Chapter 1776: Unpurple Robe (II)

Clouds drifted among the mountains as the distant rumbling rapidly faded away. Flurries of white snow fell from the treetops and piled up beside the jade bench. Li Ximing stood alone on the mountaintop, pacing slowly as he pondered.

The people from Dayang Mountain have retreated to Mount Bianyan...

He took two incredulous steps across the mountaintop, then raised the golden scroll in his hand. Several bold lines had been written across it in sweeping strokes. Li Ximing read them over and over, sighing inwardly, Appointed Huai-Pacifying General, while also serving as Military Commissioner of Golden Tang...

This could hardly be called a minor reward. The position of Military Commissioner of Golden Tang was already comparable to Liu Bai's Protector-General of Stillness Sea, and now Situ Huo had also been made Huai-Pacifying General. He could be considered the foremost military commander, with almost the entire situation in the north placed in his hands.

Now that the Buddhist cultivators had withdrawn and the dust had settled, once Yang Ruiyi returned to the Wilderness and kept a close watch on Shanji Prefecture, Mount Tangdao would be left in Situ Huo's hands. Likewise, Timber Mountain and the lands along the White River Stream would fall under Situ Huo's command.

Whether it is Chengqian, me, or even Tinglan... All of us are under his command now.

He gave a bitter smile. "So it was Situ Huo!"

The man beside him shook his head slightly and replied, "Thinking about it now, it really should have been him..."

Li Ximing’s companion was not tall, and even carried himself somewhat stiffly. His face was as fair as jade, with a vermilion mark at the center of his brows. The spiritual energy around him shifted unpredictably as he stood quietly on the mountaintop, giving him a truly otherworldly air.

This man's surname was Lian, while his given name was Wo. He was none other than Daoist Master Chengqian of Guoling Peak. He cultivated the [Whole Pill] Dao and was still relatively young. He was also a favored disciple of Daoist Master Xianyao, a Purple Mansion Realm rogue cultivator.

Daoist Master Xianyao cultivated at Guoling Peak and was already quite advanced in age. Li Ximing had heard of the Dao lineage before, but he had never seen any of its disciples traveling the world. Only after asking further did he learn that Daoist Master Xianyao was considered a rogue cultivator.

Daoist Master Xianyao never established a sect. He raised his immortal mountain high into the sky and concealed it with a great formation, cutting himself off from the countless lesser cultivators below... There are hardly any disciples on the mountain, only a few students and relatives. That is why he is regarded as a rogue cultivator.

Although both were considered rogue cultivators, Daoist Master Xianyao was undoubtedly far more thoroughly so than Daoist Master Changxi. Changxi was sometimes derided as a rogue cultivator, but in truth he did have a recognized Dao lineage. It was simply that no one paid much attention to it.

Seeing that Chengqian was easy to talk to, Li Ximing had also asked about his background. Chengqian had attained the Dao around the time the Great Ning Palace descended, making him older than Li Ximing.

Even so, he remained exceedingly humble before Li Ximing. At first, he addressed Li Ximing as 'Senior' at every turn. After Li Ximing persuaded him otherwise several times, he had changed his address to 'Fellow Daoist', though he was still unfailingly polite.

Li Ximing had already been at Timber Mountain for some time and had become fairly acquainted with him.

He has little experience of the world, yet he is very clever. You can hardly tell that he spent all his time cultivating in the mountains before reaching the Purple Mansion Realm. Then again, someone who practically became a Purple Mansion Realm rogue cultivator on his own could hardly have managed it without considerable intelligence.

As Chenqian trailed off, Li Ximing turned to him and asked, "What makes you say that?"

Chengqian smiled modestly and said, "My ancestor had some dealings with him and met him several times. The spirit boots on his feet are formidable. Situ Tang had obtained them from First-Tier Mountain. If we are talking about spirit boots alone, there should be no pair in Jiangnan that can compare. Having clung to life until today, he was bound to throw in his lot with either the north or the south. The only question was which Dao he would choose."

Li Ximing nodded and shook out his sleeve. The [Divided Spirit and Variant Body] had already been restored to perfect condition, smooth and complete, with a faint, shadowy glow. It even looked more lifelike than before.

[Supreme Yin Moonlight] truly is remarkable. The [Divided Spirit and Variant Body] has already recovered to its peak, far faster than my own injuries are healing...

The injuries he had suffered this time were roughly comparable to those from his battle with Helian Wujiang, but with the aid of the [Divided Spirit and Variant Body], the burden was undoubtedly much lighter. Moreover, with the battle over the lake concluded and Guangchan's group withdrawn, Li Ximing had taken a [Treasure Star Body-Spirit Pill] to guard against any renewed conflict. The ancient pill proved extremely effective once swallowed, but recovery was still not something that could be completed in just a few days.

Guangchan...

The monk's strength had far exceeded Li Ximing's expectations. Aside from the fact that he was a descendant of Bright Yang, the most important factor was the four words that Tinglan and the others kept mentioning, [Jeweled Fang Golden Land].

Although Li Ximing only half understood what he had heard, he vaguely sensed that it was connected to the [Jeweled Fang Temple] that had enclosed him during the battle. In all likelihood, its mystic lay in those successive layers that drew people inside one after another.

The first layer was the plaza before the temple, and the second was the hall containing those five golden bodies. There should have been an even deeper inner chamber, but the Herald Ox interrupted it...

The reason Li Ximing had immediately taken out the [Everlasting Prosperity Pearl] was precisely because he had sensed considerable danger in that moment. Tinglan had mentioned that Guangchan was even more formidable in the north, which meant he may not have been at his full strength while fighting over the lake!

Guangchan is certain to become a grave threat in the future. I must find out more about the [Jeweled Fang Golden Land]. I heard that it was left behind by the Undefeated King of Brightness... If it can aid Bright Yang, that would naturally be an excellent thing.

He had specifically asked the Daoist Master beside him about it, but unfortunately, Chengqian knew nothing at all and had never even heard of the object. Thus, Li Ximing had no choice but to let the matter rest. Still, now that the [Divided Spirit and Variant Body] had fully recovered, he had begun making plans.

The northern cultivators have withdrawn and will not be capable of launching another offensive for some time. Perhaps this is my chance to extricate myself and make a trip overseas...

There was another object in his sleeve, a crystal-clear glazed pearl about the size of a fist. It was the [Everlasting Prosperity Pearl] given to him by the old Daoist Master of Mount Qusi, which had once sealed an [Unfettered Herald Ox] within.

The [Everlasting Prosperity Pearl] had provided him with tremendous assistance in this great battle, and had unquestionably been important. After thinking it over, Li Ximing felt he ought to make a trip to Mount Qusi and return the treasure to its owner as an expression of gratitude.

Since he urgently sent the [Everlasting Prosperity Pearl] to the lake, there is a very good chance he knew the power of the [Jeweled Fang Golden Land] and deliberately sent it to help me... He most likely knows exactly what it is capable of!

On the other hand, Li Ximing knew full well that nothing came without a price. The more solicitous Mount Qusi became, the more suspicious he grew.

It is certainly good that the Qusi lineage is friendly toward me, but I cannot allow the favors I owe them to keep piling up. I must find out what they are after before I can decide how to proceed.

Of course, this was only one reason for him to extricate himself... Equally important was the appearance of Situ Huo, the Military Commissioner of Golden Tang!

Yang Ruiyi has always treated me well. If I personally asked him to let me leave for a time, he would most likely agree... But once Yang Ruiyi returns to the Wilderness and Situ Huo takes command of Mount Tangdao, things will be completely different!

Li Ximing naturally understood that his family's relationship with the Golden Tang Gate was far from good. In fact, there was considerable enmity between them. It was only that Situ Tang had been even more adept at making enemies, offending one faction after another so thoroughly that the Li Family's feud with the Golden Tang Gate seemed comparatively mild...

Even so, Li Ximing was equally unwilling to serve under Situ Huo's command. Thus, it would be best if he could extricate himself before authority was formally transferred, and avoid the many troubles that might follow!

Thus, using his injuries as an excuse, he entered his cave dwelling and immediately took out a golden scroll. In earnest terms, he wrote that his own strength was insufficient and that he wished to enlist the aid of Qusi in guarding the mountain for Great Song. He sent the golden scroll into the great void, then immediately cleared his mind. He calmed his qi, and seized the time to focus on healing.

Even if I cannot get away, I should recover as quickly as possible so I can deal with whatever trouble may come...

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