Chapter 260: Little Tianling

Having hosted and won the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, the Zuoqiu Clan had no turning back. They would either become the master of the Lingxiao Realm, or their clan would be annihilated.

Therefore, there could be no mistakes regarding the Hidden Dragon's allegiance. What the Zuoqiu Clan wanted was not just the support of the Duer Monastery, but also significant influence. Just as Tang Wanqiu had once sighed, "Heaven's will has been determined," if everyone believed that destiny favored the Zuoqiu Clan, they would flock to join and ally with them, causing their power to grow like a snowball.

Yin Jun said, "Actually, the Zuoqiu Clan only needs a reputation, and currently, you also need this reputation to add a layer of protective glory. I don't see anything wrong with it... Don't make a long face; you're getting a good deal and still complaining. Zuoqiu Hongting's talent, abilities, and appearance are unparalleled in this era. Countless people worldwide would envy you for marrying her."

Li Weiyi replied, "I'm not distressed about the marriage alliance! It's just that we had already decided to step down from the spotlight and hide in the trough. Now, aren't we being pushed into even greater turmoil?"

Yin Jun asked, "Are you afraid of being dragged into the world's conflicts by the Zuoqiu Clan?"

Li Weiyi said, "It's not exactly fear... sigh, never mind. This is my own doing; I can't blame anyone else. What happened in the cave earlier was indeed inappropriate. Zuoqiu Ting, or Zuoqiu Hong, has always acted with integrity and sincerity towards me, never with ill intent, and she's helped a lot. I shouldn't have teased her like that; women and men are always different, they don't have the same casual magnanimity."

Yin Jun patted his shoulder and laughed, "Just with those words, I think Zuoqiu Hongting will look at you with even more respect. Actually, having her, an astonishing young emperor, out in front can largely shield you from outside attention."

Li Weiyi and Yin Jun returned to the council hall. First, they expressed their remorse and apology to Zuoqiu Ling, then they promised to take responsibility for Zuoqiu Hongting, and so on.

Once the discussion concluded, the engagement was finalized. Yin Jun and Zuoqiu Ling discussed the specific details, while Li Weiyi exited the council hall.

Outside, the setting sun descended in the west, and the sky was ablaze with brilliant hues.

Li Weiyi descended the winding stone steps, heading down from the Third Heaven. Zuoqiu Hongting, having restored her true appearance, stood tall and graceful in a green Taoist robe, like a startled swan, waiting on the path Li Weiyi had to take to return.

She stood by a duckbill-shaped cliff protrusion, below which a vast expanse of peach branches stretched out like a pink ocean. Her hands were clasped within her wide sleeves, a wooden hairpin adorned her hair, and a Taoist ruler hung from her waist. It was just a back view, yet it exuded a tranquil, ethereal, almost fairy-like charm, possessing an ineffable, otherworldly beauty, as if she might ascend into the sky on the wind at any moment.

Li Weiyi gazed at her back for a long time, realizing she was waiting for him, then walked over.

Zuoqiu Hongting did not turn around, but gazed at the evening clouds, saying, "About fourteen years ago, when I was nine, the sky looked just like this when the news of my father's death, due to the 'Xiao Tian Decree,' arrived from Lingxiao City."

"From then on, filled with hatred, I entered the Zuoqiu Hidden Sect to cultivate, appearing as a boy and deliberately opposing the 'Xiao Tian Decree.'"

"As I grew older, my disguise as a boy became unsustainable, so I had to train in transformation techniques. I knew I was no match for the Great Palace Master and might never exact my revenge, but... simply appearing as a man felt like I was challenging her, which somewhat appeased the hatred from my childhood."

Li Weiyi listened silently, then sighed, "I'm sorry! Actually, Jiang Ning told me your secret a long time ago."

Zuoqiu Hongting's face, illuminated by the evening glow, was fair and radiant, with an exquisitely beautiful side profile. She said, "So, all those 'ghostly words' like 'watching the sky at dawn and clouds at dusk, thinking of you walking, thinking of you sitting,' were just meant to tease me?"

Li Weiyi gave a wry smile. "Not entirely! In this world, any man who has seen your breathtaking beauty, who would dare to say you're not beautiful? Who wouldn't want to get close to you?"

"Get close to me? Are you this direct when talking to other women? Like Jiang Ning, for instance?" Zuoqiu Hongting's delicate eyebrows raised slightly.

Li Weiyi said, "I swear to heavens, it's only in front of you that I can speak so carelessly. Because I still regard you as a brother. With you, there's no need to pretend or hold back; I can joke, tease, and even scold. If it were Jiang Ning, I'd definitely be proper, maybe just exchange a few insults at most, but I wouldn't dare to tease her like this."

"Yes, it would be great if we could just stay brothers!" Zuoqiu Hongting sighed, then continued, "The chaos in the world is unavoidable. The return of Qilin Zang has further escalated the unrest and danger, making the situation even more complicated."

"If the Zuoqiu Clan wants to seize control of the world, they must secure the support of the Duer Monastery."

"Li Weiyi, regarding our engagement, I don't know if you're truly willing or if you're being coerced. But rest assured, this is just for a few years; the world won't remain in chaos forever."

"Once the Zuoqiu Clan unifies the twenty-eight provinces, you can break off the engagement anytime. If you don't wish to, once the world is stable, we can also become true dao companions and genuinely marry."

She continued, "From a brother's perspective, it would actually be a good thing if this opportunity allows you to sever ties with Jiang Ning."

"I've never seen a brother like you, breaking up couples! No, I should call you my fiancée now... My head aches, I really can't face you with a normal mindset anymore..." Li Weiyi rubbed his temples, finding this sudden engagement overwhelming.

Zuoqiu Ting and Zuoqiu Hongting were completely different personalities. At this moment, she was just as she described herself: "warm on the outside, cold on the inside." After revealing her true appearance, she was truly exceedingly aloof, rarely smiling, quiet as a secluded orchid, and exuded an aura that kept people at a distance.

Zuoqiu Hongting said, "From a fiancée's perspective, I would even more actively prevent the two of you."

Li Weiyi's smile faded. "You mean, even with Qilin Zang's return and the rising power of the demon race, the major human factions still can't unite? And the conflict with the imperial court can't be resolved?"

"Why? Is there anything more threatening than the demon race?"

Realizing something, Li Weiyi said, "Is it because of the 'Xiao Tian Decree'? What exactly is the 'Xiao Tian Decree'? Everyone seems to be extremely secretive about it, as if they dare not even mention it." He had only heard Yin Twenty-Four say that the "Xiao Tian Decree" seemed to mean precisely what it said.

Zuoqiu Hongting's eyes became deep, and her thoughts drifted back fourteen years. "Take the lower part of the character 'kill' and the upper part of the character 'man,' and you get 'Xiao Tian'."

"'Kill Men Decree'?" Li Weiyi's scalp tingled with horror. He instantly understood why there were rebels everywhere, why the conflict between the rebels and the imperial court was irreconcilable, and why everyone said the Great Palace Master was insane... This was definitely madness, and not a minor case. No wonder the imperial court, despite its immense power, could only control eight provinces. No wonder even core imperial court members like Jiang Ning had directly stated that the Great Palace Master had become dark and paranoid, lost herself, fallen into an internal abyss, and made a grave mistake. No wonder those human factions preferred to align with the demon race.

Zuoqiu Hongting said, "Objectively speaking, a thousand years ago, the Great Palace Master indeed carved out a new realm for Lingxiao, and without her, the current twenty-eight provinces wouldn't exist."

"For a thousand years, she truly governed diligently and cared for her people like her own children; this was something everyone in the realm could feel."

"No one knows what exactly she encountered."

"First, she found the ancient legendary Mother-Child Spring, then she encouraged large-scale cultivation of Benevolent Rice. Until fourteen years ago, the 'Xiao Tian Decree' was finally issued."

"Lingxiao City was the first to suffer. Anyone unwilling to be castrated was to be killed. Overnight, the situation changed drastically, and countless lives were lost. Of course, there were also countless who complied, and eunuchs and castrated men were born in large numbers."

"Fortunately, after issuing this decree, the Great Palace Master seemed to have encountered a major problem, locking herself away in her palace and not appearing since."

"Therefore, once the 'Xiao Tian Decree' left Lingxiao City, its power greatly diminished, making it extremely difficult to implement in various provinces. Moreover, men across the land went into hiding, so the Lingxiao Realm didn't truly become a land of women."

"However, this decree became a tool for those with ulterior motives to attack rival forces, and it provoked immense opposition. For several years, killings were incessant, and conflicts raged endlessly."

"One 'Xiao Tian Decree,' a thousand miles shrouded in white.""Those weeping at gravesides at midnight are all the unfortunates who survived."

"Some, like me, lost their fathers. Others lost husbands, sons, or brothers..."

"A few years later, war finally erupted and quickly swept across the land. Rebel armies rose in every province, and even the imperial court itself was plagued by continuous unrest."

Zuoqiu Hongting looked at Li Weiyi. "Tell me, under such circumstances, who can truly unite with the imperial court? Even though the 'Xiao Tian Decree' has long existed only in name, as long as it isn't revoked, it remains a blade hanging over everyone's heads."

"What if one day the Great Palace Master emerges from her palace and, with her prestige and cultivation, reimplements this decree? What a catastrophe that would be?"

"Do you understand now? If you were truly recruited by Jiang Ning into the imperial court, you would undoubtedly be among the first to suffer if the 'Xiao Tian Decree' were ever to resurface."

Li Weiyi had not lived through that era, so it was hard for him to empathize, but merely listening to her account, he could feel the uncertainty and danger caused by the 'Xiao Tian Decree'.

The problem was far more severe than he had imagined.

The fate of the world, all its knots, were tied to one person. Was this the power of the realm's foremost figure? Her every word and action determined the lives and deaths of countless people.

Could Chan Hai Guanwu untie this knot? Originally, Li Weiyi had been vehemently opposed to Chan Hai Guanwu going to Lingxiao Palace, but now, his resolve began to waver.

If she succeeded in making the Great Palace Master issue an edict of self-reproach and revoke the 'Xiao Tian Decree,' only then would there be a possibility for the major human factions to unite against the demon race. Conversely, if the Great Palace Master were to emerge herself and reimplement the 'Xiao Tian Decree,' or even become darker and more paranoid... the Lingxiao Realm would undoubtedly transform into a living hell.

After Li Weiyi parted ways with Zuoqiu Hongting, he returned to the place where the Jiuli Tribe's martial cultivators were recuperating.

The meat of the Silver Feather Demon King had already been cooked. Perhaps because the ingredients were top-notch, the taste was surprisingly good. After eating their fill, everyone felt their bodies grow warm, and their vital energy rapidly increased. So, they collectively practiced martial arts techniques, refining their physical bodies.

Meanwhile, engagement invitations for Li Weiyi and Zuoqiu Hongting were being sent out like snowflakes throughout the city.

Due to the large-scale transcendental combat, the major forces that participated in the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival were still staying in Qiuzhou City.

The engagement banquet was set for three days later, on the twenty-fifth day of the first lunar month.

The Zuoqiu Clan was in a hurry, wishing to finalize everything before the transcendental combat concluded.