Chapter 1713: Variables In Seeking The Dao (I)

Li Zhouwei's words prompted Li Jianglong to raise his head and reply, "Thank you for your recognition, my lord. With turmoil rife in both north and south, it is my good fortune to help shoulder the burdens of my father, Tingzhou, and the Song court..."

Li Jianglong's words made Yang Ruiyi smile and shake his head. He helped the young man to his feet, then turned to Li Zhouwei and said solemnly, "With your highness injured, I should not have disturbed you. However, this matter concerns the Song court and is of great importance.

“His majesty holds your highness in high regard and sent me here, so I took this opportunity to discuss the Purple-Gold Hall with you in person... Otherwise, once your highness enters seclusion to recover, the arrival of the court's immortal decree would only disturb you again."

Li Zhouwei replied politely, "His majesty has considered the matter most thoughtfully. Tingzhou is grateful for his favor."

Then, he noticed Li Jianglong standing silently to the side and said with a nod, "When you go to the imperial capital, you can also take the opportunity to see your younger brother."

Li Jianglong raised his brows and respectfully assented without another word.

Yang Ruiyi had no intention of staying long, and Sima Yuanli and the others naturally had to return with him to deliver their reports, so they all took their leave. Once the various divine ability cultivators departed, the mountain immediately fell silent, leaving only the faint whisper of the wind.

Li Zhouwei remained seated beside the table, silently contemplating the matter. After some time, a subordinate came forward and reported that the old elder had ascended the mountain to see him.

"Invite him up."

Li Xuanxuan usually wore his dark blue robe, but he had now changed into white and draped plain mourning garments over it.

He hurried up through the mountain, then hesitated upon seeing Li Zhouwei and asked, "How are your injuries, Daoist Master?"

Whether addressing Li Ximing or Li Zhouwei, Li Xuanxuan seldom called them by name, and generally began by addressing them as Daoist Master.

Li Zhouwei smiled in reply. "It is nothing serious."

Moongaze Lake had suffered heavy casualties, and Li Zhouwei's prolonged absence had left its people unsettled. His injuries were also an extremely sensitive matter, so at a time like this, only Li Xuanxuan could step forward and ascend the mountain to inquire after him.

Once Li Zhouwei solemnly recounted Yang Ruiyi's words, Li Xuanxuan sat down beside the table and exclaimed in shock, "Profound Holders of the Purple-Gold Hall..."

At the very least, Yang Ruiyi's words would stir up tremendous waves throughout Yue State, overturn the existing order, and draw out countless ambitious figures.

After listening to the entire account, the old man mused aloud, "If the Song court truly has the power to appoint numerous Profound Holders and grant them mystics like those possessed by the Merciful Ones, I fear that virtually no one could resist the temptation."

Li Zhouwei briefly closed his eyes and said thoughtfully, "Yang Ruiyi's meaning was perfectly clear. The Purple-Gold Hall is already a settled matter. He only came to the mountain and informed me in advance out of consideration."

The old man pondered in silence as Li Zhouwei continued, "If he had kept silent about it on the mountain today; waited until I entered seclusion, leaving no one remaining to make decisions for the family; then issued Jiangxia and Jianglong each a decree of reward summoning them to Simin Prefecture, there would be no room to change the outcome. He is not afraid that members of our family will refuse to go. He merely wishes to avoid making the matter look too ugly."

Although Li Zhouwei had never spent much time with his sons, he understood the temperament of those born with golden eyes. No matter how different their personalities might be, they were naturally drawn to wielding power, climbing to greater heights, and pursuing lofty ambitions. The opportunities offered by the Purple-Gold Hall were also immensely valuable. Once the decree was issued, Li Jiangxia and Li Jianglong would certainly go.

"He specifically mentioned Jiangxia. If nothing changes, there should eventually be a position for Jiangxia as well." Li Zhouwei’s golden eyes shifted slightly as he concluded, "With that, the lakeside will be much easier to defend."

Even Li Ximing often fell silent when facing Li Zhouwei, yet the old man seemed more at ease with him than Daoist Master Zhaojing was. He said with a sigh, "Minghuang... Moongaze Lake is too shallow for all of them to establish themselves here... Even with you alone occupying its highest position, there is hardly room for you to stretch your limbs, much less turn over. How much worse must it be for these brothers crowded together beneath a father like you..."

"I understand." Li Zhouwei's expression remained unchanged. Whatever hopeful disappointment he might once have felt had long since left him, replaced by a certain dispassionate calm. He said, "Whether it is Li Jianglong or Li Jiangxia, both are fiercely independent and detest having their hands tied. It is only because I possess a divine ability and can keep them under control that they restrain their conflicts."

He continued quietly, "Emperor Gong of Wei had always enjoyed a good reputation, yet even he could not avoid bestowing a bangle upon his younger brother as though granting one to a servant. Children of Bright Yang are destined to despise one another on sight. They cannot coexist harmoniously while obeying the same father. The higher the inherent rank of their lord father, the more they must fight until only one survives.

"It is not yet obvious, but once they acquire divine ability and can no longer be suppressed, trouble will inevitably follow. What the Song court is doing may not necessarily be a bad thing. Let them go and struggle as they please."

The higher Li Zhouwei's Dao conduct rose, the deeper his understanding of Bright Yang became. His words left the old man silent, while a shadow passed over Li Zhouwei's expression. "Especially Qian'er... He also harbors resentment toward his two younger brothers. Had he not cultivated Radiant Fire, their differences would have become irreconcilable long ago. There can be only one lord father beneath Heaven, and his offspring likewise desire to be their father's only son. Nothing less will allow them to supplant their lord father. Those brilliant golden eyes all represent the same ambition...

"To take his place."

He set down his cup and said softly, "I am no different."

Li Xuanxuan’s lips parted several times as he listened but remained silent for a long while. He suddenly understood why Li Zhouwei had refused to enter Li Jianglong and the others into the Li Family's generational naming order all those years ago.

He anxiously nudged his cup and asked, "Jiangqian... Surely Jiangqian is better than that!"

Li Zhouwei knew what the old man meant and said quietly, "He believes himself unique, that he alone is my true son while all the others are false. Otherwise... he would not be as he is today. Yet that nature within him, that heart of his, can never be erased."

The two fell silent for a while before Li Zhouwei changed the subject and asked, "What were the casualties around the lake?"

Li Xuanxuan heaved a long sigh. "The losses were devastating, but fortunately, they were not large enough to shake our foundations."

The old man continued quietly, "This time was different from the previous years. Most of those lost were at the Embryonic Breathing Realm or mortal soldiers... The Buddhist cultivators and Zhao troops in the north were more interested in capturing people. They either took them prisoner or killed them on the spot to harvest their blood.

“We lost only a little over ten Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators, more than thirty cultivators of various unrefined qi, and four Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators... Two of those four were even men from the Song court stationed in the Wilderness.

"Of the remaining two, one was a rogue Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator who had been relying on our family while cultivating beside the lake. He had always remained on the northern shore. The other was more important. He was Chen Yang's biological son, Chen Jinxi, the principal heir of the Chen Family.

"As for the others who were gravely wounded, Qu Buzhi, the white ape, and the rest have all managed to survive. Zhouda can walk again, while Ding Weizeng and Minggong suffered only minor injuries..."

Li Zhouwei raised his brows in mild surprise and asked, "Chen Jinxi..."

The Chen Family's prestige rested entirely upon Chen Yang. They had finally produced someone like Chen Jinxi, so his death represented a severe blow to their strength. However, every member of the direct line on Moongaze Lake remained alive, so the losses had indeed failed to damage its foundations.

He nodded and said, "The Chen Family must still be appeased. With Jianglong leaving the island, the family will also need someone to serve as its backbone. Does the old elder have anyone in mind?"

Li Xuanxuan stroked his beard and pondered before saying, "Judging by the time, Jiangzong should emerge from seclusion soon. However, blood has been spilled all across the northern shore, and the unrest within the family cannot be left unattended... We should have Minggong take charge of the situation for the time being. Although Zhouming behaves recklessly, Shouyu is capable of handling affairs. We need only have Chen Yang and Jiangxia assist them."

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