Chapter 1019: Brother-in-law

After this questioning, Yang Ruiyi remained silent for a long time, pacing around the pavilion with his hands behind his back, seemingly unable to speak. He was quiet for a considerable time. Then Yang Xiao'er said:

"I knew nothing of these things beforehand. Even when you told me about the Rainbow Cloud opportunity in the rockery, I didn't say a word. I silently accepted it, arranging for him to come to the Forging Mountain. He has sat in the mountain day after day, without taking a single step out. Now you've come to find me again. What more instructions do you have?"

Yang Ruiyi felt a pang in his heart listening to her words and said emotionally:

"You... if you resent Father because of your current situation, it's not right. Choosing a cultivation path for him was originally to protect him. Everything, from beginning to end, including that marriage, was done with you and Xizhi in mind. Even now, Father has made concessions for you. The position at Forging Mountain... is not easy to come by!"

Yang Xiao'er lowered her head with a hint of a smile and replied:

"What are you talking about? I chose this path myself. Even if I had to do it again, I would still go to Green Wheat Peak. As for resenting Father..." She shook her head and said, "There's nothing to resent. Since he entered the Underworld, the matter of governing the deceased is just him, wearing his old appearance. It's like... like our Ancestor... who achieved divine powers overnight... a figure beyond mere sight."

When his sister mentioned the matter of governing the deceased, Yang Ruiyi fell silent, seemingly unable to find words to refute her, or perhaps he agreed with her deep down. When she mentioned Yang Tianya, a genuine shock appeared in Yang Ruiyi's eyes, and he lowered his gaze, saying:

"This shouldn't be discussed much. It's a great fortune that the Ancestor could become a Purple Mansion cultivator and reside with the Lord. Without his and the Lord's full effort, how could Father have governed the deceased? How could our family have such a good opportunity?"

He held a cup, and a glimmer of noble splendor appeared on his ordinary face. He looked at Yang Xiao'er and said:

"A few days ago, the Lord came from the Underworld, met Bai Lin, and quickly returned. His immortal words were few... Tianyou was fortunate enough to hear a few sentences, and she and I have been painstakingly pondering them..."

This news was clearly shocking. Yang Xiao'er raised her eyebrows, and her expression became serious:

"This... is this permissible? Why so early?"

Yang Ruiyi gave a bitter smile and replied:

"You must understand, this person was once someone who could share drinks and conversation with True Monarch Cui. After the fall of Wei, his Underworld rank rose higher and higher. Now he can enter the Hall and participate in discussions of Underworld affairs. If he truly comes to the mortal world just once, and doesn't intervene, who would dare to say anything...? Even Judge Jiang... must defer to him now."

Yang Xiao'er was half-worried, half-pleased. She walked around the pavilion once and asked, "What did Tianyou say?"

Yang Ruiyi said gravely:

"Firstly, saving people cannot save their descendants; saving the dead cannot save the living."

Yang Xiao'er was momentarily speechless, a thoughtful expression on her face. She lowered her gaze and said, "Not unexpected."

Yang Ruiyi paused and continued:

"Secondly... it concerns matters in the North. This is not the place to speak, so I can only put it this way... The great trend has begun, and with Father absent, I cannot always watch over him. The Yang family will not restrict your husband, but if your husband leaves Forging Mountain, the consequences will certainly be dire, and he will have to bear them himself."

Yang Xiao'er abruptly raised her eyebrows and remained silent for a long time. Yang Ruiyi's gaze was frank as he looked up, and he said earnestly:

"Xiao'er... you are my only sister. This is the only thing your elder brother can do."

Yang Xiao'er, however, had grown wary of being kept in the dark. She seemed to be judging the truthfulness of his words and suddenly asked:

"The Lord actually consented to tell Tianyou these things!"

Yang Ruiyi shook his head and said:

"Mingyang is Mingyang after all. The former Zhaoyuan Immortal Mansion also had ties with the Underworld, but..." He paused, then said tactfully, "When Emperor Taizu of Wei ascended to kingship, he ceased to interact with the Underworld and no longer inquired about matters of the deceased, leaving everything to Shangyao. Thus, the Lord and True Monarch Cui had many interactions... there was an affection between them. That's why when Father supported Ning Li, the Lord turned a blind eye... and was willing to speak a few more words with Tianyou."

Yang Xiao'er's last bit of doubt was resolved. She bowed slightly and replied:

"Thank you, True Master!"

Yang Ruiyi let out a sigh, looked at her deeply, and his words took on a pleading tone:

"Xiao'er, your brother... my fortune and my tribulation are set to unfold in these coming years. In terms of cultivation and wisdom, I am inferior to Father; even he failed, let alone me. I have cultivated a Dharma Body since childhood, but I am merely a general. To seek gold in a single night and perish—as you said, I won't even be myself in the Underworld anymore. The days we, as siblings, can meet are few... and you won't be able to call me 'elder brother' anymore."

Tears welled in Yang Xiao'er's eyes, but she smiled and said:

"Then you'll have to visit Forging Mountain more often."

Leaving the silently thoughtful Yang Ruiyi in the pavilion, she turned and exited, descending with the wind. Her face was already calm and composed as she ascended a small peak from the side.

The small peak was secluded and rugged, lacking grand palaces or towers. There was only a small pond, by which a humble hut stood, furnished simply with a stone table and a few stone chairs.

A middle-aged man, wearing a coir cape and hat, with his sleeves rolled up, was washing a sword by the pond. His back was to the woman, and no emotion was discernible from him, but the hand gripping the sword was exceptionally steady, without the slightest tremor. The sound of water was pleasant. The pure white sword glinted in the pond water, casting splashes of white light onto his face, revealing a pair of hidden, unrevealing grayish-black eyes.

Hearing footsteps, the middle-aged man looked up, revealing a gentle, refined, and dignified face, with a hint of a smile in the corners of his eyes. He raised his eyebrows and said:

"Xiao'er."

"Husband!"

Yang Xiao'er's eyes brightened instantly. With a smiling gaze at the gleaming cold blade in the water, she asked:

"You've put away your sword so early today?"

Li Xizhi helped her sit down and said softly:

"It's not early. Fellow Daoist Xizha didn't come today, so I practiced two sets of sword forms by myself before sheathing the blade, just as I saw you coming in."

His wife then smiled and said:

"Xizha visits quite often. He even sent some spiritual resources a few days ago. Although they weren't very valuable, they were clearly precious to him, showing his sincerity."

Li Xizhi chuckled, then took out a cloth from his sleeve, placed the gleaming sword blade on it to wipe, and replied:

"He's completely devoted to the sword. He doesn't put much effort into other matters. It's simply that he can learn things from me and use my sword techniques to verify his own Purity Dao sword style. I'm not afraid to let him learn. After all, I cultivate on the mountain and don't go out much. If I can gain some favor from him and help our family's juniors, those few unruly disciples... that would be a good thing."

The man looked up, his expression gentle:

"You went out?"

Yang Xiao'er was silent for a moment, then sighed:

"An elder brother came to visit."

"Oh?" Li Xizhi stood up, untied his sleeves, and with a questioning look, said: "Since it was your elder brother, why would you let him stand outside? You should have invited him in for tea." He raised an eyebrow and asked, "An elder brother... not Ruizao? I haven't heard you mention him before." Yang Xiao'er rarely spoke of the Yang family; even regarding Yang Ruizao, the Foundation Establishment cultivator from Qingchi, Yang Xiao'er usually seemed rather indifferent. So, it was rare to hear news of someone from the Yang family, and Li Xizhi listened with considerable interest.

Yang Xiao'er looked a bit awkward and shook her head:

"He... I'm not very familiar with him. He was just passing by coincidentally, and I exchanged a few words with him. He was also in a hurry and couldn't stay long..."

Li Xizhi nodded, his eyes briefly closed, and without pressing further, he smiled and said:

"That's a pity." He returned to the stone table, poured tea into a cup on the table, and casually asked, "Any news on the children?"

Yang Xiao'er smiled slightly and replied:

"Chenghuai is training with my family members... Our family has quite a bit of heritage in the Path of Upper Shamans. However, this cultivation path requires him to remain unseen, so it's not suitable to publicize or seek fame. You don't need to worry, husband. As for Zhou Luo..." She took the tea from her husband's hand with a smile and said, "With your family's young master there, he won't suffer any disadvantages in Yue Country! My elder brother has secured many benefits for him: cultivation methods... even spiritual artifacts are ready."

"That's quite a bother for my elder brother-in-law."

Li Xizhi raised an eyebrow and reminded her:

"However, it's not enough to just have sufficient resources for everything. Zhou Luo's talent and aptitude aren't high; the matter of divine powers still needs consideration..."

This was indeed candid advice, and Yang Xiao'er understood it well. She smiled and said:

"Don't worry... this opportunity was prepared just for him. With them watching over him, taking it one day at a time... even if it takes fifty or a hundred years, everything will certainly be ready before he attempts to achieve divine powers."

"Good!"

Li Xizhi's expression was relaxed. He calmly turned his back to his wife and naturally hung the precious sword he held inside the hut. His grayish-black eyes held a contained sharpness, as if they saw through worldly affairs, brimming with tranquility. The man softly said:

"You've worked hard."

**Lotus Temple.**

Lights permeated everywhere, golden and magnificent. A misty white fog poured down like a waterfall from between the stairs and windows. In the large pool at the center, pale white ripples shimmered, emitting a faint fishy smell.

A group of young, beautiful women, bare-chested and exposed, knelt by the large pool. Amidst the scent of grease and incense, they pressed and kneaded, adding to the central "milk pool." In the shimmering milky water, a man lay naked, his face full of wickedness, breathing leisurely.

But then, halfway through, a robed monk ascended. He cautiously knelt before the steps and whispered:

"Lord... My Lord... someone from the Great Mu Buddhist Realm has arrived!"

The young man lying in the milk pool suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with ice.

This was not good news, and it was no wonder the monk trembled, kneeling rigidly on the steps, not daring to breathe. However, the young man clearly had no mind to argue with him. He lazily sat up in the milk pool and casually said:

"Let him come up."

Then came the sound of footsteps. A simply dressed monk ascended the stairs and stopped before the large pool. Upon seeing the defiled scene, he frowned and remained silent.

But the young man merely lifted his eyelids, his legs casually swaying in the milk pool, pointing his "thing" at the monk, and sneered:

"So, it's Master Fachang..." He smiled slightly and asked, "It seems the Buddhist Realm is quite lenient. Fellow Daoist, you were thoroughly disgraced at Dayang Mountain, yet you received no punishment and even have the leisure to grace this humble place."

Fachang felt extremely uncomfortable seeing "that thing" pointing directly at him, but his temper was excellent, and his cultivation of temperament was among the best. He clasped his hands together, choosing to ignore what he saw, and replied:

"I've come to invite Master to head south!"

Upon hearing this, the young man's face contorted in surprise, then he burst into loud laughter and replied:

"Am I hearing a joke?! Master Fachang, the most compassionate, Master Fachang, who occupies the northern bank of the river without inciting the slightest conflict... is now inviting me to go south! Are you no longer afraid of creating karma?!"

Fachang clasped his hands together, his expression calm and undisturbed by the laughter. He replied:

"I heard that a new dynasty is forming in the South, and the riverbanks are fraught with danger. The Peacock has also departed for his own selfish desires... News has come from Dayang Mountain, requesting my Buddhist Realm to find one or two Mahas to go and guard the region. Among the Seven Aspects, Discipline walks in silence, Wrath is sluggish and not inclined towards evil desires, and Emptiness and Compassion are colluding. Apart from my Buddhist Realm, only the Path of Joyful Goodness... involves less killing karma. Furthermore, I heard that for the past hundred years, Fellow Daoist has lived in peace with the people, causing little bloodshed. Although you indulge in pleasure, you possess kindness and beauty, and everyone loves you. After much thought, I concluded that approaching you is the most suitable course of action..."

These words, to the young man's ears, seemed to carry an insult. His face flushed slightly. With a splash, he rose from the milk pool and cursed:

"You piece of shit! I cultivate the Body of Evil Fear and Shame in this life! Who the hell are you calling 'indulging in pleasure'?! Who are you calling 'causing little bloodshed' and 'much beloved'?!" He looked around furiously, then stepped out of the milk pool, leaving a trail of milky stains on the floor. He kicked a Compassionate one nearby and cursed: "You dog slave! Do *you* love me?"

The Compassionate one trembled in fear. While Jinlian had indeed caused less bloodshed in recent years, that was only concerning the people under his rule. The Path of Joyful Goodness was fully staffed, with large numbers of masters waiting as reserves, so he had no fear of one or two Compassionate ones dying. But he had certainly killed plenty of his subordinates! He could only quickly shake his head, then meeting the other's eyes full of wickedness, he seemed to realize something. He nodded, then nodded twice more before shaking his head again, then knelt helplessly on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly with thudding sounds.

"Who are you kowtowing to, your mother?!" Jinlian delivered a flying kick, sending the Compassionate one's head flying several yards away, where it rolled with thudding sounds down the stairs. Yet, he still wasn't appeased. Fachang, seeing "that thing" swinging with his movements, could no longer bear to watch and sighed:

"Fellow Daoist!!"

Jinlian withdrew his leg. The headless Compassionate one quickly scrambled up, picked up a cloth from the ground, and began to wipe Jinlian's body. Jinlian's expression abruptly changed, and he said coldly:

"You've truly made a good plan, insisting that my Path of Joyful Goodness join this. It seems I've been cultivating for too long, and you've forgotten my abilities... You dare to ask me to go south? If I cause heads to roll across the northern bank of the river, I wonder whose karma that will be!"

Fachang's expression remained calm as he replied:

"Regardless of whom Fachang seeks, this karma will fall upon Fachang. However, I do not cultivate by seeking advantage and avoiding harm. By taking on this matter, I can choose someone who will cause less slaughter. No matter how much karma I accumulate, it is a tangible good if even a few less people die on the northern bank of the river."

These words made Jinlian stop, his speech abruptly ceased. He stared at Fachang blankly:

"There's actually a stubborn monk like you in this world! You're determined to ruin your own cultivation!"

Fachang's expression didn't change; he said nothing. Then, a monk with a radiant golden body and skin as translucent as jade ascended the steps. He smiled cheerfully, bowed before the stairs, and saluted:

"Greetings, Master, and Senior Fachang!"

Fachang turned his head, glanced at him, and asked:

"And this is...?"

The monk looked up, revealing a kind smile:

"This humble monk is Minghui! I am honored to be a Maha under Master's tutelage... Greetings!"