Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1066: Protecting the Court
When Li Ximing entered the hall, he saw a dark light flowing across the sky. The man at the top had just put down his pen, walked down quickly, raised his eyebrows and smiled:
"Brother Ximing is here!"

His call was very cordial, and Li Ximing then remembered that he was his relative. Now they were obviously not interacting as generals, but as brothers-in-law.

The general's appearance was not outstanding, but when he came to greet them with a smile, he looked like an ordinary brother-in-law, appearing amiable and friendly when meeting his good relatives.

The other party was getting close, but Li Ximing didn't want to get too close, so he cupped his hands and said with a smile:

"You are too polite, General..."

Yang Ruiyi smiled and asked him to sit aside. He took out a bright jade pot, poured tea and said:
"I have been here for a while now, and I have been really busy. You have been in seclusion refining the elixir, so I haven't seen you. This time I invited you to come and talk to us about the affairs in the north."

"General, please speak!"

Li Ximing responded, while Yang Ruiyi seemed a little hesitant and asked cautiously:
"This Northern Expedition was originally under the banner of revenge, but after so many years of turmoil between the North and the South, the remaining True Men are already terrified of the mention of the Buddha and are not very interested."

"The King of Wei is brave and good at fighting. Originally, he was the only one who could take on the important task and inspire the morale of the generals. But now he is in seclusion and has not come out. The cultivators are even more suspicious and hesitant. That is why I specially invited Liu Duhu to come here."

Li Ximing would never let him disturb Li Zhouwei. Hearing this, his eyes turned red and he began to talk about the multiple injuries that the last battle had left on Li. Yang Ruiyi listened carefully and said calmly:
"I understand Li's contribution. I invited you here to protect Tingzhou."

Li Ximing was slightly stunned, and Yang Ruiyi looked worried and replied:

"Your Excellency has handed the northern route over to me. I can see clearly that Qi Lanyan and the others have not yet used their full strength. Guang Chan from Damu Fajie is also coming soon. There are probably people from Dayang Mountain as well as Dayuan Guangyin Mountain."

He said softly:

"I know very well that Zhao is a powerful country. To be frank, the Song Dynasty today cannot even compare to Shu. Even if Jin Yu obeys orders but not decrees, Chang Huai alone is as powerful as the entire Song Dynasty."

"To put it bluntly, this Northern Expedition was just to protect Wei and share the pressure..."

He stared at Li Ximing and said seriously:
"Guangchan, Qi Lanyan, and Gongsunbei's intentions are well known to everyone. Right now, they just don't get along with each other. They don't know my background, so it's hard to reach an agreement. Once the three decide to go south, I'm afraid Ximing also knows where they will settle down."

Li Ximing sighed slightly and replied:

"Tingzhou."

"Exactly!"

Yang Ruiyi's expression was slightly gloomy, and he replied:

"There will definitely be a war. If I take the initiative and accumulate troops on this shore, I can at least contain the main force, even if I don't choose a main battlefield... But if the court remains calm and only sends a few people to guard the river, the final battle will definitely break out in the Tingzhou area."

"Your Majesty's original decision was to rest and recuperate at the beginning of the founding of the country, select Chi Xuan, and choose one of the three candidates to guard the north. It was I who wrote a letter and decided on this northern expedition."

His expression looked very serious. Li Ximing paused for a moment and sighed:

"Thank you, General! I didn't know you were so thoughtful... protecting my clan..."

Yang Ruiyi waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to go through all this formality, and replied:
"I'm telling you this very clearly because I want you to reveal some information and talk about the defense of Tingzhou - I'm not trying to earn a favor from you!"

Yang Ruiyi had said this, and Li Ximing believed it halfway. He calmed down and replied:

"Zhao Jing knows everything!"

Yang Ruiyi then stood up, turned to look at him, and said with lowered eyebrows:

"If something goes wrong, can the King of Wei help?"

Li Ximing had a complicated expression on his face and sighed:

"To be honest, I don't think so!"

If he said categorically that he couldn't, Yang Ruiyi wouldn't believe him, but this answer made him look at Li Ximing. He took two steps, his eyes solemn:

"How long will it take!"

Li Ximing was speechless for a long time, and after a difficult judgment, he replied:

"Maybe...six or seven years..."

According to Li Zhouwei's cultivation speed, he should have reached the Perfect Immortal Foundation and reached Shengyang. The speed of six or seven years is not too high or too low, and even a little conservative. However, Yang Ruiyi frowned:
"I can't wait any longer. He must come out in five years at most. Otherwise, I won't be able to stop him here!"

Li Ximing was horrified, but Yang Ruiyi realized that his tone was a bit harsh and sighed:
"Brother Ximing is not doing well on his own either."

Then he looked slightly depressed and asked:
"Ximing leaned against the formation on the lake, wondering how long he could last in Guangchan's hands."

Li Ximing asked in a low voice:
"I wonder how capable this Guangchan is?"

Yang Ruiyi took two steps and said softly:
"He can be compared to Chalukyamuni. He is the first-class Maha among Buddhist monks. According to the date, he should be in the fifth generation now. He is also highly regarded by the Dharma. Ordinary monks who have passed the middle stage cannot defeat him."

Li Ximing's heart suddenly sank - the ordinary middle stage of Purple Mansion corresponds to about three to four generations. Only after a huge breakthrough beyond the Purple Mansion can one steadily suppress the Sixth Generation Maha. By the eighth generation, it would be comparable to the perfection of supernatural powers.

He was not arrogant at all, he just shook his head and said:

"I have the support of a great formation, so I can still fend off an ordinary mid-stage Purple Mansion warrior... Now I am using the spiritual treasures in my hand to protect the younger generation in their cultivation. I am still far from enough to face Guang Chan."

Yang Ruiyi put his hands behind his back and said:
"Can a real person from the Qusi sect help me?"

Li Ximing knew that he was talking about Kuang Yu, Guo Nanwu and others, and shook his head repeatedly. Finally, he saw Yang Ruiyi sigh and said:

"I sent Tinglan to help you in the mushroom forest, which was enough, but Qingji still coveted you secretly... How about this, I let Sima Yuanli accompany you on the lake..."

Li Ximing's eyes lit up, but he saw Yang Ruiyi looking at him with a gloomy expression and said:
"If everything goes as usual, Guangchan will not stay on the lake for more than two hours. If we break into the Great Yuan Guangyin Mountain, he will definitely come back. We only need Zhaojing to hold on for two hours."

Li Ximing's expression gradually calmed down, and he listened to Yang Ruiyi whispering:

"I have only one request... After Guangchan retreats, Zhaojing must fight his way across the river with the two masters and seize the Baijiang River."

After hearing what he said, Li Ximing showed some worry on his face. After a long while, he said:
"If Guangchan has seriously injured me and it has come to a life-or-death situation, Shu Ximing cannot risk his life and move forward!"

Yang Ruiyi stared at him quietly, and it was unknown how long it took before he uttered:
"This is about the breathing space of the nobles in the future, and also about our future cooperation. This is the only chance to surprise them, so Zhao Jing should make the best decision."

Li Ximing simply bowed his hands to show that he understood, but he was still hesitant and confused deep down:
"This General Yang seems to be following my Li family in everything... But even Yang Xu is indifferent to my family, how can he be treated like this? Is this attack on the north really an unexpected opportunity..."

He felt heavy in his heart and quickly retreated. Yang Ruiyi sat in the hall for a long time. After an unknown amount of time, he saw a faint light emerging from the void and floating onto the table.

This object turned out to be a black jade slip, with a line of light golden characters written on the surface:

"Friend Yang, I have arrived at the Salt Lake."

Yang Ruiyi stared at the jade slip quietly for a while, then picked up the pen and wrote:

'Just be patient.'

……

Li Ximing stepped out of the hall and saw Sima Yuanli still waiting outside the hall. He bowed and sighed:

"I'll need Qinghu's help in the future!"

So he informed Sima Yuanli of Yang Ruiyi's arrangement. After hearing his words, he was suddenly shocked and puzzled:

"They actually... sent me over too! Yang Ruiyi's partiality towards Li is self-evident, far more than that of the Song Emperor..."

He smiled and said hurriedly:

"We're just working together, that's what we should do!"

Li Ximing gritted his teeth, thinking of the [Mingzhen Heshen Pill] in his heart, and whispered:
"Can I ask you for a [Mingzhen Heshen Pill]? I've been eyeing this [Hundred-ridged Mysterious Stone Umbrella] for a long time!"

Sima Yuanli's eyes suddenly lit up and he stroked his beard and pondered.

The [Hundred-roofed Black Stone Umbrella] in Li Ximing's hand can only be regarded as mediocre among spiritual weapons, but it is superior to this "Earth" which is excellent and can resist many magical skills. That's why it was kept by Li Zhouwei. When Si Yuanli gave it away, he was not reluctant to part with it, but he still recognized the wonderfulness of this thing in his heart.

"Li Ximing proposed the [Hundred-ridged Mysterious Stone Umbrella], and it is obvious that he would not exchange it for just one [Mingzhen Heshen Pill]. However, it is a spiritual weapon after all, and only the current Li family can afford it..."

But when Li Ximing got to the point of taking out the [Hundred-ridged Black Stone Umbrella], he was already quite helpless - the other party was not very interested in the things he had in his hand, and although he had a lot of [Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood], he had other important uses for it, so he couldn't take it out.

Li Zhouwei snatched a huge amount of spiritual resources from the cave, but with Li Jiangqian and Li Quewan attacking the Purple Palace, the cost of these years of practice and the exhaustion of the feathers under the neck of Zhentao Palace, Li Ximing's pocket was no longer well-off... After weighing the pros and cons, he was reluctant to part with those precious spiritual objects, and finally chose the [Hundred-roofed Black Stone Umbrella] that was already waiting for a buyer.

After all, the spiritual weapons in his hand were more than enough, "Earth" was not compatible with his younger generations, and Li Zhouwei's matter was more important. Although Li Ximing felt a little painful, he finally gave it up.

Sima Yuanli was very satisfied. He thought carefully for a while, then made a gesture of invitation and said:

"I wonder what I'll get in exchange?"

The value of [Hundred-ridged Black Stone Umbrella] is limited. After all, Li Ximing did not expect to get any good things like a complete elixir spiritual object from him. He only thought:
"At least three [Ming Zhen He Shen Dan] pills are needed, and one more spiritual resource would be better."

When he said this, Sima Yuanli frowned and replied:
"[Ming Zhen He Shen Dan]... I don't have much on hand. If that's the case, I'd like to replenish more spiritual resources. Can I give one [Ming Zhen He Shen Dan] to Zhao Jing first?"

Li Ximing's heart suddenly sank, and he became suspicious:
"Sima Yuanli, you are playing tricks to make a profit from rare goods! You see that my family has a great demand for this elixir, and you think it is precious and want to find an opportunity to gain greater benefits."

He then withdrew his hand, indicating that there was no point in discussing the matter. Sima Yuanli immediately smiled and pulled him aside, saying:

"We have such a close relationship. You don't have to be polite. I still have a piece of [Hanqiu Gold] in my hand. I will supply Zhao Jing with it!"

Li Ximing shook his head and said with a smile:

"I can't use the [Hanqiu Gold], but I heard that you have a [Hehun Baixin] made by 'Zeng Mu'. I want to use it to nourish my spiritual fire."

Sima Yuanli was thoughtful, and then he realized that the other party took out the [Hundred-layered Black Stone Umbrella] not just for the elixir, but to get what he had in his hand. As for where the other party got the information from, he already had an idea in his mind, and asked thoughtfully:

"Is this news from Senior Ding Yangzi?"

Li Ximing smiled but said nothing, while Sima Yuanli pondered for a long time, as if carefully judging whether he had made a mistake, and said:
"This item is really of little use to me, so it's okay to give it to you, fellow Taoist."

Li Xi knew that this man was always polite on the surface, but was stingy at heart, so he smiled and said to him cheerfully:
"It's naturally a great thing that our two families are so close, but now is the time for a war, and I still need to use this item first. Daoist friend, please give me a pill to taste the mysterious magic first. When Guangchan retreats, I will give you the [Hundred-roofed Mysterious Stone Umbrella]."

He looked serious:
"After all, the general mentioned that you and I should cooperate well in this matter, and we should..."

"I was wondering why he was willing to give up his spiritual weapon. It turns out he was waiting for me here!"

Sima Yuanli seemed a little annoyed, and was obviously reluctant, but for the sake of justice, he did not want to offend Li Zhouwei, so he pretended to be generous and took out all these things boldly, stuffed them into Li Ximing's hands, and said with a smile:

"Fellow Daoist, why are you being so polite? Take everything first. I'll lend you the [Hundred-ridged Mysterious Stone Umbrella]!"

The other party sent him back all the way. Li Ximing made some nonsense words of thanks, put away his smile and the thing in his sleeve, exhaled deeply, and fell silently into the formation.

When he reached a secluded place with no one around, he immediately sensed the sun and the moon shining together in the sky and earth, and ascended to that cave where the spiritual energy was thick and the yin and yang were balanced. He carefully went to the yard and found that the courtyard where Li Zhouwei had originally lived had been closed and he could not observe any situation inside.

No one discussed Yang Ruiyi's words. Li Ximing hesitated again and again, and gently placed the jade bottle in his hand at the entrance of the courtyard, thinking in his heart:
"I don't know if Zhou Wei has started to praise his magical powers. I'll put this elixir in front of his palace. If it works, that would be the best. If it doesn't, he can use it when he sees it..."

'It's just that five years is too short...'

He thought about it for a long time, and took out a jade box from his bosom, which contained the [Aura of the Lord's Light] from the [Book of Emperor Wancheng Zhuguang]. He then took out a pen and paper and wrote down the reason.

"Although I don't know his current situation, it's always a good idea to be more prepared, just in case..."

Li Ximing packed up all his things and walked out of the courtyard. He passed the Shanghuan Pavilion and saw the dark white fairy pavilion that led into the cave. The door with bright and mysterious patterns was slightly ajar, and he could vaguely get a glimpse of the situation inside.

There was actually a vague figure sitting cross-legged in it!
But Li Ximing was not surprised at all. Instead, he felt a bit of anticipation. He hurriedly stepped into the attic, pushed the door open, and saw a man in a platinum Taoist robe sitting on the cushion in the middle.

This man had a handsome face and a distinguished bearing. There was a bright and dazzling spot of light between his eyebrows. Beside him stood a furnace with a blazing fire jumping inside it. Smoke and fireworks gushed out, making him smell like elixir.

It’s another Li Ximing!

Although this 'Li Ximing' did not move, there was a faint stream of magical energy gushing out from between his lips and teeth. His face was a little redder than Li Ximing himself, and his facial features looked stiff and dull, but the difference could be seen if one looked closely.

Li Ximing walked in front of him and took out the golden scroll [Spiritual and Different Body Scroll] from his sleeve. He held it between his hands and unfolded it gently, with a look of joy in his eyes:

"As expected of the Soul-Listening Mulberry Tree, such rapid progress!"

Main characters in this chapter
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Li Ximing [Early Purple Mansion]

Sima Yuanli [Early Purple Mansion Period]

Yang Ruiyi [Middle Purple Mansion Period] [Descendant of the Great Song Dynasty]