The Mirror Legacy

Chapter 1603: Upholding Martial Virtue (II)

Descending on the wind, Li Ximing soon spotted several Xiao Family descendants sweeping the stone steps. A bleak, cold rain drifted from the sky as Li Ximing called out, "Are you members of the Xiao Family? A visitor from the Li Family of Moongaze Lake has come!"

The moment they saw him, every one of them dropped to their knees. One hurriedly excused himself and rushed up the mountain to report his arrival. Moments later, a streak of escaping light shot down from above and landed before him in great haste, revealing an elderly man.

The old man had hair and beard as white as snow, with a gentle and honest face. He leaned on a wooden staff, from which several medicine pouches hung loosely, and wore nothing more than a thin gray robe.

His gaze was warm, though his eyes had reddened slightly as he said, "Greetings, Daoist Master!"

Li Ximing quickly stopped him, freeing one hand to support him affectionately. "Master, there's no need for this!"

The old man was none other than his master, Xiao Yuansi. Xiao Yuansi had grown old early, and he had grown old quickly. A knot remained in his heart that he had never managed to untie. Though his life had been free of hardship, he remained trapped by the sorrows of the past, unable to let them go.

He had no accomplished descendants and had never accepted disciples within the sect. Li Ximing was his one and only student. Seeing him now filled the old man with delight, and a smile soon spread across his face.

"Things are truly different now. You finally look like a Daoist Master."

Li Ximing shook his head somewhat awkwardly as he followed the old man up the mountain, exchanging a few words of concern.

Then Xiao Yuansi raised his brows and said, "I've been away from the mainland for many years, yet I've still heard the news. If possible... I'd like to ask you to keep an eye on my junior sister's Yuan Family."

Li Ximing knew that his master never stopped worrying about old acquaintances, so he reassured him, "The Yuan Family has encountered some troubles, but its bloodline still endures. Though it no longer enjoys the prominence it once did, that may not necessarily be a bad thing."

Xiao Yuansi nodded silently before asking, "What you say is true... In fact, I had intended to seek you out myself. For many years, there has been one matter that keeps returning to my thoughts... Now that Daoist Master Qinghu's achievements have finally yielded some clues, I can only hope to learn something of your grandmaster's whereabouts."

At the mention of it, Li Ximing immediately understood. His grandmaster was Si Yuanbai, who by seniority should have been Si Yuanli's elder brother. He had also been the master of Li Ximing's own forebears. Whether out of personal feeling or proper respect, it was only right to inquire into the matter. He quietly committed it to memory.

They were only able to have a brief conversation before arriving at Baier Mountain, where Xiao Yuansi quietly withdrew.

The summit of the mountain contained another lake, black as ink. Snow blanketed the mountain slopes, and beside the shore rested a fishing rod carved entirely from green jade. Though fierce winds swept across the peak, the fishing line remained perfectly still, as though forged from refined iron.

"Zhaojing, you've come!"

Li Ximing took a seat beside the jade table, and only then did he see an elderly man gradually materialize across from him.

Compared to Xiao Yuansi's age-worn appearance, Xiao Chuting seemed almost unchanged from years past. If anything, his improved cultivation had lent him an even greater air of ease and composure. One hand rested casually on the table while the other held a black-bound volume.

Li Ximing cupped his hands in greeting and offered his congratulations. "Greetings, senior! Congratulations!"

Then he produced the jade box containing the [Painted Water Sunflower Stone], set it gently upon the table, and said with a smile, "The mainland has been in turmoil these past days. Every family has been living in uncertainty and fear. I was unable to come offer my congratulations sooner, and I hope you will forgive the delay..."

"It's of no consequence, though you've gone to unnecessary expense." A smile lingered in Xiao Chuting's eyes as he glanced at the jade box on the table. He filled a cup with tea, turned his gaze toward the drifting snow reflected upon the black lake, and said, "The White Qilin is known throughout the world now."

Li Ximing nodded silently. His expression was complicated, and for a moment he found himself at a loss for words. He could only follow Xiao Chuting's gaze toward Baier Mountain and offer a compliment. "What a remarkable Pit Water treasured land."

Xiao Chuting took a sip of tea, and replied, "The mountain gates of ancient cultivators were often named rather casually. A Grand Daoist Master once perished here, and for a time his influence transformed this place into a mountain of Supreme Yang Radiant Fire.

“But as the years passed, the cultivators who practiced here gradually consumed that Radiant Fire. Meanwhile, Pit Water continued to flow abundantly throughout Cangzhou. Eventually, the remaining fire could no longer suppress it, and the land naturally reverted to its Pit Water nature."

The vast snowfall reflected in his eyes as he continued, "No Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, however powerful, can surpass a True Monarch. Cangzhou is a land of Pit Water. You may alter it for a time, but not for eternity. In the end, it must return to the divine ability of its original master. That is the greater trend of the world."

Li Ximing's expression grew solemn as Xiao Chuting quietly asked, "What were... Kuiqi's final words?"

Li Ximing fell silent for a moment before answering. "The radiance of Supreme Yang ends here."

The old man raised his brows, and said, "He understood it as well.

"Once the True Monarch ascended to the Profound Position, the Supreme Yang lineage lost its protector. Its decline became inevitable. Perhaps they once still held hopes for certain figures, but those hopes were shattered again and again. Every Daoist Master of the Supreme Yang Dao Lineage who fell did not merely die. Each death marked the silence of yet another great figure.

"The chances were vanishingly small, yet he refused to abandon the pride of Supreme Yang. He had to try."

A gloom settled over Li Ximing's heart as he asked quietly, "Why... Why must it be this way? Is it because of [True Essence]?"

There was no surprise in Xiao Chuting's eyes. He set down his teacup and replied, "I have few concerns left these days. I may as well speak frankly with you about it."

He slowly straightened. His expression grew still and solemn as he said, "Zhaojing... All cultivators in the world seek their own positions, yet the greater trend of the world is the true force that determines which positions may be attained and which are destined to return.

"The [True Essence] Dao possesses a profound and mysterious divine authority. It upholds martial virtue and cultivates the Truth. Once that position is attained, it grants benefits to all who seek the Truth and aids countless others upon the Dao. Do you understand what that means? Why do you think Anhuai Heaven fell so swiftly, so hastily, and with such desperate urgency?

"There are no shortage of great figures who wish to unite with the Truth, cultivate the Dao, and pave the way for future generations. As for those three Metallic Essences, lofty Dao lineages have long been preparing masters for them, generation after generation.

"The dragons seek the Truth as well. They too have been waiting for this Dao to return to its rightful place. All of them have been waiting for this very day!"

Li Ximing slowly raised his head. Fragmented clues and scattered remarks finally began linking together in his mind, while that aged and indifferent voice continued to echo in his ears.

"Now that the True Monarch's Metallic Essence has been obtained, naturally some will seek to recreate the imperial achievements of True Monarch Tianwu. Great upheaval is inevitable... And that suits the tastes of certain other great figures perfectly.

"But who will surrender Jiangnan's place? Who will willingly carve flesh from their own body? For hundreds of years, it has rested upon someone else's plate. Now that the plate must be cleared to hold something new, who can honestly deny it?

"Some seek union with the Dao and the Truth. Some desire upheaval and chaos. Some scheme for positions and long for change... But these great figures stand silently above, all waiting for the Lord of [True Essence] to take that position!

"At this point, which side the Lord of [True Essence] ultimately favors has become a matter of secondary importance!"

A strange glimmer appeared in his eyes as he said softly, "You must understand... Every undercurrent in the world, whether the struggles between Dao lineages or the rise and fall of Celestial Dynasties, ultimately revolves around a single Golden Position. Prosperity and ruin alike are fought over for the sake of that Exalted Position. When Heaven and Earth lend their strength, Heaven and Earth lend their strength! How could those deprived of it possibly avoid decline?"

Li Ximing slowly closed his eyes and exhaled. It took him a long while to regain his composure before he finally said, "But... the Supreme Yang Dao lineage... Surely they understand this as well..."

Xiao Chuting turned toward him. His eyes were as still as the lake before them, ancient, undisturbed, and even carrying a trace of coldness. "There was always a price they were meant to pay. Without some bloodshed, there would never be peace. And besides... of course the Supreme Yang Dao lineage had those who understood... Did the Murong Family not understand it far too early?!"