Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1124: Ministerial System
The spiritual energy is surging and the clouds are floating.

The blazing light flickered between the fallen jade pillars, and the steps that looked like they were carved from white jade were shimmering with light. Li Minggong reached the top, turned slightly sideways, and had a perfect smile on his bright face:
"Please wait for a moment, the King of Wei will be here soon."

The real person behind her was dressed in green, with a gourd and a scroll on his waist, looking quite serious. He was Sima Yuanli, the Qinghu real person.

"well……"

Sima Yuanli quickly agreed, watched the woman go down, and paced on the mountain.

He had been here more than once, but there were few moments to appreciate it casually like this. In fact, to be precise, the Li family's Zhijing Mountain was not that great, and even the formation was only at the foundation-building level. However, it was extremely stylish, showing the calmness and grandeur of a person who had risen from troubled times.

Just like the woman just now.

He looked around casually, walked slowly, and turned a corner. He then noticed a bright light flashing on the pillar in the middle. He looked closely and saw a line of words engraved on it in decisive and powerful handwriting.

"The city walls in the desert are in ruins, making it extremely difficult to collect Qi. When I die, there will be light from the sky, the smoke will billow from the sand, and the light will overflow. I will be bound by formations for the benefit of future generations."

"Ximing, a descendant of the Li family."

Sima Yuanli stared blankly for a moment, with many complicated emotions in his heart. He seemed to understand something. Until this moment, he realized how ignorant he was when he was in charge of the sect and was flustered when he heard about Li Ximing's achievement.

'Today, I looked down upon the heroes and thought they were just ordinary people. Little did I know that there were many talented people in the world, diving to the bottom of the abyss, sacrificing their lives and forgetting themselves, in order to make a leap!'

He was so silent and so confused that he didn't even notice the young man stepping in and standing in the mountains. He was stunned for a moment before turning around and putting on a respectful smile again:
"Meet the King of Wei!"

The young man seemed to have just broken through the barrier and slowly opened his pair of golden eyes. Flames could be vaguely seen rising and blazing in them.

"No need to be polite."

Sima Yuanli greeted him with a smile, and when he saw Li Zhouwei, he said softly:

"Please come over, there are two arrangements."

"First, I have to go to the West Sea. Please tell the general to be on guard against Zhao Shu."

If this matter had not been confirmed by Li Suining, Li Zhouwei and Li Ximing would have found it difficult to leave Wangyue Lake at the same time with peace of mind. But even so, the necessary arrangements must not be missed.

"Second, I would like to borrow the Huai River Map."

Almost at the same time as he opened his mouth, this Qing Hu Zhenren very naturally took off the scroll from his waist, held it between his hands, and without any hesitation or thought, handed it to Li Zhouwei and said:
"Qing Hu remembers the king's order."

Li Zhouwei's golden eyes flickered with interest, realizing that the real person in front of him had been prepared - perhaps after Guangchan's death, he had been waiting for him, the King of Wei, to "borrow" the [Huai River Map] at any time!

But facing such a great treasure of Mingyang, there was not even a trace of greed in those golden eyes:

"Don't worry. Once the matter is done, I will definitely return it to Daoist Brother Qing Hu. The compensation I deserve will not be less."

He took it casually, held it in one hand, raised it in front of him, and shook it gently.

"Wow!"

The silk-like string that bound the scroll immediately dissipated, revealing a bright, warm and soft glow. The spiritual treasure immediately revealed its true appearance!

Then I saw the river surging, undulating and stretching, the brush strokes were like waves and dragons, with rolling waves. It didn't look like a picture, but more like an endless pure white. Immediately, the sound of the roaring river rang in my ears, and then the sky suddenly appeared, the majestic pass rose up, and the towering city walls stood in the river, regardless of the turbulent waters.

Several lines of golden light appeared at the end of the volume.

Sima Yuanli's eyes moved as if he saw something terrible, and he looked a little panicked, and quickly moved his eyes to the ground.

This thing has been in his hands for decades, and it has always been:

[Map of the Huai River, by Cui Yan of Boye, published in the 317th year of Zhenghe].

The words were written in black and white, extremely clear, without any mistakes or omissions - it was the handwriting of the True Lord! It had never changed in thousands of years!
But as the King of Wei unfolded the atlas, unprecedented, dense golden lines covered the corners of the scroll, and the golden words on the end of the scroll lit up one by one:

'The Huai River Map was made by my minister Cui Yan in the 317th year of the Zhenghe reign.'

……

The sky and the clouds are the same color, shining brightly.

The darkness of the void suddenly broke, and a pale yellow color was dripping. A Taoist priest walked out of the void. He was dressed neatly and was very calm. He stepped on the light of Shaoyang, which was changing into a slanting light. It rolled and tumbled, and then swayed and landed on the sea surface. He smiled and said:
"Old senior... this is the West Sea!"

Then an old man came out from behind, his face a little pale, stepping on the wind and snow, and his drowsy eyes swept around and said:

"I have been wandering around the East China Sea all my life, and I have had my share of feasting my eyes. I would like to ask you for some pointers."

This made the Taoist master Xiu Shaoyang smile and shake his head, and replied:
"You must be joking, old senior. Nanwu has only been here with one of my senior brothers, so I am not familiar with this place. I will just wait and see how Senior Zhaojing arranges it."

The two people were Guo Nanwu and Yan Dushui!
After Li Ximing had settled his affairs, he traveled around the West Sea, hoping to do some alchemy business. He took a letter and asked Guo Nanwu to go to the East Sea.

Guo Nanwu was asked to do this task, but it scared Yan Dushui instead.

The Guo family once took refuge in the open sea. The Xilian Sea where Yan Dushui was located was one of the closest places to the open sea, and he really knew Guo Nanwu!

"I heard that... he is a disciple of the great master Naqu Si."

Yan Dushui is old, but he knows Qu Si Mountain! To put it bluntly, this fairy mountain is one of the most advanced Taoist sects in the entire South China Sea, and it is also backed by ancient heritage. Although it cannot be compared with Jiuqiu...it is not much worse!
If you really think about it, Guo Nanwu's status is not low, at least much higher than Yan Dushui... This old immortal has been in seclusion for many years, and he asked Guo Nanwu for a lot of information along the way, and he was so shocked that he was dizzy.

"So Li Zhouwei was given the title of King of Wei... is that enough?"

After hearing all this, his expression became serious. He floated down into the mountain. Seeing Li Ximing coming to greet him, Yan Dushui smiled a little more and said hurriedly:
"Daoist Zhao Jing, long time no see!"

The hot wind was blowing in the mountains, the alchemy furnace stood tall, the billowing flames jumped at the bottom of the furnace, illuminating patches of color. The immortal smiled and looked over, politely saying a few words, then showing some surprise and emotion, and said:

"Senior Yan... you have been busy and toiled over the years!"

He had seen Yan Dushui when he went to Jiuqiu a few years ago, and felt that he looked much older than the first time they met. Time flies, and when they meet again now, he feels different.

Although the old man's face had not changed much, Li Ximing used his life-saving magical power, [Light of Six Directions], and found something wrong.

'The radiance is gleaming outside the body, the divine power is radiant, rising and falling in the six senses... I'm afraid it's being kept alive by some spiritual object... It doesn't have much time left!'

Seeing the emotion between Li Ximing's eyebrows, Yan Dushui shook his head and replied:

"It is a great thing to be able to see the great seas and rivers of the human world before you die."

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while, and he looked guilty:
"I promised to help you back then, but I didn't know my health would deteriorate so quickly. Now I am of no use. I can only do my best!"

Li Ximing sighed:
"Senior, your body is not in good condition. If you fight, your life will be multiplied. How can Zhao Jing turn a blind eye to this? There is no need to mention it again!"

This made Yan Dushui emotionally moved, but his mind became even more confused, and he replied:
"Since you have come from thousands of miles away..."

Li Ximing shook his head heavily and asked:

"Senior, I mentioned long ago that our two families are related by ancient kinship. Would you like to make some arrangements? Which disciple is practicing in Jiuqiu... If we meet in the future, I will take care of him."

Yan Dushui came thousands of miles to see the mountains and rivers. First, he came to repay a favor, and second, he came for his funeral. These two sentences were very touching, and the old man's eyes turned red. He said:
"Zhao Jing... Gao Yi... I only regret that Lin Yi didn't recognize you earlier... Now I have no way to repay you..."

Seeing Li Ximing waving his hand, he did not delay and just said:
"My child is called Yanchuan. He is a disciple of the monk Cao Tingwen at Jiuqiu Zhiyanfeng. Jiuqiu will provide him with spiritual objects. If he fails to break through, he will go to my sect to find a genius to become his disciple. All my life's wealth will be deposited with Jiuqiu..."

Li Ximing nodded and asked:

"If this child becomes a supernatural being, will he be considered a disciple of Jiuqiu?"

Yan Dushui was silent for a moment, then said tearfully:
"It should be... But according to the rules of the fairy mountain, if you go to Jiuqiu, you can't control the people below the mountain. There are hundreds of thousands of children in the sea. Although their lives will not be in danger... But I'm afraid I can't control their future development!"

After all, these people are under the name of Jiuqiu, so they won't be abducted and eaten by some monsters. But it is hard to say how Yanchuan will view his clan in the future.

Li Ximing paused, looked thoughtful, and said:
"I do have an idea."

Yan Dushui looked up hopefully and saw Li Ximing saying:
"Why not find another way out for the nobles? I heard that there is a Taoist named Xie Hu in [Tanping Desert], who is upright, highly skilled, and very trustworthy. He is a perfect fit."

Yan Dushui did not make arrangements for a retreat. In fact, he had arranged for disciples elsewhere. He thought Qu Si was willing to accept a disciple of the Yan family, but he did not expect an unrelated person to show up. He was moved again:

"It's better to be far away in the West Sea... If I can find a real person like this to be my backer and bring a few disciples here, it would be a good way out."

So he sighed:

"I am now penniless, and the only thing I have left is this body..."

In order to prolong his life in the last few years, Yan Dushui had almost used up all the scattered spiritual resources he had, but Li Ximing said sternly:

"I know a Taoist priest named Daoming who has a close relationship with Xie Hu. You can use his introduction to visit him."

The real person smiled and said:

"Do you remember the place where the 'Exiled Qi' spiritual object is stored?"

Yan Dushui suddenly understood and said thoughtfully:
"this…"

Li Ximing smiled and said:
"That cave is protected by the 'exiled qi'. No one can find it except your family's secret method. Even if you lead us there, we will forget about it as soon as we turn around... There are not only all kinds of yin qi, but also all kinds of ancient witch patterns from the underworld!"

"This Master Xie Hu practices 'Upper Witch', and his lineage can be said to be in the underworld. He is also a person who wants to seek the truth. Once you tell him about this, how can he not be tempted? Regardless of whether it is useful to him or not, he will definitely take a look. If it is really useful, the grace of receiving the truth is as heavy as Mount Tai. What is a disciple to him? Even if you want him to help you kill someone... there is nothing he can't do!"

Yan Dushui was stunned for a while, and remained silent for a long time, muttering:

"That's right... I'm a dying man, so I'm not afraid of him forcing me to tell me the secret method... The Yan family is also under Jiuqiu's protection, so we're not afraid of any tricks he might use..."

"And there is only a little bit of the incense stick left in the cave. When it burns out, even if he knows the secret method, he won't be able to find this place. It will be useless for him to be ungrateful..."

Li Ximing smiled and said:
"You don't have to think about this. I've been here for a few months and have heard of the reputation of this Taoist master Xie Hu. He teamed up with others to open a secret realm. What he said is one thing and what he said is two. The Taoist friend who went with him died in it, but for a promise, he was willing to travel thousands of miles to give [Tianyi Chunyuan] to that person's descendants."

"We met again later. I made a pill for him and he asked me about Wushan in detail!"

Yan Dushui did not believe these rumors. His eyes gradually brightened. He listened to Li Ximing's ambiguous smile and said:

"It's a good opportunity to invite him back, take a good look around the East China Sea, and pick a younger generation that he likes the most as his disciple..."

"Exactly!"

Yan Dushui looked a little excited and said:
"Thank you fellow Taoist for your advice!"

But after thanking him, Yan Dushui began to think more - he didn't believe that there was any real affection between the two families. Li Ximing helped him for no reason, so he must have something to ask for. The sentence [kill someone] gave him some ideas, and he secretly moved:
"What do I have that is worthy of his covetousness? He is just coveting the favor of this Master Xie Hu."

Yandu Waterside Trail:
"Fellow Daoist, you have been so considerate of me, I must repay you! But as for killing someone... I am already old, and I don't want to add hatred to my descendants. If my disciple succeeds in becoming my disciple, and Master Xie Hu goes to the east and gains something, he will still owe you a favor. I will definitely ask him to repay you for your kindness!"

Li Ximing waved his hand and said with a smile:

"Fellow Daoist, you are so polite. If you can really win the favor of Master Xie Hu, and the Li family is close to this master, how can the children of the nobles not show more favor to him?"

Xie Huru is really a man of affection and righteousness. His disciples naturally don't need any favors from Xie Huru. It's better to trade it to the Li family. The two of them reached a deal tacitly. Yan Dushui immediately put this matter in the most important position and said solemnly:
"Shall I visit you now?"

Li Ximing smiled slightly.

This was something that only Li Ximing could do. Only he and Yan Dushui had been to that place together and knew what was inside... and as someone who was in the Sun Taoist sect and had made friends with the Great Owl Temple and the descendants of the Underworld Emperor, he understood best how precious that cave was!

'Except for Yan Du Shui, no one else can find that place, but with the Immortal Mirror, as long as I go there once and know the approximate location, I can still find that place... As long as Que Wan is done, it's okay to let her take a look.'

He spun the cup:
"Yan Du Shui doesn't have Xuan Xiang, so I can only go in one last time. Do I have any..."

For some reason, the terrifying scene of Zhongguang Yushan reappeared in front of Li Ximing's eyes. Once bitten by a snake, one will be afraid of the rope for ten years. He couldn't help but hesitate:
"It is better not to know many things in this world... That place... It would be best if I could get the secret method from Yandushuikou, so that I can have a complete excuse. Besides, after the incense is burned, the cave will be dispersed, and I can't let him use up the last wisp, so that I can have a chance to continue later."

So he took a sip of tea and said with a smile:
"But if this is accomplished, I hope you can leave a clue and not destroy this cave. I have a younger generation practicing witchcraft. If I can get to the Purple Mansion, I hope I can go in and take a look."

This made Yan Dushui's eyes light up, and he nodded in surprise:

"It must be Que Wan. She is in seclusion in Jiuqiu. I heard adults mention her. She is really a genius. What a fate, what a fate. I will keep it in mind."

Seeing that he was eager to build more relationships, Li Ximing laughed and found a way to let the two of them go away. Then he quietly walked back to the courtyard, filled his cup with tea, and smiled secretly:
'There's no need to confront him head on, nor is there any need to offer a large sum of money to persuade him. If everything goes well, I'll earn a favor from him!'