Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1112 Emperor
"Move forward."

The Song Emperor smiled and took a step forward. The lights and shadows in the hall intertwined, and blazing water and fire began to flow on the steps. He took a few steps and stepped out of the hall door. Immediately, a canopy appeared, swaying, with purple and white mist, a gorgeous scene.

[Zhengxing Palace] is already a very deep palace, and it is only one [Xuanwei Palace] away from [Taijia Palace] where Emperor Song sleeps. It is often used to summon Chi Xuan, and ordinary officials have no way to enter.

There are masonry paths on the left and right of this palace, called the Dragon's Tail. In the middle stands a grand hall, three hundred feet square, with a golden iron phoenix running through it from top to bottom. Whenever the Emperor of Song passed through it, there were sounds of water receding, fire extinguishing, and golden plates clanging.

It was not until he stepped out of the hall that Yang Ruiyi raised his head slightly and saw a man in a black robe standing beside the pavilion. Li Jiangliang was serving beside him, with his head lowered and silent. On the other side, there was another man with a gloomy brow.

Yang Xu's eyes, which had always been as calm as water, finally raised.

In the hall lay a beast that looked like a tiger but wasn't a tiger, and like a wolf but wasn't a wolf. It had two extremely sharp white horns on its head like jade. Its body was stretched sideways, and the shape of its strong back spine was faintly visible under its scales. The beast's eyes, which were turned sideways, had gloomy golden rings in them, and the scales under its eyelids overlapped, as if there were traces of tears of regret.

The Emperor of the Song Dynasty stared at him in a daze, and the indifference and vigilance that was curled up in him gradually dissipated, and his expression became dark and unclear.

Li Zhouwei's pair of golden eyes looked over from afar and took a close look.

There was a gorgeous canopy in front of the hall, surrounded by important ministers, and the emperor's majestic robe, but it was hanging empty in the air. Above the heavy collar was nothing, with only a helmet hanging in the air.

There was a feather on the helmet, which was purple in color, with gold patterns on both sides. Under the imperial robe, there was no Emperor Yang Xu of the Song Dynasty, only a set of armor.

A long voice called out:

"Announce! The King of Wei is here to see you!"

The sound was like a jade bottle breaking and golden beads rolling down, so clear and melodious. The emperor and the king looked away at the same time. The strange beast that was lurking there disappeared, and the emperor's throne also took shape. The invisible strange phenomenon that shrouded the heaven and earth dissipated for a moment.

The setting sun was falling from the sky. The King of Wei stood sideways facing the Mingtang, at the intersection of light and darkness. Strands of golden-red sunset light passed through the ends of his black hair and went towards the east, making Yang Ruiyi's eyes flicker.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

The red light fell on the dark blue imperial robe that was slowly coming out of the darkness. Emperor Song walked down from the hall and nodded, saying:

"The great victory of the King of Wei at Baixiang greatly comforts me!"

"The Holy Dynasty has bestowed upon me the blessing of martial arts cultivation."

The two men moved to a high pavilion, and everyone retreated to the foot of the pavilion. Only Li Jiangliang came up with them, took the jade pot, and poured wine for the two of them, while Yang Xu raised his chin.

In an instant, six different colors of water and fire emerged from his eyes, and everything around him seemed to stop flowing. Emperor Song said coldly:
"Just step back."

Li Jiangliang lowered his eyebrows and eyes, unaware of anything. The words seemed to have filtered out of his ears. Only Li Zhouwei narrowed his eyes slightly and said nothing.

The coldness in Emperor Song's pupils became more and more intense, and he said lightly:

"I said retreat."

The clouds in the sky began to tremble, and an invisible darkness enveloped the place. Until this moment, it seemed as if a heavy shadow had drilled out of the pavilion, curled up under the steps, and waited quietly.

Emperor Song's expression eased slightly, he glanced at the man in front of him and asked:

"The King of Wei's killing of Guang Chan was not a result of his martial arts skills, but a matter of great bravery and great divine power. Even though I live in the deep palace, I am also inspired by it."

The emperor raised his glass with grace and composure:
"This cup is to celebrate the release of the general and the slaying of the enemy!"

Li Zhouwei raised his glass and drank with a smile:
"If it weren't for the cultivation of the truth, Tingzhou wouldn't be able to be saved, how could we be here today?"

Yang Xu's expression did not change, and he replied:

"The King of Qi used to herd horses and was humiliated by the ranks of soldiers. The Emperor of Liang was once a garrison in a state, confined to a cold and bitter border. For an emperor, there is a change of rising and falling. When he is in seclusion, he cannot be guided by martial arts. When he is in prosperity, the heroes cannot control him. Therefore, if he seeks gold to prove the truth, he will not be able to be protected by the wings."

He smiled and said without any hesitation:

"The King of Wei is asking for the Emperor, is that right or not?"

When these words came out, Li Jiangliang, who was standing by, should have been sweating coldly and speechless with fear, but he didn't notice anything and just stood there stupidly. Li Zhouwei put down the cup and said with a smile:
"Although the world is vast, there is no place where the light of the universe does not shine. The Central Plains is also vast, and there is no netherworld that does not exile people. Although I, your subject, seek the truth, even the Emperor of Wei dare not say that I am not under the shadow. Your Majesty, you are too kind."

Yang Xuan sipped his wine and said nothing for a long time:

"At least, the King of Wei has a chance to see the blue sky through the mist."

As he finished speaking, the setting sun had sunk below the horizon. A lavender darkness began to cover the sky, and soft moonlight sprinkled down, covering the entire palace.

The King of Wei seemed not to hear these words and just stared at the wine in the glass.

The Song Emperor stood up, paced quietly in the pavilion, and said:
"Tianwu received the mandate from Wei and went to Jianghuai. All the immortals bowed to him and he won the victory without killing them. He established the immortal sect and made all the temples flourish. He established the kingdom of Daning with the foundation of the King of Jianghuai, but he did not call himself the emperor. Tianwu became an emperor because he sought the truth. He did not become the emperor by seeking the truth."

"King Wei, don't worry. The Song Dynasty has no ambition to conquer the world. Beyond the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, everything is Wei territory. Unless I, Yang Xu, die before I can seek the truth, no one in the Song Dynasty will hinder King Wei from seeking the truth."

He turned his head, looked at the bright moon in the sky, and repeated:
"It is about seeking the truth, not striving for a golden position."

The King of Wei raised his eyebrows and looked at him. His golden eyes seemed bright in the night. He watched the Emperor of Song quietly raise his cup. The moonlight made the emperor's face exceptionally bright.

Emperor Song said:
"I would rather accept the gift of Wei's throne, and I will return it with the throne of Wei."

Li Zhouwei stood up, without greeting or bowing, and raised his glass as well, with a genuine smile on his face:

"Thank you, fellow Taoist."

Yang Xuan laughed, and the coldness and solemnity in his eyes disappeared completely, and he praised:

"What a great fellow Taoist!"

This sentence from the Taoist friend seemed like a great compliment, which made him more proud than the "Lord" in the world. Yang Xu's mouth curled up, but he couldn't suppress it.

His laughter gradually became quieter and soon died away. He stared at the moonlight in the sky for a long time. The majesty of the emperor crept back onto his face. Emperor Song said:
"Although Jianghuai is small, it occupies the land of two states, and the mountainous area is also narrow, but it is like a ulcer in the south of the Yangtze River. If it is pacified, it can set up two military governors and several immortal gates. Does the King of Wei have any plans?"

Li Zhouwei said calmly:
"In the reign of the Great Zhao, power fell into the hands of others. The Wang clan was worried, the Bei Shi clan was suspicious, and the Jianghuai clan had long been rebellious. What they feared was Zhi Xuan. If we could inspire one or two of his subordinates, gather the people of Bai Ye and Cheng Yun, and lure them with martial arts training, we could conquer Bai Hai, break Shan Ji, and kill Lan Yan. Then Jiang Huai would be settled."

"The Qing family of Western Shu is unkind to their subordinates. Although they have mountains and rivers, they regard themselves as immortals and cannot treat their supernatural powers well. Although their subordinates dare not rebel, they have the heart to submit to the Holy Dynasty. When the situation changes, they can surrender to the Song Dynasty without any worries."

King Wei paused for a moment and said:
"The Heavenly Dynasty favors the immortals, but has few magical powers. It is not appropriate to kill the people in Jianghuai and Shu. They must surrender and be pacified. When my minister Yue Xuanzhen passes by the border of Yan, the troops are stationed in Luoxia and the land of Shi is conquered. They are killed but not surrendered, showing great power and virtue to show that the Heavenly Dynasty has unlimited power and majesty."

Yang Xuan's eyes brightened slightly when he heard this. He nodded and raised his glass, saying:

"With the King of Wei conquering the north, I have nothing to worry about!"

Li Zhouwei drank the wine and listened to Emperor Song:
"Someone is coming."

The sound was like thunder, shattering all the frozen silence. The wind outside the courtyard began to howl again, blowing through the kudzu leaves that covered the wall, making a rustling sound.

Then there were footsteps under the pavilion, and a man stepped out from the crowd, holding a plate in his hand and bringing it to the pavilion. The white base was covered with red cloth. Li Jiangliang took it and respectfully presented it to him. The Emperor of Song said:

"King Wei, please look."

Li Jiangliang lifted the red cloth and saw a brown urn underneath. Inside was a handful of dark, rice-like gems that shone brightly in the night. Yang Xuan said:

"This is an ancient item called the [Tian Yang Urn], which is the legendary 'Bao Mu' lineage, which has now been lost."

"'Protecting Wood' is the way of nourishing wood, and the [Heavenly Nourishing Urn] is one of the spiritual treasures. Although the Taoist tradition has suffered some setbacks, it is still extremely miraculous."

Li Zhouwei raised his eyebrows and said:
"'Hoki'? I've rarely heard of it."

Emperor Song smiled for the first time and said:
"This sect was not called this name in ancient times. It was killed by a supreme master, and later it experienced a lot of filthiness, and its sect was largely lost. The name 'Bao Mu' was given by later generations, and it cannot be found in ancient books, so it is naturally rare."

"But this thing is useful. It can save lives at critical moments, and it is even more effective against Buddhist monks."

After all, it was the reincarnation of the golden nature that the underworld had raised with all its strength. When Yang Xu made a move, it turned out to be a spiritual treasure! How could Li Zhouwei think that his own spiritual treasure was too little? What's more, it could be used to suppress the Buddhist cultivators!

"I appreciate your kindness!"

However, when mentioning this supreme magical power, Yang Xu looked at Li Zhouwei with a smile and said:
"I heard that there is a swordsman among the nobles!"

Li Zhouwei nodded and said:
"The clan has a long tradition, and it is rare for a younger generation to be able to pick up the sword path..."

Yang Xuan glanced at him and said with a smile:

"It just so happens that my two sons both like swordsmanship. The eldest son is a little clumsy, but the second son has already become a sword master. Although the third son is still young, he also likes the Lord of All Weapons..."

"He defeated the enemy army, so I will give him a title."

Li Zhouwei was silent for a moment, then understood Yang Xu's thoughts.

'Hold the mysterious.'

Yes, Li Jiangchun, who possesses the sword spirit, is definitely the best candidate for Chixuan in the eyes of Emperor Song! If he is blessed by a high position in the country, it may scare away the pity in the north, and Maha will have to think twice!
But how could Li Zhouwei bear to do that?

'What's more... he is a member of the Fu clan. Once he starts to work for Xuan, who knows what kind of strange things will happen?'

Li Zhouwei only replied:

"I have five sons. Long, Xia, and Liang are all serving the Heavenly Dynasty. My eldest son Qian is older and has already sought the truth. He also has some cleverness, so he will stay with the clan... If he can achieve success, he can also expand the territory for the Song Dynasty. But my youngest son is not talented, so he will go abroad to seek peace for the rest of his life."

"The clan has been at war for years, and the elders and the young have died together. There have been many disturbances. All the elders of the clan are only concerned about this child. He is unruly and eccentric by nature, and it is difficult for him to accept the truth. He also practices the way of the sword, and cannot bend his heart. I hope Your Majesty will understand."

Li Zhouwei's tone was serious, and Yang Xu understood his refusal. He paused for a moment and took a step back.

"In my cultivation, the sword is the ultimate in truth. I hope that the noble sword genius can come to the capital and give me some pointers to help us improve the martial virtues of the Song Dynasty. It should be as you wish."

He smiled and said:
"No one in Simin can harm him."

This was already very polite, and it was also Yang Xu's bottom line. Li Zhouwei only thought about it, then nodded, and pondered in his heart:

"Anyway, there is a retreat that can be used as a pretext, and this matter still needs to be carefully considered."

The emperor and the king stood up from the pavilion. Li Jiangliang followed them out of the pavilion holding the jade plate and handed the jade plate to Chen Yang who came over.

Yang Xuan glanced at him, his gaze lingering on Chen Yang's face for a moment, and said:
"I intend to seek truth, become immortal, and practice martial arts. Which is truth? Which is immortal? Which is martial arts? None of them can be missing."

The emperor's expression was a little vague, and he said lightly:

"However... false and hidden are Yin, true and obvious are Yang. Tianwu is Yang, and the matter of cultivating martial arts should be done by King Wei. I hope you will pay more attention to it in the future."

"Yes!"

Li Zhouwei replied:
"My minister retire."

So he took a few steps back and then left the pavilion. The Emperor of Song had no regrets as he walked through the hall and disappeared into the deep and gloomy darkness.

Li Zhouwei stood up without saying a word, and left the palace under the escort of Li Jiangliang. When they were outside the palace, his son spoke:

"Father...right now..."

Li Zhouwei replied calmly:

"Look back at the moon."

Li Jiangliang was silent for a moment, and listened to his father:
"Is there any bloodline?"

Li Jiangliang shook his head silently and replied:

"Both the child and Tianyou are foundation-building cultivators, which is already much more difficult..."

Whether it was Li Jianglong or Li Jiangxia, these two Wei descendants who cultivated Mingyang had many wives and concubines, so it was easier for them. Li Jiangliang and Yang Tianyou were quite affectionate and a perfect match, so it was naturally difficult for them to have children.

But when Li Zhouwei heard this, his eyes flickered for a moment, and he looked at him softly and said:
"When you have free time, come to the lake more often."

Li Jiangliang felt as if a huge mountain was pressing down on his heart, and said in a hoarse voice:
"The child must..."

The two of them walked all the way to the palace gate. On both sides, there were already monks kneeling on the ground, none of them dared to raise their heads, and voices of respect were heard one after another. Only a black sedan chair came before them, and a man in golden clothes hurriedly got down from it. He was dressed in black and looked very imposing!

But the man just hurried over, completely disregarding his dignity, and said respectfully:

"Hello, brother!"

"Zhou Luo is here."

After a long separation, Li Zhouwei looked his cousin up and down and said with a smile:
"Now my cultivation has improved very quickly!"

Li Zhouluo forced a smile, looking worried and standing very uncomfortably. He was naturally afraid of his brother, or rather, there were few people in the entire Li family who were not afraid of him. Now, the person standing in front of him was the King of Wei, which magnified his fear.

So he couldn't say a word of the words he had prepared. After walking for a while with a smile, Li Zhouwei stopped and said solemnly:
"The old man's health is getting worse. You should go back to visit him more often. He misses you."

Li Zhouluo's eyes suddenly turned red and he cried:

"My cousin, you understand. I went to the south several times specially this time to invite that uncle...but he just lost his wife and was very busy, so he kept putting it off..."

Li Zhouwei's heart sank and he asked:

"How is the old man now?"

Li Zhouluo shook his head solemnly and said:
"No one dares to neglect him, but now he has reached the late stage of foundation building. I have talked to him several times about adopting a descendant to him, and he agreed, saying that he would wait until we return to the lake... to choose another one."

Li Zhouwei nodded, but Li Zhouluo hesitated for a while and said:
"Indeed... a few years ago, my uncle adopted a son named Ning Fuchao. He changed his last name to Li Fuchao. He has quite a talent..."

Li Zhouwei waved his hand and said:
"That's fine. If he has good character, we can come back with him and record his name in the family tree."

After saying this, Li Zhouwei had already lifted up the light, patted the brother on the shoulder, and said solemnly with his golden eyes:
"You should work hard and don't need to worry about your family. Among all the brothers, only you..."

King Wei paused, leaned close to his ear, and smiled:
"You are the only one who has a chance to become a Purple Palace. You don't need to get involved. Just practice hard. Your nephews are all going to follow me. If I am stationed in the north and can't return in time... I will watch over your brother's ups and downs!"

"My cousin must take care of the clan's affairs! Don't let them down..."

Li Zhouluo nodded in agreement and watched Li Zhouwei step into the void. Before the dark void closed, the elder brother turned back and interrupted with a smile:

"Don't worry too much, the old man is very pleased, no one in the clan blames you!"

Li Zhouluo's worry was exposed by this word, his face slightly reddened, he stood there blankly for a while, as if relieved, and after a long time he hurriedly got into the Xuanyu and said:
"Hurry to Lord Li's residence!"

(End of this chapter)