The river waters howled as rolling wind and rain gathered along the shore. Northern monks resembled dense swarms of black specks, carpeting the surroundings of the somber temples.
A youth clad in crimson robes and armor arrived riding flames. Waiting briefly outside the grand formation, he soon reached Hanyun Peak. The plum blossoms appeared somewhat languid amidst the gloomy wind and rain, while the tall Zhenren stood before the courtyard, his gaze heavy and deep.
"Father."
Li Jiangqian bowed, asking respectfully, the expression within his golden eyes solemn. Just as his words fell, another pair of golden eyes quickly shifted over from the shadows. Li Jiangqian exchanged a glance with him for an instant before each looked away. Only then did he hear his father ask:
"How did it go?"
Having completed his salute, Li Jiangqian answered:
"In response to Father, Jiangxia has already organized our personnel, converged with the people of Muquan and Ziyan, and set up camp in the wilderness. Zhenren Tinglan came in person."
"Good."
Li Zhouwei nodded.
At present, the two shores were in a standoff. Masters and monks frequently ventured south to conduct skirmishes and harassment. Li Jianglong guarded the northern bank, Li Jiangxia had gone to the wilderness, and Li Jiangqian was stationed on the lake, each fulfilling their assigned duties.
Yet after Li Jiangqian said this, he paused slightly, and only then spoke with some hesitation:
"We have finally received word from Fourth Brother. He is in Simin Commandery... and is on his way back."
On the surface, Li Zhouwei had five sons, three of whom had achieved Foundation Establishment and held important posts. This fourth son, Li Jiangliang, was likewise handsome and gifted with extraordinary talent, having been tutored personally by Cui Jueyin since childhood. Now he had reached the point where he could break through to Foundation Establishment, yet he often loved to travel abroad and was rarely at home.
Li Zhouwei had secluded himself for years and returned after breaking through to become a Zhenren, which had compelled the youth to make his way back to the lake. Li Zhouwei had never interfered much with his sons' choices, simply letting him roam without minding it. Yet seeing the unusual look on Li Jiangqian's face, he said:
"Speak."
Li Jiangqian lifted his robe and knelt before him, lowering his voice:
"I heard that Fourth Brother has brought a woman back from abroad, surnamed Yang... It was our failure in gathering intelligence that kept us from learning of it for so long, and only when he wrote a personal letter did we find out. I ask Father for forgiveness!"
Li Zhouwei finally frowned slightly and turned his head:
"Which Yang?"
Li Jiangqian lowered his head and answered:
"In response to Father, it is the imperial line."
Li Zhouwei narrowed his eyes slightly and said softly:
"Then none of you are to blame."
The House of Yang was not only of imperial lineage, but also one of the few families currently known to have definite ties to the Underworld Court, and Yang Tianya was still unknown to the outside world! While mutual affection was possible, Li Zhouwei could hardly believe it was some coincidental romance. He could only compose his expression and nod:
"Imperial scions are fine as well; it is certainly a well-matched match."
Yet beside him, Li Jianglong lowered his gaze, while Li Jiangqian silently bowed, both clearly uneasy at heart.
Li Chenghuai's departure from home to cultivate was certainly due to the protection of his father and his pursuit of a longer dao path... yet viewed from another perspective, was it not also a way to curb the House of Yang's influence over the Li clan? Yang Xiao'er had treated Li Xizhi very well, yet Li Xizhi had never thought to allow the Yang family's influence to touch Lake Wangyue. Many arrangements often served several purposes at once.
Allowing Li Chenghuai to leave the lake was indeed for his pursuit of the Dao, but it had perhaps carried some of this consideration as well. Li Zhouluo was now halfway under Qingchi's command; only after Li Jiangchun was born did things relax considerably, allowing the thought of keeping children at the lake to serve.
Now, however, such a fait accompli would naturally make the Li clan's upper echelon sensitive. Yet the Underworld Court held an exalted status, serving as a primary reason why the North had not crossed the river. The Li and Yang families had always been close, making it even harder to voice objections. Li Zhouwei murmured:
"After all, the North is aggressive and overbearing, and the Yang family has good intentions. Such a marriage alliance will only deepen the ties between our families."
At these words, both Li Jiangqian and Li Jianglong smiled and agreed. Li Zhouwei tucked away the jade slip in his hand, musing privately:
'Both Luminous Sky Billows and Arrayed Mansions Celestial Yang Escape are arts exceptionally suited to Audience at the Heavenly Gate. Both lean toward opportunistic shortcuts with limited future potential, but at least cultivating them is not slow, and I have already crossed the threshold into both.'
Cultivating these two arts had progressed naturally, as though water flowing into an established channel—perhaps owing to the many secret arts he had cultivated in his youth and his profound understanding of Mingyang. For now, he simply put them away in silence:
'Pondering in isolation wastes tremendous time. Now that I have crossed the threshold, engaging in combat will naturally deepen my insight. That is sufficient.'
As he was contemplating this, Li Quewan stepped forward carrying a jade casket. Bowing nearby, she presented it with both hands and said respectfully:
"Reporting to Zhenren, the three varieties of spiritual qi have all been collected."
Li Zhouwei was slightly surprised and raised an eyebrow.
"So fast."
For his subsequent cultivation of arts, Li Zhouwei had likewise cast his gaze first upon movement techniques. Though the Lihuo art Flame Treading Walk was formidable, it was not his first choice.
After all, he was different from Li Ximing. Li Ximing had received the talismanic register Valley Wind Ignites Fire and possessed immense control over various flames—a feat few cultivators under the heavens could match—so cultivating Flame Treading Walk was naturally much easier for him. Li Zhouwei, on the other hand, had received the register Manifestation of Sun and Moon. What he would enhance in the future was his cultivation in the path of Mingyang. The more Mingyang arts he practiced, the greater the benefits he would reap as his Dao attainment rose; with a Lihuo movement technique, it would be difficult to partake of that advantage.
Thus, he had searched carefully for a time within Shanghuan Pavilion of the Heaven of Sun and Moon in Mutual Splendor. He looked for a Mingyang movement technique for quite a while, yet found most unsatisfactory. But this search led him to discover that fifth-grade Pure Qi art—the Xuanhong Art!
This art elevated Pure Qi. When whole and uninjured, the qi was nurtured within the Great Void; upon injury, it healed the body with Pure Qi; and should the physical form perish, one could use Ascending Yang with the aid of Pure Qi to make an escape. This had brought Li Zhouwei immense delight.
It was not that he sought this miraculous life-saving wonder, but rather that he prized the means of using Pure Qi for healing!
One had to know that while his dharma body was extraordinary, treating it once injured was vastly more difficult. Although Manifestation of Sun and Moon anchored his life-cultivation within a single mansion, allowing his dharma body to evade many fatal wounds, injuries remained troublesome—wholly unlike Li Ximing, who could take an elixir and heal within less than half a year of secluded meditation...
The Xuanhong Art elevated Pure Qi, making it a rare, ingenious healing art that did not conflict with other Dao lineages! Thus, he had decisively pushed movement techniques back and taken up the Xuanhong Art first.
Arts of Pure Qi generally came without harsh prerequisites, and this art was no exception. It appended several Qi Gathering Arts, requiring only a single portion each of three kinds: Minor Pure Spiritual Qi, Minor Qian Pure Qi, and Xuanxu Pure Qi—precisely the three wisps of spiritual qi presented by Li Quewan!
None of these three pure qis were hard to collect, yet only Minor Pure Spiritual Qi was widely known; the others were unheard of. To collect them from scratch would normally take years. Hearing his implied inquiry, Li Quewan hurried to explain:
"The other two are largely similar to Minor Pure Spiritual Qi and share the same origin. With the gathering arts in hand, this junior utilized the material transformations of immortal foundations and spent several extra portions of Minor Pure Spiritual Qi to trade for them, obtaining them early."
Spared the need to wait was naturally a boon. Li Zhouwei nodded in satisfaction. Just as he was about to say more, he suddenly raised his head with vigilance, sensing something. His figure dissolved into light and vanished at once.
The others at his sides exchanged glances and looked toward the sky together:
"Someone has crossed the river!"
Li Zhouwei took a single step, instantly arriving in the Great Void. Surging radiant light accompanied by white vapor spilled forth from him, forming the shape of a qilin that circled and hovered around him. Though no weapon was in hand, he stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his voice like thunder:
"Which fellow Daoist comes to visit?"
Then, flames were birthed within the Great Void—true fire blazing fiercely like a torrential waterfall and a surging river, spreading across the void to form a domain of fire, from which a middle-aged man emerged.
He appeared middle-aged and wore intricate robes—a snow-white upper garment with bright red trailing skirts, a black cloak draped over his shoulders. His frame was imposing, his nose high and straight, his beard handsome and brows thick, looking exceedingly striking and majestic.
Within his dignified eyes, true fire rolled and flowed. As he gazed across from afar, the Great Void grew scorching hot, as though submerged in flame.
With the true fire blazing and reflecting in the Great Void, the golden-eyed man spoke in a low voice, carrying a trace of doubt:
"So it is the King of Bolie!"
This man was none other than the royal noble of the Gao family, a mid-stage Violet Palace cultivator with three true fire divine abilities, who had journeyed all the way south to persuade the various houses to submit—the King of Bolie, Gao Fu!
His reputation was immense and his prowess formidable, a famed royal lord of the North. Long ago, he had won great renown for slaying demons at Yinghu and bringing peace and order to the Qi lands. In the former clash between North and South, when a disparity in strength existed between the two sides, he had been invited to hold the line, and even Zhenren Qiushui and Zhenren Yuanxiu had treated him with great deference... Seeing the true fire along with his handsome beard and thick brows, Li Zhouwei knew instantly that it was him!
'The King of Bolie has crossed the river...'
The Gao family's role in this affair was not entirely villainous, yet crossing the river in this manner was still something that aroused suspicion... Li Zhouwei could only nod slightly and call out clearly:
"I did not know the King of Bolie had graced us with his presence; pardon my lack of welcome."
Yet the lord who commanded true fire remained motionless amid the flames, like a sculpted statue or a consecrated idol. Blazing true fire burned within his eyes, yet he gazed at him quietly—even with a hint of bewilderment.
After a full breath of time, this lord renowned for his imposing stature and handsome beard finally parted his lips. His expression was exceedingly complex. Though his voice was majestic and resonant, it carried a touch of hoarseness:
"This humble king greets... greets... Young Master."
He did not use 'Zhenren', did not ask for a Daoist title, nor did he use 'Master of the Lake' or 'Lord of the Li Clan'. Instead, he had hesitated several times before using the title 'Young Master'.
Li Zhouwei was slightly taken aback, not knowing how to reply.
Li Zhouwei was not ignorant of the Gao family's origins. Their original surname was Shilou; it was Emperor Wei who bestowed upon them the surname Gao, from which they prospered. In their early years, the Gao family had always recognized the Wei Dynasty as the legitimate authority. The Qi lands were located due north of the State of Ning at the time, coexisting and aiding one another.
Even during the turbulent decline of the Liang Dynasty, before King of Yan Murong Dechang perished, the Gao family had continuously raised the banner of honoring Wei. It was precisely for this reason that the modern Gao family was often mocked by the clans that had entered the pass, and voices within their own ranks had arisen calling to restore their surname to Shilou.
Back when Li Xuanfeng was in Daning Palace, some had even referred to the Gao family outright as 'the hounds and horses of Shilou.' Yet Li Zhouwei had never expected that the present King of Bolie would still harbor this measure of goodwill toward him. He could only respond:
"I wonder what brings Your Highness here today?"
Most Hu people possessed deep-set eye sockets. Gao Fu's eyes of true fire looked over, appearing exceedingly profound. Having calmed considerably, he said softly:
"This visit is not on public business, but merely out of personal concern, to ask a question."
"Please speak."
Li Zhouwei grew slightly wary, only to see him sigh:
"This king has a paternal aunt surnamed Gao, named Xijiang, who took great care of me since my youth. Yet she wished to travel the world, often roaming across various lands. In years past, she was in Jiangbei, and later came to Jiangnan. Now that her lifespan has run out, I have come to take her back—whether for fallen leaves to return to their roots, or to bury her cenotaph and bones in Yingqiu.
"It is only a pity that once across Jiangnan, we know nothing of the paths here. Moreover, she used a Daoist name while abroad, so I have specially come to inquire at the lake, hoping you might search for her on my behalf."
Li Zhouwei found this odd at heart, but raised his head and replied:
"So that is how it is. May I ask what elder's Daoist name is? I shall have my people search for Your Highness."
Gao Fu's eyes reflecting true fire looked over, finally meeting his gaze directly. His voice was calm:
"Her Daoist title is... Jiang Huzi."
As soon as these words were uttered, Li Zhouwei was momentarily stunned. He could only stare back at him, his expression shifting several times.
The name Jiang Huzi might have been unfamiliar to Li Ximing, but Li Zhouwei recalled who it was in an instant. Back when Mifan Sect stood in confrontation with Lake Wangyue and repeatedly launched invasions, until Li Ximing broke through to the Violet Palace, the cultivators of Fuyun Cave had left behind some elderly, weak, sick, and crippled who were captured—and among them was this very Jiang Huzi!
At the time, Li Ximing saw that she hailed from the State of Zhao and found it somewhat curious. Yet seeing her suffused with pure qi, he simply permitted her to cultivate in the wilderness near the lake...
Yet meeting Gao Fu's meaningful gaze, Li Zhouwei had an epiphany in an instant:
'The Gao family still has loyalists to Wei. This old cultivator came south to see the Wei-Li bloodline... Fearing to openly stand on the lake's side, she did the opposite, taking up temporary residence to cultivate in Fuyun Cave so she could observe the shifts in fortune...'
Yet Li Zhouwei still harbored doubts. Feigning surprise, he asked:
"So Senior Jiang Huzi is an elder of the Gao family! For her to remain silent for so many years, my family has truly offended... It is only that I have been in seclusion breaking through these past few years and have just returned, unaware of the circumstances of the rogue cultivators in the wilderness. I will immediately have someone make inquiries for the King of Bolie!"
A smile touched Gao Fu's eyes, and he nodded gently. His voice was low, drifting quietly into Li Zhouwei's ears through his divine ability as he murmured faintly:
"An elder of such an age has long embraced death in all things. How would she dare?"
The intention behind his words was obvious—perhaps even too obvious—which was why it could only be transmitted through divine abilities. Li Zhouwei was struck speechless for a moment, then shook his head:
"Please wait a moment, Your Highness."
He turned his head in silence and simply dispatched people to receive her, thoughts flashing rapidly through his mind:
'Jiang Huzi has been in the wilderness for so many years—did the various houses know? They likely did not...'
'Did Gao Fu make this trip in person merely to fetch an elder? When he appeared in the Great Void beside the lake, did Tinglan notice?'
Yet regardless of how he pondered, the man before him had already dispersed his protective divine ability, appearing much more approachable, though those eyes still watched him with profound solemnity.
Li Zhouwei replayed his words in his mind, and a chill suddenly welled up within him.
'Jiang Huzi joining Fuyun Cave was likely her own doing, but on that day, leaving her behind to fall into a Zhenren's hands—whose design was that? Jiang Huzi's qi and blood were feeble, plagued by old age and illness. Had my family killed her back then, how would Gao Fu have responded? Would he still have come in such a pleasant, mild manner?'
His golden eyes flickered slightly, and his heart sank bit by bit:
'The King of Bolie before me... perhaps already realized that someone wants discord between the Gao and Li families, yet has no choice... And what of my family? At such a delicate juncture, with the Gao family coming to demand the remains of an ancestor, the lineage of Taiyang will hardly be laughing either...'
Chapter 923