Kong Tingyun had always worn traditional Xiang robes, but the color was now deeper and the material far more luxurious. Golden mountain patterns adorned the collar and sleeve edges, while the two shimmering fasteners were woven from brilliant gold and jade.
She was followed by a man and a woman, both at the Foundation Establishment Realm. They appeared quite young and were surveying the surroundings, glancing at Li Qinghong with a touch of reverence in their eyes.
The group flew across the great lake amid a strong morning breeze under clear skies. Li Qinghong led Kong Tingyun down into the hall, where Kong Tingyun dismissed her two attendants.
"Wait outside the mountain."
"As you command!"
The two bowed respectfully and retreated. Li Qinghong, having heard everything clearly and noticing Kong Tingyun's attire, offered her congratulations, "Congratulations, Sister, on taking charge of Profound Peak Gate and becoming the leader of your gate."
Kong Tingyun let out a soft laugh. Her lineage was not considered powerful within the gate, and she had reached this point solely by earning Chang Xi’s favor. It had not been easy, so she was naturally pleased. She returned the congratulations and entered the hall with Li Qinghong.
Li Xijun followed them in. Li Qinghong hadn’t yet said much, so Kong Tingyun resumed in her usual warm and intimate tone, "Qinghong, did you know... Mount Bianyan was broken open by deception? They invited a devil cultivator from the Southern Sea who has practiced this particular method for generations... His name is Yu Jiang.
"The Southern Sea is full of big islands like Lüfang and Songzhou, with very long names. He’s from Danjungwulo and practices the Shamanic Talisman Dao."
Li Qinghong immediately matched the name to the person in her memories and made a mental note. As Kong Tingyun shared a few updates, she gently interjected, "There’s one matter I’d like to trouble you with. We’ve talked about the Purple Mansion Realm spirit item before. Yu Fuzi from Changxiao Gate is still overseas. He has a complicated background, and his master Xun Yizi, Zhou Han, is said to be formidable as well. He entered seclusion years ago to break through to the Purple Mansion Realm. The spirit item in his possession wouldn’t be given up easily. Are there any other leads?"
Kong Tingyun seemed to have anticipated the question. She paused briefly, then replied, "When the Eastern Fire Grotto Heaven fell years ago, Chu Yi took most of the spirit items. The rest were scattered among various cultivators. The sects laid in wait and obtained many of them. They’ve used some for pill and artifact refinement, but not all. Perhaps some of these sects might be open to a trade."
Li Qinghong didn’t trust the other sects. The moment she asked around, rumors would likely spread far and wide, making things messy and difficult to contain. Naturally, she shook her head.
When it came to the Bright Yang spirit item, Kong Tingyun had first considered trading with the descendants of Wei's Li or Wei's Cui. But standing before her was someone from the Wei's Li line, so she had to change her approach and suggested instead, "Daoist Master Junjian also visited the Eastern Fire Grotto Heaven back then. With his skills, he might just have obtained a Bright Yang spirit item. The Slaughter Jun Gate is still in ruins, so why not go ask him?"
Li Qinghong had met Tu Longjian right after the collapse of the Eastern Fire Grotto Heaven and had already rifled through the man’s storage pouch. So she had to pin her hopes on Daoist Master Ji Yu having acquired something new.
She summoned the white ape, and just as she glanced at the old ape, Li Xijun spoke first, "Aunt... The Slaughter Jun Gate was only recently founded. We don’t know how deep their waters run. All sides will surely be probing them. If we can’t speak with the Daoist Master directly and rely on secondhand messages, the news might leak."
Kong Tingyun already had a good impression of this handsome young man and smiled. "Very cautious, he reminds me of an old acquaintance. But this isn’t difficult. Daoist Master Junjian will soon visit my Profound Peak Gate to engage in a Dao discussion with our elder. I can ask on your behalf."
Li Qinghong still didn’t hold much hope. Gritting her teeth, she asked, "Sister, you once mentioned that Yu Fuzi had some grudges with your gate. Could you tell me more about it?"
"This matter..." Kong Tingyun took a sip of tea as the golden mountain patterns on her Xiang robe shimmered in the sunlight. She continued solemnly, "This traces back to the Green Pine Grotto Heaven. Xun Yizi of Changxiao Gate, also known as Zhou Han, fought with Daoist Master Junjian over a portion of the Supreme Yin Moonlight before entering seclusion. But he was no match for the Daoist Master. He lost all face and failed to obtain the item.
"Furious and humiliated, he turned his sights on the Qiao Gold instead."
As she spoke, she paused, revealing a round golden bead in her palm and murmured, "But I seized it first. After failing repeatedly, he bore a lasting grudge and came to despise both me and the Profound Peak Gate.
"Later, a direct descendant of our sect, Kong Gusun, passed near their Eastern Sea outpost on Qingzhou Island and had a dispute with Yu Fuzi. They parted on bad terms, and he was killed before he was fifty kilometers away from the island."
When she reached this point, the woman seemed to lower her eyes. But she was quietly watching their reactions. When she saw Li Xijun listening calmly, lost in thought, while Li Qinghong simply nodded without the slightest unease, Kong Tingyun continued in a frank, gentle tone, "Gusun's branch and mine weren’t especially close, but he had always been respectful and obedient, so there was some sentiment. Causing Yu Fuzi a bit of trouble would be satisfying enough."
Li Qinghong understood her implication. The Bright Yang spirit item was something the Li Family had to obtain, but she wasn’t compelled to pursue Kong Tingyun’s grudge at all costs. By clarifying things in advance, they could avoid an awkward situation later.
So she replied, "I, Qinghong, understand."
Kong Tingyun chatted with her for a bit longer before taking her leave. "Daoist Master Junjian will arrive shortly. I can’t stay any longer, please forgive me."
Li Qinghong saw her off. When she returned to the hall, Li Ximing had already been brought up to speed.
She glanced at her two nephews and spoke softly, "Profound Peak Gate’s intentions are quite clear. Their relationship with Changxiao Gate is indeed poor, but not to the extent of assassinating such an important figure. Just leaking his whereabouts to us and lending a hand at the right moment would already be enough to disgust Changxiao Gate."
Kong Tingyun had indeed brought up Kong Gusun’s death, but he wasn’t a core figure in Profound Peak Gate, and even his backer Kong Yu had been down on his luck. They were no match for Yu Fuzi and his master’s standing within Changxiao Gate.
Li Qinghong let out a soft sigh. "He’s one of the most outstanding members of Changxiao Gate. Daoist Master Changxiao is well-known even within Purple Mansion Realm cultivators circles, and the other one, Daoist Master Chengyan, has been frequently seen in public. He cannot be killed."
Li Ximing, listening attentively from the side, said softly, "Aunt, at this point, our only option is to trade for it."
"He might not be willing to trade." Li Xijun replied while resting his hand on his sword, "Even if we do trade, we can’t do it under our family’s name. In short, the odds are slim... Fortunately, the dispute between Changxiao Gate and Hengzhu Dao Gate hasn’t ceased."
"My brother is right. At this point, we must attempt to trade." Li Ximing said softly, "Either we get it from Yu Fuzi himself, or we get it from Hengzhu Dao... Let’s head out first and scout the outer sea."
"Agreed." Li Qinghong nodded and said gently, "Let the white ape watch over the household. The rest of us will ride the wind together."
***
The waves of the Eastern Sea rolled endlessly as three streaks of light pierced through the skies, hidden by a few dharma clouds. Neither thunder nor frost manifested, only the wind carried them as they headed south.
The Eastern Sea was roughly divided into three sections from north to south, the Unison Sea, the Shallow Sea, and the Scarlet Pristine Sea. The most prosperous region was the sea surrounding Splitreed Island, which bordered the mouth of Lake Xian.
Strictly speaking, it should have been called the Splitreed Sea. However, this area had once been home to the six most densely populated commanderies of Jiangnan before they sank beneath the waves. As a result, the sea was shallow and close to land, hence it was known as the Shallow Sea.
Beyond the Shallow Sea to the north lay the sparsely inhabited Far Sea to the east of the three seas. The Li Family trio looped around and flew southward, heading toward the boundary between the Scarlet Pristine Sea and the Shallow Sea.
"The Qingzhou Reefs!"