Chapter 1002: Desire Mountain

The dawn rose, radiating brilliant light. The sun's radiance fell upon the lakeside. Bright lamps lined the long road, and long stairs adorned with sea patterns stretched to this point, where cultivators ascended and descended. Carriages and swift horses also traveled the path.

“Clop, clop, clop…” Hoofbeats drew near, and a young man rode into view. He was clad in a white robe, its sleeves embroidered with crescent moon and lake ripple patterns. Though his attire was not lavish, he possessed a dignified bearing. A brocade pouch hung from his waist. He stopped here and saw a gate.

This gate, with its seventy-two gleaming ridges, stood twelve *zhang* tall and was intricately carved. It was Changxi Gate, the entrance to Dense Woods Commandery.

Dense Woods Mountain was the most renowned immortal mountain in all of Moonlit Lake. Below it lay a market town, which, though small and dilapidated due to years of unrest, was nevertheless extremely important, as Changxi Gate served as its entrance, connecting the north and south.

Li Suining stopped here, just as a procession was passing beneath the gate. Upon seeing him, they immediately reined in their horses. An old man with the characteristic appearance of a Yue mountain tribesman dismounted from a carriage. The convoy yielded the road, and he respectfully greeted, “Greetings, sir!”

The Yue mountain tribes had always held a low status in the State of Yue, and the lakeside was no exception. Although this old man was a Qi Cultivator and undoubtedly held a respectable position among his people, upon seeing Li Suining's attire, he still dared not block the way. Unsure if Li was his surname, he refrained from calling him 'Young Master' and instead addressed him as 'sir.'

A century of cultural assimilation had rendered them largely indistinguishable from the lakeside commoners, save for slightly more body hair and their distinctive features. Li Suining simply asked, “Which guest official are you?”

Though not young, the old man remained kneeling on the ground, his pale hands supporting him. He chuckled respectfully, “I wouldn't dare… Your humble servant is merely a garrison guard, working under the Jade Court. I am originally from the Yue mountain tribes and was fortunate enough to have served under the Great Harmonious Radiant Fang. Later, I received orders from Lord Ming Palace. My humble name is Du Dou.”

Li Suining was momentarily stunned, then replied, “So you are the Lord’s attendant. You are far too humble; please rise quickly.”

Li Suining actually had a good impression of these Yue mountain tribes. The current Yue mountain tribes still practiced shamanism, worshipping the Great Harmonious Radiant Fang, who was their own Wei King.

This was not difficult to understand. Firstly, when the Wei King was young, his destiny had not yet fully converged, and the actions of the White Kirin held more significance than his true self, leaving the Yue mountain tribes with a profound and radiant glory from his conquests. Secondly, it was also a means for the Yue mountain nobles to boast and elevate their own status.

However, everything has two sides. After Ting Province fell, these Yue mountain tribes continued their private worship, refusing to change despite repeated admonishments. Eventually, the surrendered tribes could no longer conceal their practices and were subjected to the eradication of their 'licentious cults' and the erection of 'capital mounds' by the Shu general Ni Zan.

“Please, when you go up the mountain, inform Great Uncle that Li Suining has finished his family visit and is waiting in the mountains to return to the lake with him!”

After saying this, the old man in front of him looked up with a hint of surprise, scrutinized him for a moment, then nodded respectfully in agreement and turned to leave.

‘The clan gave me a spirit pill; its effects are quite good… I actually broke through to the sixth level of Embryonic Breathing in just half a month…’

Li Suining was already at the peak of Embryonic Breathing. This cultivation speed was much faster than he had anticipated, and he was in excellent spirits.

‘By this reckoning, by the time the Yang Clan establishes its nation… my cultivation should reach the second or third level of Qi Cultivation. At the very least, I'll be able to fly and land, contend with minor cultivators, and construct some common formations.’

After waiting for a while at the foot of the mountain, he immediately saw a streak of light swiftly approaching—it was Li Zhoufang!

The middle-aged man stroked his beard and smiled, followed by a young man in a coarse robe, head bowed. The old Yue mountain tribesman brought up the rear. The three landed ahead of time in front of Changxi Gate, walked nine steps through it, and then Li Zhoufang chuckled, “Suining, you arrived quite quickly!”

‘Li Chengzai sees I've prospered now, so he grudgingly gives me a smile. I'm too lazy to humor him… How could I not arrive quickly? If I were to humor him for a few more sentences, he'd be asking me for spiritual resources!’

Li Suining sighed inwardly, smiling but remaining silent. Li Zhoufang immediately understood, changed the topic, and with a face full of joyful surprise, gestured to the young man behind him, saying, “Come! Meet… this is the genius of the Pu Clan, named Xinya.”

He said seriously, “The Pu Clan possesses a certain legacy. I met the Pu family members and inquired thoroughly; Xinya is a rare genius among them for generations… Truly, Heaven favors Moonlit Lake; this is yet another stroke of good fortune!”

Only then did he turn, smiling, and say, “Xinya, this is Suining, the family’s rarest formation genius in a century. You can seek his guidance often!”

The young man bowed and quickly said, “Greetings, Young Master!”

Li Suining suppressed a smile and nodded, saying, “No need for formalities.”

Pu Xinya was his close friend in his previous life, so he knew him intimately. While Pu Xinya's talent in array formations was indeed outstanding, his greater aptitude lay in cultivation. His cultivation speed had once caught up to Li Suining, and it was only after Li Suining switched to a more advanced cultivation method that he managed to pull ahead. At this moment, Pu Xinya's full talent simply hadn't been revealed.

Having spent a very long time together in his previous life, Li Suining understood that Pu Xinya still harbored pride and considerable ambition, as well as the mixture of envy toward the main clan and desire for independence typical of smaller clans around the lake.

Later, this ambition was discovered by the Old Lord, who sent him to manage shops in Simin for two years. Having experienced the world, he returned immediately humbled, understanding that outside Moonlit Lake, the Pu Clan was merely a vulnerable target, and there was no other path for them but to climb higher within Moonlit Lake.

At this moment, Pu Xinya still harbored pride, so Li Suining didn't engage him in much conversation. Instead, he frowned and asked, “Great Uncle, what's the situation with the Buddhist cultivators?”

“Alas! I don't know what the Great Desire Sect is up to!”

Upon mentioning the Buddhist cultivators, Li Zhoufang's smile immediately vanished, and his expression turned grave: “That Maha came from the wilderness and arrived in Lixia some days ago. He didn't unleash widespread slaughter, nor did he even enter the commandery city. He merely dispersed his followers, the Compassionate Ones, who each set up temples in the wilderness, preaching and lecturing. They sent people down the mountains to spread their doctrines, causing the common folk to waver. Everyone in the commandery watched as most secretly changed into Buddhist cultivator robes…”

He sighed deeply: “They also erected twelve great mountains outside the commandery, planted Great Benevolent Golden Lotuses, and a hundred streams of silver water flowed down from the mountains. If commoners left the commandery city, took off their shoes, rolled up their trousers, and waded in, they would experience all sorts of extreme bliss, forgetting their parents and knowing no brothers. More than ten of our people went there, and five have not returned.”

“Jiang Zong then gave up on this matter, merely urging nearby rogue cultivators to investigate. It is said that the mountains outside Lixia Commandery have already transformed into mountains of desire, where men and women mingle naked, indulging in depraved pleasures through the long nights, utterly lost within…”

“The families in that area, such as the Wu and Lu clans, truly suffered greatly. Fortunately, they had once been conquered, and many of their younger generation were conscripted by the Yang Clan, allowing some of their bloodline to be preserved.”

The middle-aged man sighed: “Now… I hear the Great Desire Sect has already passed this place and headed south; I don't know what has become of them.”

Li Suining listened, sighing repeatedly. In his previous life, he had been in seclusion cultivating and held a low status, so he didn't know much about this particular event. However, he knew quite a bit about the subsequent developments and secretly began to verify them in his mind:

‘The Great Desire Sect… I heard they diverged from the Great Adornment Dharma Realm in ancient times… Although they also advocate for an earthly Buddhist land in this world, their philosophy is vastly different. They claim that where there is no suffering in the world, that is the Buddhist land. They don't require their followers to experience hardship before entering; one can simply enjoy life from birth until rebirth… The Great Benevolent Golden Lotus absorbs sorrow, so there is truly not a trace of suffering to be found there…’

What was even more baffling was that among the Seven Paths, the Great Desire Sect's followers suffered the fastest attrition, yet they were the most prolific in bearing children. After all, with all pain absorbed by the Great Benevolent Golden Lotus, giving birth to a child was considered an act of great merit, bringing another person into the world to enjoy blessings. Everyone vied for it, fearing they might not be women.

But no matter how absurd this situation was, he knew in his heart that once the Great Desire Sect left this place, these people would become an insurmountable, unending problem:

‘This disaster ravaged the entire northern part of the State of Yue. If Emperor Song were to remove the Great Benevolent Golden Lotus, it would likely cause the lifespan of millions to drastically decrease, leaving them with less than ten years to live. No wonder he had to seal off mountains and prohibit their rituals, first severing the influence of this phenomenon, then promulgating scriptures, and spending many years slowly reordering people's minds.’

He thought it over repeatedly, calculating in his mind: ‘When I emerged from seclusion in my previous life, this turmoil was almost over, and the family hadn't suffered significant losses. This matter should be fine… I should go see the Old Lord first.’

He stood in Great Uncle Li Zhoufang’s presence, and soon landed on the isle. He saw the old man shake his head and chuckle, “Let's not talk about that… You're constantly busy on the isle; how can you not have someone to run errands for you? Moreover, you usually study formation arrays, and your time is even more precious. I have someone here, whom you've just met, so let him run errands for you.”

“The family originally has a rule that a follower's cultivation usually cannot exceed that of a direct descendant. But you're about to reach Qi Cultivation, so it's not too early!”

Seeing Du Dou bow on the ground, then start kowtowing somewhat fearfully, Li Suining frowned, about to refuse, but heard Li Zhoufang transmit a message: ‘Just use him for now; he was arranged by Aunt Ming Palace. Uncle Chengzai doesn't know how to manage things, and the people from the East Manor are even more shameless. He has received orders from the Lord and can shield you from them outside; otherwise, if you refuse them one by one, you'll damage your familial ties somewhat.’

‘She's very busy and couldn't wait for you, so she entrusted me with this matter.’

Li Suining's expression grew somewhat complex. In his previous life, he hadn't risen so quickly, so the benefits weren't abundant, and Li Chengzai couldn't bring himself to be so forward. Things must be very different now, he thought. He cupped his hands and said, “Thank you, Great Uncle!”

With Du Dou leading the way, Li Zhoufang no longer needed to accompany him. Li Suining proceeded directly to the high-level pavilion, his gaze casually sweeping through the rooms, but his pupils subtly dilated.

A man in gray robes was hurriedly ascending the steps. Upon reaching the pavilion, he timidly knocked on a door, then stepped inside.

‘Fourth Great Uncle…’

This person was none other than Fourth Great Uncle, Li Zhouluo!

Li Suining's heart slowly constricted: ‘Was Fourth Great Uncle on the lake in my previous life?’

This Fourth Great Uncle, Li Zhouluo, was no ordinary person. He was highly favored by Emperor Song, serving as the Prefect of the Capital from the day of the Emperor's enthronement. As the Li Clan declined, his position only rose higher and higher… After the Wei King's death, though he was the Wei King's brother and did not receive an additional title, he once entered the Purple Gold Hall to hold the Xuan, accompanying the Emperor, constantly receiving favors and attaining great prominence.

If not for Fourth Great Uncle Li Zhouluo consistently interceding on behalf of the Li Clan, Li Suining still wouldn't know how to face him now. Yet, even so, his heart remained incredibly conflicted.

‘Perhaps… after Uncle Jiang Chun's death, this Great Uncle was left without grandsons, and since he held the Xuan in the Purple Gold Hall right under the Emperor's nose, accompanying him, he was therefore greatly elevated and utilized…’

Li Zhouluo's lineage played an extremely peculiar role in the overall unfolding of events. Li Xizhi, an elder among the Four Xis, intervened during the Changhe Rebellion, employing a rainbow-hued light technique that astonished both north and south. However, he suddenly vanished after the great battle, leaving no trace thereafter.

And Li Zhouluo's father, Li Chenghuai, was a figure whose name was known but who was never seen! Li Suining had never considered this elder back then, and the entire family was accustomed to his habit of traveling abroad and leaving no trace. Now, in hindsight, it was quite eerie.

However, it was true that this Fourth Great Uncle benefited greatly from the Wei King and his grandfather. When he entered the Purple Gold Hall to hold the Xuan, the imperial decree issued contained this very phrase: “Father and elder brother served faithfully, cleansing evil and pacifying the commanderies.”

‘On this Fourth Great Uncle… there should be clues…’

His gaze was deep as he heard the court guard in front stop him: “The Lord is currently meeting with someone else. Please wait a moment, Young Master.”

Inside the pavilion, the light was dim. The old man put down the scroll in his hand and carefully glanced at the gray-robed man kneeling in the hall. He seemed to realize something, quickly raised his brows, went down, and helped him up.

Li Zhouluo was somewhat flattered, yet also uneasy and fearful. The old man pulled him to sit beside him. Li Xuanxuan also did not return to the main seat, but sat down close to him, took his hand, and asked, “How are things now?”

Li Zhouluo had returned to the lake back then to accompany Li Jiangchun. Later, when Green Pond conscripted, he sent Pang Yunqing back to Simin. His hurried return to the lake now was clearly a risk. He lowered his head, somewhat bewildered, and replied, “I don't know what the situation is. Green Pond suddenly collapsed, and Yunqing was sent to the mountains. I was worried about the clan, so I came back.”

Li Xuanxuan shook his head, his voice hoarse: “Your grandfather went to Forged Mountain fifteen or sixteen years ago. There were still messages in earlier years, but letters became fewer later on. Five years ago, he replied, saying he was going into seclusion to verify a Dao tradition, and now there's no news… Has your grandmother sent you any letters? Is there any news of your father?”

Li Zhouluo was momentarily speechless, then rose from his seat and bowed, whispering, “There have been a few letters… They only told me to cultivate diligently, and that my grandmother’s family wanted to give me resources, which I politely declined one by one… It's just that a few relatives from my grandmother’s side have occasionally sought me out to offer some guidance on cultivation matters…”

Li Xuanxuan nodded. Li Zhouluo respectfully continued, “It’s just that I received news from the south: Lord Yang has granted me a piece or two of land, in an excellent location, in Simin…”

“This junior was thinking it would be perfect to leave for the family to establish a foothold, and open a small market town there, which would also count as extending our reach further south.”

Li Xuanxuan withdrew his gaze from him, took a sip of tea, and replied, “That’s not right. How can you push something the Lord rewarded you with onto the clan? Besides Jiang Liang, who serves under the Lord, no one in the family has such an honor. You should cherish it.”

Li Zhouluo didn't know how to respond, but Li Xuanxuan quietly asked, “Is there any news from the south? How are we to deal with this raging karmic fire?”

Li Zhouluo immediately rose from the ground, his face grave, and replied, “That Sparrow Carp is about to reach Simin. No matter what, a Lord must intervene! There are many rumors in Simin, and in this junior’s opinion, the Sparrow Carp won't be presumptuous for long!”

“The clan only needs to be careful. Once the Sparrow Carp withdraws from Simin, seize the opportunity to reclaim territory.”

“Oh?” The old man raised his eyebrows at him, pondered for a moment, and chuckled, “Is this the Yang Clan's intention?”