Chapter 1669: Dongli (I)

The winds and clouds churned across the skies of Chongzhou as myriad colors intertwined. The mottled stone gate trembled, shedding wisps of dust.

"I have attained divine ability!”

As the boundless sea of the great void emerged within his spiritual sense, Cui Changfu nearly burst into tears.

How many years has it been? How many years has my Cui Family lived at the mercy of others, forced year after year to watch the moods of every divine ability cultivator who passed through. Even when one or two demonic creatures came our way, we had to receive them with the utmost respect...

At the very least, our island finally has a divine ability cultivator of its own to take charge. We will no longer have to invoke Yangya's name day after day, only to suffer his contempt!

The old man closed his eyes. Like every newly advanced Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, he marveled at the great void described in the ancient texts, his heart overflowing with boundless joy. Then he stepped forward and entered the great void!

In the blink of an eye, Cui Changfu emerged from resplendent heavenly light. Gazing at the brilliant colors that had appeared across the sky because of his breakthrough, he felt immensely pleased with himself. He came to a stop before the golden steps of the great hall, only to find the entrance deserted, as though all the attendants had long since been dismissed.

"Hm?"

Confusion and unease arose in his heart. He placed a hand against the doors of the hall and gently pushed them open.

Creak...

The heavy sound immediately echoed throughout the great hall. Cui Changfu stepped inside, and was greeted by the sight of his clansman, Cui Changyan.

When Cui Changfu entered seclusion, he had been prepared to die. He had entrusted the clan's affairs to Cui Xianye and instructed the elderly Cui Changyan to assist him. Yet Cui Changyan was now seated in attendance at the side, while a young man stood respectfully opposite him, one step higher.

That should be the second eldest of the Juezi generation from back then...

Cui Changfu remembered Cui Jueyin well. He had been the one to recognize the boy's intelligence back then, and had urged Cui Xianye to nurture him carefully. Although several decades had since passed, Cui Changfu still recognized him at a glance.

At the far end of the brightly lit hall, another young man sat in the main seat. He seemed relaxed and at ease. A gold-embroidered sleeve was draped over the armrest, revealing a powerful wrist as he held his teacup steadily in hand.

His face was imposing and fierce, its features cast in alternating light and shadow beneath the heavenly light streaming in from the side of the hall. His golden eyes met the newly advanced Daoist Master's eyes directly across the vast distance between them.

Cui Changfu's mind suddenly went blank. The young man was clearly seated in a casual manner, yet within his pupils, radiant heavenly light and the intense colors of divine ability had already emerged, converging into a brilliant expanse of gold and white.

A Purple Mansion Realm cultivator!

A Purple Mansion Realm cultivator of the Bright Yang lineage!

On the side, tears were already streaming down Cui Changyan's aged face as he gazed across the great hall at Cui Changfu, yet he refused to speak first. Cui Jueyin stepped down and moved aside so that he would not obstruct the two Daoist Masters' view of each other.

Clink...

The porcelain cup was gently set upon the table, its crisp clink echoing through the great hall.

The young man nodded and said, "Congratulations, fellow Daoist."

By all rights, even though Cui Changfu had still been a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator only moments ago, now that he had broken through to the Purple Mansion Realm and was the master of this place, any visiting Purple Mansion Realm cultivator who had taken the main seat before his arrival should have greeted him with a smile and naturally yielded the seat to their host. Yet the young man before him did not rise. Instead, he calmly invited Cui Changfu inside, which was undoubtedly somewhat contrary to proper etiquette.

Cui Changfu, however, felt not the slightest displeasure. Instead, he stared fearfully at those golden eyes as a flash of realization illuminated his mind.

The White Qilin has come...

Whether by status or circumstance, Li Zhouwei was fully entitled to that seat. Cui Changfu showed not the slightest sign that anything was amiss and bowed, speaking in an aged voice, "Cui Changfu of Chongzhou greets your highness!"

He strode forward until he stood before the young man's seat, then lifted the hem of his robe and bowed. "Forgive me for failing to welcome you from afar!"

"Rise."

The golden-eyed young man invited him to take a seat nearby. His expression remained entirely unruffled as he smiled. "Years ago, my family's Daoist Master visited your esteemed family and took quite a liking to Cui Jueyin, so he brought him back and carefully nurtured him. Unexpectedly, your Daoist Master Yangya later summoned him home again. I came to the sea today to attend to some matters, so I stopped by to see how he was doing."

His words struck the old man like a thunderclap. At Cui Changfu's age, how could he possibly fail to understand the meaning behind them? His heart was thrown into turmoil.

Cui Yushan![1] Taking away our Dao lineage, claiming our spirit items, and carrying off our talented descendants was still not enough for you!? Now you would even sacrifice my family to pave the way for yourself to stay safely out of this affair! You... You!

Regardless of whether the Cui Family wished to distance themselves from the matter, how much freedom did they truly have under the dragons? Yangya had clearly abandoned Chongzhou to its fate!

Fury surged within Cui Changfu as he said through gritted teeth, "That Yangya... Yangya cares only for himself and his branch in the Western Sea. He has done nothing but use every means at his disposal to strip Chongzhou of its resources! We could overlook the Dao lineages, and whether it was talented descendants or spirit items, we never dared utter a word of complaint.

“Whenever others asked, I still had to greet them with a smile and say that he was our own family's Daoist Master. Yet when others went to ask him, he lived carefree, as though he did not even know where Chongzhou was... And now he suddenly decides to interfere!"

Cui Changfu lowered his head slightly, gritted his teeth, and sighed. "To tell you the truth, when your elder came to the island years ago and inquired about Bright Yang spirit items, my family could not produce even a single one!"

Perhaps because the disparity in their status had once been so great, everything Yangya did had seemed only natural. Now that Cui Changfu had become a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator and the master of Chongzhou in his own right, many of Yangya's past actions suddenly appeared hateful. The anger on Cui Changfu's face was so genuine that Cui Changyan, seated nearby, froze in surprise and found himself at a loss.

So this is how my elder brother has felt all along... He has been enduring humiliation and bearing this burden in silence. We were the ones who failed to see the greater picture.

Cui Changyan immediately took up the conversation. "Later, when Daoist Master Zhaojing visited Chongzhou again, he likewise asked about spirit items and spirit materials, but our family had none whatsoever... This was precisely why!

"Those things had been handed over to the Dragon King long ago. Even the few scraps that remained were later taken away by Daoist Master Yangya under the pretext of safekeeping... Nothing at all was left on the island!"

Li Zhouwei was not particularly surprised by what he heard. He had met Yangya in the grotto heaven, and had long since learned what kind of person the man was. Rather than responding to Cui Changfu's words, he abruptly changed the subject.

"Your esteemed family's efforts to restore the fortunes of Wei are proof enough of your loyalty. May I ask what connection you have to Dongli?"

Cui Changfu rested a hand on his teacup without speaking, but Cui Changyan showed little hesitation and respectfully replied, "Dongli Sect was founded by the lords Dongli and Donghuo of the Cui Family. The sect master's given name was Mu... His lordship once cultivated in the Immortal Mansion and later served as Grand Tutor at the imperial court. His status and standing were unrivaled throughout the entire dynasty!"

Li Zhouwei murmured, "Hm? Cui Mu?!"

1. Referring to Daoist Master Yangya. ☜

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