Chapter 743: Purple Smoke's Meaning

Reflecting on this, Li Ximing sipped his tea but still didn't put away the jade slip. He only sighed and asked, "True Person, what is your view on the Xuanyue matter?"

Seeing that he was slow to put it away, Tinglan realized he was waiting for her at this point. She smiled slightly and replied, "I've been busy overseas for many years, so I don't know much about it. True Person Chang Xi has achieved something truly remarkable, rising from a mere clan cultivator to his current position. My master mentioned him... he's someone who values his clan greatly."

Li Ximing raised an eyebrow. The woman continued, "After all, they are close neighbors... My Ziyan sect has always observed them. In the past, Haiying and Haiting, and later Gujun and Tingyun, were all good 'supplements.' He valued his clan, which is why he didn't make a move... Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows, let alone a Purple Mansion cultivator? Now that he is dead, Xuanyue may seem beyond salvation, but in fact, they have more retreat paths than avenues forward. The immortal sect might not survive, but their bloodline and lineage are as stable as a mountain."

"And besides... isn't the Wangyue Immortal Clan still there?" After Tinglan finished speaking, Li Ximing quickly shook his head.

Although Li Ximing had never interacted with Chang Xi before and had only heard his name mentioned with a hint of disrespect, he now understood the situation. He replied, "Senior Chang Xi was very thoughtful. Regarding Shanjia County, the old True Person repeatedly mentioned during his lifetime that the millions of people in that county were his life's work, protected for centuries. Now, he cannot protect them. Looking around, the Ziyan Immortal Sect is the only legitimate and pure cultivation sanctuary. He believed these people would only be safe if entrusted to the righteous path!"

Whatever Tinglan thought internally, with such praise, she couldn't refuse the first statement. She replied, "I can only thank the senior for his great kindness. But as you also said, my Ziyan sect is a true Xuanmen lineage, a holy land of pure cultivation. Matters of the immortal path naturally involve burning talismans and praying, abiding by the Yuanfu's immortal decree, maintaining a clear mind, and focusing on cultivation."

"In the past, the Upper Residence allocated several counties to my Ziyan sect, and we have guarded those counties, never overstepping our boundaries... Please forgive us."

"Moon Essence Yuanfu?" Li Ximing was truly stunned after she finished speaking. He had anticipated a myriad of reasons for her refusal, but this one had never crossed his mind. This excuse was utterly grandiloquent. It took a full second for Li Ximing to quietly say, "I see... Zhaojing was indeed presumptuous."

The two azure dots at the corners of Tinglan's eyes gleamed slightly. She glanced at him again and replied, "Your clan is a rising star, so you might not be aware, but in truth, both the former Xiao and later Li clans were designated as immortal clans by custom, separating from Qingchi and establishing their own territories. These precedents and systems were all established rules of the Yuanfu. Senior Si also acted in accordance with these ancient customs."

After she finished speaking, Li Ximing realized that Tinglan's previous words were not entirely an evasion. Many rules of the Moon Essence Yuanfu were still in effect in Jiangnan. Although they might not always be strictly enforced, a Purple Mansion True Person would not violate them without a significant conflict of interest.

He recalled everything from the conservative naming conventions of immortal sects and gates, to the superficial unity between the Azure Pine and Sun Daoist traditions, to the various families withdrawing from Azure Pine Temple leaving only six gates to enter, and to Xuanyue Temple's profound respect for the Sword Gate...

"Even though these six families secretly scheme against each other, their territories rarely change. They consistently hold onto their own small plots of land... All their conflicts are taken overseas."

"The six families indeed hold a transcendent status. Xiuyue remains reclusive, Xuanyue exists in name only, and the Yue Kingdom is now essentially composed of two sects, six gates, and three clans... with one sect and four gates being untouchable."

Li Ximing gradually understood, and a thought suddenly emerged in his mind: "The Xueji Gate has been in seclusion for centuries! It has reached a point where mortals enter its mountains, but no disciples ever leave... yet no family has ever dared to disturb it! Could it be for this very reason... precisely because it's tightly encircled by the Azure Pine lineage and its territory is barren, that it has managed to survive until today?"

Many thoughts ran through his mind, but outwardly, he only sighed, "Fellow Daoist Tinglan... my family has tried our best to provide protection, but we can no longer safeguard the entire Shanjia County. It's a pity for all those people there!"

Tinglan chuckled and replied, "That's not difficult at all. Just invite a Purple Mansion cultivator to reside there. No one in Jiangnan finds the land undesirable; there are many Purple Mansion cultivators eager to establish their lineage here. The only issue is lacking a guarantor; the older ones are hesitant, and the younger ones are too frivolous... As long as our two families agree and then consult with the Sword Gate, the matter will be settled."

This made Li Ximing ponder, and the more he thought, the more his brow furrowed. While having an allied Purple Mansion cultivator nearby wouldn't be entirely bad, the fact that the Xuanyue lineage was in their family's hands was not very appealing. Sending the Kong family there would be somewhat awkward for his own family, and it might be difficult to explain to Xuanyue Temple.

"It's worth a try..." He considered the idea, and as he put away the jade slip, he probed, "If we proceed with this idea, could the immortal sect send people to Shanjia to consolidate power first? My family lacks the energy to oversee it, and I fear that by the time any news arrives, Shanjia County will have already been plundered clean."

"That's secondary..." Tinglan saw him put away the item and frowned, "If the matter is settled, there are two points... First, the Xuanyue sect's main gate must be handed over to them... Otherwise, how can a dignified True Person establish a sect if the spiritual essence gathering place in the county belongs to someone else? Where would they cultivate? That would be a disgrace."

"Second, Kong Haiying must die."

Li Ximing indeed heard these words and sighed inwardly. Tinglan then said earnestly, "Let me remind you, fellow Daoist, if Kong Haiying does not die, the conflict between your clan and the Duxian Dao will only intensify day by day, quickly deteriorating to an irreconcilable point. Ye Gui is not a stubborn or extremist person, but he absolutely cannot tolerate Kong Haiying. Kong Haiying's fortune is not shallow; he genuinely has the potential to achieve a breakthrough!"

"After all, fellow Daoist, you still need to refine pills for me. If you truly come to blows with him, the entire riverbank area might be ravaged, and I'd have nowhere to refine my elixirs..."

"The same goes for the Xuanyue sect's main gate... If the Xuanyue sect's main gate is given to others, what True Person could tolerate several Foundation Establishment cultivators making breakthroughs within their sect? If they truly succeed in breaking through and emerge from seclusion, whose sect would it be? Whose Shanjia County would it be?"

"The Xuanyue lineage being in your clan's hands already causes hesitation for any True Person wishing to relocate inland. Once they occupy Shanjia and Xuanyue, the Kong family in the wilderness would, at best, be referred to as a surviving remnant, and at worst, as lingering evil. Your clan would at least need to send the Kong family there and make them perform a show of gratitude to barely count as a reconciliation..."

Although Li Ximing knew this matter would be difficult to handle, he still sighed and nodded upon hearing it. "I understand," he said. "Do you urgently need the pills, Fellow Daoist? If this matter isn't resolved clearly, it might be difficult to refine them immediately."

"No worries, I can wait three to five years. Besides... I'll be going to Beihai in the next few days, so I won't be able to set up the formation for you anytime soon."

Tinglan clearly hadn't expected Li Ximing to refine the pills for her immediately. The two exchanged pleasantries, discussing the details of their agreement. Tinglan then pointed to the clay pot on the table and said, "Here is the formula for the Tianyi Tuncui Pill for you to study first. Once you're ready, you can come to my Ziyan sect to collect the Wuzhang Water-Fire and Tianyi Chunyuan."

Li Ximing agreed and departed, riding his light. Tinglan escorted him all the way to the foot of the Purple Jade Platform, where Cui Jueyin and the Ziyan cultivator Wei Danying were chatting and laughing, seemingly quite harmonious—a much more lively interaction than the True Persons' exchange of interests.

Although Cui Jueyin's appearance wasn't particularly striking, he was well-read, had a sharp memory, and possessed a refined demeanor, making conversation with him quite engaging. Wei Danying listened with great interest. The moment the two True Persons appeared, both Cui Jueyin and Wei Danying immediately became respectful, stepping back behind them.

"Zhaojing, take care..." Tinglan saw him off from the blessed land. Li Ximing then departed, still deep in thought. After a long while, he sighed inwardly, "The Xuanyue sect's main gate and Shanjia County are not something my family can currently protect."

Li Ximing had considered the Ziyan sect's stance, but he hadn't anticipated that Tinglan's only word for Kong Haiying would be "kill," utterly without hesitation. This truly surprised him.

Tinglan had just spoken from the Ziyan sect's perspective, and Li Ximing understood clearly: the Ziyan sect had no intention of occupying Shanjia, but they did consider inviting a Purple Mansion cultivator to serve as a buffer and gain some favor... In this regard, his own family had somewhat obstructed her path.

However, his thoughts didn't linger solely on the Ziyan sect. The very next moment, he thought of someone else: "Ye Gui!"

While the emergence of another Purple Mansion family in Shanjia County might be slightly awkward for the Li family and not particularly beneficial, for Ye Gui, if he were willing to sacrifice some interests to bring someone in, it would be the best possible outcome!

Ye Gui was an East Sea cultivator. If he truly couldn't conquer the Xuanyue sect's main gate and resolutely chose to abandon it, inviting a friendly Purple Mansion cultivator into Shanjia would instantly put his own family in a difficult position... This Purple Mansion cultivator would not only be determined to secure the Xuanyue sect's main gate but would even seek to sever the Kong family's lineage entirely!

If this Purple Mansion cultivator were invited by Ziyan, the Li family would still have the option of sending the Kong family back and allowing the Xuanyue lineage to merge with another's influence. However, if it were a friend of Ye Gui, there would be no reason whatsoever to send them back; instead, they would be forced into open hostility.

"Ye Gui would then be able to rest easy. At that point, my family would be too busy dealing with the threats from the wilderness to even consider managing Jiangbei..."

Ye Gui hasn't taken such action yet for two reasons: first, he can't bring himself to abandon the Xuanyue sect's main gate, and second, he hasn't yet reached a consensus with Ziyan and the Sword Gate... But this doesn't mean it won't happen.

"Has Ye Gui contacted Tinglan?! Are Tinglan's words simply out of good intentions, or are they a subtle warning after failing to reach an agreement with Ye Gui?"

A chill crept into his heart: "Regardless, Shanjia and the Xuanyue sect's main gate must be addressed swiftly. But if this gate is to be dealt with, then the Kong family's Foundation Establishment cultivators in seclusion must be handled. Even if it means slightly easing tensions with the Duxian Dao to free up time for pill refining, at the very least, Kong Haiying must be dealt with!"

However, Chang Xi had mentioned that three individuals were in seclusion: guest elder Fu En, great-grandson Kong Haiying, and former sect leader Kong Tingyun. Li Ximing couldn't actually confirm that Fu En was the one who died at the time, nor could he even be certain that the individuals in seclusion within the sect were indeed Kong Haiying and the others.

Reflecting on this, even though Li Ximing could understand Chang Xi's deep-seated distrust in his later years, he still felt a touch of weariness and faint anger. "Hiding everything away like this... it makes it impossible to help. Very well then... Since Chang Xi calculated things to this extent, he couldn't have been unaware that Kong Haiying's fate was intrinsically linked to Xuanyue's survival. He can no longer care what the people of Xuanyue think... If I don't take control of Xuanyue now and use the Immortal Mirror to uncover everything, then there's no point in protecting the Xuanyue sect anymore!"

After leaving Ziyan territory, he headed home, gradually formulating a plan in his mind. He appeared on Mount Zhijing, and Cui Jueyin descended from the sky, standing quietly beside him.

Li Ximing instructed, "Go and invite all the managers, and also Que Wan... Call Cheng out as well. We'll all go together."

***

The wilderness. The sky was dimly lit, and damp mist permeated the mountains.

Several days had passed since the news of True Person Chang Xi's dying wish. Kong Guxi was still reeling from it. He had planned to read scriptures until midnight, but he lost himself in thought, and when he finally emerged, the sky was already dimly lit.

He changed his clothes and emerged from the hall. Outside, the area was deserted; the stone steps were uncleared and covered in fallen leaves, making him wonder if everyone had perhaps joined other families.

After a circuit, he finally found Kong Yu, his face flushed from drinking in the mountains. Kong Guxi bowed and asked, "Great-uncle, where have Qiuyan and the others gone?"

Kong Yu had been drinking all night but remained surprisingly sober. He replied, "Xia Xiang was imprisoned by you. A group of Duxian Dao cultivators has arrived from the wilderness, likely from Shanjia County. I don't know how chaotic the situation has become, but Qiuyan has taken people to intercept them."

He paused, emphasizing, "The Li family is also there."

Kong Guxi acknowledged and then inquired about Kong Guli's whereabouts, asking, "Where is my elder brother?"

Kong Yu raised an eyebrow and replied, "Lord Cheng sent someone to inquire about our family's soul lamps and fate jades. Your elder brother just took him to them."

Kong Guxi listened silently, then turned toward the front courtyard. To his surprise, there was a commotion on the stone steps, with several large and small bags being carried. The Xuanyue sect leader raised an eyebrow to look and saw his elder brother, Kong Guli, ascending the mountain with Fu Yuezi.

Kong Guli seemed distraught, but Fu Yuezi, as usual, carried his magical artifact and waved to him. Kong Guxi went to greet him, grasping the elder Kong Guli's hand and finding it shockingly cold. He merely asked, "I heard Great-uncle say... you just left..."

Kong Guli replied despondently, "Yes, I just left. Who knew that when the news from a few days ago reached them, the elders in the mountains had already packed up the soul lamps, fate jades, and lineage methods? Everyone is eager to rush over here, so naturally, things are moving very quickly."

Kong Guxi was speechless, sensing an endless stream of flying lights in the sky and the rising clamor on the mountain. He took a few steps and saw a group of people descending from above. The golden-eyed man leading them strode with a powerful bearing. Kong Guxi felt as though a large hand had gripped his heart, and he quickly stepped forward, asking, "Greetings, Family Head... How did you come here?"

Li Zhouwei, who was always courteous to him, nodded and said, "My injuries are much better. I came here under the True Person's command to take charge of the wilderness."

Sweat beaded on Kong Guxi's forehead as he nodded repeatedly. Before he could ask for details, he felt the heavenly light flicker before him, and the surroundings suddenly brightened. Everyone immediately bowed their heads.

Then, he saw a True Person in a white robe with golden patterns standing above them, surveying the group. Kong Guli was so frightened that he took several steps back. Kong Guxi was startled and immediately knelt in reverence. All the people of Xuanyue, whether they had seen him before or not, recognized him as a True Person. For a moment, no one remained standing on the mountain, only a chorus of respectful salutations.

As Kong Guxi knelt, he stole a quick glance. Li Ximing's expression showed little fluctuation, but with his Xuanyue sect having just delivered the ancestor's orders concerning both Shanjia and the sect's main gate, Kong Guxi couldn't help but feel a profound, unbidden terror.

He knelt firmly, and only then did he hear the True Person speak, his voice calm and unhurried: "Bring Kong Haiying's soul lamp."

Kong Guxi felt a chill seep from his very core down to his soles. This sect leader couldn't grasp the full extent of the Purple Mansion cultivators' struggles and grand strategic maneuvers, but based on the unfolding situation, he had already sensed too many unfavorable developments. He merely replied respectfully, "This junior obeys your command."