Chapter 1043: Linzi

Tianlang Zhi’s words made Commander Jiang silent for a moment. The envoy from Great Sheep Mountain seemed quite wary of the Compassion Path. Commander Jiang lowered his head to look at the bronze bowl in his hand again. Tianlang Zhi seized the moment to press on:

“Commander, isn’t this reasonable? Did Qi Lanyuan acquiesce or even support this because of us? It must be his own desire. If so, who is a better partner? Why insist on us alone? The lords are all busy... Now there’s this opportunity, but it’s hard to say who will act first in the end! As long as the Commander gives the order, I’m not afraid of offending anyone...”

Tianlang Zhi narrowed his eyes and whispered, “As for Minghui, Gongsun Bei has some reservations about him, and Qi Lanyuan completely dislikes Jinlian. He hasn’t seen the battle, yet he told me twice that Lotus Temple is useless, and that the senior and junior brothers Minghui and Mingxiang won’t exert themselves... Today Minghui is incompetent, and I see... Mingxiang is also holding back. Since Lotus Temple isn’t willing to help, why should we show mercy?”

Commander Jiang pondered for a long time, then smiled slightly and replied, “Your assessment of capabilities is very astute. I will go back and inquire about this matter. As for Minghui, let’s seize his weakness and use him cleverly. The next time we attack the south and resist Great Song, we’ll put him directly in Yang Ruiyi’s path. Yang Ruiyi has ‘Degenerated Qi’ in his possession, so Minghui will have no choice but to fight desperately! If they can’t win and are defeated or injured by the Yang clan, it will be a good explanation for Jinlian. And if they flee without fighting, we can capture them... and punish them in the name of Great Sheep Mountain.”

The two golden figures in the sky suddenly fell silent. Below, Minghui’s heart sank to rock bottom. This Commander Jiang had always been at odds with his Benevolent Path; how could anything good come of this? Indeed, he saw the man in the sky smile and say, “Minghui, your six senses are impure, and you harbor much greed and malice. You should be severely punished, but considering the many good deeds of your Benevolent Path, your elder brother’s diligence and conscientiousness, and your master’s high virtue, this transgression will be noted. I order you and your elder brother to guard the riverbanks...”

He stopped smiling and said indifferently, “If you err again this time... the mountain will punish you severely.”

If they had ordered him into a cauldron of oil or a sea of fire, Minghui would have breathed a sigh of relief. But such a light punishment instead struck terror into his heart: ‘What high virtue of my master... who doesn’t know my master’s notorious reputation? This is a plot to take my life!’

The five eyes in the oil cauldron popped and boiled, tumbling continuously. Minghui could only kowtow, crying out, “I have ruined the Lord’s affairs, Minghui is deeply ashamed! I only beg for punishment... to show my sincerity!”

But how could the two let him off? They praised him a few times, about to easily usher him out, but Minghui wept bitterly, shouting, “Though the two great virtues are willing to release Minghui, Minghui cannot indulge himself. If Minghui were to leave this place unscathed... Minghui would cripple his own Dharma body to show gratitude!”

These words made Commander Jiang’s gaze turn cold. He said indifferently, “You lack ambition and only seek to avoid battle. I can take you to Great Sheep Mountain and explain everything under the eyes of all the Buddhist practitioners. Let’s see what you have to say.”

Normally, Minghui might indeed have returned with him, as it would be better than constantly living under the shadow of the other party’s schemes. But considering the riverbank matter without him, firstly, his elder brother Mingxiang might make mistakes, and secondly, he wouldn’t be able to show loyalty to that lord. So, he finally stopped crying and retreated disgruntledly.

As soon as he left the main hall, his mood immediately darkened. His elder brother Mingxiang met him at the steps. Minghui’s expression was grave, and he transmitted a message, “Things have changed, the people from Great Sheep Mountain have arrived... it’s Commander Jiang. You and I can’t escape; I’m afraid our lives are in danger!”

Mingxiang frowned silently, shaking his head as he transmitted, “I shouldn’t have agreed to that guy from the Great Mujia realm!”

Minghui’s face was grim. He replied, “It has nothing to do with him... this matter isn’t something that can be resolved by agreeing or not. Given today’s situation, even if we hadn’t agreed to Fachang, Commander Jiang would still have come here, and you and I would still have been summoned. The North-South conflict has changed; Qi Lanyuan initiated this, and the various paths’ greed for the Li clan can no longer be suppressed!”

Minghui had indeed spent some time in the mundane world, gaining more experience than his elder brother, who had practiced in seclusion for many years. He quickly came to his own conclusions. Mingxiang’s expression changed slightly, looking solemnly at his junior brother and saying, “The immediate priority is to let Master know about this. I must go back. He will soon order me to depart and guard... we can’t delay!”

Zhijing Mountain.

Light ascended within the mountains. The black-clothed man frowned and looked at Li Zhouwei, asking, “Prince Wei, perhaps you should take your medicine first.”

“It’s fine.”

Li Zhouwei shook his head, inviting him to sit beside him. Sima Yuanli, who had followed all the way, had an indescribably awkward expression. He also stopped, bowed, and sighed, “I... was utterly foolish, leading Prince Wei into danger... it’s truly a sin! I should be punished!”

Sima Yuanli had long regretted it. This was no longer the era of Qingchi; the Sima family no longer held such weight. They dared not resent the Li family, let alone incur the resentment of Li Zhouwei!

‘Bai Chan holds grudges, and while Bai Lin is better, he’s no easy character. Today, I was slow to assist, yet he still managed to escape. If in a future North-South war, I am slow to assist, how will I survive?’

He dared not dismiss the matter lightly but exposed it clearly. While hastily taking out the Azure Maiden Mysterious Gourd to heal Li Zhouwei, he repented, “Prince Wei, you must believe me!”

However, bitterness welled up in his heart. Back when Li Ximing was in secluded cultivation, seemingly seeking death, he sat as the head of Qingchi, speaking casually of Li Zhouwei as being at the end of his rope, clearly doomed. Now, subservient to another, he hesitated only slightly when taking out a treasure, yet still had to ask for leniency, repeatedly calling him Prince Wei. Times had changed, and Sima Yuanli shed half-true, half-false tears of sorrow, sighing, “We are related by marriage. Seeing Prince Wei so heavily injured, I am utterly ashamed.”

Li Zhouwei, however, did not blame him. He waved his hand, saying, “The Huaijiang map is valuable. My demanding it so rashly was my fault, True Man, you needn’t worry!”

Sima Yuanli nodded repeatedly. Yang Ruiyi, standing nearby, watched with interest for a while, pondering: ‘This True Man Sima is far inferior to Sibo Xiu... Sibo Xiu could also rest assured letting him wander the world. He’s... just good in talent, superior to Ning Wan.’

Seeing the two finish their conversation, Yang Ruiyi said, “Now that chaos has erupted in the west, and Northern Zhao is eyeing us covetously, the lake suffering such a calamity truly causes public unrest. I will inquire with His Majesty... and certainly present everything fully for Prince Wei.”

Li Zhouwei was indifferent, merely forcing a smile on his face as he replied, “General, your timely reinforcement has already greatly benefited the lake. The Buddhist cultivators will not let go of Tingzhou; this is just the beginning.”

Yang Ruiyi shook his head, sighed slightly, and replied, “Today’s events... will not leave Qi Lanyuan injured in vain.”

He stroked his sleeve and said, “Where is Daoist Zhaojing? Prince Wei is injured, and I fear Tingzhou cannot do without him.”

Li Zhouwei’s expression was composed as he replied, “My elder is in secluded cultivation for a breakthrough, and it’s a critical moment. I don’t know when he’ll make progress, and I shouldn’t disturb him, lest I cause him to lose all his previous efforts.”

“By my reckoning, it’s about time...”

Given Li Zhouwei’s severe injuries, it was impossible for Li Ximing to remain unmoving. Yang Ruiyi calculated with his fingers and believed him nine-tenths. He then said, “In that case, I should dispatch a True Man to the wilderness to guard the border, so Prince Wei can recuperate well... May I ask... whom does Prince Wei recommend?”

Li Zhouwei glanced at Sima Yuanli beside him and said seriously, “Daoist Sima is a good candidate, but if the north means mischief, he won’t be able to protect himself. We still need to ask Prince Yuyang to come.”

Hearing him include Chen, Sima Yuanli secretly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, “Prince Yuyang has now reached the mid-Purple Mansion stage, which is extremely rare. His strength has also greatly increased, making him very reliable... He is also familiar with True Man Cheng, making communication and rescue convenient.”

Hearing the three words “True Man Cheng,” Li Zhouwei subtly changed his expression, then heard Yang Ruiyi say indifferently, “Indeed. Now that the two True Men of Sword Gate have parted ways unhappily, and Ling Mei is in secluded cultivation, you needn’t worry about not being able to command him.”

Sima Yuanli remained silent, quietly swallowing. The atmosphere became momentarily stagnant. Fortunately, outside the mountain, the clouds stirred, and another True Man arrived by divine power, lightly descending.

This True Man was quite beautiful, dressed in a light green Daoist robe, with hair like a waterfall. With a slight smile, she bowed and replied, “Reporting to the Great General, Lin Gu Lanying has come to report...”

Yang Ruiyi glanced at her, a hint of a smile on his face, but then he saw a man standing on her cloud. Though his appearance was not outstanding, his armor was mottled and dust-covered, as if he had just emerged from a battlefield. His golden eyes still carried a hint of killing intent, giving him an imposing presence.

Li Zhouwei put down his cup, his eyes showing a trace of emotion—this person was none other than his direct descendant, his second son on the surface, Li Jianglong!

Li Jianglong faced everyone, his expression unchanged. He bowed and said, “Greetings, Father! Greetings, all True Men!”

Lin Gu Lanying smiled slightly, also looking at him, and said, “This is Prince Wei. Truly, a tiger begets no dog. The second son utterly defeated the Buddhist cultivators in the wilderness, converged with the Song army, and intercepted the northern defeated army for us... his military achievements are outstanding!”

“Oh?”

Yang Ruiyi showed more interest, secretly observing. Lin Gu Lanying praised, “The Zhao army was half-way across when they were broken by the young master, falling into disarray, suffering over ten thousand casualties. Large numbers of Zhao troops were forced to remain in the wilderness, and two direct descendants of the Gongsun family were captured... With the young master’s elite surprise force, the battle results expanded more than tenfold! I arrived late, but I brought him here!”

Her smile was very polite, seemingly with good intentions. Yang Ruiyi, taking the opportunity, pulled Li Jianglong closer and asked about his age and marital status, then smiled, “We must not forget your younger brother, whose name is... Li Jiangxia... This time, the Li family’s ability to fight desperately without retreating is largely thanks to him. Although he’s not as prominent as you, he cannot be overlooked.”

At this point, the Great General didn’t give the others a chance to speak. He stood up, a smile on his face, scanning the three of them, and said indifferently, “Have any of you heard of... the Law of the Heavenly Dynasty?”

Lin Gu Lanying was slightly startled, shaking her head hesitantly. Sima Yuanli, however, nodded awkwardly. Yang Ruiyi smiled, “The Law of the Heavenly Dynasty was first created by Emperor Wei, derived from ancient incense offerings and the Law of Dushan. He was a natural genius, favored by Mingyang, and elevated this art to its supreme peak. Later, after the destruction of Wei Li, it was learned by the Buddhist cultivators, completing the last link in the Buddhist Land’s cultivation path. Mahakala and Lianmin became widespread through this method. And although our Song court does not follow the Path of the Heavenly Dynasty, we are similarly favored by heaven, hence the illumination of the Cultivation Star, empowering all officials. His Majesty built the Purple Gold Palace in the capital precisely to gather the light of cultivation and wield the mystical art.”

Upon hearing this, Sima Yuanli looked up thoughtfully, his pupils shining with a hint of awe. Yang Ruiyi then looked up and said seriously, “Those who enter the Purple Gold Palace receive the protection of Heavenly Cultivation and Heavenly Martial Arts, clearing their spiritual consciousness, elevating their destiny, weapons, and Dharma bodies, which greatly aids future breakthroughs to the Purple Mansion stage. Diligent practice, upholding martial cultivation of the profound, is to ‘uphold the profound’.”

He moved his lips slightly, and his ordinary face somehow gained a touch of immortal aura: “And those who ‘uphold the profound’... when campaigning for the Emperor, can temporarily wield a divine ability of Heavenly Martial Arts.”

As soon as this was said, Lin Gu Lanying’s eyebrows shot up, and her heart felt a storm erupting: ‘No wonder... no wonder he brought up the Heavenly Dynasty, no wonder he mentioned Mahakala and Lianmin! The Heavenly Dynasty Law of Wei Li back then was purely about holding office equating to holding power... No matter whether one was a mortal without cultivation or a low-level cultivator, once they held an official position, they gained corresponding cultivation. Now, the Purple Gold Palace upholding the profound is imitating Wei Li! No wonder the Song court internally isn’t worried about the northern border. No wonder the Cheng clan’s attitude changed drastically after entering the palace, sending their disciples into the commanderies. Even if Mahakala and Lianmin are aggressive, he still has a way to deal with them and can defend this border! With this, which family wouldn’t rush to secure an official position in the Song court? Even if some True Men don’t have a good impression of the Song court, what about their descendants? Who wouldn’t want Heavenly Martial Arts empowerment? Who wouldn’t want divine abilities to manifest upon them! Once you’ve tasted divine abilities, who would be willing to remain mortal! As long as those who enter the palace desire these official positions and can’t let them go, then whose people are they, the Song court’s or the aristocratic families’? This is a radical tactic... this is the method of the Underworld!"

Yang Ruiyi’s casual remark stirred up huge waves in her heart. Sima Yuanli also said nothing, his hand pressing tightly on the table. The entire mountain fell silent, with only the whooshing sound of the wind.

Yang Ruiyi turned his head and smiled, “What does Prince Wei think?”

Li Zhouwei’s expression was calm. He lowered his gaze to look at his son.

Li Jianglong had always been extremely obedient. He had the Chen clan’s blood, and his appearance was not outstanding, nor did he resemble Li Jiangxia as much as Li Jiangxia resembled his father, but he was much more docile, with fewer trusted aides. For years, he had managed the family affairs in the prefecture, handling all matters big and small without bias.

But this usually obedient child knelt respectfully on the ground, silent and unlooking, his golden eyes fixed on the ground, showing only a profile to him.

In that instant, that profile, with its relaxed long eyebrows, had a familiar quality that made Li Zhouwei’s gaze freeze. He moved his lips slightly.

Perhaps due to his injuries, the pain was intense. Prince Wei ultimately didn’t speak, he just exhaled, and then smiled, “Second Young Master, why don’t you thank the General?”