Chapter 734: Sword Gate Retrieval

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Li Zhouwei had previously been restrained by the Kan Jinwei Linked Rings. Fortunately, he unexpectedly used his immortal foundation to suppress it, otherwise, it would have caused endless trouble. He said, "Although this item doesn't possess great offensive power, its unique restraining ability makes it superior for dealing with cultivators who have powerful Dharma bodies. Perhaps one or two people would be enough to trap them."

Li Ximing nodded. For him, such items were not very useful, but they were treasures for Foundation Establishment cultivators. He replied, "This item is primarily for restraint and quite effective. However, our family doesn't have any Foundation Establishment cultivators with Kan Water attributes. The closest we have, in terms of Water Virtue, is merely Miaoshui. Although she contributed greatly to this battle, many people were injured. The Kan Jinwei Linked Rings are, after all, very valuable, and giving them away freely is not how we manage the family's resources. We should store them for now and only take them out temporarily during wartime."

Li Zhouwei put away the Kan Jinwei Linked Rings, then picked up the dark Du Dao Bell. After scanning it with his spiritual sense, he said with a slight surprise, "It's Qing Qi."

Qing Qi is the most common tradition among rogue cultivators, especially in Jiangnan. Eight out of ten rogue cultivators follow the Minor Qing Spiritual Qi tradition, and most of them are only at the Fetal Breath stage. It's common for a single magic artifact to be passed down through three generations, making Qing Qi Fetal Breath artifacts even more prevalent. While there are many low-level Qing Qi cultivators, their numbers significantly decrease by the Foundation Establishment stage, though they still constitute a certain proportion of Foundation Establishment cultivators. However, Li Ximing had never heard of a Qing Qi cultivator reaching the Purple Mansion stage. Similarly, Foundation Establishment artifacts from the Qing Qi tradition were scarce; the few he had seen were of poor quality, making this the first time he encountered such a high-grade one.

He turned the black bell over and examined it carefully. Its material, refining technique, and the array patterns on the bell all conformed to contemporary styles. Li Ximing frowned and said, "How peculiar! Gong Xiao is the esteemed Young Master of the Du Immortal Sect. For him to forge and cultivate an artifact, yet use Qing Qi instead of Duwei..." He exchanged a glance with Li Zhouwei and said, "It seems Duwei and Qing Qi have some connection. Interesting."

This Qing Qi tradition had no significant strengths or weaknesses, yet the Du Dao Bell's grade was even higher than the Kan Jinwei Linked Rings, almost comparable to the Yangli Scarlet Sparrow Banner. Li Ximing told Li Zhouwei to take it for his own use, and then looked at the small mirror. The mirror was palm-sized, with an antique bronze color. Its two rings were engraved with various running beasts. Although its patterns were the most ornate of the three items, its quality was the lowest, and even its refining technique was not advanced. Li Ximing glanced at it and said, "The artifact's copper wings are bright white, the surrounding rings use Virtue Decree Copper, and the mirror surface is made of White Crane Lapis Lazuli from the True Qi tradition. The artifact isn't very old; it was likely specially prepared for our family's Tianguang."

Li Zhouwei didn't value this item much either and planned to bestow it upon Ding Weizeng. He tucked it into his sleeve. Li Ximing finally said, "That old fellow Ye Gui... I wonder what tricks he's playing. I should quickly deal with the Shanjian Commandery and the matter of Xiaoshi Mountain... I should also pay a visit to the Chengyun Sect."

He ascended on Tianguang, vanishing into the Grand Void, leaving Li Zhouwei to hesitate in the hall for a moment. Below, Li Wen came to report, his face still somewhat pale. He entered the hall, knelt, and said, "Reporting to the Patriarch, the Elder Master sent someone to inquire whether there has been any progress regarding An Siwei. The Elder Master said that Elder Guest An returned to the lake without saying a word, and this is disheartening."

An Siwei had been captured by the Tangjin Gate, and Situ Mo had retreated into seclusion. Unless a Purple Mansion cultivator personally intervened, Li Zhouwei was powerless. He could only send back messages expressing the True Person's concern and dispatched someone to deliver the news. He stood with his hands behind his back and asked Li Wen, who was still in the hall, "The Elder Master inquires daily, quite frequently. Is he sending messages through the Jade Court?"

Li Wen, a Foundation Establishment cultivator serving in the Jade Court, knew the most about this. He replied, "There are no records in the Jade Court. It must be that the Elder Master sent a trusted confidant here, who first went to the East Bank." Upon hearing this, Li Zhouwei's suspicions were confirmed. Li Jiangxia was now in charge of the East Bank, and Li Jiangxia was the son of Madam An. It was this child's people who were running back and forth between the two sides. He simply pressed his pen and said, "He's certainly anxious enough."

Li Wen lowered his head, pretending not to hear. Li Zhouwei then said, "Send a letter back through the Jade Court and clarify to the Elder Master that the Tangjin Gate would not dare harm a clan elder, nor would the Golden Feather Sect. Even if he had fallen into the hands of the Du Immortal Sect earlier, he might have suffered some hardships, but his life would have been safe. For Foundation Establishment cultivators, something that seems like a monumental matter is merely a word or a token for a Purple Mansion cultivator. Rest assured." He dismissed Li Wen, and only then began to heal his injuries.

Li Zhouwei's injuries in this major battle were primarily to his head; his frontal bone had two fractures. Although the external skin and flesh had healed, the bone and tendon damage was difficult to mend. The rest of his injuries were sustained from the water ropes when he captured Guan Kan's life, and these healed quickly with medicine. Li Zhouwei only cultivated in the hall for a little over ten days, occasionally pausing to respond to messages, when Kong Guxi and the others surprisingly returned.

Sumeru did not break her promise. The Profound Wonder Monastery truly exerted itself, and the injuries of several Xuan Yue disciples greatly improved. Those with minor injuries were almost fully recovered, and those seriously injured would recover after half a year to a year of recuperation. However, Kong Guxi's expression was not good. Li Zhouwei summoned Li Cheng and questioned him carefully. Only then did he learn that the Profound Wonder Monastery had already built a courtyard on the mountain where Chang Xi had ascended, and named it 'Gehu Peak' (Lake-Separated Peak) because it faced Lake Xian. The name symbolized that troubles, like a lake, were kept outside the monastery by this peak.

It was hard to say whether these developments were good or bad. The Kong family was in its most difficult period and still needed to seek healing from the Profound Wonder Monastery. When Kong Guxi went, he naturally wore an obsequious expression, but upon returning to the wilderness, he remained silent. After Li Cheng finished his report, Li Zhouwei replied, "It's fine if he's displeased. Perhaps it's a way to show loyalty. In any case, send someone to comfort him. We will need to seek healing from the Profound Wonder Monastery again next time, so don't let the Xuan Yue people be too resistant." The Profound Wonder Monastery was, after all, a blessed land tradition with considerable expertise in healing. Neither Li Ximing nor Li Zhouwei would easily let go of an opportunity to leverage the Profound Wonder Monastery's resources.

Li Cheng acknowledged and withdrew. Inside the hall, light and shadow shifted, intertwining. Li Zhouwei had healed a bit more of his flesh when Li Ximing finally descended, breaking through the Grand Void. In his hand, he held a horned beast, tightly bound by Tianguang. It was only the size of a calf, yet its aura was fierce. Though it couldn't move, its eyes still glared furiously. Li Ximing casually tossed the beast onto the ground and chuckled, "It's truly hard to find a demonic general without any backing these days. I traveled through the rivers, all the way to Wu State, and consulted a local aristocratic family. This demon was preying on humans when it ran into me."

He then took out a jade box from his sleeve. Opening it, he revealed spirit herbs resembling fine jade. Without pausing, Li Ximing knocked the horned beast unconscious, and said, "Ziyan sent me the 'Queyan Pill Scripture'. The pill arts within it are quite beneficial to me. There's also a Purple Mansion level pill recipe called 'Xuanque Heart Sutra Pill', which is said to be able to overcome karma. This beast is of the Qing Qi tradition, making it perfectly suitable. Also, there's this Jade Ganoderma Pure Orchid given by the Shen family. One batch yields six pills, which should be enough for a few of you."

It was Li Zhouwei's first time hearing the name of a Purple Mansion-level elixir. After a moment of thought, Li Ximing shook his head and said, "This medicine can save the lives of Foundation Establishment cultivators, but for Purple Mansion cultivators, it's merely for healing injuries. It's considered common fare among Purple Mansion-level elixirs. If it were truly exceptional, it wouldn't be given to our family as a gift." An ordinary alchemist would take at least three to five months to refine a batch of healing medicine using precious herbs. However, with his current divine abilities, Li Ximing didn't even need a pill furnace for some common-use elixirs. Refining these pills would only take three to five days. He continued, "Now, I can refine any elixir below the Purple Mansion level using my divine abilities. The Xuanque Heart Sutra Pill isn't much more difficult; I'll have someone deliver it to you in a couple of days." No matter what, the Xuanque Heart Sutra Pill could be used to heal Purple Mansion cultivators, so Ziyan's gift was not insignificant. Li Ximing sighed and said, "The Foundation Establishment of demonic beasts truly takes too long, and they can't always be captured. No wonder Jiangnan sects favor human elixirs."

As the two discussed, they saw Li Cheng return. He entered the hall from outside, seemingly with some urgency, his expression a little awkward. Only when he was closer did he speak in a low voice, "Patriarch, True Person... people from the Sword Gate have arrived. They say they want something from Xuan Yue."

"Sword Gate? Wanyu?" This was an entirely unexpected presence. Li Zhouwei was genuinely startled and asked, "Who has come? And what are they demanding?" Li Cheng shook his head and continued, "I've already arranged for someone to lead them to the side hall and have also summoned Kong Guxi and the others."

"Just let them come up," Li Ximing said. Li Cheng immediately withdrew. Li Zhouwei rose from the main seat and moved to the side. The people from the Sword Gate entered first from outside the hall, led by the sword cultivator Cheng Jinzhu. He had his longsword strapped to his back, and his gaze was sharp. He first bowed to Li Ximing, then cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, True Person. Since our last parting at Sword Peak, our True Person has thought of you fondly and asked this junior to convey his regards."

"No need to be polite," Li Ximing replied. Li Ximing had a good impression of Ling Mei. They had conversed for a while, and Ling Mei was not the rigid old-fashioned elder Li Ximing had imagined the Sword Gate would have; he was quite to Li Ximing's liking. Cheng Jinzhu didn't waste words. After asking about injuries, he directly stated, "This junior has come for a matter... Senior Chang Xi once borrowed a Listening Wind White Stone Mountain from our sect, stating that after his death, it would be returned to the southern bank of Lake Xian and the nine eastern towns of Shanjian Commandery. It should now be returned."

Upon these words, silence fell upon the four seats. Although Wanyu Sword Gate was a renowned righteous sect, his statement still rendered Li Zhouwei, Li Ximing, and the others completely silent. A brief hush even fell over the hall. The reason was simple: there had been no prior information about this matter, not even a hint. Neither Chang Xi nor Kong Guxi had mentioned anything. It was only because of Wanyu's established reputation that there was hesitation; otherwise, if it were any other sect, everyone would assume they were seizing the opportunity to plunder and kick someone while they were down!

After a clear pause, Li Ximing finally spoke, "Go call Kong Guxi up here."

After dozens of breaths, the middle-aged man hastily arrived before the hall. He bowed to Li Ximing and the others, and only then noticed Cheng Jinzhu. Kong Guxi's face showed no hint of anything amiss, only a rather ingratiating expression: "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Cheng!" By this point, Cheng Jinzhu's face showed some confusion. He tentatively glanced at Kong Guxi and said, "Greetings, Sect Master..."

Li Zhouwei, observing with suspicion in his heart, chuckled, "Sect Master Kong, this concerns an old matter of your Xuan Yue. The Cheng clan has come to retrieve something."

"Huh?" Kong Guxi was utterly bewildered. He had taken in the situation in the hall at a glance, assuming the Li family intended to give Shanjian Commandery to Wanyu, and he had simply come to hear the outcome. He was now disturbed by this sudden development. Cheng Jinzhu had no choice but to explain again. Kong Guxi's pupils widened as he listened. Cheng Jinzhu even added, "The Listening Wind White Stone Mountain is a spiritual tool our sect obtained from Dou Xuan. It is extraordinary, and now our sect wishes to use it, so we came to inquire."

'A spiritual tool!' Kong Guxi was utterly heartbroken, and he thought bitterly: 'Fine, fine, everyone just comes to step on us, so be it. Wanyu, you are a dignified Qing Song Sun tradition, how noble you are. Why must you still throw stones at my family? Take whatever territory you want, but where would my family get a spiritual tool for you!' But circumstances were stronger than people. Not to mention Xuan Yue's current decline, even at its peak, the Kong family would not have dared to offend Wanyu. Beads of sweat covered his face as he cast a pleading glance towards Li Zhouwei.

Cheng Jinzhu was not slow-witted; he immediately sensed that something was amiss and asked, "Does the Sect Master perhaps not know of this matter?"

'Whether there is or isn't, if the True Person says there is, then there is...' Seeing that the Li family members were all silent, Kong Guxi could only stammer, "Perhaps... perhaps there is such a matter... this territory is to be handed over to the Sword Gate..." Cheng Jinzhu's expression changed, and he said, "Sect Master Kong, where is the spiritual tool?"

With the conversation reaching this point, Li Ximing had to speak. He stated, "As it concerns a spiritual tool, this matter is significant. The Sword Gate may first take over the agreed-upon territory. As for the Listening Wind White Stone Mountain, I have not yet seen it, so let's put that aside for now. Xuan Yue can cede a few more towns as compensation for continued use of this spiritual tool. If it is truly urgently needed, I will discuss it in detail with Senior Ling Mei." Regardless of Wanyu's tactics or whether this matter was truly legitimate, it was certainly beneficial for someone to take over a portion of Shanjian Commandery's territory. Li Ximing made the decision first. Cheng Jinzhu was not qualified to negotiate with Li Ximing. Fortunately, his own True Person had made arrangements beforehand. He said earnestly, "Since the True Person has spoken, this matter will be arranged by Wangyue Lake. Our Sword Gate also understands that Xuan Yue is at a critical juncture. The Listening Wind White Stone Mountain may be extremely important to your sect. Our sect is not one to kick someone when they're down. The True Person already said that if it concerns Xuan Yue's survival, it is not absolutely necessary for us to retrieve it."

Li Zhouwei, however, remembered something and asked, "Your esteemed sect can send people to take over Shanjian Commandery. However, Lake Xian is already in the hands of the Profound Wonder Monastery. To cede this portion of the southern bank, you would need to consult True Person Sumeru."

"Reporting to the Patriarch," Cheng Jinzhu responded. He then steadily shook his head and chuckled, "Our True Person sent a letter yesterday, and Profound Wonder Monastery has already complied. True Person Sumeru even came to Sword Peak to apologize to our True Person, but as our True Person was not on the peak, True Person Qi asked her to return first."

As these words were spoken, the esteemed position of Wanyu Sword Gate became strikingly apparent. Yet, both Kong Guxi and Cheng Jinzhu seemed to take it for granted. Li Ximing narrowed his eyes slightly, and a realization dawned on him: "Is it because Ling Mei's strength is extraordinary and his sword art impressive, or is it because the status of the Qing Song tradition... is even more revered than we thought? In Yue State, whether it was the Three Sects and Ten Gates or the Seven Gates, those traditions rose and fell. Yet, the Six Dao traditions of the Chongming Palace have continued unbroken to this day. How could that be a mere coincidence?"

The old domain name has been compromised; please remember the new one.