Chapter 1680: Who Truly Is Bright Yang? (II)
Chapter 1680: Who Truly Is Bright Yang? (II)
Master Pingyan's spirit mountain had been reduced to ruins. Earth and stone had collapsed; the pavilions lay shattered; and stark white bones were exposed within the mountain itself. A crimson sea of blood poured from the mountain and spread across its foot, while a swarm of demonic creatures clustered around the mountainside like flies, greedily drinking the blood. No matter how Pingyan's disciples drove them away, they refused to leave.
Master Pingyan himself remained firmly kneeling amidst the rubble. Minghui stood respectfully to one side with lowered eyes, shrinking into a corner and hoping the Dragon King would overlook him entirely. Sure enough, Dongfang Lieyun did not spare him even a glance, fixing only a cold stare upon Pingyan.
"Useless."
The devil did not dare so much as breathe loudly. Kneeling on the ground, he respectfully said, "Greetings, Dragon King of Bei Sea. Greetings, Xu Water Demon King!"
Dongfang Lieyun did not dignify him with so much as another word. He simply walked past him. The Xu Water Demon King behind him remained equally silent as they escorted Li Zhouwei through golden palaces and halls, deep into the island, until they arrived before a palace as massive as a mountain.
The dragons had not changed their habits. The main seat within the hall was so enormous it resembled an entire building. Dongfang Lieyun seated himself upon it, his expression icy as he said in a deep voice, "I've made a fool of myself."
Li Zhouwei shook his head and replied evenly, "My exchange with the Dragon Son has been most enlightening."
His golden eyes remained tranquil, devoid of anger or any sense of having been slighted. Rather, they even held a faint chill. Though before the Dragon King, he showed not the slightest trace of fear as he asked, "What is the origin of the [Dry Yang Bangles] that even the Crown Prince has been implicated because of them?"
Dongfang Lieyun stared at him with those eerie, crimson-glowing eyes and said quietly, "In those days, the Emperor of Wei bestowed three bangles. The first was the [Dry Yang], the very one in your hand, which he gave to his younger brother, Li Guangheng. The second was [Changning], bestowed upon Tuoba Changming. The third was [Chongtai], given to Shilou Chongyang of the Gao Family.
"The bangle originated during the Zhou era as a shackle for slaves, fastened around the wrist. It is hardly an auspicious object. When bestowed upon a subject, it signified that he was to keep his region secure, neither fleeing nor rebelling...
"The Tuoba Family and the Shilou Family were both great frontier clans, leaders among the Sixteen Tribes of the Eastern Hu. Bestowing these bangles upon them meant they were expected to loyally guard the borders for Wei State, harbor no ambitions of their own, and await greater responsibilities in due time."
Dongfang Lieyun smiled faintly as he said, "As for giving one to Li Guangheng... The meaning was much the same."
Li Zhouwei's expression turned slightly solemn, but he remained silent. So it was a warning...
If the Emperor of Wei had used this object to warn both his ministers and his own kin, then what did it mean for the dragons to present the very same object to me?
Dongfang Lieyun remained perfectly composed as he quietly watched him. "Dingjiao has now attained divine ability as well. Unfortunately, one of our ancestors in the sea is celebrating a birthday, so he could not come to meet you. Beforehand, however, he personally told me that your affairs were to be entrusted to him.
"You could say it's his way of looking out for you."
Li Zhouwei cupped his hands in thanks and replied with an easy smile, "That's true enough. After all, the Crown Prince's subordinates are all in the Scarlet Pristine Sea. If I'm to make arrangements for what comes after my death, I'll certainly need their help. But with this great upheaval only just beginning, my family has no hands to spare, so the matter has been put off until now."
An unreadable expression crossed the Dragon King's face. Leaning back against the main seat, he said quietly, "That is of no consequence. You needn't concern yourself with Guang Fou's side either. They cannot truly change anything. The only thing they can do is cause you some legitimate trouble here and there. There is no need to rush this matter. At the very least, wait until you've attained your third divine ability before dealing with it..."
He shook his head. "Dingjiao has yet to complete his Fate Divine Ability, making this matter rather inconvenient for him. But he insists on handling it personally. So let him have a few more years, which will also give you time to free up your own hands first!"
Li Zhouwei nodded and withdrew a jade box from his sleeve. Inside, shimmering colors swirled together in an iridescent haze. Resting neatly within was a single piece of Agemetal.
"This is [Sinking Wild Agemetal], a Purple Mansion Realm spirit item of the Converging Water Dao. It came from a grotto heaven and is a rather uncommon curiosity. Now that the Crown Prince has attained divine ability, please accept this modest gift on his behalf. Its value may be slight, but the sentiment is sincere."
Dongfang Lieyun reached out, pinching the jade box between his fingernails before tucking it away. He replied casually, "I'll thank the White Qilin on his behalf."
Something of this value was certainly beneath the notice of the dragons. To put it bluntly, it was hardly enough to fill the gaps between their teeth. Li Zhouwei knew the gift merely conveyed his goodwill, so he turned to the general standing nearby.
"You must be the Xu Water Demon King?"
The general was momentarily taken aback. He lowered his head respectfully and replied, "Great king, this humble one is Lu Xu. I have the honor of serving as the king of the Xu Waters."
This general was a mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm demonic creature. In more than ninety percent of the world, he would have been an unquestioned overlord, free to do as he pleased. Yet before Dongfang Lieyun, he behaved with perfect deference, and before Li Zhouwei, he was as respectful as a mere lesser demon... The sight stirred something in Li Zhouwei's mind.
Although demonic creatures are sometimes inferior to humans in battle, and at times even rank below Buddhist cultivators, they enjoy exceptionally long lifespans. Those with superior bloodlines break through even more easily. Generation after generation, that strength accumulates. Beneath the Eastern Sea... the dragon's power truly is unfathomable...
Keeping his expression calm, he smiled and said, "Years ago, a White Brocade River King once saved one of my most capable subordinates. He's wanted to repay that kindness ever since, but we've never been able to find any news of the White Brocade River King. I heard not long ago that he's now serving under the Demon King. If the opportunity arises, perhaps you could arrange for the two to meet."
The Xu Water Demon King dipped his head slightly. "This lesser demon understands."
Seeing that he understood immediately, Li Zhouwei rose and bowed. "Since we've already exchanged blows in Yinzhou, I'm concerned others may have noticed and will take advantage of my absence to strike at the lake. I won't impose on you any longer!"
Dongfang Lieyun nodded and remained seated upon the main seat, quietly watching Li Zhouwei depart. A cold light lingered in his dragon eyes, as though he were pondering something.
Li Zhouwei... Now that he possesses divine abilities, even his bearing has changed. I'm afraid he harbors ambitions of his own... Let's hope he doesn't stir up any trouble for me when the critical moment arrives.
His gaze grew colder and colder until the very air within the great hall seemed to freeze. Only after a long silence did he finally speak in an icy voice, "Xu Water!"
The general at his side lowered his head. "Your servant is here."
"Make a trip to Lie Sea."
————
After leaving the palace, Li Zhouwei returned to Master Pingyan's mountain gate. He found that the collapsed mountain had already been pushed back into shape, though the pavilions and towers were still under reconstruction.
The devil greeted him all the way up the mountain with a fawning smile plastered across his face. "I've offended you greatly. I hope you'll forgive me..."
Li Zhouwei's mind was occupied with too many thoughts to bother with him. Flicking his sleeve, he simply asked, "Where is Minghui?"
Master Pingyan hurriedly replied, "The clash between the two great kings scared him out of his wits. Then he saw you being taken away by the Dragon King, so he fled straight outside the island. He said he'd wait for you beyond Yinzhou."
After Pingyan pointed out the direction, Li Zhouwei gave a slight nod. Riding the wind, he soared up from this demon den, finally leaving behind the immortal island in the outer-sea, where dark clouds hung overhead and bloodshed stained every corner.
Flying onward, he soon spotted the monk waiting atop an auspicious cloud. Minghui had already reverted to his true form, with a stack of golden ritual implements piled beside him as he craned his neck expectantly.
The moment Li Zhouwei appeared, the monk eagerly floated over on his cloud. Bowing with exaggerated deference, he hurriedly said with a smile, "Great king... The great king's mystics are truly unfathomable! That was the Dragon Son himself, yet you fought him to a standstill..."
The spectacle had shaken him so thoroughly that, eloquent as he usually was, he found himself unable to say much more. Li Zhouwei, however, knew the truth in his heart, Neither he nor I used spirit artifacts or spirit treasures. We didn't even employ our divine abilities. It was nothing more than an exchange of moves. If we had truly fought, with the sheer size of his dragon body and the depth of his mana, he'd have casually pulled out three or five spirit treasures. How would I have stood a chance...
The flattery had completely missed its mark. Since Minghui's cultivation was not far below his own, Li Zhouwei regarded it as little more than mutual praise among peers and had no interest in hearing it.
He said, "Of the things you promised my granduncle back then, how much is still left to recover?"
Those words startled Minghui into a forced, but eager smile as he quickly replied, "I've prepared everything... Everything's ready!"
With a flick of his sleeve, he produced a crystal-clear glazed pearl and placed it in his palm with a grin. "Great king, take a look!"
Li Zhouwei studied it with a frown. He felt the golden radiances pierce into his eyes, transforming into shimmering glazed light that threatened to cloud his mind.
He asked, "What is this?"
Minghui smiled in reply. "After hearing Fellow Daoist's request, I sought out quite a few people. First, to exchange for spiritual flames, and second, to acquire some spirit artifacts. Since it couldn't be done openly, I had to make discreet inquiries here and there. Fortunately, I managed to find something worthwhile.
"This is a strand of [Dry Fire]. From what I've been told... It can ward off the cold and draw out baleful energy. It's been sealed inside this glazed pearl and refined through various transformations, making it a Buddhist artifact. As for its proper name... I'm not entirely sure."
With a single glance, Li Zhouwei realized something was wrong, and his brow furrowed.
He had given Minghui a handful of golden Buddhist implements seized from the Merciful Ones. At best, they included the golden ring taken from Maha Daisi and the kasaya he had obtained earlier, both of which carried some value. But what Minghui held in his hand was something else entirely.
Buddhist cultivators rarely possessed treasures of any real worth to begin with, let alone a Buddhist artifact painstakingly refined from a Purple Mansion Realm spiritual flame. Such an artifact would undoubtedly be a prized treasure in the north. If it could be considered comparable to a spirit treasure, then everything he had handed over amounted, at most, to a spirit embryo or spirit artifacts.
Who makes a trade like this? It would be like my family giving away [Two Bright Rites of Layered Fire] in exchange for things like [Ruler of Manifested Mountains and Rivers], [Mountain-Charging Sea-Pacing Tiger], or [Mountain-Supervising Spirit-Pointing Talisman]. We'd be complete suckers!
The two situations were not perfectly equivalent. This pearl was nowhere near the level of [Two Bright Rites of Layered Fire], but the comparison was close enough to make Li Zhouwei immediately wary.
His expression darkened as he said coldly, "The Mahas certainly know how to strike a bargain!"
That single remark left Minghui speechless. Looking at Li Zhouwei with an embarrassed expression, he lowered his voice as he said, "Please hear me out..."
He forced an awkward smile and continued, "I've received word from Dayang Mountain that they'll be sending me south before long to garrison Jiangbei..."
Before he could say much more, understanding dawned on Li Zhouwei's face. Minghui hurriedly added in a flattering tone, "You know as well as I do that our Lotus Temple has always been on good terms with the immortal cultivators. We've never had any intention of marching south. It has even increasingly strained our relations with the other Buddhist Daos over the years. Now that Dayang Mountain is sending my fellow disciples and me south, we'll certainly be the first to take the field... We might even end up heading for Moongaze Lake!"
The monk rubbed his bald head with a grin. "When that time comes, I hope you will show a little mercy..."
Li Zhouwei, however, only shook his head. "In battle, divine abilities show no mercy. There's no such thing as holding back. Either you kill me, or I kill you. If I spare you, who's going to spare my family? Besides..."
His golden eyes narrowed as he studied the monk intently. "Anyone who dares run wild at my lake is leaving something behind. Either your dharma body and Buddhist artifacts stay there, or your life does."
Minghui's heart skipped a beat. He had only made the story up on the spot, but thinking it over, would those fellow disciples of his really hesitate to send him to Moongaze Lake?
With an awkward laugh, he said, "I understand! I understand!"
His eyes darted about before he broke into another grin. "Since you've already sold those Buddhist artifacts to me, I'll melt them down, sell the materials, and forge replacements. That way, you won't be breaking any rules. When the time comes, you can just seize those instead. Bundle them with the Buddhist artifacts from my fellow disciples and the others, then sell them all back to me afterward. Wouldn't that work out perfectly for everyone?"
Li Zhouwei's expression turned rather strange. He carefully looked the monk up and down before smiling. "And what if it's lives I want?"
"Eh!" Minghui chuckled and said, "That's easy! I certainly won't be the only one coming! Just go after those... those fellows from the Great Desire Dao, the Compassion Dao, and... and whatever that one is called... the Great Mahayana Dharma Realm! Just beat them up instead. You can take as many lives from them as you like!"
"As for me... hehe... Just have one of your elders fight me instead. I guarantee I won't be able to hurt him!"
The corner of Li Zhouwei's mouth twitched. He gave the monk another long look, pondering for a moment before speaking with a peculiar expression, "Hard to say. From what I can see, you probably wouldn't even beat him."