The freezing wind was biting, the white snow piled high, and the woods stood bleak and desolate.
A middle-aged man with a pale face drew his robes tight. His gaze was frozen as he stood quietly in the snow, letting the heavy flakes blanket his clothes while the blizzard raged ceaselessly overhead, tumbling down wave upon wave.
Before long, a young-looking man arrived from halfway up the path. With a cold, resolute gaze, he dropped to his knees beside him and bowed:
"Family Head... that black macaque has come again... demanding this year's blood offering."
A sickly flush rose on the middle-aged man's face. He coughed twice before slowly closing his eyes, replying:
"If he wants it, give it to him..."
"Understood..."
The young man slowly gritted his teeth, answered in agreement, and rose to his feet. But after taking only a few paces, he was halted by the middle-aged man's voice.
"Suining..."
Li Suining looked back, only to see the man open his eyes and say quietly:
"I fear my days are numbered..."
Li Suining felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. Stepping forward, he whispered:
"Please, Fifth Granduncle, focus only on tending to your wounds in peace. If the True Person were still here... he certainly would not wish to see you giving up on yourself..."
"The True Person..."
The middle-aged man coughed several times, a deep hatred surfacing in his eyes alongside a trace of anguish etched between his brows:
"I am ashamed to share his bloodline. I have neither the divine abilities of the Prince of Wei nor the skill for alchemy. What a pity... what a pity..."
He paused, then said faintly:
"Suining."
Li Suining lifted his brows, listening as he spoke:
"Flee for your life."
Li Suining fell silent, looking bleakly toward the heavy snow at the horizon. The middle-aged man murmured:
"You are the only surviving junior in our family with decent cultivation... You have always strived the hardest... Though Li Xixuan had his faults, he was no fool, yet you are even cleverer than he was... You know as well as I do that staying here means death...
"Now even True Person Ning has fallen. If a Purple Mansion cultivator ends up like this, what hope is there for the likes of us? Staying here means dying sooner or later. It would be better to venture outside and try your fortune; perhaps you might find a glimmer of hope."
The young man remained silent throughout, listening as he continued:
"Everyone must die... From the moment that decree came down back then, it became clear—all of us must die... The Mingyang bloodline must be severed, or they will never sleep or eat in peace... I, Li Zhouming... I, Li Zhouming, was merely bait...
"Grandfather... the Prince of Wei... they were the true reason... they were the ones who were hated..."
Li Zhouming's face was deathly pale. He seemed overcome with fatigue, his expression carrying a vacant, hazy look as his lips parted and closed:
"Fa... ther... bro... ther... ah..."
Li Suining uttered not a word, yet cold sweat drenched his entire body. Watching the pale middle-aged man before him close his eyes as if in slumber, he took fright. Falling abruptly to his knees, he cried out in urgency:
"Fifth Granduncle! Fifth Granduncle!"
Fresh, dark blood seeped from the man's nose as he slowly leaned forward against Li Suining's chest. Li Suining's pupils dilated to the limit. This young man—ordinarily calm and unyielding, who had forged his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood—finally broke down and wailed bitterly, weeping:
"Wanling... the Wanling Flower... is gone... Granduncle!"
Yet the breath of the man in his arms grew fainter and fainter, murmuring brokenly:
"Where... have the days... of old... gone..."
"Fifth Granduncle!"
……
The spring chill was biting.
The lamps in the room had long been extinguished. The cabinets on either side stood wide open, revealing stacks of Daoist manuals within, their script faintly discernible in the gloom.
Quiet settled over the darkened chamber. One could vaguely hear the soft breathing of the person upon the couch, footsteps outside, and, from further in the distance, the faint, warbling notes of a song.
"...received the immortals..."
Then the hurried footsteps stopped, followed by a child's crisp voice:
"Brother Ning!"
The indistinct calls echoed outside several times before the youth on the bed rolled over, yet he could not pry his eyes open, trapped in some nightmare and struggling against it.
*Creak!*
The door was abruptly shoved open with a jarring scrape. The child who stepped in looked no older than five or six. With a joyful expression, he called out:
"Brother Ning!"
Just as the child stepped inside, an old nurse pursuing behind rushed up in a cold sweat. Her face changed drastically as she hissed:
"Do not disturb your elder brother!"
This shout struck like a clap of thunder, finally shattering the nightmare. The youth opened his eyes in a daze. Seeing that all the snowy scenery had vanished and Li Zhouming was nowhere to be seen, he felt bewildered:
*It was a dream... I'm not dead yet... I actually dreamed of Granduncle Zhouming...*
He was not surprised. Li Zhouming's death had dealt him an enormous shock, so dreaming of him was only natural. Yet in his daze, a sudden wave of doubt surged from the depths of his heart:
*Didn't Shen Lufu... call down the Lu Sea... How could I possibly have survived...*
*No... since I began cultivating, how long has it been since I last had a dream!*
In just an instant, the youth upon the couch rolled up onto his feet. His eyes snapped wide open, bright as cold stars and brimming with killing intent as they pierced sharply and icily forward:
"Who is there!"
That glare sent a chill through the nurse's heart and made her hair stand on end. Suspicion welled within her:
*What is wrong with the Eldest Young Master... Has he come to resent the Master...*
Even so, she bowed and offered a placating smile:
"Eldest Young Master... we have disturbed your rest..."
Yet as she bowed, Li Suining was caught in a daze. His gaze lingered on the little child before him, his pupils rapidly dilating.
"You... Kuan'er..."
He raised his gaze, scanning the furnishings in the room in disbelief. Examining everything thoroughly from beginning to end, a surge of burning blood rushed straight to his nostrils before his expression abruptly tightened.
*This is... this is... the Dongdi Residence...*
He closed his eyes at once, pretending to appear drowsy, while rapidly observing everything around him and the laughably meager spiritual energy inside his body—everything that he could never possibly forget!
*It's... Lake Wangyue in Tingzhou...*
No matter how much torment and turmoil he suffered later, no matter how many sleepless nights he spent facing the wind and rain outside his window, he would always remember his time by the lake. When he collapsed into the Lu Sea, this very scene had flashed before his eyes, yet it had felt nowhere near as real as it did today.
"It seems... to be real..."
He neither asked what year it was nor showed excessive astonishment. In that fleeting daze, he forced himself to sit down calmly and asked in disbelief:
"Did little brother come to find me because something happened at home?"
The nurse's heart sank, knowing it could no longer be kept secret. Sure enough, Li Suikuan beamed and said:
"I came to find Brother! I just heard that Great-Grandaunt from the lake is coming ashore! I came running right to Brother!"
*Great-Grandaunt... That's right... At this time, she is still alive... still a high cultivator of the late Foundation Establishment stage...*
He stood up somewhat dazedly, uttering not a word. Staggering a couple of paces, he stepped out the door and tilted his head up bit by bit, breathing in the lakeside breeze that made his heart tremble as he gazed up at the sky.
There was only a single dazzling sun in the heavens.
That Xiuwu Star, which shone day and night over the earth, had not yet appeared.
His heartbeat surged to a peak in an instant, as if it would leap straight out of his throat, scalding blood rushing through his cheeks and pupils:
*The Great Song has not yet been founded, the fortunes of Shu have not yet begun... I am fifteen years old... It is still five full years before the first year of Siwu, when the Yang clan takes the throne...*
*In this year, the Great True Person has not yet been enfeoffed as the Prince of Wei, Compassion has not arrived, and the Turmoil of Changhe has not occurred... Guest Elder Ding should still be on the lake, and that fellow surnamed Wang has not reached Purple Mansion...*
*My family has not even scaled the peak yet; we have not reached that splendor of brocade strewn with flowers and oil boiling upon blazing fires, nor the miraculous sight of four Purple Mansions under one roof—and far less the fall from the peak... the future of spiraling into ruin step by step, until our entire clan is wiped out in the Southern Border...*
*There is still time... True Person Zhaojing will appear on the lake and has not set out for the West Sea. There is still time for everything...*
Countless thoughts rampaged in his mind, yet he forcibly suppressed them. The ability to endure wind and snow and conceal his intentions honed over those years suddenly proved unexpectedly useful, calming him in an instant.
*I must never expose myself... Even though the Prince of Wei said... that the peaks benefited from Mount Dali and were shielded by the Qingyi Yuanxin Instrument so the mighty figures could not pry into them... they must never be underestimated...*
Li Suining's thoughts flashed by in a single breath. Turning around, he smiled:
"That is wonderful news!"
Li Suikuan pouted, softening Li Suining's gaze with fleeting tenderness.
His own father had passed away early, and that great-granduncle, Li Chengzai, was utterly useless. Most of the Yuanwan line were mediocre fools as well, yet extremes breed opposites. In the Sui generation, the two brothers who could cultivate—Li Suikuan and Li Suining—were exceptionally gifted. Li Chengzai could not bear to see Li Suining prosper, but Li Suikuan was clever and had always sided with his brother. After the Battle of the Wei Capital, when the Second Manifestation appeared in the world, Li Suining managed to escape, but this younger brother had fallen in battle early on, remaining forever at the foot of that mountain.
*The clansmen often criticized him because of his forebears' misdeeds, and he feared returning to the lake even more, yet at the foot of the mountain he had never retreated a single step...*
In his past life, only Li Chengzai was supposed to know of Great-Grandaunt Li Minggong's arrival, and he had instructed only Li Suikuan to prepare carefully. Yet this younger brother had secretly run over to inform Li Suining. Li Suining had immediately declined today's autumn hunt, allowing him to meet the elder and enabling both brothers to enter the island together. Otherwise, he would have been delayed by several days; while he might still have met his Second Uncle, Li Jianglong, he would likely have missed the opportunity to see Li Ximing.
It was also because of Li Suikuan's presence between them that he could refrain from settling scores with that fool Li Chengzai later on, though that was a matter for another time.
He simply smiled and said:
"Thank you, little brother... I had just promised a few boys that I would go on the autumn hunt with them!"
Ignoring the nurse beside them, the youth strode forward, took his younger brother's hand, and walked out. Arriving at the manor diagonally across, he calculated the time and smiled:
"You go in first. It wouldn't be proper for me to enter empty-handed; I'll follow shortly."
Li Suikuan nodded in agreement and pushed the door open with a smile. Li Suining took a turn outside, casually picked up some melons and fruit, and watched the sky closely. The moment the light of True Fire arrived in a flash and descended into the courtyard, he stepped forward to knock on the door:
"Is the Esteemed Elder within? Suining has come to pay his respects!"
The door swung open with a creak. Inside, everyone was kneeling on the ground in unison. Standing right at the center was a woman in palace attire, graceful and dignified, gentle yet commanding. True Fire faintly shimmered around her, and her eyes held an authoritative presence that exerted immense pressure.
It was none other than Li Minggong!
Feigning pleasant surprise, he hastily bowed and said respectfully:
"Greetings, Great-Grandaunt!"
Li Minggong nodded to him, her gaze sweeping across the fruit in his hands as she replied:
"So you are Second Brother's descendant... You must be Suining?"
"Yes..."
Seeing her, Li Suining felt heat prickle behind his eyes.
After the founding of the Great Song, the Li clan had known scarcely any peaceful days. Though through protracted warfare the clan's fame had spread across the realm and many had held high offices, in the end, several esteemed elders had fallen one after another.
The states of Shu and Song fought thrice over Guyan; Li Xinghan and Li Minggong perished one after the other, and the Zhuang clan was annihilated. Besieged by five foes amidst boundless crimson flame, Li Minggong was reduced to a lone plume of True Fire smoke across the great desert, an agony that proved too much for the old master to bear, causing him to cough up blood, take to his bed, and never rise again.
Li Suining took only a single look before lowering his head with a touch of emotion, appearing quite normal. Li Minggong retracted her gaze and spoke indifferently to Li Chengzai:
"I am taking both children with me."
The eyes of the middle-aged man to the side flickered over Li Suining for a moment before darting away. Looking exceedingly thrilled, he hurried to say:
"Yes... Thank you, Eldest Sister! Thank you, Eldest Sister..."
Li Minggong could never bring herself to be truly harsh to her own kin; even though she was thoroughly disappointed in Li Chengzai, she merely maintained a cold tone. Using True Fire to sweep up the two children, she glanced at him and said:
"You are no longer young... Stop indulging in reckless schemes, and leave some dignity for the younger generation."
Riding the fire aloft, she soared into the sky. Flying for the first time, Li Suikuan was both delighted and terrified. Li Suining, having long grown accustomed to it, pondered quietly in his heart:
*In my past life, I was ignorant and failed to notice, but hearing this now, Great-Grandaunt clearly knew quite a few things...*
Li Minggong did not stop in just one place. She visited several towns to ensure the direct lines of each branch could send people to the lake properly without oppression or favoritism, before leading a group of children across the waters toward the lake.
Li Suining lowered his eyes slightly, watching many of his brothers and sisters from his past life board the fire one by one. As he matched each face to memory, he realized that nearly half of these children had died so early that they had never even reached the appearance he remembered from his past life, bringing a sharp pang of grief to his heart.
He quietly held Li Suikuan's hand. His clan's Zhaoguang Xuanzi Grand Array had already appeared before his eyes. Looking upon the purple-gold pillars wrapped in immortal mist, boundless hope welled up within him.
*This life... must be different from the past...*
He pondered cautiously:
*Cultivation was too slow... My progress was too slow in my past life. I must achieve sufficient cultivation speed to make my words carry weight with the elders, to play a pivotal role at crucial moments... and to learn the truth behind everything...*
*Opportunities... fortune... I probably have no choice but to head to the North Sea... But the distance is simply too great; I will need at least Foundation Establishment to be confident in returning unscathed!*
He had originally been the most outstanding junior of the Sui generation, formidable in both combat and strength. In his past life, having walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, his composure and cold resolve had reached a different realm, which was what allowed him to endure the agony of witnessing the decline and destruction of the entire Li family and ultimately earn Li Zhouming's trust.
*Then before Foundation Establishment... the only thing I can rely on is the family. I cannot remain modest and bewildered as I was in my childhood during my past life. I must fight for it... I must make the elders change their view of the Yuanwan branch sooner...*
*I must find a way... to save Ding Weizeng first. With such a mighty general present, it will be of immense benefit to the situation ahead!*
His gaze was deep, yet he was incapable of detecting the ribbons of illusory color weaving through the Great Void. These illusory colors rippled like water, reflecting sheet upon sheet of silver light.
Having left the southern shore, where no grand array provided shielding, the profound mystery that had already been searching and darting swiftly lingered behind him, sweeping into his mind without the slightest hindrance and reading through his memories one by one!
Not until he vanished entirely into the Zhaoguang Xuanzi Grand Array without showing anything conspicuous did this profound mystery quietly withdraw, the manifold shifts in the Great Void slowly subsiding into stillness and vanishing without a trace.
……
Mount Zhijing.
The daylight was bright, and white blossoms fluttered down like snow.
Two True Persons sat facing each other. One was clad in platinum robes, sipping tea in silence, while the other wore green robes with a sword at his waist, carrying a rather dashing air.
"Simin Commandery has fallen as well?"
Si Yuanli appeared composed now. Hearing the inquiry, he nodded quietly and replied:
"Your family's Jiangliang remained to hold the rear, while Chen Wenyao headed east all the way, likely bound for Linhai Commandery."
"Linhai Commandery..."
Li Ximing mused:
"The Great Xiukui Abbey has been in seclusion for many years. Linhai Commandery is still governed family by family. Although there have been many annexations that produced a few prominent clans, none are enough to stop the current Chen Wenyao... It will soon be reclaimed by the Lord."
"Indeed."
Si Yuanli nodded:
"If that place is retaken, Ziyan Gate won't last long either. The broad framework of the State of Yue has already emerged. Hengzhu has retreated into their blessed land, leaving only some guest elders of the Bi family and a few figures of thin lineage to govern outside; it can be settled in the snap of a finger.
"Yet if Ziyan Gate is reclaimed, I fear their hands may reach toward the wilderness."
Seeing his troubled look, Li Ximing shook his head and replied:
"No matter..."
Si Yuanli nodded to himself and smiled:
"The matter Fellow Daoist asked me to look into... after several years of effort, there is finally word!"
"Oh?"
Delight stirred in Li Ximing's heart. He asked:
"True Person Zhusheng?"
"Precisely!"
Si Yuanli chuckled with a touch of pride, replying:
"I could never find him in Shahuang. After pondering for a long time, I finally located him through a friend in the North Sea. Turns out he was assisting a friend in crafting talismans... Hearing my words, he was immensely pleased...
"He also asked me to inquire with Zhaojing... about that portion of Court Red Dust..."
Court Red Dust was notoriously difficult to collect. Back then, one portion had been given to Ziyan Gate, and he now held two portions in his hands, which was naturally enough to satisfy Zhusheng. Li Ximing nodded and asked:
"Does the True Person have anything good to offer?"
Si Yuanli hurried to say:
"He has a lead on a Linwu Spirit Shedding, as well as a Mingyang Purple Mansion spiritual resource—Secondary Manifestation White Gold!"
"What!"
This stunned Li Ximing for a moment. This Mingyang spiritual item, the Linwu Spirit Shedding, had quite a history, its renown widespread, and it was one of the earliest Mingyang Purple Mansion spiritual items Li Ximing and his peers had ever learned about!
Anticipating his surprise, Si Yuanli said:
"This was obtained back in the day by a True Person under Lady Beiyao in a grotto-heaven of the Douxuan lineage. In this era, with every Linwu Spirit Shedding used, one fewer remains; it is even more precious than the Mingfang Heaven Stone of old!"
Li Ximing had long known of the Linwu Spirit Shedding—it was more precious than any Lihuo spiritual material! It undoubtedly ranked among the top three materials suitable for forging a Mingyang spiritual armor, to say nothing of having the Mingyang Purple Mansion spiritual resource, Secondary Manifestation White Gold!
Even as he lamented that it had arrived so late, he asked joyfully:
"Did Fellow Daoist Liu say when it can be retrieved?"
After pondering a moment, Si Yuanli said in a low voice:
"At least ten days to half a month. He still needs to gather the spiritual resources required to trade for it... When the time comes, he will visit Fellow Daoist in person!"
"No matter, no matter!"
Since it was a Mingyang material after all, Li Ximing could easily consult Qi Ze first and pay Dingyangzi a little extra for his labor. Even if the timing proved too late for the armor, there were plenty of uses for it—Li Zhouwei would need a spiritual weapon as well!
His mood lifted instantly, and Si Yuanli felt he had earned a favor; both sides were thoroughly pleased. Watching Li Ximing retrieve a jade box from his sleeve and place it before him, he heard him casually say:
"Kongxiu Xuandao Powder, six pills."
Si Yuanli was overjoyed. He hastily opened the jade box to find six pills resting neatly inside, radiating a clear, azure light—the Kongxiu Xuandao Powder!
"Fellow Daoist's alchemy is truly formidable!"
Naturally, he knew Li Ximing had kept some Kongxiu Xuandao Powder for himself. After all, that was the established custom of the day; if Si Yuanli had attempted to refine it himself, it would be uncertain whether he could even produce three... let alone receive six now. These alchemists customarily took a share, making it a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Li Ximing, on the other hand, grew hopeful and asked:
"This is already the second portion of Hollow Mysterious Mulberry you have brought out. It seems you still have more in hand?"
Si Yuanli had inherited the wealth of the Sima family and was practically swimming in riches! This was already the second time he had asked Li Ximing to refine the Kongxiu Xuandao Powder—and the raw material for this pill was a genuine spiritual material!
"This time, there really are none left!"
Si Yuanli gave a half-jesting smile. Estimating that there would still be business to conduct in the future, Li Ximing was well pleased. Soon, the True Person took his leave and departed riding the wind.
Li Ximing shook his sleeve, producing a small jade bottle that contained none other than the Kongxiu Xuandao Powder!
He could produce a full eight pills in a single cauldron. Setting aside the six given to Si Yuanli, across two refinements he had accumulated four. Having ingested one some time ago, he had three left for use.
Yet as he looked upon the Immortal Foundation condensing in his Qi Sea, a touch of regret inevitably surfaced in his heart.
"'Clear Illumination Heart'... is truly no easy task after all."
During the five years Li Zhouwei spent in seclusion healing his injuries, Li Ximing's Clear Illumination Heart Immortal Foundation had been cultivated to completion and pushed toward the Rising Sun stage. Yet despite his boundless anticipation, he had failed, as was somewhat expected.
Though his hopes were dashed, Li Ximing was not overly discouraged. Instead, a lingering doubt that had made him uneasy was finally answered:
*Even if elevating the Immortal Foundation fails, Talisman Qi still descends from the mysterious vase within the Sun and Moon in Mutual Splendor Heaven and Earth to bless the Immortal Foundation!*
Though he had anticipated it, the moment that strand of Talisman Qi settled onto his Immortal Foundation, it brought him peace of mind and great joy.
*From now on, I will not need to tie my hands and feet!*
It was only a pity about the wasted portion of Zhaoche Origin Qi. Fortunately, the Court Red Dust back then had been precious, and Tinglan had provided three portions of Zhaoche Origin Qi, which was enough for the time being.
*With Ziyan Gate locked down, further supplies will be cut off... Zhouwei succeeded in a single try; surely I won't fail three times... This is only my second divine ability. Three failures for any other Purple Mansion cultivator would mean thirty to fifty years passing in the snap of a finger...*
Though a sliver of unease lingered in his heart, he comforted himself nonetheless:
"Moreover, with the assistance of the Kongxiu Xuandao Powder, the time needed to condense the Immortal Foundation is extremely short... If worse comes to worst, I can swap out the Scripture of Creation and Clarity for Eternal Celebration from the Sun and Moon in Mutual Splendor Heaven and Earth."
In any case, the matter of the spiritual armor could not be delayed. He called out at once:
"Is Minggong still on the lake?"
A reply came immediately from below as a figure said respectfully:
"Reporting to the True Person... Lady Minggong has gone to the lake's perimeter..."
Li Ximing raised his eyebrows.
Those serving on the mountain were all quick-witted, and their status and bloodline were by no means lowly. The attendant hurried to explain respectfully:
"Reporting to the True Person, in a few days it will be time for the newcomers to enter the island to cultivate. Her Ladyship has likely gone to the lakeside early to receive them!"
"Oh?"
Li Ximing murmured with a hint of emotion, asking:
"It is the Sui generation, is it not? Minggong has always been dedicated..."
Li Minggong had always been in charge of liaising with Mount Baiyang; first, her status was sufficiently high, and second, she was well-acquainted with them. Li Ximing had never bothered to replace her. Smiling, he rose and placed the jade slip in his hand upon the desk, saying with keen interest:
"As it happens, let us go take a look."
Characters Appearing in This Chapter:
——
Li Ximing [Early Purple Mansion] [Purple Mansion Alchemist]
Si Yuanli [Early Purple Mansion] [Sima Clan]
Li Minggong "Pheasant Separation Motion" [Late Foundation Establishment] [Direct Descendant of the Eldest Line]
Li Suining [Direct Descendant of the Eldest Line] [Tiansu Blessing (Pseudo)]
Chapter 985