Chapter 761: Migration to Summer

Moon-Gazing Lake.

Brilliant sunlight illuminated Pingyazhou. The shadows of the pavilions fell upon the steps, climbing upward layer by layer. Kong Guxi knelt before the palace gate, while cultivators hurried past on either side, ignoring him.

The Xuan Yue Mountain Gate's formation was easily breached, the ancestral land lost, and Shanji fell. Fu En, who was in secluded cultivation for a breakthrough, died suddenly, and the energy of Gen Earth surged skyward. True Immortal Ye Hui himself appeared at the Xuan Yue Mountain Gate, shaking the wilderness. Every member of the Kong family pounded their chests and stamped their feet in despair.

Xuan Yue had treated its people and cultivators well, and its influence and teachings were extensive. All 500,000 residents, including the main clan and their in-laws, who had migrated there, wept, their laments filling the wilderness and soaring to the heavens.

Xuan Yue could almost be declared annihilated. Kong Guxi, who had prepared for this, was not surprised. Despite his profound grief, he still worked to stabilize the situation.

The only reason he had abandoned the wilderness and rushed here to seek an audience was this:

True Immortal Zhaojing Li Ximing had not appeared for four months, while True Immortal Ye Hui was safe and sound, having appeared in Shanji County several times.

Even more critically, according to rumors among aristocratic immortal sects, True Immortal Zhaojing Li Ximing had been harmed by a combined attack from Ye Hui and another True Immortal. It was unknown if he had fallen, but he was at least gravely injured in the East Sea.

Upon hearing this, Kong Guxi's legs turned to jelly. When he also heard that the Fuchu Nan region to the north had been attacked, and having a pretext, he came to the island to pay respects to Li Jiangqian.

At present, none of the surrounding cultivators paid him any attention; some even rolled their eyes and whispered amongst themselves. The more Kong Guxi observed, the more alarmed he became. Kong Qiuyan, kneeling behind him, didn't even dare to raise her head, remaining perfectly still.

After a while, someone from above relayed an order:

“Lord Kong, the Young Master requests your presence.”

Kong Guxi quickly gathered his robes and hurried up, passing through two palace doors. He saw a young man in dark red robes seated in the main position—it was Li Jiangqian, who now managed the household. A woman in a long cloud-brocade dress stood beside him—it was Li Quewan.

Li Jiangqian had been sitting sleeplessly in this hall for five days. Not just him, but the senior members of the Li family were making frequent moves, while those below were utterly silent. To put it bluntly, the entire Li family, from top to bottom, was as silent as ice.

The current situation was truly difficult. Kong Guxi was no longer the Xuan Yue Sect Master of old, whom everyone avoided. Now, nobody paid him any mind, and without information, he couldn't grasp the situation. He had already sensed something unusual, and others certainly had too.

Although the other party was only at the Qi Cultivation stage, Kong Guxi still respectfully paid his respects:

“Greetings, Young Master.”

“Lord Kong, you are too polite.”

Li Jiangqian showed no signs of panic, calmly responded, and asked:

“Does Lord have urgent matters?”

Seeing Li Jiangqian's composed demeanor, Kong Guxi felt a measure of calm. His sole purpose for this visit was to see the Li family members and Li Jiangqian, who managed the household, so he could understand his own situation. Not daring to ask too many questions, he respectfully said:

“We were originally guarding the wilderness, but unexpectedly, a group of cultivators arrived from the east, claiming to be from Scarlet Reef Island and intending to gather vital energy. I did not dare to stop them... so I came to consult with the Young Master first.”

Li Jiangqian subtly clenched his sleeve, then quietly asked:

“Gather what kind of energy?”

Kong Guxi replied:

“The Guo family said they wanted to gather the energy of the myriad people's sorrowful wails. True Immortal Ye Hui over in Shanji County... has already agreed. My wilderness still has 500,000 people, all loyal devotees, each worth ten. The Guo family hopes to gather energy here.”

‘They came quickly…’

Li Jiangqian was silent for a moment.

The relationship between the Li family and Scarlet Reef Island was extremely tense. Although they had not yet met at the Violet Palace level, there had always been many underlying grudges. Scarlet Reef was on good terms with Duxian Dao, and with this group's arrival, the situation became extremely complicated.

If Li Ximing were truly at home, waving his hand to drive Scarlet Reef away would be nothing... The fear was that Li Ximing was currently absent, and Duxian Dao was colluding with Scarlet Reef Island, using this as an excuse to intervene on the East Shore…

‘True Immortal Ye Hui of Duxian Dao, having fought with our True Immortal, can probably confirm that our True Immortal is not on the lake. This is trouble…’

He nodded and said:

“I understand. Please wait for a moment, Lord. I will consult with the elders before replying to you.”

Kong Guxi quickly nodded and retreated, trembling with trepidation. Some things didn't need to be asked; simply by making the trip, the atmosphere of the entire situation revealed too much.

After the man left, the grand formation within the hall sealed and activated. Li Jiangqian sat down, somewhat fatigued, and quietly said:

“Wan'er, I know your cultivation is important, but calling you out this time is because the matter is simply too significant.”

Li Quewan, somewhat uneasy, asked:

“True Immortal…”

“True Immortal…”

“Indeed, he hasn't returned for several months.”

Li Jiangqian rubbed his wrist and said:

“Not returning for several months is a minor matter; Duxian Dao's reaction is what's truly alarming. Situ Mo has crossed the mountains again, eyeing Fuchu Nan covetously. Duxian Dao has already settled Shanji County, and the East Shore is becoming increasingly unstable.”

“Elders Ming Gong and Cheng have both gone to Fuchu Nan, Ding Weizeng and others have gone to the East Shore, and Father is in secluded cultivation. Thus, once fighting begins, we can only protect either the wilderness or Fuchu Nan.”

Li Quewan said:

“The elders' meaning is…”

“Protect Fuchu Nan.”

Li Jiangqian's gaze was heavy as he replied:

“In my opinion, with Duxian moving south, Zi Yan Sect and Sword Sect cannot stand idly by. Shanji County is easy for Duxian to attack but difficult to defend, so it cannot be held long-term. Once some compromise is reached and they withdraw, the wilderness cannot be retained either.”

“And if the wilderness is lost, the Xiao family will also be uneasy. Fuchu Nan belongs solely to our family, but the wilderness does not. The wilderness, once lost, is easy to reclaim; Fuchu Nan, once fallen, is difficult to save.”

Li Quewan nodded in agreement, then said with concern:

“But this Scarlet Reef Island matter…”

She paused, glanced at Li Jiangqian, hesitated, then continued:

“Currently, it is only those at the Violet Palace level and the immortal sects who know something has happened to our True Immortal. On the surface, we can maintain calm, but one step back, and everyone, high and low, inside and out, will know something is wrong with our family. Since Brother is preparing countermeasures, the wilderness can be relinquished, but sooner or later, our true situation will be revealed anyway.”

Li Jiangqian exhaled and replied:

“Kong Guxi isn't making any fuss, not shedding a single tear; he's too understanding. If a dumber head of a family had caused trouble, our family would have had a good reason to abandon the wilderness, let him rebuild Xuan Yue, and act as a shield beside it. The wilderness wouldn't have been lost directly from my hands, and our true situation would have been revealed later…”

Li Jiangqian pondered for a moment, then called for someone and instructed:

“Go clarify with Kong Guxi: Scarlet Reef should not even think of stirring up trouble in our territory. If they want to gather resentment energy, tell them to go back overseas to their own lands; they have more than enough there, why bother coming to our family's domain?”

The person withdrew, and only then did Li Jiangqian pull out a letter, turning his head with a frown, appearing somewhat impatient, and said:

“I'll write to Jiangxia now. The wilderness can be abandoned, as long as the Xuan Yue people withdraw safely. Tell that boy to preserve his life for me. If he dies at the hands of Duxian or Scarlet Reef, I, as his elder brother, will still have to avenge him.”

Li Quewan nodded silently, watching as another person ascended from below, emerging from the shadows like the wind. He wore a dark black magical robe, with a piece of dark jade at his waist, and his expression was grave. Li Jiangqian quickly stepped back, respectfully saying:

“Little Uncle Master.”

Li Chenghuai nodded and replied:

“I went to the north. Duxian Dao made a move, sending Wang He here, intending to integrate the power of the Jiangbei Wang family.”

The Fuchu Nan Wang family was involved in their family's strategic arrangements in Xiaoshi Mountain to the north and also concerned Fuchu Nan's stability. This was no small matter, so Li Jiangqian asked:

“How is the situation? Our family has some trouble now, and Wang Quwan is in secluded cultivation on the lake. With the head of the Fuchu Nan Wang family absent, they probably cannot resist Wang He's might…”

Li Chenghuai unexpectedly shook his head and replied:

“The person in charge of the Wang family… is Wang Quyu, Wang Quwan's younger brother. He overruled all objections and firmly refused to see Wang He, turning him away at the gate. He then set out from home with a group of clansmen to meet your younger brother, and they have now integrated into various mountains to defend together.”

Li Jiangqian nodded gently, pacing back and forth in his seat twice. This was the first piece of good news he had heard in a long time. Li Chenghuai also seemed somewhat satisfied, merely replying:

“I originally thought that if we encountered trouble, Fuchu Nan would be the first to become unstable… After all, more than half of the Wang family's clansmen and their main branch are in Duxian. Now, by providing timely help, they have stabilized Fuchu Nan…”

“Although they still cannot escape the suspicion of hedging their bets, this move by the Wang family genuinely has benefits. Once things settle down, they should be rewarded.”

Li Jiangqian nodded:

“The Wang family is deeply rooted in Jiangbei and has the capital to hedge their bets. His elder brother is in secluded cultivation on the lake, so naturally, he cannot meet Wang He. It only goes to show that Wang Quyu has good control over his own branch of the family.”

Li Chenghuai sighed. Li Jiangqian then recounted the Scarlet Reef Island matter, and Li Chenghuai's mood, which had just brightened with good news, sank again. He replied:

“The cultivators from Scarlet Reef are not easy to deal with. Their 'merging fire' damages life and is most venomous. It's better to ask Elder Cheng.”

East Shore.

The dense forest was located in the center of the East Shore. Continuing further east, at the border between the wilderness and the East Shore, stood a mountain. It wasn't particularly grand, but it had many pavilions, and cultivators came and went, making it quite lively.

In the great hall at the mountaintop, the burly man with golden eyes exhaled and rose. Daylight streamed in as he stepped down, and several trusted confidants immediately approached him, respectfully saying:

“Third Young Master!”

Li Jiangxia raised his chin and said:

“How much time has passed?”

“Reporting, Sir, two months have passed.”

Li Jiangxia had extremely high cultivation talent, second only to his elder brother Li Jiangqian in the family. His resources were also top-notch. Whenever he cultivated, he never worried about cultivation bottlenecks, only about his cultivation not being solid enough or not having enough magical techniques. He spent two months breaking through to the fifth layer of Qi Cultivation, still feeling somewhat at ease, and asked with concentration:

“Have you seen the True Immortal?”

He commanded the various families on the East Shore and was known for his generosity and forthrightness, naturally attracting a group of loyal confidants. Along with a host of minor officials from the East Shore, all came to pay their respects upon hearing the news. When he asked, everyone hesitated and shook their heads.

Li Jiangxia's expression immediately soured. He asked everyone to recount the latest news, his eyelids twitching as he listened. Then he asked again:

“Where are the various Lords stationed?”

The cultivators lowered their heads and mumbled, when a guest elder stepped forward. He seemed to be from the wilderness, at the early Qi Cultivation stage, and had only recently pledged allegiance in recent years. His surname was Fu, and he had switched allegiance from Xuan Yue long ago.

This man seemed rather shrewd, and he chuckled:

“Reporting, Young Master, my family received news from Kong Guxi that Lords Ming Gong and Cheng are both in the Fuchu Nan region.”

Upon hearing this, Li Jiangxia raised his eyes, took note of the man, glanced around, and waved his sleeve, saying:

“Everyone, return to your duties. There's no need for so many people…”

He paused, then said with a half-smile:

“Guest Elder Fu, stay.”

Everyone quickly withdrew, leaving only a few trusted confidants in the hall. Just then, a Jade Court Guard came up from below the hall, delivering a letter. Li Jiangxia opened and read it, saying simultaneously:

“You are well-informed.”

He quickly scanned the letter in his hand, seeing that his elders were indeed all in Fuchu Nan, and immediately understood:

‘Scarlet Reef Island is also getting involved… Li Jiangqian intends to abandon the wilderness… This is not a bad strategy; it's easy for Xuan Yue Sect cultivators to relocate. But Li Jiangqian, oh Li Jiangqian… have you considered the 500,000 common people in the wilderness?’

‘Both Scarlet Reef Island and Duxian Dao are undoubtedly looking to profit. Once this place is abandoned, those two factions won't play any tricks like relocating people to fill Shanji… they'll simply devour everything and take it all away!’

He was feeling annoyed, so he waved his hand, dismissing the Jade Court Guard. Guest Elder Fu, pleased with the praise, stepped forward. Seeing that only Li Jiangxia's confidants were around, he cupped his hands and whispered:

“Young Master, Duxian Dao is eyeing us covetously and will certainly advance their troops eastward. The wilderness and the East Shore have long benefited from your grace and serve as our arms; they should not be lost. I hope Young Master prepares early.”

Li Jiangxia clasped his hands behind his back and asked:

“Prepare for what?”

Guest Elder Fu whispered:

“Wait for Duxian Dao to attack, then first abandon a few strongholds on the connected shores. When the enemy reaches Fuchu Nan, dispatch troops to the Second Young Master's side to relieve pressure. Once Xuan Yue's formations can no longer withstand Duxian, it would be advisable to relinquish the wilderness, consolidate, and retreat to the East Shore. The elders will certainly be concerned enough to come to the rescue, and though the wilderness is lost, Young Master's power will be fully preserved.”

Li Jiangxia understood perfectly, immediately grasping his meaning. He shot a glance at him and said:

“On the contrary, if the elders come to save the East Shore, Fuchu Nan would be caught in a pincer attack by Tangjin and Duxian. With the retreat routes cut off by cultivators crossing the river, Second Brother's forces would surely scatter completely, losing both land and people.”

Guest Elder Fu merely smiled without speaking, but then saw Li Jiangxia put away the letter and look up at him. Those golden eyes gleamed, and as he lifted a foot, revealing a black iron boot with golden patterns, Guest Elder Fu was stunned:

“Young Master, this is…”

“Bang!”

He felt a mighty force strike him, receiving a heavy kick to the chest. A sound of cracking bones erupted, and he flew through the air, crashing with a thud against a pillar, then rolling and breaking several more pillars, before spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Li Jiangxia's gaze was chilling, as if he would devour him alive the next moment. He took a step forward, and with a swift motion, drew the shining sword from the hand of a nearby confidant with a 'clang,' pointing it at Guest Elder Fu's brow.

“You son of a bitch… My brothers and I might squabble sometimes, and if power is to be seized, it'll be one Li seizing power from another Li… But what are you? How dare you come here to sow discord and engage in such treacherous schemes?!”

Guest Elder Fu didn't know where Li Jiangxia got such strength. His chest felt a burning pain as he opened his eyes to see a pair of fierce golden pupils glaring at him. None of the usual forthrightness and generosity could be found; instead, there was a terrifying harshness.

“Young Master!”

Li Jiangxia pressed the sword against his neck. The confidants nearby, who had long known this man was courting disaster but had not expected such egregious misbehavior, immediately pleaded for him, saying softly:

“The Fu clan is, after all, an external family of Xuan Yue. At this critical time… it's not advisable to…”

‘Xuan Yue…’

Li Jiangxia paused, grabbed his collar, and lifted him with one hand. The young man was already burly, and Guest Elder Fu was sweating profusely from the pain, yet he heard the young man before him say coldly:

“If word of your actions gets out, everyone in Xuan Yue will have to kneel on Pingyazhou. Kong Guxi would flay you alive to protect his ancestors' lineage!”