The Mirror Legacy - Chapter 1464: Qingyu Qian (I)

Chapter 1464: Qingyu Qian (I)

Mount Dali.

Leaves drifted across a thousand mountains as a bleak and cold autumn wind swept through. The peaks of Dali Mountain stood steep and perilous, while spiritual qi flowed through the sixteen demon dens, dazzling to the eye. Several demonic creatures rode the wind back and forth, all clad in armor, their conduct orderly and disciplined.

The golden-eyed man halted among the mountains, his gaze sharp and piercing. The white ape demonic creature behind him immediately stepped forward with a slight frown. Below, a thud sounded as everyone all dropped to their knees to kowtow, voices rising on both sides as they hailed him as Great King.

One demonic creature hurried forward, crawling on its belly until it reached his boots. It knocked its head on the ground and called out, “We do not know which treasured land the lord comes from. We have already sent word to invite the demon king from the cave. May the lord grant us a name, so we may report it to the demon king.”

Li Zhouwei glanced at the surrounding demonic creatures and replied, “A neighbor from the lake…”

Before he finished speaking, two streaks of light shot over and transformed into two middle-aged men before him. Li Zhouwei recognized them as a deer and a bear, both at the Foundation Establishment Realm.

The two demonic creatures landed and performed a full prostration. Li Zhouwei raised a hand slightly, and lifted the deer demon up with a divine ability, saying softly, “No need for such ceremony. We arrived at the northern foothills, but found the cave desolate and saw no senior. With no choice, we came to the main mountain on our own. Please do not take offense.”

Luken, a subordinate of White Banyan whom he had met before, was naturally helped to his feet. Even so, he remained timid and did not dare speak much. The bear demon beside him was not so fortunate and remained sprawled on the ground.

Luken hurriedly said, “One must always kneel upon seeing the lord. Besides, the lord’s life is aligned with destiny and has reclaimed divine ability. If I do not kneel now, I fear it may harm my fortune.”

Li Zhouwei could only release him and let him complete the ritual. Only then did Luken say humbly, “It is not that we refuse to remain in the mountains to serve you. It is that the White Qilin bloodline has achieved a divine ability… In the northern foothills, no demon general dares bear a surname other than Li, and no master dares go without scales. We lesser demons fear punishment from the Wei Emperor, so we dare not stay.”

He shrank back nervously, while the bear demon beside him trembled like a sieve, unable to rise. Li Zhouwei nodded. “Take me to see the master of Mount Dali.”

The deer immediately lowered its head and bent its back, leading him forward. As Li Zhouwei admired the winding and rugged terrain, he asked, “Since scaled creatures fall under the White Qilin Shuyang’s governance, which Dao governs your deer kind?”

Luken replied respectfully, “Our deer kind follows the Dao of [Purple Essence].”

So it is the [Purple Essence] Dao… Senior White Banyan walking the Purple Smoke path was not mistaken.

He understood inwardly. After flying a short distance, they reached the summit of Mount Dali’s main peak. They found themselves before a pool of boiling white water, mist curling all around. Demons gathered in auspicious display, and the ground was covered with spiritual fruits and herbs.

Luken did not dare proceed, and the white ape also stopped silently. Li Zhouwei went forward alone, walking several dozen steps through the drifting, otherworldly scene until he saw a jade platform, upon which sat a man.

This man’s skin was like congealed jade, his features gentle and almost alluring. Tall and slender, with a faint smile at the corners of his eyes, he carried himself with effortless grace. Joy shone between his brows as he stepped down from the platform and said with a smile, “Where the Qilin’s steps fall, life flourishes. This is truly Mount Dali’s blessing!”

“It is but a matter of fate. The lord flatters me.”

Li Zhouwei returned the courtesy, golden light flowing through his eyes as he thought, A demon king with three divine abilities, and none I have seen before…

Mount Dali had long stood firm in Jiangnan. Though it had become less active in recent years, none dared offend it. Its foundation was clearly deep. The one before him alone was already a noble with considerable cultivation.

The other party smiled warmly and invited him to sit by the table, then said, “I am the demon king of Mount Dali. My surname is Qingyu, given name Qian, Dao title Tingfu. I have long heard of Minghuang’s great name!”

Unexpectedly, though the fox clan of Mount Dali all bore Bai as their proper surname, this Demon King Tingfu did not. His name was Qingyu Qian.

“Greetings, senior…” Li Zhouwei rose from his seat and stepped away from the table, giving thanks, “Mount Dali has aided us for many years. That the Li Family has what it does today leaves me deeply grateful. My thanks to you, senior!”

The Demon King Tingfu chuckled and shook his head. As a fox in human form, his smile was captivating. He lifted the jade flask on the table and poured wine for him, saying only, “That cannot be credited to me.”

After completing the formalities, Li Zhouwei returned to his seat. The Demon King Tingfu raised his cup, offered a brief congratulation, then continued, “I raised that child White Banyan from the wilds. He is now a junior I value greatly. He is cultivating in the mountains, nurturing a divine ability, and cannot come out to greet you. A pity!”

Li Zhouwei smiled and replied, “When Senior White Banyan succeeds, I will surely come to congratulate him!”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Qingyu Qian’s eyes curved slightly as he finally asked, “I have heard of the matters concerning the Dragon Clan. Someone from your family has already transformed into lightning. It must be a scheme of the Dragon Monarch Beijia, laying groundwork early in the matter of Bright Yang. Luoxia could not possibly be unaware… I wish to ask, how does Minghuang view this?”

Since he was being direct, Li Zhouwei replied, “Senior, do you think there is any chance of escape?”

The fox and the dragon had sworn an oath before him in the past, so Li Zhouwei naturally spoke accordingly. Qingyu Qian heard this and said softly, “Difficult.”

Before Li Zhouwei could respond, Qingyu Qian continued mildly, “Though I do not favor Luoxia, the Dragon Clan is not easy to deal with either. To speak plainly, Luoxia may not covet Bright Yang itself. They simply do not wish for the Shuyang above the Bright Yang Fruition Attainment, the one that stands between heaven and earth, to be Li Qianyuan. If you follow their will, even if you attain the Bright Yang Fruition Attainment, you would still stand as a great power in this world.”

His words leaned toward neutrality, neither biased nor partial. Li Zhouwei’s brows knitted in confusion. For a moment, he said nothing, then said softly, “Why do they hate him so deeply?”

Qingyu Qian let out a sigh. “Li Qianyuan is no ordinary figure. There are very few who hold the sole Fruition Attainment across heaven and earth from ancient times to now. He is but one step away from Dao Embryo immortality. If he takes that step, he will become the first in history to unite the Celestial Dynasty emperor and immortal in one person.

“He stands in irreconcilable conflict with Luoxia, and even with more than half of the Three Profundities and Four Daos lineages. This conflict is not only rooted in Daos, lineages, and divine abilities, but also in grievances, beliefs, and cultivation…”

Qingyu Qian’s gaze grew heavy. Li Zhouwei frowned and asked, “But I have heard… in the earliest times, a Human Emperor established dominion…”

Qingyu Qian took a sip of wine and shook his head, “That was the founding of a realm, not a Celestial Dynasty. A true Celestial Dynasty means unity without exception, a single imperial authority and father in the world, that being the sovereign. How could it be compared to the Zhou system of enfeoffed lords? To put it plainly, Great Zhou was merely a central state among many.”

Li Zhouwei fell silent. The fox demon before him said softly, “Do you understand now? We are people of later generations. With history as our mirror, things are clear to us. But how many in that era understood? Tuoba Xuantan called his realm a Celestial Dynasty. He had deep foundations and the support of the Pavilion Viewing faction. But what became of Great Liang in the end?”

“Look at Zhao Emperor Fuqi Yan. He founded Great Zhao and ascended Dayang Mountain. Facing the endless sands, he said only this: ‘Dechang[1] is dead, Xiao of Wu remains unsettled, the south is perilous, the great work unfinished.’ Did he ever think of what would become of future generations?

“The Wei Emperor could die suddenly in midair, and the Liang Emperor could drown. He fell halfway through his campaign to destroy Yan. After saying those words, he immediately died in Yincheng Prefecture. Even wood and stone wept. Along with him, the ancient position of [Kui’s Body][2] was lost and never seen again. In ancient times, what were your cultivators’ Purple Mansion Realm Dharma Bodies like, and what are they now?”

His questions left Li Zhouwei silent. Qingyu Qian said gently, “There is never a good beginning nor a good end in an imperial house. What the Dragon Clan seeks is only to delay his fall, never to bring him back. People from Luoxia will eventually come to see you. Take care of yourself.”

“Thank you for your guidance, senior!”

1. This is referring to Murong Dechang, the King of Yan State. It was mentioned once in Chapter 733. ☜

2. The 夔 (Kuí) is a legendary creature associated with thunder, music, and divine authority in ancient Chinese lore. ☜