‘*The Tiansi Buxu Divine Scroll...*’
Light intertwined across the Heaven of Sun and Moon in Mutual Splendor. Pure qi swirled within Shanghuan Pavilion. Li Zhouwei stood with his hands folded in front of his chest inside the pavilion, reading through the method carefully as calculations formed in his mind.
The Li family had seen quite a few items of the Divine Scroll variety—whether it was the *Wugui Suoyin Divine Scroll* or the *Xingwei Taicang Divine Scroll*, or even the Storehouse Gold *Daoxuan Cunxu Divine Scroll* that Liu Changdie had only mentioned in passing, they all belonged to the same category.
Most works of this kind recorded large numbers of technique arts and specialized secrets. Having read many of them, Li Zhouwei faintly detected a familiar flavor among them. In particular, *Tiansi Buxu* and *Xingwei Taicang* shared an identical format and structure, clearly originating from the very same source...
Even looking back now at the *Linguang Huiyang Divine Scroll*, there were vague similarities, leaving him in silence for a long time as his heart stirred.
*Something is amiss... These few scrolls seem to originate from the same Dao orthodox tradition. Even the most distinct one, the Linguang Huiyang Divine Scroll, shares commonalities with them. At the very least, they stem from branches of an ancient orthodox tradition that underwent changes through the vicissitudes of time—what the great sects call a single Dao Track... Much of it bears the distinct flavor of having evolved from that root.*
In the present world, the various Mansions were in disarray, and the origins of many things could no longer be traced. Yet in antiquity, these things had strict nomenclature. For instance, Changhuai and Xiuyue, which both stemmed from the Taiyang orthodox tradition, did not share the name Taiyang; nevertheless, upon closer examination, they could be counted as belonging to the very same Dao Track.
These Divine Scrolls differed considerably from the Classics the Li family had previously obtained, clearly belonging to a different Dao Track... The only exception was the *Wugui Suoyin Divine Scroll*. Although titled a Divine Scroll, many of the spells within did not show much of a succession relationship.
*“Sitian” explicitly belongs to the Douxuan Dao orthodox tradition... Divine Scroll... Sitian... Sacrificial rites... concurrent divine office...*
*Daoist Nun Xiangchun once said that antiquity had Mansion Lords, Divine Lords, Imperial Lords, True Lords... all sharing the word “Shen,” Divine. Today's collapse of incense and divine offices follows the exact same pattern...*
He raised his brows slightly.
*Which means... the ancient State of Wei from which the Linguang Huiyang Divine Scroll originated... also had no shallow connection with Douxuan...*
Li Zhouwei pulled his thoughts together and stole a glance at his tally: his immortal merit had increased from 329 to 364. Li Ximing's battle had added 35.
*When I fought the various Lianmin in the grotto-heaven and severely wounded Helian Wujiang, who cultivated demonic arts, I received a mere 32. Yet slaying Nüxiao yielded 35. Their strengths are not even comparable. It seems Shi cultivators are indeed favored... and slaying them yields more immortal merit...*
*Next time, even if I cannot slay the foe outright, I must destroy their Dharma body. Merely suppressing them in combat really yields very little immortal merit...*
He inspected it closely. The *Tiansi Buxu Divine Scroll* was a full sixth-rank method, possessing complete arts and abundant heritage. It cost 189 streaks. If he exchanged for it, he would have 175 remaining.
*Currently, we have an abundance of arts. Granduncle hasn't even mastered the dozen-odd arts on him, and he is busy with cultivation. He won't need this for at least thirty or forty years... This will be more than enough.*
When he exchanged for Diqi Light, he had been stingy and calculated over and over. Now, however, he did not hesitate at all. He readily exchanged for it and walked briskly out of the pavilion, just in time to see Li Ximing approaching and revealing an elixir in hand.
The pill was woven of black and gold in an array of colors, stirring waves of spiritual energy. Unfortunately, suppressed by the Yin-Yang balance within this grotto-heaven, it could hardly produce any upheaval. Li Ximing spoke solemnly:
“Now that your injuries are healed and the outside world remains turbulent, this Nangong Xuansui Pill is just what you need to cultivate. It can open a mysterious palace within your body, allowing you to cultivate at your own pace without the medicinal potency easily dissipating. It is ideal for times like this when you might be called upon to intervene at any moment...
“Once used, it can also be infused with a divine ability, making it suitable to bestow upon juniors as a protective talisman!”
***
Simin Commandery.
Simin Commandery was the foundation of the Qingchi Sect, densely populated and filled with numerous clans. For centuries, the State of Yue had seen much turmoil and few peaceful days, yet as Qingchi's foundation, Simin Commandery had remained consistently stable with seldom any unrest. Looking across it, eaves connected to ridgepoles, and terraces and pavilions rose layer upon layer.
High within the main hall, a man in bright-white feather robes stood with head lowered in contemplation, scrutinizing the official robes draped across the desk. He murmured softly:
“For intermediate embellishments... let five-colored true jade patterns predominate, with the entire garment featuring four-cornered ruyi cloud motifs... As for the emblem...”
Frowning slightly, he asked:
“What does the Great Zhao use?”
The minor officials before him quickly raised their brows and whispered:
“They use the Kui beast, backed by wood-and-stone patterns...”
Li Jiangliang glanced over at the smiling woman beside him. Yang Tianyou raised an eyebrow and said:
“Use entwined serpents, water and fire, and giant pythons.”
The subordinates on both sides quickly complied, bowing respectfully:
“We shall begin drafting the illustrations at once for Your Excellencies' corrections.”
Li Jiangliang gave a slight nod, and the group carried the official robes out as if holding a treasured relic. Yang Tianyou turned to look out the window and remarked casually:
“Simin is truly bustling after all.”
Even with the turmoil of recent years causing such an uproar and the great battle before Simin Commandery leaving a scene of devastation, the commandery itself could still be considered stable. Li Jiangliang took a step forward, still finding it hard to believe:
“To think Qingchi would yield Simin just like this...”
When Yang Zhuo led Li Jiangliang and the others to Simin, Qingchi was already in complete chaos internally. Only Qin Xian's faction engaged in battle before the commandery. The man surnamed Qin had already had a premonition, yet he had no choice but to ride the wind forward to resist.
Qin Xian had risen from humble beginnings, trimming his sails to every wind and rain as he climbed step by step to his present station. Even if his orthodox lineage was mediocre, he had enjoyed no shortage of good things; even the so-called Qingchi Peak Masters might not have secured a certain victory against him.
Yet before Yang Zhuo, he did not last a single bout—before the Jingyi Nine-Bend Trident even struck, six kinds of water and fire descended upon him in sequence. Qin Xian was obliterated in body and spirit without uttering a single sound. Thus, the only sect master in the history of the Qingchi Sect to have risen from humble origins died abruptly in full view of the public.
The rest fell into complete disarray. Just as the cultivators led by Qin Xian's son, Qin Lianfu, prepared to flee, a direct descendant of the Si family under Yang Zhuo stepped forward and shouted. No matter how incredulous the Qin man was, he lowered his head and surrendered, receiving rewards immediately afterward.
And so, Simin Commandery, cultivated by Qingchi for six hundred years, failed to hold out for even half an hour before it was breached. Forces on both sides welcomed the royal army with joy. Cultivators led by the Deng family wept as they fell to their knees; the head of the Deng family wept his heart out, counting on his fingers as he recounted one by one how Qingchi had persecuted the Deng family for centuries and which ancestors had been wronged.
Li Jiangliang found it hard to stomach. It wasn't that he didn't know the Deng family's history; if they truly harbored hatred in their hearts, they wouldn't have kept quiet as mute chickens during the Chi family's turmoil back then. It was nothing more than seeing profit.
Yet Yang Zhuo had great need of him, enfeoffing him with three towns. According to future arrangements, he would also be granted a founding martial merit title of Yuandianzhi, a minor noble rank of the sixth grade.
“Qin Lianfu, Si Xunlong, Zheng Shuyan, Li Quantao, Quan Yuduan... all received fiefs... Once the state is founded, all of them can be ranked among the martial merit nobility. How many aristocratic clans will that be...”
Li Jiangliang sighed quietly, prompting the woman to turn back and ask gently:
“Is that not good?”
“It isn't necessarily bad... The State of Yue has suffered too many disasters, leaving vast tracts of wasteland and displaced commoners... Without local clans, our men would not be enough to hold the land... But... this is simply too much, and there is no need to bestow land as gifts.”
Li Jiangliang hesitated, lowering his voice:
“I understand that His Lordship wishes to minimize slaughter, but for a grand entity like Qingchi, only the chief culprit, Qin Xian, was killed... Within a single day, seventy-one fiefdoms were granted in Simin alone. In this one commandery alone, there will formally be seventy-one noble houses of varying ranks once the state is founded...
“I cannot shake the feeling that something is wrong. I fear it will only... cause harm...”
Yang Tianyou lowered her gaze slightly, concealing the emotion in her eyes as she interrupted:
“My elder brother has his own considerations...
“It is not yet time for us to raise the banner. While Qingchi's rule may exist only in name, if this colossus were brought down completely, we could indeed take control of all the territory in Yue—but what about the East Sea and the South Sea? So long as this banner is not officially raised, the various factions will feign ignorance and carve those regions up.
“That is precisely why my brother halted beneath Mount Qingchi. Were it not so, divine ability masters might well have perished over this! Yet we still need this behemoth to drag out its lingering existence, dangling benefits to rein in all of Qingchi. The Si family is now on the same path as us... Only with Mount Qingchi still issuing immortal decrees to both seas can we barely hold together those overseas territories. After all... even those within the mountain are now our people. My brother had Si Tongyi establish the Office of Immortal Rites to maintain the Qingchi registry, keeping those people and lands firmly under our grasp...
“A few days ago, unrest broke out across Qingchi's islands in the East Sea. Had Real Person Qinghu of the Si family and Real Person Ning of Qingchi not stepped in, those lands would inevitably have been carved up amid the violent upheaval, making it exceedingly difficult to extend our reach overseas in the future.”
She sighed:
“We do not belong to the Taiyang orthodox lineage. We can only legitimately inherit as much overseas territory as we can claim, with virtually no room for further expansion. By the same token, once lost, it would be all but impossible to reclaim.”
Yet this did not seem to be the answer Li Jiangliang wanted to hear. Nor was he ignorant of these principles. He merely hesitated, saying:
“What concerns me are the common people. If aristocratic clans truly cover the realm, how can commoners ever have a day to rise? Moreover, if even these people are enfeoffed like this, what of the immortal clan?”
“Do they have a day to rise today? Look at Qin Xian,” Yang Tianyou said with a calm expression and a smile. “As for the immortal clan... they shall be made kings!”
Li Jiangliang fell silent for a moment before asking:
“Has the title been drafted?”
Yang Tianyou seemed intrigued, covering her mouth with a chuckle:
“It is far too early for that... But does your family's title even require thinking?”
A tremor ran through Li Jiangliang's heart, bringing him a measure of comfort. He mused inwardly:
*His Lordship said a princely rank carries great benefits. Furthermore, being titled princes and marquises would grant my family prestige when walking abroad, counting as a contribution I made for them.*
Although given Yang Zhuo's stance toward aristocratic clans, his family would most likely not lose out on a princely title even without him, his merit in serving the sovereign during the rise would nonetheless secure more territory for the clan. Having turned these thoughts over in his mind, he shifted the topic, saying with concern:
“I heard the karmic fire has crossed the Wilderness and reached Lixia. His Lordship has been in seclusion for a long time; is there any news of him now?”
At the mention of the karmic fire, Yang Tianyou showed no worry, only a faint smile:
“That is the Queliyu. There is no need to worry about him; he is here to reincarnate. When the Queliyu reaches the front of Simin Commandery, you will naturally see my brother.”
Li Jiangliang looked thoughtful. Just as he was about to speak, someone rushed up the stairs and whispered:
“Reporting to Your Excellency! A secret letter from Lord Chen!”
Interrupted, Li Jiangliang turned around, took the letter from the messenger, and scanned it briefly. His expression turned somewhat strange:
“The skies over Linhai have shifted; there are shaman winds and owl feathers, screeching owls and wailing ghosts...”
He looked toward Yang Tianyou and asked:
“Did it succeed or fail?”
In matters concerning divine abilities, the Yang family—or rather, the Underworld Office—naturally understood best. At this question, Yang Tianyou nodded and spoke gravely:
“The old sword immortal devoted all his efforts to nurturing them, and how many members of the Lingu family have already perished? First Lingu Yi and Lingu Dan, then later Lingu Rao—how many spiritual items were poured in? How many precious pills? With great difficulty, Lingu Lanying finally emerged, even coming to plead with our family. Which clan has ever enjoyed such advantageous conditions? Only his Lingu clan! Of course it succeeded!
“Others may not know, but we are well aware. Aside from Lingu Lanying, there are two others in secluded cultivation in the shadows. Though their hopes of breakthrough are slim and serve merely as contingencies against a one-in-ten-thousand chance, he has thrown virtually every genius of the Lingu family into this... Sword Immortal Louxing is truly ruthless!”
Li Jiangliang sighed in admiration and shook his head:
“That is not quite right. This is awe-inspiring righteousness, hardly ruthlessness. If not for the Lingu family being so useless, a Zifu from the Lingu clan should have stepped onto the grand stage long ago.”
“Even now is not too late,” Yang Tianyou sighed.
Li Jiangliang nodded:
“Senior went to great lengths. Now that Lingu Lanying has emerged, Linhai Commandery is saved. Even if Xiukui Abbey seals its mountain, the Lingu family can still preserve the Lin mortals and various branches in Linhai... while keeping Xiukui Abbey uninvolved. It is remarkably ingenious.”
Yang Tianyou remarked with emotion:
“Ingenious it may be, but heartless it is above all. To preserve Xiukui Abbey's unyielding spirit, he was willing not to speak a single word of truth to Houfu or Kuiqi, and willing to risk his life against Xue Yang at Qinling to seek that one-in-ten-thousand chance. One can see just how unshakeable his sword heart is...”
Li Jiangliang could only sigh in respect, only to see his wife smile:
“Regardless, your family stands to benefit considerably. Uncle's title has already reached the palace. After some deliberation among the officials, it will be at least third-grade, enfeoffed in Lixia. As for yours...”
The uncle she referred to was naturally Li Zhouluo. The Li family had not been deeply involved in this turmoil; the only ones receiving titles were Li Jiangliang and Li Zhouluo. Li Jiangliang shook his head:
“You need not concern yourself with me. An honorary title will suffice; I have no desire for a fief.”
A smile surfaced on his face, his eyes tinged with hope and yearning:
“Once His Lordship succeeds and Jiangnan is pacified, with the common people having homes to live in and means to sustain themselves, I will resign from worldly affairs and take you back to the lake. There, I will take charge of a small pavilion on the islet, collating Daoist canons and sorting through orthodox traditions. In our leisure, we can boat upon the lake, warm our wine, and sleep in drunken peace.”
Yang Tianyou turned her head away, avoiding his eyes, and offered a strained smile:
“With my husband's talents, recognized by my brother as a gentleman fit to govern the state and pacify the realm, how could you be confined to managing a mere small pavilion?”
Li Jiangliang laughed softly, his gaze lingering on the scroll in his hand as he shook his head with a sigh:
“You do not understand. My elder brothers are the true figures of renown. A mediocre talent like me... upon returning to the islet, can do no more than take charge of a small pavilion!”
His voice was gentle, his brows carrying a smile:
“When the time comes, I will let you behold the lake scenery of Wangyue as well.”
Yang Tianyou murmured a low response, not daring to look at him.
The smile that always graced the face of this proud daughter of the Yang clan—a direct descendant of a Golden Core lineage—faded. Feigning composure, she looked out the window, yet her slender hand resting on the sill tightened and loosened. She closed her beautiful eyes, pressing her lips together in silence as a sudden ache twinged in her heart.
*Oh, you...*
Chapter 995