Chapter 1785: Son And Daughter (I)

After seeing Li Ximing off, Kuangyu rode the wind back to Mount Qusi. Xuanyi and the others were already gone, leaving the pavilion quiet and empty.

Kuangyu headed into the mountain alone, only to find a woman in red waiting in her path. The woman said respectfully, "My lady, the lord wishes to see you."

Kuangyu lowered her hand, a trace of surprise appearing on her face. She gave a slight nod and made her way to the [Radiant Suppressing Three-Yang Hall], where billowing Radiant Essence coursed across the golden platform. She climbed the steps and saw the main seat above awash in brilliant light, while her lord sat amid a deep, somber crimson glow.

She took several more steps forward, bowed in greeting, and said respectfully, "My lord!"

Diyan no longer looked as solemn as before. His features seemed livelier as he sat casually in the main seat, a wine cup in hand, and asked quietly, "What did he say?"

Kuangyu replied, "He asked about the Jeweled Fang Golden Land."

Diyan took a sip of wine and asked, "I insist on pursuing the Dao. Do you resent me for it?"

Kuangyu lowered her head and bowed. "I would not dare harbor resentment... If my lord seeks the Dao, I can only do everything in my power to help you fulfill that wish. I am merely worried about Qusi, and even more worried that..."

Her expression grew complicated as she continued, "If we become too deeply involved and anger one faction or another, might Mount Qusi be dragged into it as well..."

Diyan took another sip of wine and said, "There is no need to worry. Patriarch Qu Jie was, after all, a disciple of [Motongji Palace]. Those above... see this matter differently."

Kuangyu raised her head in some confusion and listened as Diyan continued, "This is precisely where the subtlety lies. In the King of Wei's eyes, we are helping him. But in Luoxia's eyes, are we not also helping Luoxia? Even in the eyes of the dragons, we have done our part as well!

"Although that great figure has not manifested in this world for a very long time, from the standpoint of his interests, this is exactly what he ought to have done. Whether or not he personally gave the order, those great figures will still regard it as his handiwork. Why would they vent their anger on us?"

Kuangyu fell silent for a while after hearing this, then asked, "So my lord had already calculated all of this."

Diyan looked at her with a faint, enigmatic smile and merely sipped his wine without answering.

Who calculated it all? That is not necessarily so!

Kuangyu rose to her feet. Diyan hesitated for a moment, but eventually took out a jade talisman from his sleeve. It was about three fingers wide, with a black base patterned in gold and crimson.

Kuangyu stepped forward and accepted the talisman from his hand. After examining it carefully, suspicion immediately appeared on her face.

She looked up at him as Diyan said calmly, "Back then, I had you cultivate [Yue Cultivating] because I anticipated that the future would be a chaotic age of displacement and upheaval. [Yue Cultivating] is not only adept at preserving one's life, it can also take advantage of such circumstances and offers a chance to attain profound Dao conduct...

"Now that we have become deeply involved in Bright Yang's designs, your Dao of [Yue Cultivating] can borrow some of its might."

Kuangyu's expression changed slightly as she replied, "I have never thought of seeking Gold!"

Diyan shook his head. "I am not asking you to seek Gold. You are merely borrowing its power to better cultivate a divine ability. If what you need is an act of defiance, there are few things more defiant than slaying an emperor."

Kuangyu asked in confusion, "I am confused... My lord has already had my younger clansman cultivate [Yue Cultivating]. Would he not be the more suitable candidate? I am the one inheriting Qusi's legacy..."

Diyan stopped with his cup in hand, a trace of pain seeming to cross his face. Only after a long while did he sigh and say, "This was something your father should have done... His age would have been just right... If he had lived until now, his cultivation would also have been at just the right level. If he had helped the King of Wei carry out this act of defiance, then regardless of whether it succeeded or failed, he would have had some chance of seeking a Surplus Position... If he were still here, I would never have let you become involved in this!"

He shut his eyes tightly. "Damn it... Cen Lufu... was the one who got him killed!"

At the mention of her father, Kuangyu's expression shifted uncertainly, and her spirits sank.

Diyan continued quietly, "With him gone, no one dares shoulder the karma of carrying out Bright Yang's defiance. That leaves only you and your younger clansman to each take a share. With your talents, only then will you have some hope of crossing the Purple Mansion Threshold. If either of you manages to claim the greater share, you might even have a chance to attempt reincarnation.

"That is why I had you draw close to Li Ximing rather than the King of Wei. That is Juexi's role. He will serve openly as a minister, while you form ties from the shadows. Only by relying on Juexi can you claim a larger share of that karma... Without him, it would be very difficult for you to receive much of it."

Kuangyu nodded thoughtfully. Diyan said with earnest gravity, "This is also why I had to speak to him about this today, why I had to make sure he met Juexi, and why I had to have him agree on the King of Wei's behalf beforehand. With Juexi's talent... breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm still carries great danger. Only by letting him partake in the Inherent rank of Bright Yang's defiance will he have a greater chance of successfully attaining a divine ability!"

Realization dawned on Kuangyu, and she let out a deep sigh. "My lord has gone to great lengths for us..."

"There is also the matter of avenging your father... But that is still far off..." Diyan shook his head, cutting off whatever she was about to say. He then closed her fingers around the jade talisman she had been holding indecisively all this while and said, "I will only arrange things for you up to this point... How you walk your Dao path from here, and whether you choose to do this at all, will be entirely up to you."

Perhaps the crimson light in the great hall was simply too intense, for it cast a faint flush over Kuangyu's pretty face. She silently took her leave, leaving Diyan alone in the main seat.

All expression vanished from his face. There was even a trace of loneliness in his gaze as he watched the woman's departing figure. This Grand Daoist Master whose divine abilities had reached perfection was like a bird trapped in a cage, confined within this small hall as he narrowed his eyes and quietly watched Kuangyu leave.

————

Diyan...

Li Ximing flew on a streak of light above the Southern Sea, still deep in thought.

He knew no small number of secrets by now. In fact, Li Zhouwei had discussed nearly eighty or ninety percent of what he himself knew with Li Ximing. As the great powers revealed themselves one after another, probing and testing time and again, an absurd feeling suddenly rose within Li Ximing.

This whole affair with Bright Yang is actually turning into a gambling table!

This gamble had [Bright Yang's Destabilization] as its guaranteed return, the [White Qilin Destiny] as its bonus prize, and the question of 'whether a new sovereign of Bright Yang will emerge' as the grand jackpot. Not only were the great figures of every faction freely placing their bets, but Changxiao, Diyan, Yuandao, and others were taking turns raising the stakes, even going so far as to wager everything they possessed, including their fortunes and their very lives.

The more these people wager, the more it becomes as though the entire world is pushing this forward... leaving no room whatsoever to turn back.

His gaze remained calm as he continued westward alone. Only after an unknown amount of time did the many pavilions along the coastline gradually come into view.

The Stillness Sea Protectorate had originally been the territory of Daoist Master Zhusheng. There had once been a Shahuang Kingdom here, inhabited mostly by Jiaozhi people, but it had since been dismantled and divided into prefectures and counties, all administered by officials of Great Song.

When Li Ximing returned on a streak of light, the mountain was unexpectedly bustling. A group of cultivators knelt inside the hall, not daring to move. Chengqian, dressed in white, sat stern-faced in the main seat, frightening them so badly that none dared even breathe loudly.

Only when Li Ximing's heavenly light suddenly appeared did Chengqian's expression ease.

"Fellow Daoist Zhaojing!"

As he went to welcome Li Ximing, he swept his sleeve and ordered, "Go investigate again!"

The cultivators scattered as though they had been granted a great pardon.

Seeing Chengqian's grave expression, Li Ximing raised his brows and asked, "What happened?"

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