Chapter 1786: Son And Daughter (II)

Chengqian raised a hand, brushed his sleeve, and sighed. "After arriving here, I visited several Shamanic Kingdoms and began dealing with the yao disturbances. But the more I investigated, the less simple the matter appeared. There should be yao kings behind the unrest in these Shamanic Kingdoms."

Li Ximing narrowed his eyes and asked, "Which yao king?"

Chengqian sighed. "More than one!"

His expression turned ugly as he explained, "These Shamanic Kingdoms are caught between two territories. On one side lies the domain of the master of Mount Bifu, whose boundary is [Black Lacquer Ridge]. On the other side is the territory of another mountain lord, Lord Yuandun, whose boundary is [Haoling Peak]. This mountain lord has previously shown goodwill toward Stillness Sea.

"At the same time, the master of Mount Bifu is quite famous. I imagine you have heard of him as well. His name is Cen Lufu..."

Although Chengqian was intelligent, he was ultimately a cultivator from the outer-sea and knew little of Jiangnan's affairs. He knew even less about the Li Family's past or who they had grudges against, so he spoke of the matter quite naturally.

Li Ximing showed no reaction on his face, but his heart instantly turned cold as he thought, Still living carefree, are you? Enjoy yourself for a few more decades while you can!

Before Li Ximing's breakthrough, the Li Family had been nothing more than a speck of dust in Cen Lufu's eyes. Even after Li Ximing broke through, the entire Li Family put together would still have been something Cen Lufu could toss around with ease.

But the situation had changed. If the Li Family was truly determined and called in all the people it could muster, they really could make this yao king suffer badly, though they were still far from being able to kill him.

Chengqian continued, "Cen Lufu is a notorious old yao, with exceedingly formidable methods and profound Dao conduct. On the other hand, Lord Yuandun is only at the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion Realm. He had to rally several nearby yao kings and join forces with them just to barely hold Cen Lufu in check.

"Your clan's general seized territory belonging to Cen Lufu. Now... that old yao has compensated for his losses in the north by expanding eastward. He found an excuse to stir up fierce fighting between the two sides, using the chaos to abduct people while also suppressing Lord Yuandun..."

This Daoist Master had not been in the Purple Mansion Realm for long and had spent most of his time in the Eastern Sea, so naturally such a situation gave him a headache.

Li Ximing exhaled softly and asked thoughtfully, "Have any Purple Mansion Realm cultivators taken action?"

Chengqian's expression darkened. "That is precisely where the trouble lies... The master of Mount Bifu has sent two Purple Mansion Realm yao kings under his command, and they have already caused trouble several times. There have been disturbances in the earth veins as well as repeated calls for aid. Once the fighting grows even more intense, we may have to lend support to Yuandun..."

Li Ximing said thoughtfully, "I vaguely remember... Daoist Master Zhusheng had a yao friend in this region... Daoist Master Xianchan."

"He serves under Lord Yuandun!"

Li Ximing already detested Cen Lufu, so after hearing this, there was no question which side he favored. But his desire for revenge ran even deeper, so he was wary of alerting Cen Lufu too soon. Moreover, even if he were to intervene, he preferred to do so under the authority of the Song court.

He therefore said, "We should indeed support Yuandun to maintain the balance along the southern border. But these are no longer the days when we can act independently abroad. Everything must first be reported to our sovereign. Even if no additional manpower can be sent, it would still be better if one or two spirit artifacts could be allocated to us!"

Chengqian found this reasonable, and replied, "Senior has indeed thought this through more thoroughly!"

Li Ximing picked up his brush and used his divine ability to write upon the scroll. As he carefully chose his words for the report to Yang Zhuo, cold calculations were already forming in his mind.

But that is far from its only use! The green talisman still has no prospect of being completed. If I can investigate the situation here thoroughly, find an opening, and eliminate one of the yao kings close to Cen Lufu, I can also add another strand of talisman qi for Jiangqian!

The more he thought about it, the more satisfied he became, and his impression of Yang Ruiyi improved somewhat.

No matter how much I influence the situation along the southern border, with the identity of Great Song behind me, there should not be any major trouble. Compared with the north, this place really is much more comfortable. Not only do I not have to deal with the Buddhist cultivators in the north, I might even earn some spirit materials and favors along the way...

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Simin Prefecture.

Simin had originally been the foundation of the Azure Pond Sect, though its immortal towers and pavilions all stood upon the mountains. The prefecture itself, for all its wealth and splendor, had ultimately remained a place of mortals. But after the Great Song was founded, Simin was established as the imperial capital. Talented figures from the former Yue State had gathered there; new institutions were introduced; and palaces and towers were erected, transforming the city into a scene of dazzling prosperity.

However, hidden behind layers of pavilions stood a sprawling yet understated residence with its gates tightly shut. The inner chamber was equally quiet. A group of servants stood pressed against the walls, not daring to raise their heads. Only the delicate sound of a small bell could be heard.

A woman in white sat sideways beside the bed, gently twirling a bell between her pale, graceful fingers and making it chime softly. The little boy on the bed was barely a year old, yet his expression was utterly focused, his golden eyes fixed firmly on the bell. The little girl beside him looked even more petite and adorable, her golden eyes appearing brighter still. She had turned away and was nestled against her mother, sleeping.

As the woman played with the child, a powerfully built man nearby was trying on a dark ceremonial robe. A purple-gold sash was fastened around him, making him look exceptionally imposing.

Li Jiangxia lifted a bronze mirror and carefully examined the pair of golden eyes reflected within it. Suddenly remembering something, he asked, "Has Daoist Master Zhaojing gone to the southern border?"

The woman beside him immediately set down the bell in her hand and said softly, "Yes."

Li Jiangxia raised a hand and shook his head. "If he has not returned to the lake, then he likely does not know about Yuzhi and Suichu. Send someone to Stillness Sea and report the matter to him."

The woman answered gently, though she seemed to have something difficult to say. Li Jiangxia waved the attendants away and listened as she said, "I, as your concubine, have lived a humble life, yet was blessed with the great fortune of bearing children for the general... But I have heard that Tingzhou follows a generational naming order. Whether it is Zhi or Chu, I fear neither conforms to the rules."

Her expression was filled with worry. "I am not afraid of idle gossip. I only fear these two children... may not be liked by the King of Wei!"

Li Jiangxia could not help laughing. Shaking his head as he put on his spirit boots, he said, "There is no need to worry about that. My own 'Xia' does not follow the rules either, and Father chose it himself."

He turned his head and continued, "I understand what he meant now, so naturally I have no reason to fear such rules. I am not like Li Jianglong, who insists on shamelessly begging for a bestowed name. This is fine as it is... As for you, you bore me twins. Who would dare make things difficult for you?"

Although Li Jiangxia had many concubines, he had remained childless for many years. By the time he entered the Song court and went to war as one of the Profound Holders, he had already given up his last trace of hope and devoted himself entirely to cultivation.

The Song Emperor valued him highly, granting him not only spirit materials and treasures, but also six women to attend him, all of whom cultivated Veiled Yin. This was never meant in the hope that they would bear him children. It was purely so that he could dual cultivate with them, harmonize yin and yang, and improve his cultivation.

Perhaps after leaving Moongaze Lake, where Bright Yang held sway and his father and elder brothers had overshadowed him, his destiny had begun to flourish. Or perhaps the Dao Fruit of Veiled Yin truly had some effect. Among the six women, one named Zou Xie, who came from Mushroom Forest Plain, had unexpectedly become pregnant!

Li Jiangxia was overjoyed, but an even greater surprise followed. Zou Xie actually gave birth to a pair of twins, a son and a daughter!

Could it really be that my destiny has finally begun to unfold?

He was delighted to have become a father, and doted deeply on the twins. By extension, he kept Zou Xie close wherever he went. Now that he had returned to the imperial capital to report on his duties, he had brought mother and children back with him as well.

He affectionately stroked the two children and said gently, "His majesty has summoned me. I am going to the palace."

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