Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1213, Number 1202: Offering Yao
The sea surges and the clouds swirl, yet a reflection appears on the vast ocean, dark and shrouded in darkness, with only occasional rays of light shining through.

Above this sea, however, hangs a towering mountain peak that reaches into the clouds, its roots not touching the ground, floating and swaying, yet shrouded in a dazzling array of colors reminiscent of the Purple Mansion's divine power, thus avoiding the eyes of passing cultivators.

However, as all knowledgeable people know, this mountain is called "Guoling" and has been missing for many years.

Li Jiangqian lit up his Li Huo and stopped there. His gaze swept across the area, and he vaguely glimpsed the gleam of the 'Capital Guard'. He used his supernatural powers to inquire, and someone came out to lead him. The person was simply dressed and humble, saying:

"Please come inside, Your Highness. My master has been waiting for you for quite some time."

Li Jiangqian nodded and stepped inside. He found that the mountains inside were undulating and covered with lush greenery. Although there were no grand palaces, there were scattered Taoist temples throughout, which were quite elegant.

Li Jiangqian was slightly surprised.

'You're really not young anymore.'

The art of moving mountains is even more difficult than ordinary mountain moving. If one is not from a specialized lineage, it is truly a headache. Back then, when Master Xiao moved Mount Xianyou, he had to borrow the spiritual power of the "Duwei" lineage. Therefore, even though Li Jiangqian had heard that this "Guoling Peak" was a mountain suspended in mid-air, he did not think that the mountain would be very big.

But now, upon closer inspection, this mountain is far larger than the peaks on the lake, and is actually 60% the size of the dense forest mountain!

"What an unusual mountain gate!"

Even though this True Man Xianyao was quite famous and had some background among the rogue cultivators in the Purple Mansion, this didn't seem like the kind of supernatural ability he should have. Li Jiangqian took note of it, and the two descended the mountain. Sure enough, they saw that everywhere was covered in white mourning clothes, a scene of deep sorrow.

A young man emerged from the high hall, his face as white as jade, with a vermilion dot on his brow like his younger sister's. He possessed an air of unpredictable brilliance, and should have appeared quite ethereal, yet the heavy sorrow on his face made him appear somewhat haggard. He bowed and said:
"I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly, fellow Daoist... You flatter me."

He hurriedly led Li Jiang inside, where he saw many disciples kneeling and chanting sutras before the spirit tablet. In the center was a large coffin, covered with pale gold mystical characters, which appeared dark and dull. It trembled slightly and occasionally shook violently, as if something inside was making a fuss.

Li Jiangqian glanced sideways at him, and Chengqian whispered:
“My master relied on this [Over Ridge Peak] to achieve the supernatural power 'Eastern Feather Mountain'. The supernatural power was mixed, so his death was very troublesome. Even the underworld sent people to watch his soul dissipate before they left.”

His eyes held a bitter look as he said:

“But even though the soul was scattered, the physical body remained. Each of the five internal organs took charge and began to fight on the spot. Since it was my master’s remains, I couldn’t destroy it. I could only lock them all in the coffin and let them struggle.”

Li Jiangqian feigned emotion, pondering the matter in his heart:
'It seems... it has been fallen for some time now.'

Li Jiangqian was naturally unmoved, and he hadn't come for the life or death of this immortal. In fact, he found it more convenient. He covered his face and sighed deeply, lit incense, and appeared preoccupied. He pulled the immortal's hand and said in a hoarse voice:
“When the old master came to my lake years ago, he gave me a lot of advice. I am very grateful and have always told me to take good care of him… I never expected such a thing to happen.”

Chengqian shook his head at these words and replied:
"The old man is talkative, afraid of offending the lake, but he feels that because of a past connection, there are some things he can't keep quiet. Fortunately, Senior Zhaojing is very considerate and doesn't blame him..."

Xianyao's words on the lake back then implied that the Li family's campaign to exorcise demons across thousands of miles was untimely and might cause trouble. Chengqian was actually very anxious about this—Mingyang has always been domineering, how could he listen to such words? If there is no harmony in your hearts, who cares about your intentions!
Now that Li Jiangqian had mentioned it, he relaxed slightly and sighed inwardly:

"Thank goodness it was Master Zhaojing! Now that our master has passed away, apart from Qinghu, whose family is an old friend, few people are willing to come to the mountain to pay their respects. It's the Li family who have come!"

Li Jiangqian carefully considered every word he said, secretly trying to understand:
'A past connection… He still had something to say.'

He set aside his questions for the time being, having fulfilled the proper etiquette, and the two entered the side hall. They sat down at the table, and Chengqian first brewed tea for him. Li Jiangqian hadn't expected that a simple offering of jade would provoke the intervention of the underworld; he was secretly suspicious, thanked Chengqian, and said:
"It's not surprising that mountain spirits often appear in the 'Capital Guard'... I don't know if it's because the old master's supernatural powers are too high, or if there's some connection, that he actually sent people from the underworld."

Chengqian pursed her lips and replied:
“In ancient times, cultivators of the ‘Duwei’ class did not only have the path of achieving enlightenment in this life, but also the path of being assigned to one of the Five Virtues after death to guard a region. Many cultivators hoped to become guardian spirits or ghosts after death, which was inherently mysterious. Furthermore… it was because ‘Wu Earth’ and ‘Duwei’ collided… ‘Wu Earth’ can subdue all things, and ‘Duwei’ has captured ghosts and gods. Ghosts and gods, having obtained the power to subdue all things, became even more domineering, thus leading to this calamity.”

Li Jiangqian pondered for a moment, then realized it was similar to his sister's [Divine Corpse], and laughed:

"Extending life after death, is that also under their jurisdiction? If that's the case, shouldn't the matter of preserving life through the transformation of mercury also be inquired about by the underworld?"

Although Li Jiangqian's words were playful, they held a sharp edge. Cheng Qian, being a fully-fledged Dan cultivator and possessing some understanding of the art of preserving one's essence through mercury transformation, looked somewhat uneasy but still replied:
"These days, even the capital is in decline, and ghosts are nowhere to be seen. Forget about rebirth after death. The world has changed drastically. The officials of the underworld are afraid that he might have responded to some ancient divine power of 'Earth,' bringing disaster to the world. After all..."

He glanced hesitantly at Li Jiangqian and whispered:

"The position of 'Captain' was once obtained by a 'Wu Earth' Golden Elixir cultivator. My elders cultivated in this way. This person... is also one of the predecessors whom the underworld officials have explicitly worshipped."

'Um? '

Li Jiangqian was just there to listen in and observe, but unexpectedly, a single sentence caught a big fish, and his attention was immediately drawn, his heart pounding.

'I never expected to hear about the origins of the underworld from him!'

Although Luoxia and Yinsi coexist in the world, the adults in the underworld are not as open and aboveboard as those in the north... Everyone in the world knows that Luoxia is a person of considerable talent and profound background, but Yinsi only vaguely bears the name of Douxuan from historical clues!

He appeared only slightly surprised, but was already completely absorbed, and casually said:
"Does he have a lineage of Dao? It seems the world has underestimated the old master; he actually possesses such a profound Dao!"

Cheng Qian sighed deeply and said:
"Forget about the Great Dao... I don't even know anything about Dao lineage. To be clear with you, this method was taught by Bai Ziyu! All these legends were revealed by him when he gained my master's trust... How could he explain it to me clearly? I only heard one title, 'Gongbei Xuantu Siming Xuanjun,' and one Daoist name, 'Shaoxu.'"

'Bai Ziyu… Ye Hui… he inherited the Douxuan Daoist lineage, so it matches up.'

Li Jiangqian finally heard the words "Xuanjun" for the second time. Before he could ask for details, he heard Chengqian say:
“I don’t understand these titles and Taoist names, but Bai Ziyu said that some people also call him Gongxu, and that this title is so high that it can’t be seen to the end.”

'So high that you can't see the end of it...'

Li Jiangqian's heart stirred slightly, and he immediately said:
"It is indeed my ignorance that I have not heard of it. The so-called 'Wu Guang Luo Xia' refers to the 'Wu Earth' lineage, which is traditionally associated with the elders of the Luo Xia lineage?"

Li Jiangqian's simple sentence pointed directly to two crucial points: the specific fruition level of Luoxia Mountain and the era of enlightenment of the True Lord behind Luoxia!

Cheng Qian paused slightly and replied:

"The 'Earth' element naturally represents Lord Luoxia's position, perhaps this 'lord' is Yuwei..."

Li Jiangqian knew that he no longer understood, and doubts arose in his mind:
"'Earth of the Earth' and 'Radiant Glow'—there must be quite a few True Lords associated with the setting sun... Sigh..."

Each lost in their own thoughts, they remained silent. After a long while, Li Jiangqian said:
"I never knew... that Ye Hui's legacy was so precious. No wonder he has such great ambitions."

Cheng Qian shrugged without answering, seemingly already harboring this envy. Only then did Li Jiangqian regain his composure and softly say:
"I heard from a fellow Daoist about... the origins..."

Chengqian remained silent for a moment, then said:
"Your Highness, do you know... my family originally had a clan in [Jishui County]? That place name no longer exists. If you count the location, it's actually in Baihai... My master's real name is Lian Dong. He used to cultivate in that area and had an enemy with whom he fought for half his life. He was both an enemy and a friend."

A hint of doubt appeared in Li Jiangqian's eyes as he said:
"I am ignorant and inexperienced..."

Cheng Qian shook his head and said:
"Fellow Daoist, you actually know that this True Person's surname is Kong and his given name is Yanxi."

Li Jiangqian immediately understood:
"Master Changxi!"

"Exactly."

Chengqian slowly paced back and forth, and said:

"Fellow Daoist must know the origin of True Man Changxi. Back then, when Mingyang was touring the world, he destroyed the Kong family in a young man's life... But what Fellow Daoist does not know is that this young man came from Jishui County. Among his wives and concubines was a woman named Lianmei, who was my master's elder sister."

“My master’s feud with Kong Changxi began as early as this time.”

Upon hearing this, Li Jiangqian had already grasped the meaning, and indeed saw Cheng Qian say quietly:

"Mingyang's success was entirely due to the support of the Lian family's patriarch, who also presented the clan's treasured bow to allow Prince Mingyang to access the secret treasure. He had good foresight but lacked a sense of the bigger picture. After Mingyang left, the Lian family was immediately divided up, and their fate was not much better than that of the Kong family. My master was captured by the True Men because he gained Prince Mingyang's favor and was sent to open a secret treasure."

"It is called Yangsi Ridge, which was once used by Zhaoyuan Immortal Mansion to guard the East Sea."

Li Jiangqian squinted and nodded. The young man continued:
"[Yang Si Ridge] was forced out of the Great Void and divided up cleanly. The various True Immortals left triumphantly. Among them was an old True Immortal named 'Du Wei' who had received the grace and guidance of Sima Hu to attain the Dao. He had been on good terms with the Sima family for generations and was a senior True Immortal of the Yuan Cultivation lineage. His Daoist name was 'Chu Long'. He was old and had no children or disciples, so he took him in to care for. Seeing that the ruins of [Yang Si Ridge] still had some mystical charm, he erected it and renamed it 'Guo Ling'."

"This is now known as [Over the Ridge Peak]!"

He smiled and said softly:

"Speaking of which, my Dao is closely related to the Sun Dao lineage and the Mingyang Imperial Clan. At that time, the Sun was at its peak, and the True Man [Chulong] was proud to be guided by the Sun Dao lineage. He hoped that my master could go further. Thinking of the connection between offering the bow to Mingyang, he named it [Xianyao]. Yao means a bow decorated with a clam shell. This clam shell is naturally the Sun."

Li Jiangqian seemed to understand, and nodded slowly. Cheng Qian's expression suddenly changed, and she said quietly:
"Later, Master Zhu Kui rose to power and severely injured my ancestor, causing his death. Before his death, he entrusted me with something, and only then did my master understand why Mingyang chose the Lian family, why the Lian family's treasure bow could communicate with the secret treasure, and why they wanted to capture my master to open the Yangsi Ridge, which was thousands of miles away?"

"The Lian family is no ordinary family. They originated from one of the six prominent families of Guanzhong during the Wei Dynasty, and are descendants of the King of Baiyang!"

'The Six Families of Guanzhong!'

Li Jiangqian hadn't expected this answer, nor had she anticipated such a decisive and straightforward response. Her eyes widened, and she stared intently at him, a sudden realization dawning on her:
'What a remarkable group of six families… Mingyang has reincarnated time and again, probably always keeping them in check, even though his descendants have spread throughout the land, Mingyang can still accurately identify each and every one of them!'

'Even without Mingyang, with the powerful lineage of the Six Kings during the Wei Dynasty, they would at least have a foothold in the major sects…'

Chengqian simply stood up and said:
"Over the years, my master has collected a lot of information about Mingyang, and thus has gained a deeper understanding of the young man who mentored him back then... What he said to Master Zhaojing on the lake was not just idle chatter, but a gesture of gratitude!"

A flicker of emotion crossed Li Jiangqian's eyes as he said:
"No wonder!"

This news instantly disrupted Li Jiangqian's train of thought. He gripped his cup, remaining silent for a long time, before quietly saying:
"In that case, Fellow Daoist Chengqian...do you have any thoughts?"

The sorrow on Cheng Qian's face was evident; her expression was somber as she said:

"I am but a lowly cultivator, under the command of the Song Dynasty. What thoughts could I possibly have? I have met with the Song Emperor. I stand on the mountain peak near the sea, overseeing all the regions. The Song court does not enter my territory, but instead wants to establish a protectorate here to honor the Song court. This Xuan Mountain is no longer under my control."

"But my master had a premonition of today's situation. He left a message saying that his hometown was in Baihai, and that Chengqian should stay in the mountains for ten years. Once his internal organs were no longer making a sound in the coffin, he should drown him with Heshui and scatter his ashes into Baihai..."

His face paled slightly, his expression complex, and he said:

"When that time comes, I will hand over [Crossing the Ridge Peak] to the Song court and venture into the seas to seek a way to survive!"

In an instant, Li Jiangqian saw the fear in his eyes and almost immediately understood the source of his unease:
'When Liu Bai died, he was in the mountains, and he saw firsthand the true face of the underworld. The Song Dynasty led him down this path, yet they bear no responsibility for his life.'

'And the Lian family's affairs will soon be no secret. Now that his father is seeking enlightenment, he doesn't have Situ Huo's strength to uphold the Xuan realm. Even if he is appointed Protector-General, it's highly unlikely that the position will fall to him, a mere True Person of the First Divine Power. He also doesn't have the Cui family's ability to rely on the Dragon's affiliation. Regardless of loyalty or gratitude, standing on the front lines between North and South, he will undoubtedly become easy prey in the eyes of the Buddhist cultivators, their first choice for converting and harming Mingyang.'

'Only his father needed him, and he had no choice but to rely on his father.'

He carefully examined the handsome young man before him, and his mind became perfectly clear:
“Very clever… Whether it was Xianyao who realized it early on and warned him before he died, or he was quick-witted and figured it out on his own, now Chengqian is actually in the same boat as my family!”