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A night breeze drifted through the open door, ruffling the hems of their clothes. The candlelight cast their tightly embracing shadows on the wall, flickering slightly.

Dan Wanjing's sobs gradually subsided, turning into intermittent sobs. She seemed to realize how bold her words and how outrageous her actions were; her body stiffened slightly, but her arms, which were wrapped around herself, stubbornly refused to loosen, as if letting go would cause her to lose all courage and support.

After a long while, Yi Huawei slowly raised his hand and gently placed it on Shan Wanjing's back, which was trembling slightly from crying.

"Wanjing."

The voice remained calm, but seemed to possess an indescribable gentleness compared to usual.

Do you know what the "Tao" is?

Dan Wanjing trembled slightly in his arms, not understanding why her master suddenly asked this, but still answered in a muffled voice with a nasal tone: "The Dao... is the ultimate principle of heaven and earth, the origin of all things, and... the highest realm sought in cultivation."

This was something her master had taught her in her early years.

"Ah."

Yi Huawei slowly said, "The path to the Dao is long and lonely. One must sever worldly ties and understand one's true nature. The master-disciple relationship is for the continuation of the Dao lineage and the exploration of truth. This is cause and effect, and also fate."

"You are exceptionally intelligent and of a pure heart. You are my chosen disciple and a pillar of the Heavenly Dao Alliance in the future. I place high hopes on you, not only for your martial arts skills but also for your character and vision."

He paused, then gently patted her back twice, as if to comfort her or remind her.

"Love between men and women, entangled and complicated, is most likely to confuse the eyes and disturb the mind. It is like morning dew, beautiful but fleeting; like a raging fire, intense but burning. What you see and feel now may be passionate and sincere, but as time flows and the world changes, people's hearts will also change. Clinging to this will not help your spiritual practice and will hinder the responsibilities you bear."

Shan Wanjing's body stiffened, and her arms, which were wrapped around herself, involuntarily loosened their grip. A chilling fear and sense of loss rose from the bottom of her heart.

"Master..."

Shan Wanjing raised her head, her eyes blurry with tears, filled with resentment: "Are you saying... that I was wrong? That my intentions... were wrong?"

Yi Huawei looked down at her tear-streaked face and remained silent for a moment.

"Intentions themselves are neither right nor wrong. However, obsession breeds delusion, and delusion leads to danger. You need to clearly distinguish between the way of master and disciple and the path of the Great Way. Your journey is still long, and you should set your sights further ahead."

Yi Huawei gently grasped her arm, using a force that was irresistible yet wouldn't hurt her, and pushed her slightly away from his embrace, creating a small distance between them. His gaze remained calmly fixed on her eyes.

Dan Wanjing's tear-filled eyes were fixed on her master's face, which was so close to hers. In a flash, she made a bold move that even she herself hadn't anticipated.

She jerked her arm away from Yi Huawei's gentle grasp, stood on tiptoe, and with all her might, pressed her tear-stained, girlishly fragrant red lips heavily onto Yi Huawei's lips.

"Well--!"

The night wind stopped, and the candlelight froze.

Yi Huawei's body trembled slightly. A clear look of astonishment flashed across his usually calm and deep eyes. The touch on his lips was soft and slightly cool, moist with tears and the burning breath of a young girl.

Dan Wanjing closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling violently, her heart pounding wildly, almost leaping out of her chest. She could feel her master's body stiffen instantly, and feel his fingers gripping her arm tighten unconsciously. Instinctively, she gently sucked on his slightly cool lips.

Yi Huawei neither pushed her away nor responded. He simply let those burning lips press against his.

Having cultivated to this point, his heart remained as clear as ice, unmoved even if the sky were to collapse. He had long since stripped away the ripples of emotion, suppressing them deep within his Dao heart. Yet, at this moment, this clumsy yet ardent kiss on his lips, this trembling yet stubborn body in his arms, and the unreserved, burning emotions and spiritual fluctuations transmitted directly through their intimate contact, pried open a sliver of what he thought were his unbreakable defenses.

The Great Way is impartial, yet it governs the cycles of the sun and moon.

However, the highest form of detachment from emotions is not the same as the absence of emotions. Only the most profound emotions can lead to true detachment from emotions.

He suddenly recalled a different understanding of the "Tao" he had long ago, before he embarked on this path. Was complete isolation and indifference itself another form of "attachment"?
Forcibly suppressing her emotions might ensure a smooth path for her, but won't those suppressed feelings become an even more terrifying inner demon in the future? She can risk everything to kiss me today, but what about tomorrow?
Perhaps... it's better to guide than to block.

Perhaps... the arising and ceasing of causes and conditions are inherently within the "Tao." To forcibly distinguish between "sentient" and "insentient" is also clinging to appearances.

Just as Yi Huawei's mind raced, Shan Wanjing's courage seemed to finally run out. After that gentle suck, she abruptly retreated, staggering a step, her cheeks flushed crimson, her eyes filled with panic. "Master...Master...I..."

She was incoherent and wished she could disappear into the ground immediately.

However, the expected thunderous wrath did not materialize.

Yi Huawei looked at her quietly, raised his hand, gently touched his lips with his fingertips, took a step forward, and closed the distance between them again.

Dan Wanjing instinctively wanted to back away, but her feet seemed to be rooted to the spot, and she could only look up at him with a faint glimmer of hope.

Yi Huawei's gaze fell on her swollen, red lips, then slowly moved upwards, looking into her panicked eyes, before he lowered his head and kissed her.

Dan Wanjing's mind went completely blank with a "boom." All her thinking ability evaporated in that instant. She could only passively endure it, feeling her master's aura completely envelop her. The cool touch turned warm, and a shivering, tingling sensation she had never experienced before spread from her lips to her limbs, making her weak all over and almost unable to stand. She was only supported by Yi Huawei's arm, which had somehow wrapped around her waist.

………………

After Yang Guang's downfall in Jiangdu, the land was thrown into turmoil, with various forces vying for power and war raging on.

In this chaotic struggle for survival and strength, effectively managing the flow of people within one's jurisdiction and balancing the contradictions of promoting commerce and attracting manpower with preventing enemy infiltration and maintaining social stability has become a severe test of the ruling wisdom and institutional capabilities of each hegemon. A set of effective household registration, customs, and floating population management systems is no less important than 100,000 elite troops.

In the tripartite balance of power in the north, led by the Tang dynasty, Wang Shichong, and Dou Jiande, the three factions exhibited different characteristics in controlling population flow due to differences in geographical situation, ruling style, and security pressures. Among them, the Tang dynasty, with its strategic location in Guanzhong, went the furthest and was the most stringent in this regard, thanks to its relatively stable rear and some bureaucratic system inherited from the Sui dynasty.

Since Li Yuan raised an army in Jinyang, captured Chang'an, and established his capital in Guanzhong, the Tang dynasty placed "defending strategic locations" and "controlling the people" on an equal footing. Guanzhong, a region surrounded by natural barriers, with the Tongguan Pass to the east and the Yellow River to the north, provided the Tang dynasty with the natural advantage to build an inward-looking and highly defensive control system.

Tongguan, this ancient and formidable pass guarding the gateway between Guanzhong and the Central Plains, was endowed with unprecedented political and military significance by the Tang Dynasty. It was not merely a military fortress, but also a vast and sophisticated censorship and inspection agency. The pass was fortified and expanded, complete with barbicans, arrow towers, and ramparts, and housed over ten thousand elite troops. Various government offices, including the Guanfangsi (Fortification Office), the Household Registration Inspection Office, and the Goods Inspection Bureau, lined the pass, with the number of officials, clerks, and patrolmen even exceeding that of some lower prefectures.

All those intending to travel east or west through Tongguan, whether merchants, refugees, monks, Taoists, scholars, or even low-ranking officials on official business, were subject to rigorous checks. The most basic document was a household registration certificate, which required detailed information about the holder's name, age, place of origin, physical characteristics, reason for travel, destination, and estimated travel time, and was stamped with the official seal of the prefecture or county of origin.

Having only a "passage station" was far from sufficient. For non-official or emergency travel (such as attending a funeral), especially long-distance travel across prefectures and counties, a "travel permit" issued by the government at important checkpoints or the destination was also required. The permit had to clearly state the reasons for permission to travel, the route, and sometimes even specify the official post stations where lodging was mandatory. These documents had to be written on specific official paper in neat regular script to prevent forgery. If any documents were found to be questionable or the identity of the person was inconsistent, the person would be detained for investigation at best, and at worst considered a spy and executed on the spot.

The Yellow River waterway, especially the section from Longmen to Fenglingdu, was another important passage and was also strictly controlled. Important ferry crossings were all under military control. Civilian vessels only needed to apply for a special "water permit" (waterway pass) from the "Hejin Administration," specifying the size of the vessel, the type and quantity of cargo, and the names of the crew and passengers. Checkpoints were set up at the ferry crossings, and cargo had to be unloaded for random inspection, with personnel being verified one by one. A curfew was usually enforced at night, prohibiting all unauthorized crossings. Tang Dynasty warships also patrolled the waters, intercepting any vessels attempting to cross illegally.

The control was even stricter for people intending to move into Guanzhong—whether they were refugees seeking refuge, people visiting relatives, or merchants and artisans seeking opportunities.

A "migration document" issued by the local government was required, stating the reason for the migration and guaranteeing that the person was not a runaway, a criminal, or an enemy spy. Upon arrival at the border passes or ferry crossings in Guanzhong, they had to report to the specially established "Immigrant Resettlement Office" for detailed questioning and screening, sometimes even with guarantors. Afterwards, based on their skills and assets, they were assigned to a specific prefecture and county for resettlement, and the government issued a "temporary residence permit," requiring them to report to the local area and register their household within a specified period. The entire process was cumbersome, lengthy, and fraught with uncertainty; many refugees were often prevented from entering the country due to incomplete documentation or failed verification, and some were even forced to return to their original, dangerous locations.

The Tang dynasty's system did indeed largely guarantee the safety and stability of the Guanzhong core area, effectively filtering out most suspicious individuals and keeping population movement under control, which was conducive to tax collection and maintaining order. However, the cost was high administrative costs, rent-seeking opportunities within the bureaucratic system (approvals often required bribes for quick processing), and inevitable rigidity. While protecting the interior, it also limited vitality and kept many genuinely needy refugees out, inadvertently driving them to other, more leniently controlled or more attractive regions.

In contrast, Wang Shichong, trapped in Luoyang, also set up checkpoints, but his rule was inherently brutal and unpopular. Internal strife led to inefficient enforcement of his orders and numerous loopholes in the defenses, making him more reliant on strict control of the city. Dou Jiande, in Hebei, implemented benevolent policies, resulting in relatively relaxed control over the populace. He focused more on grassroots security and pacifying the people. However, for large-scale, organized inflows and outflows of people, especially in border areas bordering the Turks and the Tang dynasty, he also had corresponding travel permits and inspection systems, though not as systematic and rigorous as those of the Tang dynasty.

Faced with the Heavenly Alliance, which was at its zenith and unified the south, the three powerful forces in the north had considered temporarily setting aside their grudges and forming an alliance to resist this behemoth that could crush any of them. However, this idea seemed pale and powerless in the face of practical considerations, almost like a fantasy.

First of all, the disparity in strength is so vast that it is despair-inducing.

The Heavenly Alliance possesses a majority of the country, controlling the natural barrier of the Yangtze River and the prosperous Jiangnan, Jianghuai, Lingnan, and Bashu regions. Its population, wealth, and grain reserves far exceed the combined total of the three northern powers.

Its army has undergone rigorous training and consolidation, boasting a large and highly skilled force, an unparalleled navy, and elite units such as the Xuanjia Cavalry. More importantly, the mysterious and unpredictable leader, whose martial arts and wisdom are beyond comprehension, acts as a pillar of stability, his very existence posing a supreme deterrent to all forces.

Even if Li Tang, Wang Shichong, and Dou Jiande could set aside their blood feud (Li Shimin was already mortal enemies with Dou Jiande and Wang Shichong) and truly unite, their total military strength, strategic depth, and resource integration capabilities would still be far inferior to the Heavenly Alliance. The Heavenly Alliance was fully capable, and had enough generals and troops, to launch attacks in three directions simultaneously, leaving the so-called "alliance" unable to attend to both ends.

Secondly, the three parties are deeply suspicious of each other, with no basis for trust whatsoever. The Li Tang and Wang Shichong have fought bloody battles around Luoyang for years, their hatred irreconcilable; the Li Tang and Dou Jiande have a new feud stemming from Liu Heita's surprise attack on Hedong; and Dou Jiande and Wang Shichong also have old grudges. Each side has countless spies planted within the other's camp and countless generals bribed, meaning any attempt at alliance could be quickly sabotaged or leaked to the Heavenly Alliance. The very alliance negotiations could easily devolve into a new round of intrigue and betrayal.

Furthermore, the geographical situation was unfavorable. The three powerful northern powers were adjacent to each other, their positions intertwined, and they were already mired in a quagmire of mutual attrition. The Tang dynasty was attacked from both the east and west by Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande; Wang Shichong was pressured from the north and south by the Tang and Dou Jiande; although Dou Jiande's rear was relatively stable, he also faced pressure from the Tang and the Turks (though outwardly appeased, the threat remained constant). Any alliance between two of them to attack the third could leave their rear vulnerable, allowing the uninvolved third party or the Heavenly Alliance to take advantage of the situation. In particular, the Jianghuai region, bordering the Heavenly Alliance, was a sword of Damocles hanging over all three sides.

Therefore, faced with the harsh reality, Dou Jiande and Wang Shichong chose to form a fragile temporary alliance, concentrating their forces to attack the Li Tang, which they saw as the greatest threat and which was currently somewhat passive due to the disturbance in Hedong. They attempted to weaken this most likely rival for northern hegemony as much as possible before the southern behemoth turned its attention to the north.

It's not that they can't see the threat posed by the Heavenly Alliance, but rather that, in a dead end, they are trying to eliminate the immediate and more direct competitors for survival.

As for confronting the Heavenly Alliance? That's perhaps a distant topic to be contemplated only after defeating Li Tang, or maybe just a form of self-consolation. (End of Chapter)