The old man asked this without looking at him, picking up the other cup of tea that had already been poured on the desk and gesturing for Li Zhouluo to take it and sit down to speak.
Li Zhouluo had been at a loss for words, so this gave him a moment to catch his breath and think. Seizing the opportunity, he rose, took the tea, and reseated himself beside the old man, sighing,
“I do not know either... When I went to Simin, an esteemed lord came to see me and told me to address him as... address him as Grand-Uncle... His name is Yang Ruiyi.”
Li Xuanxuan’s expression gathered slightly as he calculated in his heart:
*Yang Ruiyi... of the Rui generation... of the same generation as Yang Xiao'er's brothers...*
He nodded with an air of sudden understanding, a smile appearing on his face as he asked, “What manner of esteemed cultivator is he, that we have never seen him before?”
Li Zhouluo seemed somewhat hesitant and replied, “This junior could not tell for sure... His mystical aura carried something of Father’s ‘Do Not Investigate Me.’ Standing right before me, he had not a trace of qi, like a mortal...”
Li Xuanxuan sighed inwardly as he listened to him continue:
“He mentioned a couple of matters to me and pointed out the situation in the north... The territories in the Wilderness, if our family still wants them, ought to be occupied as soon as possible, as Xuanyue is watching from the side...”
“If our family does not claim them, someone else will come to guard them.”
Li Xuanxuan set down his teacup and asked with a solemn expression, “Now that the Yang clan intends to take charge of the State of Yue, how will the various sects and schools be handled?”
Li Zhouluo shook his head and replied, “I'm afraid that question must be asked of Jiangliang. He is held in great esteem by the lord and understands these matters thoroughly. I have only claimed a bit of kinship, but I cannot be counted as one of the figures in the main hall.”
“I only heard of one matter...”
Li Xuanxuan raised his brows to look, listening as his junior continued:
“A few days ago, that Grand-Uncle visited both Xueji Gate and Wanyu Gate—more than once, in fact. He arranged numerous affairs, so at least those two sects... ought to remain unscathed.”
The old man said in surprise, “Xueji Gate has kept its mountains sealed for many years. To think they had ties with the Yang clan?”
Li Zhouluo said with a grave look, “This junior does not know the details, but I heard that the former master of Xueji Gate was called Zhenren Guanxu, and he seemed... closely connected to the Yang clan.”
“Oh?”
Li Xuanxuan pondered for a moment, then hesitantly raised his brows and asked, “How is... Yuanqin? Is there any chance of him returning?”
Li Zhouluo had clearly inquired about this beforehand and prepared his response, replying naturally, “With so many cultivators in Qingchi, not a single registry or soul lantern was spared. Si Tongyi handed them all over, and they are now recorded in the hands of the Office of Immortal Ceremonies. Elder Yuanqin is among them, but he has not yet emerged from seclusion and remains locked within Mount Qingchi.”
Li Xuanxuan had anticipated as much. Raising his brows, he asked, “Do you know what arrangements... Li Quantao has in Simin?”
Li Zhouluo started slightly, not expecting the old man to change the subject so abruptly, but answered, “I have seen him! Perhaps because both the Si family and Jiangliang recommended him, he is also held in high regard. He met with the lord in person, and I heard they had a long, private conversation in the great hall. The fief he received is among the finest!”
Li Xuanxuan sighed inwardly and ceased asking about that, instead inquiring into his cultivation and life. After conversing for quite a while, he finally sighed:
“Since... since you share blood ties with them, and the Yang clan has reached out to you, what are your plans now?”
These words made Li Zhouluo rise in a hurry, whispering, “This junior harbors no disloyal intentions... It is just that... according to that Grand-Uncle, an esteemed lord wished to look after this branch that married into the Yang clan... and so enfeoffed land to me in Simin. I had no desire to linger among the Yang clan, which is why I rushed back.”
A touch of melancholy showed between his brows as he answered, “The lake is where my clan lies. However prominent the Yang clan may be, they are merely my grandmother’s kin. Though they may wish to be close, it is hard to open one's heart to them; in the end, it is not the same. What reason would I have to take up residence in Simin as a guest!”
Li Xuanxuan hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Sometimes such things are beyond anyone's control. Cultivate on the lake for now and wait to see how events unfold.”
Li Zhouluo nodded solemnly, bowed slightly, and was about to withdraw from the chamber when Li Xuanxuan suddenly asked, “In Linhai Commandery... was it a breakthrough or a demise?”
“Reporting to you, sir, it was a breakthrough... Lingu Lanying!”
The junior answered, carefully closed the door, and silently retreated.
Only then did flecks of heavenly light cascade down, condensing upon a seat to the other side to reveal a man clad in platinum-and-gold Daoist robes, who had clearly been sitting there for quite some time. Standing beside him was a man in black-and-gold attire—none other than the two Zhenren of the lake.
“Ming'er...”
Li Xuanxuan rose. He heard Li Ximing speak thoughtfully, “Enfeoffing him in Simin... the Yang family intends to keep him around for their use.”
“Indeed...”
The old man frowned with profound concern, answering, “Not only Zhouluo, but Quantao has also been granted important duties... Although Yuanqin has hidden himself well and has yet to come out of seclusion, he will most likely not escape it in the future either. Those in the south are watching closely.”
Li Zhouwei paced within the hall, pondering with raised brows. “Lingu Lanying... So the old sword immortal foresaw it long ago! There is no need for others to worry about the Lin clan after all.”
Li Ximing nodded thoughtfully. Silence settled over the great hall for a time. Then Li Zhouwei raised his brows and murmured softly, “Que Liyu has indeed marched south under orders...”
The two turned to look at him together, beholding the golden-eyed youth's profound gaze:
“Even if he is one of the three sets of armor, the reincarnation of True Lord Tianwu's golden nature, I fear he still does not possess the right to simply climb to the fruit position step by step merely through routine cultivation. Since everyone under heaven desires to bring this about as soon as possible, naturally everyone is eager to lend him a hand.”
“‘Divine profundity shines within, fearsome might overflows without; rectifying nature to curb licentiousness, boundless in benevolent majesty; slaughtering fiends and demons with malevolent balefulness, upholding martial might to preserve the true...’”
Li Zhouwei raised his brows. “‘Rectifying nature to curb licentiousness’—if the Dayu Dao did not march south, what licentiousness would there be to curb? There is no need for the Underworld Court or Lord Yang to concern themselves with this matter; the north will naturally grant that lord an opportunity to rectify nature and curb licentiousness!”
***
Mount Quanwu.
Mount Quanwu served as the northern bulwark of Simin Commandery, the primary commandery in the heartland of the State of Yue. Though a mountain forest harboring numerous demon beasts, it had always been a playground for immortal cultivators. Fortunately, Qingchi, which had exploited Mount Quanwu most ruthlessly over the past several decades, had fallen into decline for a time, allowing the demon beasts today to attain greater vitality.
Yet this densely forested Mount Quanwu was now engulfed in grayish light, appearing drab and devoid of color. Sheets of karmic fire circled in the air, raining down countless beams of black light.
“Awoo...”
Wails rose and fell in waves throughout the mountains. The demon kings who had formerly eked out a living here had clearly become meat on the Buddhist cultivators' chopping block. One brilliant flash of light after another fell within the karmic flames, subduing them one by one.
*Crack...*
Beneath the mountain ridge where colors dimmed into darkness, a massive crow huddled within the gleam, folded its wings, and transformed into a dark-faced man. Looking exceedingly panicked, he called out in a low voice, “Fellow Daoist Yuan? Fellow Daoist Yuan!”
Beside him, an old man hurried forward. His dharmic power was turbid—he was merely a miscellaneous qi cultivator, aged beyond measure, his eyes filled with anxiety as he asked, “This is... the heavens have truly changed!”
The demon beast's expression shifted, and he gritted his teeth. “Aren't you, Yuan Huzhong, of that Yuan family? How is it there wasn't the slightest word about something this massive! How are we to escape now!”
“What Yuan family is left to speak of... sigh!”
At the mention of the Yuan family, the old man, Yuan Huzhong, raised his brows, not daring to say more. Looking down at the numerous lights scattered among the mountain ridges below, he appeared terrified. “The Buddhist cultivators have attacked... There are a full twenty thousand people in these mountain woods; there is nowhere to hide!”
“Flee for your own life, then!”
The demon cursed, yet dared not ride the wind into the sky, hissing viciously, “At least you are not a demon beast, so you will hardly draw attention. If you slip out along the mountain trails, you have every chance to survive!”
The old man shook his head.
In his youth, Yuan Huzhong had passed through this place and rescued the common folk from the clutches of demon beasts. Ever since then, he had sheltered the people here, standing guard for over one hundred and thirty years without the slightest wavering. Now that his lifespan was nearly exhausted, what desire could he have to cling to life? Even though his lips were blanched with fear, he still said in a low voice, “They are Buddhist cultivators after all, not demonic cultivators. If I offer some counsel and plead with them here, perhaps there might be a good outcome...”
Before his voice died away, rustling stirred across the mountains. Faint shapes stumbled through the woods, prompting Yuan Huzhong to turn his head in alarm—only to see young children emerging from all directions throughout the forest.
“Y-You children...”
Yuan Huzhong had poured his entire life's work into these commoners, so he naturally recognized that these children all came from below the mountain. Each was thoroughly familiar to him; he could even name their parents. He was overcome with anxiety, hurriedly rushing down the slope and pressing his voice low: “We agreed you were to keep your doors shut and not come out! What are you doing climbing the mountain? Hurry back at once!”
These children were only three to five years old, trudging with difficulty through the pitch-black forest. Their faces were diverse, yet every one of them wore the exact same joyful smile, walking vacantly up the mountain and gradually passing by the man and the demon.
Yuan Huzhong was stunned. In his fluster, he grabbed two children near him, but could not halt the rest. More and more children marched up the mountain. Cold sweat poured down his brow, when a sudden *thud* sounded behind him.
The demon beast Daoist Wu had already knelt respectfully upon the ground, not daring to move.
Following the direction of his bow, Yuan Huzhong looked over, only to discover that a monk had appeared in the woods at some unknown moment. He was tall of stature, with extremely narrow eyes and pale red pupils. Around his waist was tied a green silk sash that faintly glowed.
The monk stood quietly in the shadows of the woods, staring directly at him.
*Thud!*
Yuan Huzhong was hardly a courageous man to begin with. Chilled to the bone with terror, his legs gave way, and he immediately dropped to his knees, trembling, “M-My lord!”
The monk took a step forward, watching him quietly. The sound of twigs snapping beneath cloth shoes echoed through the woods. Yuan Huzhong shivered: “My lord... they are only little children... please show mercy...”
“Precisely because they are children, it is all the better...”
The monk halted on the slope with a smile and spoke placidly, “The mortal world is full of obstinate delusion, eating flesh and sleeping on skins, ignorant of the Fundamental Dharma, cultivating cardinal bonds out of sinful karma... Man is born inherently free of sin. Yet once he enters cardinal bonds and steps into the red dust, those in power oppress others, those who serve act as accomplices, and even the most persecuted tenant farmer has a wife and child at home he can oppress. Such is your deep-seated depravity in the red dust.”
“Ordinary people must suffer all manner of torment to wash away their sins before having the karmic fortune to enter Mount Yu. These children are innocent and ignorant; they have yet to fall into the cardinal bonds of the red dust and bear no sins upon them. Ascending the mountain, they will directly enter the Fundamental Dharma. Beneath the Golden Lotus, all mortals are equal, delving into the scriptures, experiencing ultimate bliss without suffering... Is that not far better than lingering in these mountains?”
He raised a hand and pointed at Yuan Huzhong, smiling. “Letting them ascend the mountain is their blessing, and it is also your merit.”
Sweat poured profusely from Yuan Huzhong as he listened. Faintly sensing that the monk intended to take these children into the Buddhist Land, he murmured softly, “I fear... I fear they must choose for themselves...”
The monk's countenance gradually chilled, and he said coolly, “This is an act of benevolent bliss and compassion... Since children are born without sin, why should we let them enter the red dust to create sins, blinded by cardinal bonds, only to awaken and atone when karmic fortune arrives? That would be the sin of us practitioners! Is it not far better for them to enter our teaching's Earthly Buddhist Land directly?”
Watching the monk's lips move, Yuan Huzhong's pupils grew clouded with confusion. The monk chuckled:
“You say you want them to choose for themselves, but in truth... within your cardinal bonds, is there any room for them to choose? Yet you think nothing of it, which shows how deeply the bonds of heaven and earth have poisoned mankind, blinding people to reality!”
“Since you wish for them to choose for themselves, I will give you a chance. The commoners below the mountain are steeped in sin, with the suffering of the rest of their lives yet to endure. I cannot interfere with that, so I shall let them depart. You shall lead these children up the mountain with me.”
He smiled. “If, after beholding our Earthly Buddhist Land, you still deem it unacceptable, I shall let you all go!”
He raised a hand, and from his sleeve shook out a speck of golden light. The small hill beneath their feet suddenly surged upward. The summit radiated ten thousand beams of dazzling light as countless golden flowers blossomed. Hundreds of streams of silvery water cascaded from the heavens, flowing along the mountain ridges, while wondrous music arose.
“You are a greatly benevolent man. When I surveyed the four quarters with my technique arts, there was no one better suited to the path of our Earthly Buddhist Land than you. More than one hundred and thirty years of merit stemming from your true heart, more than one hundred and thirty years of stewardship... You have long since forged a karmic affinity with our Dao!”
The look in Yuan Huzhong's eyes as he gazed at the surrounding children remained gentle and kind, but an expression of profound realization dawned upon his face as he murmured, “I understand...”
Thus, amid brilliant radiance and roaring flames, a golden body as colossal as a mountain emerged, drawing him upward along the path until he was swallowed in thick golden light.
Que Liyu stood on the ground with a smile. The six-armed, four-legged golden body descended from the sky and shrank to the size of an ordinary man beside him—it was none other than Nuzi Mohe, who spoke with a reverent expression: “Congratulations to you, my lord!”
Que Liyu nodded with a smile as Nuzi said admiringly, “Is he truly a descendant of Yanyang Temple?”
“Indeed!”
Que Liyu slightly narrowed his eyes, revealing a smug look. “Though his cultivation is modest, he can still be considered of the direct lineage. What is truly rare is his extraordinary merit, which accords wonderfully with our Dao!”
Nuzi sighed repeatedly in wonder. “A legitimate descendant of Dazhi Chantian Canyan, bearing a status entitled to a seat upon Mount Dayang... and endowed with such immense merit—he will surely become a formidable figure. My lord's karmic fortune and methods are beyond our reckoning! We can only marvel in envy and admiration!”
“Dazhi Chantian Canyan... a truly mighty being.”
A hint of emotion showed in Que Liyu's eyes as Nuzi shook his head and said, “After all, He was the master of Tianjue Suxikong. It was precisely because of Him that Tianjue had the possibility of attaining the fruit status. At the same time, He was a disciple of a Dao Embryo. His karmic ties... only someone of your standing, my lord, paired with the present situation, could dare to touch them...”
Having secured the greatest prize of their secret scheming on this journey, Que Liyu held his hands behind his back, looking thoroughly smug and ambitious, and said placidly, “Tell me... is his karmic destiny better, or is Guangchan's karmic destiny superior?”
Nuzi flattered him, “My lord, Guangchan merely possesses the bloodline of the Wei-Li, seizing a bit of an early advantage in cultivation and attaining the Dao somewhat earlier, nothing more. Given time, he will surely be trampled beneath this one's feet...”
Hearing this, the monk laughed and tilted his chin up.
“Let us go, then. It is time to experience Lord Yang's might.”
Chapter 997