully, "Those who are jealous, restless, fond of stirring up trouble, and unrelated to our family... supplemented by one or two gentle, kind-hearted Fei family women related to us by marriage.
"Where a group of female cultivators gathers, drama is bound to brew. We need only keep sending cultivation resources over. If the Lord ever feels disgruntled upon arriving here and seeks some diversion, this will allow Him to vent His displeasure quickly. No matter what, the Fei family will be His maternal clan, and with His schedule being so tight, He will not linger in Jiangnan."
Li Jiangqian smiled. "It seems Protector Chen has truly come back to himself."
Lifting the brush in his hand, he pondered:
*The Master's meaning is obvious. Who knows which sects will harbor designs on Fei Qingya in the future? Sowing discord between her and the Fei family in advance benefits both our clan and the various sects—after all, it would otherwise be an awkward predicament.*
*Come to think of it, the last time—the incident with Chu Yi—took place in Yufu Commandery, which happened to be right near Ziyan Gate...*
Li Jiangqian looked up slightly, quickly drawing a connection, and asked, "That Qianlizi, who is currently all the rage on Ziyan's Muzuo Peak... she is around a hundred years old now, isn't she? Protector Cui, do you happen to know her name?"
Cui Jueyin pondered for a moment. "She seems to be... surnamed Han? As for her given name... that is very difficult to know. Ever since she entered the sect, she has cultivated under her Daoist name, so it is exceedingly hard to inquire about her original name."
"I understand." Li Jiangqian nodded, turning it over in deep thought. He said softly, "Protector Chen will have full responsibility over matters concerning Fei Qingya. Replace everyone who interacts with her, before and after, with female attendants. Lock down the peaks where she cultivates and forbid anyone from entering...
"Especially members of my family."
Li Jiangqian had already formed a plan in his mind.
*Since Master Tinglan said that whatever the Lord thinks becomes reality, Chen Yang has already become an affable, kindly senior. Perhaps had he arrived earlier, that profligate would have made a move, prompting Chen Yang to draw his sword in righteous aid and set a three-month pact...*
*Since he has already acted as an affable senior representing our Li family, whatever transpires at Hanyun Peak will likely not be blamed on the Li clan. Let them digest it themselves...*
He added another instruction to put Chen Yang's mind at ease: "You need not interact with her normally. When the True Monarch arrives, find an excuse to enter secluded cultivation. There is no need to meet Him again..."
"Understood!"
Chen Yang's expression had gradually steadied. Receiving his orders, he stepped down along the side. After a moment's consideration, Li Jiangqian instructed, "Bring Fei Qingyi up."
Soon, the man entered from outside the hall. Ever since his breakthrough, he had been detained on the islet, unable even to step outside the grand hall. At this moment, anxiety was written all over his face. He bowed before the dais and said with utmost caution, "Greetings, Patriarch."
A look of profound helplessness surfaced on Li Jiangqian's face. Stepping down from the dais, he spoke in a tone brimming with exasperation at his failure to live up to expectations:
"Master Tinglan just departed!"
These words frightened Fei Qingyi so much that he kowtowed in a panic. Li Jiangqian continued:
"How many times have I told you?! Matters north of the river are of vital importance to the Masters. Who knows how many Violet Palace masters are involved? And now you almost ruined their grand designs! Were it not for the lake stepping forward to intervene, the entire Fei family would have been turned into someone else's stepping stone!"
Fei Qingyi had never imagined things could be so grave and froze where he was. Li Jiangqian continued in a cold voice:
"Listen well. Fei Tongcai has been ensnared by a spell and may see no one. I will dispatch him to guard a ferry near Jiangbei under an official appointment from the islet. His allowance will be several times what your clan provides, with far better treatment. Once this storm blows over, he can be brought back."
Fei Qingyi hurriedly offered his thanks, but Li Jiangqian waved his hand and said in a low voice:
"There is a far more important matter... Though Fei Qingya is unaware of it herself, she is now the reincarnation of a Master and no longer truly of your Fei family. Several Masters gave specific instructions: her cultivation method is unique and must not be tainted by mortal karma. She is forbidden from seeing anyone and will cultivate on your Hanyun Peak. I will seal those peaks and leave a few attendants to accompany her cultivation. If anyone from your family disturbs her, it will be a capital crime warranting the extermination of your entire clan."
How could Fei Qingyi have ever imagined his family would encounter such a thing? A chill gripped his heart:
*Without a Violet Palace cultivator, what right do we have to know anything...? We are merely cannon fodder.*
Li Jiangqian continued, "It is only because I need you to rein in the Fei family that I have shared this secret with you. If word leaks and draws enemies, not only will your Fei family be wiped out to the last soul for harboring her, but our lake will also suffer severe repercussions."
His tone softened considerably as he said in a low whisper, "Fellow Daoist Fei, these matters are top secret, known only to me, Lord Cui, and a rare few. Out of regard for the deep bonds between our families, I am speaking out of turn to let you know. The situation is extremely grave right now: your family's direct descendant appeared and disrupted others' arrangements. Bound by our family's face, they could not simply kill her out of hand, leaving the various Violet Palace lords thoroughly displeased."
"This humble cultivator understands!"
Fei Qingyi's hands trembled as they emerged from his sleeves. Li Jiangqian sighed, "This entity reincarnated into Fei Qingya's body... In her past life, she cultivated the Dao of Ruthlessness, which is why she now cultivates Cold Qi. If you conduct yourselves prudently, nothing will happen. But should you meddle or intrude too much, and something goes awry when she attains her Dao—prompting her to slaughter her way to enlightenment—that will be no laughing matter."
Having thoroughly intimidated Fei Qingyi, eliciting fervent expressions of gratitude from him, while Cui Jueyin beside them dared not even raise his head, Li Jiangqian then said, "Lord Cui, go along with him to settle the matter properly. Do not meet with her personally; simply have the people from before make the arrangements."
The two hurried to take their leave. Li Jiangqian sat back down and let out a gloomy sigh.
He, Li Jiangqian, could never tell Fei Qingyi the truth. One could never underestimate human greed. Were Fei Qingyi to learn that his clan's direct descendant had become the female companion of a True Monarch, it would inevitably ignite a catastrophic upheaval. No matter how much one warned him against approaching the True Monarch, the man would only assume it was deliberate intimidation and might very well try to worm his way closer anyway.
Yet bringing Fei Qingya back had been done under the pretext of Fei Qingyi's breakthrough; they could not simply lock him away, which would inevitably become a major liability. For now, weaving this elaborate lie was the only way to patch things up and align with the sequence of orders issued both beforehand and just now.
"We shall just have to adapt to circumstances..."
He picked up his brush, drafted several orders, and frowned.
"I must also see the venerable elder and have him confine Uncle Zhouming to his quarters. He will have to suffer a bit of grievance..."
Chapter 846