Crack.
The snows of the Northern Sea never melted, dyeing everything in pale hues. Gale winds swept over the mountaintops, where an old man sat unmoving atop a peak. His white jade fishing rod extended deep into the endless blizzard, its crystal line pulled taut, stretching all the way into the boundless icy sea below.
Xiao Chuting had remained seated for decades without moving a muscle. The snow and wind swept past him, yet not a single flake touched his robes. His hands were steady, as if they had been cast in iron.
Muffled sounds came through the blizzard as a figure descended with the wind, two rows of medicine pouches swaying from his robes. His hair was streaked with white, and his voice was warm and deep.
Xiao Yuansi said, "Greetings, Daoist Master."
"So you've come, Yuansi." Xiao Chuting murmured, his hands unmoving, and asked casually, "Were the pills delivered to the Li Family?"
Xiao Yuansi knew full well that nothing he did or thought could be hidden from this old ancestor. He knelt respectfully and replied, "Yes, Daoist Master. I have already delivered them. Moved by our past bond as master and disciple, I acted before reporting to you. I beg your pardon."
"Very well." Xiao Chuting showed no strong reaction, speaking gently, "You’ve always thought me heartless. But in this matter, your actions were lacking. Sometimes, heartlessness is the only way to save someone. You fail to see that as clearly as Tu Longjian does."
"I..." Xiao Yuansi hesitated to speak further, but Xiao Chuting didn’t give him the chance.
He said softly, "I knew that the Li Family had a Purple Mansion Realm technique long ago. When the Eastern Fire Grotto Heaven collapsed, the sect records of the Dongli Sect spread to the hands of the three sects and seven gates. The secrets were laid bare. This sect traces its legacy to Wei and Li. Though the grotto heaven held little of true value, its details alone could be fatal.
"When Li Ximing reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, the heavenly signs were abnormal. Si Boxiu went to investigate and compared it with the Dongli records. He not only identified the grade but even determined the exact Purple Mansion Realm manual they were using!"
Xiao Yuansi remained silent. The old man said gently, "It was a fourth-grade manual, the Golden Palace Radiant Origin Manual. One of its secret techniques requires a specific spiritual qi, the Golden Yang Radiant Origin. The Li Family’s refusal to give up the ancient city wall beyond Mount Xiping is clearly for harvesting that qi.
"Si Boxiu, of course, doesn’t care whether the Li Family’s technique is complete or not. That they have a Purple Mansion Realm technique is a good thing, but even without it, they’re not weak. None of that really matters. So what if they’ve got a Purple Mansion Realm technique? How many of those who take the wild road ever succeed? And if they do, at most they become like Changxi. No, the real issue is Li Zhouwei..."
Xiao Chuting sighed and said, "He is a Purple Mansion Realm seed and not just in name. His bloodline is extraordinary, and even surpasses Chi Buzi. He’s no mere Changxi! Do you know how many people are watching him?
"There are also a few in Jiangnan who wish to see that Radiant Sky Stone used on Li Zhouwei. They may not act directly, but none of them can stand seeing someone else thrive."
The old man said softly, "Tu Longjian, in the end, isn’t seasoned enough. He’ll never outplay Tianwan. The moment he wagers against her, there’ll be no shortage of people ready to strike against Li Xijun. Even if he obtains the Radiant Sky Stone with Li Xijun dead, it’ll be no different than failing to obtain it at all! That’s why Tianwan dared to let those two rogue cultivators make their move. She knew someone would assist them from the shadows..."
Xiao Yuansi let out a deep sigh and said, "I don’t understand."
Xiao Chuting replied, "You’ll understand when you see it unfold. Li Qinghong has gone to the Eastern Sea and Li Xijun has fallen, so who can stop Li Ximing now? He has the nature of one who seeks immortality. You think he won’t secretly use the Radiant Sky Stone to attempt a breakthrough? Who could resist that? How would it still end up in Li Zhouwei’s hands?
"Changxi and I were keeping him in check, and he knew it too. But once you delivered that pill, he could no longer sit still! He'll attempt the breakthrough even though it's a near-certain death, and he’ll exhaust all his resources doing it..."
Xiao Yuansi lowered his head in silence. In his heart, he too understood the overwhelming allure of the Purple Mansion Realm. Li Ximing's final words were likely just to appease him.
The old man sighed deeply before saying, "Right now, the other Purple Mansion Realm cultivators are only worried that Li Ximing won’t try to break through... Li Ximing attempting it doesn’t matter as he’ll likely die. He doesn’t understand the real danger. He looks at how the three sects and seven gates do it often and thinks the success rate is as high as it seems.
"I deliberately arranged those tasks to delay your refining, just so the pill would be ready after Li Ximing entered seclusion. Only then could it go to Li Zhouwei. But you forced it through at the cost of injuring yourself... just to deliver it on time..."
The old man looked at him deeply and sighed, "Fine then. I’ll honor the bond between master and disciple."
Xiao Yuansi remained silent for a full fifteen minutes.
"You may go," said Xiao Chuting.
Xiao Yuansi departed, despondent and lost in thought. Xiao Chuting continued to hold his fishing rod. Once Yuansi had gone and the blizzard in the sky eased slightly, the disappointment on his face vanished instantly.
Yuansi is gentle and pure-hearted, and of direct lineage. What suspicions could the other Purple Mansion Realm cultivators have? This is merely to probe Li Zhouwei.
He lifted the long rod slightly, as though dragging something that weighed a thousand kilograms. The entire snowy peak shuddered faintly. In an instant, the mountain snow began to tumble, gradually forming an avalanche that thundered through the mountains. A faint point of light slowly began to rise from the icy sea below.
————
Mount Dali.
Mount Dali lay blanketed in pristine snow. Silver trees stretched across the landscape under the moonlight. Li Zhouwei gazed into the distant snowy ridges undulating across the horizon. Wisps of black smoke curled upward through the snow. Patrolling lesser demonic creatures gathered around small fires, stomping their feet and laughing in the cold.
Mount Dali sat at the northern edge of Jiangnan. It snowed every year, though never for long, and the locals simply admired it as part of the scenery.
The white ape looked into the distance and said hoarsely, "Your Highness... Mount Dali has not tasted human flesh for a hundred years. These demonic creatures have grown dull and innocent, and no longer know the taste of men."
"That is the merit of our predecessors," replied Li Zhouwei with a nod. He then descended onto a snowy peak. Snow rustled underfoot as they walked before the den of the deer demon.
A cluster of demonic creatures sat around a fire pit, warming themselves. As he landed, the demonic creatures near the fire were startled, but none of them fled. A big-eared, deer-faced demon stepped forward. Though only at the fourth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm, it could already speak human tongue.
It smiled and said, "Hey human! Here for herbs? Come share the fire..."
Its accent was strange, but before it could finish, the tiger-headed demon next to it turned pale with terror. Yanking the deer demon to its knees, it cried out, "This lowly demon greets the two honored elders!"
This tiger demon was a Qi Cultivation Realm captain and had already birthed spiritual awareness. Recognizing the two as Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, one look from the white ape nearly scared the life out of him.
He pressed himself flat against the snow as the old ape said, "Go and report, we of the Li Family have come to visit the den lord."
Li Zhouwei paid it no mind and waited a moment before the den. The deer demon’s earlier words still lingered in his ears, and he said, "Our family has come and gone through Mount Dali for the past century. We often trade spirit paddies for spirit items, harvesting herbs and essence. The demonic creatures here have long since ceased eating humans. They are simple and pure-hearted. Our cultivators, needing their help, approach them with courtesy. That’s how harmony like this is born."
"Your Majesty speaks truly!" replied the deer demon.