Chapter 646: Dragon Requests Hui's Respect

The Immortal Clan of Profound Penmanship.

As Li Cheng-huai pondered, Li Zhou-luo stepped forward, cupped his fists, and introduced his siblings. Li Zhou-fang and Li Zhou-yang, the eldest from the main branch, were somewhat reserved and spoke little, so it fell to him, the Fourth Young Master, to address everyone.

Next was Li Zhou-ken from the secondary branch. This generation of the secondary branch was not particularly talented. Although Li Zhou-ken was considered part of the secondary branch, he had actually been adopted from the main branch, making him and Li Zhou-fang biological brothers. He bowed respectfully to both of them.

The other younger individuals were mere children, and their potential was not yet evident. After greeting each of them, Li Cheng-liao turned his attention to the outstanding disciples from the sixteen prefectures, numbering over thirty. Their selection criteria were naturally a step below those for his own children. As he surveyed them, he noted that none appeared foolish, though most of their cultivation levels were somewhat lacking.

“A full seven from the An Clan, two from the Chen Clan, three from Xitan, ten from various notable clans, and ten from common families...”

Li Cheng-liao was well aware that the notable clans—Chen, Tian, Dou, Xu, Zhu, Li, and Jing—faced a situation not unlike the Li family's main branch: a scarcity of direct descendants. Consequently, their numbers were naturally few.

In contrast, on the prefectural mountains of the west and east banks, newly emerging clans and common families were rapidly accumulating strength and establishing a firm foothold. Li Cheng-liao, sitting on the isle, observed this nightly with his cinnabar brush; few, if any, were more familiar with the situation than he was.

“The era of the four allied clans—Chen, Dou, Tian, and Xu—is drawing to a close. Officials in the sixteen prefectures are appointed and dismissed, and the realms of immortals and mortals remain separate. Notable clans possess people but lack land, their fortunes rising and falling within a single generation.”

He nodded, listening as the young man below reported on the customs of Wutu Prefecture. Though he smiled and nodded, his mind was elsewhere. He knew clearly that the stable and untroubled state of the sixteen prefectures was not due to his efforts; he had merely inherited a very stable and easily managed Li family.

The system of rotating appointments, promotions, and dismissals for officials across the sixteen prefectures, with central authority vested in the prefectural yamen and oversight by the Jade Court and Green Du, was meticulously designed by Li Yuan-ping and Li Xi-jun. They had conceived this idea even when the Li family occupied only a small corner of the east bank. Through the gradual elimination of local forces in new territories by Li Xi-cheng and Li Xi-jun, this framework was finally implemented across the vast sixteen prefectures of the lake region today.

“However...”

He still remembered the sacrifices made by the four clans in the north alongside the Li clan. The current impotence of the notable clans was also not unrelated to the demise of their leading figures. While early rewards of spiritual artifacts and magical tools were one aspect, maintaining close relations remained essential.

Li Cheng-liao then took time to show concern for individuals from the four clans. He bestowed spiritual items upon each of the outstanding individuals from the sixteen prefectures and allocated cave dwellings on the island for them to settle and cultivate. The cultivators then respectfully took their leave.

By the time he had finished arranging these various matters, over an hour had passed. When he looked at his own children again, he found them all standing quietly to the side, having stood for so long without daring to utter a word.

Li Cheng-liao set down his brush and smiled, “Zhou-luo, bring your brothers forward.”

Li Zhou-luo respectfully assented. As Li Zhou-fang and the others approached the front of the hall, they noticed a sudden look of joy on Li Cheng-liao’s face. They quickly spoke up, respectfully avoiding the main seat, “Greetings, Lord!”

Li Zhou-luo turned to look and found a woman already standing in the hall. She was dressed in a long, feathered robe, wearing silver boots. Her black hair was coiled up, adorned with a white flower hairpin, and she held a silver-white long spear, standing silently.

Her almond-shaped eyes held a faint purple haze. Though no overt lightning manifested around her, her mere presence made Li Zhou-luo avert his gaze. He knew perfectly well who this person was.

“Ancestor Qinghong!”

Li Qing-hong nodded to him and inquired, “How much time has passed?”

“To answer you, Lord, a year and six months.”

Li Cheng-liao responded. Li Qing-hong casually put away her spear; in truth, she had not been in complete seclusion for the past year and a half. She had frequently ventured out to sea to collect lightning. Now, her control over the Six Thunder Profound Punishment Order was deepening, allowing her to effortlessly store lightning within it and even augment its power.

The white flower hairpin in her hair was also acquired from the East Sea. Though only at the Qi Cultivation level, it was a rare Sky Thunder artifact, capable of storing a small amount of lightning—not much, but better than none at all.

“The time agreed upon with Xi Zi-kang is approaching, so I returned to check in.”

She remained standing, and no one dared to sit. Following closely by Li Qing-hong’s side, they descended the steps and exited the hall. The woman glanced at the scenery on the isle and murmured a word of praise, to which Li Cheng-liao respectfully responded, “A year ago, Senior Kong Ting-yun from the Xuanyue Sect visited. Hearing that you, Lord, were in seclusion, she refrained from disturbing you and left a message with me, hoping you would write to her after your emergence and allow her to pay a visit.”

“I’d rather go to Xuanyue to see her.”

Li Qing-hong assented with lowered brows, betraying no significant change in her expression.

Li Cheng-liao managed the family well; at the very least, the isle now possessed the aura of an immortal clan. She observed it as they went, and as dusk settled, she indeed witnessed a flash of silvery-white lightning strike the isle.

Xi Zi-kang, dressed in silver-white robes, held a jade slip in his hand. He cupped his fists in greeting to her and smiled, “Fellow Daoist Qinghong, long time no see!”

Li Qing-hong nodded gently and exchanged a few polite words. Xi Zi-kang wasted no time, handing over the cultivation manual in his hand and announcing loudly, “Fellow Daoist, please take a look; this is the ‘Clear Heart of Illumination’!”

Li Qing-hong’s spiritual consciousness swept through the jade slip. The cultivation technique provided by Xi Zi-kang was indeed as he had described—nothing particularly remarkable—a mere second-grade technique titled ‘Clear Seeing Heart Pure Art.’

She gave it only a careful glance before looking up, a hint of confusion in her expression. Xi Zi-kang, naturally understanding that the value was not equivalent, immediately replied, “Zi-kang knows this item is a bit lacking, but I have other things to compensate, which might make up for the value.”

He took a jade box from his sleeve and said softly, “This is an escape technique of the Bright Yang path, a third-grade technique called ‘Flowing Sun Refraction.’ Together, the two should be comparable to the value of this ‘Strategy Thunder Cloud Mooring Dao Method.’”

Li Qing-hong hesitated slightly. Escape techniques were exceedingly rare in Jiangnan, and her own family had no understanding of the ‘Strategy Thunder Cloud Mooring Dao Method’s’ true value. From the Li family’s perspective, ‘Purple Thunder Secret Origin Art’ was merely an ordinary third-grade cultivation technique, and could hardly compare to a third-grade escape technique.

If she were to think cynically, this individual sought the cultivation technique to gain an advantage over her. However, Li Qing-hong had long since switched to cultivating the ‘Sky Cloud Asking Thunder Art.’ Although her immortal foundation remained the same, many crucial aspects of her cultivation had already changed.

After careful consideration, she decided it was best to proceed with caution, and said softly, “After all, ‘Purple Thunder Secret Origin Art’ is my cultivation technique and involves many secrets. If Fellow Daoist can be at ease, let us first exchange the jade slips. Then, when we return from the East Sea, we can exchange the unsealing incantations...”

She carefully observed the young man’s expression, finding his gaze clear, and he replied straightforwardly, “Agreed!”

He readily agreed to Li Qing-hong’s terms, displaying the straightforward nature of a North Sea lightning cultivator. After exchanging a couple of casual words, he took his leave, flying away on the wind without any lingering reluctance.

Li Qing-hong watched him depart, then said softly, “While we are away, you must proceed with extreme caution.”

Li Cheng-liao bowed his head in assent, and Li Qing-hong mused, “I reckon Ming-huang is nearing a breakthrough. I’ll make a trip to Xuanyue, and while I’m at it, head to the East Sea to borrow some spirit gauze from Heng Zhu and bring him back first.”

No matter how much trouble this matter might entail, Li Qing-hong found it no bother. If possible, she even considered inviting Kong Ting-yun to accompany her, to prevent any issues along the way.

Zongquan Isle.

On Zongquan Isle, where the East Sea waters descended and thunder surged, the weather was consistently gloomy. Rarely did the thunderclouds in the sky part, allowing brilliant, dazzling light to cascade down and illuminate the island’s buildings and palaces.

During the North Sea’s ‘Heavenly Leak,’ the East Sea’s water level dropped, causing Zongquan Isle to expand by a hundred li. Its area suddenly increased significantly, even exposing numerous spirit mines. The island’s income immediately improved, showing clear signs of burgeoning prosperity.

On the island’s barren mountain stood a small courtyard, unguarded and devoid of servants. Only a monk, bent over, was washing clothes in the yard. Midway through his task, he looked up at the sky and murmured, “Two years... how fast!”

Kong Heng’s face was somewhat pale. After washing his robes, he wrung them out, shook them dry, and hung them on the clothesline. Outside the courtyard, sea sparrows chirped, waiting for him to start a fire for cooking.

However, after changing his clothes, he seemed to sense something. He ascended on the wind, straight into the clouds, and indeed witnessed a great roar of water beyond the formation. The greenish-red seawater rumbled and hummed incessantly.

“Whoosh......”

A faint conch shell sound drifted from afar, growing nearer. The sky was bright, and looking out, the sea surface teemed with jumping fish and shrimp, their greenish backs briefly surfacing. Beneath, it seemed as if countless colossal beasts were stirring.

The sea seemed to boil as demon creatures rose one by one, halting in mid-air. Each held either a sword, a spear, or a halberd, and they arrayed themselves symmetrically in two rows. All were armored and cloaked, staring with their fish-like eyes.

“Hmm?”

Kong Heng began chanting scriptures, quietly watching the sea. The seawater before his eyes slowly parted, and from it, a colossal, green-scaled beast with a horse’s face and an ox’s body leaped forth.

“Boom!”

Seawater, like a waterfall, crashed down from both sides as the beast halted by the shore. It was as large as a small mountain, its eyes like small huts. Its greenish-black eyes stared silently at Kong Heng, who stood before it, no larger than one of its scales.

More than half of the island was enveloped in the sea beast’s shadow. Monk Kong Heng somewhat uneasily rotated his prayer beads, gripping his bronze monk’s staff, which jingled softly.

“Fellow Daoist...”

Dense swarms of shrimp and crabs prostrated themselves at the beast’s feet. A few water snakes stood upright and walked, producing a rhythmic, dripping sound with their conch shells. The cultivators on the shore were enveloped in the massive beast’s shadow, their terror indescribable.

“Jingling...”

Kong Heng finally raised his brows, noticing the bronze chains on the sea beast, which stretched deep into the ocean. From beneath, a blue fish leaped out.

The blue fish rode the water, with a pair of scaled wings on its flanks. Its large fish eyes stared as it transformed into human form, dressed in black and green robes. It let out a hearty laugh, “Master Kong Heng! Long time no see!”

The calm on Kong Heng’s face finally broke. He gripped his monk’s staff tightly, let out a deep sigh of relief, and shook his head as he replied, “You... you... Fellow Daoist Huiyao! Why such a grand display of power!”

Huiyao chuckled softly and said in a low voice, “No offense, Master... no offense... This sea patrol was dispatched by order, so naturally, the display was a bit grand. Please forgive me...”

Kong Heng frowned slightly and asked, “May I ask what command you are under?”

The blue fish, now clad in robes, exuded a certain imposing aura. It waved a hand and smiled, “Congratulations!”

Kong Heng paused, then thoughtfully looked up. He then saw the clouds and mist in the sky dissipate, a fierce wind rise, burning qi churn, and the sky become exceptionally bright.

‘The Young Lord has broken through...’

Huiyao’s fish-like face was dripping with mucus as he laughed heartily, “This demon general is here on behalf of the Dragon Son to congratulate your esteemed clan!”

Kong Heng finally relaxed, nodding in assent. It was only due to the monk’s good temper that he merely chanted some scriptures and let the matter pass; had it been another familiar Foundation Establishment cultivator, such a fright would surely have earned Huiyao a few sharp rebukes.

Years ago, when the Zhunan Dragon Palace changed masters, Huiyao had specifically invited his fellow cultivators to jointly besiege and kill a demon creature. Over the years, Kong Heng had also heard that Huiyao was doing quite well under his new master. He simply assumed that, thanks to his family’s assistance, Huiyao’s status had risen, and his sea excursions were now far more impressive.

The two waited for a quarter of an hour. The ground’s vegetation looked somewhat wilted, and swirling masses of yellow qi, as large as carriage covers, rustled forth in the air. Kong Heng squinted to see, noticing shadowy figures in the clouds and the neighing of horses.

Huiyao stared intently at the sky. After waiting a moment longer, all the unusual phenomena in the heavens vanished, and only then did he descend before the hall.

The monk took a step, and brilliant light flashed within the hall, surging forth from the windowsills and doorways. It was like a white blade falling upon his face, illuminating both his and the demon’s faces with a dazzling white glow.

He pushed the door open and entered. The great hall was brightly lit, and all the light converged towards the main seat. Huiyao followed closely behind, looking up.

In the hall, a deep golden long halberd was inverted, its long prongs curved like a crescent moon. In the center, a bright white arc was outlined, from which intense, brilliant light emanated, flowing forth like water.

The demon creature stared blankly, a scent of flowers wafting past its nose. Its gaze skipped over the halberd, and only then did it notice a young man sitting, leaning against the main seat directly above.

The young man wore golden-white soft armor adorned with black mystic patterns. His sleeves were tightly bound. He leaned slightly against the back of the chair and gently raised his head, revealing a smooth jawline. His eyes, slightly narrow, were quietly open.

Huiyao had met Li Yuan-jiao back in the day and found this young man somewhat similar in appearance, yet more expansive. His eyebrows were longer, his eyes slightly wider, and he possessed an indescribable demeanor.

“He doesn’t look human, but rather like a Dragon Son transformed into human form... Only that cunning and wickedness in his brows... is exactly like Li Yuan-jiao, perhaps even a few points more so...”

Huiyao had once not comprehended human cunning and wickedness; it was only after encountering Li Yuan-jiao that he had a sudden realization, understanding then that ordinary humans possessed such traits. However, he had never again met someone quite like him, until now.

As he was deep in thought, Li Zhou-wei’s long, unhurried eyebrows lifted, and his dark golden eyes gazed over from afar. Huiyao felt a chill spread through his body, his heart trembling slightly as he secretly mused, “He must have cultivated a pupil technique to intimidate others... That’s the Li family’s Young Lord... The Dragon Son said the one least like a human, it should be him; moreover, there’s no other person cultivating Bright Yang here.”

He felt this person’s gaze was like the illumination of the heavens, stinging his face. Unable to help himself, he lowered his head, cupped his hands in greeting as humans did, and declared loudly, “Huiyao, Sea Patrol Demon General of the Zhunan Dragon Palace, greets the Young Lord!”

The young man at the head of the hall stood up, his dark black boots tapping on the ground, producing faint echoes. His voice, however, was clear and tinged with amusement, resonating through the great hall, “Fellow Daoist, you are too polite!”

Huiyao, however, remained bent at the waist, not rising. He flicked his robe hem and stepped forward, adopting the kneeling ritual of a dragon subordinate bowing to a great figure. He dropped to the ground with a thud, bowed towards the east, touching his forehead to the earth, and only then turned to bow to the young man, his voice respectful and slightly reedy, “This lowly demon, fortunate to receive the Dragon’s command, prostrates myself repeatedly and respectfully, acting on behalf of His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Quan Chong Dragon King, White Dragon Scion; His Royal Highness, the Azure Dragon Son, Inheritor of Clear Seas and Pure Ponds; and the Lord of Zhunan Prefecture in the Heaven’s Sea of Zhulu; leading the shrimp soldiers and crab generals of Zhunan...”

His voice was exceedingly respectful and cautious, drawing out a long sound. His green-black long robe draped to the ground as he continued, “Awaiting Your Young Lordship’s esteemed presence at my Dragon Palace!”