Chapter 1774: Four Seasons (II)

Iridescent light flickered faintly in the distance as the cold autumn wind drifted past. The steps were bathed in the setting sun, while the great gleaming silver cauldron still stood within the hall. Although autumn had only just begun, the clear water inside had long since frozen into a shimmering sheet of silver.

The great hall seemed spacious and empty. A white-robed Daoist Master sat at the head with a vermilion brush in hand when the sound of footsteps came from outside. A woman ascended the steps and entered.

She was tall and slender, with delicate, beautiful features. Three white flower petals adorned the space between her brows, lending her an otherworldly air. Her nose was high and straight, and she wore a white dress with a long sword on her back. Her brisk and impetuous temperament was plain to see even in the way she moved.

She saluted before the steps and said softly, "Martial Uncle!"

Wei Xuanyin looked up with a hint of surprise. Before he could speak, the woman before him had already frowned and hurriedly said, "Martial Uncle Wei, it really is impossible to take back Great Primordial Hidden Radiance Mountain!"

Wei Xuanyin pondered for a moment, put away the Daoist manuals in his hand, and replied, "At least for now, we cannot take it back."

The woman anxiously paced a couple of steps and said, "We thought earlier that Shu was strong while Great Song was weak, and that with the King of Wei in seclusion, Great Song would not be able to stir up much trouble in the short term. So we shifted our manpower toward Longdi. Who would have thought we would hold the line there, only to lose more than half of Jiangbei instead!"

Wei Xuanyin sighed quietly and asked, "Was Mount Bianyan at least preserved?"

The woman paused in slight surprise, the brief astonishment making her features seem even more vivid, but she still answered, "Fortunately, it was. [Banished Essence] has already dispersed. Martial Uncle, you are in charge of the [Zhaoyao Four Seasons Cauldron]. How could you not know?"

Wei Xuanyin shook his head and quietly stared at the gleaming silver cauldron. The solid ice within was seemingly indestructible, reflecting a faint silver radiance.

The master of the Pavilion of Profound Order said, "The [Zhaoyao Book] says: 'Spring lies in Horn Wood, and thus life sprouts forth. Summer lies in Dry Fire, and thus the cold is dispelled. Autumn lies in Unified Metal, and thus all things are gathered and stored. Winter lies in Mansion Water, and thus all things are concealed and preserved. United, they mark the passing of the year; divided, they form the four seasons. Cultivate them to aid the proper order, and take them in to nourish the spirit.'

"The [Zhaoyao Four Seasons Cauldron] is indeed a supreme treasure for divination, calculation, and investigation, but the Unified Metal representing autumn has entered containment and withdrawn into Stored Metal. Thus, around the autumnal equinox, the treasure's power declines greatly and is no longer what it once was. It can no longer see things clearly."

Wei Xuanyin tapped the table helplessly and said, "I told all of you to study it properly, but in the end, none of you learned its essence. You should have noticed this long ago!"

The woman replied somewhat sheepishly, "How could I possibly compare with Martial Uncle!"

After thinking it over carefully, she suddenly started and asked, "Could they have planned this deliberately?!"

Wei Xuanyin smiled and said, "Great Song has [Banished Essence]. There would be no need for them to go to such lengths."

He reassured the woman, but his gaze remained profound as he gently ran a hand over the scroll.

Great Song may have no need for it, but other Dao lineages certainly do... The factions in Jiangbei may appear to share the same interests, but there are no shortage of people colluding between north and south for private gain. Naturally, it would be best for them if they could avoid my sight.

He fell silent, but the woman before him spoke, "When I came in just now, I saw Li Jieyi waiting outside... It is rather strange. Dayang Mountain has not even hurried to punish him this time, yet he has rushed here to seek you out, Martial Uncle!"

"He is afraid." Wei Xuanyin sighed, but did not mention the matter of the monk. Instead, he frowned and said, "Baiyue, I told you to head south and find Lanyan. Why did you turn back?"

Yin Baiyue looked aggrieved and gritted her teeth, "What could I do? Senior Brother Ch'i has practically become a different person in the years since he left the mountain! I went to Xuanmiao Temple to find him, but he insisted that I come back, saying none of this would implicate him and that he would bear everything himself... But if something really happens, who in the Pavilion of Profound Order could possibly escape involvement!"

Wei Xuanyin fell silent, lowering his gaze slightly before saying, "That child has grown too impatient. No matter how much I tried to reason with him, he simply would not listen."

Wei Xuanyin had watched these youngsters grow up. Sometimes, out of long habit, he would still instinctively call them children. Yet the moment Yin Baiyue heard the appellation, she sensed something amiss.

She raised her head sharply, her expression changing as she asked, "Martial Uncle, are you..."

Wei Xuanyin composed himself slightly and replied, "Remain in Longdi and hold the line there. There is no need to head east."

Yin Baiyue cupped her hands, suppressing the doubts in her heart, and said with some difficulty, "As for Situ Huo... several factions in the north contacted him more than once, yet in the end he actually threw in his lot with the south... That truly was unexpected."

Wei Xuanyin smiled and said, "He is a clever man. Otherwise, he would have been killed and his body ground to dust long ago. What he wants is to attain a higher level of Dao conduct, but he is unwilling to abandon his true self and casually join the Buddhist cultivators. How could he possibly come north?

"Those battles in his earlier years likely cost him quite a bit of lifespan. Now that time is growing increasingly tight, there are precious few things that can help him cross the Purple Mansion Threshold. It is only natural that he would place himself under Cultivation and Martiality."

Yin Baiyue asked doubtfully, "I heard senior brother say the same thing... He did not seem surprised either. But... But... Geng and Dui is the exclusive preserve of the Golden One Upper Azure. Why did Situ Huo not join Shu, and instead Song?"

Wei Xuanyin nodded. "That is why I called him clever... He has no extravagant hopes of attaining a position. All he wants is to reap enough benefits from this turbulent world and push his cultivation to its peak. Reincarnation may be a remote hope, but if he comes seeking refuge in Buddhism after accumulating merit, would that not follow naturally? He might even be able to avoid being too heavily constrained by others."

His expression was very gentle as he said, "All of you ought to learn from him... Since your minds are clouded and you lack the resolve to pursue the Dao, you should not still be dreaming of making that final step and attaining some Surplus or Intercalary Positions. Do you think attaining Surplus or Intercalary is really that much easier?

"Attaining some Surplus or Intercalary Positions is even harder than Fruition Attainment!"

Yin Baiyue hesitated for a moment before replying, "This disciple understands..."

Wei Xuanyin knew she had not truly taken his words to heart. He could only sigh inwardly that he himself had failed to set a good example, and did not reprimand her further.

He merely waved his hand and said, "Hurry back to Longdi. Send Li Jieyi in before you go."

Yin Baiyue could only bow and withdraw. After quite some time, a monk in pale brown monastic robes finally appeared before the hall. He had a bitter expression as he made his way to the front of the great hall and bowed deeply.

Wei Xuanyin did not look up. He lifted his vermilion brush and lightly traced it along the scroll, then said calmly, "I told you not to head south. Now you have come back carrying the blame for someone else, haven't you!"

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