The Big Picture

The owlet in the sky wailed and screeched. Standing to the side like a phantom, tears streamed down Master Houfu's face. Stepping back amidst the churning black light, he lifted his sleeve and drew from it a white talisman. The patterns upon this talisman were profound and intricate, radiating brilliant splendor. Amidst the black light, it cast forth a magnificent, upright brilliance. Wheeling higher and higher into the sky, the owlet seemed to answer some summons, reluctantly struggling as it flew downward. Bearing away every wisp of black light, it transformed back into a talisman once more, plunging into the white talisman. Then the large ravens screeched shrilly, plummeting from the sky in torrential flocks. Crashing into shattered pillars and the grand throne, blood splattered across the floor as they dashed themselves to death one after another. In less than half a quarter of an hour, avian carcasses covered the ground, each wing stiff and eyes staring wide in utter disarray. The black mist on the horizon was also suppressed by something, prevented from spreading outward. Instead, it continually waned until it vanished from sight: *A Three-Divine-Ability Master and a Four-Divine-Ability Sword Immortal Grand Master, fallen at the very same moment... How overbearing... What a terrifying show of might...* Bursts of light flickered across the sky as the dark brilliance gradually receded. Seeing the formation's radiance dimming, a woman manifested in the wind and landed nearby. She stowed her dharmic umbrella, maintaining a grim silence. It was none other than Hengxing. Li Ximing stood amidst the carpet of bird carcasses, while Tinglan stood back to the side. Both watched as Houfu walked step by step to the dais. Tucking the talisman back into his sleeve, the brown-robed man's expression had already returned to calm. He sat down heavily right where Kuiqi's corpse had been, raised an eyebrow, and said quietly: "I have received Martial Uncle's final command: we retreat to Jiangnan." Beside him, Hengxing's expression was immensely complicated. With her brows cast down, the emotions in her eyes could not be read. Her vermilion lips were pressed tight. After several breaths of silence, Li Ximing noticed two trails of tears streaming down her fair, tender face, as though she were weeping: "Obsessed with saving face at all costs! Did Lin Jianqi not know how dangerous this expedition was?! He achieved the Violet Palace after all..." In truth, the cultivators had sensed the anomalies in this North-South conflict, yet none had imagined the north would be ruthless to such an extreme. Hengxing's words seemed more like venting her grief and anguish. Houfu lowered his head slightly and answered: "Everyone has their own choices. If one plays a risky hand, one must bear the consequences. I thank you two for looking at the big picture..." Hearing this, Hengxing's emotions turned into raw sorrow and agony. Clenching her teeth, she said: "Year after year, you sealed off your heritage, indulging the demons and Buddhists in their atrocities! Who knows how many people perished back then, yet now you choose to act all lofty and pure! Why not prioritize the big picture, harvest the blood and vitality of commoners, and combine it with a few Violet Palace spiritual items? With the means of your Great Xiukui Abbey, how could you fail to save him?!" "The bigger picture... Why not prioritize the big picture now? If your Great Xiukui Abbey had considered the big picture earlier, become a second Qingchi, and used the Heavenly Embryo Demonic Path, you could have held off the northern demons and Buddhists today! Even if countless cultivators and commoners had been harmed, wouldn't that still be better than having demons and Buddhist monks sweeping across the whole of Jiangbei? Even now, for the big picture, shouldn't you save Lin Jianqi first? What is it besides condoning slaughter! Is that something you haven't done enough of already?!" Having said this, she turned back to look at Tinglan and wept: "At worst, he would have ended up like Chi Wei, but at least you could settle things! Yet you couldn't walk the righteous path to the very end, while remaining entangled and complicit with the north on the other side! The North-South conflict... The North-South conflict... In years past, wasn't it just collusions between your northern houses and the Buddhist cultivators? When you sat by and watched the Murong family march south, did you ever foresee today? Bargaining with a tiger for its skin! Now everything has gone to hell..." At this point, she finally choked on her sobs and broke off abruptly. Tinglan wept in silence. Houfu raised his brows, his gaze somewhat dispirited: "What is the big picture?" "My Xiukui was never widely renowned. In the past, it was merely a branch manor of Huyi. When the world fell into chaos, Perfected Monarch Taiyue arrived from the sea, took over the headship of the branch manor, and established a lineage known as the Xiukui Sect, securing peace for this land." "The Perfected Monarch passed down his lineage and accepted two disciples. One was surnamed Lin, who was Patriarch Honglan, the founding ancestor of our Great Xiukui Abbey, who held Tianxiu. The other was surnamed Nian, who held Buyue, the ancestor of today's Nian family, Master Dongtai." Master Tinglan said nothing, listening to him continue: "Later, the Perfected Monarch sought the Dao and led Master Dongtai and several cultivators north of the river to establish Xiuyue. Patriarch Honglan was left to preside over Xiukui. Later, when the Patriarch fell, his testamentary decree was to establish an abbey, changing the character *Xiu* [cultivate] to the homophonic *Xiu* [owlet], adding the character *Great*, thereby establishing what is now the Great Xiukui Abbey." The man's expression was downcast as he spoke: "If judged by lineage, Xiuyue and Xiukui originate from the same master. If judged by heritage, Xiuyue is our upper sect. This Jiangbei, these Three Streams, even the mountain gates of Xiuyue... be it Lord Louxing or Martial Uncle Kuiqi, both had traveled and cultivated there in the past." Li Ximing listened with both sorrow and shock, pondering inwardly: *Xiuyue never made a move...* The man before him whispered: "The Primeval Mansion once handed down an order: mortals and immortals must remain separate, all sects must dwell secluded in the mountains and forests, none were to rule over the mortal realm, all had to venerate Qingsong, and none could falsely borrow the name of Taiyin. At that time, that was the big picture. Later, the Primeval Mansion sealed itself off and no longer appeared in the mortal world. North and south of the river, only four lineages adhered most strictly to those rules." "Xiuyue, the Sword Sect, Xiukui, and Hengzhu." Beside them, Tinglan remained silent, listening to Houfu's soft voice: "Beneath our Great Xiukui Abbey, countless hills and myriad shrines stood clustered, all beginning from that time. Before Martial Uncle Kuiqi, our Xiukui never meddled much in worldly affairs. Even when Li Jiangqun claimed to be the heir of Taiyin, Lord Louxing merely went to Xiuyue to learn, never gathering under his banner." "Speaking of detachment from the secular world, our Great Xiukui Abbey had no fewer rules than the Sword Sect. We merely resided far away in the deep mountains, untamed by universal moral transformation, lacking the Spiritual Pine Sword Script. Yet when the time came to change, the difficulties were equally immense." "Walking all the way to this day, I can say bluntly: aside from the matter of your Hengzhu, my Great Xiukui Abbey has never wronged anyone... Now, Martial Uncle Kuiqi has fallen, also for the sake of the Taiyang lineage! Also for the big picture! Otherwise, had we hidden away in Huyi, what would the affairs of Jiangbei have to do with us?!" Houfu slowly closed his eyes and whispered: "The affair of Qingchi was merely the Chi family alone, and they have already been destroyed..." Hengxing wiped her tears and shook her head: "Do you think I simply fail to understand?" "Now is not the time to argue. I have only a few questions to ask: everyone in this world talks about the big picture, but how many truly act for the big picture? The mountains of the north, the Jinyi lineage—they speak with such absolute certainty! Isn't everything happening now just for *their* big picture? The so-called 'big picture' may indeed be important, but much of the time, it is merely an excuse invented by the righteous paths to lower their moral baseline! It does nothing more than force some people to swallow compromises and endure humiliation, or worse, abandon all morality without a second thought! How many atrocities began in the name of the big picture?! How much bloodshed has been excused under the guise of the greater good?!" She cried out in tearful fury: "Lin Jianqi was willing to die for this, but how many in this world can be a Lin Jianqi?!" Having spoken, Hengxing turned away. Scattering a few tears, she transformed into a gust of red wind, plucked a black feather from the ground, flew out through the formation, and drifted away, dissolving into a wisp of red light. Houfu stood quietly on the steps, watching her depart into the distance. Who knew how much time passed before he let out a long breath and asked: "How is Ning Wan?" Tinglan lowered her eyes and replied: "She returned to Qingchi. There is no news yet." A deep exhaustion surfaced in the brown-robed youth's eyes. Most cultivators of the Great Xiukui Abbey were proud and reserved, and Houfu was particularly known for his desire to save face. After everything that had transpired, he was utterly worn out. Looking toward Li Ximing, he said in a low voice: "I have made a fool of myself before Zhaojing. You may take your people back as you see fit. We still have things to clean up here... I shall come discuss matters with you when the time comes." Even though the outcome had long been sealed, Li Ximing's heart still grew somber. *The Three Streams region cannot be held either. From now on, crossing the river means entering the territory of Buddhist cultivators...* The retreat of the Taiyang lineage from Jiangbei was truly dreadful news for Li Ximing. Once the Buddhist and demonic cultivators took over Baijiang Stream, there was no telling how much trouble would follow! "Very well..." He responded with an acknowledgment. Houfu reached into his sleeve and retrieved a jade box. Opening the lid, he revealed what lay within: a dark, cylindrical stone pillar about the size of a palm, its sunken crevices gleaming with dazzling brilliance. "Fellow Daoist, please take this for your use. As for the injuries you bear... we truly feel uneasy... I did not bring the Linguang Zhaoyi Pill with me, but I will arrange one for you in due course." Li Ximing declined twice and did not take it, soon excusing himself and stepping down. Houfu shook his head silently and said: "Have someone send it to Lake Wangyue. Although the lake was spared incident this time, they were still alarmed. We must not allow them to harbor second thoughts." After all, Helian Wumeng had been intercepted by Li Zhouwei; had it been otherwise, Lake Wangyue would likely have been drowned in slaughter. The incident might seem minor on the surface, but in reality, it was grave, and weighing all its repercussions would prove troublesome. Tinglan watched Li Ximing depart and whispered: "He has always lacked a Mingzhen Heshen Pill. While Mingyang spiritual extract is wonderful, each portion used is one less in existence. It is unwise to squander it. You must weigh this carefully..." Houfu felt somewhat helpless. Lowering his eyes, he replied: "I know. Times are not what they were. Now that Jiangbei is lost, difficulties will arise on every side. We failed to obtain the things from the Mifan Sect either, and it is hard to say whether anything will fall into our hands in the future. We must rein in our expenditures and plan for the long term." "Yet Li Ximing is different from the others. Martial Uncle kept him within the formation and gave specific instructions—the intent was already glaringly obvious. Having explicitly promised the spiritual extract, we cannot withhold it..." "It is the same in the eyes of outsiders. Li Ximing is an ally who did his utmost, stalling Helian Wujiang. If someone like him cannot receive a share of the good things, how can we expect others to look on with envy and continue serving our bidding? What is more, there is also Li Zhouwei!" Houfu rubbed the bridge of his nose. Now that it was his turn to take charge, he began to feel the very burdens that had plagued Kuiqi in those years. He merely said: "As for the Mingzhen Heshen Pill you mentioned, since it is what he needs, keeping it in our hands will give us more leeway next time." "Mhm." Tinglan responded with an acknowledgment and whispered: "In truth, now that we have returned south of the river, things should be much easier going forward... Xiao Chuting's intervention this time came as a surprise... I wonder how things will unfold hereafter..." "We must thank him for this matter, but going forward, there is no need to pin our hopes on him." A trace of regret showed on Houfu's face as he replied: "He cultivated Kan Water early on and carved out a path with sheer grit. Although Kan Water has no master, this path is exceedingly arduous to tread. That he could return was only because the arrangements at Mount Xianyou have not yet concluded." Li Ximing exited the palace. Once outside the inner formation, he saw the sword cultivator of the Yuzhen Dao sitting beside a bluestone, pouring wine and drinking alone. Master Zhusheng asked: "How is Fellow Daoist Kuiqi?" Seeing the melancholic look on Li Ximing's face, he knew there was no good news. Dusting off his sleeves, he rose to his feet. Mourning in silence for several breaths, he shook his head, clasped his hands behind his back, and remarked: "When I saw Fellow Daoist Hengxing rush out in a hurry without even pausing for a moment, I knew things were grim." Li Ximing exchanged a few pleasantries with him, whereupon Zhusheng said: "I heard from Tinglan that the Scripture of Baishou Kouting is in your hands, Fellow Daoist. When the chance arises, I would also like to have a look—mainly at that Court Red Dust. It was mentioned in my sect's lineage as well, so being able to see it would be ideal." One portion of Court Red Dust had already been advanced, and who knew how many years it would take before another appeared. It was merely a passing mention, and seeing that Li Ximing was absentminded, Zhusheng saw him off. Li Ximing took his leave to the side, his heart laden with anxiety. Arriving at the main hall, Li Minggong was still waiting to the side. She reported: "The matter concerning the Fei family has already been reported. The family's intention... is to ask the masters here on Mount Tangdao." How could Li Ximing not understand Li Jiangqian's meaning? It was only because Li Minggong had not experienced the earlier domestic upheaval and only knew of Fei Qingyi's treachery that she specifically came to ask. Yet Li Ximing's expression was icy as he waved his hand dismissively: "Go directly to Wen Wu and have him dispose of them." Regarding this matter, Li Ximing unquestionably harbored far more lingering dread than Li Zhouwei and the others. Li Minggong's face grew solemn, and she quickly stepped down, leaving him sitting alone quietly in the hall. The Master poured himself a cup of tea, casting his gaze toward the various dark billows floating and surging in the distant night sky. The setting sun of dusk was completely veiled, without the slightest hint of red peeking through. He pondered quietly for a long while before resting his hand upon the table, raising the teacup to look at it: *Ye Gui... what choice will he make, I wonder...* ... Mount Xiaoshi. The setting sun was like blood, and wreckage covered the earth. Colossal golden bodies stood in the clouds, casting layered radiance. On the ground, monks scurried about and Masters rode the wind, rushing back and forth while exuding a chilling, murderous aura. Unlike the Daoist immortals, the Buddhist cultivators did not establish so many formations. Having conquered Mount Xiaoshi, several Lianmin immediately had to march on Mount Tangdao, leaving no time to tidy up this place. The three Buddhist cultivators who had headed north had yet to return, stationed instead near the main peak of Mount Tangdao, which made this area appear rather desolate. Only when a Lianmin flying past this area retrieved Helian Wumeng and stationed him here did the sporadic pockets of resistance gradually fade away. Wearing eighteen glazed gems at his waist and brandishing a long-handled zhaodao, the man drew near riding baleful qi, his countenance composed. Yet looking upon the monks and Masters swarming across the ground like ants, a flicker of disgust surfaced in his eyes. *Truly like weeds—planting themselves wherever they go...* Just then, a Buddhist nun flew over from the side, treading upon a lotus throne. Her face beamed with delight as she said with a smile: "Greetings, General Helian! I am Nvxiao, under the seat of Great Desire..." Helian Wumeng glanced at her. At any rate, the Buddhist cultivators had just dispatched someone to receive him, and though this woman's cultivation was lackluster, her status appeared far from low, evidently backed by a formidable background. Thus, he tempered some of the coldness in his demeanor and remarked casually: "So it is Lianmin Nvxiao..." As if recalling something, a sneer crept onto his face, and he added: "I presume Lianmin Nvxiao knows full well what I encountered on the riverbank, and you've eagerly come seeking information?" After all, the great war that had propelled his Helian family to prominence was Emperor Qi's campaign against the Crown Prince of Wei. As a Violet Palace master of the Helian family, Helian Wumeng was well aware of the entanglements between these Buddhist lineages and the Wei-Li house. To his surprise, at his question, Lianmin Nvxiao actually showed an eager trace of regret and answered: "The General is quite right... but that person's fate is too lofty, not something a minor figure like me can meddle with. Perhaps one day, when a massive siege takes place, if I can hover at the fringes and scrape a morsel or two to feed on, that would be blessing enough..." *What kind of thing do you think you are? 'Audience at the Heavenly Gate' is uniquely adept at slaying Lianmin! Once his wings have fully grown, if you even dare show your face before him, it would count as having guts!* Helian Wumeng was proud and haughty by nature. In all his years of battle, only that person had earned his recognition as a lifelong adversary after a single clash. Deep down, he despised the Buddhist cultivators all the more. He sneered twice with utter contempt. Yet the nun before him remained beaming with smiles, completely unfazed by having her warm face pressed against a cold backside. She replied: "I recently obtained a treasure. Seeing the General return, I came specially to ask, hoping you might honor me with a look!"