Wilderness.
Kong Guxi had fully recovered from his injuries. Dressed only in a Daoist robe, he rode the wind across the territory with two disciples close behind. As he scanned the region, he saw countless figures scattered below.
Profound Peak Gate had relocated five hundred thousand people into the Wilderness. Nearly half of the population had been removed from the lands they once held in Shanji Prefecture, abandoning the remote areas altogether. With their belongings packed, they had all migrated into the Wilderness.
The desolate land that had lain empty for a hundred years now brimmed with life. Several safer settlements were established; many disciples were stationed to maintain order; and more than ten Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators, followed by even more at the Embryonic Breathing Realm, were dispatched throughout the region.
As Kong Guxi calculated the land now under Profound Peak Gate's name in the Wilderness, he felt a measure of relief.
"It's not too little. Enough to sustain the disciples we have now. The only issue is the lack of abundant spirit veins, which makes things difficult for Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. Fortunately, we can still rely on the Li Family's spirit mountain."
The Li Family had proven themselves generous. Most of the lands the Profound Peak Gate had once held in the Wilderness had now been entrusted to Kong Guxi's care. Though he occasionally heard reports of Shanji Prefecture being attacked and plundered, he no longer had the time or energy to worry about it.
"All the loyal ones have moved here. From now on, the Wilderness will belong to the Kong Family. As for Shanji Prefecture, let them raid it if they wish... it's beyond my control. So long as it remains in our hands for even one more day, that's enough."
Halfway through his flight, he noticed from afar that his people were all gathered atop a mountain. Li Chenghui stood off to the side with a spear in hand, making Kong Guxi's eyelids twitch.
He sped forward and landed on the mountain just in time to hear Li Chenghui say, "Gate Master Kong, you've finally returned. There's an important matter we must discuss."
Kong Guxi glanced around and saw Kong Qiuyan, Kong Xiaxiang, and even another key figure, Kong Guli, all waiting at the side. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Please give your instructions."
"I wouldn't dare call it an order. I merely wish to speak with you." Li Chenghui said solemnly, "I received news earlier. My family's Daoist Master has gone to the Purple Smoke Gate and sent me here to deliver a message. He asks that your gate retrieve an item."
"What item?"
Kong Guxi grew uneasy at those words, fearing he might mention something like Kong Haiying's severed head. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, but Li Chenghui said, "Daoist Master Changxi once left behind something beneath the main seat of Stillness Peak Hall. Please send someone to retrieve it."
Kong Guxi quietly let out a breath of relief. After glancing around, he chose the most reliable among them, Kong Guli, and said, "I must trouble you, elder brother, to make the trip."
Kong Guli nodded and left, leaving Kong Guxi and the others standing helplessly in the mountain. Kong Qiuyan glanced at Li Chenghui, then at her own gate master, unable to focus on anything. In the end, she could only lean against the doorway and wait. The elderly Kong Yu, still not fully recovered from his injuries, wanted to ask questions but dared not. He could only pace restlessly.
It was only when the sky began to darken that a streak of light approached them. Kong Guli hurriedly descended onto the mountain, carrying a stone box in his hands, and said, "There were rather intricate secret techniques concealed beneath the seat. That's what delayed me!"
Kong Guxi was in no mood to respond. He opened the jade box, and the Kong Family members all leaned forward to look. Their eyes were filled with alarm as they saw a single piece of cloth lying inside, bearing only one line of writing.
In urgent times, expediency must prevail. Shanji Prefecture and the Profound Peak Gate shall be entrusted to Daoist Master Zhaojing.
The cloth had been written by the Daoist Master himself and had already transformed into a jade-like texture. Its smooth surface reflected their anxious faces.
The elder Kong Yu read it twice before finally speaking, "It is the ancestor's immortal decree."
Seeing that the decree posed no issue, Li Chenghui then took out another jade box from his robe and removed a stiff, stone-like spiritual cloth. He placed it on the table, and the room fell silent as they leaned in to read, Entrust Daoist Friend Zhaojing with the care of Profound Peak Gate. Should the situation turn unfavorable, Shanji Prefecture may be handed to another family in exchange for aid.
The Kong clan was struck dumb.
Shanji Prefecture meant as much to the Kong Family as Moongaze Lake did to the Li Family. Losing all of Shanji Prefecture would be like the Li Family losing its sixteen prefectures and two mountains. They would be left with nothing but a barren Pingya Island.
For the Kong Family, losing Shanji Prefecture meant they could never return to their ancestral gate grounds. All they could do was remain in the Wilderness and serve as a shield for others. Although they had already relocated so many people and had faintly anticipated this outcome, seeing it laid bare before them still left them disoriented and lost.
Kong Guxi was stunned as well.
In all honesty, after the battle on the river, Kong Guxi had already realized how vast the gap in power was between Profound Peak Gate and their enemies. His thinking had long diverged from that of the rest of the Kong Family. He had long since come to regard Shanji Prefecture as something that no longer belonged to them.
So no matter how fierce the battles in Shanji Prefecture became or how much it was plundered, while the Kong Family wept and raged, Kong Guxi gritted his teeth and felt no real sorrow. All his attention was focused on what had once been their subordinate lands and was now their new territory, the Wilderness.
But Changxi's final decree mentioned another place, the mountain gate itself. Even their own mountain gate had become a bargaining chip. Then what of Kong Haiying and Kong Tingyun, who could neither be moved nor abandoned in that mountain? No matter how difficult things were, Kong Guxi could endure it as long as there was a glimmer of hope. But without those two, what would the Kong Family even be?
Barely a breath later, Kong Guxi dropped to his knees with a thud and was the first to cry out, "Profound Peak Gate reverently obeys the Daoist Master's decree!"
The sky had grown dark, and his voice, imbued with mana, echoed across the mountain through the night wind. From Kong Guli to Kong Yu, and even the disciples scattered around the mountainside, all pondered the weight of those words.
Obey the Daoist Master's decree... which Daoist Master?
What is Shanji Profound Peak Gate now... if there is no Shanji, and no Profound Peak Mountain, is it still Profound Peak Gate?
Yet their bodies reacted faster than their thoughts. Like wheat being cut down, they all dropped to their knees together and shouted in unison, "Profound Peak Gate reverently obeys the Daoist Master's decree!"
Li Chenghui was about to help him up, but Kong Guxi continued his kowtows and said, "The Daoist Master has moved our people and left Profound Peak Gate a place to survive. All of Profound Peak Gate is deeply, immeasurably grateful. We have no way to repay such grace..."
The crowd recited the words like lost souls, their voices choked with sobs. Only after finishing did Kong Guxi rise to his feet and speak with heartfelt gratitude, "I must trouble you to make the journey. If there is any news from Shanji Prefecture, please inform us as soon as possible. We will swiftly relocate the few dozen people still remaining there so as not to delay matters or cause any misunderstanding."
Li Chenghui gave him a complicated look, then nodded and rode the wind away. The moment he left, Kong Qiuyan collapsed to the ground, while the young Kong Xiaxiang, eyes reddened, rose to his feet. He looked agitated, strode forward, and with a loud bang, shoved open the hall doors in anger.
Kong Guxi, who had been hunched over the whole time, suddenly exploded into motion. He stepped forward and grabbed Kong Xiaxiang by his Dharma robe, yanking his face toward him.
The gate master was like an enraged lion as he roared, "What do you mean... what do you mean?! Speak! What... do you mean?!"
His voice cracked like thunder, shaking the entire hall and snuffing out every spiritual lamp within. Darkness swallowed everything from sight. When he met Kong Guxi's blazing eyes, Kong Xiaxiang's once fierce and indignant expression softened. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Gate master, this junior intends to deliver the decree."
Only then did Kong Guxi release him, speaking in a hoarse voice, "You are in no condition to go out now. Stay here on this peak and go nowhere. We will speak of it again in three to five days."
The eldest, Kong Guli, watched the entire scene without saying a word. Only Kong Yu wiped his tears as he left. The old man, ever prone to self-pity, flew alone into the night and vanished from sight.
After more than fifteen minutes, Kong Guxi slowly stepped outside the hall. The lamps outside had gone dark as well, and he lifted his gaze toward the sky.
He noticed that there was no moon hanging in the sky. The forest winds howled mournfully, and the entire mountain peak was drowned in darkness. His disciples stood lined on both sides, their faces swallowed by the night, features indistinct, as if each one of them was trembling.