Chapter 1080: Children

Kuàng Yǔ headed into the mountains. There, a woman in red robes stood in her path and respectfully said:

“Miss, the Lord wishes to see you.”

Kuàng Yǔ stopped, a hint of surprise in her expression. She nodded slightly and proceeded to the front of the Hall of Three Suns and Auspiciousness. Rolling auspicious qi pulsed through the golden platform. She stepped over the threshold and saw the main seat on the platform bathed in bright light, her Lord seated within the deep, dark red.

She took a few more steps forward, approached, bowed, and respectfully said:

“My Lord!”

Dì Yǎn’s expression was less solemn than before, a lively cast on his face. He sat casually in the main seat, holding a wine goblet, and quietly asked:

“What did he say?”

Kuàng Yǔ replied:

“It was about the Golden Tooth Land.”

Dì Yǎn took a sip of wine and asked:

“I am determined to pursue the Dao. Do you harbor any resentment?”

Kuàng Yǔ bowed her head and said:

“I dare not harbor any resentment... As the Lord pursues the Dao, this junior can only offer complete support. My only concern is for Qū Sì, and even more so...”

Her expression complex, she continued:

“If we get too deeply involved and anger various factions, will it affect Qū Sì...?”

Dì Yǎn took another sip of wine and said:

“There’s no need to worry. After all, Patriarch Qū Jiè is a disciple of the Mótōng Cè Palace. Those in the heavens... they view this matter differently.”

Kuàng Yǔ looked up with a hint of doubt as Dì Yǎn explained:

“The cleverness of this situation lies here: in the eyes of the King of Wei, we are helping him. But in the eyes of Luòxiá, are we not also helping Luòxiá? Even in the eyes of the Dragon Clan, we are contributing a part!”

“Although that Lord has not appeared in the world for a long time, from the perspective of his position and interests, this is precisely what should be done. Whether or not he directly orchestrated it, in the eyes of those Lords, it will be seen as his doing. Why would they vent their anger on us?”

Kuàng Yǔ listened in silence for a moment, then asked:

“So, the Lord had planned this all along.”

Dì Yǎn looked at her with a half-smile, sipping his wine without speaking.

‘Who planned it? That’s not necessarily true!’

Kuàng Yǔ then stood up. Dì Yǎn hesitated for a moment, then finally took out a jade talisman from his sleeve. It was about three fingers wide, with a black base and adorned with gold and red colors.

Kuàng Yǔ stood and took the talisman from his hand, examining it closely. Her expression instantly became doubtful. She looked up at the Lord, listening to Dì Yǎn’s calm tone:

“When I had you cultivate the Xīuyuè path, it was with the thought that the future would be a chaotic era of wandering and loss. The Xīuyuè path is not only good at self-preservation but can also adapt to the situation, offering an opportunity to achieve the Great Dao...”

“Now that we are deeply involved in the Míngyáng scheme, your Xīuyuè Dao can certainly borrow some power.”

Kuàng Yǔ paled slightly and replied:

“This junior never intended to seek such power or position!”

Dì Yǎn shook his head:

“I didn’t ask you to seek gold; it’s merely to borrow power to better cultivate your divine abilities. If you wish to act rebelliously, it would be hard to find anything more rebellious than regicide.”

Kuàng Yǔ said, bewildered:

“This junior is confused... The Lord has already had my cousin cultivate the Xīuyuè path. Wouldn’t he be a more suitable candidate than me? I inherited Qū Sì’s legacy...”

Dì Yǎn set down his cup, seeming to feel a pang of pain. After a long while, he sighed:

“This matter, it should have been done by your father... His age was just right... If he were alive today, his cultivation would also be just right. Having him assist the King of Wei in this defiance, whether it succeeded or not, he would have had a chance to inquire about a remaining position... If he were here, I would never let you touch this matter!”

He closed his eyes tightly:

“Damn that... Cān Lùfù... ruined everything!”

At the mention of her father, Kuàng Yǔ’s expression flickered, her spirits sinking. Dì Yǎn, meanwhile, quietly said:

“Since he is no longer here, no one dares to challenge the karma of defying Míngyáng. Only you are left... You and your cousin will each take a portion. With your talents, there is hope of overcoming the Cān Zǐ tribulation. If you get the larger share, who knows, you might even touch upon reincarnation.”

“That’s why I had you get close to Li Xīmíng, rather than the King of Wei — that’s Jué Xì’s business. He acts as a minister openly, while you are secretly close to him. By leveraging Jué Xì, you can take on a larger share of the karma... Without him, it would be very difficult for you to get a share.”

Kuàng Yǔ nodded thoughtfully, and Dì Yǎn said earnestly:

“This is also why I absolutely had to talk to him about this today, why I had to make sure he met Jué Xì, and why I had to have him agree on behalf of the King of Wei first. Jué Xì’s talent... breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm is ultimately very dangerous. Letting him touch upon the position of Míngyáng’s defiance will give him greater certainty in achieving divine abilities!”

Kuàng Yǔ suddenly understood and sighed deeply:

“My Lord, you have truly put in a lot of effort...”

“And the intention to avenge your father... but that is still far off...”

Dì Yǎn shook his head, cutting off her words, and together he gathered the jade talisman she had been holding hesitantly into her palm, saying:

“I have arranged things for you up to this point... How you walk your future path, whether you do it or not, is entirely up to you.”

Perhaps the red light in the hall was too intense, as it gave Kuàng Yǔ’s beautiful face a rosier hue. She quietly excused herself and departed, leaving Dì Yǎn alone in the main seat.

All expression vanished from his face. His gaze towards the woman’s retreating back held even a hint of loneliness. This great immortal, perfect in divine abilities, was like a bird in a cage, confined to this small hall, squinting his eyes and quietly watching Kuàng Yǔ depart.

‘Dì Yǎn...’

Li Xīmíng flew above the South Sea, his mind still deep in thought.

He now knew quite a bit; even eighty to ninety percent of what Li Zhōuwèi knew had been discussed with him. As various major forces appeared one by one, with repeated probes... Li Xīmíng felt a sense of absurdity.

‘The matter of Míngyáng has truly become a gamble!’

This gamble had the underlying guarantee of Míngyáng’s instability, the prize money of the White Qilin’s destiny, and even the grand prize of becoming Míngyáng’s new sovereign. Not only did various Lords place their bets casually, but figures like Cháng Xiāo, Dì Yǎn, and even Yuán Dào took turns raising the stakes, even betting all their possessions and lives.

‘These people are betting more and more, as if the entire world is being pushed forward... leaving no chance to turn back.’

His gaze calm, he flew westward on his own. After an unknown period of time, he finally saw numerous pavilions appearing along the coastline.

The Jìnghǎi Protectorate was originally the territory of True Immortal Zhú Shēng. There was a Shāhuáng Kingdom there, whose inhabitants were mostly Jiaozhi people. It had now disintegrated, divided into prefectures and counties, all administered by Great Song officials.

Upon Li Xīmíng’s return by light, the mountains were surprisingly lively. A group of cultivators knelt in the hall, not daring to move. Chéng Qiān, dressed in white robes, sat in the main seat with a severe expression, intimidating them into silence.

When Li Xīmíng’s heavenly light suddenly appeared, Chéng Qiān’s expression softened:

“Fellow Daoist Zhāo Jǐng!”

As he went to greet Li Xīmíng, he waved his sleeve and instructed:

“Investigate further!”

The cultivators dispersed as if granted a great pardon. Seeing Chéng Qiān’s grave expression, Li Xīmíng raised an eyebrow and asked:

“What’s wrong?”

Chéng Qiān raised his hand, brushed his sleeve, and sighed:

“Upon arriving here, I visited a few witch kingdoms and began to deal with the demon disturbances... However, after much investigation, this matter is not simple. Behind the unrest in the witch kingdoms, there should be a demon king.”

Li Xīmíng narrowed his eyes and asked:

“Which demon king?”

Chéng Qiān sighed:

“More than one!”

He looked distressed and elaborated:

“These witch kingdoms are situated between two areas: one is the territory of the Bìfù Mountain Lord, bordered by the Hēiqī Ridge; the other is also a mountain lord, called Yuàndǔn Mountain Lord, bordered by Hǎolǐng Peak, who has shown goodwill towards Jìnghǎi.”

“This Bìfù Mountain Lord is very famous; I presume Fellow Daoist also knows him. He is called Cān Lùfù...”

Although he was intelligent, he was ultimately a cultivator from overseas, unfamiliar with matters in Jiangnan, and even less aware of the Lǐ family’s past or their grudges. He spoke very naturally.

Li Xīmíng showed no reaction on his face, but his heart suddenly turned cold:

‘Still carefree... Let’s see how long you can be happy for a few more decades!’

Before Li Xīmíng broke through, the Lǐ clan was merely a speck of dust in Cān Lùfù’s eyes. Even after Li Xīmíng’s breakthrough, the entire Lǐ family combined could only cause a bit of trouble for Cān Lùfù. But now, it was different. If the Lǐ family truly got serious and called upon a multitude, they could indeed cause the demon king significant trouble, though it would still be far from enough to kill him.

Chéng Qiān continued:

“Cān Lùfù is a notoriously ancient demon, extremely powerful in both methods and cultivation. The Yuàndǔn Mountain Lord, on the other hand, is only at the Mid Purple Mansion realm. He had to enlist several surrounding demon kings to barely contend with Cān Lùfù.”

“Your noble clan’s general took Cān Lùfù’s territory. Now... the old demon is using ‘Northern Cut, Eastern Replenish’ as an excuse, causing relentless fighting between the two sides. He’s using this to abduct people and, incidentally, suppress the Yuàndǔn Mountain Lord...”

This True Immortal hadn’t achieved the Purple Mansion realm long and had spent a long time in the East Sea, so naturally, he found such matters vexing. Li Xīmíng, however, exhaled and mused:

“Have any Purple Mansion cultivators made a move?”

Chéng Qiān’s expression darkened, and he said:

“The trouble lies here... The Bìfù Mountain Lord has sent two Purple Mansion demon kings under his command, causing repeated disturbances. There have been earth vein tremors and calls for aid. If the fighting escalates further, we might even have to assist Yuàndǔn...”

Li Xīmíng said thoughtfully:

“I vaguely recall... True Immortal Zhú Shēng had a demon ally friend in that area... named True Immortal Xián Chán.”

“He is indeed under the Yuàndǔn Mountain Lord!”

Li Xīmíng already detested Cān Lùfù. Hearing this, how could he not be inclined to help the other side! However, first, his desire for revenge was greater, and he was wary of alerting the enemy. Second, even if he were to act, he hoped to do so in the name of the Song Imperial Court, so he said:

“It should be to support Yuàndǔn and balance the Southern Borders. However, these are not times for acting independently. Everything must first be reported to the Emperor. Even if no personnel are sent, it would be better to be provided with one or two spiritual artifacts!”

Chéng Qiān immediately felt he had a point and replied:

“Senior’s considerations are always thorough!”

Li Xīmíng simply picked up his brush and, using a divine ability, wrote a memorial. While carefully phrasing his report to Yáng Zhuó, he coldly began to calculate:

‘But this is not its only use! The Green Talisman is still far from settled! If I can find out the situation here clearly, find an opening, and remove one of the demon kings close to Cān Lùfù, I can also add a wisp of talismanic energy to Jiàng Qiān!’

Thinking of this, he was quite satisfied and felt a bit more favorably towards Yáng Ruìyí:

‘No matter how I influence the situation in the Southern Borders, acting under the Great Song’s identity won’t cause too much trouble. Compared to the north, this place is truly much more comfortable. Not only do I not have to face the northern Buddhist cultivators, but I might even earn some spiritual resources and favors...’

Sìmǐn Prefecture.

Sìmǐn was originally the base of the Green Pond sect, but its immortal towers and pavilions were all in the mountains. The prefecture itself was rich and luxurious, yet ultimately a place for mortals. However, with the establishment of the Great Song dynasty, it was designated as the imperial capital. It re-gathered the heroes of the former Yuè Kingdom, reformed its systems, and erected new palaces, thereby achieving its current splendor.

Beneath layers of pavilions, a vast but understated mansion stood with its gates tightly shut. Inside, the inner chambers were equally quiet. A group of servants stood pressed against the walls, not daring to look up, only the soft jingle of a bell breaking the silence.

A woman in white robes sat sideways by the bed, her clean, simple hands gently twirling a bell, producing a soft jingle. The baby boy on the bed, just a year old, was intently focused, his golden eyes fixed on the bell.

Another baby girl, even more petite and adorable, with even brighter golden eyes, had her back turned, snuggling against her mother as she slept.

While the woman played with the children, a powerfully built man beside them was trying on a dark robe. The purple-gold sash tied around him looked exceptionally majestic.

Li Jiàngxià picked up a bronze mirror and carefully examined the golden eyes reflected within. Suddenly remembering something, he asked:

“Has True Immortal Zhāo Jǐng gone to the Southern Borders?”

The woman immediately put down the bell in her hand and softly replied:

“Yes.”

Li Jiàngxià then raised a hand and shook his head, saying:

“If he hasn’t returned to the lake, he probably isn’t aware of the matters concerning Yǔ Zhì and Suì Chù. Please send someone to Jìnghǎi to inform the Lord.”

The woman responded softly, seeming to have something unspoken. Li Jiàngxià waved away his attendants, then listened as the woman said:

“This concubine is ill-fated but has been blessed with this great fortune to bear a child for the General... However, I have heard that Tíngzhōu has a generational naming system. Whether it’s Zhì or Chù, I fear it may not comply with the rules.”

Her face showed worry:

“This concubine isn’t afraid of gossip or idle talk, but I worry that the two children... might not be favored by the King of Wei!”

Li Jiàngxià chuckled, shaking his head as he put on his spiritual boots, and then said:

“You needn’t worry about that. My own name, Xià, also doesn’t follow the rules, and it was given by my father-king.”

He turned his head around and said:

“I understand his intentions now, so naturally, I’m not afraid of rules. I am not like Li Jiànglǒng, who had to shamelessly beg for a name. This way is also fine... As for you, who would dare trouble you after you bore me twins?”

Although Li Jiàngxià had many concubines, he had been childless for years. Finally, upon arriving at the Song Imperial Court and campaigning with his Dark Blade, he had originally given up his last hope of having children, focusing solely on cultivation.

The Song Emperor held him in high regard. Not only did he bestow spiritual resources and treasures, but he also granted him six female attendants, all cultivating the Juéyīn path — not hoping for offspring, but purely for him to practice dual cultivation, harmonize yin and yang, and thereby advance his cultivation.

However, perhaps it was because he had left Moon Lake, where Míngyáng resided and his father and brothers suppressed him, that his fate flourished, or perhaps the Juéyīn path truly had its uses. Among the six women, one, a woman named Zōu Xié from Xùnlín Yuán, became pregnant!

Li Jiàngxià was overjoyed, but an even greater surprise followed: Zōu Xié actually gave birth to a boy and a girl for him!

‘Could it really be that my destiny is unfolding?’

His heart filled with joy, having become a father, he doted on his twin children. He even took Zōu Xié with him wherever he went, and now, returning to the imperial capital for his report, he brought both mother and children with him.

At this moment, he lovingly stroked the two children and softly said:

“The Emperor has summoned me. I will go to the palace.”