Chapter 1783: Three Person (I)

Diyan's expression remained calm as he watched Li Ximing in silence.

He had already explained things, and Li Ximing finally took his words to heart. With his Dao conduct, not only could he find no fault whatsoever in Diyan's reasoning, he could even follow the logic from beginning to end without the slightest hitch.

His heart is set on attaining the Intercalary Position. If Zhouwei succeeds, then he can take the proper path of the Orthodox Dao and attain his position through alignment. If Zhouwei fails, then he will seek the Dao through peril.

Li Ximing fell silent for a moment before saying, "Since that is the case, senior has invited me here several times. I presume there must be some important matter you wish to advise me on."

The crimson and golden winds surging through the great hall instantly subsided as Diyan stepped forward and replied, “I would not presume to call it advice. Qusi resides in the outer-sea, and the reason it has managed to survive to this day is precisely because it had little involvement in the campaign to eradicate Bright Yang. The only reason the great ones above are willing to tacitly allow me to meet you today is also because I can help further the matter concerning Bright Yang...

"Ultimately, it is beneficial to them. There is only one thing I wish to tell the imperial scion. In the world as it stands today, I, Yin Huan, walk the same path as the King of Wei. It would have been more appropriate to discuss this matter with the King of Wei himself, but with his White Qilin identity, it is unsuitable for him to enter this [Radiant Suppressing Three-Yang Hall]. I do not know when I might have the chance to meet him, so I must trouble your highness to convey my words."

His pupils shifted slightly as he continued, "If the King of Wei is willing to trust me, I have three people in mind whom I would ask him to keep an eye on."

Li Ximing's expression turned solemn, but he did not dare agree outright. He merely replied, "I will be sure to convey your words exactly."

Diyan raised his brows and said, "The first is Yin Lie[1], one favored by West Lesser Yang, ruler of the Xiangxiong Kingdom, wielder of the Windhorse Profound Banner, and master of the Pure Victory Dao. I was once on good terms with him, and our friendship spanned a hundred years.

"Though his Pure Victory Dao belongs to the Devil Dao, he has designs on Lesser Yang. When the need arises, he can become an ally to the King of Wei."

Diyan's voice grew much quieter as he said, "West Lesser Yang is at bitter odds with Luoxia, and the enmity between them runs astonishingly deep. Although West Lesser Yang now only pretends to submit, if there is a chance to obstruct Luoxia's grand designs, they will not refuse."

Li Ximing's expression darkened. Somewhat surprised, he hesitated for a moment before replying, "My clan nearly came into conflict with the Pure Victory Dao. Even though we have yet to meet them face to face, one of my friends has already been injured at the hands of Pure Victory Dao."

Diyan immediately grew wary. He took a solemn step forward and said in a grim voice, "It would be best to abandon whatever can be abandoned. West Lesser Yang keeps a low profile now, and none of its former brazen conduct remains. These days, it only acts when something absolutely must be done. Getting entangled with them can cost you your life."

The strange sight surrounding Fuxun instantly surfaced in Li Ximing's mind, leaving him even more shaken in hindsight. He remained silent, while Diyan paced anxiously for a couple of steps before finally shaking his head and continuing, "The second is a man from western Shu. His surname is Shangguan and his given name is Mi. He is the junior of a close friend of mine. If a great war breaks out between Shu and Song and he happens to fall into the King of Wei's hands, please spare his life and have him serve the King of Wei."

Li Ximing immediately raised his head and said solemnly, "With the Grand Daoist Master's favor to consider... Tingzhou will certainly..."

Before he could finish, however, Diyan waved a hand to interrupt, "It is not merely for my sake. The Shangguan Family traces its ancestry to Guanlong, and was one of the Six Surnames. Their noble title was Luanfu, and they were loyal vassals of Wei who cultivated Radiant Fire.

“Although they have since changed their Dao lineage, Shangguan Mi himself is exceptionally gifted. Despite his young age, his Dao conduct is already extremely profound, and his Divine Thunder is formidable. If the King of Wei can bring even this one former vassal into his fold, there will certainly be great benefits."

Only then did Li Ximing understand. He quickly asked, "But if the two states go to war, with Cultivation and Martiality above them, how could a single Daoist Master simply defect to the other side? What's more, even if he were subdued in battle, his entire clan would still remain within his homeland..."

Diyan replied, "That is not difficult. The Shangguan Family is based in the three prefectures of Huayan, west of Tongmo. If war breaks out between the two states one day, once that region is conquered, his entire clan can naturally be kept under control. As for what you said about Cultivation and Martiality being above them..."

A mocking smile curled at the corner of Diyan's lips as he finished, "It is true that Cultivation and Martiality stands above them, but which one will ultimately become the [True Essence]? That is far harder to say. Before either [True Essence] attains the Dao, the might wielded by these two emperors is nowhere near as terrifying as you imagine."

Li Ximing committed those words to memory but did not involve himself in such a weighty subject. Diyan paused, then said quietly, "There is one final person. He is a junior of mine, a direct descendant of the Yin Family named Yin Juexi. You saw him just now."

Li Ximing immediately understood and replied, "The one cultivating before the hall?"

Diyan nodded and said softly, "Precisely. He has cultivated for many years and is now at the crucial stage of seeking a divine ability. Although I cannot say exactly when he will emerge from seclusion, judging by the time that has passed, it should not be long now. He can enter the King of Wei's service as a retainer."

Li Ximing listened with a complicated mixture of emotions and sighed. "How could he possibly be made a mere retainer?!"

Diyan turned slightly and said, "There is nothing the King of Wei is unworthy of."

Seeing Diyan fall silent for a moment, seemingly weighed down by melancholy and pain, Li Ximing sighed and asked, "Since Mount Qusi..."

Diyan shook his head and said, "I mean myself, not Mount Qusi."

Li Ximing abruptly fell silent. Diyan gazed at the flame atop the bronze lamp and slowly continued, "Back then, when our forebear Yin Quan was nearing his end, he was deeply worried. The few descendants he would leave behind had only a shallow cultivation, yet possessed precious treasures. Thus, he traveled all the way to the Southern Sea to seek out an old friend, Patriarch Qu Jie, entrusting to him his entire fortune, his life's legacy, and his blood descendants.

"Patriarch Qu Jie was an ancient cultivator of the Orthodox Dao. He did not touch so much as a fraction of the many spirit items and precious treasures entrusted to him. He even took Yin Quan's descendants as disciples and taught them with great care... Only because of this did my family gradually endure through the generations and eventually inherit Mount Qusi."

Li Ximing immediately understood. Sure enough, Diyan's expression turned solemn. "The Yin Family is the Yin Family, while Qusi is Qusi. Mount Qusi represents not only three generations of my family's labor, but also the inheritance and kindness passed down by our predecessors in this Dao lineage. It cannot be lightly cast aside... Take Kuangyu, for example. She is a formally recorded successor of Mount Qusi, so her position is different."

It was not difficult to understand. Li Ximing repeatedly apologized for his presumption.

No wonder the cultivators of Qusi have always kept a certain distance. All they have done is try to bring me here to meet Diyan. Ultimately, everything concerning Bright Yang is the Grand Daoist Master's personal affair. It has nothing to do with the Dao lineage itself and may even bring it grave danger...

Yet not only do the disciples of Mount Qusi bear him no resentment, they all seem quite supportive. The Grand Daoist Master before me must command extraordinary prestige.

With that, all his lingering doubts connected and resolved themselves at once. Li Ximing immediately understood why Jingyi Mountain had separated from the Southern Sea and established itself far away in the Eastern Sea. He also understood why, despite belonging to a Dao lineage that had split away, Xuanyi remained as close to Mount Qusi as a fellow disciple and still carried himself like a senior brother.

Jingyi Mountain's separation was most likely a contingency, born from fear that the matter of Bright Yang might spiral out of control and ultimately destroy Mount Qusi...

Understanding dawned in his heart, but Diyan seemed to see through his thoughts. He took another step forward and said, "There is no need to read too much into it. Mount Qusi also stands to gain from drawing closer to the King of Wei. In ancient times, the [Southern Lake Sea] was known as the [Southern Lake Waterlands]. It contains numerous treasured lands, abundant Water Virtue, and towering immortal peaks. Those few alone cannot hold such a place. Currently, it is only my divine abilities that keep the others in check.

"Liaoluo has been at the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion Realm for many years. If Tingzhou can provide us with a few decades of breathing room and allow him to take that next step, then Mount Qusi will have someone to rely on in the future... Even if he fails, we would still be spared several decades of deadly conflict..."

This had been the reason Mount Qusi had approached Li Ximing several times before. Hearing it now, it seemed there was indeed an element of killing two birds with one stone.

Yet Li Ximing sensed something amiss and cautiously asked with some alarm, "Grand Daoist Master, there is no need to address me as 'your highness.' I truly cannot bear such an honorific from a Daoist Master whose divine abilities have reached perfection. I fear it may shorten my life... As for Mount Qusi, Tingzhou will certainly do everything in its power to help. But when you say 'the others,' who do you mean..."

1. Yin Lie's surname is 殷, while Yin Huan's surname is 尹. The two surnames are different characters but are both pronounced Yin. The only other character with the surname 殷 so far is Yin Baiyue (殷白月). The characters with surname 尹 are Yin Xinyu (Daoist Master Kuangyu), Yin Huan, Yin Ni and Yin Quan. ☜

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.