Chapter 1638: Yang Tianya (II)
Chapter 1638: Yang Tianya (II)
The newcomer was dressed in black, and looked utterly ordinary. It was Yang Ruiyi of the Yang Family.
As the Daoist Master entered the pavilion, he caught sight of Yang Tianyou kneeling on the floor. A flicker of pity flashed through his eyes, but he moved swiftly, dropping to his knees beside her without hesitation before respectfully reporting, "Ancestor! Someone has arrived from the lake!"
"Oh?" The old man took a sip of tea and asked, "Is it the White Qilin, or that Purple Mansion Realm cultivator?"
Yang Ruiyi respectfully replied, "It is the White Qilin."
A trace of uncertainty appeared between the newcomer’s brows, but the old man merely said offhandedly, "It is rare for him to manifest in this world. Let him come up."
Only then did Yang Ruiyi dare to rise. He helped Yang Tianyou to her feet and gently told her to withdraw before taking his place beside the old man.
To his surprise, the old man stood up, vacated the main seat, and said with a smile, "Sit."
Yang Ruiyi was immediately flustered and lowered his eyes. "I... I..."
"If I tell you to sit, then sit."
The old man gave the order casually before taking the secondary seat by the window. His gaze rested outside as he waited in silence. Only a few breaths later, steady footsteps approached.
Creak.
The door opened once more.
Yang Ruiyi had already regained his composure as he looked up with a smile. "White Qilin, you've arrived."
Those golden eyes gleamed conspicuously within the pavilion.
Li Zhouwei gave a slight nod and replied, "Li Zhouwei, Minghuang, from the Li Family of Moongaze."
Yang Ruiyi rose, returned the salute with a smile, and said, "Yang Ruiyi, Lutao, from the Yang Family of Simin. Please."
Li Zhouwei smiled and nodded. A faint golden glimmer flickered within his eyes as everything became clear to him.
Mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm. His cultivation is profound...
Following Yang Ruiyi's lead, he took a seat to the side. Turning his head, he finally met the gaze of the old man by the window.
The old man's gaze was calm yet commanding, quietly studying him with a hint of scrutiny.
The smile on Li Zhouwei's face remained unchanged, though it now carried just the right measure of curiosity. "And this is..."
Yang Ruiyi quickly rose to his feet and said with a smile, "This is our family's ancestor, of the Tian generation. His given name is Ya, and his Dao title is Guanxuan."
A look of realization crossed Li Zhouwei's face as he replied with composed courtesy, "So it is Senior Guanxuan."
Yang Tianya...
The name that the Li Family had pondered over for so long had finally appeared before him. Li Zhouwei's heart stirred, tightening little by little. The first thing to react was unexpectedly the [Great Fissure Golden Eyes], an ability he had long since forgotten, quietly warning him that the person before him was anything but ordinary!
His gaze remained casual, yet his heart slowly grew heavy. It was neither because the man's demeanor was unusually indifferent nor because Li Zhouwei was anxious about the conversation to come. Rather, the moment he raised his eyes and connected his spiritual sense to the immortal artifact, the scene before him abruptly changed.
The sunlight remained bright and warm, yet the table and chairs stood completely empty.
There was no old man, nor a Yang Tianya. There was only an empty table and chair!
Li Zhouwei's expression remained calm as he silently stared at the empty seat. A sudden wave of dizziness washed over his mind. Everything before his eyes flickered between illusion and reality as a single drop of darkness descended onto the table and chair, swallowing his vision in an instant.
Tides ebbed and flowed within that darkness as life and death fell into stillness. All things lost their names and vanished, stripped of their divine distinction. Countless shadows sank into the abyss, and from that boundless emptiness arose a drowsiness that threatened to make him lose himself.
A cool sensation suddenly rushed into his mind, pulling him free from the darkness and placing him beyond it. His thoughts instantly grew clear, and only a single idea remained in his heart, Is he truly Yang Tianya?
Li Zhouwei forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart, looked away, and respectfully said, "I have long heard of your great name."
Yang Tianya nodded calmly. His gaze seemed fixed upon Li Zhouwei's eyes, and his smile carried a touch more sincerity, along with a trace of regret. "How rare... truly rare..."
Li Zhouwei came back to his senses and returned the salute. Yang Tianya casually glanced over him and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Minghuang, I've heard all about how your esteemed family climbed step by step to attain the status of an Exalted Immortal clan. Allow me to offer my belated congratulations."
Li Zhouwei smiled, but before he could respond, the man leisurely continued, "I still remember when your family's ancestor first distinguished himself in the army. Later, I heard that your esteemed family intended to borrow the prevailing momentum, so I gave you a little assistance."
As soon as those words were spoken, Li Zhouwei immediately understood. Your family borrowed the prevailing momentum, and I lent a helping hand.
It was now obvious that Yang Tianya absolutely knew of his ancestor, Li Mutian.
Li Zhouwei let out a faint sigh, his face showing a hint of difficulty as he replied, "In those early days... There was endless bloodshed beneath the mountain, with people persecuting one another. Our family was too weak to protect itself and lived every day in fear of disaster.
“Fortunately, our ancestor, despite being nothing more than a mortal, somehow caught your lordship's attention. Relying on that connection, we claimed that he had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, thus preserving our family. For that, this junior remains deeply grateful."
His reply came smoothly. While expressing his gratitude, he subtly returned the question to the other party. Yang Tianya lowered his eyes, took a sip of tea, and sighed. "How could one fail to notice a descendant of a noble immortal cultivator appearing in the army?"
What he said was certainly true, yet he deliberately left part of it unsaid, never mentioning whose descendant it was. He raised his brows with a smile, but his eyes remained fixed intently on Li Zhouwei, as though probing his emotions.
He said, "[Pure Essence] is the source of all essence and the foundation from which all spirits are born. After that, the true foundation of cultivation lies in the spiritual orifice. Spiritual energy had long been severed at Moongaze Lake, and with the signs of [Pure Essence] gone, spiritual orifices naturally became difficult to produce. Your family's rise happened to coincide with the revival of the spirit veins. In truth, that was only the natural course of things."
Unable to tell how much sincerity lay behind those words, Li Zhouwei said with a sigh, "That foundation ultimately lay in our bloodline. Without your assistance, our ancestor could never have achieved it. While he was still alive, ancestor often spoke of you. Had he known your whereabouts, he would surely have brought all of us to personally repay your kindness..."
"To gain three out of four... that is no small feat."
Yang Tianya said nothing more, merely lowering his head with a smile as he sipped his tea.
Li Zhouwei then looked toward the man before him and offered his congratulations. "Congratulations!"
Yang Ruiyi had already raised his brows with a smile as he replied, "This time, our Yang Family has been blessed with a True Essence Auspicious Child, and everything has gone smoothly. It truly is a joyous occasion... But even so, it cannot compare to Fellow Daoist's illustrious reputation. There will still be many matters in which we must rely on you."
Li Zhouwei took a sip of tea, looking perfectly at ease, and shook his head. He replied, "You flatter me, fellow Daoist. Your esteemed family has concealed itself so deeply that I can only admire it. As for relying on me, I would never dare accept such praise!"
The two sides exchanged a round of courteous formalities. Yang Ruiyi chuckled and replied, "Our family has merely come upon a few fortunate opportunities. We cannot compare to the Pavilion of Profound Order, and our influence is modest. How could Minghuang not be worthy? Should we work together in the future, we ought to communicate more often."
Li Zhouwei immediately understood what he meant.
So they truly don't wield absolute authority. Far from it, in fact... It seems the Underworld's judiciary values Judge Yang himself, not the Yang Family as a whole!
Yang Ruiyi had put it tactfully. By saying they could not compare with the Pavilion of Profound Order, he was indirectly making the Yang Family's position clear. The Yang Family occupied a role much like that of the Pavilion of Profound Order. Just as the Pavilion represented Luoxia's will, the Yang Family merely acted to safeguard the interests of the Underworld's judiciary.
At first glance, this seemed perfectly ordinary, but once it was stated outright, the distinction was significant!
People often say that the Pavilion of Profound Order is Luoxia's dog. But a dog is still a dog. It may run rampant beneath the mountain, but it will never earn a place upon the mountain itself. It can be commanded at will, yet never truly become part of Luoxia. If the Yang Family occupies a corresponding position, then it is hardly an enviable one!
That is precisely why Yue State ended up in such a state back then!
Still, besides the Pavilion of Profound Order, Luoxia also has the Seven Dharma Forms. So what other factions exist within the Underworld's judiciary?