From the bottom of his heart, Li Jiangliang actually felt rather awkward, and no small amount of caution weighed upon him.
This elder brother of his could be said to have enjoyed every favor and privilege. As the eldest son of Mingyang, not only had he been sent to the lake isle the moment he was born, groomed in every respect as the clan's heir, but his treatment and cultivation from childhood to adulthood had consistently outstripped his peers...
'The cultivation level hardly matters, but it is this preferential treatment that makes the brothers feel so helpless.'
Li Jiangliang understood clearly that his second and third brothers possessed spirits and talents that were by no means inferior; placed in any other clan, they too would be peerless figures leading the vanguard.
In fact, judging from Li Jiangliang's own dealings with them over the years, eldest brother Li Jiangqian was too cold and ruthless, while second brother Li Jianglong was more sincere, and third brother Li Jiangxia was more genuine. It was true that under Li Jiangqian's governance over the lake all these years, things had flourished with order and discipline, yet had any of the other three taken his place, they would not have done any worse. And yet, whenever his two elder brothers met him, they somehow felt a head shorter—and the difference went far beyond merely who was born first!
True Master Zhaojing, Li Ximing, was the clan's first True Master. Whenever he emerged from seclusion, he met either Li Jiangqian or Ding Weizeng. Though Li Jiangliang and the others appeared glorious on the surface, the number of times they saw the True Master—or even their own father—could be counted on one hand. Added together, all the brothers' audiences probably did not amount to as many as Li Jiangqian's alone! That was the true bedrock of Li Jiangqian's exceptional standing.
Complex emotions inevitably welled up within Li Jiangliang. Bowing now, he sighed,
"Congratulations on your great advancement in cultivation, Elder Brother!"
His spiritual sense perceived it with crystal clarity: Li Jiangqian before him was already at the late stage of Foundation Establishment!
'I fear he... is already a strong contender to become the next Violet Palace...'
While boundless mixed feelings churned in his heart, the crimson-robed man before him wore a warm, genial smile that felt like a spring breeze. Coming up to them, he nodded toward Yang Tianyou and smiled.
"I only just left seclusion. Hearing that Fourth Brother was here on the Xunlin Plain, I took a detour to see you... This must be my younger sister-in-law... Truly an endearing lady, just as the rumors say!"
Yang Tianyou smiled without speaking. Li Jiangliang showed a helpless look.
"I had no intention of disturbing Elder Brother, but all of us brothers were born with a pair of golden pupils. Wherever we go, our identity is obvious... Word travels so fast that it reached the lake in the blink of an eye."
Walking back alongside him, Li Jiangqian shook his head and said,
"That is only natural. Though our family's friendship with the Yuan clan has faded, it is ultimately the clan of our ancestor's master. Even if Yuan Chengzhao was an incompetent wretch who repeatedly tried to harm us, the family still ought to look out for them a little, so we have been keeping an eye on things."
Pacing with his hands clasped behind his back, he feigned casualness and asked,
"Sister-in-law is from...?"
Yang Tianyou bowed with a smile.
"I am from the Simin Yang clan... merely an obscure little family..."
She made it clear: the Simin Yang clan, not the Qingchi Diyun Peak Yang clan. The difference between the two was vast!
Li Jiangqian nodded thoughtfully and replied,
"That is hardly true. The Simin Yang clan is also an orthodox imperial lineage, descendants of the King of Yue."
Yang Tianyou smiled without replying. Li Jiangliang simply stepped forward and said,
"Elder Brother's visit this time... is it to meet my brother-in-law? He is currently cultivating at Tianlei Peak, not in the commandery city. We must head south."
Tianlei Peak was a wondrous sight on the Xunlin Plain. Because many lightning ores were buried within the mountain, heavenly thunder rolled ceaselessly all year round, leaving the peak and its slopes scorched black. Li Qinghong had used this place for her breakthrough back then, so the Li family was naturally well aware of it.
Yet when Yang Zhuo was mentioned, Li Jiangqian narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled.
"Since I am here, I naturally want to meet him. I only heard your praises back then, and I wonder what kind of figure he truly is."
Though Li Jiangliang knew that Li Jiangqian harbored no ill intent on this trip, seeing his attitude made him secretly breathe a sigh of relief. Turning to his subordinates, he instructed,
"Hold the fort in the commandery for now. I shall return shortly."
The two brothers rose upon fire and flew south. The smile on Li Jiangqian's face faded considerably, gradually settling into calm, his voice faint and distant:
"You haven't returned home in many years. Do you feel any longing for it?"
Li Jiangliang bowed in response and answered,
"Naturally, I miss it dearly."
Li Jiangqian did not reply to that, saying to himself,
"Lord Cui's cultivation has grown, and he has now returned to Chongzhou. You ought to have seen him off, but unfortunately the timing was inopportune."
At the mention of Cui Jueyin, Li Jiangliang was noticeably moved and replied,
"I have heard. Violet Palace is, after all, a narrow escape from death. Alas, I was in Simin at the time and wished desperately I could rush over, but in the end I failed to see Master off in person on his journey back to his province..."
Soon they arrived at Tianlei Peak. Thunder rumbled, and scorched flames flickered all around. Li Jiangqian saw a one-armed old man in green robes approach them, his chin bearing sparse whiskers. Hunching his shoulders and shrinking into himself, his emaciated face still showed the yellowed, withered pallor left by chronic injuries and insufficient resources. He said in a subservient tone:
"This humble one greets the two lords..."
Li Jiangqian swept his eyes over him, a look of surprise crossing his face, and asked,
"So it is Lord Yuan Huyuan... You are too polite... far too polite!"
Yuan Huyuan kept his head lowered and shoulders hunched, stealing a downward glance at Li Jiangliang with pleading in his expression. Li Jiangliang merely watched with a smile as his elder brother helped the old man up, pointing at him and saying,
"He is Clan Leader Yuan now!"
Yuan Huyuan broke into a cold sweat, repeatedly protesting that he dared not claim the title. Li Jiangqian, however, said with a solemn expression,
"All these years... Yuan Chengzhao was the master of the Yuan clan, so it was improper for us to meddle. Now that you have escaped that sea of suffering, good days are ahead."
With that, he drew a golden elixir box from his sleeve and placed it in the old man's hands.
"Please make use of this..."
Yuan Huyuan did not even know which generation of the Li clan these juniors belonged to. In his daze, he could not fathom how he had fallen from being called 'Senior' by Li Chijing to his present pathetic state. He only felt hot and cold chills washing over his limbs, and once again cast a pleading, bewildered look at Li Jiangliang.
Li Jiangliang smiled and said,
"Clan Leader Yuan, accept it!"
Only then did he stash the box into his sleeve, crying out,
"Many thanks, My Lords!"
The two had already stepped up the stone stairs, pausing before a courtyard atop Tianlei Peak. Li Jiangqian lowered his head slightly and saw purple qi sweeping across the steps, already overlaid with a dense layer of fine white crystals, like congealed frost, pure white as snow.
Ascending two more steps, they saw an immortal crane with pure white plumage standing on one leg in the courtyard, its long beak tucked beneath its feathers, fast asleep.
Li Jiangliang's expression changed at once. Straightening his robes, he took a step back and announced respectfully,
"Reporting to My Lord: the Patriarch of the Li clan has come to pay his respects."
The hall doors opened with a creak, and a man walked out. He looked like a young man dressed in white, with narrow dark eyes that angled inward at the corners, lending a dignified sharpness to his features, yet his naturally handsome brows gave him a romantic, dashing air.
As he stood in the courtyard and raised his brows, the white crane stirred awake, kicked off lightly, spread its wings, and soared into the clouds.
"Li Jiangqian of the Wangyue Li clan greets Fellow Daoist Yang!"
Li Jiangqian greeted him with a smile. The man before him smiled as well, guiding him into the main hall while raising an eyebrow at Li Jiangliang, though his reply was directed at Jiangqian with a smile:
"So it is a guest from Lake Wangyue. Please forgive my discourtesy for not greeting you at the gate."
Li Jiangqian secretly sensed that this man was elegant and charismatic, far from ordinary men. Taking a seat beside him, his peripheral vision swept past the exterior: the swirling purple qi and frosted white steps were gone, leaving behind only pitch-black stone stairs.
Yang Zhuo had already spoken, saying cheerfully,
"I have long heard of Wangyue's renown; it should have been me paying a visit to you."
Taking him in, Li Jiangqian felt a piercing aura rushing at him. For some reason, it gave him an intensely uncomfortable sense of being threatened. Though he sensed no malice, it felt as if an invisible blade were pressed against his throat, bent on cutting down his arrogance.
He knew then that Li Jiangliang had spoken no lie, and was secretly shaken:
'His words were true—this man is indeed a figure like Father.'
He smiled and said,
"My coming today... was originally to meet you. First, regarding the Yuan clan's affairs; second, regarding my younger brother's marriage... Seeing now that the Yuan clan is being put to good use, that can be considered the settling of a karmic tie."
"The chief culprit of the turmoil has been eliminated, so the Yuan clan will naturally find stability," Yang Zhuo replied. "As for the marriage... my father mentioned it."
Yang Zhuo shifted his gaze, his sharpness receding as he continued,
"The old gentleman is well on in years and has always had discerning tastes. For Jiangliang to earn his favor shows he is a first-rate dragon among men. I heard that True Master Minghuang also gave his nod to this matter, so it is an excellent development."
Yang Zhuo turned his head away, declining to face him head-on, seemingly lacking much goodwill. Yet Li Jiangqian likewise felt deeply unnerved, as if thorns were prickling his back. Lowering his golden pupils, his gaze swept across the floor, only to discover that outside the threshold were countless serpents, each no bigger than a finger, bodies undulating with water and fire, tails linked together like layers of iridescent light draped over the threshold, dancing gorgeously.
Suppressing his feelings, Li Jiangqian smiled and said,
"It is just that my fourth brother is out making his own way alone, which is truly not easy. We shall have to trouble the Yang clan with many matters in the days ahead..."
Yang Zhuo answered,
"He is not only my little sister's beloved, but also my good friend. I view him as my own brother; the Patriarch need not be so polite."
After exchanging some pleasantries and chatting about casual matters, Li Jiangqian raised his golden eyes and said,
"Then I shall disturb you no further!"
Exiting the main hall, he rose upon fire and sped away, with Li Jiangliang still following to see him off. The two brothers remained silent for a long time. After an unknown while, Li Jiangqian finally chuckled and said,
"No wonder you felt you had to follow him... He is truly a formidable figure."
It was not as though Li Jiangliang had failed to notice Yang Zhuo's distaste for Li Jiangqian. He could only say somewhat powerlessly,
"My following My Lord is no mere gamble or playing the odds... My Lord said that he can bring peace to the Yue lands and separate the immortal from the mortal. His pursuit of the Dao... was always to halt warfare through martial might and deliver the common people below..."
These words made the smile on Li Jiangqian's face widen further. He made a subtle clenching motion with his jaw, staring intently at this younger brother of his with burning eyes, and replied,
"That is true indeed! Imperial scions are of noble blood; how could he confine himself to a single commandery?"
Li Jiangliang came to a halt amidst the flames. Bowing to this elder brother whom he had met only a few times, he murmured in a low voice,
"Brother... I have put the family in a difficult position..."
The superficial smile on Li Jiangqian's face froze. His brows drew together as he listened to his younger brother say,
"When Elder Brother sees Father, please pass along a message for me... Jiangliang... will never take anything from the family. If I ever do, may I pay with my life to atone to the ancestors!"
……
The Zhulu Sea, the Xiuzhu Reefs.
Reefs were scattered like stars across the vast surface of the sea, their stones a brilliant crimson that shone dazzlingly beneath the sun. A flock of white-robed cultivators rose and descended in bustling activity.
At the highest point in the sky above the islands, a white-robed True Master bearing a spirit sword looked on with a solemn expression. His gaze, tinged with a hint of sorrow, swept quietly across the islands.
Beneath Fuxuan's feet lay the renowned Xiuzhu Reefs, one of the core regions of the Zhulu Sea. It was also an overseas enclave that Hengzhu Dao had managed for generations, fortified over centuries into an impregnable bastion whose Violet Palace grand formation shimmered with brilliant light.
'Yet it no longer bears the surname Bi!'
Many years ago, Hengxing had personally visited Chunyi Dao to trade for a portion of Xiuxing Divine Essence from Fuxuan. In exchange, the Xiuzhu Reefs were mortgaged into Chunyi Dao's hands for a full fifty years.
At that time, Chunyi Dao was in its prime; with a newly ascended Violet Palace, it was eager to stretch its hands and feet. The deal was extraordinarily advantageous, and after careful deliberation, Fuxuan had nodded in agreement.
Now that Hengzhu Dao had closed its doors, Fuxuan finally had a sudden realization:
'Hengxing... had begun plotting long ago... This so-called mortgaging into the hands of our Chunyi... was merely getting us to guard these islands for him during their seclusion!'
Yet weighing the pros and cons, both sides had benefited, and both belonged to the Taiyang lineage as brethren. Fuxuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much more at ease.
After waiting over the sea for a while, he finally saw a streak of radiance fly in from the east. It swiftly materialized before his eyes into a green-robed man.
The man had a youthful countenance, billowing green robes, pale green eyes, and a broad smile. Bowing before him, he said casually,
"Fellow Daoist Fuxuan!"
"Fellow Daoist Chi!" Fuxuan answered flatly.
The young man stood with hands behind his back, looking leisurely and at ease as he chuckled,
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist!"
This man was none other than Chi Buzi, who had been missing for so long!
His eyes remained the same pale green, exuding a detached ruthlessness. At his waist hung a string of pitch-black, glossy prayer beads that pulsed with ripples of Lushui light.
He seemed no different from how he was years ago, save for the divine abilities around him surging and undulating, appearing somewhat altered.
The two entered together, arriving within the grand formation. Seeing that Chi Buzi remained silent, Fuxuan had no choice but to ask,
"How were your gains... decent, I trust?"
Chi Buzi took a sip of tea, wore a half-smile, set his cup down, and said faintly:
"There were some gains. After all, I refuse to submit to the Release faction. There are only so many ways around it. Puyu only offered a word or two on account of our relationship; he could not possibly enter the fray himself..."
"Still, there is a turning point," Fuxuan shook his head and remarked. "Otherwise, you would not have made this trip, let alone been willing to meddle in this mess."
Chi Buzi's gaze grew cold and sharp, staring off into the distance in a daze as he said quietly:
"What I fear is precisely that turning point. What if it was left behind by some exalted figure? How many cultivators, upon reaching the end of their cultivation, merely serve as the final stone placed on someone else's chessboard... Yet if one could truly just be a chess piece, so be it; what I dread is that they only want you to fill the board, but do not want you to live."
A matter of immense hesitation seemed to weigh heavily upon his heart, and the implication in his words grew even more apparent. Fuxuan's heart sank:
'Penglai has never bothered meddling with Dao fruits. Since Puyu spoke, it must be a method that avoids offending Lushui. What else could it be, other than reincarnation...?'
Looking down at him with lowered eyes, Fuxuan was equally heavy-hearted. True Master Yuanshang's words from back then still echoed in his ears; the two of them actually found themselves in similar plights. A deeply complex look crossed his face, and he said in a low, solemn voice:
"Some opportunities, when obtained, cannot be questioned as to where they come from—and what is more, one has no choice but to use them!"
Chi Buzi clearly had not expected him to say such a thing, striking right at his innermost concerns. Raising his greenish eyes, he gave Fuxuan an approving smile, though an exceedingly keen thought flashed through his mind:
'Oh? Fuxuan, oh Fuxuan... Could your Chunyi Dao also be saddled with some opportunity that you have no choice but to cultivate? An opportunity... of the Taiyin path?'
Characters Appearing in This Chapter:
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Fuxuan [Mid-stage Violet Palace]
[Chi] Buzi [Late-stage Violet Palace]
Li Jiangliang [Peak Qi Refinement]
Li Jiangqian 'Book of Dali' [Late-stage Foundation Establishment]
Chapter 958